The Lyris

  “Wait, the what??” I ask.

  “It’s pronounced “Goo-My”

  “Okay and who or what are they?” I push.

  “They’re a group of Quo that were so evil, they were sent directly to Lucy,” Dalce replies.

  “And?”

  “And she sent them back,” Rage says looking at Ameana with grave concern.

  “Why?” Miku asks.

  “She was afraid of them.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

  EVIL THAT EVIL FEARS

  “YOU DIDN’T THINK WE NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOUMY?” I shout angrily at Dalce.

  “Sage won’t do that. He knows he can’t control them; no one can,” Dalce counters.

  “Everyone, just calm down,” Rio says.

  “You calm down, rainbow boy. I’m taking my girl and we’re leaving,” Rage says as he takes Ameana’s hand.

  “Thomas, stop,” she replies.

  “Ameana, we can’t fight the Goumy. That’s why, cycles ago, both good and evil got together to imprison them. They are an aberration; evil that evil fears,” he pleads.

  “Yes, but we can’t just leave. We have to do something.”

  “No, we don’t. Maybe a few Angels and Demons will survive this. But as for humanity, they are done.”

  “’I won’t let that happen,” she replies.

  “You’re gonna risk your life for the humans? You’re not tired of doing that, yet?” He snaps.

  “Are you tired of protecting me?”

  He’s taken off guard by the question. She presses the issue by repeating it.

  “No,” he says softly.

  “That thing that keeps you wanting to protect me is the same thing that keeps us on this mission. Thomas, we have to help,” she begs him.

  “Great, we’re gonna die. Again,” he says shaking his head.

  “Tell us everything we need to know about the Goumy and don’t leave anything out,” I order.

  “There are forty of them. And, individually, they have exceptional powers. But a few cycles ago, they banded together. And what was once a few powerful beings, became a gang of Gods.”

  “How powerful are they?” The Twins ask.

  “They were responsible for Yellow River flood in China, 1931. It killed four million people. They also caused the Chilean earthquake in Valdivia. It was the most powerful earthquake in recorded history. Then, there’s the Mega tsunami in Lituaya Bay in 1958. The Goumy moved ninety million tons of rock and glacial ice in the water. It caused the biggest wave in the history of humanity.”

  “The Goumy did all that? Why?” Rio asks.

  “Because they could,” Dalce replies.

  “How were you guys able to get them inside the City of Tess in the first place?” Ameana asks.

  “It was a massive undertaking. It required the power of both good and evil. It was the first and only time in history that Omnis and Lucy worked together. You have to understand, like Rage said, the Goumy are an aberration. Something neither side planned for.”

  “You were pissed the Council locked you up in Adam City. Then you go and lock up your own kind?” Miku asks.

  “You don’t understand the kind of power they wield. Yes, technically, they are Quo. But there is a major difference between us and them. When we use our powers, a few people could get hurt. But when the Goumy use their powers…let’s just say, humanity remembers,” Dalce replies.

  “How come we don’t know about this?” Jay asks.

  “Humans call it the wrath of Mother Nature; they just don’t know that Mother Nature is really forty pissed off Quo,” Bianca replies.

  “But, there has to be another reason for the Sage to send Demons to the Black Sea, because there’s no way he could unlock the City of Tess. There are measures in place to prevent it.”

  “Measures, such as?”

  “The City of Tess is locked by more than just a ‘traditional’ pattern lock. Good and evil also placed a Three Condition lock at the gate. That means, three events have to take place in the world before the lock can be opened. Master key or not,” Dalce informs us.

  “What are the three events?” Ameana asks before I could.

  “We Quo feared, one day, the Council would just do away with us. So in order to protect ourselves from extinction, we wrote the first condition: The Goumy could break free, if twenty five percent of our population died at the same time.”

  “Dalce, we killed more than twenty five percent of the Believers at the start of this war,” I remind him.

  “He did it on purpose. The Sage wanted us to take out a large portion of his army so that one of three conditions could be met,” Ameana concludes.

  “She’s right. He knew we were setting a trap for his army and he let them walk right into to,” Jay adds.

  “That would explain why he didn’t send his best Demons to the front,” Winter confirms.

  “Damn it!” I shout.

  “Calm down, Marcus; there are two other conditions that have to be in place for the city to open.”

  “Well c’mon, old man, what are they?” Rage asks.

  “Whoever leads the most Quo, would have to be killed. And since that’s me, you can rest easy.” Dalce replies.

  “I guess. What’s the final condition?” I ask.

  “There has to be a powerful Para there to place her hand on the lock. The Sage will have a hard time finding a high ranking Para, because all of them are here in this camp,” Dalce replies.

  “Not all of them,” someone says from the entryway.

  We turn towards the person who just spoke and find Arden looking very scared. Her eyes are wide with alert and apprehension.

  “Arden, what’s wrong?” Ameana asks.

  I understand Ameana’s concern. We’ve never seen the party girl look so serious. The sadness in her eyes looks out of place with her normal fun demeanor.

  “The Sage has my sister. He has Rahell, Marcus!” Arden says franticly.

  “How did that happen?” Ameana asks.

