Saioko
To Come Back Home.
Berill openned her eyes. All she saw was a deep blackness, lined with red stripes and filled with strange motion, like it was simething living. The princess looked around - darkness surrounded her, there was neither ceiling, nor flap. It scared Berill most that she couldn't see herself, her body. She wasn't able to touch her hand either.
- How can it be? I must be dreaming…
Berill tryed to restore the most recent events. Yesterday she with all her family was on christenings of prince Endimion, who was rumored to be her fiance. Well, that was true. Then there was a hunt, and a visit to a small castle on the vary border. They decided to stay there for the night and it caused an improvised ball. In the middle of the holiday guards have found out that the castle was surround by the wild horde from the western lands. So all the guests were asked to stay in their rooms "for a while".
But what happened later?
Berill run through the endless ladders: the room, in which she was hidden, was the in the most depth of the castle. Her title of princess put these provincials in the condition close to shock. Add to it impenetrable confidence that a princess of the southen kingdom is something gentile, weak and defenseless. Berill herself was nothing like that on the contrary she was risky, curious and presumptuous a bit. Otherwise she would stay in her peaceful room, rather then race to the walls so that she could see all by herself.
The last stairwell led her to the platform near the tower. Bright light blinded her for a moment: night was over. Battle rose up on the walls, but in general castle was still free from battle.
- Hey, that's their princess! Nice surprise. Get her now!
Berill looked over herself, trying to figure out, how could they guess her identity: leaving the room, she tryed to dispose all embellishments and signs of her royality and put on simple leather shirt. But on forth finger there was shineing a thin, nearly imperceptible ring. Such graceful and expensive things were available only for noble and rich families.
Down the stairway she heared a loud crash: trying to reach her, attackers knocked guards off the narrow passage and lower stairs. Scared girl rushed upstairs. Loud patter was approaching fast. On the last platform she stoped seeing she couldn't run anymore. Berill turned around - first of her persecutors had just turned over the last corner. He had no time to stop, seeing that stairway ended unexpectedly. Berill tryed to dodge him, but with little space to move was knocked off the platform. Sensation of a short flight and pain all over her body was last things she could recall.
- But then I must be… No!! - she shouted - It can not be! I can see, can feel. I'M NOT DEAD!!!
"Where is your body? Where is the rest of your world? What is the darkness that surroubd you? It was impossible to survive. So that is your afterlife wold".
- No!!! - prinsess was ready to panick.
- Don't be so scared. You are still alive, - the low feminine voice filled the silence. It was confident and calm, almost indifferent, - But your live now depends only from your choice, Berill.
- Who are you? What are you talking about? I don't understand…
- Yes, you do. Right, your body is dead now, but I can give you a second chance. You can serve me - Great Queen Metallia, or die in vain.
- So you are that mysterious "Mistress" who leads all this hords!
- Glad that you know about me, little one. It'll be easier for you to choose right.
- I don't…
- People are loosing now. I forced them to fight with themselfs. Soon they wouldn't be able to defend. Then I'll take the most powerful of them under my command and overwhelm the Moon Kingdom and Silver Illusion Crystal.
- And what about me? - Berill knew, it wasn't right thind to remind her useless to the Queen Metallia if she wants to live a little longer. But she could do nothing with it.
- It's not up to you! - Metallia seemed to be very angry before she could remember she was talking to a child, - Ig general, my army needs a leader and I'm not going to spend my energy on some thing like creating a human body for myself. I offer you to rule them, transmiting them my ordeers first. If you'd succeed you may count on something more. But if you'll try to betray me!.. However, I'm sure you'll never want to do that.
It was a hard decision; on the one hand, accepting the offer of the Great Queen meant to betray her people, her parents, to serv their enemy; but, on the other hand if she will be dead, she won't be able to do anythind, but alive princess will have a chance to escape. She have to make this decision all by herself, there was no one to help her. She didn't want to betray her parents, did not want to lead the war against them, but desire to live and crazy hope won. Princess decided.
- I agree to serve You, Great Queen Metallia.
- Very well. But I don;t need a child. You have to grow up now. More over, your body was destroyed by that fall I couldn't save it too.
