Saving Earth's Eternal Flame

by Janeen Abdo

  “I know where that is, I know where that is!” Drusilla is screaming in his head.

  Chapter 20: Time

  I HOLD WYATT IN MY arms with tears dried to my face. Sera had pulled the arrow from his chest. Then they left me to be alone with the man I loved lifeless body. I sit rocking him as a mother would rock a baby. My eyes show no life in them, I wondered if this is how he felt each time I died the last five hundred years. I dream of the time we were together, a lifetime ago. He has held my hand through everything, moving on without him is not an option.

  I don’t know if I slept at all but the sun is up now and I do not remember the rise. Wyatt’s wound in his chest is gone. I see shallow breathing in his chest movement. Feel adrenaline coming to my human body.

  “Adrianna! Sera! V! Come quickly, he is healing” Tears of joy are crawling down my face, hope surges through my body. I look around to the rubble surrounding us. All the death that just taken place here yesterday; I am just now seeing it for the first time.

  The sisters appear next to me looking over my shoulder. “The wound is gone” Adrianna is in shock, “this can only mean one thing. Oh my god, no wonder Mother would not let you be with him! Terra do you know what this means? Do you know who Wyatt is?”

  Terra looked at Adrianna, is a very meek voice “He is the original Timekeeper”

  “How long have you known this?”

  “I figured it out at the cave of the Fates”

  “Why did you keep it from us?”

  “It was not my secret to tell, you think Gaia knows then?”

  Sera looks at Terra like she is stupid, “Hmm let me think, the father of creation creates Time. Then he created Gaia and it was just the three of them for thousands of years. Hmmmm do you think mother has forgotten the only spirit that is older than hers?”

  “I guess I didn’t think of it that way.”

  V pipes in “I guess you didn’t think the marital bond between the oldest Timekeeper and Nature could disrupt the balance of power. He is invincible.

  “But I love him, Sera what happen to following your heart”

  “I don’t know how the balance would be affected with the two of you together, and what if you have a child? This is what Gaia was afraid of.”

  “I can hear you, we need to worry about this after we stop Desdemona, find Gaia and kill Horardo. You four do not decide what I do and yes I know how dangerous it can be for Terra and I to be together but now is not the time.” Wyatt sits up very annoyed with the conversation he woke up too.

  “Wait, Adara is contacting me” I feel relieved the conversation will change. Desdemona is in the Dakotas and she has the hawk twins. We need to get to them quickly, who knows what she will do to them. They are the last of their kinds.” Panic is in my voice, the brave hawks could be killed while they are sitting here quibbling about power. Who is to say we are better than humans?

  Adrianna looks to V, “she is right we need to hurry, Desdemona purged all the keepers that could shift in this world. I do not think the Faye could save many of the shifters.”

  V nods, “I know the dragons only stay safe because they left this realm long ago. Before the humans took full control of the Earth, Terra, just remember most of what is wrong with this realm is because of what the humans did; do not compare us to them so fast, I will ride the winds to scope it out and have the plan in place.”

  “Sera take Terra and ride the lightning there, Wyatt you will come with me, we will travel through the clouds.”

  Wyatt looked up at the cloudless sky, “Adrianna are you making these clouds?”

  An impish grin came across her face, “Yes I am. I think it’s time we get rivers and oceans back on this planet.”

  A big cheesy grin reaches Wyatt’s face, “Hell Yeah let’s do this!”

  They take their Elemental forms and grab Wyatt and Terra to take off to the Dakotas. V arrives first and can see the camp the witch is hiding. She sees the three hawks in their cages. A wind storm would break the cages to free the hawks. That may be too obvious. Desdemona could kill the birds with a wave of her hands.

  Adrianna arrives with giant cumulus clouds mixed with cirrus surrounding the camp but not over it. It seems she thought the new clouds would tempt the witch to kill the birds.

  She took human form after she set Wyatt down to the ground. She and V looked over the camp trying to come up with the best strategy. Wyatt was still in an adrenaline rush from riding the clouds and watching the rains come down into the rivers. The people would run out and dance in it. Wyatt hadn’t felt this good in centuries; we have to stop this witch.

