Ethan remembered a calico cat he had seen somewhere recently, but he couldn’t put his finger on when or where. It suddenly dawned on him the lady he ran over had a cat. It had been black and striped; he was pretty sure now that it had been reading his thoughts. Why did the old lady have one? Had it really been an old lady?
The black cat gently purred against Ethan’s leg.
Hinson got up and pulled the blue shell necklace off of Ethan’s neck. The pressure deflated from his trachea.
“Do not speak again,” Hinson mouthed.
They waited for the guard to come.
There was silence until the gold-plated guard solemnly filled the room. He had a spear in his left hand.
The spear, Caitilin thought. We are doomed. Her stomach went straight to her little toe.
But it was his right hand that was extended. He presented a key of gold for unlocking the Queen’s door. Hinson took it with gratitude. Ethan silently celebrated with Caitilin.
The guard escorted the three to the final golden door. Larger than all the others, this door glinted with intricate ancient carvings of the royal seal. This one room housed the power and core of Faeria.
Caitilin wiped her hands nervously against her robe.
Ethan could hear his heart beating out of his chest.
“Now comes the hard part.”
In one instance the Phaenix had found an Elfin disguised as a Phaenix roaming through the halls. His disguise was impeccable, but the tattlekat could read that his mind was too often thinking about elderberries, sautéed doebeast and brewed drinks. He was executed immediately and the tattlekat was rewarded with sautéed doebeast.
-From the Chronicles of Magistral Visits
XVIII: Something to Text Home About
The three entered what felt like another world. The throne was the most beautiful chair that had ever existed in Ethan’s mind. The frame was made of a golden wood encircled with platinum lace. The tips of the chair were handcrafted Phaenix wings. At the zenith of the chair’s back, a carved royal tiara hung above the ruler, and the feet sitting on the circular rug were in the shape of beast paws. Velvet red cushions flowed over the back and the seat, and arm rests of pure gold jutted out. There was nothing in this room, or in the whole castle, for that matter, quite as beautiful as the chair. The rest of the room was made up of four long marble stairs leading to the throne, surrounded by marble pillars wrapped with golden vines. In the center lay a red moss carpet with golden thread along the edges.
But it wasn’t just one floor. Ethan looked up to see an interior balcony surrounded by a stained glass dome depicting the Queen receiving her tiara. A crystal chandelier hung above, designed with candles in tiny crystal shards. The whole place reminded Ethan of an ancient cathedral from a fantasy movie. Now he was inside one.
His sandals made no sound on the red carpet and he noticed three squares were marked out for kneeling. Both Hinson and Caitilin grabbed his robe and helped him kneel down until his face almost touched the floor.
A royal guard came into the throne room. “Phaenix of the blessed establishment and of holy grounds, I present to you Queen Eldira, daughter of Queen Elhira. Be silent, for your majesty is here.”
Another door opened and Ethan could hear the soft patter of footsteps entering the room. He pivoted his head to see the Queen’s feet. He noticed she was wearing glass sandals with platinum overlaid straps. He gave himself a quick look up and saw what everyone was in awe of. She was a tall Phaenix with lines of age on her face. But it wasn’t a display of uselessness; the Queen still looked active, fiery, and in control. Her silver dress shimmered complementing her long silver hair, on which rested a white gemmed tiara sparkling in the torchlight. Her eyes demanded the most attention, piercing like deep blue daggers. Ethan knew she was looking straight at him so he put his head back down.
One of her guards whispered to her the reason for the visit. She nodded with utmost concentration, all the while never taking her eyes off of the bandaged and robed one in the middle. Asking the guard to leave, she went over to her throne and rested her royal frame.
“Phaenix servants of the homeland, you bring to me a warrior deserving recognition?”
That voice! It shook Ethan’s inner core.
Hinson had the closest relationship with Gibbs, so he felt the need to address the Queen. He had gotten this far with the false Phaenix. All he needed was a sign from the Daysun to start being honest.
