Okay, a small miracle has occurred: six months have not yet passed, and I
am posting chapter 6! Okay, now on with the official disclaimer stuff.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. Period.
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In chapter 5, Minako steals-um, borrows-the Lunar Pen so that Serenity can transform into Sailor Moon. Alas, 'tis an illusion, and even though Serenity cleans up real nice, she can't really do anything special as Sailor Moon. Ami notices that the moon symbol on Serenity's forehead disappears while she is Sailor Moon.
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Light of Love: Red Moon Chapter 6: Jaded
The stone Helios had given to Endymion nestled perfectly in the young prince's palm.
The priest had referred to it as a "Golden Crystal," but Endymion did not know how such a plain rock had been given such a prestigious name. First of all, the piece of stone was dark and cloudy-more the thick color of amber-hued molasses than of golden topaz. Unlike the flat surfaces and even arrangements of clear crystals, this stone was lusterless and misshapen. Had he come upon this rock on a beach, Endymion would have passed the Golden Crystal in favor of more colorful, polished stones.
Upon first glance, Endymion noticed that this strange rock had taken a beating. A couple of sharp scratches on the surface of the Golden Crystal hinted to its past abuses. After Helios had handed the dark lump to the young prince, Endymion held rock carefully between the tips of his fingers, holding it up to the light. Helios told the Terran Prince, as Endymion attempted to peer through the blackened stone, that it had once been a transparent, rose-shaped crystal. Endymion could only see faint flecks of gold trapped in a swirl of black haze.
"The Crystal is your birthright, as the last of the true Terran kings," Helios had explained. "You are the only one who can reawaken its power and heal the planet."
Endymion raised his right eyebrow. Smiling, the prince uttered cynically, "I did not know that the Earth was sick."
The man before him nodded his head somberly, his golden eyes flickering with concern. "I can not predict the future, your highness, but I do see, and feel, the tell-tale signs. The Earth is falling into a dark time."
"How do you know?" the prince questioned. And yet, even as Endymion demanded an answer from the soft-spoken priest, the Prince of the Earth was already aware of a darkness looming on the horizon, threatening to destroy the planet. A shiver ran up Endymion's spine as he recalled the streets of blood and the screaming of his people during the night of the eclipse. Waves of panic rippled from the stone and into his fingertips. His eyes widened. Already, he knew that the Golden Crystal was a part of him.
Helios bowed his head. Endymion stared with wonderment at the pointed horn that sprouted from the priest's forehead. Licking his lips, Helios again looked up, and peered woefully into the prince's stormy blue eyes. The priest looked to be the same age as the prince, but Endymion noted, as he looked at Helios' delicate face, that the young man had seen far more than his youthful facade indicated.
"I know," Helios finally uttered somberly, "because I survived the last dark time. The Golden Crystal was stolen and the last great Terran King, your uncle, was killed."
Endymion frowned. His mind spun in a flurry of contemplation. He was now fully awake, but the questions and observations he made seemed muffled and confused, much like a hazy dream. Everything seemed to make more sense before he had awakened. Now, he was in a strange world where everything he had known to be truths were twisted, contorted contradictions.
"Obviously, the Golden Crystal was recovered," Endymion muttered, allowing the odd-shaped rock to settle into the palm of his right hand. Again, odd waves of emotion fluttered through him. Endymion turned his focus away from the priest. Peering at the strange stone, Endymion rotated the object against his palm with his thumb. He thought that he saw the Golden Crystal sparkle faintly. As he held the rock closer to his face, Endymion frowned. Again, it just appeared to be a dull, opaque stone.
"You, as the last of your mother's people, are the only one who has the ability to save your planet," Helios plainly stated.
Those words had echoed in Endymion's head countless times since he, Jedite, and Zoicite had departed from Ellysion. Helios had instructed the young prince to guard the Golden Crystal. The priest had told Endymion that, until he was able to unleash its full power, he must keep his possession of the stone hidden. The prince knew that he must protect this object with his life. It was only a dull stone; however, Endymion's ownership of the Golden Crystal weighed heavily on the young man's shoulders. He may have been a prince, but never in his life had Endymion ever been burdened with such responsibility.
Instead of chattering and joking with his two companions as they traveled across the countryside, the prince blankly gazed forward. What with all Helios had told him-plus his recollection of the mysterious girl from his dream and the strange occurrence on the night of the eclipse-Endymion simply had too many things on his mind.
The prince's sudden personality change had not gone unnoticed by his traveling companions. As Kunzite had instructed, they were on their way to the "Puissant Territory," which was controlled by Endymion's uncle, Duke Bartleby. Such a journey would have normally brought a great amount of protest and complaint from the prince. Both Jedite and Zoicite knew of Endymion's disfavor for his Uncle Bartleby; it matched the despise the prince had for Bartleby's son, Algernon. The guardians knew that the feeling was mutual. After Endymion, Bartleby and his son were next in line for the throne.
Usually, the prince and his two guardians highlighted safety precautions during their journey to the Puissant Territory. Endymion was so uneasy about Bartleby and Algernon that he preferred to be as prepared as possible. His caution was not ill-founded; Bartleby had once attempted to smother Endymion to death with a pillow. The night still haunted the prince's memories. Again, Endymion's intuitive gift-what Zoicite often dubbed his "second pair of eyes"-had saved him.
He was twelve at the time. Endymion had awakened before his uncle had a chance to carry out the deed. He remembered his eyes snapping open. The faint light of the full Moon had illuminated Bartleby's wide murderous form in blue as he loomed above the bed. The prince remembered how Bartleby squeezed the cushion between his hands anxiously. As he leaned forward, his shadowed eye sockets widened as he realized that Endymion was not asleep. The fat man jumped back in alarm.
"Ah, nephew, you are awake!" Bartleby boomed enthusiastically. Endymion noted that his voice shook a little. He could almost hear his uncle's thoughts while Bartleby still considered smothering his nephew. The prince shifted his contemptuous gaze from Bartleby to the pillow. Bartleby gazed down at the cushion positioned between his plump fingers and began to laugh nervously.
"I, uh," Bartleby stumbled, fluffing the pillow between his hands, "Just wanted to make sure you were comfortable. I brought you this."
Bartleby leaned forward. The cushion was still positioned between his two hands. Endymion looked again to the crazed look in his uncle's dark eyes. They glowed amber in the moonlight. This time, Endymion recognized, he would do it. Bartleby would carry out the deed. Endymion held his right arm defensively to block the pillow and casually snatched the cushion from the duke. Loudly, the prince declared, "Thank you uncle! I am quite comfortable!"
At that time, Jedite and Zoicite had not yet been hired as Endymion's guardians. Instead, a nightgown-clad Kunzite rushed in, his silver locks matted and messed, his eyes widened but groggy from sleep, and his sword in poised in his right hand. Bartleby, now discovered, held up his hands in embarrassment and fear. He explained to Kunzite that he had just come to check on his nephew. Kunzite eyed him suspiciously.
"Well, your business here is finished," the silver-haired soldier stated. "Good night, Duke."
Bartleby nodded his sandy blond head to Kunzite and then gazed down at Endymion. The boy was sitting up in his bed, still clutching the pillow. Bartleby smiled slightly as he uttered, "I am sorry to have disturbed you, nephew. I never meant to wake you up."
The tone of his last statement was filled with a slight acidity which made fear slice up the prince's back. No, Bartleby's intention had been to ensure that Endymion never wake up again. Endymion stared off into space blindly as his uncle left the inner chamber. Once Kunzite had led Bartleby from the outer chamber and barred the door, he returned to Endymion's bedside.
"Are you all right?" Kunzite asked quietly. His face was streaked with concern. At moments such as these, Kunzite behaved more like a caring, protective older brother than a soldier in the King's army.
Endymion nodded his head mutely. His dark blue gaze wandered to the pillow between his hands.
"He was going to kill me," the prince finally uttered.
Kunzite's grey eyes sparkled in the moonlight as he smiled soberly. "Yes, he was." He glanced around to the dark corners in the room. "The door in the outer bed chamber was still bolted when I led your uncle out," he muttered. "He must have come in through some sort of a passageway." Kunzite stood and walked to the door, adding, "We'll leave at once in the morning. The King will hear of it."
"Kunzite!" the prince wailed. Kunzite turned. He placed his hand on the frame of the door. He noticed how Endymion trembled. The prince heaved Bartleby's pillow across the room, into the unlit fireplace and whispered, nervously, "Can I sleep in the outer chamber, with you?"
The Kunzite smiled softly. "I'll go collect my blankets and sleep in here."
Kunzite and Endymion had departed the following morning. Kunzite told King Demitrious of the attempt on his son's life, but the incident had been easily dismissed by the ruler as a misunderstanding. His own brother, killing his son? Ridiculous, the king had declared.
Discouraged by the king's unwillingness to address the matter, Kunzite decided that he would see to the prince's safety himself. The soldier hired guardians for Endymion. The first one had been Zoicite. A few months later, Kunzite appointed Jedite.
"Don't think that because Zoicite and Jedite are with you that you are safe," Kunzite had cautioned. He eyed Endymion's wide, questioning gaze as he declared, "Above all, you are the only one who can protect yourself. Always remember that. Don't let your guard down. Especially when you visit your uncle."
