by M. Arcturus
“We don’t. It’s not even coinage from Earth, and there’s only one item bought with it. The priests now want to buy it, and it’s not just them who are doing it. Others pay a lot higher price when they don’t have money.” She could mentally hear the clang of the coins again.
“Glaecia!” she whispered under her breath. Kajaka nodded in agreement.
They moved on to the next section of the market, even though her mind seemed to have remained behind. Eventually, Kajaka’s herb shopping started to bore her, and there was little sense in restraining her adventurous spirit from exploring the terrain. There seemed to be a large crowd flowing like a river down the street behind them. During a brief thinning of the herd, she caught a glimpse of a large fenced in area.
Moving in to investigate, she fought her way through the river of people as if parting the Red Sea only to be standing before a large steel gate with a wooden archway towering above it. The archway was enchanted, creating an illusion of faeries flying around it, waving their wands, making the runes on the archway glow and glitter with changing colors. The runes spelled out the words “Sacred Pastures.” Letting out a sigh, she braced herself. With a gentle hand, she traced the rough wood of the archway. Flashes of sight came to her like a child needing attention. Two hooded figures had stood on each side of the entrance, guarding the fenced pasture. Footprints remained in the dirt as proof to what she saw.
She knelt down and ran her finger along one of the steel bars on the gate. Her eyes followed the bar to the hinge where long white strands of horse hair hung wrapped around the cold steel. Watching the wind blow the hair, she saw that it waved around, but it couldn’t go anywhere. It seemed to mimic the act of teasing an animal with freedom: only let it roam so far until it felt its invisible leash. With persistence, Giséi managed to untangle the hair. Noting the violet sheen of the hair, she quickly tucked it away in a pocket under her cloak. Unicorn hair, this must be where Sorbek had been earlier that day.
She leaped over the steel fencing with grace and agility. Around the perimeter of the pen sat white crystal clusters on the hoof trodden earth. One crystal stood out more than the others. It stood there soaking up the moonlight with its deep purple facets. Unlike the others, which were clustered, it was single-pointed with its eight-inch diameter base planted firmly on the ground. Eyeing the others in relation to the single-pointed amethyst crystal, she realized that if the lone crystal were rotated just right, one of its larger facets would redirect a strong reflection of the moon’s light toward the other crystals.
Not knowing what was going to happen, she climbed back over the fence and sank down to eye level with the crystal. She inserted her hands through bars in the fence and slowly rotated the crystal. Once she saw the flash of light, she knew that if she had stayed in the pen, she wouldn’t have gotten out. Standing back up, what she saw before her was a neon violet grid of light. It was a protection grid that was used to keep things in instead of keeping things out.
If unicorns were kept in the pen, their feet would have been entangled in the webbed grid and would not be able to escape or jump the fence. Once the grid got strong enough, it would vanish from the range of normal sight, making the buyer unaware that the unicorns were there against their will. As long as the buyer was not a magic-kin, they would not be trapped alongside the unicorns, which meant that they could enter the pen and examine which one they wanted. What about Sorbek? Why didn’t he get caught? She thought about it and came up with the conclusion that they had another way to sell to magic-kin. Yet the question remained; who was selling the unicorns? Were they human or something else?
Her investigation seemed to have come to an abrupt halt. She looked around trying to find more clues, but nothing was there except a wadded-up blanket at the far end of the pen. When she picked up the blanket, she was surprised by how heavy it was. She quickly realized it was not a blanket. It was a cloak.
“How charming. An idiot works this barnyard prison, and he was stupid enough to leave behind his cloak,” she chuckled to herself. With luck, she also found out that the clasp was attached. It burned brightly in the moonlight, showing off its elven crest. “You know, I might just leave the grid activated for them. I think it would be a lovely gesture. Who knows, maybe I’ll catch an elf or two.” She wadded the cloak back up and tucked it under her arm. “I think Lord Oberon, or the Lady of Avalon would like to see this cloak with its brilliant shiny clasp,” she said quietly to herself.
When she looked up, she saw a pair of dark silhouettes dancing on the walls of a building lining an alleyway just off to her left. Their conversation got louder as she approached them. The stonework of the houses was cold to the touch as she tried to stay close to the buildings so that they couldn’t see or hear her. She peered around the corner watching the spectacle.
“I gave you the money, so where is it?”
“Don’t be in such a hurry. You’ll get it.”
“I need it now!”
“Here’s a bag to tide you over. You’ll get the rest of it tomorrow.” Giséi watched as the human on the left handed over a tiny little bag, barely the width of her two smallest fingers. The man on the right snatched it up quickly.
“What? This is it? I paid you up front! You’re not going to stiff me this time! You’re not going anywhere until I get what I paid for!”
Something triggered in Giséi’s head. She could feel it. It was like a disc spinning on a turntable in the back of her head. As it gained speed, it was as if she was absorbing the molecules of energy around her and sucking it up like a vacuum to send the energy shooting down through her spine. In essence, she was downloading the events and information about the two men she was observing, storing it away for another purpose. She had felt this before, but she had dismissed it and blocked it out. There was no way she could overlook this now. This sensation had happened way too many times to be dismissed again. What was this? Why was this happening?
