The Priestess of the four Gods Book 14 (final)

      Chapter 29: Denmor’s rebirth

  The sky has gone black. The earth is dying, the stars are crying. I can hear their voices screaming from pain and sadness. The Gods are standing around me and they are looking me with sinister face; I can feel it.
“Lily, are you sure you want to do this? The chances are…”
“I will do it Menfor, because I love this world, I love its people, its nature… I will protect everything!” and I felt the light becoming stronger and stronger.

  Everyone could see the giant pillar of light rising from Selemir. Darth, Limon and Monica were standing on the deck of Minto’s and Clyone’s ship together with Dings looking at the pillar without speaking. The earthquake shook the earth and the sky became darker. A dark pillar started to rise from the bottom trying to consume the light. The earthquake became wilder and from four different directions they appeared: a Phoenix with silver wings, riding the winds, a woman with blue hair and eyes, a woman who was holding a magic flute on her hands and a man, wearing his red armor and holding a sword of fire in his hands. All of them fused themselves with the pillar and it slowly took a certain shape and form; it was a golden bird, similar to the Phoenix, but bigger and more majestic than before. It opened his wings and golden feathers started to fall on the earth, making the ground green again and the trees grow back with vivid green leaves. It flew to the sky soaring to the air and the earthquake became louder and stronger than before shaking the whole land. Land that had been covered from water, started to rise again as the waters were subsiding; fields that were poor on crops for centuries, became fertile again and the polluted earth was alive again full of trees and flowers. The burnt lands were reborn again and the seas became full of life. The golden bird flew all around Denmor and returned back to Selemir. It flapped its wings, leaving a cry, like a dying song, and disappeared to the sky. Then a golden rain started to fall, healing the people’s dark Heart Stones and blessing the earth. A sound of crumbling metal was heard and the Mechanism of Destruction, together with Nevol, was destroyed forever.

