Beyond the Stars- Awakened

by Angela Morales

  Anyone who would go against King Kah would surely be put to death.

  Febus approached the tall gates of Kah’s Kingdom, which were guarded by four gargoyles and several green guards dressed in metal armor. Two seductive purple creatures appeared before the guards and spoke to them in Covian, and the gates opened. The guards stood stoically as the gargoyles roared. Kah entered and the heavy gates slammed shut behind him quickly.

  The troll was escorted through a long corridor by two guards. Servants of all kinds began approaching in their sensual manner. They brought trays of food, and began following Febus while caressing his arms seductively. He smiled sinisterly, reaching out to a purple woman who was belly dancing. Just then, Kah appeared and greeted Febus at a large door which lead into another quarter.

  “Febus! Welcome, welcome!” he said pompously as he motioned for Febus to come into the room.

  The room was silver and black, with a diamond-like ceiling. They approached a large silver platform. Standing on the platform, they suddenly disappeared into nothingness and quickly reappeared in a different room.

  “Ah, welcome to my quarters. I bet the dark forest doesn’t have a transporter like this one,” Kah said laughing.

  “The dark forest is no fancy match for a castle of this sort,” Febus reacted, bowing.

  “My messengers said it was important. I don’t usually meet so casually with anyone, as you know,” Kah said, suddenly sounding haughty.

  The guards looked around and nodded in agreement.

  “I told you to not come here unless you found Ria. As I can see, you’ve come alone,” Kah said in a threatening tone.

  “I assure you I would not have come unless I had news of Ria’s whereabouts. She’s back and she is on a mission,” Febus relayed.

  Kah’s eyes turned angry.

  “Why didn’t you bring her to me?! Was she with the traitors? Was she with Zech and Salixz?!” Kah seethed through his teeth.

  “She came alone, but she says she knows where the lost child is. I think she may be working with that witch Meretseger.”

  Kah angrily slammed his fist down into his armrest, crushing the metal as easily as a cardboard box.

  “Bring – me – Ria! Or you will be the one to pay!” Kah demanded.

  Past: Jeneka & Kah

  K ah traveled to the frozen lands to find Jeneka the witch, Meretseger’s sister. It had taken him all day to travel and it was almost midnight. He was still bothered by Meretseger’s visit, and he knew that Jeneka’s evil was the only way he could fight back.

  “Jeneka!” he yelled as he banged on her door. “Jeneka, I know you’re in there!”

  “What do you want?” she asked coldly when she finally opened the door. “You know I despise visitors, and haven’t I done enough for you already?”

  “You’re the only one who can help me, Jeneka. I need a favor.”

  “Don’t confuse me for my sister, Meretseger, Kah. I don’t do favors, not even for my own blood. I turned my own sister away this very week,” she said impatiently.

  “I need more power.”

  “More than you already have?” she asked condescendingly. “I’m running out of magic for you.”

  “I have Atum,” he said.

  “Oh,” she smirked. “Bring him to me then.”

  “He’s too weak. He depleted his powers saving a human,” he said. “But I can bring him to you later.”

  “Then why in Hell’s universe did you even mention it. You’re wasting my time.”

  “Please,” he pleaded.

  “I’ll need a heart, you know that. No heart, no spell,” she explained rather icily. “Black sorcery is not the good intended deed you can get from just any witch,” she said with a smirk.

  Kah took out a small box and opened it.

  “The heart of human Akeena. She’s the mother of the princesses.” His eyes glowed.

  Jeneka seemed impressed and suddenly insulted.

  “How dare you? I can’t use that! You know it’s useless unless it’s a fresh kill. And a human heart does not possess the necessary energy for such a complex spell,” she went on.

  “I know, but this one is different. Somehow it’s still warm and it’s glowing.” he said in awe.

  She looked into the box, curious. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” she admitted.

  Jeneka looked at the glowing heart skeptically, but then grabbed the bloody heart with her hands and licked it. Her eyes lit up as she nodded at Kah in approval.

  “It’s still fresh. I would have preferred Atum’s powers, but this - this is intriguing. Come inside,” she invited eagerly.

