Chapter 12: The Castle in the Shadows
The winds from the North were strong, as if the Owl God Shad were using his powers to manipulate the air currents… Now Barran probably thinks so as not all of her comrades are as reserved when it comes to the Guardians. The Daytime may be here, and bold fatigue is felt throughout the group, but… ever since visiting Nya, all they can agree on is not giving up and they have flown this long and Barran does not know how they could be so… enduring when she feels like she has given up.
Since leaving The North and it's cold weather, dark clouds have appeared, the weather looking a little worse than the norm and the Sea of Hoolemere seems very unsteady with choppy seas below, crashing into the rocky shore of The Beaks with high impact, sending the water high into the air. It is unsettled as the goddess' mind and she hasn't been thinking so straight because of the lack of sleep.
"I can't do it… I just can't… I just don't know why they chose me when I am useless."
"That's a load of racdrops, Barran Lynai, and you know it. You were gifted with this power because they believe you can make a real change to the world, and I believe it too… This is not just about saving the world and you know it… You are sixteen and just "decide" to rebel against all that you ever know and you don't have a plan of what the sprink you will do after this is deed, this DUTY of yours as a goddess to defend the world, is done! You are not dependant on HIM anymore after what I have seen and if you're going to run away like this with your friends… you need a plan."
"Well, I've actually planned it all out… Well, Boron and I did one night…"
"…And I just don't know any more now." Barran thinks to herself… that conversation still in her mind and just brimming up relevance twenty years later when the life that she built has dramatically changed because of one event she took harder than her husband and to this day she still goes to Josh's room and thinks he's still there
"I hope we're not too late…" Digger says, breaking some unnerving silence about the group since this weather started
"We won't…" Soren assures, before turning to the goddess, "How long until we reach Shadow Pass?"
"Only a matter of hours…" Barran mutters distantly, after Soren had gotten her attention, "…If the winds keep like they have been."
"I read the scroll." Gylfie mentions, "It is in the shadow of a shadow of a shadow and I figured out that Shadow Pass, but what would be the rest of it."
"We'll have to figure it out when we get there." The goddess answers, sighing, as she doesn't feel like talking right at the moment, "Now… It's not going to be very full of light there… so we'll probably need a torch at times... Especially at night."
They fly over the sea cliffs and they have reached the mainlands of the other sea bound kingdom (state, as it is only an extension of the main kingdom a lot like Tyto Forest with Rosewood) of land. One that is indeed owned by the Pure Ones although it remains a place where they do not remain involved with no more than the Guardians are involved with the affairs of their mainlands outpost base in Silverveil, and they're rather a miniature kingdom state in its own entirety. And although they are away from the sea, the storm clouds still follow and the thunder rumbling above her head is a sure sign that something terrible is on the horizon… and she prays Glaux had better know what he is doing then if he's going to sit idly. Because is it clear as the day that she doesn't… At least anymore in her own life that is. If this is as difficult as her life after Josh had left, impartial alcoholism and her marriage right now being in shambles, she only hopes that only she will perish to spare her the pain of failure… Nevertheless, the guilt she would have if any of the now first-year Guardians behind her, who are about her age when she first assumed her goddess duty, die in the line of fire when this is not just the Guardians and the Pure Ones in a petty fight no more…
On the Tyto-Rosewood/Ambala boarder meanwhile, Pure Ones are on guard as they had been camped there for the daylight hours. Knowing that is when the Rosewood Owls have that much security on the daylight hours, it would only take one to call the army and their mission would be over as soon as they'd arrive if they would decide to continue on. They work through the map of this French region of the owl kingdoms (Ambala and Northern Tyto Forest (Rosewood)) and had worked out a new route that would only work at nightfall at the change of guard to the night patrols.
