by Lady Lilium
The birds picked eagerly for the seeds, fighting amongst each other. They scattered suddenly, and Lauralie looked up in surprise to see a figure approach her.
He stepped through the flock as they began to take wing, sitting beside her.
‘Diz?’ Lauralie asked tentatively.
He did not answer, but watched, as the birds returned to the ground to feed on the seeds once more.
Then, he reached into his own pocket, throwing out more seeds for them to eat.
A minute or so passed.
Once all the seeds he carried were gone, Diz reached into his other pocket. He brought out a single boiled sweet, and handed it to Lauralie.
Lauralie took it from him, and saw that is was orange like her hair.
The edges of her eyes crinkled in a smile, and she glanced up at him. Diz was looking back at her now.
He blinked several times, lips curling in a slight smile. Lauralie shuffled up to him, closing the gap on the bench between them. She didn’t say anything, but leant into him, resting her head on his shoulder and holding him close, like she used to.
Reuben and Venom were wandering through the town together. They had been for the last few days trying to pick up the remnants of their old lives when they came across a figure that they did not expect. A person they thought they would never see again.
It was Siren, she was sitting on a wall, in a spot that suggested she had been waiting for them.
Reuben and Venom faltered at the sight of her, and Siren lifted her head towards them.
‘Hello.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Reuben asked her. ‘I thought the portals to the other world would be open now.’
‘They are’ Siren replied simply. ‘I have been to the Ancient World, and come back.’
‘Why?’ Venom asked.
‘I was looking for Indigo’ Siren admitted. ‘He is missing. I wanted to find one of you, to ask if you had seen him.’
The two exchanged a glance uncertainly.
‘I've not see him’ Venom said.
‘Nor me’ Reuben added.
‘Oh’ Siren sighed, ‘I see.’
‘I'm sure he’s fine’ Venom said dismissively. ‘He is a guardian after all.’
‘It’s strange’ Siren said, talking to her hands. ‘The truth is…he never left this world, at least not as far as I understand. He said that he would be following me to the Ancient World shortly, but he never came, and I haven’t seen him since. I was getting worried.’
‘Where do you suppose he’s gone?’ Reuben asked her.
‘I don’t know.’
‘You don’t suppose the other elder guardians have anything to do with his disappearance do you?’ Reuben asked her tentatively.
‘You mean Lagoon? The one who began the hunt for the philosophers stones? No. I have a feeling that he left of his own free will.’
‘What will happen now that he has them?’ Venom asked, referring to Lagoon.
‘I’d hate the think’ Siren muttered under her breath. ‘I'm sure we will find out…in days to come.’
‘So who exactly is this Lagoon?’ Venom asked her. ‘And why does he want the stones so badly?’
‘I know it’s hard to believe’ Siren began, ‘but he used to be a good friend of ours, years ago. He was once Shire’s lover.’
‘Your mother?’ Reuben raised an eyebrow.
‘Yes’ Siren nodded. ‘But thankfully he’s not my father.’ She paused. ‘Lagoon. It was the name he adopted once he became a guardian. He hasn’t been a guardian for that long, yet his ambitions have become great.’ She played absentmindedly with her blue hair as she spoke, twirling it between her fingers. ‘He was even good to me…back in the day. But one day my mother left him. She didn’t like the way he thought, the way he always sought power. Since that day he’s been our enemy, seeking, always seeking more power, with his brilliant mind.’
‘That’s why he won’t fight’ Venom realised. ‘Why he doesn’t want to face you, why he always sent those creatures to do his bidding.’
‘A theory shared by Indigo’ Siren shrugged. ‘He claims it was Lagoon’s broken heart that turned him into the monster he’s become. But we will never know for sure.’
‘So why did you come back here?’ Venom asked her. ‘It can’t just be to ask us where Indigo is. Why did you come all this way?’
‘You’re a smart one’ she teased, tapping the end of her nose. ‘The truth is’ she spoke, sliding off the wall, ‘I wanted to show you something.’ She moved away from them, indicating for them to follow. ‘Come with me’ she said, ‘and I will give you possibility.’
Lucas opened the curtains, seeing a glowing golden sunrise outside and beyond. The sky was gloriously bright like a honey glaze, and for the briefest of moments, Lucas felt a trickle of his old self, returning to him. A memory came to him.
‘Lucas. You're up early.’
Lucas spotted Ebony behind him. She was dressed in her typical blacks, winking at him with her hazel eyes. Sitting upon her shoulder, was Pokie, glaring at him as usual.
‘Reuben’s not up yet’ Lucas told her.
‘Oh?’ she said teasingly.
A sly smirk crossed his face. He strode up to her, taking her in his arms and kissing her deeply.
She broke away from him, giggling shyly and hunching her shoulders, cheeks blushing.
‘Oh Lucas’ she said touching her fingertips to her mouth. ‘You're so daring. Are you sure your brother doesn’t know?’
‘If he did, he would have said so by now’ Lucas reassured her.
She giggled again, poking the end of his nose, before kissing him again. He winced suddenly as she touched his waist.
‘Sorry!’ she worried. ‘Does it still hurt?’
