Day 249 (227th)

Day 249 (227th):
It was dark when I awoke in our room. I felt the familiar weight of Set across my feet and Vanity by my side. The breathing of my sisters was closer than normal. I realized that at least two of them were in bed with me. Without even thinking about it, I realized it was Callie on my right and Sarah on my left. Set nuzzled my leg when he realized I was awake.
"The sun will be up soon. You scared everyone. The people who made the bad thing are in jail. The green lady said she did it because a Well said the babies would grow up to be bad. Narisha wrote it all in your book."
I eased up so not to wake my sisters. Set retrieved a candle and my journal. We went out to the balcony to read Narisha's words. I wanted to apologize to them all and explain as I read her account of my vision sharing. By the end, I knew we would have to go to this Well. I sat on the snow-covered balcony and watched the sun rise.
"Do you think the babies will grow up bad?" Set asked as we sat in the pre-dawn cold.
"I don't know yet. They are still too small inside Elenvarna to know anything about them. I think this Well is corrupted by the portal. We need to see it for ourselves to know for sure."
"I hope it is so. I do not like the idea of babies not yet born becoming bad people. I would not like to have to return and fight against them."
"Neither do I. It would be very sad."
"Are you cold? I can get a cloak."
I felt for a moment, "Amazingly, no. Here I sit on a cold metal seat, ankle-deep in snow, in the middle of winter, and I am as comfortable as if I were wrapped up in a thick blanket sitting before a roaring fire. That is very odd. Vanity? Do you have any ideas on this?"
"Faeries, dragons, and some clerics are known for being very resilient. Your recent vision, linking you with Fate, may have imparted a bit of temporary godhood. I suspect this may fade over the next day or two."
"More like a week or more," Fate interrupted, "My influence, many have noted, lasts a bit longer than some since my powers are more personalized and individual. Some have endured blizzards for a month after we linked for a vision."
"Will the babies be bad?" Set asked with such innocence that I was near tears.
"No, Set, the babies will not be bad. That Well is corrupted. It has become separated from Scotvla's waters and she cannot renew it. When you girls go there, to prove its impurity, you will find a missing treasure. Gretta will lead you to it."
"Do they know it is missing?" I politely asked.
"They actually believe it is lost forever. Anna will get the full account when it is found. Your sisters wake. We will talk more later."
I felt Fate's presence leave. My sisters' panic was strong at first until they decided to look outside. I smiled at them as they flung open the balcony doors and converged upon me. Questions and observances assailed me until I got them to stop. We went back inside where I assured them that I was fine, not freezing or in any discomfort, fully myself, and with full memory of what had happened. I was able to inform them that Fate was certain the Well was corrupted. Not wanting to influence them, I said nothing of the missing treasure.
A brisk knock sounded upon the door. Narisha, Orania, and Janesh entered after we told them we were all up and about. They were glad to see me conscious and lucid. I apologized for the scare, but explained that Fate's presence was, sometimes, too much for my mortal body to hold and I have collapsed before once Fate departed. They, too, were told what Fate had said about the heirs and the Well. It was decided, after breakfast, to go to this Well and see what could be done. I said nothing about the treasure to them as well.
Servants arrived shortly after dawn with laden trays. I received many side-long glances and shadowed stares. Certainly my activity yesterday was told and retold throughout the castle. Just as certain, overnight it had been embellished, exaggerated, and twisted. I doubt any of us could recognize more than a shred of truth in the tale these people had heard.
After eating, we bundled up and headed for the Well. I tried to convince them I didn't need all the extra clothing, but everyone insisted, so I just gave in to them. I was neither hot nor cold as we rode through the snow-covered kingdom. Scotvla's cleansing was lifting the grayness of the area and I was able to see some of the beauty of the land underneath.
In a few hours, we reached the Well of Truth. While the three elves did not seem to find anything amiss, we seven could clearly tell it was corrupted. Sarah told how sick it felt. Lisa described a festering sensation in and around the Well. Anna and Alice told of confusion, hurt, and anger clinging to the area. Callie said she did not trust the ground beneath her as the area was so weak. Gretta seemed distracted by something, but told all of the silence of the area. I described the swirling energies and chaotic pulses coming from the Well. We all went to the Well to see what twisted images would appear. No sooner had the last of us settled around it, the water began to show things we knew could never come true. Lisa was seen on her knees, pleading for mercy from an obviously weaker opponent. Sarah was shown torturing children and laughing about it. Gretta had piles of gold and jewels about her, refusing any who asked for even a single copper. Callie was shown destroying things in a fit of rage. Anna was fat and lazy, bossing people around and beating any who were not fast enough. Alice was in a brothel, servicing the poorest of the clients. I was shown dressed in exaggerated regalia with Set, looking evil and mean, commanding dragons and riders to conquer land after land. We backed away.
"What now, Sisters?" Janesh asked, a bit shaken form what he saw, "Something must be done."
"The waters need to reconnect to Scotvla's underground sea," I told him, "Callie, can you sense where the separation is?"
Callie walked around as if walking on glass. Finally, she found it.
"Here, a cave-in is keeping the water away from the rest."
We gathered at that spot. We felt down to where it had collapsed. Just as with the walls of Baaloc Prime, we channeled our energies to Callie as she and Wrath reformed the cave beneath us. We knew it was clear when the Well rapidly drained like water down a pipe. Just as rapidly, fresh water entered. The scenes were much different. Happiness and joy abounded in wave after wave of images. Callie reported the land "firming up" slowly but steady. Narisha, Orania, and Janesh were much happier. Gretta kept looking off to the west of the Well.
 I placed my hand on her shoulder,"Go get it, my sister, it is very important."
She crunched through the snow to a small pile of rocks. We all watched her eagerly. Set joined in the digging when Gretta began moving snow and stone. In a few moments, she unearthed a plain sack holding something nearly as large as Set's head. Set sniffed it and pronounced it "good". Opening the sack, Gretta nearly dropped it as its song poured from within. She reached in and pulled out the largest crown I have ever seen. While it could still fit on a human or elf head, the upward size of it was massive. Anna and Alice got a little dizzy as its history washed over them. Dawn went to Gretta and inspected it. When she trumpeted, the crown responded with a melody of its own. Our elf friends knelt in the snow as their knees gave out in shock.
"It cannot be!" Narisha exclaimed, "That has been lost for four generations. Sarvicnal's great-great-great-grandfather was the last ruler to wear it. When he died defending Crialas, no one could find it. We just gave it up for lost and made new crowns."
"Why did music come from it when Dawn sang?" Lisa asked.
"The metal is called 'Siren Silver'," Anna reported, "Supposedly, the god of music had his silver pipes stolen and cast towards the Mortal Realm. As it melted during its passage through the sky, drops landed sporadically across the land. Usually made into instruments, it is said to find and create harmony with anything musical."
"The king who fashioned it," Alice said as she took up the tale, "hoped its harmonic properties would also bring the kingdom into harmony. It seemed to have worked for a while."
"It was hidden for a generation or two by kings who did not believe," Narisha added, "only after one hundred seventy years of fighting did Sarvicnal's ancestor remove it from hiding and wear it to restore harmony."
"Maybe it will work again," Gretta commented as she returned it to the sack.
We all crunched our way back to the horses. Everyone was quiet during that ride.
Back inside the city, we had an idea to look for the Memory Cave. Taking a northwest line from the castle, we looked and felt for any cave or cavern. An argument outside a cheese shop got our attention.
"GET OUT! I will not have you destroying my store!" shouted a female elf with a broom, brandishing it like a club.
The targets of her "attack" were the historians from yesterday. The group was trying to explain, but the woman would not hear of it. We rode over to break up the argument. The historians were both relieved and angry by our arrival. They and the woman all tried to speak at once. We finally got the story out that the historians had surmised that the cave the woman used to ripen her cheeses was the Memory Cave. They, unfortunately, had went about it all wrong and barged into the shop and started pulling at the shelves and knocking things over. No wonder the woman was upset. Gently, we explained to her what they had been looking for inside the cave. While she wasn't fully convinced, we promised to keep her shop tidy.
We entered a quaint looking shop. Cheeses and related items were displayed everywhere. In the back, we saw the evidence of the historians attempts. We picked up the scattered cheese as Callie and Anna felt out the cave. Callie reported feeling "soft spots" in the walls. Anna felt each "spot" and received bits of history. By touch alone, they found the "spot" that felt like the portal. Callie "persuaded" the wall to move and the hole to be revealed. A large scroll was extracted, holding within it a collection of smaller pages. Looking revealed that it was, indeed, the written instructions for the original construction of the gateway. We thanked the owner. The historians begged to see it. We promised they would get their chance as well as the other scrolls within the walls. They pouted but accepted. We got back on our horses with large hunks of cheese from the woman as thanks for restoring her shop. Narisha seemed uncertain about eating in the saddle, but gave it a try. It was a nice easy lunch.
When we arrived at the castle, the Crowns met us at the door, anxiety plain upon their faces. Narisha was the first to speak.
"Your Majesties! Great news! Not only has the original ritual been found, but a lost treasure discovered!"
"Slow down, Narisha," King Sarvicnal chastised, "First things first. What about the Well?"
"Sire," I began, "the Well has been repaired. Scotvla's waters circulate freely and now true and accurate images can be viewed across its surface."
The Crowns were relieved to hear that. Narisha was beside herself, wanting to tell them what we had found. Orania had left to resume her duties. Janesh was a silent sentinel, watching without comment. Sarvicnal turned to the anxious Narisha.
"Now, what were you saying? The ritual was found?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Memory Cave is now a cheese shop just off Market Square. The girls Anna and Callie found its hiding place. The notes were also with the compiled scroll."
"Wonderful!" Queen Elenvarna exclaimed, "The gate can be rebuilt soon."
"Plus," Narisha continued, "the girl Gretta discovered a lost treasure. King Sarvicnal, you many remember paintings of this."
Gretta handed the plain sack to Narisha, who opened it and presented the crown to the King. Elenvarna nearly fainted. Sarvicnal was speechless. Set, during this silent time, decided to "taste" the crown. As Narisha held it, Set licked the crown, making it vibrate slightly as his tongue flicked off the end. The Crowns gasped as their crowns and jewels resonated with the crown. Some "gems" on frames in the hall where we stood tried to resonate, but shattered in small sprays of glass dust. This surprised all of us.
Janesh recovered first, "That is a unique way of finding real gems."
The Crowns smiled at his dry humor. Sarvicnal took the crown from Narisha as if picking up an infant.
"I never thought I would ever even see this, let alone hold it. My father's only regret was he never wore this. He told me many times that it was his greatest wish to be crowned with it. Once the gate is complete, I will fulfill his wish and be crowned with this crown, to truly unite this kingdom."
Queen Elenvarna was near tears, knowing how much this crown meant to the King's family. Sarvicnal summoned guards to take the crown to the most secure part of the treasury and have it locked up for safety. The guards respectfully took the massive crown and walked away.
We and the Crowns began walking. Narisha went to chronicle these events. Janesh followed us like a shadow. By their glows, I could see that the Crowns wanted to say something, but could not bring themselves to voice it. Finally, near their apartments, they found a question they felt comfortable asking.
"How are you affiliated with Fate?" Elenvarna asked me.