  In a matter of minutes, Jeneka had already squeezed some blood onto a table, and then placed the heart in a jar on a shelf which was filled with a liquid substance. It slightly bounced off the other hearts in the jar. Every heart Jeneka took provided her more power to cast spells. She took out a gold bowl and placed it on a wooden table. She poured in a concoction while murmuring several verses in Covian with her eyes closed.

  Jeneka’s eyes suddenly shot open. She looked mystified.

  “I can’t grant your spell,” she said in confusion.

  “What – there must be a way – what else can you do?” Kah pressed.

  “Rest,” she said dryly. “When you wake, you’ll never even know four-thousand years passed.”

  “Four thousand years? What are you talking about?” he demanded.

  A small satirical grin made its way across her face.

  “You took Akeena’s heart – you must be able to do something!” Kah yelled.

  “Tet tet tet,” she warned. “Every witch knows their limits.”

  Present: Ria, Zech, and Salixz Wanted

  I nanna remained in a coma in Meretseger’s cave - trapped within her own mind. Her disappearance made national headlines on Earth. Keith remained a suspect. Kah still wanted revenge. Kah sent Ria to Earth to finish what Zech had not accomplished. Ria had succeeded in bringing Inanna to Cova, but by her own accord had taken matters into her own hands. Kah no longer trusted her and wanted revenge - he was running out of time before the Core Disease continued to spread. He needed Inanna’s powers to make himself ruler of all of Cova. For that reason, he had sent a clear message that whoever came in contact with Ria was to immediately report her whereabouts or bring her to him. Only Ria would be able to get him to Inanna.

  Kah had already made it known that Zech and Salixz would be put to death for treason. The holographic message appeared in every household of Kahnroch for all to see. Zech had every opportunity to bring Inanna to Cova but chose to conceal her whereabouts instead. Kah’s anger with Ria, Salixz, and Zech had set him over the edge.

  “I regret to inform you that I’m declaring war on Euron. After our men worked effortlessly to save Atum’s daughters - from that awful planet Earth – we have once again been betrayed. We have reason to believe that Salixz and Zech are working for ENSA, Euron’s National Secret Agency, leaking information from Kahnroch. And now, Ria has committed treason again, after sending her on a mission to bring back our lost princess; she abandoned us. Without Princess Inanna, we are all doomed. You all know how much I love my niece, and how badly I want to restore the order of our planet. What a pity for Salixz, Zech, and Ria to believe the lies being told by the Euron Nation. Word has been given that they will kill us all if they get hold of Princess Inanna! The nation of Euron has always failed us, and now they will not stop until our demise! We, together, must stop them! Heron killed his own nephew, Atum, and left Inanna to die on our land. It was I who took care of her all those years - to protect her. If he would allow such a powerful princess to die alone, imagine what he would do to the people of Kahnroch? Look at Kahnroch! Look at us! We are dying of hunger - our land is contaminated.” Kah seethed with deceitful anger.

  Huffing with hatred, he went on. “Things will only get worse. Our young men have had to go to war just to survive. But one day, one day, Kahnroch will prevail. We will take ov
er all of Cova!”

  Zech and Salixz’s parents watched emotionless - two very cold people who never loved a soul other than themselves. Poisoned by the waters of Kahnroch, all the people lived as Zombies. Kah had ultimate control of all they did, saw, and thought. Zech and Salixz learned at an early age to drink from a hidden river in the Dark Forest - thanks to Ria. As difficult as it was to find the river, they learned to go there and drink from it as much as they could. It helped them think on their own. They did not realize that Kah had been poisoning the waters of Kahnroch, but they did know that the river in the Dark Forest gave them clarity.

  “I knew it,” Zech’s father said stoically.

  “I hope they kill them all,” Zech’s mother added. “Serves them right for abandoning us.”

  “You cannot trust anyone but me! Anyone who goes against me is an enemy to our nation!” Kah yelled.

  “Haw! Haw!” People yelled in agreement from their homes.

