Genjutsu Crystal Chronicles

Prologue 2: Siblings

The night was dark and the wind howling, beating against the great mountain tops overhead. The lightning was flashing in great meandering arcs across the sky and the clouds above were dark and ominous, hovering over the strange mountain valley forest. The mountain peaks above were dark and bare, as rough and as rugged as one could possibly imagine. The lightning bolts would illuminate their sharp spires and fractured, craggy surfaces every few moments. And the wind would howl among them each time a gust roared down from the heavens. It was a real nightmare of a storm raging overhead as the two siblings crawled through the gnarled and crowded undergrowth of the half dead, half mutated forest.

But the siblings continued their climb despite the storm. They had to. Up through the forest and around the jutting spires they continued. Not a word was spoken, not a change in their pace or even a change in the hard looks on their faces. The brother led the way, confident of where he was going, at least for now and confident his sister would follow.

As they finally reached the tree line and mounted a rocky ridge, thrust down from the high mountain they were climbing, the sister stopped and turned around, to look down on the brightly lit city far bellow her. Its spires and defensive walls were all brightly lit and shining, a beacon in the darkness of the world. It was her only home and it guarded the mouth of the valley bellow. From here, so far up and away, it look like no more that a large group of fireflies all clustered together for the night, peaceful and serene. The city looked so safe right now , like nothing was wrong in the world. But as lightning once again lit up the sky above, it illuminated the wet tears running down the sister's cheek. And the wicked, corrupted forest around her was a reminder that something was up. No one ever ventured up here unless something was very wrong. She turned back to follow her brother up to the watch tower.

She knew something was going on this night, but she did not know what or why. Her brother had suddenly rushed into her room in the middle of the night, waking her from a deep sleep, and urgently telling her that she needed to get dressed and lead him to the temple. That it was a matter of life and death for their mother, the priestess. He wanted her to lead him to their mother's temple in order to protect her.

But then, without calling any of the guards, or their father the king, her brother had whisked her out of the city through tunnels she never knew existed and out into the cold night. She had barely had time to get dressed and grab her coat. And her brother had not said much since except to urge her onward, that they needed to hurry.

He at least knew how to get to the ruins of the high watch tower, which was where he was leading them now. But from there, Mogo was in the dark. Only his sister Michi and their mother knew how to find the temple. And their mother was up at the temple right now, though she was supposed to have been back last night. So the only one to lead Mogo there was Michi.

The ancient tower ruins could be seen above them now. Michi's mother had told her it had once been the guardian tower for the temple before their father had built the grand city at the entrance to the valley. Since then, no one had used the tower. And it was the marker that told others that no one but the priestesses were allowed any closer to the temple. It was a failing stone spire at the top of the ridge, its top portion having collapsed, leaving a pile of stones around the base structure.

As they finally reached the base of the ruined tower, Michi again tried to get some sense of what was happening from her brother.

"Mogo, what is going on? Why must we rush to the temple?" She sobbed, hoping he heard her over the wind.

"Mother is in danger and we must protect her. She didn't return and the city has failed in its defense of the sacred valley." He responded, still with no more info. "We must hurry, Michi! Where do we go from here?"

Michi was barely 10, too young to be out this night, or to be leading anyone to the temple, which was forbidden anyway. But this was her 15 year old brother whom she trusted. She had had only just begun preistess training and only just learned how to find the temple. But she had a good memory. Still, it was dark and she had trained during the day.

"Um, I, uh, I think we need to find the stone pillars first. I cant see them from here, so we will need to search around."

...

Michi's memory had been proven very accurate, as usual. And even in the dark they slowly found their way to the temple base, hidden high in the mountain ridges. But it had still taken all night and the eastern horizon was getting lighter, thanks to the approaching sun. But the storm had also seemed tto subside as the clouds began to break. But there was still a foreboding in the air.

In the coming light, the low step pyramid style temple, nestled down in between tow ridges of rock on the highest peak in the area, began to shone with a golden light. Its special stone faces looking as if they were made of crystalline gold. Mogo stopped and just starred for a moment in awe. He had never seen it before.

But even though they had made it, Michi was crying uncontrollably now. Her brother had not been happy about it taking so long and had been harsh with her. He had never done that to her before. And she was convinced they were too late as well. What if they were too late to save their mother?

But as Michi and Mogo bounded up the long stairway and burst through the temple's front doors, eire silence greeted them from the front chamber. No one was here. And nothing looked amiss either. All of the temples ornate furnishings were untouched and where they always had been.

"Mogo, where is mother? What is going on?" Michi cried.

Mogo rushed ahead into the great hall beyond the entry chamber.

"Michi, mother must be in the crystal room, we must hurry. She is in trouble!" He responded.

