Recap of Chapter Fourteen
Misao looked over the doors, then told the guards to help her sit down. "What are you going to do?" asked the right side guard as he and his companion helped Misao to sit down.
"I am going to try and open the doors." said Misao.
"That isn't possible." said the left side guard. "Only the one who controls the Heart of Meridian can open the doors." Misao ignored him, and closed her eyes. She then began to focus upon the doors, and will them to open.
After several minutes of nothing happening, both of the guards let out a sigh. "We told you it wasn't possible. Now please stop, before you make yourself worse, Miss." The two guards looked down at Misao and saw that sweat had broken out on her forehead. They started to reach down and make her stop, but before they could do so the spot where the doors joined, lit up and a vertical beam of light moved up and down the doors. As the two guards turned to look at the doors, they were slowly being forced open.
Chapter Fifteen
Inside the room of meditation, Elyon was unaware of what was happening outside the palace walls or even what was happening a few feet a way from her, outside of the room. Reason for this was that she was seeing her birth parents, for the first time in her memory.
Turning to look over her shoulder, she found Trill standing behind her. "Can they see us?" asked Elyon turning back to face her parents. Trill told her that her parents were just a vision. Elyon nodded to this, and started to move closer towards her parents.
As she got closer, the sound of crying was heard. Elyon started to ask if the crying she heard was from her as a baby, since she saw that her mother was holding a bundle of blankets in her arms. However, before she could ask her question the vision before her vanished. Turning quickly to face Trill, Elyon demanded to know what had happened. "I am sorry your majesty, but it seems that someone has forced open the doors to the room. Because of that, the spell used by the room was broken. As Elyon turned so she was facing the double doors, aiming to find out who was responsible for the intrusion, she missed the look of anger that appeared upon Trill's face. 'That brat of mine, is becoming a real problem!'
A few moments later one of the guards that had helped Misao, rushed into the room. Having made his way up to Elyon, he quickly dropped to a knee. "Forgive me for the intrusion your majesty, but the palace is under attack."
At those words, Elyon's anger at being interrupted from seeing her parents, turned to worry and she rushed off heading towards the rooms doors. She came to a sudden stop as she reached the doors, and found another guard kneeling over the woman from earlier. "Why is she here?"
Hearing his queen's voice, the second guard quickly turned to face her. Taking a position on one knee, he told her everything that he knew so far concerning the attack on the palace, as well as what Misao had said and done. Elyon looked down at Misao, then asked the guard if she was alright. "I don't know, your majesty. The young woman was exhausted before she even had us bring her here, but she was determined to warn you about some kind of danger. After we had brought her here, she somehow managed to force open the rooms doors, and as soon as she had done that she passed out."
"Did she tell you what this danger was?" The guard told her no. Elyon then told the guard to take Misao back to the room she had originally been in. "I will send Trill to check on her, then join our forces on defending the palace." The guard nodded to this, and as Elyon turned away from him and headed back inside the room of meditation to let Trill know what was happening, the guard turned back to Misao and gently gathered her up into his arms. Managing to get to his feet, he then headed off down the hallway so he could return Misao to her room.
Elyon having returned to Trill, told the older woman what she needed to do. Trill nodded to this, but asked Elyon if it was wise for her to be putting herself in danger? "I won't let my people fight these invaders alone, Trill." said Elyon a bit testily.
Trill bowed to Elyon. "Forgive me your highness, for I did not mean to anger you with my words. I am merely concerned for your safety, and that is why I said what I did."
Elyon sighed at this, and asked Trill to look at her. Once Trill had stood up straight, Elyon said. "I know you meant well, Trill, by wanting to keep me safe. But as Meridian's queen it is my duty to protect my people." Trill nodded to this, and told Elyon to do what she thought was best. Elyon sent the older woman a smile. "Don't worry Trill, nothing will happen to me and as soon as this threat is over I want to continue where we left off and see more of my parents." Trill smiled at this, and told her that she would be ready for when she was ready to continue.
