Book 6: the signs
(Cedric pov)
Cedric awoke with a pounding headache, and when he tried to sit up, he found that the royal sorcerer was not on a cold bedroom floor, but warm in his bed. A bold of pain made Cedric's hand shoot up to his head, only to find it wrapped in a thin layer of bandage. Looking around, Cedric could only guess what happened last night at the ball. He seemed to be back in his room, the door to his laboratory was cracked ever so slightly, and there was the distinct sound of hushed conversation, and the faint click, click, click of someone pacing quietly.
Getting up quietly, Cedric opened the door to see a face that he thought he saw in a dream. Sapphire stood in the corner, still wearing the dress from the night before, her river blue eyes lined with dark heavy bags. Princess Sofia was also there, although she looked well rested and wore her usual purple gown. The royal sorcerer made his way over to his lost love, not sure if this was a hallucination of some sort. Sapphire's dark hair was sticking up in all sort of way that seemed to defy gravity, but that didn't mean anything to the royal sorcerer of Enchantia; she looked like the goddess of beauty, just like all those years ago.
A tear slipped from her eye, and Cedric carefully wiped it away with his thumb, the entire room as silent as a tomb. In that few seconds, Cedric felt the whole gambit of emotions: disbelief, happiness, confusion, sadness, and then finally anger. Sapphire, who Cedric fully knew was well in tuned with his emotions, saw that in his facially expression, and turned to the young princess who was staring at the two wizards silently.
"Sofia may you go down to the dining hall and save me and Cedric some breakfast?" Sapphire asked. Sofia nodded and got off the seat she was sitting in, and walked out, still not saying a word. Once the princess was gone, Sapphire quickly made sure that the door was closed all the way to discourage any eavesdroppers. That's when Cedric let his emotions explode from him.
"WHERE IN THE NAME OF MAGIC HAVE YOU BEEN?!" He demanded, practically yelling his head off. Sapphire winced at how her friend was, but she did not back down her stare. "Have you any idea how hurt you left me? Or how worried I was when you vanished?"
A tear escaped and flowed down her cheek, and Cedric had to resist the urge to wipe it. When she spoke, Sapphire's voice cracked but she "Don't you think I know that? Every night, I stayed up, twisting and turning in my bed, thinking about you and what became of you. I never stopped thinking about you."
Cedric felt his anger melt away and replaced with guilt at yelling at her but he still had to figure out where she was and why she left. That got his anger simmering once again.
"You never came back," he started to argue, his eyes narrowing. Cedric saw that irritation over took Sapphire's beautiful features, and the tears that were welling up, just threatening to spill over.
"I couldn't come back Cedric," she whispered, and from experience Cedric could tell that she was near her breaking point. "I disappeared to protect you."
"So you breaking my heart was part of your plan to protect me?" Sapphire's lip trembled, and her eyes betrayed her broken heart. She turned to leave, slowly without saying a word. But when she opened the door, the young woman looked over her shoulder, and Cedric wanted to call her back when she spoke the words that truly shattered his heart.
"You've changed Cedric," she muttered, so quiet Cedric could barely hear it. "You've let the darkness take ahold of your heart, and let greed cloud your vision. I don't think I know you anymore."
She walked out, leaving a shell-shocked royal sorcerer staring at the door, mouth agape.
(Sapphire pov)
The sorceress ran towards the stables, tears streaming down her cheeks. She kept her head down, not bothering to change out of her dress from last night. As soon as she reached the stables, Sapphire quickly headed straight to Midnight Moon's stable, where the navy blue horse was munching on some oats.
"Hey Sapphire," the Pegasus greeted as the sorceress grabbed the saddle and fastened the riding gear on the flying horse. "Hey what are you doing?"
"We're leaving," Sapphire explained, grabbing a knapsack, which was hanging on the wall as well as a cloak as it was still snowing pretty hard.
"Oh and where are we going?"
"Somewhere far away from here," Sapphire explained, straddling the horse and flicking the reins, plunging them into the cold air.
(Sofia pov)
After the young princess had sat down for breakfast with her family, Sofia felt anxious, but she dismissed it as nerves as the kitchen staff put their breakfast of pancakes in front of her.
"Is Cedric okay?" James asked as he speared his first pancake. "I heard he passed out at the ball last night."
"Yeah he's okay," Sofia answered. "He just woke up not too long ago."
"Oh and how is he?" Queen Miranda asked. Before Sofia could answer her mother, Baileywick came up, bowing apologetically.
