The Middle Realm

by Charmaine Theron

  “Rachel! What are you even thinking? Didn’t you hear a word I said? I told him she’s going to live.”

  “She murdered Alyssa.”

  “We don’t live out our lives playing tit-for-tat. Revenge will only destroy you with bitterness and anger. And when the reprisal is done, you still won’t be satisfied and it won’t bring Alyssa back.”

  Rachel ignored her mother’s rebuff. “Wait for me here – I won’t be long.”

  Rachel made her way to the amphitheatre. She slipped past the semi-circle of stone bleachers and headed into the tunnels that would take her to the dungeons. Once beyond the armoury she reached the junction, turning west along the tunnel. She had memorised the way so that she wouldn’t get lost. All she needed to do was to find the secret exit that Alexis had told her about. She shuddered violently. What would the guards do to her if they discovered her? Was it worth the risk? She needed to hurry, so she quickened her pace and was in a flat-out sprint when she rounded the corner and slammed into a warrior.

  “And who do we have here? My favourite little lady,” Nikolas drawled, as he recovered from the impact.

  Rachel braced herself against the stone tunnel wall. She tried to brush past him but he caught her arm and held her in a vice-grip.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “My mother, Elethea, she’s tending to Raven. You do know that she’s injured?” Rachel informed him, taking a wild guess that he might possibly not know and wanting to throw him off-course.

  Niko inclined his head and Rachel sensed her good luck.

  “Raven’s injured?”

  “I came to find you to… to tell you. She’s been asking for you.”

  “What the hell happened to her? I’ve been looking for her all morning.” Niko released Rachel and pushed his hand through his dark, scraggly hair. His scarred face creased with concern. “She’s been gone since last night. I’ve even searched the dungeons. The wine that she gave me… what was she was up to—”

  “We’d better go.”

  Rachel and Niko hurried along the tunnels, back through the amphitheatre to Raven’s chambers. At the door, Niko hesitated, since he wasn’t allowed to enter the Guardian’s old chambers, especially the one where the fifth Guardian had once resided, under any normal circumstances.

  Rachel beckoned him inside. “She’s been asking for you,” she reiterated strongly.

  Elethea jumped as the door swung open. Rachel widened her eyes at her mother before scampering over to the bedside where she touched Raven’s cheek.

  “He’s here… Niko’s here.” She caught her mother’s odd look and bobbed her head ever so slightly.

  Niko edged closer to the bed while Rachel explained what had happened to Raven in muted tones.

  Elethea collected her already packed basket and they excused themselves, however Niko hardly noticed them leaving. He was far too troubled about Raven’s condition.

  Chapter 18

  The Execution

  Erebus stood on a raised wooden platform with a noose encircling his neck. Drakon had ordered all the women and children to remain indoors – he had forbidden them to witness Erebus’s execution. This was in stark contrast to the occasion after the Dark War, when the Dark Legion had executed at least a hundred Seraphians in front of their families. The Seraphians were sceptical about what had brought about this change in Drakon, but gossip had it that his icy heart had thawed because of Raven. Even though the Seraphians despised her, she had indirectly become their saviour.

  Raven watched secretly from Aether, peering over the ledge of the wide-mouthed cavern at the Agora below. To her, the memory of spying on the Guardians in this exact spot seemed like a lifetime ago. She’d returned to the Under Realm immediately after she’d found out that Ash was the Fifth Guardian. And now she was back in his Realm. What would she do if Ash returned? Every part of her wanted him dead, but Drakon had instructed her otherwise.

  She turned her attention back to the events below where the Fallen, with Niko among them, waited to the side of the gallows. A sombre mood fell over the small gathering.

  “Those who turn against me won’t be given a trial. Treason is the most serious crime against our regime and capital punishment will be imposed on the perpetrator,” Drakon informed the silent crowd as he paced in front of the wooden structure.

  The hangman, his face concealed by a linen mask, wound the remaining rope around his calloused hand and looped it over the side of the pole. The hangman rubbed his hands together, itching to release the lever. Erebus’s bruised face twitched in terror as he waited for his demise.

