Chapter 38: Missing Pieces
"Every evil is caused by actions and inactions. Every darkness is the reflection of blind light."
Previously on The Dark Descendant: ~ The mysterious dethroned princess of Coronia, the one the guardians had helped 9 years ago, united with Phobos and planned to retrieve her lost positions. Nerissa and the girls managed to capture them, but not dispose of them, for Leonida turned out to be with child. Phobos's child.
The people of Coronia forced Elyon to wed their prince as soon as possible. On Kandrakar, a traitor, Kandor, a man from Coronia, put the entire fortress under 'Grim Siege' (chapter 37), occupying all the elders of the Council with longtime problems to solve. Now, only the ex-guardians can handle parts of an old truth about the Dark Descendant, a threat that seems to loom closer and closer above everyone, but how? Missing pieces of the puzzle are coming together. Missing pieces of Leonida's past too...~
Coronia, 20 years ago
"Daddy! Daddy, you can't catch me!"- the 8-year-old blonde girl's effervescent laughter rang across the lush meadows. "I'm faster than you!"
She was racing the fireflies as she ran, surrounded by the most gorgeous of nature that was bathed in gold by the setting rays of the afternoon sun. The young princess ran as fast as her short legs and the sky-blue gown allowed her to, even if she didn't care whether she'll trash the expensive clothes whilst playing. It was perfectly normal- the royal tailors and maids would take care of it, anyway. Despite her young age, the little blonde princess was used to the beauty and the riches. After all, the big majestic palace in the background was her home.
"Got ya!"
The girl squalled from surprise as her father's strong arms came out of nowhere and lifted her up in the air, swinging her around in a playful flight.
"Daddy, you cheated again!"- she protested once she stopped giggling and then pouted at the King. "You didn't count to the end!"
"What? Of course, I did!"- her father laughed at her antics and put her back on the ground, ruffling her long honey-colored locks, secured with a bow of her own hair at the back. "You're tired, Leonida, we've been playing tag for hours. Perhaps you're hungry? Should we head back to the palace?"
"Uh-huh."- Leonida agreed and took his hand.
King Andan smiled down and his daughter and led her back across the paths towards their home. They had spent the entire day out; it was time for some rest.
Coronia was a paradise of nature, colors, and gold, and despite its big sizes, the capital made no exception. Not only was it the perfect place to raise their children, but it was also so easy and convenient- his wife's kingdom was a true piece of paradise. Flowers, meadows, and forests all around the big Palace, and the best of the best wherever they turn to. Food, clothes, gold, education, medicine, everything worthy of royals was for everyone, even the villagers. Andan loved his family and his homeland, and couldn't be happier with his life.
"Andan? Where were you?"
Andan lifted his head to see the figure of his wife in her sumptuous dress approach. Magana was a beautiful woman; each time he was her, his heart warmed with his love for her. Today, her long bangs were twisted and secured behind her ears, and her wreathed ends were framing her chest. Magana smiled back at him, as he appeared to be lost:
"Andan?"
"Oh? We played outdoors."- Andan retorted and threw his arm around her shoulders. "Your daughter is full of energy; she needs to waste it on something."
"Indeed."- Magana agreed. "I just wish that she'd focus more on her studies and practices. She has a lot to learn, Andan. After all, one day, she will be Queen of this magnificent realm."
"Magana, please! She's only eight."
But he wasn't to argue once his wife placed her hands on his chest and smiled:
"You understand what I mean to say."- she said warmly. "Come, you should freshen up before dinner."
The pair started to walk towards the royal chambers together. The long regal corridors of the palace were blinding with their marble floors and richly ornamented walls, encrusted with diamonds. The Aureate Edifice was an architectural masterpiece, both interior-wise and exterior-wise. There were many rooms along the corridors that had different purposes.
The royal couple was just passing by one of the many of the parlors where the royal nannies usually had the youngsters play when the Queen happened to let her eyes fall on something inside. That scene made her let out a terrified scream:
"Leonida! Leonida, leave your brother at once! What in Gold's name are you doing?"
Leonida flinched and dropped the pillow she had been holding, but it was of no use. She had already been seen. She had been seen standing by her sleeping brother with the pillow, suspiciously close to his head...
Why were they left with no watch was something she'd scold the staff for later. At that moment, the young Queen focused all her anger on her daughter:
"What do you think you're doing, Leonida!"- she screamed at the girl that recoiled in shock once her mother swung her hand as if to slap her. Instead, Magana grabbed the sleeping toddler from the floor and pressed him against herself. "Did you use your powers on your brother? Did you put him to sleep?! What were you doing with that pillow!?"
"Magana, calm down."- Andan ushered as he came to lift their frightened daughter up in his embrace.
Little Andan junior was just waking up, looking up at his mother with his big sleepy eyes.
"Mommy?"
"He's alright, darling. Why do you have to overreact? Everything's fine. Leonida wasn't trying to hurt him."
"Mommy...Andan must have fallen asleep while playing with his toys here...I just wanted to get him a pillow, so that he's more comfortable."- the young princess explained in a tiny voice. "I'm sorry, mommy."
Magana looked down in chagrin. Her son was calmly playing with her necklace. Her husband aimed his attention at Leonida once again, trying to comfort her with his big smile and fatherly affection. Oh, he was a great father. But he didn't know what she did...
"There's nothing to be sorry about, goldfish."- he cooed. "We are well aware that you'd never do anything to hurt us. Even your mom scolded you just because Andan is still very young and hence he should be taken care of more thoroughly. Isn't that right, Magana darling?"
Magana forced a smile as she nodded. The young princess was soon back to her usual self. She left the room, skipping. Her father had done an excellent job with soothing her. But who would soothe her?
No Magana, the Queen said to herself. You must be stronger than that in order to overcome it. And you have to overcome it. You have to protect your family and your people, no matter what...
