The Legend of Kimberly: Inheritance
Kimberly frowned and took a second look. She had failed to notice the complete lack of people. It was if the city had died, leaving behind a hollow husk.
Kimberly looked at her companions in concern when they all drew weapons. She summoned Willow’s magic, wrapping her arm and torso up in Willow’s tendrils. She could do this with Willow still sheathed; it was something Trey had insisted she practice over and over.
“Serra, you getting anything?” Trey turned to Serra, who shook her head. It was still hours from sunset and her ability to sense life was hampered by her current state of humanity.
Ip sniffed the air and growled. Kimberly felt the tension rise. Helena cocked her crossbow and tucked a spare bolt in her boot. Ronnee slung his giant axe over one shoulder and shuffled forward, peering into the shadows.
“The towers are still moving.” Kimberly pointed into the sky. The giant towers continued their lazy path around the center of the city. “I bet somebody is still here.”
“Not necessarily true. Those towers have done that for well over a thousand years, with or without help. Good thinking, though,” Trey added, seeing Kimberly slump a little. “Something happened here, that is certain. I can’t imagine much that would cause an entire city to go into hiding.”
“Captain.” Ronnee pointed ahead. A twenty-foot steel portcullis lay twisted up like paper on the grass, which had died. “Where from?”
Everybody looked around. There were no gateways nearby.
“What could have done that?” Kimberly wondered. She began running through a list of creatures she read about. The list narrowed rather quickly in her head; none of the possible culprits were things she wanted to see.
“Extreme caution from here.” Trey wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword. “Be wary.”
The group agreed and rode deeper into the abandoned city. The floating towers were soon directly overhead, and Kimberly felt nervous in their shadows. They walked along Merchants Street and straight into the inner city, where most of the denizens lived. Weapons and armor were scattered about the ground along with clothing, baskets, and other household goods.
“Do you think they beat us here?” Kimberly asked.
Trey turned in his saddle. “Possible. What I see here truly concerns me.”
“Some fighting happened, but not much,” Serra said. “What bothers me is the lack of bodies.”
“Why?” Kimberly asked.
“If the bodies aren’t around, that usually means that something ate them or they stood up and walked away.”
“If something ate them, wouldn’t there be more blood?”
Serra snorted. “Not always.”
Cold shivers ran down her back. Willow pulsed gently at her hip, reassuring her.
Kimberly’s horse reared, nearly dumping her. The other horses began to spiral and whine in protest. Trey ordered an immediate dismount. As Kimberly stepped down onto the stone path, she could truly see the fear in the poor beast’s eyes. She felt bad bringing the horses to this dark, miserable place.
They quickly unloaded their mounts and let them go. The horses ran back toward the entrance and vanished.
“Where do we go from here?” Helena asked. Trey furrowed his brow in thought. Kimberly stared down at her feet, feeling useless. She took out her frustration on a loose stone, kicking it into an open doorway.
Ip barked, startling everyone. Kimberly watched him sniff in a tight circle and then break into a run across a nearby bridge. Ignoring the protests of her companions, she followed close behind. Ip ran between the buildings themselves, disappearing into the shadows between them. As she ran through the tight corners of the alleys, she was led only by momentary flashes of his bushy tail. Gasping for breath, she stepped from the shadows and into a grassy field. The ground beneath her feet was set at an odd angle, making her feel like she would tip over. She stared in wonder at the strange building Ip had led her to. The fox barked proudly at the entrance, hopping about in playful manner.
“What is it Ip?” Kimberly reached out for the fox, who hopped a step away.
“Kimberly!” Trey appeared from the alley behind her, anger on his face. “That was extremely reckless.”
“What is this place?” The building made Kimberly think of the football stadiums on Earth. It was a giant domed building, perhaps a hundred feet tall at the top.
Helena, who had been just behind Trey, answered. “This is the power station for the towers. It’s where they keep the enchanted crystals that keep these towers up in the air. We shouldn’t have gotten this close, actually. This place is usually guarded like a dragon’s hoard.” Helena pointed up to several empty sentry points. “If somebody could take out the people here, what chance do we have?”
