This chapter is from the perspective of J'baki Diallo.
Here I am again. Except there are no stars just black as far as I can see. How did I get here again? And why is it so dark this time? I remember the poison, attacking my body and knocking me out. Why would Akachi do that? Doesn't he love me? What have I been doing all of this for if my brother is just another obstacle. Can I even trust what he says about Neyali?
I can't believe this. Who is this Yara woman? Maybe if I talk to her, she'll understand. Maybe she'll give my brother back to me. That's what I'll do! All I need to do now is wake up. I just need to wake up. How do I wake up?
There it is. There's that feeling of getting pulled into the void, the gut wrenching hook pulling from my abdomen. Reeling me in like a fisherman pulling in its largest catch. When I came to, the people standing around me were odd and new.
The woman with the long legs was the first one to talk to me. Her deep sweet voice soothed me as I took in the surroundings.
"Oh thank god. I thought we'd have a corpse on our hands. Can you stand?"
"I think so." I was lying. I couldn't even feel my limbs.
"Of course you can't. After taking an injection like that?" This man was obviously one to take charge. "You sit and rest, get your body prepared."
"I'm Naomi, this man is Milo. Who are you?"
"I'm J'baki. Who are you people?" No really, they were all different. I've never seen people like this before. Maybe a different skin tone but this collection of characters sent my head spinning.
"We're participants of the Root Down of course." Milo bolstered. "This is beautiful flower is Kenash, and the frozen moth here is Apozon. We were all worried about you."
"But why? You don't even know me?"
"Why do we have to know you to worry?"
That was a good question. But it didn't answer mine. From behind them a man I'm sure I'd seen before peeked his head out.
"Another one woke up. Now all that's left is Mr.Gray, and let's pray he stays out till all of this is over. I'm Poi glad to see you're okay."
"Wait! I know you! You tried to hurt Xena."
"Xena? I would never hurt such a lovely creature. She's right up there" the man with the halo crown pointed up the stairs behind me. There she was, staring at the massive doors in amazement.
"Xena! You're okay!" My body could suddenly move although I felt it rejecting every step I took up those stairs. Her five fluorescent eyes shined back with happiness and worry. "I thought we were gonna die."
"J'baki.... how do you feel?"
"I feel fine? My body is sore but nothing time won't fix."
"No, how do you feel? Seriously."
I didn't understand her cryptic talking. I felt fine? Was she trying to tell me something? That's when the thought rushed into my head.
"Wait, my Beo."
"Yes." She said leading me to water.
"It's.. gone... is that why the stars were oht this time?"
"What stars?"
"I'lll explain it to you later. It'll take too long."
A sharp pain entered my body, I had been pushing myself too much. My knees buckled as I sat on the top step. Xena waddled her way to me standing to meet my eyes.
"Do you remember when we met? And you fought Pai to save me?"
"Of course. That was just hours ago. I passed out and woke up to that large hole in the ground."
"And I said that only one of The Lovers could break that seal?"
"Yes yes and we went down and ended up here in The Duo Poculum."
"Your memory is still there so that is a good sign."
"Just tell me what's going on. After the news I've had today, I can take it."
"Well it's not that simple son." Milo started to ascend the stairs. "Actually it's pretty simple to hear, not so simple for us to say."
"Everyone is born with a Beo, whether they use it or not." Naomi, who was right by Milo's side explained the fact again. "The fact that you weren't born with one makes a question of your entire existence."
"Yea yea I know that already, that's why I was given a Beo."
"But who's Beo, J'baki." Xena asked.
"They told me it was artificial, that this is rare but it happens."
"Impossible. Beo's are linked to the person born with it. In order for someone to have that Beo it must be that person."
"So then it was my Beo all along?"
"In a way."
"What are you trying to say Xena?"
"You're a vessel, a shell of the person who created that Beo. When you got infected, that Beo abandoned its Vessel and created a new body."
Huh? How about that. Now that I think about it, it scans. Why else would I always find myself ain all of those situations? My body sometimes feels like it's moving on it's own, and it's only gotten stronger since entering this tree. A vessel huh? What has my whole life been? Are my brother and sister even really related to me? Who am I?
"What's going on in your head? I know it's a lot to take in." Xena's question snapped me out of my thoughts.
"No, I'm fine. Everything is starting to make sense. Xena, if I'm a vessel I have to help the one who's been driving me all this time. The one who's been protecting me. He's one of The Lovers, isn't he?"
My excitement was my downfall I felt a sharp pain flood into my head as my knees buckled taking me to the ground.
"Calm down J'baki. Your body won't hold out much longer without a Beo."
The pain made it hard to breathe, hard to think. I can't deal with it.
"Why?..... what is this?"
"A body can't function without spores. Without a Beo you can't regulate them, they're out of control."
The pain went all over my body, blacking out I still felt my body writhe and wiggle as I rolled down the steps of the vestibule. When my body stopped my mind went back to the dark space, however this time, the two stars came back hovering around. I couldn't help thinking this is happening too often. Is this going to happen every time I pass out?
🌟 🌟 🌟
J'baki laid peacefully at the bottom of the stairs. Unmoving his chest still. Xena and the others surrounded his body knowing that the death of J'baki was inevitable.
"The little man didn't stand a chance." Milo stated bluntly.
