Chapter 5: Let’s search the Gods!
“You are kidding! How did they find us so quickly?” Darth screamed as they were running back at the wagon
“I can’t be sure but the fact they are here means they have already spotted the girls!” Limon answered flying near him with Dings on his back
“But what will happen to Mr. Fin? I hope he will not suffer the consequences of his choices!!!” Lily sounded worried running together with Monica. Suddenly, fear consumed her and she stopped running
“Lily we don’t have time to waste we must flee now!” Darth sounded behind her
“Someone is here, he has so much darkness in his Heart Stone.” She said with trembling voice “It’s really scary but sad at the same time”
But Darth took her hand and they continued running ignoring Lily’s voices as she tried to make him turn back.
Elemor entered the Library from the front Gates and he spotted Elder Fin standing at the entrance without a single change on his apathetic face. “Surround the whole building, free the scout dragons for more observation from above!” and the soldiers freed them. The scout dragons were small in size but extremely quick on flying. They had the ability to camouflage themselves using their magic wings, adapting in every environment. Fin looked the dragons as they flew but he tried to cover his trembling hands inside his tunic. “So Elder Fin I suppose you did expect us to come didn’t you?” Elemor said with irony. “”Rumors spread quickly my Lord. So how can our Library be of any use to you and your troops? I don’t suppose that you all came here to study, isn’t that right?” Fin responded with impudence
“Not today old man, today I am looking for two girls with golden hair. Have you seen any of them?
“My Lord if I paid attention to each one who entered our Library I would completely gone mad from so many names and faces. I only live in order to attain and preserve knowledge. And I am sure that if you ask my employees they would say the same.” But Elemor was not satisfied with his answer,
“Don’t mock me Elder, I can easily put fire to your dusty books and destroy them!”
“You wouldn’t do that General Elemor, because you would lose both you and your King anything that could be useful for the ones who will come! So let’s stop playing now shall we?” Fin answered as he no longer cared about formalities.
“Sir!” a soldier said.
“What?” Elemor applied furious
“We have searched the area but there was no sign of the suspects!”
“Damn the Gods!”
But the searching signals of the dragons came to Elemor’s ears, they had found them. “Gather all forces, pursue them quickly! I want the girls alive! Kill anyone stands on your way!” and he left riding his flying black dragon followed by his troops leaving Fin alone as he prayed to the Gods, begging for their protection.
“Run Limon! Run!” Monica shouted to the dragon when she spotted the strange flying creatures.
“Scout dragons!” Darth said and he pulled the lever on his right. A strange sound came from the inside of the wagon and the wooden surface started to transform into steel. Lily, from the inside of the wagon, looked from the window; she could sense the Heart stones coming. Their light was defiled, but there were some which they were flickering from fear. “Darth they are coming closer!” Lily shouted to him.
Limon was running at full speed but the attacks from above were getting intense. “Darth we can’t get away like this, let me get them!”
“Are you sure Limon!?” Darth asked worried about the disadvantage on the numbers.
“I will go too!” Monica shouted from the inside
“No you have no weapon anyway” Darth stopped her with his hand.
But Monica jumped on Limon’s back ready to loosen his wagon saddle. “Darth try to escape with Lily and Dings. Well hold them as much as we can!” Limon told him and with a jump he flew with Monica on his back transforming his size three times bigger. “No Monica!” Lily shouted but they were already gone, screaming from fear about her sister’s carelessness. She felt Darth’s hand on her head “Don’t be afraid Lily, she will be fine, and Limon will definitely protect her. Now you must concentrate and sense the presence of the Heart Stones, do you understand me?”
“All right Darth, I will try” and she closed her eyes concentrating on her tattoo which started to shine
“Dings use the levers and bring more ammunition!”
“I am on it now!” Dings answered as he was jumping inside the trap door and back again carrying pistols and small cannons, placing them on the back of the wagon. “I am ready Darth!”
“Lily hang on from the handles from your right I am opening the back!” and pulling a lever the back wall of the wagon started to drew down making a clear opening from the back. The troops were running behind them aiming at the same time with spears and arrows. Dings then started to fire “fog bombs” creating artificial fogs in order to cover their traces.
