Bearing the Creation and Destruction of Power: Part IV
"Naw rearry," I mumbled, mouth full.
"Huh?" Kyonga asked.
I swallowed. "Not really," I repeated.
"I would think you'd be scared after reading that Neopedia article," Dialin commented.
"I just feel sort of-calm I guess-after reading that. Maybe it's knowing what I'm dealing with," I replied. We hadn't found out much more about the gem, Sakirina, or Hillius Sirkeng, so we'd come home for some lunch. I took another bite of Cheese Sandwich, swallowed, and continued talking. "I do wonder what we should do next though."
Everyone-all eight of us-was spread out over the expanse of the living room. On the couch, on kitchen chairs that had been dragged in for more seating space, and on the floor.
Suddenly the air near the doorway rippled with yellow and silver light. A crack sounded throughout the house, and a majestic light faerie appeared. The jaws of everyone-animal and human alike-dropped. Tensio was the first to speak. "Wh-who're you?"
"I am Limarae. A light faerie. I have come to tell you of the task ahead of you."
"I think this answers my question," I muttered into Alysen's ear. She nodded. Limarae's eyes settled onto me.
"Gem Bearer. Your task lies before you, as if laid out like a maid might set a table. You must destroy the Gem of Truth."
I gasped. When I could speak again, I asked, "Why didn't anyone else try to destroy the gem?"
"Oh, many have tried, but did not succeed. For it was not their fate. You are the only one who can destroy this power."
I opened my mouth to reply, but Limarae answered before the words were even free of my lips. "Yes, your friends can help you, but you alone must enter the Cave of Truth. That is where the gem was made. Only there can the power be undone."
"Can you tell me where the cave is?" I asked.
"Yes, I can," Limarae replied. "The Cave of Truth is located on Mystery Island. It is deep in the jungles somewhere, and there are many things guarding it.
"Apparently that Sirkeng guy was big on privacy," I said wryly. No one laughed. Limarae glared at me.
"What kinds of things are guarding the cave?" Dialin asked. Always sensible she is.
"Spells, monsters, traps. Hillius Sirkeng was a very powerful wizard, but he was close-minded. The Faerie Queen tried to persuade him not to create the Gem of Truth. He didn't listen. Foolish man."
"Well, I think we should head out now," I decided. "Limarae, is there anything else we need to know?"
"Yes," she replied. "I would like to speak with Hallazi, then Taiyani."
I shrugged. "Sure." The light faerie smiled.
"Good. Hallazi, come here please." Hallazi slowly walked forward, short purple grundo legs padding on the floor.
"Yes?" Hallazi asked.
"You are wise, Hallazi. Though you are young, war has aged you. As you once said, only hours ago, though it may seem like many months, you have seen many things. Go on this quest with my luck." Limarae shook Hallazi's small hand, then called to me, "Taiyani, come here."
"What?" I asked, wanting to get on with the mission.
"You have hard times ahead of you. A fortune-teller once told the same thing to Sakirina, the last bearer of the gem. I see the same spirit in you that I saw in her. The same recklessness." Limarae smiled. "Those who bear the Gem of Truth will walk the path of life alone. They do not have a choice in doing so. Do not forget your friends, no matter how alone you are."
I nodded, embedding what she had told me into my mind. "Will I see you again?" I asked.
"Most likely. And now, you must go. Good luck," Limarae replied. Alysen and Dialin came up behind me, putting their hands on my shoulders.
"Let's go," Dialin said quietly.
I nodded again, silently gathering my courage. "I must go now," Limarae said. "I will be seeing you." With a flash of yellow and silver light, the faerie was gone.
"Now are you scared?" Kyonga asked.
"A little," I replied.
Alysen sighed and looked around the room. "I guess we should pack some food and stuff."
"Yeah." I shuffled into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Pulling out two loaves of Bread and filling a few Bottles of Water, I stuck them in a backpack that Kyonga had brought into the room. Picking up my Grand Lightning Beam and the Gem of Truth, I also stuffed them into my backpack.