  “Ria, Zech, and Salixz are traitors,” he stated with an evil calm. “Ria is responsible for hiding Princess Inanna from us. What will the Euron nation do if they have our princess? Inanna’s powers are needed to help us finally rule over all of Cova - to get back what is rightfully ours! The Euron Nation will never take care of us! We need Princess Inanna to come back to where she belongs - Kahroch! To restore the Core Disease and bring harmony and balance to all of Cova. Only then will our land bear fruit again! And the princess will work with me to make sure we are all one nation.”

  The people of Kahnroch watched Kah from their homes, anxiously waiting for more.

  “I am offering a reward to anyone who finds Ria, Salixz, and Zech. I want them alive. If anyone knows of the lost princess’s whereabouts, they are to report to me immediately. Anyone who is found to have information withheld from me will be decapitated before the entire nation.”

  With that, Kah’s voice went silent and he disappeared.

  Past: Ina’s First Birthday

  “H appy biiiirtthday, to youuuuu,” everyone sang, then cheered and clapped at the end. “Yaaaay!”

  “Make a wish, Ina! Then blow out the candle,” said Pipa.

  Ina was not an average one year old. Her large, green eyes were brighter than any eyes anyone had ever seen. Her long, black ringlets already reaching her waist. Her lips were naturally tinted, her cheeks perfectly blushed. She was already aware of her surroundings, already understanding conversations, and although she was very quiet, she was already speaking in full sentences. There was one thing in particular she always wondered about though. Why were these people pretending to be her real family?

  “I wish…to go up there,” she said, pointing to the sky.

  The party guests laughed, oblivious to Inanna’s seriousness.

  “I wish to be in the sky,” she said again, pointing out the window.

  “That’s right, Ina, one day we’ll go in an airplane and,” Margie began.

  “I want my real mommy,” Ina whispered and began to cry.

  “Ina, what’s going on? I am your mommy, sweetie.” Margie held back her tears.

  Margie looked around at her guests, as they stood around awkwardly, murmuring to each other. She felt embarrassed. Of course, she knew the day would come when she would have to tell Ina the truth – that she had been abandoned by her real parents and that she and Liam had decided to adopt her. She never thought it would be today - on her first birthday. There’s no way she knows? She’s too young? She thought to herself. She must’ve heard a conversation or something?

  Liam felt a pang in his stomach. He knew that he would never be able to be Ina’s real father, and he knew how much it must hurt Marjorie to hear Inanna asking for her real mommy. Especially when Margie had been standing right there next to her the whole time. He wished he could tell Margie the truth, but he knew she would never fully understand, and knowing the truth would put them in great danger. He wondered if some alien parents were out there looking for Ina. He was the only one in the room who knew the truth about Inanna coming from a different planet; Liam suddenly began to feel paranoid, as if someone else in the room besides him knew.

  Liam began to worry. What if Ina’s parents did show up to claim her? Certainly, she looked like a human, so maybe they looked human, too. He wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if they were aliens or humans. What would happen then? He suddenly felt fearful and began to look around cautiously, as if he were considering everyone in the room the enemy.

  Inanna was still crying inconsolably.

  “I’m sorry, I think she’s just tired. Excuse me, I’m going to go put her down for a nap,” Margie said as she took Ina out of her high chair and blew out the candle for her.

  “I’ve got the rest, love,” Liam whispered in Margie’s ear.

  Margie went upstairs and put Ina down for a nap. She was grateful for Liam, because there was no way she could face her guests after that humiliation. It had been no secret that she had tried for so many years to get pregnant, unsuccessfully. Then she cried herself to sleep, until the sun went down. By the time she opened her eyes again, her guests were gone, and the whole house was empty and clean. Liam was her knight in shining armor.

  Present: Trapped in Ina

  “H ello? Hello!” Ina yelled.

  Inanna was still trapped. She tried to understand where she was – still only able to see the one butterfly that kept her company in the dark space. All she kept reliving were her dreams. Her dreams that seemed to confirm who her real parents were.

  The room suddenly lit up. The single butterfly suddenly vanished.

  “Hello?” Ina said again.

