by Janeen Abdo
“Where do I begin, here on Earth?”
“Oh Wyatt, you really need to get it together, you have been a human for too long. Their flaws are showing through you and you are the closest to perfection the creator ever created. Embrace yourself, find yourself and start in the land of the Faye, Quinn is there, you two work well together.”
I stood there for a moment staring where Karma was just perched. She vanished, left me with more knowledge than I have ever received from a fate. She did not speak in riddle either and she gave me a direction. I looked to the giant ‘W’ the trees created and dived in the waters. The murky water transcends into clear warm waters as I enter the realm Adara protects. I rise in the clear pond again thinking about how Terra looked when I found her unconscious in the waters just a few weeks ago.
I walk to the forest and watch the trees sway in the gentle winds and the creeks that feed the ponds waters trickling with blue waters. The vibrant colors of the different flowers surround the forests. This land is beautiful, even with Gaia a sleep and the girls in hiding these realms stood unaffected. All the realms did, but if the Earth dies the portals are lost and these realms die. What is keeping them alive now?
I journey deeper into the forest and see the animals that Adara saved, the deer running through the woods. Rabbits jumping through the fields, they even saved butterflies and bees. Everything we need to keep the Earth alive and safe. Everything the humans destroyed. They kept the cows and pigs alive for food and that is it. They did not see necessity in the other animals. Humans lost the sight of everything, but not all of them, not even saying the Wicca and Druids were the only ones. A few non-magic humans saw the value of the Earth. These are the ones we need to save and protect.
I unintentionally am following the north creek path, I do not know why I took this path and journeyed this way. It goes through the forests and rolling hills afterward. It’s been a long time since I traveled this path, takes you to the valleys, but outside the beauty of the land, no villages this way. There was not before, but it has been a long time since I have been here.
The little hut sets back in the woods. I walked toward it looking to see signs of life around it. There is nothing, no animals, no signs that anyone has ever lived here just an empty hut. I look in the window and see furniture and a fireplace still smoldering. Someone is here. I knock on the door.
I hear grunt on the other side of the door, a dog barks ferociously. The slide in the door opens and I can see someone looking at me through the little slit.
“Hush up dog; he is a friend that has come to visit.” The door opens and a burly looking man with a long golden beard stands before me. Something familiar in his eyes, but he is much bigger round than he used to be.
“Quinn? Is that you under all of that facial hair?” I know surprise is in my voice, he looks nothing like the mighty Timekeeper that tamed the waters of the great floods.
A rich deep belly laugh comes from man, “It has been a long time Wyatt. I hope you have come to tell me we can come out of hiding.”
“Well I will ask you to come out of hiding. The biggest threat to Timekeepers is gone. Gaia is awake, Terra is in full form but Desdemona is declaring war on us. We have the Faye Queen on our side and she has a seer and a Druid helping her. I found Zach and I need you.”
Quinn nods his head as he absorbs all I told him. He looks at me and smiles a big smile, “Who killed Horardo?”
“You knew he was the one killing the Timekeepers?
“Yep and I know Kaleb protected that seer he was in love with, I take it he is with the Queen; Annabella and Dom are the Seer and Druid.”
“Almost all correct, Horardo killed Kaleb and I killed Horardo. The rest you are right.”
“We will need to find Kaleb then.”
“Quinn, I know it’s hard to accept, but Kaleb is gone. I helped bury his ashes back into the Earth.”
“Now Wyatt, I know you’re the oldest and have the most gifts and all. My gift may not be of strength and stopping time like Horardo, or seeing past lives like Kaleb. My gift is knowledge. I know everything that happens all over the world. It can be a burden but it also lets me say I told ya so a hell of a lot and I like that. Horardo is the only Timekeeper that is truly dead. You are the only one, besides the creator that can kill time. Not just cause your boring but because of your gifts.”
“You mean all of our brothers are alive?”
“Their souls are, so they are. What have you learned in your lifetime besides Terra’s measurements son?”
“I am older than you.”
“In age, not knowledge. Your strength and the fact that your physical being can never be destroyed is just the beginning Wyatt. You have always done as told, and you never explored what you can do. Bring all the Timekeepers together and being the strongest of us all is just the tip of what you are. You don’t have to be boring.”
“I am not boring, I am a good soldier, and I follow orders.”
“Wyatt you are not the soldier, you are the general. Let’s get all the keepers together. In your presence we can all be in the same place.”
“I know that one, I record you all stop. I pull rank. I am not an idiot or boring.” Laughter escapes me; it is good to see him and his to the point speeches. “Where do we start, Mr. Knowledge?”
Chapter 39: Winds Confront Time
V IS IN HOPEFUL AWE now that Gaia is awake; this helps the tension levels go down a little. I know we are far from being done here. Desdemona is waging war on us. Many will die. I watch the fairies as they worship Adara, she has proven to be the unexpected ally of great strength and her people are risking everything on us to succeed.
Terra is torn between letting Wyatt go and guilt in thinking she could fix everything on her own and almost destroyed us all. Sera is grieving and drowning in her sorrows for losing control and destroying an innocent village.
