Chapter 37: Grim Siege

"Hope dies last, so does the light of this Fortress."


Gray Wood Mines, Meridian...

The knitting needles weaved the yarn intact. Expanding, moving, and bringing ends of the thread together again in a simple, straight knit. Her young hands kept knitting tirelessly. The fire from the modest fireplace illuminated the otherwise dark living room of the rest house. Her darling home arrest zone, or rather where she was to wait for the grand unfold in peace. The dethroned princess of Coronia was no amateur, she smiled affectionately at her pet, barely lifting her eyes from her work, as he entered the room. Yes, over the last months he had been successfully transformed into her pet. The all-feared Phobos Escanor...Who would've thought that he could be put under control with such a simple thing as one's progressing pregnancy? His child in her womb, Leonida long knew that she had his strings and she was clasping on them hard enough. Hard enough to be certain she'd never lose this tremendous precedence- the prince's heart.

"How is it progressing?"- Phobos inquired, pressing his back against the stone wall. He had just left two cups on the end table beside her chair and now watched her weave in two long strands of hair in her stitch. Strands of their hairs...

Leonida smiled again and made him a little sign to be quiet:

"Just as it should, my sweet King. The first gift for our baby is going to be for us to give. And that gift is going to be so very special. So very useful... She's going to be one very lucky girl, my King. Do you know why? Because what she'll have is beyond compare. She will have us. And what are we?"- Phobos couldn't help but smile in response as the woman finished the first of two baby mittens knitted out of crème colored yarn on the table.


Kandrakar...

"Oracle...Oracle do you see what I see? Never before has this betid... Ever, in the history of Kandrakar. Dark clouds. Dark clouds are approaching the Fortress!"

But Luba's anxious exclamations weren't needed for Himerish to bristle, as much as his soft, hairless body allowed sense to be made of using that expression in actuality. Even without hair, the tension that had loomed above all of his venerated sages and friends didn't miss to ignite his inner worries too.

As an Oracle, he could share very few of his heartrending disturbances, but this time was one of these occasions.

As he watched the approaching dark clouds in the otherwise clear, infinite skies of Kandrakar from one of the upper balconies, together with Luba and Tibor, Himerish failed to keep his impenetrability. His face darkened like the welkin itself.

"Your Excellence."- Tibor whispered. "These clouds...The meaning of this...this bad omen. Could it mean that Kandrakar..."

"It is with sorrow that I'm saying everything shows us that you are right. Yes, Tibor."- Himerish sighed gravely, removing his sterling gaze from the dark skies with pain. "The Fortress of Light is no longer a place where only light holds sway. "

"It can't be."- Luba shook her head, terrified. "We've never seen any such omen, not even before the first veil was raised when the Meridian tyrant left us no choice but to restrict all planets in the Metamoor. How could have darkness found its way here?!"

"Prince Phobos is far from the worst we and all the known worlds have, and will be facing, my friend. That does not mean that the current situation is to be compulsory worse. There is still time."

Himerish seemed to have recovered a particle of his composure and contagious goodwill, but the shadow of the concern was still present on his face:

"This new darkness is still in its infancy. If we contain it and preserve the balance while it's still weak, we will emerge victorious."

"But if we fail to do that on time, Kandrakar will be forever lost. The darkness is already tightly surrounding us. If it finds its way to the Heart of Infinity, then..."- Tibor closed his eyes solemnly. "- then I refuse to think of the horrifying consequences for the Universe..."

"I'll summon the guardians."- Luba said, heading back to the insides of the Fortress, where Orube had stood and listened up until now.

"Teacher. I'll go."- she suggested. "I'll go to Heatherfield and let the guardians in on everything, personally. That would be the most appropriate way since they are in the midst of troubles of their own."

Their eyes met. Luba and Orube hadn't talked all that much ever since the whole scene with Nerissa had taken place in the Tower of Mists one month back, but they were still close. Orube had simply been impatient to return to Heatherfield every now and then. She seemed to like it there more than she wanted to admit aloud.

"Go, Orube."- Luba said in the end. "But do it quick. These clouds of darkness threaten the balance and stability of the Fortress, and if the Fortress is to fall, then so shall the cosmos as we know it."


Heatherfield, 12:00 PM, the High Court

The trial promised to be brief and quick. And how else? The evidence was annihilating. Categorical. Every last detail had been looked through and the only thing that was left was to hear the court's decision. The accused were two, but the blame...