  The lightning cracked, leave the obvious to Sera, Wyatt thinks to himself. Her boldness better not get Terra killed. Desdemona comes running from her tent. Haresh is throwing blankets on the fire before it spreads. Terra has already transformed into a Bear and is pinning down Desdemona so she cannot use her arms.

  Adrianna and V look at each other and shrugged, they both rush out to free the birds. The cages busted open and the hawks fly straight up to watch from the sky. They squawk at Adrianna, but she notices too late, Haresh throws blankets over her and throws her into the carriage. He takes off, he knows his priestess will get away but with one sister as a prisoner she will have more power. The snake slithers through strikes at V, she recognizes the markings.

  “Belinda, you survived the temple I see.” V mocks her as she dodges another strike from the cobra. Sera can see her battling the snake so she takes after the carriage to save Adrianna. Wyatt goes to help Terra still in bear form wrestling with a witch. Desdemona releases a laugh that sends chills up Wyatt’s spine. He runs faster to get to Terra, he sees the bear being thrown to the side. Desdemona stands and looks at Wyatt with an evil grin and then a puff of smoke and she is gone. He runs to Terra and finds she is still breathing she transforms her back to her human form. He sits down and holds her close.

  Sera comes back “That little slave she has is good. I lost him and he has Adrianna” She looks down at Terra lying in Wyatt’s arms. “No, no she is ok right, please tell me she is ok.”

  Wyatt nods and keeps holding her. “She is very weak, I don’t understand why. I never got to her in time; I don’t know why she spared her. She can’t kill her but why take Adrianna when she could have taken both.”

  V walks up with a dead snake in her hands. “Belinda is done helping the witch. I saw where they headed with Adrianna. They went toward the string of caves a couple hundred miles up north east from here. We can follow their tracks. I think Gaia may be in those caves.”

  Gwain and Gavina landed and took human form. “Thank you; I do not know what we would have done once she started in on us. I thought she would kill hawk thinking she was like us.”

  Chapter 21: The Hidden Caves

  DESDEMONA IS FINALLY home in caves where her most loyal followers surround her. She moves to the back cave and checks on Gaia, she is still here and sleeping. Her color is looking not as pale, this worries Desdemona. Gaia may be getting stronger. I must do another sacrifice and put Adrianna asleep. With the four awake and together, Gaia grows stronger with every element they place back into the Earth. Adrianna was going a little wild there. It will take months to dry out the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. I already have my witches working on it.

  She walks out her cave to the other labyrinth of caves next to Gaia’s sleeping rooms. There she finds Haresh and a sleeping Adrianna.

  “The flowers are working then, making her sleep?”

  Haresh looks up to her and nods, “yes your priestess, I had to inject the serum made out of the flowers to make her sleep. She would not eat or drink.”

  “She wouldn’t, Elementals do not need food or drink they are not naturally in a solid form. I believe you got very lucky grabbing her when you did Haresh. You never cease to amaze me my little servant.”

  “It is an honor your great one, to serve and protect you is all I ask.”

  “In serving me, will you find me another vir
gin for dinner; I need to replenish to keep her and her Mother asleep and cloaked. One is hard, two will be exhausting. I need to find a witch that may be able to boost my power. Keep a look out for that too. We have to make sure they are the right type of witch.” She pets Haresh on the head as she walks back to where Adrianna sleeps.

  “Oh and Haresh do pick me more flowers, the Impatiens Glandulifera, the pink ones. I will make more serum; we have three more sisters to put to sleep.”

  “Yes ma’am” Haresh rushes out to start his tasks. He looks for the Virgin first. Can sense one miles away, these keep his mistress strong. He looks to find a young girl but becoming more difficult to find in this small coven. Leaves the protection of the mounds where the caves are hidden, to venture to a town. He follows the paths that take him to the main entrance to where the mounds start. There is a broken faded sign, the humans used to tour this site before the great wars. It was called “The cave of the Mounds” How it stayed preserved even after the wars he will never understand. It is just hidden better now. The priestess has made this wonderful place our home.

