Tales Of Lola The Black (14 page)

“You must be catching a fever. You are not accustom to living in this realm. It tends to happen to n
ew visitors. We will be there soon. The moon stones are found in the Nephim hills a few more leagues ahead.”

Lola looked at Dougal. He twitched in his sleep. The wolf was heavy in her arms and she struggled to keep a steady flight with his weight. She was anxious to finally see him in his human form.
Just a little more my love, we are almost there
.

Lalita lowered her speed for Lola to catch up to her. “So what is his name?” she asked.

“Dougal is his name.” Lola gave a simple answer. Too shy to tell more.

“That fiend that cursed him is very stubborn.” Lalita explained. “It can only take on its physical form when it comes in contact with a human. It is a miracle that your friend has survived this long.”

“Yes Dougal is very stubborn and direct. He is not taken down that easily.” Lola said. “Lalita, I want to know…will I be able to see you again once I leave Necrovania. Will I be able to visit you? Is there a way for me reenter the realm?”

“The only way that humans have been able to enter Necrovania is with a relic of Odiamus.” Lalita answered. “It is the only entrance that I know of. However, you came in through a portal. I am sure you can use the same method again.”

Lola thought of what her mother had said. Shastih would be able to help her. She was sure that he could teach her how to open portals. He uses gemstones containing dark mana and a mirror. Shastih was able to punch a dimension hole into the dark realm. Very simple but rare. Lola was sure that she could mimic Shastih’s method. She also had the grimoire of shadows with countless instructions. “I am not too worried.” She told herself.

They continue to fly over the forest of naked trees. Dark spirits and fiends yowled from below. A titan hand came down from the dark skies and plunged into the earth causing an earthquake. Gargoyles, bats and other winged beast left the forest and flew into the dark clouds. “What is above the dark clouds Lalita?” Lola had to ask. She was afraid one of those colossal hands would capture her.

“Above is nothing but an abyss of darkness.” Lola said. “Don’t ever fly into the dark sky alone Lola.”

“Don’t need to worry about that.” Lola replied looking up at the colossal hands. The hands picked up earth from below and carried it to the black clouds.

Lola gazed into the horizon of Necrovania. It was foggy but she could see a tower so far away. It went into the black clouds and seemed like it could go on forever. “Lalita, what is that tower?” She asked.

“That tower is the link of the three realms. Necrovania, the realm of light and the limbo. In the genesis of Odealeous, the twilight dragon created that tower to prevent the three realms from getting separate.”

Lola had heard of such tales. The twilight dragon? Lola had heard that name before. Dougal had told her stories of the twilight dragon. He would educate her on the history of Alexandria. Lola was always surrounded by educated people. Dougal, Shastih and other mentors she has had throughout the year. Lola wishes she could take her mother to the human world but Lalita was forbidden to leave the dark realm. She contemplated Necrovania and knew that she would not be able to survive here for long as her mother did. She was half human and needed food, water and air to survive. Necrovania was dry and no nutrition grew from its soil. Everything was dry and the winds were cold. Everywhere she looked there was danger. No place was safe.

“There it is.” Lalita alerted. Lola looked down at the land. The Nephim hills created valleys and a black river coiled through them. Lalita descended down to the hills and Lola followed. They landed by the river bank. The hills were rocky and the minerals seem like charcoal. As if a disaster had burned the land and stripped it of all its greens.

Lola placed Dougal down on the ground of coal rocks. She looked at the river. The waters were dark. She stepped towards it and kneeled down next to it. Before her fingers dipped in the water Lalita yelled “no! get away from it!” Suddenly something jumped out of the river. Lola startled and smacked it with her rod. It was a fish and it fell back into the water. Lola was spooked. The fish had sharp long teeth at the lips of its mouth. Lola scurried away from the river.

“Don’t touch the water.” Lalita told her. “It will make you sick. Drinking this water will curse you. At the bottom of this river the eye of the moon stones reside.” 

“If we can’t touch the water then how are we going to get them?” The girl complains and crossed her arms somewhat frustrated.

