Chapter 10
It was late the next afternoon when Athena was awakened by a servant sent by Carra to make sure she ate and drank. After she had eaten a whole roast chicken, a loaf of bread and drank a pitcher of apple juice, she went to check up on Gaea and Rini. They we still in Carra's chambers down the hall. When she arrived she found Serena and Darien gone and Carra sitting in the window reading a very large book. When she looked up and saw Athena she closed the book a bit and smiled casually.
"May I go see her?" Athena asked, knowing the answer.
"Of course dear, go on in They should be waking up soon." Carra said resuming her reading. Athena nodded and walked across to the back room where the girls lay together on Carra's bed. Athena sat down on the floor beside Gaea and into a light trance.
:Dearheart? I am here.: She called out into her bonded's mind. At that moment she felt Gaea's conscience stir and awaken. Athena opened her eyes and broke the trance. Gaea and Rini lay awake, eye's blinking rapidly against the afternoon sunlight the was streaming in through the open window. Gaea turned her head towards Athena and smiled.
"I told you so." She said with a giggle at their old joke. Then she turned all solemn and straight-faced. "I need water." She said attempting to moisten her lips with a dry tongue.
"Me too." Piped up a voice on the other side of the bed. Rini sat up and yawned, stretched her arms over her head. They both looked pale and skinnier then they had before the spell fell upon then a week ago. Athena trotted over to the table that lay next to the window and grabbed the pitcher handle in her mouth and brought it over to where the girls were now sitting on the floor in the sunlight. Rini took it and waited for Athena to bring the cups, they were both tempted to drink straight out of the pitcher. They poured glass after glass of water and finally felt satisfied. Athena left to get a servant to bring them food. Rini brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them as Gaea lay on her back in the warm sun.
:Those visions were awful! But they are just the beginning of more to come. I have seen most of those in my dreams, but others I know were completely new.: Rini said. Gaea sat up and nodded, hugging her knees also.
:I know. I have seen many of those scenes over and over again in my dreams and I agree that some of those are new. I think that some of them might be from our future as well as our past. Maybe we should look in the library for stuff in the past. The future will have to wait.: Gaea said thinking. All of this disturbed her so much. She could smell the power of the Elements all around like a stench. But in the middle of it all, there was another smell, one of death and destruction. It reminded her of old, dried blood.
:There isn't anything there. I've checked many times and even bothered the royal historians about it. All I got was 'your too young to hear of such a war' and bad excuses like that. I threw a book at him and stormed out.: Rini's face lit up in a grin of feigned innocence. Gaea laughed. At that moment Athena returned with a serving boy with a tray of food. The conversation ended.
"I think that it is time to return to my home. I have been away long enough, I worry about the creatures that have taken refuge there." Gaea said looking to Athena for support. She had to try really hard not to cry, she didn't want to go. {I must go, my home needs me, it misses me, I can feel it. And I can scry Rini out when I get lonely and talk to her through the fire like Carra showed us.} She put on a smile of indifference.
"If that's the way you feel sweetie." Serena said nodding her head, understanding. Gaea and Rini had talked late last night about this and so Rini said nothing against it. The redness of tears still could be seen on both the girls' faces. "I'll have the mages open the gate for you in an hour. K?" Serena said sadly, Gaea was like another daughter to her, and Serena was the closest thing to a mother she had had since she was 7. She stood and looked at Rini, they were in the royal audience chamber in the middle of a full council meeting.
"Your Highness, may Rini come with me to walk in the gardens?" She asked. Rini straightened in her seat and looked at her mother.
:Please!: They said at the same time. Serena almost jumped and smiled at them.
"Yes, of course. I'm sure all these official matters bore her anyway." Serena looked to Darien for agreement. He nodded smiling.
"I think that it will be goo for both of them." He said and gestured for them to leave. They stood and bowed once before walking calmly out for the chamber. Once out in the hallway, they ran to the royal gardens that lay across the palace. It was very uncourtly for them to run like that, in full court dress, but they didn't care. Once they reached them they stopped to catch their breaths and stare at the flowers that had just come into bloom. It was so pretty out there that, for a while, they didn't say a word, just walked and enjoyed the company of their friendship. Finally Rini broke the silence.
"I'll really miss having a friend at the palace to talk with." She said with a sigh. They say down in a shady spot under a huge maple tree.
