The Eld Queen (The YaraStar Trilogy Book 2)

by Jeanelle Frontin

  ***

  “This is much scarier up close than I thought it would be,” Toler murmured as he bent his neck as far back as he could.

  The strange line of trees stretched into the sky, high above the canopy of the Greens. They were eerily beautiful, and they bore a pungently sweet scent. However, just beyond them, lay complete darkness. But that wasn’t even the scariest part…

  It’s hard for even me to see into them…

  Toler didn’t like how this felt. Nothing about the trees was like the Mira he knew. They were the darkest shade of green he had ever seen, with small hints of sparkling red highlights scattered through the branches. The leaves were like spikes, thorny and sharp. They waved threateningly in the wind, discouraging anyone who might wish to pass through them.

  “How are we going to get to the other side of this?” Kristos asked.

  “I have no idea. But that’s where the X lies, and that’s where you saw your father in your dreams. So, I don’t think we have much of a choice.”

  “Indeed! No choice at all.” Kristos nodded.

  Kristos drew his sword just as Toler pulled out his knife. As they raised them with determination, a soft voice with a peculiar accent called out from behind them.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t do that, if I were you…”

  They spun around to see an odd-looking girl with red hair and icy-blue eyes, and skin that was tanned and olive. She looked strong, and carried two unusual blades at her sides; but what was even more disconcerting were her shimmering markings. They didn’t glow, but they reflected many colors, and neither Kristos or Toler recognized the symbols.

  They gaped at her, unable to find a single word.

  “Boys are always so quick to resort to violence,” she continued, unaffected by their shock. “Let me demonstrate what would have happened.”

  She lifted a massive boulder and threw it into the trees. When it struck, it set off a large number of thorns that flew like projectiles, stabbing into everything nearby.

  “They come with a heavy dose of what you all call the Sleeper…not the best way to take a nap, right?” She laughed at their mortified faces.

  “Who…who are you?” Toler said, finally finding his voice.

  “And what are you?” Kristos added.

  “A Skotad and a Photak, journeying together in the Greens. Life has changed, hasn’t it?” she said. “I, however, need to know why you are here. Then, perhaps, if I fancy your responses, I will consider answering you.”

  “But we asked first.” Toler meekly joked back in protest.

  “But I am the one with the reinforcements,” she responded, her tone abruptly serious and stern.

  Out of nowhere a large number of warriors, who looked just as strange as she did, emerged from the trees and surrounded them.

  “The Keepers…” Toler whispered, gulping.

  The girl heard him and gasped in surprise, shooting a pointed glance at a gigantic man who was the physical opposite of her in color. His hair was white, and his eyes very brown.

  “They know,” she said to him, with urgency in her voice.

  He walked up to them and towered over them, rage suffusing his face. “I’d advise you to answer very carefully now, young Photak and Skotad, as to where you’ve heard that name, and why exactly you have come to this place!”

  “We’re on a mission for Yara!” Kristos cried out.

  The Keepers looked unimpressed until Toler remembered what Grandam mentioned was on the tiny scroll. He quickly chirped in. “You may have called her Yasmin…”

  Gasps echoed throughout the warriors, who exchanged quick statements in their own tongue.

  “Come with us,” the man said gruffly.

  “Where are you taking us?” Kristos demanded as a Keeper pushed him toward the thorny branches. The large man gave him a sudden shove, and he disappeared into the trees, crying out to Toler for help.

  Toler gasped, turning toward the cheeky Keeper who stood next to him. She grinned, thoroughly amused by his fear, and firmly placed her hand on his back. With her swift, powerful push, he went reeling into the trees.

  Chapter Twenty

  Maia

  Four Thousand Years Ago

  As Maia gazed upon the confounded, terrified faces of the Photak and Skotad Elders, she said a prayer to Sunstar for their strength.

  I am requesting so much from them…If it be your will, may they agree to stand with me.