“My Queen, we have a warrior for you, straight from the Daysun. He was chosen by a vision.”
The Queen was put off by that answer. That wasn’t told by the guard.
“I am not sure I understand you, deacon. Explain yourself.”
This was it for Caitilin. She could feel the truth roll out of Hinson. Everything she had prayed for came to this. Oh Daysun, why was she so scared?
“Forgive me my Queen, I have a message from the high priest and he has received it from the Daysun in relation to the war. If you will allow me to get the message of Gibbs out, I will show it to you.”
Her eyebrow rose. “A message?” Those words sounded so refreshing even as she raised her guard. They had used deceit to get in here and she needed to know why.
“The matters of the Religistral are within the Religistral. Why do you bring them to the Magistral? We have specialty prophets who receive messages about the war. You know this, Hinson. I must refute that sharing a prophecy with me is needed. Did you, or did you not, come to see a warrior awarded for his work?”
Ethan couldn’t hear anything over the deep vibrating noise; he realized it was his own teeth grinding. This was the part where the Queen would find out he was an Earthian. He clenched his fists. Hinson, why are you trying to kill me?
“My Queen, if you allow me to stand, I will speak what the high priest has sent me to show you. It is pertinent to the invasion.”
The Queen was angry and it flavored her voice. She never relaxed her washboard-straight posture. “It disturbs me greatly that you would ask me to honor a warrior and then change the matter to something like this invasion. Why didn’t you tell my Registral about this? You know the procedure.”
Caitilin began to pray harder than she had ever prayed in her life.
The Queen continued, for she needed to keep up her royal demeanor, “You have given false account of your visit and I am alarmed by that fact. How can I trust you with this account if you have already lied to my government personnel?”
Her words spit like venom, bringing Hinson to recall all the deceit he used to get here. If the Daysun permitted, he would use one more trick. Hinson didn’t like to brag about his artistry skills. He had the amazing ability to create gales of wind and streams of fire, instantaneously. He usually held back because of his promise not to use his artistry as a weapon, but now he was so glad he could.
“Queen, if I may tell one more truth. This is the one truth I bind my life to. If you find it a lie, then I may be held deeply accountable to it.”
Her anger died. “Tell this truth and then you will be on your way.”
This was it; the time was now for Hinson to tell his major truth on the journey. Everything pivoted on this moment.
Hinson pulled back Ethan’s hood and ripped off the bandages to show a dark-haired, wingless, and shaking Earthian.
“Trust in the Daysun, Ethan,” Caitilin prayed hoping it would reach his mind.
The Queen rose from her throne; she didn’t know what she was looking at, her jaw dropped. It looked like a severely ravaged Elfin or a Phaenix who was burned beyond repair. She took a few steps closer to the specimen; indifferent to the lack of her guards to protect her. It may have been a Darken that had lost a lot of weight or perhaps it was a shaved, abnormally tall Perkian. What was it? Her eyes grew as big as plates trying to decipher what it was.
“What is this?”
The word stuck in Hinson’s throat, slowly pushing itself past his dry lips, “Earthian.”
“Guards!”
&nbs
p; Every impulse shot into Hinson’s finger tips and with his left hand he directed it toward the door, pushing all his energy toward the entrance.
Loud bangs and muffled cries came from beyond the golden doors. It stayed tightly shut by a mysterious wind.
Hinson reached his right hand toward the Queen’s entrance, behind the throne.
That door sealed shut before the guards could rush to the scene. Soon there were loud bangs coming from that door.
The Queen scurried behind her throne where she kept a bejeweled fencing blade, barely a suitable weapon. She wielded it in her hand knowing full well she was powerless without her aides.
“This is an outrage; stop this at once! Stop this now! How dare you bring an Earthian? This will be the end of you!” she shouted, waving the blade frantically.
Hinson was upright, confronted with the fury of the Queen. She was ready to kill anything with her fencing blade. Her wrinkles turned stiff and her posture moved frantically.