I need to talk to Zach. I am so superficial; all I have to do is talk to the Timekeeper that broke my heart. He left me, for good reasons too. All this going on and I cannot grow up enough to face him.
I shake my white hair and take full form. I breeze through the skies and live for just being free right now. Away from all of that, I remember flying with the dragons and breezing through the trees. My natural form is transparent and I have no true form, I choose to look like the pale woman with a long cloud for hair. I feel better when I have no form, I do not feel stress or anger or love. Free when I am just air.
Zach he sits off away from every one watching all that happens. He has always had hermit tendencies while I run into everything head first. He thinks things through and is level headed, I have a nasty temper. My nickname as the angry one and it has been well placed.
I lower myself to the ground and take human form; a deep breath and summon my courage. Behind Zach I stand in silence in case I run. He looks over at me; I shudder, but hold my head up and continue to walk straight to him.
“I am ready to talk now, if you are?”
“All I can say V is I’m sorry I left you. I didn’t know what to do, you were so angry, and I couldn’t stand by and watch your anger grow. Never felt proud of leaving you; betrayed you by going.”
“Zach, you were right to leave, I am sorry. I was destructive and I would have destroyed you too. You leaving slapped me hard enough to realize I was screwing up everything. I lived with the dragons for a while. They taught me to meditate and channel my angers. I did not think I would ever see you again.”
“You don’t hate me and that speech about never forgiving was not at me?”
All I could do is laugh, “no it was at you, but it was me telling you I understand if you never forgive me.”
“I can be your keeper again?”
“If we both survive this baby, you are my keeper always.”
Zach pulled me close to him and kissed me hard; to be in his arms again I was invincible. I can feel eyes on us though so I pulled away and see Gaia watching me as she walked with Terra.
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Terra is looking at me with a smile; I hope she and Wyatt find each other again. Then I see Sera with Adrianna, and sadness fills me again. I still hold on to Zach, we have been apart for too long, I am not letting him go. “How are we going to put Sera back together? We have all lost it and remorse over the damage we realize to late we can create.
Gaia smiles, “I never have.”
“You’re not helping.” Terra retorts.
“Terra, about a hundred million years ago, and Elemental lost her temper and a big bang occurred in the universe and one planet was destroyed in this occurrence. Do not let Gaia fool you into her being a saint. Timekeepers were originally created to not only record history but to clean up the screw ups.” Zach says this as if he was there.
V looks at Zach “How old are you, after learning about Wyatt I must say curiosity is peaked.”
Zach chuckles “you should never ask someone their age, let us say I am number two. I am younger than Gaia and older than you.”
Terra looks down at the sound of Wyatt’s name and Gaia takes her hand, “He will be back. I have tried to keep him away from you but I’ll be damned that keeper loves you. He always comes back for you. He would have stopped the wedding too, I was planning on it.”
“What?” Terra and I say in unison.
“You punished me for loving him.” Anger in Terra’s voice and she turns on Gaia.
“No I punished you both for trying to tell me what would be. I punished you so you would come into your own being without each other. You two relied too much on each other I wanted you to grow. I knew you would never marry Horardo, he was a sexist pig.”
“500 hundred years went by mother, Wyatt watched me die every fifty years and be reborn human. That was the cruelest punishment anyone could endure.”
“That was not me; it was to happen once. Desdemona and Horardo wanted you trapped in human form. I needed you to have an insight on the humans. All four of you wanted to just wipe them off the Earth; I wanted to know what would be the best course of action for the humans. Father is protective of them.”
“Gaia, what is the plan now we must stop Desdemona and then worry about the humans and heal the Earth.” I know anger went through my voice but this was extreme what she did to Terra to make a point; although I know it was not all her fault.
Adara appears out of nowhere. “Do not blame all on Gaia, I suggested it when they were straying from their destinies.”
I look at Adara in disbelief, “I know you and Terra have your differences but why would you suggest this. You seduced Horardo in front of Terra when Mother said she had to marry him.”
“I thought I was in love with Wyatt, obsessed with him. May not be proud of what I did. I am trying to make up for it now. Helping in every way I can. It was not supposed to happen for as long as it did, and Wyatt never left her side. When they were separated, he would always find her. He will again now. We must stay focused on ending Desdemona. My Seer has information and Dominic is sensing a power struggle. Something has happened and we need to be ahead of her.”
Sera stepped forward to speak, “I know what I did was awful, I learned from the short time I was there. All of the humans are not the same and deserved much better than what I did to them. I think we need to confront Desdemona on a neutral ground and where magic is strongest. It may give her an advantage with the extra magic she can channel, but we may have more support than we know in the humans. We should reach out to them for help.” She tried hard to fight the pain in her voice.
Annabella and Dominic step up into the circle; both are looking to Adara to see if this was acceptable. Adara smiled and nodded at the two, pride shined through her eyes in how much she believes in these two humans.
Annabella looks to Sera first, “It is human to error and to see an Elemental admit they error too, that is relatable. I think you are right in reaching out to the humans, I believe every creature has magic in them. All that matters is if they will accept it. Together we can defeat Desdemona; we need to keep Adrianna away from Haresh.”