Trey looked worried by Helena’s remark. Kimberly could feel the oppressiveness sinking down on all of them.
Ronnee arrived, followed by Serra. The half demon wheezed like an asthmatic, pausing only long enough to give Kimberly a very dirty look.
“Ip want go inside.” Ronnee walked up beside Ip and crossed his arms. “I want go inside.”
The women all looked at Trey. He shrugged. “Ip may know something we don’t.”
Entering the domed building, they walked among its corridors. The walls glowed blue with strange symbols carved into the stone. Shelves had been carved into the stone as well. All along the corridor, piles of black sand could be seen in the shelves and on the floor.
“This whole building is like a storage shed for magic. Powerful artifacts can be brought here for safekeeping when they can’t be destroyed by normal means.” Trey pointed at the dust on the ground. “If I’m right, this is all that is left of those things.
Kimberly stood, admiring the glowing blue glyphs on the walls. Getting closer to one, it brightened at her approach. She touched one with her hand. The stone was cool beneath her skin, yet the light was now so bright that Kimberly squinted.
Ip barked at Kimberly. Turning to look at him, she saw that Helena had stopped to wait for her as well.
“Why haven’t the glyphs been drained away?”
“It’s likely the crystals power them, too.” Helena got closer to look. “As long as these are lit up, we don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Neat.” Kimberly watched the glyphs as they resumed their trek down the tunnel, smiling when they brightened in her presence.
Catching up to the others, Kimberly saw that Serra’s face had gone completely white and her teeth were slightly pointed, now that they were away from the sun. When Serra caught Kimberly looking, she made a goofy face at her, reassuring her that the mind inside the body was still human.
The hallway opened up into a giant space. Above them floated an array of blue crystals, drifting amongst each other in predetermined circular patterns. The group spread out and began to walk toward an altar in the middle of the room.
Ip growled as they drew close. The sound echoed all around them.
Looking up, Kimberly realized that the shape of the building was identical to the secret room on her grandfather’s island. The room was much bigger, but she could easily imagine artifacts of unimaginable power being placed along the dome’s edges. She had thought very little of her grandfather since reading the scroll in the mountains, a scroll she had tossed in the inn’s fire after reading. She had come to terms with his decisions though, realizing it was best to let the past stay buried and remember what he had been to her.
On the altar in the middle of the room, a dark, gloomy figure shifted before them.
“Hello, Kimberly.” The shadow stood up. It was Zane. His features blurred as he moved, and his eyes sparkled with different-colored lights. The temperature in the room dropped dramatically as he evaporated into smoke, reforming at the altar’s base. “Like what I’ve done with the place?”
“Zane.” Kimberly drew Willow, pointing the blade at her brother. “What happened to all the people here?”
“Ah, that is an interesting story.” He stepped t
o one side and stretched. The lights in the room dimmed visibly. “We just walked in, you know. Walked right into this room with no resistance. When I touched the crystals here, I could feel everything in the city, all of its people, all of its power. She let me have it all.” Zane turned into mist and reappeared right in front of them. “She left me in charge. In charge of the whole city. I drank it away, drank its magic and its life. Everybody here belongs to me now. And the best part is…” He held up an inky black finger and pointed it at Kimberly. “He doesn’t need you anymore.”
This close to Zane, she could feel her brother’s dark power. Power that had consumed the entire city. Power that could leave her as just a pile of dust. Stunned, she realized she couldn’t move.
“Your magic! It rages like wildfire!” Zane’s eyes blazed and he leaped forward, his body stretching out into smoke. A clawed hand filled her vision. “Give it to me!”
Willow pulsed in her fist and jerked Kimberly’s arm up toward the ceiling. A bright, white light filled the room, blinding Zane and driving him back. Staggering on shadowy legs, he attempted to move forward again. A bolt appeared in his chest and Zane shrieked. It sank deep into his flesh, filling the air with an acrid smell.
“Always carry silver,” Helena said, cocking another bolt in her crossbow. She fired again; Zane dodged away, vanishing from sight.
