by C.L. Mozena
Chapter 3
I can’t even be in the same room as a lit candle! he thought in frustration. It was late afternoon, and Orion was pacing in his rooms, where he always was once his studies were over. He was dreading another training session where he would have to face his biggest fear again. An unlit candle is fine, but once there’s even the tiniest flicker of a flame, I black out! Why? He stopped pacing and fell to his knees in anguish, tears welling up in his eyes. It had been ten years since his fateful encounter with that horrible lunimorf that took his eye. He had recovered quickly, but the scar of pyrophobia refused to fade. Orion had tried everything to rid himself of his embarrassing fear, including counseling, hypnosis, and completely ignoring it. Nothing helped.
“I hate it!” Orion cried as he hit the floor with his fists, “ I hate pyrophobia!” He sniffed as tears spilled over his cheeks, “It’s ruined my life! If I ever get my hands on that filthy lunimorf, he’s gonna wish he was never born!” He wiped his eyes and whispered, “Maybe I’ll kill them all.” He sniffled again as he looked up at the beautiful tropical tree near the wall. A bright red flower had just begun to bloom on it earlier that day. “What are you smiling at?” He asked the small tree, his anger subsiding. The tree just stood there, basking in the artificial light, and didn’t reply. He sighed as he rocked backward into a sitting position. Leaning back on his hands, Orion shifted his gaze to the ceiling, and to the sparkling crystal chandeliers that hung from it. Following the rays, he watched some water drip down the leaves of his small rosebush. He knew that a servant had been in to water his plants while he was with his teachers. He wondered again why his father didn’t like flowers. These roses were a new hybrid whose colors were a swirl of yellow and orange. The blooms reminded him of fire, which was one reason he wanted this bush. He was hoping that, by associating the color of fire with something he liked, it would help him get over his fear of fire, but it wasn’t working. Pyrophobia, he thought, smirking, not many people know what it is. Even I wouldn’t know if I didn’t have it. If I never lost my eye... His thoughts began drifting again, back to that horrible night that changed his life.
A loud knock interrupted Orion’s daydream. Startled, he quickly picked himself up off the floor. He tried his best to wipe any trace of tears from his face as his visitor knocked again, somewhat impatiently.
“Come in,” Orion said in his best regal voice, as he tried to smooth the wrinkles in his sleeves.
“Good evening, Prince Orion.” A man bowed as he entered, wearing a black suit with brown trimming that was the normal servant’s outfit. Every servant had to wear it, and the maids had to wear a matching black and brown ankle-length dress. Orion thought these clothes were quite ugly and depressing. I’m gonna get rid of them as soon as I become king. Maybe I’ll dress the servants in red. Or maybe blue. I like bright blue with white trim. Orion chuckled, I’ll make the servants look like the midday sky. Orion put his thoughts on hold when he seen that the servant was accompanied by a lovely young lady dressed in an ice blue evening gown with frilly white lace. The light color of the dress complimented her dark features. Her long, black hair was pulled back and fell in ringlets around her shoulders. Her eyes were a boring shade of tan and they sparkled with nervousness. She looked like she had too much makeup on.
“Who are you?” Orion asked the young lady.
“She is Lady Raina, Majesty,” the servant answered, bowing. “Your father, King Frederic, says that it’s time for you to choose a worthy bride. You have less than four years before you are to marry.”