The dark energy gathered around Berill. It took the different forms, sorting images of different living beings. Finally it has formed the body of woman in her mid 20'th. Her face was still unclear, eye, hairs, lips quickly changed, selecting more suitable image. Her clothes changed at the same time: cloth, fashions and colour charges, its length. But in all this chaos several details remain untouched. Heavy diadem figure's forehead, earring and bracelet on it's right arm, all embellishment there were inlaid with large blue-green beryls. Flashing of bmages slowed, energy scatter and in the centre of a half-dark hall - now there was a floor - remain a high woman. Energy gathered itself again, forming a full-length mirror. Berill looked at herself with interest: waist-long dark red hairs, long violet dress, heavy embellishments.
- Do you like it?
- It's perfect, My Queen. But, can I remind You that I'll need not only body but many other things as well.
- With magic you are able to create all you need by yourself. But you will not live on Earth anymore. You have all this world.
Berill felt like she was raised into the air. The Darkness thicken once again, and Berill was hit by cool wind. But she had no time to be frighten. Suddenly princess, no queen now, was in the midair, surrounded with some shield. She was flying over the joyless country: thick, gloomy wood, black rivers and lakes, gigant flovers of the most horrible types. It seemed, life was impossible in this world. But then she saw a light smoke, like in small villages back on Earth.
Beside it reallty turn out to be the small village, and its inhabitants were a bit like humans. But only in distance. They were youmas. The Ancient legends it was said that many years ago they were fighting with humans, but there were all destroyed. So, some of them survived here. It was good.
The ball with Berill inside lowerred in the central square of the village and disappeared. For a some time, nobody did notice it, but in a several minutes a huge crowd gathered in the far-end of the village. When they approached - it was not easily for Berill to stay calm - it became clear that most of them were armed. And hardly they were going to make the triumph in honour of their new queen.
- - Who are you, stranger? Why do you came to our peaceful village? - one youma, more brave or just a village-head, begun.
- I'm Berill, and I represent the power of the Great Queen Metally in your world. À from this minute I'm also your queen.
The crowd fell silent and another youma stepped forward, this time well armed and obviously having combat magic.
- Metallya can not rule us, its does not exist. And you shall go now and never come back. Otherwise you will die.
Hearing this, Berill desided not to spend time on explanations. She outstretched her right hand, summoning her new magic abilityes. Youma flashed up with pink light, and when it went out, there was only a small heap of dust. A gust of wind caught its and scatterred without trace. Rest youmas have prefered not to feel the fate.
Berill sat in throne hall and satisfied looked over the crowd of youmas before throne. She had to do a lot of work to bring this world in her subservience and make it more or less pleasant to live in. But there was a lot of things she either couldn't do or they went not in the way she expected them to. Creating palace, Queen tryed to reconstruct her native castle, but both buildings have little in common. However, that was much better. After all and she herself changed a lot.
She didn't aged in those years and her appearance was the same, except the long fangs, which made her look more frightening. But it was her soul, that changed completely. Withing dayly routin and wars she failed to notice when did she lose last that remaned of little redheaded girl, who loved all living beings. That child really died that day, over 20 years ago on the walls of a bordering fortress. That Berill couldn't be other than this world itself: tough, nearly cruel, ready to chastise for most slightest disobedience and numerous almost unbelievable rumours, surrounding her name.
Several times braviest youmas asked if she was a part of Metallya's energy. Queen never said it was wrong, even more scaring the unruly tribes, bringing them under power of new kingdom. Now this army greatly exceed powers of the Earth.
Berill had prepared for the war logn ago, and was only waiting Metallya's order. Suddenly she felt a familliar energy. A dark cloud thickene in the hall, its energy made all youmas fall on their knees. Berill went down fron her throne and bowed.
Energy mowed a little and formed a strange figure over the roial throne.
- Quin Berill, citizens of Dark Kingdom. Once you were exorcised of the beautiful Earth. Humans tried to destroy you, they send you to this dieing world. You survived. Now it is our turn. The Earth will be ours! - before than youmas could rose with knees, energy once again scatter, leavind beside throne scepter, inlaid with berilles.
Queen Berill went to the throne and took the scepter in her hands. Her body filled with unprecedented power, she understood that her former magic was nothing in contrast with this. Obviously, youmas felt the same as they were mistrustfully exchanging glances before throne.
Berill didn't held the scepter anymore, it floated in the air in front of her. Restoring in memories a plan of approach, Queen began to give orders.
The Earth will pay for years, spent by her in this gloomy world. She will avenge ones who left a little girl in trouble, who allowed her to die. Now she'll return and take her place, place of queen.