"Your majesty, Cedric is requesting your presence," the castle steward informed. Before Roland could respond the royal sorcerer swiftly walked into the dinning hall, his head bowed in worry, and his eyes brimming with tears, which was so unlike him.
"Cedric is everything okay?" Amber asked worried. The royal sorcerer was breathing heavy, his brown eyes searching frantically.
"She's gone…" he said, a tear slipping. He must've been light headed from his recent head injury because he stumbled almost falling on his face. King Roland caught his friend, then he sat him down on a chair.
"Cedric what's the matter?" Roland asked slowly.
"Sapphire…. She's gone, and I don't know where's she's gone," he whispered.
"Did you check his room?" the king asked, to which the sorcerer nodded. "And she wasn't in there?" A shake of his head. "Okay. Inform Constable Miles that we need a search party and we need it now. Cedric why don't we have Baileywick take you to your room?"
"No I need to go with the party," the sorcerer said, his eyes showing a broken heart. "Sapphire left because of me, and I need to be the one to find her."
"Okay, okay," Roland, said giving in. "Sofia go get dressed. You and Cedric will search the skies. We need to hurry; there's a blizzard coming and no will be able to survive that."
Cedric continued to stare blankly ahead of him, but when King Roland spoke about the blizzard, his eyes widened, then they closed, a tear slipping as he lowered his hands into his head. Sofia ran all the way to her room, where Clover, Mia and Robin were waiting for her.
"Hey Sof," the bunny greeted, but then noticed how out of breath she was and how she struggled to get her riding clothes as she was doing it extremely quick. "What's going on Sofia? Is something wrong?"
"It's Sapphire," she explained. "She's run off."
"We can help with the search," Mia offered.
"No, it's too dangerous since there's a blizzard on its way," the young princess said grabbing her cloak. "I'll be back. You guys stay here in case Sapphire returns.'
The rabbit nodded as Sofia ran out of room towards the stables where Cedric was already on a Pegasus, waiting. Flapping his wings, Minimus lowered so Sofia could climb onto him easily and she flicked the reins as well as Cedric and they took off into the cold winds, the snow coming down hard.
(Sapphire pov)
The sky had darkened considerably; the snow pelting the young sorceress as she and her Pegasus flew threw the sky. Lightening flashed in front of them, making Midnight Moon rear back, accidentally throwing off Sapphire who had been crying into the dark blue mane of the Pegasus.
Sapphire screamed as she fell, her river blue eyes wide with fear and terror as the wind whipped her hair around her. Midnight Moon dive bombed towards her, her light and dark wings tucked in as the once wild horse tried to save her rider. Sapphire looked down below her, seeing trees heading straight towards her, or rather her heading straight towards them.
Using the skills she acquired in the mirror realm, Sapphire twisted her body, so she was falling spread eagle, then right when she was about to get hit by the trees, she straightened up, going head first. Acting as fast as lightening, the young sorceress reached up and grabbed the branches, yelping in pain as her arm strained to hold onto the branch. The branch in question snapped not long after Sapphire grabbed a hold of, and before Midnight could get to her, the young sorceress fell. She screamed in pain as she fell through the multiple branches, as they tore up the back of her dress, drawing a small amount of blood. Sapphire turned on her side right when she hit the ground, hard. Pain flared up in her left arm, making her scream in pain as she lay on the ground shivering.
"Sapphire are you alright?" She heard Midnight Moon asked. Sapphire's vision was blurry with pain, but she could see the navy blue horse standing over her.
"Go get help," She whispered, everything fading slightly. She felt herself move. It was Midnight Moon, dragging the injured sorceress to a nearby cave, so she could stay as warm as possible.
"I'll be back as soon as I can get help," Midnight moon said as she ran outside and flew to the sky, yelling, "SOFIA!"
Sapphire lay there on the floor, the pain in her broken arm making her wince at each throb. With difficulty, the freezing sorceress got up and crawled towards the wall, where she sat sobbing as her eyes started to close. But she forced herself awake. Knowing the if she fell asleep she would never wake up, Sapphire made herself focus on the snow falling outside, remembering the first time she met Cedric…
Hexly Hall (6, 7)…
It was a fabulous day as the weather was warm and the birds shining. It was the first day of school as students, both nervous and confident, filed into the small classroom. Among the flood of students, there was a small chubby young girl around the age of six. She clutched her books tightly to her chest, as if it were a shield of protection. The girl had dark hair, which framed her chubby face in waves of curls, and a small hint of light blue bangs. Her river blue eyes searched the faces of the sea of soon to be sorcerers and sorceress, in hopes to find someone to start being friends with.