Kludd hasn't been the one to sleep, just inner paranoia of being in one of the most, as quoted by Morin "Painstakingly military kingdoms beside Ga'Hoole", really turns him off sleeping until they're safe and he keeps his sword by his side. The Ambalans have a strong military within their kingdom; even the royal family of that kingdom are highly trained fighters (from looking at Autumn Kin, Princess of Ambala, and now her husband, both of who is are Guardians and rybs). They are vying for second place against their cousins in the Kingdom State of Rosewood, on the top of the unofficial "hardest enemies" list. Nyra sleeps comfortably snuggled up to her husband, Kludd wanting to be on guard if something happens and in between two high-standing military kingdoms, there could be trouble at any time and in his mind, he is not dying now.
And they only have to be there a few more hours anyway, thankfully, as it is encroaching darkness over these lands, though the weather isn't exactly the best now since there are some serious clouds gathering overhead, making things a little nerving already, just as there have been strong wind currents around and the outlook for some serious thunderstorms…
"My lord." A scout flies up
"Quiet." Kludd demands quietly, nodding his head toward Nyra who stirs a bit "Now what is it?"
"The Guard are almost ready to change in Rosewood; they will be changed by dawn." The scout reports
"Dismissed." The king says
The scout swiftly leaves and Kludd looks to Nyra and feels kinda guilty that he'll have to disturb her. She looks at peace with the world when he watches her sleep, like nothing is bothering the sweet flower of the kingdom and diamond of the Pure One Crown. But she'll understand why, because they're right between two places where they could be killed easily and then who would lead the leadership then? Elanore's too young never the less for if she had to become queen, she's only fourteen, nearly fifteen at least and Nyra would never burden her with it.
"Nyra… Nyra." Kludd whispers, shaking her slightly, receiving an agitated groan in response, "Wake up, we'll have to go soon."
"Kludd…" Nyra complains, "I'm tired, okay…"
"I know, but… I can't handle another minute between Ambala and Rosewood knowing if I let my guard down…" He replies, getting louder that she's awake, "Come on."
Crossing the border and flying north of the Rosewood, Nyra looks over to the Rosewood trees on the other side of a lake they are flying past, staring it down with a mixed glare. She has mixed feelings of Rosewood, mostly hatred, since Kludd almost died there twice over and not just that but in the past of it all as a general to that Rosewood Siege that they shamefully lost too, among other attempts of taking it over.
Nyra shakes her head, "Flying this close to their boarder is giving me the creeps…"
"If they dare challenge us when we're just flying past… They'll have another thing coming." Kludd grumbles with the same distain as his wife toward the Rosewood Resistance
"You will do as I say and find that orb now… Or I will make things even more difficult for you than being in your late twenties, childless and a mockery to your cause, OUR cause…" the voice she has been hearing in her head sneers, followed by her heartless cackle
The same constricting feeling comes to Nyra's chest again, chocking and finding it hard to breathe, abusing and manipulating her wrongly by almost killing her and she doesn't know why. She doesn't know why this is happening, as she starts losing control of her flying.
"You're going to be mine, descendant of Amara Purudyn… And your gift of beauty won't help you then, Nyra… It won't when you're mine…"
"Shut up…" Nyra barely breathes, feeling lightheaded to almost suffocation
"Is something wrong, love?" Kludd asks, concerned for his wife, as she is acting strangely all of a sudden
The constricting goes away and Nyra can breathe easy again, fixing herself up and acting as if nothing happened, "It's fine, my love… Nothing to worry about."
"…Okay then. I'll take your word for it." He says, turning back to face frontward, but still concerned none of the less
Glaux, Nya and Amara, the last three of all the living Owl Gods, have donned black outfits for Cheyenne's funeral the night after The Battle of Twilight Dawn. In a shrine at the base of the Ga'Hoole Tree, she is buried underneath dirt and stones that make up the flooring. Candles are lit and placed near a portrait and a wreath of buttercups is placed.
It has been one day since the battle that changed all odds, Cheyenne's sacrifice to destroy Mordecai was one too great, costing her own life when he had killed her… both had died that night and the forces became unstable during that fight. They have only been corrected now, but it is still reckoned to be unstable…
"She made the sacrifice for you, my lord…" Nya softly mentions, staring at the shrine, "Mordecai was bound to commit the treason if she didn't stop him."
