Silver Cathedral Saga (21 page)
The devious
god Heedian stabbed Starao. She died, bleeding to death in her own
home.”
“How . . .
tragic,” said Eleanor.
“It really
is,” said Ematay, looking as if he felt some sorrow after he
thought on the words he just said. “But her legacy still carried on
with us Star-casters.”
“I bet she
is glad, wherever she is in the afterlife, of what she has done.
She gave Astorians hope again, before any of these offensive
Spell-casters arrived here on Astora from Amaranth. Then everything
changed yet again.”
“How did
the Spell-caster come to exist here anyway. I know they originated
from Amaranth, but how did they become a part of this world, here,”
asked Christian.
“A Master
in each area came from Amaranth: A Battle-caster, Beast-caster,
Fire-caster, Water-caster, Earth-caster and Space-caster; they were
all sent to live in the Silver Cathedral not long after it was
built, and began teaching future soldiers. They usually have to
start young, about your age, or they will become tired too easy.
Using magick takes a strain on the older people. Starting young, it
builds up some kind of natural counter measure somehow. The best
Spell-casters were the ones who started the youngest. They usually
have a great amount of stamina or power.”
“We never
hear that much of space magick. Why is that?” asked Eleanor.
“Space
magick has caused some tremendous accidents and disasters. We’ve
had entire crowds disappeared through black holes—never to return
again. It is the most dangerous of all magick. The only ones who
use space magick now on Astora and Amaranth have their own rules
about Space-casters… they are Priests. The people who hear direct
words of the gods more frequently than others. They are the ones
who have the best chance of utilising space magick. Like the Priest
who tried to send us to the Silver Cathedral in the temple of Emae
in Sunndira.”
“Oh, yeah.
Forgot about that,” said Christian.
“I didn’t,”
said Eleanor. She continued to look at the faded yellow, the almost
white of Earth that made up the deserts; she gandered at the green
lands she could see at this angle with some ominous brown starting
to creep in, with a cluttered lot of clouds cascading across
slowly, very slowly. Specks of white spread around the planet from
where she viewed it.
“What a
beautiful planet,” she said to herself.
“It may be
beautiful, but a lot of people in it aren’t. They don’t live like
we do. We couldn’t be more different from them. Earthlings care
only about the wealth of coins, and power; yet we merely use it to
survive or get by. My impressions by them where not a good one many
years ago.”
“You’ve
been to Earth?” replied Christian.
“I led two
lives for some time in the past. But not anymore. One of them I am
afraid I cannot tell you about. But it took me to many places, and
dare I say it . . .” Ematay looked around the place before he said
the next thing on his lips. “Many worlds. But that is not to leave
this room at this time—do you understand?” said Ematay,
sternly.
“We would
never do anything to make you angry on purpose,” said
Christian.
“We
promise,” finished Eleanor.
“Good.
Whilst we are here, we might as well pray and gather our strength.
I assume the rest of the folk are doing the same downstairs as I
speak; well, if they are wise and think ahead. We will need our
strength and power to survive what is to come next.”
They all
thought what Ematay said was a good idea, none had prayed in some
time and they needed the power from the gods to help them on their
journey—now—more than ever. They were all very aware of the dangers
they could endure next. Though some had a better idea more than
others.
They all
crossed their legs and closed their eyes within a space they had
themselves. The three each knew they had to have the space of a
relaxed body to gain the fastest, potent magick over the shortest
time.
Eleanor
felt the sun and heat in her body as she prayed, whereas Christian
felt the forceful strong energy store up inside, making him feel
incredibly strong; but he made sure to remember what his master
told him: To remember he is a fragile being, no matter how powerful
a magick you have stored inside.
They prayed
for another ten minutes before they made a move to outside the
Space room.
The three
of them stopped outside the place where the nine doors where, both
children could see Ematay thought for some time before
speaking:
“I think it
would be wise to push on. To the mission I mean,” said Ematay.
“There is a darkness growing in my mind, and I have never been
wrong about my feelings . . .”
Eleanor and
Christian didn’t know what to say, yet again, except nothing.
“Let’s go
get the others and head off,” said the Star-caster. “We have been
here for an hour and a half now anyway. And I don’t know about you,
but I feel somewhat rested after praying.”
“I’m not
gonna lie. It did help more than I thought it would,” replied
Eleanor, the Fire-caster in training.
“You will
learn in time that we can go an entire week with praying in short
bursts frequently throughout the day. A handy trick to help stay
productive in the more danger heavy times.” They all moved down the
stairs, feeling the dark, wooden banister.
The house
looked alien, especially to the children of Hiva Aura—as if it came
from a place ahead of their time. A place of significance that
might actually be the future.
“It’s time
to go,” shouted Ematay, and as he looked into the room he saw that
they were all ready to leave anyway, as if they had read his
thoughts of this heavy darkness he felt.
“Do you
feel it,” said the Fire-caster to Ematay.
“I feel
it,” said Ematay. “The enemy is affecting our balance of
magick.”
“But there
is only one way it can affect all Spell-casters,” said the
Beast-caster Adea.
“I know,”
replied Ematay, “and it appears as if we have to quicken our
journey more than I thought.” The Star-caster cursed loudly, as if
remembering something. “Dam the gods. Unfortunately in all the
chaos, I forgot to travel to the king. Stay here. I will be back in
five minutes.” He stepped outside the portal to the mansion, then
travelled, forming into a shooting star, zooming through the sky
with a blue starlike trail behind.
Eleanor and
Christian felt very uncomfortable in this company and kept those
who would betray Ematay at the back of their minds.
They all
went into the lounge to sit and calm themselves. But the latter
never seemed to occur. No matter how hard they tried.
