Saving Earth's Eternal Flame

by Janeen Abdo

  Chapter 15: Betrayal

  HORARDO IS STANDING atop his cave home. He can see the Wiccan and Druids gathering and think they are sneaking out unnoticed. Silly fools, I am the greatest Timekeeper ever, I notice all that happens, he tells himself this as his sneer forms on his face. Thinking back to his last night with Desdemona, she will want to reward him for ending this group of semimagical idiots.

  Horardo’s golden hair shines with the sun and his stocky stature is obvious of the strengths he was created. He knew he was destined to Terra, loved Desdemona but could have any woman he wanted. The Faye Queen even crumbled to his charms so he could seduce her and steel her scrolls. Ancient scrolls had the old magic of blood in it. Magic the Elementals wanted forgotten, believed dangerous and can cause insanity to those who are not strong enough. Desdemona is strong, she can handle the magic. He lags behind following the little group to see what they are up too.

  They travel to the swamps of Olean’s; Horardo lingers behind as they camp around the W portal. He wonders of the Faye Queen, could she be helping them, Horardo thinks about his night with the queen, she was fun, but she hates humans. She cannot be helping them. He sits and watches the scene unfold.

  Dominic sets his alter in front of the W in the trees. His candles he sets them in placement with the stars that shine above him. Annabella joins him in lighting her incense and calling the corners. They take hands, the merging of Druid magic and Wiccan faith brings about a white magic that can call to open the portals. Dominic was impressed what he did not have to chant or call to the runes that are carved into skin. The portal was open to the magic land where he met the beautiful magic woman.

  As the gateway open Adara stood there with a group of fairies behind her. They marched forward, and she smiled at Dominic. “You did well young druid. I was not sure how many you would bring me.” She stepped from the waters and transformed herself to a human size.

  Dominic stared in awe, “You are pure magic, a gift from the great Father of creation?”

  Adara laughed, “Yes father created me; I am pure magic but not a gift to you. I am Adara Queen of the Faye, the savior of the Birds. When the Elementals went into hiding, I became the savior of nature.” She stopped just as Gwain and Gavina walked up and she smiled brighter. “Hawks are among you, much hope for us all now.” She looked to Annabella and Kaleb and took a step back. “A powerful group you have here Dominic, not just an Empath as you are, the hawks, and a seer. The most surprising site is of a Timekeeper. There are not many of you left is there Kaleb?”

  Annabella looked at Kaleb, “you are a Timekeeper?”

  Adara laughed more “you did not see that coming seer; I guess you are still learning your gift.”

  Dominic looked at the Faye queen, his soft blue eyes staring into hers as they change colors. “You still have depth in your eyes queen; not as hard as you act. You knew I was an Empath and Anabella is a seer. How did you know about Kaleb? None of us know of him, we thought he was a human.”

  “I know all the Timekeepers, I am as old as time, almost. No one is older than I, the original Timekeeper. But he keeps his identity hidden. I expected a bunch of humans that worship the Elementals; I thought this was a chance that would most likely fail in reaching Gaia. But Dominic, you have very much impressed me, you have true power with you. I am guessing you do know your gift well Empath to have surrounded yourself with such strong humans.” Kaleb stands in front of Annabella protectively. “Why are you here Adara, you are no friend to humans?”

  “The Empath, I believe in him. I think with my magic and these covens together, we may be able to communicate with Gaia. We need her awake. The gateways will close if she is not awake. I may not spend a lot of time on this realm, but I like the choice.”

  “Let us call her” Dominic took the Faye queens hand and Annabella’s. The Empath dropped both hands and fell to the ground, whispering “They're coming” over and over.

  Annabella rushed over to Dominic, “What is it, let me see what you are feeling.” She took his shaking hands and held them close to her heart and then closed her eyes. “We are surrounded by shadows. There is a golden hair man hiding in the rocks watching us.”

  Dominic continued shaking “There is so much evil in them.”