"I know…" Glaux mutters, "Poor child… She was too young and nor a queen like was supposed to be. How could I be so… underestimating of Mordecai when even in death he was able to kill her? This was all my doing…"
"No…" the snowy goddess says, "Glaux… It-"
"YES IT WAS!" Glaux exclaims, losing his temper and frightening Nya, "ALL OF OUR ALLIES HAVE OR ARE DYING AND IT IS BECAUSE OF ME, NYA, AND MY STUPIDITY!"
He then looks to see Nya's face, looking like as if she will cry when she was only trying to help. That same look she had when he first met her and rescued her from Mordecai trying to kill her. Her beautiful dark blue eyes are something he fell in love and now he's only making things worse by the temper he has been concealing ever since this thing started and he promised himself he'd never yell at Nya, not ever and now…
"Nya… I'm so sorry." He swiftly apologises, taking her in a hug as she just gives way to her tears she has been hiding all night, "I'm sorry…"
She pushes away and storms off, not wanting to hear any of it and he just doesn't know whether to chase after the goddess or be pushed away. Then again she just needs some time… because it is all tearing away at the seams, and now that Mordecai is gone, what good will happen when the dark nights continues onward now as his widow will soon rage war with whatever they have left… and all he could ever blame is himself…
"My lord…?" Amara softly mutters, from where she sits kneeling over the wreath of buttercups
"Yes, Amara?" Glaux answers, kneeling beside the young woman, "Is something the matter?"
"I can't believe she's gone…" the white barn owl says sadly, blinking back tears, "What will happen to us now?"
"I don't know, child…" He replies before noticing something, "Amara, are you sickly, lass? You look a little on the pale side even for normal."
"I feel a little funny…" She says, feeling faint
"I think you should get some rest then lass." He says getting up, "It is better that we don't lose you than take any risks now would it."
The instant he takes the youngling goddess' wing, it glows white and it takes them both by shock, Amara mostly as her wings and markings start glowing and she doesn't know why. They usually never do this and when she huddles herself up frightened she accidently shoots a hole in the wall, barely missing the superior god.
"What did I do?!" Amara asks, frightened, "Did I hurt anyone; if I did I am so sorry… I didn't mean it."
Glaux chuckles, coming beside her, as much as she is an adult now, she is still as innocent and naïve as a young child, "Amara, it is alright… No one got hurt, but… That was Light Magic…"
"I did Light Magic…?" The goddess of beauty says to herself, befuddled, "…But how?"
"Well, you've developed Light Magic abilities. You have a pure heart, my dear Amara and I guess these powers lie within you all along, like your starsight gift." He explains, helping her to her claws
"But… I don't know how to use them and… I could hurt someone!" She exclaims, worried
"I'll teach you how to use them, it might take time, but… gifts should be nurtured and as long as you stay good I'll never regret teaching you." The superior deity answers
"I would never be evil, goddess promise." Amara swears with her wing on her heart
"We'll have to start when I get back, okay." Glaux says, receiving a nod from his now pupil, "Now I think you should get some rest anyway, okay. You almost scared the life out of me and almost shot my head off if I wasn't careful."
"I'm sorry." Amara says, "I didn't mean to do that."
"I know, lass." Glaux says, "I know."
With a flaming touch the only light within the darkness of the abandoned base… A hole is made in the ground and a box is placed within it with no more than his powers, under the watchful eye of his companion, whom she felt as if it is her duty to not hold grudges. After it is all done, it is buried in the ground and hidden forever, as none will ever tell in the name of protecting the three realms and the forces that keep her together.
"In this shadow may this unholy artefact stay forever and all eternity to never be used by the wrong of claws and impure of hearts." Nya mutters
"If it hopes so… IF it stays hidden for as long as time will last and if it doesn't…" Glaux says before looking to a simple beam of light from the moon above, "You can only hope that one of us will stop it from the destruction. And the Guardians may always defend this world on Cheyenne's will for peace."
