The Council

by Phoenix Willow

  “I second that.” Dream remarked.

  “I third it.” Ambrosia said in a voice, barely louder than a whisper.

  “I’ll be fine.” Sage said, giving Dream and Lyric a hug and then giving Ambrosia a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be fine. You three just make sure to stay safe and we’ll meet you in Weatheropolis before you know it.”

  “You ready, Spitfire?” Rain asked, bringing Jewel’s attention to the task at hand.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be, Raindrop.” Jewel answered, turning to Galadriel. “Okay, Trickster. Take us to a spot where I can open a portal without causing attention.”

  “You got it, Green.” Galadriel answered, zipping up his knapsack.

  Jewel double checked her belt and sure enough, Slayer was still there. No one was bringing much, but each of them had an emergency kit either in a backpack or knapsack. There was a little ration of food, water, a flashlight, an array of potions which included a teleporting one and some marenergen, and a few other odds and ends. Jewel had her green suitcase, which was now little more than a crossbody bag, thanks to Galadriel’s spell-casting. It held a picture of her parents that she had taken from Gertrude while still in the Human world and a lot of her books she didn’t feel right leaving; Rain had a picture of her Mom, and a can of chocolate sauce; Sage had a few more ready-made potions and some books that they would no doubt be needing; Zephyr had a bag of sweet potato chips and a few resource books as well; Galadriel had some extra ingredients in case they needed to make more potions; And Foster had his weapons and a few extra daggers packed away in the event that a hand-to-hand combat situation were to take place. Collectively, everyone had agreed that the ingredients they had already procured for the potion to help save Jewel’s Dad needed to stay with Frost so at least they didn’t need to worry about keeping up with those.

  “Okay, everyone knows the drill.” Galadriel said, holding onto Jewel’s hand and waiting for the little portion of the group to grab on to someone. “Hang on to your socks, cause here we go.” He smirked, and the feeling of flight took hold. Colors brighter than Jewel had ever seen before flashed before her eyes, a weightlessness and sense of peace washed over her, and a few moments later they landed in a meadow.

  “Okay, Green. Time to do your thing, because I have no idea how secluded this spot is.” Galadriel said, brown eyes darting around, trying to make sure they were alone.

  Jewel wasted no time. Tapping into her Keeper of Tempus powers had become much easier at this point, and she had no problem getting the portal to the world of the Djinn to appear. She had read up on the Djinn a bit before deciding that this was the best place to go. There were some things that she didn’t like, but she felt that it was the best world to perhaps strike up an alliance. The Djinn were very patriarchal in their thinking which might make things a bit rockier, but on the flip side- the Djinn were known for wanting to make a deal and Jewel felt like as long as things were worded carefully, that she could probably strike a deal with the Djinn and create a strong alliance.

  “Wow.” Sage said in awe as he watched the white wisps begin to frame a doorway. This portal was again very different than the ones to Aquatica and the Pixie World, but the one similarity was that it didn’t have a door within the frame either, just the wisps that formed into a frame that reminded Jewel of a bunch of cirrus clouds on a bright summer day.

  “Let’s do it.” Rain said as she went through the portal first.

  Zephyr quickly followed, not wanting Rain to be alone in a strange world for even a second, which Jewel found endearing and which she greatly appreciated. Jewel hadn’t been happy about everyone separating, but she had been strategic with her choice in not separating Zephyr and Rain.

  Jewel knew Rain was hurting, it didn’t take an Empath to see that. She had just lost her Mom and Zephyr was someone who Rain cared a lot about. A lot, if Jewel was basing it on her aura. So, there was no way that Jewel would have separated the two of them. Not so soon after Winter. Rain needed support and stability, and at least with Zephyr, she had some of both.

  Foster flitted through the doorway next, looking very much like a ninja with his daggers in each hand, ready to defend and protect.

  “Well, Green. After you.” Galadriel grinned.

  “Together.” Jewel said, offering her hand to him.

  Galadriel didn’t need to be told twice and grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers through hers, which to Jewel didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. They two of them went through the portal and landed in a barren world. There was red clay everywhere, but it was cracked due to the lack of moisture. No water could be seen for miles around, and the sky had a weird orange hue that only added to the monotonous color palette.

