by Janeen Abdo
The Faye Queen laughed” I am not just a woman, I kiss who I choose, and that is all you got. My kiss works on Druids as it does normal humans” She laughed and fluttered off to gather her Faye warriors”
Annabella looked to Dominic, “She is right, you are key. Did you see what the Elementals can do; did you see through the Faye queen what Terra showed her?”
Dom looked at her, “I could not see, I felt hope and triumph. I have never felt so many wonderful things at once. The air felt clean and fresh, I felt breezes and wetness. But they are at the swamps, but different. What did they do?”
Bella laughed and jumped up and down, “they made it rain, not a drizzle but a storm, clouds, lightning and winds. Just like the old stories Mother used to tell us. I also seen you with the Faye Queen, she will ask you to be her mate for life. She has never done that before, you will become immortal, Dom.”
Dom blushed, “what you see does not always come true, Bella, but I could see myself with the Queen, and she is exquisite. What else did you see?”
“The gulf came to life, a river feeds it now. Adrianna has brought the water back to the Earth. This will feed magic back into it. Gaia will rise again!”
They joined the Faye Queen and her soldiers. They will march to Zona on this realm, a gateway is where they may come out undetected by Desdemona. Supplies are gathered, and the march moves. They should be there in two days.
The Faye Queen grabs the hands of her new magical humans, sending the message to Terra that she will stand by her side. They will be in Zona with them.
“It’s happening; the Faye Queen has chosen a side, ours!” Terra announced.
“Why does she speak to me and not Sera or you, Wyatt?”
Wyatt looks at her, I believe the bond you shared with her passing through the eels into Wondra, may give you a better connection to her. She may use less strength to talk to you. Or she does not want me to see the Druid, knowing I have been replaced.” The devilish grin forms on face. Terra looks at him and smiles, maybe a chance we can test the Fates again? She asks herself as she thinks of him holding her again.
“To Zona we go, to fight the wicked witch” they all laugh at the thought, making light of the situation, knowing this could very much go either way. Desdemona and her witches are powerful and now we know Horardo can stop time; that may even allow death to come to Wyatt. The thought of that makes Terra sick, she cannot even imagine a life with him not somewhere in it. She keeps the thought to herself and marches on through rocky lands.
They walk to conserve their energy and allow time for the Faye’s and the Hawks to all arrive at the same time. Surprise will be a key element here. Desdemona does not have seers on her side to forewarn her. But she has the dark witches whose magic is a powerful and most of them are crazy, thanks to blood magic. They do not feel pain and they think torture is artistic. Death is better than captivity.
They march on through the desert. Adrianna creates little waterholes to keep Wyatt, and I replenished. Humans need water, food and sleep. We have to take breaks to keep up with my sisters. I am still in awe at how beautiful the gulf was once filled with the blue water. The clouds forming above it, soon life will form in it again. So beautiful to witness, I hope Mother will restore me and allow Wyatt to stand with me this time. I know we are repeating our history, but maybe the Fates wove this path for a reason, because Horardo is a traitor.
They come across a small cave, “a good place for camp” Wyatt pulls his sleeping bags out. I sit on the ledge and call into my mind for Adara, she has always contacted me I am not sure I know how to contact her.
“Here” the Queen responded. “I have my druid with me, he amplifies me. We are but a day out, we should be in Zona when the sun reaches mid-day”
“Good we will join you then; we meet on the south edge before we move. Are you still insight with your hawks?”
“Yes they continue to guide us on the Earth side.”
“Very well, tomorrow we go to war”
Chapter 18: The War
THE ELEMENTALS SAT on a cliff awaiting the Faye folk. Wyatt paced, fear that Adara will betray them. He looked at Terra and seen how calm she remained, her raven colored hair hanging down her back. Her calm demeanor, but fierce eyes, he can see her determination. He can see the woman he fell in love with centuries ago. This quiet moment will end soon and war will break out. Many will be killed, and he knows he cannot, but to watch all those he cares about die. He does not want to go through this.