"So will I. There are only animals on Amitie, but I know that something is wrong and so I must go. I fear that we will not be seeing each other for a while." Gaea looked down as she said the last sentence. Deep I her heart she knew that she would bee in danger on Amitie and that this would be the last time she saw any one in human form. Though the Elements wouldn't allow her to know why, she knew it was a fact. {I won't tell her. She'll make me stay and that will change things for the worse. I must do whatever it is that needs doing…no matter what the cost is to me.} She thought, shielding her thoughts hard against Rini's mind. {She must not know.}
At that moment Othi and Naharu were standing on Amitie looking out across the valley that Gaea and Athena had first stood.
Othi laughed. "The poor girl! Son all her work will be destroyed once and for all and she will be destroyed along with it!" She laughed again her madwoman's chortle. Naharu looked at her with sad eyes. Over the years that they had been watching Gaea and her bonded Athena, her had become attracted to her, and he loved her, unlike Othi whom he enjoyed playing with but could never "love". {I won't let her destroy Gaea like she destroyed her sister.} He nodded. Othi saw him and silenced herself to consider him.
"What?" Naharu demanded.
"Why did you nod? And what are you thinking about, I can hear your thoughts spinning, but I can not hear what they are." She said, she almost sounded frustrated.
"Oh nothing, just admiring the girls efforts. That's all." He stated looking out over the valley again. {It is a vile thing that the Elementals do to me. Cursing me like this, do I stay true to the Dark One? Or do I go back to the ever-faithful Elementals? Damn!} Othi suddenly smiled. She had been scrying in the mist of the waterfall that fell nearby.
"What do you see?" Naharu asked casually. Not expecting anything of importance.
"Oh goody! She's coming home! She's leaving right now. They're opening the gate right over there. She said and pointed to where Gaea's house stood carved into the cliff face. "Let's greet her, shall we." Naharu smiled but inside, he fought the Dark. He followed Othi through the temporary gate to the other side of the valley. They reached there just as her gate closed. Othi began to laugh at the look on Gaea's face, one of utter surprise and horror. {Well at least she has the brains to be frightened.} At that moment her tiger stepped in front of her and growled at the intruders. Othi laughed and conjured a ball of fire and flung it at Athena. There was a blinding light and screams. Naharu looked away as a thought struck him.
As soon as Gaea stepped out of the gate she felt the presence that she had felt on the night that the spell of iteration was cast. She looked to where it seemed to e coming from and went on guard.
:Athena!: Athena stepped in between her and the Dark strangers and growled. There was a male and a female standing there looking at her. The female she recognized even though she had never seen her before. Just then a thought cane to her from the Elements. {One with malice shall look upon you and laugh with fire.} Just then a fireball flew at them from the woman's hand. Gaea screamed and leapt, grabbing Athena's ceremonial collar to taking her with her. The heat from the fire seemed to scream hatred. {OTHI!} The name hit her like the fireball would have if she had not moved. Once, when she was very little, her neighbor had had 2 daughters, one named Galaxia and the other named Othi. Galaxia was killed by her younger sister in a gruesome murder. But when Galaxia was found, Othi had already fled to a far off place. No one knew where or why, and no one ever spoke their names again. This evil woman that faced her now was her old neighbor coming to kill her.
:Smallone, what do we do?: Gaea practically whimpered.
:We fight and pray to the Elements that they help us.: Athena said obviously as shaken as she was.
Gaea nodded and stood up to face the perpetrators. Wait! Weren't there 2! Only Othi stood to face her now. The man stood of in the distance calling to something. Suddenly a big black raven flew out of a gate and on to his arm. A fox followed but it landed next to Othi. {So they have brought in their bonded to help them, eh}? She thought. {Interesting.} But instead of turning back to help Othi, the man raised up his arms to the sky and began chanting. At that moment Othi turned and saw what was happening.
"What are you doing dolt?" She screamed in rage. When he didn't answer her, black fire began to burn in her eyes. Gaea and Athena took and involuntary step away from her. She didn't notice. Suddenly Gaea saw a rainbow of light come down from the sky. She tilted her head in misunderstanding.
:Switch to your mage sight.: Athena said, not saying why, she did so and was surprised at what she saw. The man was black, the black of the Dark One. The rainbow she had seen with her physical sight was really the Elemental Spirits. They swooped down on the man and his bonded and attacked the dark. She heard Othi and her bonded scream in pain and rage as their partners were taken over by the Spirits of the Light. When she switched back to her physical sight, she saw what they had done. They had changed him form a pale face man with dark hair to a tan man with blond hair much like Gaea's, while his bonded turned the white like Athena with silver tail feathers and wing tips. Gaea could feel the Elementals lift from them and could almost feel them smile at their work. Gaea was bedazzled at him. He had given up the dark for the light, willingly. When her turned around, she saw his hazel eyes and smooth lips. She could feel the love and kindness in his redeemed heart. Athena looked at her then at Naharu and back at her. She shook her head.