  Not wasting any time, Jewel closed the portal between Faeville and the world of the Djinn and began walking. Where she was walking, she had no idea, but they had to start somewhere.

  “This is not my favorite place we’ve visited so far.” Rain huffed. “I mean, come on, red and orange, orange and red. I’ve yet to see a plant or another color since we’ve been here. And it’s hot, like super hot. And the heat here better not ruin my chocolate sauce.” She frowned.

  Zephyr slung his arm around Rain’s shoulders. “Aw, come on Rainy. Look around you. This is all new for us. And how many individuals can say they’ve traveled to the world of the Djinn.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s pretty cool when you look at it like that.” Rain agreed, giving him a small smile in return.

  “That’s my girl.” Zephyr said as he pulled her closer and kissed the side of her head.

  “When are they going to make their relationship official?” Sage whispered to Jewel.

  “I have no idea. They obviously care about each other, but maybe they’re waiting on better timing?” Jewel suggested.

  “Better timing?” Galadriel’s brows shot up. “Seriously, Green. There is no better time than the present. Who knows what tomorrow might bring?”

  Sage snorted. “You’re one to talk, Galadriel. Everyone knows that you-”

  “Well not everyone can be as transparent as you and the Vampiress, now can they Sage?” Galadriel snapped, clearly not wanting Sage to finish his sentence.

  “Definitely struck a nerve, huh.” Sage stated calmly, his eyebrow raised every so slightly.

  “Kind of.” Galadriel sighed. “It’s complicated.”

  “What’s complicated? What struck a nerve?” Jewel questioned. “I’m so confused right now. What are you two talking about?”

  “It’s nothing. Nothing important.” Galadriel shook his head.

  “Really, Galadriel?” Sage said, looking at Galadriel with a very ‘are you serious right now’ expression.

  “Just drop it Sage. Worry about something else. Perhaps your next wardrobe choice would be a good thing to focus on, because this whole going on a safari get-up is not your finest fashion moment.” Galadriel teased.

  Sage feigned offense. “I’ll have you know that this is in fact one of my favorite ensembles and it comes complete with a matching hat and canteen, so maybe worry a little less about my outfit choice and a little more about what we were talking about.” He smirked.

  Galadriel’s lips thinned, and Jewel was about to question the boys again and demand a straight answer, when Foster shushed the entire group. He had taken the lead but had clearly seen something with the way he was acting. His eyes were focused on something in the distance and the serious expression on his face showed that there was something more going on than Jewel had noticed.

  “What is it Foster? What do you see?” Jewel asked, readying herself mentally should they have to fight.

  “There’s a voice in the distance. It keeps saying the same thing over and over again.” Foster answered, craning his neck to try and hear the voice better.

  “What’s it saying?” Rain asked.

  “Yeah, I don’t hear anything.” Sage replied.

  Jewel strained her hearing to try and hear what Foster was talking abou
t, but wasn’t able to hear anything, so she quickly knelt down and astrally projected herself to where Foster had been looking, and sure enough, there was a voice.

  The disembodied voice wasn’t one you would hear over a loudspeaker at an amusement park. Well, not unless you were going into a haunted house or a scary ride. The voice’s tone was full of doom and gloom, and what it was saying wasn’t making things much better. It was a riddle of sorts, but the underlying message was crystal clear- solve the puzzle or they were in serious trouble.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Alucinari Time

  Once Jewel had memorized the voice’s wording, she allowed herself to reconnect with her body. She opened her eyes and stood up, facing a bunch of angry faces.

  “You can’t just go popping in and out of your body whenever you feel like it.” Rain screeched.

  “Well, she can, but you really should give us a warning first.” Sage stated.

  “We had no bloody idea what was happening to you, Jewel. You have to communicate.” Foster reprimanded Jewel. “One moment you’re here and the next you’re a statue.”

  “Exactly! Communicate, Spitfire. C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-E, Spitfire.” Rain spelled out.

  “That’s not really one of her strongest characteristics.” Zephyr snorted.