"We are here…" Barran announces
The receding sunlight has already left by the time they came to the valley of Shadow Pass, the darkness already there and the temperature dropped suddenly as they came to the forest to be colder. Chilly winds blow through the forest and the only lights of the evening sun visible are small patches of the gaps between trees. The thick forest comes to a ruined castle stands towering over the land it occupies, towering over the trees that conceal the land within the valley and the fog that shrouds it. Everyone is taken by the view of the ancient palace, overgrown with vines and the architecture is much greater than the St. Aegolius Palace, probably since it is probably older than the palace in the canyons by far. Especially for how much destruction there has been on these ruins, either by age or by the wars.
"It is rumoured to have that The Others had built it many a year before Mordecai had inhabited it with his family." Barran notes, landing within the ruined courtyard of the northern tower, "When he had started his war with everyone, this was his sanctuary with his family living on the grounds somewhere safe. And this is pretty much all that is left of it now… vines, brambles and a lot of despair blending into the overtones of this place."
Digger looks around, Gylfie by his side because she is as nervous as they all are, "Boy, someone must have been really lazy because this place is a mess."
"You don't say; it's been in ruin for a thousand years or more, pretty obvious that it's going to be a mess." Twilight retorts
"Oi, before you two start, we're in the middle of trying not to have a mass genocide on our hands so if you so as say one bad thing I'll blast your tailfeathers all the way to the north and back." Barran snaps, and after what happened before with blasting a hole in the classroom wall… they best shut up then
Before anyone could speak, a laugh echoes through the air and the acoustics of the area echoes it around and around. Looking around for the origin, seeing nothing but fog and dark patches, Barran drawing her sword just in case as this could be the one thing they dreaded would have happened and the result would be coming for them as quick as their visit started.
"Well, well, well… Look what we have here?" A voice says
"Show yourself before things get ugly…" Barran demands
A brown blur comes flying with much velocity and takes out Soren, sending him flying against the wall of the tower as others circle around and the Band members ready themselves for any conflict, backing together as they all come around. As shadows come through the foggy haze that surrounds this place.
Soren eyes his enemy who has him pinned… "Kludd?"
"Why hello, brother." Kludd says, pinning Soren to the wall by his neck, "How nice it is to see you again. Oh Nyra, look who we have here… my wittle brother, Soren and his friends."
"How did I know that he would be here?" Nyra coldly says toward Soren, approaching with their soldiers following close behind, emerging from the fog, "Oh wait, you're always there, Soren! Like you were when you killed Metalbeak, like when you almost drowned Kludd, like when you gashed your brother's leg! It was so bad if I didn't attend to it… He would have died if it got any worse and you should have died!"
"That was an accident… I didn't mean to hurt, Kl-" Soren says
"Oh an accident, hm?" the white barn owl furiously retorts, taking a step forward
"Nyra, stand down." Kludd orders, right about when his wife is to reach for her sword, "Soren is mine… You just find what we need so we can get this all over with. They're bound to have something that we'll need."
"You're not getting the orb." Gylfie speaks up
"Oh is that so?" Nyra asks heartlessly, drawing her sword, "And a patch of felt like you will stop us? Don't embarrass yourselves fervour by making martyrs of yourselves."
Barran steps in front of them all, armed with her sword tight in her claw, "You'd have to go through me first before you harm them… before you get Mordecai's Orb. Before you dare find it!"
"And they trust you?" The evil queen sneers, "Come now, Barran, since when do you uphold a duty that you haven't held in twenty years and… needless to say hesitated to uphold to begin with?"
"Because it is my duty… Not that you'd understand what a duty is…" The snowy owl retorts, offending Nyra harshly as the barn owl just tightened the grip on her sword, ready on attack. "Yours is merely being the king's consort now… barely even a credit to the Pure Ones when you ruled beside an owl whose sanity was questionable and now married to an owl is still only a child... Gylfie, Twilight, Digger, make sure they don't get the map, they'll be after it!"