Elyon then turned away from the older woman, and headed off to protect her people. Once Elyon was far enough away, Trill smiled once more. "Not exactly the way I planned it, but this can still work out as I want." She then headed off after Elyon, so she could take care of the task that Elyon had given to her concerning checking on Misao.
-(1)
After he had left the area of the room of meditation, the guard glanced down at Misao with a sigh. 'I know I shouldn't be impressed since I don't know anything about her, but I can't help but admit that this young woman is really something impressive. After all, she did something that I thought to be impossible by opening the doors to the room of meditation, without having the Heart of Meridian.'
Having reached the last turn before Misao's room, the guard looked back up from Misao and came to a very sudden stop. Reason for this, was due to the red skinned woman standing before him. She then raised her arm, and pointed a trident like weapon towards him. "If you want to live, hand over that woman!"
The guard looked down at Misao for a brief moment, then focused once more on the woman before him. "If you want her, you will have to take her from me!"
The red skinned woman smiled at his words. "I hoped you would say that!" She then shot a blast of energy from her trident towards the guard. The guard quickly pulling Misao tighter against his body, leapt to the side back down the side hallway he had just left. "Most impressive human!"
Realizing that he probably only had a few moments, the guard had no choice put to put Misao down. Once he had done this, he quickly returned to his feet and drew the short sword that he had attached to the belt around his waist. He then ran back towards the area where he had left the red skinned woman.
As the guard rounded the corner again, the woman smiled once more. "Let's see just how much pain you can handle!" Pointing her trident at the guard once more, she fired off another energy blast. The guard avoided the attack once more, and taking advantage of the chance he had charged towards the woman. The guard swung his sword as soon as he was within range, hoping to finish the fight. The woman however was faster then the guard had anticipated, and his killing blow turned into a glancing one that seemed to enrage the woman. "You'll pay for that!" The woman began to attack the guard relentlessly with her trident.
-
Some minutes after she had left the Room of Meditation, Trill heard the sound of clashing weapons some feet ahead of her. 'Sounds like one of those fools, made it into the palace.' Quickening her pace slightly, she headed towards the sounds of fighting. However, as she reached the end of the hallway her eyes landed upon Misao and she stopped. Kneeling down next to Misao, she found the young woman still unconscious. 'This is more then I had hoped for.' Returning to her feet, Trill did a quick glance around the area and finding no one around, she dropped her disguise.
Nerissa then quietly made her way around the corner, and saw Ember fighting one of the place guards. She had to let out a deep sigh, since instead of finishing the guard off like she should be doing, Ember was toying with the fool. Raising her staff, Nerissa pointed it towards the guard. "Quintessence!" The guard hearing the shout, turned to face his new attacker. However, his face became one of horror as he was struck by Nerissa's attack.
As the guard went down, Ember looked towards her Mistress and shouted. "Why did you interfere, Mistress?!" Nerissa simply glared at her, and told her they didn't have time to be playing around. Ember huffed at this. "Can I at least finish him off?"
"Go ahead, but be quick about it." said Nerissa turning away from the scene and heading back towards Misao. A few moments later, a scream was heard but it lasted only for a few moments. Ember then made her way around the corner, and came to stand at her Mistress's side. Seeing Misao, she started to point her trident at her, so she could complete the task she had been giving. Nerissa however stopped her.
"What is wrong, Mistress?" asked Ember. "I thought you wanted us to destroy her."
"There has been a change of plans." said Nerissa. She then pointed her staff at Misao, and used her powers to bind Misao's arms and legs. "Gather her up, and lets go." Doing as her mistress had ordered, Ember knelt down and gathered Misao up into her arms. As Ember stood up, Nerissa created a portal and told her to go.
"What about Kor and Tridart, Mistress?" asked Ember. Nerissa told her that she would find them. With a nod, Ember entered the portal. Nerissa then replaced her Trill disguise and headed off to inform the queen about what had happened to the guard and Misao.