“Oh, right.” Orion couldn’t hide his frustration. Father hasn’t cared about anything that has to do with me for years, and now he wants me to see some stupid girl in some stupid dress. Actually, Orion had been looking forward to meeting potential brides, but felt resentment at his father’s name. Indeed, King Frederic hadn’t bothered to spend time with Orion at all. He had always been too busy to even talk to his son. All Orion ever got from his father was a sneer or scowl when they passed in the halls. Orion figured it had to do partly with his mother’s death. Patricia had died shortly after Orion lost his eye due to pregnancy complications. The baby had died, too. That was so long ago, Orion thought, his anger rising, isn’t he over it by now? He could at least take a couple of hours off and train with me awhile. Heartache took the place of anger when he remembered that his father thought he was worthless, and had told him so when he asked to start training. Orion knew that he had let his father down when he lost his eye, but he was trying his best to make up for it by training. Orion believed that, once he got over his pyrophobia, he could surprise his father with how strong he was. He could prove that he wasn’t worthless. His father would have to like him and believe in him after that. Orion glanced at a picture he had of himself and his parents. It was the same as the one hanging in the great hall, only much smaller. He had heard rumors that Patricia wasn’t his real mother, which is why his father never liked him, but he didn’t believe it. He had always believed that his skin and hair color was so different that everyone else because of a color mutation. He had seen similar color mutations in animals lots of times. He knew that it was the loss of his right eye and his stupid fear of fire that shamed his father, not some silly mutation. Still, he couldn’t dismiss the accusations that he didn’t resemble her in any way. He didn’t exactly resemble his father, either, but there were some small similarities.
“Well, come in, and tell me about yourself, Lady Raina.” Orion had switched back to his regal voice as he turned to face her, trying his best to put his emotions away like he had been taught. He had been excited at meeting potential brides ever since his sixteenth birthday last month, and thoughts of his father weren’t going to spoil it. “Thank you, servant, you may go.” The servant bowed again and shut the door on his way out.
“Have a seat.” Orion said once the door was shut. He started towards the couch, but Lady Raina hadn’t moved. Orion turned around. He was aware that she was probably just nervous at meeting the crown prince for the first time, so he tried being patient with her. “What’s the matter? You’re allowed to sit down here. You don’t have to stand the whole time.” Lady Raina didn’t say anything. She just looked down as if being in the same room as the prince was the most frightening thing that’s ever happened to her. “What’s the matter with you?” Orion was losing his patience. Lady Raina looked terrified, but determined.
“Malunmor,” she muttered as she fumbled with a piece of paper.
“What?” Orion’s frustration was replaced by confusion.
“I’m a lunimorf,” Lady Raina spoke clearly, as she raised her eyes to his.
“Yea, right.” Orion turned away. Great, he thought, I get stuck with a nutcase. Oh, well, there’s always the next one. Maybe she’ll be prettier than this one. He sat down on his recliner with his elbows on his knees, wondering what to say to this girl who was obviously confused.
“It’s true,” Lady Raina insisted as she approached Orion, “I have disguised myself as a telblec, and I have a message from my Empress for you.” She handed Orion the paper she had been fumbling with. It was folded over in threes, with a wax seal on it. Orion didn’t recognize the symbol in the seal. He stared at it, then at her, and decided to play along for the time being. She was the first young lady to see him, and he didn’t want to dismiss her right away. Maybe he could get her to understand that lunimorves were monsters that lived on Lunspae, and that she was actually a telblec woman, although rather plain looking.
“Alright, read it to me.” Orion leaned back in the recliner. He folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He sighed as Lady Raina broke the seal, unfolded the paper, and began to read:
Prince Orion, Heir to the Telblec Throne:
Before you throw this letter away, please read it in it’s entirety. As you know, the land of which you have grown up is that of the telblecs. Every telblec
has very dark skin and hair. All but one. That one is you. Have you ever wondered why your skin is so pale, or your hair is gold? It is not some random mutation, as you may have been told. It’s because you are half lunimorf. We lunimorves are shape shifters. The ugly, monstrous appearance that you have seen is not what we really look like, it’s our battle form. We only assume that form when we fight. I have sent my messenger, Lady Raina, to give you this letter so that your father does not get it first. Your mother, your real mother, is a lunimorf. I would like you to come here to Lunspae to meet the family you didn’t know you had, and to learn about your lunimorf heritage.
Sincerely yours
Empress Anita
Lady Raina folded the letter, set it on the arm of Orion’s recliner, and stepped back, watching Orion intensely. Orion was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. He was trying to make sense of what he had just heard.
‘You are half lunimorf.’ That’s impossible, Orion thought. I’m a telblec. A telblec prince! Lunimorves are the enemy.
But why am I so different from the other telblecs?
It’s just a strange color mutation. Father said so. Lunimorves are heartless monsters! Father wouldn’t lie to me, would he?
