Network of Keys Chapter 9 part 3; Ky, A Jump

~Ky~

We stop at the summit of the mountain. The older woman who guided us here wishes the best of luck for us.

"Again, thank you so much," Cynthia thanks her.

"Yeah, thanks," Amy joins, "You are always a great help."

"Your welcome," Our sweet guide says, looking quite overemotional, "Any time. Be careful children. For now, I must bid you all farewell."

"Bye bye," I say, feeling kind of torn that we have to separate. She was just so nice to us.

With that, she turns to leave, and I watch as her huge gray bun vanishes along with her fragrance of lavender and cookies. We turn to the rectangle platform that awaits us. Like the mountain's summit, this platform is of a stone white color. Cynthia utters a heavy sigh. Reluctantly, we all step onto it. Curiously, I rub my paw against the cool, smooth surface that reminds me of Old Man's kitchen floor and the stone ground of that Sunnyside town. To no one's surprise, the platform rises up with a sudden jerk and then slowly carries us towards the final destination of the first floor.

Earlier, when we left that cave behind, Amy easily led us to a small village surrounded by dark green forested mountains. As if she were told beforehand, a senior citizen rushed to us and showed us around the tiny town. Then, she ushered us into her house where she fed us, healed us, and gave us shelter. Amy had to explain the future plans to Cynthia and I while the older woman babbled a bunch of questions like, "Are you okay? What are you doing here? It's been a while since any Outsiders have been here. How are things like in your world? Amy's a nice girl isn't she? Would you like a cookie?" It was great, actually, I couldn't resist eating a majority of her delicious chocolate chip cookies (yum!) much against Cynthia's approval. Anyway, apparently this old woman and Amy have worked together a ton in the past to guide many ryges through the first floor of the Tower. According to them Professor Tree's advice to catch all the Fantitures and get all the badges is a trick of the Tower, and by following that a ryg will be way too caught up to ever succeed to the second level.

When we were all prepared to continue, the lady decided she was going to guide us to the top of the small mountain we just climbed now. Many of the other villagers got all interested in us, of course, so that caused a bit of a hold up. But they gave us some supplies and gave Amy this Fantiture named Spirit.

Back to the present, even though our time was short, I am sure I'll miss that lady. She reminds me of someone who used to live with Old Man and I; that person vanished too many years ago for me to remember her well. Below us, the ground shrinks as the platform takes us higher and higher. My focus catches on to this, so I lean my body as far as possible so I can observe.

However, one ominous thought still whispers to me with its hot, rank breath scratching my ears: don't look into that Fantiture's eye. Amy and that woman had explained that the Fantitures that are eagerly awaiting us now are the most dangerous yet. There is going to be one hooded Fantiture, surrounded by zer minions: Princess looking Fantitures, but way smaller with exteriors of bloodstained bone. They will also be more slender with shorter legs.

A slight breeze tickles my fur, and I shiver in its cold. A gentle hand strokes my back, and I look to see Cynthia there with warmth in her eyes, yet at the same time her eyes mirror my own trepidation. Something stirs within my chest and some of the fear fades. Cynthia's just so awesome, I'm sure she'll leave our future enemies gawking. I lovingly give her a snuggle, and in return she smiles at me while she rubs my ears. In our last moments on the platform, I cuddle close to her and allow her to hug me since her uniform is clean and not reeking of death anymore.

But of course the joy must come to an end. All too soon the platform settles next to a huge chunk of ground floating in the sky. Before we step on to it, I steal a look off our platform to the ground and almost faint. We are so high up right now! Like, the summit we were on is just a little dot! Everything looks so small! I rush off the platform and onto the piece of earth. Jade green grass juts up from the ground. In front of us is the opening to a suspended staircase leading into a strange vortex, and both are glowing rainbow. The lighting here is distorted due to the slight fog.

"Remember," Amy cautions us, "Whatever you do, don't look into the hooded Fantiture's eye."

All the Fantitures are out, and Amy fixes us into a line. Spirit looks unlike the other Fantitures. Not only does she have deep purple fur, but she has a somewhat human looking appearance, yet it is obvious she isn't human. I mean, she evens stands like a human, but yet she has more of a slump than them. Her thin, long tail slides from side to side anxiously, and her long, oval ears are perked. My muscles tense as I stare at the stairs. Why aren't we going over to them? Besides me, I can hear Cynthia's knuckles crack a little as she clenches her fists. Eagerly, I put one paw forward.

