The Legend Of Black Eyes

A bald man soon appeared before us. He wore a simple white coat that extended to his knees. His shoe soles must have been made out of wood, for every step he made was followed with loud clomps. He had his hands behind his head, and he walked very slowly, eyeing each one of us in turn. 

His eyes were a clear blue. They wavered every time they landed on me. Sylens and Friede had joined us by then. They were standing near Heda. Sylens had his eyes glued on me, glaring as though I was the reason behind all his woes. 

Rimbaldi's automaton rested, motionless, within my gigantic hands. The scientist reached us. His lips trembled as he cast terrified looks at the discarded limbs of his machine. 

"I'm here. Would you please let go of him?" he asked in an undertone, his frightened eyes glued on my hands.

"What? I can't hear you from up here!" I said in a haughty tone. 

Rimbaldi's eyes grew cold. "Please, leave my Cerberus alone. He's not even complete yet." His voice sounded firm this time. 

From where I stood, he didn't look like a madman. He had a goatee that made him look like your friendly cousin who usually visits, bearing gifts. He had wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, laugh lines. He looked middle aged. A few gray strands ran down his goatee, suggesting that time had already gotten a solid grip on him. 

Heda walked forward and stood beside my tall, freakishly bulky golem. "We need your word that you'll cease all attempts to fight us," she said in an imposing tone. 

Rimbaldi shot a nervous look at me. "Whatever you say, my automata shall never lay a hand on you." 

"Nor will your other creatures," Heda hissed with narrowed eyes. 

Rimbaldi snorted. "They're all my automata," he said in a friendly tone. 

I felt Heda reach out to me through the psionic link. "He's terrified. I think that's a good sign." 

I willed roots to slither beneath the mad scientist. Then I urged them to break the hard surface and coil around his legs. Rimbaldi squealed as he saw the strong roots hugging his legs and reinforcing their grip on him. "W-w-what are you doing?" He asked in a frightened tone. 

"Insurance," I said in a growl. 

"I-I-I came here to ask you inside my lab," Rimbaldi retorted. His panicked eyes landed on Heda. "I resisted your attempts to reach my lab. That much is true, b-b-but you have to understand… I just don't like outsiders." He finished his speech with a nervous giggle. 

"And now that we've resisted your attempts to kill us, you finally decided to let us in, speak to us in a civil way," I retorted with a sarcastic tone. 

"Something like that," Rimbaldi said with nervous titter. 

"Well…" I willed the roots to coil around the scientist's entire body. I wrenched him off the floor then put him on my shoulder. Rimbaldi wailed and flailed as I did so. I just internally scoffed at his puny attempts to escape. "Show me the way to your lab. Try anything funny, and I'll squeeze you into mush and blood." 

Rimbaldi squealed in response. He guided us through wide tunnels, whimpering as I stomped the ground and led the way for the others. We soon reached a spacious room with a wide metallic table in the middle. 

Trinkets and baubles were on display above the table. They shone brightly against the light that emanated from the ceiling. I threw the scientist on the ground. Then I willed my golem form to dissipate into tiny particles of dust. 

"That's some scary powers you have there," Rimbaldi said in a faint shrill voice. "I never thought a wizard would join the champions."  .

"He's no wizard!" Sylens said with a mocking voice. "He just knows some spells." 

Rimbaldi shot Sylens a condescending look. "Whatever!" He turned to me then. "Would you please undo these?" he motioned with his head toward the roots that bound him. 

I crouched beside the mad scientist. "I need some ȧssurances first," I said with a low growl. 

"Whatever you say," Rimbaldi replied. 

I buried my eye into the scientist's mad eyes. "Mother Earth is angry with you. I speak on her behalf when I say this. You must vacate this place immediately, or I will reduce it all to dust." 

Rimbaldi let out a wail then began chuckling. "At least give me some time to get my things ready."

I was about to agree when I felt earth's energy flow through me. "YOU WILL LEAVE THE VEIN ALONE!" A throaty, guttural voice came out my mouth. I didn't even recognize it. 

Rimbaldi's mouth gaped. He screamed, a high pitch wail than pierced my eardrums. It sounded like a child who'd just awoken from a terrifying nightmare. I covered my ears, Heda and the others followed suit. 

Once Rimbaldi calmed down, he looked at me with terrified eyes. If he could move on his own, I was sure he'd run away from the place, screaming like a little girl. "H-h-h-how do you know about the vein?" he asked with a faint voice, his lips trembling so much he bȧrėly managed to articulate the words. 

"I told you. I speak on behalf of Earth. She is not happy with whatever you've been doing here," I replied in a calm tone. 

"Alright! I'll leave the vein alone. Would Earth give me time to gather my valuables?" 

I searched my soul for Earth's voice, but it seemed the element had deserted me. I couldn't even feel its power surging through my conduits. I shrugged. "I guess she'd said her piece. As long as you stay away from the vein, she'll leave you alone." 

Rimbaldi sighed in relief. "Would you undo these binds then, please?" 

My lips pursed into a nervous grin. "Not sure it can be done easily," I whispered. 

"What?" Heda asked. She had just materialized beside me. I didn't know when or for how long she'd been there. 

I was about to reply to her when I felt a sharp pain paralyze me. It felt as though my conduits were collapsing. I went into full alert mode. I searched inside my soul and found my cores' lights waning. My heart skipped a beat. 

"This shouldn't have happened," I whispered, incredulous. 

"What? What are you talking about?" Heda asked with a heavy frown. 

My consciousness began fading. I fought hard to keep my eye focused on Heda. "Get.... Friede…" Those were the last two words I uttered before I felt my body fall to the side.