“Observe.” Lalita said and stepped towards the river. She kneels down and pressed her hands on the gray sands. Black steam rose from her body. Suddenly something plunged from
the ground. It looked like the head of a lizard. The creature’s body slithered out. It hissed much like a snake but it walked on four legs. Its belly drags on the ground. Its eyes, a dark blue and glossy like marble stones. The reptile’s body was scaly and as black as ink. “Go my pretty. Dive and bring me the stones.” Lalita commanded. The creature hissed and scurried into the black river.

“Summoning magic.” Lola stated.

“It is but a pet. He will bring the moon stones to the surface. Just wait.” Lalita stood by the river. Her wings folded, cloaking her body.  Her lion’s tail wagged behind her. Lola came to her and held her hand. Both winged fiends stared at the river. “This reminds me of the days when I first met your father. We would hold hands just like this by a river in South Alexandria. You have my body Lola but you have your father’s spirit.”

“I wish I could see him.” Lola whispered.

“Me too.” Lalita replied, voice soft.

“What was he like?”

“He was very direct, witty, flamboyant, daring, loving and the greatest fire mage I have ever seen.” Lalita smiled and blushed as she thought of her husband. “Solario was his name.”

“How did you meet him?” Lola asked gazing at her mother.

“It was the first time I had ever escape Necrovania. Flinch the purple fiend you fought earlier hunted me down. Solario faced the Flinch. He was brave and although he was almost killed he manage to safe me and escape. I fell in love with him. He set my very being on fire.” Lalita then cupped Lola’s cheeks. “Having you here makes me feel like I was standing right next to him. It is as if I have regained my family.”

Lola could only smile and shed a tear.
There must be a way to bring her to the human world. There has to be a way
, Lola ponders. Throughout her life as a drifter, Lola always got what she wanted. She refused to believe that she was unable to take her mother with her.

Abrutly a thunderous sound echoed above. Lola startled and tossed her head back. The skies were opening. A hole cleared in the clouds. Gargoyles and other winged beast flew away from the area. A light from above shined with a blend of reds, blues and purples. It was like a moon hovering above them. It was round and it illuminated the realm with muted hues. Gloomy colors from above.

“Oh no” Lalita whispered. “Not now. Just wait a little longer.”

“What is happening? Mother what is this light?” Lola asked and raised her rod ready to attack.

“It is him. Odiamus.” Lalita said with a shaky voice.

“The dragon god of darkness.” Lola concluded.  She thought it would be interesting to finally see the dragon god of darkness that she read about in Shastih’s books. However seeing her mother frighten, it must not be a good thing if the god of darkness approached you. Lola continued to stare at the moon above. When she saw it blink
, that is when she realizes it was not a moon but the eye of a creature. She saw its eyelids. It blinked again. Then the pupil of the eye emerged. It was vertical like a snake’s eye.

“Lola I want you to run.” Lalita told her daughter.

“But what about the moon stones?” Lola asked. She refused to leave without the stones. At that very moment the reptile that Lalita had summoned came out from the black waters. It scurried over to its master. Lalita kneeled down. The reptile spat the moon rocks on her hands. They were covered in slimy saliva. She held three stones in her hands. An eye was illustrated on it and it glowed a blue hue. Lalita hurried and gave the stones to Lola. “Run Lola run!” Lalita yells.

Lola took the stones and remembered the instructions on the grimoire of shadows. Dougal had to swallow the stones. The wolf still lied on the ground. Lola grabbed his mouth and opened it. She shoved the stones down the wolf’s throat. He was still breathing but once the stones reached his
stomach he began to cough. “Come on Dougal. You can do it. You will be back to normal soon.” Lola cheered for him. “Come on Dougal. You are strong.”

Dark steam rose from the wolf. A shadow began to cover his body. At that moment Lola knew that it was working. She looked over her shoulder and saw Lalita staring up at the eye in the sky. “Odiamus. Lord oh mighty. Please spare the girl.” She heard her mother say. The god of darkness wanted Lola. The girl had no further desire to stay in Necrovania. Whatever she was wanted for she knew it was for unpleasant reasons. It’s not the first time she breaks the rules.