“I will let go of these doors as soon as you hear my message. This is a message from the high priest and it involves the war we are waging. I beg for your mercy.”
“Traitors!” she shouted, thrusting the blade closer. “I will not degrade this castle with the Earthian.” She got closer to the Earthian, but Hinson was squarely in the way. Such a powerful artist who can bring an Earthian in can surely kill a Phaenix.
“Trust in the Daysun, Ethan,” Caitilin whispered. She was sobbing quietly.
Suddenly, there were loud bangs from a tile in the floor. Hinson smirked, thankful to remember the hidden entrance. Gibbs told him about the three entrances into the throne room.
“Forgive me, Queen, I could not get this creature in any other way, but he is important. All I need is a moment of your time and if anything I say displeases you, you may slay us all.”
The bangs on the door rattled the metal. “Soon they will burn the doors down,”she exclaimed exasperated, feeling it pointless to yell and scream.
“We will be ready to die. If we are to die, let us relay the prophecy. If it blasphemes you, then we will die by any means you choose.”
Ethan was about ready to throw up.
“I am a clergy member,” Hinson continued. “My job is to minister the Daysun’s protection, love, and thoughts toward the homeland. I have not backed away from that for one single day in my life.”
The Queen couldn’t believe he was arguing on behalf of something as destructive as an Earthian. Every time she looked at the thing, it threw her into rage.
“How dare you disobey your majesty and your god. How can I treat this with anything but death? You have endangered our whole community, how can I absolve you and instead offer mercy?”
Hinson slowly thought of his next words. “This Earthian that you and all of Faeria hate has been chosen by the Daysun and validated by the high priest, whom you have trusted. Do not take my account, but take the account of Gibbs. The high priest was given a vision, similar to the vision your mother received to be chosen for the throne. This vision showed an Earthian—this Earthian—will be part of the battle, fighting on behalf of the Phaenix.”
Both Caitilin and Ethan were shaking, hugging the floor, feeling the whole world crumble beneath them. The guards were discussing how to remove the door off of its hinges.
“I am letting go of the doors now,” Hinson said, lowering his arms and moving back to a kneeling position. Suddenly, the three entrances burst open and a battalion of guards rushed toward the visitors, with their spears in kill position. Echoing war cries filled the room until they stopped, seeing the Queen’s hand raised. She was standing in wordless awe. The spear tips were resting on Ethan’s back. Without the necklace he was trapped in a language barrier. He could take a wild guess that what Hinson had said to the Queen wasn’t in his favor.
“Oh Daysun,” Caitilin chanted, her prayers continuing her plea of help.
One look in Hinson’s eyes told the Queen these three were devoted to give up their lives for this prophecy. She paused for a moment, ready to give her final order. She looked at the Earthian: a slob of the universe, a dirtier of all things holy. She furrowed her brow in disdain. It was against everything she thought she believed. She turned to Hinson, who knelt perfectly still with confidence, while his companions shook horribly behind him. They were all prepared to die, no matter how, and they did not hide their fear. Why would the next high priest, the holiest of Faeria, bring an outsider to the homeland? This had to be villainy of the worst kind, prompted by the Kalhari or…or…or. She couldn’t think it; she could not fathom that this might be the revelation from their national deity.
“I want to kill you for this villainy,” she began again. “My guards have no qualms ending your lives.”
She stopped again and took a deep breath, “I also want this invasion stopped.”
The rage filled energy of the room began to die down. The Queen’s voice lost its ferocity. She adjusted her posture.
“I entrust you have some religious proof,” she entreated, surprised at her own voice. The guards were confused. A sudden uproar from the guards received a fiery look from the Queen.
“Leave me, guards; this was only a false alarm. You may leave now.”
The guards scowled, bowed to her and promised, saying they would leave the doors unhinged just in case. In the moments following, an awkward silence lengthened between the Queen and the kneelers.