  Adara looks to Annabella “Describe the Golden Man”

  Annabella closes her eyes, “He has long golden hair, and his eyes are golden as well, radiant skin. He is quite beautiful, wide chest and muscular.”

  Adara closes her eyes and shakes her head, “Horardo” looking back at the closing portal she calls to her fairies “return to our realm”

  Kaleb comes running to her, “You must take Annabella and Dominic with you, and they must be saved. Horardo cannot come here while I am here. Two Timekeepers cannot record the same history. I will stay and help the Druids fight the Shadows back but you must take the Seer and Empath their stories must keep going”

  Adara looks at the Timekeeper skeptically, “What is your gift Timekeeper.”

  “I see past lives, where their souls have been. The brother and sister must be protected”

  Adara looks to Dominic, “She is your sister?”

  He weakly nods and Annabella tightens her grip on his hand and looks to Kaleb, “What of you? Will I see you again?”

  Kaleb looks in Annabella’s eyes, “I was there, when your soul was created, I recorded all of your lives and have loved you since the first.” With a tear in his eyes he kissed Annabella hard and then pushed her to the Faye Queen. A sphere of magic Adara had created around her and Dominic that started to move toward the closing gateway.

  Adara looked looks to Kaleb, “I will hold the gateway open long enough for the Hawks to join us. Try to make it with them; I cannot let the shadows into my realm”

  Kaleb nodded as he drew his sword and ran back to help protect the druids. The Wiccans chanted and kept the shadows weakened as the Druids ruins glowed to give them strength and they fought the shadows bravely. Magic balls flying from their hands dispersing the evil demon creature but more would rise and a druid would fall.

  Kaleb, protecting the circle of Wiccans was taking down as many of these shadows as the Druids. He could feel the power the Wiccans released to him and the Druids. They channeled the Earths magic to each of us. An arrow shot through the skies and reached Kaleb’s heart. The arrow was of gold and could only belong to one. He dropped to the ground and look up to see Horardo coming toward him. “How can you be this close?” Kaleb asked as he fell to his knees.

  Horardo reached down to his brother to lay him to the ground, “You see past lives brother, I can stop time, and you have run out of time. You lived long enough but I will rule now along with Desdemona and we have no need for Timekeepers such as you.”

  Kaleb seen time start to move again and life left his body and peace took him over. His body turned to dust and his soul was released.

  Chapter 16: The Hawks

  GWAIN AND GAVINA WATCHED in horror as Horardo Killed Kaleb. They shimmered in hawk form and joined their sister hawk in attacking the shadows. The demons would just keep rising, she could not see how they could defeat them and she flew higher. Gavina could see the druids falling as the Wiccan circle had been destroyed. Once Horardo had killed Kaleb, the Wiccans were left vulnerable. The fairies had protected themselves except for two that flew out in their spheres toward her and her brother. The fairies enclosed them in their spheres and grabbed their true hawk and made way back to the gateway in the realm of the Faye Folk.

  Gwain transformed back to human form looking at the pretty fairy creatures. “We are indebted to you”

  The Fairy smiled, “your bird is part of our queen’s realm, and so you too are part of the Faye folk. No debt is owed my brother”

  Gavina transformed and Hawk perched on her shoulder. “They all died, those creatures were unstoppable.”

  “Those creatures were once humans. Karma snipped their threads because each time they were reborn they would do horrible t
hings. They are the humans who let the light out of their soul and accept darkness only.” Annabella said this in a trance-like state as she saw no signs of Kaleb emerging.

  Gwain took Annabella’s hand and held it close to his heart, “I am sorry, Horardo killed Kaleb from a far with his golden arrow.”

  “How could that happen, two Timekeepers could not be in the same area, only one can record time?” Adara was seeing what was happening. This is how Horardo has been the traitor. He learned much from ancient scrolls he thieved from her.

  “He stops time” Gavina said in a flat sound, “his gift is not beauty but the ability to stop time and betray all.”