“That’s it!” Orion stood up so fast that lady Raina took a step back in surprise.
“What’s it, Prince?” She asked carefully. He looked slyly at her.
“My father had been held captive by the lunimorves for a whole year. He can tell me if this note is bogus or not.” He grabbed the letter from the arm of the recliner and started towards the door.
“You’re right, Prince,” she replied with confidence. “He can tell you that everything in the letter is true. He can tell you that during his captivity, he mated with a lunimorf and you were born. When you decide to join us on a ship to Lunspae, I’ll be waiting at the dock.” Orion stared at her, shocked by her boldness. Before he could retaliate, she turned her back to him and strode out the door, closing it gently behind her. Orion stood there, staring dumfounded after her for a few minutes, then came to his senses. He made for the door, wrenched it open, and ran to his father’s rooms. He nearly crashed head-on with a servant in his haste. When he got to his father’s rooms, he almost beat the ebonivy doors down for knocking so hard.
“Enter.” King Frederic’s voice came strong and steady through the closed doors. He didn’t seem shaken at all at having his doors pounded on. That kind of noise would have made Orion jump out of his skin. Once inside, Orion went numb. He hadn’t been in his father’s rooms in a long time, and that time he was being yelled at and called worthless for asking to be trained. The room was not too much different from his own. It had the same curved ceiling that held the same crystal chandeliers. There was only one potted plant, and it had no flowers. The furniture was ebony, like Orion’s, but sported ivory highlights instead of gold. A large desk covered with papers made it’s presence known in the center of the room. The man sitting behind the desk looked up. He had dark, chocolate-brown skin, and curly locks of hair, blacker than the night, falling over his shoulders. His tired face was deeply lined with scars, but his eyes were an intense and vivid red-brown. Whiskers covered his face, but were kept so short that the skin underneath could still be seen. King Frederic stood up behind the desk and came around to the front, crossing his arms. He was only a few inches taller than Orion, but his broad shoulders and muscular build made him seem much larger.
“What do you want, Orion?” King Frederic said with an air of a man who had been bothered with nonsense too many times. Orion said nothing. “I haven’t got all day, you know,” he paused, but Orion didn’t say anything. “Look, Orion,” he sighed angrily, gesturing to the pile of papers and folders, “I’ve got a lot of work to do. Say what you’ve got to say or get out. I don’t have time for your foolishness.” Still, Orion kept his silence. Frederic’s voice was rising. “What is it, already?!” Orion didn’t say a word. King Frederic was about to throw Orion out of the room when he noticed the look of utter terror on his son’s face. King Frederic followed Orion’s gaze to the tiny flicker of a candle flame on the desk.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” King Frederic scowled at Orion, “Just ignore it, Orion! What do you want?” Orion took a step backwards. “Coward!” King Frederic exclaimed, exasperated. He turned and put out the candle’s flame with a simple pinch. “How is it that I am to have such a pathetic excuse for a son?” King Frederic muttered as he turned back to Orion. “Now, what is it?”
Orion forced his eyes away from the candle wick, where a thread of smoke was now curling. “Take a look at this,” he said, shivering, and handed his father the letter from that Lady Raina gave him. Orion studied his father’s face for any trace of shock, but there was none. It was as if the letter didn’t surprise him at all, like he expected it.
“Hmpf,” King Frederic said as he balled up the letter and tossed it in a small trash can beside his desk. He rounded his desk and sat back down, ignoring his son.
“Well?” Orion asked after a few minutes.
“Well, what?” King Frederic replied, clearly annoyed.
“What do you think? Why would Empress Anita send me a letter like that?” Orion was getting anxious. King Frederic closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to hold his temper.
“Can’t you see, Orion? She’s trying to lure you to Lunspae to kidnap you, just like she did to me before you were born.” When Orion gave a puzzled look, his father continued, “It’s a trap, see? Here on the planet Olhoe, there are plenty of guards and warriors to protect you. There are none on Lunspae. You’d never escape.” His voice was calm, but his fists were shaking. Orion saw that his father was fighting to keep his cool, so Orion decided to use ninmisn, the telepathic ability that all telblecs posses, to read his father’s mind.
