- "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything for you." Miranda promised
Shana watched as they all filed out of the room, then turned to Claire. "Why didn't you go with them?"
"I don't like the idea of a little girl like you staying in the palace by herself. If anything happens, I can be of help. They're all fine warriors, without me they can still get to the Staff. Besides, I thought you might be bored. And it's kinda interesting here." Claire took off one glove and flicked the fingers of her hand against the wall, listening to the crystal hum in resonance. "Isn't it fascinating?"
"It seems that some of Zieg's curiosity spread to you during your marriage."
The ruby on the white gold band sparkled as it caught the lamplight. "I don't know about that. I've always been curious. Ask Father if you don't believe me. It's part of the reason I ran away from Rouge. That town is so sheltered! I wanted to know more about the world. I don't think my curiosity came from Zieg at all. In fact, our relationship was very…strange actually. It was a happy relationship, but we weren't close at all. We went through daily routines, we even loved each other enough to have Dart, but for some reason, I just don't…" She held a hand to her forehead, grimacing.
The younger girl placed her hand on Claire's arm. The look on her face was not mocking or in any way malevolent. It was open and sincere and warmed hearts the way fire would warm bodies. "It's all right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to remember bad memories."
"They're not bad memories. Just…so distant now that I look at them again."
Shana smiled knowingly. The only sound in the room was the crystals humming in response to the exchange of noises in the castle, translating words into notes and casting them into the air. Then Shana blurted out with enough force to make the crystals rise an octave, "I don't know what to do!"
"What?"
"I'm so scared, Claire!" She curled her legs up and sobbed into her hands.
There were so many times that Claire comforted had her as she cried that it was now a second nature. Shana's mother was a kind woman and didn't mean to neglect her daughter, but as wife of the mayor, she had obligations and time-consuming duties. Often it was Claire that calmed Shana, as she did now, sitting next to her and putting an arm around her, letting her lean and cry on her shoulder. She did not say anything, but waited for her to talk.
When it was obvious that Shana had no words, Claire stroked her hair and hummed her lullaby as if the Seles girl is still a tiny child that slept over the house occasionally. The lullaby seems to soothe her, and the tears subside into hiccups and sniffles.
"Now," The dark-haired woman brushed Shana's hair out of her eyes to make her look up. "What's wrong?"
Shrug. "I don't know what to do." Hiccup. "I have this weird power inside of me. I killed a giant snake and a Virage." Sniffle. Hiccup. "I can feel this insane energy inside my head that has nothing to do with my previous Dragoon Spirit." Sniffle. "I feel like…I feel restrained and held back. And that's just magic-wise." Hiccup. Hiccup. "I'm so scared about what can happen to Dart. I'm scared about what can happen on this journey. I don't want anyone to be hurt. I just want to stop and take a long nap."
"Sweetheart, so do I." Claire sighed, and the crystal walls echoed it in a haunting note. "This entire journey is insane. No one understands it and less people will believe it when and if it is finally over."
Sniffle. "Can you…help me, with any of those?"
"I can't help you, Shana. You're past the coming of age, as they say. You're a grown woman now. And even though I'll always be here for you, I can't be your fairy godmother than can wave her wand and make everything all right. I don't understand this power inside of you. But you saved my life by knocking that Virage away from me, and I'll be eternally grateful for that. You control this power to some extent. With some practice, you might be able to control it further. But that's just a guess. I can't guarantee anything.
"As for Dart, well, haven't we had this talk before? It's pointless to keep wondering and worrying about what will happen. Go ahead and do it and you'll find out. I know you love him, and I know he loves you. Go for it. You're good friends anyway, and nothing will change."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm his mother. I better be sure."
Shana gave a hesitant smile, a try for the sweet giggles of when she was only ten years old. "It must be so weird, listening to me talk about my love problems with your son."
"Not really. I think it's kinda sweet. Better you talk to me about it then, oh say, Meru or someone."
Shana made a face. "I don't think I'll ever be that desperate!" Another smile as she leaned back on the bed. "But she does have her grip on life, and she loves Guaraha."
"That she does. Listen, Shana, you have to talk to me or someone about these thoughts when they come into your head. If this had happened during a battle, you'd be dead, and no one wants that. Talk to me, talk to Rose, talk to Meru, but talk to someone before you explode. Got it?"
"Yes."
