Chapter 30, Lowenna Lost

Darcariel had a big smile on her face.  She knew the Lowenna was hers now, no more resisting, no more running.  "Stay here Jibranz.  I'm going to look at my new toy."

Jibranz nodded.  He was still worried that the Lowenna would fight, and try to kill his queen.  He was staying on high alert.

Lowenna stood there with a vacant smile on her face watching her queen.  She had resisted for so long, and it had hurt so much, but she couldn't remember why.  All she knew was she loved her queen and would do whatever she could to please her.

Darcariel walked around Lowenna looking at her slender form.  The blood was nearly dry and the dagger still in her hand.  "My new toy is a little messed up.  We will have to clean you up so you can please me."
"Yes my queen," Lowenna replied.  She didn't know what Darcariel wanted, but Lowenna would gladly do it.

Darcariel looked at the doorway Lowenna had just come through, now blocked with rubble.  "It's a shame about the orc," Darcariel stated, and the smile faded for just a moment on Lowenna's face.  She had buried Grilk alive, killed him.  Not that it mattered now.  She had her queen.  
Darcariel smiled as she held out her hand, "I have this for you.  It belonged to one of your kin."  She showed Lowenna a red ring, made of crystal.  Lowenna had seen it before, in the palace, still attached to a hand.  "Take it!"  Darcariel said, sounding impatient, and Lowenna did.  "Well... Put it on!" Darcarial added impatiently.

Lowenna slotted it onto her middle finger on her left hand.  It was a little lose, but then it started to shrink, until it gripped her finger tightly, several small barbs, cut into her finger causing a little blood to run.  The ring wasn't coming off.  Lowenna knew what to do.  She touched the ring to her crystal, and a dim red glow shone from it.  The ring changed from red to black, and her crystal flashed with some of its pink colour restored.

The crystal felt like it was burning Lowenna, but only for a moment.  "Oh, how beautiful," Darcariel stated.  "You aren't going to run away again are you?” she asked, Lowenna.

"No my queen, I am yours now and forever," Lowenna replied.
"Good, you’re my new favourite, and when we get back, I will teach you to pleasure your queen."  Darcariel kissed Lowenna on the lips, and Lowenna felt the love for her queen growing with every moment they were connected, as her queen stared into Lowenna's green eyes.  
The kiss ended, with a lustful smile from Darcarial.  "First business, then pleasure my pet."

"Yes my queen," Lowenna replied, thinking how lucky she was that she had been chosen to help her queen.

"There are two non-believers in the labyrinth, Callan, and Rique.  I believe you know them."

"Yes my queen, Callan is the leader of the resistance, and Rique is my good friend," Lowenna replied, still smiling.

"Good," Darcariel replied.  "I want you to kill them for me.  Execute them in my name."

Lowenna nodded, "Of course my queen."

Darcariel leant forward and kissed Lowenna again.  
Jibranz, looked very uncomfortable "My queen, do you need me!" he shouted, not daring to move without his queen's blessing.

Darcariel broke the kiss.  Then walked to Lowenna's side and whispered in her ear, "I want you to show me your power.  Kill that man over there with your magic."

Lowenna placed her hand on her crystal and pushed it towards Jibranz.  The fire flew quickly hitting him in the chest.  He gave a short scream as the pink flames engulfed his body, burning out his life quickly, leaving just a pile of burnt bones and a golden scorched chest plate, ending Jibranz and his bloodline.

A single tear rolled down Lowenna's cheek as she watched the man die in front of her, but Darcariel was grinning from ear to ear.  She now controlled a Lowenna, and she was going to have some fun with her.
"Find the others kill them for your queen."

"Yes, my queen!" Lowenna stated, walking down the path, past the pile of bones, which used to be a man.  Closing her eyes just for a moment so she couldn't see, before starting the hunt for Callan and Rique.

Rique was helping Callan up a wall. She could jump up easily, but had to slow down to help Callan, who was not doing so well.