Who does she think she is? Orion heard his father think, Inviting my son to Lunspae to tell him everything I’ve worked so hard to keep from him. The look of shock on Orion’s face was all King Frederic needed to tell that Orion had just read his thoughts. “Orion?” King Frederic asked tenderly as he stood back up.
“You...” Orion stuttered in shock. “You... knew? You knew I’m half lunimorf? And you never told me?” Orion was lost to anger and disbelief. “You...you lied to me?”
“I was trying to protect you, Orion,” King Frederic could sense that he was fighting a losing battle. “Lunimorves are horrible monsters, Orion. Here on Olhoe-.”
“But I’m one of them! Am I a monster?!” Orion shouted, fighting back tears, “Is that why you hate me?!
“I don’t hate you, Orion,” his father stammered, “Your mother-.”
“How could you?! You lied to me!” Thick tears were streaming down Orion’s face. He turned and made a break for the door, but his father grabbed his wrist. “Let go of me!” Orion was in hysterics now, but King Frederic only tightened his grip. King Frederic was fully aware that if the telblecs knew that his son was half lunimorf, they would kill him. King Frederic wasn’t sure, but he assumed that the lunimorves would react the same. He didn’t know how to make Orion understand that he kept Orion’s mother a secret to save his life. The only way he could protect his son was to keep him near. Orion turned toward King Frederic, balling his free hand into a fist and shooting it at his father’s face. It collided neatly with King Frederic’s left eye, making him stumble, but he didn’t release his hold on Orion’s wrist. Orion prepared to attack again, but King Frederic was ready this time and blocked it. Orion’s strength surprised King Frederic, momentarily stunning him. Anger flooded through him. He couldn’t see how Orion didn’t understand that what King Frederic was doing was for his own good, even saving his life.
If this kid of mine wants a beating, he’s gonna get one! King Frederic thought, enraged, as his fist met Orion’s face time and time again. He pulled Orion’s arm closer to himself and swung
his knee up. His knee smashed into Orion’s stomach and he let go of Orion’s wrist. Orion grunted, coughing up blood as he fell to his knees, clutching his sides, and doubling up in pain. King Frederic looked down at his son.
“You will be escorted back to your rooms and you will stay there until you come to your senses.” King Frederic turned away from Orion. “It’s for your own good.”
“Since when have you cared about what’s good for me?!” Orion cried. He was back on his feet and lunged at his father. King Frederic turned around just in time to see Orion’s foot hurtling at him as Orion’s powerful kick hit it’s target. King Frederic flew backwards a few feet before hitting the floor and rolling to a stop. Before he was able to get up, Orion dashed out the door and headed down towards the dock at the back of the palace where Lady Raina said she’d be waiting for him. Everyone in the halls were a blur as Orion rushed past, through one hall, down a staircase, through another hall, and finally reaching the dock. Lady Raina was already there with a spaceship ready to take off.
“Hurry, Prince!” she called as she and Orion leaped on board. “Take her up!” she yelled at one of the ship’s officers. She led Orion to a seat along the edge of the room inside the ship so he could catch his breath. His face hurt something fierce and he felt like he was about to throw up. Lady Raina sat down next to Orion and put her arm around his shoulders. Orion looked around and saw several people on board, all of which looked like pale-skinned telblecs, who kept stealing glances at him as they preformed their duty to fly the ship. Orion closed his eyes and leaned back. Before he knew it, they were off, headed straight to Lunspae.
What have I done? Orion thought, panic and dread rising in his chest. Lunimorves are the enemy! And now I’ve put my life in their hands. They’ll kill me for sure! What an idiot I am! Hiding his face with his hands, he thought, And I hit my father! Twice! He was only trying to protect me, wasn’t he? What about my friends? Will I ever see them again? Tears began forming in his eyes. I want to go home! The trip took less than an hour. Once the ship had landed, Lady Raina took his arm and led him through halls that seemed very familiar. Orion began to wonder if they hadn’t turned around and went back to Olhoe. The carpets were the same, the placement of windows with their long, heavy curtains drawn back were the same, and there were the same marble columns along the walls, bearing the same glass vases, although there were bright flowers in each. Even the guards looked the same, except that their skin was pale, like Orion’s, instead of dark.
