El Hazard is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. The author only owns the writing and the characters that he himself creates. Rock and Redemption Part 17: Kazusa's Lair Shayla raced across the desert as fast as her wings could carry her. In her hand she held the tracking device. Cursing for not thinking of it before, she tried tuning it to energy signatures instead of divining matter. The display was difficult to understand. The readings indicated sources of powerful energy. Further adjusting filtered out nearly all other sources save Elemental Lamps. For some reason, the Eye of God could not be ignored by the device no matter what she tried. Once Lamp energies were detected, it was a simple matter of determining which sources were which until Kazusa was left. The Priestesshood school, her own Lamp, the Lamp of Rock, Miz's Lamp, the shrines, Shayla knew where they were which left a strong source off to the west. Strangly the device indicated two strong Lamps of Wind, a Lamp of Rock, and the Elemental Staff inside a structure radiating Eye of God energy all below an abandoned library converted to a decaying military outpost. If Kazusa wanted a good hiding place, he couldn't have picked better. Rays from a late morning sun woke a grumpy Hiashi. His head pounded with each heartbeat. His stomach felt empty yet ill. For a few moments it felt like he was thinking through cotton. His first coherent thought was what happened the previous night. He remembered Alliele leaving, then he and Shayla spending some time together, patan, some wine. Ugh, the very thought of wine made his stomach lurch. He couldn't remember too much after that, just the two of them talking. He tried to tell her about his favorite movie, but he couldn't quite convey concepts like starships. Did he then do something stupid? Something which he could never forgive himself? Shayla might know. Wait, what if he did something to her? He put his face in his hands, fearing the worst. Then, he noticed a note. With shaky hands he reached over and read it. "Hiashi, you're not going to be any fun unless you learn to handle your wine better. Ten mugs and you're out like a light. I don't know why you worry so much. One moment you have a good buzz, the next you're crawling for bed. No transistion. Guess it's a blessing, I mean at least you don't have to worry about staggering around mumbling like an idiot like Fuji used to do. I only wish I could help you with the hangover you're going to get. Just dunk your head in cold water. Remember to pull it out. "I saw you have a nightmare, Hiashi. You probably don't remember it, but you were terrified. It hurt me to watch you like that and not be able to help. So I'm going to get that bastard for you so your nightmares will end. You mean too much to me. I love you. Shayla." Hiashi read the note again and again making sure it got through his clouded mind. He didn't remember the details of the nightmare, just being scared then it ended instantly, replaced with something soothing. But Shayla was going out to face Kazusa alone. He had to help. He tried to jump out of bed, but nearly fell over. With a determined will he forced himself to stand and don the Lamp of Rock. While inactive, he could feel its potential. It made him feel more confident, more determined to go on. Now all he had to do is find her. He knew Shayla was well out of range of his detection power, but he had to try. Closing his eyes he concentrated on Shayla and her Lamp. He felt the cool blue tinge of Miz and forced it away. It was as if the fog limiting his sences was lifting. He could feel it expand to a mile, two miles. Now he could 'see' the Eye of God. It wouldn't leave his mind. Miz's words about how the Eye gave the Lamps their modern abilities were recalled. His abilities were stretched to the limit so he made one last gamble and focused on the Eye. He used it like a signal booster. Instantly his mind covered all the lands of El-Hazard. He knew where the Elemental Temples were, the schools, the Theocracy, even were acolytes practiced their craft. Not only of fire but of all the Elements. Shayla's lamp shown like a becon headed straight for Kazusa's base. Even if he knew how to use the Lamp to travel, he wouldn't be able to reach her before she arrived. As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't go alone like she did. Hiashi memorized where Kazusa was then returned his mind back to reality to get the others. Kazusa was close if the scanner was accurate. Throughout the trip Shayla's mind was plaqued with memories of her and Hiashi together. From the start when she threw a fireball at him, to those first lessons on using Elemental Flame, their first kiss, the time he almost died, the trip to and from the Demon Isle, the good times and the bad all wrapping up to seeing him in the grips of a nightmare. At that moment she had a better understanding of what love meant. About taking another's pain as your own, to share the joys