Crystal Guardian

17

'Jagophite Incursio holds Feliciana hostage,' said Aldric not daring to look anyone in the eye. Whispers of disbelief darted to and fro the crowd. She's Raiden's cousin,' he added, just in case they didn't know who she was.

'What was she doing so far from home? I demand to know this,' said The Eldest Elder. 'Speak!' Floyd looked angry at himself so Aldric butted in and explained everything: from finding the wreck of the LendoZiyan ship to the moment on Iccolsio when they discovered that Feliciana had been taken by the leader of the Jagophites.

'You've been travelling far, I see,' The Eldest Elder gave a nod and approached the podium. He cleared his throat before getting on to his speech. 'Thus, the child, Aldric Juvenal Bancroft, is indeed one of us in blood. And as he is our own brother and son, we must look after him. In doing so, we must protect his home for his heritage is also ours and now we are united. And, in the end of it all, we must rescue our beloved Feliciana,' the Eldest Elder bowed before taking his seat. The other elders clapped their hands respectably.

Winori rubbed Aldric on the back and he knew that they were leaving. That was until the Eldest Elder approached them personally. He declared to everyone else to get on with their business and led Winori and Aldric to the podium which is where they stood for what felt like an age. Aldric wondered whether the old man himself even knew why he had taken them there.

'We've had wars before,' he croaked, 'which is why I am not happy. I want to help you but you do need to fully understand the extent to which I am going for you my boy.' His eyes flickered towards him though his head did not move. 'The borders between worlds have been locked for only ten of our years now, but I had hoped that they would be locked forever. I promised the people that it would be safer.' The old man looked down at the podium.

'You've broken your vow,' said Winori. The Eldest Elder blinked at his feet sorrowfully but Winori wasn't angry at him. 'You have no idea how grateful we are.' At this remark, The Eldest Elder raised his head.

'Whatever happens, you have nothing to feel guilty for,' Aldric said firmly. 'At least we would have tried to do some good instead of standing by and watching a civilisation fall to nothing,' he paused, wondering whether or not to voice his next thoughts out loud, out of fear of looking unintelligent. 'Sorry,' he said at last, 'but what are you going to do to help us?'

'Ah,' The Eldest Elder clapped his hands together and rubbed them. 'We will do what we always do when the requirement for an army is needed. We shall consult with our Crystal Guardian and he will choose his warriors. They will go down upon Atarikka and take Feliciana back. Of course, we will also try to evacuate the Atarikkan survivors too. We will take things from there. Likelihood is that Atarikka is given to the Jagophites I'm afraid.'

'What?' Aldric spluttered, his hopes falling. 'You can't let that happen!'

'My boy,' The Eldest Elder looked down on him with beady eyes. 'I am doing everything in my power to help you.'

'Where's your army?' said Aldric, trying not to raise his voice to much. 'You've got to destroy the Jagophite. You've got to help us reclaim our home.'

'I don't have to do anything,' the old man threatened.

'But it's the honourable thing to-'

Winori held up her hand to shush him. 'I apologise my dearest Elder,' she whispered, bowing her head. She took Aldric sharply by the arm and turned him away. Aldric glanced over his shoulder as they left to see The Eldest Elder cover his eyes with his hand in frustration. Aldric hoped that he hadn't upset The Eldest Elder and, as the days trudged by, worried that maybe he had decided against helping them after all. Why hadn't they heard anything?

Aldric was up almost every night, thinking about the people that they had left behind, and the bags under his eyes grew darker each day. Floyd was the only one not moping about doing nothing. He full of newfound energy, always buzzing about the place, baking cakes, tinkering in the back yard and serving the visitors who had come to ogle at them all. Aldric did not care for long lost relatives, even if they did mean well. He had met them before when he was a baby but even his childhood felt like another life. Everything was so different. The air smelt sour now, the grass somewhat harsher against his bare feet and the sounds of the creatures bustling through the amber leaved trees were strange to him.

Aldric lay down in the back garden and watched as the clouds floated by effortlessly. Floyd had long since left the yard to put on some lunch but Aldric had stayed where he was in the hope to catch a bit of peace. Atarikka had always been so quiet. He closed his eyes and imagined he was there but every time he tried, he imagined the Jagophites. He imagined what they were doing to his dad and to December. What had they done to Jaireth and Feliciana? They were only little.

'What can I do?' he whispered to himself.

'Your father would have wanted you to stay here and settle,' Winori answered him. Aldric jumped up. He had not been aware of her presence. 'If I know him well, and I do, I believe he would want you to get on with your life.' She approached him and pulled him into an hug that was awkward at first but Aldric quickly found himself clinging on to his mother as if he had regressed into a child. He breathed in. She smelt familiar and flowery, just how he had remembered, if that was even possible. Aldric wondered if he had just been dreaming that smell. 'You're safe here,' she said. 'All of you.' He pulled away gently.

'I know. But I can't help feeling...' he trailed off and went back to lie down on the grass. Winori sat down beside him. He felt so alone, even with her sitting just an arm's length away.

Floyd returned, the back door was bashed open and the sound of clutter falling from bookshelves followed by a loud frustrated retort from Raiden suggested that something had just fallen on his head. The calm was broken.

'Ty wants to see you,' Floyd called to him, ignoring the racket in the background. 'And don't ask me why,' he added as Aldric opened his mouth to speak. Sighing, he got up to leave, aware that his mother was staring after him as he left. He half hoped that she would still be there when he got back and adamantly told himself that he would confront her when he returned. He still had so many questions.

'You remember the way?' asked Floyd as Aldric passed by.

'I'll figure it out,' he replied.

Floyd followed him through the kitchen. 'Here,' he said, shoving a sandwich under his nose. 'For the journey.'

Aldric thanked him and, with a jolt, was filled with thoughts of his father hurrying around the house, packing him a bag for his journey to December's Place. Where was that bag now? He had left it on the bed of his, Evie and Jaireth's room. It would be stinking and mouldy by now. Aldric headed out of the door, a sick feeling growing in the bottom of his stomach.