Guardians of the Prophecy

Chapter Three: Reunion

 *Very important scene in this chapter, so hope all of you enjoyed reading it as much as I had fun writing it!  Votes and comments with your thoughts and opinions are always helpful, please!  ^_^

Rima poked at the slices of mango and sweet melon on her plate with her fork.  She popped one in her mouth and savored the juicy sweet flesh, swallowed, and then sighed, looking out the window.  The sun had begun to rise above the horizon, casting a warm orange glow throughout the city.  She could already hear the sounds of people bustling in the streets, as usual.

She was successful yesterday.  But she had to go find more information by infiltrating politician Pouya’s home.  It was risky, but necessary.  At least this would give her the perfect opportunity to use some of her magic.  As the First Guardian, her specialty was elemental magic, but Rima could also do various other spells for everyday usage.  It was expected for spell casters.

She brought her hand near her chest, her fingers skimming over the white-gold gem strung on her necklace.  She examined it carefully, dropping her fork on the plate.  The feather-shaped gem was a part of the Life Star and her source of power that she could draw from to use magic. 

Sunlight reflected off of the jewel, and it sparkled gently, casting soft spots of light in her room.  Shaheen had been feasting on her newly caught prey on the other side of the table; she gave a soft screech as the gem shone, and ruffled her feathers before fixing Rima with a steely gaze.

She laughed quietly and stowed the necklace back inside her shirt.  “Sorry, Shaheen.”

The falcon blinked at her before returning to her meal.  Rima watched Shaheen for a moment, marveling at how long the bird could remain with her.  The extra companionship was comforting.  Len had been surprised that the falcon would still fly to Rima’s arm whenever she whistled despite continuing to catch its own prey.  “You’d think falcons would go wild when they eat what they catch,” he had said, before coming to the conclusion that Perien falcons were not like average birds.

“Do you think it’s because of the Life Star?” she had asked.  “Didn’t it say in some books of Origin that the Life Star had the capabilities of altering the world around it?”

“It’s possible,” Len had nodded. 

Rima returned to the rest of her breakfast, pondering the matter.  Origin was the name given to identify the runes and language associated with magic.  As the First Guardian, she was charged to find the other Two Guardians and three ancient artifacts and use them to protect the Life Star.  It was unfortunate Alistair wouldn’t be there to help her find said Guardians and artifacts, however.

She distinctly remembered Len telling her one of the most important aspects of her mission the night before she left:  “Remember, once you’ve found the Third Guardian, he will lead and help you discover what the second prophecy is.”

“There’s a second prophecy?” she had asked him, eyes wide at the idea of having two prophecies for the sake of one journey.

“Yes.  Told by the Oracle in Han.  The first one, as you know, was told by the Prophet in our country.”

“But why do I need to know the second prophecy?  Wouldn’t the information just be the same?”

“Supposedly, the Oracle’s version is a bit different.  I heard it gives more information, since each prophecy is not the same.”

Rima sighed and gulped down the rest of the food before gathering the dishes and placing them back on the tray.  She opened the door and placed the tray outside before stepping back into the room and pulling on her cloak.  She was dawdling thinking about past events; she had to get a move on.