of life, and to join in their struggles. She wanted to spare him more pain, hoping that if she defeated Kazusa his ... their pain will end. The blip was right below her now. All she saw was a small outpost abandoned when the Bugrom made their last attack on Roshtaria. She ventured into the cellar and began looking for a door amongst the broken wine bottles and discarded weapons. A forgotten tunnel closed with decaying boards led Shayla further into the ground. The dirt path began to take the shape of a staircase, then to one made of metal. The glow of machines could be seen from round the corner. The style of the walls reminded Shayla of the Eye of God. She peaked around at the consoles and workstations. Even with her experience with the Eye, the fuction of the computers was beyond her. It didn't matter to her though. She was here to take care of Kazusa and Rhyna. Outside the room Shayla found Kazusa's machine. He stood at the controls making more adjustments. Rhyna was lying on a table next to the machine wearing some sort of headgear. It looked like her head was covered with wires all weaving together into one thick cord going into the machine. She held her Lamp in her hands instead of on her wrist. Despite that and similiar wires connecting it to the machine, it glowed with power. On the other side was a large glass container was attached. The top and bottom were sealed with metal and conductors to move power from the machine to the container. Kazusa was coaching her about what to do. "Fill the receptacle with your power through the transfer conduits. Let my creation learn about your power before making you one with it." Buttons all over the machine began to come alive. The wires connected to her head and lamp throbed like a pulse. "I can feel it. It's like the winds I create, except it's more. I can't describe it." "Yes ... good. I'm boosting power. Say good-bye to your moral body and hello to immortality." Kazusa smiled preparing for the transfer. "My God! Rhyna? What do you think you are doing?!" Shayla shouted. She still hated Rhyna for what she did, but this was just plain crazy. The two turned around. Rhyna got into a sitting position. "I'm finally getting the power I deserve. Kazusa is going to merge my mind and my Lamp into a body of wind. I won't be bound by the stupid Church rules. Absoulte control over the air will be mine! Do it!" Kazusa pushed a final button as Shayla stood in shock. She turned on her Lamp and prepared to attack, but a large stone hand formed from a wall and grabbed her. The machine made a loud whirling noise and glowed with shifting colors. Rings of energy traveled along the cord from Rhyna's head to the machine. Her body convulsed violently forcing Kazusa to create a restraining arm. Then just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Rhyna's body went limp as the restraining arm sank back into the ground. For one long moment nothing happened. Then the air inside the cylinder began to take shape. A pale outline of Rhyna's face formed. "It worked!" she said in an echoing voice. "How do you feel?" Kazusa asked. "Like I can do anything. But I don't have a body anymore. I can't touch anything. Let me out!" "Rhyna, go back to your real body now before it's too late!" Shyala warned. Kazusa opened the lid and the ghostly form flowed out. Shayla felt a breeze as Rhyna gathered the wind to her. A white replica of her nude body slowly faded into clarity. Her 'hair' now floated freely around her head. "Yes, much better. Look at me Shayla. I have become the Mistress of Wind. It obeys my every thought. For instance ..." Rhyna gestured and Shayla felt a pressure inside her lungs forcing her to exhale. She tried to stop, but the air would not stay in her lungs. She began to gasp, her chest was burning, darkness crept into her vision. "Stop, Rhyna. You proved her point. We need her alive." Kazusa said sternly "Why? We don't need her. Besides, I was only toying with her. It's not my fault she has a weak body." Rhyna returned floating to him, her eyes locked on her previous body. "Weak like that one. It couldn't handle the power I wanted. I'm glad I'm rid of it." "Don't get overconfident. We need to know if she came her alone. Even if she did you can bet her friends will be out looking for her. We have to find out how she found us." "Who cares how? Just show me how to work the controls and merge with your statue. That was your plan after all." "I need the true Lamp. Using this facsimile would make me vulnerable." "What a minute. I didn't use the true Lamp of Wind and I came through all right." Kazusa smiled. "So you have. Thank you for testing my machine. I wasn't sure if it would work. You were the perfect test subject." "You mean you didn't know if it would work? You ..." Rhyna tried to form her power blast but was unable. "You see what I mean about being vulnerable? I still have the true Lamp of Wind. That means you are still under it's influence. For instance if I wished to I could ..." Kazusa let his sentence trail off as the wind picked up in the large room. Rhyna tried to fight it, but felt herself being ripped apart by the winds. Her feet and hair vanished first. Then the process accelerated, working up her body until just her head was left. She shouted in defiance as the last of her new form was swept away and sucked through an old ventilation duct and into the open sky. Kazusa continued his power, swirling Rhyna around until it was spread over many square miles. Like dissolving a pinch of salt in an olympic pool, her soul was scattered beyond recovery. "There, she is sufficiently dissipated to prevent her mind from reforming. The poor gullible girl. I almost feel sorry for her." he said without an ounce of pity or regret. "You bastard. I can't believe you did that." "Oh I'm sorry, Shayla. Did YOU want to kill her? After all, she nearly killed your boyfriend. How is he by the way? I take it he liked my little surprise." Shayla remained silent. Her anger was manifesting as visible red aura. "Well you do realize I had to do it, to both of them I mean. Now that I have made sure my machine worked, I will send my mind and my power to a new body and become the strongest in El-Hazard. I want no rivals. That's why I'm glad you came. You'll make such a better hostage. I take it he's still alive." he continued. "You're sick! Don't you know what you did to him?" "Gave him one last bout with his father? Sparked nightmares for years to come? Scared him into staying away from me and my power? I sure hope so. I don't want to kill the boy, not unless I have to. I'd rather he'd just forget about challenging my power. Oh sure, once I did try to kill him. But that was when I thought it would be simpler for the sake of my plans. A mistake, I admit it. Once the Lamp is mine again, I will drain it completely thus preventing him from using it. He would make a very useful pawn after that. Once I've broken his spirit of course. If you're really good and help me, I may let you have him. I need someone to keep him in check, make sure he doesn't get any big ideas." Shayla stuggled violently against her bonds. "No, I didn't think so. Then perhaps you'll tell me if your cohorts were successful? They were on the Isle longer. Won't talk? Let me guess? Makoto? Alliele? Fujisawa? Miz? Londs? Hiashi?" he taunted watching her reaction to each name. She didn't disappoint him. "You can be predictable. Somehow I knew he would find it. Call it woman's intuition. You are so emotional. I bet that's why he loves you. Well my fiery priestess, enjoy your new role as bargining chip." He turned around and resumed his work as the Shayla was pulled back to the wall. Her Lamp was cemented to her arm. Trying to use it would only burn her. "I must ask you, Shayla. How did you find me in the first place?" The stone surrounded her like a mold. It wedged away her tracking device and gave it to him. Kazusa examined the device. "Well well well. Looks like your knight in shining armor is coming to save you. We must prepare ...." Above the airboat landed inside the complex. "Where are they, Haishi? Can you detect them?" Makoto asked. He concentrated a moment. "Yes. In that direction. I can see the Wind and Rock Lamp together. The Fire Lamp is inactive nearby. That means Shayla is ... Shayla!" he sprinted foward and down the stairs before anyone could stop him. Riho had almost caught up with him when he entered the doorway. As soon as he passed the doorway, a solid stone wall shot up from the ground throwing Riho back. Fujisawa tried to punch it down, but every hole he made was repaired almost instantly. Hiashi tried to force it down with his Lamp, but he didn't have the skill to undo the spell. "Be careful. We'll find another way in." Makoto called. A dim light from below provided Hiashi with enough of an outline of the path to follow. He passed by the banks of computers strangly taking comfort in being around quasi- familiar technology. The writing was alien to him, but he saw enough to deduce this was a relay station to the Eye. He could almost feel how his special sence could connect to the workstations then to the Eye. If only he could use it somehow like Makoto, but all he could do was monitor Elemental magic like a man watching a radar screen. He heard the sound of stone grinding against stone and watch Kazusa emerge from the darkness. "Where are they?" Hiashi asked. "Still straightfoward. Good. You came in time, Hero. The Grand Priestess is still alive. I have permitted your friends to find her while we take care of business." "I want proof." "You are not in the best position to demand anything, boy. Remember who else I have hostage." The sound of stone on stone started again. Now Shayla came into the dim light. Her limbs were encased in stone casts. The brief experience had worn her clothes thin, almost to the point of indecency. Her mouth was moving, but no sounds were coming out. "What have you done to her?!" Hiashi demanded taking