14 years later
"You knew, didn't you, daddy?! You planned this together!"- Leonida muttered bitterly, glaring at the man in front of herself. This man had once been like a God in her eyes. Her father... But now he was just another one of her enemies...
"Leonida, calm down, goldfish."- the King tried to reason with her, "Whatever has happened cannot be irreparable. Why are you so angry?"
She closed her eyes at the nickname of affection. Once it had been so special, now, she wasn't so sure anymore. She wasn't so sure whether she could believe her father at all.
"Don't pretend, daddy! You support your wife's decision, you always have!"- Leonida exclaimed haplessly. "She puts her people before me, and so do you! You have no faith in me whatsoever..."
Her father was a man in his prime, but that look of painful confusion on his face aged him with years. How was he so good at faking it? He knew everything, for Gold's sake! If he was such a good actor, perhaps he had faked his love for her too...
"Leonida, your mother's the Queen of Coronia, but rest assured that she'd never make a decision to our detriment, regardless of the circumstances-"
"But she did!"- the princess screamed, shoving the scroll she had in her hands, in her father's face. "She did! Look at this! Read it!"
King Andan didn't move from his place as the young woman handed him the scroll angrily. She basically pushed it in his open hands, as his eyes lowered to read it in disbelief:
"This...this can't be... "- he murmured, but her shrill scream cut him off:
"Apparently it can! All her fads, all that she has been doing over the years, and all she wanted me to abide by, I've obediently gone along with ...and for what? FOR WHAT?! So that she could transfer all my rights to Koral?!"- Leonida's eyes shone dangerously at the mentioning of that. "Koral's going to be her new King? Quotha!"
"Leonida, where is Koral?"- the King asked seriously, his throat dry. Suddenly, he had this terrible feeling. Perhaps it had to do with the look of pure rage in his daughter's eyes. Yes, he was bracing himself for the worst, but that didn't help him be less shocked when he heard her dreadful confession:
"Koral is no more, daddy. I killed him! What did you think, that I'd let my arranged husband take away all that is rightfully mine?! My kingdom, my position, my powers! Never."
"Oh, Leonida...You've committed a murder..."
"Yes! That I have! You left me no other choice- "- she snapped, her bloodshot-red eyes sparkling angrily. Andan's expression of denial was irking her. What did he not understand?! He and her mother had wanted this stranger to marry her and she had accepted, but knowing that it had all been for her to lose her positions...that was the real gamechanger. She would never allow it, what had they even thought...
"Mother wished to strip me of all my rights. How could I let that spline have what's mine, daddy? I had to kill him."- the honey-haired woman insisted.
"He was Dua's father-"- Andan argued with the princess. "Your son's father! Whatever he has done, killing him was-"
"It was the only thing I could do to cancel the enchanted contract."- Leonida hissed and eyed the scroll that her father's hands had dropped on the floor in his shock. "This document...My mother, my own mother, used it to beguile and strip me off of what has always been rightfully mine. And you know, daddy, the worst thing is that I don't even know why! Why did she never regain her trust in me ever since the accident with Dua? Three years in a row I've been trying to indemnify everyone for falling in love with that beguiler when it's my heart that was broken to pieces...But enough is enough."- Leonida rubbed her cheeks dry, wiping the remaining tears in the end of her dress. "I am tired of having to prove my worth! I am the Queen of Coronia, my mother isn't anymore! That being the case, I reprieve myself for my actions against Koral, for his death will be written down as an execution. Execution for treason and plotting against the crown, which makes his murder, by all means, mandatory and justifies it."
The King watched her get ready to leave in silence. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe what was happening with his own daughter.
"You didn't know about all this? About the enchanted contract with the invisible ink?"- Leonida heeded, turning around to look at her speechless father.
The big royal relaxation room glistened with the sunlight that came in through the huge, majestic windows, reflecting in all the golden surfaces, including her hair and making all the brilliance almost unbearable. Unbearable, but remarkably beautiful.
Leonida's eyes sought her father's and recognized his truth:
"I'm sorry, daddy. I should've known that mother has acted behind your back."- she muttered. "It's Magana whose love for me has been slowly dying throughout the years... You still care about me."- the sincere smile on her face was embittered as she added: "I just wish on all stars that you could express it more, like in the past..."
That seemed to sting. The King turned his glare towards his daughter and aimed his rebook at her:
"How could you even say that?! I love you more than I love anything else. You're my princess! That's without a doubt why seeing you make such huge mistakes kills me, Leonida! Mistakes that you were supposed to be aware of beforehand, after having to drink from the Spring!"
"If you're referring to Koral's murder, I had no other choice."- Leonida cried. "I did it for my people and my kingdom! They need me! I'm their rightful Queen- "
"No, Leonida. You lie. You did it for yourself because you're scared of losing your crown."- Andan shook his head as he approached her. "The crown and the Spring changed you, but it wasn't for better. It depraves you, don't you see it, dear?! The golden power tainted your pure heart-"
"No, no!"- Leonida protested, but her tears were already falling again. Her father's reproof was about the last she could take. "Don't talk like that, daddy. Don't talk like her!"
"I'm your father and I have to tell you that you're on the wrong!"- the man insisted with his hands on her shoulders. "Once you didn't even care about power, the crown, or your positions. That graumer might have tricked you, but be honest with yourself; were you not happier then than you've ever been before meeting him and respectively after the guardians saved you?! I've seen how the Golden Spring impacts Queens before, Leonida, that's why I understood your mother's lack of desire to put the crown on your head. Especially when so young...But, alas, we had to, in order to save you and the realm, we had no other choice...And see what happened because of that; the so-called wisdom and grace that these waters should've given you, made you murder people in order to keep them..."
Leonida closed her eyes and sobbed at the realization that his words were practically the truth. But even if she knew it, she couldn't help it. She couldn't stop herself from zealously protecting her portion of golden water and her place on the throne...ever since her coronation, three years ago, these had been the only things on her mind; the only thing that could make her feel fulfilled.