  Anger filled the small queen, “Seer, Empath, You two will join me. We may not have the strength to contact Gaia, but the Elementals can hear us. They owe me. Hawks, you three shall get rested and transform. Be our eyes, a link with a fairy they will tell us what you see. Derwin and Drusilla will link well with you. They are animal saviors”

  Gavina and Gwain joined Derwin and Drusilla; the same who saved them in the realm. They brought fruits and meat to Gavina and Gwain. They ate well and slept long. The twins did not want to leave Dominic and Annabella, but they knew the Queen would keep them safe.

  They could see the bond forming and could read Adara was taking to Dominic. Gavina feared if she did not find out Annabella was his sister the Queen would have killed her to spite out competition. She knew much of fairy folk, her grandmother used to tell her and Gwain the stories. If they are an ally, they are a great asset but the can betray quicker than a human and they hate humans. They cannot lie but that does not mean they tell the truth either. They only take action when they see it will be a benefit to them or their people. Never out of sheer good will. She looked at Gwain rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up before their journey begins. “I do not like leaving Bella and Dom with the Queen.”

  “The queen has taken a liking to Dom, he will protect Bella and if the Earth dies the gateway closes. This realm will be the only realm the Faye folk can be go. The Queen will betray no one until that gate is protected and she can continue to travel not just to Earth but to the Dragons and mostly to the Elves. She has always had a preference to those pointy eared fellas. Now let’s go do our part in saving the world. Possibly the great Mother will take to us and let us join the Elemental when our destinies have been made”

  “How will our story be recorded, Kaleb is gone? We have no Timekeeper?”

  “We worry about that later sis, lets fly”

  Drusilla gave Gwain a small necklace that went around the mighty hawk’s neck and Derwin gave a ring to Gavina. The link was made they could hear the fairies talk to them through telepathy and the fairies could see what the hawks could see. Gwain and Gavina lifted off with Hawk leading the way back to the portal. Adara had opened it just enough for the three birds to get back to earth.

  The three flew high above the swamps and could still see the death of their brothers and sisters all over the swamps. The shadows had gone and Horardo must have slithered off with them. They flew for miles before taking refuge on a perch high above their old home in the village. The people of Chalmette were aware of the disappearance of twenty people by now. They would hide any evidence of their existence and act like they were never there to keep Desdemona from investigating and finding they had Druids and Wiccans among them. Gavina eyes filled with tears at the loss of her friends.

  Gwain looked at her, “They will be avenged. We did not live in hiding all these years to allow our family to die in the swamps because of a lousy Timekeeper. I believed they were all like Kaleb. Strong and good, he was a good friend and kept our secrets well sister, I will avenge him.

  They rested and watched their little village clean up evidence of the twenty people’s existence; No one wanted the wrath of Desdemona and her investigations. That will lead to bloodshed of hundreds. Gwain watched Gavina sleep, and he heard Drusilla in his head.

  She spoke of how the times were different and they must come together to make them good again. A time when there were clans of hawk people and they flew all over the worlds, the Druids guided and the Wiccan protected. Magic was used to help the world grow, and the Elementals walked among us all.

  Humans have caused much damage; they started wars not just against the magical world, but against each other. Brothers and sisters killing each other, this hurt the Great Father, the creator. He stopped creating, and the Fates had to stop allowing the beings with evil souls to be reborn. Gwain felt more anger come through him as he realizes increasingly the humans that hunted his kind for years were the answer to how the Earth fell. He finally drifted to sleep.

  The sun rose and Gavina had gone hunting finding a small rodent burrowed into the grounds. Not living in a village makes it hard to find food, but she will not resort to stealing. She started a fire and thanked Seraphina for the gift of flame as she cooked the rodents. Gwain awoke to horrid smell; oh this will be a long journey is all he could think as he smiled thankfully at his sister.

  “I think we should travel out to Zona, Derwin thinks that is the direction Horardo and his minions are heading.”