Nyra lunges toward Barran and their swords lock as Barran blocks Nyra's swift attack and counters with her own parry. On the signal, the Pure Ones come toward the three other members of The Band who stood with the Goddess, as they have the desired satchel that has the map inside of it and they immediately go into defence.
"Oh so there's a scroll, eh?" Kludd asks his brother
Soren then hits Kludd in the abdomen and pushes him off, making for a quick escape, "I don't want to fight you, Kludd… Nor will I want you to get that orb. It will do bad things that you don't know about."
"Oh I know perfectly what power it beholds, Soren." His older brother says, drawing his sword, "Enough to ensure the Pure Ones victorious!"
Kludd lunges toward his brother and Soren moves out of his very quickly, dashing to the side as his brother comes close to doing the same fatal swipe all over again, and his sword is lodged into the wall with the velocity that should have been for cutting his little brother in half. Kludd starts pulling at it as Soren stands there on his guard still.
"You're messing with the forces, Kludd!" Soren yells, trying to get through to him
"I don't care! As long as you either die, right here, right now or I will bring the fight to the Ga'Hoole tree and burn it to the ground! And that miserable prick, that disowned me… Oh he's going to get it because I disowned him too… and ma." Kludd roars with recklessness, "And I am going to save my little sister, my sweet little sister Eglantine from the likes of you and them before it is too late. Oh she'll be a fine Pure One if we start getting rid of influences like you."
"What?!" Soren shouts, "Are you mad?"
Kludd dislodges his sword and comes after Soren, brandishing his sword and Soren dodges every attack, only making him angrier as he won't let this go… Soren is cornered against the castle wall, before he has to attack, kicking the sword from his brother's rasp and while dodging his attack, hitting him a few times… when a flash of light sends Kludd flying, bouncing off the ground a little and sends his sword sliding across the ground after he lets it go.
"You needed help." Barran says
"I said I didn't want to hurt him, goddess!" Soren retorts, looking to his brother who lies on the ground in pain, "And Light Magic is hurting him..."
"Soren… behind you!" The goddess yells
Nyra comes charging and Soren takes his brothers sword, as he has to quickly block and counter her attack with something. Not any training exercise can prepare for battle with Nyra, as she is quick and furious in her attacks. With every parry, it is blocked and countered, ducked and dodged until she disarms him and has the end of her sword pointing at his neck.
"I wouldn't move, Soren…" Nyra warns, as the Pure Ones bring forward the other members of their group and pins them to the ground. More Pure Ones seem to have shown up as he looks around and Kludd is holding the goddess by the throat with her own dagger that he had taken.
"Well, well, I never knew that the Queen of Ga'Hoole had an alter ego as one of those Owl Gods..." Kludd says, approaching his brother with his hostage, making her kneel in front of him "Now, you give us all those things in the satchel or… needless to say things are going to get messy."
"You're bluffing." Soren says, "You can't kill a goddess with her own weapon…"
"I'm bluffing, eh?" the scarred barn owl quickly retorts as Nyra then comes beside him, walking backward to still aim her sword at Soren as she approaches her husband and then stands beside him looking like she will hack off the goddess' head, "Not when Nyra will be hacking her head off in an execution."
"No, don't!" Gylfie shrieks
"Yeah, you leave her alone, Kludd!" Digger adds
"Shut it!" Kludd snaps, turning his head around to glare at them before they just shut up before he nods his head toward Nyra to aim the sword for the swing, "One last chance Soren… The satchel for the goddess… and your friends."
"Neither!" Soren yells, trying to think on his feet to no avail before, charging toward them
Everything feels like it slows as Soren charges toward them and Nyra starts to swing the sword toward Barran's neck and before long a charge of Light Magic sends making Nyra fly off with the sword flying off into the castle wall nearby, and Soren taking out Kludd who holds the goddess captive. Things speeding up as she then break free and take on a Pure One soldier holding one of The Band members captive.