Adrianna looks to Annabella, “Is he going to try and take me again?”
“Afraid so, I see him burying you in the desert, far from any water. He weakens you somehow.”
Adrianna takes a deep breath and shows obvious frustration, “Why is that gimp always going after me.”
Gaia steps in, “Annabella your gift is one of the best I have seen mastered in a long time. You are correct all of the creations have a gift of magical energy in them. Humans reject it, the opposite of what we hoped. Why the Wicca and Druid and of course dark witches are the only humans to embrace it. The energy is there all the same. If Adrianna is captured in the desert than we shall go to the swamps, she will be stronger there with the water. We can reach out to the Elves and Dragons for help. Adara I believe we can still count on your fairies? Do we still have shifters and such?”
Gwain and Gavina stepped up, “We are hawks your majesty.” The twins speak in unison.
Gaia laughs as she looks at the young twins, “I am not a queen.”
She looks to the group, her four daughters, a Timekeeper, a dwarf and an elf. A Wiccan seer, Druid empath and last but certainly not least, Adara, the Queen of the Faye and her most fierce warriors working as a team. Now she sees two shifters of one of the most majestic animals created. An odd team, but a team all of the same, her heart grows that possible her creator’s dream will come true. She may have a small part in it. The Fates weave some wild roads, she thinks to herself. “Lets us go to Orleans, we will contact the witch there.”
Zach reached out and took my hand just before I transformed and he joined me in the winds like old times. We took a little longer route, I am first everywhere, I want time alone before we go to war again.
Chapter 40: Dark Witch Wins
DESDEMONA STARES INTO crystals as she waits for Haresh to bring Connor. She watches as Sera flies on her lightning bolts, not looking sorrowful. Desdemona shakes her head in the thought of how weak the Elementals are.
“Here is our guest my Priestess.”
The wall of crystal shows Sera riding lightning bolts. I would have never thought when I first met her she was anything more than a human. I have never been so drawn to another. Her eyes with flames dancing within them should have been a clue. I do not see a hint of guilt or remorse for what she did to Bago. I know she had to protect herself, but she killed everyone. Is Desdemona right, the Elementals only want to destroy all humans.
Sera was setting me up to die. The pain hit me hard as the reality set in, “Do you think she would kill me?”
Desdemona looks at me with true sympathy, as she places her long bony finger on my shoulder. “I am sure she would have. Seraphina has never had so much of a fable about her having any compassion or love for humans. She gave her gift of fire to the humans millions of years ago and hates how they have abused it. She is determined to destroy you all. I will protect you Connor, I promise.”
Leery of Desdemona, she has taken me in and saved me from certain death, but something doesn’t seem right with her. I continue to watch the crystals and see another woman appear, I wish this had sound visual can mislead people.
“Who is she?”
“That Connor is Gaia, she is the reason the whole Earth is now almost a wasteland. She too has been trying to kill all humans. She has the strongest magic. Legend is she was angered billions of years ago at the first creation of humans and she blew up the entire planet to rid it of them. The Great Father of Time and Creation collected the pieces of the planet and created nine more in this one solar system. The Earth is the youngest and almost as old as the others were when the Elementals ceased life on each one. I want to prevent that from happening. Will you help me stop them?”
I look at her and back to the crystals. I have heard the legends. Each of the Elementals had caused great destruction but I still cannot sense that all she says is true. I look at Haresh and how Desdemona, as beautiful as she is, has taken this broken and h
ideous man in and gave him a home and purpose. They both risked so much just in saving me from Sera. “I am just a man, how can I help you?”
“Haresh is just a man, with a hunched back and a limp. He is my greatest asset. My witches, you will meet them soon work with them. You have a connection with Sera, she will come for you. We will need to protect you from her. You have a gift of knowledge, and you were a scholar in Bago, were you not?”
“Yes, but we did not study the Elementals, only recognized a few the old legends. Nothing was ever factual; I did not believe they truly existed until now.”
“I need you to remember the legends, not just of the four but all that you can. I need to know what they may say is a weakness. I need to know what else I need to do to stop them.”
“All I know is separating them is what makes them the weakest.”
“Good start, Haresh will take you on the tour he promised you now. Please introduce him to our brothers and sisters.”
Desdemona turned her back to me and continued to watch the crystals. The thoughts of the old legends go through my head as I remember every story I ever heard. There were so many, and they were always immortal. I am not sure what she thinks I can do. I continue to follow Haresh through the winding passages of the caves, finally light shines through, and I see sunshine. The creator supposedly created the sun separate from any other star and its energy is what gives the worlds and all their creatures’ power. Is this what Desdemona wants, to blacken the sun, that is the only way she could destroy the Elementals.
Haresh looks at me cautiously, he does not trust me, I can tell that much. Not much of a talker either just points a lot. So I continue to follow him down another labyrinth of caves before we finally step outside of the caverns. There are seven men and women standing outside waiting to meet me. They each have a very gaunt look to them. So skinny they are almost skeletal. Haresh takes me to the group.