Author's Note:
Ahhh! Stupid me wrote in six Eternals instead of five! Just ignore that tiny factor as you read my story. We can pretend that it's an extra precaution on Zzyzx – you have to get rid of all six instead of five. Yeah, that's it…
"No, absolutely not," declared Scott.
"Don't be absurd - she's just a child!" agreed Marla.
"She's eighteen now," Grandpa reminded them.
"Being an Eternal is a job for a seasoned warrior," Warren reasoned. "I think it would be unwise for Kendra to take up such a position."
"Well, we all know the reason she wants to do it anyways," Seth muttered.
The adults halted their argument and looked at him expectantly. "Well?" Vanessa finally asked.
"Gosh, are you guys blind?" exclaimed Seth. "She wants to be with Bracken! He's immortal, so she wants to be as well."
Vanessa rolled her eyes. "I thought we agreed that relationship was absurd from the start."
"Right, that's not hypocritical at all," Tanu challenged. Vanessa glared at him, a blush creeping into her face.
"As fascinating as this discussion is," the Sphinx broke in, "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about it. I am merely here to inform you of Kendra's choice."
Everyone stared at him blankly.
"Kendra informed me that she wished to become the fifth and final Eternal on the night of the Winter Solstice two years ago, when I was last at Fablehaven," he explained.
Scott grew red in the face. "Why are you only telling us now?" he shouted.
"There is a ceremony that will make it official. It is not possible to induct her until she turns eighteen, which will happen at approximately forty-six minutes past noon today," said the Sphinx.
"And yet you were able to accept her choice when she was only fifteen?" cried Grandma.
The Sphinx shrugged. "When the system was devised, they didn't expect someone so young to take up the position. They installed only minor precautions."
"This is an outrage," Marla insisted. "Is there any way to prevent it?"
"Not as far as I'm aware," the Sphinx said. "Kendra wishes to become an Eternal, and it is her choice."
"Well, I'm not happy with her choice," Scott decreed.
"Nor I," said Grandma.
The others voiced their agreement. Only Seth remained silent.
"Is there anything you'd like to say on the matter, Seth?" inquired Grandpa.
He shrugged. "From what I hear, there's nothing I can do about it, and if Kendra's happy, I'm probably not going to complain. I'm kinda jealous, though. It sounds cool."
Scott rolled his eyes and the Sphinx opened his mouth to say something, but Seth cut him off. "I know, it's a big responsibility and all of that, blah blah blah. Can't a guy have a fantasy?"
"No," said Marla, and they laughed.
"When will the ceremony be?" asked Grandma.
To Seth's surprise, Warren answered instead of the Sphinx. "Agad will arrive soon, and he will perform the rites at midnight."
Dale frowned. "Dare I ask how you know that?"
Warren coughed innocently. "No."
"We have more than one future Eternal in this room," the Sphinx explained.
"So Warren, Kendra, you - who else is an Eternal?" wondered Seth aloud.
The Sphinx looked uncomfortable. "I'm really not supposed to say, even though it doesn't appear that any of you are likely to want to open Zzyzx, because you could be captured and that information shouldn't be in your brains to be tortured out of you."
Seth gulped. "Lovely."
The Sphinx's expression softened. "I'm not saying you will be tortured, just that we should avoid that possible future."
Three floors below them, the doorbell rang. Grandpa stood up. "That will be Agad."
"Wait – how did he get past the gate?" worried Grandma.
"I put his name on the register a few days ago," Grandpa soothed.
The doorbell rang again, giving off a sense of urgency.
"As patient as ever," Warren muttered.
The adults – and Seth – exited the attic.
Kendra glanced at her watch. Eleven fifty-two. Only three minutes had passed since she last checked. Just eight more minutes to go…
She fingered the lace on the plain white gown she was supposed to wear for the ceremony. She couldn't imagine why it was required. Maybe the smooth fabric had magical properties. Perhaps it was stronger than armor and she was wearing it for protection. Or maybe she was just reading too far into things. Perhaps it was just a pretty dress.
Eleven fifty-three. Time sure was crawling.
Kendra's parents had been giving her the cold shoulder since that morning. They had come down from their oh-so-secret meeting in the attic with grim looks on their faces and hadn't so much as looked at Kendra except to give her disapproving glances. She guessed that the Sphinx had revealed the names of the Eternals and Scott and Marla weren't pleased by Kendra's decision. They'd get over it in the end, though. Probably.
