by C. A. Sabol
“Cyerra,” he called out, for the moment forgetting that she was a sibling of his as well, and hurried over. He was just about to ask them if they had found Selene when he saw that they were carrying her limp body in their hands. His throat dried up and he had a hard time finding his voice as he managed to ask, “Is she ... ?”
Cyerra shook her head. “No, she’s just fainted,” she explained. “We’re headed back to the palace,” she told him, much to his relief.
“Good. Let’s get her to the hospital,” he suggested.
All of a sudden, it happened. A great Light soared up from the middle of the battlefield, as at last Adamas is proclaimed dead by the close-up witnesses.
Etoileon and the group and all people stepped back as the Light blasted out from Adamas, casting a glow on everything.
The dark spirits tried to flee, but they found that they could not move. Adamas’ body glowed, and his blood shone luminously, almost seeming to dazzle throughout the entire world, making every human radiate a white glow.
Then the darkness overtook the sun; an eclipse completely blocked the bright sunlight that had pierced the morning and noontime sky. The stars twinkled one last time and then faded into the black night.
Etoileon hurried Cyerra and Kadrianne along, leading them through the world of shadows as they all headed for the palace once more.
EVERYONE SCREAMED AS the world was suddenly encompassed by a darkness that they had never known before. Children could be heard whimpering, and even adults were nervous and shaking unsteadily.
The skies went dark, darker than ever before. Not a single star was seen in the atmosphere as the land was eclipsed. Lightning and thunder laced through the sky; the world saw little but shadows. There was only one light remaining. Everyone, human and spirit alike, was still.
The darkness gathered around where Adamas’ body lay. Even as he laid on the ground, covered in his own blood, and torn apart by the human’s treatment, The Pure Light, as it died, shone brighter than ever. The Light seemed to reach up forever, as though it were going straight up into Crystallon. Some would say later that it almost appeared that the Light was pouring down from Crystallon, rather than bursting out from Sapphira.
All of sudden Obsidian and the evil spirits felt as though they were being swept up in a great whirlwind. “No! No! What is going on?!” Obsidian yelled as he tried to grab a hold of something that would keep him anchored to Sapphira. “No! Curse you, Adamas!” he cried out into the eternal darkness, screaming out painfully as he was tossed about in the wind of the great force pulling him. He slipped away into a pile of demons and evil spirits, and the Dark Plague remnants, as their dark luminance began to dissolve into the Pure Light and disappear into the only place where there were no shadows to be found.
When all the darkness had been absorbed, it was quiet. The Light remained, glowing softer and softer. Adamas’ body suddenly began to disappear. And just like that, he was gone.
Then all at once, the Light departed from the humans and faded into the night sky, leaving the humans on Sapphira to look up at the sky in reverence, speechless and amazed.
Chapter 15
The Pure Light Rekindled, Love Revealed!
IT WAS THREE DAYS LATER.
The world was still consumed by darkness, as all of humanity watched with wide eyes and fear for some kind of sign. For long hours, there had been no light at all in any part of the world. The people of Sapphira had lived the few last days in nothing but the shadows of black and blue hues, and the few bonfires that had been lit.
The people could see only shapes, but they could not make out the distinct characteristics of people more than a couple of feet away, and even then they had to study the features most carefully. The whole world was possessed by a frightening overcast.
Those who were on the battlefield mostly stood around or sat down, remaining where they were. A few panicked and tried to find someone that could help them. They could not find within themselves the power to move or to say much of anything. Some were weeping; some were shocked. Others were rendered speechless as they continued to stare at the black sky. Only a small percentage was running around in fear, shouting and calling out for light and for help. They all seemed to be waiting, but for what, no one was quite certain.
Those who were inside the palace never left the sight of a window, all of their attention turning up to the sky every so often. They were waiting too.
Etoileon remained by Selene’s side, as she lay on one of the makeshift cots. He kept a watch on the room’s television, which was running a report on the battlefield zone and the affect it was having on the rest of the world. Far as he could tell, no one had been able to do much other than wait for whatever it was they were waiting for. He understood how they felt. He was feeling restless himself. Looking down at the sleeping princess, he almost envied how she had fallen unconscious during this time; there would be no sense of discontent and impatience for her. He wondered if she was waiting in her dreams the way that the rest of the world was.
His gaze turned to focus once more one the black overcast outside. Still nothing, he observed disappointedly.
Others remained with him in the room, but there was complete silence. Not one of them spoke a word, even to ask how Selene was, or what was going to happen. Aura had curled up in a corner, hugging her knees her chest as she slowly rocked back and forth against the wall. There was a haunting look on her face that clearly told observers that she was thinking deep thoughts, mulling over her life. Cyerra would pace around every so often, her eyes darting from the battlefield, to the sky, to the others in the room. Kadrianne just sat in a chair, a hand over her mouth and her eyes focused on the scene outside the castle keep. Every so often, tears for no apparent reason would stream out of her eyes. But still, no one said anything at all.
The world seemed to be at a standstill, no one really knowing what to do. They were all just waiting, waiting to see if the sun would shine again.