"If the Elementals want it so, it shall be." She said and laughed and shook her head.
"What do you mean?" Gaea asked, very perplexed by her tiger's words.
"You 2 are life-bonded! The Spirits meant it this way. No worries love." Gaea's heart skipped a beat when he looked her in the eyes.
"Hello Gaea, my name is Degen, once I was Naharu but I don't have that personality anymore so I don't hold that name as mine." He smiled at her and Othi saw what was going on and screamed again. {At least she's not that stupid.} He walked over to he in 5 smooth strides and took her hands in hers.
"I love you, I always have and always will. I have searched all my life for you, and now that I have found you, no harm will come to you." He said just loud enough for Othi to hear.
"As do I." Gaea said with a smile and kissed him and the lips. Othi conjured up 2 more fireballs and threw them at the new couple. Degen turned around to face her. Degen, Gaea, Athena and Degen's bonded Solanara all linked minds to fight against Othi and Rayann.
They shielded themselves against the attack, but were stopped from attacking back by the Dark One's voice.
"You abandoned me Naharu! WHY?!?" It was a woman's voice and it sounded full of anger. Gaea stepped toward her lover and grabbed his hand.
He shrugged then calmly said "You had no more to offer me. You took me as far as you could, but I was not happy. Can't you se that I am happy now? And the name's Degen." He finished with a slight growl and a smile that made him look half-mad.
The woman answered "You think that I am not as strong as your precious Spirits of the light…well I'll show you what I can do through my avatar! Your power and that of your little lover girls will be MINE!!!" Othi's eyes suddenly began to grow completely black, no whites showed. She began to chant in a strange language that was almost incomprehensible. As she stood there, the sky began to darken with night and black clouds began to envelop the tiny planet. Lightning cracked overhead and a wind sprung up out of no where. As Othi kept chanting, Rayann joined in, harmonizing to her bonded. Gaea could fell the hatred that feed the power. It frightened her, but she would not let it show outwardly.
:Oh my God! Spirits help us all!: Was the general thought that went through her and all the bonded minds of the Light.
It was late the next afternoon when Athena was awakened by a servant sent by Carra to make sure she ate and drank. After she had eaten a whole roast chicken, a loaf of bread and drank a pitcher of apple juice, she went to check up on Gaea and Rini. They we still in Carra's chambers down the hall. When she arrived she found Serena and Darien gone and Carra sitting in the window reading a very large book. When she looked up and saw Athena she closed the book a bit and smiled casually.
"May I go see her?" Athena asked, knowing the answer.
"Of course dear, go on in They should be waking up soon." Carra said resuming her reading. Athena nodded and walked across to the back room where the girls lay together on Carra's bed. Athena sat down on the floor beside Gaea and into a light trance.
:Dearheart? I am here.: She called out into her bonded's mind. At that moment she felt Gaea's conscience stir and awaken. Athena opened her eyes and broke the trance. Gaea and Rini lay awake, eye's blinking rapidly against the afternoon sunlight the was streaming in through the open window. Gaea turned her head towards Athena and smiled.
"I told you so." She said with a giggle at their old joke. Then she turned all solemn and straight-faced. "I need water." She said attempting to moisten her lips with a dry tongue.
"Me too." Piped up a voice on the other side of the bed. Rini sat up and yawned, stretched her arms over her head. They both looked pale and skinnier then they had before the spell fell upon then a week ago. Athena trotted over to the table that lay next to the window and grabbed the pitcher handle in her mouth and brought it over to where the girls were now sitting on the floor in the sunlight. Rini took it and waited for Athena to bring the cups, they were both tempted to drink straight out of the pitcher. They poured glass after glass of water and finally felt satisfied. Athena left to get a servant to bring them food. Rini brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them as Gaea lay on her back in the warm sun.
:Those visions were awful! But they are just the beginning of more to come. I have seen most of those in my dreams, but others I know were completely new.: Rini said. Gaea sat up and nodded, hugging her knees also.
:I know. I have seen many of those scenes over and over again in my dreams and I agree that some of those are new. I think that some of them might be from our future as well as our past. Maybe we should look in the library for stuff in the past. The future will have to wait.: Gaea said thinking. All of this disturbed her so much. She could smell the power of the Elements all around like a stench. But in the middle of it all, there was another smell, one of death and destruction. It reminded her of old, dried blood.