Not for the first time that day, Kendra thought about what it would be like to be immortal. Never growing old, never changing. Eighteen years old forever – she'd never have to suffer the hardships of old age. She wondered if she'd ever get tired of it, like Mark, one of the former Eternals had. She wondered what her shape-shifter would be like. She wondered when anyone would try to open Zzyzx again. If anyone would try. Kendra had wondered a lot about the future in the past few days.
Eleven fifty-six. Just three more minutes until she had to be at the shrine, the place with the highest concentration of magic in Fablehaven. She should probably get going. But she still stood in the garden for a few more moments, breathing in the sweet night air. A few fairies floated around among the flowers, but most of them were asleep. One flew up to Kendra, who smiled. It was Shiara – possibly her favorite fairy, though she would never tell the others that.
"You should get going," Shiara chided. "You're going to be late."
"I know," Kendra murmured.
"Do you remember the way?" asked Shiara.
"Yeah, of course. I'll go now." Kendra started up the path. Eleven fifty-seven.
Shiara flew after her. "You're not regretting your decision, are you?"
Kendra shook her head as if clearing cobwebs from her brain. "No, of course not," she said firmly.
The two approached the hedge that surrounded the shrine. "I'll leave you here," Shiara said. The fairy fluttered away.
Eleven fifty-eight.
Kendra cautiously approached the shrine to the Fairy Queen. The naiads' lake was eerily smooth. A gleaming silver canoe floated on the placid water. The others must be on the island already, Kendra thought. She didn't know who the other Eternals were, other than the Sphinx. She wondered if she knew any of them. She wondered if she could make friends with the ones she didn't know. There she went, wondering again…
Kendra stepped into the canoe. It didn't bob the slightest when she put her full wait on it. As soon as she was seated, it floated swiftly to the island. She wondered if the naiads were asleep. She wondered if the Fairy Queen had ordered them not to rock the canoe, or maybe they just knew to stay away from the shrine tonight.
The silver canoe didn't even tremble when it brushed up against the sand. As always before stepping onto the shrine, Kendra searched her feelings – but she knew it was right to be here.
The Fairy Queen's shrine was much larger than it had been before it was destroyed, but Kendra knew her way around. Every time Bracken visited they met at the shrine and went for brief, pleasant walks around the safe areas of the preserve. She headed straight for the miniature statue where she always met him.
The others were already gathered. Kendra grinned as she recognized Warren. There was no way he'd miss out on an adventure like this. The Sphinx was there too, of course, and she knew Agad the wizard, who would be performing the ceremony. She didn't know the other three present, however: two men and one woman.
The taller of the two men was easily the tallest there, dwarfing Warren and Agad. He seemed to be made entirely of muscle. The scars on his arms showed that he had been in many fights. He smiled as he ran his fingers through his oil-black hair. The expression seemed out of place on one so strong.
The other man was slight by comparison. He was about as tall as Kendra, who was a good few inches shorter than Seth. Gray hair framed his wrinkled features. Kendra guessed he was the oldest there and wondered why he had volunteered to be an Eternal if he was going to suffer old age forever. Maybe becoming an Eternal healed your flaws.
The woman stood tall and proud. She had an ageless look about her – she could have been as young as thirty or as old as forty. Not one wrinkle adorned her smooth face. Her long, brown hair was in a straight braid down her back, a very simple, no-nonsense sort of hairstyle. From the way she tapped her foot Kendra guessed that she was impatient to begin.
Eleven fifty-nine.
Just noticing Kendra, Warren flashed a smile and waved to her. Kendra waved back. The woman noticed his gesture and glanced at her.
"Are you bringing a message from ze house?" the woman asked with an apparent French accent.
Kendra furrowed her brow. No one had said anything, other than good luck, they loved her, and similar phrases, before she left – was she supposed to have a message?
Warren seemed to understand what the French woman meant, however. He gave her a glare and said, "Kendra is the fifth Eternal."
"What!" the woman cried. "She eez just a child!"
Kendra supposed that this wouldn't be the best time to mention that she was eighteen, which still would probably make her look young in comparison to the others. "I'm fairykind and a dragon slayer," she offered.
The woman sniffed daintily and looked away. Kendra jumped as she heard the Sphinx's deep voice behind her.
