Chapter FORTY: Revolving Occurrences-TALIA
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Aydan trembled nervously as he searched for a traveling rune or anything that would get him to Dreamer in the Dreamworld. So much time had gone by—hours—and everything just seemed too quiet. He wondered why the Oracle had not summoned him yet, or why the priestesses did not detain him. But most of all he feared leaving Talia and Dameon alone this long at the Tear Shrine when he had told her that he would return to help her with her duties soon—that was hours ago now. What if she lets Dameon out of her sight? What if he runs into a Shiven or Dream Witch that roam the Dream? —No, she can do it. She WILL protect him. It is worse if I cannot speak to her before the priestesses do…I need to get to her—No, I WILL get to her, he tried telling himself to calm his nerves.
When he had searched every chest and hidden nook of every room, he fell limp, hopelessly seeking for anything he may have missed. It was now too late and too far to go into Vin'aneer to buy a rune, and the portal gallery in the castle had now been shutdown since Talia learned how to teleport. Not even another druid could help him because they were surely in the world fending for it.
Suddenly, he looked up high on the wall. There, mounted on the wall, hung as a memento in memory of the belated sun priest several generations ago, was a staff. Aydan jumped towards it to pull it down, hoping it still worked after all this time.
The shiny gold rod, however, was different than what he was used to: it possessed an enchanting orb that swirled soft colors of turquoise on the lower half; and towards the top, a tiny bright sphere representing the sun, shone like a beautiful spring afternoon. "A solar orb," he whispered, enthralled by the small blue-green world within. He wished momentarily to be within with Talia and his son, away from the hectic place their worlds had become. Although he had never used an orb-mounted staff, or attempted to use this one, he knew it was more powerful than any staff he had ever used—if it still worked. As his hand touched the surface, readying to leave, he felt his fingers jolt, making him aware that his priest ring twinkled urgently.
Rarely having twinkled, he immediately thought it was Talia, that something bad had happened. But no, it was not her. He closed his eyes for a moment. He was being summoned for something urgent, and he knew who it was upon hearing their fate pleas for help. He knew then that he had to make a decision fast, whether to go or not go, or to go to Talia instead.
"Talia will never forgive me if I do not go…This is my fault..." he murmured, feeling a lump go down his throat from self-disgrace. He just hoped he would get to all of them in time. He would need to hurry.
In a burst of light, the Sun Priest chose his destination.
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The air felt deathly chilly, almost crippling when he arrived in the enchanted forest outside of Faiara. Although it wasn't the temperature of the air that made it cold, in fact, it was boiling hot, but the sight ahead made the Sun Priest feel bitter coldness inside.
In front of him was a graveyard of fallen fairies scattered in every direction. The sight incredibly horrendous and heartrending.
He looked down on the ground to make sure he was not stepping on anything—or anyone that could be alive—but sadly, none were living. Those close enough that he could view through a thick haze of dark smoke that covered the now ruined land, were unbearably covered with injuries too profound to have survived. Their divine, sparkling wings and brilliant pastel clothed bodies, littered the ground like a sacred war zone of fallen small angels.
Aydan senses were all consumed by the atrocity in front of him that he could hardly hear his surroundings.
"…Nino…" he murmured for Talia's mother, as he suddenly started to hasten his pace towards the fairy kingdom in the northern part of Faiara.
Small fireballs began to descend from what seemed out of nowhere. And as he got closer to the city, lava rose from new chasms on the once thriving land, smoldering acres nearby instantaneously. He immediately casted a fire shield on himself to avoid the burning embers that began to fall from the dense trees on fire.
Cautiously, he approached the entry that led to the Dreamworld entrance, and went inside passing some more dead fairies, though suddenly he heard a rustling noise behind. He turned quickly, knowing he was being watched; but unsure how much longer the narrow room would hold, he decided to keep going to the end of the corridor, in search of the Dreamer's statue.
When he reached the room where the statue had always been positioned, it was only to discover that it was missing. Again, suddenly, he heard the strange sounds again. Aydan readied his staff and carefully turned to face what lurked behind…
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The Oracle looked sternly at the squirrels in front of her. She had just arrived from urgent duties in the world only to find the small crowd waiting for her in her quarters. Her tired eyes waited for a moment of clarity. It was late, but a lot more needed to get done tonight. She waited several minutes before she attempted to summon the Dreamer. After many failed attempts to summon Talia, she glared at the niggling squirrels who reminded her every few seconds of their deal to leave the High Realm.
Without further delay, the Oracle went to the Dreamworld herself.
She found Talia standing eagerly outside her shrine, hardly acknowledging her presence. The Oracle then peeked in the crystal structure and saw the Dreamer's son soundly sleeping on the ground.
