Revelation

by Kealohilani

  A glint of light caught her eye. She looked to the source and noticed that the trunk had fallen open.

  A spherical object rolled out of the chest. Lani thought that it greatly resembled the elaborate design of a Fabergé egg.

  Like the trunk— as well as many other objects and decorations in the room— it too, was gold. However, instead of rubies, like the chest, the precious engraved metal sphere was adorned with emeralds— a clear break from Drakne’s normal color preferences.

  She knelt down beside the toppled chest to inspect the ornate object more closely. As she picked it up in both hands its beauty mesmerized her. A solid strip of gold encircled the object.

  A thin seam in the strip told Lani that it opened somehow. She put one hand on each end and twisted gently.

  At the exact moment she did so, Drakne walked into the room on the other side of the mirror.

  “Nooooo!”

  Drakne ran as he screamed— until hitting the mirror stopped him. Frightened by Drakne’s obvious fear, Lani tried to drop the orb— but found herself unable to do so. Her eyes went wide as she realized it would not leave her hands!

  “NO!” Drakne screamed again as he slammed his fist into the wall at the side of the mirror— keeping his eyes locked on Lani and the object in her hand.

  There was a great flash of light and the mirror turned black.

  Visions From The Past

  Jharate was beginning to feel like himself again. He walked tall, spoke confidently, and took charge with ease. He had not slept a wink since he had received his vision of Lani, and was instead tirelessly working on a plan to save her.

  Although he could not confirm to himself or anyone else that she was still alive— he had seen her. The chance was good enough for him.

  Everyone else appeared to feel the same way. Even Raoul began to speak to Jharate again— though there was still resentment in his mannerisms.

  Justin’s mood was much lighter than Raoul’s— but that was always true. As Jharate paced back and forth, Justin suddenly burst out laughing as he spoke to no one in particular.

  “You know, she always wanted her life to be romantic like the fairy tales and dramatic like Shakespeare’s plays. I’d say she got her wish.”

  “Would you please keep the mockery of my mistakes— and of the ‘drama’ that you continually remind me that I have created— to a bare minimum?” Jharate snapped.

  “Take it easy, Othello! This isn’t my fault. Besides, humor is how I deal with things.”

  One of Jharate’s eyebrows rose. The reference to Shakespeare was lost on Jharate, as he was not from Earth. However, he did not need to understand the reference to gather the intent. He decided to let it go.

  There was no point in starting an argument. Furthermore, Justin was correct. It was not Justin’s fault that they were in this predicament.

  “I just got that reference!” Raoul exclaimed. “Ha! That’s funny!”

  “Right?! Who says I never paid attention in English class?”

  Kendra rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Justin.”

  “Not unless you kill me first,” he retorted.

  “With all we’ve been through the past three months— give or take— how are you still able to be this immature?”

  “Natural-born gift,” he replied with a wink. “Oh! I just realized something!”

  “Pray tell…” Kendra replied in spite of herself.

  “You and Lani— you guys were born on Alamea. But everyone thinks you were born on Earth in America.”

  “Captain Obvious, much?”

  “Hang on! I have a point! Wait for it… You and Lani are literally illegal aliens!” Justin burst into riotous laughter.

  “Very clever, Justin. And yes— I’m sure immigration would have a cow if they knew,” Kendra replied with a flat tone. “But we’ve effectively already been deported, so— there’s not a lot they can do now, is there?”

  “Actually, I think you’d have to worry more about getting locked up in Area 51,” Raoul noted.

  “Either way— I won’t rat either of you out if we do ever get home again.”

  “Thanks, Justin.” Kendra rolled her eyes one more time. This is such a stupid conversation.

  “I might,” Erik teased.

  “Of course you would, Rolf Gruber.”

  “Ouch! Slow your roll, girl. I was totally kidding. Hashtag take a joke.”

  “Hashtag stop saying hashtag! When was the last time you saw facebook?!”

