Chapter 12: Lost In Translation
Stephanie's eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on the last three runes that still needed to be decoded. She had spent hours deciphering the copies and she didn't like what had been translated one bit. As requested, she was not disturbed by the others. Not even by Orphen. She still hadn't seen him since he had arrived earlier on that evening with his young apprentice, Majic. "C'mon, Steph! Just a few more and you're done!" she urged herself on. She had spent at least half an hour just staring at the last three runes and it had been staring right back at her, taunting her. Stephanie yawned wearily and closed her eyes. But knowing that she would fall asleep if her eyes were kept shut any longer, she opened them instantly. Looking back at the ancient runes, the missing words that had escaped her only moments before suddenly popped into her mind. Her eyes widened in realization. She quickly scribbled down the last word and dashed out of the room. Her chair crashed to the floor in her haste. Stephanie headed straight for the living room where she knew the others would be waiting for her.
Orphen bolted up from the chair and all eyes turned to Stephanie as she burst into the room, her indigo locks flying behind her.
She quickly handed the translations to Orphen, "I'm finally done."
Orphen eagerly accepted them from Stephanie, but remained composed. "Thanks, Steph," Orphen paused for a moment, "By the way, you're looking great."
"You know flattery can get you everywhere," she smiled at her old friend. She glanced at the others who were just waiting patiently. Well, almost everyone. Majic had promptly fallen asleep just after dinner. She looked back at Orphen, "Sorry that it took me so long. I had a bit of trouble with some of the runes. Some were so old that I had to look them up in my books and some just eluded me completely," Stephanie explained apologetically, "I spent forever on the last few runes. Its meaning just wouldn't come to me."
"Why didn't you just guess what it was? Besides, wouldn't it be obvious if you read the start of the sentence?" Orphen asked.
"Hey," Stephanie replied defensively, "Give a girl a break. I was in that room for hours translating. Too many runes in one sitting can do things to you."
"Don't worry about it," Hartia replied kindly.
"Yeah," Orphen agreed, "I'm just glad that they're finally translated."
"Did you read it?" Azalie inquired, "I mean properly."
"Only briefly," Stephanie answered with a quick nod of her head.
"Good or bad?" Hartia questioned.
"Well… it depends on how you look at it I suppose…" Stephanie replied after a moment of thought, unsure of what to say.
Orphen glanced over the translations as the others waited.
"Well? What does it say?" Azalie asked.
"Why don't you just read it out loud?" Stephanie suggested as she took Orphen's seat.
Orphen nodded and began, "'Here-'"
"Wait," Hartia interrupted, "Shouldn't we wake Majic?"
Orphen considered this and looked over at his apprentice. "Majic! Wake up!" Orphen yelled.
"I'll have a cheese pizza with chocolate sauce and sardines thanks," Majic mumbled and shifted in his deep slumber.
"Majic!" Orphen shouted once more.
Majic's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright. "Is my pizza here?" he asked.
The girls and Hartia laughed and Orphen just shook his head. "No. But the translations are, so get your head out of the gutter," the master replied.
"What a strange thing to have a dream about…" Azalie trailed off in thought.
Majic stretched his arms and straightened himself up in the chair," So Stephanie's finished?"
"Yes. Orphen was just about to read it out," Stephanie answered.
"So if you guys don't mind, I'd really like to get started," Orphen said to them. No one made any objections. Orphen looked back at the translations in his hands and he began to read, "'Here lies Eran, punished to sleep for a thousand years. A time after the monster has been reborn, the lights will hit the earth and all shall tremble. Then the innocence that once was shall be turned. Blood will be shed and a life it will cost as the battle of two powers will be lost. The Gifted One shall be The Catalyst and The Angel of Life and Death shall be born. Life will be taken and life will be restored. And once the transformation is complete, Eran will walk the earth once more. Thus, he will make his power known. His vengeance shall bring pain and destruction. We shall be blessed with Death. So it has been written before time began."
No one said anything as the new discovery slowly registered in their minds. They all thought about what had been said. Orphen re-read the translations, doing his best to grasp its message. What was Steph going on about earlier, 'it depends on how you look at it'? What's so good about this prophecy? 'We shall be blessed with Death'… what the hell is that supposed to mean? Orphen grumbled under his breath. Some things clicked and some didn't. He sighed heavily, "So what do you guys think?". The long silence had been broken.
"Maybe we should break it down," Stephanie suggested.
"It should be easier that way," Azalie agreed as she combed through her hair with her fingers.
"Who's Eran?" Majic asked.
"No idea," Oprhen answered.
"The name sounds familiar, but I'm not entirely certain," Azalie said thoughtfully as she unconsciously bit her crimson lips.
"I'm thinking that the best way to find out is to check the archives at the Tower of Fang and to ask the Elders," Hartia said in all seriousness.
Azalie smiled at the young man, "That's a good idea Hartia. And since you've updated the archives just recently, I think that it's best if you be the one to go."
Hartia gulped. "No,no,no," he shook his head vigorously, "I mean, I think that it's better if you go, Azalie. You're an Elder after all. Plus, you have to report back to the Council about this mission don't you? Besides, Childman must miss you terribly."
Azalie raised an eyebrow skeptically, "You did update the archives like I told you to, didn't you?"
Hartia laughed nervously, "About that… Well you see… I never quite finished updating. With the discovery of the prophecy, I didn't really think that the archives were first priority." Azalie stared at the red-head sternly, but said nothing.
