Chapter 13: Insight
Cleao was walking in the darkness of a tunnel. She couldn't see where her feet were and where they were leading her, but she knew that wherever she was going, she was going to be ok. She came to a sudden stop and found herself facing a two way tunnel. With each tunnel, she saw a bright light in the distance. The end was in sight. Cleao had only stopped for a few seconds before she was on the move again. She turned right. Cleao was able to see now. She looked at the ground and watched her steps carefully.
"Cleao," a voice called to her.
She looked up and brushed away stray locks that covered her eyes.
"Cleao," the voice repeated, more urgently this time. The voice was distorted and she couldn't tell who it belonged to.
The closer she was to the end, the brighter the light became, but she could see a silhouette of a person. It was a man. With the bright light shining in her eyes, she couldn't make out who was calling to her. "Who are you?" she called out in wonder, shielding her eyes from the light, but trying to look at the same time.
"It's me, Cleao. It's-"
The light became unbearable. Cleao closed her eyes and darkness returned to her.
"Wait!" Cleao exclaimed as she sat up. She looked at her surroundings. All she saw were stone walls. I'm in the tower, she realized. "Who was that?" she asked aloud and lay herself back down. Sleep came once more.
"Lai, it's good to see you again," Hartia greeted his friend when the seer entered the room. It had been almost two hours since their arrival at the Tower of Fang.
"Likewise," Lai replied and sat at the desk, "I've just spoken to Azalie and she's told me everything. She should be consulting with the Elders as we speak." Hartia merely nodded and continued to flick through the pages of the ancient book he held. Lai continued, "She has also asked me to use my Sight, but I thought I'd come and see if you needed any help with your research."
"I'll manage. Besides, I think it'd be best if you focused on your divinations," Hartia replied, not taking his eyes off the book. Lai nodded his understanding and turned to go. "Wait," Hartia called, "While we were away, did you see anything?"
"No," the seer replied and when Hartia looked up from the book, Lai was gone.
"Are you sure of these translations?" an Elder questioned.
"Of course. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," Azalie replied haughtily. "Stephanie of Alenhatan is one of the best translators and I trust her," she added. There was an eerie silence. Azalie glanced at all the Elders, grave expressions were etched on each of their faces. Still, no one spoke. Azalie wanted to know what they knew. She wanted them to start talking. Waiting in the tense silence grew irritating and it made her want to scream. Azalie bit her lip to restrain herself from snapping at the council and she breathed in deeply to compose herself.
"I fear that the worst is yet to come," an Elder spoke.
The silence had been disrupted so suddenly that Azalie had been taken off guard. "Excuse me?" she asked in the politest tone she could muster.
"Eran is a Heavenly One."
Azalie stared; she was at a loss for words.
"Anything yet, Majic?" Orphen asked his apprentice.
"Nothing yet," Majic shook his head while his eyes scanned the page for any reference to Eran or the Angel or even the prophecy. He turned the page, "Not even one lousy sentence."
Were Eran and the Angel so ancient that there were no written records of them? Or maybe they were too new? Orphen grumbled to himself. "Any luck there?" he asked the blue-haired woman sitting next to him.
"I still haven't found anything," Stephanie replied as she put the book down. After straightening the glasses on top of her nose, she reached for the next book on the stack, "What about you?"
Orphen glanced at the open books littered on the desk. "Nothing," he replied in annoyance. "I don't think we're going to find anything," he added dejectedly.
"You never know, Master," Majic piped up optimistically, "Stephanie has a whole library of books to look through. I'm sure we're bound to find something."
"It's my gut feeling and when it comes to that, I'm never wrong." No one replied. Orphen picked up another book and he began to flick through the pages. "A whole library… sounds super fun," he mumbled sarcastically to himself. Orphen threw the book down impatiently. He didn't have time to read every damn book in the room. He wanted answers and he wanted them now! "Damn it!" the sorcerer cursed. Majic looked up in surprise and Stephanie put her book down.
"Maybe you should take a break, Orphen," the woman suggested calmly, knowing how frustrated Orphen was feeling, "Majic and I can handle research for now."
Orphen welcomed Stephanie's suggestion with relief. He could use a good walk around town; get some fresh air, clear his head. Orphen stood up and muttered something about going out for a while before he left the two to research.
"He was a Heavenly Being?" Azalie asked for clarification after she recovered from her initial shock.
"The youngest of them all," an Elder stated.
"Then why was he punished? I don't understand," Azalie answered.
"We will explain," the Elder replied. There was brief pause before he continued, "The Heavenly Ones wanted to live in peace, but Eran thought otherwise. He was ambitious and power hungry. Eran wanted to conquer the earth, believing that mere mortals were an inferior kind. He wanted people to cower in fear under his mighty power. But his Elder brother, Ryn, dismissed his desires as foolish whims. Eran rebelled against the Heavenly Ones and for that, he was banished. After his banishment, Eran swore to destroy the Heavenly Beings and earth. The young Heavenly One returned to wage a war against his family and he lost. Ryn disappeared and Eran was sealed away, but we do not know how. Everything else is new to us."