  Darth ran into the Palace’s remains searching for Lily. He and Monica, together with Dings, Limon and the ship’s crew, were scattered to the area searching for her, shouting her name. He saw something glimmering under some fallen rocks and he pushed them away. It was the remains of the Altar and on the fallen columns and the destroyed Heart paintings was a golden moss that was shining like her eyes at the faint color of amber. Darth felt the necklace becoming a little warm and then it was cold as ice around his neck.
“Lily…” he whispered and he felt the presence of another and turned around. The woman was standing on the golden moss wearing her white dress with her hood falling on her back.
“Freya…”
“Darthorian… that child sacrificed so much” she said with sad face.
“Why Freya? Why did she have to suffer so much?” he shouted to her angrily and his voices draw the attention of the others who came close to him. Everyone could see the woman and when they realized who she was they bowed with respect.
“The spell her sister used was the “Eternal Light” an ancient form of magic which combines the powers of the Four Gods with the Priestess’s body into one, creating Light itself and restoring Denmor into its original state.”
“Why my sister hasn’t come back? The spell is done and now she has to come back!” Monica shouted to her
“She could have returned if she had a Heart Stone…” she continued expressionless and everyone remained speechless hearing her words. She turned to Darth and continued
“Do you remember my final words at that night?”
“How could I ever forget?”
“Lily saved you from the Soul Arrow, she blessed you, by giving her own Heart Stone to you, and she is now punishing you with her own death”
“What?” he said with wide open eyes, full of pain and despair.
“And thus, my last mission in this world has finally completed” she said and lowered her head.
Monica was crying, unable to believe her words, on Limon’s arms, while everyone were praying for the resting of her soul in their language.
“Why Freya? You used her! She had nothing to do with this!”
“On the contrary, Darthorian. The day we met each other for the first time on Nebolia I foresaw everything. I saw myself dying on your arms, I saw the birth of the Aimilian twins which would return back to our world and I saw the girl, with no light on her eyes, guiding you to the light of a new life. When she saw your memories she understood her mission. She acquired the powers of the Gods, gaining the knowledge she needed in order to teach her sister the spells but she lost herself in the way. Your voice called her back and she offered you the greatest gift a Priestess could give… her own life; and then she used the final spell in order to save Denmor”.
“She… she offered her Heart Stone as Lily… not as a Priestess! She was Lily at that time!” Darth shouted to Freya, remembering her lips touching his at that moment when the two of them recognized each other’s feelings. He touched his chest with his hand, feeling the beating. His Heart Stone was pounding softly and his Heart Light had the color of her eyes; she was alive inside him.
“She is still alive!” he said to everyone and Freya smiled. She rose her hands to the sky showing to everyone what was happening. The stars were shining brightly not on their white color, but each one on a different one. They were indicating the will of all people around Denmor who were wishing for the return of their Priestess. Monica raised her hands too and so did everyone. All the stars then gave a single ray of light and all of them gathered to the center above Selemir creating a shining big star with the color of amber. The star created a pillar of light connecting the ground with it; and then a body of a girl started to descend. She had long, golden hair and her body was slowly coming lower and lower to the ground. Darth entered the pillar, raised his hands and caught her body. The light around them disappeared and she took a deep breath, the breath into new life and opened her eyes, looking at him. She touched his face with her hand staring at his eyes, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“This… is not a dream?” she said with tremble voice and Darth enclosed her in his arms, hiding his face on her hair. Lily hugged him from the neck and smiled happily.
“Don’t cry Darth…”
“I am not crying, something got into my eyes”
“You are ruining the moment…” and she kissed him on the cheek.
Lily saw the beautiful woman with the white hair standing further from them and she smiled
“Thank you Freya…” she said through telepathy and the woman smiling disappeared to the skies.
Darth helped her stand up and she turned to the others. They were left dazzled looking at her without speaking.
“Monica…” Lily said and run into her sister’s arms. They hugged each other and cried loudly from both sadness and happiness.
“You are here! You are alive!” Monica said touching her sister’s hair, arms, face, hugging her again and again.
“I can see you…” she said looking at her brown eyes and she laughed.
Dings rushed into her arms and Lily hugged the boy recognizing him by the constant smell of fried chicken, which was his favorite food, and he lifted on the air. Limon bowed to her and he kissed her on the cheek receiving after that a punch from Darth and an angry gaze from Monica. She met Minto and Clyone, seeing them for the first time and Lily felt like she was reintroducing herself for the first time. The ship’s crew lifted on the air and they started to sing full of joy for the end of the war and the beginning of a new era, full of peace.
  “But I must say, the Palace is in bad mess” Dings said and everyone looked around them at the remains of the glorious Crystal Palace.
“We will build it again, and this time it will be more beautiful than before!” Lily responded and everyone looked at her and at Monica and they kneeled before them, showing their respect to the princess of Denmor.
“Monica I think we must do something about this continuing bowing”
“You have a point Lily, it is a little embarrassing”
“Well you are a princess after all stupid” Limon said to Monica and she tweaked him strongly on the nose.
Darth took Lily’s hand on his without looking at her
“Are you mad at me?” she said with soft voice
“Very”
“I heard you… you did call me reckless after all…” and he looked at her as she was smiling.
And then…
The woman appeared out of nowhere, she ran with incredible speed and she stabbed on the ground the branch with the black flowers. Their petals flew into the air covering the bodies of Lily and Monica disappearing them from everyone’s sight completely. None was able to react fast enough, neither anyone was able to say anything; they saw Nagia falling to the ground breathing heavily whispering constantly:
“I did it my King, I sent them back… they will never return… they are gone” and she left her last breath lying in front of everyone. Their screams echoed at that day as the dawn to the new era began with a loss.

  Monica and Lily were standing in front of the withered tree. Its trunk had turned black and its roots were also withered. They couldn’t realize what had happened until they felt the night’s breeze on their skin. They were back, back at the forest near their aunt’s mansion, back to the place from where everything began. They saw the black petals on their feet and remembered Nagia’s voice and figure taking them away from everyone. The night had already ended and a new day was beginning, but for the two girls everything was gone and they cried together near the dead Ebu tree.

                                         
Chapter 30: Two worlds, one love

5 years later

“Come on Emily, how long are you planning to stay like this?” John said to his sister
“But John why do I have to go to her performance? She is already known to everyone! We have already gone to five of them already!” she said with stiff face and sat to the sofa.
“Are you ready? The car will arrive in 10 minutes!” Elizabeth said to her children who were still getting dressed while she was holding the tickets for the theater’s best box.
They were going to Lily’s tenth performance. She had managed to become one of the best dancer’s in the country, and Monica was her manager.
 
