Talisman II: The Coral's Heart

(1964)

Benjamin Faley. My childhood friend.

I used to cry a lot. I don't cry that much anymore. Mainly because I had never been a person who liked to cry, that statement was true until I was about twelve. I experienced too much that year. It's too much for me to handle. His face. I can still remember his face. He held on to me even as all those spikes—razor, sharp spikes—drove through him. I made that decision myself, to everyone else, that is. I could hear the heavy pounds of my heartbeat, the blood running through my ears, the wild bloodlust of that torturous curse—painting the world in my vision bright red. He was smiling though—smiling at me until the end. I think it was to make me feel better. 'You don't love me,' I said with angry tears. I had overcome the curse taking control of my body, but not fast enough to stop him from bleeding out.

I remember my hands holding onto him, not letting go no matter how I'd tried. That was when I broke down, screaming as loud as I could. The sound that came from my throat couldn't be comprehended by even those who went to hell itself. I had repeatedly hit myself with the Talisman on that gruesome curse on my body until my skin broke apart and blood blossomed from my chest. Ozin and Sammy were terrified of me, thinking I had lost my mind from the trauma. That wasn't all of it. A few months ago a similar thing happened. It was a girl, her name was Maxy. She had been separated from her parents when trekking in the Alps. She wandered for hours all on her own and collapsed near the Portal House, which had saved her. She stumbled upon the Alpine Realm before accidentally getting caught in a trap set by Demons. She was found by Demonlord who nursed her back to health after she was wounded. He treated her like a dog, with no privilege of freedom. I was such a bastard, I could have just given myself one final push to finish him off, but I hesitated, for what? For what had happened? He aimed at Sammy and fired – the flames went straight through Maxy, rupturing her internal organs. Maxy's eyes were confident, despite the all-might calamity. 'Don't let anyone else die… do it for me—please.' Maxy had said that to me while blood streaked from her mouth. Her tone was so playful, yet it painstakingly broke my heart. If she had not stepped in to protect the disoriented Sammy from a direct hit, my brother would have been the one to die. Ever since then, I have never been the same again. Even when I faced new, more powerful foes, I could never resist tears not from their torment, but my vows to never let anyone die for me again.

I've never told anyone else this, but during the long week of suffering I've had in Atlantis, I'd proclaimed superstition as my new idiosyncrasy. The book on my shelf tonight was a hardcover copy of Richard Garnett's "Twilight of the Gods And Other Tales", telling the stories of mythology fantasies from cultures worldwide, which astonished me when I was still a kid. Speaking of Atlantis, the country used to be a flourishing kingdom where culture stands above all. Nowadays though, culture doesn't seem as significant as before. This stays true in any world. I was still quite honoured to attend the ceremony that the "beloved" Queen Coral hosted for us. Of course, that was until we discovered that Queen Coral wasn't herself then. I can't tell you exactly how the story went during our stay at Atlantis, partially because I only remembered all of this yesterday when Ozin visited us for the first time in twenty-five years.

***

(1935)

The gradual shaking of the Sorrow Mountain came to a halt. Amid the rubbles in the chamber, Juno Haven's hand let go of Maxy's stilled body and collapsed onto the solid, rock floor. Those who kept her company—Ozin Greenfoot, Benjamin Faley, and her brother, Samuel Haven—appeared distant, as they knelt and struggled to make out words beside her. Glowing conspicuously, in her left hand, was the Talisman of Wisdom. It stood its neutral ground as one of the most desired objects in the Alpine realm, a pure instrument of destruction. At this time, the Sorrow Mountain was at its life's end, with the only thing still supporting this large magical construct being the Talisman. And yet, after Demonlord had died, the only person left inside this mountain who still had control over it, was a frail little girl, who was on the brink of death and despair.

Ozin lifted his shaky hand off her shoulder, which was now slumped against a boulder. 'How on earth could I have let this happen?' He muttered weakly. The previous chaos followed an eerie silence. He forced himself to look at Sammy and Ben: Sammy was fisting the ground. Large tears rolled down his long eyelashes; Ben stared at the sky, incapable and unable to convince himself to try and escape this nightmare. For once, in a very long time, he doubted. Doubted if any of this was even worth doing; Doubted his humanity; Doubted the sacrifices worth making; It was almost like experimenting on lab rats. Oh, forgive me for unleashing torment on these young, innocent children. Don't punish them—punish me instead. Oh, the selfishness. We had to rely on others in the most dire situations, sending them to the front line and making them die for us. Is there even any conscience left in this world? He ripped at his blood-soaked clothes in frustration and grief. How much did synph contribute in this scenario? Maxy had been strong and hopeful, but what did it get her in the end? Even if they did eventually achieve their goal of coming here, an innocent life had to be given. He just couldn't get over this precious waste of life. 

