Chapter 6

Rochelle

So it's just Arkarian, Ethan and I in his chambers, which I've just been informed is now is living quarters because of the fallen Citadel, and I have to admit he took it better than I thought he would.

As soon as I walked through the cave entrance, he just stood there looking at me with his mouth agape. No yelling or swearing or fainting. No tears or hallelujah's, not even a 'What the hell?' All he did was stand there and stare at me, then stare some more. Finally he said,

"Ummmm, well then… Ethan, you know I have to ask. Is this one of your Illusions? Because you can't bring her back, you know?" And I thought he knew everything.

"No Arkarian, at least I don't think she is. I thought you might be able to tell me that. It… umm, I mean she says she's real." Haven't we been through this already?

It took about an hour for Arkarian to finally figure out the truth, which is that I am reals so I hate to say it, but 'I told you so', and even then he couldn't believe it because it seemed so impossible. I quote that from his own mouth. So then I started to tell him about Lorien, but I regretted it as soon as my mouth formed that name. Arkarian's face visibly paled as I uttered the name he had been wanting to forget. I didn't want to hurt him with the memory of his deceased father, but I have to tell him the message, I promised Lorien.

"Arkarian, I know it's hard to hear his name, but he is the one who brought me back. He gave me a message to give to you, as well as Lady Arabella, Isabel and Matt and the rest of The Named," There I told him in the best way that I could. Now it's his turn to decide if he wanted to hear it or not. I still just can't believe I was dead for 3 months. I didn't even notice the time go by. I thought only about a week, not three fudging MONTHS. Good lord, oh hang on Arkarian is less pale. I think he is ready to reply.

"What is-" At least he's trying. His voice just broke from the strain of not showing any emotion. Good old Arkarian. "What is the message?" Ok, here we go. Actually it would be easier on both of us if I just showed him.

"I will show you," and with that I tried to recall the message Lorien gave me. Word for word.

"Rochelle, if I may ask of you one favour?"

"Of course you can, Lorien," I remember the scene for Arkarian. My eyes shut in concentration as I try to recall everything.

"When you get back, I would like you to give a different message to certain people. The first to Lady Arabella, tell her –" No wrong message, I'll have to fast forward a bit.

"– then to my son, tell him I am so proud. I am proud of the man he has become and I hope for him and his soul-mate to live a long stress-free life, but I know that that will never happen so I just wish for him to pull through any obstacle that comes his way. Tell him to stay strong no matter what. People depend on him for a lot of things and he would be letting people down if he fell apart. I want you to tell him that he needs to understand I had to die for Lathenia to die as well. I am proud to die as a warrior and I need for him to understand that there is no other way I would prefer to die. He needs to get over it and quickly. Now I don't have enough time to give him more in this message. I still have other people to give messages to. And there isn't enough time to give the other people their messages if I keep going, so please just tell him this one last thing; tell him that no matter what he did I loved him with everything I had, and I will always love him and look down upon him. Also that I am so proud of the man he is today and always will be proud no matter what. Things happen for a reason, you just have to figure out the reason. Now for Isabel–" There that was Arkarian's message. I can't let him see Isabel's cryptic message. Seriously I didn't understand a word of it.

When I looked up I expected so see a teary man. I mean I started to cry when Lorien gave me those messages. It was so heartfelt, yet when I looked up I didn't see a man getting ready to break down. What I saw was a man shrugging of his loss, as if he understood and was ready to move on. Not to forget, but to know that it happened for a reason and he could come to terms with it. Seeing Arkarian like that made me want to cry. I don't think I could be that strong, but I do understand that Lorien wanted Arkarian to understand and move on and he did. That's what got me. He did exactly what his father said. That would take real strength. Oh shoot, Arkarian heard my thoughts, I can tell. He is looking at me with glittering eyes, as if saying thank you.

You're welcome, but it was my pleasure. I repaid your father for letting me once again live. I sent this thought his way. All he did was smile and return Ethan's embrace, then over to me and give me a bone-crushing hug. I couldn't stop the tears from falling, stupid, stupid, stupid Rochelle. You are meant to be thick-boned, hard-headed and tough, now I have tears rolling down my face as Arkarian steps back and Ethan takes his place. I can't help it, what just happened was very emotional. I'm guessing Ethan got the drift of it because he has tears welling in his eyes too.

"Arkarian, your father told me to tell you that you should keep that message to yourself, for the others he has messages for will probably keep their's to themselves too." That was the very last thing he told me to tell the specific people he had messages for; to keep their messages for themselves because only they should know.

I made sure to keep my mind open when I thought that.

I have to admit he looked a bit peeved at first, as if he wanted to know the others messages because his father was the one who gave them, but then his facial expression changed into one of understanding. So I knew, I knew, that he wouldn't give Isabel or Matt, or Lady Arabella a tough time about their messages. Even though I already knew he wouldn't to Isabel, but he might've to Matt and Arabella because he wanted to know more about what his father's last words were.

And just then, just as I was about to open my mouth to say something… anything, to fill this silence, Arkarian said,

"I'll send a message to Neriah and Matt saying that they should get here for an emergency meeting. I'll get them to get Jimmy, Shaun and Dillon first though. Isabel will have to arrive later, for she is 3 hours away," Damn, I wanted to have some alone time with Ethan before the others had to know I'm back and before we all had to talk. I see Arkarian has read my thoughts again as he sends a smirk my way while saying,

"You'll have plenty of alone time later, Rochelle, for now everyone has to know you're back as well as Marduke. Then you can give out the needed messages. Agreed?" I can't really not agree, can I?

"Agreed," and with that he sent a message to Neriah and Matt, telling them to get the others and arrive at his chambers as soon as they could.

I could tell something was wrong as his face scrunched up with worry, so I decided to tune in and catch the last of their conversation.

"Isabel had another vision, she said it was a repeat of Rochelle's death. I think she's lying, but then again, she did take Rochelle's death harder than the rest of us, except Ethan of course. She blames herself for not being able to save her. Which I think is stupid. But she insists that it was her fault as she saw it happen before it actually did so she should have been able to stop it from happening, then she could have stopped Ethan from breaking down. I know she took it hard, but I think she was lying. The vision she had was incredibly long, as if there was more than one. Then I followed her outside and heard her throwing up in the alleyway trashcan. Obviously she saw something either disturbing or heartbreaking for her to react that way. She lied to me and I want you to find out the truth. Please keep this to yourself though, Arkarian. She'd kill me if I actually said this to anyone."

Well, that was… not what I was expecting to hear at all. This is bad. I mean I haven't ever really been close to Isabel, but I think we would have been good friends if not for the whole Order/Guard thingie. I don't want her to suffer and now that I am back, I hoped we could be friends.

"I'll try Matt, I worry about her too you know." With that last thought, Arkarian looked at us again and produced three of his hand-carved stools, waiting to be sat on.

As I made myself comfortable, Arkarian cleared his throat and calmly said,

"Well now all we do it wait." But he used to his advantage that I was a Truthseer whilst Ethan was not and thought to me,

"Rochelle, I know you heard that. Please keep it to yourself, otherwise you might have two pissed off siblings on your trail."

And I knew that wasn't an empty threat. Isabel would be on me like a fly on a newly laid cow pat. I had to keep this vision thing to myself, even if it killed me. Yet had I known then that I wouldn't have to… it would be known soon enough. Only time would tell.