"I didn't know it when I was younger, but I have been Fate's cleric my whole life. I accepted unusual outcomes and events easily and did not ask 'Why did this happen?' when things occurred," I told them.
"It's true," Callie piped in, "Whenever something odd happened, she would say 'That's Fate' or 'Its Fate' or 'Fate had a hand in this'. Her favorite response is 'I believe in Fate'."
Everyone nodded.
"So, all these events; finding your swords, finding each other, your adventures, meeting gods and powers, and discovering lost relics, makes perfect sense to you, Kayla?" Sarvicnal asked almost accusingly.
"Absolutely," I replied, "I have no doubt it was all meant to happen."
"Such belief," Sarvicnal replied softly, "That is a rare thing in Crialas. With the portal's corruption and all the intrigue and backstabbing, I doubt even children have such faith."
"I have faith," Set added, blowing little puffs of smoke at us.
"Yes, Set, you do have faith," I said aloud, reaching down to rub his head, "Your faith has strengthened mine."
"Bonding to an emperor could make or break any one's faith," Janesh observed.
We were inside the apartments when Janesh spoke. The Crowns looked at him.
"What does that mean, Set being an emperor?" the Queen asked to all of us.
"Queen dragons occur in one egg per clutch," I began, "King dragons occur maybe once in 1-2,000 years. Emperor dragons are lain but only hatch when their rider is a very unique and special person. Falcon, the master trainer at Demagram, says only three other emperors have hatched in the 15,000 year history of riding dragons."
The Crowns were stunned. Janesh merely nodded in agreement. Then came the hard question.
"How are you unique enough to get an emperor?" the King asked, very accusingly.
"I am a natural-born cleric of Fate, a marked Sister of the Swords, heir to the Faerie Queen, and a dragon rider. I would say that makes me a bit unique," I responded in my defense.
"None of that makes you unique," he countered. Poking at my chest, he asked again, "How are you unique enough to get an emperor?"
My sisters made to separate us, but I motioned for them to stay back. Looking in the eyes of the elf king, I told him without fear, "I'm not, but he hatched for me and that is all that counts."
For a brief second we stood there, eye-to-eye, toe-to-toe, neither of us flinching. Then, Sarvicnal began to laugh. We all looked at each other as if he had lost his mind.
"That," he said as he walked away, "was the answer I was looking for. That you could voice, without faltering, that you, as yourself, are not so special as to expect such a boon, but accepted it, and him, without any doubts. That makes you unique, Kayla. Plus, you just did something that, if you were anyone else, could have gotten you killed. As the holder of Vanity, you are perfectly matched. You will have nothing to fear from me."
The King went, alone, to another part of the apartments. The Queen, confused by her husband's actions, stood there, dumbstruck, with the rest of us. Janesh was smiling. Lisa faced him, slightly red with anger.
"What was that all about?" she asked him hotly.
Janesh motioned for us all to sit.
Once seated, he explained, "Our kings, since the first king of Crialas, drill into their sons that blood, heritage, birth order, name, etc. are meaningless. Each prince has to prove that he, as a person, understands that their position can be, and is at times, taken away without warning. A rebellion, coup, invasion, plus a host of other things, can turn a prince into a beggar at any moment. He wanted to be sure that you girls, Kayla in particular, understood that anything could happen to rob you of all that you have. There is a saying, 'Any man can be a King, but few Kings can be a man.' You have to know yourself without titles before you can use the title well."
We could see the wisdom of this. All of us could name at least one person who, without a title, had no identity of their own.
Placing that aside, the Queen decided to show us the portraits of the past kings wearing what she referred to as "the Elvador Crown". We walked down a hall we had not been in previously. Elves of various ages were portrayed in poses ranging from combat to surrounded by family and with a babe in his arms. It was obvious when the crown had been hidden and what it had been lost. What I found odd was the even though it was the same crown, some artists changed the size of it. On a few, it was central, eclipsing the king who wore it. On others, the crown was barely visible, almost hidden among other ornaments and complex decorations. We examined these until a servant told us dinner was ready.
The King met us at the table. From his glow, I could tell he had been doing something he enjoyed. Orania was also glowing brightly. They exchanged coded looks over our heads and behind the Queen. It got to the point, after one particularly odd exchange, Elenvarna banged her goblet on the table.
"What the chautak is going on between you two? All those weird looks are driving me insane!"
The whole room became silent and still. Orania and Sarvicnal stared at the Queen, who was glaring at them hard enough to drop the temperature of the room. Sarvicnla cleared his throat a few times.
He began in almost a whisper, "My love, calm yourself. Orania and I have been working on a surprise. A pool of Siren Silver has been found on the southern border. Now that the Elvador Crown is back, a companion crown is being made, for you, my love."
Elenvarna was weeping, as were most of us and the servants. The pair embraced so hard, they actually smacked together with enough force that they both lost breath. They held each other as they regained their breath and whispered between the two of them. We were happy and relieved that those odd looks could stop.
The rest of the meal was taken up by Sarvicnal's explanation of how and where the silver had been found.
Parting company after dinner, we went back to our rooms. We talked for a while about the scroll, safely in Narisha's care, the Crown, safely in the treasury, and wondered if anyone had told the green woman about the corrupted Well. We decided to go down and see them tomorrow, if we could.

Day 248 (226th)

Day 248 (226th):
We were not invited to the fountain this morning nor to the Crowns' apartments. We were given breakfast in our chambers and told not to leave the room. We were puzzled. As we ate, I felt a growing tension building around us. We found the source outside the windows. Hundreds of elves stood around the castle. The mixture of emotions was dizzying. Anna and Alice explained that our summons was causing quite a stir. Some who claimed kinship to the Founding Fifteen were angry at not being summoned while those that were certain they were not kin came to prove us wrong. I could see the historians we had met in the archives standing off to the side, watching this spectacle with sadistic grins.
We kept ourselves busy. Lisa treated Bo. Alice found that Dawn's feet, due to the cold, needed attention. The cream worked well on them. We went through our clothes to see if any needed mending. Intent upon these tasks, the knock on the door actually startled us. Janesh and Orania stood side-by-side at the door.
"Sisters," Janesh formally bowed, "the Crowns await you in the Throne Room. The families that were summoned have assembled. Be warned, many other families are not happy with you."
"We are aware of their feelings, Major," I told him, "We are prepared."
He nodded slightly. Janesh led the way with Orania following. We quietly inquired about her presence.
"The Crowns felt you needed a representative of what is called the 'Old Order'. I have tended Sarvicnal as a babe, his father all of his life, and his grandfather while his grandmother was pregnant until their deaths. I'm a bit of living history."
Not really understanding, and seeing that she was not telling us everything, we accepted her explanation.
We entered the Throne Room amid chaos. People were yelling, shaking fists and fingers, and being just loud. The horn announcing the Crowns' arrival had to blow three times to get everyone settled. I noticed the historians watching, outwardly blank, with arrogance encasing them all.
Once quiet, the Crowns entered and sat down. Narisha stood before the assembly and explained.
"Half of you are here because you were told that you are related to the Founding Fifteen. The other half of you think you are and have come to prove it. Research has shown your relationship to them."
"False!" came a yell from the corner of the room. The historians came forward, "The research is false! They used the writings of traitors and heretics to 'prove' these lineages. The official records show the truth."
The room exploded into noise again. The historians looked smug. Two horn blasts got the room quiet again.
"Many sources were used both official and not," Narisha continued, "plus magical means of discerning truth and facts. We are here to confirm or refute these findings."
"How?" a historian barked, "Are we to trust these humans to tell the truth? We all know how 'honorable' humans are."
Groans resounded throughout the room, plus a few noises of disgust.
From somewhere, a small voice said, "What about the chalice?"
For a moment, I thought only I heard it. Then, a chant began.
"Bring out the Chalice. Bring out the Chalice. Bring out the Chalice."
Slowly, elves stopped arguing and began the chant. The historians looked both horrified and confused. Behind us, Orania appeared with a large gold goblet, rather plain, but heavy from the way she carried it. Gretta smacked her hands over her ears, telling us without a doubt of its authenticity. Orania's voice carried in the hush that her arrival had created.
"This Chalice has held the blood or all fifteen of Crialas' founders. That blood was the foundation of the gate around the portal. It responds to those of their line. Observe."
She handed it to the King. Even before touching it, it began to glow. When his skin made contact, it became a beacon. Orania took it back and the glow died. It reacted the same to the Queen's touch. To show everyone Lisa's tie, Orania handed it to her. Not as bright as the Crowns', but it did glow. Alice got a small glow from it.
"Now," Orania called to the assembly, "first, we confirm your link, then, these girls will see to whom you are tied."
The assembly began lining up before Orania. Those who did not get the Chalice to glow at all left, dejected. Those that did remained for our turn. To the historians' chagrin, everyone we summoned remained while the "official" families left. With the room cleared of hopefuls, it made our task easier. Janesh stood guard over us. A basket of ribbons was brought out. Each Founder had a specific color. When the link was found, that elf received that color. Each elf walked in front of us. Knowing that it was the tenth, eleventh, or twelfth generation made the search easier. As we progressed, the historians fumed more, going from arrogant to angry. When the last one was linked, we all noticed one Founder's color had not been touched. No link was made to Rondal Song Weaver. The historians began to use this as an argument against us. Something about the Chalice pulled at me. Looking at my riding set, I got an idea. I picked up the Chalice so my rings and bracelet touched it.
Speaking words that just occurred to me, I said, "Spirit of the Chalice, tell us your nature."
While the historians gathered to argue with me, a fog began to roll from the empty chalice. Like Starlight, it piled upon itself until man height. Then, it condensed into a male elf in ancient clothing.
"What trickery is this?" the historians asked as the male elf became solid, "There is no 'Spirit of the Chalice'."
"Silence!" the male elf bellowed, "You show your ignorance with every word you utter. I am Rondal Song Weaver."
The assembly gasped. Muttered comments were whispered from elf to elf. One historian braved the new arrival and spoke up.
"The Founders are eons gone. How do we know you are not some illusion created by these girls?"
"He is no illusion," Orania piped in, "We Chalice Keepers have always known his spirit resided within. We just could not bring it forth."
"You had not the power," Song Weaver told her, "Only by this child's god item can I be as you see and hear me now."
Orania bowed in acknowledgement. Song Weaver turned back to the assembly.
"To originally build the gate, a life was sacrificed. My life. I had no family, no ties to anyone. Willingly, I became the mortar that held the gate together. By mixing their blood with mine, the other fourteen forged their connection to the gate. One of you, children of the Founders, will also sacrifice your life to rebuild the gate. This person, as I did, will go willingly, without coercion, threat, or bribe.
"Kayla," he said as he turned to me, "Many will ask you, as a seer, who it will be. For this to work, you are to say nothing, not even to your sisters. Vanity and Set, that goes for you as well."
The three of us promised not to reveal the sacrifice.
"Fortunately, no line will die out because of this. Take my color for other uses, as no one will ever claim it."
King Sarvicnal gathered the ribbons, "This color will mark the graves of those who sacrificed themselves to save others."
"A fair tribute," Song Weaver said.
"Sir," I interrupted, "do you know where the original ritual was stored? We have been told it was written, but have yet to find it."
