A/N: Oh my God!!! I have actually finished the first part! It's the
prologue actually. A very big prologue. Now is where the real story begins.
There is going to be a big surprise in the end or the middle of this
chapter as well so, go on. GET TO READING! He heh. Well, can't find enough
to say. See ya at the end.
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Chapter 6: Complications and Death
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The small room that Nakami resided in was crowded with the cloaked tall figures. The leader wore a red robe with an intricate silver design on the front of it. It depicted a pyre with a sun in one claw and the two moons in the other. Wisps of silver hair shone out of the hood. His eyes were hidden in a shadow and his long nose stood out elegantly from his profile. A soft warm-colored hand caressed over Nakami's cheek and down her neck, slowly as if he was savoring it.
Rhym luct ar...
He clasped his hands slowly and held them out over her. A red glow emanated gently from his palms.
Rhym luct ar...!
The other cloaked figures did the same. A red dome covered her in a dim light, as she still lay unmoving. He forced more energy into the shield and it glowed stronger. It pulsed and hummed warmly.
Sucutukei niinega heyla knadrete len saldun...
The leader released his hands from the shield and touched his heart with both of his hands. A red light glowed softly from his fingertips. He spoke this part with tenderness and with his soul.
Im dreykenla...
This verse was said in Draconian. "With heart." Van said while not looking away from the display. Hitomi looked up to him with a curious look on her face. The leader then tapped his forehead with his left and joined his hands together in a clasp.
Im sucala ist nem...
"With soul and mind." Van said, trancelike. There was a soft silvery glow between the man's hands. He cupped them and held it in a ball and raised it up to his lips, kissing it delicately. He raised his hands over the shield and before letting the energy go, he spoke another phrase.
Im sakin sey kassa ip frem dalak alh de kunt frempta...
Van understood what that meant and he sucked in a quick breath. "With body I die 'til lights wings carry me away." he said. She looked up to him and then to the man. 'Oh God, let this be worth it. Let them be okay.' she prayed as she looked on, helpless to the man, and Nakami's disadvantage.
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She continued falling. 'Help me.' she prayed. Suddenly, there was a screech and a burst of fire next to her. In a burst of feathers, a large, phoenix- like bird flew down under her and they landed on it's back. Climbing up so she could see, she noticed they were going the opposite direction, into the fire.
"Wait! We must follow them! We have to escape, not go to it!!" she yelled at it. Looking back, she watched the winged ones fly away with a longing to be safe with them. Suddenly, a series of large tongues of fire lapped them up one by one. Blood curling screams could be heard from them and they were swallowed up into the burning inferno. Choking on a sob, she let a lone tear fall down her cheek for the innocent people and children who were killed. 'We aren't going to make it alive from here.' she thought as she looked down to her enormous rescuer.
The bird swung left and she and the girl held on tight to it. Fire ruptured under them as it licked and tasted the bird. All it did was absorb through it. They dove down and quickly dodged falling columns. It flew with the expertise that she had never seen before. Dodging and ducking seemed so natural for the beast as she watched with a frightened but wonder filled heart as she saw the columns and buildings crash under them.
A large column fell and it hit the bird, making it flap up frantically. She fell off and landed in the middle of the rubble. She heard the girl scream and call out to her. 'Inhestia, is that my name?' she thought as she looked up wearily. She saw fire around her everywhere but she felt warm and contented with this. The water would soon come and she would sink, along with this once wonderful paradise. Her head felt dizzy and she lay back, wanting to rest.
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The priest walked through the barrier easily and looked down to the woman before him. A smile came across his lips and he could feel the energy drain from him slowly but surely. "Musukala ghen ciñasteñia." he said as he kneeled next to her. Kissing her hand, he held it to his cheek. His eyes began to droop as his life energy was being sucked into her. Laying his face into the crook of her neck, he took a deep breath, letting his nostrils take in her soft scent of pine, burning wood, and clean clear water. "Inhestia..." he breathed and went limp, falling onto the ground next to her bed.
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Inhestia lay on the ground, feeling this her last moment of life before her flesh would be swallowed up in flames. The pyre and the girl were gone and she was alone. Memories rushed into her head as she slowly began to take a grip on who she really was. The keeper of the moons and sun, empress of her people the Cellonians, promised to the high priest of the cathedral of Holy. Her heart sunk at the last thought. She did not know who he was, nor did she love him. They were paired at birth and the decision was complete. Not many saw his face. Hell, she could count all that have on her two hands. A close friend of hers, his companion Faslien, said that he was quite handsome and very strong spoken when he spoke. All of the talk of him made her sick. She loved another but their love could never be more than the small caresses that they gave each other.
A constant crack of a slow pace grew slowly nearer and nearer. ' Oh just let me die. Why do I need to suffer any longer.' she thought as she hugged herself. Strong yet gentle hands picked her up and started to carry her away. "Let me go! How dare you disturb me! Let me die! Nothing is worth living in despair day to day!" she screamed as she kicked her legs, trying to squirm her way out of his grip. He continued unfazed and walked to a large dark scarlet colored pyre.
It was a magnificent bird, even more so than the one she rode earlier. The long crest feathers were thin and defined. Purple accented the tips of its wings, the crest feathers, and it's elongated wispy tail. A thin velvet bit rested in its mouth and held the lengthy rein of violet velvet. He set her protesting figure on the bird's back and climbed on with her. Holding her against him, he held the reins and the pyre set off smoothly.
A long time passed until they reached a small abandoned house. The once soft marble was now slimy with rainwater and slime from the plants around it. The roof had many holes and looked as if it had been hastily put together when it was made. Inside, the rooms were dusty and rank. The smell hurt her nose as she buried her face into his shirt to breathe in a much better scent. He carried her to a large bedroom and set her on the large and somewhat kept rickety bed.
She backed away to the headboard when he started to remove her clothing. "Do you mind?!" she hissed. "You can't just pick me up and take off my clothes as if I am one of your whores!" She hugged her slightly undone clothing close to her body. He smiled beneath his cloak and tossed her a few ratty garments.
"I thought you were too tired to clothe yourself." he said and turned to start a fire in the makeshift fireplace. Holding his hands over the dry gathering of wood, he mumbled out the words, sukar-aut and a small red glow hummed from his fingertips. A little spark shot out and it created a small flame of fire. More jumped out and soon, there was a blaze. He turned and Inhestia stood there, watching his magic.
"Aren't you going to change? We may have to leave here abruptly." he said softly. She looked at the clothes on the bed then back to him.
"Do you mind?" she asked. It was more of an order than a request. He smiled. His hands stopped the glow as he stood up.
"As you wish Empress." he said. He walked out the door and left. She watched him walk away and she shrugged. Taking the long cotton dress, she sighed. "Well, at least I'm not killed." she said as she put on the drab, grey stitching of cloth.
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Celena looked out of the carriage window. The ride to Fanellia would be long and tiring. They were going to stop at the nearby Shanearst inn and spend the night until the snow melted. She didn't understand it but she decided not to complain. The trees rushed by her as she thought of Nakami. 'Poor Hitomi, I feel so horrible for her. Why does fate treat her so horribly? I hope that Van will ask her soon before something bad happens.' she thought.
The carriage was very bumpy and uncomfortable. She requested that she ride an airship to Fanellia but Allen insisted that she ride a carriage, something more suitable for a lady. The woods were dark and night was about to fall. The trees were thick and she couldn't see very far into the deep forest. "How much farther are we to travel Gaddes?" she asked to the driver.