“Terra, can we talk before the battle starts”, Wyatt looks at Terra with concern in his eyes.
“Yes”, she moves over to him where they have privacy from her sisters.
“No matter what happens during this fight, promise me you will be careful and if it turns against us, you will run.” Wyatt took a deep breath and looked in Terra’s green eyes, “you are so beautiful, I cannot lose you again, and I cannot bear to go through that again. I will find you, I always do.” He pulled her close to him and kissed her deep, not wanting to let her go, “Promise me you will protect yourself.”
Terra looked at him, deep into his eyes, she could see the fear and concern there. “I can’t leave you or my sisters to fight without me. If Horardo can stop time, he can kill you like he did Kaleb? I will not know what to do without you; not leaving your side.”
Wyatt kissed her head, “Terra, do you remember 1536 A.D., in England, King Henry was chopping the heads off of everyone who disagreed with him that year? He had me beheaded. That is the year I found out I cannot die. I lost my head Terra, it grew back. Painful as all hell but it did not kill me. I promise you no matter what Horardo throws at me, he cannot kill me. But if he chops my head off it slow me down, I cannot protect you. Stay close to Sera and remember you are a human right now. If they kill you, time will reset and we go back to Bago and start all over again. I do not think we want to put Kaleb through all this again do we. Please protect yourself”
“Yes, I will run if things turn bad. Thank you for reassuring me that Horardo cannot kill you. I will stay close to Sera, but I will use what gifts I can. I know I will weaken faster in human form but I still fight with you.” Holding my head high and trying to sound as brave as I could. The wars are coming and now I will face Desdemona and her witches.
Sera, V and Adrianna find the two, “We are sorry to break this up, but Adara is here and we should attack before Horardo shows up with the shadows. We need to weaken Desdemona before he gets here. Terra, stay close to Sera, we will all have to use our powers to weaken her; Sera can feed yours to keep you strong longer.
The four marched out to meet Adara; she stands with her Empath and seer in front of an army of warriors. Hope fills me, I hold my head high as I walk next to Sera; Wyatt holds back watching and recording everything he sees. I know he is watching for Horardo, no one knows but me that he is the first and he is the one that can destroy Horardo. I hope he succeeds.
They march into Zona, Sera started with cracks of lightning striking down and starting the flames on the temple we know Desdemona and Belinda are at. Dark witches walk out releasing fireballs at us, Adrianna bring the rain to douse the flames. V steps in and splits the witches apart with winds pulling them apart. It has begun.
The Faye folk break out swords and arrows and challenge the followers, Adara protects her seer and Empath keeping them close. She fights as a true warrior; I am amazed with her swordsmanship. The queen never ceases to amaze me with her strengths. All of her warriors fight valiantly and we look as we will win.
The followers are loyal to Desdemona; they fight to protect the temple sacrificing themselves for a creature that will watch them perish. I see Desdemona and Belinda in the peak of the temple, watching laughing as her followers fall to the Faye’s. I call to my sisters and we all head to the temple.
We march on the temple, ducking swaying trying not to kill every human that attacks. This is a fight for the witches not these poor souls that are clueless to the betrayal. I can see Desdemona staring me down,
she thinks I am completely weakened in human form. She forgets I am still an Elemental I can still call forth the magic of the Earth. I may not have full strength but I have enough.
We stop at the base of the Temple and Wyatt holds the humans off from attacking. The Shadows are arriving that means Horardo is here. My stomach drops, fear for Wyatt reaches through me as I see him take off in the direction to face Horardo. My sisters and I separate we stand at the four corners of the temple. I start to see fear come to Desdemona’s eyes.