"Yes, it was written by a scribe. He told us it was to be stored in the Memory Cave. I do not know if the ritual is there still."
"Where is this cave?" I asked.
"It was two thousand paces from the portal to the northwest. I cannot tell you if the cave is still there."
"Thank you, sir," I bowed to him.
The historians wanted more, but Song Weaver became mist again and returned to the Chalice. I handed it back to Orania. Defeated, the historians left. King Sarvicnal told the families to elect one of their number as a family representative to take part in the rebuilding of the gate. They were dismissed. We watched them file out in clusters, trying to decide who would be their family's speaker and if any of them could, willingly, sacrifice themselves. Orania took the Chalice back to its storage while Janesh stayed with us and the Crowns.
With the room empty, we saw a pile of items in the corner. Curious, we seven went over to look, bringing Set, Bo, and Dawn with us. We noticed that most of them were for infants. A few more things were brought in and added as we stood there. The Queen joined us.
"They have been arriving since the flags were raised. The birth of one heir is great. The news of three is astonishing. I think it has improved the people's attitude towards us."
"Removal of the other Palace members did as well," Alice informed her, "They were causing distrust between the populace and the Palace as well as the Crowns."
Elenvarna nodded. Set, Dawn, and Bo were examining the pile of gifts when one of the boxes moved. Set growled. Dawn hissed. Bo smacked it with his tail, causing it to move again. The King and Janesh came over to see what was going on. Lisa and I picked it up and moved it out to a clear area of floor. The Crowns held each other as we carefully moved to open it.
"I don't sense any evil, but, then, I don't sense anything from it. It may be shielded," I told them as we moved it.
All of my sisters concurred that they, too, got nothing at all from the package. When the top was opened, I felt waves of anger, hate, the need to destroy, just a great surge of harmful impressions. I slammed the top shut again. My hands were not the only ones closing the package. Lisa, Sarah, Alice, and Anna had a hand upon it. Callie and Gretta had stepped between the Crowns and us at the same moment.
"Sisters? Care to enlighten us?" King Sarvicnal asked.
"It was directed at your children," Alice told them.
The Queen began to cry. The King became enveloped in red.
"Set, being still a baby, caused it to come alive. If he had not, it would have looked like a statue until a baby, a royal baby, came near it and reached for it with intent," Anna informed us.
The Crowns stared at the box. I told the others to back away while I kept it closed. It shifted and shook under my hands.
With all my will, I commanded, "FRIEZE!"
The box quit moving. Carefully opening it, pushing past the waves of emotion, I extracted the box's inhabitant. It was a hideous creature, a man man's version of Bo. Huge head, massive fangs, sickly green body, and a barbed tail. Its red-orange eyes stared blankly ahead.
"What is it?" many of them asked.
Holding it, I watched, as if they were in the room, the makers of this creature assembling it.
"Four people, skilled in necromancy, took parts of dead animals, molded them together, and brought it to life. Then, placing a very specific spell and instructions, they froze it and encased it in a statue of a guardian spirit. Only when a royal baby reached for it would it come to life, break from the statue, and kill the infant," I relayed what played before me.
"When her eyes are white like that," Lisa told the Crowns, "you can be certain she tell you the accurate and whole truth."
The Crowns were aghast. Janesh was furious.
"You mean they were willing to wait the entire pregnancy, birth, and who knows how long until one or more reached out to the statue to kill the heirs? Why so long?" he asked.
"To remain hidden," Anna took up the tale as I returned the thing to the box, "No one would remember who gave the Crowns the statue or when they had received it. The shield on the box was for us, so we could not warn you and, by the time it became active, be long gone when the child died. They, even, hoped to throw suspicion on us."
Janesh was so furious, he drew his sword and stabbed through the box into the creature within. My freeze spell was broken and the thing roared wildly as Janesh pushed all the way through it and hit the floor out the bottom of the box. Foul black liquid oozed out the hole and seams of the box. After a moment, the noise died and it was still. Janesh grunted as he pulled his sword free. The black liquid clung to his blade.
Lisa stopped him from wiping it off, "It is poison, Major. Only fire can remove it safely. Water will only spread it and it will contaminate any cloth used to clean it off."
Janesh held his sword to Set, "Will you aid me, young emperor?"
Happily slapping the floor with his tail, Set blew a steady flame over the blade. The poison bubbled and steamed. In short order, the sword was clean, but red hot. Janesh laid it to the side for it to cool. The Crowns looked at us somberly.
"Can you identify these people?" King Sarvicnal asked, barely controlling his anger.
Anna, Alice, and I held our hands out to each other. Parchment fluttered in from somewhere to land on our hands. Four faces, names, and crimes materialized upon its surface. Once complete, we handed it to the Crowns. They looked puzzled.
"We do not know these people. What have we done that would prompt them to such action? Against babes? Why?"
"Chaos," we seven responded as one.
Janesh snapped his fingers, "Of course, even with one dead, the question of birth order arises. Plus suspicion, doubt, fear, all of those bubble to the surface."
Understanding bloomed upon the Crowns' faces. Their anger also rose. Guards were summoned to round up these people and bring them before the Crowns. The servants were questioned about the package. None remembered seeing anyone drop it off. They recounted finding it among others at the door.
Lunch passed and it was nearly night fall when news came of the four being in custody. We met the Crowns back in the Throne Room, along with the Palace and a small group of judges. The four, three men and one woman, stood in fear in the midst of this assembly. I could see that they had no idea why they were here.
"State your names for official records," one of the judges ordered.
In turn, the four told their names.
Once recorded, another judge rose, "You have been charged with attempted murder of the heirs of Crialas."
The four stood in shocked silence.
The judge, still standing, asked, "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty," one of the males said, coming out of his shock.
The other three responded likewise. The box and the dead creature were brought out and set before them.
"Did you construct this creature?" a third judge asked them.
All four responded that they had never seen it before in their lives. I could tell they were telling the truth. They were told that "a seer" had witnessed them making the creature. They, again, denied it. The judges, Crowns, and Palace looked at us seven.
"What do we tell them?" Lisa asked mentally.
"I see their history. I see them making the thing," Alice stated.
"I, too, see them making it," Anna sadly reported.
"There is nothing in their minds of making it. They do not remember their actions," I told them.
"Ladies," King Sarvicnal interrupted, "can you provide some answers here?"
"Your Majesty, some trickery is at work," I told him. Turning to the four, I approached and addressed them, "I believe something made you do this and forget. Do you have some new item, a recent acquisition, that you got yesterday or early today?"
The four looked at each other. Each of them began digging out pieces of chain, flat pieces of metal, and shattered glass. To their amazement, the four produced identical items.
The female spoke, "A halfling gave this to me, free of charge, last night. He said it was in celebration of the royal news. I slipped it on. Next thing I remember, it is past mid-day and I was in my laboratory. The talisman was shattered around me. I have no idea what happened between sunset yesterday and mid-day today."
The three males echoed her story. Each of them were missing several hours of their lives. I took the pieces from all four. The room vanished.
I saw a female halfling, a badly scarred female elf, a human male, and a being that look like a female child made of seaweed. The halfling was linking the chains. The elf was carving the flat metal. The human was making the glass. The seaweed child was forming shadows into spheres. Each was muttering to themselves. When each was done with their task, they brought their items to a central table. Four chains were laid out. Four small flat carved plates of metal were attached to the chains. Four still hot orbs of glass were dropped upon the flat metal inside the carved area. They flattened slightly as they adhered to the metal. Four shadow spheres were placed on top of the warm glass. The shadows sank into the glass, both darkening and hardening it. The four talismans were scooped up by a male halfling wearing gloves. The male halfling left. The group began gathering parts of the creature from the box and laying them out on the table that had previously held the four talismans. This took some time. The male halfling returned with the four before us in tow. Their eyes were blank and they walked strangely. The male halfling herded them to the table while the other group backed away as they approached. The male halfling gave them orders and they proceeded to assemble the creature. The two halflings, elf, human, and seaweed child assembled at another table and began forming the statue that would house the creature. This, too, took a long time. When the creature moved on its own, the two groups came together and finished installing it inside the statue. Satisfied, the seaweed child left and returned with the box. They all helped to place the statue into the box and seal it. The shielding was put into place and the elves, still in a trance, took it and left the room. They placed it among other items at the castle door. Each went to their separate homes where the talismans shattered, releasing them with no knowledge of what they had done or where they had been.
The room reappeared to my sight. Those assembled, even my sisters, stared at me. In confusion, I turned to ask why they were looking at me like that. However, my tongue seemed too heavy to move. Set's whine was the last thing I heard before everything went dark.

I don't normally write in an other's chronicle, but, my King and Queen have ordered it. I am Narisha, the royal chronicler of Crialas Pagoue.
When Kayla took the broken bits from the accused, an odd thing happened. Her eyes became snow white without a pupil. Fog rolled from her and formed a cloud about her. On the cloud, scenes materialized. We watched the true criminals perform their hidden tasks. The fact these worked together to complete this vile task struck many of us hard. Some Palace members became ill over it. Likenesses of the five were made. Alice was able to give us their names. When the last scene faded and the fog cleared, we were in awe of what we had seen. Kayla looked at us strangely, then collapsed. Her dragon was so quick. He must have sensed a change in her. His body kept her from colliding with the floor. He did not move until the others picked her up and fashioned a soft place for her to lay. Set stayed beside her, allowing only the other six and their animals near her. Once they were satisfied that she only slept, they told Set to take her to their room. I wondered how he would accomplish that, even as a dragon as big as he. In a blink, both of them were gone. We all rose to our feed, looking for the pair. The girls informed us that they were fine and safely in their room. We pushed that aside for now. The four before us were told they were free to go, but we asked that they would help us punish the real culprits. As hoped, they agreed. Guards were sent with the new sketches and four wizards. We waited. The girls told us about kirlan and how dragons travel. It took a moment or two, but we finally understood.
It was well past dark when the guards, wizards, and accussed returned. Just as they appeared in Kayla's cloud, we recognized the five easily. The two halflings looked smug, but avoided eye contact. The scarred one stayed hidden, using her hood to hide the scars. The human stood tall, trying to use his height to intimidate us. The green person was a bit taller in person. We surmised that this one had been slumped over or was not wearing shoes as we observed them in the cloud. The wizards stood with the guards, staring angrily at the five.
A judge stood, "You stand accussed of planning the death of at least one of the heirs of Crialas."
No one protested. The box and its contents were placed before them. All but the scarred elf remained unmoved. She flung herself at the box and tore it open. Seeing the dead creature, she broke into sobs.
"My baby! You killed my baby!"
She grabbed the dead thing and held it to her body. She rocked it like an infant. The other four did nothing. A guard came forward to pull it away. She shreiked as he pried it out of her arms and plopped it back into the box. Another guard grabbed her. The judges pronounced her guilty and she was nearly dragged out of the room. Still, the other four did nothing.
Another judge stood, "What say you? How do you plead?"
They continued their stoic silence. The human was losing his composure. He kept looking at the others, particularly the green one. Hoping to get something, the judge standing approached the human.
"What did you hope to gain, sieluuy (bastard), by this plot? Did you hope we would turn on each other and let humans take over Crialas and control the portal?"
