h Chapter One g
October 6th, 3104
When the Towers of Taines fell six months ago, no one expected that our beloved Queen Delia would 'commit suicide' or that the evil and ruthless Prince and King of Zargo would launch an all-out war on our planet. But, with all that has happened the people of my planet had to look up to a new leader to lead and guide them to a new age of peace. All their hopes, dreams, prayers and their fears now rest on my shoulders. How I went from a Magician-in-Training to Queen is still about a thousand questions away. I still don't know what to expect from this considering our planet is still in ruins and yet the people I work with can still smile and laugh. Some of them lost everything… their family, friends, possessions, all they have left are the clothes on their backs. And no matter how much we all want to stop and cry, we go on because there are a lot of people that depend on us right now…
It all started on the quietest day of the year, the Day of the Living Dead. It is the only time of the year that we can visit with members of the family who have passed on into the world of the dead. I remember the day clearly… as if it were just yesterday. I woke up as usual and got dressed in my lavender-trimmed black robes and black clogs with my hair just thrown up into the usual ponytail. I went to the door and left my room closing the door behind me and then down the hall to the stairs and out into the Rose Garden. It was quiet and peaceful as it was when I first came to the palace with my mother. I haven't seen my mother in over… what has it been? Thirteen years now? Let me just say that it has been quite a while since I have seen her or the rest of my family.
I always stayed outside in the Garden for at least two hours tending to the flowers. Pulling weeds, watering the plants, sweeping the walkways, and a few other things in my routine. The Fountain in the center of the Garden had fish in it and sometimes if you sat on the edge of the fountain they would jump out and hit you in the back as if to say 'Please do not sit on my house.'
As I was walking back to grab something to eat from the huge kitchen something caught my eye. I went walking into a secret corridor without realizing it. The stairs led me up what seemed to be four flights of stairs and into a tiny room with a small writing desk and light in one corner and an easel and paints in another corner. It was like a secret hobby room. There was a small balcony with an open door and someone standing on the ledge guarded by a railing. It was a woman with fair skin and long dark hair that gently caressed her back. It was wavy and really shiny. Finally, sensing my presence she turned around to see who it was. Her bright green eyes sparkled in the double starlight and her face lit up knowing full well who I was.
"Ah… Karen, so you have found my hiding spot…" she softly spoke with gentleness to me. In all the years I have served under her, I have never seen her raise her voice once to me or anyone else for that matter. She was always quiet and never asked for more than a person could give. She never tried to get attention from anyone, not even her husband, Winholt, the Head Magician, who was stepping down from over twenty years of dedicated service to her. Rumor had it that he wanted to enjoy his married life while he had it to live still. Of course, rumors are rumors and should not be taken seriously.
"It was an accident… I saw an open door and I wanted to see where it led. I promise I won't tell anyone about it." I said urgently, almost afraid that I could get into trouble. I looked down at my feet and wondered about my punishment.
I heard a soft chuckle that turned to a giggle. I looked up and saw Queen Delia full out laughing.
"Oh, I don't care, Karen! I'd prefer that you know where I am so that if something happens you can find me. But, please, don't tell any of the others… that is my only request." She said, as a soft light danced in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen her laugh like that. And sadly it would be the last. After I had left the tower, I was on my way to the kitchen for a snack but then I was considering lunch. It was about half past the second star so it was nearing the first quarter of my day.
I had arrived in the kitchen and decided picolly bread and a new type of fruit salad called Delia Delight. It consisted of several of my favorite fruits and one vegetable garnish. Pink amasupps, purple rivotals, green Taine's fruit, blue loonix berries, and reddish-orange ton ton bells for the garnish. It was really colorful and quite tasty. It went very nicely with the picolly bread and the paqil water. After my lunch, I went to the cemetery to visit my grandmother, Marina; she was a noble lady so I guess that makes me nobility too, right? Well, not in this world let me tell you. In our kingdom, people had to earn their nobility. I was only an eighth of the way there. However, once I passed my class for the Apprentice Magician I would have been over three quarters there. But of course, the bombings finished that idea off.
I was in the Rose Garden when it happened. When the entire planet got turned upside down and inside out. I heard a whistle and then a thundering crash like the roaring sea into sharp jagged rocks but worse. I was standing near the fountain looking up at the stars when the crash happened. As I looked over to the star set of the first star I saw a foggy looking cloud rise up. Curiosity got the better of me so I walked to the edge of the garden and over the steep hill that overlooked the entire city edge.
As more and more crashes happened, I could hear the people scream out more and more for help. I was mesmerized by it all. The vast sea in the background and the smoky nuance with the star set behind the nightmare below me; it was all so beautiful and yet I couldn't snap out of it.