Meantime, Monica and Limon were trying to avoid the scout dragon’s attacks. “Don’t you have any kind of weapon with you??” Monica shouted while Limon was trying to avoid the second wave of attacks. “I do but I can’t use it now!” and then the idea popped up. “Monica I will let you use it.” But before she realized Limon shouted: “Bow of the Bloody Tears obey to my call!” and a longbow materialized on Monica’s hands. I was covered with rubies and its silver bow string was shining when Monica touched it. “Limon this is…”
“I don’t have time to explain. Just concentrate and fire an arrow!”
“But I have no arrows stupid!”
“Imagine you are firing one! That’s the bow’s power!”
But when Monica tried to stretch the bow string it became harder making her fingers bleed. “Please” she thought “lend me your power!” and she tried again. The arrow she created was burning, its flame was purple, and when she fired it found its target hitting one of the dragons making him drop to the ground.
“Amazing, Monica! You found their weakness! Try it again!” But he didn’t realize the presence of the one who came from their bottom. The dragon bit Limon’s shoulder of his front left leg making him scream from pain. “Limon!” Monica shouted and fired one more between the dragon’s eyes making him disappear. The others then suddenly retreated leaving them alone on the sky. “Limon, answer me!”
“It’s just a scratch, I’ll be fine. Besides we must go to Darth and the others.”
“But your wound… Limon and she grabbed the dragon’s neck”
“Stupid” he said smiling “It will take more than this to kill me” and they flew toward their wagon’s direction.
“Darth, I think they lost us.”
“No!” Lily screamed, “Someone is coming at full speed, he will catch up with us soon!!” she said sensing the dark Heart Stone drawing closer and closer. Darth pushed the levers and the wagon started to run faster, leading them to the Foggy Cliffs. It was a part outside the city of Namur where there was always foggy and if you couldn’t know how to get down you would surely fall to your doom. But no matter how fast they ran the black dragon appeared from Dings’s fog screaming at them.
And then General Elemor saw her. Her golden hair was shining under the sun’s light and he clearly could see the star-shaped tattoo on her hand. “It’s her!” he thought, and then her eyes turned on him. They had the color of a Love Stone and they were staring at him with anger and sadness. Those seconds seemed to last for eternity as the wagon became faster and was lost inside the Foggy Cliffs. Suddenly Elemor saw the golden dragon with the other girl on him diving at full speed disappearing from his sight. He landed his dragon at the edge of the Cliff and he remained silent as he was trying to regain his composure, realizing the powers of those beautiful eyes.
“I must admit Dings, you are really good fighter for a puppy!” Lily praised him.
“I had remodeled the weapons for him” Darth tried to show himself off. But Lily also worried about Monica and Limon. Darth warned them to hold on tight as he jumped into the thick fog, it seems he knew the ways in and out, and a little, before they disappear, she felt someone looking at her with intense. It was the dark Heart Stone who was really close to them, but she quickly lost him. Now she could fell the two lights calling her and she asked Darth to help her as a guide. They quickly found Monica beside Limon trying to stop the bleeding from his wound. “Stay here all of you I will bring the first aid kit” and he ran into the thick fog. Monica was still holding the “Bloody Tears” on her hands when Darth came again. “I will tend his wounds, Darth take Lily back, and we will follow soon.”
“Are you sure you are not injured Monica?” Lily asked worried “I can smell the blood”.
“It’s not my blood don’t worry” and she patted her head as she left with Darth’s help.
“Thank you for lending me your weapon; it’s really a strong one.” Monica said cleaning his wounds and bandaging them at the same time”.
“Bloody Tears was my clan’s heirloom, it always passed down from the previous leader to the next one and each time one of them placed some of his power inside the bow making it stronger each time… Damn that hurts Monica!”
“I’m sorry Limon, you got hurt because I wasn’t careful” she said with a sad face. But Limon instead of answering he licked her injured fingers making the wounds disappear. He stood up and Monica followed him surprised by his move. “And by the way” he said “I will let you keep “Bloody Tears” for now”.
“No Limon I can’t accept something so precious!” But Limon licked her cheek saying: “Trust me you will use it much better than me” and he continued walking smiling while Monica was left blushing behind him.
