Legendseekers Part 4: Queenslayer

“Perhaps she will never remember who I am…!”

The corrupted moxyn’s voice echoed in her nightmares, again, and again, and again. Even as she tightly hugged the Lunewyrm plushie that Pantalaimon gifted her in her sleep. Even when the Spearbie that Athens gifted her would nudge her cheek to comfort her when she jolted awake. Troia wanted to drift into dreamless, quiet sleep, but she could never stop being haunted by that vision of the corrupted xyn crowing in laughter over Yuhi as she thrashed from the pain of her wounds. Not to mention her recurring nightmares of a corrupted Athens, always  lunging towards her to close his jaws over her throat or lancing his horn through her chest, his eyes crackling with a corruption that made her stomach churn…

The Warpstone she had earned, now affixed to the Starkler that she wore on her tail, glinted faintly in the light. She had to leave for the Corrupted Lands once more. There was no other choice. It was a matter of life and death now. 

If she didn’t go after the villain, then who would?

—

Troia stood at her knighting ceremony to promote her, along with numerous other xyns, to the Fighter and Scout positions within the Royal Knights. Though normally a joyous occasion the air hung heavy and still- everyxyn stood withdrawn, not knowing what the newly promoted xyns would have to face in the ensuing days. 

Troia knelt before the orator as they knighted her as a Fighter. She lowered her masked face so that the tip of its nose touched the cold stone floor, and her metal claws gently scratched the stone tiling as she prostrated. She felt the weight of a sword gently tap each shoulder, one at a time. But the orator’s words that echoed through the halls, solemn and commanding, were a murmur to her ears as she recalled the very first day she was Knighted during the beginning, when the first moons lost their power… 

She only lifted her head once she was presented her Fighter gear- it was a lightweight shawl sewn from fabric colored a rich shade of night black, perfect to slink away unseen into the darkness. She lifted her head as the orator used their magic to slip the shawl over her. She turned around to the crowd, and they all parted to make a path for her to walk through.

At least Pantalaimon had come for her ceremony- while normal to cheer under any other circumstance, they followed the suit of every other xyn and  bowed their head in deference to Troia as she walked past the crowds to exit the knighting hall. She felt grateful for their presence. If Athens was healthy, she would come here too, despite the stains of Corruption that would now alienate her from the others. Her father would be proud to see her if he was still alive. And her mother’s side of the family… not a single one of them had cared to attend again.

Less xyns had attended the ceremony than normal as many were fellow knights spread thin around Moonreach to fortify the city upon the behest of Ryu and Hush- with the waning power of the moons few royal knights were well enough to fight their hardest for survival, much less a mere promotion in ranking. 

But new knights and fighters and scouts and captains were needed now more than ever- what other choice did they have?

—

“You’re certain that this mysterious xyn is in the Corrupted Lands?” Pantalaimon asked Troia. The both of them were in Pantalaimon’s home within Moonreach, preparing to leave in the dead of that night once every other xyn had fallen asleep. Troia had slipped out of the Knights barracks earlier that day; she didn’t care about the repercussions for disobeying orders to stay and help within Moonreach, for there was a gut instinct within her magicava that told her that there would be fate far worse that would await them all if she didn’t go…

Pantalaimon’s three Ophistles Cadeuceus, Hermes and Asclepius slithered and flew around the room as they trotted about, whistling and checking for certain items on shelves before chucking them into their knapsack with their magic. 

“I’m certain,” Troia replied. “There’s some deep feeling inside of me that tells me they have to be there. It’s obvious too, isn’t it… where else would you be if you wanted to control corrupted xyns and Corruption Beasts?”

She turned to glance at Cadeuceus and Hermes, who had tangled their sinuous bodies together to fight over a treat that Pantalaimon had inadvertently left out on a table. “Did you get the telestone?”

As if on cue, Asclepius flew to Pantalaimon’s side to pass them a cracked Telestone, unwrapping its body around the stone so that they could secure it with their magic and levitate it between the both of them. Troia’s Spearbie zipped over to Asclepius to look, curious, at the stone.

Pantalaimon winked at Troia. “Of course! I nicked this one from an unsuspecting knight; it’s just as easy as taking candy from a xynlet.” They took a closer look at the stone, narrowing their eyes and sticking out their tongue ever so slightly to peer closely. “Too bad this one’s well worn out. If it doesn’t break after I use it, it’ll go straight back to the xyn I borrowed it from once we’re back! Or maybe if it breaks, I’ll return it anyway. Excellent idea of yours to get these to reach the Corrupted Lands sooner- I was ready to fly for days!”