‘A little’ Lucas smiled awkwardly, placing a gentle hand on his own waist where the bandage still was. ‘The aberrant did a good job, but he didn’t have enough magic to fully heal me. It’s still a little tender.’
‘I'm sorry’ she said again.
‘Don’t worry about it’ Lucas said relaxing.
She beamed at him. ‘I'm so glad we met. How did I ever go so lucky?’
She pulled him towards her, walking backwards. She stumbled suddenly, her wrist jerked backwards as something caught her, tying her arm to the leg of the coffee table.
‘What's this?’ she exclaimed.
It looked like a piece of scrap metal sitting on the floor, shaped like a burnt piece of paper that had curled and scrunched up in a fire. From it came many thin wires that bound her in place to the coffee table.
‘Sorry’ Lucas fumbled, quickly rushing to untie her. ‘It must have dropped out my pocket. I haven’t had a chance to properly test it yet.’
‘You carry those things around with you?’ she asked sceptically, straightening up and rubbing her wrist where it had caught her. She watched as Lucas returned the device to his pocket.
‘Hey’ he waved a finger at her. ‘You never know when you might need them.’
Lucas’ expression turned serious then.
‘Reuben’s coming.’
Ebony gasped, she hurried to pick up a magazine, seating herself in a recline position on the sofa, as if she’d been there for ages, Pokie sat on her lap. Lucas wandered over towards the kitchen, and began to cook breakfast, just as Reuben entered the room.
‘Morning’ Ebony said casually without looking up, flicking through the magazine.
Lucas returned to the living room, holding a pan of eggs he was about to cook. ‘How does your arm feel today?’ he asked his brother.
Reuben lifted his cast that went up past his elbow. ‘It feels good’ Reuben said. ‘Hopefully I can have it off soon.’
Ebony and Lucas shot a sly glance to each other; Reuben was completely oblivious to anything going on.
Lucas’ mobile began to buzz then, and Lucas read the text. It was from Sian.
When are you coming to see me?
Lucas began to text a response.
> I told you, we’re finished. What does it have to take for you to get this?
The response came quickly.
I don’t belive you. Your upto something
Lucas heaved a sigh, closing the mobile and putting it back into his pocket.
‘Lucas?’ Ebony’s voice was uncertain. ‘Is everything alright?’
‘Everything’s fine’ he told her. ‘There’s nothing to worry about.’
Lucas watched the golden sunrise, opening the curtains further as a thought slowly dawned on him.
‘Ebony would have come to love you in time, had I not played with her heart.’
‘He was lying’ Lucas spoke aloud, remembering Lagoon’s last words to him. ‘You didn’t know of her by that time.’
He realised suddenly that he was alone in the apartment, realised that he had not seen Reuben for many days now.
Lucas opened the window, calling forth his wings, intending to search for him by air. He felt out of balance suddenly. Glancing over his shoulder, he remembered why.
His right wing, now only a stump at the joint had healed well. But he would not be able to fly again, not like this. Lucas felt sadness as he realised this.
His wings withdrew into his back, and Lucas headed for the door instead.
He would have to find his brother on foot.
Far away, in the neighbouring town, was a man, or to be more precise, a guardian. Walking with purpose, he strode beside the rails at the edge of the harbour. The wind whipped his black rooted, fiery red hair, and he scanned his surroundings with his pea-green eyes.
In the great river beside him, small ferries channelled people from one side of the river to the other, and the old navy ships with their huge masts rocked gently in the rippling waters.
Indigo passed a statue of an old man leaning forwards on a rope, ringing a bell that was on top of the rope. Sitting at the foot of the statue upon its steps, was a young man with one arm. Drake watched as Indigo marched on, sparing him only a brief glance. Drake did not care why he was there; he had left that life of violence behind. He ignored him, speaking again to his girlfriend Eleanor who sat by his side, trying to forget the trauma of his past.
He would never go back.
Indigo kept searching, until he found what he was looking for, a young man, by the name of Kyle.
‘I have come to know you. I have been watching you for a while now, and I have chosen you.’
‘Chosen me?’ Kyle responded, seeing Indigo for the first time. ‘Chosen me for what?’
‘You're a fighter’ Indigo continued, ‘you're strong…never mind’ he waved away. ‘I will give you a choice. Do you want to discover a whole new world of possibility and power, and to be just like your sister? Do you want to become strong, and do great things? And if you say yes to me now, remember your life will be changed forever. You can never go back.’
Kyle didn’t even hesitate. His answer came quickly, and with surety.
‘Yes’ he told Indigo. ‘I want to change. I want to become better than what I am. I want to go where my sister goes. I care for her very much.’
A slow gleam passed over Indigo, and he felt elated, bowing his head at the young man.
‘You are so much like your sister’ he told him. ‘I know I am making the right choice. ‘One day, you will travel to the Ancient World, and inherit my name.’
Indigo touched Kyle at the chest.
Kyle felt a shooting sensation through his body, like an electric shock, then a great pain. And then, a sudden feeling of power and liberation, as his body felt strong, felt truly alive like it never had before.
‘Goodbye Kyle’ Indigo said slipping away from him. ‘We will not meet again.’