I stared out into the distance and I thought about what was happening. I brought myself to realize people were begging for help. At that point, I snapped out of it and as I turned to go in and get help two men were standing there watching the destruction happen with me. As I glanced back down to the city below me, I saw more people appearing and they had these weird looking machines; they shot projectiles of some sort. I looked back at the two men and looked them over.
The younger man was looking all over and then he noticed me. His eyes were light gray and his wind swept hair was dark brown. He looked irritated and his strong jaw spoke lightly, but his strong broad shoulders said something different. His armor and his boots had a shiny metal look and the black cloak covered his armor. A sword hung at his side while in his hand he held a throwing dagger.
The older of the two glanced over at me and I could feel his eyes pierce through my clothes and down to the skin. He had a viscous look about him. It was almost as if he were trying to kill everything with his eyes. He had armor too, and also a sword at his side. His eyes were so black and mean, just looking at him terrified me. The wind blew through his salt and pepper hair as he turned to look at me more closely.
"Who are you?" the young man asked, stepping towards me. He looked irritated to have to be here, almost as if he had better things to do.
"Shouldn't I be asking you? I live here at the palace… In fact, who are you? What is happening to my planet?" I asked, feeling very brave for no particular reason. And as if to prove I wasn't scared of him I took a step forward to him, which was the wrong thing to do.
The older man came at me and pinned me up against a tree, holding me there, as he asked me yet again, "Who are you, damn it! We mean no games. I want answers." His eyes turned darker if it was possible at this moment. Now, I was so terrified almost ready to die from fright.
"My name is Karen Mutinex. As I said, I live here at the palace as a servant. I'm learning a new trade and then I'll be leaving… Happy?" I said, glaring right back him. "Now what about my question?"
He stopped and considered it. "I am King Zachary of the planet Zargo and we are here to teach your planet that you should have never messed around with us. We mean business!" As he said this he threw me to the ground and pulled out his massive sword.
"Princess!" I heard people screaming 'princess' from the garden entrance, which was blocked off by a force field, and I looked over to see several servants and guards trying to get through to save someone. But as I thought about it they were coming to save me. When did I become a princess? That was impossible! I couldn't be a princess. I was a servant. …Right?
"You won't touch her. I forbid it, Zachary!" a strong set of arms pulled me through a closing warp hole to over where all the servants were gathered at the entrance. It was Nathan, the Assistant Head Magician. He was taking Winholt's place as the Head Magician and now was looking for a proper assistant. His dark eyes and hair was his signature look with everything. His hair was naturally spiky and his dark blue eyes always glittered. Today, he wore black robes with blue trim and his silver pendant had a crescent moon with a shooting star. He pulled me to my feet and summoned another warp hole. This one took us to the Queen's study, where a very stressed out Queen and Head Magician stood talking over several maps trying to figure out what to do for their nearly destroyed city and how to rescue and save the lives of the innocent people below. The air was volatile and it was unnerving to see this scene unfold.
"Hello Queen Delia… It's been a while since we have seen each other but thankfully it will be our last." An icy yet unmistakable voice said from the doorway of the study. All eyes shot towards the voice and my heart nearly stopped. It was the King of Zargo, Zachary, Father of the Darkness, as many called him because of his ruthless nature. He had been the start of a galactic war that has been raging since before I was born in the year 3071, and it is all due to his greed. He conquered one planet and then he couldn't stop. The planet of Torrapom was his first victim and then he conquered Padamare, Pavalixis, Bellatix, and then he wanted to have an alliance with Mazifik, which the Queen had promptly told him no. We were already part of an alliance against Zargo with Erosa, Erosy, Leikitin, Malmanar, and also, Lenexia.
"How have you been enjoying your downfall, Delia? Not quite what you expected it to be was it? I thought you might like to go out with a bang… Hehehe… Of course, since you have no children, no successor, that means this planet will be added to my collection." He spoke softly but it was so heartless it sent chills up and down my spine.
"That's what you think, Zachary. I have something in store for you… It will be you who is going to go out with a bang." Delia said glaring at him. I could see the hate in her eyes and it was there in her stance.
Without realizing what I was doing, I was already next to Zachary and my dagger was out and piercing his neck. He let out with a holler and pushed me away into a wall. Catching my balance, I dashed right back at him and swung my hands and feet at him just trying to hit him and knock him down. A few of my swings hit him but they didn't phase him. He pushed me away again and then I felt arms around my middle to hold me back. His guards had arrived and I was caught. Though I tried to fight, it was of little use. Two men had grabbed me, four more men had wrestled Nathan to the ground and at least ten men had Winholt and Delia surrounded. The king laughed at this situation. He knew he had won over us but I wasn't going to let him win at any cost. I had prepared to sacrifice myself to save the Queen.