  “Okay, okay, geez. I get it.” Jewel said, holding up her hands in an ‘I surrender’ type of way. “Can I tell you all what the voice said now? You know before I forget which could be at any second.”

  “Fine.” Rain said, crossing her arms.

  Jewel rolled her eyes but continued. “It said, ‘round and round you go, to the sky above and the depths below, but how far under will you have to go to see, what’s right in front of you and me? But be careful not to lose yourself to something that’s not real, or lost and alone forever you’ll be and feel, and if there’s a time that your mind breaks, your life will be forfeit, make no mistake’.”

  “Wonderful.” Sage shook his head. “I hate riddles. I really do.”

  “I’m not a big fan either. I’d much rather just have a straightforward task.” Zephyr frowned.

  “Well, we don’t so let’s get to solving.” Jewel said as they began walking in the direction of the voice. She was beginning to be a little irritated by Zephyr’s attitude. She had no idea what his problem was with her, but it seemed as though there definitely was one. The side-eye glances, the little verbal jabs here and there. Things were just much different than they had ever been before, and Jewel wasn’t sure what had happened to change things. But between Frost’s cold demeanor, and Zephyr’s outright disdain at times, Jewel could really use some time off the emotional rollercoaster that just so happened to be her life presently.

  The six of them walked for miles through the barren wasteland, coming across not one living creature or Djinn, and attempting to decipher a seemingly unsolvable riddle. They had gotten nowhere in hours, had already shared a bottle of water that hadn’t quenched anyone’s thirst in the slightest, and weren’t even one step closer to where they needed to be. Jewel was very close to just saying forget it and moving on to the next ingredient on the list that they needed to attain when they came across something very out of place.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Sage asked, rushing past Jewel.

  “It absolutely is.” Zephyr said, joining Sage’s side.

  “Well, don’t hold out on the rest of us. What is it?” Rain asked.

  “It’s the answer to the riddle.” Sage answered.

  “A plant is the answer to the riddle?” Jewel asked with a quizzical expression.

  “Not just any plant.” Zephyr rolled his eyes. “This is alucinari.” He stated, kneeling down to get a better look.

  “O-kay.” Rain said in a very unimpressed tone. “So, care to explain why you and Sage look like you’ve just discovered something very exciting? I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s sort of pretty with the bluish-purple leaves, but I feel like I’m missing something.”

  “The alucinari plant is closely related to a specific type of cactus found in the Human world. It has amazing properties that help with anxiety if crushed and mixed with a few other ingredients, but if you eat a piece of alucinari by itself, it becomes a very potent hallucinogen.” Sage explained as he used a large set of tweezers to extract some leaves and place them into a jar from his knapsack.

  “I’m so lost.” Rain pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do you get it, Spitfire?”

  Jewel shook her head. “Not really Raindrop.”

  Galadriel ran his hands through his ebony hair, looking troubled. “The riddle said, ‘round and round you go, to the sky above and the depths below, but how far under will you have to go to see, what’s right in front of you and me? But be careful not to lose yourself to something that’s not real, or lost and alone forever you’ll be and feel, and if there’s a time that your mind breaks, your life will be forfeit, make no mistake’.”

  There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere and Jewel knew that she wasn’t the only one that had felt it. Sage visibly tensed as he grabbed a few potion vials from his knapsack; Galadriel shoved Jewel behind him; And Zephyr pulled Rain close as Foster audibly growled and took a defensive stance with his daggers pointed outwards.

  A second later there was a popping noise and a very handsome man appeared before them. Jewel peered behind Galadriel and saw that the man was wearing a sapphire-colored silk from head to toe- donning a vest with no shirt, pants that billowed as he walked, and shoes that curled upwards. His eyes were cerulean, quite a contrast to his tanned skin, and his hair was a curly caramel color. He smiled as he approached with an almost amused expression that amplified his dimples, sort of like he knew something that Jewel and the others didn’t, and it was giving him all the feels.

  “Welcome Sovereign.” The man said, dipping his head slightly in Jewel’s direction. His voice held an almost mesmerizing quality that Jewel found charming and off-putting at the same time. “And let me also extend a warm welcome to the Sovereign’s loyal servants.” He said, his arms opening outward as he spoke.

