Search For Schala Part Four
Long Live The Queen
By Taran
Magus and Spekkio climbed out of Epoch and onto the bridge at the End of Time. They went over to talk to Gaspar about Schala and where to go next.
“What happened to her Gaspar? Did you see where she went?”
“Hey, just because I can see what’s happening during any time period doesn’t mean I witness what’s happening to everybody all the time.”
Spekkio, who had lived with Gaspar for as long as he could remember, glanced at all the time periods trying to see Schala, but he couldn’t. He hadn’t been here as long as Gaspar and his skills in this subject were not sharp enough to spot Shala. “Well,” he said, “If we can’t see Schala from here, maybe we can see other stuff that would tell us where she might be.”
“That’s a good idea Spekkio I’ll get to it right away, but what should I look for?”
Magus answered him. “Shala is able to use magic, so look for something that normally wouldn’t be able to happen without it’s presence.”
“OK. Let’s see.” Magus and Spekkio waited as Gaspar muttered to himself. “Ah ha! I see a castle in... 12,000 BC, I think. It’s construction was going along smoothly when it just completed itself in less than half the time it would have if it had kept it’s previous schedule.”
Magus started talking to himself, “12,000 BC, the Dark Ages, Zeal, Schala’s returned home!”
“What did you say?” asked Spekkio.
“Oh, nothing. I’m going to find Schala!” Magus ran back to Epoch and jumped in. He had to get to Schala before she could be sent somewhere else. Throwing the dial to the Dark Ages, he soon saw the ice plains of New Algetty come into view. As Gaspar had said, the castle was now fully complete. As he flew over the castle and towards the commons, something hit Epoch!
The engine was damaged. Whoever had hit him knew Epoch’s weak points. Magus was hurled back and forth in the tiny craft as it plunged towards the earth. Magus pulled hard on the stick and with a little help from his own magic, was able to avoid crashing until he reached the ocean.
As Epoch dove in to the freezing waters, a black whole opened up in front of him and swallowed up Epoch. Magus looked around and saw that Epoch was in a small room with stone walls. In one wall was a large, steel door with the Zeal crest engraved in it. That crest sealed the door shut to all forces except one, Shala’s pendant.
Magus got out of Epoch and went over to the door. He banged on it several times but nothing happened. He heard a hissing sound and he looked up. A greenish mist was working it’s way from the other side of the room. Magus didn’t want to figure out what would happen if he inhaled that stuff. He used magic to blow the mist away but it was to no avail. The mist kept coming and surrounded him. Grabbing his cape, Magus pulled it over his mouth and nose as he tried not to breath. Despite his efforts, he soon passed out.
.
Magus awoke in a cell. There was a small bench on the wall. As far as he could tell there was no guard on duty. Using a fire spell he was able to melt a hole in the bars. Walking out of his cell, he looked down a long hallway. There were hundreds of cells identical to his lined up and down the wall. Magus walked down the hall and listened to his footsteps echo around him. Soon he came to another set of bars and this time there was a guard posted outside.
Magus recognized the guard as one of Dalton’s men. Spinning around the guard addressed Magus. “Prophet, neither princess Schala or Dalton have any further use for your, abilities. You will be executed at dawn, Dalton’s orders. There is nothing you can do to resist.”
“Oh really?” Magus smiled as he used his magic to create a small black hole around the unsuspecting guard.
“Wh, what the... Ahhh!”
“Poor fool!” Magus used another fire spell to pass through this second set of “barriers” and walked further down the hall towards the staircase that he could now see. He wondered what had happened since he had left. Had Dalton taken over? If so, why wasn’t he king and why was Schala Queen? When she came back, did Dalton just give up his kingdom? Soon he would discover the answers to these questions.
Climbing up the stairs, he soon came into a palace that looked very similar to Zeal Palace. There were many people bustling about but they didn’t seem to notice him. They wore a variety of clothing but none as luxurious as the garments of Zeal. He headed towards what resembled the Queen’s Hall of the original palace.
He came to yet another door bearing the crest of Zeal. He blasted it with magic but nothing happened except that everyone looked at him. Apparently they did not know how to use magic. A couple of guards turned their attention towards him and approached.
One of the guards addressed Magus. “What are you doing?”
“Uh, nothing.”
“Very well, but if I see you try to do anything funny...”
“You won’t.” As soon as their backs were turned Magus used his Dark Bomb spell that destroyed both the guards. Turning back to the door he cried out. “Schala!” Still there was no response. Losing his temper he cast his most devastating spell, Dark Matter. The force of the spell destroyed everything around Magus, except the door. Looking about he also saw that it had killed an innocent victim. What had he done? Wait, why should he care? It was a small price to pay to be able to reach his sister. Ducking through a hole in the wall that his spell had caused, Magus came into the throne room of the palace. On the throne sat Schala. Next to her stood a Nu and Dalton. He didn’t care about the others. “Schala!”
Schala turned her attention from Dalton towards Magus. “Prophet, why do you keep pursuing me? I thank you for saving me from the dinosaurs, but I am afraid of you. You forced me to help my mother and I fear that you have some great plan that you are ready to carry out. Please, leave and don’t return or I will be forced to execute you.