"Anything else we need?" Alysen asked, coming into the room with an armful of coats. "I dug these out of one of your closets. It appears you haven't worn them in years."
"I probably haven't." I grinned. "I never wear coats. I always wear sweatshirts. Might as well bring the coats though."
I started giggling to myself. "What's so funny?" Tilando asked.
"I'm just remembering a story I read once. It was about something a lot like this." I kept packing food into the backpack, still talking. "I think it was called Creation and Destruction. Come to think of it, it was almost exactly like our little predicament."
"Hmmm," Dialin muttered.
"Well. Are we ready?" Alysen asked.
"I think so. We should get going," I replied. As I marched them all outside, I noticed a little purple slorg gliding past the porch, leaving a slimy trail of slorg slime. I raised an eyebrow, and pointed to it for Kyonga to see. She picked up the slorg in her blue zafara paws and looked it over.
"Doesn't look like he belongs to anyone," Kyonga decided. "Can we keep him?"
"I suppose so, if nobody comes looking for him."
"Goodie! Let's call him Eotso."
"Fine with me," I shrugged, continuing down the walkway of the neohome. Kyonga trailed along, tickling Eotso.
"You're so cute!" Kyonga crooned. Eotso just turned into a puff of smoke, and then turned back to normal. I rolled my eyes back at her, giggling at the surprised look on her face.
***
As we trouped along the streets of Neopia Central, a fear began to cloud my mind. Or perhaps not fear, for surprisingly, I wasn't very afraid. The only way I could really describe it was as a shadow, gripping my heart as an octopus might grip a small fish. I kept this to myself, not wanting to frighten the others, or maybe the gem had already begun to overtake my mind, telling me not to place my trust in my friends. I was completely oblivious to the sights and sounds around me, deep in my own thoughts, attempting to sort them through.
If nothing else, there was one thing I did decide. I decided that I could not throw away the Gem of Truth, not matter how much I wanted to give up. For in doing so, I would be throwing away all hope of ever destroying the gem. Or maybe not. I cannot tell the future. Either way, the gem had to be destroyed. And soon.
To be continued...
4
1
"Naw rearry," I mumbled, mouth full.
"Huh?" Kyonga asked.
I swallowed. "Not really," I repeated.
"I would think you'd be scared after reading that Neopedia article," Dialin commented.
"I just feel sort of-calm I guess-after reading that. Maybe it's knowing what I'm dealing with," I replied. We hadn't found out much more about the gem, Sakirina, or Hillius Sirkeng, so we'd come home for some lunch. I took another bite of Cheese Sandwich, swallowed, and continued talking. "I do wonder what we should do next though."
Everyone-all eight of us-was spread out over the expanse of the living room. On the couch, on kitchen chairs that had been dragged in for more seating space, and on the floor.
Suddenly the air near the doorway rippled with yellow and silver light. A crack sounded throughout the house, and a majestic light faerie appeared. The jaws of everyone-animal and human alike-dropped. Tensio was the first to speak. "Wh-who're you?"
"I am Limarae. A light faerie. I have come to tell you of the task ahead of you."
"I think this answers my question," I muttered into Alysen's ear. She nodded. Limarae's eyes settled onto me.
"Gem Bearer. Your task lies before you, as if laid out like a maid might set a table. You must destroy the Gem of Truth."
I gasped. When I could speak again, I asked, "Why didn't anyone else try to destroy the gem?"
"Oh, many have tried, but did not succeed. For it was not their fate. You are the only one who can destroy this power."
I opened my mouth to reply, but Limarae answered before the words were even free of my lips. "Yes, your friends can help you, but you alone must enter the Cave of Truth. That is where the gem was made. Only there can the power be undone."
"Can you tell me where the cave is?" I asked.
"Yes, I can," Limarae replied. "The Cave of Truth is located on Mystery Island. It is deep in the jungles somewhere, and there are many things guarding it.
"Apparently that Sirkeng guy was big on privacy," I said wryly. No one laughed. Limarae glared at me.
"What kinds of things are guarding the cave?" Dialin asked. Always sensible she is.
