In the middle of great nothingness stood a temple of the congregation. A tall bright spiraling building, surrounded by white infinity and lightly colored clouds. There existed no time or space, no wind or rain, and no sound penetrated the vast silence. In the middle of a grand oval hall on the white marble floor sat an individual shrouded in tranquility. The people gathered around him on the raised stone stairs. A silent buzz was heard in the air as different members talked to each other in hushed whispers. Yet, when the hall filled, there was silence as the Oracle was about to speak.
'Brothers and sisters, we gathered here because I received many complaints about the currently chosen Guardians. I will hear your statements and decide their relevance to the situation. Now, who goes first?' The serene man asked. Suddenly, a woman stood up with an angry hiss. She had long white hair and sharp-tipped ears, a black nose with whiskers, looking quite like a cat.
'I will speak, Oracle.' She said, politely bowing, and received a nod from the man.
'You may speak, Luba, guardian of Aurameres.'
'Current Guardians are humans, and they are weak creatures. Instead of fighting Phobos head-on, Guardians are aiding Meridian's people. It's not a bad cause, but the veil is thin, and they are playing around more concerned about their personal lives than Guardian duties. Those girls don't deserve the powers we bestowed on them!' She huffed and sat back, crossing her arms after expressing her feelings on the matter. Luba was delighted to see a few members nodding their heads, clearly agreeing with her. The Oracle smiled, not giving any indication of his thoughts.
'Dear friend, I hear your opinion, but they became magical creatures the moment their powers manifested. The girls may be human at heart, but the magic flowing in their veins made them something much more than a simple human being,' he said in defense of the point made 'I agree they can be quite a handful, but that does not mean Guardians are wrong in helping the people of Meridian. The battles they took part in clearly demonstrate dedication to our cause.'
'I disagree, Oracle! Current Guardians break too many rules! They are reckless and irresponsible! Look at what they created with their powers, a copy of the Fire Guardian, who at the moment is lost to us!' The man stood up, his voice booming in the hall. He was tall with gray braids, which ended with darker colored tips. The most visible mark on him was three deep gouges on his face, long healed scars going through his eye. He motioned to the white floor, where an image of the girls formed up as they produced a fake person.
'They should not play with their powers. This violates the magical laws! Furthermore, Guardians should close the portals, not travel through them! As you remember, it was my idea to create a veil, to weaken Phobos power and imprison him on the planet he was born. We all witnessed how strong he is! The veil is thinning, somehow, the magic is failing, and there are too many holes in it. I am afraid he will escape and we will have chaos on our hands! I want him dead! Send Guardians to kill him! They should be capable enough, and, if not, we can replace them!' The stern man spoke. His speech was bold and confident, prompting a silent conversation around him as the members were swayed by the cunning words.
'Endarno the Wise, Guardians are not killers!' The Oracle remarked, 'we should not interfere in life or death matters. Equality is in the balance. Death will come to everyone at their own time.' He motioned his hand, and the image disappeared, leaving the floor as spotless as it was before.
'Then the Guardians should have been called younger. I would have made them into perfect weapons, now they are just unruly soldiers! I especially do not like the current Guardian of the Heart. She is extremely powerful, and her mind is too weak for such responsibility. That human is incompetent and she could infect the other Guardians. I think we should replace her, as the silly girl almost lost the Heart to the enemy!' The man was relentless in his arguments against the girls. His eyes were cold as he spoke the words of contempt 'Let me discipline them!'
'You are too quick to judge, Endarno! The girls are strong in their friendship. If we withdraw one of them now, I don't think others will be happy about it. Let's wait. Guardians are youthful, they will mature, and with age comes knowledge. They did not commit any terrible mistakes to deserve punishment. Does anyone else have something to say?' The Oracle asked, radiating calmness all around. The people remained silent. Even with raised arguments, they trusted Oracle's wisdom and knowledge. Some members had frowns on their faces, but no one spoke.
