The Guardians of Selene: the Second in the book of the Renewal
By Draegyn
Dragynne2000@yahoo.com.au
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings my Lord, it is a pleasure to see you this night.
I believe congratulations are in order. Your son is a babe to be proud of.
Will you accompany me for a time? The path may appear unusual but for as long as I am by your side, you are in no danger and I would be grateful for the conversation.
I apologise that our surroundings unnerve you so but this realm is never constant and I would have it no other way. Mortals may reside within the walls of their own minds, protecting themselves from the vastness that is our universe. This is foolishness of course. You may deny them yet the other dimensions will always be there and you still reside within them. I prefer the richness of knowing all aspects of reality and I cannot understand your stubborn, persistent blindness. A fault of mine perhaps yet my rejoinder has always been, 'there are none so blind as those who will not see.' You may quote me if you like, a few of your fellows already have.
Returning to the topic at hand, I do not believe that I could endure perceiving existence through such limited senses. To confine my mind to such a small flat portion of the realms is something I would never willingly do. Still, your kind and many other mortal races much like your own all seem to thrive in what they believe are only four dimensions.
Humans believe that time is the fourth dimension and from such a limited perspective it is only to be expected. Yet time is not the fourth or even the fifth dimension. Instead it is the ninth in order of things. And as the three physical dimensions are easily transversed by humans so are the other realms by those who possess the knowledge and power to do so.
Awareness, Imagination, Will, Mystery and even Death may all be manipulated, though never with temerity. Even so, the consequences a being would face if it would defy Thanatos would be dwarfed a thousand times should it cross Chronos. He bars the Gates of Time and with good reason. Only the Eternal Star has the perception necessary to walk the corridors of Time.
Still, that is not why I have come to you this night, my Lord. It is in fact the realm of Awareness that I would discuss with you now, or rather it's shadowed face. For everything in this reality must exist in balance. As the Heart of the Universe, the Eternal Star, exists, so must the personification of destruction, the Darkheart. With consciousness, there must be unconsciousness and when such a state is considered relative to both Imagination and Will, there are dreams.
Divine Stars, those whom your people call gods, each exist as a caretaker to a small segment of the universe. There are many who watch over a purely three dimensional realm while others may guard an entire facet of the universe, such as Selene the Lady of Moon and Magic does with Mystery or her consort, Thanatos, does with Death. Then there are others whose duties lie with an amalgamation of the realms. I am one such and my domain is Dream.
For longer than your world has lived, I have ruled my small segment of reality and I have taken my place in the Council with pride. I have done so with skill and wisdom and those under me will never rue my rise to power. It is not hubris for me to speak so. Very few have the strength of will necessary to stand firm on Dream's ever shifting grounds, even those amongst the Divine Stars. I can think of but three among those who now live. Yet still I find I grow weary.
My kind, and by this I refer to my fellow Stars, for I have long since diverged from the species I was born to, live long but we are not immortal as humans think. We do not age but even we grow old. Not even the Heart of the Universe himself is immune to the natural succession and even he must face renewal someday. May it be long after I have faded from memory. Time sits heavily upon my shoulders, a burden I would never have understood when I accepted the place destiny had reserved for me. It is time for a renewal, an insignificant one in comparison with the one that the universe will one day face but more than important enough for me and for you my Lord.
For you see, I have no Guardian. Not even a favoured servant, let alone a lieutenant of the power and training needed to inherit Dream. And, as I previously stated my Lord, there are few among my contemporaries qualified to succeed me and none are free to do so. So I have waited, my burden ever heavier, my shoulders wearier, until this night when it seems my prayers have been answered. For this night, the Heart of the Universe himself spoke to me. It seems, my Lord, that this night Elysion has been born.
The babe whom you have just barely left with his mother has a destiny before him greater than even mine. It does not matter the name you have selected for him nor the line to which he has been born. He is Elysion, my chosen Guardian, heir to Dream and protector of much, much more. A path of events has now been set in motion, a path that will end with the death of the Speaker. Your son shall witness the greatest loss that the universe will know in living memory and within his arms the Renewal shall begin and end. His will shall be the strength of the Black Wolf in pursuit of the unjust, his mind as clear as the amber of living memory and his love for his soul's mate will blaze with the strength of a thousand of your suns. You do not understand my references yet he will. His power will be as gold as the wolf's eyes, as the ancient amber, as the sun above you and his path is not yours to determine, father or no.