She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she completely missed the struggle between the two humans. Their conflict had risen to the point where they started to brawl. They were covered in their own blood with their faces so badly beaten that they were unrecognizable. The man on the left had wrestled the other to the ground. The one on the ground fought for dear life with one hand gripping the other man’s wrist, trying to keep the dagger away from him with the other hand under his attacker’s jaw. He strained every muscle in his arms to push up on the man’s jaw trying to get him off. The man on top overpowered him and slashed his throat. What was strange about the whole incident is that even though she didn’t even look at the two of them fighting, she still saw it play out in sequence as if she hadn’t looked away. For once, she finally got it. She remembered her calling. Throughout all of those years being ridiculed for destruction, she was a spy. She was a spy for her creator, the Universe. The information being downloaded into her being was not for her to keep; it was sent back out into the cosmos to determine the fate of different civilizations. That’s how she brought about change and ultimately destruction. Atlantis was now being put under the Universe’s microscope, and the population’s weakness for this drug was not helping the final outcome. This addiction was probably the cause for most of the poverty. They just didn’t know when to stop.
Taking a moment to review the chain of events that had just taken place, she pulled up some of the downloaded information to fill in the blanks. The man who survived was a dealer that had no drugs to deal. He was taking the money and stiffing the buyer. The man he had killed was not his first victim to die for his personal money-stealing cause.
From the rooftop above, Giséi heard a rustling sound. As the man was about to leave the alleyway and move into the shadows, Campanula jumped down from the roof and landed in front of him. Other than the first initial reaction of surprise, he didn’t have much time to retreat before she grabbed him by the back of the head and bit into his neck. There wasn’t m
uch of a struggle before he fell limp. She threw him off to the side with just a flick of her wrist, letting him fall to the ground. Giséi came out from her hiding place as Campanula was wiping off her mouth.
“Oh, don’t give me that look! You don’t expect me to feed off of my crew, do you?” Campanula’s eyes bored their way through Giséi.
“No, but why him?” asked Giséi.
“Why any of them,” she replied with a grin accompanied with an outstretched hand, gesturing for Giséi to turn around.
As she followed Campanula’s suggestion, she turned around only to see dead bodies lying around everywhere. People walked by them without a thought. Some of the dead looked as if they were bums fast asleep in their bed bundles. Others looked like drunkards that had passed out. Giséi went back to the entryway of the passage to look down another alley only to see more bodies lying around.
“They’re lowlifes, my dear. No one will ever miss them.”
“Are you just going to leave them there?”
“Of course not!” spouted Campanula in shock. “That would bring about questions, wouldn’t it? Once most of the villagers go home, right before daybreak, I’ll just dump the bodies into the ocean. Eventually, they’ll either sink to the bottom or get eaten. No one will ever have to know, except for you and me of course. You can’t honestly tell me that you care for these people. I can see it in your eyes.”
“You’re right; I don’t.”
“Then tell me, why did you fight in the battle earlier today?”
“I do value life, just not every little spec that shows signs of intelligence.”
“So, in other words, you only save those whom you deem worthy of saving. It seems to me that your employer, dare we call the Source that, views life the same way as you, but you can’t seem to handle that bias when your employer calls the shots.”
“What makes you think that I have an employer?”
“How quaint, you didn’t know that I could hear your thoughts reeling as you experienced your epiphany just a few moments ago.”
Giséi chose not to go any further with that comment, but decided to justify her reasoning. “I agree with my ‘employer.’ I just wish I would stop being blamed for the Universe’s choice.”
“Oh, you think that people are calling you ‘The Destroyer’ only when the Universe calls you to save or kill. Whether it’s the Universe, or your own views, you would be labeled the same. People are only calling it as they see fit. How would you react if you were a low-life being sentenced to death?”
“If you have so much compassion for them, then why did you fight for them to only turn around and feed on them, then not care if they rot?”
“I had to secure a source of food. It would suck if they all died. A girl’s gotta eat. Besides, I just like getting under your skin, nothing personal.” Campanula smirked as she turned to walk away.
A brief familiar glint caught Giséi’s eye. “Would you mind giving me back both of my sai? It would mean a lot to me.”
Campanula thought for a moment as she twirled one of the sai in her hand. The three-pronged metal baton-like weapon amused her; it was disappointing to have to give them up. She wanted to ask Giséi what she would do to get them back, but for some reason, she forwent the cocky arrogance and simply replied to Giséi’s inquiry. “I didn’t know these were yours. I figured they were Resheda’s. I don’t see why I shouldn’t give them back. May they serve you well.” She tossed the sai at Giséi’s feet.
“They always have,” replied Giséi as she picked them up gingerly.
Campanula saw the contentment come over Giséi’s face. She turned and left Giséi on her own in the alley. Campanula didn’t like fooling Giséi into believing that she didn’t care, but she felt better knowing that she had killed every link that could associate her with bringing a load of Glaecia to Atlantis. Most of the Glaecia bricks had already been returned to the cargo hold on the Kinnowwa. For the moment, everyone was busy blaming the Ackrids. If the trial was to continue, she didn’t want to be the new star in the spotlight unless it couldn’t be helped. She let out a heavy sigh. Who knew that so much trouble could come from a falling star crash landing in her backyard? Weren’t falling stars supposed to bring good luck? She should have known it was way too easy.