"We have to get out of her," he stated, as he took a breather, on the top.
"And what is the point?" Rique asked, then continued, not waiting for him to answer.  “We have lost everything, Lowenna, Azmil, Grilk, your men.  Talia!  We have to go back the only chance is to destroy that crystal now."

"And you think you can do that?" Callan shouted, most displeased with Rique's point.  "You think you are strong enough to destroy an Angelous crystal, and what if Darcariel is still there, becoming her slave, part of your plan, or was seeing your friend becoming her slave not enough for you.

"We have to try.  Else it was all for nothing." Rique argued back.
Callan, suddenly fell backward, wheezing and gasping for breath.
"Are you alright?"  Rique asked, now showing concern.

"I’m dying," Callan replied.  "Been dying for weeks, used to much magic, burning away my life force."

"But it will recharge, given time," Rique stated knowing what she had been taught.

"No not this time, have used too much, and my body can’t take it anymore."  He looked at Rique’s sad face,  "Don't you start crying.  I knew I was dying a season ago, but I'm too stubborn to give in.  Now I have little strength left.  I know my time grows short." Rique sat in silence for a moment.  "Happens to all magic users eventually.  Even you when you get old."

Rique helped Callan up, "Then we go back destroy the crystal, free Talia, and the others, Give your life some meaning."

Callan smirked, "You think my life has no meaning?"

Rique suddenly looked a little uncomfortable, "That’s not what I meant." Rique replied, but Callan held his hand up to silence her.
"We go back, free Talia and the others and make my death mean something."

"Yes sir," Rique replied and smiled at the old man.
"Just two thing," Callan said returning the smile.
"What?"  Rique asked, looking a little apprehensive."

"First, if it goes wrong and we fail, or I become a slave, I want you to promise me you will destroy that crystal, no matter what the cost."
"As long as I can fight I will, I swear on my life, and my brother."  Callan nodded "And the second thing?" Rique asked him.

"You will have to help me back down," Callan said, chuckling to himself.
"That I can do," Rique replied.

Lowenna wandered through another empty room.  She was looking for Rique, but the only clue was that they had been heading towards the large blue crystal.  Even that didn't help Lowenna much.  She continued using the same technique, following the symbols with the single star, if there were two she picked the left turn if there was none the right.  So far there had been no dead ends, but Lowenna was sure that was more down to luck than anything else.

Through the next room was a large chamber with a sheer drop.  The only way past was several small platforms on top of very long pillars, which were well spaced out, and not much bigger than a helmet.  
Lowenna looked down the drop.  The bottom was nowhere to be seen.  The pillars just ended in darkness.  She didn't want to go back.  She could make the jumps.

She jumped onto the first platform.  The second was slightly to the left.  The third was a little further away.  Lowenna only just made the leap, having to stick her arms out to keep her balance.  The fourth and final one was a little to the right, but when Lowenna landed on it, she heard a loud crack and the pillar supporting the platform started to move.  
Lowenna leaned backward as the support fell forwards and at the last moment launched herself forward, she made the edge of the drop, but the rock crumbled beneath her feet.  She threw her arms forward as her feet fell.  She clawed at the floor trying to get a handhold, but it was slick, the mist hiding any possible handholds.

She was falling.  There was nothing to hold on to.  She touched her crystal with her two middle fingers and threw her hands out.  Pink wings appeared under each arm and, using momentum, she headed down before swooping upwards and landed safely on the other side of the drop.

She breathed slowly, having almost forgotten about flying.  Lowenna had been so busy trying not to use magic; she had almost forgotten to use it.

She couldn't remember why she had been trying to save her magic, but it didn't matter now she had her new ring.  It hadn't completely restored her crystal, but it was pink, not grey.  She could afford to use a little magic now.

She had to find Rique and Callan.  That is what she had been ordered to do.