She smiled as she spotted the dark curls of her friend Lana, but when saw she was talking with one of the popular girls that restlessly teased Sapphire her smile fell. Sighing, the young sorceress sat down in a desk in the far back corner, where she could hopefully stay at out of the sight of the bullies.
At lunch, while eating a ham sandwich, Sapphire spotted a young boy with grey bangs and dark hair eating by him. Using this as an opportunity to make a friend, Sapphire gathered her things and walked over to the boy, who was scowling at her with his big brown eyes.
"Hello," the young child greeted happily, smiling. "My name's Sapphire. What's yours?"
The boy hesitated a moment before smiling. "Cedric. I'm the son of Goodwin the Great, Royal Sorcerer to King Roland the First." The boy said it so confidently that it made Sapphire smile.
"Really?" The young girl asked in surprised. "Wow. You must be lucky to have the best sorcerer in the realm as your father." The boy's face fell, which made Sapphire's face fall.
"What's wrong?"
Cedric sighed sadly. This wasn't going too well. "It's just that…I'm always compared to my father. No matter what I do, it's never good enough." The young girl put her hand on the boy's back hesitantly, and when the boy looked up an instant connection was made. Sapphire would later describe it as a zing, something her uncle had told her about when telling stories about her birth parents.
"Well I may not know a lot about you," Sapphire started. "But I would certainly like to." And in that moment, a love was born.
Present day, unknown cave….(Sapphire pov)
Sapphire smiled weakly as the memory flooded back into her memory, something that was buried deeply when she was banished to the mirror realm. Her entire body was numb, and when she breathed in deeply she dove into a coughing fit. She was tired…. so tired of being afraid, so tired of looking over her shoulder, waiting for the next attack to come. Her eyes closed and this time she was unable to force them open.
As soon as Sapphire's river blue eyes closed, her light blue amulet glowed brightly with a golden light. The cave became slightly warmer as a figure appeared surrounded by a heavenly golden light. An elegant woman wearing a dress made out of flowers and a circlet of leaves and berries stood over Sapphire's cold form. Her eyes were like freshly tilled soil, her hair (tied up in a bun) was like pure gold, and her smile could light up any dark room or cave. In the figure's hand was a staff, which was topped with golden birds.
The strange woman knelt down and placed a hand on Sapphire's forehead, making sure that she was still alive. Another figure arrived, this time with a silver low around her appeared, her hair and skin as white as freshly fallen snow.
"Does she still live?" the spirit of Corundum asked her mother was still kneeling down. Her voice had a slight echo, but that was to be expected of a spirit.
Mother Earth breathed a sigh of relief, as she lifted the unconscious girl's head. "Yes. Her hearts still beats loud and pure, but she doesn't have a lot of time."
"She needs to survive if she is to face Ruby," Corundum informed as her mother stood beside her. "We must slow the blizzard down so Sofia and Cedric could find her. Will you be able to assist me?"
"Of course I will." The former queen of the gods said. She turned to the mouth of the cave as she raised her staff, the queen's eyes brown eyes turning gold before she chanted: "I call upon the spirits of the earth. The Earth mother commands you to slow the storm, so that the child of ice and snow can live to fulfill her destiny." As the Earth Mother slammed the butt of the staff, Corundum let forth a burst of blue light, mingling with the Queen's golden blast. The blasts of energy danced together in the storm, slowing it down drastically.
"We cannot hold this off very long," The earth mother stated, aging. Her flawless skin was soon lined with wrinkles and her bright blonde hair turning grey. "Our powers are weakening us. How is that possible?"
"It could be Ruby," Corundum suggested sitting down wearily on a rock. "She could be destroying the source of our power, which is probably the reason why our powers are draining us."
A realization suddenly came to the queen, something that she dreaded. "Jade and Argenta. They could be still be out there somewhere. That monster could be using their own magic against them."
"I will warn them," Corundum volunteered. "Stay with Sapphire until help arrives." The queen nodded before her daughter became nothing more than a shimmer of light, illuminating the snow as it floated out into the night.
The earth mother heard a groan emanating from the unconscious woman. The girl lifted her head shakily, her lips blue, her skin so pale it almost looked blue. Sapphire parted her lips, her hands rising up as if to reach up and signifying that she needed help.