As I thought quickly about spells and things to say, Delia and Winholt were captured and bound.
"Stop it you lousy King!" I shouted just trying to get him to look over at me and forget about the Queen.
"What is it you, meddling wench!" he said, obviously irritated with me. He turned around and I felt his eyes pierce through me and into the depths of my soul. "I'm going to fix you, you meddlesome brat. Kill her!"
"Let go of her! Mazifikian Guards! Come to my hand and protect us!" Winholt yelled, straining against the guards weight.
Nothing happened and Zachary laughed at us. "You stupid Mazifikian Nobles and Royalty. You have no brains or power. Bring the Queen to me." He said almost doubling over from laughing so much.
I felt a fire run through me all over. It was the most odd feeling I had ever had. And all of a sudden I felt I could take on the world by myself. I threw the guards off of me and pulled a large sword out of midair. My black robes melted off of me and I had a new outfit with a black, angel-wing sleeve, form fitting dress and some classy black pumps. Black gloves wrapped up my forearms and my hair did not change.
"What the hell? Seize her!" Zachary yelled at his men unsure of what was going on.
I don't really remember anything after that but from what I was told Zachary finished what he came to do. He killed Delia and Winholt, destroyed most of the planet, killed many innocent people and there was no way to fix it… at least that was how it appeared.
I woke up on our planet's moon, Taurameras. I was among the few thousand that survived through the explosions and the warfare in general. I sat up and saw so many people being tended to by nurses and doctors that had been available or that weren't killed. Those who weren't badly hurt were doing all they could to help the staff save the mortally wounded. I wasn't hurt so bad thankfully. I had a cut on my arm and a few smaller cuts on my legs and the rest of my body. Nothing a quick spell couldn't fix.
I rolled over on to my knees and off the small cot and stood up and it was mind-boggling the amount of people there were on my planet. And I thought, this is the chance that I need to take to help them.
"Mazifikian guardians, come to my hand! Release and disperse your medical aid!" I shouted as loud as I could. So many eyes were fixed on me, I wanted to run and hide but I had to help somehow.
"Karen!" Nathan shouted, running over to me and hugging me tight. "It wont work here… I've tried already. We are alone without the guardians here."
"I refuse to believe that!" I said, pulling out my purple necklace. It glowed so brightly. And I had the sudden feeling to try to summon a guardian again. I had to try once more. Before I gave up completely…
Stepping away from Nathan and away from my little cot, I held my hands out with the necklace weaved through my fingers and said, "Guardians, I know you can hear me. Answer my plea and obey. Come to my hand and help my people. Bend to my will and appear!"
In a blinding flash of light, three guardians appeared before me. They were all women and they looked angry. The center guardian was wearing an all white flowing dress with little white sandals. She had pretty gray eyes and her medium length hair was white too, but she looked to be just a little older than I was.
The guardian to my left was wearing an all blue fitted dress with a light blue pearl-like necklace. Her blue pumps had cute little blue bows on the toe piece, which matched her dress. Her short hair was such a dark blue it looked black except for the shine of it was an electric blue.
The last guardian was more of an oddball I guess you could say. Her long hair was bright orange and her eyes were a teal green but her out fit was a dark magenta with an orange sash. The outfit was like a jumper except it had a skirt that went to her mid-thigh. She had little magenta ankle boots and bracers on her forearms.
"This had better be good, young magician, else you will cease to exist…" The guardian in white growled at me. Her lively gray eyes grew dark and dim with anger.
"It is important! I wouldn't summon you if I had someone else I could turn to… We have been attacked by another planet, you see. Our leaders have all been murdered and we have a lot of people that need medical aid as well as food and shelter. I need to take a group of people back to Mazifik so we can bury the dead and start fixing our home. I'm asking for your help. Please guardians I won't ask anything of you again… I just need this… not for me but for them, please!" I truthfully pleaded, as tears spilled over my cheeks, for them. What this has done to me already was enough to break me but I knew I had to be strong for them. They needed a leader and as inexperienced as I was I had to be strong no matter what was thrown at me.
The guardians looked around themselves and saw the faces of all the victims and survivors of the invasion.
"Very well! We will be happy to help you!" the oddball guardian piped up quickly before the other two could get a chance to say anything.
They just stood looking at their sister with their jaws dropped in astonishment and the look of 'what are you doing?!'
