W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 26

I Spy

Meridian

The Guardians, reunited at last, stepped out of the fold and into the Meridian mess hall, where the Honor Guard were having lunch. The girls expected massive celebration due to their return. They expected much clapping and shouting, and possibly a feast. What they got was much less impressive.

"Hey girls." Vathek said between mouthfuls.

"That's it?" Irma said. "'Hey girls?' What about, 'Oh, thank goodness, the Guardians have returned! Now we're saved!' What happened to that?"

"Meh." Raythor said. "We all knew you were coming back."

"Yeah." Caleb said. "In fact, I'm kinda surprised it took so long."

"Although I must admit, I am somewhat curious to know how you got the Heart back." Julian added. "How'd you manage that?"

The girls sat down and were given food while they explained to the Honor Guard what had happened over the past two days. The Guardians were all actually quite happy that there was not much fanfare over their return. While they were excited about being Guardians once more, they were also very tired, and just wanted to get back to work. They had just finished their explanations when Buchan walked in.

"Oh, hello Guardians." He said, grabbing a plate.

"Um, should he be seeing us?" Taranee asked.

"Why not?"

"Well, doesn't he work for Kandrakar? I mean, isn't he going to tell them that we got the Heart back?"

"Oh, that." Drake said. "Nah, you don't have to worry. Buchy's not big on reports."

"I find paperwork tedious and unproductive." Buchan added. "Besides, I'm sure Kandrakar knows the Heart is missing. Having your greatest weapon suddenly disappear isn't something that goes by unnoticed."

"Well, you and 'Buchy' seem to be getting along quite well." Will said to Caleb.

"Yeah, we're pretty fond of him around here." Caleb said, giving Buchan a playful punch on the arm.

"The feeling is mutual." Buchan said. "Kandrakar is… not the place it used to be. Rules and regulations have stopped me from doing my job the way I'm supposed to. But on Meridian, there is a sense of freedom. They don't care what I do or how I do it, as long as it helps the greater good. It's very freeing. And I have a nickname! I've never had a nickname!"

The excitement in Buchan's voice did not seem to match his age

"And most importantly, he actually cares." Caleb said. "And that's rare these days, especially from Kandrakar. So we can't help but like him."

"So if Kandrakar knows we have the Heart," Will said, "What are they going to do?"

"Well they won't be happy, I can tell you that." Vathek said.

"That's putting it mildly." Buchan added, taking a bite of his meal. "Kandrakar always has back up Guardians in mind, in case anything happens to the first group. I'm sure Endarno's already got them ready to go."

"Wait, you're really helping us?" Taranee asked. "I know you like Meridian, but you've worked for Kandrakar for, what, years? Decades?"

"Centuries, actually." Buchan replied. "And the way I see it, it's only a matter of time before the whole lot of you try to take Kandrakar on alone, which will only result in failure, and possibly death. But if I give you some information, then you at least have a slim chance of survival. So all I'm really doing is what's best for Meridian, by trying to protect their military leaders."

"Well, thanks." Will said.

"Um, can we go back to that whole 'slim chance of survival' thing?" Irma added.

"Kandrakar is a fortress of peace, but that doesn't mean they're not ready for war." Buchan said. "There's no chance that the five of you, even with the Honor Guards' help, could hope to defeat all of it in a fight."

"So we'll have to make sure were not taking on all of it, just Endarno." Will said.

"If you could get the elders to support you and not Endarno, not an easy task by the way, it would make things easier." Buchan said.

"What about these new Guardians, what are they going to be like?" Hay Lin asked.

"I'm not sure," Buchan said, "but I would expect them to be much more ruthless and cutthroat then the five of you. Endarno would have hand picked them, expecting you to attack."

"I don't really care about defeating Kandrakar in a fight." Cornelia said. "I just want Elyon back."

"We all do." Caleb said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But we don't even know where she is. It would be almost impossible to get her."

"What about you, Buchan?" Julian asked. "Do you know where they would hold her?"

"No." Buchan replied. "I had no idea what Endarno's plans for Elyon were, and I certainty don't know where they would keep her. I doubt many people do. Only someone very close to Endarno would know that."

"Hay Lin, what about your Grandma?" Raythor asked. "Hasn't she said anything?"

"I haven't heard anything from Grandma since Elyon was taken." Hay Lin said.

"I suspect that Kandrakar has blocked any communication with Meridian or Earth." Buchan said. "Even I haven't heard anything from them. Besides, Endarno was a very private person, and he did not see eye to eye with Yan Lin. There's no chance that she would be able to tell us anything even if we could talk to her."

"If only we knew someone close to Endarno." Caleb said. "But we don't."

"Actually, that isn't entirely true." Came a voice from the doorway. "Caleb turned to find Aldarn standing behind him.

"Aldarn? What are you talking about?" Caleb asked.

"Caleb, Gaurdians," Aldarn said, "there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Kandrakar

An unfathomable distance away from Meridian, sat Elyon, the displaced Queen. During her time on Kandrakar, she had not been educated, as Kandrakar had said, nor had she been tortured or experimented on as the Honor Guard and the Guardians feared. Instead she had been doing, well, nothing. She had been put in what could not exactly be called a cell, but what could not exactly be called comfortable either. The room was quite large, but completely empty except for a chair and a bed.