“Somos os catro cantos
Estamos Norte para ventos de Air
Estamos do Sur para os depthes da auga
Estamos Medio para a Terra e os seus gramíneas
Estamos Occidente para as chamas do sol
Limpar este reino dos terrores
Purificar a Terra é beleza natural e eliminar as manchas”
We chant over and over, lightning stats to break through the skies and the earth is shaking the foundation of the temple. The cement pillars begin to crack and break away from the temple; I cannot longer see the witch in the window. She is coming out. Adara screams for them to stop, Dominic has collapsed all the pain from the humans dying is becoming more than he can withstand. The pain and anger is surging through him, the runes branded into his skin are glowing as his hand start to glow with the light balls. He fights to control, Annabella chants calming spells, but the druid is too powerful for her and collapses to the ground next to him. Adara looks to Terra for help. Terra breaks from the circle and the temple stops shaking and crumbling. Sera stops the fires as V brings the winds to sort through the debris. Adrianna stops her chanting so the waters do not come. Terra rushes to Dominic.
“Adara, you must take him from here, as an Empath he feels the pain of every human here. We cannot prevent every human from being hurt, or this battle is a loss. I must find Desdemona; she got out before the collapse.”
Annabella holds her brother glowing hands and calms him with her chanting, blocking the pain, binding his gift with hers. She goes to a trance and sees the suffering going on in the temple, the people crushed by the pillars and walls. Searching through and trying to find the witch, when she sees the serpent, Belinda biting the humans with her poisonous venoms. Annabella looks to Terra, “Belinda is in snake form, she is putting the suffering out of their misery with her venom. I do not see the dark witch anywhere.”
Terra nods blankly, “Adara take the Empath and the seer; take them to your realm and any humans you can save. Take your warriors; all go to your realm. I must find the witch and I do not want more blood on my hands than what has to be. I must get to Wyatt.”
The Elementals left the debris of the temple to help Wyatt with the shadows. Sending the Faye home was dangerous and a sign to the end of this battle. That was what Terra thought until she seen that Wyatt was not just battling the shadows but Horardo had found him. Fear consumed her as she transformed to Cheetah to get to him as quickly as she could. There she attacked Horardo from behind pulling him down before he could shoot his golden arrow into Wyatt.
The winds picked up as V was in full force causing the shadows to disperse; unfortunately this did not kill them but slowed them down. Adrianna formed a pool of water, Sera brings them to a boil, destroying the shadows as V used her winds to push them back in the pools. The shadows scurry. The lands calmed and all that was left was Wyatt staring at Horardo.
“Why, why would you betray your brothers? You would be at Terra’s side. Why do you hate her?”
“I have no hate toward her, I love Desdemona. I will rule by her side.” Horardo paused as he looked at Wyatt, “All you have been through you should be with Terra. Unfortunately brother, you are the only Timekeeper that worries me. I cannot let you live” With those word his golden arrow flew from his hand and in to Wyatt’s chest.
Wyatt stood for but a second in shock, by the betrayal of his brother before falling to the ground. Terra screamed as she ran to Wyatt’s side and Horardo vanished before anyone could stop him.
Terra’s tears ran down her cheeks as she held Wyatt’s head close to her. “You promised me he couldn’t kill you, you promised me” All she could say over and over. Her sisters shrunk back to human form and formed a circle around Terra and Wyatt. Tears fell from all of their eyes.
Chapter 19: Prisoners of War
DESDEMONA AND HER FAITHFUL servant Haresh made it out of the temple alive and well, but furious. How did they find me so easy? She sits in her carriage and thinks back to right before the attack. Sees her humans paying homage as she drinks the last of Leta, hears something. No it could not be. There are no Hawk people left. I killed them all, but as she remembers hearing three hawks flying over the little village.
“Haresh!” She bellows as he stops the carriage abruptly.
“Yes my priestess, how may I serve?”
“We need to set a trap to catch us two hawks.”
“Yes my priestess, but may I point out that hawk meat is very tough and gamey”
“We will not eat them you fool, I want them captured.”
Haresh bows and sets camp so he can figure out how to capture three hawks. He looks above him into the sky and sees nothing. I have not seen a hawk in at least twenty years, he thinks to himself. He continues to watch the sky to try to understand what is being asked of him. Then he sees the moving dots way up in the sky. He watches them as they swoop and play in the skies. Harish is dumbfounded watching the three hawks as they swooped down and flew over his head. She was right again as always. Now to trap them, he watched the birds for a bit as they hovered above.