"About a few more miles. Don't get too restless on me." he said as he whipped the reins to make the carriage go faster. Two horsemen rode behind them and four horsemen went off farther to check out the road ahead. They didn't come back for a while now. 'Oh they are probably taking their sweet time like they normally do.' she thought as they carried on. 'I hope I make it back to Fanellia quickly, Van is probably all strung out on dealing with the advisors, Nakami, Hitomi, and the country, plus the overflow of marriage proposals from princesses.' she thought with a giggle.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt and the horses whinnied loudly. She fell into the middle of the carriage in a heap. The two horsemen behind them galloped their horses rapidly around the carriage. One of them looked into the carriage and whispered, 'Don't look out and close the curtains. Keep quiet, lay down, and don't move.' he said and tossed in a dagger. She caught it and the rider rode off into the front. Doing as she was told, she held the dagger closely as she listened carefully.
"Don't you understand, this carriage is under Asturian control and if you know what's good for you, you will leave." That was Gaddes. His tone of voice scared her. She could barely even recognize her lover. His voice was rough and dangerous, like a vicious wolf.
"We have come for the prize inside of the carriage. If you don't let us pass, we will have to take her by force." said a weirdly foreign voice. Horses hooves started to clatter towards her and then the carriage shifted as, what she guessed, Gaddes jumped down. The sound of metal came and he bared his sword.
"You'll have to kill me first." Gaddes declared in his merciless tone. More clatter of revealing swords echoed it's way into her ears. More horses hooves.
"If you wish, so be it." said a new male voice. She gripped her dagger and prayed that nothing horrible would befall her, or Gaddes.
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Van recalled what he and the red-cloaked leader had conversed upon. They entered the room where Nakami was kept. A soft silver glow was forming, one that was never there before. Leader, as he referred to him, said that they made it in time.
"The keeper is awakening, she is taking in her memories and identity." he said in his monotone voice. His entire being reeked ice-cold energy and his mysteriousness made him uneasy. The leader said something in an outlandish language and his followers placed themselves around the bed in a perfect circle. Hitomi held onto Van.
"Do you think this will work Van? Do you think she will wake up?" she asked with a hopeful look in her eyes. He felt his heart sink as he paused to conjure up his answer. He felt that they did have a magical aura and that could help her wake but then again, the Ispanos, the best healers in all of Gaea, couldn't even stir her at all.
He had some suspicion about these people. How they just came out of nowhere and offered to help with no money. And this 'Keeper' crap was getting annoying. He in truth was a bit skeptical about them but he had to put his faith in them. "I hope they do, that's all I can say." he said as he gripped onto her tightly.
Now this man, their leader was dead. Motionless, his face lay down onto the wooden floor. He fell down there when the last amount of energy he had was bestowed into the sleeping Nakami. A small pool of blood had dripped from his mouth, a weird purplish red color. A sickening thud echoed in the room when his body lay in a heap. The shield then pulsated and grew solid in a shiny red glow. Hitomi gasped and held onto him, burying her face into his chest. Hugging her crying form close to him, he watched the leader's body, as it grew paler by the minute. 'He truly is dead.' he thought. He silently hoped that Nakami and the man would be saved.
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Her cloaked body was pressed against his. Their bodies were wet and her black tresses were out of place in her once tidy bun. The uncomfortable feeling was nothing to her all she felt was fear. He breathed roughly above her and looked over them to the horrible debris ahead. Luckily he jumped onto her when he saw the first wave of water rush over to them. The roar was tremendous and she shook in terror as she was immobilized from the sight of it. It was enormous and was what he estimated to be about thirteen pyres tall. Jumping onto her, he held her with an iron grip. She screamed and he yelled for her to hold her breath as much as she could.
Right after he said that, the wave hit them like a building. She held her breath and they slammed into the shack like a rocket. Suddenly, she let go of her air and struggled against him as she gasped for air. He pressed his mouth to hers and she sucked the remaining oxygen from his breath. They rode in the wave for a while until they fell off of a cliff. They broke off of the 'kiss' and gasped for air.
The water below was a giant flood where abundant crops once grew. They shot into the water and he struggled both of them up to a large floating piece of wood that used to be the side of a house. He pulled her up onto it and laid tiredly on top of her, gasping for breath. Destruction was everywhere, large pieces of wood was scattered, cows and chickens were floating, dead by drowning or impaled by the rushing wood. The gore of it all made him sick to his stomach.
Inhestia was gasping furiously, trying to get air in her water filled lungs. He pulled her tiredly over the side of the wood and she coughed out loads and loads of water. Coughing, she gasped, "Why... why is this happening? Why are the gods casting us down?" She cried as she said this.
"They aren't casting us down, they are infuriated with the Draconians; with their lust for their power; to sit on their thrones as gods." he spat as he tried to catch his breath. Lying on the middle of their makeshift raft, he spread his arms out and heaved in a large breath. Inhestia crawled up to him and lay on his chest. She snuggled up to him and purred in contentment. This man made her comfortable. He was kind to her even though she was rude and inconsiderate to him. Closing her eyes, she traced a finger down his chest affectionately.
"Inhestia.?" he asked. His body tensed as he pulled away from her softly. She knew the hard feeling in her chest. It was weird to her and she never thought she would be so entranced to someone so quickly. His secretive and quiet charming ways aroused her and she couldn't stop the attraction that was growing on her. Sure she loved another but she felt drawn to him. He sat back on the raft and looked to her. His eyes were still covered and this upset her somewhat.
She crawled up to him and kissed him. Looking to him in a curious look, she asked, "Why do you hide from me?" He didn't respond, only the fair hints of a blush on his cheeks.
"I don't hide from you Empress. I hide from the world." he said quietly. Curiously, she raised her hands to the sides of his hood and, somewhat ceremoniously, removed it from his face. Eerily blood red eyes stared out to her nervously. Pupil-less, they were a bit frightening but at the same time, soft and at the same time, sexy to her. His eyes seemed to draw her in to him. She could see a silver emblem on his forehead. It was a detailed eye with a moon on the left and top of it and a sun on the right. It was like hers but she had a pyre in the middle of the iris and the moons were detailed while his was not. Long silver hair traced down his wet face and clung to it attractively.
"Why do you hide your face?" she asked softly. He looked down sadly.
"Many a people were frightened of my eyes when I was a child. So I silenced myself and lived in the cathedral as a priest." he said. He caressed her cheek. "Why aren't you scared of me?" he asked looking into her eyes. She blinked and shrugged.
"I really don't know. Maybe it's because I'm falling for you." she said as she kissed him. Her tongue stroked his lower lip. He met hers in a passionate kiss. She pulled back a little and brushed a soft, wet lock from his face.
"Who are you? What is your name?" she asked. He blinked and shook his head with a smirk.
"You'd hate me if you knew." he replied. Searching in his face for the answer, the pyre burst out in the middle of the sky. It screeched and flapped wildly.
"Master, we must leave. Another wave, fiercer than the others is coming very rapidly. Please master." the bird pleaded in a soft female voice.
He nodded and helped Inhestia up. She looked up to the bird in wonder. This man must have a very powerful sense of magic to be able to cast a speaking spell on his pyre. The only other pyre that she knew of that could speak was her snow-white one. Her hand gripped his to halt him.
