Volume IV of Legacy: Quest for the Cosmic Cores, Part 1
Copyright© 2025 by Uruks
Chapter 27
Sifa immediately realized her mistake and let go of the Orb. Just a split second of contact nearly killed her. Though she had avoided death, the consequences of her actions would scar the universe until the end of time. Lexander had gotten what he wanted out of Sifa ... a means of harnessing the dark powers stored within the Orb of Creation. With his newfound strength bestowed upon him by Shadow-Claw, Lexander escaped his cell. He rose from beneath the planet’s surface and set his sights on the Pureskin Bureaucrats. The Elementals tried to stop him, but they were powerless before his might. Most of the Tarrus nobility were slaughtered in an instant by a mere thought from Lexander. Even Maranu Toramir was no match against his former pupil. Tarrus had fallen.
Éclair and Leon worked silently in the control room within the underwater palace. Éclair had required a lengthy rest after tending to the injured, but she recovered quickly. Ever since Black Star, her body felt much more resilient. She wondered if it was a trait she acquired naturally as part of her development as an Elemental, or if it was simply due to constantly sharing psions with Ryan. After much coercion, they finally convinced the Queen to let them have free reign of the place. Leon didn’t trust the palace staff, and given the Merfolk’s lax security protocols, Éclair heartily agreed with him. They had already found several discrepancies in the system that could’ve created the breach in the defense grid. The saboteur was good, but far from infallible as their digital trail was fairly easy to follow. Thisimius and other hackers from the Fire Ministry would find their work subpar at best. Whoever was responsible seemed to be in a hurry, otherwise, they would’ve covered their tracks better. They likely were hoping that the castle would still be in disarray by now with the Royal Family safely captured. Then they could just quietly slip away in the chaos, perhaps even attributing their disappearance to the attack itself as their name would be counted among the victims. Unfortunately for the spy, the castle had been retaken relatively quickly. As soon as the Royals were secured, the Merfolk Defenders issued a mandatory lockdown of the whole palace. The best part was that the Elementals didn’t even have to suggest a lockdown as the Merfolk opted for that measure themselves. Éclair felt comforted in knowing that the Merfolk could act sensibly when push came to shove. Though she would do everything in her power to help these people, it would ultimately be up to them to rebuild the tattered remains of their crumbling infrastructure.
As Éclair and Leon typed furiously at their consoles, Éclair noted that the only real difficulty in the task came courtesy of the environment. Typing at an underwater console was not at all a familiar muscle memory. The water impeded swift hand movements, and though they had been provided chairs, if they lost concentration on their Psionic Armor stabilizing systems, they would start to float away from their desks. Fortunately, the Merfolk provided the Elementals with a steady stream of psionic energy via special energy conduits throughout the palace, so maintaining their suit’s integrity was not an issue. They also would be given enough Sun Gems to power their armor for years if what the Queen said was any indication, so they wouldn’t be lacking for power when the time came to infiltrate Nepton. At first, Éclair wondered how they might carry so many Sun Gems, but Erica had thankfully saved a dimensional storage unit specially made for shrinking and storing small items, so transportation would not be an issue.
Just when Éclair thought they had come to a breakthrough in their investigation, a tingling sensation suddenly flooded over her. It was like someone had walked over her grave as a cold shudder shot down her spine. If she hadn’t been wearing armor, she would’ve sworn that her hairs were standing on end. This feeling ... someone was watching her. Sensing her with Elemency. The presence ... it was the same one that she felt when she first came to the planet. Now it seemed to be returning the favor: scanning her as she had unintentionally scanned it. It was so intense. The pressure! How powerful did a Psionic User need to be to exude this kind of aura? It felt like being crushed under the weight of a tidal wave.
“Clair,” said a distant voice that sounded familiar, but Éclair was too far away to hear that voice now.
“You can feel me, can’t you?” said another voice, less familiar than the first. This voice was male, though sounded softer than a typical human man. “What’s more, you can actually hear me, too. Though I do not possess telepathy in conventional sense, I know you can hear mein voice if I let mein mental defenses down.”