Claire smiled at her and clambered off the bed, wincing as she banged her knee against a dresser before settling in a chair next to the bed. "I can't help you with wanting to stop, but you can take a long nap. I'll be here when you wake up and we can talk some more, okay?"
"Promise?" Her eyes were already closing, and for a brief instant, Claire could see a seven-year-old child with a contented smile.
"I promise. Good night." Half in a sleepy daze herself, she hummed her lullaby until they both asleep.
When Claire next woke, it was not to a good thing. The entire palace was shaking.
"By the stars!" She leapt out of the chair and crumbled as her legs—cramped from being folded under her—failed. Cursing, she jumped to restore the blood flow and ran through the hallways, bare feet slapping against the cold marble floor.
"Shana!" Claire cursed as she almost lost her balance. The castle was shaking violently and something terrible roared outside. A crack ran up the wall and across the ceiling, splitting it into pieces that rained down like tiny meteors.
"Claire!" Sacred Sister Setie yanked her arm and pulled her into the safety of an untouched alcove.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know! I was going to wake you up and the castle just started shaking!" Setie shrieked as a fragment of the ceiling scratched her arm. "The Queen is still in the throne room with Luanna!"
Claire cursed again, briefly wondering if it was a sin to curse in front of a Sacred Sister. "Where is Shana?"
"What?" It was hard to hear over the din of roaring and rumbling and screaming. To make matters worse, the crystals echoed the sounds just as loud and octaves higher.
"Where's Shana?"
"I don't know!"
Claire burst out from the alcove, running as fast as she could to try and avoid the falling debris, failing. Part of a clock smashed into her shoulder, tearing open skin and flesh, dislocating the bone. A scream ripped its way out of her throat, hoarse and angry.
Magic filled the air. In addition to the falling debris, pieces on the floor were rising up and flinging themselves through the air, creating a tornado of lethal danger. What was doing this? Claire shimmied along the wall, batting away rocks that came too close for comfort.
"Claire!" This voice was familiar, and it wasn't long before Shana came running into view. "Are you all right? I was looking all over for you. Oh, your shoulder!"
The blue light was around her again, stronger, seeming pulsate like a heartbeat. Shana was unmarked by any injuries; she looked as if she had just woken up. As Claire watched in awe, falling debris glanced off the girl's skin as if she was wearing armor.
"Shana, what's going on? What's happening to you?"
Shana didn't even seem to realize the light around her until she looked down. "Oh." She said, and then shut her eyes.
A change overcame her. Something that made her stronger and more powerful, nothing noticeable, but the power she emanated was enough for the weakest drabbest human to sense. She was like a furnace radiating heat, but she didn't seem to be in control. Light burst from her mouth and ran as tears down her face. She reached out and grabbed Claire's arm.
The light was so strong that it took Claire a moment to convince herself that it didn't hurt. Shielding her eyes until they adjusted, she squinted to see in the star-like brightness. Shana was still next to her, arms flung wide, head tossed back, mouth open in a silent scream. The light was coming from her again, the same way it had worked against the giant snake and the Virage at the Valley. The blue-white shine was greatest in an outline around her.
Shana! Claire's scream appeared as silence. She frowned; tried again, louder. Hmm. No wonder she couldn't hear Shana's screaming; it was void here. No sound existed because of the light.
But what was that light?
Claire watched as the shield of light expanded like a wine stain. It was a hazy white-blue near Shana and deepened in blue as it went along farther from her. It crawled along the floor and walls and ceiling like a wave crashing. She froze when the light came to her, forced herself to stay still.
Oh. It felt like the barest tickle of water, like slowly submerging in a tub with barely a ripple. She had felt it only once before, when she managed to persuade Zieg to come swimming with her. But he had smuggled a book with him, and immediately began reading once upon the lake. No matter what, he could not be persuaded to enter the water—now Claire realized it was probably because of his Fire Dragoon—so Claire sat on the bank with him, tapping the surface with her feet, feeling it giving and relentless at the same time.
The light washed over her with the same feeling. Suddenly her skin was patched up and the pain in her shoulder lessened greatly.
Regaining her mind, she reached out to touch Shana lightly, to find that her skin was burning to the touch and that she wouldn't snap out of her trance.
Huddling into herself, she watched the light spread and wash over things.
After a while the light rushed back to Shana and disappeared. Sound returned and so did full sight.
Shana slumped to the floor, weakly groaning. Her breath came fast and shallow, her heartbeat erratic. Her skin was still beyond fever-hot, but she was dampened with sweat.