Desdemona could see the birds also, who sent you, she thought to herself. Terra is not strong enough to remain in this form; they have to be bird keepers. I thought they were all dead though, how did not just one, but three stay hidden from me for this long. She closed her eyes and tried calling out to Belinda. She could not sense her, I wonder if she made it out of the temple. The day has worn on her and she was tired, the attack was a little more force than she thought the Elementals could muster this soon. It took all her strength to whisk her and Haresh back to the carriage. Belinda insisted on killing the wounded so they would not suffer or talk of what sacrifices we were making. They need not see how I am getting my power only know I have it.
Loud noises outside are keeping naps from coming, what is that Moran doing now? As I get out of my tent, I hear squawking sounds and wings fluttering. Has he caught those hawks already? I rush from the tent to see and he has one captured and the other two are attacking him. I smile, he does my bidding well, and he may have to be the human I spare in the end. With a wave of my hands and the birds fall to the ground with chains holding them to the ground squawking in terror.
“Very well done Haresh; I was not expecting such a task to be completed so easily for you. Please build cages for my new pets.” I study the birds to see if they are just hawks or are they keepers.
I look in the eyes of one, the black depths of the eyes seem to never end. They are exquisite birds. I look at its talons and watch it closely. “My, my you are a rare birdie, how long can you stay in this form little one?” The bird squawks and tries to flap its wings, trying to attack the witch.
Haresh returns with three small cages and found road kill he could cook up for dinner. “Your Priestess, I have constructed three small cages, I thought it might be best to keep them separated. Dinner is cooking, should I feed your new pets?”
A devilish smile comes across my face as I look at the three hawks, frantically trying to get free. “Very good idea in keeping them separated Haresh my dear, and of course we shall feed our pets. We wouldn’t want the poor things to starve now would we?”
Haresh nodded and went back to making the dinner. He may not be the brightest human but he does his job. The witch watches him amused.
Derwin and Drusilla stare out of the Hawks eyes in fear. “Gwain” Drusilla whispers in her head. I am still with you; I see what has happened we will send help to you soon. You can
talk to Gavina through me and I can tell Derwin all you want her to know.” The little fairy has fear for the brave hawks running through her. All she can think is how to get to him and save him. “We will let the Queen know where you are and we will stay with you. Do not turn into your human form no matter what. Derwin is telling Gavina the same. I am flying to the Queen I will only be gone a moment.”
“Drusilla, thank you, I would not have expected you to stay with us through this. It may get bad and you may feel what we go through as of how we are linked together. I could not survive knowing something happen to you.”
Gwain voice weak and soft in her head, she knew he feared what the witch has in-store for them. “Gavina, Dru is getting the Queen, please let me know you are ok. I can see through your eyes but do not hear your thoughts.”
“I am here Derwin, I am worried for Hawk. Desdemona keeps staring at her and has this evil smile. I think she believes that Hawk is like Gwain and I. I do not think she can tell which of us actual keepers.”
“Gavina, you must stay in Hawk form, she will kill you if she sees you are a keeper.” Panic is reaching Derwin voice as he hears sobs in Gavina’s voice.
Adara returns with Drusilla and Annabella and Dominic follow behind. Panic is the brother and sisters eyes as they fear for their friends. Adara is questioning Drusilla on where they are being held at. The road in the mountains is all Drusilla knows they cannot see where Desdemona had whisked them away to when the left the temple. The hawks just got caught in the spell and thought it was dumb-luck they could still follow her. Now they are her prisoners and who knows what she will do to them.
Gwain is looking at the mountain trying to find a feature to make it recognizable, with his amazing eyesight in hawk form he is making a shape out. It is a statue that has stood for thousands of years. Humans carved it in the rock in the twentieth century the stories say they are great leaders that were honored by having their faces carved into a mountain. He stares at it long and hard hoping Drusilla is seeing it.