Theresa Cook ran her eyes across the room before hitting the surface of her desk with her hammer. She demanded order, even though the benches were already silent. It was more of a formality and an attention-grabbing tactic during this open to the public case. Upon getting on it again, post the reveal of Alexis's lies, she had become even more serious about bringing it all to a righteous exit.

"Order in the hall! The court made its decision. On the basis of all the documented events, the indisputable evidence and the full self-confessions of Mrs. Sanchez-Vandom, after a short meeting, the court and the jury reached the following consensus: for repeated attempted murders in a particularly brutal manner, described in the following attachments on pages 5- 12; Jessie Alexis's public confession that implied his sister's part in Wilhelmina Vandom's forced miscarriage, which Serena later confirmed herself in the video material you all saw; her lies and frauds, the majority of which are backed by documents seen by all of you during the previous hearings, as well as for the not-quite-clarified death of Mr. Phelps, last March, the defendant, Serena Sanchez, will be serving a life sentence. However."- Theresa fixed the rectangular glasses on her nose and took a moment to throw a cold look at the half-dead-half-alive, plastered woman in a wheelchair in front of the counsel table. "Due to her deteriorating physical health, confirmed by forensic doctors, and the fact that the defendant was confined to a wheelchair for life, with 92% of her body paralyzed, including her jaw, the court decided to send Serena Sanchez to an appropriate human institution/sanatorium for people with severe paralysis and terminal injuries, in Open Hill, where she should spend the rest of her life. Under the watch of expert security, of course. This is my final decision."- then the judge turned her attention to Tony and his attorney.

From the Gallery, sitting between her mother and Matt, Will could swear that she had seen Mrs. Cook squint her eyes while looking at her father, and she couldn't blame her. After the performance that her father's lawyer had hosted earlier that day, presenting him in the light of a saint, pretty much everyone were annoyed. But then again. Evidence was evidence, and Tony had managed to sift out all he had needed to emerge fairly untouched.

"Mr. Tony Vandom was completely acquitted of his previous charges, but not as in the case of his ex-wife and daughter. Susan and Wilhelmina are recognized as framed and the court has since apologized to them. In Mr Vandom's case, it is a matter of concealment by the law, falsification of death and public fraud. Taking into account the mitigating circumstances, in particular the actions of Serena Sanchez and her late brother, the court ruled the fine of $ 10,000 justified. Based on Vandom's net worth, the acquisition of which could be investigated in the event of a future offense, this amount is fully creditable. In addition, I sentence the defendant to a 3-year suspended sentence, during which any subsequent violation of the law will have serious consequences. One offense is another fine, two offenses put you in a situation where you face 3 to 5 years in prison, and three or more offenses could send you behind bars for longer than you can imagine. I'm sure your attorney will have the care to describe it all to you in detail."- Theresa added sternly, before hitting with her hammer once more.

Tony avoided her eyes, but smirked under his nose anyway.

"The case of the people against the Vandoms was transformed into Vandom against Vandom with extreme speed, and all the multi-stage changes and events that took place are registered and settled thanks to the quick cooperation of Heatherfield's police as well as that of our people. Having said that, I proclaim the sitting closed. Case closed!"

Fifteen minutes later, Will and all her friends and close ones were outside the building of the court. The rest of the 'audience' had already dispersed. After everything that had happened in their lives over the last months, Will felt like she could finally breathe easily, even though she was leaving the hearing with mixed feelings. From one side, she was glad Serena was finally going to be eliminated as a problem and would pay for her tremendous crimes. On the other hand, however, her stomach was turning because of the way her father had slipped inbetween the drops. Even Theresa Cook, with her long years of practice, knew that Tony hadn't been completely honest and had used guile to be exiting the courtroom with a high head. But the case was now closed. Justice was relative and even though he was her father...

"Can you believe it's all over, Will? Lighten up. It's all over, dear. Your family will finally breathe."- Matt's grandfather, who loved her like a child of his own, was comforting her.

Will had to smile down at him. He was right anyway. It was just...

"Yeah, grandpa. We're just waiting for Tony and we're all going celebrating afterwards."- Matt interfered, throwing an arm around Herbert's shoulders. "Right, Susan?"

Susan, who had been busy talking to Halinor and Dean, turned around to them and nodded mildly:

"Yes, Herbert. You're coming too!"

"Ah, I don't want to intrude myself on you, besides the shop expects a delivery-"

"Alchemy will take charge there, what are you talking about."- Matt shook his finger. "You're coming, grandpa."

"Herbert, you must. You're family."- Susan smiled and sighed.