  Drakon continued relentlessly, “My commander… my most trusted man… lied and connived behind my back to kill Raven. But why, you may ask?” he said in an exasperated tone. Turning, he glared at Erebus, his expression mixed with hurt and disgust. “Jealously… arrogance… greed… it could be many things.”

  Erebus remained mute. He couldn’t talk even if he wanted to, as a dirty rag bound his mouth.

  Drakon ranted on. “I know there were others involved, but they were misinformed – fools to believe what Erebus fed their simple minds. Raven isn’t a dark witch. And I’m the only one who possesses Dark Magic.”

  Raven stared raptly at Drakon. She had noticed a change in his behaviour lately. He was acting strangely – unlike his normal self – and was now preaching to the Fallen and the citizens who were there. Around his neck he clutched the locket. What was inside it? Perhaps Niko would know. Raven made a mental note to ask him later.

  “If you choose to be a traitor… your life will end.” Drakon swivelled toward the hangman and bobbed his head.

  The hangman checked the noose around Erebus’s neck and stepped back so that he was beside the lever. Erebus’s frantic eyes darted back and forth. He shouted indecipherable words from beneath his gag. The Fallen turned their backs – the ultimate dishonour – refusing to witness his death. Erebus had, after all, deceived his own kind.

  The hangman placed his hand on the lever and heaved it forward.

  Erebus dropped into the hole, his feet swinging freely. Seconds later his body combusted, his ashes drifting onto the cobblestones and the noose dangled, empty.

  Raven left the amphitheatre and headed back to her chambers. The luxurious fifth chamber was hardly comparable to where she’d slept in the Under Realm. She lay on the bed, motionless, but her mind ran amok. Something wasn’t right. There were too many strange incidents and they were bothering her. The one that had troubled her the most was when the old oracle had transformed into Dione. The other was the triangular symbol that Drakon wanted to find. She had a feeling that Drakon wasn’t divulging the full story to her.

  Startled by a loud knock at the door, Raven winced as she jerked at the sudden noise. “Who’s there?”

  “Niko,” his husky drawl came from behind the closed door.

  “Come in.”

  “I hope I’m not – oh – you were about to—”

  “I’ll rest later.” Raven waved her hand at the marble bench near the window.

  Slowly she stood up and hobbled over to the bench, her ribcage aching from the movement. She sat down next to him. Raven stared out of the window instead of facing Niko.

  For a moment she pondered how Niko was the opposite of Agares. Aggression and hot-headedness had ruled Agares, whereas Niko was composed and level-headed. Agares had accepted the reason for his awakening in the Under Realm – dying as a martyr was his mission, whereas Niko’s secretive actions hid a different story. There was more to him than his service as a warrior.

  Niko opened his mouth to speak but Raven beat him to it. Her previous doubts articulated into words, even though she hadn’t broached this subject with him before, “When the witch changed into that Dione woman, Drakon looked as if he’d seen a ghost – very unlike him! I don’t believe him for one minute when he says that she tricked him.”

  Niko inclined his head, his silvery scars shining across his dark skin as they caught th
e light filtering through the window. “Perhaps that’s what they want us to believe. The old oracle could actually be Dione.”

  Raven tapped her chin, deep in thought.

  “But it is strange that she hides her true self when she’s so beautiful and that she chooses to walk around as an old hag instead,” Niko added, his drawl accentuated.

  Raven raised an arched eyebrow. “No matter what, she’s still a witch,” she retorted jealously. “She should be burnt – her trickery is nothing more than sorcery.”

  “But… if the oracle is in fact the old hag and not Dione, then she has fooled Drakon.”

  “That locket around Drakon’s neck – do you know what’s in it?”

  Niko shifted uncomfortably on the bench, remaining silent, his face impassive in response to Raven’s question. He trailed a forefinger over the angels engraved in the smooth marble. Outside the sun had risen to its highest point and the bright rays streamed through the window, bringing warmth to the chilly room.