:There isn't anything there. I've checked many times and even bothered the royal historians about it. All I got was 'your too young to hear of such a war' and bad excuses like that. I threw a book at him and stormed out.: Rini's face lit up in a grin of feigned innocence. Gaea laughed. At that moment Athena returned with a serving boy with a tray of food. The conversation ended.
"I think that it is time to return to my home. I have been away long enough, I worry about the creatures that have taken refuge there." Gaea said looking to Athena for support. She had to try really hard not to cry, she didn't want to go. {I must go, my home needs me, it misses me, I can feel it. And I can scry Rini out when I get lonely and talk to her through the fire like Carra showed us.} She put on a smile of indifference.
"If that's the way you feel sweetie." Serena said nodding her head, understanding. Gaea and Rini had talked late last night about this and so Rini said nothing against it. The redness of tears still could be seen on both the girls' faces. "I'll have the mages open the gate for you in an hour. K?" Serena said sadly, Gaea was like another daughter to her, and Serena was the closest thing to a mother she had had since she was 7. She stood and looked at Rini, they were in the royal audience chamber in the middle of a full council meeting.
"Your Highness, may Rini come with me to walk in the gardens?" She asked. Rini straightened in her seat and looked at her mother.
:Please!: They said at the same time. Serena almost jumped and smiled at them.
"Yes, of course. I'm sure all these official matters bore her anyway." Serena looked to Darien for agreement. He nodded smiling.
"I think that it will be goo for both of them." He said and gestured for them to leave. They stood and bowed once before walking calmly out for the chamber. Once out in the hallway, they ran to the royal gardens that lay across the palace. It was very uncourtly for them to run like that, in full court dress, but they didn't care. Once they reached them they stopped to catch their breaths and stare at the flowers that had just come into bloom. It was so pretty out there that, for a while, they didn't say a word, just walked and enjoyed the company of their friendship. Finally Rini broke the silence.
"I'll really miss having a friend at the palace to talk with." She said with a sigh. They say down in a shady spot under a huge maple tree.
"So will I. There are only animals on Amitie, but I know that something is wrong and so I must go. I fear that we will not be seeing each other for a while." Gaea looked down as she said the last sentence. Deep I her heart she knew that she would bee in danger on Amitie and that this would be the last time she saw any one in human form. Though the Elements wouldn't allow her to know why, she knew it was a fact. {I won't tell her. She'll make me stay and that will change things for the worse. I must do whatever it is that needs doing…no matter what the cost is to me.} She thought, shielding her thoughts hard against Rini's mind. {She must not know.}
At that moment Othi and Naharu were standing on Amitie looking out across the valley that Gaea and Athena had first stood.
Othi laughed. "The poor girl! Son all her work will be destroyed once and for all and she will be destroyed along with it!" She laughed again her madwoman's chortle. Naharu looked at her with sad eyes. Over the years that they had been watching Gaea and her bonded Athena, her had become attracted to her, and he loved her, unlike Othi whom he enjoyed playing with but could never "love". {I won't let her destroy Gaea like she destroyed her sister.} He nodded. Othi saw him and silenced herself to consider him.
"What?" Naharu demanded.
"Why did you nod? And what are you thinking about, I can hear your thoughts spinning, but I can not hear what they are." She said, she almost sounded frustrated.
"Oh nothing, just admiring the girls efforts. That's all." He stated looking out over the valley again. {It is a vile thing that the Elementals do to me. Cursing me like this, do I stay true to the Dark One? Or do I go back to the ever-faithful Elementals? Damn!} Othi suddenly smiled. She had been scrying in the mist of the waterfall that fell nearby.
"What do you see?" Naharu asked casually. Not expecting anything of importance.
"Oh goody! She's coming home! She's leaving right now. They're opening the gate right over there. She said and pointed to where Gaea's house stood carved into the cliff face. "Let's greet her, shall we." Naharu smiled but inside, he fought the Dark. He followed Othi through the temporary gate to the other side of the valley. They reached there just as her gate closed. Othi began to laugh at the look on Gaea's face, one of utter surprise and horror. {Well at least she has the brains to be frightened.} At that moment her tiger stepped in front of her and growled at the intruders. Othi laughed and conjured a ball of fire and flung it at Athena. There was a blinding light and screams. Naharu looked away as a thought struck him.
As soon as Gaea stepped out of the gate she felt the presence that she had felt on the night that the spell of iteration was cast. She looked to where it seemed to e coming from and went on guard.