   After they returned back to their world they realized that they had been missing for five days. Elizabeth had canceled her business trip and had used everything in order to find the girls, from the police to the secret agencies… When they found them they realized that Lily’s blindness had been mysteriously cured and both of them had small scars on their bodies, dressed on strange clothes and, on Lily’s left hand, there was a strange tattoo with the shape of a golden star. They were both crying for two days until Monica realized that perhaps if they could search enough perhaps they could find another Ebu tree. Since then Lily dedicated herself into expanding her possibilities as a dancer and Monica earned a scholarship into management. Now after five years they had both grown into fine women and at the age of twenty two they had managed to complete their ambitions and be respected by everyone, even by their cousins.
One year ago their mother’s will opened and they discovered that their mother had been adopted into Elizabeth’s family. She was found into the forest near the William’s mansion and since then she grew up together with Elizabeth. The girls knew already the truth behind their mother’s true identity but still they felt deeply grateful to their aunt’s family.
Every day after the sunset the sisters always spent some time near the withered Ebu tree inside the forest. Lily would sing one of the many lullabies the Gods had taught her, or dance around it. But there was no sign of a new Ebu tree.

Elizabeth, Emily and John left their box and headed to the backstage. Everyone was praising Lily’s tonight performance and how deeply she had touched the audience.
“Amazing Lily, it was splendid as always!” Elizabeth praised her when they entered her changing room.
“Thank you aunt, I did my best” and Monica looked at her sister’s determinate expression: for the last five years Lily, through her dancing, was trying to communicate with anyone she could find; sometimes she could feel her voice reaching Denmor but mostly her efforts were in vain.
“Aunt, how about having dinner tonight together?” Monica asked her and saw the faces of her cousins become stiff.
“Of course! After you change let’s head together back home.”

They walked through the garden, heading for the mansion. The night was quiet and only the sounds the crickets were making were disturbing the starry night. Lily stopped walking and she headed to the forest saying that she will be back, and Monica followed her.
“Why do they always go to that place?” John said puzzled
“Because it’s sentimental for them” Elizabeth said and walked to the mansion.
Lily was standing near the trunk and had already taken of her high-heeled shoes; she started to dance around the trunk barefoot and Monica began singing.

Denmor, Third Feud 100 years later        

“Would you like some more tea Fin?” Lady Permer asked the Elder
“No, thank you, everything is perfect, please sit down” and Permer sat on the other chair beside him
“So how have you been after your retirement from the Library of Namur? I don’t suppose you became depressed.” She said cheerfully
“A little I must admit, but Mimi had been a great help all these years and a capable successor as a Protector of the Library.”
“I heard she got married?”
“Yes to the First Captain of Melba, Minto who is also helping her with the translation of the rest Selemir Records. They are a really good team, those two” and he took a biscuit, looking at her beautiful garden, until he observed the statue of Semer, completely covered with ivies, standing between the flowers
“Anyway, where I was left? Oh yes. His sister, Clyone, is still running the family business and has become the most respected captain around Denmor.” And he smiled on the thought of the female captain riding the sea waves.
“That’s really good for them, but I also heard something strange about the Earth Golems. Did their princess get married too?”
“And guess who she got married with!”
“Who?” Permer said puzzled
“To Elemor! Yes don’t make a face like that! He visited the Mountains three years ago in order to apologize to the King for his actions and he almost got killed by Fiora. When they saw his bracelet they understood who he had met and slowly the connections between the Northern Rebels and the Earth Golems became better. Well I was surprised to when I heard about their wedding. Everyone were there, even those three.” And his eyes became darker from sadness.”
“How are they, Elder Fin?” Permer asked worried
“Well…

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t spend so much time in here! It will be bad for your health!”
“Mimi, how many times have I told you not to call me “Highness”? It’s true that I’m aristocrat but definitely not from royal bloodline!” and Limon placed his brush on the working table.
He had been working on the murals of the new constructed Palace for three years. Now he was completing the last details on the curved ceiling of the new Alta of the Gods. Starting from the wall from the up side of the entrance it was painted with golden and in some parts violet color, a falling star and a small wagon and continuing to the right there were paintings of a dancing girl around many people, a dragon and a big bird fighting in the air, a ship into a storm, a girl with a ribbon riding the waves, followed by her sister, the dragon, a puppy and a boy and it was continued until the part Limon had just finished: the two girls disappeared into the petals.
“You have spent much time into completing these” Mimi said and Limon got down from the scaffolding.
He headed to her and took the papers she was holding reading at them carefully.
“Indeed and I will make a good and safe world for them, until the day they will come back.” And he raised his head looking at the mural of the man and the girl who were flying together with the others on the bird’s back.
Limon for the last 100 years he was working on the restoration of the balance between the Darvil and the Denmorians. Although both of the races had suffered at the time of Nevol’s rule, and they decided to walk together on the new path of peace, there were still some parts that were denying the co-existence. Limon, together with the Rebel’s help and Elemor rebuilt the Palace and they were managing the political affairs.
“Where is Dings? He has disappeared since yesterday.” Limon asked Mimi puzzled
“The last time I saw him he said that he would travel to the Forest of the Nymphs” and she saw Limon’s expression become relaxed.
“Let him be. I hope he will be satisfied this time” and they headed to the council room.

