1: Fallen

2513

Meridian

Meridian's mountains had never changed much over the long years, they still were tall and very rocky, left alone by the advancing world. The skied were blacked by storm clouds except when lightning flashed and lit the place up. On the southern side was a long gorge, a river at the basin heading out towards the sea in the distance, some ledges above it acted as a path through the mountains. Above one of them flew a 5 foot 6 girl, She had dark blond hair ties back at the base of her hair into a tail that came halfway down her back, her eyes were brown, but afraid of something. She was wearing a pink crop top that had complete sleeves over her shoulders then the inside of her arms was uncovered as they continued down to her wrists before wrapping completely around them. She also had a teal skirt with a upside-down V shape at the front, the back came all the way down to just below her knees. She also wore pale green and blue striped leggings, dark purple ankle boots with a strap round the back of them. On her back was a small pair of black framed wings broken into 4 segments of a pale green. The length of these wings was just enough so when folded down they would fit on her back. Around her neck she wore the heart of Kandrakar, she was a guardian.

She flew along the path towards the mountains, hoping to get to a building hidden within them. She kept looking back behind her, when the lighting flashed she could see a figure compliantly covered in a dark brown cloak about 20 meters behind her, tho it looked like it wasn't moving, it was always the same distance behind her.

Eventually while she was looking away something struck her on the back, it burned her wings and she fell to the ground. Looking round the same figure was there, but she could see a hand sticking out of the cloak on the right hand side, the hand had some dark energy on it. She tried to get back airborne, but font the wings wouldn't respond well enough, they were injured, so she stood up and started running.

She kept going for a short distance where from above 4 black humanoid shaped clouds came down before her. They were all about 5 foot 4 in height, but floated off the ground, they were just a simple outline of a human, with what looks like no toes on the feet. They had glowing white spots for eyes on the heads and a glowing white line that would open into a larger mark for a mouth. She just kept running past them before she felt another blow to her right leg just like the one that hit her back, she fell to the ground again. This time she couldn't stand back up, looking round the same figure was there, but this time about 15 meters away. She tried crawling away, but it just got closer and the black creatures just followed her, keeping just behind her, watching.

She kept going turning into a smaller ravine, but found it a dead-end. She rolled over to look back but it was standing there, at the entrance, maybe 5 meters away with the black creatures hovering behind it. The right hand could now be seen, it was a dark human white colour. The hand just was held out as if wanting to take something. She pressed herself up against the wall so she could sit up, she then took the heart in both hands as the pink glow in it got brighter.

After a few moments she took it off holding it to her right as a small blue tear in the air next to it appeared, the figure now was now standing over her, reaching for the heart, she quickly tossed the heart through the tear and it shut after it. There was then a pink energy that went over her, when it faded she was now 5 foot 3, wearing a green jumper, jeans and brown below the knee boots, her hair was now untied and came to just below her shoulders. The covered figure looked at her, she could see glowing red eyes under the hood.

"Sorry, it is now out of your reach" She weakly spoke, trying to catch her breath.

The figure then moved the right hand over her, black energy then covered it. If anyone was near they would have heard a loud female scream over the thunder that clapped overhead at the same time.

Kandrakar

Kandrakar didn't show the effects of the years, it stayed the same. Tho members of the council changed, some had left because they got too old, or for those who had bound themselves they had just decided they had lived too long, and left allowing themselves to pass away, but Yan Lin was still Oracle, Luba the feline member still remained as did Will from all that time ago. There were others around the place too all had joined since Will had. She had now become one of the Oracle's advisors along with Luba as they were the 2 longest standing members outside of the Oracle.

The 3 were all in the main chamber standing by the door on there when a small blue tear appeared in the middle of the room. Hearing it open they all turned around, and slowly walked towards it, clearly unsettled by the fact it had opened in the council chambers. As they got close the heart of Kandrakar came through and fell to the floor before the tear which then closed behind it. Luba went over to it and picked it up showing it to the other 2, the glow from it was faint. Yan Lin looked down to the floor. She then turned to Will, sighed and calmly spoke "Will, summon the others, I fear something bad has happened to the guardians if the heart has been sent though a fold like this."