steps to free her. Kazusa stopped him with a gesture. Hiashi felt strange, weak, tired. Kazusa's voice seemed to be coming all around Hiashi. "I have encased your heads in still air. I control how much fresh air gets in to keep you alive. Don't try to use the Wind to free yourself unless you think you're good enough to save her as well. Now give me my Lamp." "Get it yourself." Hiashi resisted, raising his arm to make an obscene gesture at Kazusa. "Lamps cannot be removed by anyone else besides the wearer. While they're alive that is. Besides, this is more fun. I'm giving you and Shayla a chance to live. If you don't value your own life. What about hers?" Shayla's head was swimming. Like when Rhyna used her power, she felt dizzy and on the verge of loosing consciousness. Have to stay awake. "Hiashi, don't." she tried to say, but could only manage a soft whsiper. Reluctantly Hiashi unfastened the Lamp from his arm. A gust of wind carried it to Kazusa's waiting hand as it purified the air around Hiashi's and Shayla's heads. "You ... you shouldn't have done that for me, Hiashi." Shayla panted. "Quit being so noble. Shayla. If you weren't here to threaten, I would have had to kill him to get my Lamp. It's all the same to me." Kazusa snarled releasing Shayla from her bonds, save for the one enveloping her Lamp. "All right. You have your stupid lamp. What do you want from us now?" Hiashi said supporting himself on a console. "As I promised, you are free to go. Provided you do not try to interfere with my plans or challenge me again. But I prefer you to stay and watch me in my moment of glory." "How thrilling. Thank you so much." Hiashi said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll also need you to dump the garbage when I'm done." Kazusa returned in the same tone. "Garbage?" Shayla wondered picking herself up. "He means Afura. Will she have her body back now that you're through with it?" Haishi answered. "Perhaps." Kazusa said uncaringly as he used his powers to move his statue into position. Giving it one last look, he went to the table and strapped himself in. He used the Wind to start the machine before tossing that Lamp aside. Now he gripped the Lamp of Rock as the machine merged its power with his soul. Sparks of energy from the anceint and powerful Lamp flew in multiple direction. A small purple vortex began to form around the machine and expanded to include statue and subject. Hiashi helped Shayla up as the energy storm got worse. Trying to channel a strong spirit and a powerful holy object was putting a greater strain on things than expected. They ducked behind a computer and tried to remove the cast around Shayla's left forearm. Unfortunately it held firm, showing no sign of weakness as they tried to shatter it. "Oh give it up. We'll have to get Fujisawa to break if off or something. Stop Kazusa!" Shayla said fustrated. "Are we lucky enough that your Lamp already activated?" "No." "Of course. Well let's just hope Kazusa got transfered faster than the Lamp." Hiashi said vaulting over the line of computers and sprinted to Afura's prone body. Braving the arcs of power, he reached out and took hold of the Lamp of Rock. The forces flying around the machine resisted. He could feel the energy burn his arms and shread his sleeves as he pulled. He could feel Kazusa/Afura's grip weaken. Hiashi gritted his teeth and pulled harder. Almost there .... Suddenly there was a flash of light. Hiashi was thrown back over the computers and into a decaying wall. Aging plaster and brittle bricks crumbled, practically burying him. He moaned for a second then lost consciousness. Shayla started toward the pile to dig him out when she heard a new voice chuckle behind her. She turned and saw Kazusa's statue move. Its arms stretched as it examined itself. "Finally! After uncountable centuries, it is done! I have become one with my Lamp and element. Now all shall tremble under my rule!! Gods, I've always wanted to say that." Kazusa shouted in his original, male voice. Tears forming in her eyes Shayla said, "I'll put that on your gravestone." Kazusa smirked and Shayla felt the stone cast around her Lamp contract sharply. She fell to her knees in pain and tried again to get it off. "Pathetic." he spat. Then the cast began to form cracks. A second later it vanished in an explosion of gravel. "Not really." Afura commented pulling herself up to a sitting position. Shayla activated her powers and was ready to charge when the opposing wall shattered and Fujisawa walked in. "We're too late." Makoto said, "He's already transformed." "Then we'll just have to transform him again into pebbles." Fujisawa returned cracking his knuckles. Behind him was his wife and Ifurita with the same sentiment. Makoto and Nanami supported the Grand Priestess. No one remembers asking Nanami to come along, but no one said she couldn't either. The Grand Priestess was strangely unguarded in a secure part of the library. Makoto's ability allowed the rescue