"Corruption and darkness are always looming above us, Leonida, but we have to be strong enough to resist them before we've entered a vicious cycle. A cycle of pain, regrets, and wrong choices."
"Oh, daddy..."
"I will not let you go, Leonida. I will not let you surrender your heart to the darkness."
Andan held her hand firmly, urging her to look back at him. Leonida smiled at her father.
"Now, I'd like to have tea with my daughter. I would like to drink my daughter's tea."
"And Koral...My mother's distrust-"- the princess hesitated, but her father was quick to reassure her:
"No, goldfish. That's not important right now. Magana will face me, we will talk this through. What's important is your welfare. I'm a father and I'm your father, goldfish. I want your life to be free of the darkness more than anything else."
The princess smiled through tears. Even after everything, her father was still there for her. To love her. She should've known...She should've never forgotten her father would never leave her.
She wiped her tears and went into the opulent royal kitchens. She brewed the water and prepared all that was needed for the tea with a smile on her face. After it was all ready, she got everything on a tray and headed back for the royal saloon where she set it all on the table and sat down to drink a cup with her father. Balm tea, his favorite... Andan smiled at her as he sipped from his cup. The chipped Victorian cup that happened to be his favorite...Leonida knew it well, she knew all her father's likes and dislikes, he was special to her as she was to him.
The young princess smiled and for a moment, the trouble seemed to fade. She had even almost forgotten about her mother and Koral's betrayal... But then, her father started to cough...Leonida's smile quenched as the chipped cup fell to the floor. Andan put his hands on his chest as if he was suffocating...he slumped to the floor...
"Daddy!? Daddy, what's wrong-"
The King didn't have the air to answer her. Leonida's terrified screams attracted the maids and the guards, but none of them seemed willing to approach the scene. Her father was dying in her arms...Why were they just standing there?!
"Call the healers, immediately!"- Leonida demanded, looking up at them. One of the maids whispered something in the other's ear and then, she suddenly realized. They had all seen her prepare the tea...They all suspected her...
"You!"- the young Queen barked and pointed at the gossiper. "What are you doing while my father's suffering? Are you implying that I've done this to him? Are you rumoring in my face!?"
The royal healers were already rushing towards the saloon, called by two guards, as the rest of the staff stared at their Queen. The maid that Leonida had her anger aimed at, didn't say anything. That enraged the honey-haired woman even more:
"Rat fink! I will have you hanged!"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, your father..."- Visser, their most loyal manciple exclaimed. He had rushed in the saloon together with the healer and two nurses.
That instantly made her turn around and rush by his side:
"Daddy! Daddy, you're going to recover, don't fret!"- Leonida exclaimed as the man struggled to hold her hand while fighting for breath. His last breath...
"Leonida..."- his last word happened to be her name. He couldn't even finish what he had wanted to say. The woman stared at her lifeless father in denial.
"Daddy! Daddy, open your eyes! Daddy, no!"- then she turned her tear-filled eyes towards the healer. "What is wrong with you?! Take my father to the hospital wing right now! He needs treatment!"
"I'm terribly sorry, your Majesty, but it is already too late. Nothing could have saved your father. He's dead...My condolences."
"What?! How is that possible, my father's a healthy strong man in his prime! Bring him back!"- Leonida screamed, shaking her head. "I said bring him back!"
"Your Majesty, collect yourself."- Visser tried to comfort her, but Leonida pulled away:
"No, Visser, I demand an explanation! How could my father just go out like that...like, like a candle! That's impossible! My father-"
"Your father isn't poisoned, nor did her succumb to an illness. His death was as sudden as that, for your father was iced by dark magic."- the healer explained. "A very powerful dark magic that came out of the hands of a disquieted magic-user."
The young Queen stood up and just blinked as she felt a chill run down her back and the eyes of everyone on her...Her father, the man who had always loved her unconditionally, had just left her. He had left her and they all blamed her...
"Magana's cursed daughter. Look what she did now. She killed the King!"- the maid that had originally started gossiping, whispered again.
"No, NO!"- Leonida roared at the top of her lungs. "That's not true! You're lying!"- she hissed, attacking the royal healer. "You're lying, aren't you?! I will kill you! I will kill you all!"
Visser tried to stop the honey-haired woman, but she pushed him off. She lifted the royal healer by the collar of his clothing and threw him to the ground truculently. Then her powerful magic aura pushed the rest of the present staff down.
"I'm not cursed and I'm not abdicating my throne!"- Leonida's voice thundered before she exited the saloon in a mad step. "You will all be reminded of your places, very soon!"
Leonida was tired of running. The skirts of her dress were torn at numerous places. Her hair was more unkempt than it had even been. But she had been running, running for days. She couldn't keep up any longer. They were after her day and night, she couldn't take it any longer. She turned around and they were there again. That hateful priest and her mother's soldiers. They were all there to have not only her crown but her head along with it...
"Leave me ALONE!"- the rejected Queen yelled at the approaching men and threw one of her best shots at them. In vain. The priest kept mumbling something under his nose while holding onto a fistful of beads...His invisible shield repelled her attack yet again, allowing the soldiers to keep approaching her undisturbed.
Leonida bared her teeth at the man as she took another step back. He was old, with just a girdle to cover his most private parts. His body was covered in mystic ruins and his wrists and ankles in ancient jewels. Not many magic users dwelled in Coronia, but he was definitely one of the strongest. In fact, Leonida could almost swear that this man was the same ancient guru described in many of the legends she had read in her younger years.
Nevertheless, she had to get to the Sealed Room and take what was hers. She couldn't spend another day on Coronia, not when she was being rejected by the Crown and her mother, herself. Soon, all her subjects would get to know of her being sent in exile. She couldn't allow that...She needed to gather what was hers and retreat to gather more forces. But in order to do that, she had to lose those who had been sent to get her...