"Antoinette doesn't like being one-upped," he explained.
"I see," Kendra said, unable to think of any other response.
The French woman – Antoinette – ignored them. "Shouldn't we start?" she asked Agad imperiously.
Midnight.
"Yes, yes, of course," Agad replied. He cleared his throat and instructed, "Please clasp hands and form a circle."
The Eternals-to-be obliged. Kendra ended up between Warren and the tall man.
"Before we begin the ceremony, you must be sure that this is what you want to do with your life," Agad stated. "It is a great commitment. Some may find it unbearable after thousands of years, but you must remain steadfast." He paused, and Kendra guessed he was thinking of Mark, the Eternal who had basically committed suicide. "I would like your word from each of you."
No one said anything for a moment. Then, Warren declared, "I pledge myself to the great Agad as an Eternal, and I swear to uphold this pledge for the rest of my life."
Antoinette rolled her eyes. The shorter man clapped halfheartedly.
"You need not be so spirited in your pledge," Agad assured them.
"I will hold firm to my choice," the Sphinx said simply.
Antoinette said something in French that Kendra didn't understand, but Agad nodded. For a brief moment, Kendra could understand the other woman. This was a very personal thing, and perhaps speaking in her native language made her feel better about it.
Or maybe Kendra was the only one of the six present who didn't speak French, and Antoinette wanted to embarrass her.
The two men gave their word as well. Only Kendra had yet to speak.
Kendra hesitated, choosing her words carefully. Becoming an Eternal was a great responsibility – did she really want to live for hundreds of years? A disturbing thought occurred to her – she would see her grandparents die, her parents, Tanu and their other friends – she would even outlive Seth. Was the sacrifice too great? She shook herself mentally. Anything would be worth keeping Zzyzx closed.
"I pledge myself as an Eternal," she murmured.
If this had been a less serious occasion, Kendra could imagine Warren clapping his hands together and saying something along the lines of, "Now we can get started!" But her friend remained quiet, and Agad began the ceremony.
The wizard chanted in a language that Kendra couldn't understand, meaning it wasn't even a fairy language. She sensed that this language predated fairies by thousands of years.
The others' hands grew hot in Kendra's. A faint glow formed around their circle as Agad recited. She could feel a small lump forming in her right hand.
The magic grew so intense that Kendra didn't even notice when Agad fell silent at first. She realized she had been holding her breath and let it out slowly. She felt different, as if there was a great reservoir of energy inside her body, even greater than what the fairies had left with her.
"You may break the circle," Agad whispered. Kendra dropped the hands she had been holding but kept the lump clasped in her right. It felt smooth, like a marble, still warm within her fingers.
"In your right hand, you hold a small lump of clay," said Agad. "From these, your shape-shifters will form. They will be your eternal companions, perishing only when you do. They will be able to take on the form of any animal, but no human. Their duty, above all, is to protect you. You may open your hands now."
Kendra opened her fingers and looked at the small lump of clay resting on her palm. As she watched, it elongated slowly, then faster, and in a brilliant flash of light, turned into a fairy.
The others stared at her in shock. Their own shape-shifters had taken form, but none were a magical creature like Kendra's.
Even Agad seemed surprised. "It seems that fairy magic is rooted firmly in your being," he said, awed.
"Have you ever seen anything like it?" the tall man whispered. "Fascinating."
Regaining his composure, Agad said, "You may get to know each other now. The formalities of the ceremony are over."
Once again, the Eternals fell quiet. This time, the shorter man broke the silence. "Isn't it dangerous for us all to be assembled here?" he asked.
"I suppose it is," Agad admitted, "but we've placed some extra precautions on the enchantments sealing Zzyzx. I won't go into specifics, but I'll just say that no one is likely to gather all five artifacts in the next hour, so we're relatively safe."
The Eternals still made no attempts at conversation.
"Not a talkative bunch, are you?" guessed Agad. "Come on, you should at least know each other's names."
"I'm Warren," Warren announced. "Formerly a Knight of the Dawn, but I sort of had to retire, since it's not a good idea for an Eternal to be on the front lines, if you know what I mean."
"I am known as the Sphinx," the Sphinx said, but Kendra guessed that everyone standing there knew exactly who he was.
"Je m'appelle Antoinette," Antoinette declared haughtily. For once, Kendra understood her.