"Yeah, grandpa."- Will nodded. "You'll come because of me. It's just for an hour or two at this pastry downtown. Nothing too fancy."

"I'm not in a mood to celebrate all that much myself, but we have to mark the end of this nightmare."- Susan went on after her daughter finished her sentence. "It's a new chapter for our family and respectively all those who surround us and had inconveniences because of us. Mrs. Lin, Anna, I want to apologize to you once again. Joan, I'm sorry. Jessie Alexis gave all of you a hard time because of us."

As Irma and her mother, Yan Lin, Joan and Hay Lin busied themselves with persuading the other woman just how much she was not at fault, and how it was all water under the bridge, Halinor took a few steps back to have some privacy with her closest friends:

"Well, girls. It's all well when it ends well. I don't know about you, but I'm happy for Thomas and Susan. Hopefully, life will get back to normal for them now that that snake and her games are over with- "

"Hopefully. And I can cross 'attending a court hearing' out of my 'to catch up-list'."- Nerissa added in a jest. "Even if it got quite boring at some point. All I could look at was that woman in her full body cast. Is it not astonishing that she lived post falling 5 stories down from the top of the building and face flat on an outsourced roof?"

"Some life."- Kadma snorted. "She can't even open her mouth normally. But that's what baby murderers get. Spiteful woman. She couldn't be reunited with her sick brother; she drew the shorter straw! The life she'll have from now on is worse than just dying."


"Sera, Sera. These people made a fool out of you. They crushed you like a cockroach. Tony Vandom, your big love...Didn't I tell you that this would happen? You're an idiot, Sera. An idiot!"

But she couldn't see him, nor hear him. At least not in this state, when she hadn't had anything to provoke a hallucination-like state.

Her half-brother's ghost disappeared and appeared behind her again. The backroom where she had been left to wait for her so-called caretakers was small, with a low ceiling. There was a single coffee table and an old sofa inside.

And her wheelchair of course. Her wheelchair with her inside- covered in the white cast and plasters. Only her eyes visible. Her full of pain and defeat eyes... That was what was left of Serena Sanchez- Vandom after her hatred had possessed her. A fragile creature, barely clinging to life.

Jessie clenched his teeth.

"I showed you these girls' true identities. I led you to them while they discussed playing with Tom Lair's mind for the sake of their secret!"- the dead cop screamed on the top of his lungs, but even he knew it was in vain. "Hell, I even told you something was wrong with them from the beginning, but you never listened! You don't even listen to me now, because you can't, can you?!"- he growled. "I died because of you, now look at you! Just look at you! Useless, pathetic...why did I ever agree to be a part of this for your sake? I should've known!"- Jessie hissed spitefully. "You've always been one of these unlucky kids. Those who get all in life early and then lose it early, being left to live miserably for the rest of their lives. Unlucky, unlucky Sera."

Serena was terrified when the wheels of her wheelchair started moving on their own. They were speeding, backwards against the big window. She tried to scream, but it came out as a muffled yelp.

"Why live like this, Sera? You'll be better off dead."- Jessie narrated while using his energy to move his half-sister around the room. "When you die, the physical pain will stop and you'll see me again. You better die, Sera, because you have no reason to live anymore. And I died because of you. I died because of you!"

In a state of emotional defeat, she gave up and waited for the back of the wheelchair to break the window and for her to fall. Maybe it would be for the better good. It would be her second fall this month, anyway. She had intended to kill herself when she had bit Susan, she hadn't wanted to be left paralyzed forever...

"What the hell?!"- Tony had just entered the room and stopped the accident before it had taken place. Serena shot him a venomous look in her forced silence as Jessie glowered and disappeared behind the other man, who took a step back after pushing the wheelchair back in front of the coffee table.

"You really like flying."- he mocked her with a stolid grin. "How did you push yourself there? Never mind. I came because we need to be officially divorced before you get sent in the sanatorium, babes. You had your fun, but your time is up. I'm long through with you."

All Serena could do was listen and glare at him, hoping that a glare could as well kill...Tony casually pushed his hand in the pocket of his striped suit and waved a paper in his other hand:

"Ah...that's right, I forgot you can't sign anything. You can't move anything."- he smiled coldly. "No worries, we're already divorced, see? I wanted to come and show you while seeing you one last time. The court was nice enough to sign the papers instead of you. You're now officially no longer a Vandom. Happy?"