"Please…." The young girl pleaded, her voice raw, her eyes closing. "Help…me." A sound of a horse whining coming close told the Earth Mother that it was time to leave, and in a flash of light she vanished.
(Cedric pov)
As the two close friends flew through the sky, Cedric couldn't help but feel that it was his fault that Sapphire ran away. He started the yelling match, he accused her of leaving in the first place, and it was him who didn't go after her to comfort her and apologize for his behavior. But he didn't, and because of his cowardice she could be freezing to death or hurt.
Squinting Cedric saw something in the distance, heading towards them. Through the now lightly falling snow, the royal sorcerer could make out a big body with wings. A Pegasus. It flew by them, and then it made a sharp U-turn, stopping in front of Sofia.
It neighed urgently, and Sofia gasped, her blue eyes filling with tears.
"Can you take me to her?" Sofia asked the Pegasus, which nodded and took off in the direction it came from. At Cedric's questioning glare Sofia explained, "That was Midnight Moon, Sapphire's Pegasus. She's hurt really bad and we need to hurry."
Cedric followed Sofia, the snow slowing down considerably, finally able to see in front of him. His midnight black horse flew as fast as his wings could carry, obviously unable to keep up with Sofia's short purple horse.
They soon were above a clearing, a cave with light spilling out of it. If Sapphire was as hurt as Sofia claimed then she wouldn't have been able to light a fire. Someone was in there with her; Cedric needed to get to her as soon as possible in case that stranger was going to hurt Sapphire. The horse he was on whined as he forced it into a dive and as soon as he did the light from inside the cave vanished. The storm picking up once again, Cedric rushed inside of the cave, before he muttered "Lux" the tip of his wand illuminating the cave. There huddled in the corner shivered, was Sapphire Starlight, curled into a ball and leaning against the wall.
When she lifted up her head, Cedric saw her lips were dark blue, and her skin covered in a fine layer of frost, her eyes opened a crack. "Cedric…" was all she whispered before falling over, clutching her left arm. The royal sorcerer knelt down, turning the young woman on her side in case she started to vomit. Sapphire fell into a coughing fit, and to help her, Cedric placed a spell on her in order to keep her from hurting herself. Sapphire soon passed out from cold then Cedric took that opportunity to pick her up and carry her bridal style to his horse, his thickest robe wrapped securely around her.
He mounted his horse with some difficulty, but he managed, taking to the skies with Sofia in tow.
Back in Enchantia….
As soon as the two got back, Cedric went straight to the castle infirmary, ignoring the pestering questions of the King and Queen. Sapphire's eyes were still closed, and she hasn't moved since the cave other than her moving chest. Fearing the worst, the royal sorcerer quickly hurried his pace, afraid of the possibility of what happened. He placed Sapphire on an empty cot, the royal healer briskly looking over her.
Unbeknownst to him, Greylock had walked in after being told by Sofia that Sapphire had been found and that she and Cedric were in the infirmary. The royal sorcerer of King Magnus tapped Cedric on the shoulder, but he didn't react. The smaller sorcerer just stared blankly at the healer who was wrapping Sapphire's left arm in a sling. The sorceress's lips had returned to normal color, although she was still deathly pale, and she still hadn't moved. The healer had informed the two sorcerers that she had a broken arm, and that she will need some sleep if she was to heal properly. Greylock had thanked the healer and had to practically drag Cedric out of the room, him still staring blankly ahead of him.
Once they got out of room, Cedric broke down, something he never did in public, or at all even. Greylock pulled him out of the prying eyes of the servants. The sorcerer helped get Cedric back to his tower, where the sorcerer just sat at his workbench, head down staring at the portrait of him and Sapphire.
"Hey buddy you okay?" Greylock asked. He didn't even move, then suddenly he slammed his fist on the table so hard Greylock thought he heard a crack.
"It's all my fault…" Cedric muttered but it was so quiet Greylock thought he misheard him.
"I beg your pardon?"
"It's…all…my…. FAULT!" He threw a heavy book at that last word at Greylock but the older magician dodged it easily.
"It's not your fault at all Cedric," Greylock reassured, putting a hand on Cedric's shoulder but the grey banged sorcerer just shrugged it off.
"You knew all along that she was here," he said, glaring angrily at his 'friend'. "You knew that I forgot about her since the search was called off, unfairly might I add. My heart is no longer hers."
"Then what is this?" Greylock held up a ring with a blue stone, the exact ring Cedric bought for Sapphire the day he was planning to propose to her. A shocked and surprised expression came over his face, but unfortunately Greylock saw it.