Dougal’s body began to change. His legs grew longer as well as his arms. The magic of the moon stones quickly absorbed the Gargoriff fiend inside Dougal. The shadows released Dougal and just like new he was a human again. He was naked with only torn pants covering his groin. He was weak and coughed blood dreadfully. Lola burst with tears seeing him as a human again. His blond hair and olive skin. He could not stand up. Lola caresses his face and kissed him. His eyes watered. Dougal was bony and could barely lift his arms. “Lola my love.” He said coldly and heavily. Too weak to speak. Lola carried him with both arms. She flapped her wings and ascended. “Mother come with me.” She yelled.

“No my dear. I will only bring trouble. Leave this place at once you don’t belong here.” Lalita said.

Lola’s cried and yelled “I will be back I promise.”

“Knowing that you are still alive fills my heart.” Lalita said.

“I love you mother.”

“I love you my dear.”

Lola flew away rapidly. The winds in Necrovania gusted strongly. With Dougal in her arms she flew away from the Nephim hills and onto the forest of naked trees. She glanced over her right wing and saw a ray of light coming from the colossal eye in the sky striking her mother. Lola closed her eyes full of tears and flew as fast as she could.
I will return mother. This is not the end
.

Lola prayed to Omegus that the portal from which she came was open. Shastih would not leave her trap in Necrovania. Suddenly a titan hand came down with its palm wide open. Lola spun and casted razor winds upon the titan hand. She wounded it and it returned back to the dark skies. “I will not die here” she told herself.

Abruptly more titan hands came down from the dark sky, this time they were wrinkled and bony with claws. Lola’s heart hammered her chest. She had never flown with so many obstacles in her way. She dodged the titan hands. They were all trying to capture her. She dived and then rose again. She swooped up and down. One hand after the other tried to capture her. Like a sparrow flying away from the talons of an eagle. Lola had no place to hide. If she hides between the naked trees, she would not be able to fly and would slow her down. The dark magus persisted and flew around each titan hand.

Lola saw a hand from above cast a spell. It launched a ball of fire. Lola smiled and extended her rod while holding Dougal with one arm. It was an enormous fire ball much large than her
exploda
spell. Like the sun zooming in on her. Lola’s rod glowed red. She swung it and released an energy wave. A line of red energy flew horizontally and cleaved the fire ball in half. Lola flew right between the two halves. She passed the forest of naked trees and onto the wastelands where she first came. She thought that the titan hands would stop chasing her but when she glanced over her right wing they continued to chase her. “What do they want from me?”

Finally she saw it. The portal from which she came. A window into the human world hovering over the sky.
Yes, almost there. Just a little more, Dougal. It is almost over.
As she descended down to the portal, she heard a shriek from above. She glanced back and saw an enormous gargoyle ten times her size. It swooped down from the dark skies at her. Her heart pounded and sweat damped her forehead. Lola plummets down like an eagle to its prey. The wind whistled over her ears.

Once she reached the ground, she flew into the portal and with a blinding flash she was back in the human world.

She spreads her wings in the small room. She placed Dougal on the wooden floor. She spun around trying to find Shastih. In the corner of the room by the door she saw him on the floor bleeding from his mouth and a hole in his chest. A fiend with fleshy wings lied dead just before him. “No! Shastih.” Lola shook his body but he would not respond. He was completely gone. How could her teacher have died? How did he fail to defend himself? “No! Shastih. Not you.” She cried.

Then Lola heard a shriek again. It was from the same beast that chased her. She looked through the portal and saw the beast gaining in. “I have to close the portal. But how?” She asked herself. Only Shastih knew how to open and close the portal. That is why he had stayed behind. Then something switched in Lola’s mind.

The stones. The stones contained dark mana. That is what was keeping the portal open. “Pikan Fahiah!” Lola shot a bullet of flames at a hematite stones and it shattered. She noticed that the portal window shrank. Lola then destroyed the stones all over the room. Onyx stones and hematite stones filled with dark mana. Little by little the portal shrank and before the gargoyle could enter the human world, the portal had fully close.