by Lady Lilium
‘I know’ Lucas smiled with her. ‘My brother and I used to play here when we were younger.’
‘In this field?’
‘Over the hill’ he pointed. ‘Just on the other side is a park.’
‘It’s abandoned?’
‘It has been for a while, a bigger one was built within the town itself…and this one was forgotten….’
‘I love parks’ Ebony said beaming and holding her hands to her chest.
She rushed past him joyfully, brushing the top of the tall grass with open hands as she went, completely unperturbed by the recent series of events.
‘Wait!’ Lucas called after her.
She paused, glancing back at him.
‘What is it?’
‘Those things’ Lucas began. ‘They were after you.’
Ebony’s shoulders sank.
‘Do we have to talk about this?’ she huffed.
‘This is what you’ve been afraid of isn’t it? The whole time you knew they were after you.’
Ebony turned back to face him, resigned.
‘I've never seen them before.’
‘But you know what they are’ Lucas persisted.
‘Sort of.’
‘Sort of?’ Lucas crossed his arms. ‘Ebony, you need to tell me what's going on.’
‘It’s me they want’ she admitted reluctantly.
‘Do you have some sort of connection with them?’
‘No, it’s nothing like that.’
‘Then what?’
She sighed.
‘They're after my power. I have…much power.’
‘Your power? Are you stronger than other guardians then?’
‘Guardian?’ Her brow lifted curiously. ‘I'm not a guardian.’
‘But you said…’
‘No. I never said I was a guardian. You called me so many times, but I never said that I was.’
Lucas fell silent as he cast his mind back, thinking of all the days they had spent together, and he realised then that she was right. She had never once claimed to be a guardian.
Lucas raised his head.
‘What are you then’ he asked her, ‘if not a guardian?’
Ebony hunched her body. Her head was bowed avoiding his gaze. She looked for a moment towards the direction of the park, seemingly wishing to be there.
She straightened up then, facing Lucas with confidence, now she answered.
‘I'm a philosopher’s stone.’
The flat was found easily enough; the aberrant guardian had sensed the direction of the conflict from far away, feeling the magic still in the atmosphere. Now it stood out like a shining beacon to him, though the energy was fading fast.
He soared through the air alongside the block of flats. Seeing a broken window pass by him, he turned in the air, changing course and heading back towards it.
‘Lauralie?’
Jacob pushed aside part of the broken table. The shards of wood and glass were everywhere. Reuben moved gingerly, observing the scene of carnage that was the living room. What seemed like mere seconds ago, everything was neat and the atmosphere relaxed and conversational. Now it was all destroyed.
Lauralie sat leaning towards one side of the sofa, now just a curled up shivering ball. Her hands were over her mouth, her knees up, she was shaking and her eyes were wide and unblinking.
‘Oh no’ Reuben sighed wearily, walking over to her.
Jacob was already sitting by her, his hand hovering over her shoulder, almost as if too cautious to touch her, almost as if he thought she might break if he did.
‘What's happened?’ Drake whispered, as Reuben bent forwards to get a better look at her, brushing her hair back from her face.
‘She’s in shock.’
Drake, Reuben and Jacob spun round at the unfamiliar voice. Jacob gasped, drawing back in fear.
‘Aberrant!’ was his first instinct.
‘Aberrant indeed’ the guardian purred.
He had been sitting just outside the broken window, holding onto the sill with apparent ease. Now he crawled into the room through the window, straightening up and surveying casually the mess and distress left by the creatures. He had been so silent; none within the room had heard him coming.
‘It’s you!’ Reuben stated.
‘What?’ Jacob exclaimed. ‘You know this thing?’
The winged guardian took a deep and patient breath. Reuben gave a glance to Jacob, and saw he was almost as tense as Lauralie now.
‘Hey!’ he clicked his finger before Jacob’s face. ‘Snap out of it! You need to keep it together.’
‘Sorry’ Jacob blinked, shaking himself. ‘I just…I'm fine.’
‘Where is your brother?’ the elder guardian named Culture demanded.
