A New Threat Part 6
The Pendant Of Schala
By Dark Magus
Magus looked around. It looked like a culture much less advanced than his own. He checked the dial of the Epoch. It showed that he was in the year 100 BC. He tried to remember how he got there. Then it hit him. Marle’s pendant. Schala…
Magus got up out of his seat only to bang his head on the top of the machine. He fell back to his seat in pain. He looked behind him. Marle and Lucca were unconscious. He set about to revive them. No sooner could he reach over to them when Marle suddenly blinked awake.
Marle, still confused, said, "Where… or when I should say, are we?"
Magus shook Lucca awake and answered, "We’re in 100 BC. Your pendant had something to do with it."
"Oh yes," Marle said, "now I remember." She recalled what was going on. She too stood up in surprise and also whacked her head against Epoch’s top. "Ouch!" she cried out in pain as she fell back to her seat. Then screaming, shouted out, "Do you think we could have found Schala?!"
"What?" Lucca was not fully awake yet. She stood up. She banged her head against the top and fell back to her chair.
"Let’s just go outside before we all get hurt," said Magus. The trio stepped outside and looked around. They saw the beginnings of a small village. It somewhat resembled Truce village. They headed off for a house, hoping to get some answers about Schala, if she was here or not. They walked up to the first house. Magus knocked on the door. A man dressed in warriors clothes answered.
"Whadda ya want?" he asked in a gruff, but friendly tone.
Magus answered, "We are looking for a girl. She has purple hair, kind of young, controls magic."
"Yeah. I know a girl like her. You’ll find her at the castle. Good luck."
The three of them headed for the castle. They approached the woods that were there in the present. They entered the forest. Magus, remembering the danger, drew his scythe and cautiously started in to the woods. They walked to the other side of the woods and were surprised that there were no monsters. There was no castle either.
"What is going on?!" Marle exclaimed. "Where’s the castle."
Lucca answered, "Maybe it isn’t built yet." She thought for a while. She suddenly realized something. "Remember that castle that Cyrus was buried in? Maybe that’s what the guy meant."
The others took in what she said. They all headed back towards the Epoch. Magus sat at the controls. The Epoch took off again. It flew to the continent that they remembered the castle was on. They saw the castle again. It looked different than before. It had people in it. Magus landed the Epoch. He rushed out of it and headed towards the castle. The others followed.
He entered without knocking. He was stopped by some guards, "Just where do you think you’re going son?"
Magus realized his mistake and stepped back, "I’m here looking for someone." He said.
"Just who are you looking for." Magus got fed up with the questions and shot a mild bolt at the guards. The blot shocked them and they fell over unconscious. The others stared in disregard.
"We’re here to get Schala, not to mess with stupid guards." Without waiting for a reply Magus dashed through the doors. Marle and Lucca followed. By the time they got through the gates everybody was sleeping. They saw Magus shoot behind a corner. They followed him. They found themselves in a room with no light. A fire all of a sudden started in the fireplace. The room lit up and they found a young girl with purple hair.
Magus, almost knowing who it was shouted, "SCHALA!" The person in the chair stood up and turned quickly around in fright. It was not Schala. It was someone else.
She shouted, "Who are you?! Why are you in my room?!"
Marle quickly reassured her, "It’s OK. We’re friends. We came to help you."
"Why would I need help? And how do you know my mother’s name?" the girl demanded.
"Mother?" Magus asked.
"Yes, my mother… Schala," the girl started to settle down. "I’m sorry for the outburst like that. My name is Calsa. Who were you searching for?"
"We are searching for Schala." Magus answered.
"Hold on a second." Calsa said. She walked over to a dresser and put a pendent around her neck. It looked exactly like her mother’s. Magus noticed that she was wearing white and purple pants, with a white blouse that started at the armpits and stopped around her belly. She had straps of cloth hanging from her shoulders that were connected to cuffs around her wrists. She was dressed very elegantly. "I’ll show you to my mother’s room."