They were sitting all together while Dings was placing spells around the wagon in order to keep the mist away creating barrier thinking about what happened earlier. The Imperial Forces had just discovered them and they were already pursuing them. Darth didn’t expect them to catch up so quickly but he was sure that the King’s diviners had already informed him. Their silence was stopped from Lily’s question: “There was…” she begun, “there was someone with a really dark Heart Stone, he was really close before we fall at the Cliff”
“That was General Elemor the Wind Commander” Dings said “he is one of the King’s Three Generals”
“There are three like him?” Monica asked with horror
“You do realize that this was just pursuing and not an open attack” Limon said “if that was a real fight we would be doomed”
“They were chasing us, you got injured and how the hell will we be able to find the Gods?”
“By tomorrow your faces will be on the Bulletin Boards of the Wanted people in the whole Denmor”
“That means we will have to stop using the central roads from now on” Darth said “and also we will have to plot a new course” and he left inside the wagon. Lily was sitting near Monica thinking about Elemor “If he is so strong why is he so sad?” she thought∙, when she rose her head she watch the changes of the light’s radiance on everybody’s Heart Stones. She touched Monica’s chest and surprised she asked her what she was doing, but then something started to shine from her chest “What is this light?” she said with curiosity
“This is the light I see Monica! Can you tell me the name of that color?”
“It is a silver light” she answered
“Silver” Lily repeated and took of her hand from Monica’s chest and the light disappeared. Limon and Dings looked at Lily’s hand for a moment and then they asked her to do the same thing on them. Lily then repeated the same: she placed her left hand on Limon’s and Dings’s chest revealing a violet light for Limon and a green one for Dings. “I thought that if only I could see the light perhaps I could try showing it to you too.”
“That’s how you could tell where me and Limon where inside the fog?”
“And that’s how we will find the Gods!” Darth said behind them
“How long have you been standing there?” Dings asked angrily
“Long enough realize how to find the locations of the Gods. Don’t you see?” and he opened the two maps Fin gave them in front of them.
“I remember now!” Lily said, “Fin said that the Gods gave life to Denmor though the stars! So we will look for the strongest light!”
“So strong it could create life!” Monica said, understanding Darth’s thinking.
“But from where we should begin?” Limon continued “The whole Army will be searching for us now!”
“And don’t forget that Denmor is huge! How will we find them?” Dings said as he jumped on Monica’s lap and sat in front of the table they had place near the fire.
Lily touched the maps with both hands and crossed them around the map’s surface. She could feel the rough paper under her skin but also she wanted to look for clues, if she could sense the people’s souls she could also be able to sense the true power behind them. Her left hand started to become warmer when she crossed it from the bottom of the map and it stopped there•, her tattoo became brighter and everyone stooped to see where it was pointing. “These are the Mountains of the Earth Golems” Limon said worried.
“What are the Earth Golems?” Monica asked seeing his expression.
“They are beasts living on the mountains throwing boulders or creating sliding to anyone attempts crossing though them. So no one even dares crossing them.”
“That’s pretty convenient for us” Dings added “We don’t have to worry about the Army”
“I don’t think so Dings; let’s not forget that the Selemir Records are on King’s hands.” Darth said and everyone became quiet. Lily on the other hand stood up and said: “Even if he hadn’t them we will still go. I decided and I have made my resolve, I will fight not only for our sake but also for the stars who are falling right now” and rose her head to the sky seeing thought the thick mist the lights which were falling that night. Later that night Monica prepared the beds and tried to fall asleep but she couldn’t as she constantly was observing the tattoo on her arm.
The bow was carved on her arm creating a tattoo making her a “weapon wielder” as Darth told her. It seems that anyone in this world who was able to master that art was a strong competitor∙ “Perhaps I can become stronger after all, not just for me but for her too” and with that thought she fell asleep. Lily then woke up and slowly headed to the wardrobe taking out their school bag. Inside she found her trousers and her athletic shoes and she wore them together with a dark colored T-shirt Monica had inside for her. She walked out from her room and she felt Limon’s and Dings’s Heart Stones beating slowly as they were sleeping. “Darth is out again” she murmured and jumped. When she got out from the Hall she felt the wagon’s movements as it passed over the small dirt road heading to the south. Darth was driving using the wagon’s levers and when he heard her he invited her for a warm drink. She sat near him in the front seats staying quiet for a while, drinking the flavored water Darth offered her. “It’s really good.” She said.