Éclair couldn’t bring herself to think, or do anything for that matter. That voice. That voice suddenly encompassed everything. Everything Éclair was in that moment seemed to hinge on the voice as her entire world went blank.
“How fascinating,” continued the voice in its cooing tone. “At first, I assumed you to be a Medical Type given your sensory abilities, but you seem to have telepathic powers as well, albeit incomplete. Just ... what are you? I wonder...”
“Éclair,” said Leon louder this time as he took hold of Éclair’s arm.
Éclair only then realized that she was panting. Her hands had frozen over the console. She turned to Leon. His helmet was off again, allowing her to see his pale face full of concern. Thankfully, the presence had abated, allowing Éclair to think clearly once more.
Patting her chest lightly, Éclair made her own helmet vanish so Leon could see her properly. “The ... the presence that I felt when we arrived! I ... I felt it again! I felt him!”
Leon cocked his head to the side. “Him?”
Éclair nodded vigorously, still feeling a little shellshocked. “Yes! It was a male! Germanic accent! He ... he spoke to me, I’m sure of it!”
Leon looked doubtful. “Strange that I didn’t feel anything. If there was telepathy at play, I would likely be able to sense it.”
Éclair grunted, massaging her head, and feeling glad not to have the impediment of her helmet. Though Psionic Armor came with systems to maintain all the body’s needs, the need to feel one’s own skin was an obstacle that science had yet to overcome.
“I ... I can’t explain it, but I know he was here! I know he was!”
Leon just frowned doubtfully at her. His skepticism annoyed Éclair, making her want to lash out.
“Stop looking at me like that! I bloody know my own faculties!”
Leon shook his head and sighed. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but a little more clarity and a little less hysteria would be helpful.”
Éclair groaned, her head feeling like it might splinter open. “I’m sorry, alright.”
Leon traced a hand over Éclair’s head and closed his eyes. She felt him. He was using his telepathy. His presence was much more soothing than the other one from earlier. That voice. That soft, cooing voice. Just hearing that creature’s voice in her head made her feel like she had been sullied.
As Leon held his hand to her head, she felt the pain lessen somewhat. He opened his eyes, indicating that he had finished his work. “Well, your mind is certainly under much strain, I can sense that much. I’ve done what I can for the migraine, but that could be attributed to the high pressure of working so deep beneath the ocean. As for the mental intrusion ... I’ll be honest, I can’t find any sign of telepathic influence. Trust me, I would be able to tell.”
Éclair nodded slowly. “Thank you for ... whatever you did. My head feels much better. Still, I know what I heard. Funnily enough, I don’t think you would find any evidence of telepathy at play.” Éclair hesitated before continuing, knowing that her next statement might jeopardize her credence as far as Leon was concerned. “The ... the voice ... he said that he wasn’t a telepath.”
Leon raised an eyebrow dubiously. “The voice speaking in your head, which could only have been done through telepathy, explains to you that he isn’t a telepath?”
Éclair shook her head, feeling frustrated at herself for not being able to explain it properly. “He said I was the reason for the telepathic connection. He was sensing me the way I sensed him, and when our psions connected, it created some kind of bond between us. That’s the only thing I can think of.”
Or, thought Éclair to herself. My powers as a Child of Destiny are developing ... much like Ryan’s.
Leon nodded as he traced a hand over her forehead before resuming his work. She felt a slight tingle in her skull as his fingers left her. “We’ll look more into it later. For now, we need to stay on task. In any case, I’ve placed a mental barrier over your mind that links the strengths of our psyches together. Whatever it was, it won’t find it easy to infiltrate your thoughts a second time.”
Éclair returned to her own console, moving her arms lethargically through the water-based environment. “Thank you. And again, I’m sorry for lashing out earlier.”
“Just try to keep a cool head going forward,” said Leon without turning. “You’re usually better at controlling your emotions. Makes me fear that Uruks has had an overt influence over you. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up as doltish as him.”
A stab of hurt and anger stabbed through Éclair, and not just from what he said about her. “I am not doltish. And neither is Ryan for that matter,” she said curtly.