Kludd swings the dagger he holds at Soren, making a small cut on his chest before the others are dodged and Soren counters with a few hits to his brother that make him stumble backward for a moment and fall to the ground kneeling.
"Kludd it doesn't have to be this way…" Soren reasons, trying to get through to him, "Why are you doing this when it won't solve anything? It'll only cause hurt yourself, hurt Nyra, the Pure Ones, everyone."
"Stop doing that, Soren!" Kludd growls, getting up, "Get it through your thick head, Soren. I am not coming back to being in the shadow of you, the "golden child" who always had everything! I am going to be king of this world and all I have to do is give Mordecai his orb… so he can use its power…"
"You're following Mordecai?" Soren says, dodging swipes of the dagger, "Kludd, don't follow that psycho! He's using you!"
"Yeah, and you're the one saying this when you're the puppet of Glaumora." Kludd says, before pinning his brother to the ground, "…And I will put an end to-"
Another wisp of Light Magic comes and knocks Kludd off Soren, once again sending him flying across the battlefield to be lying on the ground writhing in pain. Soren then gets up as he starts to walk over to Kludd, who is lying there when Kludd pops up, with all his adrenaline and he is hit again with more Light Magic, repeatedly every time he tries to pick a fight.
"Kludd!" Nyra yells, watching this unfold before her eyes, "Oh Glaux please no… Barran, don't do it!"
"Barran, stop!" Soren demands, standing in front of his brother who is writhing in pain he could only imagine to think was bad by the look on his face, "Don't kill him, Barran… He's my brother! Show mercy, show mercy! Don't kill him…"
Barran looks to Nyra, who is kneeling with tears in her eyes, traumatised that her husband is being shocked to near death by a goddess with Light Magic right in front of her. Barran looks to Soren's face, which has a pleading look with tears welling in his eyes. She then lowers her wings and rather approaches her victim, pushing Soren aside in the process and they just stare onward, Kludd closing his eyes thinking that his fate will be met. But… She just kneels beside him, her eyes staring him down.
"You listen here, Kludd… I may have mercy because I am a goddess, but as a Guardian, if you don't leave right now and take your buddies with you, I am going to END you. Do I make myself clear?" Barran growls
"Y-Yes… ma'am…" Kludd breathes wincing in all of the pain he is feeling
She lets him go, Nyra running over and helping him up and the Pure One soldiers decide to decease and desist back to where they had come from and Soren looks at the goddess thankfully, because watching her do that when Kludd doesn't exactly deserve it was one reason why he begged for mercy.
"Oh Kludd…" Nyra mutters, helping him to his claws
"N-Nyra…" Kludd shudders, shaking slightly because of the currents going through his body, "D-don't think this is… o-over S-Soren…"
"I know it isn't." Soren replies, looking on grimly
Nyra and Kludd disappear into the mist that surrounds this base, Kludd still shaking from the effects of the Light Magic in his system and it doesn't help that his helm would have been conducting and attracting most of it. It is like being hit with lightening, but not as strong and all of this to the snow-white barn owl is a reminder of Rosewood, the first time, except he was soaking wet.
"Don't worry, my love… I have it all under control." Nyra says
"T-Thank you… N-Nyra." Kludd mutters, stuttering with mostly every word he says
"Well, a queen always knows her ways of getting information…" She answers, patting her side in which her sword case has not a sword but… something else inside, "It's my duty to be a good wife… And sometimes it's by bending the rules of play and being… ingenious."
"I-I Love you… N-Nyra." He stammers once more, receiving a soft nuzzle in return
"I will make her pay for what she has done, boy… Her and that brother of yours and their friends too… That mercy plea by your brother was merely pity because he thinks you're weak and can't fight her." Mordecai whispers from inside Kludd's head, "You're close now… just go and find me my orb and I'll make them pay… And we'll show them all."