Tony chuckled at his own cruel jokes, and since he obviously couldn't receive an answer, he just went on:

"Serena, you were a mistake, to begin with, but they make me pay the taxes for your sanatorium as long as you keep breathing. Does that make you feel any better? To be honest, I am this close to feeling sorry for you. Watching you in this state and everything. But then I remember what you did to my daughter and to Susan and I say to myself, 'she deserved it'."- his voice was quick to grow harsh and cold as he glared back at the woman in the wheelchair. "Because you did. And in the end, you got what you deserved. I'm glad you didn't die when you jumped off "Simueltech". Had you died, you wouldn't have been present here today, and today has been a fantastic day for justice."

Then he got closer to her and hissed in her face:

"Why are you looking at me like that? You did this all to yourself. You fucked with the wrong man, baby. No matter how screwed in the head you were, admit it, you could've never taken me down...I've told you before, I'll tell you again: screwing with you? Living with you? It was all good, especially in the beginning. We could've had an easy life. You could've lived in luxury and then actually get a hold of some money, one day when I die, had you played your motherfucking cards right. But you had to get greedy; you had to try to best Susan. You had to try to be more important than her and Will, and take everything for yourself. That was your direst mistake, Serena."- Tony stood up and threw one of the papers in her lap. Then he gave her one last cold look, as she moved her tear-filled eyes away from him..." You could never take their place in my heart. You could never make me love you like I love Susan. You were not fit for that. Nobody is. Susan is...she's the only thing I regret losing in my life."

With that and a secret promise in his head, Tony turned on his heel and left the tiny room, leaving his most recent ex-wife to wait for her new caretakers. A shut-in. Broken, hurt, empty, and full of regrets after him...


Meridian

Raythor was just exiting his private lavatory with but a towel around his waist, when he saw her figure and barely contained his exclamation. How baffling it was to him to see her there. Lazily lounging on his bed, going through the pages of something that looked oddly familiar...

"Good God! Where'd you get this from? What are you doing here at all?!"- in the last moment, he had managed to keep the towel on before involuntarily flashing the Mage, even if a part of him wished that it had happened...

"You wrote a book about me and never told me, how rude is that?"- Nerissa arched her back up and playfully gave his muscular body the one-over. "What is more, it happens to be the book that moron Ari had his hands on."

"Bloody farmer."- the captain cursed under his nose as he hid behind the screen in his room. After a few moments, he came back wearing pants. Better safe than sorry...

Nerissa was lying on the bed like a Queen. Her red vintage-fade pantsuit was far from modest- as usual; the jacket top had middle sleeves and was buttoned up bellow a massive cleavage, lined by the edges of the black lace-bodice which she wore underneath. Three long, thin pearl necklaces rested on her ample chest, like white jewels scattered across two mountains.

She looked up at him with infallible mischief:

"No other woman could bring, unite, and scatter people of all ranks like she did. She played with destinies, she ruled over them and then left them in ruins, because she was a woman touched by an angel, but also kissed by a devil. Her ravishing beauty and demanding personality, however, faded in the background, because it was her intelligence that brought people to their knees, for so many years. Phobos on the throne, but Meridian was hers to command- "

"You flatter yourself too much, that's why I never told you about this book."- Raythor said gruffly and pulled it out of her hands so that she could stop reading. "You can take it home and read it later. Now tell why you're here?"

"I missed you, that's why."- the sorceress claimed innocently, making him open his mouth at a loss of words.

"I- "

"- I haven't seen you in a while, I haven't been here that much. Is it not normal to miss my loyal captain?"- Nerissa tossed her head back in a maiden-like laugh as his expression changed from bewilderment to irritation.

"One day, Mage, you'll finish me."- Raythor shook his head at his own reflection while applying deodorant.

"Oh, don't be such a grump!"- Nerissa got off the bed and playfully slapped the man's bare back. Then she waved the book around: "I want you to sign this tribute you wrote me; it's like a late birthday gift. Or rather early."

"You don't celebrate your birthday."- he reminded her.

"True-"

"- it makes you think of your actual age which is-"

"Don't go there, captain."- Nerissa shoved the edge of the book in his rock-hard abdomen.

"You really like it? The book, I mean. I started writing it once you came back from the dreamworld. Actually, this is the manual script-"

"Are you kidding? I love it! It must be copied and sold for everyone to read."- and Nerissa tossed her long hair back before seating herself on top of one dresser. "Thank you. I'm riveting in reading it."- she added sweetly.

Raythor flashed her a sincere smile:

"No thanks are necessary."

"Now, I know that Phobos's little spy, that brat that got away, stole this and gave it to him so that he could use it to delude the simp Ari."- the woman began pondering out loud. "What I can't wrap around my mind is why? Why want to turn Arkhanta against Kandrakar, Meridian and whatnot, if it's not beneficial to him and his little enchantress."

