The Natanstrelleans followed Oslac every step of the way. With his shoulders back and head up he repressed the fear that was threatening to bubble to the surface. His heart beat against his ribs in a rapid rhythm, desperately wanting to give him away. He prayed to Illuminare-Trabem that no one else could tell how scared he truly was. He had no idea what they were about to face or what the darkness had up its sleeves. All he knew was that he had to trust the ancient powers, no matter how confusing and secretive they seemed to be.
He led his people through the streets of Central City with Beanni and Ethan at his side. They no longer glowed with violet magic head to toe. However, the deep power was still there within them both, for they were able to open up a violet passageway through the surrounding walls with just a touch of their hands. It took little time for them to reach the farthest edge of Eartem, where Astrid Palace stood.
When they got to the gates, something caught the prince's eye, making him suddenly stop. Confused chatter erupted amongst the baffled crowd that had no idea why their journey had come to an end so soon.
"He is the prince, is he not?" Oslac heard someone question behind him. "Can't he enter his own palace?"
"The gates!" Oslac projected to the crowd. "I fear the king has protected them with an ancient spell - Ballarus Teinig."
He then picked up a stone from the ground and chucked it, aiming for the centre of the gate. The crowd's gasps filled the air as they all watched the stone shrivel to dust and violent flames rush around the perimeter of the surrounding wall.
Oslac took out his light orb, made it grow, and with a deep, steadying breath he stepped forward. He held it at arm's length, but as the white light within his orb shone its rays upon the gate he was thrown back and the orange flames turned black. Shadows then took over the gate and surrounding wall and they began to stretch higher into the sky - blocking the palace entirely from the Natanstrelleans' sight. The impossible, black, burning walls did not fail to intimidate the crowd.
"The gate, the palace, it has been corrupted!" Fear filled cries sounded amongst the crowd. "It is true, it must be true - Noir-Astra is back!"
Oslac glanced over his shoulder towards Ethan, who was looking at Beanni with a smile stretching his very calm looking face. Oslac, with a scowl etched in his bewildered brow, then looked at Beanni whose facial expression mirrored that same smile. He watched her give Ethan a small nod and turn her focus to the towering dark obstacle. With confidence she strode forward and reached her hands out towards the gate.
"No, Beanni! Don't!" Oslac yelled after her, and he heard Lorrus' voice call out the same behind him.
Both of their shouting did not faze her, she grabbed the gates, and as she did so the violet light from within her burst out and sent rays across the entirety of the black, smoking walls. Their flames turned violet and the shadows dissolved, making the surrounding walls' shrink back to their original size, adorning a violet hue for a few seconds before it too dissolved into the air. Oslac then watched, with mouth agape as Beanni opened the gates with ease. She turned and gave him a wink then stepped inside.
"Come on, Prince, let's go," Ethan whispered in his ear. Oslac took his cue and led his people through the gates, into the palace grounds, where the king awaited them all with his guards and the Emerald Army standing behind him. All their eyes were plagued with churning, dark smoke.
"Dillan?" Lorrus' unmistakable voice sounded from the crowd behind the prince. "Dillan!"
Oslac's gaze was drawn to the Emeralds - where indeed, Dillan stood. Beanni's older brother didn't so much as flinch in response to his father's voice. The prince's heart skipped a beat when he saw the warmth that usually sat within Dillan's eyes lost within a deep chasm of hopeless black.
"No... No!" Lorrus' wife's howls of despair echoed through the air, along with many others who lamented the loss of their loved ones to the dark. Being informed of the end of the last Noir Era, they all understood that those possessed were lost forever. Their fates were sealed.
Oslac felt the burden of his people's fears and distress weigh down upon his shoulders. It took his breath away. He looked along the entirety of the king's army - all those doomed faces. Seeing them all standing like empty shells pierced his heart. His gaze soon landed back on the king. He watched his father's chin raise as he addressed the distraught crowd.
"Natanstrelleans! Do not fear. Your salvation is in sight. I am going to bring about the end of all your troubles." The king projected his words out to all present. The sound of his voice made the crowd go silent. "I shall lead the Emerald Army into battle. We, with united power, shall overcome the Trolls once and for all. We shall together bring an end to all conflict!" Rumbling chatter then took over the air again as those gathered tried to process what the king could possibly mean. "You all must return to your homes, stay safe and wait for my word for when this war is finally over."
"Nobody move!" Oslac shouted, turning towards the confused Natanstrelleans. "This person is not the king you all know! He is an impostor! An illegal gazer wearing my father's face like a mask with Noir-Astra's dark magic!" As the prince spoke, Beanni summoned the violet magic to her eyes and took in the king's sinister smirk. The deep power showed her the truth hidden beneath the image of the king. Without any hesitation, Beanni let the violet glow lead her forward. She stood in front of Oslac and made her hands glow.