“No! I don’t have a evil plan. I just want to...” he was interupted by Dalton.
“Let me take care of this intruder your majesty.” After getting permission Dalton raised his arm and disappeared along with Schala and the Nu. A black porthole spanned the room and the “Golem Boss” emerged. The golems were powerful beings that Dalton had created with magic. They protected him and obeyed his every command. The Golem Twins had been killed in the Ocean Palace by Crono and the others. Magus reached for his scythe but was only able to grab his belt. His scythe was gone! Of course, it must have been taken when he was unconscience. He grabbed one of the tall candelabras and used his magic to enhance it’s flame. Golem Boss rushed at him but Magus was able to jump out of the way.
Hurling the candelabra at Golem Boss he watched as the flames engulfed him. Golem Boss roared and cried out, “Magnify!” He shot a huge ball of flame at Magus that felt like it was twice the strength of Magus’ original fire.
“Ahhh!” Magus cried out in pain. He instinctively responded by using his Dark Bomb on the creature but in return he was hit by an even larger one. It looked like Golem Boss repeated and increased whatever power was used against him. Magus was damaged badly and he had to think of something quick. Golem Boss charged at him and Magus created an ice wall that shattered as soon as Golem Boss crashed into it.
As Magus shot out this bolt of lightning he hoped that Golem Boss wouldn’t be able to increase this attack. Unfortunately he was wrong and Golem Boss cast a spell that was similar to Crono’s Luminare attack. The surge of lightning ran up Magus’ body as he thought of some way to defeat this monster.
Suddenly, it came to him, but he had to time this just right. Magus got as close to Golem Boss as he dared and used his black whole spell. The blackness surrounded the Golem but it was not powerful enough to pull him in. Then, Magus waited until Golem Boss started to cast a spell of his own. Magus ran as fast as he could away from the humungous hole that was forming behind him. Fortunately, Golem Boss was not smart enough to run and was destroyed by his own spell. Magus was just able to escape the reaches of the bleakness but he did.
Looking around he waited for Schala and Dalton to return, but they didn’t. He exited the throne room and located the most important looking person their was and asked him where the queen might be. The man pointed him to either the Queen’s Hall or the North Tower. Obviously the Queen’s Hall was not an option so he headed towards the North Tower. He climbed up many stairs until he finally got to the top. There were two of Dalton’s guards posted by a door. Magus quickly took care of the two and took one of their staffs as he entered the door.
Inside the room stood Dalton, Schala, and a Nu all standing around Epoch. It appeared to be repaired. Dalton looked at Magus. “How did you defeat Golem Boss!? That was the last of my golems! Queen, please board the ship where you will be safe, this will only take a minute.”
Dalton threw back his cape and shot forth and rumbling blade towards Magus who jumped out of the way and cast an ice spell. Dalton cast a fire spell in return and the battle continued. Finally, Magus was able to knock Dalton off his feet and point the sharp edge of the staff at his neck.
“I’m going to enjoy this.” said Magus as he prepared to add one to the long list of people he had killed. Suddenly, he stopped. Making sure to hold the staff in place he quickly glanced at Schala. Through the window in Epoch he could see that she was scared. Then looking down at the miserable man, shaking in fear, he felt something, he had never felt before, mercy.
Magus would not enjoy ending Dalton’s life. Why? He hadn’t cared before. He quickly cleared his mind of all thoughts of pity and thrust the staff down, but stopped barely an inch away from Dalton’s neck. He thought back to the grave of Ozzie and how he had felt. Would anyone grieve if Dalton died now? Who cared what others thought, he wouldn’t know them and he would be glad to end their lives too. Their was one person he did know though, Schala. Would she mourn for Dalton even after all he had done? He wasn’t sure but he wouldn’t risk upsetting Schala.
Seeing that his opponent was dazed, Dalton took action. With one sweep of his leg Dalton was able to knock Magus off his feet. No! Why had Magus let his emotions get in the way? Before he could brush them aside and get on but this time it might cost him his life.
“I’ve had enough of this.” said Dalton as he got to his feet. As he jumped aboard Epoch he called out to Magus again. “We’re going to find Janus, Prophet. Of course, you probably knew that didn’t you. When we return the blood line of Zeal will be preserved and we will rule this world forever!”
Magus watched as Epoch sailed high overhead and then made the jump through time. Magus looked around. The tower was now abandoned. How would he fallow them now? Epoch was gone and there was no way to leave this time period. Magus headed down towards the dungeon as he thought of what he was going to do. In the basement he found his scythe then he left the palace. Heading towards the commons he knew what to do. Magus found a tree and used his scythe to chop it down. After an hour or two he had been able to construct a raft. Dragging the raft to North Cape he took a last glance at his home. After tossing the raft into the ocean and hopping on he grabbed an oar he had made and started to row. After two days of hard thinking his raft washed up onto the shore of an island. He entered the cave that contained the time gate that led to the End of Time. He stepped into the blue pilfer of life and prepared to continue his search.
.
The end of part four, Long Live The Queen
Continued in part five, Destruction By Lavos
.