Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2015 16:48:57 +0400
From: Nell Bas <helledon12@gmail.com>
Subject: the last feres/ the feri circle 17

Happy reading!
The Feri Circle
Chapter 17

Dusk was quickly approaching and I was anxious to be out of this astral
form. Charlie had called in Helen to have a look at me. Now that she knew
what she was dealing with, she said that I may have a chance to get back to
the land of the living. Not that I was dead, but I might as well be as long
as I was in this state. I missed my friends, my lover and the sweetness of
his caress, his kiss, his embrace. God, I missed it all.

Helen placed a hand over my chest and the sealing mark she had made visible
a moment ago. 'The spell can easily be removed,' my heart skipped a beat
when she said that. I heard a collective sigh of relief as if everyone
cramming the cabin were holding their breath moments before.

When I say everyone I mean my family and friends. All but Amegra, who was
out there putting the seamen to sleep. I have no idea how she would manage
that but she had the seaweed Kai brought back with him.

'That's good. Although I might be mistaken, did I hear a "but" in your
statement?' Eric asked Helen.

'You're absolutely right Eric. While the spell is preventing him to wake,
it is also draining his life force. He will be very weak when he does get
up.'

Okay, I get it. Do it already. I urgently said.

Kai snickered before relaying my exact words to the group.

Wren chuckled. 'Take it easy, atsa. Let the woman work.'

The others were laughing now.

Helen exhaled exasperatingly. 'Here goes nothing,' she said before cracking
her knuckles.

She grabbed the medallion around my neck and pressed it hard against my
chest.

Hey? I felt that.

Closing her eyes she chanted some gibberish. The medallion began to
glow. It emitted a faint blue light.

'Is it working?' Reed asked to which everyone shushed him.

With sweat running down her temple, Helen pushed more lights inside my
chest. Suddenly, I felt a pull. It was coming from the medallion. And like
a piece of magnet that couldn't resist the other half, I was pulled right
into my body.

'Ouch,' was the first word that escaped my mouth. My eyes weren't even
opened but I knew the others were elated to hear a sign of life from me.

'Atsa!' Wren exclaimed, 'I'm so glad you're back.' He pulled me into a
tight, bone crushing hug. My eyes went wide. I couldn't breathe.

'For Feri's sake bro, let the boy breathe,' Wain said slapping Wren upside
the head.

Immediately he loosened his grip. 'Oh! Sorry, babe.'

Nick came by the bed and yanked me out of Wren's arms. 'I missed you Rye.'
Tears welled up in my eyes as he held me close.

Wren put his arms around us and whispered "I love you" in my ear. I
cried. The guys joined in and made it a group hug.

Eric stood nearby and laughed. Charlie wrapped an arm around him and winked
at me. 'Welcome back kiddo,' he enunciated without any sounds.

'Thank you,' I said back.

The happy reunion was interrupted when Amegra came storming in. She wasn't
alone. A few feet behind her stood Caleb. I was glad she didn't put him to
sleep. In fact, I asked her not too. Caleb was a slave on board this
ship. He was an innocent.

As soon as Amegra saw me she gave me the once over, although her bad ass
expression didn't soften. 'It's great to have you back your majesty, but
let's move now people while time is still on our side.'

She was right of course but why was she in such a hurry?

'You've heard the lady, move people,' Charlie all but shouted.

I sat up with the intention of getting to my feet but a dizzy spell brought
me down again. 'Guys it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere soon. I'm
barely able to move a muscle.' And I felt like I had a hangover only with a
lot more pain.

Kai sniggered. I knew he heard my thoughts. "Don't you dare tell them," I
projected.

Oblivious to the little exchange I had with Kai Wren leaned forward. 'Here
let me help you.' He lifted me into his big arms and pecked me on the
lips. 'I'll be your ride for now until you can trust your legs again.'

How sweet! I kissed him full on the mouth and sucked out some of his
air. He smiled and sheepishly looked around at the witnesses.

'What are you waiting for?  Go already,' I said loud enough to cause a
stir. Wren laughed before following the others outside.

The fog was still there. Hearing splashing in the water below I knew the
mermen were here; that and the buzzing inside my head from their telepathy.

'As we planned, Rye, Wren, Nick, Helen you're with Amegra. The rest of you,
you're with me in the second life boat.'