"Surrender, princess Leonida, you're weak and outnumbered!"- the chief soldier proclaimed. "Allow us to take you to Queen Magana before this scandal reaches the public. Cooperate to your Queen, she's your mother and will show you mercy; that's the only way for you to live freely. Now that you're a criminal, you have no other choices!"
"I'm your Queen, not she!"- the honey-haired yelled in outrage, but then smiled bitterly. "Mercy?! My mother?!"- she giggled painfully. "She's been plotting against me for years, do you really believe that I'm gullible enough to fall for yet another one of her evil tricks? I will have what's mine and I'll leave this land, but one day, I will return stronger and I will claim my kingdom back, I vow to that."- she said in a low voice, glaring at the soldiers.
The night was cold and foggy. They had followed her to the rural graveyard outside the capital, the closest to the Palace, which spread alongside most of the western border. The ideal place to lose her pursuers...
"That will never happen, princess. Queen Magana's order will be met, no matter how much magic you use against us. We have the Spiritual Master with us. His mantras are strong enough to protect us."
"Indeed they are."- Leonida smiled awry as the men held their weapons higher, ready to seize her. Her attention, however, she had on the oldest of them. His pale blue, almost white eyes, followed her every move:
"I'm sorry, Spiritual Master. But the spirits didn't give you enough wisdom this time. You turned against your rightful Queen. This is why, you'll find your death."- she added maliciously, just before her feet left the ground. Her magic hit the surface and the ground was no plain grass anymore...
"This graveyard was once a bewitched dark swamp, the deluge of which let no rural man or magician out of its territory alive! Before the magic of the Queen changed it, it was a trap for all who breathe! Now I've restored its original form. I'm sorry, boys."- the princess hissed as she flew away. "But you betrayed me, and treason against me is and always will be, punished with scaffold!"
When she finally reached the Aureate Edifice, the lack of guards and staff didn't astound her for she didn't have time to think about it. She had to get to the Sealed Room at once. A few days ago, when her mother had chased her out of the Palace, she hadn't had the time needed to collect her golden water...Now she needed to take it with herself because she was leaving for good.
Leonida stood in front of the beautiful door and even touched it, but it didn't open. She tried commanding it, but that did nothing as well. Just when she was beginning to panic, she heard a familiar voice behind herself:
"Welcome back home, Leonida. I knew you'd come back to take your bottle. Don't look so surprised, that door will never open for you again."- Magana emerged from the shadows, coming to light in the torch-lit hall. She carried a crown on her head, matching the magenta rhinestones on her dress. Her face was twisted in a cold grimace. "The Sealed Room can only be opened by the Queen of this realm, and that is no longer you!"
"No! I am the Queen!"- Leonida screamed in despair, not even caring about the fact that her mother had clearly ambushed her. "What have you done to the door?! I...I rubbed Koral off, I'm the rightful ruler of this kingdom, I-"
"Did you really think that Koral would get all legitimate rights and powers of the Golden Spring after you're dethroned?"- Magana inquired, the pain in her voice while uttering these words- audible. "Koral was a mere liaison, Leonida. When you killed him, he had already given all rights back to the most capable among us. Me."
As she said that, the door of the Sealed Room behind the princess opened. She turned around and saw her portion of Golden Water, standing peacefully on the altar in the middle of the opulent room...Her water which she had no rights over anymore...thanks to her evil mother.
"You are my worst enemy!"- Leonida screamed at the older woman. "How could you do this to me?! I'm your daughter! How could you plot and skim against me, how could you steal my rights!?"
"You only got all that authority early in life, because there was no other way to save you, three years ago, back when I still believed that you could be saved."- Magana shook her head. "But now I see, Leonida, even that has been a part of your conspiracies! Your true nature..."
"What are you TALKING about?! I was under the influence of a creature that cruelly used me after it made me fall in love with it! I wasn't in control of myself and actions!"- her daughter protested. She had expected her mother to lash out at her, but this was beyond it. Magana hated her; she could see it in her eyes.
"And you'll never be."- the hazel-haired woman murmured.
Dazed, the princess turned to see the door of the Sealed Room was slammed shut before the two of them were teletransported away.
Once her eyes could see again, Leonida looked around herself, shocked, only to find out that they were in the Throne Room.
"Here, Leonida, I brought you here one last time to have a look at this. This is what is left of your father!"- the Queen cried, pointing at the urn which was left on her husband's empty throne. "He loved you more than he loved himself, yet you killed him!"
"No..."
"You made a mistake, Leonida. You should've killed me."
"I DID NOT-"
But she couldn't finish, because Magana's spell had started to wall up her body in hard clay to the point where she could no longer move. It was fast, and it was spreading all over.
"What are you doing to me?!"
"I'm just making sure that you won't run away again."- her mother sniffed. "I'm sorry, Leonida, but after your latest crimes, I have no other choice. I have to remove you from this kingdom for good. But not together with your free will. I have to protect Coronia from you once and for all. Guru, we're ready to begin."
"Spiritual Master..."- Leonida muttered under her nose, as the man came to light. "But how...I disposed of you..."
"You thought of a vile way to lose my people and triggered their death, but you underestimated the Spiritual Master."- Magana declared while the man started to mumble new mantras under his nose. "He's been Coronia's magic patron for generations! And since it's impossible to exorcise the darkness within you, we shall neutralize you differently."
"Exorcise, darkness, you're talking as if I'm truly cursed!"- Leonida screamed, throwing her head back madly. "But I'm not some jinx, I'm your daughter! You-"
"NO, YOU ARE! YOU ARE INDEED A CURSE!"
The mature Queen's sudden snapping had her daughter in absolute shock. Magana was breathing heavily as she turned to glare at her, her hazel eyes swimming in hot tears:
"You are a curse, a curse that is meant to destroy Coronia as we know it and threaten the balance in the entire Universe! You're the Dark Descendant, Leonida. An ancient evil that strives to engulf the known lands in darkness!"
"No..."- the blonde shook her head in bitter denial. "That's not true..."
