Equinox landed with a thump on the entrance of a large stone temple, and Aurora slid off his back, legs shaking because of the long, stiffening trip.
Equinox turned into a jet-black raven and landed on the girl's shoulder as she walked up to the temple's doors. She pushed them up, groaning under the strain, and walked inside as the doors shut themselves on their gongs.
She walked into a large room where many men dressed in black robes were sitting, reading dusty books. A few of them, the younger ones, looked up at her as she entered. The rest just kept reading.
The girl made her way to the front of the room, to a door that lead into the main priests' chambers.
This temple was constructed in high mountains, away from civilization, because the priests that lived here knew about the parallel worlds, and studied them.
There was this kind of temple in nearly each of the worlds, and the priests that lived there were born in those worlds, and died there.
Their job was to protect the world they were born in, and try to learn about it. They also had to keep in touch with the priests of the other world, but since all the windows had been closed, it had been very hard to do that. That's why Aurora was sent out to get the blade's tip.
But what she'd been sent out to do was a lie, and she was here to make it clear.
The girl pushed open the doors to the main priest's room and Equinox leaped from her shoulder and became a huge, imposing snow leopard. The priest's daemon, a little white cat, hollered and hid behind the man, who looked shocked at Aurora's fury.
"Aurora. . ." The man dropped his book at the look the girl sent him.
"You lied to me!" She roared so loudly everyone in the other room looked up. In one, sudden move, the men all scrambled up and ran out of the room to the dormitories.
"I. . ." Was all priest Charles managed to get out under the fiery look the girl and her daemon sent his way.
She took a step into the room, and he took one back.
"You told me the boy had already been turn against the world by Easheatter's lies. You told me it was imperative I killed him, before he became like. . .like Aurore." The black-haired half-witch snarled.
Equinox bared his fangs ragefully, taking over the appearance of a small dragon about eight feet in height. The priest whimpered.
"But. . .I thought he. . ." Charles started. Equinox roared so loudly the temple shook. The man covered his ears as the creature roared. Aurora made no move.
"You lied to me, Charles. Thankfully I spied on the boy at first to see if he was too dangerous to attack. I saw nothing but purity in his heart. Easheatter hates him, Charles. The blade doesn't want the boy. I'm happy I've listened to Solstice when she told me to wait before charging into the unknown. But that is all beside the point. What I want to know, Charles, is why oh mighty why you wanted that boy dead so much." Aurora seemed to have calmed down a bit, but Equinox still looked furiously at Charles's cat daemon, as if he'd like to rip it to shreds.
"Well. . .Aurora. . ."
"And no lies, Charles. You owe me the truth."
"Alright. I suppose you've heard of Lyra. .the reincarnation of Eve?"
"Yes, I have."
"Well. . .she is linked to the boy with the blade. And what her future holds in store is great and evil. That's why. . .well we knew Aurore was after her. . .and we decided. . ." Charles paused, uncertain.
"Tell me." Aurora pressed on.
"We decided it would be best if. . .if Aurore killed her." Charles looked away from the girl's piercing eyes as they widened in even more fury.
"Charles, do you realize what you almost did?" She snarled, trying to keep her calm.
The man shook his head, frowning.
"My BROTHER is far more dangerous that Lyra. And he is looking for a way to take away her powerful concentration of Dust, and use it for him. If he manages to fool the girl and make her release her Dust, not only will he kill the one person that might be able to destroy him, but he will gain enough power to tear windows in the fabric of the worlds that are the size of the universe. He will rein everything and everyone, and won't even need Easheatter to come and destroy every world existing." Aurora growled. Charles looked sorry and shocked.
"We didn't. . ." He never finished.
"I know you didn't know! Now here's what I'M going to do: I am going to go back to the boy. He had Easheatter, even if the blade is now in nine or so pieces. I will take him to you, and you will forge Easheatter, take his tip and put it on Forseti. Only my blade will be able to kill Aurore. And only Lyra will be able to use it for that purpose. We must hurry. There is little time, because Aurore has surely found Lyra by now. Understood, Charles?" Aurora said, teeth clenched.
The man looked furious.
"I absolutely refuse to forge Easheatter. . ." He snarled at her. But he never finished what he was about to add, because his cat daemons, which had stepped bravely from behind its human, got bashed savagely by Equinox's dragon tail, and flew into a bookcase, making several books fall out.
Charles groaned and fell to the ground, hand over his heart.
"Charles. . ." Aurora's eyes flared, voice warning.
"You will do as we say. You will forge the blade." Equinox finished, turned back into a panther.
The girl glared, and walked out, followed by her daemon.
Charles suddenly burst into tears, and clutching his heart, crawled to his daemon, which was getting up slowly from the floor.
The little cat meowed softly before fainting. Charles followed in into darkness.
(0)
Dark, eh? Who would have known Equinox could do that to a daemon? Reviews appreciated.
Quizgirl: Thanks for your review! You got a horse? Aw! Lucky! And thanks again for your comment. I'll take it as a compliment. BTW, if you like this story, ( I'll use this as a chance for publicity) I'm going to publish a book soon (hopefully), under the name of Aimee La Bellemort, or Alicia Bednarski. Why one of those two names? Because Alicia is my real name and Aimee will one day be my stage name, if I ever become an actress ( I got big dreams, ok?). So the book is called For the cause. If you like my writing, you should check it out.
Kaiame: Thanks for all your reviews. You're the one that keeps me going, girl.
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Tehvioleteyedone: Thanks for the review. Next chappy will be up soon.