The plan was my team would follow Kai into the secret network of caves that
run beneath the island. Our goals are to sneak in and rescue Elle and
hopefully Cole. The other team would be the diversion. They will draw out
Helledon and Xell in the hopes they won't get in our way. Once we rescue
the hostages we close in on the enemy.

Helen was right about me being weak. I couldn't even stand without
falling. Farren had to fly me down to the boat into Nick's awaiting arms. I
was starting to wonder what use I may be if not get in everyone's' way once
the battle begins.

Kai and three of his kin maneuvered the small boat towards the open water
away from the Island.

'Aren't we going the wrong way?' Helen said before I could.

'We have to stay clear of the reef. You don't see it because of the fog but
it's impossible to get through. It's too high and the currents are too
strong. Besides, there are sirens there. They are in league with the Keeper
of Sandridon,' Kai said. He was hanging to the side of the boat while
effortlessly propelling us with his long fishtail.

I frowned. 'That's not right. Helledon gave up his powers. He's no longer
the Keeper of Sandridon.'

'That's where you're wrong,' Kai said with a knowing expression. 'Two weeks
ago my mom tried to psychically attack Helledon and it didn't work. Through
the connection she created with him he blasted her with barrier energy and
put her in a coma for a whole day.'

'It can't be,' Wren exclaimed.

'Trust me it can,' Kai replied.

'Then what happened to Rye the night of the supposed transference of power
between him and Helledon?' Nick asked.

'I could think of only one explanation,' Amegra sullenly said. 'I've always
thought it odd that Helledon gave up so much power. That maniac thrives on
power so he wouldn't part with it easily. No. I think what you felt that
night Rye was the bond that ties the keeper to you being broken.' She said.

Amegra was making a lot of sense. Not once after that incident in my
bedchamber did I manifest any of the keeper's power like I was told I would
by Kan, the previous keeper.

Then I realized something.

'Guys, that's how he can come and go as he pleases from the Island. The
keepership is a feri power, the Island can't expel him.'

'He is more powerful than you think,' an older Nereii swimming beside the
boat said. 'He brought Darklings to the Island,'

'What do you mean he brought Darklings?' Amegra asked.

'The men in his company, we've been monitoring their movements closely ever
since they arrived. They all have a deformity of some kind. They looked
more like darklings than men.'

'If he can shield darklings from the Island, then he's more powerful than I
thought,' Amegra said. She said it more to herself than to us
though. 'Helledon must be stopped or else our friends will perish. Not even
you Rye are a match for him now that the bond is gone.'

'What do you suggest we do?' Nick asked, anxiety etched on his face.

'We get Rye more power. And I know how.'

'Keep you voices down,' Helen hissed. We were getting closer to the cave
entrance. Since there wasn't any fog on this side of the Island we could
see it clearly even if it was a bit dark. And that's not all. There were
three slimy luminous fish creatures with human faces there as well. It
looks like they were guarding the entrance.

The Nereii immediately slowed down and stopped moving altogether.

'What are they?' Wren asked.

'Sirens,' the older Nereii said. 'They are sensitive to movements so we
must be careful. They are also loud creatures. Their cries can shatter
eardrums.'

'How do we get past them?' Helen asked.

'Surprise attack will do it. They are slow and sluggish.'

Before we could come up with a plan, Helen stood and propelled herself in
the air. Using her telekinesis, she hovered above us. She surprised the lot
of us with that move. She threw out her arms and two invisible hands
grabbed the creatures by the necks and chocked them to death. As their
lifeless bodies fell from her grip she returned to the boat.

'Wow,' Nick and Wren said in unison.

Amegra smiled and said to her, 'remind me never to get on your bad side
sister.'

The others laughed but I was still in too much shock to join them. Helen
was motivated by her love for Cole. She'll do anything to get her man back
home safely.

The Nereii started moving again. Just as we were about to enter the cave we
heard noises coming from the other side of the island.

'The fight has started,' Kai said.

'Then we must make haste,' Amegra urged, 'Helledon will soon realizes we're
not in the fray.'

The journey through the cave water pathways took longer than
anticipated. Luminescent lichens covering the cave walls lit our way. It
was a blessing that we didn't encounter anymore sirens.

Finally we arrived at a huge stony archway leading to a small unstable
looking wharf.