“Can’t sleep?”
“Yes, there was so much tension today, that I could afford for a whole lifetime!” and she tried to look at him, but she couldn’t sense any light coming from him.
“You must have noticed by now” Darth said “there is no light coming from me am I right?” and when Lily shook her head positively he continued: “One day when the time comes I will tell you a story. Promise me that you will listen no matter how hard it will be.” And he looked at her eyes waiting for her answer. Her faint smile made him feel at ease as she promised him and he pulled the levers making the wagon run faster. “I want to thank you Darth.”
“Why are you saying this?”
“Because you called my name that day on Felemir, I felt so scared when I burst out my power; I thought I would lose myself for a moment. But you called me and I regained myself.”
“Stupid there’s no need thanking me, I was just…”
“The strangest thing is that when I first met you I thought you were a little hostile but now I can tell that you are not what you really seem to be.” Lily continued while she has lowered her head playing with the T-shirt’s point.
“Then I must apologize.” Darth said “Indeed I was a little hostile. You see my life so far showed me that I can trust no one but only my closest companions and myself. When you arrived I started to believe that things can change and even scars from the past can be healed. I want to…” but Lily was already asleep leaning on his shoulder breathing slowly. “I want you to save me Lily. Only you can.” And he kissed her softly on the top of her head.
Chapter 6: The Earth Golems and the Sky Temple
Elemor was standing in front of the Mirror. He placed his left hand on its surface and whispered the name of the Capital. Then colors appeared, melted together, inside the Mirror and after awhile resonating and creating a clean image. The throne room appeared and King Nevol was looking at him from the other side.”Greetings my King” he started bowing. “We have the images of the girls you have been looking for. Two girls with golden hair and the one of them have eyes on the color of a Love Stone.”
“Tell me Elemor, how long have you been under my command?” Nevol told him with no particular expression written on his face.
“Five hundred years my Lord” he said with respect.
“Did I ever tolerate failure Elemor?” Nevol said and scars started to appear on Elemor’s back tearing off his clothing making him want to scream from pain but he refrained from even moving an inch from his position.
”No my Lord, you haven’t”
“Then you will take the Sky Fleet I sent two days ago to your location and head to the Earth Golem’s Mountains. Do not disappoint me again Elemor” he continued with not even a blink on his cruel eyes “and about those who follow them kill them all expect from the young boy. I want him alive chained in front of me. Am I clear?”
“Yes my Lord!” and the image disappeared leaving Elemor breathing heavily from pain.
“You were really harsh with him your Majesty” the woman whispered to Nevol’s ear. “Do you really believe he can make it?”
“If not he will simply join all those who failed to serve me until now.” He said fondling her waist.
“My Lord, please don’t act so harsh. If he fails I will bring them to you”
“Then I will be counting to you from now on my sweet General Nagia” and he kissed her with lust.
“But I must admit that you were really lucky escaping in such a flashy way my Ladies.”
“Hopefully we jumped into the Foggy Cliffs and then wandered inside the fog for three days”
“Foggy Cliffs? Are you serious Miss Lily? That bastard sure needs a good punch on his pretty face!” Fin said. What are you doing right now?”
“Limon is outside training my sister on archery with Dings and Darth is repairing our wheels, one of them broke.”
It had been one week since they lost track of Elemor’s troops and now they were heading south to the Mountains of the Earth Golems. Lily used the Communicator Mirror (Dings showed her how) and now she was talking with Elder Fin asking his advice about the way she found out the first location. “If you are heading there then that means that you will meet the first God, the Ruler of Wind Azure”
“Azure?”
“Yes the information I gather speaks of a God strong enough to create a typhoon and gentle enough to cast a tailwind into the summer’s heat. I know no more than that.”
“Please don’t worry, the help you have offered us is really too much. Also… also I would like to ask you if anything happened to the city after we left” Fin thought he was lucky because she couldn’t see him. He was feeling uneasy telling her about the massacre the city experienced that night.
“Elder Fin I “saw” stars falling later that night. Did anything happen?” Lily asked with agony.