The human chuckled, looking down at the judge from his human height, "Crialas is not worthy to have human rule. Capture, yes. Enslave, definately. Rule of Crialas would be given to the weakest, most stupid, laziest human because even such would be superior to any elf."
The assembly murmured at this outrage. The judge called for silence.
"So, why plot with these other to kill babes yet to be born? How do you benefit from an action that may not come to fruition for years, decades even?"
"What? 'Decades'? I was told this would kill them in their first year, not decades," he said, looking at the others.
Another judge stood, "Elf children do not walk until they are five years old. They do not grab for things above their heads until the age of eight. It may have been nine to fifteen years before any of them attempted to grab that statue."
"No, that's not true!" he looked around the room, "I am the oldest one here. Elves live and die before they see fifty. I am fifty-five. They walk nearly as soon as they are born, talk within days, and are able to breed by the age of two. Your Crowns have only recently become old enough to take the throne and they are only sixteen."
The room erupted with laughter, even the Sisters laughed. The human was even laughed at by his compatriots. The King stood, ending the laughter.
"Sir, I am five hundred twenty-seven years old. My wife is five hundred eighteen years old. The oldest one in this room is the Palace Elder who recently turned nine hundred ninety-three years old. And, yes, we count years the same as humans. You have admitted you took part in the plot to kill my, as yet, unborn children. By the way, she will be pregnant for seventeen months, so you had almost two years before they were even born to wait for your plot to be fulfilled. Guards, remove him," the King sat and waved him out.
The human was dragged out of the room, still trying to tell a room full of elves how we grew and aged. The two halflings and the green one remained. The judge near them turned to face them.
"Who is going to tell this assembly why this act was committed? Do any of you wish to explain?"
They stayed silent. The judge faced us, unsure of how to proceed. Alice asked if she could talk. It was allowed. She strode forward with her bird on her shoulder.
"I am Alice of Thantos, decendant of the Tree Singer clan. My gift is seeing a person's history and their family line. The halflings are siblings, same parents. They entered this agreement for money only. They are assasins, she by magic and he by sword. The agreement they think they made was to, eventually, get a payment for this job from rebels to overthrow the Crowns."
The smug look on their faces shifted a bit as Alice spoke. Alice faced the green one.
"However, there are no rebels and no money would ever be paid to these two. Nor would the scarred elf or human see a copper either."
The male halfling was near the green one. A slender knife appeared in his hand and he pressed it to her. She stood still.
"Is this true? No money? No rebels? You played us?"
With unusual strength, the green one snapped the knife in two and flung the pointed end far away. Very quickly, she clamped her hand around the halfling's throat and lifted him.
"I told you what you wanted to hear, so you would do my bidding. The Triad cannot rule Crialas. The Three-Fold Throne would make all life nearly impossible. For the sake of all in Crialas, it had to be done."
The judge stopped her, "What is this? Did you foresee the future?"
Dropping the nearly unconscious halfling, she turned to us, a wild look in her eyes.
"Not I, but it was shown to me. A true power has shown me that the three children will rule with such an iron fist that even the smallest crime will be punishable by death. I got these criminals to aid me so Crialas could become a free kingdom. No one I told would believe me. Palace, please, even your lives are in danger from the Triad."
Her face was begging us to believe her. We were confused. Anna, the smallest Sister, spoke up.
"She went to a pool to the south. A place called 'The Well of Truth'. However, I get the sense that it, too, has become corrupted. If we could go there, I would know for certain."
The green woman seemed encouraged. As they were taken out by the guards, she begged us to go to the Well and see for ourselves. The Sisters asked if they could go and see Kayla. I handed this chronicle back as soon and I wrote the last word.

Day 247 (225th)

Day 247 (225th):
Before dawn, a polite knock woke us. Nia stood at our door.
"Beg pardon, Sisters, but Elder Liam asks if you would join us for the morning ritual."
Accepting the invitation, we dressed quickly and followed Nia outside to the fountain. The rest of the Palace was there already. Many smiled when we arrived. The fountain we encircled was a female elf in ancient clothing holding a horn to her lips. No water flowed nor was any in the basin besides the snow that had collected there. We gathered around her. Liam stood next to me while he positioned us.
"We do not expect you to join in our ritual. Just you being here is a pleasure. We call the Faerie Queen 'Faerey Regala', but that is only because the writers did not know her name. We are not sure of this ritual's age, so it could pre-date the current Queen."
"I understand, Elder. If you continue it for a few more centuries, it will be I whom you address," I told him.
He and a few near us froze. Liam shook himself.
"So, you truly are the heir to the Faerie Queen. We heard you tell the King, but we were not sure we had heard true. We hope you enjoy it, then."
Spaced properly, Liam circled to a space left for him facing the statue's front. Everyone began humming, getting their voices nearly identical. Once that was achieved, they began intoning their chant.
"Galvadore, Emadora, Sandjoe, Larvain, Scotvla, and Storlockk. Faerey Regala, Fawn Regal, Draconis Regal, and Flora Regala. Lour upon we wretched crea. Guide us thro' this day and days to come. Give us wisdom where we lack, strength where we ere weak, and aid us where we fail. We give to you all tha' we ere as it is all that we have. We leave it in your care. Let it be."
While we seven did not speak, we hummed at the same tone as they spoke. I noticed some odd looks before Callie spoke mentally to me.
"Kayla, you're glowing."
Without interrupting, I looked at my hands and arms. A growing blush-tinted yellow glow surrounded them. Set sniffed and pawed at the growing glow. By the end of the chant, I could barely see my hands below the glow. Liam approached me as the others moved away.
"Kayla, what are you doing?"
"I'm not doing anything, I think. This just happened."
He thought a moment, "You can't glow all day. Something must be done with it."
Not sure of what to do, I held my hands up to the fountain's statue, "This is not mine."
The glow flowed off me, into the fountain's horn. We barely breathed as the light disappeared into the statue. Just as we drew a deep breath, the ground shook slightly. A groan issued from the fountain. Dust, snow, and large chunks of dirt shot out of the horn. With a few odd noises, pure water flowed from the fountain. Set, bless his scaly hide, raced fearlessly towards the filling basin and jumped in, splashing those who were nearest the stone lip. He raised up to place his front paws on the rim and shook water off, re-soaking the same nearby Palace members.
"The water is great! It is warm and sweet! It feels very good!"
I laughed as he re-entered the filling basin and splashed about. The Palace was apprehensive but began tasting the flowing water and commenting on its purity and source. Speculation went on for a few minutes before a pale blue/green glow rose from the fountain. We watched it hover, then settle beside the basin. It took a misty female form.
"Thank you, my children. Your energy gave me the last push I needed to fully awaken. Rollis shared a bit of the Sisters' healing with me as did the treants. My waters can now replenish this land."
Liam approached and bowed to the water female.
"Glory, may we know whom you might be? We wish our Crowns to receive this news accurately."
The female laughed, a sound like rain on bells, "You called me by name. I am Scotvla, goddess of the water. My home, an underground sea, lies below Crialas and feeds most of its wells, springs, and fountains. Danaska, the river to the east, is my daughter and fellow water goddess."
"We met her," Sarah blurted.
Sarah blushed at her boldness, but Scotvla only laughed again.
"It is good that she, too, is awake. I will return now and do my job. I wait patiently for you to seal the portal and cleanse the land."
The misty goddess dissolved into a glowing cloud and returned to the fountain. Set climbed out of the basin and shook off the extra water. I started to use my skirt to dry him off, but a towel appeared in my hands as I approached him. The Palace was silent and still as I dried off Set. One of the Crowns' servants cautiously walked towards this silent assembly
"B...beg pardon," she stammered, "the Crowns have sent for the Sisters to join them this morning."
We followed her back inside, leaving the Palace silently contemplating the recent events.
The servant girl led us to the Crowns' apartments, casting nervous glances over her shoulder as we went. Her fear rolled from her like fog off a pond. Before we arrived, we stopped her.
"Is it we that you fear? You have nothing to fear from us," I told her.
"I...I am s...sorry. It's just...you were...that was a goddess! A real one! Not some tale, painting, or statue. Are they here...or back...or reborn? I'm a bit confused."
We all giggled. Returning to our walk, we explained it all as best we could. By the time we reached the Crown's chambers, she seemed to understand.
A whiff of magic floated from their doors. I stopped everyone and brought it to their attentions. Using their skills, my sisters felt out the magic. All of us determined no malice nor evil emanated from within. We entered and headed towards the dining room. The magic felt stronger as we got closer. We found its source inside the dining room. A round table had replaced the familiar long table. I could tell it was the same table transformed from rectangular to round. The Crowns were beaming and radiating the magic we felt.
"We did not like the long table anymore," Queen Elenvarna told us, smiling, "The round table is more intimate. Set's seat is still here, if he wishes to use it. He's nearly big enough to eat with us."
Set puffed and raced to his chair and took a possessive posture. We all laughed and went to sit down. While we were in our original seats, our arrangement was far different. With no "head" or "foot", there was no sense of formality. The servants found serving this round table easier than the long rectangular one.
We spoke openly of our early morning activity, which resulted in a few broken dishes and spilled containers. The Crowns asked us to describe Scotvla in extreme detail. They had us go through the entire encounter three times before we summoned a mirror and showed them and the servants what had taken place. Some of the younger ones fainted at the sight of Scotvla while some older ones began humming a tune almost like a sea shanty. Once the Crowns were satisfied, we returned the mirror and finished breakfast.
We decided that we needed to focus on the elf bloodlines, since the powers were popping up on their own. Anna, Alice, and Callie voiced the problems they had encountered as we headed to the archives.
"The history in the books is so muddled that it is difficult to follow one series of events," Anna stated, "It is like following one ant through an anthill."
"The family lines are just as bad," Alice told us, "Some families seem to just stop and new families appear out of nowhere. Plus, old elfish to new elfish results in two or more families with the same name. 'Broken Bough', 'Broken Branch', and 'Broken Limb' all became 'Tree Break' as the language changed. And don't get me started on 'Running Water'."
With this in mind, we assembled in the archives forewarned and forearmed. We began sifting through the mountain of information. Within a couple of hours, it did, indeed, seem hopeless. We took a break to clear our heads.
As I wandered among the stacks and piles of scrolls and books, I began to feel them. Standing still, I "listened" to them. I closed my eyes to focus purely on this sensation. In that darkness, I "saw" the room, but not as it was. The books glowed. Some barely or not at all, but others were torch bright. Opening my eyes, I found one that glowed and one that didn't. The non-glowing one was hard to read, full of jargon, and frustrating. The glowing one was easy to read, in plain language, and enlightening. I shared this revelation with my sisters. We decided to start with the glowing ones. Standing in the center of the archives, I summoned all the glowing books and scrolls, which was scarcely a tenth of the collection. The histories, even by different writers, meshed to form a clear account of the events. They explained the "collecting" of names for translation purposes. For two or three generations, some families had two names; the old elf original and the new elf "collective". We found an example of "Harvest Frost" also being called "Icing Waters" along with "Winter Rain" and "Hailing Storm". So, as it stated: "Harvest Frost, common Icing Waters, joined in marriage to Winter Rain, common Icing Waters. Their eldest joined Hailing Storm, common Icing Waters. Due to a dispute, this pair separated from their families and began the Harvest Storm clan, which later joined the common name Thundering Storm."