to succeed without having to break any doors or walls. A fact Makoto was glad about since the alternative could mean destroying the wealth of information which should be returned to the Theoracy. "I suppose there's no chance of you surrendering when you realize how outmatched you are." "None." Ifurita said firing a shot. Kazusa didn't try to dodge and accepted the attack, counting on his new power to protect him. Instead he screamed in pain as he was knocked down. When the dust cleared, he noticed a crater in his chest the size of a large order of noodles. This was not suppose to happen. He was suppose to be invulnerable, immortal. He wanted the damage to be healed and it was. Bits of dust still in the air and a few chucks of stone on the tile floor he was touched were absorbed into his new body and filled the hole in a matter of seconds as his opponents watched in stunned silence. Riho moved stealthily in the shadows and behind the anceint computers to the pile of rubble Hiashi was buried under. Hiashi's face was exposed, but the rocks were too big and heavy for him nor Riho to push away. Riho tried to get Hiashi to wake up, but with no luck. He looked at the battle. Afura was slowly recovering from being used as a meat puppet. But Shayla was approaching exaustion and injured from being held as Kazusa's captive. Kazusa was reshaping his arm into a pike and threw it at Shayla. Riho raced foward and transformed around Shayla in time to deflect the stone blade. "Thanks little guy. Where's Hiashi?" she asked. "Under rocks. Not dead. Asleep. No wake up." Shayla dodged another pike as Kazusa moved slowly to the stone floors of another part of the complex. "Shit! And we can't dig him out now." she said throwing fire at the recoiling pike, making it so brittle it fell apart before Kazusa could absorb it. Unfortunately it didn't matter as Kazusa reached a stone floor the instant Fujisawa charged into his back. More bits of rock flew from Kazusa as he was thrown into the hallway. "Keep hitting him. We have to wear him down faster than he can reform." he shouted moving in for another attack. A stone fist appeard from a wall and took Fujisawa by surprise. The Royal Champion managed to grab the fist before it could return into the wall and crushed it. Kazusa howled and pulled a stump of an arm from the rock as he concentrated on restoring it. Afura came next. She tried to lift Kazusa off the floor. But he grabbed on, sinking his other hand into the stone and hanging on as a tiny fist took shape in the stump of his other arm. Miz and Shayla applied their powers with varying degrees of success. Kazusa discovered to how to continuously recycle his body, restoring minor damage bits even as they were being wounded. A close observer would see bits of rock flowing back and forth like the circulatory system in a person. Fujisawa tried doing a greater amount of damage at once by wrapping his arms around one of Kazusa's legs and squeezing it off. Kazusa screamed again and took a swing with a half-reformed arm. Fujisawa shattered that one also. "Looks like you weren't as tough as you thought. You rocky horror." he said. "Errrrr I'm just now seeing the whole picture. Let me show you." Kazusa returned. Instantly his body fell apart like cheap plaster. "Where did he go?!" Afura said. They heard a distant rumbling. "My God. The airboat!" Miz realized and all of them ran back the way they came to the surface. Meanwhile Makoto and Nanami were trying to dig Hiashi out of the rubble. "We've almost got him." Makoto said optimistically. They managed to push some of the smaller rocks away and make sure he was in no immediate danger. But they'd need Fujisawa, or at least Afura, to lift the remaining stones away. "There is nothing more you can do, children." the Grand Priestess said, "You can best help all of us by finding my Elemental Staff." "But we can't leave him like this." Nanami protested. The Grand Priestess shot her a hard look. She was not used to being questioned. "Even if we could free him, he will still be unconscious until he is healed. My staff controls all the elements. With it not only could I remove the rubble, but perhaps even use it to activate his healing power. Besides, unless we find it and defeat Kazusa, it won't matter if he's free or not." "Uhhh right." Nanami said as she and Makoto ran off to look for the Staff. The Grand Priestess took one last look at Hiashi and considered something for a moment. She walked over to him and placed her fingertips on his forehead and softly spoke an ancient blessing for Elemental Champions. He certainly deserved it, but she was unsure if he would hear or understand what the blessing meant. There was no way he could have learned the symbolism of what she did, not in the short time he has been in El-Hazard. But if he was aware of receiving it, the understanding was not as important. She could feel him stir for the moment after the blessing. She smiled knowing that she had reached his mind.