  “I understand that what I am asking of you goes against every Eld law that has been laid down for you,” Maia said gently, “but there is one Law above all others that stands: the will of Sunstar. You have all believed me in the past when I have proclaimed that will to you. I promise you that my intent is not to harm a single Eld, but rather to delay the annihilation of many of my people. When the Hack’amads arrive, perhaps within the next two weeks, they will expect to join forces with the Spreukens and Bravads to take control of our planet. If there is no evidence of any living Eld on the surface, but rather only creatures without the bios lumen markings, they may leave the planet alone.”

  “But what if they don’t?” a Skotad called out. “What if they land or, even worse, attack us?”

  “I don’t have all the answers, I’m afraid,” Maia responded sadly. “This is a test of my faith as well. I can only say that if that were to happen, it would be the will of Sunstar, and that we must trust that it will be for a much greater good than we can see or imagine.”

  The Elders murmured among themselves, in extreme discomfort at the thought of allowing the alien race to enter the atmosphere without raising the alarm.

  “Whichever Tribe follows this order,” a Photak called out, “depending on the time of day, will be excommunicated by the Eld. We could all be killed for this.”

  “Not on my watch, my old friend,” Maia said with a reassuring smile. “And these are not orders. I am asking you to make these covenants with me. You must adopt them of your free will. And I will die before I ever let anything happen to any one of you.”

  Opposition rang out from those in attendance as their love for Maia fueled their rejection of any such possibility.

  “My Queen,” one called out, “do not insult us in such a way. We will do whatever it takes to protect you, and the heir to your throne.”

  They let out soft tribal calls in passionate agreement.

  Maia waved them down, expressing gratitude for their loyalty to her.

  “These three covenants,” a Photak Elder said. “You believe that they will be the answer to the rebellion?”

  “I do.”

  “We cannot forget you, my Queen. We cannot erase our creators!” a Skotad cried out.

  “I know,” Maia said compassionately. “You have made it clear that the Skotads will not commit to the third covenant. I can only respect that, but ask that you adhere to the other two as best as you can.”

  There was a short break for deliberation, but within moments both Tribes turned to face their Queen.

  “The Photaks will keep all of the covenants, my Queen.” A strong Photak Elder bowed, and all the other Photaks bowed with him. “We give you our word that we will do everything in our power to follow your instructions, to the death.”

  “And the Skotads will keep the first two of the covenants,” a Skotad Elder said as they all stood and bowed. “We too shall do whatever it takes to follow these instructions, to the death.”

  “Then, may it be so,” Maia said solemnly. “And may Sunstar spare our lives. Thank you, all of you. Keepers, I need you to stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed as this part of the meeting shall be for their ears only.”

  “Yes, my Queen,” they all called out.

  As the rest of the members in the secret gathering made their way from the old Spring ruins, six creatures remained, three Photaks and three Skotads who were coupled and deeply in love.

  Maia gazed on them as she rested her hand gently on her womb. She could feel Yasmin pushing her strong legs against it, and to
ok a moment to share her feelings with her unborn daughter.

  I am so sorry that I have to do this, but I cannot guarantee your safety with all that is about to happen. The Eld must have an Agarb heir, or else the unrest will become an all-out war. I don’t want to give you up, but I must, for now. But I won’t leave you alone. These creatures… the ones with whom I will now share one-sided temple bonds to free them from their curses, will be your Keepers. They will protect your cocoon with their lives until I can return to you. You will feel each of their souls through me and you will know that they are good. And with them, just in case, I will leave all of my soul… a temple bond for you, and you alone, when you come of age, should I not make it back.

  A tear escaped Maia’s eyes and Tilly rested her hand upon her shoulder. Maia nodded gratefully, and then began. “My dear friends, my daughter’s Keepers, with you I leave the greatest responsibility of all: the very future of the Eld. Tonight, I will free you from your curses, so that you may be mated and live long, happy lives. We will also perform the extraction of my baby girl. Do not be alarmed when she is taken out of me as she will be unmarked for now. I have not yet given off my lifegiver’s glow, and because of that her markings are still underdeveloped. I do not know how exactly they will come into being, but I know that one day they will surface. That is all my le-feer has confirmed.”

