I was relying on pure adrenaline now, Monkey Keys. My short rest at the third obelisk was enough to spur me on. I took to the west path and headed into the botanical gardens at a near run.
The gardens were crawling with Reds, but they were all too weak to be a threat to me. Most were mere phone larva. If I paused for long under the flowering trees I could hear them munching away at unknown voices on the other line. It wasn’t time for sightseeing though. My situation was becoming dire. Only one obelisk remained between me and certain death. An hour into my run and I was already degrading into a hazy stumble.
“Have to keep moving, Feanor…” I mumbled to myself as I began to creep forward again.
“Says something about your state of mind, doesn’t it?” There was no mistaking Elizabeth’s voice from above. I shot a glance skyward to see her perched in a flowering cherry tree.
“What?” was all I could stupidly respond as I nearly fell over.
“Well you’re talking to yourself. I really only know a few people who talk to themselves, and they’re generally rather frightening people. One you narrowly escaped comes to mind.”
“I don’t need advice from a Red. Frankly, I’m not overly surprised you’re following me. You’re probably here to get the last of the green nectar for yourself, and leave me to die.”
“Your rudeness and paranoia also say something about your state.”
“As does you’re levelheaded cockiness!” I scoffed. Elizabeth smiled and slid from her branch to my feet. Her eyes never left mine as I recoiled a step. She reached into a small satchel at her side and produced some light brown powder.
“What are you doing?” I queried as she lifted the substance toward my face.
“I’m giving you a drink.” She pointed toward a small spiky plant behind me and broke off a stem with some form of telekinesis. The amputated plant floated effortlessly to her hand. She turned it on its end and threw the powder inside. There was apparently a sugary liquid contained within the plant that absorbed the powder. “Care for some?”
“Instinctually I would say no… however, since I don’t think I have the strength to make it much further without something…”
“I promise you it’s probably not poison.”
“Good enough,” I grabbed Elizabeth’s stem cup and quaffed the liquid without a second thought. Death by poison was better than death by fatigue any day. The substance was hot. It nearly burned my throat going down. I was about to call shenanigans on her promise of a near poison free beverage when I felt strangely rejuvenated.
“This botanical marvel… it’s fantastic!” I called as I felt life flowing through my veins again.
“It’s called Cabana,” she said while sipping from a plant of her own. “It’s not as powerful as the medicine you seek, but it may be enough to get you there.”
“I’ll be able to make if for sure now! Thank you Elizabeth.”
“We’ll be in touch Feanor of Westshore.”
“Wait!” I tried to call as Elizabeth shot back into the tree line and out of sight. I sighed looking at the petals flutter down from where she had teleported. “I hope we will…”
There was no time to lament about our parting though. With renewed energy, I ran at a sprinters pace toward the final obelisk. The ground became treacherous as I left the Botanical Gardens. The Lost City used to be part of Techerton. It was taken over by the beautiful harpy Reds in the war of relocation nearly a year ago. They had taken it and expanded. Their Red tapestries fluttered in the wind on their high walls. Plasma screens lined the walkways with Red propaganda blaring from their speakers.
I had to be careful here. These Reds were dangerous. Some said they had the voice of the empire behind them. With a single word, they could bring empires to the ground; the dark lord Livy’s personal army of media relations. I held my silver badge close and ran to the Obelisk.
“Oh please holy stone,” I said raising my dollar 25 toward its gaping maw. “Please accept this humble offering and reward me thusly.” The machine took my money, and I hit the switch for my nectar.
Sold out.
Tears began to fill my eyes as I frantically hit every switch on the beast. The same phrase greeted me every time.
“Why hast thou forsaken me!” I screamed into the air as I fell to my knees. I heard 5 quarters fall into the change return as I sobbed into my hands. “There’s nothing for me now… Petre, I’ve failed you.”
“No you haven’t Feanor,” a voice came from overhead.
“Petre, but that’s impossible! I saw you get a new job with my own eyes!”
“And I did. But I have found a way to communicate with you through the badge when all other hope is lost.” I turned my gaze to the silver badge at my side. It was glowing now.
“Petre,” I said into the badge, “There are no machines left. Every one of them denied my sacrifice. I’ll die out here for sure.”
“Then go where there is no machine at all. You must travel Feanor. You must go over hill and under roof. There, past the Portal of Heights Pass, and in the very lair of Livy himself, you will find the greatest nectar of all. The Amptastic Treat.”
Of course! The Amptastic Treat. How could I have been so foolish? It was not gifted through an obtuse obelisk. This was the drink of the gods. Livy himself kept the cache safe in his tower’s basement.
“Petre, how can I get there? The tower is so far away.”
“Yous n-n-not be-e-in’ dem getter-in’ do-do-doooooo” Steven came rolling from atop the obelisk. He held an empty flask of nectar in each hand, and several more fell off the machine behind him.
“The last obelisk of nectar; he must have drank all of it!” I yelled as Steven shuttered toward me. His eyes were wild, and his grin was twice that of normal. Flasks fell from his pockets around his feet.
“Dieeeeeeee-l-l-l-l-lon… b-b-b-b-berin bering bering! DOOM!” Steven lunged at me leaving me just a second to jump out of the way. “Badgery-Badgery-Badgery-Badgery-Badgery-Badgery-Badgery…”
There was no reasoning with him in this state, and without Narglos I was helpless. Steven leapt again and sunk his teeth into my arm. I grabbed a nearby char and swung it vigorously into the back of his head. Wood splintered in various directions without so much as a flinch from Steven. He released my arm on his own terms, and head butted me into the obelisk.
