by A. J. Morton
Chapter 6
After getting dressed, had nothing else to do for another half hour (Yes, it took me half an hour to get dressed. I couldn’t figure out how to put on the confounded tie, okay?). I didn’t want to leave my room and get lost in the castle, so I decided to take a nap in my room. I was tired out from the long journey here on the ship, and it seemed that this would be my only time to get some sleep.
I found myself yet again in Glacia’s empty white void within my mind. She sat at her table alone as usual, a sullen expression on her face.
“Xander, sit down,” She said, urgently. “There are matters we must discuss.” I hesitantly sat down with her.
I could feel a scowl beginning to form on my face. “You’re damn right there are matters we need to discuss,” I remarked. “I was trying to talk to you the entire time we rode on the ship. You didn’t respond to me. What the hell are you hiding?”
Glacia furrowed her brow and opened her mouth, but almost immediately closed it, shaking her head. “I fear that you are not ready to know-”
“Just tell me already!” I shouted, frustrated. “I just need to know what you’re hiding from me… Krysta told me about the War of the Heavens. But what I want to know is why you didn’t take part. You could have ended it all before it got destroyed. All of the gods still could be alive right now! So why… Why did you not end it?”
Glacia looked wistfully off into the distance yet again. Eventually, she sighed and responded. “Because the war was inevitable regardless,”
“What?”
“We couldn’t have stopped the war from happening. You see… It all has to do with Umbra.” Glacia’s fists began to tighten.
“The goddess of darkness? What’s she got to do with it?”
“As well as being the goddess of darkness…” Glacia started. “She is also the goddess of evil and chaos. It is the secret of the formation of Ubiaxus,”
“The formation of Ubiaxus?” I raised by eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”
“There is a name that refers to both of those gods,” Glacia stated. “Those two are also known as the Dyad. The rest of us are known as the Pleiad.”
“Huh? What’s the difference?”
Glacia drew a small breath. “As the name implies, the Pleiad consists of seven gods. Pyros, the god of fire. Aqua, the goddess of water. Terra, the goddess of earth. Ventus, the god of wind. Fulgur, the god of storms. Kronos, the god of time. And me, Glacia, the goddess of ice. We are those who govern the laws of the physical realm. Forces of nature that are outside of the control of man.”
I took all of this in and nodded. “And the Dyad?”
“The Dyad consists of two members. You know Lumos as the god of light and Umbra as the goddess of darkness...” Glacia hesitated a bit, before shaking her head and continuing. “But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, no pun intended.”
“There’s more to them than that? What else could there be?” I asked.
“We in the Pleiad control the physical realm. But there’s more to reality than that. There’s also the abstract realm that must be kept in check. That responsibility falls to the Dyad.” Glacia explained. “Lumos controls all that is good in the world. Light, life, joy, love, and order. Umbra is the opposite. She controls all that is horrible in the world. Darkness, death, misery, hatred, and chaos. Coincidentally, these are also the Essences of the gods. Love and hatred respectively. They are polar opposites. But nonetheless, they serve to keep balance in the world. There is no light without darkness. There is no life without death, no joy without misery, nor order without chaos.”
I contemplated all of this. “Alright, I think I pretty much understand the Dyad and the Pleiad,” I said. “But what does any of that have to do with why you didn’t stop the war?”
Glacia stopped staring into the white void and looked me in the eye. “The Dyad cast two powerful spells on the world itself to keep the balance. One of them was a curse that planted seeds of evil into the hearts of all of Ubiaxus, even some of the gods themselves. The other was a blessing of that planted seeds of kindness and good within the hearts of Ubiaxus. But the former was far more powerful. So powerful in fact that it made war nigh upon inevitable.”
“I get it. So, you didn’t fight because you knew that it wouldn’t matter. You would need to kill all of the gods to end the war, and without them, Ubiaxus itself would crumble to nothing. So, you had no choice but to let the war play out,” I concluded.