“This looks like the palace back home,” Orion stated, looking around.
“Yes,” Lady Raina said as if speaking to a young child, “This palace was built in the image of the other. There are very few differences between the two.” She didn’t stop, and didn’t seem to mind answering questions, so Orion pressed her further.
“Why do the guards look like pale telblecs?” he asked.
“Because that’s what we look like, naturally.” She smiled and glanced his way. “Did you really think that the horrible gargoyle thing was our natural form?” Orion stared at her. Even though the letter had told him the lunimorves were shape shifters and that he had never seen their true shape, he had assumed that they looked very similar to the gargoyle monsters he had seen when he was six years old. It took a moment for it to register, but he noticed that Lady Raina’s appearance had changed, too. Her skin was now pale, and her hair was light brown. Her eyes sparkled green at his shock. “This is what I normally look like,” she said, reading his confused expression. “I turned my skin, hair, and eyes dark to blend in with the telblecs, so that I could meet you.”
“Oh, right,” Orion was still confused, but kept up her quick pace. He couldn’t stop staring at her. He realized that she was very beautiful indeed, and didn’t have too much makeup on. Lady Raina led him to a pair of large doors that resembled his own. The doors were the same sparkling white ivory and gold as his were, except that the patterns were different. There was also an array of colored gemstones set in the doors, not just blue and orange. In fact, Orion couldn’t recall seeing a single door on their way that was made on ebonivy, or even painted black. Lady Raina looked him up and down.
“We can’t have you meeting the Empress looking like that,” she said. Before Orion could explain that he liked what he was wearing and that he didn’t have a chance to change into something nicer, Lady Raina pressed her hands to Orion’s face, covering his eyes. Surprised, he took a step back as a searing heat flooded his face for a moment, and vanished to the cool, still air in the hall. “There,” she said, wearing a satisfied smile as Orion opened his eye again, “those nasty bruises are gone.” Orion reached up and noticed that all the damage his father had caused him during their fight was gone.
“Wha-? How-?” Orion stuttered in shock. “How’d you do that?”
“I just healed you, Prince.” She said as if Orion should have expected it. “It’s really no big deal, every lunimorf can do it. We’re taught every aspect of fysimae as children.” She knocked on the unnervingly familiar doors. Orion wanted to ask more questions, but didn’t get a chance.
“Come in.” A flowery female voice floated out of the doors. Lady Raina opened one of the doors and allowed Orion to step inside before her. The first things he noticed were the flowers. There were flowers everywhere. Vases filled with fresh cut flowers covered almost every available surface, while potted plants hung from beams near the open windows on the left wall. The room was very much like his own, with the same high, curved ceiling, but doors to other rooms were only on the right wall, while the left wall was adorned with several tall windows. However, the setup was completely different. Instead of dark ebony, all the furniture was made of some bright red wood with gold highlights. The carpet was checkered in red and yellow with thin, black outlines. There was only one chandelier hanging from the ceiling, but there were several table and floor art glass lamps casting their colorful light in every direction. Orion saw the same, large fireplace on the opposite wall, but thankfully, it was cold and empty.
Like his father’s room, there was a large desk in the middle, but it was against the wall rather than in the center of the floor. A woman was sitting behind the desk. Her round face was framed by long hair that fell past her shoulders, in the same shade of gold as his own. She smiled sweetly at him, but he didn’t return it. Instead, he stared fixedly at the same blue eyes he had seen so many times in a mirror, except that one of them wasn’t covered by an eye patch.
“Who are you?” he breathed, not taking his eye off of her.
“This is Empress Anita, of the lunimorves,” announced Lady Raina. Orion had forgotten that Lady Raina was still there.
“Thank you, Raina. You may go.” Empress Anita spoke with the same flowery voice. Lady Raina curtsied and stepped out, closing the door behind her. Orion began trembling in fear and excitement when he realized that he was alone with the empress of the lunimorves.