Raythor, who had just put his cape on, rubbed his freshly shaved face:

"Makes sense, but why would you think of all that now? That was all months ago. They're both locked there, like mice in that house. Am looking forward to the day their bastard is born and they go to a proper cell."

"The book came from Arkhanta today and made me think about it again. Oh, and there's an emergency situation on Kandrakar."-she added as it was nothing.

The man turned to her again:

"What emergency?"

Nerissa shrugged and got off the dresser. She started to make little circles, walking around Raythor:

"I can't tell, there's nothing particular to be said yet. The guardians were summoned to unravel matters there. I have other unpleasantness to attend to."

"Like what?"

"Like talking to the girl Phobos kept hostage for months."- the woman retorted with an odd spark in her eye. "We're going there tomorrow morning. Be ready."

Raythor nodded confidently, fastening the buckle of his belt.

"We'll take Sandpit too. I want to get some tracking down done on Arkhanta, while we're there. The bad omen on Kandrakar, this girl that Phobos has had in his claws for months...Things never stopped moving under the surface. A thin ice cover made all of us falsely calm enough to let the two rejected rulers be left in peace in that rest house, and I'm starting to believe that was a big mistake. I didn't like it before, but now I'm willing to act against this decision. There are months to go by before Leonida gives birth! Meridian can't afford to wait that long before securing the prisoners."

"Indisputable, however, Kandrakar took the final decision regarding Phobos and his unborn child, they reached to the Queen-"

Nerissa just shook her head at his words:

"Well, it won't be the first time they've made a wrong choice. And it certainly won't be the last. But this time it's not just that. This time there's something more alarming than the reasoning of the Council. Darkness has made its way to the Fortress like never before, not even when Kandrakar was left in ruins, 11 years ago."- Nerissa made an eloquent pause in which her eyes and those of the captain met once again. "This darkness is inanimate and practically invisible, and it has the power to corrupt all who reside between the walls of Kandrakar, without even having to try."


Kandrakar

"Icona was crystal clear, girls. The prophecy, the Dark Descendant, we're all failing by letting it get stronger. I'm sure that this bad omen is just another stage of the unstoppable darkness she told me about."

"Yes, Taranee, we get it, but what have we not done in order to contain the stupid darkness?"- Cornelia snapped, irritated. "What does that dead crone expect us to do, anyway? Kill Phobos, Leonida, and the unborn baby, a.k.a the Descendant? Not only is that so below us, but it's also what we've been trying to avoid for months! Next time just tell Icona to butt out!"

The blonde and her friends were touring Kandrakar, trying their best to figure out what exactly was happening, but so far it was a quest of time-wasting. So, there were a few clouds in the skies above the Fortress. So what?

Taranee's unstopping attempts to scare them as much as she had been a few days back, were tampering with Cornelia's nerves. It was of no use; the Dark Descendant couldn't be stopped. The Dark Descendant, whoever they were, was utter despair.

"Maybe we're approaching this wrong. Didn't she say that the Descendant is not necessarily a person?"- Will pondered out loud. "Maybe the cult's still active somewhere on Coronia, and that's what threatens the balance of the Universe somehow?"

"But Icona said that Magana has done all in her power to erase everything about the cult and the prophecy."- Hay Lin reminded her friends.

"She also said that it was impossible and the wrong thing to do."- Cornelia furrowed her brows. "I trust neither of these cows; they're all lying about something. Icona, Magana and Leonida- "

"I agree. Plus, we never even got to the point where we understand the stupid cult's purpose."- Irma scoffed. "Even with all that trash we got from the abandoned county and the shit Nerissa stole from the Forbidden Wing here, at the end of the day, all we have is a stupid poem and a few myths."

"On the contrary, we know that their sole purpose was to make Coronia glorious again and restore the old casts that existed there before the golden fog and the adoption of the Golden Spring brought abundance to each and every person who lives on the planet."- Taranee objected. "Just because you didn't get the point, Irma, doesn't mean that we didn't- "

"I get it, Tara, I just think it's dumb! If everyone's rich, who do they still hate on, each other?! Because those who were rich first feel belittled cuz the peasants have caught up with them just like that?"

"Sounds legit."

"If we compare the way state life goes around on Coronia to an ideology here on Earth, it's most similar to socialism."- Hay Lin began.

"A very boujee version of socialism-"- Irma noted.