Chapter Six
Leonardo da Vinci’s Return
With a loud thunderous clap, Selené found her solitude and freedom behind a set of closed doors. It was a nice reprieve from the day’s events. The halls were littered with bodies; the grand stairway’s maps were all lit. It was as if a foreign God of Discord had run through the palace rummaging through everything and throwing it about, including the socks from everyone’s sock drawers. Selené had to chuckle at the thought. She rested her forehead against the immense elaborately carved doors that assured her silence could exist. Even the fountain outside of the door could not be heard. As she stood there, she attuned her ears to the silence she thought she heard. Instead, she heard the soft chuckle of a female hidden somewhere deep within the archive.
At first, she thought she was just hearing things. She blocked it out and took in the sights of the room. Its pale blue walls were lit by the soft light of gold sconces encrusted with rubies. The blue glass dome covering the ceiling looked dark under the night sky, but the stars could still be seen. She walked to the center of the archive, which was a large circular room surrounded by a horseshoe of isles filled with books and scrolls.
Standing in the center of it all, it was obvious now that people had invaded her sanctuary, and she still had to decide whether to stick it out and wait till they left, or leave for her quarters, which had been defiled by bad memories. The laughter kept getting louder, and she knew they were getting close. As she hid amongst the books, her anger grew. The mumble of a man’s voice could now be heard, and the female’s laughter was now identified as Pandora. Her anger turned to the low residual of annoyance. Why would Seth and Pandora be in her refuge? They never took an interest in the archive before. Who did they think they were? Didn’t they know she wanted to be alone? Her thoughts fueled her subsided anger, and rage once again boiled in her veins.
She peeked around the corner of the bookshelf trying to get a better look at her intruders. At first, she thought it was Seth, but when he sat down at one of the tables, she saw it was Sir Anthony. Feeling betrayed, her jealousy took over, and she knew once and for all that she would not be able to wait them out. She had to leave as soon as possible. With her heart pounding out of her chest, Selené wove in and out of the bookshelves trying to leave unnoticed. She couldn’t help but notice Pandora’s giggling had become more frequent and every time she saw her friend through the shelves of books Pandora was blushing. Weren’t Seth and the wolf-man enough for her? Pandora knew how Selené felt about him! Her heart beat even harder as she raced faster for the door. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her body shook with anger and pain. Selené had her hand on the doorknob and started to pull one of the doors open.
“Sel, there you are! We’ve been looking for you!” Pandora’s voice seemed so innocent compared to the last few moments of flirtation.
Selené didn’t even look over her shoulder as she ran through the double doors as tears engraved traces down her face.
Pandora chased after her and grabbed her by the arm in front of the fountain. Sir Anthony stayed behind in the doorway and watched the spectacle. He dared not to advance any further.
“Selené, what’s wrong?” Pandora looked at Selené’s tear ridden face. “Okay, if you promise to stay and not run, I will close the door to the archive, so we can talk. You will talk with me, right?”
Selené didn’t answer; she simply stared down at the ground in silence. Sir Anthony took the hint and closed the double doors leaving them to speak in private.
Pandora turned her attention from the closing doors to Selené. “Sel, what’s wrong?”
After a moment, she looked at Pandora. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you? You knew I was interested in him, but you just couldn’t respect that, could you?”
“Who, Sel? Who did I fall for? Sir Anthony?” Selené’s eyes hardened. “I love Seth. Though I do have to admit Sir Anthony is a charmer,” Pandora said as she blushed a little bit. “But, I really don’t think he’s interested in me. He was, after all, looking for you! I took him to the archive because I figured that’s where we would find you.”
Though Selené started to feel stupid at this point in time, she still felt angry and even a little bit threatened by Pandora’s possible secret interest. “Why was he looking for me?”
“He wants to make sure you are alright. I’m sorry for giving off the impression of flirting with him. He knew I was having a hard time dealing with my own love interests and was helping me out by making me laugh. That’s all that was. Please, go in there and talk to him.”
“I do need somewhere to go that’s quieter than here. I am a little nerve racked.” She gave Pandora a faint smile. Selené started to head back to the doors.
“If you need a place to stay once you get tired, my door is always open to you. Given the circumstances, I think both of us are a little too freaked out to be alone.”
“That honestly doesn’t sound too bad. I’ll be there,” Selené accepted. Pandora smiled at her friend’s calm response and then left Selené to give her some breathing space before she entered the archive.
Her exhaustion overrode her excitement when she surrendered herself to the archive. She silently begged the Universe that the rest of the evening would pass peacefully, no more anger, no more tears, nothing but still emotions. She walked up to him as calmly as what she could muster and approached the table where he sat. Twirling a pencil in his hand, he kept looking down at the papers spread out in front of him. Once in sight, she eyed the papers as well. A wave of shock and conniption seized her being.