  “She was helping some injured Paras get to one of our hideouts when Demons ambushed them. They took her.”

  “It fits. Arden and Rahell are the daughters of an Original Para,” Rio replies.

  “Yes, Rahell is ranking high enough to fit the second condition,” Dalce growing more concerned.

  “Dalce, we’re gonna have to hide you,” I order.

  “No, I’m fine right here.”

  “The Pawn said we don’t know who is and isn’t a Believer. You’re the only thing that stands between us and the Goumy,” I remind him.

  “Rio can read everyone’s wave and tell us who is and who isn’t a Believer,” Dalce suggests.

  “The waves will only tell me if they are hiding things and I get the feeling that everyone here, Believer or not, is hiding something. That doesn’t make them a Believer,” Rio replies.

  “We need to move you to a safer location,” Ameana says.

  “They’re right, Daddy. You need to be carful,” Bianca responds, concerned.

  “Wait a minute, why does the condition call for your death?” I ask.

  “Although the Goumy are evil incarnate, they are still Quo. If thousands of Quo are killed and the leader is killed as well, that means our existence is in danger. That’s when the Goumy can be set free.”

  “Set free to protect the Quo?” Miku.

  “Ideally, but the truth is, they can’t be controlled,” Dalce replies.

  “So, how does the Sage plan to control them?” Ameana asks Dalce.

  “I don’t think he—” Dalce’s voice dies midsentence.

  His face is twisted in horror. We look down and find a knife protruding from his stomach. The person holding the knife is the Foundation soldier who was taking supplies to the infirmary.

  “Long live Godfather!” He roars.

  He lifts the knife high above his head, and lunges at us. I tackle him before he can strike and break his neck. I look down at the soldier’s twisted corpse and make an a
nnouncement.

  “He’s dead.”

  “So is Dalce,” Rio replies.

  Bianca rushes over to her father. She calls out his name. She places her hand in the center of Dalce’s chest where the wound is, as if she could somehow take it away.

  “Daddy, no, no!” She sobs deeply and won’t let any of us touch him.

  “Bianca, I’m so sorry,” I say kneeling beside her.

  Her cries send chills down my spine. Her body shakes uncontrollably as she looks into her father’s lifeless face.

  I pick her up from the floor. She’s shaking so much in my arms; I have to hold her tighter to stop her from slipping from my grip.

  “Get the team ready, we need to go to the Black Sea. And make sure no one knows about Dalce, yet,” I tell Ameana.

  “Marcus, you have to find Rahell, please,” Arden begs.

  “We’ll get Rahell back, don’t worry. Go get Wolf and tell him what’s happened,” I instruct Arden.

  She looks like she wants to say something but I assure her once again we will bring her sister back. She takes off to find Wolf.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t read that was going to happen,” Rio replies.

  “Even if you could read who was and wasn’t a Believer, with Winter here, it’s not possible,” I remind him.

  “Marcus, we can’t let that maniac set the Goumy free. It’s the one thing both good and evil agree on,” Rage says.

  “I know. I’ll take Bianca back to her room. Then, we head to the City of Tess.”

  Miku grabs two blankets from the supplies in the corner. She hands her brother one to cover Dalce and she drapes the other around Bianca. I take her to her room, careful not to be spotted by the soldiers.

  Once inside her make shift room, I place her on the edge of the bed. She’s still shaking. Her hands are soaked in her father’s blood and tears run silently down her face. I get a towel, and try to remove the blood from her hands.

  “Bianca, can you look at me?” I ask.

  She can’t. She’s frozen somehow. It’s like she’s not sure where she is or what really just happened.

  “Bianca, everything is going to be fine. Do you hear me?” She looks down as if she sees me for the first time. She nods.

  “Okay, I have to go. but I’m gonna send someone to look after you, okay?” She looks back at me and once again she looks lost in some void of some kind.

  “I know it’s a shock and everything is crazy right now, but you can’t zone out. You have to stay with us. There’s a chance there are more Believers among us, so you have to stay alert.” She has no idea what I just said. She’s in her own world. I go over to the jug and pour her some water. She can’t hold the glass so I put the cup to her lips. She takes a few sips then pulls back.

  “Bianca, your father would want you to be strong. He loved you and he raised you to lead. I know that because he made sure you were in the position to take charge. So take charge now. Don’t fall into this abyss, because you need to stay focused.” She nods. I think, finally, she’s back to her senses. Relieved, I have her lie down on the cot. I cover her with the blanket and tell her to close her eyes. I know she won’t sleep but at least she can get some rest.

  “I’ll be back soon,” I say as I squeeze her hand and exit.

  I head back to the command center where the team is ready to go. Arden wants to come along but I convince her to stay behind. If the Sage has tortured Rahell or killed her, it wouldn’t help Arden to see it in person.

  I also don’t know what her fighting skills are like. Although she is powerful, she spends more time drinking Coy and dancing than battling. She could be more of a liability than anything.

  Before we go, I give Wolf last minute instructions for the army.

  “The most important thing is that they don’t know Dalce is gone,” I remind him.

  “Death is a part of life but I see where you’re coming from,” he replies.