  “First of all, that’s way too long to be a hashtag.”

  “I give up.”

  “Whatever you are all talking about— stop it,” Arante ordered. “We have more important things to take care of.”

  “Thank you!” Kendra exclaimed, feeling a little weird about the fact that she had just publicly agreed with Arante.

  “Yes, thank you,” Rezarhan added.

  Jharate found what he had been looking for in their supplies whilst that ridiculous conversation had been going on. He pulled out an old map and laid it across a long, flat stone that they had been using as a table.

  “Let us review what we know. Drakne has probably taken her back to my castle in Trisakne,” growled Jharate as he touched his finger to his family home on the map. “We know from intelligence received through the underground that that is where Vranah has set up his base of operations.”

  “When did you have time to chat with the underground?” Justin asked incredulously.

  “Shut up, Justin!” Erik demanded.

  Jharate ignored the interruption. “We are here, in Delicah, by the Veil of Tears Waterfall, in the Cave of Witsan.”

  “Very good!” Justin remarked. “You’ve just given us a fascinating review of the obvious! What are you going to do next?”

  Jharate sighed in frustration. “Justin, I realize that I have ruined everything— thoroughly and completely. I realize that you despise me. I understand— believe me. Nevertheless, we must work together to have any hope of saving Lani.”

  “He’s right,” Kendra called from the rock she was perched on. “So grow up, Justin.”

  Justin shrugged and nodded in agreement. Jharate turned to Arante, who was sitting behind him.

  “What are your thoughts on the matter, Cousin?”

  Arante grinned and stood up straight. She was thrilled to have been asked— but, at the moment, she had no real plan. However, she was not about to let anyone else know that— especially Tierza.

  “Alright,” she began, with a determined yet happy tone. “We obviously have to get back to Trisakne. That won’t be easy, especially since it was so hard to get out of there in the first place.

  “What we need to determine is how many of us should go back. Let’s go over the abilities we have again. Jharate, you have the gift of visions— but it’s on the fritz lately for reasons we don’t know. You may be a liability rather than an asset.”

  “I must save her! I care not if I die trying. Furthermore, I have more skills as a warrior than—”

  “True. I’ll put you down as an asset then. I was only saying, you may be a liability— or you may not. However, since the whole thing is your fault, I can see that you will want to go regardless. Raoul has the healing ability. I would say that is definitely necessary— especially because we don’t know what kind of shape Lani is in.”

  “Not to mention the fact that I would go no matter what,” Raoul asserted with a strong tone. Arante nodded.

  “Justin is telekinetic, so he’s an obvious choice. Kendra has shielding power— wouldn’t want to go anywhere without that. Now we come to Erik and myself.

  “I have the power to create images and divine truth— not sure how that could be useful, but I’m sure it will be. Erik has the power to play with the speed of time. Again, I think— necessary.

  “Perhaps Tierza and Laern should take Rezarahn with them to the Castle at Ansena to let them know what is going on.”

  “I think not! My brother can go with Rezarahn, but I am g
oing with you.”

  “It seems you cannot be stopped. Very well then, Laern and Rezarahn stay here to wait for our escort.”

  “I would never dream of staying behind whilst Lani is in need of—” Rezarahn began.

  “You have no say in this!” Arante shouted, with her eyes flashing wildly. “If there is anyone who is as much to blame for Lani’s misfortune as Jharate, it is you! You are lucky to be alive and you will do as you are told!”

  “As you say, I share blame in this! And I will not be denied the chance to make it right!”

  “We will stay,” Laern answered, calmly stepping in-between Rezarahn and Arante.

  “Speak for yourself, elf!” Rezarahn exclaimed, grabbing Laern by the shoulders and throwing him nearly halfway across the cave.

  Once Laern caught himself, he smirked. He was about to rocket forward when Rezarahn fell like a rag doll to the ground— completely unconscious. The confusion of the group didn’t last long, as they saw a frying pan floating back down to the ground.