Leon scoffed. “You say that after he got the party invitations mixed up and went to the restaurant on the other side of town instead of our agreed meet-up at Thisy’s.”
This time, the stab of hurt came more from the memory of what Ryan had done. Even after all these years, he had yet to visit her on her birthday. He did get a nice present for her, and it was very sweet. Since their ship got destroyed, she was glad she decided to keep his figurine back in her quarters at the Fire Ministry instead of bringing it with her. But still, she would’ve preferred to celebrate with him in person with everyone instead of ... As she thought more on it, something that Leon said didn’t add up.
Mixed up party invitations? I had just assumed Ryan had lost track of time because of his training. He never said that he went to the wrong address. Does that mean ... he actually tried to come? And how would Leon know that?
“That’s the first I heard of it,” said Éclair hesitantly as she continued typing. “Ryan never explained why he was late. I simply assumed he was busy training. What makes you think he got the addresses mixed up?”
Leon looked up from his work and stared straight ahead with a blank expression. Éclair couldn’t be sure, but she felt like she had just caught Leon in some sort of lie. He might’ve been ruminating on how to best proceed. In the meantime, Éclair felt her indignation rising at the thought that her supposed boyfriend might be keeping secrets from her.
Leon turned to her at last, his face seeming strangely resolute. “It seems that I’ve unwittingly implicated myself. Though perhaps that was for the best. In truth, I was going to work up the courage to admit my faults here, but I just felt too embarrassed. And then there was our conversation before we left.”
“What faults exactly?” said Éclair as she put a hand to her hip and pursed her lips.
Leon sighed as his gaze went down briefly. “I led Ryan to believe that the party was happening somewhere else so he would miss it, or at the least be very late. I even used telepathy to hack into his email to keep the others from messaging him.”
Éclair’s pupils went wide with disbelief as she gasped. “What ... what on Ancient Earth would compel you to do something so appalling?”
Leon rolled his eyes. Éclair could hardly believe that he would appear annoyed now given what he just admitted to. “That should be obvious, so stop looking at me like I’m some dastardly villain. I didn’t want Ryan at the party. I knew it could be problematic for both of us.”
“Problematic?” scoffed Éclair.
Now Leon’s gaze turned from apologetic to angry. The change was so sudden that it was almost frightening. “Do you have any idea how difficult it has been for me as a Lurranna man to remain even somewhat civil to that half-breed after the two of you returned? In my family, we destroy our rivals, especially those who would dare to lay hands on our women. Not a tradition I ever intended to emulate, but the past few months have left me sorely tempted. I was just trying to avoid conflict for your sake.”
Éclair felt herself wanting to growl like she heard Ryan do sometimes when he got mad. “And you see that as justification for going behind my back and excluding Ryan from the team?! You had no right to meddle in such a way! Like it or not, Ryan is my friend and my teammate! You and I may be dating, but that doesn’t mean you can forbid me from ever seeing him!”
Leon moved forward ever so slightly, looking as grim as ever. Given his foreboding presence, Éclair was almost tempted to move back. “Perhaps. But from what you told me, your relationship with Ryan went far beyond friendship. Given all that you admitted, it seemed I had ample cause to be concerned. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“That’s not fair,” retorted Éclair, hoping her voice didn’t start breaking with emotion. “I already explained that nothing happened between me and-”
“Tell. Me. I’m. Wrong,” repeated Leon slowly.
Feeling ashamed and angry at the same time, Éclair had no choice but to turn away as she folded her hands in front of herself. She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. Leon had admitted to lying to her, but somehow he had turned it back on her so that it was her fault. The worst part was that he wasn’t entirely wrong, but that didn’t make him the least bit right either. She had confided in him. Shared her most vulnerable secrets regarding her experiences on Black Star. For him to use her own confession against her like this was both humiliating and hurtful.
Leon took her by the shoulders from behind. Éclair immediately broke from his grip, shifting her suit to float further away. She heard him sigh.