"My name is Miruka. My sisters Rochelle and Shiarta will be glad to help you all. First, though let's take care of the medical attention. Come to me, Healing winds. Dance and swirl about the injured all around us and heal them quickly!" she said spinning in place, waving her arms about. Out of nowhere a funnel shape wind drifted down from the fluffy white clouds overhead and blew flower petals and wind around. The people who were injured previously now looked good as new and started standing up and moving around.
"Karen, you truly have a gift…" Nathan whispered, as he came over to me and hugged me tightly. "Not even I could summon the Guardians when I was at my pinnacle of power. And you are but an apprentice! It must be as she had said before…"
"It wasn't that hard, Nathan… But I do feel… different… I don't feel like I'm just a servant any more. I feel like I now have a greater purpose and what it is I just don't know yet. However, I hope if anything, I can fix our destroyed home first." I said. I had the sad feeling of letting go of something. But I had the feeling of a new embracement for myself; and the responsibilities I now had.
"Well, whatever happens, I'll be right here with you every step of the way…" Nathan said, hugging me again.
"Isn't that sweet? Too bad that she won't even see her planet getting restored!" said the most dreaded voice I could have imagined from behind us.
"Oh no…" I breathed turning to face Zachary again. I had to give it to him; he sure knew how to kill a moment! But, now I had to prove to him that I wasn't going to run away. I was going to stand and fight and if I died, that was a small sacrifice for my people.
"That's right little girl, turn and face me. Be braver than your grandmother was. She was a coward and a worthless Queen. She is better off dead!" Zachary growled at us meanly. What was he talking about though? Grandmother? I am a servant! Hello! Servants aren't related to royalty… are they?
"What are you talking about? The queen wasn't my grandmother. She would have told me so. I am merely a servant; serving my planet." I said boldly, stepping up towards him.
"Really now? That's not what I heard. Isn't that right, Nathan?" He laughed at me. The wicked smile and glint in his eye made me want to break down and cry. A secret was going to be released to me. Of course it was in front of all these people, no less. It was a scandalous thing; humiliation at the very least. I felt my cheeks flush and I turned to Nathan in hopes that this was just a really mean joke.
"Tell me this is a joke, Nathan. Tell me that my whole life wasn't just a lie." I said, trying not to cry. I was trying so desperately not to lose control of myself. Trying in vain as usual.
"I wish I could… You are not a servant, Karen. But, you are, in fact a member of the royal family. Let me explain how this happened before you say that you hate me." He paused a moment. A look of dread on his face said enough to me. "When you were four years old, your mother, Princess Monica, brought you to our palace. She and the late queen had been estranged for many years. But the queen always had faith that she would be able to reconcile with Monica. As we know now it would never happen. Monica left you in the Rose Garden to play and went to straight to Delia's study where she kindly told Delia she wanted you to be raised as an heir to the throne. But she also said she wanted you to be raised with responsibilities so she said a servant before a princess. As the years passed we watched you grow into a fine young lady. A very mature and responsible young lady that I am very sure that she would have been proud of. I know for a fact though that Delia and Winholt were proud of you. After you turned eighteen they were going to present you to the world… and tell you about this. However… I can safely say that I am proud of you, Karen. For your strength, bravery, love of everything… So I apologize for the lies but it was supposed to enable you in a much better way. You don't have to forgive us, but just know that we love you… Princess."
I was crying by this point. I had no idea that I really was royalty. It had been a rumor for years. But it was a truthful rumor… I had always brushed it off.
To my surprise I heard some one start clapping their hands and then the entire crowd joined in. They started chanting 'Princess' and I cried even harder. Nathan's strong arms came and hugged me tight.
"Enough! This is sickening… Ready to join your family?" Zachary snapped at me. He pulled out his sword and held it up to us.
"Never!" I said angrily, whipping my tears off my face. I wanted to beat something from the anger I had inside. Lied to for most of my life and knowing that my mother just dumped me off because she didn't want me just enraged me. But as I thought about it, it may have been for the better.
"Well too bad, Princess. Your time is up!" He yelled charging at me.
"Oh, I don't think so!" Miruka said, holding her hand up. Zachary stopped instantly in place. "Who do you think you are, Mister? You can't just kill our master. You have to go through all of us!" She said brightly. Rochelle and Shiarta stepped forward and also held their hands out. Zachary disappeared into thin air after that.
"Thank you…" I whispered, looking down at my feet.
"For what?" Nathan asked surprised.
"For the truth." I said, smiling. "It means more to me than a life of lies… Now, let's get started, shall we?"
[End of Chapter One]