"What happened?" Luanna was feeling her way along the walls to them, but the palace had changed so much that she had better luck just blindly stumbling.
"I don't know." Claire gathered Shana in her arms—stars, she was so light, so frail—and prepared to bring her to a relatively unscathed area when she realized something. There were little circles on the ground, untouched by anything, still clean as if the maids had just washed and waxed them. The stones, debris, and shattered crystals were in perfect rings around the circles.
"By Soa…how?" the queen was weeping.
The light…
Shana had been protecting them.
"Queen Theresa!" Setie burst in, nursing a number of scrapes and cuts, wincing. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine. See to Luanna and Lady Shana. By Soa, look at the wreckage. The town's been destroyed… It will take much work to rebuild. The townspeople…send the guards to help them. We will do what we can. Send the injured to the medical wings and get all the maids and pages to help the villagers. Go, now."
Setie first checked Luanna for any injuries, and let out a cry of relief when she found her Sister safe. Claire, an only child, envied their close relationship.
"Lady Claire, come with me."
Claire carried Shana and followed the queen to a chamber with silken drapings. It was in better shape than most of the castle, but still not livable. Queen Theresa swept away the debris on the bed with her arm and gestured. Her dark lips were pressed together very tightly.
"These are my quarters. She can rest here for the time being, but we need another course of action. Stay here with her. I need to see to my people."
Claire watched the entire city bustle with activity, feeling very lonely and immobile.
She wondered how Dart and the others were doing.
The Council was gathered in that chamber. Most of them had not had the chance to clean up; they were as filthy and dust-covered as Claire was. They paid her no attention, speaking instead to the Queen and Sacred Sisters on what they should do. Deningrad was no longer an option. The majority of houses had been destroyed. Only a few homes—out of sheer luck only—had remained relatively untouched.
"We can't stay here. The palace is ruined."
"But where can we stay? The people here have lost their homes. What can we do for them? We must leave."
"I am the Queen. I must stay with them."
"You must save yourself first. Deningrad is nothing now, but it shall surely fall apart without its Queen."
"Where can we go then?"
"Neet."
The Council turned to her, noticing the dark-haired slender woman for the first time. "What?"
"We can stay in Neet."
Senator Viscen was a tall whip of a man that was quick to denounce other people's ideas but slow to offer his own. However, he was very rational and a valuable member of the Council. "Neet was destroyed almost twenty years ago. There's nothing there anymore."
"I know that." Claire said, wiping sweat off Shana's brow. "But there are a few underground tunnels that we used to use as a holding cell. It remained intact after the Black Monster's attack. We can send some of the people there, some can remain in the houses here, and some to Fueno. Maybe even to the Queen of Fury. Temporary places to stay. I'm heading to Neet with Shana. I'll be glad to guide who I can."
There was much hesitation until Viscen mumbled a question.
Annoyed, Claire asked him to speak up.
"I said, do you think that is wise? Lady Shana could have been the cause of the attack, don't you think so?"
Claire thought back on singing to Shana as a girl, Shana handing her a bouquet of damp half-dead snapdragons, Shana learning tentatively to use her bow, Shana saving her from the Virage, Shana's white light and the pain it took away, Shana's talk about changing with the Dragoon Spirit, Shana's shields of protection that kept everyone safe.
"No." She said immediately. "I don't think so. At all."
"We owe our lives to Lady Shana. Her…gift protect us." Queen Theresa pointed to the several untouched circles of floor. The debris formed rings around them but none fell in. The light had formed shields of protection. "We owe her our lives."
"Lady Shana had nothing to do with the attack. This devastation was wrought neither by her command nor for her sake. It was revenge, pure and simple." Luanna reached around for Setie's hand. "I was stretching my mind during the attack. It was so dark and hateful. It was the Divine Dragon."
Blast it all, how did that thing awaken anyway?
"Enough. It will not help to debate this now. We will follow Lady Claire's advice. Call the guards. I will speak to the people about this. We shall split into four groups and head separate ways. Find four people who will be our messengers, strong and swift. Get everyone to pack their necessities. It is unsafe for us all to stay here." Queen Theresa spoke not only as a ruler, but like a commander heading her army. "Get to work now."
"Your Majesty." Claire said, watching Shana toss and turn. "I suggest that we hurry. Shana needs to settle somewhere soon. She's getting sicker by the moment. I think she's dying."