Big mistake. In a second a blood stained, snow-white beast jumps towards me out of the fog, and I barely have time to recoil. Before our eyes more of the Princess-like creatures materialize from the fog and start to surround us. Automatically, my fur and tail rise, and I shift my ears back. Fluffy emits a low growl, Creepy makes a chattering sound with her teeth, and Spirit and Silver hiss at our antagonists. In return, they narrow their glaring yellow eyes and snap their drool filled jaws that are full of sharp, jagged teeth. A trickle of fear oozes into my growing anger. Suddenly, the hooded Fantiture lands in front of Cynthia and between my friends and enemies. Ze is exactly as Amy described: practically a long cloak with an eye. Swiftly I turn away from the Fantiture before I make the mistake of gazing into zer eye.

"Greetings, friends," the cloak speaks civilly, but zer voice is super artificial and it almost sounds like a snarl, "What brings you here?"

I don't have to turn to see Amy's eyes roll to the skies as she replies, "Please, just please. You know what we want."

"And what shall that be?" ze says, indifferent to Amy's attitude.

"We just want to proceed to the next level," Cynthia steps in, "Please, we aren't here to trouble you. We'll leave you alone as soon as possible."

"I'm afraid I can't let you," the cloak basically snaps at her and turns to the minions, "Don't let them pass."

Then all fighting breaks loose, and I barely have a heartbeat to dodge my attacker. Xe skids pass me and races towards me again. Somehow I am able to barely move out of the way. After avoiding xim, I start to ready an energy ball. The Fantiture catches on and two odd appendages rise from xis back. They are of an oval shape, but with an opening, and are attached to spike like things. Instantly the weapons prepare their own ammo, and xe starts to carefully aim them at me. Heart racing, I rush to put enough energy into my ball before xe makes me into toast (Ponmik toast? Not so yum). Forever passes by before I shoot the warm, glowing ball at xim. Unfortunately, xe not only completely dodges, but xe starts firing at me. Frantically, my feet slap the spiky grass as I desperately leap out of the way of the never ending attacks. Without further ado I quickly zap one of xis weapons with a blinding, zigzagging light.

Luckily for me, the firearm is injured to the point where it no longer works, but the electric bolt also leaves me feeling exhausted. Panting, it seems as though I can never inhale enough air. A black rush of someone else's attack zips by me, so I dodge and happen to get a quick look at everyone else. Grass that was green only minutes ago is now stained with scarlet pools. Bodies of minions lay dead or dying, as long as Silver, who is quickly being tended to by Amy. Cynthia has it the worse of all, though, as she duels against the hooded Fantiture. Fire flies out of her hands as she escapes her enemy's pitch black beams. She makes it look so easy; it almost looks like she is dancing, she brawls in such a majestic manner. Silently, the skin and fur on my right side are ripped off, leaving red-hot pain and the salty, bitter smell of scorched flesh. My not so silent screams echo into the air and I whip around to see the slight smoke dance in the air around my opponent's uninjured weapon. Not. Cool. Recklessly, I propel myself into xis chest. Nothing happens. Sweltering drops of fizzy drool splatter upon my head. In a sort of daze from hitting my head too hard on the Fantiture, I warily face those thousands of golden teeth that are impatiently waiting to tear out my flesh.

"Oh Keys," I swear under my breath.

Rancid, rotting funk chokes me as xis mouth closes around my upper body. Intense pressure builds at the spots where those nasty teeth begin to prick my pelt. My claws split open the minion's rough, moist tongue in an effort to cause xim to reopen xis mouth.

'NO!" I cry, as my own blood starts to burst from victim areas, "No! No! No!"

All at once I'm spat out. Shaking my head, I tell myself to pull it together. Wails erupt from my enemy as xe disappears in Cynthia's flames. Soon after though, Cynthia hollers from torment, too. Whipping to see the issue, I gasp as the blonde drags herself behind me and drops to the ground. Her body convulses from a wound that I can't find. She's not bleeding at all, yet she looks overcome by distress way worse than my own. Violently, she spasms and retches an unusual, odorless, black vapor. Tears stain her face, but those tears are also black. They emit a similar substance.

"Cynthia?" I croak, "Are you okay?"

No answer. It is as if she can't even hear me. No, she's obviously not okay, I think, But what is going on? Why is she in pain? What even- no. Oh no. Don't tell me. Hesitantly, her eyes open and stare straight at me. Black, dying eyes. Her mouth moves, but no sound escapes though I'm sure it spells out "help me." A harsh feeling ignites in my chest, bringing forth tainted thoughts. Ze needs to pay for this. Absolutely no one does this to Cynthia without justice. No one. If my fur wasn't ruffled before, it is now. 