"It's quite true! 22 years ago, when my mother came to warn me about your fate, you murdered her, now you've murdered your father also, along with all the others that have fallen victims to your darkness. Your true nature!"- Magana was weeping and yelling at the same time. She turned her reddened eyes to her daughter once again. "All the other incidents that have been a part of life with you! All my attempts to change you, it was all in vain! Your way has long been predestined! But now I'll do what I had to do long ago. I will protect my people from your heinous nature!"
The clay broke in a second. Magana lost her balance and landed on the floor only to lift her head and come to the horrifying realization: Leonida was free and frustrated.
"My heinous nature? MY HEINOUS NATURE?"- she shouted repeatedly. "I'll show you heinous!"
Magana's jaw was stiff from hanging as the terror in her eyes kept growing with every next move of her daughter's. Leonida's entire body glowed dangerously. Ominously, like liquid gold poison...Her immense strength and magical energy were already burning her mother's skin...
"You took it all from me, mother. You snatched my title, my crown, my golden water, but this is what you could never take!"- the princess screamed in an echoing voice. "My talent to be heinous! You want a curse for a daughter?! I'll give you a curse to remember!"
The Spiritual Master had tried to intervene, but Leonida's magic smashed him in one of the walls. Her rage was too much to handle...She looked around herself one last time before glaring down at the panting queen:
"Queen Magana, I will have what is mine back. You shall not stand between me and my kingdom!"
But her voice got stuck in her throat, as her throat opened for her to scream of the sudden overwhelming pain she felt from behind. Something, or rather someone, was sucking the energy out of her...
"Andan!"- Magana exclaimed in relief as she met her son's eyes. The young man held a golden idol above his sister's head. "Thank the fays of the ancient wisdom..."
"You already undid my father. I shall not allow you to hurt my mother too."- Andan said in a loud, cold voice.
"No!"- Leonida gasped, dying to grab the idol from her brother's hands, but unable to even stand up. Its power kept her pinned down. It made her weak and hardly even allowed her to talk..."The order of Coronia..."
"The order of Coronia is created to protect its rightful Queen. My mother!"- Andan countered.
"No...you will all regret this! You WILL REGRET!"- the ex-Queen screamed as she felt her powers being drained from her body.
"Spiritual Master, now!"- Magana, who had finally grabbed a hold of herself, shrieked.
The old guru approached the mother and son, who struggled to keep the raging dethroned princess under control with the help of the idol that was draining her power...
"Kill me now, Magana of Coronia."- Leonida hissed, throwing one last glare at her mother's figure. "Kill me while you still can, because one day; One day I will return and I will make you pay dearly for all that you've done to me..."
"No, you will not."- Magana said in a dismal voice as the Spiritual Master kept mumbling some words under his nose. His hands squashed the beads and the feathers he had taken out of his patch... "From this moment on, you'll never be able to approach us again, Leonida. Me, this family, the kingdom... You will be exiled for your own good."
"Ha!"- her daughter croaked mockingly. "Do you believe yourself? I will find a way! I will find a way to get back to my rightful position, I swear. You shall never win, mother, never. I will show you just how wrong you are! I promise you, you self-absorbed matron!"
Magana squinted her eyes but said nothing. The mantras were all said. The Spiritual Master threw the dust of his ingredients at Leonida, who screamed in agony. For the next part, her mother had to close her eyes. Her anger and her sadness had been fighting the entire time, and having to do this, as a mother, was hurting her enough. It would keep hurting her, the memory of it, till her last days...Only Andan watched motionlessly as his sister's body burnt and changed in size a few times. When the sparks of the ancient curse died down, all that was left of Leonida Coronia were a few golden feathers. The feathers of the Golden Cuckoo...
Six years later, Infinite City dungeons, Meridian
His days in the dungeon were as long and eventless as an eternity of silence and misery. He was sentenced exactly to that. He was to rot in here...in the dungeons of his very own kingdom, where he had once thrown prisoners. Now, he was the prisoner. He was a prisoner of his own destiny and actions...
Rage, pain, hurt? He was soaked in negative emotions. His life had never been a happy one, but ever since being put away for good, it had become even more depressing. However, in spite of it, in spite of the fact that this was his full tenth year in the dungeons, Phobos Escanor's wraith was keeping his ego alive. His ego and his hatred for all who had plotted against him gave him a reason to keep living... To keep breathing...The damp, slate air of the hideous cell.
One day, sister. One day you will be kept here for the rest of your days, Phobos thought as he reached to have a glass of the terrible water that the guards had left for him. It was warm and bitter, almost moldy, but he had to quench his thirst.
That day is closer than you think, your Highness. Sorry, sorry...your Majesty.
Phobos almost choked on his own saliva. He looked around himself. Where was this voice coming from? Тhis lyrical female voice...He could hear in his head...He was considering it to be yet another mirage when he saw it. The golden bird. Just a few inches away from the polarized bars of his cell.
"What are you?!"- the Prince inquired incredulously. "How did you get in here?"
You need not talk, your Majesty, we have already established a mental link. Please, I don't want us to be heard, the cuckoo sent him another string of thoughts and gently moved its wings. Your former Palace has a lot of drama going on. Currently, everyone is trying to get the Queen and the rebel leader's mother to stop fighting.
Phobos snorted hatefully:
I do not care. Actually, I'd be most happy if I hear that they've annihilated each other simultaneously! But say, what did you mean with your very first statement? Who are you?
I'm a big adherent of yours, Prince Phobos. We are bound together by fate. I've come to offer you a way to new beginnings. I've come to offer you an alliance. I'm here to offer you the retrieval of all that belongs to you.
Exhausted, but having seen a golden opportunity, the prince smiled insidiously:
"I'm listening, my golden pet."
Arkhanta, present days
"Asa is in there. You may go talk to her. However, keep in mind that she's fragile and confused. Don't force anything on her, or you'll regret it."
Nerissa raised her eyebrows in a mocking fashion as she turned to Ari:
"Is that so, sire? Well then, if I'm not trusted then I better leave your kingdom at once."
