Tales Of Lola The Black (10 page)

“Lola why don’t you listen to me?” Dougal yelled. He followed her frustrated. He bit her long skirt and pulled her.

“We are already here. Let’s grab the grimoire and fly out.” Lola told the wolf. 

“Don’t get too cocky. That attitude of yours is going to cost us.” Dougal said. Lola ignored the wolf and proceeded up a pair of stairs and there it was. There were three grimoires. The one to the left had an arrow pointing up as the symbol of the divine and the words “grimoire of the divine” was written on it. In the middle was the grimoire of shadows with the emblem of darkness on it. An arrow pointing down with a half circle in the center. To the right was another grimoire. It had the words “grimoire of dusk” written on it with a symbol Lola was unfamiliar with but it looked like two half circles. One black and one white.

“Dougal there are three grimoires.”

“So I see.” Said the wolf. “We came here for the grimoire of shadows. Let’s take it and leave the other ones.”

“I say let’s take all three. Who knows what magic we might learn?” Lola looked at the grimoires with eyes of greed.

“No!” Dougal barked. “We came here for the shadow grimoire and that is all. Don’t you dare take all three Lola. Let’s take what we came here for and nothing more.”

Lola looked down at Dougal with angry eyes. The black wolf growled at her. “Fine then” she said.

“Trust me Lola. You do not want the forces of the Alexanders after you.” Dougal remarked. He was wise and thought before taking action unlike Lola. Just when the dark magus tried to take the grimoire something burned her hand. She flutters her hand in pain and placed it in her mouth. Then she tries to touch the grimoire with her rod and her weapon flew out of her hands. “Damn it” she cursed and ran down the steps to pick up her rod.

“There is a barrier over the platform like the one protecting the castle.” Dougal informed. Lola then cast a fire spell on the barrier and it bounced back. She dipped dodging her own spell. It was like trying to break through that barrier again.

“Damn it!” She cursed. The barrier is transparent and hard to notice at first but the light from above revealed it once Lola cast her spell on it. Lola looked at her reflection on the blade of the godly sword.  By the hearth portal she saw the prince in the reflection of the steel. She gripped her rod and prayed to Omegus for power.

“Lola we’ve got company.” Dougal alarmed her.

“I know.” She answered and turned to face the prince. He was panting. The sleeves of his cardigan were burnt and ripped up to his shoulders. The skin of his arms was burned as well. The front of his cardigan was tattered with ashy ends. The prince held his sword and the gemstone by the guard of the blade shined a green light. “You will be punish tenfold for what you have done.” Said the prince and stared at Lola with strands of white hair over his eyes. “I told you that you would not be able to simply take the grimoires. No evil such as you will get their hands on the grimoire.”

“Not too worry.” Said Lola going down the steps. “I will kill you first and then I will break the barrier and take the grimoire.”

“I told you. It’s not that simple.” Answered the prince. “I have called knights and mages of the castle. They will be here soon and you will rest in the dungeons of the castle with the rest of the criminals.”

“Frightening.” Lola said sarcastically. She spun her rod. Black haze and shadows swirled around the rod. Purple smoke billows behind Lola and wide black wings spread and feathers dance in the air. Her eyes changed to a zombified color and vertical dashes for pupils. Fangs peaked from the side of her lips and her nails sharpened. Lola flapped her wide wings and blew a gust of wind at the prince. The prince stood his ground and raised his magic sword. “I Ventus Alexander will end your life and then feed your mana to the godly sword of Omegus.” Ventus swore and dashed at Lola.

“Pikan Multiah!” Lola yelled and summoned darts of fire from her rod. Prince Ventus cast a crystal shield of light. He was showered by fire but he persisted and ram through with his shield. He swung at Lola and she blocked with her rod. Both weapons collided and Lola gripped Ventus’ wrist. She hissed and her body steamed. Lola absorbs his mana. She uses her fire nature to consume energy. Ventus backhands Lola and scurries back. “I never thought I had to hit a woman.”

