“Interesting,” Sherwood whispered and rubbed his white beard. “So it is real after all. And what are these Effeelions you mentioned?”
“The evolved Elves that live in the sky,” Eckxio answered. “They are highly spiritual and opened a gate into the realm of light for me. My physical body entered the realm and I met the angelic beings that gave me the Valiarmos.”
Sherwood and Solfia looked dumbfounded. They remained silent with a blank expression unsure of what to say. Eckxio immediately regretted mentioning his trip to the realm of light. It was too much for his parents to believe. “Maybe I said too much. I am sorry,” he apologized.
“It is fine. You don’t need to apologize,” Sherwood replied.
“It is hard to believe, but it is true,” Eckxio said softly. “At first I could not believe it myself but I was really there running on the golden brick path with…I mean…never mind.” He had paused, giving up trying to explain. Who would believe such a tale? he thought. That I entered the holy realm.
“So these Effeelions, evolved Elves you say, what were they like?” his mother asked and Eckxio knew she was trying to prevent the conversation from becoming awkward.
“They were four feet tall with big cat like eyes and even longer ears than us,” Eckxio described. “The Effeelions are very intelligent. They have a large library, they love to meditate and stargaze. They posses this ability called astral traveling, which I think is white magic. Overall, they are very friendly but have strong boundaries and rules for those living under the clouds.”
“Ah, yes, my grandfather once told me about these evolved Elves,” Sherwood recalled. “Yes, the ones who live in the sky. I thought they had a different name, but your description sounds very similar to my grandfather’s. My grandfather, Lockwood, had journeyed to a country in the south centuries ago and he said that he saw a city floating above the mountain. Like a castle or something in the shape of a pyramid. He died days after his journey. He did not live long enough to write about his adventure.”
“Great grandfather Lockwood journeyed south?” Eckxio gaped. “How come you never told me?” he crossed his arms, displeased.
“Because very few of us believed him and no one after him journeyed south,” Sherwood explained. “But now that you have brought this holy pendant with you I see that my grandfather was right. He was not some crazy old man who had hallucinated. Grandfather Lockwood was known to be addicted to mushrooms and not the good ones if you know what I am talking about.”
“Oh please, don’t remind me,” Solfia added and rolled her eyes.
Suddenly, two young Elves entered the pavilion bantering, running around and fighting with swords. It was a boy and a girl. The boy fell and rolled on the ground while the girl kicked him and poke him with the wooden sword. Eckxio smiled knowing who they were but Sherwood grimaced and stood groaning.
“Out! Out you two,” Sherwood shouted. “I thought I had told you to not enter this pavilion while we are busy.”
“Eckxio!” the blonde girl shrieked. She ran, jumped and embraced Eckxio almost knocking him down.
“Latwie, my dear, I missed you,” he said with his arms around her.
“Uncle Eckxio!” the brown haired boy shouted and ran for an embrace.
The two youngsters knocked Eckxio to the ground play fighting and biting him. He was not their real uncle but they loved him as one. He had not seen the two younglings in almost a week. As he held them in his arms he remembered.
“Where is Nana?” Eckxio asked and looked at the two Elves.
The little paploo fairy flew out of Latwie’s hair. She fluttered her leaf like wings and spun around Eckxio’s face happy to see him again. She was only three inches, chubby, furry with two little feet and four belly buttons that glowed in different colors.
“Nana! Come here, Nana,” Eckxio grabbed the fairy from the air and pressed her against his cheek. “Oh, I miss you.”
The paploo fairy squeezed communicating with Eckxio and spun around. He could read what she was saying by the number of times she would squeak. Sometimes Nana would change colors to express herself using the four natural elements but commonly she would use sounds and light patterns.
“Sorry Nana, I can’t take you with me, it is too dangerous,” Eckxio said. “I can’t risk losing you too.”
“Sir Eckxio, were you able to speak with her?” Latwie asked.
“Speak to whom? You mean Willow?” Eckxio was perplexed. “She can’t speak in her condition, Latwie.”