And with that, she gave the man her back and casually started to make her way back the corridor. Raythor could only blink in perplexity, but before he could start following her, Ari's voice turned out to be faster:
"No. Wait, Mage. This is not right. Kandrakar sent you here, you can't just leave without even..."
"Oh, that's right. You requested Kandrakar's help and even if they were able to send another person to come, which they are not, they sent me."- Nerissa turned back on her heel, coming face to face with the ruler. "What does that have to tell us, Ari of Arkhanta?"
Ari was willing to snap back, but his son's look made him reconcile. He lowered his head in front of the woman's triumphant smile:
"I apologize."- he muttered as Maqi nodded at him. It was true, most of all, they wanted for Asa to fully recover. Nothing else was more important than that. "For all that I've caused you."
"That's right."- Nerissa purred and patted his shoulder ever so offhandedly. "Now scat."
"But..."
Ari gave up on protesting as soon as the dark-haired woman turned to him with those same mocking brows. He closed his mouth and just nodded reluctantly. He and his son had to obey and retreat, leaving Asa to the Mage, with the sole hope that it would be of use.
Nerissa waited to see the father and son pair take a turn down the corridor before entering the hall where Asa was. Her green orbs immediately spotted her sitting on one couch near the windows.
"Good. So far, so good. Now, what?"- Raythor wanted to know as he folded his arms on his chest.
Nerissa didn't reply at once, she graciously seated herself next to the girl, who didn't even acknowledge their presence. Her eyes were empty.
"Now, we'll just give Asa a little adrenaline life force surge."- she explained casually as she rolled the girl's left sleeve up. Then she concentrated and pressed her own arm against hers. The energy came flowing from her body, illuminating Asa's pale cheeks as the life force entered her and made her shake uncontrollably. Then, a few seconds later, her eyes seemed to finally come to focus.
"How did you..."- Raythor began amazed, failing to find the right words.
"Easy."- the Mage retorted and gently ran her fingers over the startled girl's head. She was just coming to her senses and was visibly restless.
"Ari said that the royal healers-"
"Please. As someone who has drained their own life force for decades, I know what works and what doesn't. "- Nerissa insisted. "Her body has been voided for so long. These states of wake sleep she falls into are a mere defensive reaction. Her system cannot bear it, everything around her terrifies her. After being robbed of their life force, non-magic users go through even severer consequences...She's a lucky one."
Asa stirred nervously in her place, having noticed the outsiders, but Nerissa was quick to use her power on a set of cups and jug that started moving at the other end of the room. The single-cup that she had focused on, landed in her hand, full of water.
"Here. Drink this."- she ordered gently after adding a few drops of some mysterious vial to the contents of the cup. "It will help you feel better. Come on, drink up!"
Asa took the cup and drained it anxiously but quickly. Then, timidly, she stopped her big eyes on Nerissa.
"T-thank you."- she stammered.
"Good job. The King and his son will be satisfied."- Raythor thundered from behind the couch. "Our work here is not complete though, is it-"
"No."- the Mage agreed, crossing her legs. "Not yet. I will not torture you with interrogation, Asa. However, I do need to extract all the possible information you could've gathered while being held hostage, even unknowingly. I need you to fall asleep so that I can connect to you in your dream-"
"That won't be needed. Because I can do something better than that."
Nerissa raised both her high-arched brows even higher up at that statement:
"I can transmit all my memories to a single memory stone which I can give you."- the girl stood up firmly.
"And how exactly are you to do that?"- Nerissa wanted to know, inspecting the young girl in front of herself. "Only an experienced magic-user with in-depth knowledge of telepathy and mental magic-"
Asa took a deep breath before interrupting her:
"I can do it as well, despite my young age and appearance. "- the young girl revealed to Raythor and Nerissa's astonishment. "Because, Mage, I'm the Heart of this realm. I'm the Heart of Arkhanta."
"The Heart of this world! She's the Heart of this world! You knew, didn't you? Of course, you did! That's why you want to marry your son to her! To keep all the power within the royal family!"- Nerissa viciously attacked Ari in the secluded courtyard of the Scarlet Citadel, a quarter of an hour post-learning Asa's truth.
"All you bloody royals are the same."- Raythor murmured begrudgingly, glancing at the King who looked up to meet his eyes with a glare. "You could've said so earlier. Instead of attacking Meridian-"
"I didn't think that it was any of your business! Besides, the veil hindered us from reaching you earlier."- Ari barked. "I had no other option but to pray that Phobos hasn't discovered Asa's true identity. But then again, why had he kidnapped her in the first place? Who was he, who was Philipp, who was the Mage? So many questions and worries tore me apart over the weeks in which she was held hostage by your run-away tyrant. The kingdom suffered enough! I solemnly thank you for helping Asa, but that's about enough. I don't need your lections!"
"Sure you don't."- Nerissa mocked him. "All you care about is your little kingdoms. Indeed, you all are the same!"
"I'm terribly sorry."- Ari hissed coldly. "Not everybody can have great aspirations regarding the entire Universe like yourself!"
"And how could you? Look at you!"- the sorceress hissed, pointing at him with her hand. "You're an ordinary farmer who took hold of Arkhanta's reins by capturing a wild beast and subjecting its power to his will! Innovative? Sure you are, but only within the scope of your fields! You're not fit to control the Heart of this realm!"
"Enough, Mage! You are beyond glib to even dare criticize and comment my actions as the legitimate ruler of this kingdom in the very borders of this kingdom!"- Ari spat right in her face, but Nerissa didn't bulge. She just gifted him with a cold belittling look. "We requested your help. Not your interference in our private business!"
"Nerissa. Let's go."
Raythor was urging her, but she wasn't about to move her eyes first. Once the enraged king broke the intense eye duel between them himself, the ex-guardian slowly turned her back on him, keeping her otherwise full lips tightly shut in a livid grimace. He was a fool for denying her. Her experience was much vaster than his...The fact that Phobos had failed to uncover the girl's truth was a mere lucky chance, a gift of his haughty arrogance, but the king? King Ari? King Ari was a moron...