"Where did you get that?"
"You like it?" Greylock asked, pretending to examine it. "I found it on the statue dedicated to Sapphire when I went to put flowers on the pedestal. Figured that someone was trying to play a prank but then I saw the inscription." Greylock tossed the ring over to Cedric who caught it with ease.
"'I will promise my heart to you forever and always-Cedric'," he recited. Cedric didn't even need to look at it; he read it every day since Sapphire disappeared, in hopes that if he held on to hope and his undying love for her, then that would be enough to bring her home. Unfortunately it wasn't.
"You were going to propose to her weren't you?" Greylock asked, gently all his anger gone, replaced with sympathy.
"We were going to spend the rest of our life together," Cedric said, putting the ring in his family wand case for safekeeping. "I wanted nothing but the best for her, but I couldn't save her from the monster that day. I ran like a coward, leaving her to defend for herself. I don't deserve a kind woman like her." Cedric's voice cracked at the last sentence, and he felt everything he worked for crash on him.
"Listen, why don't I stay with Sapphire so you can focus on your work," Greylock offered.
"Don't you have your own work to do Greylock?"
"I spoke with King Magnus and he's given me permission to help you around the castle until Sapphire gets better." Cedric smiled at how his friend was willing to sacrifice his own position just to help out here.
"Thank you so much Greylock," Cedric hugged the prankster tightly.
"Sure thing Cedlick." Greylock joked, messing up his hair. "What are best friends are for."
"Ugh it's Cedric."
(Sapphire pov)
The young sorceress woke up on the bed, a headache pounding her brain like a war drum. Sapphire tried to move her left arm, but found in doing so, searing hot pain would shoot up her arm turning her vision white. Turning her head, she saw that she was lying in the castle infirmary, her arm tied in a sling. Lifting up her head so she could look around her better and found that she was wearing a white nightgown, and outside the sky was just darkening. Hearing voices, Sapphire turned her head to see Greylock and the royal healer walking this way, speaking quietly.
Greylock saw that Sapphire was looking at him and quickened his pace, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Sapphire was disappointed that Cedric wasn't there but she didn't have the energy to speak. She felt hot and cold at the same time, and as she laid her head back down on the pillow, Sapphire realized just how drained she felt.
"Hey Sapphire," Greylock greeted smiling. The sorceress smiled back, but closed her eyes after, feeling so tired. Her friend saw how tired she was as did the healer, as the man knelt down and checked her pulse and her forehead.
"She's doing better. But I'm afraid we're going to have to keep her here," the healer told Greylock. "It seems our young friend is running a slight fever."
Sapphire opened her eyes, and Greylock nodded, as he continued to talk to the healer. The young sorceress turned her head, sensing someone else in here with them. She turned her head but found nothing, and returned back to the conversation Greylock and the healer.
"When will she be able to leave?"
"She'll be able to leave in approximately two days," the healer answered sounding confident. Greylock thanked the healer who walked out, leaving both sorcerers alone in the empty medical room. The brown haired sorcerer turned back to Sapphire who was looking up at him with her startling alert blue eyes.
"Sapphire, can you tell me what you remember?" Greylock asked with concern. The young woman didn't remember much; except seeing a figure surrounded by a golden light. Sapphire vaguely recalled that she thought she was dead and the person standing in front of her was an angel. Then the figure disappeared leaving her to freeze.
"I remember...flying through the storm, and then falling," Sapphire knitted her eyebrow. "Then…pain in my arm. I crawled to a cave when Midnight Moon went to go get help. I was so cold...then I saw a light. It was warm and I heard two voices. They were talking but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Then I passed out from the cold. Next thing I knew woke up here. What did happen?"
"Cedric and Sofia found you half frozen in a cave," Greylock answered after a few minutes of silence. "Why'd you run away like that Sapphire? You're usually the one who stays and fights, no matter what the situation is."
Sapphire felt tears well up in her eyes. "I didn't recognize him anymore Greylock. He's changed."
"How did he change?" Greylock asked.
"Cedric couldn't look me straight in the eye, and I don't know how I knew but something didn't seem right with him." Sapphire sighed, a tear falling down her cheek. "He let his heart harden into stone and let greed and hate work their way into soul."
The two sat in silence, before Greylock spoke. "Cedric and Sofia will be here as soon as King Roland lets him go for the evening." He got up and started to leave.