The prince had taken Kunzite's brotherly advice to heart. He trained in combat and sword play beside his two guardians. Although he had become stronger physically, Endymion's occasional visits to the Puissant Territory still made his stomach churn. He would rather risk his life walking over the melting ice on a pond or by running into a burning building than to visit his uncle. Still, as the Prince of the Earth, Endymion was required by duty to visit his Uncle Bartleby and Cousin Algernon. He did so with much protest and a very stringent safety plan. The prince required that Jedite and Zoicite sleep in his outer chamber. In addition, Endymion spent his sleepless nights barricaded in the inner chamber with a dagger hidden beneath his pillow. Truth be told, the prince hardly ever slept while in the Puissant Territory. His uncle's Jade Castle was riddled with hidden passageways. Zoicite usually found the secret doors in the inner chamber, but even after these passages had been barricaded, Endymion never felt safe enough to sleep soundly.
Both Jedite and Zoicite noticed that Prince Endymion was oddly quiet throughout this particular journey. He kept his thoughts to himself. Aside from a few grunts of absent-minded agreement to Jedite and Zoicite's casual questions, the prince was silent. His companions knew that Endymion's visit with Helios had changed him somehow. Instead of prodding the prince, Jedite and Zoicite opted to also remain quiet. Occasionally, the two guardians exchanged wary glances with one another as they traveled. Both had noticed the strange rock that Endymion carried. He would take the object from the pocket of his woolen cloak and cradle it in the palm of his hand. The young man seemed smitten with the stone.
"Ah, look at that!" Jedite huffed as his horse rounded a corner. The trio had been riding through a thicket of bare trees and had come to a clearing. During the summer months, the fields were blanketed with golden wheat. Presently, a dull haze of weather-beaten snow littered the ground. The Puissant Territory was usually greeted by the first winter storms that often lasted for several weeks. After an initial flurry and snowfall, the remaining winter months were remarkably mild. Yet, the frozen ground kept the once white snow from melting, leaving it a soiled and trampled blanket of grey.
Endymion frowned at the dull-colored mounds. "No wonder father gave this up," he muttered beneath his breath.
"It's a wonder your uncle stays here," Zoicite snorted. The clouds that puffed out of red-headed man's nostrils matched those of his horse. Endymion smiled.
Jedite held a leather-gloved hand over his eyebrows. Even though the snow was more of a brownish-grey color, Jedite squinted his eyes to block out the glare. The young man peered toward the horizon. As his grey eyes settled on a dark green speck in the distance, he frowned and uttered, "Oh damn. The castle's still there."
"My sentiments as well," laughed the prince. He dug a heel into the ribs of his steed. The horse took a couple of wary steps forward.
Both Jedite and Zoicite followed behind their prince. Endymion was only a few paces into the clearing when he pulled back on his reigns. Under protest, his horse stopped. Jedite and Zoicite's horses paused beside the prince. Aside from their breathing, the world was eerily quiet.
"What is it?" Zoicite finally asked. He followed the prince's midnight gaze, which was intently staring at the black stone cradled in his hand. Zoicite was about to demand what was so important about the rock when the object began to glow. The light seeped through the leather glove and into Endymion's hand.
The prince shook his head.
"Endy?" Jedite inquired nervously.
"Something is not right," Endymion whispered. He glanced up from the crystal and leveled his eyes to gaze at Jade Castle. The prince squeezed the rock in his palm. "It's just as Helios said."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Zoicite.
Casting a wary glance at his two companions, Endymion licked his chapped lips and said, "We are in danger." Again, he glanced to Jade Castle. In his eyes, a thick cloud of darkness surrounded the structure. It smoldered like a sickening, festering haze on horizon.
Endymion wanted to turn his horse around and ride back to the safety of Ellysion, but the Golden Crystal whispered to Endymion, telling him to move forward. With much trepidation, Endymion urged his horse toward the castle. The beast, akin to Endymion's uneasy movements, did so very slowly. Jedite and Zoicite followed behind a few paces, again shrugging to each other about their prince's odd behavior.
As they pressed onward, Endymion grew more and more uneasy. His heart thumped wildly against his chest. Suddenly, his second pair of eyes greeted him with another vision.
An image of his father, King Demitrious, came into his mind. As Endymion stared, he saw a large, cumbersome figure set his father aflame. The wide girth of the figure could only be one person: Bartleby. The prince clamped his eyes shut and shook his head violently from side to side. Perhaps he wanted to rattle the image from his mind, but the vision became more vivid with each step his horse took. Once his father had been entirely encompassed by flames, the wide man turned. It was not his uncle, but a red-headed man with orange eyes. Fear churned in Endymion's stomach. Horror racked his mind.
"The king is in danger!" he shouted suddenly. He dug the heels of his boots into the ribs of his horse, urging it into a gallop. His dark hair fluttered in the breeze that he and his beast created as they cut through the atmosphere at a lightening-quick pace. The brittle, cold air blasted his face, causing the moisture in his eyes to dry. Endymion blinked furiously and urged his horse to move faster. His woolen cape caught in the air and danced behind him. The prince lowered his form closer to the horse, hugging the neck of the beast. He heard the loud sounds of Zoicite and Jedite's horses thundering behind him. Instead of glancing behind, Endymion kept his eyes on Jade Castle. With each step his horse took toward the dark green structure, the more wary the prince grew. He was leading himself and his guardians into danger. Endymion did not care. All he knew was that his father's life may be in peril.
Jade Castle was named after the milky green stone, but as Endymion approached, he saw nothing that would remind him of the precious rock. Instead, he saw a weather-beaten granite structure covered with dark brown moss. The color of the castle more resembled seaweed than translucent jade. Grey snow hung to the rooftops like polluted sea foam.
As the hoofs of his horse thundered across the frozen surface, Endymion was grateful for Jade Castle's poorly designed defenses. Most castles had been built in strategically advantageous places, such as on top of hills, but Jade Castle merely rested on a shallow mound at the center of the wide, flat fields, which was hardly a tactical safeguard from attacks. As a young boy, Endymion had imagined how easy it would be to emerge from the thick forests on the edge of the fields and attack the vulnerable castle. He had dreams of savage forest people emerging from the woods and taking hold of Jade Castle by force.
Had the prince been thinking, he would have noticed that, in addition to the Duke's guards clad in forest green and the King's royal guard in dark blue, a new cluster of soldiers dressed in bright, bleeding red uniforms also stood outside of Jade Castle. Both Jedite and Kunzite took in the site and called after Endymion to stop. The prince was in too much of a frenzy; he was far too hurried and frantic to listen to his guardians. He galloped right up to the front gate of the castle and dismounted his horse. He nearly tripped over a red-headed woman who approached him. The woman yelled some sort of a protest, which vaguely registered in the back of Endymion's head. Perhaps he would apologize later, after he found his father.
The King's guard and even Bartleby's soldiers noted the approach of the prince with some trepidation. As Endymion neared, the men recognized the Terran family seal embroidered on the front of the Prince's tunic and relaxed. The soldiers clad in red did not know of the symbol. They did not know that this crazed boy was the Prince of the Earth.
Endymion stepped resolutely toward the front entrance. The green and blue uniforms moved from the heavy oak doors. The men in red filled the emptied entrance in front of the castle. Their forms straightened as they held their weapons up. Two of these soldiers ordered Endymion to halt. When the prince did not comply, they approached Endymion, their hands positioned over the hilts of the swords.
"Endymion!" Zoicite shouted. He and Jedite were still far enough away that they could not protect their prince. Zoicite pinched his lips together in a stern line. If the prince was not harmed by those soldiers, he would certainly hear an earful from his red-headed guardian. Zoicite observed disappointedly that Endymion's movements were frantic and uncalculated. Certainly, the prince would not come away from this altercation unscathed.
The two men dressed in red ordered Endymion to halt once again. The young man, very much the future commander of the Earth, steadied his gaze and said, "You trespassers will let me pass or you will die."
The statement echoed inside of Endymion's cold ears. Why he had called them "trespassers?" The words had come from his mouth, but his thoughts turned to Golden Crystal resting in his pocket. Again, he wondered if the Golden Crystal was speaking to him. He felt emotions pulsing through the stone, warming his body and empowering him with intense strength.
He glanced into the eyes of the two men and noted their strange color. Demonic eyes peered out of the men's sockets; emerging from dark, tanned skin were iris' comprised of flecks of yellow, orange and red. Their gazes looked inhumane. Not Terran, the prince silently amended. These men were not from the Earth. His intuition, wrapped around the odd-shaped crystal he possessed, told him so.
Endymion heard the sound of the metal swords as they were unsheathed. Instinctively, the prince also unearthed his sword from its position at his hip. A dozen gasps were heard in the crowd of soldiers before him. The blade glistened in the haze of the dull afternoon. A gift from Endymion's mother, the sword was said to hold the mystical powers of an ancient people. When the prince had received it for his sixteenth birthday, he had not bothered to question its historical significance. Instead, the young man had taken the sword into the field behind the castle to slash it to-and- fro at imaginary enemies. The ancient encryption on the blade was in a strange language that had died long ago. These markings presently began to glow. The power of the Golden Crystal melted into the prince. Endymion felt the crystal push its strength through him and into the sword.
The two speckle-eyed soldiers dressed in red each took a swipe at Endymion. Once the king's guard realized that their prince may be in danger, several of them took steps forward to stop the outsiders. The intervention was too late, however. With swift dexterity, Endymion slashed the midsection of the man on his right and then stabbed straight through the gut of the man on his left. The crimson uniforms hid their injuries, but neither man now protested Endymion's approach. Instead, they sunk to their knees, clutching the areas where the prince had sliced through them.
Endymion continued his frenzied journey up the front steps of Jade Castle. The soldiers now shouted at each other in confusion. Their words drowned in the prince's ears as he shoved his way inside of the structure.