  Those around her nodded, but they all looked very nervous. They knew the depths of their responsibility in honoring the Queen of the Eld and protecting her heir. They also knew how much trust the Queen must have in them to leave her queendom in their hands.

  Maia took a deep breath, making purposeful eye contact with each of them, before she continued. “In case of my demise, I will transfer the key to opening the cocoons into her being. It is only when she interacts with them that the Eld will be free to roam Mira again. My hope is that when the Hack’amad arrive and find no Eld here, they will simply turn away. However, should they choose to attack, I will do whatever it takes to prevent Mira’s destruction. For that reason, you, my Keepers, must go to a place I have prepared through the power of my bios lumen. A hidden habitation, kept secret within the Greens. I will leave detailed instructions for you, should I not return, on the signs of Sunstar’s will that govern Yasmin’s birthing. When the time is right, Tilly will join you there, and she will watch over the cocoon until I return, or until the end of her days. She will instruct you in my absence.”

  After answering their questions, and embracing each of them warmly, Maia performed the freedom ceremony and lifted the curses from the six creatures who that night became the first Keepers. They bowed in honor and shed many tears, embracing their promised ones in disbelief that they could finally be together.

  “For this great blessing that you have given to us,” the appointed leader of the Keepers whispered solemnly, “we promise that we will protect your heir with our very lives. There will be nothing she could ever need that we will not grant. There is nothing you could ever ask that we will not do.”

  They once more lowered themselves into Sunstar’s salute.

  ***

  “Hurry, Tilly! HURRY!” Maia cried out as they ran behind thousands of Elds fleeing into the tunnels. Tilly and Mibery were one step behind her, and in front of them was an erratic sea of pulsing markings.

  Cries of terror filled the air, echoing eerily from every direction. A powerful beckoning rang through them, connected to their markings, weaving a force no Eld had never felt before.

  The Hack’amad were here and the Eld were completely unprepared. The Photaks sounded the alarm when it was too late to raise the defenses or check on their malfunctioning shields.

  Invoking the sovereign protocol of the Queen, Maia had enacted the call of the cocoon. It was a technology developed under the reign of the Agarbs, and only the Queen had autonomous control of it. It was an irresistible call that no Eld could resist, magnetic in its pull to ensure their survival and preservation.

  In the distance, Maia and Tilly saw Lucerne doing everything he could to move in the opposite direction. He held his head in anguish, as anything he did to resist the force connected to his markings resulted in greater pain. Soon, he stumbled in the direction of the force, calling out to the Bravad and Spreuken Masters around him as they exchanged enraged glances. There was nothing they could do.

  Thousands upon thousands of Eld found their way deep into the caverns and into the waters of the core. Their markings let off a glowing shield around them, enabling them to breathe and talk. As they found their way into the pods, their minds cried out telepathically to each other through the network of living light that powered the Queen’s escape. Soon, all were safely tucked into their pods as the core pumped the hibernation serum into their cocoons. All, but one…

  As Tilly placed Mibery into the last open pod, Mibery desperately reached out her hand for her mother to follow. Tilly shook her head.

  “No, Mother! Please don’t leave me!”

  “I am so sorry,” Tilly said as tears ran down her face. “My duty is to the Queen. I must stay with her to ensure she has all that she needs. May Sunstar grant us mercy that we may see each other again.”

  They held each other for as long as Maia could allow, and then Tilly sealed her daughter away.

  “Thank you, Tilly, for your service to me,” Maia said, sadness thickening her voice. “I will never have enough to repay you for what you have done, not just on this day but all of my life.”

  “My Queen, it is not only for you but also for Sunstar, and my daughter, that I honor you. I am here, to the very end.”