  Gwain agreed he told her the tale that Drusilla shared with him last night. “Our grandmother was not far off Gav, she knew of the magic that fed the worlds for so long until the humans destroyed it.” Bitter tones went to his voice as he described the wars the humans started and how they finished thinking it was a victory.

  “Gwain, I know you are angry with the humans, but remember Druids and Wiccans are human. We cannot be like them and judge all are the same. The shadows we fought, there were many but the light souls by far outnumber them, this we must remember, as we will now go to war.”

  These words hit hard with Gwain, how can there be a victor in a war, no species is truly all black, except the dark witches. I will focus my anger at them and deal with human error later.

  Suddenly the temperature changed from scorching heat to cold, the sky showed a small rip, a hand reach through it. Atropos came through the tear and it closed behind her. “Gwain, Gavina, and Hawk. As a sister of the Fates it is forbidden for us to interfere with the decisions of all. But with the peril we have foreseen meaning the end for all existence; my sisters and I have decided to guide you to a path that may help. Hawk form you must stay in, do not become human while in Zona. No matter what you see you must stay in Hawk form. This will be painful for you to watch and you must allow it to happen to save the Earth it will be what changes the world later. Do you both understand?”

  “Yes”, the twins say in unison, “but how will we know when we can return to our natural form?” But Atropos was gone before the answer was shared.

  Chapter 17: Opening the Gulf

  TERRA HUGGED ADRIANNA’S leg, the sisters all laughed, “I guess we all need to be in human form until Terra gets returned to normal. Any word on where Desdemona is hiding Mother or where the Creator is?”

  “Right to the point, can’t we just look at each other for a moment,” tears in V’s eyes. “I am so sorry, I abandoned all of you. I ran to the Dragons out of jealousy, I am no better than the humans.

  “V, you have no need to be jealous or to be sorry. Mother surprised us all with this and... wait a minute... Adara is calling me” Terra stops.

  “There has been a great betrayal; she has saved a Druid and his sister a Wiccan. Kaleb, the Timekeeper has been slayed by Horardo. He is the keeper that can stop time.” Terra dropped to the ground, and then she glared at Wyatt, “I told you Horardo was the traitor, I am not marrying him. Mother can leave me as a human for eternity”

  Wyatt walked over to stand by Terra’s side, “two Timekeepers in the same story is not possible, and it makes sense if he can stop time. Kaleb would stop recording time then and he could kill the keepers. Only a Timekeeper can kill another or a very powerful magic. Why would he do this?”

  “Adara says he is in love with Desdemona. Wyatt she also says she will release you from your debt to her if you help her pro
tect the druid as his sister. She has Hawks for eyes and they are all heading toward Zona.”

  “Tell her we will protect the Druid and his sister, we will go to Zona and help the Hawks and I will face Horardo. No Terra, he will not live long enough to marry you, and you will not be human forever.”

  Adrianna piped up, “Let’s get out of this lime rock and awaken the Gulf.” She broke the first mirror of waters and watched it rise to Terra’s river of sorrows. The river fed the pool making it grow and Adrianna rose up, “This feels wonderful, it has been way too long!”

  V laughed and brought winds in, swirling winds lifting them all from the waters and carrying them to the land. She lowered them as they watched the gulf come back to life. Sera reached to the skies and Cracks of Lightning broke through where clouds were forming again. Terra watched all in amazement as the three sisters worked together creating the first storm in five hundred years. This will be a sign of hope to those who want Desdemona to fall and put fear in this dark witch to recognize they are back and pissed.

  Triumph filled Terra, and she shared with Adara, Zona is where they will meet and Zona is where they will prevail.

  Hope filled Adara, she looked at Dominic and kissed him hard, “I knew the moment I saw you! You are key in this. I am not sure where your sister falls into this but you Dominic, your ability to feel everything is important to saving all of our worlds. You have bridged a gap between Faye folk and Elementals that has been there for thousands of years. We will join together, we will fight!

  Dominic’s look of shock and disbelief, he looked at the Faye Queen, “You kissed me, I am a Druid, and women do not kiss Druids.”