Will quickly left the room. A few minutes later the room had 15 others enter and take a seat on the seating around the edge while Yan Lin, Luba and Will went onto the raised area. "Everyone, we have lost the guardians." Yan Lin spoke out in a sad voice. There was mutters across the room, but it fell silent just by everyone seeing her hold her right hand up. She then held the heart out in the left as poof of what she said. She then waved her right hand over it, the heart then floated out of her left hand into the middle of the room hovering high above the floor. From it a grey orb left it, it came down towards the floor and then changed into the guardian appearance of who sent the heart though the fold. She just stood there like a statue. "Speak imprint" Yan Lin ordered.

"This is a mental imprint message left by Laura, guardian of air." It spoke in a female voice, devoid of emotion immediately after ordered to speak. "The others are gone, we were attacked by a strange opponent in the mountains of meridian." As she spoke a image of the attacker appears, it was the stranger in the cloak, only what she saw was shown, the red eyes in the darkness under the hood and the hand. "We tried to get to the Mechanax fortress in the mountains but it was able to pick us off, splitting us up. I heard a scream from Mille and where to where it came from but only found the heart there and no sign Mille, just a strange black creature. I took the heart to keep it away from it, but it came after me, I then heard screams from the others: Sally, Isabelle and Ellie. But before I could go to find them I was ambushed by 3 more of the creatures." Then a image appeared to the council of the black creatures that she had been followed by. "I decided to keep moving on, but the stranger attacked me from behind, I refuse to let the heart fall into its hand, that is what it seemed to be coming for so I sent it back to Kandrakar, I am too injured to follow, and by the time you see this, I most likely will be gone, know I consider it a honour to have been chosen." The image of Laura then faded back into a grey orb and flew back into the heart. The other images just faded away.

There was more muttering throughout the chamber as the heart flew back to Yan Lin's left hand. A voice called out loudly from somewhere in the chamber "Something must be done" There was then a uproar of support. Will looked down, a little sad, knowing that being a guardian came with big risks, but never in her time at Kandrakar had any of them seen an entire team defeated at once.

Yan Lin then raised her right hand again bringing the room to silence. She then spoke out "Action will be taken, we will choose 5 new guardians, but the normal we go for wont work, we need girls who are capable of more then what a normal human can do."

A voice then called back "But only humans can take the bonding of an Auramere."

"They are right" Luba whispered on the stand to Will. "For some reasons only humans have ever been able to bond with them." Will just looked over to her and gave a sad nod.

"That is a true fact council" Yan Lin replied "But we are overlooking the fact earth for years now has contained half-humans. And as times change so must we, a human may be the only type of species that can take it, but it has never been said they must be pure human, and considering the darkness I sense approaching this will be a chance we have to take." She held the heart above her as a bright pink glow filled the room for a few seconds. After the glow faded she lowered it. "The choosing is done, but for their safety from this threat we will not set out the orbs or the heart to them normally." She then turned to Will offering the heart to her. "Will, return to earth, find the new guardians, give them their powers and bring the team together."

Will bowed her head and took the heat in both hands. "I will get it done Oracle" She firmly said.

Yan Lin then placed her right hand on the heart and the left on Will's forehead and there was a pink glow over both, she then took her hands off and spoke to her. "I have allowed you to access the hearts power again, should an emergency arise you can access your guardian form again, but know as you are not bound to a Auramere you won't be at full guardian power, you only have a slight boost from what you have from your binding to Kandrakar, but remember once the heart is passed on the link to you will fade, the link is only temporary as the Auramere's have already chosen there new partners."

"I understand" Will said confirming what she was told, she then walked down from the stand into the middle of the chamber before a white glow engulfed her, she changed to now wore a pure white hooded cloak, underneath was a dull white bodysuit and white ankle boots that were the same type of white as the cloak. She pulled the hood over her head as she turned back to face everyone and spoke 1 more time. "I will return with the guardians when they are assembled." She turned back around and held the heart out in her right hand as the glowed brighter and before her a fold opened, this one big enough for a person to walk though, she then put the chain that was attached to the top of the heart over her head inside the hood and tucked it behind the cloak, and pulled the cloak then around to cover her completely as she stepped through the fold, it closed behind her.

After she left the assembled members then took their leave out of the chamber door, leaving Luba with Yan Lin still there. Luba looked to Yan Lin who was looking concerned. "You made the right decision Oracle" She softly told her.

"Did I?" Yan Lin replied as they started to make their way towards the door. "Cos with a threat like this, I fear we may just be sending more young lives into danger they are not prepared for..."

Next Time: It is the weekend.