“Yousbeeringdemstealsingfromdemstevenhisredbadgery-dofohebeinevenbacktodemtechertonleaveringhetobeeated! EATED!” Steven began to charge me again. I quickly kicked an empty flask in front of him. His left foot landed atop the container and sent him soaring onto his back. This brought me a precious few seconds to get on my feet. As Steven collected himself, his face went white with anger.
“D-d-d-d-d-dylans…” he growled as he got to his feet. He grappled the obelisk and, with superhuman rage, brought it over his head. “Crushes and s-s-smash and crushes and s-s-smash and fine…”
“Feanor!” Elizabeth yelled from behind. “Grab my hand!” I didn’t object as Steven stalked closer.
“Lizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz” he started hissing as his eyes narrowed further.
“Steven, how’s your bladder holding out?” Elizabeth inquired as he drew within striking distance.
“Bladdery….do?” Steven suddenly looked frightened and his arms wobbled.
“Feanor, I just need another ten seconds to gather the energy to teleport out of here. I have to take what little you have left though.” I looked up at Elizabeth and nodded.
“Just take us as close to Livy’s tower as you can,” I said as my strength began waning.
“M-m-m-m-m-e crushering crushering crushering!” Steven yelled as he brought his arms back to throw the machine.
“Now… would be nice…” I mumbled as my vision dimmed.
“Crushering!” Steven hurled the machine straight at us.
“Not yet!” Elizabeth said with a sharp breath. We weren’t going to make it. I closed my eyes and smiled.
“Wait… Dylan, you’re telling the story wrong!”
What’s that Grandson Key?
“Feanor and Elizabeth, they don’t die here do they?”
Well I’m just telling you what’s written. And it says they don’t have enough time to avoid the machine.
“I’m telling you you’re reading it wrong!”
Look, do you want me to read you the story or not?
“…go ahead I guess.”
Thank you. Now, where was I? Steven is coming after them, Elizabeth is gathering energy… ah here we go. Not yet Elizabeth says. And Feanor closes his eyes and smiles.
“That’s not safe!” Petre yelled from beyond the badge. My silver safety badge began glowing and shot a bright light into the heart of the machine freezing it in midair.
“See, I told you that snake Steven would never kill them.”
Yeah yeah, you’re very smart, now shut up.
When I awoke I was lying on a mountain pass. Elizabeth was curled in a ball with her cloak over her. Behind her was Livy’s tower. I couldn’t believe it. She had managed to teleport us to the base of evil. The dark lord himself was closer than ever before. Elizabeth must have sensed I was awake, and got up herself.
“How did we make it?” I asked turning back to the tower.
“You don’t remember? Petre sacrificed the silver badge to stop Steven.” It was then I grasped for the badge at my side only to find nothing.
“No…” I said looking back to Elizabeth. “That badge was beyond us! It meant everything to him.”
“Evidently not.” I stood for a moment looking at the sky.
“Thank you Petre.” I said at length.
“Feanor, why did you want to come here?”
“It’s the only place left in the corporate center that has the nectar. Either we get the Amptastic Treat of legends past, or I go without caffeine for a day, and die…” Elizabeth nodded in quiet agreement.
“I can’t go with you Feanor.” I kept my gaze fixed on the tower ahead. “I want to… perhaps too much. It just isn’t my place. We’re from two different worlds.”
“If it’s any consolation Elizabeth, you made me hate myself for my opinion of Reds.” She laughed. “Will I see you again?”
“I don’t know Feanor. Please, take care of yourself. Goodbye…” With that, Elizabeth vanished in a blue light.
“Goodbye…” I said to the dry air around me. I was alone.
It was a long hobble up to the foot of Livy’s tower, but I managed well enough. My sleep in the mountain pass had given me the precious energy I needed for the last leg of my journey.
I was able to sneak by the door guards easily enough, and a few moments later I was face to face with the stockpile of nectar at Livy’s disposal. There were thousands of flasks of nectar and Amptastic Treat. A tear rolled down my cheek.
“I do decree, I have discova’d these flasks have healing powers!” I went frigid. It couldn’t be! Was Livy here to claim the Amptastic Treat? “I have discova’d it! I shall build a squa’! A glorious 4 corna’d squa’! And there I shall drink of these Amp colas!”
“They’re not cola…” I grumbled as the dark lord moved past me.
“Hmm? What’s this? A little plebeian I have discova’d. Have a nickel plebeian!” Livy tossed me a quarter, perhaps because he didn’t know what change was worth, as Red spider secretaries scurried in and gathered the Amp. There was nothing I could do. I just watched. “Yes! I am glorious!” Livy yelled as they all departed. I quickly ran to the stockpile of nectar. There was only one left; a Cherry Coke Zero.
Holding the dusty flask in hand, I approached the cashier. “That’ll be a dollar 45,” she said condescendingly.
“A dollar 45?” I inquired. “The machines all over the building sell these for a dollar 25.”
“Then go get one there,” she spat. I gave her my treasured dollar 25 and Livy’s quarter. She gave me a nickel in change.
A Canadian nickel.
The journey was finally over. I had my nectar. There was no money left and nowhere else to go. So I drank it.
Coke zero does not taste like regular coke.