“I can feel them coming now. So hungry, so cold. They are everywhere.” Serra’s face shifted, a broad smile crossing her lips. “It’s time to play.” She drew her sword.
Without a sound, something much bigger than Ronnee stood up behind Serra. It was Billy. His body was larger than Kimberly remembered, and his metallic skin was adorned with spikes and sharp edges. He carried a giant metal hammer, a hammer crusted with days-old gore. Swinging his weapon, he caught Serra in the side with the hammer, knocking her several feet away, where she landed with a loud thud. The attack would have easily killed a human.
Serra, however, was only half human.
Standing back up, she cast aside her sword, which had been crumpled by Billy’s hammer. She raced forward, tackling Billy with razor-sharp claws, snarling like a feral beast. Billy tried to pull the angry woman off, stumbling around in circles. As Billy staggered back toward Ronnee, the half giant knocked Billy’s legs out from under him with his axe.
The light from Willow disappeared. Kimberly slumped forward, her arms shaking with fatigue. What had just happened?
Zane reappeared. His body became smoky and the silver bolt clattered to the floor at his feet. He floated toward Helena, his eyes shining with anger. Trey moved to intercept him, but Kimberly beat him to it. Getting in front of Zane, she thrust Willow forward, aiming for his heart. Zane billowed around her like a fog, intent on his goal. Trey was next; he swung at Zane’s head with his magical blade. When Zane dodged, Trey’s other blade shot forward and pierced Zane’s flesh. The sword burst into dust.
Zane laughed and reached for the man. Kimberly’s fist grabbed the edge of his cloak, pulling him backward and off balance. Since he was floating, his feet continued forward and up. He burst into smoke again and vanished.
“Look out!” Helena cried in warning. Shadowy figures had filled the doorway, bursting out along the wall like a horde of spiders. “Wraiths!”
Spirits of the dead who had been hideously warped by Zane’s dark magic, the wraiths moved toward the intruders. Helena’s bolts caused the shadows to puff away into smoke. Serra was still busy trying to rip Billy’s head off, and Ronnee swung at the shadows with no effect. Trey’s sword was beginning to hum, and the shadows gave him a wide berth.
Ip, all but forgotten, burst into a giant ball of flame. The now giant fox scoured the room in fiery circles, running faster than the wraiths could follow. The shadow men cried out and melted away from the beast as it tore them down with giant paws and teeth. Stopping to drag a big shadow to its doom under his paws, Ip was too busy to notice that Zane had reformed behind him, hands out wide, brimming with dark magic.
Kimberly, however, did see him.
She sprinted forward, Willow glowing blue with fire. Time seemed to slow as she crossed the room at an impossible speed, her legs vibrating with each impact. Slicing Willow upward, Zane’s hands fell away from his body. They lost form before hitting the ground, becoming nothing more than a black fluid. Screaming, Zane raised his wrist. A new hand formed before her eyes, a hand that summoned up a giant ball of energy. Zane released it into her stomach. It carried her up and away from him.
Her wooden armor protected her from the impact of the ground, but the breath was blasted from her lungs. Ip was by her side then, knocking away the shadows as they reached for her and tried to hold her down long enough to drink her soul from her lips.
Somewhere, Helena screamed. Kimberly turned her head and saw that Helena had been pinned to the ground by the shadows. Kimberly, helpless, could only gasp for air.
A mighty cry filled the room, something deep and primal. Kimberly rolled over to see Trey charging at Zane, sparks leaping off of his blade and hanging in the air like stars. Zane, hunger in his eyes, let him come. Trey swung his sword down. Zane caught the blade, grabbing onto it with both hands.
It was like the air had been sucked from the room. Zane stumbled away and fell to his knees, bewilderment on his face.
“But… how?”
The blade in Trey’s hand hummed violently now, causing his arm to shake. Trey stepped forward toward Zane, pointing the blade at his chest. Under the weight of its power, Zane seemed helpless. His mouth opened and closed like a gasping fish.