"Tell me what you're name is at least." she asked. He smirked and looked back to his pyre.
"It's Arnin."
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Celena held Gaddes close to her heart, as if she could feed her essence into him. It wouldn't help at all. He was dead. Slaughtered brutally by the now fallen bandits who came for her. They had broken into the carriage and she stabbed the first one in the heart and drew it out in a twist. She kicked him out and he fell in a silent heap on the ground. The other two came in at once and one held her down while the other proceeded to rip her skirt off. She screamed and kicked, trying to get the man off of her. They way he was touching her made her sick and the man holding her down yelled for her to shut up or they will kill her.
Luckily Gaddes found his way around the side of the carriage and threw him out before he had really done anything permanent to her. They fought and the man was killed. The other came out and stabbed Gaddes in the stomach. She jumped out and started to run. The assaulter ran after her and threw her to the ground. As he started to rip off his pants, she took a sword from one of the slain guards and shoved it into his head. He fell in a sickening thud on top of her, his blood spilling onto her face.
Her love lay dead on the ground near the carriage. She crawled her way towards him and held him up, supporting his head. His eyes were wide open in the shock; soft blue and beautiful, too beautiful for death. Wiping his eyes closed, she held him close and wept over him. Now all was lost to her. Her lover, her life was taken away from her. Blood was leaking out of his body and soaking her bare legs.
She dragged his limp form into the carriage and used the blanket that she was sleeping with to cover him. Ripping off a curtain, she wrapped it around her waist and walked to the front of the carriage to check on the horses. They were still okay and the five horses left by the two guards and three assaulters stood in one spot. She took their reins and tied them onto the other horses tightly. Then, she dragged the bodies of the two guards onto the benches in the coach and climbed up into the rider's seat and whipped them softly. The carriage lurched forward and they started to move in a rapid pace. She had made up her mind. She was going to go straight to Fanellia. She didn't care about rest anymore; she just needed comforting from her best friend.
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Merle sat in the nursery. She had given birth to a beautiful baby boy two months ago. He had the most beautiful gray eyes, like his father and her soft red hair. The baby cooed and settled down for his afternoon nap. She kissed his forehead and whispered, "Good night Kale."
Life was wonderful in the large manor. Her husband Dorian was kind to her and spoiled their daughter rotten. She smiled at that. Elis was such a kind and sweet little girl. She gave her possessions to those who needed it. Merle felt pride in her for raising her so well.
"Mom!! Ethan said that he has a two-headed dragon in his backyard!! Is that true?" she asked as she tugged on her mother's arm. She was the vision of her father. His dark black hair, and soft gray eyes, all of her appearances was Dorian's. There were small highlights of dark burgundy in her hair and she liked that about her.
"No, if Ethan had a two-headed dragon, you would see it." she said. Elin puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"But he said it was an invisible dragon." she huffed.
"Well, ask him to show it to you and if he can't, then he's not telling the truth." she smiled. Elis nodded and ran out of the door, to the front of the manor and out to Ethan's house.
She walked off to the bedroom and looked down at her hand. A lone gold band shone proudly with the emblem of the Fruchient family embedded in the green gem in the middle of the ring. Her wedding was the most wonderful one she had ever seen. They were married in the nearby cathedral on a warm summer night. The fireflies decorated the evening in a warm glow. Her dress was long and beautiful with a lengthy lace veil, two pink tulips on each side of her head. He was as handsome as ever and he wore a soft white dress shirt that was neatly tucked in.
Luckily Van was there, to share her happiest moment in life, well, one of them. She could tell he was sad. He was lonely and nothing could save him, except his lost love from the Mystic Moon. Some days, she wished that she had never set foot onto Fanellia, never touched Van's life and stole his heart. But she knew that she was happy for him. Hitomi helped him lose the cold and arrogant exterior and become more in tune with his feelings. He was kind and Merle loved that about him.
After the wedding, Van gave Merle their congratulations and Merle hugged him, promising that if there were any way that she could bring Hitomi back, she would do it. Van thanked her for the thought and they didn't see each other for another year, when she was giving birth to Elis.
Her idiotic husband had scheduled an irreversible meeting with the Asturian council on the month of her delivery. So Van came as fast as he could and stayed with her the entire month. She could remember the look on his face when she walked into his room that morning. Her yellow nightgown was soaked on the bottom and clung onto her legs. He looked at her as if her head was shot off. "Oh, um...I'll go get the healer. Don't move o-okay?" he said as he scrambled off. All she did was giggle and lay on his bed.
It comforted her that Van was there, holding her hand when she gave birth. She missed her husband, no matter how brainless he was. The healer dumped the baby into Van's hands and he clumsily held her. She had to instruct him until he found a comfortable way to hold her. The baby kept crying and Van was panicking. He gave the baby to Merle and she held her softly. She stopped crying and she looked up to her mother with curious gray eyes.
Van asked her what she was going to name her. She decided to name her Elis, Dorian's favorites of her names. They had to give Van a different bed for the rest of his month stay. Her husband was completely disappointed that he missed her birthing. Merle made him promise that he would be there the next time that she had a child. She hadn't seen Van since the birth of Elis and she missed him. He said that he would visit some day soon when a friend of his was better.
She opened the door and her husband sat at the small desk reading a few documents for the king. Smirking, she hugged him from behind and licked his neck. He jumped and then realized it was Merle. "I thought I told you not to bring anything with the king's seal in our bedroom Dorian." she purred as she nibbled up and down his neck.
"Merle?" he asked as he turned around. She raised her ears somewhat so she could listen to him better.
"Yes my love? Does something trouble you?" she asked.
"Do you think we are too young to have children as old as they are? We were sixteen when we had Elis." he said with worry. She could tell by the look on his face that he was bothered about this.
"We had them at the right time for us. Don't worry my love, I feel old too. But I don't regret Elis, or Kale. We are happy and they are happy. That's all that matters."
Deep down, she was worried once about the same things, about how Van would judge her for becoming pregnant so soon. She adored her adoptive brother and Dorian enjoyed his company as well. Reaching down his chest, she started to unbutton is shirt and nuzzled his neck with a sultry purr.
"Dorian...I haven't been made love to for a long time. Touch me..." she purred. He turned his chair around and smiled.
"And if I don't?" he asked with a playful smirk. She sat on his lap, straddling his waist. Opening his soft blue shirt, she wandered her hands on his chest..
"You'll have an angry, horny kitten for a wife. And I don't think you'll like that." she whispered. Brushing the short curly locks with her long protruded claws, she kissed the joint of his neck to his shoulder. He moaned and picked her up softly. She giggled as he put her down on the bed. He started with the ties in the front of her dress. She always felt like a whore in it because her breasts were almost overflowing in it but he loved it whenever she wore it. Taking off his shirt, she kissed the muscles on his upper arms and shoulder. With the top of her dress undone, he pulled the rest of the green dress over her head. She pulled the strings from the front of his pants and unbuttoned the top button. Her hand skimmed below that and felt him stiffen. Blushing, she returned to his pants.
A loud knock echoed in the room. He growled in frustration. "What is it!" he yelled angrily.
"There is an emergency meeting in five minutes. It's mandatory my lord." said a deep male voice. It was Cordius, his chief assistant and bodyguard. He sighed.
"Oh okay...I'll be there, thank you." he said. Merle sighed and started to sit up but he pushed her down softly. "Where do you think you're going? I have five minutes." he said with a smirk.