“Éclair, I know I was out of line. I’m sorry. I don’t want to quarrel with Ryan. I’ve always known that he’s had feelings for you. That hasn’t been a problem for me until now. Since you’ve started reciprocating his feelings somewhat, it’s been difficult for me to be around him.”
“So now you have less self-control than Ryan?” said Éclair accusingly, though her voice did break this time as she spoke. She even sniffled a bit, unfortunately. She wished she could just sound angry instead of like a pouting child, but her battered heart had come out on full display. “I bet it wasn’t even about avoiding conflict, but just the opposite. I bet you were hoping that he’d lash out at you after he found out what you did. Then you’d have an excuse to put him in his place, or some other macho rubbish like that.”
Leon didn’t answer, which made Éclair wonder if her speculations were accurate. Then he said slowly, “Maybe a part of me was hoping for that. Maybe despite my best efforts, I’ve wanted it to come to blows for a long time now. Even still, when a man has the most beautiful woman in the universe as his soulmate, do you imagine that he wouldn’t resort to anything in order to keep her?”
Éclair tried not to let his words soothe her, but she couldn’t deny that it felt good to get a compliment from Leon – especially since it happened so rarely these days. Still, a little flattery would hardly be enough to forgive him at this point. The kind of meddling he had employed went beyond mere jealousy. It was vindictive and perhaps even a bit sociopathic. If he might stoop to something like this in order to curb some competition, what else might he do if he ever felt threatened in the future?
Leon gently clasped Éclair’s shoulders and slowly turned her towards him. She didn’t resist him this time, but still she refused to face him.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and stared down at her. For a moment, they just floated like that in the middle of the water-filled chamber. The only noise to be heard was the churning of the bubbles.
“Do you want to be with me?”
Éclair sighed and nodded as she said quietly, “Yes.”
“Then be with me. You’ve said it yourself. It’s not fair to me or to you, condemning us to this half-relationship while you’re plagued with indecision.” Leon cleared his throat, appearing somewhat pensive. “Besides. Ryan seems to have ... other priorities now. If he still wanted you, he would’ve said something by now. The boy isn’t exactly a subtle fellow, after all.”
Eclair’s hurt was twofold. Both from her own failings as a partner and from the fact that Leon was probably right. Ryan’s attention seemed largely diverted. If he still had feelings for her, he would’ve made that clear when she came to visit him in his room. What was worse, she couldn’t alleviate her feelings of worry for him. If he did have other priorities now, it likely involved her godfather, Zanderius. What plans did Zand have for Ryan to turn him into this so-called Balanced Vessel who would challenge the Dark Dragon Lord himself?
Éclair finally looked up at Leon, allowing him full view of the tears that now floated up from her cheeks.
He smiled gently for her. “We’ll talk about this later. For the time being, we need to focus on the mission. I think I have enough information now to track down the spy in the palace.”
Éclair nodded, clearing her throat as she summoned her helmet once more, hiding her face from Leon’s view. “I’ll let the others know.”
Éclair broke from Leon’s grasp, carefully controlling the trajectory of her suit’s jet propulsion system, allowing her to glide effortlessly through the water. The automatic doors slid open at her approach, allowing her to move out of the control room and into an empty hallway lined with silver and blue, spiraling coral designs. She could’ve just sent in a message on the communicator, but she didn’t want to be around Leon any longer. Thankfully, Leon didn’t follow her as he returned to his console, apparently eking out a few more finer details from the computer logs. When the automatic doors shut behind her and she was alone, she sniffled one last time before raising her wrist communicator.
Leon had already explained that he wanted the Royals to call a gathering of the Palace Staff in the Grand Hall. That would also include many prominent members of the Executive Cabinet who possessed the clearance to pull off an op of this magnitude, including the Secretary of Defense herself. Any faculty members who were missing would immediately be marked for questioning. Éclair told the others to get to the Grand Hall first so that there would be no trickery from the enemy spy. However, that still left the task of convincing the Royals to agree to the plan. She didn’t imagine they would get as much resistance as they did before, but that didn’t mean they would be too amenable to the prospect. She thought she might incorporate Tork since he had already built a rapport with the Princess. She had just sent the message asking Tork to explain the situation to Jezrin when she felt a presence approaching her from behind.