“Retaliation” he said after a while and Lily’s face distorted from fear and grief.
“How… and why? The people were not at fault!”
“That’s how Nevol works. Elemor’s troops destroyed half of the city’s shops and they beheaded half of the city’s Elders. Ironically I was saved because the king needs me alive.”
“And the victim’s families?”
“We took them under our care for now providing them with the necessary. Elemor also said that this action was a result of the rebels who dared to oppose the King’s rule and he showed your images to the whole city.”
“He did that? How dare he?” Lily was now shouting from anger and tears were flowing on her cheeks.
“Please remain calm my Lady. Also I would like to tell you that he is using his propaganda pretty effectively, but the people of Denmor have started to believe that the time has finally come for the new Priestess to awaken. Don’t forget those beside you Lily; they will always help both of you. Now please excuse me but I must close. We will speak again, until then good luck to all of you.” And the image was lost. Lily was sitting in front of the Mirror inside the wagon crying silently, she didn’t want anyone seeing her like this. The pain and the sadness she felt that night of the falling stars made her realize that she was needed: not only by her sister or her companions but from a whole world. She stood up, cleaned her face and got out from the wagon only to find Monica trying to shoot with her bow Limon who was flying with incredible speed above her with Dings barking from excitement and a really angry Darth shouting at them. When Monica noticed her sister she stopped immediately and headed to her direction “Lily what happened? You seem like you were crying, did anything happened?”
“Nothing at all, I’m totally fine” she answered thinking that Monica could notice everything “So how is the training go?”
“If she will be to shoot me down then she will be ready” Limon answered for Monica.
“And that will happen right now!” and she ran toward his direction chasing him while he flew again duping her “If you fly perhaps you will catch me!”
“Come back you… you pervert dragon! I will make you my purse and my boots!” she shouted to him while she was in vain jumping around trying to catch him. Lily and Dings laughed with them but Darth wasn’t laughing sitting near the broken wheel “Alright that’s enough, how about helping me with the wheels here?” and he showed Monica and Limon the tools. Together the fixed it quickly and by the noon they had already crossed the Double Rivers through the floating crossings and by the night they stationed at a small lake near the entrance of the Golems Forests. “Wow the lake is really beautiful!” Monica mentioned when they were preparing dinner and a thought crossed her mind “Hey Darth, is it allowed to use the lake’s water?”
“Of course it is but why do you...”
And Monica quickly headed to the wagon, coming out later with towels and the shampoo she had on Lily’s bag. She took Lily’s hand and saying that they will be there before dinner they headed to the lake’s shore. Dings tried to follow them but Darth caught him from the tail staring at him with a murderous look. “I want a bath too!” he said with an innocent look. Then Darth dropped him into the bucket with the water they had gathered earlier saying that this was his bathtub. Limon was preparing the fire breathing fire to the gathered wood when Darth asked him why he gave his bow to Monica. “Because she has the potential of a weapon wielder” he answered
“Is that the only reason?”
“No not only that” he said after a while “If I don’t have the bow’s tattoo on me I can use my powers at their full extent when the time comes.”
“So, in short, you say that you used her and loaded the strongest weapon of your clan on a human girl” Dings said when he got out of the bucket and tried to warm himself up.
“That girl recognized a scout dragon’s weakness and fired a purple arrow. Do you understand how much willpower it takes just to stretch the bow string? And she did it in one shot! She does have the power to become a great fighter if she really wants.” And the three of them continued their work lost in their thoughts.
“How come you are learning archery Monica?” Lily said while her sister was standing behind her making her hair into a strand after their bath.
“Well Limon borrowed the weapon to me when we were fighting the scout dragons at Namur. He said that I could use it better than him.” And she looked at her tattoo. For the “kiss” she said nothing, but Lily felt her Heart light (she came up on her own with that word) started to grow stronger and she smiled.