Troia shook her head. Her horns glowed with magic, and she took the warpstone off her starkler pendant, bringing it to Pantalaimon’s chest. She then took their cracked warpstone and set it on her pendant instead. “If your warpstone shatters, you can’t come back. You need to be able to return to Moonreach if I can’t make it,” she said, firmly.

“...if you can’t make it?” Pantalaimon blinked, in surprise. Then they laughed. “Don’t be daft, Troia! Of course you’ll make it back with me! I’m not going anywhere without you!” 

Troia didn’t respond. Pan stepped back, and seeing how solemn she was in that moment, they quieted, and averted their gaze to the ground. Their winged ears drooped. She was serious, as she was with all things, but especially so now. It wasn’t a laughing matter. 

Cadeuceus and Hermes finally untangled themselves, and Hermes snatched the treat, downing it in one gulp while Caduceus flicked its tail in disdain. They both flew to Pantalaimon’s back to curl up there with Asclepius; their Ophistles would accompany them for the trip as their crystals were useful for healing, when needed.

Pantalaimon, after a few moments, decided to gently break the silence. “Well, let’s finish our preparations.” They managed a warm smile at Troia, and playfully bumped their nose into her mask’s own. “Whatever happens, I’m not going to leave you alone if I can help it. I mean it.”

Troia felt something stir in her magicava. But she tried not to feel anything now; it would hurt too much if she lost Pantalaimon out of all times if she allowed herself to feel attached to them now.

—

The clock struck midnight. 

It was time.

Pantalaimon and Troia of them teleported to the very edge of Pixiehome, and right before the Moon River that served as a border between; as Pantalaimon had never been to the Corrupted Lands before, Pixiehome was the closest point that they could warp to since visiting it during the Lenlong Parade a few moons ago.

Troia turned her head back, somewhat sadly, at the forest of Pixyns behind them. Nature itself was suffering from a lack of moon energy and regular Pixyn care. Even the Moon River, normally surging with endless fountains of moonlight, was duller than usual. The grass, once lush and soft underfoot, crunched with a dryness that made Troia wince. It might be the last time she could see it like this, before… she didn’t want to think of what could happen.

Pantalaimon nodded sagely at Troia, and she flicked the stinger on her tail to give the signal to leave. They both dashed off into the dark of the night, crossing over the river effortlessly; Pantalaimon flew into the air with all of their Ophistles on their back, and Troia, wearing the deep black Fighter cloak she was gifted and Spearbie by her side, cast an invisibility spell over them both. The spell alone wouldn’t deter the Corruption Beasts or Corrupted Xyns that would seek them through, but no living Xyn would be able to know that either of them was there at all.

The longer they traveled, the more Troia had to fight to quell the burgeoning thoughts and doubts that were about to flood her mind. 

What would she do if they found the villain? 
What if they weren’t there at all? 
What if they were forced to fight? 
What if her warpstone shattered?
Was she able to accept the consequences of her actions tonight?
Could she ever forgive herself if something happened to Pantalaimon?

And after what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the Corrupted Lands. Troia stopped to survey the area; and Pantalaimon paused, too. 

Nothing was ever right here, but it seemed even more devoid of life than it ever had before. Something felt terribly wrong. Why weren’t they seeing Corruption Beasts right now? Were they in hiding together with their master?

Troia dispelled their invisibility as it wasn’t necessary anymore. No living xyn would be found here, save for them.

Cautiously, she stepped onto a patch of deadened, black grass. The blades crumbled into a fine power underneath her foot like ash being crushed from charcoal. The air reeked of the miasma of corruption; Pantalaimon’s Ophistles stopped flicking their tongues in the air, so repulsed were they by the scent of it all. Speabie calmly floated next to Troia’s side, ever watchful for it’s master. Everything around them seemed as if it would take only one delicate touch for it to crumble down to ashes and smoke…

Pantalaimon spoke up in a hushed, gentle voice. Their wind magic carried their words ever so gently to only Troia’s ears, so that nothing else in their surroundings could hear them. 

“No turning back now, right?” Pantalaimon asked. 

Troia nodded. They had to go. There never was another choice- Troia told herself, silently. If her stolen Warpstone broke… she would not worry about that now.

The both of them dashed off through the treacherous terrain, leaving a path of ashes and dust in their wake. What would await them both in the heart of the Corrupted Lands…?