“I like it rough. Come get me. Prince.” Lola taunted and shot a bullet of fire at the prince. Ventus uses his shield forged of light and smacks away her spell. The fire bullet bounces off the shield, it then ricochets off the barrier of the grimoires and hits the ceiling. Lola took noticed of both spells. The barrier and her fire.

Dougal stood by a statue. The black wolf also noticed how Lola’s spell bounced off the prince’s shield and ricochet off the barrier. He noticed a crack on the barrier much like the one that protected the castle.
The barrier is smaller but it is much stronger than the one Lola broke through outside
, the wolf mulled as Lola fought the prince.  “Lola you need more force to break the barrier.” Dougal shouted at her.

“I thought so but I don’t think my spells are powerful enough.” Lola replied blowing a gust of wind at the prince.

“I told you. It is futile. The grimoires are well protected from intruders like you.” Ventus said. He swung his sword rapidly with whistling sounds of wind. He slashed the air and from his sword, sharp winds were summoned. Lola deflected the winds and staggered back. The angel statues surrounding them were sliced by the sharp winds. Lola dashed towards the prince and so did he with his sword raised. Lola hissed as deep as a snake and her long black hair extended like strings and silk. Her hair wrapped around Ventus’ neck, his torso and his arms. The prince cleaved her hair. “You are a dark magus.” He remarked and slashed her black hair that came alive whipping at him. Lola’s hair began to tighten around Ventus’ body. The shield of light began to vanish off his hands and with strands of hair around his neck he could not breathe.

“I do not wish to kill the prince but I will poison you.” Lola told the prince staring into his yellow eyes. The ends of her hair changed into heads of snakes. Black snakes made of hair. Their fangs sprouted and they hissed, ready to inject their poison into the prince. Ventus then raises his left fist. The jewel embed in his glove shined a heavenly light. The light blinded Lola and her hair of dark magic contracted. “I will vanquish darkness.” Ventus said and lashed his sword. Lola leaned back but the sword grazed her cheek. She glided back and wiped the blood off her cheek and licked it. She was getting aggravated and inpatient
. I am sick of playing with this fellow. I have to get rid of him before his comrades arrive.

“Lola, use your black fire on the barrier.” Dougal advice her from a far statue to her right.

“That is a stupid idea. It’s just going to back fire. I need an absolute powerful attack to break it.” Lola replied annoyed.

“Trust me just fire at the barrier.” Dougal told her.

“Fools. You cannot break the barrier.” Ventus laughed at their failure. “Soon enough the knights and mages will be here.”

Lola gripped her rod with anger. It would take too long to get rid of the prince and his knights would soon huddle in. Her goal was to acquire the grimoire and she trusted Dougal’s judgment to accomplish the mission. She turned to the barrier that protected the grimoires and aimed at it. “Necros Fahiah!”  She yelled and shot a sphere of black flames from her rod. Her spell flew across the chamber and ricochet off the barrier back to her. She dipped lowering her wings and felt her own spell sweeping the air like an arrow over her head. Ventus used his shield to block the spell. It ricochets off his shield fissuring it and pushing him back. The black sphere flew across the chamber again back to the barrier of the grimoires. This time it did not bounce off but rather fully shattered the barrier. The barrier broke with a loud crystal sound like braking glass. Lola saw that the barrier over the grimoires had broken. She did not hesitate. She saw the prince getting back to his feet. “Pikan Ray!” She cast a spell and a red beam jetted from her rod. The beam pierced the thigh of the prince leaving him cripple. Lola hurried up the steps and grabbed the shadow grimoire but she wished she could take all of them. The grimoire was heavy and thick but she held it gracefully and triumphed.

“Now the question is how the hell do we get out of here?” She asked herself wishing she had planned ahead. Dougal came to her and said. “Look up above beyond the blade of the sword.”