Suddenly her tattoo started to fell warmer and she stood up. The small golden light on the lake’s surface started too multiplied and came closer to them. “Monica do you see this?” and she pointed to the lake
“I can, can you?” she answered without taking her sight from the small lights “they look like fireflies” she said amazed from how beautiful they were. Lily walked slowly to them and the lights started to gather around her touching softly her skin, her hair, and her feet as their shape started to become clearer. They were butterflies, golden butterflies which were coming from the waters gathering around the girls gracefully moving around them. Lily closed her eyes and smiled: “They are singing Monica, they sing for the sun and the moon, for the night and the day. Do you want me to dance you say?” she responded to the butterflies. “I can’t hear them Lily” Monica said as her sister started to move around the butterflies swinging her body. “No one can hear them Monica” Darth said behind her. He was together with the others looking at the butterflies “It’s been a long time since we last saw something like that” Limon said.
“What are these butterflies?”
“They are Heart Stones which are waiting to be born”
“You mean they are… children?” she said holding gently a butterfly inside her hand and she release it softly, excited from the warmth of the butterfly’s light.
“Since Nevol polluted most of the water around Denmor they became a rare sight. It is said that those butterflies are born inside the pure waters and, with the blessings of the Priestess they become newborn stars, indicating the newborn children in all Denmor.” Darth continued.
“Guys, look at Lily’s hand! What is that?” Dings asked troubled.
Lily’s left hand was shining materializing something inside her fingers. A golden stick appeared with a short ribbon on its edge swinging gently around her. She moved her hand and the ribbon started to form circles around her while the butterflies were following her lead. Then with a strong movement she threw the stick in the air and the ribbon became a straight line, showing the direction to the sky, and all the butterflies flew high transforming into strong rays of light and disappeared from their sight. Then the night sky became brighter as new stars started to appear and Lily caught her stick wishing to the newborn stars good luck. “Did you see that?” she said smiling “I am sure they will have a happy life when they will be born”
“How did you know what they were?” Monica asked her puzzled
“They explained me how to help them and how to create this” and she showed them the stick.
“What is this thing? Is it some kind of weapon?” Limon asked Monica
“It’s a ribbon, it is used in our world from athletes and performers, but Lily you never learned how to use something like that” Monica explained to them.
“I know but it felt logical to me when it appeared, it’s like an extension of my body”
“That’s how anyone feels when he finds his own weapon” Darth said while he examined carefully her hand, “did you feel anything Lily? Like pain or sickness?”
“No it feels normal to me, I feel like I am holding something I must own.”
“Then there is no doubt. You have found your Heart weapon. A weapon forged from your own feelings and powered from your Heart Stone. A quite unique power I would say” Darth told her with a smile of approval, as he watched the stick disappearing from her hand and the tattoo reappearing. “This is my weapon?” Lily said with look of relief on her face “I am not weak anymore?”
“You never were weak. You just didn’t realize your own power” Darth told her touching her shoulder
Monica approached her hugging her softly, asking her how she knew the shape of a ribbon. “Our dance teacher explained us back at school” she answered.
“Who’s there? Show yourselves!” Darth said suddenly and he got in front of the girls holding a sword on his hands. Quickly Dings and Limon did the same creating a circle around them. The men appear from the bushes completely surrounding them.
“Everyone stand by immediately!” a woman’s voice came behind the men’s backs. Although she was young, she was tall with grey hair and blue eyes just like all the other men. “You have trespass our territory. The penalty for this action is death. Explain yourselves or suffer the consequences!” and she pointed her sword to them. Limon showed his teeth growling and Darth took a stance ready to attack. “We didn’t trespass on purpose!” Monica said loudly trying at the same time to calm down Limon “We are just looking for… someone”. The woman noticed that Lily wasn’t looking at her and suddenly she took of a red piece of paper from her belt and looked at it, staring at Lily too, trying to compare something. Her eyes became wider when she finally realized and ordered everyone to lower their arms. “I am really sorry, please forgive me for not realizing sooner” and she pushed away Darth making him trip a little and she bowed in front of Lily “I am the First Princess of the Golems Clan Fiora. It is an honor meeting you my Lady.”
“How do you know who I am?” Lily asked her puzzled
“That damn King has made you look like an outlaw and a criminal but our Clan has always waited for your arrival” she replied.