‘I don’t know; he just left.’ Reuben indicated the window. ‘With Ebony.’
‘Ebony?’ the black guardian frowned. ‘Is this a person?’
‘She’s a girl’ Drake told him.
‘Then it must be her’ the aberrant guardian mused to himself, seeming to forget for a moment that the others in the room existed. ‘Do you know where they went?’
‘No’ Reuben told him flatly.
‘Do you know this girl well?’ Culture continued.
‘No.’
‘Then she hasn’t told you?’
‘Told me what? You're not making sense.’ Reuben felt a flicker of anger; it was like listening to someone who was talking in riddles. He forced himself to calm, and decided to take a difference approach.
‘You never told us your name.’
‘Culture.’
‘Culture?’ Reuben scoffed. ‘That’s a weird name.’
Drake gave a sceptical look, but said nothing.
The aberrant looked over Lauralie briefly; it seemed as if she hadn’t noticed the aberrant at all.
‘So….’ Culture went on. ‘Which one of you has used magic?’
‘Magic?’ Jacob gasped. ‘How did you know?’
Culture approached Lauralie, placing a hand upon her head as he surveyed her closely.
‘I've been a guardian for many years’ he said. ‘I'm not a fool.’
‘A philosopher’s stone?’ Lucas repeated flatly. ‘What on earth is that?’
‘A philosophers stone is an alchemical substance, it’s said to be capable of turning metals into gold or silver’ Ebony explained. ‘It can cure any illness, and prolong life, as well as bringing back life.’
‘And who can bring back life?’ Lucas laughed sceptically. ‘I doubt even a god can do that.’
‘I can.’
‘Have you done it before?’
‘No.’
‘Then how do you know it’s possible?’
She lifted her eyes to him, dark and mysterious they were, as if holding some deeper meaning that Lucas could not understand.
‘I just know.’ She crossed her arms. ‘Tell me, would such beings be hunting me if it were otherwise? To everyone else, I look just like a normal girl. I even fooled you. But to elder guardians, those that are experienced…some of them can sense us.’
‘You mean there’s more than one?’
‘Oh yes. In fact, I think there’s another one now’ she said turning away.
Lucas blinked uncertainly. ‘What? Another one? Where?’
‘The park is just over the hill you say.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Come on’ Ebony beckoned jovially. ‘Let’s say hello to her.’
‘Hey wait!’
Lucas ran after her, sprinting to catch up as they headed towards the lip of the hill. Ebony pulled back as they reached the top, Lucas caught her up, panting slightly.
They saw the rolling fields before them stretch into large sections of woodland, and beyond that, another town, though this one was dark and dreary as it sat in the distance.
Within the field before them they saw was the park, a children’s playground. There was a rusty climbing frame, a slide, a see-saw, and a roundabout painted in bright colours
that were now faded and chipped. The metal beneath was dark and rusted. And where the wood-chippings had been, was overgrown. Now there was grass here, tall and flourishing, like the rest of the meadow, and on a swing in the centre of the playground, rocking gently back and forth, was a girl.
She wore a simple white dress that reached down to her ankles. It was elegant and shapely, matching her long pure white hair that fell freely about her shoulders, lifting in the air as she swung back and forth on the swing. She was young, not quite twenty in age, though she looked older than Ebony. She was beautiful, and slim. She had a natural look about her, and a fine unexaggerated feminine figure.
Her voice as she sang sailed through the air towards Ebony and Lucas. And for a moment they stopped and listened.
‘Angels forgiven, rise, triumphant
Gleaming and pure, were greeted
Back were the people, rejoiced, from sorrow
Demons now gone, defeated…’
‘What's she doing?’ Lucas asked.
‘She’s singing.’
The strange girl fell into silence.
‘Come on’ Ebony whispered, ‘let’s go down to see her.’
Ebony led the way as they headed down the hill, Lucas followed at a few steps behind.
The girl looked towards them as they drew closer, looking not in the least bit surprised to see either of them. It was as she had been expecting them.
The girl dragged her feet on the ground, bringing the swing to a stop.