A dangerous glare took over the king's dark eyes as he took in Beanni's shine. She lifted her hands to eye level and waved them gracefully back down. As they reached her sides again the king disappeared, and in his place stood Genelle Fiosolim and at her side where two guards that Beanni did not recognise transformed into two faces that were more familiar to her. Faces she met within the hut in Strelle forest - Genelle's cousins, Jerem and Luchan Fiosolim.
"Genelle?" A shout from the gathered Natanstrelleans broke a strange silence that swept across the palace grounds. A man with auburn hair, that matched the colour of Beanni's curls, then barged his way to the front of the crowd.
"Genelle, it is you!" The man's movement slowed down once he saw the threatening number of dark eyes up close.
"Lucas," Genelle acknowledged the head of Biabus-Lus with a cold sneer. She then clicked her fingers and two Emerald recruits seized him, stopping him from getting any closer to her.
"Genelle, why are you doing this? You must stop this now!" Lucas pleaded as he struggled against the two restraining him.
"I finally managed to get your attention!" Genelle said with a humourless laugh. Then her smile switched to a dangerous frown. "Lover!"
"You didn't do all this to get my attention!" Lucas said in disgust, then his face fell. "Did you?"
"Of course not!" Genelle snapped.
Beanni watched Lucas sigh in relief, then whimper as the two guards squeezed at his upper arms. She glanced between him and Genelle. There before her were her real parents, the head of Biabus-Lus - her Dad's enemy and Genelle Fiosolim - Natanstrelle's enemy. Her mind went reeling as all that could have been rushed through her thoughts. As she stared at Lucas again, she caught his eye and she saw his lips begin to tremble as he took in her face.
"Genelle," he said gently, then tore his gaze away from Beanni's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you, I could've..." His words trailed off and he bowed his head, no longer able to speak.
"You made your decision!" she spat, then without any warning, she grabbed his face. The shadows left her eyes and entered his. Screams of anguish tore from his lungs as he shook in agony. His screams were then choked to an eerie silence and black veins began to spread across his face and up his neck. Thick, dark blood oozed from his nose, ears and the corners of this mouth, which was the moment when Genelle saw fit to throw his lifeless body to the ground.
Beanni took in the sorry sight of such cruelty and her heart broke for the stranger. A man she always feared when growing up. The father she never got to know. Tears welled within her eyes as her thoughts began to spiral.
"You're the deep power," her thoughts addressed the violet glow in her mind. "You could've stopped this."
"Trust, Beanni," she heard a woman's voice echo in her head melodically in Sìthicris-Sana, which she now understood as if she spoke the ancient language all her life. "Illuminare-Trabem has things under control. Trust him."
"Emeralds!" Genelle's barked orders to her dark army grabbed Beanni's attention. "Advance upon the rebel crowd! If anyone else dares to step forward make them meet the same fate!"
Beanni glanced at those standing near her, the fear in their faces pulled at her. She drew the violet glow to her eyes, making it fill them tenfold - so much so that she felt its heat engulf her face.
The Emerald Army took no heed to the violet warning within her eye sockets and began to undertake the orders their superior provided. They all managed to take a few steps towards the crowd before Beanni, led by the deep power within her, lifted her glowing hands. This gesture made the soldiers stop mid-stride. All of them were frozen as if time had stopped only for them.
Beanni's focus then turned to Genelle and with a knowing smile she walked towards her.
"No, stop! Don't come any closer!" the darkness within Genelle made her cry out as she too was unable to move from where she stood. She and all the guards that stood behind her all were trapped, and struggled against the spell they were under.
"Oh, Mother," Beanni managed to get her own words out through the overwhelming power that filled her every thought. "Why did you let him in?" She then wrapped her arms around Genelle in a warm embrace.
The violet magic then spread from Beanni's eyes and hands, taking over her entire body. Every strand on her head glowed with ancient power and danced around her. As the violet light shone brighter, the dark shadows embedded in the eyes of the Emerald recruits and guards shot out of them and soared straight up into the sky. Each twisting cloud of black smoke was gathered above Beanni and streamed into her mind. The magic then lifted her into the air and she dragged with her the thrashing shadow that had it's dark claws deep within Genelle. It threw her around as it fought against its fate. Beanni then ripped the shadow apart and absorbed its remnants within her glowing palms.
The violet light suddenly began to dwindle. Beanni's hair slowly returned to its usual, light auburn colour and the glow dimmed from her skin.
"Bay!" she thought she heard Oslac's distant voice call up to her. He sounded so scared. Why was he scared? She then couldn't hear anything at all. Her eyes fluttered shut and the only thing she could feel was the distinct sensation of falling, as the violet magic released her from its overwhelming power and sent her back down to the Terran.