  “There’s something you’re not telling me?” Raven probed. She shifted her gaze to Niko’s finger as he traced it around a smiling angel.

  Niko stopped tracing and lifted his hand, touching Raven’s arm. Raven’s face was expressionless; she didn’t want to reveal her true feelings to him just yet. She wanted to find out first what he was hiding from her. He might view her as weak, unable to control her emotions if she caved in to his subtle romantic gestures. She held back and didn’t return his touch.

  “What are you not telling me?” she reiterated.

  Niko looked contemplative and continued tracing his finger on her arm.

  Raven shivered.

  “Innocent people died in the Dark War. It shouldn’t have ended that way...”

  Frowning, Raven looked at Niko, waiting for him to continue.

  “The Guardians would’ve won, if Drakon never had the—” he cut his sentence off mid-way.

  Raven closed her eyes, concentrating on the hypnotic movement of his rough fingers on her bare skin, but the images of war intruded on her senses – death and blood churned in her mind’s eye. The screaming of the injured resounded in her ears. The metallic taste of blood stung her tongue. For a moment, these sensations flooded her when she recalled the memories, but ambivalent feelings constricted her throat and her pulse rate increased. Her chest tightened and her ribs ached from the pressure.

  “Drakon has the Onyx,” Niko confirmed. He stopped tracing, but rested his hand lightly on Raven’s arm.

  “Inside his locket?” Raven asked breathlessly as she opened her eyes. She had no idea what the Onyx was, but whatever it represented it must be important, judging by the tone of Niko’s voice.

  “Yes… it’s a stone, a magic stone,” Niko explained. “Drakon shouldn’t have it in his possession as this stone gives him an infinite power – a power that’s unlike the other Guardians and possibly far greater than he can control.”

  “Then we should get it away from him?” A pang of guilt tore through Raven. She was loyal to the Dark Guardian and betraying him went against her better judgement.

  Nikos’s grip tightened on her arm. “He guards the stone with his life.”

  “In the Under Realm his powers were weak – he could only create orbs, but here he can summon up tornadoes,” Raven stated.

  “Drakon can’t draw his element energy from the Sphere anymore. When Kyros succeeded him, Drakon’s primary power of controlling fire would have retracted. He’d only have had his secondary powers. He must be drawing on the power of the Onyx to create the tornadoes. Somehow, the stone is connected to the Sphere.”

  “That witch… she has an emerald in her staff. It could be a magic stone too.”

  “I have no doubt that the emerald is a mere ornament of the oracle. It’s imbued with her magic, it’s not magical on its own,” Niko replied.

  “How do you know all of this?”

  “Raven, you forget that I was here in the Third Realm long before you. The Guardians always intrigued me so it became my quest to find out all possible information about them and our Realm that I could. I armed myself with all the knowledge that I could find, in preparation… in preparation for…” Niko trailed off, his scarred face twisting in sorrow.

  Raven placed her hand over his and squeezed.

  He remained silent for a few seconds. “It doesn’t matter anymore… in the end I chose to follow Drakon.”

  “Drakon has intrigued me since the first day I met him. He always made me believe that I’m not just an ordinary warrior,” admitted Raven.

  “We’re leaders,” Niko said. “That’s the difference between us and them. Even without Drakon, you’d have been able to accomplish more.”

  “I never trusted you in the Under Realm and now I’m telling you my secrets. Not even Agares knew them,” confessed Raven.

  Niko’s amber eyes locked onto Raven’s dark eyes. Suddenly remorse welled up in her throat and she swallowed a huge lump. Her hostile feelings toward him were long gone and now she was experiencing the opposite.

  “We have to trust one another.” Niko leaned in closer, but Raven flinched.

  She wasn’t ready for that type of relationship, as much as she wanted it. One day the time would be right for her and Niko, but it wasn’t now. Niko understood her rejection. Instead, he circled his arm around her, drawing her closer to him. They sat in silence on the marble bench, while the sultry sun shifted in the sky and the snow on the craggy Arcadia Mountains melted, trickling into the meandering streams below.