Ebony halted a short distance from her, smiling shyly. Behind her Lucas remained, feeling suddenly like he should be giving the two girls space, feeling that there was more to this than he really understood. He thought it was wise to keep silent, and hung back to watch.
‘That was a beautiful song’ Ebony began. ‘What’s it about?’
The girl in white stared at Ebony for a moment with steely grey eyes, and then she smiled.
‘It’s a story, of a time where angels and demons lived together, in a world that’s long been forgotten.’ Her voice was soft and lyrical as she spoke, a soothing and beautiful melody, like her singing. ‘The demons were blinded by heavens light, and the angels could not see in the darkness the demons brought with them.’ She smiled then. ‘The demons were mischievous, and the two creatures, so different from the other, found that they could not live together. The angels chased the demons away, the demons, being lazy, had not cared for their weapons, they became rusted and old. The demons could not fight back, and so, were driven from the heaven the angels called home. The angels rose triumphantly, and were greeted by the people, bringing them out of the darkness the demons had brought onto them. And so, the demons returned to their home in darkness.’
‘Did that really happen?’ Ebony asked in awe.
‘No’ the white girl smiled. ‘It’s just a story.’ She rose from the swing. ‘It’s just a song.’
‘My name is Ebony.’
‘Yes’ the girl spoke, as if she already knew. ‘I have felt your presence here for a while now. I was wondering when I would meet you. Another philosopher’s stone.’ She bowed her head to Ebony in a gesture of respect. ‘My name is Crystal.’
‘That’s a nice name’ Ebony sighed.
‘So is yours’ Crystal replied. ‘And I see you’ve brought a guardian with you’ she said looking to Lucas, acknowledging him at last. ‘I hope he’s not here to hurt us.’
‘He’s not’ Ebony said hastily. ‘In fact he’s been protecting me.’
‘How very noble of you’ Crystal spoke to him. She looked away before Lucas had a chance to answer, speaking now to Ebony again. ‘But I'm afraid it’s too late.’
‘Too late?’ Ebony repeated looking worried now. ‘What do you mean?’
‘We are trapped here, can you not sense it?’
Ebony glanced to the meadow around them, stiffening as she suddenly noticed something she had not noticed before.
‘You sense it don’t you’ Crystal said to her. ‘There is a net, surrounding this whole town. It was placed there just for us.’
‘I don’t understand’ Ebony begged. ‘What is happening?’
A sad look crossed Crystal’s expression, and she half turned from them, avoiding their gaze.
‘I suppose it’s my fault. It was me they were after in the first place, and I’ve lingered here for too long because I wanted to see you. I have allowed both of us be become trapped.’ She sighed. ‘But perhaps it’s for the best to be caged here. I am so tired of running after all.’ She turned back to Ebony. ‘You must have run into at least one of them by now…the ones who hunt us I mean. There are two groups searching.’
‘I have’ Ebony breathed. ‘They want to hurt me.’
‘I know, but I am the one they were originally hunting. I am the one who draws their attention most. I am older…my powers…stronger.’ She lifted her arms and indicated the meadow around her, drawing attention to something Ebony had not yet noticed.
Aberrants. They surrounded the three of them, hiding in the tall grass, peacefully they watched. Ebony saw even larger ones at a distance, some colossal, sitting on the horizon. It was almost as if they were watching over Crystal, like loving parents.
‘They are drawn to our powers, more so now that we are together.’ Crystal lowered her arms smiling. ‘They are thought so often to be evil and dark and sinister, but I find otherwise.’
One of the aberrants approached her, crouching close to the ground in submission. Crystal knelt down to touch it.
It was a small and scrawny looking thing, with sharp spikes protruding from its shoulders and upwards pointing horns protruding from both the heads of the aberrant. It had been hiding in the tall grass, completely concealed from view.
Crystal touched their heads, loving them and petting them like one would do to a domestic dog. The aberrant chattered as if in happiness, flicking its long tail and closing its eyes contentedly. It accepted her touch graciously. Crystal chuckled lightly with joy, straightening up again. The two heads of the aberrant bared their teeth, but it did not look to be aggressive, it looked as if they were smiling at her. The aberrant backed away, retreating to the tall grass. It lay down again in hiding, becoming near enough invisible.