"We really need to teach him the importance of a delicate approach," Zoicite sighed as he and Jedite dismounted from their horses. The red uniformed soldiers approached the two men warningly but withdrew after the two guardians unsheathed their swords.
"Wise decision," Jedite huffed at them. His eyes wandered from the uniformed men to the red-headed woman attending to Endymion's abandoned horse. He tapped Zoicite on the shoulder and pointed to the young beauty.
The pony-tailed man growled a protest as he turned to see what held Jedite's attention. "Our prince's life could be in danger and you're gawking at a pretty girl?" Zoicite muttered as he ran toward the entrance to the castle.
Taking one last, longing look at the woman, Jedite laughed and followed his companion, calling, "Well, after living around chaste prayer maidens for a couple of weeks, it's nice to actually see a girl I may have a chance with."
By the time his two guardians had entered Jade Castle, Endymion was already deep inside the fortified structure, running at a break-neck speed down the corridors. He cursed his intuition for not telling him where inside of the confounded castle his father was located. Rather, his gift hinted at an evil dwelling deeper within the stone walls. Endymion chose to seek out this darkness. He suspected that he would find his father there. He passed a couple of confused servants who squeaked a protest as he shoved past them in the hall. The prince found himself wandering deeper and deeper into the castle.
Eventually, he found a staircase at the rear of a long corridor. Leaping up the steps, Endymion heard voices. At the top of the staircase, he came upon two large wooden doors. Two of the King's guards stood at attention outside of the chamber. They both bowed respectfully to the approaching prince. Each guard took hold of the great round iron handle. The doors of the chamber parted. Men's laughter spilled out of the room.
Endymion took a step inside. The sun blazed on the dull world outside, but the inside of this room was dark. The only natural light spilling into the chamber came from a small square window on the opposite side of the room. A blazing fire crackled and popped in the fireplace located on Endymion's right. Huge cases of books lined the wall on the prince's left. Endymion first glanced to Bartleby, who stood near the window. The Duke's face widened with surprise as he spied the prince. Bartleby glanced over toward the bookcases, where the King stood. Unlike his brother, King Demitrious had a tall frame and a slightly muscular build. The King's dirty blonde hair was a shade darker than the Duke's. Both men had the same brown eyes. King Demitrious turned to Endymion and smiled.
"Son!" he said jovially, approaching Endymion. The cup of lager in his hand prevented the King from hugging the Prince. Instead, Demitrious patted Endymion enthusiastically on the shoulder. "You are finally here. Where is your mother?"
"She is coming in a few days," Endymion muttered. He was relieved to find his father safe, but his feelings of apprehension were still present.
"Ah, it is probably just as well," Demitrious muttered, more to himself that to his son. "Did you see your cousin?"
Endymion shook his head of black hair. Glancing across the room, he nodded curtly to his fat uncle. Bartleby returned the nod and turned his gaze to a the sofa in front of Endymion. It was then that the prince realized that there was another person present in the room. His eyes wandered to the couch, the back of which faced the entrance to the room. A large form occupied the sofa. Endymion raised a right eyebrow. Demitrious followed his son's gaze and smiled beneath his matted beard and mustache. He pulled at Endymion's arm and led him around to the front of the sofa.
"Son, I want you to meet a great man who happens to also be visiting my brother," Demitrious explained.
Endymion's midnight gaze beheld the man his father referred to. He appeared to be large from behind, but as the prince observed the man's appearance from the front, Endymion concluded that the stranger was positively massive. His wide girth made Bartleby seem almost thin. The red velvet robes amassed around the man's great form did not do anything to compliment his huge size, but instead reminded the Prince of a great fat tomato ripening on a vine. The orange hue of the man's hair and his ruddy pink complexion clashed with the vibrant red of his robe. Although it was the dead of winter and the man appeared to have been sitting on the green satin sofa for a length of time, the beads of sweat gathered on his brow and the speckled blush against his cheeks hinted to his exhaustion. The man raised his own gaze to catch site of Endymion. The prince's eyes involuntarily widened as he gasped in shock.
The fat man had fire-orange eyes-eyes similar the ones in Endymion's vision. As he recognized the face of the man, Endymion's stomach turned. The Golden Crystal warmed in his pocket, electrifying the prince's side with nervous energy. A haze of yellow, smoldering fog seemed to surround the red-headed man. The Prince of the Earth blinked his dark blue eyes repeatedly. This must be another odd dream, the prince thought to himself.
"Endymion, I would like to introduce you to Nefar, King of the Sun," Demitrious declared. In turn, he then said, "Nefar, this is my son, Endymion."
Nefar smiled up at the boy. His big round cheeks separated. His orange- red mustache brushed against his top row of teeth.
"Very please to meet you, Endymion!" Nefar boomed, somewhat overly enthusiastic. He extended a hand to the prince. Endymion eyed the Sun King's hand, observing the collection of jewel-encrusted rings on each of his portly, swollen fingers. The prince silently decided that he must have put the rings when he had been a young, thinner man. The pockets of finger fat nearly buried each bauble.
Endymion managed a smile. He wanted to shake this man's hand about as much as he wanted to set his nose hairs on fire. Still, his father was standing right next to him. He wanted Endymion to be friendly. Demitrious' right hand still rested on his son's shoulder blade. Endymion felt his father push him forward. Endymion sighed.
"It's very nice to meet you," he muttered. He hesitantly extended his own hand, which Nefar grasped. The King of the Sun tightly squeezed the boy's thin fingers with his own fat grip. Endymion's eyes widened. The feelings of dread he had felt-the evil that he had sensed within Jade Castle- emanated from Nefar. Emotions rushed from Endymion's hand, up his shoulder, and slammed into his heart. The prince closed his eyes as immense pain passed through him. He swaggered on his feet.
"Careful, son!" He heard the Terran King tell him. His father's strong arms grasped Endymion's shoulders to hold him steady.
Endymion's lids fluttered open. Through his drooping lashes, he noted how King Nefar's eyes glittered. As he closed his eyes again, another of Endymion's visions came to him.
He was in a dank, dark stone room. His wrists were shackled against a wall. He gazed down at his chained feet. A trail of dried blood striped his shins. His feet were covered with sores. The straw he stood upon was stained crimson. Panic, emanating from his heart and spreading to his bound limbs, engulfed the prince. His glanced up to the iron shackles that secured his wrists to the wall. He twisted his hands and tugged furiously at his bindings.
"It won't work, milord," a man shackled to the wall on his left warned. The man was a bloodied, worn skeleton. His long grey hair covered his hollow, beaten face. "Even you won't be able to escape."
"Where are we?" the prince demanded.
"Hell," the man whispered. "What other place could be as horrid as this dungeon?"
"Dungeon?" echoed Endymion. He moved his legs. A groan of pain escaped his lips as the metal cut into his bleeding ankles. "How did I come to be here?"
The prisoner laughed. "We all know what you did to get here, milord," declared the prisoner. "You tasted the forbidden fruit, and now you will suffer."
"What are you talking about?" Endymion pondered. The prisoner just laughed at him. Endymion shook his head. What was going on? Unable to do anything else, the Prince struggled against his bindings. The clinking of the chains mingled with his cellmate's hysterical laughter.
He heard a noise. Footsteps in the hallway paused outside of the cell. The prince recognized the jingle of keys. The chamber door creaked open. A large form entered the room. The Prince of the Earth instantly recognized the huge form and red hair to be that of King Nefar. On this occasion, the Sun King wore a simple yellow tunic and brown trousers. Nefar carried a wooden club lined with rusted spikes in his hand. Endymion eyed the weapon wearily. Given his present position, the prince suspected that the weapon was to be used against him. Endymion then glanced to the man's eyes. Flames of angry orange smoldered in each iris. Nefar's huge fat face was colored deep red. His rage was apparent, but Endymion did not know why he would be the focus of such hostility.
"You think you could make a fool of me?" Nefar boomed angrily at him. The room was small, but his words echoed in the prince's ears. Nefar raised the spiked club upright and slapped Endymion across the left cheek with it. The prince felt his jaw bone break and heard his back teeth crack. The barbs of the weapon snagged Endymion's cheek and tore the skin open while his head jerked to the right. Blood filled his mouth. He gagged on the metallic taste and spat it out. Endymion struggled for a clean breath, gasping and coughing. His mouth gaped open. The prince lacked the strength to close it.
Then he heard a nervous, satisfied laugh from the large figure standing before him. The great form of Nefar seemed to tower above the Prince. Endymion slowly raised his head again, only to be struck against the right cheek as Nefar backhanded him with the barbed club.
"Oh, I will have great fun with you." Nefar seethed. "Not even your precious Queen Serenity will be able to save you!"
Endymion's head was swimming with pain and confusion. Again, there was mention of Queen Serenity. What did he have to do with this mysterious woman? Surely, this must be a mistake, Endymion thought to himself. Why would Nefar torture him? Hadn't they just met, moments before? Was this a premonition of what was to come in the future?
"What do you think I should do to this upstart?" Nefar was asking Endymion's cellmate. "Huh?"
"Beat him, your highness!" declared the prisoner. "Beat him until he begs to be killed and then beat him some more!"
The prince raised his eyes. Endymion's gaze wandered to the golden crown perched on top of Nefar's orange hair. The Sun King had turned his head to speak with the prisoner. A glint of light sparkled on the side of the crown. Endymion stared at the shining, golden object. A reflection stared back at the prince from the gilded surface. It was not Endymion's image which peered at the prince but that of a stranger. The reflection he gazed upon was that of a man of at least thirty years with dirty blonde hair and light grey eyes. The stranger's skin was luminous, which made the red stain caused by his recent injuries with the spiked club even more vibrant. From the bruises and dried blood caking his forehead, Endymion guessed that this man had been tortured before.