“That is correct,” Glacia said. “Umbra’s curse lingers still today. It was slightly diminished, but there are some hearts in which it still stays strong. Within her children. Within the Umbran Empire.”
“I see…” I said, taking all this new information in. So, the reason that the Umbran Empire craved war was directly because of the goddess darkness herself. In fact, she was the reason that all evil existed.
“Now, if you’re satisfied with that response, there are other things we must discuss,” Glacia said. “The matter of the girls you met in Lumos… Dia and Ana.”
“Those two?” I inquired. “What about them?”
“As I mentioned before, the god of light is special. There are two sides to him. The side that controls the light itself and the side that controls all the good in the world,” Glacia explained. “It seems that Dia and Ana have a shared blessing, whether they know it or not. They aren’t just twins. They are two parts of a whole Disciple.”
“Wait… So, they’re both Disciples?” I asked.
“Yes. Ana has complete control over light itself, whether she knows that or not. And Dia…” Glacia paused.
“She controls all the good in the world,” I finished, filling in the blank. I remembered the flood of soothing energy that she conjured back on the ship. That must have been the powers she had over life, happiness, and love.
“Correct,” Glacia said. “However, they have yet to awaken to their full potential. But that may be a good thing…”
“Huh? Why’s that?”
“Having the powers of the Dyad… It can give people horrible temptation… temptation that would throw off the balance between bad and good.” Glacia said. “Those two are righteous… So, they may seek to destroy all that is evil… forever.”
I tilted my head. “And that’s… A bad thing?”
“As I said, the world needs balance.” Glacia said. “An attempt to eradicate darkness would result in a relative flood of light. It would be a horrible, horrible thing. It could very well be the end of the world as we know it.”
“Oh… That definitely sounds like a bad thing.”
Glacia sighed. “But as of the moment, it seems as though neither sister has awakened to their true power. So, whether or not this is of any consequence is unknown. Do not mention this to anyone. Especially those two.”
“Got it.”
“Very well. That is all. Now Xander Faust. Awake-”
“Wait!” I interrupted her before she could awaken me. “There’s one last thing I need for you to tell me.”
The goddess sighed and looked off into the distance again. “And what would that be…” She asked, even though it was obvious that she knew what I was about to ask her.
“Terra told me that I was too weak to make full use of your power. Is that true?”
I could tell by the way her expression changed that she had been dreading this question. But she reluctantly answered, nonetheless. “There’s… A vital power that you seem to be missing. A power that will be vital in taking down the Umbran Empire.”
“I am? What’s that?”
“Terra was referring to a singular, extraordinarily powerful spell. The Everlasting Frost. It could create a glacial explosion that could very well freeze over the world of Ubiaxus itself if untamed.” Glacia explained. “It requires such a massive amount of magical power that your average mortal would die before they even completed the spell. Thusly… You could single-handedly win the war if you used it. Which is exactly why I chose a person too weak
to inherit it.”
“That sounds... dangerous…” I said. “But if it could end the war then why would you keep it away from me?”
“Because even if you were to tame it, it would still be enough to wipe out the entire empire at a minimum. Which would consequently…”
“Upset the balance between light and dark.” I understood now. Terra thought that this was necessary to end the war. But she didn’t understand that it would all be for naught if it resulted in this flood of light.
“The war must be won peacefully. Just the mere threat of your power is enough. We need to keep the casualties at a minimum. You aren’t weak. In fact with training, you could be the strongest of all the Disciples. But I’m intentionally keeping this power away from you. Do you understand now?”
“Yes… I do.”
“Good. Now, Xander Faust… Awaken,” Glacia said. The last thing I saw before the dream ended was Glacia’s solemn face.
* * *
Immediately after I awakened, I heard I knock at my door. I hastily got up out of my bed and answered it. It was Caroline, with the other Disciples in tow. “You would be Master Faust, correct? It is time for your audience with King Cadenza in the dining hall. Please follow me.”
“Ah… Yes.” I filed in behind Strelitzia, who was following behind all of the other Disciples. She still wore that fake smile, but I chose not to mention it.