The Oracle nodded his head 'Well, if this is everything, my decision remains the same. Guardians stay and fight at their own will, we would not intervene at the moment. Meeting adjourned!' He dismissed the council. People stood and gradually vacated the room in small groups, actively talking in hushed voices, not disturbing the serene silence in the hall. Soon the room was empty. Just the two figures remained, one kneeling on the ground and the other standing behind his back. The Oracle silently sighed, looking exhausted.
'Tibor, my dear friend, I don't know how long I can hold him off… Endarno is gaining more followers. He wants to use Guardians as his playthings,' he said to the old man beside him, with a magnificent snow-white beard '…darkness is stirring. I feel it in my bones and beneath the deep roots of the temple… something is changing, be it good or bad I have no idea… I merely hope the Guardians will remain strong in the coming storm… it's obscuring my vision. I do not see clearly what is happening in Metamoor, and Guardian of the Hearts is practically invisible to my sight… I think she is unconsciously using magic, concealing herself from the enemy's sight, myself included.' Oracle said, looking worried and tired as the other man helped him to stand up.
'Wilhelmina, will need all the strength she can get, especially now when the fight is becoming serious…' he motioned his hand, and the blurry image gathered on the floor, depicting a sleeping woman with red hair. In an instant, it changed into the olive-skinned Fire Guardian lying unconscious on her side. The Oracle said nothing more and just walked out of the bright hall as the images slowly melted away.
Taranee groaned, gradually coming back to reality. Her head hurt also, her mouth felt dry like sandpaper as if she was sleeping longer than necessary, and her body refused to move on the command. Rapidly blinking, she looked around, but everything was blurred so closing her eyes again, Taranee gently shook her head. When the view became clear, the fire Guardian stifled a gasp, recalling what had happened. She was captured. The jail was a clear, big, impenetrable bubble. It floated around a deep chasm filled with murky water, and above her was a dome of jagged rocks. There was no escape. Just dark, steep walls with columns carved into the sides, water, and a narrow platform protruding from the cliff. Deeper down in the tunnel, going from the platform, were some barely seen stairs. It was the only exit out. She felt a small chill seeping down into her bones from the damp air. Usually, the weather was not a problem, especially in Guardian form as the fire ran in her blood, but now it seemed her magic was depleted. She was tired. There was nothing else to do, just rest. Producing a tiny floating ball of fire to keep her warm, Taranee closed her eyes, not wanting to see the depths below. There was no telling how deep the water was. She did not know how much time had passed as no natural light was in the cavern, just the artificial floating lightbulbs. She must have drifted off because her nap was interrupted by the sound of steps echoing on the walls. Leisurely, without a care in the world, Elyon emerged from the tunnel and stepped out onto the parapet.
'Good morning, Taranee, did I wake you up?' she asked in a sympathetic tone 'sorry for the lacking hospitality, but I cannot allow you to roam free.'
'Go to hell, Elyon! I thought you were our friend!' Taranee scoffed at the girl's theatricality, deep down hurting for a lost friend. It seemed there was no way back, and as a Fire Guardian, she just could not forgive her jailer for a betrayal of trust.
'What a good friend... constantly lying to me… I thought you above all else would be sympathetic to my plight, being adopted yourself. Taranee, are you not furious about the lies your parents told? Now imagine the trauma of finding yourself in another world entirely. I never asked, but did you know I was not from Earth?' Elyon asked with a deep frown marring her beautiful face.
'Does it matter now? Whatever lingering feelings of friendship I had for you were destroyed the moment you betrayed us all to that monster!' Taranee gritted her teeth, not wanting to hear the lies she was sprouting. Elyon extended her hand and the bubble floated closer to the parapet for a better view.
'Now, I came here with a purpose' she smirked at her 'I know you expect the rest of the Guardians to save you, but I have bad news. They abandoned you!' She laughed and motioned at the murky waters below. Slowly, the water became still as a mirror, and images formed. It displayed Taranee kissing her mother goodbye. Attending school and engaging in conversation with people. It was not made from her memories because she had never worn such clothes before. The images changed and floated, depicting her day like a kaleidoscope. She shook her head. Whatever happened, Will and others did not abandon her.