  “Yeah— he’s not coming with us,” Justin declared, calmly.

  “A frying pan, Justin?!” Kendra exclaimed. “That could kill him!”

  “I didn’t hit him that hard. And Raoul will fix him right up if there’s a problem. But if he’s fine— which I think he is— we need him unconscious until we’re gone.”

  “Is he alright?” Arante sighed in exasperation.

  Raoul leaned over him, checked his breathing and his pulse, and looked at the part of his head that the frying pan had hit.

  “He’ll have a heck of a headache and possibly a goose egg I wouldn’t envy. But he seems fine otherwise.”

  “I will make sure he doesn’t die,” Laern added, a bitter undertone in his voice. “And I’ll make sure he doesn’t follow you once he regains consciousness either.”

  “Alright then— it’s settled,” Arante remarked. “We should set off immediately.”

  “Okay, sorry to interrupt again, Arante, but all we did just now was state facts. We all know our abilities and now we know who’s staying here,” Justin reminded. “What we don’t know is how to get back to Trisakne— or how to get into the castle, which just so happens to be the stronghold of evil— or how to find Lani— or how to get her out— or how to get back here to Destavnia without getting caught. Did I miss anything?”

  Justin had only said what everyone else was thinking.

  “Anything sounds bad if you say it like that. But look at it this way,” Arante began. “If we succeed in doing all that, we can end the war. Lani and Jharate are both Half-Hearts. So, if we can find and free Lani, get Lani and Jharate to Destavnia, and get them married in the right place— the entire war ends. A war that has been going on basically forever. This isn’t just a rescue mission, people. This is our chance to save two whole planets!”

  Her words had the intended effect. Everyone who had been listening stood up or sat up a little straighter and their eyes glimmered with hope and determination. Erik and Raoul jumped up at the same time.

  “What are we waiting for?” Raoul asked.

  “Let’s end this war once and for all!” Erik said enthusiastically.

  “Intergalactic Heroes League, assemble!” Justin exclaimed.

  “You are not calling us that,” Kendra remarked, but with a cheerful tone so that no one felt the need to counter.

  “Still, we do need a plan,” Tierza interjected carefully, trying not to spoil the enthusiasm in the atmosphere.

  A wide grin spread across Arante’s face.

  “I’ve got it! I know how we are going to get back there, undetected. Erik, I want you to…”

  Lani had been trying to let go of the orb since Drakne had screamed— without success. When Lani had twisted it, it had sprung open from its core and now the two halves of the orb were separated by about three inches— but still held together by a small gold post in the center. Her hands were stuck on either side of the orb.

  The mirror was turning black. What did that mean? The light in the room dimmed until she was kneeling in utter and complete darkness— still unable to let go of the open sphere. What was going to happen to her?

  Am I trapped here forever now?!

  Lani instinctively tried to take a deep breath to soothe herself— but when she could not, a twang of anxiety shot through her. That should have sent her heart beating like crazy— but once again, she couldn’t feel it!

  This was horrible— even more frightening than being able to feel the physical effects of fear! The dread continued to grow within her as she sat there in the pitch-blackness of her prison.

  Calm down, she thought, panicking won’t solve anything.

  Just as she thought this, the orb began to vibrate and suddenly images flew from within. The way the images completely surrounded her made her feel as if she had been transported onto a Star Trek holodeck. However, she found that she could not smell or feel anything. The images came from the orb itself— with only a subtle hint of translucency.

  Lani saw a tall handsome man, with jet-black hair and eyes so dark that they seemed black— standing in a field near a small but charming farm house, hard at work. His arms, face, and neck were tan from working in his fields every day. He turned as his wife called him to supper from the front door of their home.

  She was strikingly pretty— more like a princess than a farmer’s wife. Her hair was deep brown, her lips full and red, and her eyes were as green as the emeralds on the orb. She was pale, but somehow it suited her and added to her beauty. He blew a kiss to her before picking up his tools and heading back for the house.