  All of a sudden, Inanna could now see her body. She sat up and ran back and forth looking for a way out of the small jelly-like sphere. There was no way out. She was stuck.

  “Help! Someone!? Anyone!?” Hitting the impenetrable walls as hard as she could, her hands quickly bounced back, knocking her off her feet. Her hands and arms were covered in a silvery mucous, to only see it disappear an instant later.

  Inanna felt utter confusion and terror. Tears filled her eyes as she ran in circles trying to break the sphere’s barrier, pushing up against the wall with her body, trying to break through the silvery mucous membrane with all her might. It was impossible. She pulled away to feel the slimy substance. The smell suddenly reminded her of Christmas morning. A quick flashback ran through her mind. Polo, Grandma Pipa’s dog, was running around her feet, as Ina rummaged through the gifts under the tree.

  Ina snapped out of the flashback. The substance instantly gone from her hands.

  “Oh no,” she said out loud, realizing she never made it to Zech.

  Is he dead? she thought.

  “Zeeeechhhhhh!!!” she screamed desperately.

  Wherever Ina was, she was definitely trapped. Inanna Ruthe Preston was literally trapped in the walls of her own mind. Whatever Ria had injected her with had made her physical body go into a deep slumber. Ina’s mind was completely awake now, aware of her outer world and only able to live within her past memories.

  Zech sat by her bedside, watching Inanna day in and day out. A horrifying vision of Inanna’s pitiful body withering away, as she gasped for air in small short staggered breaths. Not knowing Ina was actually conscious but not able to speak out. Suddenly, Inanna’s body began to shake viciously in Zech’s arms.

  Zech cried out in Covian, “Meretseger! Salixz! Help!”

  Meretseger and Salixz came rushing to the room where Inanna began convulsing blood. They quickly turned her to her side and Meretseger rubbed her back. Ina looked lifeless, and Zech cried in agony at the sight.

  “Ahhhhhhhh!” he stood, pulled his hair, and banged the wall. “Help her, Meretseger! Do something!”

  “I can’t,” she said helplessly. “Ria has taken my cane – she’s taken my power! This is a spell not even I can break!”

  Zech grabbed Meretseger by the arm. “You let this happen. You let Ria in here – you told me I could trust her again!”

/>   “I’m sorry, Zech. I’m so sorry,” Meretseger cried softly. “I swear I read her soul – I saw good. It seems she has tricked even an old witch – it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been fooled.”

  Salixz spoke, “It’s not Meretseger’s fault. There was no way to get rid of Ria – she already knew too much – we trusted her too. I knew she had changed, but now she has proven she’s no longer one of us.”

  “I’m going to kill her,” Zech seethed with anger. He grabbed his sword and began gearing up.

  “Brother! You will be hung by both nations for murder.”

  “I don’t care!” he roared. “Look what she’s done!? Inanna’s dying before our eyes! Do you expect me to do nothing and just watch her die?”

  Ina had stopped convulsing. Meretseger wiped the blood from Ina’s mouth and began playing with her hair and soothing her. Ina’s face was pale, her eyes dark with circles, and her lips purple; she looked lifeless.

  “I can’t stand to see her like this.” Zech’s mouth quivered and a tear rolled down his cheek. “I can’t take it.”

  Ina’s eyes were twitching; they were opening slightly as they began rolling back. She seemed to be wanting to speak.

  “Zeeeecchhh!” she yelled from inside the sphere. “I hear you! I can hear you!”

  Ina hoped someone from the outside world could hear her. But no one could. No one responded. No one even knew that Ina was aware within herself, while she slowly, physically weakened before them.

  “Zech, can you hear me?” she whispered to herself, less hopeful this time.

  And just like that, as if he had heard her words, he responded.

  “Inanna, please. If you can hear me, promise me you will try to wake up from this trance – from whatever Ria did to you,” Zech cried.

  “Zech, I can hear you!” she said again.

  Zech could not hear Inanna.

  “Focus Princess Inanna, you have the power. Tap into your senses and awaken your powers,” Zech softly spoke into her ear.