Etoileon looked down at Selene, and then up to the sky. He had to wonder if these were the days that night was allowed to reign over, and if the light of day would ever break free once more.
DORIAN FELT HIS KNEES shake as he collapsed to the ground, too amazed and weary to have any strength to stand anymore. When the night had blanketed over them, just at high noon a few days ago, he’d stumbled around, his eyes unable to see anything, and unable to look away from the sky. He’d been there for so long, he didn’t really know how much time had passed since the light had disappeared. He slumped over onto his hands and knees, and felt as though his eyes were still glued to the sky, where the light had been.
All around him, his troops had slowly started to get up and walk around tentatively. It had been about three days, he knew. Surely by now, the men were starting to believe that the sun had been extinguished. There were fires that were burning low light, but it did little to enlighten the battlefield area. Soldiers everywhere gathered around the small circles of light, starting to talk in hushed whispers.
Dorian felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped. “What is it? Who’s there?” he asked, squinting to see if he could make out the features of the man before him. No luck.
“Sorry, I can’t see,” the other one explained. “I’m having trouble moving around.”
“Oh. Well, there is not enough light to clearly see anywhere,” Dorian reasoned lightly. “It’s okay.”
“Thanks. Mind if I stay here a while? I’m trying to find some of my legions, but I don’t seem to be having any luck, unfortunately.”
Dorian suddenly wondered if he knew this person he was talking to. His voice was that of a younger man, but not too much younger. It sounded familiar. Before Dorian could inquire as to just exactly who it was that he was talking to, the man started to break down.
“What am I saying?” he muttered spitefully, as his voice cracked. “This battle is no longer important. Striving to win this battle means nothing anymore. Survival is the main thing now, along wi
th making sure that family is okay. What was I thinking?”
“It’s okay,” Dorian said, trying to scoot over. He was still turning his attention every now and then to the sky, but he tried to reach out to his fellow warrior in the darkness. It was almost comforting to him, to try and help this young soldier. “You’re right about family. I have to let my sister know I’m alright, now that you mention it.”
“I saw my brother just a while ago,” the man told him, his voice still sad. “I thought he was dead! But he was alive, and he’d been here, all this time. But now, to see him, and the sun burning out ... it’s ... it’s just too much. All of my energy seems to be gone, and I can no longer stand the thought of fighting. I just want to go home and live in peace.”
“Maybe the light being gone for now is a good thing, in that way,” Dorian whispered softly. “Maybe it was meant to teach us to value such ... such a resource. We’ve gotten so used to it being there, we don’t stop to remember it as much as we should. Just like ... world cooperation, I imagine. Does that make sense to you?”
“Yeah, it does,” the young man said, his voice clearing up a bit. Dorian heard him clear his throat and sniffle. After a long moment of silence, the man spoke up again. “I wish the world could live in peace, and be prosperous.”
“We can,” Dorian assured him. “We just have to work together. Maybe if the light comes back, or we can figure out a way to talk with the rebels, this battle won’t be necessary anymore.”
“The rebels? You want to talk with the rebels?”
“Yeah. Why? What’s wrong?”
“I thought we were the rebels,” the young man explained.
“I’m fighting for the Crown,” Dorian smiled. “Are you a rebel?”
“Yes ... you wouldn’t happen to be King Dorian, would you?” there was small chuckle in the man’s throat as he asked the question.
Dorian cocked his eyebrow, a little suspicious. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.” His tone was uneven and clearly wary.
The man laughed softly, the first laughter to be heard since the days of night had begun. “I thought I recognized your voice,” he said. “It’s Aemon.”
Dorian started to laugh as well now. “How ironic.”
They both laughed harder, Dorian reaching out and wrapping his arm around Aemon’s shoulders like a brother. “What do you say that we organize some peace talks, Sir Aemon. I know that you want peace, and I long for it too. I cannot fix you up with Selene though, just warning you.”
Aemon smiled. “That’s too bad,” he said. “But I understand now. I can see things more the way that they are and the way that they were meant to be. It is too coincidental that I can see nothing at all.”
Dorian looked back up at the sky and nodded, understanding. “I can’t see anything either,” he told Aemon, “But for some reason, I can see more than I could before.”
“You as well? I keep watching to see if the light will come back.”
“I have a feeling it will,” Dorian told him. “We have just got to keep looking, I guess. That’s all.”
“Well, even if it doesn’t, let’s get those peace talks arranged soon,” Aemon said. “I am beginning to worry about my family.”
“Me too,” Dorian told him. “Me too.” After a moment, he noticed that another campfire had been lit just a few yards away. Clapping his hand on Aemon’s shoulder once more, he looked over to the firelight and said, “Let’s go sit over there. It’s time that we talked some more about peace. We’ve held it off for this long.”
“I agree,” Aemon admitted. “But you may not like some of our terms.”
“You will not like some of ours.”
“Well ... ”
“It’s worth it though, right?” Dorian asked.
