Chapter 2

Zachary took an unwilling step backward, surprised at the sudden appearance of the blue light, coupled with a cold sensation, which, while not unpleasant, was nonetheless shocking in its suddenness.

Agua, he thought immediately. The Goddess of Wisdom, who had the power to control the waters and to use ice as a weapon. To prepare for the meeting, he did what he could to research as much information as he could about the Lunarian Kingdom and the planets it was sovereign of. Admittedly, it was not much. Even without the animosity Elyson had of the other worlds, the Moon and its affiliates were secretive, not keen on sharing its technology and wisdom to the planets it was not allied with.

It was this mystery, Zachary surmised, that partly caused the hostilities that led to the Battle of the Gods. Maybe if the divinities had not been as secretive as they were, the people of Elyson would not have acted as they did, stamping out magic in their land. In the Battle of the Gods, the planet had only been marginally involved, although it served as the source of contention between the Divinities and the Shadow that sought to conquer the universe. It was only in the aftermath that Elyson became affected. Having seen for themselves just how destructive magic could be, they wanted no part of it, hence the genocide.

And this is where we are headed once again, Zachary realized. As he looked around, he saw the fear and the anger in the faces of the people in the capital city of their planet. If we do not stop this now, the same thing will happen again. He shuddered at the thought. It was only then that he fully realized the importance of the role of the ambassador.

He gazed again at the blue light, noting that it was gaining shape and form. Within a few seconds, it had solidified.

As one, the people gasped, and Zachary was hard-pressed not to gape himself. He had been expecting the ambassador, the one called Agua, was a middle-aged woman, skilled in the arts of diplomacy. Who arrived instead is a young woman in her late teens. What shocked the people, however, was probably not the youth of the ambassador who will mend relations between the Moon Kingdom and Elyson, but her shock of blue hair. No one in the planet had hair in such an unusual shade. Zachary could already hear the people muttering about it being a cursed sign. He chanced a glance at Kaelan, and the tight expression of his commander told him more than words what he thought of the choice of ambassador: that the Lunarian Kingdom was so arrogant enough that it could send someone who was clearly magical to spite them.

Not for nothing though has Zachary served as one of the best ambassadors of Endymion's kingdom. While having a military career, he had come from a family of nobility, and he knew how to handle court politics and intrigue. Summoning a smile on his face, he headed quickly to the Ambassador, who looked unsure of how to treat the muttering of the people.

"Lady Agua, I presume?" Zachary asked, bowing down to her, completely ignoring the indignant gasps of the people. Probably wondering why one of Elyson's mightiest generals would bow down to a witch, he thought inwardly. Outwardly, he presented a charming smile, not letting his emotions get the best of him. "My name is Zachary Edon, one of King Endymion's generals and ambassadors."

Agua curtsied as she did. "I am pleased to meet you, Lord Zachary," she said, her tone light and musical. "I am indeed Agua Halcyone ni Hermes, of Mercury."

If anything, the muttering grew louder. He resisted the urge to give them a quelling glance, instead bowing down to the ambassador once again. "I am pleased to meet you, Lady Agua," he said. He proffered his arm. "Shall I take you to the King?" Kaelan had told the monarch to wait in the throne room instead of the grounds, overruling Endymion's wish to be the one to receive the ambassador in his kingdom. It was a wise decision, since no one knew for sure who would teleport to Elyson, but it nonetheless made the king a little sullen. Zachary held back a grin at the thought of his liege pouting, and then promptly became surprised that he was actually able to smile even after what happened.

Agua gave a small nod. Zachary became even more surprised when she took his arm. While she was surrounded by coolness, her grasp on him was warm.

AZAZAZ

Sorry for the delay in updates and for the short chapter. I'm having difficulties in writing these past months, and I still haven't fully pieced together how to write this one.:( Here's hoping I'll be able to finish this story.

Anyway, please read and review.:) Feedback always encourages me to keep on writing, so please let me know what you think!

Edit: I mistakenly put in "Astra" instead of "Agua" when I first uploaded it. Sorry, was really sleepy when I wrote this. Thanks to Jovian Sun for the heads up!