Saturday Evening: Second to last Chapter: Endangered

I wake up on a cold, hard, stone floor. "MEALIN!" I shout, raising my body from the stone. I feel a sharp sting on my abdomen, and fall back to the floor. "Conjure...." I don't feel my mana flowing through my body. I catch myself on the wall, but I feel my left arm snap. Images start to appear in my mind. Images of our fight, how I chased after a random lead to find Ike. I found myself in the shadow street, and abyssal mages found me. "Good, you're awake." A deep voice laughs in front of me. I look through the bars, and see two cloaked figures walk towards me. One of them is broad, it's shoulder length double the second. The broad one slams it's hand on the second one's shoulders, making it lose its balance. "Look at her," The bigger one spits on my check. "The conjurer. How pathetic, losing your sword, your magic, and the men you loved." That deep voice, masculine tone, heavy build. It couldn't be him could it? "Justin?" I ask weekly. The bigger one cackles and slams it's hand against the second one's back, sending him flying into the wall. "Who else would know anything about you two?" The bigger one asks. It waves it's right arm, and black slime erupts from the ground below it. Then , the slime opens the floor in front of the bars across from me, and I see a square face staring at me with cold, amber eyes. "I can't believe you two thought I wasn't a mage!" Justin says as black energy glows throughout his right hand. Before I could react, I feel him smack my other cheek, and I'm falling to the floor.

"Come on, Tali." Justin complains. I look back to see him faze through the bars of my cell. "Show me the fighter you are." He swings his leg back, and releases it at me. I push myself off the ground to evade, but as I do, a metal ring clasps around my neck, and the chain attached to it pulls me to the ground. I fall onto the hard stone, and I scream as my left arm twist around my shoulder. Then I feel my knees pop from Justin stomping on them. "Don't you see?" He asks. "The abyss is such a beautiful place. It gives magic to people who can't access mana."

"Master," The second figure whimpers. "I've done everything you've asked me to for 13 years. Do you think I can be free now? That I can be with my sister again?"

"Ignorant boy!" Justin booms. "You haven't done everything." 13 years? That's the same amount of time as.... My thoughts are interrupted by Justin grabbing me with his hands. He picks me up easily, and slams my face into the bars. " This boy is a perfect example, Tali."Justin explains. "He wasn't able to access the magical realm. Thanks to the abyss, he created those chains around your neck. In the real world." The second figure takes off his hood, and I see tears fall from purple eyes. He looks like he would be a high school freshman. Sprinkles of crimson cross his short blonde hair. "He also was your brother."

"Ike?" My eyes start to water. Ike has been proclaimed dead for the past 10 years. My father, Mealin's father, and Mealin himself worked so hard to find him. The boy in front of me looks away, and waves his right hand. Justin lets go of me as my wrist and ankles are chained, stretching my body. "My name is Izak, Natalie." Ike crys. "I was once called Ike, but then Justin saved me from Ike's life without magic. Instead," He passes through my bars, and puts a hand on my cheek. "I have magic, and a life that you would be proud of. Big sister." He kisses my cheek, and Justin holds my back straight. My arm and legs snap in pain as I feel Justin tear my blouse and skirt. "You know what you must do, Izak." He says from behind me. I look over at my little brother, his face starts to glow black and his face swirls out of recognition. "Ike," I call to him. "What are you going to do?" Ike licks my neck and whispers softly into my ear, "I'm going to give you the gift the abyss has granted me."

"Master!" An abyssal mage shouts as it rushes down some stairs. "A mage found our location. We have a reason to believe it's the Champion."

"Mealin!" I say immediately. He's coming to save me. Wait, what is he thinking? One abyssal mage is difficult enough to handle, and Justin has mastered it. If Mealin fights him in the state he's in, he'll die! "NO! MEALIN DON'T COME HERE!"

"Set up every mage we have to defend the portal." Justin commands, drawing his hood over his face. "Keep working Izak. Make her perfect for the abyss." Ike smiles deviously and holds my waist with his hands. "With pleasure."

"So," I ask. "What do you plan to do, Ike?" He looks at me, and tears at my blouse again. "I'm going to defile your body, and make it a perfect host for the art of the abyss."