Lola then remembers the light that had been coming from above the godly sword. She walked up to the sword and look up. There was enough space for her to fly up to the hilt of the sword. “Perfect. Let’s fly up then. Although it will be really uncomfortable.” Lola noticed that she had her hands full with her rod and the grimoire and need to make space for Dougal. She spun her rod and with black haze and swirling shadows it shifted into a miniature version of her rod. She slide her tiny rod in her cleavage then she picked up Dougal by his underbelly. She flapped her wings hard lifting all the weight she carried with her. She slowly ascended up and manages to fly up following the blade of the godly sword. She flew up and up with her reflection on the godly sword. She saw the sun above and the clouds.

Soon she flew out of the castle tower where the godly sword was sheathed. She continued to fly up to the hilt of the sword. The handle was thicker than the pillars of the castle. She flew up to the pommel and stood on it flapping her wings balancing on it. She gazed at the capital city and felt the high winds of autumn rushing. “We did it Dougal. It was difficult but we did it.”

“Yes yes now get us down from here. Wolves are not made for heights.” Dougal said. Lola ascended and noticed the light of the sun reflecting on the transparent barrier of the castle. She aimed and yelled “Pikan Granda!” She launched a large sphere of fire. A hole broke in the barrier with an exploding sound like shattering glass. Lola flew through the hole. She triumphed and felt excited to finally try out spells from the shadow grimoire.

Minutes later after fleeing the castle. Lola landed on the same summit where they had first flown from. She changed into her human form again. She sat in front of the shrine with the statue of Omegus. She rested and restored her mana.

“Remind me again why we did not sneak into the castle during the night?” Dougal asked standing next to Lola.

“The castle is heavily guarded during the night.” Lola answered wisely. “For some reason they don’t have as many guards during the day. How silly is that. I am not sure why the castle works like that but I took advantage of the information I got from a citizen in the market district.”

“I am impress.” Dougal commented. “Now let’s go back to the Inn. Jazelle must be worry about us.”

“Oh I had almost forgotten about her.” Lola said and got to her feet with the grimoire in her arms. “Let’s hurry back then. I am so tire and drained.”

“Oh by the way there is something I must tell you.” Dougal stopped and looked up at Lola.

“What is it?” She asked gently.

“I know about you and Jazelle. I know of your romances.”

Lola was shocked. She didn’t think Dougal would ever suspect. At that very moment her heart pounded like boulders nervously. She tried to speak but she had no words to explain her actions. She could not stare at the wolf. The black wolf that was once her lover. The very reason she stole the grimoire. It was all for him and yet she had been sleeping with Jazelle. A girl that that they rescued from the mansion of their old master that they had destroyed. Lola had remorse for being unfaithful to Dougal. She found it difficult.

“I have no excuse for what I had done.” She said lowly. Her eyes watering. “But I just want you to know that everything I have been doing throughout our journey was for the both of us. You have no idea how much I miss you.”

“I know how you feel. I do not wish to ruin your happiness but I want you to understand as well how much it hurts me to know. I am a wolf now. I can smell Jazelle’s scent on you. My only fear is that you will no longer feel the need to help me return to my human form. I knew this would happen eventually I can’t blame you too much. So I want you to know Lola that when you are no longer helping me to your heart’s content, it is fine. You are free to part ways whenever you want.” Dougal told her. He walked away from her and down the dirt path. 

“Dougal I was lonely and…” Lola could not finish her sentence.

“And what…” The black wolf stopped and looked back.

“I was only trying to satisfy my flesh but my heart is with you.” She shed a tear and her lips quivered. She watched as the black wolf walked away from her. It pained her but she knew it was her fault. Lola only wished she had the power to change her lover back to his human form. Perhaps now with the grimoire she would find answers.