"But no one is allowed in there, Mogo! It is the safest room in the temple. No one could get at her in there!" Michi rushed after him.

Mogo acted like he hadn't heard her.

"You must open the sealed door, Michi. It is the only way to save mom."

"But Mogo..." she started, but he cut her off.

"No buts. You must do it. For mom! There is no other way."

As they reached the special door in the far wall of the hall chamber, Michi faltered. Mogo was pushing her to do this, even though it was against the rules. And there was no sign that anyone was here. Their mother normally had several servant priestesses up here with her even though they were forbidden to come up on their own. But there no signs of anyone. Not even any sign that there was any danger here.

But what reason would her older brother have to lie to her?

"Ok, Mogo," she said in a small voice and then ever so slightly, she began to sing.

It was a special song, hollow and eire, like nothing else. But it was the special priestesses song that unsealed the forbidden chamber. And only a priestess could sing it. It was one of the first things their mother had taught Michi for her training. And she was not supposed to be singing it. The song continued for several minutes, before Michi finally stopped, out of breath and even more frightened for having disobeyed their mother's instructions.

The with a loud crack and a deep rumble, the mighty magic doors to the crystal chamber began to swing outward, opening up for the priestess in training and her brother.

Without a word or explanation, Mogo suddenly bolted down the dark passage beyond the door, leaving behind his startled sister.

"Mogo! Wait!"

With still no response from her brother, Michi hesitantly followed her brother down the passage, afraid of what she might find in the chamber beyond.

But when she arrived at the chamber entrance, several things became very clear. Her mother really was not here. In fact, there was no one in the chamber but her brother and her. He HAD lied to her. And he was already climbing up on the forbidden altar where the great crystal hovered in a magical light. Just to touch that alter was an automatic death sentence, even for a priestess. And her brother knew that.

He had betrayed her. He must be after the crystal. But why?

Michi shrieked in horror upon realization. She may have only been 10, but she still understood enough.

"Brother, don't do this! You mustn't touch the crystal! Why are you doing this?" she cried.

Two feet from the crystal, he stopped and stood with his back to her. For a moment hope flared within Michi, hope that her brother had come to his senses. But when he turned around, that hope faded into sheer terror deep down in her heart. Even without touching the crystal, he had begun to change in appearance just from being near it. His once handsome, kind face was now hard and terrifying, filled with malice and greed. He had an evil sneer on his face and glared down at her.

"Why, you ask? Why would I do this?" He paused for dramatics and raised his arms. "Why not? All these years our 'great' father has had such a powerful item in his possession, one which he could have used to defend our people from all the evil tribes of this world and yet he has been afraid to use it!"

"Father has been protecting people from this item! From those that would use it! It can't be safely used!" she suddenly found the strength to holler back. "It will destroy us all!"

"Only weak minds believe that." Mogo retorted. "No longer will I allow our father's cowardice to cost us the precious lives of our people. I will use the crystal and will ride for to vanquish our enemies. Then all will see I was right!" He turned back to grab the strange crystal.

"STOP!"

A female voice rang out from the shadows of the passage behind Michi. It made both of them jump in surprise and wheel around.

"Mother!" Michi cried in relief as she turned to see her mother emerge from the passages shadows.

But Mogo looked at her in rage, knowing he had been caught and that she would try to stop him.

"You can't stop me mother." He said defiantly. "I will have the crystal and I will use it. How did you find out about my plans so quickly? You were supposed to be in the city."

"Mother! He tricked me! He made me lead him here saying you were in trouble. I'm so sorry! I didn't know..." Michi ran up to her mother and threw her arms around the woman's waits.

Their mother looked down and put her arms around her daughter's shoulders and proceeded to comfort her.

"It's alright Michi, you didn't know. You are still new to this. Nobody knew your bother would betray us like this. I had left the city and gone up into the watchtower to study the storm. It foretold of something bad happening. I saw you two pass by and followed you here, waiting to see what you two would do."

Mogo let out a defiant laugh.

"Betray you? You have betrayed us! Too many have died and yet more will die, unless we squash our fear of this object and use it! I will save us!" Mogo cried, believing every word he had just said.

Priestess Jan'tel looked up at her son, saw the misguided defiance in his eyes and responded in turn.

"My son, you have defied the law of the land, tricked your younger sister into bringing you here and attempted to steal the forbidden crystal. You have two choices now, death or exile. The crystal cannot be used. The last time it was used, no one remembers because they were all destroyed. That is why none may even touch it."

"I am stronger than any of them! I will prevail!" Mogo wheel back around and lunged for the crystal.

But before he could touch it, the priestess uttered some strange words and the crystal instantly illuminated. Just as Mogo's outstretched fingers made contact, a beam of light bust out and struck him in the chest. He disappeared in a ball of light.

Michi shrieked, horrified. Her brother was gone.