  Chapter 19

  The Onyx and the Emerald

  Drakon stepped through the open wooden door of the sacred temple. The silver owl swooped above his head and hooted indignantly. Drakon swatted at the owl but withdrew his hand quickly when the oracle cast an offended look in his direction.

  “I didn’t expect to see you so soon, darling,” she crooned. The owl landed on her stooped shoulder. She stroked its lustrous feathers. The owl hooted one last time at Drakon before the oracle tapped her beak to silence her.

  “What’s her name?” Drakon nodded curtly at the owl, trying not to show his indifference for the creature, even though his mouth curled into a sneer.

  “Calypso.”

  Drakon crossed his arms. “The reason I’m here is to check up on you.” He looked around disapprovingly at the sparsely furnished temple. “Are you comfortable?”

  The oracle chuckled. “Don’t go showing off your softer side – your followers might elect a new leader.”

  “That’s why I had to set an example. Erebus’s execution will make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “Calypso was there. I watched through her eyes.” The oracle nudged Calypso and she returned to her perch high up in the temple’s rafters. “So, what else brings you here – perhaps to see Dione again?”

  Drakon’s dark eyes locked with the oracle’s grey eyes. He could just make out the green flecks of Dione’s eyes hidden beneath the grey. “I wanted to fill you in. The coup was unsuccessful, as you know, and the book vanished after that. Then, unexpectedly, it reappeared before the Dark War. But it seems to have misplaced itself again.”

  “Indeed… the book is with Ash,” the oracle confirmed.

  “I had that feeling all along.” Drakon inclined his head. “But the book isn’t what I need for the next step.”

  “What is it that you seek?”

  “The three symbols – the portals.”

  “Two are already open,” disclosed the oracle.

  “You’re full of foretelling tonight,” tutted Drakon.

  “With no objections coming from you.”

  “I opened the portal in the Under Realm… it means the Middle Realm’s portal has been opened.”

  “Now there’s only one left,” the oracle said, “and that’s here.”

  “I’ve already persuaded Raven to search for it but she’s suspicious. She doesn’t like executing a task unless she has a valid reason for doing it.”

  “But
… she’s on our side! She shouldn’t be suspicious. You have her in the palm of your hand.”

  Drakon stroked his goatee. “I hope she won’t feel betrayed when she discovers the truth.”

  “If you’re so worried about her, why don’t you tell—?”

  “Raven’s not the one I’m worried about, there’s one of the Fallen – his name’s Niko – he’s figuring things out, piecing it all together. We’ll have to include him soon, especially now that he’s become close to Raven.”

  “That could be dangerous,” warned the oracle. “We need to keep our circle tight.”

  “For now, I trust Raven’s judgement. We’ll have to risk it,” Drakon decided. “Niko’s followed me from before the coup… I more or less know him… strange fellow, though.”

  “I don’t remember him so I can’t comment.”

  “He was always – how can I put it – taken up with the Guardianship before he defected to my side. He gave me information…”

  “Information… what kind of information?”

  “What does it matter now?”

  “But if there’s a war, how can you be certain that he won’t turn on you?”

  “There won’t be another war… unless it’s started by them. When the others return they’re going to be ready for a fully-fledged battle but we’ll need to divert them.”

  “If you want I can do a prediction for you. It’ll prepare you for the future.”

  Drakon shuffled past the oracle, his shoulder brushing hers. “Three predictions in one night? No thank you. That could attract bad luck.” He faced the open doorway and stared out into the oak groves. Shutting the wooden door with a bang, he swung around to face her and said, “So, even though you’re Dione… under that old flesh you’re gifted with an oracle’s foretelling.”

  “I never lose my gift – no matter what form I’m in. You knew me as my true self… as Dione, when we first met. I never told you that I lived two lives because you’d have believed that I’d deceived you.”

  Drakon shook his head in exasperation. “How could you have known how I’d feel? It wasn’t your choice to make.”