  He stops to his small barn where he keeps the horse for the Priestess carriage. The journey to get the flowers he will have to ride night and day. It is over two hundred miles, I will grab the virgin on the way back, as he plans carefully. Then he begins his long journey not liking to leave Desdemona alone. But he must follow orders, but something is not right he can feel it.

  V arrives just outside the Cave of Mounds sign. She can see it through her winds as she lowers herself down taking on her human shape. Bewildered by how preserved this area is, it must have been protected though the wars, but by who she wonders. She sets Wyatt down and then shrinks to his size. She has always held a lot of respect for Wyatt, and now she is in awe that he is the original. “How have you kept this secret for so long?”

  “Before now, it was never a deal, I never really thought about it until I heard of the other Timekeepers being lured to their deaths. I know now it’s not a secret anymore. Desdemona sees I am still alive, she will tell Horardo he failed and then he will know. Another Timekeeper would have never survived his arrow to the chest.”

  Wyatt paced and he halts, “what if they do not know? Horardo may not have had time to tell Desdemona, so she would not be surprised that I was alive.”

  V is looking at Wyatt watching a plan form in his head, “What are you planning?”

  “You three go to the caves and find Gaia and Adrianna. I will hunt down Horardo and kill him before he can tell Desdemona that I am the one she is looking for. Why would she take Adrianna and not me if she knew? I would have been easier I am trapped in human form. She does not know and I will keep it that way or you are all in more danger being with me. Get Gaia and Adrianna back. I have to go.”

  “Go where?” Terra and Sera just arrived on a lightning bolt.

  Wyatt looks in Terra’s eyes, “V will explain, I will find you but I have to go now while the timing is still right.” He pulls her close and kisses her hard, “I always find you” Terra nods and kisses him back and then Wyatt is gone to challenge Horardo.

  V looks to her sisters, “The little gimp that follows the witch around just left from that direction and headed north. So that is the direction her coven is and where she would hide Gaia and Adrianna. The moon to put Adrianna in the same sleep as Gaia is two days out. I am thinking we attack before then to rescue them so we only have to figure out to awaken Gaia.”

  Sera nods in agreement, “we have to think the attack out, she will be surrounded with her coven of witches, and she will be strongest here. We have to surprise her. We do not have the Faye warriors for backup and our Timekeeper just took off and he is the muscle we needed.”

  “Sera, we need a wall of fire to keep the witches away from Desdemona. I am who she wants; I will face her yet again. V you find Gaia and Adrianna and get them out of here. Sera will burn the witches.” Terra says to the point trying not to think what Wyatt is off doing. The sisters agree to the plan and move in for the attack.

  V transforms first she becomes the wind and easily moves into the caves to start her search. Sera can see dried wood on the ground and with a wave of her hand it smolders. Terra hides behind the smoke to find Desdemona, which did not take much effort.

  “Terra, I am impressed, in human form and you seek me out so soon” Desdemona taunts her. “In my home even, that shows courage.”

  “You left before we were through Des, thought we still had more to catch up. Like how you kept me from five hundred years of my real life.”

  “That my dear was all your future husband’s doing, the imbecile.” She retorts as a fireball flies from her hands.

  Terra dodged the fireball and had the stalactites drop toward Desdemona, but she too dodged it. “We can go all day like this Terra, keep your mother asleep and you get the choices you want. The Timekeeper you fancy so much, Wyatt isn’t that his name. Wouldn’t you like to be with him for eternity even though Gaia forbids it?”

  Terra stops for a moment and looks at Desdemona, she does not know about Wyatt being the first. She does not realize how strong the two would be together. “Can you put me back to my natural form, so I am a full Elemental again?”

  “Easily” Desdemona hisses

  “You will not harm my sisters?”

  “I may have to put them to sleep like Gaia, they may not quit trying to wake her, but it takes all four of you to wake her. So no I will not harm them at all.”