Elyon had inspected every inch of the room and found no means of escape. Her only visitor had been a nameless elder who delivered her meals. For Elyon, the isolation was about the worst thing Kandrakar could have done. The days stretched endlessly, and all she could do to pass the time was contemplate her mistakes, and wonder about the future. What did Kandrakar want? Why go to all the trouble of capturing her, if they were just going to ignore her?

She was just about to start pounding on the door when it opened and a small, elf like creature appeared. She recognized him only from the Guardians descriptions. His name, she remembered, was Minnio.

Meridian

"There's someone I'd like you to meet." Aldarn said.

"Aldarn, what are you talking about?" Hay Lin asked, echoing the thoughts of the room.

Aldarn stepped to the side, and reveled a small person standing behind him.

"Minnio?" Will said, instinctively clenching her fist.

"You know this guy?" Raythor asked, getting to his feet.

"Yeah, we know him." Irma replied.

"Actually, you've never met this person in your life." Aldarn said.

"Yes we have." Taranee said. "That's Minnio. He's like, Endarno's best friend."

"Oh, good, that means it's working." Aldarn said.

"Okay, this makes about as much sense as a square wheel." Irma said. "Aldarn, what are you talking about?"

"The person you see beside me is Minnio. The real Minnio." Aldarn said.

"Hello. Minnio is pleased to meet all of you at last." Minnio said.

"Uh huh." Will said, eyeing the small man suspiciously.

"Minnio is, was, a Kandrakar elder, and had been so for many years." Aldarn said.

"Really?" Cornelia said. "But we only saw you for the first time a couple weeks ago."

"There are thousands of elders in Kandrakar." Minnio said. "You only meet a small fraction of them."

Cornelia frowned, but said nothing.

"Shortly after Nerissa attacked Kandrakar with the Knights of Destruction, Minnio came to Meridian." Aldarn continued. "Caleb and Elyon were doing they're usual job of saving the universe while I was left at the castle, so I was the one who talked to him."

"Minnio joined Kandrakar to help ensue peace in the universe." Minnio said. "Minnio's people are pacifists by nature, and we abhor violence of any kind. Minnio had hoped that Kandrakar would also follow this code of peace, but lately the fortress seems to be only involved in wars and invasions. Minnio ended up physically fighting to protect himself. It was unbearable."

"Basically, Minnio wanted to defect." Aldarn said. "He no longer wanted to be a part of Kandrakar, and he came to us for help."

"And obviously you gave him help. Without telling either me or Elyon." Caleb said.

"That's true. Because I saw an opportunity." Aldran said. "Kandrakar has always been a question mark. They are incredibly powerful, but we don't really know anything about them. I wasn't confortable with that, and I'm guessing you aren't either."

Caleb didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. His expression told everyone that Aldarn was right.

"So what did you do?" Will asked.

"I replaced Minnio with a spy." Aldarn said.

"What?" Caleb said. "You sent a spy into Kandrakar?"

"Yes," Minnio said, "and although Minnio was not thrilled with the idea, it was the only way that Aldarn would allow Minnio to stay in Meridian."

"How could you not tell any of us about this?" Vathek said.

"I wanted too, believe me." Aldarn said. "But Minnio informed me that Kandrakar forbids any mental communication."

"It's true." Taranee said.

The Guardians had found that the hard way, when a telepathic conversation had been heard by Endarno, leading to Himerish's removal from power.

"If you had gone to Kandrakar knowing about the spy, you would have started thinking about it strongly enough for the elders to hear. The same goes for you, Guardians. I couldn't tell anyone who would potentially go to Kandrakar."

"He makes sense." Cornelia said.

"I know." Caleb replied. "And right now, it may be our only hope of getting Elyon back. If this spy can tell us where she is and what she's doing there, it would make our lives a lot easier."

"Wouldn't Kandrakar be able to detect that someone had replaced Minnio?" Walli asked. "I don't know them that well, but they don't seem the type to allow a spy in their midst."

"He's got a point." Irma added.

"You know the Mage ring?" Aldarn said.

"Yeah, we lost it right after Nerissa was defeated." Caleb said. "Oh…"

"You used the Mage ring?" Hay Lin said.

"It worked for Nerissa when she pretended to be the Mage." Aldarn said. "Why couldn't it work for us?"

"So we know why and how," Julian said, "now we just need to know who."

"Yeah." Caleb added. "Who did you replace Minnio with? Who's the spy?"

Aldarn smiled sheepishly.

"Who do we know that's small, talks in third person, and is really good at being in places he's not supposed to be?"

Caleb thought about this for a moment and then laughed.

"You know when you put it that way, it almost sounds like…"

Caleb's smile disappeared.

"You didn't. Aldarn please tell me you didn't!"

"I did."

"You replaced Minnio with…"

Kandrakar

Elyon glared at Minnio as he carefully closed the door behind him. She was then surprised when he ran towards her and started tugging on her sleeve.

"C'mon Queenie! We have to go!" He said.

"What are you talking about?" Elyon said, pulling her arm away.

"Sorry, forgot about Mage ring." the man said.

Elyon furrowed her brow. Mage ring? How did Kandrakar get the Mage ring? And why does Minnio's voice sound so familiar?

Minnio removed the Mage ring from his finger and the glamor around him vanished. Her jaw dropped as Minnio's smooth pale features were replaced by wrinkly green skin that Elyon found all too familiar.

"Blunk?"