"You will die Linnaus!" yelled King Nefar, laughing gleefully. The man's grey eyes widened at the recognition of his name. His horror and fright seemed to course through the Prince's veins. As King Nefar turned again to face him, Endymion caught one last glance of the shackled man in the crown's reflection. At the center of the stranger's forehead was a silver, upturned crescent moon. The symbol between the man's eyebrows began to glow, filling every dark corner of the cramped cell with white light.
"No!" shouted the man. But the sound had come from Endymion's throat. It rattled in his ears. The light from the crescent symbol intensified. The bright glow blinded Nefar, washing him from Endymion's site. The illumination burned the Prince's eyes. Endymion squeezed his lids tightly to shut out the light. In a sudden flash, the bright glow dissipated and a darkness washed over the Prince.
"Endy? Endy!" the voice of Jedite, assisted by a half-dozen nudges, rattled into the prince's consciousness. Endymion frowned slightly, somewhat confused. His second pair of eyes had taken him on a strange, frighteningly horrific journey. He kept his eyes closed. He moved his limbs slightly, and was relieved to find that he was not shackled against a wall, but laying on a rather cozy mattress.
"Leave him be, Jedite!" Zoicite snapped. His voice was further away from Endymion.
"What if he doesn't wake up again?" Jedite demanded. "Last time he fainted it took a good part of a week and a visit to Ellysion to generate a response."
Endymion gasped slightly as he overheard his companions. He had passed out? Again?
"Be patient!" hissed Zoicite. This time, the prince noticed that his voice came from an opposite corner of the room.
"Well, he is going to have to wake up so that he can meet his Princess Charming," Jedite laughed. "I truly hope that the Princess of the Sun takes after her mother. Otherwise, Endymion will have a whole lot of wife to cart around!"
"You're lucky the prince passed out," Zoicite cautioned. "Otherwise, you could kiss your front teeth goodbye over that comment."
"Oh, ha ha," snapped the younger man. "Really, Zoicite, your wit is astoundingly bad."
Zoicite chuckled. "Truthfully," he uttered, "I must agree. King Nefar is a very large-"
"Huge!" interjected Jedite.
"All right, he is an enormously huge man," admitted Zoicite.
There was a pause in their conversation. Endymion stirred slightly, but his two guardians were far too engrossed with their talk to notice. The prince first opened one wary eye, and then the other. As he adjusted his site to the light of the room, Endymion noticed that he was now laying on a huge bed in the center of a rather large bed chamber. Jedite sat along side of the bed on Endymion's right. Zoicite was on the opposite side of the room, his back to both the prince and Jedite. He ran his hands along the stone walls, meticulously tracing the mortar with his forefinger and a suspicious eye.
"King Nefar is pretty amazing though," Jedite finally uttered. His back was to Endymion, but the prince knew that the fidgety guardian was most likely carving a piece of stone with his knife.
"Well, would you expect any less from the man who controls the Sun?" Zoicite replied. "And a marriage between Endymion and the Princess of the Sun would be a favorable match. Think of the unlimited supply of sunlight the Earth would receive as a result!"
"Ugh," groaned Jedite. "I do not envy the Prince's position, having no regard in who he must marry. I mean, what if she is a spitting image of her father, only with longer hair?"
"And breasts," Zoicite added.
"I am pretty certain that Nefar, with his great girth, also has quite sizable breasts!" Endymion laughed.
Both of his guardians spun around and gazed at their prince. Endymion sat up in his bed. His head swam around him as he leaned his back against the massive dark oak headboard. He shivered as the woolen blankets fell to his waist. Someone had taken the liberty of removing his tunic, and all that separated Endymion from the cold bed chamber was a rather thin linen undershirt.
"Nice of you to join the living," Jedite greeted, smiling.
"Welcome to the land of consciousness," echoed Zoicite. "You gave us quite a scare."
"I heard you talking," Endymion muttered. "Apparently, I fainted again."
"More than fainted, I am afraid," Jedite laughed nervously. He stood and walked across the room. He grasped the handle of a simple metal pitcher. Filling an empty glass with water, he elaborated, "This fit was not quite so bad as the one during the eclipse, but you did fidget around quite a lot."
"Fidget?" pondered Endymion. He rested his forehead into his hands. The light pouring into the one small window gave him a splintering headache.
"More of convulsions," Zoicite explained. "You were standing for a lot of it, I hear. We only came during the tail end of it. Luckily, your father had a hold of you, even though you struggled against him a great deal."
"You were possessed," Jedite laughed. He walked back to the bedside and handed the glass to the prince. "Or at least, King Nefar seemed to think you were. You were fighting desperately to get a swing at him."
"I am not surprised," Endymion surmised. He took a long drink of water. He grasped the half-filled cup between his hands. The prince frowned and wondered if he should tell his guardians of his frightening vision. He shuddered just to think of what he had seen.
"Found it," Zoicite said. During their conversation, he had continued his inspection of the chamber. Standing triumphantly, Zoicite pointed down to a portion of wall.
The blonde guardian rolled his grey eyes and slapped his hands against his legs. "When will they ever learn?" Jedite groaned. "If they place Endymion in a chamber with secret passages, we will find them."
"Perhaps all of the chambers have hidden doors," Endymion uttered. "My uncle likes to know that he can control everyone's fate. Especially when they are asleep."
"He was one man who was not concerned about your well-being," Zoicite agreed. "He will be sadly disappointed when he finds that you are well, and he will be equally saddened if he tries to infiltrate this chamber." He glanced around the room. Aside from the large bed Endymion currently occupied, the only piece of heavy furniture inside of the bedchamber was the huge oak wardrobe on a neighboring wall. "We'll have to move that," Zoicite commented, pointing at the object. Endymion stirred in his bed, preparing to climb out. Zoicite pointed his finger at the young Prince. "You will stay where you are, Endymion."
Jedite reluctantly walked over to the carved oak structure. After scooting the large wardrobe away from the wall, Zoicite grasped the right side of the object while Jedite pushed the piece of furniture from the other side. As they slid the wardrobe across the floor, Jedite asked Endymion, "What did you think of King Nefar?"
Endymion paused and considered his reply. The vision had been so real.
"I don't trust him," Endymion finally muttered.
"Why not?" pondered Zoicite.
Endymion simply stated, "His reeks of death."
Zoicite and Jedite smiled and exchanged a wary glance with each other.
"What do you mean by that?" Zoicite questioned.
"Perhaps he doesn't bathe, Endymion," Jedite suggested. "I know that I smell quite unpleasant after a hearty ride. A man of his size must reek of something foul."
"It isn't because he smells bad!" interrupted Endymion, shaking his head. He ran a nervous hand through his inky black hair. "He's a murderer. I saw the blood on his hands. I smelled the death on his breath. It isn't because he needs a damned bath, Jedite. No amount of washing would clean away his crimes."
Laughing nervously, Jedite said, "You saw blood? Are you mad?"
A dangerous glance from the prince stifled Jedite's sarcastic giggle. It was Zoicite's turn to question the prince. His words were more careful. The red-headed man regarded Endymion silently.
"A lot of great leaders have had to kill to protect their throne, Endy," Zoicite finally stated cautiously. "Including your father. But that doesn't make Demitrious, or King Nefar, murderers."
"That isn't what I mean!" Endymion snarled. He slammed the headboard with the back of his left fist. The loud, hollow smack of bone against wood caused both of the guardians to jump back. The prince continued. "His hands were not stained by the bloodshed of battle. He's a murderer!"
"How do you know this?" demanded Zoicite.
Endymion pulled the strange dark stone from his trouser pocket. Its black edges shined in the faint light. The prince placed the stone in his left hand and wrapped his bruised fingers around it. He squeezed the Golden Crystal tighter. Light radiated from his hand, illuminating the room from the exposed gaps between his fingers.
Jedite and Zoicite stood on the opposite side of the room, their eyes round, their expressions dumbfounded. When the light faded, the two men remained silent. Instead, they stared at the once-again dark stone in Endymion's possession. The prince quietly placed the crystal back in his pocket. He observed his left hand, which again appeared to be untarnished.
Zoicite shook his head. He pushed the wardrobe against the wall, over the hidden opening. Turning, he approached the side of the bed. The look he gave Endymion was stern and reprimanding, but when he spoke, his voice was calm.
"I don't know what that rock is that you carry." he declared. "Frankly, I don't want to know. But I will not condone you making unjustified judgments of your elders. Your behavior today was astounding. Your decisions were rash and dangerous. If that stone has anything to do with the sudden change in your demeanor, I suggest you throw it into the deepest well, Endymion."
Having said his peace, Zoicite turned and left the room. Endymion was silent. He wanted to tell his guardian of the terrible vision, of how horrified he was of King Nefar, but the prince kept this to himself. He knew, from Zoicite's tone, that his red-headed guardian was disappointed with him. The prince quietly resolved to make it up to Zoicite.
"That stone is odd, Endymion," Jedite muttered. He had remained beside the wardrobe while Zoicite spoke. Conveniently tucked into the background, Jedite now emerged from the corner. "It seems to protect you, though." Jedite smiled. Approaching the bedside, the blonde man winked a grey eye and added, "If you are well, I suggest you dress for supper. There are several beautiful servants employed by your Uncle Bartleby, and it would be a pity if you missed out on them because of a silly fainting spell!"
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End of Chapter 6
Please review! Thank you, TenshiDaisy, for the wonderful review on chapter 5. ^_^
Hollie
Come back for Chapter 7: The Thief in Our Midst
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. Period.