“Well it’s more like she speaks to you,” Nezz said. “Yesterday me and Latwie were watching over Willow while Lady Solfia went looking for more dead salt.”
“You let them watch over Willow by themselves?” Sherwood asked his wife.
“What is wrong with that?” Solfia responded with hands on her hips.
“Mom, dad, please, let them finish,” Eckxio said then returned his attention to the young Elves. “Go on.”
“As we held her hand we could hear her voice, like whispers,” Nezz explained.
“I could hear her saying your name and said that she will find a way back home,” Latwie added.
“How can she communicate without her soul?” Solfia asked. “I have watched over her and held her hand many times. I have never heard anything from her.”
“Interesting,” Sherwood murmured and rubbed his beard.
Eckxio looked at Willow then reached into his pocket for the rose quartz she had given him. The gemstone, it was her way of keeping him close to her heart.
“Nezz, Latwie, did Willow ever gave you one of these gemstones?” he asked the young Elves.
“Actually, yes she did,” Latwie answered. She then took out a rose quartz from her pocket and Nezz had one as well. “She gave us these quartz one day when we were walking around the Spirituah forest. She said it will keep us close to her and to show us how much she loved us.”
Eckxio then thought that he too might be able to hear her voice so he sat next to her and held her hand with the rose quartz in between their palms. He closed his eyes and as he focused on her, everyone in the tent became silent. Although he could not feel her maju something still lingered. He was not sure what it was but he felt a part of her presence still there. It was like one of those moments when Willow would sneak behind Eckxio to surprise him but he always knew it was her. After a few minutes he heard her voice.
Eckxio, Evee Iris, Moyeed, Mouah Cross. I must return. I must return home. I must find my body. The Emerald Cosmo Jewel, I must return it to Mouah Cross or the Greamos will die. Please Terramus, release me from this empty realm. Help me return home. They are waiting for me. Eckxio, Akielas, Auron. Everyone.
A tear trickled down his cheek hearing her voice. “I have not lost you yet,” he whispered. He kissed her warm hand and gently placed it down by her thigh and covered it with the blanket. He kept his eyes closed for a moment listening to her haunting echoes. After of few minutes of meditation he finally stood up and looked at everyone in the tent.
“I must return to my friends,” he said.
“Take me with you,” Nezz begged.
“No! It is way too dangerous. Stay here safe and watch over Nana for me,” he commanded. “I don’t know when I will be back but if anything happens do not wait for me. Move to a different location. I must reclaim the Emerald Cosmo Jewel. As long as it is in the possession of the Specters, Willow’s soul will be trapped and the Greamos will be at risk of extinction.” He then turned to Sherwood and Solfia. “Mother, Father, take care.”
“This is not goodbye,” Sherwood stated. “We will see you again…right.”
Eckxio did not answer. Solfia hugged him, bursting into tears.
“I know we will see you again,” Latwie said.
Again Eckxio did not answer, he only smiled. He hugged the two young Elves then walked out of the pavilion. Clutching the pendant around his neck he called upon the power of the Angel Valiarmos and with a blinding flash it cloaked him in white, silver and gold.
Swan like wings stretched on his back. He flapped his wings and rose into the sky then jetted back to the Spirituah forest and the pentacle portal.
It was just too hard to say goodbye, he thought. I fear I might meet my end if we fail to stop the Specters before the tri-eclipse.
He looked down at the glade and saw Nezz and Latwie waving goodbye. Tears filled his eyes and pain swelled in his chest. I won’t say goodbye, he thought. The thought of never seeing them again is too painful. I must survive. For Willow, my love. And Evee Iris, Oh Evee Iris, your leaves still fall upon our ground.
Auron
The tri-eclipse was six days away. Akielas and Eckxio had left to Verday. Rey Ling returned to the United Pathways to find his father’s hidden omnithium. The Specters had three cosmo jewels in their possession and soon to find the last one. King Darmang was still cursed into a deep slumber by Ember. If Auron does not kill Ember in time the king of Burnahdujf wouldn’t wake. Akielas had lost his magic and Caim, whom Auron believed was the only hope, was captured by the Specters.