Éclair immediately whipped around, creating a spear of ice that materialized above her hand. The floating white spear - controlled by her psions - moved in conjunction with her body’s movements, poised to strike with deadly precision as the stranger turned the corner from across the hall and came into view.
A Merman in dull brown robes swam up to her, but stopped when he saw the ice spear. He had curly ginger hair and a short beard, looking a bit on the young side. He had a large frame for a Merman, though not quite as large as King Oceanus. Feeling him out with her psions, she could tell that he was frightened and that he didn’t have any Elemency or weaponry. Having determined the improbability of a threat from the Merman, Éclair released her psions, making her ice spear dissolve into mist and bubbles.
“Apologies, sir, but we asked not to be disturbed while we worked in this wing. Our investigation must not be interrupted.”
“Nor do I intend to do so, Lady Elemental,” said the man carefully, his eyes still cagey. “But there is a pressing matter that must be brought to your attention. Though I was aware of your request for privacy, I knew this information would be worth the risk. I hope you can forgive me. My name is Thurgus. Thurgus Rainwater”
Éclair eyed the Merman carefully, wary of deception. She wasn’t nearly as good at reading people as Leon, a trait that wasn’t entirely due to his telepathy. The only distinguishing factor about Thurgus that she could deduce was that he was dressed more modestly than most Atlanteans.
“There were guards stationed at the entrance to this wing to ensure our instructions were carried out, Mr. Rainwater,” said Éclair with only a hint of an accusation.
The Merman gave an apologetic smile. Éclair had to admit, what many said about Merfolk was true. They all possessed a divine sort of beauty in their faces that was nearly on par with the Elves.
“Like I said. The matter warranted the risk. But be rest assured that I didn’t harm the Defenders guarding this wing. I would ask that you not reprimand them. It was no fault on their part. We Keepers know this palace well, perhaps even better than the Royal Family. Our ancestors built this structure long ago. The secret passageways that we are privy to, well, most of the younger Defenders have no knowledge of ... which is an unfortunately large number as the old ways have faded from Atlantis.”
Éclair expanded her psions outward, sensing that the Defenders stationed at the entrance to the Security Wing were indeed alive and unharmed. She didn’t know if that should make her less suspicious, or more so given the resourcefulness of the young Merman. However, she had heard tale of the Keepers. They were an older political faction on Atlantis that had mostly fallen out of power, but they persisted despite their growing minority status. She even knew that what he said about their history as architects checked out given what she read about them.
Crossing her arms and putting on her best poker-face (or rather, a poker-face tone of voice since the Merman couldn’t see her face through the facemask), Éclair asked, “What information do you have that made such a risk necessary?”
The Merman fluttered his tailfin, moving a bit closer. The movement nearly put Éclair on edge. However, the flow of his psions and his body language didn’t indicate a threat. The Merman’s hand shook slightly, seeming to imply that he was more nervous than his voice suggested.
“I hear that you Elementals might be infiltrating the Sharkfolk’s barrier in order to mount a rescue for the Royals. I ... I would ask that you also seek out the leader of our party,” whispered Thurgus. “His name is Jora Shell. Some call him the great hermit crab because he wears a giant red shell on his back. Says that it helps him with his rheumatism. He ... he was in the city of Nepton during the attack. He’s gone missing.”
Éclair could hear the emotion seeping into Thurgus’ voice, mitigating some of her suspicions as she nodded solemnly. “I understand your concern. There are many wrongs that will need to be rectified. For now, I can only say that our main priority is the Prince and Princess. But we are working on a plan to perhaps sabotage the enemy vessel and knock out the shield. If successful, then the Merfolk Defenders might be able to mount an effective counteroffensive against the Sharkfolk. And then it will be much easier to help everyone in the city, including your-”
“I’m afraid you misunderstand,” interjected Thurgus as his voice took on a quiet desperation that left Éclair puzzled. He licked his lips as if trying to choose his words carefully. “You see, it’s not for our benefit that I ask you to seek our leader out, but for yours. Or rather, the whole planet. You’ll understand once you find him.”