These books explained the "death" or one family as well as the sudden appearance of others. By lunch, we had a great bit of information for the Crowns. Taking a few samples, we rejoined them in their apartments. Lunch was pushed aside a few times in order to examine something closer. After a time, King Sarvicnal hit on a snag.
"Even if we show, on paper, that they are related, how do we prove it? Can you 'see' their link?"
Alice, sadly, informed him that she could only see back five or six generations, eight if the line was strong.
"What about you, Kayla?" Queen Elenvarna asked, "Can your seer ability trace their lines?"
"Alas, no," I confessed, "I can only see if they are telling the truth or what their emotions are. I cannot discern family linage."
We sat silently for a while. I looked around the table. An idea began to form.
"Gretta, join me behind Alice," I requested as I stood and walked over.
Gretta joined me.
"What are you thinking, Kayla?" King Sarvicnal asked.
"Gretta hears purity. I see truth. Alice sees family. Perhaps the three of us, combined, can follow the true pure line of someone's family."
Everyone agreed to try it. With the Crowns and Lisa, we had three known links to the Founding Fifteen. As the King's was well documented and deemed pure, we started with him. Alice sat with Gretta and I standing behind her, each of us with a hand on her shoulder. Concentrating, we linked Alice's sight, Gretta's hearing, and my feelings. As one, we examined his bloodline. His parents, their parents, their parents, back, back, back. Ten generations branched before us, behind Sarvicnal. Finally, in the eleventh generation, we found Flame Shaper, one of the Founding Fifteen. We told him is exact relationship to Flame Shaper. He actually whooped in delight.
"Yes! That is it exactly! You did it! We can confirm the family lines," he cheered.
We turned to the Queen. Her family, likewise, branched before us. As with the King, her ancestral attachment to the Founding Fifteen was in the eleventh generation. It surprised her that Wind Rider was her link.
"My parents said it was Sea Tamer. Did they get it wrong?" she asked.
Re-examining the branches showed no blood link to Sea Tamer. However, a marriage link was made to that clan, but not in the Queen's direct linage.
Turning to Lisa, we began again. As Lisa was human, as well as most of her ancestors, the branches were closer together and far more numerous. Still, in her twentieth generation, we did find Tree Singer, along with a few other elf families along the way. By our calculation, Lisa was 1/512 th elf, which meant her last elf ancestor was nine generations back. We were all surprised at how much elf she was. With a mirror and extra focus, we looked at Alice. Having far less elf than Lisa, it wasn't until her twenty-eighth generation that we found Tree Singer. Her last elf ancestor was sixteen generations from her. Alice slumped a bit, disappointed that she wasn't more. One of the older servants, who had witnessed all of this, told her she had done more for the elves than many full-blooded elves. This perked all of us up a bit.
We had the servants at hand file before us to search their lines. Unfortunately, no Founding Fifteen were discovered. Some found that they were distantly related.
We broke the link to rest a bit. Since it would be exhausting to search everyone, we decided to focus on our leads, the families our research had already singled out. Messages were sent to these families to assemble at the castle as soon as possible. We returned to the archives to find more leads.
Back in the archives, we found some historians looking at our work. Their puzzled looks and the confusion radiating from them told us that our choice of material confused them.
"Ladies," one of the younger ones began, "why are you focused upon this material? None of these writers are official historians. Half of these have been exiled for fraud. The official texts are more informative."
He held up a tome that had a faint glow. We tried to come up with something true that they would accept. Giving up, we told them how we had found the pile currently occupying the central table. As expected, they looked at us as if we were mad. The younger one who has spoken approached us. His expression warned us of his tone to come.
"Your seer saw these tomes and scrolls glow. On that alone, you have focused only on these. Do you take us for idiots? Tell us the real reason these are the core of your investigations."
For several minutes, we tried to get them to see that we had told the truth. Eventually, they left, not convinced in the slightest of our sincerity.
With a weary sigh, we went back to our research. The leads we had we managed, on paper, to link to almost all of them to at least one Founder. We also stumbled across some other leads. These families were also summoned. If any answered, we were told, it would not be until tomorrow.
As we researched, Bo disappeared. Realizing his absence, Lisa began a frantic search. His shed skin was found caught on a protruding nail in a corner. Unable to focus with Lisa distraught, we set about finding him. Set sniffed all over, but said he was not here. Several minutes later, Set barked, looking up. In the rafters, Bo was coiled around a beam. Lisa was nearly in tears with relief. She begged him to come down. He did not. Set offered to aid him, but received a violent hiss. We were all concerned. Bo did not act this way. Looking at him, I felt embarrassment coming from him.
"Bo is embarrassed," I told everyone.
"Embarrassed? Why? What does he have to be embarrassed about? Wait. You can sense him now, Kayla? You've said he is a void in your senses," Lisa inquired.
"Before, yes, I couldn't get anything from him. Now, I can feel embarrassment rolling off him."
"Bo, why are you embarrassed? Come down and we shall deal with it," Lisa called to the ceiling.
Bo stayed where he was. Lisa's state was blocking her communication with him. Calming her, we got their link back.
"He says he's not 'complete'. That is causing him shame. He doesn't want to inflict his 'ugly' on us," Lisa reported.
Several moments of cajoling got Bo down. That is when we saw his back. Two incomplete wings jutted out of the raw spots Lisa had been treating. Bo could fold and flap them, but not fly.
"Kayla, see if they will work or if they are not functional," Lisa pleaded.
Touching Bo, I saw him and Set circling each other in the sun. Feather-like scales reflected rainbows as he flew. When folded, they covered half his length. All of this I told them. Bo coiled in a hug around Lisa as happy as a winged serpent could be. Lisa held him tight, minding his fragile wings. Dawn trumpeted and Set made happy smoke puffs. With that settled, we renewed our research. I called my cream to us and Lisa slathered Bo's tender wings to keep any cracking at bay as they hardened.
By dinner, we had detailed genealogies of all of the families that were summoned. We hoped they would accept our findings and take part in the ritual. The Crowns were excited about our progress to the point that, until a servant screamed, they hadn't noticed Bo's wings. I watched a strange play of emotions from and between them. Looking between the Crowns and Lisa, a slow "knowing" rolled through me. It was not Fate's wind, Faerie knowledge, nor any deity I had yet encountered. My seer abilities, apparently, did not cross to my sisters as I did not feel them sharing my perceptions.
Finally, I blurted, "What does the prophesy say?"
The Crowns and several servants dropped what they were holding. The Crowns sputtered, trying to come up with a plausible lie. I continued to look at them with my purple eyes until they gave in.
"It is only one sentence, but it holds a lot of information," Queen Elenvarna said, "All it says is 'The winged serpent's shadow will protect the cradle of Crialas'."
"In Selvis," Lisa reported, "Fate foretold that I would become the Queen of Crialas' personal guard and instruct your children in combat."
"Our children?" the King asked, "We have no children. Being deer for so long, we're not even sure we can."
"Sure you can," Sarah interrupted, "I know because the Queen is currently pregnant."
All motions stilled. The Queen began to cry, but I could see they were happy tears. The King was in shock. He looked at Elenvarna as if seeing her for the first time.
"Did...did you know?" he asked in a whisper.
She shook her head as she was too emotional to speak. Orania asked if she could proclaim the news. With a nod and a wave, she hurried to a closet. Inside were flags of various colors. I could tell each had a meaning by the emotions around them. She pulled out one that nearly glowed with happiness. She stopped.
"How many do I fly?"
Sarah and I replied in unison, "Three."
Elenvarna fainted. Orania had a huge smile as she wrestled two more flag from the closet. Sarah, Sarvicnal, and many servants rushed to the Queen to keep her from falling out of her chair. Towels were rolled in quick order to rest her head against the hard chair. Orania carried the flags out of the dining room as if they were the babes that she was announcing. The Queen came around quickly. The rest of diner became plans for the new arrivals.
They barely noticed when we left. We made plans to continue researching until the families arrived. The news of the pregnancy buzzed around us as we went to our rooms. In spite of the portal, the building was much lighter as we went to sleep.

Day 246 (224th)

Day 246 (224th):
No bell, chime, nor horn woke us. Being above ground, we saw the sun was up and had been for an hour or so. We dressed and went to find the Crowns. The Palace was strangely quiet. Finally, on the first level below ground level, we found people about. Smiling servants escorted us to a kitchen and allowed us to eat at our leisure. Bone and other bits they planned to toss became Set's breakfast, as Dawn and Bo ate what we ate. The giggles of the servants startled him, but I told him they only laughed at his enthusiasm, not him. He puffed a bit then went back to eating. He was still munching away after I had finished. I proceeded to tend his growing skin and scaleless areas. The servants watched us curiously. I explained the purpose for this and they understood. We asked about the routine at the Palace and received a chorus of giggles.
"There is no routine, milady. The Crowns stay to themselves most of the time, with their private servants tending them. The Palace, as those assembled last night are collectively called, each have their own servants and their own duties. That is part of the chaos here. No order, no authority, no centralized leadership. The Crowns are trying, but the Palace is being difficult," the head cook informed us, "We, however, have a bit of a routine as we cook for the guards and the rest of the household. You girls arrived at the tail end of breakfast."
We thanked her and the rest for their kindness. We were nearly done when a man came puffing into the kitchen. He breathed heavily before speaking.
"There you are. Several members of the Palace are very upset with you. That deal we made has caused a fair amount of ruckus. A few claim their hands will never be normal again."
"It is not our deal, sir," I said, "We gave it to Fate and it is Fate who deals any punishments."
"Be that as it may, you girls are not well liked right now," he puffed, still out of breath.
"If they abide by the agreement, no punishment will result," Lisa barked.
"They are use to things a certain way and use to doing as they please with no consequences. I dare say many of my fellows are like spoiled children. The chancellor gave up keeping them in line. The Crowns are fighting tooth and nail to bring them in order, but the Palace, as a whole, is very stubborn. Anyway, besides them, the Crowns are looking for you to take up last night's inquiries. If you will follow me, the Throne Room is not far."
Taking our last bites, we thanked the kitchen staff again and followed him out the door. We went back above ground to a set of elaborate golden doors. Gretta said they sang both of value and age. The man cheered a bit at her appraisal and opened them for us.
The room was noisy as the doors opened, but went deathly quiet as we entered. We followed him towards twin thrones, each was empty. Seven chairs were set up to face the empty thrones. We were told to sit and wait for the Crowns. We arranged ourselves and sat. Set sniffed the room and the assembly. He shook his head as he conveyed his impressions.
"The taint still clings to them. Some more than others. A few keep re-tainting themselves as I can smell layers of it upon them. Some have tried cleaning the taint from themselves. I can smell different soaps, perfumes, and other stuff," he informed me.
"Thank you, Set. You have confirmed my sight of layers of both corruption and cleansing. The Crowns may want this knowledge," I praised him as I patted him while we sat before the empty thrones.
We were there only a short while when a horn sounded and everyone rose. The Crowns strode in from a side door parallel to the thrones. They were not as finely dressed as yesterday, but still elegantly attired. We waited until they sat before we sat back down. They looked very tired. Sarah was extra concerned. We warned her to stay seated, but we did begin funneling some healing energy to aid them.