Those higher-ups in the council would probably wave this off as some sort of 'for the greater good' sacrifice, but if so, then how are we any different from Demonlord? Ozin gritted his teeth. I was so naive!

But even as he was lost in thought, pain ran through every inch of his body. We can't make it out. He commented. This is it for us. Sorry, my friends. So sorry. He leaned against a wall and closed his eyes, yearning to savour every precious memory he had before passing. 

A hand fell on his head, which gave him a surprised tingle. Looking up, he saw only Sammy kneeling over, his face covered in soot. He was even taller than Ozin now, having only met for a few months. There was sort of a sadness leaving him, but perhaps it was only his imagination. He tried to say something that could cheer him up. But filled with guilt, he couldn't find a place to start.

'I'm… I'm so sorry, Sam.' he began finally. 'I… I just couldn't imagine… that I would have you die in a place like this. I'm a failure.'

'It was our choice all along,' replied Ben, who was standing back up. There was a glimpse of hope in his eyes. 'Don't get yourself too deep into it. Plus, we haven't run out of options yet.' He pointed a finger at the Talisman. 

Ozin's eyes gleamed. The Talisman was still emitting a powerful blue aura, illuminating the darkness. Although unconscious, June had never let loose her grip on the artefact. 'We can't give up just yet,' exclaimed Ben. 'the mountain is still standing. She's using the last of her strength to power this mountain, opening the path to our survival. No one had given up, Ozin. Not even her. We can't let this opportunity she gave go to waste. We have to try.' 

He nodded reluctantly. If the Talisman is still holding up this mountain, then nothing's impossible. We have a chance to escape, a slim chance. Ozin rubbed his hands together. He still had a small amount of magic left in him, which he could use for later. In the meantime, he needed to come up with something fast. She must be straining herself to her limit to power the Talisman of Wisdom, and every second I hesitate, that's one less to escape. He panned his palm in the air. We're above the troposphere. Attempting to break out at this altitude would be suicide. We need to descend the mountain where there's more air, and then fly out of the mountain's radius. Fly. Unaware of his fatigue, he explained his plan to Sammy and Ben, who looked back at each other, clearly unconvinced.

'How can we find an exit that leads outwards?' frowned Sammy. 'That's impossible.'

'We have to give it a try,' said Ozin breathlessly. 'I wished there were better options, Sam. I really do. But currently, it's a do-or-die situation. We can't afford to linger much longer. Your sister's condition is only getting worse. We're practically relying on her to live, and we're running out of time.'

'What should I do?' cried Sam, bending over and kneeling. 'I don't want her to die.'

'She won't.' urged Ozin. 'I won't allow it.'

'How long can this mountain hold?' asked Ben, already bringing her over. She was drenched in blood. 

'An hour, at most,' replied Ozin grimly. There was no way they were making it out at that time, but Ozin could only afford to carry out his idea, which was a mad idea. 'The Talisman has resigned to Demonlord, meaning demons are harmless to us now. We just need to stay away. As for her…' Ozin strutted to the place Maxy lay with great difficulty. He leaned close to her, and after a long moment, he turned back and shook his head.

Something heavy dropped inside Sam's stomach. It was a lock of guilt and burden. 'But she saved me.' he whispered tearfully. 'She saved me, and we're leaving her b-behind?'

Ozin sighed. 'Yes,' he said. 'We do. We won't have enough time to leave the mountain… if we bring her. It's the only way.'

Sammy wept silently but nodded nonetheless. 'She wanted me to carry on,' he stated. 'Carry on living. I can't let her death be in vain. I must think that.'

They swiftly laid her body flat on the ground, facing up. Then Ozin took out a large blanket and covered it over her slim frame. 'Rest well, my child.' whispered Ozin. 'We shall continue your wishes, as we walk down the many impeding paths.' And then he turned away, walking alongside his comrades, back from this treacherous journey filled with curses and blessings.