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She leaned into his chest and thought of what he said. All along, she was falling in love the sole man she hated in the world. Arnin, the head priest of the cathedral of Holy and the most powerful man in Earth. The irony of it all made her laugh a small laugh. Why did the gods pull this on her? What of Mondrael? She loved him too but being with Mondrael made her nervous of being caught, not a moment of ease at all. Arnin however...oh Arnin, she felt as if the world was so right even though it was slowly sinking into the sea.
"Arnin...?" she asked with a sigh.
"Yes Empress?" he replied with his soothing voice. She laid back into him and looked down.
"Do you...care for me?" He paused before he gave his answer.
"If I could give my life for you to be happy for the rest of your days, I'd do that." he said, caressing her cheek.
They rode on until they landed on the highest mountain peak on the land. He eased his pyre into a soft landing and helped her off of it. Her feet felt wobbly and it took her a while to get used to walking. There was a long spiraling stairway to the top of the mountain and there was a large plateau at the peak. She remembered her mother birthing her on that very top. The things she could remember were scary but she learned to live with the knowledge and not to snoop too much into other people's lives. She loved to ask questions and have people answer them.
The flat platform was filled with Draconians; all scuffed up and ragged like a bunch of derelicts. Her "father" was there, wearing the long silver royal robes of his time in rule. She could see a grave look on his face. They weaved in and out of the crowd to get to him.
"We cannot just teleport us all to another continent. Asianatoria is too far for us all to get there. And the majority of the land will be flooded with the large tsunami that this continent will create when it sinks! I have not the power or the will to do such a thing. I suggest you just jump off of this very cliff and end it all quickly." he said with authority. He was too old to be doing any spells whatsoever. He stood tall on his proud but aging bones, his long snow-white beard trailing down to a bit off of the ground, the same with his hair.
"Then send us to the continent. Use that daughter of yours and you will have enough power! You can't just let us die without trying!" said another old man, a tad bit younger than her father. He was dressed in a deep blue Greek-like robe.
Her father was furious. "How dare you think of even sacrificing my daughter for you're selfish reasons for escape! What about the rest of us?! Do you propose that we sit here and drown while you all are happily wrecking another continent!? You and your entire race put shame on this planet and she is too angry with the likes of you living on her! We're in this mess because of you after all!" he boomed. Fire was emanating around him and everyone stood back.
Inhestia stood forward. It seemed she was the only one standing there. She pulled down her hood and looked to her father with a soft smile. "Father, we can make another planet." she said.
He looked to her curiously. "Another planet? What are you saying Inhestia? To do that, we would need more spiritual energy. And someone would have to give their soul to the planet to nourish it." said her father. She looked down. She knew it was stupid but she wanted to get everyone out of there. She couldn't bear to see death happen around her and her be the only one to survive.
A soft hand clasped hers at her side. She looked up in bewilderment. Arnin smiled to her. It was one of those genuine smiles that people only give once in a lifetime, if they were lucky. Her courage strengthened.
"I could nourish it father. All I need is some more energy and I could hide it so nobody would see it." she said. Her father shook his head.
"No, no, we can't get enough energy in time." he said sadly. Arnin spoke up, his tactful voice loud yet calm.
"We can use part of our life energy to create this world. If we give up our immortality, we can have enough power to have our hidden world." he said. The Draconian leader and the others of his kind went up in an uproar.
"This is preposterous! How dare you even ask this of us?! We deserve our immortality and we rightfully earned it." Arnin gave an evil smirk.
"Immortality won't save you from drowning. We could probably just settle on the moon and leave you here to figure out what you want." he said. All of the Draconians quieted themselves quickly.
"Still, we can have another soul to nourish it Inhestia. You don't need to sacrifice yourself." said her father in a soft voice. She looked down and shed a tear.
"It has to be me father." she said in a quiet voice. "I am the purest soul here and I have the power it takes to keep the planet clean and beautiful. There is no other way." Her father shook his head. Arnin looked to her sadly. They both knew that it was inevitable...that she would die to save their lives.
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Hitomi stood next to Van. Everything was quiet. All of the priests were standing still, keeping the shield glowing and strong. The leader was dead, lying still and crumpled up beside the bed. Nakami was still in her death sleep, not a slight move from her. Van was unmoving from his position, keeping his thoughts locked into him as he stared on. It seemed like everything was at a standstill except for her and that shield. 'What is going to happen? Something is going to rise up, I can feel it.' she thought.
Suddenly, like a break in the ice, Nakami's body arched off of the bed. Her eyes were open and staring blankly ahead of her. Piercing screams, blood curled and horrid, like a banshee, shot out of her throat. It chilled her blood and sent shivers up and down her spine. The shrieks weren't just in her ears; they burrowed deep into her brain, maddening. She ran towards the shield and to Nakami.
She called out her name and almost reached her when a priest that was standing by, reached out and grabbed her. "Don't touch the shield! You can kill her! Don't you understand?!" he yelled to her as he struggled to keep her restrained. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she elbowed him and pushed him out of the way. He fell into a angry clump of black cloth on the ground an was yelling, "Stop her! Stop her before she touches the shield!"
It was too late. As soon as a few began to turn, she reached out and grabbed the shield. Her entire body stood straight up. It seemed as if millions of children were screaming at her with accusations like, "What have you done?!", "You idiot you are killing the keeper!!!", and "The keeper will die because of you!!!". All of it bombarded her brain and she screamed in horror. She tried to grab her hands and press them to her head, to silence the haunting voices, but they were stuck onto the shield. The priests started to chant something long and repeating loudly and she heard the children laugh evilly. Her entire life was shooting in different directions and times in her mind and then a woman with long black hair and wearing a black silk Grecian dress had her back turned to her. She slowly turned and her entire eyes were a pitch black and stared at her with fear and accusation.
"Burn!!!" it shrieked and pointed to her. The woman's skin melted off of her face and her body in a flash of flames and the rest of her smirked evilly. "You killed me Hitomi...now you shall see the hell you are bringing to Gaea." she said. Hitomi screamed and shook. The woman grabbed her by the throat and blood spurted out of her hand. Her eyes glazed over and turned pitch black, like the woman's.
The shield shot out sparks and Nakami screamed even louder in agony as blood started to leak out of her body from various wounds. The priests were now yelling at the top of their voices, trying to keep the shield strong and to protect Nakami and heal her wounds. She was released and she stumbled back and fell. Warm hands caught her and she succumbed into a deathly sleep, one she wouldn't wake from again.
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A/N: Oh my God!!!! This is getting sooooooooo good!!! You all have to give me a total of forty reviews or I'm stopping the fiction here. I'm just going with the flow and right now.the flow is really good. So what's going to happen now? Nakami is bleeding, Celena is by herself racing to Fanellia, the leader is dead and unable to revive, and Hitomi is trapped in an eternal nightmare of destruction and despair. Ooooh, I have to warn you all, I'm not going to make this story all hugs and kisses anymore, like I was going to. It got kinda boring and the darkness will keep it good. I'm sooooooooo sorry I am not being nice to Hitomi like I promised...it's just like something that she would do and I made her have the unforgivable consequences. Sorry. And if Nakami is acting like a total witch in the next chapters, I'm sorry about that too. It's my flow. I just go with it. Well, if no forty reviews, bye-bye to the next chapter. I'll just keep it all to myself and never share...EVER!!! HAHAHAHA!!!! Well, bye! PEACE!!! (
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Chapter 6: Complications and Death
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The small room that Nakami resided in was crowded with the cloaked tall figures. The leader wore a red robe with an intricate silver design on the front of it. It depicted a pyre with a sun in one claw and the two moons in the other. Wisps of silver hair shone out of the hood. His eyes were hidden in a shadow and his long nose stood out elegantly from his profile. A soft warm-colored hand caressed over Nakami's cheek and down her neck, slowly as if he was savoring it.