“Yeah, it sure is. All right, Let’s go,” Aemon said, standing up and reaching down to help Dorian pick himself up off the ground.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER, Aemon listened to the other soldiers talk quietly as he sat by the king. He was not feeling like himself at all, he realized. Normally, he was filled with irritation or anger, but now ... now all he felt was more relaxed and confused.
He had met his brother, his older brother. His older brother who had supposedly been dead all these years had come back to life almost. What was Aemon supposed to feel? How could he even begin to talk about what he wasn’t sure of? He looked up at the sky, hoping that Cyerra was doing okay. He wanted to tell her later that their brother was alive, that Etoileon was their brother. Aemon frowned as he recalled the first time that he met with Etoileon before, at the Islanders’ Reception. He looked down with embarrassment and shame as he remembered his heavy-handed tactics and how he used his unearned superiority to push people around. It had been effective, yes, but could he really be proud of himself now?
He also felt sad that he had been deprived of his brother when their father Ammos had died. Etoileon had only been about three or four years old, but Aemon suddenly wondered if it would have been Etoileon who would have taken the burden of responsibility of him and Cyerra, rather than Aemon.
Aemon decided that when the peace talks were over, he would conduct some more talks of a similar nature with Etoileon and Cyerra. He felt no desire for war now. Being alone in the dark of the unending night had made him want to have his friends and family more than he wanted world domination and power. Power might put him over everyone else, but it would also set him apart from anyone else as well. Being caught up in obscurity of the shadowed world made him realize that he did not want that at all.
He had wanted to make the world befriend him, to be ruled by him. Now he wanted to befriend the world, to live in harmony. If he ruled the world, the problems he would burden would wear him down. But if he had friends, he would be much happier sharing his burdens with them and helping them carrying theirs. Individually, he was not strong enough to carry the world. But with others, they could all share and share in the joyous times together while they did.
He was just starting to smile a bit when he felt someone shift beside him. Aemon looked over at him, and saw that all the men in the circle were staring up at the sky. When he looked up, he noticed that there was a stream of lightning flickering. Thunder came with it, and the wind began to blow harder.
The fires went out, and the lighting grew brighter and brighter, the thunder boomed and the wind raged. The soldiers could be more and more clearly seen as the light began to flash out an intense power.
“What’s going on?” he murmured in wonder, as he found himself once more spellbound. He and the rest of the soldiers stood up, and held their hands to block the wind from their faces as they just stood there, watching and waiting to see if this is what they had been waiting for.
ETOILEON REMAINED CALM as the lightning and thunder broke through the blackness. Gradually, the stars were coming back into view, some of them twinkling brighter than ever it seemed. He looked up just in time to see the traces of lightning in the sky, and he almost had to smile as the others in the room, save for Selene, jumped and flinched at the sudden activity.
He looked down at Selene briefly, wanting to pay as much attention to the storm outside as he could. He saw that Selene had no change in her conditions at all. Relieved, he allowed himself to watch the scene before him.
At this point, he thought, I know everything’s going to be okay. He had witnessed the power of the Guardian before in his dreams. That being stated, he had no doubt that these past three days of darkness would bring about some desired circumstance. His gray eyes absorbed the scene before him, his mind puzzled by how even though he knew that everything was under control, he was too amazed; he was too astounded for words.
As he watched, all of a sudden, a small bubble of light appeared from the high clouds. The light shone with a brilliant and stunning power; all around, it was almost as though music of deliverance could be heard.
“Hallelujah,” he whispered, smiling. He was about to get up and go over to the window for as close of a look as po
ssible when his hand was squeezed. Looking down, he saw that Selene was beginning to stir slightly. Thank goodness, he thought, relieved. Everything’s okay going to be okay now. I’m sure of it.
THE LIGHT POURED OUT from the sky, the small bubble growing larger and larger. The sky’s lights began to glow brightly again, as though someone had flipped the switch on the circuit breaker of the stars. The clouds broke apart, and daylight arrived, the sun shimmering a brilliant golden yellow; all of the gray sunrises would be no more, as a renewed light gave a chance at life back to the people of Sapphira.
As the bubble of light came closer to the ground, it was apparent to everyone that someone was inside of it. When the man in the bubble finally touched down on the sandy surface, there was no sound to be heard.
Adamas had come back. The Seal of Blood had been given, and Obsidian, along with his forces, had been taken away from Sapphira to be securely locked in the Celestial Prison. The four points in the sky burned with a scorching blaze, as they had been rekindled as well by the surge of fresh hope.
Dorian and Aemon stared at Adamas, unable to speak.
Ronal dropped his sword and fell to his knees, weeping for joy as the sun rose and the light shone.
Cyerra and Kadrianne hugged each other tightly and danced in a circle as they praised the return of the Light.
Aura got up from her crouched position and fell against the window glass, unexplainably drawn to the scene outside. She felt her cheeks grow wet as she gazed upon the beauty of the enlightened world.
All around the battlefield, soldiers and warriors everywhere started to remove their helmets out of respect. Some fell to their knees, crying at their unworthiness and shame. They had been the ones that had killed this man, after all! Surely he had been the greatest man who ever lived, who would ever live.