“You are finished before your life ever truly began. I pity you.” Trey’s words were sincere.
With a single thrust, he ended Zane’s existence. As the blade pierced Zane’s flesh, Zane fell apart into nothing more than a dark fog. Billowing outward, it froze at the touch, causing Kimberly’s teeth to chatter. The shadow people in the room cried out as one, dissipating into nothingness along with Zane.
Billy cried out then, a ghastly sound like wrenching metal. Throwing Serra from his body, he fled the room. Ronnee started to follow, but Trey called out to him, stopping his pursuit. “Something’s wrong.”
Kimberly could feel it, too. Something about the world felt very off, almost like everything was tilting sideways. A single thought flitted through her mind: a trap had been sprung.
The light of the crystals above flickered like candles in the breeze. One of the crystals wavered and fell, shattering when it struck the ground.
Serra’s eyes widened and she looked up. “We must flee! The towers are falling!”
Kimberly struggled to rise. Serra was at her side, pulling her up by her armpits. Trey was helping Helena up, but something was wrong. She muttered something about stars in the sky. Trey ordered Ronnee to carry her and the group broke into a run, more crystals falling around them.
They sprinted from the building. Reaching the exit, they stepped out under the evening sky of the Golden City. Up above them, the giant shadows were leaning precariously, and objects had begun to fall from doors and windows.
“How did it get so late?” Kimberly asked.
“It was the crystals,” Trey answered. “Time passes differently in their presence. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.”
Kimberly looked at Trey. She hadn’t expected an answer.
“We’re not gonna make it,” Trey admitted. They were so deep within the city that only fast horses could outrun the toppling towers—horses they had been forced to leave behind.
Recalling Ip’s mysterious knowledge of the city, Kimberly turned to him. This was her first real chance to see him in his transformed state. His fur was made of red and white fire billowing gently in the breeze without heat. Golden eyes regarded her from within, eyes that watched her back with intense intelligence.
“Ip, can you lead us out of here?”
Ip roared and began padding forward. Careful to let the others keep up, already they were twisting through narrow corridors an
d running down steep, grassy slopes. He didn’t lead them out toward the city gates; he was guiding them further into the city. They all trusted that he knew something they didn’t.
Kimberly was in the lead now, Serra by her side. Trey stayed back with Ronnee, both men helping Helena walk. Kimberly looked over her shoulder to see the towers sink lower and lower in the sky. The only sound they could hear over their own ragged breathing was bits of stone and metal crashing to the ground.
The first tower tipped over completely off in the distance.. They heard the percussive eruption of an explosion, and fireballs leapt up into the sky: wild magic being let loose. The floating towers had all been homes to powerful wizards. Wizards who never once considered that their homes might someday crash.
As the first wave of dirt blew over them, they turned the corner and another tower dropped. Sprinting forward, they managed to get out from underneath it before it hit, crushing nearby buildings. Ronnee tripped and fell, dropping Helena. Serra turned and ran back for them, helping the gentle giant to his feet.
Kicking free of the rubble, they all began to move again, Ronnee visibly limping. Ip ran around a corner only to have a building tip over and land directly on him. Kimberly screamed, her heart pounding hard in her chest. A smaller version of Ip leapt free from the rubble. He barked once and headed off in another direction.
Looking up, Kimberly saw that only the smaller towers had fallen. The bigger ones were on their way, making a silent descent. One tipped over upside down and crashed into what had been the marketplace, driving a cloud of dust into the sky, followed by more fire.
“Keep moving,” Trey yelled to her as he ran past. Focusing once again on their flight, Kimberly tried to catch up with the others. They were running between two buildings when a shockwave caused the buildings to buckle and crash together. Kimberly’s vision was filled with falling walls as she realized she wasn’t fast enough. Something grabbed her, pulling her into an open doorway. It was Ronnee. They fell inside, dust billowing around them as their old path disappeared.
Kimberly heard Trey calling for the two of them. Ronnee swung his axe at a weakened wall. Wriggling through the hole, they saw that they were separated from the others by a collapsed bridge.