Of Fiends and Fire: Chapter 2
When the Girls arrived at Candracar, decked out in their Guardian forms, the Oracle sat waiting for them. His face was as serene as always, but his eyes reflected a grave concern. Beside him, on either side, were former Guardians Halinor and Yan Lin. Irma felt great comfort seeing Hay Lin's grandma seated there. The old lady had helped them through many trials before; surely she would know what to do to get them through this. Unfortunately, Yan Lin's face was just as grim, and Halinors wasn't any more reassuring. The lump that had been sitting in Cornelia's throat grew bigger as the idea that Yan Lin couldn't help registered. Only Will seemed to keep a cool head. She stood tall and proud, cradling an unconscious Taranee in her arms, facing the Oracle with a fiery determination in her hazel eyes. It was clear that Will wanted answers, and she was going to get them.
"Oracle, what's going on?" Will demanded. "What happened to our friends?" The Oracle sighed, drifting closer to the Keeper. Halinor opened her mouth to protest, but the Oracle silenced her with a wave of his hand.
"It's alright, Halinor," he said in his light, airy voice. "They deserve to know. But first, let's get the Guardians of Fire and Wind to their chambers. They could use a little healing. Yan Lin, Althor… Would you please…?" The two elders nodded and, taking Hay Lin and Taranee from the Guardians, left the hall.
"Now will you give us some answers?" Cornelia growled, placing her perfectly manicured hands on her hips. The Oracle took a deep breath before launching into an explanation.
"Things are not well in Candracar," he began grimly. "Someone broke into the fortress today. They snuck into the Hall of Elements and stole two of your five Aurameres. Judging by the way your friends reacted, I assume you could guess which two were taken."
"Taranee's and Hay Lin's…" murmured Cornelia.
"Exactly," replied the Oracle. "When their Aurameres were removed from the chamber, it upset the internal balance of their powers…"
"Making Taranee go cold and Hay Lin struggle to breathe," concluded Will.
"But what about Luba?" Irma snapped impatiently. "She's supposed to be the Keeper of the Aurameres. Why didn't she stop it? What kind of cat is she if she can't smell the rats she's supposes to keep out?" From the corner Luba hissed, stalking forward to confront Irma. The cat/woman and the Water Witch haven't always seen eye to eye. They were always shooting for a chance to provoke each other.
"I was on an important errand for Candracar and had to postpone my duties!" Luba growled. The Oracle waved his hand to silence her and she backed away, frustrated.
"Well, do you know who took them? If we knew, maybe we could track them down and recover the Aurameres." Leave it to Will to always think practically in times like this, Cornelia thought.
"I'll give you one guess," Irma mumbled, crossing her arms across her chest. Will's expression turned sour and Cornelia stared at the ground. Every girl was thinking the same thing, but only Halinor had the courage to voice it.
"Nerissa," she said gravely. "Nerissa has returned."
"But how?" Irma countered. "The Council stripped her of her powers. She's practically harmless now."
"Maybe she sent someone else," Will offered, "Someone who could get in and out without the Council Knowing."
"But who?" asked Cornelia. "Who's left for her to send?"
"She still has Miranda and Frost at her side," Halinor suggested, "And possibly Raythor."
"No," was Will's answer. "Frost and Raythor would make a scene of it, and even Miranda's not that inconspicuous. She must have a new set of eyes on the inside." The Guardians all nodded, lost in thought.
"You must discover who stole them," The Oracle said, interrupting the silence. "It is of dire importance that you recover the Aurameres and return them here at once. They are not meant to leave the fortress under any circumstances. If they are not returned by the Closing, I fear for you and your friends."
"Hold on!" Irma shouted. "What's 'the Closing' and why is it so important?"
"The Closing is a day where the main portals of the Veil open and close to mark the end of a Meridian year. In your world, you know it as a total lunar eclipse. The Aurameres stand to regulate the immense flow of magic coming from the Veil when it opens to until it closes. With two missing, the effects on both realms could be catastrophic."
"Catastrophic meaning…?"
"It could bring about an apocalyptic end to both Earth and Meridian."
"That's not good," Irma said with some sarcasm in her tone. Cornelia gave her one of the best shut up glares before speaking.
"We'll get those Aurameres back," she said. "Just allow us to wait until Taranee and Hay Lin recover."
"I'm afraid they won't be of much use to you," the Oracle said. "Since their orbs are not being regulated in the Chamber, their powers will be drastically weakened. They will be able to perform only minimal tasks until you return their Aurameres."
"So we go out, find the sneak who stole the Aurameres and bring 'em back." Irma spoke as if it was a crystal clear answer only she could see. "Problem solved. They can survive without their powers until we bring their Aurameres back, right?" It was meant to be a joke, but the Oracle answered with a sad look and silence, turning Irma's go-get-em attitude into a worried frown. "Right?" she asked again. "They're going to be okay?" Again, the Oracle said nothing. The lack of answers made Will scared and frustrated at the same time.
"Oracle," she said, "What will happen to them without their Aurameres?" Cornelia could hear the fear and desperation in her leader's voice, and it made her all the more uncomfortable.
"I'd hoped that this topic would not arise," the Oracle said, lowering his eyes so as not to meet the Guardians terrified gazes. "I regret to be the one to tell you this, but if you do not return the Aurameres by the Closing. There is a good chance that your two fellow Guardians may die."