The sun painted the skies with shades of orange as it began to hide in the horizon. The night was a few hours away
. Lola walked with Dougal by her side on a path so solitary. She was now in the valleys of the Omeious Mountains, hundreds of leagues away from the capital city. The breeze was soothing and calm. The romantic view of the sunset put her ease. The landscape was quite and tranquil. Lola had not seen a living soul for miles. She carried the shadow grimoire in her left arm. It was a bulky tome with thousands of spells written in the ancient language of the dragons. Her arm aches from carrying it for so long. Lola was eager to commence the ritual. She was eager to finally use the grimoire. She would glance down at Dougal and imagine him as a human again. The black wolf had not spoken much as they travel south.

Don’t worry, we are almost there,
Lola thought.
Soon you will be in arms again. No more of that grumpy wolf form. We will be happy once again my love. You don’t show it much but I know you are excited
. Lola prayed that this would be the final mission to restoring Dougal to his human form. She knew of a shaman that hides in the woods of the valley. A hermit who was a master of dark magic. The man who helped Lola awakened her dark powers. She was putting every bit of her faith in this man.
Shastih will know of a cure. He has to know,
Lola thought desperately.

Dougal rubbed his ram horns against her long skirt that dragged over the dirt. Lola paused and looked down at him. Dougal’s legs wobbled and he dropped on the ground. Lola gasped in deep worry. She kneeled down and cradled the wolf on her lap. “What is wrong?” She whispered in his ears as she caresses his head.

“I am really tired.” He said with a raspy voice. “We have walked for too long. I need to rest. My wounds are still healing, remember.”

“I am sorry my love.” Lola whispered. She recalled the wound that Dougal got from the day that Lola had visited her old master in the north region. Dougal’s legs were injured and struggled to walk. Lola used her black rod to close the wounds but they still stung and irritated. “Please be strong, we are almost there. Just a few more miles. It will be worth it I promise.” Lola said. She looked in to the blue moon eyes of the wolf and they seemed weary. The blue shine in his eyes was fading.

“Lola, I don’t think is just my wounds.” Said the wolf. “I think the curse is getting to me. I am not sure how long I will last.”

“Don’t say such things.” Lola replied, eyes red and moist. “I won’t let you die. I don’t care how strong you think the curse is. I know that Shastih will be able to help you. All I ask is that you endure a bit longer. I won’t let you die. You won’t die. I can’t let you die. I-I-I don’t know what I would do if you die.”

Lola’s heart felt heavy at that moment. For a moment she pondered about her life. The only family she had now was Dougal. Despite the affairs she had with her friend Jazelle, Lola did not love her. Her love was for Dougal. She will not give up until his curse is broken.

Her friend Jazelle stayed in Centra, the capital city. She watched over Lola’s hideout until the magus returned. Although Lola travels much throughout the Alexandrian country, she always returned to the capital city. It is the only place she calls home and where she would find employment and earn good gold.

Dougal got back on his feet and walked with aching legs. After a few hours of walking south, the woods of the valley began to peek out in the horizon. The sun was setting, painting the skies red and purple as the night came. By the time they reached the woods, stars were shining above. Lola and Dougal walk through the woods. Lola uses her rod and sets the apex on fire with a spell and illuminates the way. Elms and birch trees surround them along with the songs of crickets and owls. The grass grew inches above Lola’s ankles. Lola could already see eyes glowing in the dark, spying on her. “I sense no danger in these woods.” Lola said.

“Just because there are no fiends does not mean there is no danger.” Dougal added.

“I have been here before. Shastih’s tree house is not too far.” Lola replied. Dougal noticed that she was unusually serious. She was usually more upbeat and playful along their travels. Today she was solemn, quiet and sad. Dougal did not like to see her like this. He wanted her to smile, laugh and be cocky like she would always be.

They paused by a river. It was the Iris River that coiled south through the woods and valleys. Fireflies flew over the surface of the water and were caught by bizarre fishes that jumped out of the water and glided with their fins flapping rapidly. Frogs croaked by the river bank and the spots on their backs glowed with the light of the two moons. Lola saw boulders that protrude from the river. She jumped on the boulders till she reached the other side and Dougal followed behind. The moons were full tonight and Lola felt her dark magic rise. She tosses her head back and gazed at the two full moons. One white and one blue. “Shastih will be at his best tonight. The moons have blessed our visit.” Lola remarked.