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In chapter 5, Minako steals-um, borrows-the Lunar Pen so that Serenity can transform into Sailor Moon. Alas, 'tis an illusion, and even though Serenity cleans up real nice, she can't really do anything special as Sailor Moon. Ami notices that the moon symbol on Serenity's forehead disappears while she is Sailor Moon.
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Light of Love: Red Moon Chapter 6: Jaded
The stone Helios had given to Endymion nestled perfectly in the young prince's palm.
The priest had referred to it as a "Golden Crystal," but Endymion did not know how such a plain rock had been given such a prestigious name. First of all, the piece of stone was dark and cloudy-more the thick color of amber-hued molasses than of golden topaz. Unlike the flat surfaces and even arrangements of clear crystals, this stone was lusterless and misshapen. Had he come upon this rock on a beach, Endymion would have passed the Golden Crystal in favor of more colorful, polished stones.
Upon first glance, Endymion noticed that this strange rock had taken a beating. A couple of sharp scratches on the surface of the Golden Crystal hinted to its past abuses. After Helios had handed the dark lump to the young prince, Endymion held rock carefully between the tips of his fingers, holding it up to the light. Helios told the Terran Prince, as Endymion attempted to peer through the blackened stone, that it had once been a transparent, rose-shaped crystal. Endymion could only see faint flecks of gold trapped in a swirl of black haze.
"The Crystal is your birthright, as the last of the true Terran kings," Helios had explained. "You are the only one who can reawaken its power and heal the planet."
Endymion raised his right eyebrow. Smiling, the prince uttered cynically, "I did not know that the Earth was sick."
The man before him nodded his head somberly, his golden eyes flickering with concern. "I can not predict the future, your highness, but I do see, and feel, the tell-tale signs. The Earth is falling into a dark time."
"How do you know?" the prince questioned. And yet, even as Endymion demanded an answer from the soft-spoken priest, the Prince of the Earth was already aware of a darkness looming on the horizon, threatening to destroy the planet. A shiver ran up Endymion's spine as he recalled the streets of blood and the screaming of his people during the night of the eclipse. Waves of panic rippled from the stone and into his fingertips. His eyes widened. Already, he knew that the Golden Crystal was a part of him.
Helios bowed his head. Endymion stared with wonderment at the pointed horn that sprouted from the priest's forehead. Licking his lips, Helios again looked up, and peered woefully into the prince's stormy blue eyes. The priest looked to be the same age as the prince, but Endymion noted, as he looked at Helios' delicate face, that the young man had seen far more than his youthful facade indicated.
"I know," Helios finally uttered somberly, "because I survived the last dark time. The Golden Crystal was stolen and the last great Terran King, your uncle, was killed."
Endymion frowned. His mind spun in a flurry of contemplation. He was now fully awake, but the questions and observations he made seemed muffled and confused, much like a hazy dream. Everything seemed to make more sense before he had awakened. Now, he was in a strange world where everything he had known to be truths were twisted, contorted contradictions.
"Obviously, the Golden Crystal was recovered," Endymion muttered, allowing the odd-shaped rock to settle into the palm of his right hand. Again, odd waves of emotion fluttered through him. Endymion turned his focus away from the priest. Peering at the strange stone, Endymion rotated the object against his palm with his thumb. He thought that he saw the Golden Crystal sparkle faintly. As he held the rock closer to his face, Endymion frowned. Again, it just appeared to be a dull, opaque stone.
"You, as the last of your mother's people, are the only one who has the ability to save your planet," Helios plainly stated.
Those words had echoed in Endymion's head countless times since he, Jedite, and Zoicite had departed from Ellysion. Helios had instructed the young prince to guard the Golden Crystal. The priest had told Endymion that, until he was able to unleash its full power, he must keep his possession of the stone hidden. The prince knew that he must protect this object with his life. It was only a dull stone; however, Endymion's ownership of the Golden Crystal weighed heavily on the young man's shoulders. He may have been a prince, but never in his life had Endymion ever been burdened with such responsibility.
Instead of chattering and joking with his two companions as they traveled across the countryside, the prince blankly gazed forward. What with all Helios had told him-plus his recollection of the mysterious girl from his dream and the strange occurrence on the night of the eclipse-Endymion simply had too many things on his mind.
The prince's sudden personality change had not gone unnoticed by his traveling companions. As Kunzite had instructed, they were on their way to the "Puissant Territory," which was controlled by Endymion's uncle, Duke Bartleby. Such a journey would have normally brought a great amount of protest and complaint from the prince. Both Jedite and Zoicite knew of Endymion's disfavor for his Uncle Bartleby; it matched the despise the prince had for Bartleby's son, Algernon. The guardians knew that the feeling was mutual. After Endymion, Bartleby and his son were next in line for the throne.
Usually, the prince and his two guardians highlighted safety precautions during their journey to the Puissant Territory. Endymion was so uneasy about Bartleby and Algernon that he preferred to be as prepared as possible. His caution was not ill-founded; Bartleby had once attempted to smother Endymion to death with a pillow. The night still haunted the prince's memories. Again, Endymion's intuitive gift-what Zoicite often dubbed his "second pair of eyes"-had saved him.
He was twelve at the time. Endymion had awakened before his uncle had a chance to carry out the deed. He remembered his eyes snapping open. The faint light of the full Moon had illuminated Bartleby's wide murderous form in blue as he loomed above the bed. The prince remembered how Bartleby squeezed the cushion between his hands anxiously. As he leaned forward, his shadowed eye sockets widened as he realized that Endymion was not asleep. The fat man jumped back in alarm.
"Ah, nephew, you are awake!" Bartleby boomed enthusiastically. Endymion noted that his voice shook a little. He could almost hear his uncle's thoughts while Bartleby still considered smothering his nephew. The prince shifted his contemptuous gaze from Bartleby to the pillow. Bartleby gazed down at the cushion positioned between his plump fingers and began to laugh nervously.
"I, uh," Bartleby stumbled, fluffing the pillow between his hands, "Just wanted to make sure you were comfortable. I brought you this."
Bartleby leaned forward. The cushion was still positioned between his two hands. Endymion looked again to the crazed look in his uncle's dark eyes. They glowed amber in the moonlight. This time, Endymion recognized, he would do it. Bartleby would carry out the deed. Endymion held his right arm defensively to block the pillow and casually snatched the cushion from the duke. Loudly, the prince declared, "Thank you uncle! I am quite comfortable!"
At that time, Jedite and Zoicite had not yet been hired as Endymion's guardians. Instead, a nightgown-clad Kunzite rushed in, his silver locks matted and messed, his eyes widened but groggy from sleep, and his sword in poised in his right hand. Bartleby, now discovered, held up his hands in embarrassment and fear. He explained to Kunzite that he had just come to check on his nephew. Kunzite eyed him suspiciously.
"Well, your business here is finished," the silver-haired soldier stated. "Good night, Duke."
Bartleby nodded his sandy blond head to Kunzite and then gazed down at Endymion. The boy was sitting up in his bed, still clutching the pillow. Bartleby smiled slightly as he uttered, "I am sorry to have disturbed you, nephew. I never meant to wake you up."
The tone of his last statement was filled with a slight acidity which made fear slice up the prince's back. No, Bartleby's intention had been to ensure that Endymion never wake up again. Endymion stared off into space blindly as his uncle left the inner chamber. Once Kunzite had led Bartleby from the outer chamber and barred the door, he returned to Endymion's bedside.
"Are you all right?" Kunzite asked quietly. His face was streaked with concern. At moments such as these, Kunzite behaved more like a caring, protective older brother than a soldier in the King's army.
Endymion nodded his head mutely. His dark blue gaze wandered to the pillow between his hands.
"He was going to kill me," the prince finally uttered.
Kunzite's grey eyes sparkled in the moonlight as he smiled soberly. "Yes, he was." He glanced around to the dark corners in the room. "The door in the outer bed chamber was still bolted when I led your uncle out," he muttered. "He must have come in through some sort of a passageway." Kunzite stood and walked to the door, adding, "We'll leave at once in the morning. The King will hear of it."
"Kunzite!" the prince wailed. Kunzite turned. He placed his hand on the frame of the door. He noticed how Endymion trembled. The prince heaved Bartleby's pillow across the room, into the unlit fireplace and whispered, nervously, "Can I sleep in the outer chamber, with you?"
The Kunzite smiled softly. "I'll go collect my blankets and sleep in here."
Kunzite and Endymion had departed the following morning. Kunzite told King Demitrious of the attempt on his son's life, but the incident had been easily dismissed by the ruler as a misunderstanding. His own brother, killing his son? Ridiculous, the king had declared.
Discouraged by the king's unwillingness to address the matter, Kunzite decided that he would see to the prince's safety himself. The soldier hired guardians for Endymion. The first one had been Zoicite. A few months later, Kunzite appointed Jedite.
"Don't think that because Zoicite and Jedite are with you that you are safe," Kunzite had cautioned. He eyed Endymion's wide, questioning gaze as he declared, "Above all, you are the only one who can protect yourself. Always remember that. Don't let your guard down. Especially when you visit your uncle."