Rhym luct ar...
He clasped his hands slowly and held them out over her. A red glow emanated gently from his palms.
Rhym luct ar...!
The other cloaked figures did the same. A red dome covered her in a dim light, as she still lay unmoving. He forced more energy into the shield and it glowed stronger. It pulsed and hummed warmly.
Sucutukei niinega heyla knadrete len saldun...
The leader released his hands from the shield and touched his heart with both of his hands. A red light glowed softly from his fingertips. He spoke this part with tenderness and with his soul.
Im dreykenla...
This verse was said in Draconian. "With heart." Van said while not looking away from the display. Hitomi looked up to him with a curious look on her face. The leader then tapped his forehead with his left and joined his hands together in a clasp.
Im sucala ist nem...
"With soul and mind." Van said, trancelike. There was a soft silvery glow between the man's hands. He cupped them and held it in a ball and raised it up to his lips, kissing it delicately. He raised his hands over the shield and before letting the energy go, he spoke another phrase.
Im sakin sey kassa ip frem dalak alh de kunt frempta...
Van understood what that meant and he sucked in a quick breath. "With body I die 'til lights wings carry me away." he said. She looked up to him and then to the man. 'Oh God, let this be worth it. Let them be okay.' she prayed as she looked on, helpless to the man, and Nakami's disadvantage.
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She continued falling. 'Help me.' she prayed. Suddenly, there was a screech and a burst of fire next to her. In a burst of feathers, a large, phoenix- like bird flew down under her and they landed on it's back. Climbing up so she could see, she noticed they were going the opposite direction, into the fire.
"Wait! We must follow them! We have to escape, not go to it!!" she yelled at it. Looking back, she watched the winged ones fly away with a longing to be safe with them. Suddenly, a series of large tongues of fire lapped them up one by one. Blood curling screams could be heard from them and they were swallowed up into the burning inferno. Choking on a sob, she let a lone tear fall down her cheek for the innocent people and children who were killed. 'We aren't going to make it alive from here.' she thought as she looked down to her enormous rescuer.
The bird swung left and she and the girl held on tight to it. Fire ruptured under them as it licked and tasted the bird. All it did was absorb through it. They dove down and quickly dodged falling columns. It flew with the expertise that she had never seen before. Dodging and ducking seemed so natural for the beast as she watched with a frightened but wonder filled heart as she saw the columns and buildings crash under them.
A large column fell and it hit the bird, making it flap up frantically. She fell off and landed in the middle of the rubble. She heard the girl scream and call out to her. 'Inhestia, is that my name?' she thought as she looked up wearily. She saw fire around her everywhere but she felt warm and contented with this. The water would soon come and she would sink, along with this once wonderful paradise. Her head felt dizzy and she lay back, wanting to rest.
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The priest walked through the barrier easily and looked down to the woman before him. A smile came across his lips and he could feel the energy drain from him slowly but surely. "Musukala ghen ciñasteñia." he said as he kneeled next to her. Kissing her hand, he held it to his cheek. His eyes began to droop as his life energy was being sucked into her. Laying his face into the crook of her neck, he took a deep breath, letting his nostrils take in her soft scent of pine, burning wood, and clean clear water. "Inhestia..." he breathed and went limp, falling onto the ground next to her bed.
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Inhestia lay on the ground, feeling this her last moment of life before her flesh would be swallowed up in flames. The pyre and the girl were gone and she was alone. Memories rushed into her head as she slowly began to take a grip on who she really was. The keeper of the moons and sun, empress of her people the Cellonians, promised to the high priest of the cathedral of Holy. Her heart sunk at the last thought. She did not know who he was, nor did she love him. They were paired at birth and the decision was complete. Not many saw his face. Hell, she could count all that have on her two hands. A close friend of hers, his companion Faslien, said that he was quite handsome and very strong spoken when he spoke. All of the talk of him made her sick. She loved another but their love could never be more than the small caresses that they gave each other.
A constant crack of a slow pace grew slowly nearer and nearer. ' Oh just let me die. Why do I need to suffer any longer.' she thought as she hugged herself. Strong yet gentle hands picked her up and started to carry her away. "Let me go! How dare you disturb me! Let me die! Nothing is worth living in despair day to day!" she screamed as she kicked her legs, trying to squirm her way out of his grip. He continued unfazed and walked to a large dark scarlet colored pyre.
It was a magnificent bird, even more so than the one she rode earlier. The long crest feathers were thin and defined. Purple accented the tips of its wings, the crest feathers, and it's elongated wispy tail. A thin velvet bit rested in its mouth and held the lengthy rein of violet velvet. He set her protesting figure on the bird's back and climbed on with her. Holding her against him, he held the reins and the pyre set off smoothly.
A long time passed until they reached a small abandoned house. The once soft marble was now slimy with rainwater and slime from the plants around it. The roof had many holes and looked as if it had been hastily put together when it was made. Inside, the rooms were dusty and rank. The smell hurt her nose as she buried her face into his shirt to breathe in a much better scent. He carried her to a large bedroom and set her on the large and somewhat kept rickety bed.
She backed away to the headboard when he started to remove her clothing. "Do you mind?!" she hissed. "You can't just pick me up and take off my clothes as if I am one of your whores!" She hugged her slightly undone clothing close to her body. He smiled beneath his cloak and tossed her a few ratty garments.
"I thought you were too tired to clothe yourself." he said and turned to start a fire in the makeshift fireplace. Holding his hands over the dry gathering of wood, he mumbled out the words, sukar-aut and a small red glow hummed from his fingertips. A little spark shot out and it created a small flame of fire. More jumped out and soon, there was a blaze. He turned and Inhestia stood there, watching his magic.
"Aren't you going to change? We may have to leave here abruptly." he said softly. She looked at the clothes on the bed then back to him.
"Do you mind?" she asked. It was more of an order than a request. He smiled. His hands stopped the glow as he stood up.
"As you wish Empress." he said. He walked out the door and left. She watched him walk away and she shrugged. Taking the long cotton dress, she sighed. "Well, at least I'm not killed." she said as she put on the drab, grey stitching of cloth.
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Celena looked out of the carriage window. The ride to Fanellia would be long and tiring. They were going to stop at the nearby Shanearst inn and spend the night until the snow melted. She didn't understand it but she decided not to complain. The trees rushed by her as she thought of Nakami. 'Poor Hitomi, I feel so horrible for her. Why does fate treat her so horribly? I hope that Van will ask her soon before something bad happens.' she thought.
The carriage was very bumpy and uncomfortable. She requested that she ride an airship to Fanellia but Allen insisted that she ride a carriage, something more suitable for a lady. The woods were dark and night was about to fall. The trees were thick and she couldn't see very far into the deep forest. "How much farther are we to travel Gaddes?" she asked to the driver.