Soon, we reached the main dining hall and my eyes widened. Laid out on the long table with more food laid out than I had ever seen. King Corvus and Queen Cadenza sat on opposite ends of the table. Strelitzia took the seat nearest her mother. Travis took a seat across from Strelitzia and I took the seat next to her. I glanced at the queen and almost flinched. She was looking at me out of the corner of her eye. Was she… glaring at me? It was then, seeing the two of them next to each other that I realized she had the exact same fake smile on her face that Strelitzia did. But hers was different. Instead of sadness behind the queen’s fake smile, there was… malice.
I shook my head and dismissed it as me overthinking things. I was in the presence of royalty. These thoughts alone could get me beheaded. And the way she was looking at me, I’m not entirely sure that the queen would oppose it.
After we were all seated, King Corvus spoke.
“Welcome, esteemed guests of Strelitzia!” He said. “We have been told that you are the Disciples that will save the world from falling at the hands of the Umbran Empire! Well met!”
“Thank you for welcoming my guests, father,” Strelitzia said. “Now if you would excuse me, I would like to address them myse-”
Corvus abruptly cut her off, continuing. “Never in my life would I ever have imagined that such an assortment of guests would arrive at my gates!” He swept his eyes across the table. “The high priestess of the Church of Lumos and her sister, the Seer of Kronos, one of the last surviving followers of Terra, and…” His eyes stopped on me. “A Glacian…” He quickly shot me the exact same glare that Queen Lucinda was giving me.
“Yes, they are remarkable, father…” Strelitzia cut in again. “Now if I may-”
“I, for one, do not believe that this is wise,” This time it was Queen Lucinda that interrupted her. “A Glacian? Here? This has disaster written all over it. What business does one of them have saving Ubiaxus? They’re just as bad as the Umbrans, I Swear-”
“That’s enough, mother!” Strelitzia exclaimed, cutting her off. “You know as well as I that the Glacian’s isolation was unjust! Now please stop making such rude comments in front of my guests!”
King Corvus scoffed. “Unjust? They are a danger to us all. Even this single Glacian is a threat to our nation’s security.” He looked me right in the eyes. There was no fake smile anymore. There was only seething rage. “One of them has no place here. And regardless of your foolish desires, none of them ever will.”
“I thought you had changed, father!” Strelitzia blinked, wiping a tear out of her eye. For some reason, that definitely struck a chord. “But I see now that all you are is a cruel, unforgiving, horrible excuse for a king!” She suddenly got up from her seat and stormed out of the dining hall, crying.
King Corvus blinked and nervously glanced around the room. “You must forgive her…” he said. “The girl simply refuses to accept the truth of this world. She’ll learn eventually.” He looked specifically at me. “As for you… Strelitzia may have the authority to keep you in this place. But I will never accept one of your kind. I am told that your island’s village was raided, and that you were the last remaining survivor. After you save the world from the wrath of the Umbrans, you alone will be banished to your little island. And there will you live out the rest of your days. Away from all of the good people of Ubiaxus.”
I bolted up from my seat. I was about to give him a piece of my mind, but I bit my tongue. No matter what kind of man he was, the undeniable thing was that he was a king. I couldn’t talk back to someone in his position of power. What mattered right now weren’t my feelings, but Strelitiza’s. So, I sprinted out of the open doorway to go find her.
I noticed that I could run slightly faster than I usually could. I suppose that the power of the Defender extended farther than just protecting people from harm, but also as far as protecting them emotionally. With my enhanced speed, it didn’t take long for me to find her.
Strelitzia was sitting on the stairway near the entrance, wiping tears from her eyes. I hesitantly approached her. I sat down next to her on the stairway and pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket. “I’m… sorry,” I apologized.
Strelitzia took the handkerchief from my hand and wiped her tears. “What are you apologizing for? It was all my father’s fault. That imbecile…”
“I suppose you’re right,” I said. “What’s his problem with Glacians anyway?”