"- either way! There are always opposing views, in every political system. If the royal family are socialist-like, there are always going to be radical opponents of this ideology, in the face of those who've been rich before the equalization of everyone's havings-"

"That's very different, Hay Lin."- Taranee argued. "Coronia is a monarchy, you can't compare its ways of functioning to socialism, liberalism, and what-not; the royals there own everything to begin with. I get where you're coming from, but that doesn't explain the falling darkness that we are supposed to be fighting."

"- you get my point, don't you, Taranee? I'm not comparing the situation in Coronia to anything, I'm just giving example names to the things we have to deal with. This darkness that we have to fight is not entirely invisible. We have to investigate the original rich people of Coronia. The first aristocrats. That's what I'm saying."

Will and Taranee exchanged glances and nodded at each other. Hay Lin's idea was something that they had all thought about at some point, but her unspoken idea was what they would implement first.


"He's among our rows. I see his outlines, yet I can't get a clear view of his image."- The Oracle mused, opening his eyes and focusing them on his most venerated and trusted allies.

The water in the room they were in, was flowing upwards, all over the walls, the floor, which the seer was sitting on, as well as the ceiling. The Room of the Majestic Water had more seeing power than the majority of the Oracles put together, but it was still not enough to uncover the image of the traitor.

"But how did the defiler manage to hide from us all this time!"- Luba raged.

"Powerful magic for blood integrity protects him. The blood of many fallen victims blocks my view of him, for that."- Himerish retorted and stood up with a sigh.

"Such strong magic?!"- Tibor exclaimed. "That's a worrisome thought. Except for Nerissa, no one has ever managed to influence the Fortress from within. What kind of powerful sorcerer could the defiler be, and when did they arrive?"

"Oh, no. He's quite ordinary. His magical protection has come from an outside source. He's been with us for many mortal years. All this time...he has been a part of an ancient dead society, which the guardians recognized as the cult of the Dark Descendant."

Luba and Tibor looked at each other.

"I thought it to be a mere legend..."- the cat woman muttered under her nose.

"We were all beguiled to believe so, Luba. Yet the golden fog and the mystical Golden Spring have worked beyond the eyes of Kandrakar. For centuries, dividing those who the rulers in control, have believed they're bringing closer..."

"Sir, the guardians... they are positively close to cornering the defiler."- Tibor murmured. "When they succeed, we'll avoid the tragedy of- "

"I'm afraid not, Tibor."- Himerish smiled sadly. "I don't doubt the guardians, but it's a little too late to escape the trap we've found ourselves in. Kandrakar will have to fight."- the Oracle said to his shocked sages. "Kandrakar will have to fight long in order to win against the forces we'll be facing from this day on."


The purple portal opened for Halinor to walk out of it in the center of the Hall of the Congregation, looking around herself with concern. Then when her eyes fell on Will she immediately started talking:

"Will, your parents are looking for you."- she said. "All of the others have already started to scatter, but they're still there, talking."

"Yeah, I think I've had enough of my parents and their dramatic life for a while."- the redhead retorted. "Let them look. We have bigger problems here. Come, Halinor, you're right on time."

The former guardian nodded and lined up with the rest of the girls. The entire Council had gathered in the amphitheater-like hall. Cornelia turned to the elders and ordered them:

"Alright, everybody. As you know, there's darkness lingering between you. In order to drive it away together with these clouds in the sky and the whole entire bad omen, we'll have to perform a ritual."

Taranee ignited the bonfire they had put together in the center of the room and gave them a sign to follow her:

"This ancient Earth ritual will symbolize the banishing of the evil. We're going to burn all the negative powers together with these special herbs."- Will went on cautiously, just as Irma stepped to the fire to add the said herbs to it. "Start circling it the fire! Take slow and steady steps, once you complete the 9 rings, we'll douse the fire and protect the Fortress."

The majority of the elders didn't look to convinced, but one by one, they obeyed the orders, nevertheless. They were ready to do anything to protect Kandrakar. And since they couldn't fight this darkness on their own, the only thing they could do was trust the guardians.

The guardians exchanged glances and took positions. The ritual had started. Hay Lin flew above the sages walking in a circle, while Taranee took a look of the darkening skies from the open balconies. The rest just stood aside and watched over a hundred elders perform the ritual.

"It's you!"

Hay Lin had listened carefully. She strained herself to the end. She had listened to a hundred different footsteps made by a hundred different individuals, but in the end, she had recognized him: the one who had been following them through that corridor earlier.