Éclair’s eyes narrowed as she sensed that he was holding something back. Strange considering that he was the one volunteering intel to her in the first place. “What do you mean? Why is it so vital that we meet this hermit crab in person?”
Thurgus glanced about the empty hallway as he whispered even lower, “Haven’t you wondered what the Sharkfolk are doing behind that shield? Why they chose Nepton as the stage for their coup?”
Éclair blinked in surprise as she collected herself. “Of course we have, but speculation can only get us so far. However, if you know something, then I suggest you divulge it immediately.”
Thurgus clenched and unclenched his fist as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He seemed to be in pain. It was as if he wanted to speak, but some force prevented him from saying anything vital. “All I can tell you is that you must seek out Jora. He has the answers you seek. Answers that could prove essential for the survival of our people ... and maybe the whole of the alliance. I wish I could say more, I really do, but I am a lower-ranked Keeper. Only elders like Jora are authorized to speak further on these matters.”
Since asking him directly would be pointless, Éclair changed tactics. “You do realize that it’s quite possible that this Jora was killed during the attack?”
Thurgus nodded stiffly, swallowing hard. From the sadness in his bearing, Éclair nearly regretted her broaching of the subject. “Yes ... yes, I know that may be the case, unfortunately. But he would still leave something behind pertaining to the data I am alluding to. He wouldn’t leave it to chance. You must seek out the Keeper Enclave. If he is alive, it’ll be there. Its location is kept secret, even from the Royal Family, so it’s possible that the Sharkfolk haven’t found it yet.”
Éclair flinched back in alarm, but Thurgus seemed to read her thoughts as he waved his hand frantically. “I know that saying something like that might paint us as the radical cultists that some supporters of the Royal Family’s Enlightenment Party say we are. But when you hear about the secret that Jora is guarding there, you’ll understand why we had to take such precautions ... even from our own people. Perhaps especially from them. It’s difficult for most Merfolk to see, but it’s probably plain to you Elementals. Much of the crises we face today are largely self-inflicted. These atrocities could’ve been preventable if we had been less careless.”
Éclair’s gaze went downcast as she said diplomatically, “It’s not my place to judge another culture. But I also will not judge you for your insight. You would know better than I ... being Atlantean yourself, and a patriot from all that I can tell.”
Raising her head once more, Éclair made up her mind to trust this man. Loving his country enough to recognize its flaws made him perhaps more worthy of her trust than any other Merfolk she had met so far. “Tell me where I can find this enclave?”
Thurgus put a hand into his robe and drew out a small, flawless blue pearl. The pearl glowed with a faint azure light, indicating that it was likely a psionic artifact. He enclosed her fingers around it, and said, “It will activate once you reach Nepton. When you are near the entrance to the Enclave, the pearl will guide you.”
Thurgus turned away and started swimming down the hall. Before he was too far, he looked back and said, “I’d also advise you to look into the Zombie Whales. They are ... strange. Though our scientists have hypothesized them to be another mutated species from the radioactive wastes in the Trident Trench, I have my doubts.”
I had my doubts about that as well given how familiar they seemed to the Sharkfolk, thought Éclair as she examined the pearl, wondering what kind of tracking frequency had been placed upon it that would allow them to locate the secret enclave.
Hoping for more answers, Éclair called out, “If this is as important as you say, why would you trust us with this information? More specifically, why would you trust me?”
Thurgus stopped, putting a hand to the wall as he treaded water with his scaly tailfin. He said without turning, “We Keepers were once considered the primary power on Atlantis. We even had ties to the Royal Family ... though they would eventually break away to the Enlightenment Faction. Still, it was our ancestors who found humanity when they were a fledgling race discovering the power of Elemency. We taught them our ways, at least those among you who were capable of wielding Water Elemency. We did this because we saw a possible ally in the human race – one that could carry our banner throughout the galaxies. They helped us push back our ancient enemies, the Sirens. Many have forgotten what the Elementals did for Atlantis, but not us Keepers.