-
Sometime after the battle had finished, Elyon was sitting upon her throne with Trill standing close by. "How many of our soldiers, were injured Captain?"
The Captain told her that there had been few injuries. "If I may say this your Majesty, it appears like that young woman was their intended target all along." Elyon nodded to this, and asked him if the scouts had reported back? "Not yet your majesty." With a sigh, Elyon then asked the Captain if the guard that had been killed had any family? The Captain told her that he had.
With a sad sigh, Elyon told him to make sure that they were taken care of, if they needed anything. The Captain nodded to this, and getting to his feet turned away from his queen so he could carry out the task that she had given him. There was a very long amount of silence after the Captain had left, before it was broken by Trill. "Queen Elyon?" When Elyon turned to face her, Trill continued. "I do apologize if this isn't a good time, but would you like to return to the Room of Meditation? Maybe seeing your birth parents, will help to lighten your mood from this situation."
Elyon looked away from Trill, and Trill thought she had just made the situation worse. She was about to apologize, when Elyon interrupted her and told her. "I would like that very much, Trill." As Elyon got to her feet and headed off, she didn't see Trill smile. A few moments later, Elyon and Trill were headed back towards the Room of Meditation.
-(2)
Sometime after acquiring the Heart of Meridian and capturing Queen Elyon, Nerissa returned to the cave she was using as a base to find her followers sitting around, but no sign of her daughter. "Where is the girl?" As the three looked up, Ember told her that since the girl was still unconscious, she had put the her at the back of the cave.
Nerissa sighing to herself concerning the fools incompetence concerning her daughter's abilities, made her way past them heading towards the back of the cave. Arriving there a few moments later she found Misao awake and trying to get free of her bindings. "You just as well stop struggling, and save your energy."
Hearing her mother's voice, Misao stopped her struggling and looked towards Nerissa. "And why do you care, if I waste my energy or not? You are just going to kill me."
"What if I told you that I have changed my mind, concerning that?" asked Nerissa. Misao told her that she wouldn't believe her. "Can't really blame you for that, considering that I did try and kill you once before. But I have been thinking since the last time we met, and maybe I did overreact to you."
"Stop beating around the bush, and say whatever it is you are trying to say!" shouted Misao.
"Very well." said Nerissa. "I want you to join me."
Misao looked at her mother like she was insane, then laughed out loud. "And what makes you think that I would ever consider joining you? After all Mom, you tried to kill me!"
"What if I could give you information that I know that you don't have?" asked Nerissa. Misao gave her a curious look, and asked what kind of information? "I know the reason for why you are so exhausted, as well as who your father is. Join me, and I will tell you what you wish to know."
"And how do I know you will keep your word?" asked Misao.
Nerissa raised her staff, and pointed it at Misao. A few moments later, the bindings that were on Misao's arms and legs vanished. "You can take that as an incentive."
Bringing her hands around in front of her, Misao started to massage her wrists. "Even though you freed me, mom, it doesn't exactly mean that I trust you. How about this, you tell me one of the two bits of information that you have, and then I will think about your offer?" Nerissa was silent for a while, as she seemed to consider Misao's offer. She then asked Misao, which information she wanted to know. "You said that you know who my father is."
"Is that the information that you want?" asked Nerissa. There was some hesitation, but Misao did eventually nod. "Very well. I will give you the information that you want, but if you even think about betraying me you won't live long enough to regret it." Nerissa then made her way closer to Misao, and knelt down so she was face to face with her daughter. She then leaned forward, and whispered into Misao's ear. "Your father is none other then your precious, Oracle." As Nerissa lent back away from Misao, she saw a look of absolute shock upon her daughters face.
End of Chapter Fifteen
Bold Numbers:
1. I tried to make this fight interesting, but I kind of doubt that it was all that good.
2. The part above this number continues as it did in the cartoon, with Elyon seeing her parents as really cruel people thus causing her to throw The Heart of Meridian to Trill. The part below this number deals with Misao finding out who her father is. I had planned to reveal this earlier, but didn't think it was the right time.