As she stood, she felt it. Fear!  She walked into the next section of the maze then froze.  There before her was Erbrus's hunter.  She stood there staring at it. The Lion beast-man was watching her, snarling.

Lowenna placed her hands on her crystal summoning fire.  It danced on both of her hands as she took a step forward.  The fear was there but was fading.  "I have to get passed," she thought, "My Queen has ordered her to find the others."

"I am not afraid of you and more!"  She stated as she took another step forward, determination etched on her face.

The best growled looking in Lowenna's eyes before it backed away.  Maybe because it fed on fear and she wasn't scared anymore.  Maybe it thought Lowenna was no longer worth the fight, that the fire she now wielded could hurt it.  Or maybe it backed down because they now served the same master but, for whatever reason, back down it did.  
Lowenna walked on, passing the hunter.  The beast-man turned and walked down a corridor away from Lowenna.  She didn't look at it.  She knew it would no longer haunt her dreams or scare her.  Whatever the reason why it had left, she had won, and the beast had lost.

 
She went through another archway and came to an open section of the labyrinth.  She could see the crystal floating in the distance, and there was two figure running over a long rickety bridge.  Lowenna smiled, she had found them.

She swung the crystal back into her hands and touched her two middle fingers to it.  Wings spread from under her arms again, and she launched herself through the air, landing at the start of the bridge.  She looked at her crystal again.  It was starting to look grey, but still, there was some magic left.  She began to run over the bridge.  The others were just stepping off when Rique saw her. "Lowenna, she shouted, joy in her voice but Callan grabbed her wrist and told her to run.  "Don't stop till you, get to that crystal, you have to destroy it... you promised!"
Rique didn’t understand, Lowenna could destroy the crystal easier than she could, why couldn't they all go together.

Callan raised his hand, and a shock wave rattled the bridge, "Go!"  He shouted, "She is not your friend, not anymore!"

Rique suddenly knew what Callan was talking about.  Lowenna pushed her hand and fire shot towards them, Callan’s magic deflected, but he looked drained. "By the Angelous GO!" he screamed at Rique, and she turned and ran.  She would make it to the crystal, and destroy it.  She would save her friend.

Callan concentrated his shockwave, and the bridge shook violently and started to fall.  Lowenna clapped her hands and pushed backward, and suddenly was thrown forward, landing behind Callan, a look of determination on her face.

"Didn't know you could do that," Callan said looking Lowenna in the eye.

"Nor did I," Lowenna whispered, not wanting to give anything away.  "By order of my queen, I am to execute you.  Any last requests."
Callan smiled just for a second.  "You could stand still and let me incinerate you?" he said, sounding quite pleased that he had thought of the reply so quickly.

"I am Lowenna, I promise a quick death," Lowenna said as she spun her wrist, her crystal still in her hand.

"Callan trusts his fire crystal towards Lowenna the stream of blue flames heading straight for her, but she pushed her fist towards him, and her own stream of flames halted the attack.

Callan pushed his other hand forward, the shock wave rippling down the dark blue flames trying to force them on, but Lowenna’s flames didn't move.  He was spent.  He could feel his life force leaving him.  He opened his mouth, and a little purple mist came out.  He cried out pushing every drop of magic and life energy into the magical beam, but Lowenna brought her other hand up, and the pink flames rushed towards him.  He couldn't dodge, he legs were too old, his body was giving out, and the flames hit him, burning him away till there was almost nothing left.  His two magic stones fell to the floor, black and lifeless.

"NO!" Rique shouted from the opening, causing Lowenna to look in her direction.  She had come back to help.  She couldn't leave two people she respected trying to kill each other.  Rique turned and ran again, knowing it was too late.  If she didn't destroy that crystal, Lowenna would be lost forever, and Callan would have died for nothing.
"Rique, by order of the queen you are to be executed."  Lowenna shouted after her friend, "I am Lowenna, and I promise you a quick death my friend." and with that, she charged up the ramp and through the opening she had seen Rique run through moments before.