‘That is why I've been seeing more aberrants lately’ Lucas spoke up. ‘It’s because they were following you’ he said to Ebony, ‘and you’ he said to Crystal.
Ebony gave him a nod. ‘They’ve been following me all my life’ she explained. ‘I can keep them away most of the time, but they’ve never been far from my side.’
There was an insect that appeared at that moment, a dragonfly. It had emerald faceted eyes and a mechanical body made of many different parts, like that of a ticking clock. Its wings were clear, like glass.
It flitted in the air, darting wildly in different directions just as typical dragons do. Ebony sensed a sort of high intelligence about it, almost to a human level.
Crystal held out her palm, and the insect landed there lightly. It was quite large in size, larger than was natural, and on closer inspection it was clear to see that it was indeed made of metal.
‘This is my friend’ Crystal explained. ‘His name is Cid. He keeps me company. He is like a familiar to me.’
A thought struck Ebony suddenly, and faded as fast as it had come.
No she thought, remembering Pokie sadly. He’s gone now.
‘He only lives, because of my magic that keeps him alive’ Crystal went on, speaking about the mechanical dragonfly. ‘If I were to die, then so would he.’
The dragonfly darted off again, as if sensing her dark thoughts. It was gone in an instant to who knew where, quickly vanishing from sight.
‘Cid has been my friend for a long time’ Crystal went on, ‘he keeps a look out for me.’
She gasped suddenly, eyes darting over their heads and towards the direction of the town. Becoming suddenly tense and without explanation, she turn-tailed and ran, her movement smooth and graceful. Her long white hair swis
hed and her long white dress trailing after her as she ran. She disappeared in the trees of the forest nearby.
‘Where is she going?’ Lucas spoke up.
‘She’s hiding’ Ebony replied.
‘From what?’
‘I don’t know.’
It was then Ebony noticed that the aberrants were gone too. Slinking away in the tall grass or fleeing into the trees as Crystal had. Even the larger ones on the horizon had vanished.
Lucas glanced around nervously, perhaps at the feeling of being suddenly so alone, and the fear of whatever was coming.
‘You say you have strong powers?’ Lucas began, still looking cautiously about them.
‘Yes’ Ebony replied.
‘Then how come you’ve never used them before? And why don’t you try to protect yourself? Why didn’t you keep back those creatures that attacked us?’
‘Because I can only use my own magic in very small doses, my true power lies inside’ she said touching her heart. ‘In a place I cannot reach.’
‘What good is that?’
‘Very little it seems’ Ebony admitted. ‘I envy other guardians sometimes. I mean…what use is it to have this magic if you cannot even use it?’
‘How do you know you even have this magic?’
‘Instinct’ Ebony replied. ‘I can feel it inside me. I know what I am. The fact that aberrants follow me is proof enough.’
Lucas looked past her and towards the forest Crystal was now hiding in.
‘If you have all this magic then how do you use it?’
‘I can’t’ Ebony told him. ‘My magic can only be obtained by another, after I die.’
‘What?’
‘If I am killed, the philosophers stone that is hidden inside me appears…no…it’s like my very flesh is made from this property. It becomes this stone.’
‘Then how do you know this?’ Lucas asked curiously, ‘if you have never died?’
Ebony turned away from him. ‘Because my sister, my dear sister I watched die in the hands of guardians that hunted her. They hunted her with the same intent as those that hunt me now.’ Ebony cast her mind back, regret and sorrow filled her heart. ‘Her body vanished’ she spoke quietly, ‘leaving behind a stone. I remember seeing it, it was bright pink.’ She lifted a hand to her face, touching a finger to her eye. ‘My foster parents always wanted me to hide this, back in the day before I became unseen to them.’ Ebony removed the contact lenses from her eyes, flicking them away, lost forever in the tall grass. ‘I suppose there is no point in hiding them now.’ She turned.