She was leaving. She was leaving, but she wasn't ready to reconcile. No, this was a temporary drawback. Raythor was guarding her back when another male voice reached Nerissa's ears from behind them:
"Mage, wait! We need to talk..."
It rained and rained. Fadden Hills hadn't seen such a furious early spring storm in years. Had Kadma Starlighter's residence not been up in Cypress Hills, the ex-guardian would've been afraid it would get flooded. But now she had much different worries. And bothers...
"That monster. That worthless, filthy creature!"- she exclaimed angrily, slamming her fist in the old piano. "I hope one of those plagues teaches him a valuable lesson once and for all!"
"Don't say that, Kadma, Kandrakar's wellbeing is directly related to that of so many worlds!"- Halinor cried.
None of the lamps inside the manor were on. The large drawing-room was almost completely submerged in dusk; the pale afternoon sun rays that came from behind the thick clouds and the occasional lightnings in the sky were the only sources of light.
The three women inside the room were tense, anxious, and completely unperturbed, despite the old man hanging in the air, chained in magical electric rings ... At this point, he had stopped fighting to set himself free. He had lost all hope and rightfully so. But his pitiful surrender irked the creator of his ringed prison. It was not the type of yielding she was looking for and, hence, she stood up from the couch and mercilessly tightened the rings with her power:
"Nerissa! He needs to stay alive- "
"I don't care whether he lives or not, he's worthless garbage and he refuses to talk!"- Nerissa shot her a venomous look. Halinor sighed and looked down. "Might as well get rid of him for good..."
"Not before he has told us the entire truth!"- Kadma's voice thundered as she pointed the Heart of Zamballa towards the man. Her heavily outlined with black kajal eyes pierced him threateningly. "You will speak, do you hear me, Kandor?! Because if you don't..."
The Queen made a dangerous pause. Then she hurled past Halinor and forcefully pushed something in the hostage's mouth. Kandor choked on it, but before he could spit it out, the former Earth guardian roughly pushed his jaw up, forcing him to swallow.
"If you don't, my chastising bean will start growing inside you! And with every next little thrill of growth, your pain will be doubled, tripled, and beyond! You will die in infernal pains!"- Kadma spat as Halinor closed her eyes in defeat. She couldn't and wouldn't even try to talk her two friends out of torturing Kandor, for he actually deserved it. He was a traitor and a cheat, and he was to blame for the shocking turn of events that Kandrakar and all of them were going through.
The blonde folded her arms on her chest, unraveling the bell sleeves of her ethereal tunic. She watched Kandor squirm in Nerissa's rings, desperate to be elsewhere...
"You will speak! Do I stand clear? You WILL speak the truth and only the truth!"- Kadma ordered and waved her hand, triggering the growth of the bean that the man had just swallowed, with her powers.
At first, he didn't budge, but then, as the roots started moving inside him, Kandor let out a terrifying scream which echoed in the walls of the manor...
"Impressive, Kads."- Nerissa snickered. While Kadma's anger had gotten the better of her, Nerissa had chosen to express her dissatisfaction in gloating.
She moved her piercing emerald orbs from her heavily breathing friend to the miserable hostage, who was on the verge of passing out. "Now, you pathetic traitor. Be a dear and kindly tell us all that you have on the Dark Descendant."
The old man snickered through his pangs, as he met the Mage's eyes. Her smile slowly quenched as he muttered spitefully:
"I'd rather die than betray the gold-blooded. You can do whatever you want to me, but you shall never stop the Descendant! The Descendant is my homeland's savior, they're much bigger than you, me, and anything else that you find important."
"Your insolence and arrogance are quite ridiculous."- the brunette averred as she came closer to him. "You forget who you're dealing with. I imprisoned you in your own veil, 11 years ago. I am Nerissa! What is important to me is what matters most, I break everything and everyone who stand in my way!"
"You're long not what you used to be, Nerissa."- Kandor's laugh came out as a gleeful hiss, despite the pain that Kadma's growing bean caused him. "Mortal values and obsessive feelings bound you to a reality where you live for things as meaningless as a family. The moment you dropped your dominance aspirations you became a silent letter! You cannot fight our society, our Descendant... you cannot even bring yourself to kill me!"
Nerissa, who was shaking with silent anger, still managed to reply to Kandor's mad insolence with a cold-blooded grimace:
"Why must I kill an old fool like you?"- she said in a low voice. "Your old, weak body is irrelevant to me and this entire story. It's your insane princess who I'll kill."
"Princess Leonida has nothing to do with this! She-"- but his voice had betrayed him. Kandor's words got stuck in his throat as he felt yet another sharp pain in his stomach due to Kadma's triggered fury:
"You're lying, you worm!"- she roared. "The tramp is of importance to your Descendant story. If not the Descendant their self, she's a pawn of their interest!"- Kadma wrapped her hands around the man's neck. "We will bring her down, don't you dare doubt that. But first, I will kill you! I will not grant you the joy of seeing your dream even just fighting to come true!"
"Both of you stop this at once!"- Halinor demanded. She had waved her hand and teletransported the hostage back in the cellar where they originally kept him... "We can't afford to become Kandor's murderers!"- she exclaimed.
"Oh, would you please shut up!"- Nerissa hissed, irritated. "How do you suggest we extract the information we need from him, otherwise? He's practically sentenced to death, either way. He plotted against your dear Kandrakar and cost them with more than I could have ever hoped to achieve. And what is worse, you knew!"
"I did not know that any of this would happen to Kandrakar-"
Her former leader's exaggerated, angry laugh, interrupted her. Halinor sighed as Nerissa turned to Kadma and said through gritted teeth:
"Look at our darling Hal. She still believes that this is all and only about Kandrakar!"