"Spells, monsters, traps. Hillius Sirkeng was a very powerful wizard, but he was close-minded. The Faerie Queen tried to persuade him not to create the Gem of Truth. He didn't listen. Foolish man."
"Well, I think we should head out now," I decided. "Limarae, is there anything else we need to know?"
"Yes," she replied. "I would like to speak with Hallazi, then Taiyani."
I shrugged. "Sure." The light faerie smiled.
"Good. Hallazi, come here please." Hallazi slowly walked forward, short purple grundo legs padding on the floor.
"Yes?" Hallazi asked.
"You are wise, Hallazi. Though you are young, war has aged you. As you once said, only hours ago, though it may seem like many months, you have seen many things. Go on this quest with my luck." Limarae shook Hallazi's small hand, then called to me, "Taiyani, come here."
"What?" I asked, wanting to get on with the mission.
"You have hard times ahead of you. A fortune-teller once told the same thing to Sakirina, the last bearer of the gem. I see the same spirit in you that I saw in her. The same recklessness." Limarae smiled. "Those who bear the Gem of Truth will walk the path of life alone. They do not have a choice in doing so. Do not forget your friends, no matter how alone you are."
I nodded, embedding what she had told me into my mind. "Will I see you again?" I asked.
"Most likely. And now, you must go. Good luck," Limarae replied. Alysen and Dialin came up behind me, putting their hands on my shoulders.
"Let's go," Dialin said quietly.
I nodded again, silently gathering my courage. "I must go now," Limarae said. "I will be seeing you." With a flash of yellow and silver light, the faerie was gone.
"Now are you scared?" Kyonga asked.
"A little," I replied.
Alysen sighed and looked around the room. "I guess we should pack some food and stuff."
"Yeah." I shuffled into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Pulling out two loaves of Bread and filling a few Bottles of Water, I stuck them in a backpack that Kyonga had brought into the room. Picking up my Grand Lightning Beam and the Gem of Truth, I also stuffed them into my backpack.
"Anything else we need?" Alysen asked, coming into the room with an armful of coats. "I dug these out of one of your closets. It appears you haven't worn them in years."
"I probably haven't." I grinned. "I never wear coats. I always wear sweatshirts. Might as well bring the coats though."
I started giggling to myself. "What's so funny?" Tilando asked.
"I'm just remembering a story I read once. It was about something a lot like this." I kept packing food into the backpack, still talking. "I think it was called Creation and Destruction. Come to think of it, it was almost exactly like our little predicament."
"Hmmm," Dialin muttered.
"Well. Are we ready?" Alysen asked.
"I think so. We should get going," I replied. As I marched them all outside, I noticed a little purple slorg gliding past the porch, leaving a slimy trail of slorg slime. I raised an eyebrow, and pointed to it for Kyonga to see. She picked up the slorg in her blue zafara paws and looked it over.
"Doesn't look like he belongs to anyone," Kyonga decided. "Can we keep him?"
"I suppose so, if nobody comes looking for him."
"Goodie! Let's call him Eotso."
"Fine with me," I shrugged, continuing down the walkway of the neohome. Kyonga trailed along, tickling Eotso.
"You're so cute!" Kyonga crooned. Eotso just turned into a puff of smoke, and then turned back to normal. I rolled my eyes back at her, giggling at the surprised look on her face.
***
As we trouped along the streets of Neopia Central, a fear began to cloud my mind. Or perhaps not fear, for surprisingly, I wasn't very afraid. The only way I could really describe it was as a shadow, gripping my heart as an octopus might grip a small fish. I kept this to myself, not wanting to frighten the others, or maybe the gem had already begun to overtake my mind, telling me not to place my trust in my friends. I was completely oblivious to the sights and sounds around me, deep in my own thoughts, attempting to sort them through.
If nothing else, there was one thing I did decide. I decided that I could not throw away the Gem of Truth, not matter how much I wanted to give up. For in doing so, I would be throwing away all hope of ever destroying the gem. Or maybe not. I cannot tell the future. Either way, the gem had to be destroyed. And soon.
To be continued...
4
1