The prince had taken Kunzite's brotherly advice to heart. He trained in combat and sword play beside his two guardians. Although he had become stronger physically, Endymion's occasional visits to the Puissant Territory still made his stomach churn. He would rather risk his life walking over the melting ice on a pond or by running into a burning building than to visit his uncle. Still, as the Prince of the Earth, Endymion was required by duty to visit his Uncle Bartleby and Cousin Algernon. He did so with much protest and a very stringent safety plan. The prince required that Jedite and Zoicite sleep in his outer chamber. In addition, Endymion spent his sleepless nights barricaded in the inner chamber with a dagger hidden beneath his pillow. Truth be told, the prince hardly ever slept while in the Puissant Territory. His uncle's Jade Castle was riddled with hidden passageways. Zoicite usually found the secret doors in the inner chamber, but even after these passages had been barricaded, Endymion never felt safe enough to sleep soundly.
Both Jedite and Zoicite noticed that Prince Endymion was oddly quiet throughout this particular journey. He kept his thoughts to himself. Aside from a few grunts of absent-minded agreement to Jedite and Zoicite's casual questions, the prince was silent. His companions knew that Endymion's visit with Helios had changed him somehow. Instead of prodding the prince, Jedite and Zoicite opted to also remain quiet. Occasionally, the two guardians exchanged wary glances with one another as they traveled. Both had noticed the strange rock that Endymion carried. He would take the object from the pocket of his woolen cloak and cradle it in the palm of his hand. The young man seemed smitten with the stone.
"Ah, look at that!" Jedite huffed as his horse rounded a corner. The trio had been riding through a thicket of bare trees and had come to a clearing. During the summer months, the fields were blanketed with golden wheat. Presently, a dull haze of weather-beaten snow littered the ground. The Puissant Territory was usually greeted by the first winter storms that often lasted for several weeks. After an initial flurry and snowfall, the remaining winter months were remarkably mild. Yet, the frozen ground kept the once white snow from melting, leaving it a soiled and trampled blanket of grey.
Endymion frowned at the dull-colored mounds. "No wonder father gave this up," he muttered beneath his breath.
"It's a wonder your uncle stays here," Zoicite snorted. The clouds that puffed out of red-headed man's nostrils matched those of his horse. Endymion smiled.
Jedite held a leather-gloved hand over his eyebrows. Even though the snow was more of a brownish-grey color, Jedite squinted his eyes to block out the glare. The young man peered toward the horizon. As his grey eyes settled on a dark green speck in the distance, he frowned and uttered, "Oh damn. The castle's still there."
"My sentiments as well," laughed the prince. He dug a heel into the ribs of his steed. The horse took a couple of wary steps forward.
Both Jedite and Zoicite followed behind their prince. Endymion was only a few paces into the clearing when he pulled back on his reigns. Under protest, his horse stopped. Jedite and Zoicite's horses paused beside the prince. Aside from their breathing, the world was eerily quiet.
"What is it?" Zoicite finally asked. He followed the prince's midnight gaze, which was intently staring at the black stone cradled in his hand. Zoicite was about to demand what was so important about the rock when the object began to glow. The light seeped through the leather glove and into Endymion's hand.
The prince shook his head.
"Endy?" Jedite inquired nervously.
"Something is not right," Endymion whispered. He glanced up from the crystal and leveled his eyes to gaze at Jade Castle. The prince squeezed the rock in his palm. "It's just as Helios said."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Zoicite.
Casting a wary glance at his two companions, Endymion licked his chapped lips and said, "We are in danger." Again, he glanced to Jade Castle. In his eyes, a thick cloud of darkness surrounded the structure. It smoldered like a sickening, festering haze on horizon.
Endymion wanted to turn his horse around and ride back to the safety of Ellysion, but the Golden Crystal whispered to Endymion, telling him to move forward. With much trepidation, Endymion urged his horse toward the castle. The beast, akin to Endymion's uneasy movements, did so very slowly. Jedite and Zoicite followed behind a few paces, again shrugging to each other about their prince's odd behavior.
As they pressed onward, Endymion grew more and more uneasy. His heart thumped wildly against his chest. Suddenly, his second pair of eyes greeted him with another vision.
An image of his father, King Demitrious, came into his mind. As Endymion stared, he saw a large, cumbersome figure set his father aflame. The wide girth of the figure could only be one person: Bartleby. The prince clamped his eyes shut and shook his head violently from side to side. Perhaps he wanted to rattle the image from his mind, but the vision became more vivid with each step his horse took. Once his father had been entirely encompassed by flames, the wide man turned. It was not his uncle, but a red-headed man with orange eyes. Fear churned in Endymion's stomach. Horror racked his mind.
"The king is in danger!" he shouted suddenly. He dug the heels of his boots into the ribs of his horse, urging it into a gallop. His dark hair fluttered in the breeze that he and his beast created as they cut through the atmosphere at a lightening-quick pace. The brittle, cold air blasted his face, causing the moisture in his eyes to dry. Endymion blinked furiously and urged his horse to move faster. His woolen cape caught in the air and danced behind him. The prince lowered his form closer to the horse, hugging the neck of the beast. He heard the loud sounds of Zoicite and Jedite's horses thundering behind him. Instead of glancing behind, Endymion kept his eyes on Jade Castle. With each step his horse took toward the dark green structure, the more wary the prince grew. He was leading himself and his guardians into danger. Endymion did not care. All he knew was that his father's life may be in peril.
Jade Castle was named after the milky green stone, but as Endymion approached, he saw nothing that would remind him of the precious rock. Instead, he saw a weather-beaten granite structure covered with dark brown moss. The color of the castle more resembled seaweed than translucent jade. Grey snow hung to the rooftops like polluted sea foam.
As the hoofs of his horse thundered across the frozen surface, Endymion was grateful for Jade Castle's poorly designed defenses. Most castles had been built in strategically advantageous places, such as on top of hills, but Jade Castle merely rested on a shallow mound at the center of the wide, flat fields, which was hardly a tactical safeguard from attacks. As a young boy, Endymion had imagined how easy it would be to emerge from the thick forests on the edge of the fields and attack the vulnerable castle. He had dreams of savage forest people emerging from the woods and taking hold of Jade Castle by force.
Had the prince been thinking, he would have noticed that, in addition to the Duke's guards clad in forest green and the King's royal guard in dark blue, a new cluster of soldiers dressed in bright, bleeding red uniforms also stood outside of Jade Castle. Both Jedite and Kunzite took in the site and called after Endymion to stop. The prince was in too much of a frenzy; he was far too hurried and frantic to listen to his guardians. He galloped right up to the front gate of the castle and dismounted his horse. He nearly tripped over a red-headed woman who approached him. The woman yelled some sort of a protest, which vaguely registered in the back of Endymion's head. Perhaps he would apologize later, after he found his father.
The King's guard and even Bartleby's soldiers noted the approach of the prince with some trepidation. As Endymion neared, the men recognized the Terran family seal embroidered on the front of the Prince's tunic and relaxed. The soldiers clad in red did not know of the symbol. They did not know that this crazed boy was the Prince of the Earth.
Endymion stepped resolutely toward the front entrance. The green and blue uniforms moved from the heavy oak doors. The men in red filled the emptied entrance in front of the castle. Their forms straightened as they held their weapons up. Two of these soldiers ordered Endymion to halt. When the prince did not comply, they approached Endymion, their hands positioned over the hilts of the swords.
"Endymion!" Zoicite shouted. He and Jedite were still far enough away that they could not protect their prince. Zoicite pinched his lips together in a stern line. If the prince was not harmed by those soldiers, he would certainly hear an earful from his red-headed guardian. Zoicite observed disappointedly that Endymion's movements were frantic and uncalculated. Certainly, the prince would not come away from this altercation unscathed.
The two men dressed in red ordered Endymion to halt once again. The young man, very much the future commander of the Earth, steadied his gaze and said, "You trespassers will let me pass or you will die."
The statement echoed inside of Endymion's cold ears. Why he had called them "trespassers?" The words had come from his mouth, but his thoughts turned to Golden Crystal resting in his pocket. Again, he wondered if the Golden Crystal was speaking to him. He felt emotions pulsing through the stone, warming his body and empowering him with intense strength.
He glanced into the eyes of the two men and noted their strange color. Demonic eyes peered out of the men's sockets; emerging from dark, tanned skin were iris' comprised of flecks of yellow, orange and red. Their gazes looked inhumane. Not Terran, the prince silently amended. These men were not from the Earth. His intuition, wrapped around the odd-shaped crystal he possessed, told him so.
Endymion heard the sound of the metal swords as they were unsheathed. Instinctively, the prince also unearthed his sword from its position at his hip. A dozen gasps were heard in the crowd of soldiers before him. The blade glistened in the haze of the dull afternoon. A gift from Endymion's mother, the sword was said to hold the mystical powers of an ancient people. When the prince had received it for his sixteenth birthday, he had not bothered to question its historical significance. Instead, the young man had taken the sword into the field behind the castle to slash it to-and- fro at imaginary enemies. The ancient encryption on the blade was in a strange language that had died long ago. These markings presently began to glow. The power of the Golden Crystal melted into the prince. Endymion felt the crystal push its strength through him and into the sword.
The two speckle-eyed soldiers dressed in red each took a swipe at Endymion. Once the king's guard realized that their prince may be in danger, several of them took steps forward to stop the outsiders. The intervention was too late, however. With swift dexterity, Endymion slashed the midsection of the man on his right and then stabbed straight through the gut of the man on his left. The crimson uniforms hid their injuries, but neither man now protested Endymion's approach. Instead, they sunk to their knees, clutching the areas where the prince had sliced through them.
Endymion continued his frenzied journey up the front steps of Jade Castle. The soldiers now shouted at each other in confusion. Their words drowned in the prince's ears as he shoved his way inside of the structure.
"We really need to teach him the importance of a delicate approach," Zoicite sighed as he and Jedite dismounted from their horses. The red uniformed soldiers approached the two men warningly but withdrew after the two guardians unsheathed their swords.