Neither of the remaining men seemed eager to introduce themselves, so she stepped in. "My name is Kendra," she said. "I know I'm young, but I believe I can be as good at this as you guys are."
"Hear hear!" Warren enthused, clapping.
"You can call me Jim," said the shorter man. The taller, stronger man introduced himself as Eric.
They sat, once again, in silence, for a few minutes. Finally, Agad said, "You can leave now, and you'd best pack your bags, since we'll all be going our separate ways tomorrow. Congratulations," and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Eric rolled his eyes. "He always was one for dramatic exits."
"Well, I'm going to head back to the main house," said Warren. "I guess I'll see you all later." He walked out of the clearing with the statue and into the surrounding forest. A few moments later, Kendra could hear him swimming – actually swimming – to the mainland.
"I guess the naiads aren't going to drown Eternals," she muttered.
Antoinette and Eric left without another comment. Kendra and Jim stood together, alone in the clearing with the statue of the Fairy Queen.
"I guess there's no point in hanging around," Jim said awkwardly. He walked swiftly away.
The silence was comfortable to Kendra. Looking down, she realized that the fairy was still in her hand. "Hi," she whispered to her.
The fairy flew up to look Kendra in the eye. "Hello," she said.
"Do you have a name?" Kendra asked, then realized what a foolish question it was. Of course she had a name; she was just as intelligent as a human being!
The fairy laughed, a tiny tinkle of musical bells. "Yes, you may call me Gratiana. You don't want to be called anything other than Kendra, do you?"
"No, Kendra is fine," Kendra replied. "Do you, um, change into anything else?"
"Well, I don't like to show off, but…" the fairy trailed off and instantaneously turned into a beautiful bird with golden feathers.
"Wow, a phoenix!" Kendra cried. Gratiana fluttered her feathers, pleased with herself. "I didn't know that shape-shifters could turn into magical creatures."
"We usually can't," Gratiana said. "I'm not sure why I can, but I bet you had something to do with it. Are you really fairykind?" As she spoke, she transformed back into a fairy, but this time with pale aqua skin and dragonfly wings.
"Yeah, I am," replied Kendra.
The fairy bowed her head respectfully. "All of the fairies look up to you," she said. "There is only one creature we honor more."
"The unicorn?" Kendra guessed.
"Yes, yes!" Gratiana exclaimed. "We are blessed to have our very own Queen as one of those magnificent beings."
A breeze stirred the branches of the clearing. A large, puffy dandelion seed tickled Kendra's nose, making her sneeze.
"I think we should leave," she said. "It's getting late."
"That sounds good to me," Gratiana agreed.
The silver canoe was waiting for them when they reached the shore of the island. Kendra stepped in and Gratiana perched on her shoulder. The ride to the mainland was just as smooth as the ride to the island; they were there in seconds.
As Kendra stepped onto the smooth grass, she felt something brush her from behind. Even as Gratiana cried, "Look out!" Kendra reached behind her and grabbed her attacker in a wrestling hold, twisting his arm. The man fell to the ground but another came at her from the front, holding a burlap sack.
Gratiana transformed into phoenix again and scratched at the man's face with her claws. Too late, Kendra realized that the sack had not been meant for her, but for Gratiana. In one swift movement, her new friend was caught inside the bag and the man was tying it tightly.
While she watched this spectacle, the first man had crept up behind her again and grabbed her, pinning her arms to her sides. Kendra tried to cry out, but his other hand was firmly planted over her mouth. The man carrying the burlap sack reached into a pocket and pulled out what looked like a handful of sand. He threw the dust in Kendra's face, causing her to sneeze repeatedly.
Her eyelids instantly grew heavy. Even breathing seemed to be an effort. She struggled as one of the men threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, but it felt like she was moving through syrup. Eventually, she gave up fighting and lapsed into unconsciousness.
Author's note:
I am a bad, bad person… I put my other stories on hold and start writing something brand new! I can't even guarantee that this will be finished. And the first chapter ended up so long that any future chapters will look pathetically short by comparison. Oh well ;)
I usually feel like writing another chapter is a chore that I have to force myself to do, but I was eager to work on this one. It seems that whenever I start a story on paper it never gets finished, so I finally wrote this on the computer (a sadly unportable device), and other things ended up getting in my way. *headdesk*
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this, since I sure enjoyed writing it! Any reviews are, of course, greatly appreciated, and suggestions/critique are always welcome.