by M. D. Laird
“He then set out to change what he did not like, his first task is to have demons cast into Hell, then angels into Heaven as he believes they ‘have no place in this world’. There is more to his plan that I cannot see, but I have foreseen this. If he succeeds, he will displace all of Arkazatinia’s rulers, perhaps hoping that he will have more influence over the newer rulers Arkazatinia appoints, and then he will take full control for himself. He will have all the armies of thorian and will then make his move. His plans are unclear and somewhat erratic, but he has plans to move on Axandria, Vernasia and even Lycea.”
The room was in shocked silence for a few moments after she had finished speaking.
An angel spoke first. “My Lady, I am Jacob, Son of Raphæl. Do you know why he wants the angels and demons banished?”
“He has not shared his plans,” said Lady Ariana. “What I know I have gleaned from my vision. It seems that as the angels and demons are under the decree of Heaven, he does not see you as useful to his plan. He has tried to use the population of Arkazatinia to achieve his goals, starting with demons. He has fed misinformation to encourage the Arkazatines to drive out demons for him. The Impærielas have been powerless to stop him. We are defenceless. We have no army, and we do not fight. The Imperator is not of the character of the Impærielas. He has been marked or changed, I know not how. It is not in our nature to encourage acts of war, but we have a mandate to protect Arkazatinia and Lycea. To do nothing, I’m afraid, would be worse in this instance—he must be removed as Imperator and the Crown restored.”
“My Lady, I am Ester, Patriarch of Exalon. How is the Crown to be restored? You said they were no more.”
“It was the case,” replied Lady Ariana, “but now one has emerged. It is most unusual; they are not from the Impærielas but an outlander.”
“From Lycea?” exclaimed Ester.
“Yes,” said Lady Ariana, “an outlander who does not know their path, but has pledged allegiance to Arkazatinia nonetheless.” Calab glanced at Thalia. She met his gaze but said nothing.
“There is a prophecy,” continued Lady Ariana, “a prophecy that says:
The one who shows loyalty with no thought of reward,
sees the truth but does not hide,
and seeks allegiance in the face of adversity
shall be deemed worthy to rule all.
“The Imperator is aware of the prophecy, and he knows that an outlander has been chosen. I’m afraid he will stop at nothing to keep his reign. The outlander is in grave danger. I implore you all to find and protect them, and then put an end to the Imperator’s reign.”
“How are we to find them?” asked Jacob. “Do you have any more details?”
“I’m afraid not,” said Lady Ariana calmly. “Only that they can see our world and they have pledged allegiance. I am sorry I can be of no more help.”
“Thank you, My Lady,” said Tharazan. “My friends, in light of Lady Ariana’s testament I must implore you all to pledge your allegiance to this cause and help us to rid our land of the Imperium and restore the Crown. Who is with me?”
A resounding agreement spread throughout the room, and each put their right hand on the table in a demonstration of allegiance—including the Lady Ariana. Thalia hesitated.
“Thalia!” said Calab. “You cannot be serious. Have you heard nothing of what was said?”
“I do not have an army to command,” she replied. “My people are trained for battle, but I do not control them. I will need to ask them if they agree to join the alliance.”
“We know how your order operates, Thalia,” replied Avalon. “We are only asking you to pledge your own allegiance; I imagine many of your people will rally to the cause.”
“In that case, I offer my commitment. On my life I will do what I can to save Arkazatinia and protect Lycea,” she said, placing her hand on the table.
With business concluded, Lady Ariana exhausted and the wine finished, the alliance left the Guild of Calahad. Calab caught up with Thalia as she left.
“May I speak with you, Thalia?” he asked.
“Of course, Prince.”
“You know of who the prophecy speaks?”
“Not for certain,” she replied. “The human girl I brought to your guild the day you took the guardian asked me to make her a guardian, she said she wanted to help Arkazatinia and protect Lycea.”
“I saw her in Lycea,” said Calab, “and she saw me. She approached me and started idle chitchat. It was quite bizarre actually; she showed not the slightest hint of fear.”
“Did you inform the Imperium?” asked Thalia, somewhat alarmed.
“Of course not,” replied Calab. “They hadn’t given us a seat, so I did not see it as my business to inform them.”
“That’s fortunate. I know her name, so she shouldn’t be difficult to find. Where did you see her?”
“In a park in Nottingham, it was about four years ago, though.”
Thalia removed her pocket watch, which the Farleys had termed the speakeasy, from her purse. She brought up a menu with a map and said, “Eve Franklin, Nottingham, England, Lycea.” The map highlighted an address. “I’ve found a Genevieve Franklin in Nottingham, that’s hopefully her. We should head there as soon as possible.”
”We could have been there in an hour if this meeting had been held in Eurasia.”
“We won’t see her until tomorrow unless we pound on her door in the middle of the night,” said Thalia. “Still, we should find her and ensure that she is safe. We’ll fly to my guild and pick up an outrider.”