"About a few more miles. Don't get too restless on me." he said as he whipped the reins to make the carriage go faster. Two horsemen rode behind them and four horsemen went off farther to check out the road ahead. They didn't come back for a while now. 'Oh they are probably taking their sweet time like they normally do.' she thought as they carried on. 'I hope I make it back to Fanellia quickly, Van is probably all strung out on dealing with the advisors, Nakami, Hitomi, and the country, plus the overflow of marriage proposals from princesses.' she thought with a giggle.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt and the horses whinnied loudly. She fell into the middle of the carriage in a heap. The two horsemen behind them galloped their horses rapidly around the carriage. One of them looked into the carriage and whispered, 'Don't look out and close the curtains. Keep quiet, lay down, and don't move.' he said and tossed in a dagger. She caught it and the rider rode off into the front. Doing as she was told, she held the dagger closely as she listened carefully.
"Don't you understand, this carriage is under Asturian control and if you know what's good for you, you will leave." That was Gaddes. His tone of voice scared her. She could barely even recognize her lover. His voice was rough and dangerous, like a vicious wolf.
"We have come for the prize inside of the carriage. If you don't let us pass, we will have to take her by force." said a weirdly foreign voice. Horses hooves started to clatter towards her and then the carriage shifted as, what she guessed, Gaddes jumped down. The sound of metal came and he bared his sword.
"You'll have to kill me first." Gaddes declared in his merciless tone. More clatter of revealing swords echoed it's way into her ears. More horses hooves.
"If you wish, so be it." said a new male voice. She gripped her dagger and prayed that nothing horrible would befall her, or Gaddes.
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Van recalled what he and the red-cloaked leader had conversed upon. They entered the room where Nakami was kept. A soft silver glow was forming, one that was never there before. Leader, as he referred to him, said that they made it in time.
"The keeper is awakening, she is taking in her memories and identity." he said in his monotone voice. His entire being reeked ice-cold energy and his mysteriousness made him uneasy. The leader said something in an outlandish language and his followers placed themselves around the bed in a perfect circle. Hitomi held onto Van.
"Do you think this will work Van? Do you think she will wake up?" she asked with a hopeful look in her eyes. He felt his heart sink as he paused to conjure up his answer. He felt that they did have a magical aura and that could help her wake but then again, the Ispanos, the best healers in all of Gaea, couldn't even stir her at all.
He had some suspicion about these people. How they just came out of nowhere and offered to help with no money. And this 'Keeper' crap was getting annoying. He in truth was a bit skeptical about them but he had to put his faith in them. "I hope they do, that's all I can say." he said as he gripped onto her tightly.
Now this man, their leader was dead. Motionless, his face lay down onto the wooden floor. He fell down there when the last amount of energy he had was bestowed into the sleeping Nakami. A small pool of blood had dripped from his mouth, a weird purplish red color. A sickening thud echoed in the room when his body lay in a heap. The shield then pulsated and grew solid in a shiny red glow. Hitomi gasped and held onto him, burying her face into his chest. Hugging her crying form close to him, he watched the leader's body, as it grew paler by the minute. 'He truly is dead.' he thought. He silently hoped that Nakami and the man would be saved.
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Her cloaked body was pressed against his. Their bodies were wet and her black tresses were out of place in her once tidy bun. The uncomfortable feeling was nothing to her all she felt was fear. He breathed roughly above her and looked over them to the horrible debris ahead. Luckily he jumped onto her when he saw the first wave of water rush over to them. The roar was tremendous and she shook in terror as she was immobilized from the sight of it. It was enormous and was what he estimated to be about thirteen pyres tall. Jumping onto her, he held her with an iron grip. She screamed and he yelled for her to hold her breath as much as she could.
Right after he said that, the wave hit them like a building. She held her breath and they slammed into the shack like a rocket. Suddenly, she let go of her air and struggled against him as she gasped for air. He pressed his mouth to hers and she sucked the remaining oxygen from his breath. They rode in the wave for a while until they fell off of a cliff. They broke off of the 'kiss' and gasped for air.
The water below was a giant flood where abundant crops once grew. They shot into the water and he struggled both of them up to a large floating piece of wood that used to be the side of a house. He pulled her up onto it and laid tiredly on top of her, gasping for breath. Destruction was everywhere, large pieces of wood was scattered, cows and chickens were floating, dead by drowning or impaled by the rushing wood. The gore of it all made him sick to his stomach.
Inhestia was gasping furiously, trying to get air in her water filled lungs. He pulled her tiredly over the side of the wood and she coughed out loads and loads of water. Coughing, she gasped, "Why... why is this happening? Why are the gods casting us down?" She cried as she said this.
"They aren't casting us down, they are infuriated with the Draconians; with their lust for their power; to sit on their thrones as gods." he spat as he tried to catch his breath. Lying on the middle of their makeshift raft, he spread his arms out and heaved in a large breath. Inhestia crawled up to him and lay on his chest. She snuggled up to him and purred in contentment. This man made her comfortable. He was kind to her even though she was rude and inconsiderate to him. Closing her eyes, she traced a finger down his chest affectionately.
"Inhestia.?" he asked. His body tensed as he pulled away from her softly. She knew the hard feeling in her chest. It was weird to her and she never thought she would be so entranced to someone so quickly. His secretive and quiet charming ways aroused her and she couldn't stop the attraction that was growing on her. Sure she loved another but she felt drawn to him. He sat back on the raft and looked to her. His eyes were still covered and this upset her somewhat.
She crawled up to him and kissed him. Looking to him in a curious look, she asked, "Why do you hide from me?" He didn't respond, only the fair hints of a blush on his cheeks.
"I don't hide from you Empress. I hide from the world." he said quietly. Curiously, she raised her hands to the sides of his hood and, somewhat ceremoniously, removed it from his face. Eerily blood red eyes stared out to her nervously. Pupil-less, they were a bit frightening but at the same time, soft and at the same time, sexy to her. His eyes seemed to draw her in to him. She could see a silver emblem on his forehead. It was a detailed eye with a moon on the left and top of it and a sun on the right. It was like hers but she had a pyre in the middle of the iris and the moons were detailed while his was not. Long silver hair traced down his wet face and clung to it attractively.
"Why do you hide your face?" she asked softly. He looked down sadly.
"Many a people were frightened of my eyes when I was a child. So I silenced myself and lived in the cathedral as a priest." he said. He caressed her cheek. "Why aren't you scared of me?" he asked looking into her eyes. She blinked and shrugged.
"I really don't know. Maybe it's because I'm falling for you." she said as she kissed him. Her tongue stroked his lower lip. He met hers in a passionate kiss. She pulled back a little and brushed a soft, wet lock from his face.
"Who are you? What is your name?" she asked. He blinked and shook his head with a smirk.
"You'd hate me if you knew." he replied. Searching in his face for the answer, the pyre burst out in the middle of the sky. It screeched and flapped wildly.
"Master, we must leave. Another wave, fiercer than the others is coming very rapidly. Please master." the bird pleaded in a soft female voice.
He nodded and helped Inhestia up. She looked up to the bird in wonder. This man must have a very powerful sense of magic to be able to cast a speaking spell on his pyre. The only other pyre that she knew of that could speak was her snow-white one. Her hand gripped his to halt him.
"Tell me what you're name is at least." she asked. He smirked and looked back to his pyre.
"It's Arnin."