  The man began to walk around a group, and it reminded Jewel of a tiger circling prey. Sage watched the man warily while Galadriel and Zephyr shifted positions as the man walked- blocking Rain and Jewel from him- while Foster mirrored the man’s movements, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

  This was getting them nowhere, and Jewel and Rain managed to squeeze past Galadriel and Zephyr, coming face to face with the man, who abruptly stopped, crossed his arms over his body, and waited with a curious expression to see what the girls were going to do next.

  “Yeah, so, um, first of all, hi.” Jewel started, giving a small wave. “And second, who exactly are you?”

  “My name is Alani, and I have been sent here by King Jazere to welcome you to Jinnia, home to the Djinn.” Alani answered proudly, giving a dramatic bow as he finished.

  “I see. Well, it’s very nice to meet you Alani.” Jewel smiled. “I don’t suppose you’re here to take us to meet your King though, huh?”

  Alani shook his head. “No, Sovereign. Unfortunately, I am not. I am here to escort your servants to the palace while you complete the task at hand. But I can assure you that they will be well taken care of while you are on your journey. On my honor, no harm will befall them.”

  “Let me just go ahead and correct you now, because they aren’t my servants- they’re my friends, more like family if you will.” Jewel stated very matter of fact-like. “And I also have two questions. First- why do you keep calling me Sovereign? And second- what journey is it that I’m supposed to go on?”

  “I call you Sovereign, because that is your title.” Alani answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, offering no further explanation. “And I believe your serv….err, male friends have already figured out what journey it is that I am referring to.”

  Jewel looked at Sage, Zephyr, Foster, and Galadriel, and true enough- they seemed to all have some understanding about wh
at was happening that Jewel and Rain simply hadn’t figured out yet.

  “We’re not separating.” Foster challenged.

  Alani sighed. “I am sorry to inform you that this is not an option. The Sovereign must complete the task given to her, or you five will be unable to leave Jinnia. Furthermore, if you refuse, I am under the strictest of orders to kill you all where you stand.” He said, a very unpleasant expression marring his handsome features. It appeared that Alani didn’t want anything to do with killing Jewel and her friends, but the fact remained that he hadn’t said he wouldn’t do it, which made Jewel quite vexed.

  Jewel felt her temper rise and her body began to glow. Alani must have felt the power radiating off her, because he gave her an apologetic look as he continued. “Please, Sovereign. It is the customary way for newcomers to prove their worth. I do not wish to kill any of you, but the task must be completed. Will you adhere to our custom?”

  Jewel’s shoulders dropped. She couldn’t just go around fighting and using her powers on everyone. She needed to gain allies and bullying her way to the King wasn’t going to do that. “Fine.” Jewel said through gritted teeth. “Yes, I’ll adhere to your custom, but if even one hair is damaged on any of my friends, you and your King will find that I am not so forgiving.”

  “Understood. Now, say your goodbyes and prepare yourself, Sovereign. This task is not for the simple-minded or the faint-hearted.” Alani instructed.

  “I’m not leaving you Green.” Galadriel said seriously.

  “You don’t have a choice. This will be the only way to try and gain an alliance, and if I don’t do this, Alani will be forced to try and kill all of us and then I’ll have to destroy Jinnia, we won’t get what we need for the potion for my Dad, and we will have failed. That isn’t an option, so you’ve gotta go. Don’t worry so much Trickster. You can’t get rid of me this easy. I’ll be fine.” Jewel smiled, trying to put on a brave face that she knew Galadriel could see right through. Glancing at Zephyr, she added, “Keep Raindrop safe for me, and find her some chocolate sauce so she doesn’t have to use her own supply.” Zephyr chuckled but nodded in agreement, and Jewel turned to Sage. “I know you were thirsty earlier, so maybe you can try and get something to drink, and maybe save me some for later.” She said, vaguely, but knew Sage got her point when he gave her a sly smile. “And Foster, please make sure that no one is separated. When I’m done on whatever this journey is, I want us all to have a sit-down with King Jazere.”