"Wise decision," Jedite huffed at them. His eyes wandered from the uniformed men to the red-headed woman attending to Endymion's abandoned horse. He tapped Zoicite on the shoulder and pointed to the young beauty.
The pony-tailed man growled a protest as he turned to see what held Jedite's attention. "Our prince's life could be in danger and you're gawking at a pretty girl?" Zoicite muttered as he ran toward the entrance to the castle.
Taking one last, longing look at the woman, Jedite laughed and followed his companion, calling, "Well, after living around chaste prayer maidens for a couple of weeks, it's nice to actually see a girl I may have a chance with."
By the time his two guardians had entered Jade Castle, Endymion was already deep inside the fortified structure, running at a break-neck speed down the corridors. He cursed his intuition for not telling him where inside of the confounded castle his father was located. Rather, his gift hinted at an evil dwelling deeper within the stone walls. Endymion chose to seek out this darkness. He suspected that he would find his father there. He passed a couple of confused servants who squeaked a protest as he shoved past them in the hall. The prince found himself wandering deeper and deeper into the castle.
Eventually, he found a staircase at the rear of a long corridor. Leaping up the steps, Endymion heard voices. At the top of the staircase, he came upon two large wooden doors. Two of the King's guards stood at attention outside of the chamber. They both bowed respectfully to the approaching prince. Each guard took hold of the great round iron handle. The doors of the chamber parted. Men's laughter spilled out of the room.
Endymion took a step inside. The sun blazed on the dull world outside, but the inside of this room was dark. The only natural light spilling into the chamber came from a small square window on the opposite side of the room. A blazing fire crackled and popped in the fireplace located on Endymion's right. Huge cases of books lined the wall on the prince's left. Endymion first glanced to Bartleby, who stood near the window. The Duke's face widened with surprise as he spied the prince. Bartleby glanced over toward the bookcases, where the King stood. Unlike his brother, King Demitrious had a tall frame and a slightly muscular build. The King's dirty blonde hair was a shade darker than the Duke's. Both men had the same brown eyes. King Demitrious turned to Endymion and smiled.
"Son!" he said jovially, approaching Endymion. The cup of lager in his hand prevented the King from hugging the Prince. Instead, Demitrious patted Endymion enthusiastically on the shoulder. "You are finally here. Where is your mother?"
"She is coming in a few days," Endymion muttered. He was relieved to find his father safe, but his feelings of apprehension were still present.
"Ah, it is probably just as well," Demitrious muttered, more to himself that to his son. "Did you see your cousin?"
Endymion shook his head of black hair. Glancing across the room, he nodded curtly to his fat uncle. Bartleby returned the nod and turned his gaze to a the sofa in front of Endymion. It was then that the prince realized that there was another person present in the room. His eyes wandered to the couch, the back of which faced the entrance to the room. A large form occupied the sofa. Endymion raised a right eyebrow. Demitrious followed his son's gaze and smiled beneath his matted beard and mustache. He pulled at Endymion's arm and led him around to the front of the sofa.
"Son, I want you to meet a great man who happens to also be visiting my brother," Demitrious explained.
Endymion's midnight gaze beheld the man his father referred to. He appeared to be large from behind, but as the prince observed the man's appearance from the front, Endymion concluded that the stranger was positively massive. His wide girth made Bartleby seem almost thin. The red velvet robes amassed around the man's great form did not do anything to compliment his huge size, but instead reminded the Prince of a great fat tomato ripening on a vine. The orange hue of the man's hair and his ruddy pink complexion clashed with the vibrant red of his robe. Although it was the dead of winter and the man appeared to have been sitting on the green satin sofa for a length of time, the beads of sweat gathered on his brow and the speckled blush against his cheeks hinted to his exhaustion. The man raised his own gaze to catch site of Endymion. The prince's eyes involuntarily widened as he gasped in shock.
The fat man had fire-orange eyes-eyes similar the ones in Endymion's vision. As he recognized the face of the man, Endymion's stomach turned. The Golden Crystal warmed in his pocket, electrifying the prince's side with nervous energy. A haze of yellow, smoldering fog seemed to surround the red-headed man. The Prince of the Earth blinked his dark blue eyes repeatedly. This must be another odd dream, the prince thought to himself.
"Endymion, I would like to introduce you to Nefar, King of the Sun," Demitrious declared. In turn, he then said, "Nefar, this is my son, Endymion."
Nefar smiled up at the boy. His big round cheeks separated. His orange- red mustache brushed against his top row of teeth.
"Very please to meet you, Endymion!" Nefar boomed, somewhat overly enthusiastic. He extended a hand to the prince. Endymion eyed the Sun King's hand, observing the collection of jewel-encrusted rings on each of his portly, swollen fingers. The prince silently decided that he must have put the rings when he had been a young, thinner man. The pockets of finger fat nearly buried each bauble.
Endymion managed a smile. He wanted to shake this man's hand about as much as he wanted to set his nose hairs on fire. Still, his father was standing right next to him. He wanted Endymion to be friendly. Demitrious' right hand still rested on his son's shoulder blade. Endymion felt his father push him forward. Endymion sighed.
"It's very nice to meet you," he muttered. He hesitantly extended his own hand, which Nefar grasped. The King of the Sun tightly squeezed the boy's thin fingers with his own fat grip. Endymion's eyes widened. The feelings of dread he had felt-the evil that he had sensed within Jade Castle- emanated from Nefar. Emotions rushed from Endymion's hand, up his shoulder, and slammed into his heart. The prince closed his eyes as immense pain passed through him. He swaggered on his feet.
"Careful, son!" He heard the Terran King tell him. His father's strong arms grasped Endymion's shoulders to hold him steady.
Endymion's lids fluttered open. Through his drooping lashes, he noted how King Nefar's eyes glittered. As he closed his eyes again, another of Endymion's visions came to him.
He was in a dank, dark stone room. His wrists were shackled against a wall. He gazed down at his chained feet. A trail of dried blood striped his shins. His feet were covered with sores. The straw he stood upon was stained crimson. Panic, emanating from his heart and spreading to his bound limbs, engulfed the prince. His glanced up to the iron shackles that secured his wrists to the wall. He twisted his hands and tugged furiously at his bindings.
"It won't work, milord," a man shackled to the wall on his left warned. The man was a bloodied, worn skeleton. His long grey hair covered his hollow, beaten face. "Even you won't be able to escape."
"Where are we?" the prince demanded.
"Hell," the man whispered. "What other place could be as horrid as this dungeon?"
"Dungeon?" echoed Endymion. He moved his legs. A groan of pain escaped his lips as the metal cut into his bleeding ankles. "How did I come to be here?"
The prisoner laughed. "We all know what you did to get here, milord," declared the prisoner. "You tasted the forbidden fruit, and now you will suffer."
"What are you talking about?" Endymion pondered. The prisoner just laughed at him. Endymion shook his head. What was going on? Unable to do anything else, the Prince struggled against his bindings. The clinking of the chains mingled with his cellmate's hysterical laughter.
He heard a noise. Footsteps in the hallway paused outside of the cell. The prince recognized the jingle of keys. The chamber door creaked open. A large form entered the room. The Prince of the Earth instantly recognized the huge form and red hair to be that of King Nefar. On this occasion, the Sun King wore a simple yellow tunic and brown trousers. Nefar carried a wooden club lined with rusted spikes in his hand. Endymion eyed the weapon wearily. Given his present position, the prince suspected that the weapon was to be used against him. Endymion then glanced to the man's eyes. Flames of angry orange smoldered in each iris. Nefar's huge fat face was colored deep red. His rage was apparent, but Endymion did not know why he would be the focus of such hostility.
"You think you could make a fool of me?" Nefar boomed angrily at him. The room was small, but his words echoed in the prince's ears. Nefar raised the spiked club upright and slapped Endymion across the left cheek with it. The prince felt his jaw bone break and heard his back teeth crack. The barbs of the weapon snagged Endymion's cheek and tore the skin open while his head jerked to the right. Blood filled his mouth. He gagged on the metallic taste and spat it out. Endymion struggled for a clean breath, gasping and coughing. His mouth gaped open. The prince lacked the strength to close it.
Then he heard a nervous, satisfied laugh from the large figure standing before him. The great form of Nefar seemed to tower above the Prince. Endymion slowly raised his head again, only to be struck against the right cheek as Nefar backhanded him with the barbed club.
"Oh, I will have great fun with you." Nefar seethed. "Not even your precious Queen Serenity will be able to save you!"
Endymion's head was swimming with pain and confusion. Again, there was mention of Queen Serenity. What did he have to do with this mysterious woman? Surely, this must be a mistake, Endymion thought to himself. Why would Nefar torture him? Hadn't they just met, moments before? Was this a premonition of what was to come in the future?
"What do you think I should do to this upstart?" Nefar was asking Endymion's cellmate. "Huh?"
"Beat him, your highness!" declared the prisoner. "Beat him until he begs to be killed and then beat him some more!"
The prince raised his eyes. Endymion's gaze wandered to the golden crown perched on top of Nefar's orange hair. The Sun King had turned his head to speak with the prisoner. A glint of light sparkled on the side of the crown. Endymion stared at the shining, golden object. A reflection stared back at the prince from the gilded surface. It was not Endymion's image which peered at the prince but that of a stranger. The reflection he gazed upon was that of a man of at least thirty years with dirty blonde hair and light grey eyes. The stranger's skin was luminous, which made the red stain caused by his recent injuries with the spiked club even more vibrant. From the bruises and dried blood caking his forehead, Endymion guessed that this man had been tortured before.