They both climbed on board Thalia’s aerial vector. Thalia pressed the home button on the control panel, and the vector took to the air and sped towards the Guild of Procnatus.
“Do you have a special vox?” Calab asked. “Mine does not have voice control.”
“It should; let me show you.” Calab handed Thalia his watch. “Oh my,” she said after a moment. “When did you last update the software?”
“Never,” Calab said, puzzled.
She laughed. “You’re running on version 2.0, we’re on 8.2 now. I’m surprised it still works.”
“Yes, well, excuse me for not joining you all in the twentieth century.”
“It’s the twenty-first century.”
“Whatever,” he grumbled. “It’s always done what I need it to, and demons barely need any of the features anyway. I only use it for the phone.”
“The latest update allows you to cloak yourself, so you appear human.”
“Fabulous.” He smirked. “I’ll update right away and buy some overpriced coffee.”
Upon arriving at her guild, Thalia requested the Procnatus male who greeted her to bring her an outrider. He took the vector to a garage and returned with the outrider moments later. The outrider was modelled on a regular car, and like the vector and aerial vector, it had been developed by the Procnatus and a team of light alchemists. Its purpose was to pass as a car in Lycea, and it had technology installed which allowed it to create its own entrances to Lycea. Thalia programmed the control panel with the girl’s address, and they were soon speeding through Arkazatinia with the intention of creating an opening at the last moment. Travel through Arkazatinia was faster than through Lycea with its speed limits, traffic lights, roundabouts and assortment of other things that get in the way.
It was a little after three o’clock in the morning when Calab and Thalia arrived at the girl’s address. It was a charming mock-Tudor style townhouse in a quiet cul-de-sac with only the sound of distant traffic disturbing the night.
“What now?” Calab asked.
“We should probably just wait,” said Thalia. “You could go and make sure we have the right girl and check on her. Do you sense anything?”
“No,” he said, “I’ll go anyway.”
Calab left the outrider and headed to the house. To get through a closed door, Calab had to generate an entrance to return to Arkazatinia and then en
ter the area in between called the midspace. He could see both Arkazatinia and Lycea from the midspace but was not bound by barriers, and he simply had to position himself where he wanted to be, such as the other side of a door, and re-enter. He made his way through the house in the midspace. Humans could not see him unless he purposely revealed himself, but he knew the girl could and did not think it wise to frighten her with the presence of a demon. They needed her to take the Crown and could not afford for her to die of fright. He located her bedroom and found her sleeping.
The room was in darkness, but his demon vision allowed him to see as clearly as if it was daylight. She looked just as he remembered. The same child he had held by the throat nine years ago and the same child who had approached him in the park.
How can this girl be the queen?
He watched her for a few moments more and was about to leave when she muttered something in her sleep. His head whipped towards her to listen for anything more, but she remained silent. He stayed, waiting for her to speak again, but she said nothing. He left, still feeling the shock that had jolted through him.
I’m sure she said my name. How could she know I was there?
“Where have you been?” asked Thalia when he returned to the outrider. “I was about to come looking for you.”
“I needed the bathroom.” He smirked. She frowned at him. “The area is secure. There is no scent of anyone from Arkazatinia, and the girl is sleeping soundly.”
“That’s good.”
“Now what?”
“We wait for her to wake-up, I suppose.”
“A male lives there,” said Calab. “He wasn’t there, though. I recognise his scent; he was on my decretum five years ago.”
“Odd,” observed Thalia, but said nothing more.
Calab waited in the outrider with Thalia. Thalia had fallen asleep after an hour, though he remained awake. He watched the girl leaving her house and getting into her car around seven o’clock. Calab woke Thalia who suggested that they wait for her to return home before they approached her, and they followed her. They loitered close enough to the hospital laboratory where she worked to allow him to sense anything untoward, but not so close that she would see them. After a twelve-hour shift, the girl ventured home. They watched her leave her car and enter her house.
“Should we go now?” asked Calab, feeling impatient.
“No,” Thalia said, “she has worked all day, let’s wait an hour.”
An hour later, Calab walked along the path towards the girl’s front door with Thalia who pressed firmly on the bell. The girl answered the door dressed in checked pyjamas and a white fluffy dressing gown.
“Erm…er…hello,” Eve stuttered upon seeing Lord Thalia and Prince Calab on her doorstep.
“Hello, Miss Franklin,” said Thalia brightly. “May we come in?”
“I guess so,” said Eve, opening the door to let them pass. They entered the lounge and took a seat on the sofa. Eve was lost for words. What do you say when you have a lord and a prince sat in your corner group? “Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Oh, no thank you,” said Calab. “Perhaps a glass of red?”
“Blood?” she asked as a weak attempt at a joke.
“If you’ve nothing else,” the demon replied. “I would prefer wine.”