Lily made her stand up and she said: “Thank you Princess Fiora. My name is Lily Williams and this is my sister Monica. Also our friends Darth, Limon, and Dings are traveling with us” she said introducing them all “I would like to ask you what you know about…”
“Not here my Lady it’s dangerous, please let me escort you to my father and he will tell you everything you need to know.” And they start walking inside the deep forest followed by her soldiers who were carrying the wagon together with them. Darth approached Lily and Monica, who were walking together, asking them how he could trust her so quickly. “She is not corrupted her Heart light showed me that, besides if she was hunting us we would already be dead, am I right?” Lily answered
“She did take out that piece of paper and took a good look. It seems she couldn’t tell us apart” and she laughed secretly.
But Darth was restless and Fiora could see that as she was looking at Lily’s and Monica’s companions with suspiciousness. When they were deep enough in the forest they stopped in front of a big rock, then Fiora took her necklace out from her clothes and placed it on the top of the rock. The rock then started to transform into a stone gate with closed door. Fiora opened the door and moved inside and so did the others. Everyone then noticed that they weren’t inside the woods anymore but they were transported into a stone square full of people, everyone at the same pattern as Monica noticed, who started to step back as their princess was passing bowing to her. Everything where from stone•, from the houses which were built inside the rocks to the walls and their weapons. It was an invincible fortress built deep into the mountains invisible from the outside world. Lily felt the peoples Heart light encircling her making her feel their feelings, hope, anxiety, fear, and most of all expectation. She leaned to Limon and touched his neck feeling his hard scales under her fingers: “They are feeling nervous around all of you” she whispered to him, “I can see that.”
“And I thought that only Darth was standing out!” Dings commented and he received a kick from Darth who was walking behind him.
The stone Palace was located at the end of the Stone City carved and built inside the hard rock of a huge cliff. Under the moonlight it sparked like pearls with a slight glimpse of blue on it. Fiora guided them inside until the door of the Throne Room. “From here my father will welcome you” and she opened the doors. Lily and Monica went in first followed by the others and stood before the King of the Earth Golems. He was sitting on a silver throne with his deep blue eyes looking at his unexpected visitors with great expectation written on his face “Blessed the day that the One appeared before me!” and he stood up “I welcome you my Lady and I deeply apologize for my daughter’s rough behavior. I am King Hamel Ruler of the Earth Golems and now your humble servant my Lady” and he bowed before her
“I am honored meeting you your Highness but please, I prefer calling me by my name Lily Williams. I and my friends have traveled from afar and after searching with the help from the Library of Namur we believe that somewhere around here there are clues about the Wind God Azure.”
“I would gladly tell you everything but first…” and he clapped his hands. Suddenly Darth, Limon and Dings were arrested from the king’s guards pulling them away from Lily and Monica.
“What’s the meaning of this your Highness?” Monica said angrily “they have done nothing wrong!”
“In fact there is something wrong with them.” He said with no expression on his face “their existence in this world is a sin itself!!! Guards take them into the underground dungeons!” he shouted to the guards who started pulling them against their will no matter how hard they resisted. Suddenly a golden line shined in the whole room casting away the guards from both three of them and Darth turned around only to see Lily holding her ribbon swinging it gracefully creating something like a barrier around them
“Lily…” he said amazed
But Lily wasn’t responding, her eyes were angry looking at the King Hamel, thanks to the direction his Heart Light was coming from, and walking slowly to his direction: “Your Highness, I would prefer not even lay a finger on my friends. They have been helping us since we arrived in Denmor and they even risked their lives trying to escape from General Elemor’s troops. May I trust your judgment and let them stay by our side?” she said calmly without a single tone of anger. “Truly words of a leader” Monica thought proudly and moved to the direction of the others after they were freed by the King’s commands. “If the Priestess wants it I will obey to your decisions.” King Hamel concluded still looking intensely Darth and the others. “I will allow you to stay by their side but my guards will still follow you. That is an order”.
“Even at the bathroom?” Dings whispered.
“Tonight you are my guests, fell free to use the rooms of the Palace, Fiora will help you with anything you will need and tomorrow I will show you what you wish to know.”
“We were lucky enough that we can stay all together” Monica said when they were left alone
“Luckily our rooms are close and the food is great too!!” Dings continued while eating his fifth roasted steak barking happily
“But that King sure seemed scary although he was really gentle with Lily “I will be your servant” and sappy idiot attitude!” Limon made fun of him.