Auron stared down at the clouds from the first level of Kazenolumos. His arms crossed, his brow furrowed and his patients was running thin. What am I doing just standing here? He thought, frustrated. If we could at least get rid of Ember the Specters will be without their leader and King Darmang will finally wake.
Auron did not like to wait. He was a man of action. Sometimes he wondered how he got along with Akielas. Although Akielas was his master and adopted father, Auron was more aggressive and was quick to kill. “I am not soft like Akielas,” he would say.
In desperate times like these waiting was like an illness to him, as if he were sick with no medicine. It infuriated him to feel so useless, and to be honest, my faith in Akielas is fading, he thought. I can no longer rely on Akielas. What are the chances of him regaining his magic at a time like this? I have other plans that oppose my friend’s ideas to stop the Specters, but they will hate me for it.
“Auron!” Nehushine called. The Effeelion flew on a cloud. He rose from below the city and to the first level. The flying cloud moved through the sky leaving white trails. Nehushine hovered next to the Amaranth and they both stared at the clouds below. “You have been standing here for an hour. Are you alright?”
“Just pondering about things,” Auron answered without taking his eyes off the clouds. “Not much I can do now. I am just waiting for Akielas.”
“Yes, everyone is asking about him,” Nehushine said. “The council is currently looking through some old scrolls hoping to find a way to recover his magic. It is frightening that these Specters have truly found a way to rid mages of their magic. I can’t imagine a world without magic. “
“Me neither. Magic is a gift from the dragon gods or should I say, Prodigus Kollos,” Auron remarked.
Nehushine laughed then brought a pipe to his mouth and started smoking. The old Effeelion blew rings of smoke and then blew smoke in the shape of birds flying through those rings.
“You find humor in a time like this?” Auron asked solemnly.
“Yes I do,” Nehushine replied, gracefully. “It is difficult but even in dark times we must find the light. Humor is a good way to start. Hundreds of years ago my father told me that the best way to face death is with a smile.”
Auron chuckled.
“Ah, there we go,” Nehushine said and laughed again.
Around them the Effeelions flew on clouds and continued to repair damages done to their city. The granite stones that formed their walls and the ivory pillars inside the city. They brought food from the Yama country. Vegetables and fruits in baskets as well as bread. The floating islands where they grew their vegetables were destroyed by fiends and the Specters. Many Effeelions would shape shift into birds to search for food without attracting any attention. Auron liked Kazenolumos but he felt safer on the ground. He preferred to step on solid ground and not feel like he was about to fall.
“Are those flying clouds alive?” Auron asked pointing at one that was passing by.
“Our flying clouds are no regular clouds,” Nehushine explained. “You could say that they are alive, and yes they are made of water, but we do not fall off when we ride them. Nimbus clouds have a mind of their own. You have to make a pact with them to be able to call them when needed.”
“Interesting,” Auron said and rubbed his ruby mustache.
“Auron, I can sense that something is troubling you. Would you like to talk about it?” Nehushine asked politely.
“I am fine. I am just worried. Akielas always worries me,” Auron confessed. “He was the only one that knew where to find the Specters and now he has no connection to them. Why do I get the feeling that we might lose this battle? No. This war.”
The wind whistled and billowed Nehushine’s long beard. There was a moment of silence that Auron enjoyed and wished it could go on forever. The silence of tranquility he sought for so long. The silence he wanted for his people back home. The silence that he also feared he would only find in death. Standing up here in Kazenolumos and looking down at the world through the opening in the clouds made him feel that hidden desire. It reminded him of what he fought for and all the effort he had made to live a life of peace. I became a mercenary to earn money for my village only to watch it burn by my previous king, he mulled. Now I am the right hand of King Darmang. Still fighting for peace. Sometimes I wish I was like the Effeelions. Just live up high where no one can bother me. The life of a hermit. Oh god, no, what am I thinking.
Auron chuckled and palmed his face at the thought of living like a hermit. He was too ambitious to settle in such a way.
“And what do you find so humorous?” Nehushine asked.