  Terra is looking at Desdemona, contemplating this choice, in her Elemental form she can heal the Earth, and with Wyatt by her side they together can overthrow Desdemona. She could be with Wyatt forever. “I will join you, but Horardo must die and no more of the Timekeepers lured to their deaths.”

  Desdemona smiles, “Agreed”

  Chapter 22: Accepting Betrayal

  V IS GOING THROUGH all the labyrinths of the cave trying to find Gaia and Adrianna. She comes to one in the far back and sees a shape covered with blankets. Using her winds to pull the blankets from the body, Adrianna, in a sleep like state. Fear grips V, what if the sleep is the same spell she has on Gaia? How can we wake her? She shakes her head and grabs Adrianna; her winds transport her out of the caves and back to safety where the sisters were to meet.

  Sera comes rushing back, fear in her eyes and panicking. “What happen, what is wrong?” V asks.

  “Terra, she has joined Desdemona, she caused rock slides and buried my fires and she stood with the witch at the peak of the mounds and announced her joining her”

  “No, Terra wouldn’t do that. I know we have had our problems in the past, but Terra would never betray us.” V keeps saying this but she is not convincing herself.

  Adrianna still laying limp in V’s arms, but color was returning to her. “We need to get her to water and awaken her, then find Wyatt. He will figure it all out.”

  “The Mississippi, Wyatt said Adrianna started it flowing again when they were riding the clouds.” The sisters whisk off to the Mississippi. They can see Desdemona’s witches already chanting to dry the river up again. V takes her wind form and moves Adrianna out to the waters and lowers her body into the depths.. V returns to human form next to Sera, I do not get it why would Terra choose Desdemona.

  “She must have promised her that Terra could be with Wyatt” Sera stop for a moment. “Then she doesn’t know that Wyatt is the one, the first. Terra is protecting Wyatt; she is buying time, not betraying us” Sera sounds relieved.

  V looks at her, “Really? We all said the union between her and Wyatt would be too strong, the balance would be off forever. She cannot be with Wyatt and us”

  Just then Adrianna rises from the waters, the depths felt refreshing. She looks around, “Where is Terra, and Wyatt, what happened?”

  “What is the last thing you remember?”

  “That little gimp catching me off guard right as I took form. He injected me with something.”

  “Well, Wyatt went to face Horardo, You were
put to sleep and Terra has joined sides with Desdemona to protect us all” V sarcastic tone is full of anger.

  Adrianna nods her head, a little in shock, “well let’s go find Wyatt he is about the only one that can talk sense into Terra”

  “Any ideas on where he would face Horardo?”

  “I have one” Sera thinks out loud. “The Indian statue on the Rock River; by Bago. Horardo had Wyatt meet him there when he told him it was he that was chosen to marry Terra and not Wyatt.”

  Adrianna again nodded in agreement, “Black Hawk Statue, that spot means a lot to Wyatt and Terra. They would go there to get away and their first kiss and who knows with them. Terra loves that statue for some reason.”

  “It survives everything, do you think someone is protecting it? I am amazed that the caves are still untouched by the wars. Is the Statue as well?” V comments quietly

  Sera stairs blankly, “Yes, let us go”

  V stops, “Can we summon the Faye; they have been a good ally in all this?”

  Adrianna pipes in, “Not without Terra”

  “Like hell we can’t, I have been in touch with Adara the entire time Tera has been gone.” Sera close her eyes while calling out to Adara, slips into the trance- like state, as Adara answers the call.

  “My seer has confirmed as much, my army will join you at the statue, but if just a fight between Timekeepers, they will not join.”

  “Agreed” Blankly stares out as she comes from her trance. “Adara has agreed to send her army, but will not interfere if a one on one with the Timekeepers”

  Adrianna takes a deep breath, “I agree with Adara, the battle between Wyatt and Horardo is their own. We just have to pray Wyatt wins” a small smile reaches her lips and the girls are in agreement.

  Chapter 23: The Battle in Time