:Athena!: Athena stepped in between her and the Dark strangers and growled. There was a male and a female standing there looking at her. The female she recognized even though she had never seen her before. Just then a thought cane to her from the Elements. {One with malice shall look upon you and laugh with fire.} Just then a fireball flew at them from the woman's hand. Gaea screamed and leapt, grabbing Athena's ceremonial collar to taking her with her. The heat from the fire seemed to scream hatred. {OTHI!} The name hit her like the fireball would have if she had not moved. Once, when she was very little, her neighbor had had 2 daughters, one named Galaxia and the other named Othi. Galaxia was killed by her younger sister in a gruesome murder. But when Galaxia was found, Othi had already fled to a far off place. No one knew where or why, and no one ever spoke their names again. This evil woman that faced her now was her old neighbor coming to kill her.
:Smallone, what do we do?: Gaea practically whimpered.
:We fight and pray to the Elements that they help us.: Athena said obviously as shaken as she was.
Gaea nodded and stood up to face the perpetrators. Wait! Weren't there 2! Only Othi stood to face her now. The man stood of in the distance calling to something. Suddenly a big black raven flew out of a gate and on to his arm. A fox followed but it landed next to Othi. {So they have brought in their bonded to help them, eh}? She thought. {Interesting.} But instead of turning back to help Othi, the man raised up his arms to the sky and began chanting. At that moment Othi turned and saw what was happening.
"What are you doing dolt?" She screamed in rage. When he didn't answer her, black fire began to burn in her eyes. Gaea and Athena took and involuntary step away from her. She didn't notice. Suddenly Gaea saw a rainbow of light come down from the sky. She tilted her head in misunderstanding.
:Switch to your mage sight.: Athena said, not saying why, she did so and was surprised at what she saw. The man was black, the black of the Dark One. The rainbow she had seen with her physical sight was really the Elemental Spirits. They swooped down on the man and his bonded and attacked the dark. She heard Othi and her bonded scream in pain and rage as their partners were taken over by the Spirits of the Light. When she switched back to her physical sight, she saw what they had done. They had changed him form a pale face man with dark hair to a tan man with blond hair much like Gaea's, while his bonded turned the white like Athena with silver tail feathers and wing tips. Gaea could feel the Elementals lift from them and could almost feel them smile at their work. Gaea was bedazzled at him. He had given up the dark for the light, willingly. When her turned around, she saw his hazel eyes and smooth lips. She could feel the love and kindness in his redeemed heart. Athena looked at her then at Naharu and back at her. She shook her head.
"If the Elementals want it so, it shall be." She said and laughed and shook her head.
"What do you mean?" Gaea asked, very perplexed by her tiger's words.
"You 2 are life-bonded! The Spirits meant it this way. No worries love." Gaea's heart skipped a beat when he looked her in the eyes.
"Hello Gaea, my name is Degen, once I was Naharu but I don't have that personality anymore so I don't hold that name as mine." He smiled at her and Othi saw what was going on and screamed again. {At least she's not that stupid.} He walked over to he in 5 smooth strides and took her hands in hers.
"I love you, I always have and always will. I have searched all my life for you, and now that I have found you, no harm will come to you." He said just loud enough for Othi to hear.
"As do I." Gaea said with a smile and kissed him and the lips. Othi conjured up 2 more fireballs and threw them at the new couple. Degen turned around to face her. Degen, Gaea, Athena and Degen's bonded Solanara all linked minds to fight against Othi and Rayann.
They shielded themselves against the attack, but were stopped from attacking back by the Dark One's voice.
"You abandoned me Naharu! WHY?!?" It was a woman's voice and it sounded full of anger. Gaea stepped toward her lover and grabbed his hand.
He shrugged then calmly said "You had no more to offer me. You took me as far as you could, but I was not happy. Can't you se that I am happy now? And the name's Degen." He finished with a slight growl and a smile that made him look half-mad.
The woman answered "You think that I am not as strong as your precious Spirits of the light…well I'll show you what I can do through my avatar! Your power and that of your little lover girls will be MINE!!!" Othi's eyes suddenly began to grow completely black, no whites showed. She began to chant in a strange language that was almost incomprehensible. As she stood there, the sky began to darken with night and black clouds began to envelop the tiny planet. Lightning cracked overhead and a wind sprung up out of no where. As Othi kept chanting, Rayann joined in, harmonizing to her bonded. Gaea could fell the hatred that feed the power. It frightened her, but she would not let it show outwardly.
:Oh my God! Spirits help us all!: Was the general thought that went through her and all the bonded minds of the Light.