"You will die Linnaus!" yelled King Nefar, laughing gleefully. The man's grey eyes widened at the recognition of his name. His horror and fright seemed to course through the Prince's veins. As King Nefar turned again to face him, Endymion caught one last glance of the shackled man in the crown's reflection. At the center of the stranger's forehead was a silver, upturned crescent moon. The symbol between the man's eyebrows began to glow, filling every dark corner of the cramped cell with white light.
"No!" shouted the man. But the sound had come from Endymion's throat. It rattled in his ears. The light from the crescent symbol intensified. The bright glow blinded Nefar, washing him from Endymion's site. The illumination burned the Prince's eyes. Endymion squeezed his lids tightly to shut out the light. In a sudden flash, the bright glow dissipated and a darkness washed over the Prince.
"Endy? Endy!" the voice of Jedite, assisted by a half-dozen nudges, rattled into the prince's consciousness. Endymion frowned slightly, somewhat confused. His second pair of eyes had taken him on a strange, frighteningly horrific journey. He kept his eyes closed. He moved his limbs slightly, and was relieved to find that he was not shackled against a wall, but laying on a rather cozy mattress.
"Leave him be, Jedite!" Zoicite snapped. His voice was further away from Endymion.
"What if he doesn't wake up again?" Jedite demanded. "Last time he fainted it took a good part of a week and a visit to Ellysion to generate a response."
Endymion gasped slightly as he overheard his companions. He had passed out? Again?
"Be patient!" hissed Zoicite. This time, the prince noticed that his voice came from an opposite corner of the room.
"Well, he is going to have to wake up so that he can meet his Princess Charming," Jedite laughed. "I truly hope that the Princess of the Sun takes after her mother. Otherwise, Endymion will have a whole lot of wife to cart around!"
"You're lucky the prince passed out," Zoicite cautioned. "Otherwise, you could kiss your front teeth goodbye over that comment."
"Oh, ha ha," snapped the younger man. "Really, Zoicite, your wit is astoundingly bad."
Zoicite chuckled. "Truthfully," he uttered, "I must agree. King Nefar is a very large-"
"Huge!" interjected Jedite.
"All right, he is an enormously huge man," admitted Zoicite.
There was a pause in their conversation. Endymion stirred slightly, but his two guardians were far too engrossed with their talk to notice. The prince first opened one wary eye, and then the other. As he adjusted his site to the light of the room, Endymion noticed that he was now laying on a huge bed in the center of a rather large bed chamber. Jedite sat along side of the bed on Endymion's right. Zoicite was on the opposite side of the room, his back to both the prince and Jedite. He ran his hands along the stone walls, meticulously tracing the mortar with his forefinger and a suspicious eye.
"King Nefar is pretty amazing though," Jedite finally uttered. His back was to Endymion, but the prince knew that the fidgety guardian was most likely carving a piece of stone with his knife.
"Well, would you expect any less from the man who controls the Sun?" Zoicite replied. "And a marriage between Endymion and the Princess of the Sun would be a favorable match. Think of the unlimited supply of sunlight the Earth would receive as a result!"
"Ugh," groaned Jedite. "I do not envy the Prince's position, having no regard in who he must marry. I mean, what if she is a spitting image of her father, only with longer hair?"
"And breasts," Zoicite added.
"I am pretty certain that Nefar, with his great girth, also has quite sizable breasts!" Endymion laughed.
Both of his guardians spun around and gazed at their prince. Endymion sat up in his bed. His head swam around him as he leaned his back against the massive dark oak headboard. He shivered as the woolen blankets fell to his waist. Someone had taken the liberty of removing his tunic, and all that separated Endymion from the cold bed chamber was a rather thin linen undershirt.
"Nice of you to join the living," Jedite greeted, smiling.
"Welcome to the land of consciousness," echoed Zoicite. "You gave us quite a scare."
"I heard you talking," Endymion muttered. "Apparently, I fainted again."
"More than fainted, I am afraid," Jedite laughed nervously. He stood and walked across the room. He grasped the handle of a simple metal pitcher. Filling an empty glass with water, he elaborated, "This fit was not quite so bad as the one during the eclipse, but you did fidget around quite a lot."
"Fidget?" pondered Endymion. He rested his forehead into his hands. The light pouring into the one small window gave him a splintering headache.
"More of convulsions," Zoicite explained. "You were standing for a lot of it, I hear. We only came during the tail end of it. Luckily, your father had a hold of you, even though you struggled against him a great deal."
"You were possessed," Jedite laughed. He walked back to the bedside and handed the glass to the prince. "Or at least, King Nefar seemed to think you were. You were fighting desperately to get a swing at him."
"I am not surprised," Endymion surmised. He took a long drink of water. He grasped the half-filled cup between his hands. The prince frowned and wondered if he should tell his guardians of his frightening vision. He shuddered just to think of what he had seen.
"Found it," Zoicite said. During their conversation, he had continued his inspection of the chamber. Standing triumphantly, Zoicite pointed down to a portion of wall.
The blonde guardian rolled his grey eyes and slapped his hands against his legs. "When will they ever learn?" Jedite groaned. "If they place Endymion in a chamber with secret passages, we will find them."
"Perhaps all of the chambers have hidden doors," Endymion uttered. "My uncle likes to know that he can control everyone's fate. Especially when they are asleep."
"He was one man who was not concerned about your well-being," Zoicite agreed. "He will be sadly disappointed when he finds that you are well, and he will be equally saddened if he tries to infiltrate this chamber." He glanced around the room. Aside from the large bed Endymion currently occupied, the only piece of heavy furniture inside of the bedchamber was the huge oak wardrobe on a neighboring wall. "We'll have to move that," Zoicite commented, pointing at the object. Endymion stirred in his bed, preparing to climb out. Zoicite pointed his finger at the young Prince. "You will stay where you are, Endymion."
Jedite reluctantly walked over to the carved oak structure. After scooting the large wardrobe away from the wall, Zoicite grasped the right side of the object while Jedite pushed the piece of furniture from the other side. As they slid the wardrobe across the floor, Jedite asked Endymion, "What did you think of King Nefar?"
Endymion paused and considered his reply. The vision had been so real.
"I don't trust him," Endymion finally muttered.
"Why not?" pondered Zoicite.
Endymion simply stated, "His reeks of death."
Zoicite and Jedite smiled and exchanged a wary glance with each other.
"What do you mean by that?" Zoicite questioned.
"Perhaps he doesn't bathe, Endymion," Jedite suggested. "I know that I smell quite unpleasant after a hearty ride. A man of his size must reek of something foul."
"It isn't because he smells bad!" interrupted Endymion, shaking his head. He ran a nervous hand through his inky black hair. "He's a murderer. I saw the blood on his hands. I smelled the death on his breath. It isn't because he needs a damned bath, Jedite. No amount of washing would clean away his crimes."
Laughing nervously, Jedite said, "You saw blood? Are you mad?"
A dangerous glance from the prince stifled Jedite's sarcastic giggle. It was Zoicite's turn to question the prince. His words were more careful. The red-headed man regarded Endymion silently.
"A lot of great leaders have had to kill to protect their throne, Endy," Zoicite finally stated cautiously. "Including your father. But that doesn't make Demitrious, or King Nefar, murderers."
"That isn't what I mean!" Endymion snarled. He slammed the headboard with the back of his left fist. The loud, hollow smack of bone against wood caused both of the guardians to jump back. The prince continued. "His hands were not stained by the bloodshed of battle. He's a murderer!"
"How do you know this?" demanded Zoicite.
Endymion pulled the strange dark stone from his trouser pocket. Its black edges shined in the faint light. The prince placed the stone in his left hand and wrapped his bruised fingers around it. He squeezed the Golden Crystal tighter. Light radiated from his hand, illuminating the room from the exposed gaps between his fingers.
Jedite and Zoicite stood on the opposite side of the room, their eyes round, their expressions dumbfounded. When the light faded, the two men remained silent. Instead, they stared at the once-again dark stone in Endymion's possession. The prince quietly placed the crystal back in his pocket. He observed his left hand, which again appeared to be untarnished.
Zoicite shook his head. He pushed the wardrobe against the wall, over the hidden opening. Turning, he approached the side of the bed. The look he gave Endymion was stern and reprimanding, but when he spoke, his voice was calm.
"I don't know what that rock is that you carry." he declared. "Frankly, I don't want to know. But I will not condone you making unjustified judgments of your elders. Your behavior today was astounding. Your decisions were rash and dangerous. If that stone has anything to do with the sudden change in your demeanor, I suggest you throw it into the deepest well, Endymion."
Having said his peace, Zoicite turned and left the room. Endymion was silent. He wanted to tell his guardian of the terrible vision, of how horrified he was of King Nefar, but the prince kept this to himself. He knew, from Zoicite's tone, that his red-headed guardian was disappointed with him. The prince quietly resolved to make it up to Zoicite.
"That stone is odd, Endymion," Jedite muttered. He had remained beside the wardrobe while Zoicite spoke. Conveniently tucked into the background, Jedite now emerged from the corner. "It seems to protect you, though." Jedite smiled. Approaching the bedside, the blonde man winked a grey eye and added, "If you are well, I suggest you dress for supper. There are several beautiful servants employed by your Uncle Bartleby, and it would be a pity if you missed out on them because of a silly fainting spell!"
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End of Chapter 6
Please review! Thank you, TenshiDaisy, for the wonderful review on chapter 5. ^_^
Hollie
Come back for Chapter 7: The Thief in Our Midst