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Celena held Gaddes close to her heart, as if she could feed her essence into him. It wouldn't help at all. He was dead. Slaughtered brutally by the now fallen bandits who came for her. They had broken into the carriage and she stabbed the first one in the heart and drew it out in a twist. She kicked him out and he fell in a silent heap on the ground. The other two came in at once and one held her down while the other proceeded to rip her skirt off. She screamed and kicked, trying to get the man off of her. They way he was touching her made her sick and the man holding her down yelled for her to shut up or they will kill her.
Luckily Gaddes found his way around the side of the carriage and threw him out before he had really done anything permanent to her. They fought and the man was killed. The other came out and stabbed Gaddes in the stomach. She jumped out and started to run. The assaulter ran after her and threw her to the ground. As he started to rip off his pants, she took a sword from one of the slain guards and shoved it into his head. He fell in a sickening thud on top of her, his blood spilling onto her face.
Her love lay dead on the ground near the carriage. She crawled her way towards him and held him up, supporting his head. His eyes were wide open in the shock; soft blue and beautiful, too beautiful for death. Wiping his eyes closed, she held him close and wept over him. Now all was lost to her. Her lover, her life was taken away from her. Blood was leaking out of his body and soaking her bare legs.
She dragged his limp form into the carriage and used the blanket that she was sleeping with to cover him. Ripping off a curtain, she wrapped it around her waist and walked to the front of the carriage to check on the horses. They were still okay and the five horses left by the two guards and three assaulters stood in one spot. She took their reins and tied them onto the other horses tightly. Then, she dragged the bodies of the two guards onto the benches in the coach and climbed up into the rider's seat and whipped them softly. The carriage lurched forward and they started to move in a rapid pace. She had made up her mind. She was going to go straight to Fanellia. She didn't care about rest anymore; she just needed comforting from her best friend.
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Merle sat in the nursery. She had given birth to a beautiful baby boy two months ago. He had the most beautiful gray eyes, like his father and her soft red hair. The baby cooed and settled down for his afternoon nap. She kissed his forehead and whispered, "Good night Kale."
Life was wonderful in the large manor. Her husband Dorian was kind to her and spoiled their daughter rotten. She smiled at that. Elis was such a kind and sweet little girl. She gave her possessions to those who needed it. Merle felt pride in her for raising her so well.
"Mom!! Ethan said that he has a two-headed dragon in his backyard!! Is that true?" she asked as she tugged on her mother's arm. She was the vision of her father. His dark black hair, and soft gray eyes, all of her appearances was Dorian's. There were small highlights of dark burgundy in her hair and she liked that about her.
"No, if Ethan had a two-headed dragon, you would see it." she said. Elin puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"But he said it was an invisible dragon." she huffed.
"Well, ask him to show it to you and if he can't, then he's not telling the truth." she smiled. Elis nodded and ran out of the door, to the front of the manor and out to Ethan's house.
She walked off to the bedroom and looked down at her hand. A lone gold band shone proudly with the emblem of the Fruchient family embedded in the green gem in the middle of the ring. Her wedding was the most wonderful one she had ever seen. They were married in the nearby cathedral on a warm summer night. The fireflies decorated the evening in a warm glow. Her dress was long and beautiful with a lengthy lace veil, two pink tulips on each side of her head. He was as handsome as ever and he wore a soft white dress shirt that was neatly tucked in.
Luckily Van was there, to share her happiest moment in life, well, one of them. She could tell he was sad. He was lonely and nothing could save him, except his lost love from the Mystic Moon. Some days, she wished that she had never set foot onto Fanellia, never touched Van's life and stole his heart. But she knew that she was happy for him. Hitomi helped him lose the cold and arrogant exterior and become more in tune with his feelings. He was kind and Merle loved that about him.
After the wedding, Van gave Merle their congratulations and Merle hugged him, promising that if there were any way that she could bring Hitomi back, she would do it. Van thanked her for the thought and they didn't see each other for another year, when she was giving birth to Elis.
Her idiotic husband had scheduled an irreversible meeting with the Asturian council on the month of her delivery. So Van came as fast as he could and stayed with her the entire month. She could remember the look on his face when she walked into his room that morning. Her yellow nightgown was soaked on the bottom and clung onto her legs. He looked at her as if her head was shot off. "Oh, um...I'll go get the healer. Don't move o-okay?" he said as he scrambled off. All she did was giggle and lay on his bed.
It comforted her that Van was there, holding her hand when she gave birth. She missed her husband, no matter how brainless he was. The healer dumped the baby into Van's hands and he clumsily held her. She had to instruct him until he found a comfortable way to hold her. The baby kept crying and Van was panicking. He gave the baby to Merle and she held her softly. She stopped crying and she looked up to her mother with curious gray eyes.
Van asked her what she was going to name her. She decided to name her Elis, Dorian's favorites of her names. They had to give Van a different bed for the rest of his month stay. Her husband was completely disappointed that he missed her birthing. Merle made him promise that he would be there the next time that she had a child. She hadn't seen Van since the birth of Elis and she missed him. He said that he would visit some day soon when a friend of his was better.
She opened the door and her husband sat at the small desk reading a few documents for the king. Smirking, she hugged him from behind and licked his neck. He jumped and then realized it was Merle. "I thought I told you not to bring anything with the king's seal in our bedroom Dorian." she purred as she nibbled up and down his neck.
"Merle?" he asked as he turned around. She raised her ears somewhat so she could listen to him better.
"Yes my love? Does something trouble you?" she asked.
"Do you think we are too young to have children as old as they are? We were sixteen when we had Elis." he said with worry. She could tell by the look on his face that he was bothered about this.
"We had them at the right time for us. Don't worry my love, I feel old too. But I don't regret Elis, or Kale. We are happy and they are happy. That's all that matters."
Deep down, she was worried once about the same things, about how Van would judge her for becoming pregnant so soon. She adored her adoptive brother and Dorian enjoyed his company as well. Reaching down his chest, she started to unbutton is shirt and nuzzled his neck with a sultry purr.
"Dorian...I haven't been made love to for a long time. Touch me..." she purred. He turned his chair around and smiled.
"And if I don't?" he asked with a playful smirk. She sat on his lap, straddling his waist. Opening his soft blue shirt, she wandered her hands on his chest..
"You'll have an angry, horny kitten for a wife. And I don't think you'll like that." she whispered. Brushing the short curly locks with her long protruded claws, she kissed the joint of his neck to his shoulder. He moaned and picked her up softly. She giggled as he put her down on the bed. He started with the ties in the front of her dress. She always felt like a whore in it because her breasts were almost overflowing in it but he loved it whenever she wore it. Taking off his shirt, she kissed the muscles on his upper arms and shoulder. With the top of her dress undone, he pulled the rest of the green dress over her head. She pulled the strings from the front of his pants and unbuttoned the top button. Her hand skimmed below that and felt him stiffen. Blushing, she returned to his pants.
A loud knock echoed in the room. He growled in frustration. "What is it!" he yelled angrily.
"There is an emergency meeting in five minutes. It's mandatory my lord." said a deep male voice. It was Cordius, his chief assistant and bodyguard. He sighed.
"Oh okay...I'll be there, thank you." he said. Merle sighed and started to sit up but he pushed her down softly. "Where do you think you're going? I have five minutes." he said with a smirk.