.but Darth didn’t seem like taking part into their conversation, he was sitting near the window lost in his thoughts remembering her words when she protected them “I don’t need protection” he thought but her hand touched his hair making him jump from surprise “You don’t seem to be fine Darth. What’s bothering you?” Lily asked as she was taking a sit near him
“I never asked for your help before Lily.” He begun with a tone of annoyance
“Offering your help even it is not asked is not something bad either, am I wrong? Besides it seems that the King knew you. How does he…”
“SHUT UP! You know nothing and it’s none of your business!” he shouted at her making her freeze from shock.
“Hey why are you shouting Darth?” Monica and Limon turned to him looking with question.
But Darth left an angry sound and left from the room with no word. Monica turned to her sister asking her what happened but she couldn’t answer. Something was bothering him, something that he doesn’t like to remember again she thought and turned her head worried toward the way the sound of a closing door was heard.
Darth went out at the veranda trying to clear his mind when Fiora approached him staying near him looking at the cloudy sky. “You know” she said after a while “our Oracle always used to tell me the same story when I was small. I t was the story of a noble woman, strong, kind, loved by everyone determinate to sacrifice even her life for her people. But she fell in love with the only man she was not allowed to have.”
“And what happened to them?” Darth asked as if he waited eagerly to know the end. But Fiora laughed with his face: “I never learned the end. But you see, none of the stories we know, or hear from the others have the same ending, maybe they all die, or they live happily ever after. Lady Lily seems to be good human and I can tell that she cares deeply for all of you. No matter what your past is or what decisions you will make, she will still care for you.” And she walked away wishing him a good night’s sleep leaving him alone with the battle that was occurring inside him.
The next day they were guided from King Hamel and Princess Fiora personally into the highest part of the Palace. Expect from Limon and Monica, who were trying hard to “break the ice” Lily and Darth seemed to be really quiet (“spooky quiet” as Dings said). They walked though forgotten corridors, seeing statues of those who ruled the Golems carved with white marble decorated with small precious stones, until they reached a huge opening with two silver gates having it closed completely. Everyone observed the details of the construction but most of all, the extraordinary mural that decorated the gate. It had the shape of a giant bird with its white wings stretched to the two sides of the gates shining all over with the help of the diamonds that glimmered decorated in various spots all over the gates. It looked like it was flying into the starry sky searching into the unknown. “This is the entrance to the Sky Temple. Beyond those gates resides Azure the Wind God.”
“How long has he been here?” Monica asked as she examined the details of the doors, they seemed to be quite old to her, almost ancient.
“For the past 500 years our ancestors have been guarding the gates from the King’s forces.” He replied.
“Even to the point spreading rumors about being violent and barbaric my Lord?” Lily asked and made everyone around her look troubled. “You are not bad people and you must have endured for a long time” she said answering to their inner feelings making their Heart Lights shine from recognition, and she walked to the doors. For a moment she stood before them and she placed her left hand on them. Then the doors shined brightly making everyone step back closing their eyes because of the light. The bird for a moment it seemed like it flapped its wings and the doors opened just a little creating a violent current of wind, pushing everyone behind. Lily, who seemed not to be disturbed from all this massive power, walked through the doors and they closed again with a strong sound. “Lily!” Monica shouted and she ran to the doors hitting them with strength, but it was hopeless∙ Lily was gone behind these doors and no one knew what was behind them. Monica was ready to cry from fear but Darth pulled her from the shoulders making her stand up and she forced her to look at him: “She will be back, Monica look at me. She will definitely be back, so please don’t worry” and Dings came closer whimper around her feet. Darth touched the door’s surface at the spot Lily had touched her hand earlier whishing for her safe return. “I hope the God will recognize her” King Hamel said with a worried voice. “What did you say Father?! What do you mean by recognize her? Isn’t see the Priestess?” Fiora said and everyone turned to him.
“The old scripts talk about the obstacles the One must succeed if she wants to wield the powers of the Gods. I don’t know anything else.”
“Your Highness, your Highness!!!” a soldier appeared from the back running at full speed
“What’s wrong?” Fiora asked as the bowed quickly in front of her
“Three dragon fortresses have been spotted coming from the south! It’s the King’s Imperial Air Forces and the Air General is leading them here!”
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