Calsa led them down the stairs that they had gone up and to another flight of stairs. She led them up that too. While they were climbing, Marle asked, "Where did you get that pendant?"
Calsa answered, "My mom made it for me from a rare rock she called dreamstone?" Calsa noticed Marle’s pendant and asked, "Where did you get yours?"
Marle began to answer, "It was a family heirloom." They rounded a corner and found themselves at a door. Calsa opened the door. Inside they found Schala, dressed in a robe much like her old one, but better looking. She had the same purple hair as before.
When Schala saw Magus she screamed. "What are you doing here?! You were that false prophet responsible for the disappearance of my brother!."
"No Schala," Magus explained, "I AM your brother. It’s me, Janus!"
She stopped to look him over. It was Janus after all. "Janus? After all these years?" The two embraced. A tear in Magus’s eye showing Marle that Magus was indeed human after all.
Schala asked, "What ever happened to Lavos? Is he still trying to destroy the world?" Calsa looked confused.
Lucca answered, "Lavos is dead. We destroyed him, but, we have some bad news concerning him."
Lucca told her the story, "Lavam… found Gaspar… magic… must succeed."
Calsa listened to the story. Schala answered, "I’m afraid I’m not a good fighter anymore. My magic is also rusty. I am sorry, but I can’t help you. This world here depends on me."
Calsa spoke up, "I’ll go."
"What?" they all asked in unison.
"I said I’ll go. I’ve heard the story. I know how to fight. Mom, my tutor taught me how to fight. You have always said I had potential for magic too."
"Yes, you have potential. You could probably learn it. But I can’t let you go. You are only 16. You are too young to be involved in this." Schala fought back.
"If I may speak," Lucca said, "I am only a teen, yet I helped destroy the first Lavos."
"You are right," Schala said, "But I am not giving up my only daughter. Leave now," she beckoned. "But come back soon." She directed to Magus.
The four of them left. Calsa, when she was out of her mother’s range, whispered, "Take me with you. This life is boring. I need some action." Calsa didn’t wait for an answer. She darted up the stairs to get something.
Marle, who knew what it felt like, persuaded the others, "I know what it feels like. Nobody deserves this life. Let’s take her."
"I have no objections." Said Lucca.
"But Schala…" Magus argued.
"Then it’s final" Lucca interrupted. "She’s coming with us."
Calsa came down from her room wearing gloves with two claws sticking out at the knuckles. The weapon looked powerful indeed.
"Am I coming?" she asked politely.
"Yes," answered Marle.
The four headed to the Epoch. All but Magus stepped on board. He said, "Come back for me later. I want to catch up on things with my sister."
Marle sat at the controls and set the dial to the end of time. The Epoch took off and disappeared.
Gaspar watched as the blackness lit up. He saw not four, but only three figures walk up the steps. He was surprised to find that the third was neither Magus or Robo, but someone new.
"Who is this?" Gaspar asked Marle.
"This is Calsa." Marle answered. "She is Schala’s daughter."
At the mention of Schala, everybody broke into questions. Marle explained all of the questions and after 5 minutes of questioning they stopped. Crono took Calsa by the hand and led her into Spekkio’s room.
"Who do we have here?" Spekkio asked.
"This is Calsa." Crono replied.
"Let’s see what we can give you." Spekkio remarked. He then measured her potential. "You seem a perfect candidate for the magic of wind."
Calsa felt different. She felt new and complete. On instinct she raised her hands and summoned a tornado. Crono darted out the door, but Spekkio just laughed. "Very good." He said. Calsa stepped out to Gaspar and they were instructed.
"You three," Gaspar pointed to Lucca, Calsa, and Amox, "Go get Robo." Lucca and Amox headed for the Epoch. The dial was set to 2300 AD. The Epoch took off and Gaspar watched as the light died back down…
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TO BE CONTINUED
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