Secrets of Ivaloria

Chapter 8

"You will not escape this place alive, Corlys Frize," boomed Hywell.

"Yeah?" shouted Corlys. "Well, then come out and show yourself, you big muttonhead!"

"Muttonhead?" asked Vaelor. "You really need to work on insults."

"Agreed," said Corlys. "Let's get out of here."

Eloria turned the FloatBoat on. The red pod made a sound and raised itself in the air.

"Get on!" said Eloria. She jumped on the FloatBoat, followed by Vaelor.

"Flo part two," sighed Corlys. "Whatever you do, do not turn that pod to the speed of sound. As in do not turn that lever back as far as it can go."

"Understood, but Flo?" asked Vaelor.

"What about you?" asked Eloria. "How will you escape?"

Corlys grinned. "Like this," he said, and slowly turned into dust.

"Oh, yes," said Eloria. "I forgot you have disintegration powers now."

"Does your power come with a free cleaning license?" said Vaelor. "You know, to clean up the dust after you appear."

"It does not," said Corlys, out of thin air. "You should probably be on your way now."

"Sure," said Eloria. She pulled back the lever, and the pod started ascending.

Suddenly, the menacing figure of Hywell Heirson appeared just in front of them.

"You cannot escape," said Hywell. He held up two bottles filled with violet gas.

"Corlys Frize, wherever you are, I know you know what I am about to do to your friends," said Hywell.

Eloria had stated the pod's ascension, but now it stopped by itself. "What?" she said. She pressed various buttons on the pod, but none of them worked.

"Corlys Frize!" Hywell repeated. "I know you're still here."

"I am," said the voice of Corlys, somewhere from the air.

"Turn yourself over to me," said Hywell. "Or you will see your friends in pain."

"Don't listen to him!" shouted Vaelor.

"You know what this is?" sneered Hywell, looking at Vaelor.

"No, but I'm sure it's not worth risking Corlys's life for," said Vaelor.

"It will make you go through insufferable pain," said Hywell. "You may not even survive."

Corlys finally realized what the violet gas was. "Hywell, no," he said. "I will turn myself over. Spare my friends."

"No!" said Eloria. "You cannot do that!"

"You have no idea what that gas will do to you, Eloria," said Corlys.

"I don't care!" said Eloria. "You have to get out of here."

She jumped down from the pod and ran towards Hywell.

"Eloria, no!" shouted both Vaelor and Corlys.

Hywell had very little time to react. Eloria snatched the bottles from him and tried to run away.

But one of the bottles slipped from her hands. Eloria looked down as violet gas slowly spread from the broken bottle, lying on the floor.

"No!" shouted Vaelor. He jumped down and ran to Eloria.

"Vaelor, Eloria, you need to get away from that gas!" said Corlys.

Hywell laughed. "They brought about their own doom," he said.

Eloria started coughing. The gas entered her body, and made her skin glow with a purplish hue.

"Eloria!" said Corlys. He materialized in front of Eloria.

But Vaelor had also started coughing, as the gas entered him too. Corlys tried to pull Eloria and Vaelor out of the gas, but he was stopped by Hywell.

"Finally," said Hywell.

Corlys disintegrated into dust in his hands and flew away.

"Even if you evade me this time, there is nothing you can do for your friends," said Hywell.

Corlys looked at Eloria. Her eyes had turned violet. Her mouth was open in a silent scream.

Beside her, Vaelor was on his knees. His eyes had turned violet too. He looked like he was about to throw up.

Then it happened. Eloria and Vaelor suddenly stopped shaking in pain and stood still. Slowly, a lilac covering crept on them.

"No," said Corlys.

Within seconds, Eloria and Vaelor were covered in chunks of amethyst.

"So sad," said Hywell. "Your friends couldn't survive."

"I'll get you back for this, I swear," said Corlys. "I'll come back and bury you under a-"

He was interrupted by the sound of rocks breaking.

Even Hywell stood in shock as the amethysts slowly dropped away from Eloria and Vaelor.

The first thing Corlys noticed was the color of their eyes - they had changed. Eloria's eyes now possessed a fiery gold color, while Vaelor's was tinted blue - electric blue.

"Eloria? Vaelor?" said Corlys. "Are you both alright?"

Eloria looked up exactly where Corlys was. He felt uneasy as Eloria stared at him.

Then she turned to look at Hywell. "Thank you," she said.

"For what?" Hywell said, trying to put together what had occurred.

"For this," said Eloria. She held out her hand, and a dazzling golden flame erupted from her palm.

Eloria smiled.