"And after you do that?" I think I can break free of these chains. I just need a distraction. I move my right arm around, and find a slot for a key. There's the weak spot. If I can get something from Ike's coat, I can be free. "After that you will gain the arts of abyssal magic." Ike giggles. "And when you try to cast magic with that black energy, you will never be any happier. Shall we begin?"

Before I could answer, Ike summons a needle filled with a black liquid. He stabs it into my neck, and I feel my mana overflow. I jerk my head in the presence of this power, so great, so illegal, so.....good. "Conjure!" I giggle. My voice is crackly and distorted. I see a curved sword appear before my eyes. A black metal on the blade, humming with gray energy. The amethyst around the hilt are dull, and I hear a dark laugh in my mind. "Great work, Conjurer!" Ike, no Izak praises. "Such a marvelous sword. Filled with Null, and enhanced by the abyss! What is he called?"

"Izak." I find myself saying. I feel my mouth fill with liquid, and I spit out black slime onto the the floor. The blade laughs at me, the sheer power of it makes my skin crawl. No! My sword is Ike. My brother is Ike. Not this monster standing in front of me. Izak is smiling ear-to-ear laughing into the dark blade, meaning more laughing in my head. I see images in my head, when Mealin, Ike, and I were kids. Mealin just cut his hair, leaving it short and frilly. I kept my hair long, and Ike, who idealized Mealin, had his hair done the same. No, I don't know anyone named Ike. I know my little brother, Izak. He taught me how to use the wonderful arts of the abyss. He hates Mealin, and so should I. "Izak," I laugh. "Can I hold my sword? I think little Izak wants to play." My little brother nods and starts to float my sword in my hand.

"Natalie! Where are you?!" A voice screams into my mind. That's Mealin! "What are you doing here?" I think.

"I'm coming to save you!"

Save me? Yeah, I love Mealin, and he loves me. He would do anything for me. I feel the dark blade coming closer to my hand. I need to free myself before I get corrupted again. "Conjure." I whisper under my breath. I hear Mealin fighting to save me, and I hear us giggling together under the tree in the park, and a small child’s laughter. I visualize a curved, silver blade. With emeralds and amethysts sparkling on the hilt. I hear Ike hum with gray energy, and it flys from behind my back, and collides with my right handcuff, knocking Izak away. Ike flies around my cell, crushing the chains around my limbs. I land heavily on the stone floor, my legs can't move, and my left arm is broken. "How did you escape the abyss?" Izak screams at me. He grabs the black blade, and holds it to mine. "Izak," I pant. Ike floats above me. "May your darkness find light!" Ike flies into the dark blade, they knock into each other, slashing across the hilts. Izak jumps on top of me, his eyes have gone blank. "Why couldn't you just accept us?" He spits. Ike and the dark blade are still in a stalemate. Izak twists my left arm, and slams his knee against my legs. I scream in pain as he smiles. "We can be together, all of us. You, me, Mealin can come too. Just die!" He claps his other hand around my neck, and starts to squeeze tight. If this keeps up, I'm going to suffocate. If I use my magic anymore, I won't be able to control it. I have no choice, Izak will keep choking me until I'm gone. "C....Conjure." I squeak my last breath. I hear Mealin's sweet laugh in my head, and my vision starts darkening.

I feel a slight sting in my stomach. I gasp as air entering my lungs. My vision starts to restore, and I'm still in the stone cell, the bars have disappeared. I feel Izak's wet back, and take out the knife I created to fall on him. I push his body off of mine, and look around for my brother. Ike sits next to me, his silver blade chipped, and hilt nearly broken. One emerald and amethyst remain on the handle. I pick up my little brother, and hug him tightly against my chest. "Natalie," He whispers. "Thank you for freeing me."

"I'm always here for you little brother." I croak. I feel my legs twitch, they can't hold my weight. I stab Ike into the ground, and use the last remaining strength that I possess to lift myself to my feet. I quickly remove Ike from the ground, and in front of me a couple more feet. I drag my body to meet my brother, and continue doing this, until I make it to Mealin's side.