Azalie remained silent as she registered all that had been revealed to her. She finally spoke up, "So you don't know who The Angel of Life and Death is?"
"No."
"Are there any records in the archives that might be of some help to us? Any records at all?"
"What has been said is all that has been recorded." Silence filled the air. "What you must understand, Azalie, is it seems that Jeraine is the descendant of Eran and Krylancelo is the descendant of Ryn. So their arrival at the Tower of Fang was not coincidence, but predetermined fate. If the transformation is completed, history is bound to repeat itself. Jeraine must be stopped at all costs. Is that clear?"
Azalie could only nod. And without another word being said, she left.
Hartia scanned book after book and he still hadn't found anything. His hands and eyes were growing tired and his mind was growing numb. The sudden appearance of Azalie was a welcomed distraction.
Hartia gave her a weary smile, "How did it go?"
"I know who Eran is," she replied briskly, "Let's discuss this is my chambers."
"But what about research?" Hartia inquired as he gestured to the thousands of books that still needed to be checked.
"Books will be of no use," Azalie replied flatly and began to walk away.
Thank God! Hartia breathed a sigh of relief as he left the books in disarray to follow Azalie. But the red-head grew serious. So who is Eran? he thought as the door closed behind him.
Jeremy stared blankly at the ruins of Bandit City, too distracted by his conversation to admire his handiwork.
The girl still lives.
All I need is time, Jeremy replied.
Time… Time is luxury we cannot afford.
Jeremy ignored this, Explain to me again why she's suddenly a threat. There was a long pause and Jeremy could almost hear Eran exhale sharply in irritation.
She will interfere. I had thought that she could be used as a weapon against Krylancelo, but I was mistaken. She is a weapon that cannot be controlled. Her love for that sorcerer is too powerful and allowing you to get close to her is mistake I deeply regret. To have the power, sacrifices must be made… Cleao is one of them.
Silence came once more. I understand, Jeremy answered.
Orphen walked slowly around Alenhatan. It was better to be outside than to be sitting in a library reading musty, old books. But Orphen was too lost in thought to enjoy his surroundings. I wonder if Steph and Majic have found anything yet. And the Tower of Fang… They better have been useful! Orphen began to kick a pebble across the cobblestone ground. What if we do find something? Will it even have anything to do with Cleao? How will it save her? Orphen was growing doubtful and his heart grew heavy at the thought of his girl. Just come back, Cleao. I'll even try to stop being such a jerk… But you just bring out the worst in me… and the best… Looking up, Orphen saw that he was back to where he had started from. Walking into Steph's house, Orphen made his way back to the dreaded library. He opened the door to see the two still researching.
Majic looked up from his book and grinned, "Master, you're back!"
"Feel any better?" Stephanie asked as Orphen entered the room and sat in a chair.
"Much," he replied, "Find anything?"
"Not yet," Majic answered.
"We'll just have to wait for the others to get back," Orphen decided as he looked at all the books before him in distaste.
"Then how about we get out of here and get something to eat?" Stephanie suggested and almost laughed at Majic's eager expression. Orphen was already out of the room before the other two could even stand up.
Lai sat in the silence of his room. He allowed his head to clear of any distractions and he opened his mind to accept the vision he was waiting patiently for. The seer's patience was rewarded with a premonition…
In the darkness of the night, the bloodstained ground glistened in the soft moonlight. "No!" the scream filled his ears. The darkness was suddenly replaced with a piercing light. The light slowly faded and Lai could see a pair of white wings that were flecked with gold. But he couldn't make out who the wings belonged to. He wanted to reach out and touch its feathers; feel it heavenly softness.
The seer's eyes snapped open.
Azalie held Childman in her arms, his tiny hands entangled in her short, dark tresses. Even now, Hartia still found it surreal to see his Master as a baby in the arms of the woman who gave birth to him, who just happened to be the woman he desired- the Bloody August. The young man shook his head to clear his mind of distracting thoughts. Azalie gave him a strange look.
"Shouldn't we go and tell Krylancelo?" Hartia asked, getting back on topic. While they were waiting for the seer to return, Azalie had informed Hartia of Eran.
"As soon as we hear from Lai," Azalie replied. At that very moment, Lai walked into the room.
"It's tonight. I have a feeling that it'll happen tonight," Lai told them, urgency in his voice and fear in his eyes. Both Hartia and Azalie were alarmed by his statement.
"What are you talking about?" Azalie questioned as she put Childman in his crib, despite his futile protests.
"What did you see?" Hartia asked with the same urgency.
"It was night. There as a pool of blood on the ground. Then I heard a girl scream. There was a bright light, and I saw wings."
"The Angel of Life and Death…" Hartia trailed off.
"That's not all," Lai continued with a grim face, "I think Cleao's going to die."
A dark silence fell upon them. Azalie and Hartia looked at the seer with bewildered expressions.
Author's Note: Here ends Chapter 13: Insight. How was it? Is she really going to die? Find out in Chapter 14: Decisions !
Only one more chapter left before this story ends… It may seem… strange(?) now, but it will all clear up in the end. Please read and review! Many thanks to you all!