It took
less than a minute for the Star-caster to get the Silver Cathedral
and run to the king’s room. He banged on the door out of breath,
wheezing the air into his lungs fast enough to help lower his pace
of breathing again.
The door
opened, only it was not him, it was his son, Prince Etch.
“What is
wrong Ematay,” said the prince looking pale and worried.
“I need to
speak to your father . . . I mean the king—right now. The Shadows
are heading for Swansie, and will be there sooner than we thought.
We have two days at most now.” The prince opened the door further
so he could see the king behind listening in before he came to the
door.
“I know,”
said the king. “We are to fight them before Swansie city. To buy as
much time as possible for you to complete and get the swan to our
home.
“You know
that there numbers are too great. You cannot win. Even with an army
twice our size. We have lost too many Spell-casters now.”
“My
intention was never to win. But I will not let these alien beings
take what is left of our world. Not whilst I still have breath in
me.”
Ematay
looked at him, and it was an expression of lost hope, of the soon
to be fatalities, casualties. The Star-caster knew this could end
their last defences against the Cathedral if they failed.
“We have a
plan that should buy us quite some time,” said the king.
“I will
ride with you,” said the queen coming down the hall as if she had
the ears of a hawk. “I will ride into battle with you. You have
said it yourself, I would make a fine warrior.”
“And you
would my wife, but queens do not fight on Astora.”
“Then let
me prove that ideal wrong,” said the queen as she now stood between
Ematay, the door and Prince Etch.
“No,”
replied the king. “You are a mighty Queen, Snowbridge, though I do
not want to have the woman to whom my heart belongs to be in great
peril if I can help it.”
“Ah, but my
king, peril is upon us—whether we face it or not.”
“You will
not change my mind,” replied the king. “That is the end of it.”
“As my lord
wishes.” She walked away slowly with her shawl trailing behind her,
as if the disappointment followed; everyone could see that it
bothered her, but the king most of all was surprised at how easy
she gave in. It appeared as if she had thought of something else
in-between the conversation, stirring her attention for some brief
time.
“Everything
is ready for the fight in a days time,” said king Almare. “Please,
Ematay, work as fast and as best as you can.”
“I will
never do anything less for my king,” said Ematay.
“I believe
a day of reckoning is coming for you Star-casters. If we live to
see it that is. A day that will make you look equal, like all other
Spell-casters.”
“And I
would would welcome it my king,” replied Ematay.
He then
shot away like a shooting star, yet again, blue, blazing to the
outside garden and making his way back to the mansion
And yet,
whilst all this happened, the king remained all the more worried of
what was nearing, knocking at his door—doors—this world he was
trying to protect and save. Again.
Until . . .
A woman came up the stairs to the king and queen’s quarters and
said the words Almare had been waiting for for some hours. “Adalas
has brought their delivery. Weapons. Lots of weapons.”
“At
last,” said the king, rising from his chair in the corner. “Let the
preparations begin.
”
There
was no remorse in the words of captain Mileena as she told the Dark
Queen the location of the Silver Cathedral.
The only
reason Water Spirits always knew, was because they can feel the
difference in the air’s current upon the water, unlike most other
beings, Water Spirits had always been able to feel what affects
their true home: The sea.
“I will be back for different reasons if I don’t
find the cathedral,” said the Dark Queen; a black hole emerged from
nowhere right behind her as she said this and she walked straight
into it. It was just a little bigger than her height, as if it was
shaped for her to use personally. She was soon gone with a sudden,
strong gust when the black hole shrunk into nothingness.
As soon as
the Dark Queen left, all eyes went straight to Mileena. Not in a
good or pleased way, but with a frightened one; marking some things
yet to come to them.
One of the
spirits came forward and faced Mileena.
“You have guts to have us commit treason under
your own word.” She sounded strong and loud.
“We work under a hierarchy, pirate. Stand in
line,” replied the captain. “What I say, goes. There is no
democracy or other voice. Only my voice is heard and carried out.
If someone goes against this way, then they will die.”
The eyes of
this other spirit, the one facing the captain, still looked
disdained and in a fury with such heat being pushed forward. “So
you will risk all of our lives for the will of one?”
“Her will was strong. And not just in power—in
numbers. We would have lost if we confronted her. We stand a better
chance of surviving this way, even if they don’t win, we can lie .
. .”
“Lie, have you ever faced a reader before?”
sensed the Water Spirit in front of Mileena. “They are used to
extract the truth. And it is put in them from a very young age. We
will face death this way—and only by the King’s very
hand.”
“You will back down now, or be burnt alive;
steamed from you’re very existence.”
She backed
down, realising what her leader done was for the best and knew she
could not win here. It was the best decision after all, even if it
wasn’t something she would have done herself. Though this follower
of Mileena would never have said that out loud.
“I apologise, I was taken by the extreme
situation.”
“I sincere
ly hope so,” said captain
Mileena. “Because I have never welcomed betrayal. And you know what
it comes to if you make an act of it.”
She stepped back to try and fade in with the rest
of the Ruby Cage crew. A group that would take to the land, and
very soon.
The captain
could see she was brewing a reply, but dared not say it, though she
did wait some quiet moments for it to come, as if she welcomed the
challenge—yet there came none. They soon went about their
business.
“Are we nearing the Silver Cathedral yet?” called
Mileena out to the helmsman.
“Only another hour, cap.”
“Good,” said Mileena as her blue hair fluttered
in the wind for some moments. “If there’s any more trouble, you all
know where to find me.”
“Before we get to where we need . . . there will be another
test. The reason I know this is because I have been there before,”
said Adea. “At the door after the staircase will be a another
challenge before we can enter the
‘
Heart of the Mountain’. I hope it is not as
difficult as before.
”