Still, I understand the dilemma this poses for you and your kin. Elysion is already a guardian of sorts, is he not? He is born to it as were you, your father and your father's father before you. I will not relinquish my claim on him and even if I could, the Speaker's need of him is even greater. Still, we are not cruel. We have some time, my Lord and we will not grudge you a portion. We will allow a century for him to grow, to take his place among your people and live his allotted mortal span. The depths that dwell within him shall be buried so that he might not know the alienation of a Guardian Star amongst mortals. When the time has come for his duties to be passed to his own successor or should his duty end prematurely then those depths shall rise and his true nature will reveal itself. When his power burns gold, I will return for him.
Make your preparations well my Lord for though you have a handful of decades, Elysion will sire no son to follow him. His own heir must be sought elsewhere. This much I will reveal, though by rights I should not. You will never know her but your son will sire you a granddaughter, believe it or not as you will. Her hair shall be the hue of Terran clouds in the sunset and her eyes as deep a ruby as her mother's will be sapphire.
Now I will return you to your normal path through my realm and bid you farewell for we shall never meet again, though my realm is ever open to your dreaming soul. Fear not for your child my Lord, for though his path will be lined with hardships, he shall be the keeper of something far greater than any treasure you could name. The renewal will come and into his possession shall be given the Heart of the Universe.
***
"Your Majesty!" Luna called, "Serenity!"
Artemis looked at his fellow guardian in worry. It did not matter that she denied it, he was her soulmate and he knew her far more completely than she would have liked. To the rest of their people, it might not have shown but to him her anxiety and fear were like a beacon. He did not know the news that had disturbed her so but as one of Selene's two guardians, he would learn soon enough. Something inside told him that he would know entirely too much all too quickly and he wished briefly that his friend, queen and goddess had chosen a Guardian. Another hunch told him that the Lunarian people and their queen would need a champion in the near future.
*Serenity! SERENITY?!*
"Whoa!" he muttered. The mental shriek reverberated around in his mind and almost knocked him off his feet. He shook his shock off and quickly caught up with the ebony haired Lunarian again. A quick snatch at her wrist and a yank had her in his arms where he attempted to sooth her. It would do none of them any good if she lost her wits in a crisis… whatever it might be.
To his surprise she let him hold her and that as much as anything scared the white maned Lunarian man. She had spurned his suit at every turn. In truth, wooing her was proving to be an exercise in patience that he would never have expected when his parents had sent him to court to be trained as a warrior; of course he hadn't expected Queen Serenity to chose him as one of her guardians either. Still Luna's stubborn refusal to admit even the slightest grain of attraction to her soulmate was quickly becoming the stuff of legend amongst their people.
He blocked all of the thoughts that ran through his head away from any possible intrusion on his mind that she might make, for once glad that her attitude meant the bond between them was still weak. It would not do for them to get into an argument now. He pulled away from her and the crescent symbol of his office flashed on his forehead as he stared into her blue eyes. *What has happened Luna?* he demanded directly into her mind.
Even in the haven of her mind she could not find the words to respond. She subsided into sobs and he held her close once more. A quiet thought lightly brushed at his shields and Artemis looked over Luna's bent head. Dark eyes full of knowledge met his. Cropped dark hair fell past her chin, a pale face showed a youth long past and her delicate physique was completely at odds with the power she wielded. Still it was her eyes that commanded his attention. The knowledge they contained were Death's secrets and Artemis mentally accorded her the respect that was her due as Thanatos' chosen Guardian. One day a being would come whose eyes shone with the mystery of Selene but until that time Artemis and Luna would serve their queen to the best of their abilities.
"What has passed?" the dark haired girl asked. A quick flick of her eyes assessed his fellow guardian's condition and returned to his calmly.
Artemis shook his head in confusion. "I am not certain Lady Messiah but she seeks Serenity."
The Dark Messiah nodded emotionlessly and tilted her head. "Your queen approaches even now with my Lord," she informed them after a moment. "Selene is aware that something is amiss. Both she and Lord Saetan come with all haste."
Artemis nodded his thanks and mentally rebuked himself for allowing Luna's mental turmoil to slow his own thoughts. He shelved his recriminations for later and returned his attention to the lady in his arms. *Luna, she comes. Calm yourself.*
"Aye Lady Luna," a hollow voice agreed aloud. "My lady needs that thou be calm."