What happened next was lighting-like. Hay Lin's winds separated the revealed culprit from the other elders. Before he knew it, Irma's water wrapped around his body like the tentacles of an octopus. Then a new gust of freezing air turned the water into his new ice shackles. The five guardians surrounded the man just when the Oracle, Tibor and Luba arrived at the scene, followed by the astounded eyes of the other elders:

"How?!"- the captive panted.

"Never underestimate the power of the five united guardians, Kandor."- Himerish stated carefully, meeting the other man's hateful glare. "You've always had a particular interest for the Aurameeres, yet you never learned that the true might of Kandrakar is not in them. It's in these girls."

Kandor was a man of a certain age, with grizzled frizzy hair and beard, but his eyes were what really gave away his long years. They looked so...ancient. They darted around, almost in denial for being caught like that as Luba attacked him:

"Kandor, you dishonest worm, you're under vow! How dare you betray Kandrakar for the sake of your personal agendas after so many years of service?! Is this your gratitude?!"

"When you came here from Coronia, you were determined to work towards the better good. We should've seen through your lies."- Tibor added strictly. "We've been fools to trust you on your word-"

"Wait what? This geezer is Coronian?"- Irma's jaw hung and then tensed into an annoyed grimace. "Could've told us that earlier to narrow the search, but noo-"

But nobody paid attention to her; Kandor smiled darkly at his colleagues:

"Who has said that I'm no longer determined to work towards the better good? That's exactly what I'm doing. But for my homeland. For Coronia."- Kandor looked at the guardians. "Even if I die, it won't matter, because I've helped my people. The real people of Coronia; Kandrakar happened to be an obstacle in our way. It's not about gratitude, it's about where my heart lies."

"For years you've been here and you would've probably continued to remain undetected, had you not gone too far by cursing the pride and honor of the Fortress with this bad omen."- Halinor said quietly. "Disgusting! You have no spine, Kandor! Your Queen banished you, she threw you out of her palace, because of your opposition, yet that has obviously meant nothing to you!"

"Of course it meant nothing! Queen Icona was a purblind nimrod!"- Kandor hissed. "Her faith in equality was never enough to stop me from believing that my country deserves better than to be deprived of its true gold aristocracy!"

"Icona ousted him and you took him here?! Seriously?!"- Irma interrupted again. "Are you all stupid? Why didn't you tell us about all this earlier, you've known what we're supposed to face for months!"

"Irma!"- Will scolded her friend, even though her blood was boiling too. Kandrakar was keeping things from them. Again. It was terrible, offensive and made no sense, but she had to keep her friends, whose anger she could feel, under control.

The Oracle was obviously feeling that too, but he never addressed it. He just continued to observe Kandor's reactions:

"The guardians won you a victory against me, but how will they win against all the gold-blooded?"- he laughed. "You don't even trust them enough to tell them everything. Your guardians are disinformed, Oracle, that's why they'll never stop the Dark Descendant from rising!"

- This is despicable! - Cornelia raged in telepathy. - Why the hell would they do this?! That old ass is right! It's like they want the darkness to win!

- All these months they basically lied to us. They knew about the Dark Descendant before us! Yet they did nothing. - Taranee joined in. - That's mindless...

- I hate and despise them. - Irma averred. - I'm SURE they did this on purpose. They just want us to have a hard time, every time, you get what I'm saying?

- We'll talk about this later-

Demanding the other guardians' attention, Will broke the telepathic connection and stood in front of the captured culprit:

"That's not entirely true."- she told him coldly. "Hay Lin's powers helped her distinguish you amid a hundred others. We heard you following us an hour ago, that's why we deliberately prolonged our conversation to win her time, and you were thunder-struck when we caught you, right? Just like we easily bested you, we'll best Leonida and all the other people in your outdated cult."

"But of course you did. After all, you're on Kandrakar territory, where your powers are in their zenith."- Kandor laughed as Will squinted her eyes. "That will not always be so. Princess Leonida? What does she have to do with us? She is mentally unstable and cannot be trusted, she's not a part of our society-"

"Who cares about your stupid society?"- Cornelia interrupted him angrily. "Once Elyon takes charge on Coronia, each and every one of you boomers will be jailed. Just like your princess, just like your Descendant. You're never going to see your homeland divided again either! Today was your curtain call, grandpa, that was it. It's over! You failed in everything, so quit gloating! "

Kandor shook his head and laughed at the blonde:

"Oh, you have no idea how wrong you are."

"How is she wrong?"- Hay Lin stepped upfront. "We captured you, Kandor. You were the inside job person who was trying to blind Kandrakar to help the so-called society you're a part of, and we figured it out. We captured you before you could wrap it up, you're no longer a relevant threat to anyone!"