Kadma's ice-cold, angry expression barely changed. She moved her eyes from the distance and focused them on the former Fire guardian with unimaginable strictness:
"We've reached the end of our tether, that's obvious. You were under oath, that's understandable. But Kandor? He's worthless! He refuses to talk! Is he under oath too!? Is his life under oath?!"
"Please, I understand your anger and frustration, but the reason why I was under an unbreakable oath is much more serious than you can imagine. Allow me to explain-"
"No oath is truly unbreakable, now is it, Halinor? Especially for someone as erudite as you."- Nerissa interrupted her bitterly, causing her blue eyes to look down again in a mixture of shame and lassitude. She was tired of this fight. "Had you wanted to share with us, you would've found a way."- the green-eyed woman went on, judgmentally. "After all that happened in that last year, I've never even dreamed that you would ever choose the Oracle's side over ours again-"
"Shut up!"- Halinor suddenly yelled, bewildering the other two. The sky outside was suddenly illuminated by lightning. "Shut up and listen to me! I've taken no sides, I've done nothing because of anyone... anyone but these five girls. I hid the details about the Dark Descendant because had I not, one of the guardians would've died!"
Another lighting fell, followed by the clap of deafening thunder, illuminating the entire room once again. Kadma's shock was visible in her violet-blue eyes that darted across the distance and fell on Halinor again:
"W-what?!"
"Who foretold that?"- Nerissa wanted to know. Her hard tone was still there, but her tenets were shaken. "Himerish?"
Halinor slumped down on one chair, breathing deeply before teletransporting an old book in her hands. She summoned a sheaf of her Kandrakarian magic, a type of magic which only the elders of the Fortress possess, and opened it.
"This book..."- Kadma exclaimed. "It looks just like the one which the guardians now have..."
"This book is the second changing book on Coronia's secrets and the real essence of the Dark Descendant. But let me tell you about the reason for our forced silence and non-participation up until now. As I already said, there's an old malison created in order to protect the Dark Descendant. "- Halinor stated quietly, going through the written with visible indisposing. "What Himerish did was estimate the truthfulness of it, Rissy...It's terrifyingly accurate and indisputably true. That is the reason why Kandrakar and all of its allies kept all knowledge about the Dark Descendant buried. Up until now. Now that the darkness has taken a particular shape and form, all the conditions of the malison are fulfilled. The protecting malison of the Descendant can no longer harm the guardians. We had no other choice-"
"The entire united Council of the Fortress of Infinity couldn't break the alleged curse of one stupid book?!"- Nerissa's fervent voice nailed every word like a hammer. Her outraged gaze met her friend's distressed orbs as she spat: "I call bulshit! The purpose of all these ancient curses and banes is to manipulate people! There's always a way, a loophole, how could you just wait all these- "
"No, there was no such thing, Nerissa! You don't want to understand."- Halinor interrupted her ruefully. "If there was a way to avoid all this and help the girls once the problem emerged the first time, we would've done it! See for yourself!"- and she handed her the book on the page she had opened. "Tell me, Nerissa. Where is the loophole in this?! What is the right way to escape the consequences of all these ancient curses if their conditions aren't met? Why did Will's name appear on this page, 25 years ago?!"
Nerissa frowned at the undebatable argument, before firing:
"He did it."
"Huh?"
"Kandor. He has been on Kandrakar for decades, he has set it all up to make sense of his stupid games and sequester all the vital things long enough for his 'growing darkness' to hold the Fortress in grim siege."
"Nerissa, it's not as simple!"- Halinor objected. "Had it been just deceit, we wouldn't have fallen for it. Not all of us at the same time, at least- "
"Yes, it is!"- Nerissa insisted. "Why not, Halinor?"- she laughed angrily. "All of you believed the Mage for years and then lost balance in my webs one by one. Different people maneuver with different methods! Kandrakar's current fate is yet another result of your undivided inactions!"
"Say whatever you want, but don't allow your disrelish for Kandrakar to cloud your judgment, Nerissa! It's not the same! Nothing ever is the same, and when it was a guardian's life in danger, I personally couldn't take the risk! Because I've experienced this pain for myself."- Halinor's eyes were wet. Her voice was getting higher and more restless with every next part of her shaky, yet earnest statement: "The loss...No, never again would I watch that happen! Not after what happened to Cassidy!"
Nerissa blenched, but bared her teeth:
"You, of course! Himerish, I don't think so! He didn't care about his guardians' lives back then; he certainly doesn't care much more now!"
"Nerissa, you're not right!"
"ENOUGH! Both of you!"
Kadma's yell had put an end to her friends' heated, emotional debate.
"The cat is out of the bag and the current situation can't be mended by discussing all these possibilities."- she averred. "It's pointless to even discuss this decision anymore; we need to rectify the situation by being smarter in the present, not by getting lost in what's past!"
"You're right, Kadma."- Halinor sobbed.
Nerissa brought her hands together and nodded sharply, yet concordantly:
"I completely agree. The question is how are we to do that. Where do we even begin?"
The three women fell into complete silence for the first time in hours. The rain outside continued to fall. They remained silent until the former Earth guardian opened her mouth with a new thought that had suddenly crossed her mind:
"Wait. Halinor, you said that this is the second changing book on Coronia?"- she sought clarification, waving the big book in her hands.
"Yes."- the blonde blinked. "Why?"
"And the guardians?"
"Yes...They hold volume number three."
"Number three? The books are more than two?"
Kadma and Nerissa looked at each other as Halinor started to catch up on what they were saying.
"If Kandrakar had the second volume and the guardians found the third one..."-Kadma began.
"Then where's volume number one? The original changing book of Coronia?"- the other brunette finished.
"The beginning of this horrific bilge."- the violet-eyed woman muttered. "More about it must be expounded in the first volume!"
"That's it! Where is the first volume, Halinor?"
Anxious, but thoughtful, the former Fire guardian met her two friends' gazes:
"That's a very good question."