“Lola wait!” Dougal alarmed. The wolf came to a full stop and growled. He jerked his head left and right. He spun and surveyed the area as if an enemy approached. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Lola asked and raised her guard. She lifted her rod over her head and held the grimoire to her chest. “What is it? What do you hear?”

“Snake! I hate snakes! I can hear one slithering nearby.” Said the wolf. “ It is getting closer. It is a big one. It is huge. A giant snake. I hate snakes.”

“Your wolf ears can hear even the lowest of frequencies.” Lola commented. “I still can’t hear a thing besides the hoot of owls and crickets.” Lola remembers Dougal’s fear of snakes. It was a deep phobia. Their old master inflicted that fear into his very core. When he was a human Dougal feared snakes like a worm crawling away from a bird. “It is going to eat me. It is coming for me. It can smell my scent. Lola, stand by me.”

“Don’t worry I am not going anywhere.” Lola told him but the wolf growled and jumped even at the simple sound of rustling branches. “Why are you so afraid? It is nothing that we can’t handle.”

“On common situations I would agree. But something bigger is approaching. Lola how could you not hear that.” Dougal said. The wolf wanted to cross the river back from which they came. Lola knew Dougal feared snakes but she had never seen him act so nervous and eager to flee.

Suddenly Lola turned around at a slithering sound and a pair of yellow eyes froze her body before she could let out a shriek of fear. Her muscles became tight and her body utterly paused. The fire on her rod vanished and she dropped the grimoire. The yellow pair of eyes released the glare but Lola still could not move. She was stuck. She stood as a statue without budging an inch. She tried to make sounds with her open mouth but nothing came out. The only part of her body that moved was her heart hammering her chest. When the yellow pair of eyes zoomed out she saw that it was a snake. A white snake. Its body was massive. Unlike any other snake she had seen before.  It was as thick as a tree trunk, able to swallow three men at once.

Sweat rolled down over Lola’s forehead when she saw the snake stealthily coiling towards Dougal. She wanted to yell and scream and warned him but her body was cursed. She did not know how to break free from such
a spell. Then she saw Dougal spun around and sneezed a bullet of blue fire at the snake. The white snake hissed so violently, animals scurried away from the river and owls and nighthawks flew away.

“Lola, watch out!” The wolf yelled but realized that Lola had already been cursed. Dougal had to fight this one alone. The white snake strikes. Dougal dashes out of the way and the snake’s head digs into the ground.
It wants eat me
, Dougal thought.  The wolf shot bullets of blue flame at the snake. The reptile hissed in pain but its scales withstood the heat. The snake tried to bind Dougal but the wolf dodges and jumped. The wolf ran on top of the snake, over its coiling body all the way to its head. He unleashed a jet of blue flames on the snakes head. The white snake slammed its head against a large oak tree. Dougal jumped off before the snake crashed against it. More owls, nighthawks and crows fled. The snake turned back to Dougal and glare at the black wolf.

Don’t stare at it
, Dougal told himself
. If you stare at it will petrify you
, he assumed after seeing Lola’s paralyzed body.

“Who dares come near my territory?” Echoed a voice coming from the snake.

“We do not wish to fight. We came here in search of a shaman.” Dougal answered trying to avoid eye contact with the snake. The white reptile came closer revealing its fangs, ready to feast upon the black wolf.

“Why would a fiend search for a shaman? You belong in Necrovania.” Echoed the voice.

“This is only a curse. I am not truly a wolf. I came here with my partner Lola, the one you petrified.” The wolf said. “We did not know this was your territory? I ask that you release my partner from her curse and we will depart this area.”