  Dings finally got out from the dense part of the Forest and sniffed the air, just like a dog. In the last 100 years he worked hard on increasing his powers and growing from a teenaged-look like boy into an adult with strong magical powers. He remembered the path and continued his course until he heard the falling water; he walked faster and then he reached the waterfall and the small field. He looked around with ease; nothing had changed since the last time. The flowers were in bloom and the scent of the morning sun on them was really relaxing. He turned to his left and saw the big oak tree. He walked slowly to it and placed his hands and his ear on the trunk feeling the heartbeat inside the tree.
“Hello Lefenia” he whispered and he felt the heartbeat becoming faster and faster. Dings moved back surprised and then the oak’s trunk was torn of in the middle, making an opening and letting fall from the inside the body of a young woman. Dings quickly caught her and gently he held her on his arms, unable to believe what had happened. She opened her eyes and looked at him with a sleepy expression.
“You came back, just like you had promised” and she touched his hair.
“You sure know how to make others waiting” and he smiled kissing her at her nose, her cheeks, her forehead, her eyes until Lefenia pulled him and kissed him on the lips.

  Darth entered the Topaz Temple while the final sun rays were making the sky look like a palette of many colors. He passed the stone steps and put his hand on the tree’s trunk, closing his eyes.
“Hello Ebu Mother.”
“I welcome you my child. You seem to be troubled”
“One hundred years… and they still haven’t come back…”
“The branch that was used at that day was a defiled one. As a result their presence here was banned forever. But can’t you still hear her? Her voice sometimes travels many worlds and reaches everyone’s Heart Stones.”
“I do, sometimes I can feel everything she feels: her happiness sadness, determination for something I can’t see and also lo…”
“I know your feelings my child. Besides it is the wishes of people who give me the strength to send my children afar. Do you wish for something Darthorian?” and Darth opened his eyes when he realized that the Tree’s voice had changed.
He smiled sadly and closed his eyes again
“I can’t be selfish. Perhaps she has made her life back at her world…”
“Then we can simply find out if that’s true” and from one of the Tree’s branches a small shining like a diamond spore flew to air, outside the Temple and disappeared to the sky.
“Thank you… Freya”  

Lily had just finished her dancing and Monica her singing. They looked depressed the rotten trunk and they decided to head back home.
“Let’s try again tomorrow, right Lily?”
“Ok Monica”
They walked outside the forest and now they were heading to the mansion through the small pond that Elizabeth had placed inside the garden.
“Lily…” a voice echoed into Lily’s mind and she turned around with her eyes wide open from surprise.
“Lily… did you hear something?” Monica asked her suspicious.
“Darth… I heard Darth’s voice!” and she started to run back into the forest, followed by Monica. They were back at the glade; but they couldn’t see something unusual. Lily heard his voice again and started to search around the glade but she didn’t find anything
“Lily, look up there!” Monica said and she lifted her head.
At the beginning it looked like a falling star, which was falling from the sky with speed, but as it was coming closer and closer to them they realized that it was just a small round diamond, in the size of a seed. Lily caught it in her hands and the tattoo started to respond.
“Monica… it is the spore of an Ebu tree.” And she smiled
“What? Then we can…”
“Yes!” and she placed the small spore on the trunk, starting to move slowly around it. Her movements became more graceful and elegant as her hands and her feet were moving synchronized together.
“Sing Monica… sing the lullabies” and Monica began singing, guiding Lily on her dance. The small spore started to shine and it fused with the trunk. The trunk started to grow back until it became a big tree with a white, now, trunk, big branches and pink flowers that were moving with the night’s breeze. Monica and Lily were standing in front of the tree and together they looked back at the forest, saying goodbye to their old lives, and they placed their hands on the Ebu’s trunk wishing to go back. The petals touched softly their bodies and they disappeared.