“Myself,” Auron answered. “Just thinking of the past.”
“Should I leave you alone then?” Nehushine asked and shifted his body away from Auron.
“Wait, I would like to hear your wise opinion on something,” Auron said and clutched Nehushine’s small shoulder. “The Specters believe that they can bring peace to the world by getting rid of magic. It is such a cold belief yet I cannot help to think that they have good intentions. However, we still have to stop them for they are inflicting too much damage upon the world. What is your take on this? This philosophy of bringing peace by means of power, dominance and destruction.”
“It is difficult to explain but I will try my best,” Nehushine said and cleared his throat. “Whatever had motivated the Specters to go on such a mission to find peace by means of destruction is something personal. However, everything that the human species do in Odealeous is motivated by two things. Pain and pleasure. Moving out of pain and into pleasure. Some people settle for short term pleasure then go back to enduring pain but the strong willed ones like the Specters plan for the long term. They think that things like love and unity will never happen because human beings are such selfish creatures they are not willing to work together. They think that someone should pass judgment on humanity and the dragon gods are doing nothing about it. By my understanding of their point of view, the Specters have decided that total control and destruction is the only way to be certain that there will always be peace in this world because they cannot bear to live with uncertainty. They believe that what they’re doing is good because it will benefit the rest of the world. Whether they realize it or not, they have taken a short cut to finding peace. They plan to bring us back to nothingness and then rule and become the ones to pass judgment. Do you not think it is easier to destroy everything until there is nothing left? It is no different than committing suicide and no longer having to deal with the hardships of life. The Specters are really just a bunch of hurt children looking to ease their own pain, not the pain of the world. They are disturbing the balance of this world. They think that they can control and cheat nature but I promise you it will back fire.”
“Backfire? How so?” Auron asked.
“I do not have all the answers but I know for sure that the soul of the world will not allow this to happen,” Nehushine exp
lained. “The world will try to balance itself and if one day Odealeous comes to an end it will not be the cause of any mage.”
“What makes you say that?” Auron questioned.
“To rid the world of magic or bring about the end of the world, it is something that only the dragon gods can do and only the creators can end their creations,” Nehushine answered.
“You never expected someone to steal the aero jewel and make your city fall from the sky, but it happened,” Auron said. “No one ever thought that a demigod could be captured but it happened. How do you expect me to believe that the dragon gods will prevent this from happening?”
“This world belongs to no one. The soul of the world will find balance. You don’t have to believe me, Auron, you just need to have faith in the survival of Odealeous,” Nehushine said then ascended to the second level of Kazenolumos. “We will finish our discussion later, Auron. I have things I have to finish up in the third level and Akielas should be arriving soon. I will be in the library if you need me.”
“Nice excuse,” Auron whispered and a part of him believed the old Effeelion, yet a greater part thought it was rubbish. Auron disliked fairy tales and wishful talk. He liked facts and strategies, not prophecies and daydreams. He respected the Effeelions but he thought that they talked and philosophized too much. “Nothing but theories and empty promises. Unreliable. I think it is time to engage my new plans.”
It made him feel guilty to have to hide something from his friends but he was done waiting and no longer had faith in Akielas. He clutched the Golden Sun that hung from his neck, the sun ray spikes pinching his skin, and called upon its power. The medallion hanging from his neck began to vibrate and shine a golden light. He jumped off the edge of the city and as he fell, the Valiarmos clad him in golden armor. He ascended and headed for Caim’s island that floated next to the city. Auron flew without wings, only the energy of the Valiarmos carried him. The armor had spikes trailing around the armor and a sun was embossed on the chest plate. It was a gift from Ganicus, the prince of the desert country. Auron had seen the boy being killed by Ember right before his eyes. It was a devastating memory and he swore he would avenge the boy. He had promised King Mahamuth, the king of Zolan, that he would return the Valiarmos once Ember was defeated. Auron wanted to keep that promise but ever since the Specters took the third cosmo jewel his faith had faded.
Blood of Mages (Rift of Chaos Book 3) Page 5