  The projections of the orb suddenly zoomed in on the house until Lani found herself inside it with the farmer’s wife. Three young boys and two young girls sat at the table, ready to eat. It looked as though the farmer’s wife was expecting another child any day now.

  “How was your day, my precious angel?” the man asked his wife, as he walked through the door, crossed the room, and kissed her.

  “It went well, darling. Thank you for sending the boys in to help me. It was much needed. Drake did a great job.”

  “That’s my boy!” the father said with a warm smile as he tousled the hair of his eldest son, who positively beamed back at him.

  Wait a minute, Lani thought. Her eyes went wide. Lani knew that boy— tall, lanky, jet black hair. No mistaking— that was Drakne! Younger and happier, no doubt— but the resemblance was unquestionable. He couldn’t have been more than fourteen.

  It felt odd to see him in this light. Somehow, she had never imagined he had a childhood. She especially would have never imagined such a loving and happy family.

  What could have happened to him?

  As Lani thought this, the orb began to vibrate again. The images came faster and faster— as though someone had hit the fast-forward button. After a few minutes, the orb slowed the images down and stopped at another scene.

  It was the same farmhouse with the same people sitting down for dinner once again. The only differences were that they now had one more daughter— a small toddler, stumbling around happily— and Drakne looked as if he were close to sixteen years old.

  Without warning the door burst open. Soldiers marched in and dragged everyone out of the room. The family was brought outside in front of the house and forced to kneel at knifepoint. A voice came from a few yards away.

  “I thought I made it very clear that resistance was not to be tolerated, Veran.”

  Drakne’s father bowed himself as low to the ground as he could while the soldier was restraining him— and pled with the owner of the cold voice.

  “Please, spare my family! They had nothing to do with it, I swear! Do whatever you want to me, but please leave them—”

  “Silence, fool!”

  Lani looked for the source of this terrifying voice and saw a shadow. He was wearing a cape with a hood so that she could not see his face— but his voice was all too familiar and she knew exactly who it was.

  He had th
e form of a man— and in this particular instance he even seemed to have flesh. But he was still somehow not human. The voice continued in a calm cadence.

  “You have no right to beg for anything. You have betrayed me. And for that crime you will watch your family die in front of your very eyes, before you join them.”

  “No, please! Have mercy!”

  The thing that the voice belonged to nodded its hooded head toward the guards and spoke with chilling ease.

  “Kill his wife.”

  Despite the desperate pleas of Veran and the screaming of the beautiful children, the guards proceeded to slit her throat. Veran screamed in agony and wrenched himself free of the guard who held him. He grasped his dead wife in his arms and began to sob.

  The children screamed and cried at the sight of their dead mother. The man in the cloak calmly ordered the guards to kill the youngest children first.

  Veran’s youngest daughter was dead a second later.

  The farmer rushed the guard who held his youngest son— and fell to the ground as the guard thrust a knife into his heart. Veran died instantly.

  The specter in the cloak tapped his foot on the ground slowly in disappointment. The guards looked to the hooded figure and asked what to do with the rest of the children.

  “Kill them.”

  As these words from the demon in the cloak were uttered, young Drakne struggled against the soldier who held him and yelled.

  “No! Take me instead! Let my remaining brothers and sisters live! I will do whatever you ask! Please!”

  The thing in the cloak walked over and looked down on him.

  “Your bravery and self-sacrifice is impressive. What is your name, boy?”

  “Drake.”

  The hooded figure paused and thought for a moment.

  “Drake… Very well. I will let them live. But you must agree to serve me without question— to your dying breath.”

  Drakne looked at the faces of each of his siblings and hung his head in defeat as he spoke with determination and self-loathing.

  “I will.”

  The hooded figure motioned to the guards to release them all. As they let go of Drakne’s arms, they fell numbly to his side. His brothers and sisters rushed to him and hugged him. He could barely even look at them as he embraced them for what would be the last time.