"Oracle..." Talia said disappointed that it wasn't her Sun Priest. "Is something the matter? Where is Aydan?" she continued now on the verge of tears.
"I have tried summoning you, Priestess, and you do not answer. Come with me," the Oracle said as she grabbed Talia's wrist to leave the Dreamlands.
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They arrived back in the Oracle's quarters. Talia intently looked at her surroundings as though she had forgotten something very important, but other thoughts filled her worried mind.
"You were summoning me?...Why did you summon me?" Talia said, but at that moment Trin appeared in the doorway, interrupting them.
Relief warmed Trin's face after finally finding the squirrels with the Oracle; but when she saw Talia, she quickly composed herself and made her way out again, seeing that there was no point in staying.
"Priestess!" the Oracle cried out to her. "I need you to retrieve the Dreamer's son. He is by himself in the Dream."
"Oh, um, but Leana…Leana is away," Trin said, expecting to hear Talia protest against the Oracle's wishes on her watching the boy; however, Talia jealously grumbled nonsense at her and remained quiet. "…Very well then. I will watch him.—Oh, and Oracle the potion…I suppose you know what it is now?"
"Yes, Trinity…all is now known."
"Potion..." Talia repeated seemingly.
Trinity nodded, saddened by the Dreamer's ordeal as she took off in a portal of her own.
Talia waited for her to completely leave before she began, "Oracle! Where is Druid Aydan?" she demanded flatly. "He didn't return and I was worried and…and…"Talia began to whimper aloud and pace the floor unable to form the words she wanted to say.
The Oracle carefully observed her for a moment, disbelievingly, and feeling it her fault for not stopping this madness sooner. The old woman cleared her throat before beginning again, "My dear, settle down…You are not yourself. Do you not realize that something has been wrong with you for a while now?"
Talia immediately unruffled, attempting to think through what the Oracle was saying. She glanced at the curious squirrels that had settled down to watch her as well, and then she focused on the entrance and kept her gaze there.
"Dreamer, who is it that you are looking for? Why are you looking for him now, in my presence?" the Oracle began to interrogate, hopeful that she could get some sense into Talia.
"I…I am…looking for…" Talia trailed off. Her mind had suddenly become foggy; part of her want to scream her son.
"Dreamer, is there anyone familiar to you in this room?"
Talia looked at the squirrels. "No…I...do not remember."
The Oracle followed Talia gaze as she spoke, "You do not remember, yet you look at the one that does remember you. Very well, I suppose I will have him refresh your memory. After all, it has been many years. And I am saddened to say: too many years have gone by, indeed."
"What is it that you are saying?…I don't have time for this! I must find the sun pri—" Talia voiced, but was interrupted.
"—Talia, dear," the Oracle began again, though she had no idea how to tell the Priestess of the injustice that had been done to her. "Dreamer, you have been given a potion. A love potion."
"A-a...potion?..." Talia said dreadfully. "From whom? What nightmare could make potions?..."
"No…Dear, it was not a dark creature…It was a druid, the Sun Priest."
"The Sun Priest? Aydan, my beloved? But that would be a waste!" Talia said laughing at the same time. "I love him and he loves me."
Suddenly one of the squirrels pranced forward to her, "Miss, it iz true. I was there when ze priest, well, gave you ze potion. I would have given him 40 lashes but he put up such a great fight—"
"That is a lie!" Talia screeched as she faintly remembered the day at the pond all those years ago.
"That is enough, squirrel," the Oracle ordered.
"Fine! Then we will like our reward now," it said determined as it comrades squealed from excitement.
The Oracle without delay, opened a bright portal pad on the stone floor. "As you wish, I have found you a place far from here," she told them. One hopped forward to the portal, but a few immediately seized their comrade from going on any further.
"Wait! We will march in a line, fool!-And how do we know this is not a trick? How do we know you are not going to betray us? Or that you will send us to a place full of cannibals?"
Extremely peeved and tired, the Oracle sighed heavily, "I have been out all day. After speaking to several druids in the world, the Druid of Agriculture, Armaiti, has said that his territory in the Western Isle remains fairly untouched and is sheltered from the darkness that infests the other lands…You, have my word, squirrel."
"Druid Armaiti..." Talia repeated. The name sounded familiar. She vaguely remembered Aydan mentioning him. Now she would not forget; she would have to tell Aydan later of this, Talia thought, thinking it would somehow bring joy to him.
"Okay…We will go then," the squirrel said as they all lined up in a uniform line and flounced forward onto the portal. All of them chuckled as they disappeared. The last waved to them puckishly and a final "He he he he he he" could be heard as the portal faded.
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Footnote: You'll find out much later what the Sun Priest was up to. It will be part of the updates coming soon (hopefully).