Indigo would leave his old life he had lived in the Ancient World behind him. He would spend the rest of his days travelling in the Modern World, as a normal man. Siren nor anyone else would ever know what had happened to him. His disappearance would remain a mystery forever. He could not go back to the way things had been, not ever. He could not forgive himself, nor get rid of the guilt. The guilt he felt every day, for failing to save both Crystal and Ebony. He felt no longer worthy to call himself a guardian, and so, he called himself Vagrant.
‘What is this?’ Venom asked.
‘A doorway’ Siren cast her hands out towards the portal before her, ‘to the Ancient World. It’s open for you. You only have to step through. Let me lead you to places unknown.’
‘Are we really ready for this?’ Reuben voiced his concerns. ‘I couldn’t leave my brother behind.’
‘You don’t have you’ came another voice.
Siren, Venom and Reuben glanced around, seeing Lucas standing there. In the days he had been away, his black hair had grown longer, and now hung across and face and over his forehead, shading his blue eyes.
‘Lucas?’ his brother asked. ‘How did you find us?’
‘Lucky guess’ he shrugged.
Lucas observed the open portal before them, its white light shining brightly, even in the midday sun.
‘I want to leave this place’ Lucas said, ‘and travel to places new. I want to explore other worlds, just like I dreamed of when I was young.’
‘Just like we dreamed of’ Reuben corrected, moving to stand beside his brother. ‘There’s nothing left for us here’ he continued. ‘Perhaps it’s time for both of us to move on.’
‘I will meet you on the other side then’ Siren beamed at them, before stepping through the portal herself.
Venom followed swiftly after. Reuben and Lucas held back.
‘Are you alright?’ Reuben asked his brother. ‘You seem….different.’
‘So do you’ Lucas retorted. ‘So much has happened to us lately. It’s impossible for it not to have changed us.’
‘What's that you’ve got there?’ Reuben asked, as he noticed his brother pat something in his pocket.
Lucas first was careful to make sure that nobody in the streets were paying attention to him, he then reached for the item, bringing it out for his brother to see.
It was a jagged stone, shining brightly in the sunlight, a shade of pretty pink.
‘What's that?’ Reuben asked.
‘It’s a philosopher’s stone’ Lucas answered. ‘The last memory I have of Ebony.’
‘What? But how? I thought the elder guardians took both of them?’
‘So did I’ Lucas agreed. ‘I don’t understand it myself. I think perhaps Ebony performed a spell before she died. That she created another. The one they took is a fake.’
‘How do you know?’ Reuben asked.
Lucas shrugged.
‘I just know’ he said. ‘This is the real one.’
The brothers stood side by side before the portal. A dragonfly darted above their heads as they prepared to step through.
‘Are you ready?’ Lucas asked his brother teasingly.
‘Are you?’ Reuben joked back.
Lucas smirked at him, and side by side, they crossed the threshold.
Lucas was blinded by the white light, then everything went dark, and his stomach lurched. He felt the sensation of being on a rollercoaster, travelling faster and faster. His stomach was so tight that it became almost unbearable. His eyes watered, and he saw white flashes shooting past him that might have been stars. But soon enough his feet touched ground again, and he stumbled forwards.
Lucas gathered himself, straightening up. He opened his eyes and gasped.
They were in a place completely new, no longer surrounded by concrete and bricks. Around them now were huge open plains of grassland. Large sections of woodlands grew in the distance, and even further away were giant mountains that towered over the rest of this world. The air felt fresh and clean, and Lucas smelt the scent of sea air nearby, noticing at the same time that the sun was in a different position in the sky, noticing also that it was warmer here.
Before them, built against the coastline on the edge of the grasslands, was a great city made of stone. From where they stood
, Lucas could see many turrets and towers of varying shape and height lifting from the buildings, and dotted here and there were banners and flags.
Reuben cried out in surprise beside him. Glancing over to him, Lucas could see Reuben staring at his hands in bewilderment. Great markings had appeared on his flesh, tribal markings that covered the back of his hands and were growing slowly up his forearms. Lucas lifted his own hands, to see that the same was happening to him
‘Your full powers have been brought alive’ Siren replied calmly, ‘by coming here. This is a magical world, unlike the one you’ve come from.’
Venom stared in amazement at the transformation, suddenly voicing a thought.
‘What about Lauralie and the others?’
‘The others are free to follow you’ Siren said to him, ‘when they're ready.’
Lucas sensed something then. Closing his eyes tight shut he saw a brief but vivid image flash through his mind.
Another world. A third world.
It was cold, the grass was frosted and the clouds were dark. There were no birds here, and the rivers and the seas were frozen. And somewhere off in the distance, set at the base of a rocky cliff, was a temple of pure white.
Lucas grimaced, his brow creased as he felt a great presence from within the temple itself, a presence that reached out to him.
‘Father….?’
Epilogue
Many years later in the Ancient World
People were screaming, fleeing in a blind panic from the soldiers who were sparing no-one. The city was in complete chaos, the cries of the dead and dying were too much to bear; some of the soldiers even took their own lives out of despair of what was being done. Women and children lay dead in the streets along with the men, young and old.