  ***

  Maia and Tilly returned to the surface and looked up in terror. The Hack’amad ships had broken into Mira’s atmosphere, and they were scanning the surface for any sign of the Eld. They also seemed to be in search of the one who called had them, as now and then they sent out a pulse that rippled over the surface.

  Maia and Tilly huddled at the edge of the Greens, hiding behind a boulder filled with red glass shards.

  “Tilly, I need to do the temple bond for Yasmin now, before it is too late. Should I not survive, please ensure that through this she will know everything I’ve known and see everything I’ve seen, up until now.”

  Tilly nodded, agreeing to look out, while Maia extracted the largest piece of red glass she could find. She closed her eyes and placed the stone against her forehead, powering her le-feer into it and releasing the fullness of every moment of her life.

  As she did so, her consciousness dropped into another realm.

  “No,” Tilly murmured as she saw a ship turn in their direction. “No, no, no! My Queen! They are sensing the bond, they are sensing the le-feer. You must stop, you must stop!”

  Tilly shook Maia as hard as she could but she could not break the connection. Red glass was a powerful receiver, but it would not let its messenger go until the entire message was received.

  As Tilly cried helplessly, the ship grew closer. She tried dragging the Queen to a better hiding place but the red shards in the boulder made her body infinitely heavy. Soon, the ship landed on the surface, and terrifying beings that shook Tilly to her very core walked out with massive, unknown weapons.

  Suddenly, Maia grabbed Tilly’s hand and dragged her to the ground. They stared at each other, without any need for words, knowing that this was the end.

  “You must go, Tilly. You must leave now!” Maia urged, placing the red glass temple stone into her hands.

  “My Queen…no, my Queen. They will find you…”

  “Tilly… you hold the only memory my daughter will ever have of me. Please…please…”

  Tilly nodded and, against every inclination within her, ran off into the trees.

  It was just in time.

  The sound of a charge vibrated through the air and a burst of energy shattered the boulder in front of Maia. She lay completely exposed, as two Hack’amads walked up to her.

  They were beings made entirely of darkness and evil. It swirled arou
nd their bodily forms, allowing them to dissipate into the air and reform great distances away in an instant. There was no chance of defeating them once they had broken through the shield of Mira. They were unstoppable.

  They observed Maia’s le-feer and spat, recognizing it to be of pure light.

  “Where is the one who called to us? The one who carries our blood?” They demanded in unison, with voices that irked the essence of Maia’s soul.

  Maia stood and faced them squarely, her le-feer glowing brighter with each moment.

  When she did not answer, one of the Hack’amads dissipated and formed again upon the ship.

  “I advise you speak quickly, Eld of light. Tell us what we want to know. My brother has never been known for his patience.”

  Suddenly, the ship let out a screeching pulse and fired a beam deep into the surface of Mira. As it penetrated with growing dark energy, the entire planet rumbled and every living plant, tree and blade of grass cried out to the Queen of the Eld.

  All around, the glowing of roots and the light within the Saptrees began to dim. The bios lumen drained out of every living thing around, consumed by the darkness that had seeped into the core.

  “NOOOOOO!!!” screamed Maia, her heartstar breaking as she felt the intense pain of her planet’s cries. “NO, please STOP!!! I’ll give you want you want, just STOP!!!!”

  The Hack’amad allowed his brother to continue for a few more moments before raising his hand. Within a second, his brother disappeared from the ship and appeared in front of them once again.

  “Why did you make me stop, brother?”

  “It appears the Eld of light has an offer…”

  “Speak then, Eld of light. What could you possibly have to offer the Hack’amad?”

  Maia quivered slightly, knowing there was only one thing she could do. She turned her thoughts toward Tilly, and her daughter cocooned far away, toward the Eld and the creatures, and all living things upon Mira.

  I am so sorry, but one day it will all be understood. May Sunstar’s will reveal that understanding to every one of you, when the timing is divine.