"Where you going?" Sapphire called. Greylock looked over his shoulder then outside at the window, his brown eyes glittering with a little bit of guilt.
"King Magnus has thought that I have been away from my duties long enough," he whispered, and Sapphire knew what that meant.
"You're leaving?" Greylock nodded.
"And unless I want to look for a new line of employment, I need to leave tonight. I hope everything works out with you and Grey bangs. Bye Sapphire." And with that he left, leaving Sapphire alone. She listened to the sound of the small waterfall placed by the healers to sooth the patients to sleep, and was working as Sapphire was dozing, before something woke her up. She felt tense for no reason, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, signifying that Sapphire was being watched.
Reaching for her necklace to make sure it was still there and for protective reason, Sapphire looked around her searching for signs that she wasn't alone anymore. She froze when she saw the outline of a person standing not three beds down. The person had a nurse uniform on but she was deathly pale, with extremely light blue eyes and white hair. She was making a bed, but she wasn't looking at what she was doing. Instead like a crazy fruitloop (Sapphire wasn't sure what a fruitloop was) the person was just staring at her, not even blinking. A door opened somewhere, and when Sapphire glanced to see another aid, she just sighed and turned back, but the person had disappeared.
Her eyes were so heavy that Sapphire didn't fight it. The young sorceress fell into a deep sleep only pierced by a dream.
Sapphire was in a throne room, but it wasn't like any throne room ever seen. The entire room shimmered with gold; the sunlight that poured through the large windows made it seemed that there was gold dust shimmering in the air. The windows were colorful mosaics, each depicting different types of scenes, and Sapphire guessed it was important events from this kingdom's history. The main attraction in the throne room was a beautiful wooden throne, with elegant flower designs engraved on back, and the arms. The flower designs were outlined by freshly polished gold, with guards on the each side, their razor sharp javelins ready at a moments notice.
In front of the room there was a large oak table with a tree design, it's roots and branches becoming intertwined. All around the table were people but they each had something different about them. The only thing similar about them was they all had some sort of heavenly glow around them and seemed to have an unearthly look of beauty. They were the gods and goddesses of the different lands and they were all looking at Sapphire.
They bowed towards her all off the sudden, so thinking that there was someone important behind her, Sapphire turned and found the woman who was in the castle infirmary. The young sorceress recognized her as Corundum, the spirit who was there when Ruby tried to attack her at the school. Instead of a sleeveless, pale blue dress like she did when Sapphire first saw her, the spirit wore an elegant ball gown, with light blue trim. On her hair, which was piled high with Aquamarine stones, sat a sliver crown embedded with Topaz and the main gem was a teardrop shaped tourmaline. Corundum smiled, one that had pure happiness and a small bit of relief.
"Welcome Sapphire Starlight," Corundum spoke, her voice like frozen honey, sweet but it dripped slowly. The pale spirit gestured to the gigantic throne room. "To the Throne room of the Gods."
"Why am I here?" Sapphire asked, confused.
"Walk with me will you?" the spirit asked. Sapphire nodded and walked with the woman, the crowds parting as they walked. The two soon came to a garden, with emerald leaves, ruby roses, sapphire water and a pearl fountain. It was amazing in Sapphire's opinion. Every color was clear and it stood out the sun making them shimmer.
"To show you what can be yours if you choose," Corundum said in a cryptic way.
"What does that mean?"
"Since the beginning of time, my mother, Mother Earth, ruled the world as queen of the god. But she wasn't happy despite having the world of mortals and gods bow at her feet, and relish her with gifts and worship. The queen craved to have children as her own so one day she went to the fates who told her that she would be blessed with five children. But there would be a catch. One of her children will destroy her, and take over the world (Of course!).
"That day came during a council meeting, when my sister Ruby proposed that the gods would wage a war against the human world because she argued that mortals would start to abandon their worship to us, which is would've caused all the gods and goddesses to fade away slowly. But that type of war would've devastated the both the world of the gods and the mortal world.
"On that day, Ruby chose to strike, and she used all the guards she managed to turn to attack the council meeting. My mother didn't survive the uprising and if I hadn't intervened, my sisters and me would've died as well. But I burnt my core trying to protect them, and I died. The amulet that is currently around your neck saved my spirit from being lost in the Void and now it is returning that favor by protecting you from my sister."
Corundum stopped and turned to Sapphire, holding her hand out. "Sapphire, you are the one that will defeat Ruby and will bring peace back to the world of gods and mortals. You are the true heir of the Kingdom of the Gods."