Eve opened a bottle, poured three glasses and took them through to the lounge. She handed the demon and the thorian their drinks and asked, “So, how can I help you?”
“Well,” started Thalia, swirling the wine in her glass, “it seems Arkazatinia wishes to take you up on your offer after all.”
“What offer?” asked Eve.
“Your offer to help.”
“That was ten years ago.”
“Does the offer no longer stand?”
“I don’t know, no…no. I don’t have time to be a guardian anymore. I have a job, and I’m studying, and I’m engaged to be married.” She held out her hand to show a diamond engagement ring.
“Congratulations,” said Thalia. “Who is the lucky gentleman?”
“His name is Jason,” said Eve. “He is a biochemist.”
“Ah, and what has become of Mr Farley?”
“He’s in Manchester. I haven’t seen him for six years.”
“Miss Franklin—”
“Please just call me Eve.”
“Miss Franklin,” continued Thalia as Eve frowned, “you may remember that our Crown was replaced by the Imperator. The Crown came from the Impærielas, and when one Crown passes away, another becomes the successor. After the last Crown had died, no new Crown emerged, and the custodian of the Crown decided he liked his new position so much he wanted to keep it. He developed the Imperium, and you know the rest. Well, we have learned that he has an agenda after all. It is one that involves casting the angels and demons out of Arkazatinia, removing the leaders of the remaining groups and taking over the armies to march on the other continents of Anaxagoras and Lycea.”
“That’s awful,” gasped Eve. “Surely you must stop him, even if it means resorting to war.”
“We intend to, but,” said Thalia, “we need you.”
“Me! What can I do?”
“We were summoned to a meeting with Lady Ariana of the Impærielas. She is an oracle; she has the gift of foresight and has seen that you have a part to play.”
“I really don’t see how I can help.”
“Lady Ariana has foreseen a prophecy has come to pass, a new Crown has been chosen, one who has pledged their allegiance to Arkazatinia.”
“That can’t be me! I can’t be the Crown just because of something I said ten years ago. Surely you have got this wrong.”
“The prophecy stated that the person was an outlander who could see our world,” said Calab. “You saw me when I was concealed.”
Eve shook her head. “This can’t be happening. When I said that, I meant it and wanted to help so badly, but I have gotten over that now. I have a life here.”
“Have you noticed that you look the same age as when I first saw you? It was nine years ago I believe,” asked Thalia.
“Everyone does say I look young, but what has that got to do with anything?”
“When you pledged your allegiance, Arkazatinia selected you and has halted your ageing. Have you really gotten over your interest in Arkazatinia?”
“Yes. I don’t want this anymore.”
“Take some time to consider your options,” Calab said nonchalantly, sipping his wine. “We will wait here for you to decide.”
“I will need more than a few minutes. You’re talking about me leaving behind my life, my fiancé, my home, my work, and I’ve just started my PhD.”
“Really?” said Thalia. “What are you reading?”
“Microbiology and genetics.”
“How fascinating. We will have to—”
“Thalia,” said Calab, “should we stay on point? We should have mentioned this earlier; you’re in danger. The Imperator knows an outlander has been selected and they will come for you.”
“What?” exclaimed Eve. Calab shrugged. She picked up her wine and took large gulps before setting down her glass and burying her head in her hands. “I need some time to think about this which probably means you have the wrong person as the chosen one who has pledged their allegiance would surely not be so hesitant.”
“Perhaps things will be clearer once you have slept,” said Thalia. “We’ll stay here, we’ll keep you safe.”
“Jason is working a night shift; he’ll be back in the morning.”
“We can make sure we’re not seen,” said Calab. “Do you have more wine?”
“In the kitchen,” Eve replied. “Make yourself at home.” She headed for the stairs taking her wine glass with her.
Calab entered the kitchen and picked up the bottle the girl had left on the side just as she returned and took it from his hand.
“I need this,” she said, heading back up the stair
s. “Open another.”
He perused the stocked wine rack for a few moments before selecting another bottle, opening it and returning to the lounge. He sat beside Thalia. “Do you think we have this wrong?”
“No,” said Thalia, “she knows it too—she is afraid. When she offered her pledge, she was young and carefree, but now she has the commitments of a home, a career and a partner. I think she will make the right decision.”
“What if she refuses? We still need to unseat the Imperator, but we’ll need to make sure she is kept safe, even if she does not want the position the Imperator will still want her gone.”
Thalia relaxed on the sofa and sipped the wine. “This is a comfortable sofa, I think I may get one like it.”
“This is the first time I’ve sat on a human sofa.”
“Really? You spend half your time in Lycea.”
“Yes, working. I don’t lounge around whilst I’m leading people into temptation.”
The next morning the front door opened as the girl’s fiancé let himself in.
He shouted up the stairs, “Eve, are you up?” No reply came.
Calab and Thalia loitered in the corner of the room, Calab concealed himself using his demonic powers, and Thalia concealed herself using her vox.