No sooner had the assembly been seated than a cluster of people jumped up and began assaulting the Crowns with accusations about us and them. Each of them had a strange aura that hurt to watch.
"They cursed us!"
"The deal you made us sign is a deal with the Abyss!"
"My hands are forever maimed! My servants laugh at me and will not obey me!"
"Punish them! We do not need them to better Crialas! This Kingdom is fine without them!"
More shouts and accusations flew. The Crowns seemed to shrink under the weight of it all.
I noticed a strange thing. The energy we were giving was being siphoned to those yelling. I told my sisters to stop. I watched the last ribbon of energy not reach the Crowns and be taken by the yelling assembly. Looking around, I saw others being drained as well.
"They need to be stopped. We cannot prosper with them pulling every one's energy away," I told them.
"Will the soul poison spell do the trick?" Lisa asked, a bit angry, ready to attack.
The swords hummed. Sloth gave us another option.
"There is a mask. They are not who or what they show to everyone else. That must be removed before we can proceed."
Set got everyone to be silent with a roar and a controlled small fireball that exploded far above us but well away from the ceiling. The inhaled breaths silenced the yelling. The seven of us rose and faced the Palace, which resulted in more gasps, since it meant turning our backs to the Crowns.
Lisa stepped forward and spoke boldly, "I am Lisa of the Tree Singer clan. I am also human, a soldier, and a Sword Sister. I and my sisters have been honest and open to all we have met. Some here are not as they appear. They are draining this Kingdom, even from the Crowns themselves. We shall remove the masks and show friend from foe."
Stepping back to join us, we took hands and started the chant. The swords rose and encircled us, to both aid and protect us. The room began to glow. Everyone looked at themselves and each other. The auras I saw normally were now visible to everyone. The ones with the strange auras tried to beat the colors and shadows off their bodies. Ten elves rose and writhed out to the open floor. While we still chanted, they began to change. Pale skin became paler, nearly white. Eyes lost color to become strangely yellow while hair turned an odd blue-white.
One female not in this group screamed, "Slayzoule!"
The rest of the Palace reached for weapons. We finished the chant but the swords still encircled us. The King rose, comforted the Queen a moment, then confronted the creatures.
"Slayzoule, where are those who's faces you wore? Where are my people?"
"We are your people. We embraced the changes, welcomed the other realms, and gave ourselves to new powers. We have prevented any attempts to heal or change this Kingdom except to our advantage. Your precious Sisters' energy was feeding us quite nicely. We may keep them to feed us."
The King sneered, "Egal Slayzoule, energy life-drinkers, foul creatures. Wizards caught a few entering through the portal. They come from a realm that they have nearly drained of all energy and life."
"We found one who escaped. She shared the glory of her powers. We intend to make Crialas the new home of all Egal Slayzoule and the like."
The King reacted so swiftly, everyone was amazed. He drew twin swords. Like one possessed, he slashed at the creatures, lobbing a couple of heads to bounce on the stone floor. Once the creatures got over their initial shock, they converged upon the King. Lisa grabbed Gluttony out of the air and raced to join him. A few others from the assembly ran to protect their King. The creatures dodged many blades. Some, wisely, headed for the door. I extended my hand and told the doors not to open. Four remaining creatures tried with all of their might to open the doors. The King, Lisa, and two others painted the doors as they beheaded them. I opened the doors and allowed a flood of people to pour in. Some became sick at the sight. Others, fortunately, kept their heads and stomachs and went about the grizzly task of collecting bodies and heads. As everyone returned to their places, a small army of servants arrived to clean up the mess. The King did not sheath his swords as he stood before his throne. We seven sheathed our swords and sat before the Crowns. With blood still clinging to his swords, the King began talking to the Palace.
"This is what I have been trying to fix in this Kingdom. Monsters in our own Palace. Outrageous! Now, now, do you see the need? Do you see that there is a problem here that needs to be solved? The portal must be resealed. Those that claim 'no harm' has come from the portal remaining open and unguarded need to look at those empty chairs, the blood, and the bodies. Will you put aside these petty quarrels for the good of the Kingdom?"
The assembled Palace looked at the empty chairs, the blood being cleaned from many surfaces, and, then, focused on the King.
One male elf stood, raised his sword, and shouted, "All Hail King Sarvicnal and Queen Elenvarna! All Hail!"
The room erupted with "All Hail" issuing from all the members as full understanding hit them. The King finally smiled as he took his seat. Queen Elenvarna was weeping happy tears. King Sarvicnal faced us as the hails died away.
"Now, Sisters, we need the portal resealed, but there is a problem. The powers we have spoken with say that we cannot simply renew the deal, but must create it anew."
"Beg pardon, Your Majesty, " Anna spoke up, "but could you give us a bit more detail. We know very little of this portal and the taint makes reading the land difficult."
"Of course," King Sarvicnal said, "but Narisha can explain better."
The elderly-looking elf woman from last night rose to stand near the Crowns. Then, she began her tale.
"Thousands of years ago, the spot where Crialas Pagoue stands was open land. A ring of earth was all that indicated anything special. A band of elf travelers encountered this spot and found what lay in its heart. A portal to other realms, so ancient that no power could tell them when it had formed. They found it randomly connected to these other realms and for random periods of time. Working with other elves, the Founding Fifteen, and the powers of this realm, they created a stable, predictable gateway to allow visits to these other realms and a safe return. In fact, 'Crialas' is a fey word meaning 'gate' or 'gateway'. With the portal now stable, visitors began arriving to use it. The Founding Fifteen saw a need to protect it, regulate its use, and police those who wished to use it. They began 'Crialas Town'. Soon, others realized that those using the portal needed special equipment, provisions, food, plus other services. Crialas grew into a city, the remaining Founders reinforcing the gateway, as it grew unstable after so much use. By two hundred years after the first stabilization, Crialas Pagoue was a full city with an elected mayor. People still arrived to use the portal and the Founders continued every year to reinforce the gateway. The city became a target for invasion. The people rose their mayor to Prince to prevent invasion. After he orchestrated the defeat of five attempt to conquer Crialas Pagoue, they crowned him King. He took the daughter of one of the Founders as wife, making the Crowns a part of stabilizing the gateway. Now, with so much time having elapsed since the last reinforcement, it is as if no gateway ever existed, plus, the use of the portal has allowed these other realms to freely cross to us. You girls have witnessed what three centuries of hemorrhaging has caused."
In the quiet following Narisha's tale, the swords hummed and murmured below our hearing. Narisha returned to her seat in silence. The Palace remained quiet, waiting on our response. I stood when the swords had finished their discussion and told us their conclusion.
"Our swords, the ancient entities who are embodied in steel, have discussed the situation. We, however, need some first-hand information to form a plan with them. Is it permitted to view the portal?"
King Sarvicnal nodded, "The area is the most tainted, but it can still be reached and used, however it is very unpredictable."
"Understood, Your Majesty, we only wish to see it, not use it. Other than that, we need to explore the city to see if any taint can be removed without repairing the gateway. Lastly, records need to be checked to find any even remotely related to the Founders. Once that is done, we can focus on finding any powers or deities around who might be sleeping or too weak to aid on their own. Is this acceptable?"
Many heads bobbed along with agreeable muttering, plus audible "Sensible" and "Good plan" heard among the Palace members. King Sarvicnal raised a hand and brought silence.
"Randal and Vala, escort the ladies to the portal. After their assessment, bring them to our quarters for the mid-day meal. Then, we shall go about the city to inspect it. We shall end the tour in the archives to see what they can find."
The Palace rose to their feet, bowed to the Crowns, and filed out. A male and female elf approached us as the room emptied.
"Ladies, we are the Gate Keepers," the male, Randal, told us, "We shall take you to the portal."
We bowed to the Crowns and followed Randal and Vala. As we left, four guards entered and approached the Crowns. A pair each flanked them so that two guards were between the Royal Couple. They walked out as if being taken to jail.
"Gate Keepers, may we ask a question?" Sarah quietly inquired of our escort.
"You may, what do you wish to know?" Vala replied.
"Why are the Crowns kept from each other? Why do they need guards against each other?" Sarah asked gently.
Twin sighs issued from the pair.
Vala began, "When the Crowns returned, the city was a mess. Paranoia was rampant. Every member of the Palace had guards, each wary of the other Palace members and the other guards. All of those guards practiced separately, lived only with their patrons, and participated in killing other guards. It was feared that the Crowns would turn on each other. They were under constant and total surveillance for many months before they were allowed alone. As you saw, in the public areas, they are still highly guarded. Only in their apartments are they free to walk without guards. Still, only very select servant attend them and only as called upon. Social interaction is prohibited between the Crowns and their servants."
"They must be very lonely," Gretta commented.
Another twin set of sighs.
"It is regrettable, but necessary. Perhaps, when the Kingdom is restored, the situation may improve for them as well."
The rest of the trip was outwardly silent. Inwardly, we batted around ideas about what we might see or experience. We descended deeper under the castle.
I could feel the increase in "weight" as we neared the portal. It reached the level of pain long before we saw the doors. Sloth's exercise did nothing to ease the pain. Set whined, but I told him I could handle it. I saw my sisters wince and struggle with their own pains. Finally, the Gate Keepers stopped at a set of large metal doors.
"When the gate was functioning, this is where the instructions to the travelers would be given, what to expect in the realm they plan to visit, and staging. Now, it is where we warn them that there is no guarantee of their return or safety and beg them one last time not to use the portal. More than half follow our advice, the rest.... we regret their loss," Randal sadly told us.
"As we are only looking at it and not entering," Lisa reminded them, "our loss will not occur."
They bowed slightly and opened the doors with a chorus of squeaks and scraping. Sheer reaction brought up the mental shield Brimagor had given me. Like a sun, the portal shown too brightly. It took a moment to adjust enough to walk around it. Similar to Starlight's portal, but on a much larger scale. Leo could have squeezed through, but Falcon would never fit. We watched scenes shift wildly across its surface. From perfection to horror and everything in between played before us. I could barely tell that Callie was assessing its strength, but was certain that was what contorted her features. Sarah was weeping openly. Gretta placed her hands over her ears from time to time as the images shifted. Lisa kept her face stone-like, but her eyes shown with her internal struggle. Alice was watching the changing scenes, but confusion marred her features. Anna could barely stand, each scene crashing information upon her like storm fueled waves. I was becoming overwhelmed by this, between their emotions and those radiating form the other realms, I felt near to fainting.
Suddenly, I heard an unfamiliar male voice call out, "That is enough."
Instantly, we were no longer there. The seven of us, swords, companions, and the Gate Keepers were back up in the Throne Room. The Gate Keepers looked at us, but we were as confused as they. Before us, but the thrones, a tall male materialized. Human in height but dwarf in build, he made a powerful presence by just standing there. The Gate Keepers began to speak, but the male held out his hand and a large blacksmith's hammer coalesced across his palm.
The Gate Keepers fell to their knees, muttering "Beleger! (Mighty one) Hera en amin! (My Lord) Yaaraer! (Ancient One) Builder of Worlds!"
He let them speak for a moment, then quieted them.
"It is good you remember me, but be silent," He looked at us, a bit puzzled, "I felt the presence of beings not normally near the portal, but I see only seven young girls."