"Well, whoever goes can ask Lai to help out," Majic suggested and smiled for thinking of something.
"We'll figure out who'll do what later," Orphen said. Majic's smile dropped a notch as his Master dismissed his idea.
Steph was the only one to notice this. "Smart thinking, Majic," she smiled at him encouragingly after giving her old partner a pointed look. Majic smiled back.
"Now, back to this Eran guy. We need to know everything about this person; who, when, where, what, why and how," Orphen continued after giving his apprentice an apologetic look.
"Right," Azalie agreed, "Then there's the prophecy."
"What part of the prophecy has come true so far?" Stephanie asked the group.
The others looked at each other and in their silence, it was decided that Orphen would answer this question.
Orphen decided that he would just list the events that had already occurred. "Azalie was reborn, Jeremy called upon a dark magic and that was when the lights hit the earth, this caused a small tremor… and Cleao…" Orphen cleared his throat uncomfortably, "she changed…"
Stephanie nodded thoughtfully, "So Cleao would be the innocence that turned. " Everyone looked at Stephanie. She was startled by their stares, "What?"
"She's right, Master. Cleao is the innocence," Majic said, his eyes widening in realization.
"I don't think that we ever connected those two properly," Hartia said with a shake of his red head.
"Anything else?" Stephanie asked. There was a contemplative silence.
"No," Orphen finally answered, breaking the silence.
"There hasn't been any battle that has cost a life," Hartia said.
"Well that's good then," Stephanie replied.
"But what about 'The Gifted One' part?" Majic inquired in mid-yawn.
"Yes. That's something new to us," Azalie agreed with a nod.
"The Gifted One shall be The Catalyst and The Angel of Life and Death shall be born," Stephanie quoted.
"So I'm The Catalyst now too? A new title to add to my list, that's just great," Orphen sighed heavily as he rubbed his temples. He was starting to get a headache; all this thinking was making his head hurt. All he wanted to do was get Cleao back safe and sound, then make Jeremy pay for all the trouble he had caused. That bastard, Orphen thought in disgust. Orphen was going to hunt him down. "So I'll be the trigger for the birth of The Angel of Life and Death. Sounds fun," he continued in a dry tone.
"Angel? So whoever it is has got to be one of the good guys, right?" Majic asked with a hint of hope.
"We can't be sure," Hartia replied.
"I'm guessing that 'Life will be taken and life will be restored' has something to do with the Angel," Stephanie assumed.
"'Death is Her gift' must be linked as well," Hartia stated then paused for a brief moment, "At least I think so."
"We're going to have to see if the Tower of Fang has anything on this Angel," Orphen said to the others as he began to pace the room. Back and forth he went. "'And once the transformation is complete, Eran will walk the earth once more'," he repeated to himself. "What transformation? Who is this guy?"
"Stop pacing, Krylancelo," Azalie scolded, but her violet eyes softened, "It won't be of any help." Orphen stopped his pacing.
"So how does this help us save Cleao, Master?" Majic asked as he looked expectantly at Orphen.
Orphen looked at his apprentice," I actually don't know anymore." Sighing, Orphen looked out the window at the star speckled night. Please come back, Cleao, he thought forlornly.
Orphen yawned. He had had no sleep whatsoever. It was early in the morning and Azalie was starting to get on his nerves. It was not a good way to start the day.
"Tell me again why you're not going, Krylancelo," Azalie asked skeptically.
Orphen answered through gritted teeth for the third time, "Because it's the Tower of Fang and I'm staying behind to help Steph research here."
"And I can't stay here because?"
"Azalie," Orphen warned as his eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"Fine. I'm going already," Azalie replied dejectedly. "I still see no reason why I should go with Hartia. It isn't like he can't do it himself," Azalie huffed haughtily as she gestured to the red-head.
"He can't do it all himself. You're going so that you can report to the Elders and so you can research over there," Orphen explained once more, trying not to snap at his sister. He didn't get why she didn't want to return to the Tower yet. Was being an Elder so bad? Although, it was the Tower of Fang.
"Two heads are better than one, I always say," Stephanie added cheerily. "You guys better get going before Orphen really loses it," she added.
Azalie nodded, "Good idea. Let's go, Hartia," The sorceress' form shimmered and disappeared as she teleported herself to the Tower of Fang.
"I was the one waiting for you!" Hartia yelled, but Azalie was already gone. "Away!" Hartia grumbled after the young Elder.
"Let's just hope that they're able to find something," Stephanie said to the remaining two.
"Yeah," was all Orphen said.
Majic looked to Orphen with his big teal eyes, "What do we do now, Master?"
"Well, we go to Steph's library and research," Orphen replied, "And then we wait."
"But before all that, how about some breakfast?" Stephanie suggested as she went to the kitchen, not waiting for an answer.
Author's Note: I am so sorry for not updating sooner! I know that I said that Cleao was going to be in this chapter, but I was wrong. I could've sworn that she was though… But finding out the whole prophecy makes up for it right? Right? Anyway, I know that Chapter 12 was a bit short, but I hope that you enjoyed it! I'm writing Chapter 13: Insight at the moment, so I'm not really sure when it'll be done. Hopefully, I'll have it posted next week (starting 19th of Sept). Please read and review! Oh and I just wanted to say thank you to those who reviewed the previous chapter. And thank you to those who take the time to read and review! Happy reading!