The old man moved in his ice, ever so slightly, meeting the Oracle's eyes:

"True, but not quite. You sense it, don't you Oracle? My curse is almost here. With or without me, it will be unleashed upon the Fortress, I spent years perfecting it for this day! You have already sensed it, no doubt..."

"What is he talking about?!"- Taranee turned to the Council.

Halinor also looked around herself anxiously, and Himerish just closed his eyes in sad resignation.

"Oracle?!"

"The war for the Fortress is yet to begin."- he admitted in a loud tone. "I sense seven plagues coming our way, conjured by Kandor's black magic. I only regret I sense them so late..."

"What?!"- the guardians exclaimed in unison.

Anxious whispers started to go around the Hall. The elders looked at each other, searching for courage in each other's eyes, for the prognosis their leader had just made utterly terrified all of them...

"Tibor, Luba- divide everyone into two groups."- Himerish began giving orders. "Call Orube at once- the first plague will soon hit us, but it shall come from outside the Fortress, we must protect the main walls and start building a mini veil. Now!"

Fast like arrows, the elders got to work. Halinor could only silence her gasp with her hands as she and the girls observed the belligerent ambiance that had just overtaken the entire Fortress:

"You'll never stop all seven of the plagues!"- Kandor laughed maniacally. "You're not enough people! You won't have the energy and magic to keep the Fortress whole! Kandrakar will fall!"

Himerish did not reply to that, he simply gave the man a stone gaze:

"Only time will tell, Kandor. Hope dies last, so does the light of this Fortress."- with that, and a swing of his hand, the bald man put the traitor to sleep.

"Oh, goodie, now Kandrakar will be under a 24/7 siege!"- Irma yelled. She glared at the Oracle, as Taranee placed her hand on her shoulder: "Hope it was worth the lies and deceits you gave this time, oh wise one! Had you shared this with us earlier, maybe this could've been avoided, but all I can tell you this time is good luck! Don't expect of us to tag along on this front of the 'war'."

"I do not expect that of you, Irma. Once the first plague hits us, all ways to Kandrakar will be closed. You'll be back on Earth by then. Your battle is for the peace of the Infinite Dimensions."

"So we'll be all alone against this darkness."- Taranee noted bitterly. "Nice. Weren't you, as our counselors, supposed to guide us and provide us with key information? Instead you hid it from us!"

"You'll manage, Taranee. I have full faith in all of you, guardians. Now go. Go and pray for Kandrakar to hold up."- the man ushered the five women a few feet away from Kandor and brought them together in a circle around himself.

Their expressions were reluctant and angry at first, but they quickly gave in to his softness and sincerity:

"I know that now you put the blame on us and you're in your right to do so."- he began warmly, his arms around Cornelia and Irma's shoulders. "One day, you will understand why I had to keep hiding the existence of the Dark Descendant from you, as long as it was possible. But now: now you'll have to just accept things as they are and fight. You have got to work in harmony to overcome what is to come. What even I can't predict at the moment of speaking."- he stopped for a minute and ran his hand, gently, though each of the girls' heads. "I can only tell that it is to be dark, gruesome, and hard. Hard but not impossible for respected guardians such as yourselves, to overcome. My blessings and belief are with all of you. Help each other and maintain harmony in your group, as well as with the former guardians. You'll need everyone you can have on your side to emerge victorious. You have to have true fortitude."

A purple portal opened behind them. Himerish made Halinor a sign to come closer too, before turning to the group one last time:

"Take Kandor with yourselves. Take him to Nerissa and extract all information you can from him. She will do that, undoubtedly, I have full trust in her skills... And Halinor."- the seer put his hand on the woman's shoulder with a soft smile: "Do not fret to tell Nerissa you only hid this from her, for the sake of Kandrakar and your vow to me. I liberate you of this vow now. You and your old friends will teach the girls all that you know. All that can be useful to them in the war with the darkness."

"Yes, Oracle."- the ex-guardian promised and smiled back.

"Good. Now go."- that smile the Oracle gave them then, each of them would remember. Forever. A smile so bright, yet sad at the same time. A smile of a proud teacher sending his students to the hardest of tests- life itself. "Go and pray for Kandrakar. If all of us maintain faith, faith strong enough and untiring, no matter what, one day, we will meet here again. We will meet here to celebrate yet another victory."


A/N: Almost at Arc.4! 2 chapters to go. Stay tuned and let me in on your thoughts. 💜