“Ah. I see.” The voice echoed again. The white snake withdrew its fangs. It slithered over to Lola and with glowing yellow eyes he releases the curse. Lola gasps so deeply as if she had been drowning. She dropped to the grass breathing heavily. Dougal ran over to her. His forehead met hers. She raised her head up, smiled, coughed and hugged the wolf. “I could not breath” She said and coughed again. “I thought I was going to die.”

Dougal looked up at the snake and growled at it. “Get away from us unless you would like to bath in flames.”

“That is futile” echoed the voice again. From darkness behind an elm tree, the figure of a man appeared and paced towards Lola and Dougal. Lola raised her black rod and Dougal readied his blue flames, smoke leaving his maw and nostrils. As the figure of the man got closer, Lola realized who it was.

“Shastih” she said in surprise. She dare not approach him since the giant white snake coiled by the man in the dark.

“Hello there my dark princess. I have not seen you in a year.” Said Shastih. He was five inches shorter than Lola. His skin was brown. He had a bushy black beard and a nose like a parrot’s beak. He wore a turban on his head with a black pearl embedded on it. His garments were black with yellow spiky designs along the edges. The white snake wrapped its body around Shastih, its master.

“I apologize Lola for attacking you.” Said Shastih. “I sensed a fiendish mana near my territory but turned out to be your friend. My pet snake does not know you yet which is why it paralyzed you.”

“Shastih. You haven’t changed one bit. Except for your new ‘pet’.” Lola commented. “I have never seen a snake that size.”

“You will, if you spend enough time in the swamps.” Shastih added. “Please Agran, do not scare my friends again.” He said to his snake and the reptile slithered away into the woods with its long massive body. Lola then ran towards Shastih with open arms and jumped on him almost knocking him down.

“My dear Lola. Have you been controlling your powers?” He asked with his accent of the southern desert country.

“Yes sir. I have even been using my form. Everything is under control.” Lola answered. The light came back to her eyes and it put a smile on Dougal’s wolf face.

“And I see you have a new pet
as well.” Shastih said.

“I am no pet.” Dougal answered with a growl.

“My apologies. I am not use to seeing talking animals.” Said the shaman politely.

“There is a first time for everything. I heard you are good with dark magic.” Dougal said and stood by Lola’s side.

“That is what I am known for.”

“Good. I hope you know how to break curses.”

Shastih faced Lola. He looked into her desperate eyes and he already knew the reason for her visit. He strokes his chin and ponders then looks up at the two full moons. “You want me to break your wolf’s curse so that he can return to his human form.”

“That is the Shastih I remember.” Lola said and hopped with excitement.

“It will be a challenge but what I want to know is how you acquired that book?” Shastih pointed at the shadow grimoire that lied on the floor. Lola quickly hefted it. It was heavy and bulky in her left arm. She trekked south to visit Shastih in these woods with book in her arms. She desperately hoped that the shaman would be able to read the ancient language of the dragons.

“You won’t believe what I went through to get my hands on this grimoire.” She said and sighs.

“I can only imagine. I will have you know that my master once held that book in his hands.” Shastih said and stared at the book in awe. He looked at the moon symbol on the cover of the book and grimace. “Lola I hope you know the risk you have taken by travelling around with that book. I have only looked into the book once but I remember my master in relieve after getting rid of it. Where did you find it?”

“We barged into
the Alexandria castle in the capital city.” Dougal answered. “It was Lola’s bright idea to take the book by force.”

“Good dragon gods. You have become a criminal” Shastih said flabbergast. “You cannot expect me to help criminals. Lola I expected better of you.”

“Please sir Shastih.” Said Lola. “Do you really think that the Alexanders are any better than we are? How do you think they got their dirty hands on the grimoire? Not only are they thieves themselves but they are also liars. I stole from thieves. Also, what were the Alexanders doing with the grimoire of shadows? I thought they were supposed to be pure and full of light. Legend says they came from the heavens. The realm of light. Why would they have any interest in the grimoire of shadows? They are not who you think they are sir Shastih. I hope my deeds have not changed your mind.”