"Milo, a boy just died. Try to have some compassion." Naomi shot back.
"It's impossible. I feel for the kid but we have whatever's happening inside to worry about. Dying is gonna happen here. We've all lost important people here."
"When did you become this cold? Was the crystal man holding your compassion?"
"Anyway, we best step inside and help Isadora."
"We can't just leave him here."
"Of course we can." Milo was halfway up the stairs.
"Don't worry Miss Naomi. Apozon and I will stay behind." Kenash spoke up.
"W-we still H-have to recover a bit" Apozon shivered.
"You boys. You are so sweet. Protect his body, no matter the cost. And don't forget about our friend over there." She said pointing them to Akachi laying down inside inside of a Sigil Adrian drew up.
Naomi rushed up the stairs to meet Milo at the door. They flew the doors open dwindling the group down to four.
"J'baki." Xena curled herself onto J'baki's chest as she softly sobbed. Kenash reached out a hand to console her.
"Xena, take as much time as you need." He walked over to Apozon. "It seems Adrian was only able to remove the Petyans from us. Not heal us completely. In J'baki's case I'm sure the affects were already too great."
"Yea that would explain why my arm is still covered in ice."
"I've been curious about that. The first time wasn't as serious, so no one noticed. Your ice doesn't go away after you use it, why is that?"
"Oh, man don't worry about that. It goes away after sometime. It's just a waiting game."
"And do you prefer to wait?"
"Not much I can do about it. My brother says it's because I don't use my power enough. How can I when this happens?"
"I'd say that's a classic conundrum Apozon. Here I'll help you figure it out." Kenash wrapped his viney fingers around Apozons arm. Vines reached outward exploring the ice extensively before they froze, snapping from his fingers.
"Ahh! No wonder you're still freezing. Your body is still leaking spores." Kenash pulled a seed from his chest. "Here take this, it'll suppress your spores and start the ice melting."
"Thank you man. I appreciate it"
Kenash took a few steps towards the sigil to examine it and Akachi more.
"Who do you think this is?"
"I'm not sure. He's crazy strong. If Adrian hadn't come in we'd all be done for."
"But why? He appeared out of no where to attack us, for what?" Kenash pointed out.
"What was it they were talking about? Something about a mother or something?"
"They were talking about Yara. I wonder who she is."
Distracted by their conversation, Kenash and Apozon didn't notice Akachi begin to wake. He let out deep harassed breath leaving the pair frozen in their tracks.
"What is this?" He asked stepping towards the edge of the sigil. As soon as he reached the edge of the sigil, he was zapped right back to the center. "What the hell. I know you two didn't draw this up! Who did?"
"We don't have to tell you anything." Kenash said from the other end of the sigil.
Akachi stormed around muttering to himself about his situation when Xerxes slithered his way out from under him.
"I saw him master. He was a monarch!"
"Another monarch? Here. This is Yara's territory."
"This monarch brought you and another here. He removed all of the virus and sealed us here." Xerxes swarmed around Akachi's head.
"Another? You don't mean J'baki?" That's when Akachi looked towards the steps and saw J'baki's lifeless body laying there, Xena still softly sobbing on his chest.
"What happened to my brother?! What did you do?!"
Akachi released indigo spores from his body.
"It wasn't us. He was fine but then passed out!
"Apozon, there's no use trying to reason with him.
The indigo spores manifested into his twin hammers that fit perfectly into his hands. Xerxes positioned himself around his neck.
"Locking me in here is one thing, but harming my baby brother, you will all pay for that." He smashed the sigil with a mighty slam causing it to start to crack. His angry grin behind the shattering field that surrounded his thrust Kenash and Apozon into action.
🌟 🌟 🌟
"Welcome back J'baki. I see you've lost your anchor."
The star pulsed light as he spoke to me.
"Wait, why am I back here? Why do you keep bringing me here?"
"It's not us that keeps bringing you here J'baki." The other star said.
"We just work for the man. He's very interested in meeting you."
What are they talking about? Who keeps bringing me here? And why. What do they want?
"J'baki you're asking the wrong questions. Don't you think so Atlas?"
"Oh without a doubt Aster. Who keeps bringing him here, and why? Obviously those questions will be answered with time. He should be asking the thoughts further back."
"Questions like what? Wait you guys can read my mind?"
"Oh now there's a good question" atlas remarked. "How about, why were you born without a Beo?"
"Or why of all places your brother would turn up as your foe."
"And the most important question of all J'baki. Who is Adrian?"
I hadn't thought of any of that. I've just been coasting through all of this with no real way of figuring things out. Where I am isn't important. Why I'm here, not important. It would seem the only important thing is that I am here and whatever I've been trying to figure out has led me to this space in the company of these two stars. What do I do now? No use trying to get back, I'm here time to go all in.
"Excellent conclusion J'baki!" Aster exclaimed as he floated towards me.
"We'll send you to him right now right away." Aster drew closer to me as well. I could feel every atom of my being being split into the two stars. A surprisingly unhurtful experience. When I was all gone, nothing in the shine of their lights. I crashed back together in a flat landed oasis. One enormous hut surrounded by a nursery of tree. Nothing to do not but head to the hut. Head to the one orchestrating all of this. Directly towards my answers in my head and beyond.