Luna quickly pulled away from Artemis and whirled to face the two Stars who had appeared. The queen that Artemis and she both served was silver of hair and eyes. The crescent symbol that branded both of them as hers shone softly on her brow and two barely visible gossamer wings spread from her back like a butterfly's. She was slender and ethereal, an image that befit the Lady of Mystery, still many mortals would no doubt believe her to be spirit rather than a god. Her lord and mate was almost her opposite. Feathered wings of deepest black sprouted behind him and a wavy black mane fell from his shoulders to disappear in the darkness that garbed him. No matter how great the light around him, his face seemed to be eternally in shadow and only his lady had ever seen the hue of the eyes hidden beneath his ominous brows.
Luna visibly drew herself together and reported with a remarkable semblance of calm. If Artemis had not felt the fear that ran through her he would have believed her to be nothing more than the same ever-collected woman he had yearned for near a standard millennium.
"The Solarian star system has fallen," Luna started and paused as she awaited the Divine Stars' reactions.
Her words quickly erased any other considerations from Artemis' mind. All knew that the Speaker was abnormally interested in something that dwelled in that particular system. Anything that involved Sol or its surrounding worlds was sure to involve the entire Council.
Selene nodded slightly. "Continue."
Luna licked her lips. "A Darkstar invaded. Eight of the worlds are dead, one completely destroyed. Only the third planet still lives and anything approaching civilisation there has been eradicated."
Artemis inhaled with a hiss. So many would have died and for what? What could a Darkstar possibly have wanted with a star system that was still isolated from the rest of the universe?
"It was Metallia."
Again Artemis was stunned. Metallia… Kaos' handmaiden. He stole a glance at his queen, she was the only Council Member to have faced Metallia in the past and survived, let alone won. Her face was grey and Thanatos supported her tenderly. He held her silently for a moment, an indescribable communion passing between the two soulmated divinities in that instant.
Finally Serenity smiled wanly. "I will be fine Saetan. We must attend to our duties now, my nerves can wait." He nodded and almost unnoticeably squeezed her hand in reassurance.
"How could the Speaker allow this?" Thanatos' Guardian broke the silence and her lord frowned.
Luna grimaced. "She used a mortal cat's-paw, a sorceress named Beryl."
"And that makes it acceptable?" the small warrior demanded coldly.
"No, my Hotaru, it does not," Thanatos responded grimly, "It only means that the Speaker cannot intervene directly lest he risk war with the Darkheart."
"Technically a Star, whether divine or dark, cannot be held responsible for a mortal's actions." Selene paused and her smile was sad. "It is the price for allowing mortals free will, Hotaru. They have freedom but if they permit themselves to be manipulated then it is they who must pay."
"What I am more interested in," Artemis interrupted, surprising them all. "Is why?" He looked earnestly at his queen and her consort. "What was so important in that very small, distant, weak, defenceless, backward system could possibly have inspired Kaos to send his handmaid there to destroy it?"
The four stared at him and Thanatos frowned. "Kaos? Thou art so certain that the Darkheart is involved?"
"Yes," Artemis answered without thought. "Metallia has been kept very much under tight control since she fought with Serenity and lost. She would never have been allowed to do this unless Kaos himself had sanctioned her actions. So again I ask, what is so important there?"
"They produce chocolate and coffee," Hotaru commented blandly, obviously as confused as Artemis was.
"Chocolate I will give you," Artemis allowed, "But coffee? No, it is a vile brew. Still I doubt Kaos would risk war over something so petty."
"There were rumours that the Guardian the Lord of Dream had finally chosen still dwells in that sector of space. Was there not talk of a pact where Elysion would remain mortal for a century to fulfil other responsibilities before accepting the duties of a Guardian?" Luna's face was thoughtful as she tried to recall more but that little was enough to cause Selene and Thanatos' expressions to become horrified.
"Your Majesty? My Lord?" Artemis asked tentatively. The two gods ignored him, their attention caught once more in a private exchange.
Finally Thanatos shook his head. "Nay Love, 'tis not possible. I would have felt the passage of a Guardian Star through my realm. Elysion cannot be dead."
"Are you certain, Beloved? His death would greatly jeopardise all."
After a moment Thanatos nodded and turned to Hotaru. "My Messiah, seek the boy's soul-"
"If he is within your realm I will find him," she promised and disappeared.
"Your Majesty?" Luna's voice was tentative.
Serenity and Saetan moved closer together and it was a moment before the Lord of the Dead spoke. "Thou were right Artemis. The Darkheart does plot. It seeks to sabotage the Renewal."
Artemis frowned and Luna stepped back, lightly brushing against him. Neither understood exactly what they were being told yet both felt to the depths of their souls the magnitude of the coming crisis.
The ominous foreboding was confirmed by Serenity's next words. "It will settle for dominion of the universe, no less."