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She leaned into his chest and thought of what he said. All along, she was falling in love the sole man she hated in the world. Arnin, the head priest of the cathedral of Holy and the most powerful man in Earth. The irony of it all made her laugh a small laugh. Why did the gods pull this on her? What of Mondrael? She loved him too but being with Mondrael made her nervous of being caught, not a moment of ease at all. Arnin however...oh Arnin, she felt as if the world was so right even though it was slowly sinking into the sea.
"Arnin...?" she asked with a sigh.
"Yes Empress?" he replied with his soothing voice. She laid back into him and looked down.
"Do you...care for me?" He paused before he gave his answer.
"If I could give my life for you to be happy for the rest of your days, I'd do that." he said, caressing her cheek.
They rode on until they landed on the highest mountain peak on the land. He eased his pyre into a soft landing and helped her off of it. Her feet felt wobbly and it took her a while to get used to walking. There was a long spiraling stairway to the top of the mountain and there was a large plateau at the peak. She remembered her mother birthing her on that very top. The things she could remember were scary but she learned to live with the knowledge and not to snoop too much into other people's lives. She loved to ask questions and have people answer them.
The flat platform was filled with Draconians; all scuffed up and ragged like a bunch of derelicts. Her "father" was there, wearing the long silver royal robes of his time in rule. She could see a grave look on his face. They weaved in and out of the crowd to get to him.
"We cannot just teleport us all to another continent. Asianatoria is too far for us all to get there. And the majority of the land will be flooded with the large tsunami that this continent will create when it sinks! I have not the power or the will to do such a thing. I suggest you just jump off of this very cliff and end it all quickly." he said with authority. He was too old to be doing any spells whatsoever. He stood tall on his proud but aging bones, his long snow-white beard trailing down to a bit off of the ground, the same with his hair.
"Then send us to the continent. Use that daughter of yours and you will have enough power! You can't just let us die without trying!" said another old man, a tad bit younger than her father. He was dressed in a deep blue Greek-like robe.
Her father was furious. "How dare you think of even sacrificing my daughter for you're selfish reasons for escape! What about the rest of us?! Do you propose that we sit here and drown while you all are happily wrecking another continent!? You and your entire race put shame on this planet and she is too angry with the likes of you living on her! We're in this mess because of you after all!" he boomed. Fire was emanating around him and everyone stood back.
Inhestia stood forward. It seemed she was the only one standing there. She pulled down her hood and looked to her father with a soft smile. "Father, we can make another planet." she said.
He looked to her curiously. "Another planet? What are you saying Inhestia? To do that, we would need more spiritual energy. And someone would have to give their soul to the planet to nourish it." said her father. She looked down. She knew it was stupid but she wanted to get everyone out of there. She couldn't bear to see death happen around her and her be the only one to survive.
A soft hand clasped hers at her side. She looked up in bewilderment. Arnin smiled to her. It was one of those genuine smiles that people only give once in a lifetime, if they were lucky. Her courage strengthened.
"I could nourish it father. All I need is some more energy and I could hide it so nobody would see it." she said. Her father shook his head.
"No, no, we can't get enough energy in time." he said sadly. Arnin spoke up, his tactful voice loud yet calm.
"We can use part of our life energy to create this world. If we give up our immortality, we can have enough power to have our hidden world." he said. The Draconian leader and the others of his kind went up in an uproar.
"This is preposterous! How dare you even ask this of us?! We deserve our immortality and we rightfully earned it." Arnin gave an evil smirk.
"Immortality won't save you from drowning. We could probably just settle on the moon and leave you here to figure out what you want." he said. All of the Draconians quieted themselves quickly.
"Still, we can have another soul to nourish it Inhestia. You don't need to sacrifice yourself." said her father in a soft voice. She looked down and shed a tear.
"It has to be me father." she said in a quiet voice. "I am the purest soul here and I have the power it takes to keep the planet clean and beautiful. There is no other way." Her father shook his head. Arnin looked to her sadly. They both knew that it was inevitable...that she would die to save their lives.
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Hitomi stood next to Van. Everything was quiet. All of the priests were standing still, keeping the shield glowing and strong. The leader was dead, lying still and crumpled up beside the bed. Nakami was still in her death sleep, not a slight move from her. Van was unmoving from his position, keeping his thoughts locked into him as he stared on. It seemed like everything was at a standstill except for her and that shield. 'What is going to happen? Something is going to rise up, I can feel it.' she thought.
Suddenly, like a break in the ice, Nakami's body arched off of the bed. Her eyes were open and staring blankly ahead of her. Piercing screams, blood curled and horrid, like a banshee, shot out of her throat. It chilled her blood and sent shivers up and down her spine. The shrieks weren't just in her ears; they burrowed deep into her brain, maddening. She ran towards the shield and to Nakami.
She called out her name and almost reached her when a priest that was standing by, reached out and grabbed her. "Don't touch the shield! You can kill her! Don't you understand?!" he yelled to her as he struggled to keep her restrained. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she elbowed him and pushed him out of the way. He fell into a angry clump of black cloth on the ground an was yelling, "Stop her! Stop her before she touches the shield!"
It was too late. As soon as a few began to turn, she reached out and grabbed the shield. Her entire body stood straight up. It seemed as if millions of children were screaming at her with accusations like, "What have you done?!", "You idiot you are killing the keeper!!!", and "The keeper will die because of you!!!". All of it bombarded her brain and she screamed in horror. She tried to grab her hands and press them to her head, to silence the haunting voices, but they were stuck onto the shield. The priests started to chant something long and repeating loudly and she heard the children laugh evilly. Her entire life was shooting in different directions and times in her mind and then a woman with long black hair and wearing a black silk Grecian dress had her back turned to her. She slowly turned and her entire eyes were a pitch black and stared at her with fear and accusation.
"Burn!!!" it shrieked and pointed to her. The woman's skin melted off of her face and her body in a flash of flames and the rest of her smirked evilly. "You killed me Hitomi...now you shall see the hell you are bringing to Gaea." she said. Hitomi screamed and shook. The woman grabbed her by the throat and blood spurted out of her hand. Her eyes glazed over and turned pitch black, like the woman's.
The shield shot out sparks and Nakami screamed even louder in agony as blood started to leak out of her body from various wounds. The priests were now yelling at the top of their voices, trying to keep the shield strong and to protect Nakami and heal her wounds. She was released and she stumbled back and fell. Warm hands caught her and she succumbed into a deathly sleep, one she wouldn't wake from again.
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A/N: Oh my God!!!! This is getting sooooooooo good!!! You all have to give me a total of forty reviews or I'm stopping the fiction here. I'm just going with the flow and right now.the flow is really good. So what's going to happen now? Nakami is bleeding, Celena is by herself racing to Fanellia, the leader is dead and unable to revive, and Hitomi is trapped in an eternal nightmare of destruction and despair. Ooooh, I have to warn you all, I'm not going to make this story all hugs and kisses anymore, like I was going to. It got kinda boring and the darkness will keep it good. I'm sooooooooo sorry I am not being nice to Hitomi like I promised...it's just like something that she would do and I made her have the unforgivable consequences. Sorry. And if Nakami is acting like a total witch in the next chapters, I'm sorry about that too. It's my flow. I just go with it. Well, if no forty reviews, bye-bye to the next chapter. I'll just keep it all to myself and never share...EVER!!! HAHAHAHA!!!! Well, bye! PEACE!!! (