'Just look at that! They replaced you with a better copy! Marvelous isn't it?' Elyon asked, twirling the braid around her fingers.
'That's untrue!' Taranee shouted, closing her eyes. She would not be so easily replaced. Yet, the images continued playing before her eyes.
'That's reality Taranee, believe it or not, I am always right. I didn't want to do this, but you are too stubborn for your own good.' Elyon smirked and gathered the magic surrounding the bubble with an electrical field. Taranee looked scared as the vicious-looking bolts enveloped her from all sides. It silently crackled and sent minor charges through the bubble. She could feel the hairs on her body standing up from too much charge in the air.
'Nice, isn't it? I will leave you with this, but there is a catch. Every time you close your eyes, my magic will deliver charges through the shield. Next time I'll come, maybe you will be more cooperating' Elyon smirked and withdrew, leaving Fire Guardian slumped in her bubble. Fearful understanding shone in her eyes. Sleep deprivation was a nasty form of torture.
'Will, help me!' Taranee screamed in her mind with all the power she had. The desperate shout traveled far from her prison, transcending time and space, going beyond the Veil, and finding the intended target peacefully sleeping in her bed. Then it clicked…
Deeper in the tunnel, Cedric waited for Elyon boringly leaning against the wall. His human form was as impeccable as it was the first time she saw him. No hair was out of place. No dust was on his elegant robes. Steely gray eyes followed her descent down as he stood straighter, waiting for her.
'How's our prisoner?' He asked, joining her on the walk back to the castle.
'Weaker, but resistant. Your enchanted prison is doing its job' she nodded to the man, pondering how she could break her ex-friend to join their side.
'That bubble is produced by her magic. Don't irritate the Guardian too much. Fire is unpredictable when angered.' Cedric advised her, opening the door and letting the girl through. The men on Meridian were more courteous than those on Earth. She always marveled at the difference it could make. Sometimes she felt like a heroine in a grim fairytale book.
'Taranee is weak. If I'll play it right, I may brainwash her into our side. That would make my brother proud.' Elyon sighed, thinking about her brother. He was elusive with her, but she could not complain. He had a country to govern.
'I am certain he is proud of you either way. Prince Phobos looked for you for a very long time.' Cedric said, trying to reassure his charge. Playing babysitter was not in his job description, but he was a member of the royal family, so with gritted teeth, he did what was necessary. With time, he somewhat started liking the girl. She was easily molded and possessed a drive to learn. He, with a scholar's heart, enjoyed having such an eager pupil. Phobos entrusting him with this task was an honor.
'Did you inform Prince Phobos about our little guest in the dungeons?' He inquired, already knowing the Prince would not like Elyon going out on her own, and thinking how to lessen his anger. Why he had to have such a difficult character was beyond understanding, but navigating Phobos's moods was an art everybody had to learn on the spot.
'Not yet, I want it to be a surprise…' The young woman shrugged 'first, I need to get her on our side…'
'Elyon, that is inadvisable. If you do not inform him, I will. The Guardians will not abandon their friend. We will need to take precautions.' Cedric frowned, not wanting to take on that task.
'Fine, be a mood killer… I will tell him but give me more time. I'll still want to play for a bit.' She giggled, imagining the Guardian's faces when they came.
'You have three days. I never imagined you could be sadistic, Elyon…' Cedric leveled his eyes, looking at the girl. It was not like the Prince did not hear about their brief excursion with the soldiers.
'Do not disappoint me.' He nodded to the woman in farewell, leaving her on the corridor leading to her room. Elyon stood there motionless for a moment, looking at Cedric's back and his silky, golden hair swaying with every step. She blushed, imagining what it would feel like to plunge her fingers into those strands. Swallowing her suddenly dry throat, Elyon went into her room, devising plans on how to get revenge on her ex-friends.