'Here is where we part ways,' Kai said to us. 'We are going back to join
our kin on the other side. Follow the stairs on your right. They will lead
you to the dungeon of Helledon's keep.'

We waved them off as they dove beneath the water and disappeared.

Wren lifted me from the boat and placed me on a rock next to the wharf. As
soon as my feet touched the stony floor I felt the buzz of feri energy
radiating from the Island. Instinctively, I drew on it and by the time Nick
and Wren had made torches from their tunics and pieces of wood they found
in the cave, I had gained an ounce of energy back.

'I think you guys should go without me,' I told my friends when we were
ready to go. I raised my hand when they started protesting. 'I'm serious
here. Helen if the Nereii are right, Cole would be just above us so he
shouldn't be too difficult to find. Amegra you go rescue my sister with
Nick. Nick it will be easier to track her down by her emotional imprint. It
shouldn't be difficult since she's the only one with a pure innocence in
this place.'

They all knew I was right. So they just nodded and bolted up the stairs.

'Are you alright, babe?' Wren knelt beside me with concern in his eyes. I
was tired, sluggish and in pain but I didn't tell him that.

I wrapped my arms around his head and pulled him to my chest. 'As long as
you're with me, I'll be fine.'

He hugged me. I don't know how long he held me close after that.

'Come. Let me carry you up the stairs,' he told me.

'No. I think I should walk. There's feri energy everywhere and I need
direct contact if I want to recover.'

Holding my left arm over his shoulders, Wren held me close as we ascended
the stairs. I grew stronger with each step I took. By the time I reached
the dungeon level I no longer felt any pain.

We found Helen and Cole first. We found them in a very compromising
position.

'Are we interrupting,' Wren coyly said behind them.

Quickly Helen straightened her skirt and Cole wiped his mouth. Their redden
faces brought laughter from us.

'Rye, you're looking better,' Helen said to change the subject.

"Yeah" was my only reply. An awkward moment passed before Cole greeted me
and introduced himself to Wren. He was the same as I saw him last; clean
and well fed.

'What do we do now?' Helen asked.

'We wait for Nick and the others.' As soon as I said that, I heard movement
coming down the stairs that led to the dungeon from the floor above. We hid
and waited to see who it was.

It was a relief when we say Amegra followed by Nick and Elle who was
clinging to him like a parasite.

'Rye!' Elle shouted as she jumped into my arms. She kissed my cheek and
chocked me with her arms around my neck.

Wren, Cole and Helen laughed at her enthusiasm at which she rumbled about
her rescue.

When she released me, she went back to Nick hugged him. I could see the
admiration in her eyes. That made me laugh even more.

A reddened faced Nick stared at me baffled. 'What did you tell her about
me?' it was hard to miss the accusation in his voice.

'Nothing really,' I lied. And Nick knew that I was. When I told Elle about
Prince Nickolas, I didn't mean for her to fall in love with him. It was
just an honest mistake.

'Focus people,' Amegra urgently said. 'We need to get out of here.'

'Where are we headed?' Helen asked.

'We need to find the temple. It would be a paved open air structure with
white markings on the floor,' Amegra replied.

'I know where that is,' Elle said.

That caught Amegra's attention. 'Can you take us there?'

'Sure,' she grabbed Nick's hand and half dragged him up the stairs. Wren
chuckled as we followed behind them.

'Whether he knows it or not, that girl is never going to let Nick out of
her sight,' Wren said to me.

A wave of guilt washed over me. I hope he doesn't hurt her when he
confronts her about it.

Elle brought us to a great empty hall with a large mirror stuck to one of
its four walls. Once in front of the mirror, she reached up and touched the
glass. The glass turned into a watery substance and her hand disappeared
inside it. She turned to us and smiled.

'This is a shortcut. Follow me,' she said before walking through. Nick went
in after her, then Amegra, Helen and Cole and finally Wren and me.

From the moment I appeared at the other side, I felt the power of the
place.

Under the crescent moon, large pillars formed a circle around the equally
circular temple floor. As Amegra said, there were markings on the floor lit
by large dishes of flames above each pillars. Bolder markings were in five
circles around an even bigger circle in the middle. It was impressive but I
didn't have time to appreciate the beauty of the place because right in the
middle circle stood Helledon, hands behind his back and a stupid grin
plastered across his face.

'Welcome friends,' he condescendingly said. "You took your time getting
here.'

??????????????

End of chapter 17