Set roared, which brought his attention to the other occupants of the room. Dawn trumpeted while Bo rose above Lisa's shoulder. He took this in, but it did not erase his confusion.
"I still do not understand."
"Sir," I stepped forward, "perhaps I can explain. Sarroset, this dragon, is an emperor dragon. Dawn, this bird, is part phoenix. We carry swords which are immortal entities of ancient origin. The seven of us are from diverse bloodlines."
He listened and looked at us intently. Finally, he asked, "Is one of your bloodlines of the water folk?"
"Yes," Sarah replied, "my great-grandmother is a mermaid."
He laughed, "Such an inland place gets very few of those beings. I also felt an air being, who might that be?"
We looked at each other, not sure who he meant. Bo slid off of Lisa and coiled up his leg to his ear. Bo hissed a few times then returned to his usual spot on Lisa. The male nodded with understanding.
"I see the being of fire, the phoenix bird. Who is the being of earth?"
"That would be me, sir," Callie shyly told him, "My ancestors and relatives are dwarfs."
She showed him her family shield. He nodded again.
"Lastly, I felt an entity of spirit, old energy not of this realm."
"There are two possible sources, both from me," I stated, "I am of Faerie blood and I wear a god-forged item," showing him my riding set.
Satisfied, he smiled, "As they said, I am known as the Builder of Worlds. I lay the foundations for new worlds so other gods and powers can make their places. Only the combination of all of these elements can call to me. Why were you at this malfunctioning portal?"
We explained our purpose. He agreed that inspecting it was a wise idea. He was able to tell us that he remembered that the construction ritual had been written down at the time, which gave us hope. He tossed us a miniture version of his hammer. Gretta caught it and put it in Greed's sheath.
"When you are ready to remake the gateway, toss that into the portal. I shall aid in its construction."
With one last smile and a wink, he vanished.
It took the Gate Keepers a few moments to collect themselves. When they had, they told us to follow them to the Crowns' private apartments. We went down again, not as deep as the portal but well underground. Four guards stood at their doors, two for each the King and Queen. The Gate Keepers informed them that we were joining the Crowns for lunch. The guards seemed confused, but let us in. One of each followed us as the Gate Keepers led us to the royal dining room. Their personal servants must have been informed of our invitation as seven seats were added to both the dining room and a sitting room outside it. The Crowns were sitting on opposite ends of a long table. They looked at us as if we had rescued them from something.
"Sisters, welcome," King Sarvicnal nearly shouted as he stood to greet us.
Queen Elenvarna also stood and approached us. We stepped forward to bridge the space between us. The guards raced around us and stopped us.
"You are not allowed to touch the Crowns. There is to be a minimum of five paces between you and them at all times," they both recited.
Queen Elenvarna began to cry. King Sarvicnal began to get red with anger. Instinctively, Sarah went to the Queen. Alice took the King back to his seat. The guards were torn as to either grab them or hold the rest of us. Lisa stepped forward, Bo wrapped around her like a sash of authority, and berrated the guards.
"We are here by their invitation. Do you think they would have people who would harm them here? This entire situation is deplorable! We have met a few royal couples and none of them are treated with such disrespect. Go back to the door, you're no longer needed here," she ordered.
The guards were about to counter with something, but Lisa bellowed, "Now, soldier! Move!"
Training kicked in and the pair left quickly. The Gate Keepers were shocked. During Lisa's speech, Sarah and Alice had moved the Crowns to the same end of the table and arranged their table settings accordingly. The servants looked at this new arrangement with mixed emotions. The older ones smiled while the younger ones were puzzled or angry. Some attempted to undo the new arrangement, but were stopped by the older ones who told them all was well. The seven of us arranged ourselves and got seated. Set and I ended up at the opposite end from the Crowns. Elenvarna had quit crying and was holding hands with a now calm Sarvicnal. The Gate Keepers stood off to the side. They reported our reactions to the portal and the entity that arrived at our presense. The Crowns shot us twin looks of amazement. The Gate Keepers were dismissed.
Food and drink were brought. I could see the happiness from the older ones while the youngers wrestled with mixed emotions. I stopped an older one.
"This is the way it use to be, isn't it?" I asked in a whisper.
Nodding slightly, she told me, "It was the chancelor who set up this policy of fear and separation. He feared the Palace and their underlings. In these separate apartments were the only places he felt truly safe. Those who know nothing else are confused and bewildered."
I thanked her and let her continue her work. The Crowns were still mulling over the Gate Keepers' report.
Finally, Sarvicnal asked, "Did you ladies summon the World Builder? I am unsure on that count."
"Your Majesty," I began, "the World Builder told us that we were the combination of five elements; earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. That combination called him, not a voiced summons nor invitation. He said all of those had to be present to call him."
Understanding brightened the Crowns' darkened features. Knowing our mere presense brought such attention lifted their spirits. They began questioning us as to our impressions of the portal. Callie told him how weak it was, which was allowing the corruption of Crialas. Sarah and Lisa explained the contaminating effects of the other realms on this one. Alice apologized that, since no people were near the portal, she got very little information. Anna told of the massive histories that assaulted her each time the scene changed. Gretta reported how some realms sang while others were silent. I relayed the emotions and energies pouring through the portal and into Crialas. The Crowns and their servants listened with interest. The younger servants had begun to accept the new seating arrangement and seemed to relax. They even introduced themselves, not only to us but to the Crowns. This created a much more pleasant atmosphere in the room.
Set's bark came a mere breath before a sound outside the room got every one's attention. We watched the doors be ripped open and several members of the Palace plus many Royal Guards rush into the room. Murmurs and exclaimations bounced around the crowd. We and the Crowns stood and faced them. The Crowns clasped hands which elicitated a collective gasp. Some Palace members stepped forward.
"So, it is true," one of them stated, "The guards told us that the Sisters were destroying proticol. Seating the Crowns side-by-side in private and having no guards when others," glaring at us, "are present in the private chambers. This is what we feared would happen. These girls are evil! Guards! Seize them!"
The Royal Guards advanced to obey. The Crowns moved between them and us.
"Now see here!" Sarvicnal barked, "I am King! We rule Crialas! You obey us!"
Several Palace members laughed, which unsettled the Crowns. The guards moved around the pair like a river around a boulder. The Crowns stared at the Palace members, who smiled at their impotence.
"The Crowns have no real power anymore. The chancelor gave it all away to us. Once the portal is repaired, you two are useless and will be tossed along with these evil girls," the spokesman told us all.
The guards reached us and ordered us to go with them. When we did not move, they tried to grab us. They all jumped back as pain shot through their hands as they tried to touch us. After several painful attempts, they told the Palace they could not secure us. Angrily, they marched over and tried the same, with the same results.
Finally, one of them shouted, "What power is this?"
"Mine," a familiar female voice echoed through the room.
They looked around fro the source. The fireplace, on the other side of the table, was replaced by a shining silver doorway. The Faerie Queen, in all her splendor, walked through and into the room. All of the older servants and some of the older Royal Guards bowed low as she glided over to us.
"I will not allow such barbaric behavior towards my heir and her Sisters. The Palace has become a group of spoiled children who make their own rules without supervision. The Crowns are the rightful rulers of Crialas Kingdom by blood and law. You have no right to call yourselves elves when you act like trolls," she chastised them like a mother towards unruly children.
For a few moments, no one spoke. Finding his voice, the speaker confronted her.
"Who do you think you are to speak to us like this? Identify yourself."
Aloriana laughed, along with the older servants, guards, and us. The room became polarized; those with us and her and those who didn't know her. The Crowns stood between the groups, quite confused.
"I am the Queen of the Faerie Realm," Aloriana announced.
This resulted in a few more servants and a couple more guards joining our side. The Palace and Crowns, as well as the other servants and guards, looked at her wide-eyed and slack-jawed. The speaker recovered.
"What kind of fool do you think we are? We are not impressed."
He stepped around the Crowns and stood before Aloriana, half a head shorter than she, and tried to seem imposing, "Show your true self, not this illusion. Many have been to the Faerie Realm and reported the Faerie Queen's appearance. You look nothing like those tales," he sneered at her.
"First of all, 'many' have not been to the Faerie Realm. During my lifetime, only twenty-seven non-fey mortals have been in the Faerie Realm, and my lifetime is several thousand years. Second, I can change my appearance at will and have over many years many, many times. Third, you show your kind of fool every time you open your mouth."
Stiffled giggled sounded around the room, including the Palace and guards. The speaker tried to stare them down, but failed. He turned back to Aloriana.
"Even as such, you have no authority in Crialas. These girls are causing havoc. They have killed members of the Palace and broken numerous rules. They must pay for their crimes and, as the true authority of Crialas," he directed the "true" at the Crowns, "it is up to us to punish them. You," raising his voice a bit at Aloriana, "will allow them to be arrested."
As Aloriana and this elf, whom we were told was named Weelrom, stared at each other, neither giving an inch, a thunderous "boom" sounded, causing many to jump. The shining doorway changed from silver to a reddish copper. From it stepped a magnificent being, elf in appearance but clearly much more. The elves on our side knelt to the floor. My bracelet set hummed as he approached us. Aloriana gave a slight nod as he joined her. His voice filled the room, but was not loud.
"King Sarvicnal and Queen Elenvarna carry the oldest unbroken bloodlines in Crialas. The Treaty of Scarlet proclaims them as the true rulers and powers of Crialas. The Treaty is still i n effect. I know this because those," pointing at the jewels the Crowns were wearing, "are clear and intact. If the Treaty were broken, they would also be broken."
The Palace looked at each other, puzzled. The Crowns held each other, a mixture of relief and fear playing over their features. Weelrom faced the newcomer.
"What treaty? What are you talking about? Who are you anyway? More of their tricks?" indicating us.
"The Treaty of Scarlet, the ancient agreement that allowed Crialas to be founded. I am known as Galvadore in your words, called the Father of the Elves."
Every guard and servant came over to our side of the room. The Palace, the sixteen who were before us, stood alone. I could see they were racking their brains, trying to remember this treaty and how it was denying their leadership. Weelrom found new courage and stood nearly nose-to-nose with Galvadore.
"More lies. Galvadore is a child's tale. There is no 'Father of the Elves'. Our society rejected the notion of 'gods' centuries ago. Return to where you came from, false god, we reject you."
The Palace stood, nodding in agreement. Galvadore sighed unhappily. He motioned for the Crowns to stand by him. In the empty space between us and the Palace, the rest of the Palace suddenly appeared. Confused, they looked around. Seeing both Aloriana and Galvadore, the newly arrived Palace members collapsed into bows, full to the floor bows. Galvadore gave them permission to rise. They saw the polarity of the room.
The elder spoke, "What goes here? Lords and ladies, why do you face off with Their Majesties and these Glories?"
Weelrom puffed, "These girls are playing tricks. Expecting us to fully believe that this," sneering at Aloriana, "is the Faerie Queen and he," snapping at Galvadore, "is some kind of god."
The elder, named Liam, marched to Weelrom and firmly slapped him across the face.
"You fool! If, IF, you had studied the ancient texts and participated in our morning chants, you would know the Ancients, Galvadore being promenent among them, and the Faerie Queen. I am ashamed by you and for you."