  “Also, I need Winter to head back to the Sage’s camp and see what else she can find.”

  “Wait, she’ll be in danger,” Rio objects.

  “That’s part of the job,” she reminds him.

  The others look on, suspiciously.

  “I think you should stay here and help out. What if you go back and they find you out?” Rio insists.

  “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I can handle it,” Winter assures him.

  “No, you’re not going!” He orders her. We all turn to him. It’s so unlike Rio to have an outburst.

  “Sorry, I just think she should stay,” he tells us.

  “Do you want to stay here?” I ask Winter.

  “No, I want to go do my job,” she says, glaring at Rio.

  “Then go, report back as soon as you know something,” I reply.

  “Winter, can I talk to you for a second?” Rio asks impatiently.

  “I guess,” she replies uncertain.

  Jay looks over at me and I shrug my shoulders.

  I’m not sure what the point of them speaking alone was because things got loud enough for us all to hear.

  “You can’t tell me what to do,” Winter informs Rio.

  “You’re putting your life in danger.”

  “So are you,” she reminds him.

  “That’s different,” he replies.

  “Why, because I’m a girl? Argh! I should have known you’d be sexist. All of you are. Uri was the same way.”

  “Hey, stop comparing me to him,” he warns her.

  “Well stop acting like him,” she says.

  “I just want to make sure that you are okay. What’s so wrong with that?”

  “What’s wrong is if I were a guy, you won’t think twice about me going. Well, I’ll have you know that women can do anything you guys can,” she says, getting upset.

  “This isn’t a war of the sexes. It’s serious.”

  “Rio, I know that. But I’m good at my job and I’m not gonna stop doing it, so get over it.”

  “I have enough people in my life I have to worry about. I don’t need another,” Rio cautions her.

  “So, what are you saying?” She asks.

  “I’m saying stay here.”

  “If you think I’m the kind of girl you can give orders to, then you really are useless without your powers,” she replies.

  “I just…I’m trying to look out for you,” he whispers.

  “Okay. But if I stay here then you have to stay too,” she demands.

  “What? I can’t do that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m a Guardian, it’s my job,”

  “And what do you think this is for me? A hobby?” She replies.

  “Fine, then go. But you’re being impossible. I don’t know why you—” She kisses him with the intensity of a girl who’s fallen helplessly in love. When it’s over, Rio is speechless.

  “Yo, son! It’s go’n down! ” Jay says enjoying the scene before him.

  When Winter is done kissing Rio, she looks over at me.

  “Keep him safe, Guardian. I’m not done with him yet,” she says as she gets on her Port and disappears.

  “Yo, that chick is my favorite Quo, right now!” Jay announces.

  “What the hell was that about?” Miku asks her twin.

  Rio says nothing and avoids her eyes. But he doesn’t really need to say anything. His goofy crooked smile tells us everything.

  “I think they’re…cute together,” Ameana says approvingly.

  “Mood ring found love and just a few hours before the world ends. He’s got great timing,” Rage says sardonically.

  Ameana taps me on the shoulder as we’re about to take off.

  A few yards away from us, Bianca stands looking dazed and confused.

  “Go, I’ll catch up,” I order them.

  “No, we leave as a team. Well, a team and that guy,” Jay says, referring to Rage.

  I run over to Bianca.

  “You’re supposed to be resting, Bianca. What are you doing out
here?” I ask her.

  “I’m looking for my father; I haven’t seen him all day.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

  I HAVE SEEN IT

  “We can’t leave her like this,” Miku says, looking at Bianca.

  “I thought you didn’t trust her?” Ameana says.

  “Yeah, she’s a grade ‘A’ bitch, but she just lost her father and she needs help.”

  “Miku’s right, Jay can you come with me?” I ask. He follows me as I take Bianca back to her room.

  “I have to go see my father,” she tells us.

  “I saw him a few minutes ago and he said he’ll speak with you later,” I reply.

  “Oh, okay.”

  Jay and I exchange a worried look. I have Bianca sit down on the cot.

  “Jay, I need you to Convince her.”

  “Sure, what do want me to say?” He asks.

  “Convince her that everything is okay and that she should rest.”

  “I can get her to rest but Convincing her that she’s not grieving is tricky. It’s in her subconscious, Marcus. Sooner or later, it will come out,” he warns me.

  “I know that. But right now, she needs to rest. When we come back, we can find a better way to deal with things.”

  “Alright, I got you,” he replies.

  He goes over to Bianca and whispers softly in her ear.

  As Jay works his powers on her, I step out side where Tony rushes to address me.

  “What do you want?” I ask curtly.

  “I know you’re still upset with me,” Tony replies.

  “You think?” I snap.

  “I want to make it up to you.”

  “How?”

  “Well, there are a few things Dalce didn’t get to tell you before he died. I thought I would fill you in.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “The Goumy have been to the House of Fire before. That journey completely destroyed their bodies.”

  “They have no bodies?”

  “No, it’s like Difi stripped them of it. They are no more than spirits. They float wrathfully in the air, leaving no trail. When you go to Tess, you will see what looks like a series of dark twisters whipping through the town.”

  “That’s the Goumy?”