“He holds fast to his beliefs,” Strelitzia said. “It was the first king of Pyros that decreed that Glacians be banished to the Isle of Glacia. That was one of his ancestors. He refuses to accept that the first king’s judgement was mistaken.”
“I see…” I said. I couldn’t help but wonder one thing. “And what’s your stance on the matter?” I asked.
Strelitzia scoffed. “I disagree wholeheartedly,” She said. “Banishing a group of people just because they’re stronger than the rest? That has to be the most unjust thing I’ve ever heard of.” She sighed, her voice softening. “No, this is not the way the nation should be… We should all be coming together at a time like this… But the kingdoms have only been pushing each other farther away.” She clenched her fists. “I will not stand for this. But I can do something about it. Which is why when I become the queen of Pyros, I will use my influence to bring all of Ubiaxus together.” Her vermillion eyes shone with resolve. Looking at her hair, I could see embers starting to rise from it. She was no longer saddened by her father’s ignorance. All I could see on her face was resolve. She saw injustice in the world and wished to be rid of it. I couldn’t begin to think of anyone more worthy to inherit the essence of the just.
I couldn’t help but grin at her determination. “I’ll fight with you,” I said. She looked at me, surprised. “I share the exact same dream. So, I’ll fight for it with you.” As the last surviving, and most powerful Glacian, I realized that I had influence as well. As I said before, I wanted to be a symbol of peace. So, in certain ways, our dreams aligned.
“I shall serve you as well as I can, Lady Strelitzia.”
Strelitzia smiled. “Very well then, Sir Xander,” She laughed. “I shall enjoy our time working together.”
Chapter 7
The following morning, Strelitzia gathered us all in the dining hall again while her parents were still sleeping, to avoid their rude outbursts. “Now that we are all gathered…” Strelitzia started. “I would like to proceed in discussing our next course of action. Lady Krysta, if you would?”
“Yes.” Krysta proceeded to explain the plan to us. “I have used my powers to search all across our time pe
riod for the remaining Disciples. The first one that we should pursue is a woman by the name of Valerie Tempest, the Disciple of Fulger, the god of storms. The next Disciple we should target is Zephyr Makani, the Disciple of Ventus, the god of wind. I figure we can split into two teams and locate them faster. Any objections?” The way Krysta glared across the room, however, made it clear that we were not to object.
“I do not have any objections to this plan,” Strelitzia said. “What do you have in mind for the two units?”
Krysta paused for a few seconds, thinking. I shuddered, realizing that this was the same expression she’d made when making calculations back in Lumos. She was about to take a risk, I could tell. After a few moments, she spoke, having made up her mind. “The first team shall consist of Xander, Travis, and Ana,” (On that note, I heard an annoyed groan from Ana). “And they will be going to find Valarie in the Dominion of Fulger. The rest of us will go to a small town in the country of Ventus to find Zephyr.”
Strelitzia nodded. “We depart in an hour, before my parents awaken. Please make sure that all of your preparations are made before we make our way to our respective destinations.” It was obvious that she wished to prevent another incident like the one we’d had the previous evening.
On that note, we all began our preparations to go to our respective locations. Within an hour, Travis, Ana, and I were on our way to the Dominion of Fulger.
* * *
About half an hour after leaving Pyros, we arrived in Fulger. Just as Krysta said, it wasn’t too far away. Still, that didn’t stop Ana from rushing to the dock to vomit the moment we reached dry land. Travis and I walked off the gangplank together, observing our surroundings. What we saw was simply… Incredible.
There were skyscrapers as far as the eye could see. The streets looked completely immaculate and were lined with wires. I could see small sparks of electricity coming from the edges of the streets. It was more machine than city. My thoughts were soon interrupted by the harsh sound of thunder, echoing in the distance. A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky. It struck a tower that stood higher than any of the skyscrapers. I could see the ground below me beginning to glow. Soon, a carriage sped my way. Travis and I stood on the side of the road, waiting for it. Ana joined us soon afterward.