The sixteen Palace members, including Weelrom, looked confused at each other. They murmurred and whispered among themselves.
A female stepped apart,"Elder? Do you mean that stuff you do at dawn at the fountain every morning?"
"Yes, Nia, that is our focus every day. It gives us strength to endure."
She silently bowed and joined Elder Liam at his side to a chorus of shouts from the other fifteen. She faced them.
"My parents did that ritual every morning. I did until they left Father's Palace position to me and crossed over. I didn't get invited to the ritual, so I did not join in. Weelrom, this is real. They are real."
Weelrom and company huffed. Elder Liam and his group whispered.
Liam asked, "They gave you his post? You weren't elected by your village? That is not the way the Palace is filled."
Nia shrank as Elder Liam faced the fifteen again.
"Were any of you elected?"
They all shook their heads, Weelrom included.
"Did any of you sign your fielty pledges?"
Confused expressions blanketed them. A few exclaimations of "What's that?" were heard among them.
Suddenly, the Palace members on our side were holding scrolls, save for Nia. They were of varying ages, but still intact. At Liam's feet, sixteen new scrolls appeared. Galvadore raised his hand and they floated before Liam.
"The easy solution," Galvadore said, "is for the rest of the Palace to read and sign these pledges and accept the Treaty of Scarlet and the true authority of the Crowns. Those who do not are to leave the Castle and let rightfully elected people take you places."
Noise erupted. Angry shouts assaulted us. Nia quietly grabbed a scroll, opened it, read it, and, finding quill and ink, signed it. I felt a small "click". Galvadore gave me a knowing look, but said nothing. Some of the fifteen had grabbed a scroll and read it. Almost all of them yelled about not signing "this foolishness". Another female and one male joined Nia at the table and signed their's. I felt two more "click"s. The remaining thirteen adamately refused, even tearing the scrolls into pieces. When they ran our of venom, they stood silently, glaring at us. Galvadore stepped into the open area between us and them.
"Do you refuse to sign? Do you not accept the Treaty of Scarlet?"
With some swearing, they confirmed their decision. Sarvicnal started to pronounce judgement, but Galvadore stopped him.
"They have broken my law, not yours, King Sarvicnal. It is I who gave them the option to correct their error and it is I who pronounce sentence."
Sarvicnal stayed at Elenvarna's side, bowing slightly to the god. Galvadore made a sad noise and faced the thirteen Palace members. He waved a hand, sweeping the area before him. The Palace members froze in place, still as statues.
"To rebuild the gate requires living monitors. The first were a small built clan of the Stone Race who controled and operated the gate and portal. Later, dryads planted special trees so they could control the gate. The last were a unique and intelligent form of gargoyles. When it is rebuilt, you will serve as its controlers and monitors. Until then, you will be with me, being trained and conditioned to be proper monitors. You will either learn or not survive the process."
While they could not make any physical protests, the emotions poured from them in waves. I actually staggered from the force. Set whined, but I let him know all was well. Galvadore bid farewell to all of us and he and the thirteen vanished.
"Well, now that is settled," Aloriana stated playfully, "we can get to rebuilding the gate. Sisters, I have been informed of several powers near by that can aid, but must be convinced to help."
"That is great, Mother," I told her, "The finding, we feared, would take forever."
A piece of light paper appeared in her hand. Aloriana handed it to Gretta, who was closest to her. Gretta, Sarah, and Alice, being close together, looked at the list. Sarvicnal dismissed Palace and Royal Guard back to their duties. Nia and the other two were receiving instruction in the real way the Palace behaved as they left. I walked Aloriana back to the once again silver doorway to the Faerie Realm.
"Mother," I inquired softly, "when they signed the pledges, I felt something 'click' into place. There is not so much tension as before. Can you tell me what that is?"
Aloriana smiled, "Like pieces of a puzzle, the pledges align the Palace with the Crowns. The tension was the mis-match of the other Palace members. With those gone, new members that fit can complete the puzzle and stabilize the Palace."
I thanked her and watched her walk through the shining door, the door glowed slightly, then the door vanished, leaving only the fireplace as if nothing had happened. We returned to the table in our former places. The paper was passed around. We questioned the servants about places mentioned that the Crowns did not know. Soon, we had a plan. Anna, Alice, and Callie were going to the archives to find any other descendants of the Founding Fifteen. Sarah, Lisa, Gretta, and I were setting out to find the fey on the Faerie Queen's list. At sunset, we would meet back in the royal apartments to discuss our findings. The building was already feeling cleaner and less chaotic. As we left, we saw the former Palace members' items being sorted and farmed out to the population of Crialas. This started peeling some of the distrust off the relationship between rulers and ruled.
We left our sisters to the archivist, borrowing Dawn from Alice. I had a feeling she might be useful. We headed to a well just outside the city. Aloriana's list said a water sprite resided inside. As we walked, Lisa spoke low to me.
"When we get back, may I use some of Set's cream? Bo has developed some rough spots. I hope it will ease them until he can shed."
Smiling, I told her she was welcome ot it. I looked closely at Bo and did see two distinct spots about a hand length from his head that looked a bit rough and slightly raw. I stroked his head to reassure her and him.
At the well, we looked for signs of the sprite. Sarah called in the mermaid language. From deep in the well, an echoed reply sounded weakly. We all concluded the same idea and focused energy down the well to the source of the voice. A blue blur shot out of the well like a mortar round. When it returned, a male slightly taller than Dawn hovered above the mouth of the well.
"I haven't felt like this in ages. To whom do I thank for this boon?"
We introduced ourselves and explained why we roused him. The sprite, who told us to call him Rollis, explained what the chaos had done to him.
"In the beginning, it was easy to keep my well pristine. As more corruption occurred, it became more difficult. Now, until you arrived, all I could do was keep myself in a clean bubble and let my well suffer."
As a deal, we purified his well and the area around it in exchange for his aid with the portal. Rollis told us something I'd never heard about.
"Tears of maidens will help me continue to keep this well pure. Your tears, being who you are, will greatly help."
It took a few moments, but we managed to add tears to Rollis' well. Even Vanity added her tears. Rollis did back flips and cartwheels in the air. He said that we had so added to his power that he could influence the underground source of his well. Indeed, I could feel something below us almost relaxing, as if the very ground had been very tense and could, now, release that tension, pressure, or whatever it was. We bid Rollis farewell and heard a loud splash as he returned to his well.
Next on our list was a little vague. It read:
"Elm, Oak, and Pine winter at Lost River."
We asked citizens for directions to Lost River. We received good directions plus explanations that the river got its name because it meanders, even to the point it had four "mouths" wher it met the lake it fed. We followed the winding course until we found an elm, oak, and pine tree huddled together. I could feel emtions from these trees. At first, I thought I was feeling dryads inside the trees, but it did not feel like Lyrica's energy.
I called out, "Elm! Oak! Pine! May we enter your presence as friends?"
The three trees moved, turning as no tree could turn, and faced us with faces molded from knots, color changes in the bark, and leaves. We stood still as they examined us as well.
"Come forward, daughters of flesh. Tell us why you seek us," the Elm addressed us.
Bowing respectfully, we entered the area where they stood, a small clearing surrounded by stone outcroppings. They looked down at us.
"Elder Race, we thank you for this courtesy," I said, bowing again, "We have sought you out to aid us in restoring the balance of this land by repairing the portal under the elf city."
The three treants looked at each other. They spoke in a language that sounded like wind blowing through branches. They turned back to us.
"What can we do? The elves hate us, make our land unlivable, and destroy our forests. Why should we help them?"
We tried to explain about the portal and how it was the cause, but they turned it all back on the elves. We nearly gave up. Dawn flew up and chirped at them. They spoke in their language back at her. For several minutes they talked. Finally, Dawn returned to us, perching on Set's back.
"The bird has told us much. When you are ready, saplings will be sent to you to build the portal gate."
A bit overwhelmed, we were silent for a second or two. Recovering, we thanked the treants and left the area. At the edge, we sent healing energy to the trio. We turned to leave when a "WAIT!" stopped us. Turning back, we saw them approaching us. We bowed respectfully when they drew near.
"That energy? Did you do that?" Pine asked.
"Yes, Elders, we did," I replied nervously.
"Why? What made you give that to us?"
"Gratitude, Elders. You agreed to aid us. It seemed only right to give a gift to allies."
The trio looked at each other. I could feel their confusion. Faerie knowledge moved through me. Rapidly, I spoke to them in Faerie, not even truly certain of what I said, exactly. Dawn cheeped a few times during my monologue. When I was finished, feeling a bit drained, they actually smiled.
"We understand, Faerie Daughter. The saplings we send will be our best. May we ask for purification of this area? It would help us strengthen the saplings."
With a nod, we joined hands and claws and recited a cleansing spell. While not as powerful as the cloister's ritual, it did make the area more comfortable, the same relaxing feeling as before. The treants nodded and we parted company.
Heading back to the Palace, I continued to feel the relaxing sensation under the ground. At the Palace, however, the portal's influence either eliminated or masked that feeling.
We met our sisters on the way back to the Crowns' apartments. Within seconds, we knew the tangle of history and lineages they waded through since we left them. In turn, they knew about Rollis and the treants. By the time we entered the Crowns' chambers, it was as if all seven of us had never parted. We were pleased to see the Crowns together at one end of the dining table. They were talking with some of the older servants. The energy of the room made me smile. No fear, suspicion, nor distrust, only honesty, respect, and, amazingly, love. Not just the Crowns' love for each other, but the servants' love of their royalty, who had earned it and, by my sight, needed it badly. We were warmly greeted by all. We took our previous places around the table. The servants, somehow, had found a very low chair and table that fit Set perfectly so he did not have to eat off the floor or sit on the cold marble. Set purred as he settled into the blue-green material and ran sharp claws over the table's smooth surface without leaving a trace upon it.
After we were served, the Crowns asked how we faired. Our reseachers told of the errors in both the histories and geneologies. They were on the trail of six bloodlines and had hints on two others. The Crowns were impressed and encouraged them to continue their task. Turning to the rest of us, they asked about our progress. News of Rollis, Elm, Oak, and Pine caused all movement to stop. Crowns and servants all looked at us in silence. Orania, the eldest of the servants, broke the silence by asking the location of Rollis' well. After we told her, she explained that his well was a point of dispute. Some claimed it holy, others cursed. The same went for the Treants. Some held that they were natural beings of the forests while others said they were cursed trees, elves cursed to being trees, or trees possessed by those that had been hung upon their branches. Dawn's chirp voiced our feelings about their dispute. We added to it by telling them that the Treants were not cursed in any way and they would see for themselves when the saplings arrived to rebuild the gate. Several made warding signs against their perceived threat. The Crowns, however, were fascinated and questioned us on many points, once they found their voices again.
We talked well into the night. It was Set snoring that alerted us to the lateness of the hour. Heaving his increasing bulk, we bid the Crowns and servants good-night.
Back at our room, I gave Lisa some cream to treat Bo, who was looking a bit ragged. Bo curled and looped as Lisa applied the stuff to the raw patches and head to tail. Set's growth spurt was nearly at an end, with no scaleless skin showing and the new scales fitting nicely into the existing ones. We were all asleep in short order.