“My Queen,” Hinson spoke softly, “the only proof we have is honest belief and the will to follow wherever it leads.”
Her eyes pierced the robed simpleton in the middle. She walked over and yanked him up by the chin. Ethan was petrified, looking deep into her eyes he could see a fiery hate. He was ugly and probably stupid. She threw him to the ground and walked over to Hinson.
She demanded, “How will he aid us in the war? He is useless, like the rest of his kind.”
“I don’t know, my Liege,” he answered. “I am only a messenger for the watcher of this homeland. The one who promises victory desires the boy in this war. It is writ—”
“Silence!” she yelled out. “I know what the texts say; do not insult me again!” Hinson apologized. Caitilin was the next Phaenix to interview. “And who are you? Are you also breaking ancient laws?”
Caitilin searched frantically a respectful answer, trying to ignore the Queen’s disgust. “A deaconess at your service, my name is Caitilin.”
The Queen huffed in disgust, looking down on them. They had broken every law imaginable to get here. They deserved more than death, but the Queen still stopped herself from giving that command.
“This is our country; we are a community! We thrive on laws! You must not break them,” she heartily pleaded. Hinson detected the tonal switch and felt the courage to rise. He had already shown his extraordinary artistry skill.
“If I may, Queen?”
She made eye contact with the rebellious priest. “Stand up.”
Hinson wiped himself off and bowed his head to the Queen in respect. “Those laws you refer to are the laws given by our Daysun. He gave them to us through The Shaye. It was the Daysun who has saved us from every battle. He plans to do it again, as Gibbs saw in his vision, with this Earthian.”
That was it. She could not continue to argue with the high priest elect. He knew the deity of the homeland and what the Daysun was capable of accomplishing. No member of royalty could ever shun the words of a priest and still have their homeland be honored by the Daysun.
Hinson took a step forward. “If we don’t act soon, then we have no choice. The enemy will mow us down; this is our only chance. I promise that the Earthian will be sent back after we reach victory.”
It was perfect; the royalty over the whole nation was contemplating the deacon’s words. This brought a little more confidence to Hinson.
How is Ethan going back after the battle? Caitilin thought. Back to where? He has no home or family. His loss tore at her since she knew there was not a Readying House master in
all of Faeria that would take him in.
*****
The Queen led her three visitors to an adjacent room centered by a long, polished table. Candelabras graced the walls, a seaside view reflected through the windows, and they were embraced by blue translucent walls. Sitting down at the head of the table, she called them to follow—except Ethan, who was told to sit in the corner.
Caitilin felt herself breathing again.
“I want to see the thing,” the Queen demanded in a voice no one dared veto. Ethan hesitantly stepped to the Queen’s side and followed Hinson’s motions to kneel before her chair. All the while, he was thinking he was in serious trouble. She put her hand on his head and squeezed. Vibrating her throat nodes, she tried to communicate in a much-neglected language.
“You are Earthian?” she asked, every word sounding forced.
Ethan could only nod and hope the awkwardness would end.
The Queen looked at Hinson and Caitilin for support.
“A nod means yes in his non-verbal language,” Caitilin spoke.
The Queen snorted, “Well, that’s unnecessary.”
She went back to the other language. “Man human, are you plotting dangerous interventions?”
Ethan craned his head to see the most irritated old face of Faeria,
“No miss, I mean your highness. I was not plotting dangerous interventions,” he said.
The Queen was shocked by his voice. It was soft like a feather in the wind and not assuming at all. She was clearly expecting an ogre choking on a mole. It almost brought a smile to her face.
“Do you want to fight in our wardrobe?”
Caitilin snorted at the Queen’s horrible English. Did she really just ask Ethan to fight in a closet? She felt a sharp kick from Hinson to gain composure.
Ethan’s face searched for a respectful answer, “Yes, my majesty?”
The Queen was successful communicating with the wretched Earthian. She felt a sense of accomplishment, almost forgetting how much contempt she needed to show. She pushed his head away from her.
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