Darth got out from the Topaz Temple and he took a scroll to the city. Nebolia was livelier than ever with the shops working again and the lively people. Without realizing he was standing at the same spot they had come the last time together, eating their lunch. He smiled at the memory and he headed to the rental area. He paid the fee and he found his wagon rotting away from disuse. He touched the door and it transformed back into its original state, as if not even a day had passed. He got in and headed to the Hall, jumping into the trap door. He was inside the Hall standing in the center of the many doors. He opened the door of their room and a faint scent of perfume mad him dizzy. The room was a mess; clothes were thrown here and there and a white box was open on Monica’s bed. Darth stepped inside and the magic wall turned into a forest of Ebu trees. He remembered that they liked it when they saw the room the first time, and smiled. He walked for a while around the room, afraid to touch anything until he noticed a notebook. He opened it and he saw the small holes carved on the paper. He took out the translator ink; he always carried it with him, and dropped some of it in the pages. The holes became words and the words sentences. It was Lily’s diary as she wrote it on the Braille language. Their adventures, their times together, her fears, her emotions, everything was written here. He read it all and closed it again, getting out of the room, and out from the wagon, unable to stop thinking of the time they spent together with everyone. He took a deep breath and looked at the night sky.
“I really need to smoke” he murmured but he remembered Monica shouting that smoking would ruin his health and himself throwing his pipe in the sea the day Lily gave him her necklace. The butterfly started to become warmer and he got up surprised looking around him. A tremor shook the earth and a falling star appeared in the sky, heading to the forest of Ebu Trees around the city. He ran to the direction he could see the star falling; he passed the trees around him until he reached the location where the star had fallen. The Ebu trees merged together and created a huge one, where on its branches were hanging two women. Darth stopped running, unable to speak when he heard their voices.
“Firstly we fall into the Plains of the Ghosts and now we are hanging from a tree. Why can’t we land on a normal place?” Monica said angrily
“We did land anyway! But we are on an Ebu tree” and she looked around, only to see the pink trees around her singing and welcoming her back. Lily felt a Heart Light shining more and more from joy. She recognized the color immediately and looked down. She saw Darth looking at her with surprise and she let herself fall from the tree into his arms. They both fell into the ground and they hugged each other tightly.
“You… came back”
“Of course I did” and she looked at him smiling
“You have grown”
“You didn’t… old man” and Darth pulled her hair away looking clearly ay her face
“Excuse me love birds, do you mind helping me getting down?” Monica said with a teasing voice from above.
A dragon’s roar was heard and they saw Limon and Dings appearing from the woods looking at them surprised.
“Monica, Lily!” Dings said happily and he ran towards them. They didn’t recognize him at first, he was really tall, and they hugged him.
Limon run to Monica and lifted her on the air making her shout from surprise.
“Put me down Limon!”
“No you came back! You finally came back stupid!” and he kissed her.
That day would mark a new journey for all of them; the journey of a new life.

      Epilogue

  Lily is standing in front of the Altar. The Gods are greeting her back offering her their powers again.
“You shall live forever my Lady protecting the land we all love and cherish” they said with one voice and the columns shined.
She got out from the Altar; Darth was waiting for her patiently, and he took her hand as they walked back into the coronation room. Dressed in their formal clothes they were heading back in order to recognize Monica as the new Princess of Denmor and Lily as the new Princess, Protector of the Land.
“Are you alright? You don’t talk much.”
“If I would say that I am not nervous that would be a lie Darth”
He placed his finger under her chin and he kissed her softly.
“Everything will be alright trust me” and he smiled to her with confidence.

At the feast after the coronation the twins saw everyone again. Fin greeted them and bowed and they hugged him, they saw Minto together with Mimi, Clyone who offered them a chance for a trip on the sea. They discovered with surprise that Elemor and Princess Fiora got married and Lady Permer offered to them gifts from all over Denmor. Dings and Lefenia were dancing slowly and Monica was dragged to the dance floor. Lily sneaked out from the ball room and got out to the balcony. Her dress was moving softly from the wind and her hair, tied up into a bun, decorated with hairpins, made he feel uncomfortable. She untied them and they fell on her shoulders. She felt a hand from behind taking a tuft of her hair touching them gently. She turned around and with a bow from him they started to dance together slowly. They were moving around as the music from the inside became slower, until he stopped and looked at her into her amber eyes.
“Will you stay by my side?” Darth asked her with trembling voice
“Forever…” Lily answered and she placed her head on his chest. She felt his Heart Stone pounding fast with the color of amber, the same color of her own Heart Stone and smiled.
And thus, the myth of the Priestess of the Four Gods remained alive into the end of time.

       THE END