I feel like I'm about to explode. Loose energy crackles as it races along my fur. Slowly I lift my gaze to the bottom of the Fantiture's cloak and hurl a lightning bolt at them. Sadly it is easily dodged, and I'm instantly laughed at. Overcome with fury, I charge at ze. 

"GET OUT OF THE W-" I warn, but of course I burst before I can finish my sentence. 

Although my eyes are closed, the light still manages to overwhelm me. The wild energy causes my body to quake violently. Yet throughout all this no sound occurs, but I'm sure there are screams. That would only make sense, right? Anyways, the discharge stops as abruptly as it started, leaving me exhausted. In a heartbeat I'm greeted by the burnt ground.

                               ***

I am awakened by the bittersweet substance being shoved down my throat. My eyes sling open to see Amy with a hand in my mouth. Deep scarlet gashes contrast the typical paleness of her skin. Not a single memory of the past events come to mind. I don't even know how much time passed while I was passed out.

"Mmmthh!" I attempt to say through a full mouth.

"Finally," Amy says angrily, "You're lucky she isn't dead, but you better hurry up because she isn't going to last any longer."

Her intense words make me swallow the substance. She finally gets her hand out of my jaws.

"What!?" I squeak.

"Oh my goodness learn to speak human," she growls.

I didn't even notice the squeaked word was just a squeak and repeat myself in human, "What?"

"Cynthia. Dying. Help her," Amy says impatiently, rolling her eyes.

And suddenly I remember everything. My gaze snaps in her direction. There my precious human lies in a puddle of pitch black blood, the odd smoke pouring out of her. Scars even deeper and darker lace Cynthia's body, making her normally dark skin appear snow white. Her uniform? Barely clinging onto her frail figure, it is that torn. 

"What have I done?" I whisper, not believing the accidental discharge could hurt her so much. What was I thinking?

"The potion won't work," Amy interrupts my thoughts as she shakes a spray bottle, "Her 'injury' won't allow that to happen. You have to get her to the next level," she gestures to the rainbow stairs.

"How?" I ask, because I'm not stupid enough to not realize I'm way smaller than my owner, "Can't you do it?"

"No," she shakes her head before trying to approach the stairway. Instantly she starts to glitch, unable to move any closer. She backs away and tells me that she threw the backpack in.

"Okay," I say, staring at the shivering ryg, "Just let me think."

"I doubt you understand the importance of the situation," Amy says, "She is dying. Actually dying. Her soul is being ripped apart as we speak. Even ryges can die, even if only under extreme circumstances, like this one here. The Tower won't regenerate her. Your attack shortened her already short time. Stand a couple feet from the stairs, okay? I'll put her on your back and it's up to you to do the rest."

"Okay," I agree nervously. I never thought this sort of situation could ever happen to me. In fact I never even thought situations like these existed, but here we are.

Impatiently, I wait as close to the stairs as Amy could go. She walks over to Cynthia and picks her up. I take a minute to access the other surroundings to get my mind off of poor Cynthia. Corpses of minions litter the dead grass. Candy red blood smothers the once grassy ground, the color obscene against the depressing gray sky. Silver tries to put Creepy's skull back on her body (although its weird how both the skull and body are still alive) while Spirit tries to comfort a very upset Fluffy. The stench of blood makes the air impossible to breathe. Terrible things happened here. Truly terrible. I doubt life will ever be the same.

An impossible amount of weight is suddenly dumped onto me. So much weight I almost collapse. It's like a thousand huge rocks on my back. However, I know I must get her to safety. Hesitantly, I lift an unstable paw a tiny bit off the ground. Then I proceed to fall flat on my face. Frustrated, I try to put my paws back underneath me, but I can't. Amy has to help me up. I drag a paw forward as I growl, completely stressed, under my breath. Pure love for my owner makes me continue to heave forward. Otherwise, this is too exhausting.

It seems as if the stairway is miles away. My muscles groan from overexertion. I can barely breathe under Cynthia's mass. As I trudge on, she gets heavier and less alive. After what seems like forever, I am in front of the stairway. Sweat pours out of my tongue like a faucet. My legs feel like they will collapse at any moment, and my muscles scream at me to to give up now. Miserably I lift my head to see the rainbow glow. Summoning the last of my energy, I hasten into the portal.