Aldric awoke to find himself lying in a white sheeted bed. Yellow flowers peeped at him from their crystal-clear vase on the bedside table. Slowly, he sat up. He was in an unfamiliar bedroom. It was morning. But that was the farthest extent of his knowledge. A couple of chirping birds were chattering on the window ledge. A fresh breeze swished through, blowing the netted curtain gently, to and fro in a hypnotic manner. It was the calmness that made him feel like he had awoken in another life. He could not strain his mind to remember what the noise and havoc had been for. All he knew now was that it was quiet and that it hadn't been for a long time.
He nestled himself back down into the sweet smelling covers and listened intently to the almost silent sounds that surrounded him. He was upstairs for he could hear familiar mutterings below him but could not make out anything specific. Aldric was listening for a very long time but the conversation faded away and footsteps were creaking up towards him. The door edged open a little. Aldric sat up a bit and saw two green jewel eyes peering at him. K opened the door wider.
'Are you awake?' she said. He looked at her blankly.
'No,' he said.
'Very funny,' she replied, grimfaced. 'I meant are you feeling awake?'
Aldric gave a slight smile but it wavered for it all came back to him.
'K! The fire!' But she hushed him.
'You're still tired.'
'No,' he exclaimed. 'Did everyone get out? Please tell me they got out!'
K sniffed. A blur stormed past the doorway behind her.
'Was that Raiden?' he said. Aldric climbed out of bed, intending to go after and wring some answers out of him.
'Let him be for a bit,' K whispered, tears in her eyes. 'He doesn't want to talk to anyone.' She hesitated and turned away before saying the dreaded words. 'We lost Aurelia.' Aldric's heart missed a beat and felt light in his chest. K, as if not knowing how to react next, flung her arms around his neck. Aldric let out a tear for Aurelia and wished that he had known her better. The box popped into his mind. It was like they would never know the secret behind it now that she was gone.
'Why her?' he hushed, hate bubbling under his skin. K pulled away and Aldric realised that he had been holding onto her a little too tightly. 'Sorry,' he said.
'Stop blaming yourself.' replied K, rubbing her arms. 'You always think everything's your fault.'
'Where are we anyway?' he wondered, not bothering to explain to K that he was only apologising for hugging too tightly and that she had now reminded him that it was indeed his fault. All of it. He hadn't even been able to go back and help his friends because he was too weak. He couldn't even use the power a Crystal Guardian was meant to be able to use. Aldric could feel his eyes burning as if being poked at by needles of guilt.
'This is Haydon's house,' said K, getting up to look out of the window. 'We're on the outskirts of Zace Ella. Floyd said it would be better to get away from it all... for a bit.' She turned sharply from the sill. 'Everyone's downstairs by the way. They've been worried.'
'Haydon's okay?' Aldric sat up. 'What happened?'
Aldric tilted his head towards the sun and felt like he had lost time with no hope of ever finding it. He thought back to the fire, his mind drawn to Agathea, the monster of his nightmares. Would she have perished too?
Winori burst through the doorway. She had a strange look of mingled fear and fury scattered across her complexion. Aldric wiped his eyes as she ran the short distance to the bed.
'I thought I'd lost you,' she cried.
'I'm still here,' Aldric replied as he tried to escape her clutches. 'Don't worry.' She pulled herself away from him, aware that he was not reflecting her love back at her.
'I'm so sorry,' she said ruefully. 'I forget that I'm a stranger to you.'
He looked to her guiltily and placed his hand upon hers. 'Why did you leave us?' Winori knew that there was no avoiding the discussion, not this time. She gestured to K to give them a bit of space and the two were left alone.
'Your friends told me that you went to see the pilot,' she said. Aldric had a feeling she was trying the change the subject. 'Agathea.' Aldric straightened his back at her name. 'It's all down to her, everything.'
'Is she dead?'
'No. The prisoners were all led to safety,' Winori looked disappointed at this. 'I don't know what to say,' at this she darted underneath the bed and pulled out a wooden chest.
'What are you doing?' Aldric asked her. She opened the chest, the latch clunking against the polished wood. It creaked as Winori lifted the lid. She rummaged inside. Aldric peered into it to see nothing but papers, maps, paintings, documents and letters. Winori found what she was looking for and handed Aldric a faded letter.
'Read it,' she told him. Aldric took a glance. The page was dotted with ink spills and cross-outs. It was obvious that whoever wrote it was no good with words.
Winori,
It has been two hundred years since we were separated parted. Such a long time, but memories do not fade for me. I think about what happened every day. I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to stay with her. I have always feared for the worst. That she would end up hurting you.
But now I am happy, or is relieved a better way to put it? I have discovered you, alive and well, with your own little family too! I'm so proud! I often find myself wondering what my grandson is like, but I'm afraid I will never get to find out.
The reason why? It is about time that you knew the truth. I want to tell you now and I want to tell you everything, for I am about to die and I did not want the truth to die with me. Even if you don't believe a word of it, this knowledge will stay with you nevertheless. Do what you want with this information. Ignore it, act upon it, I couldn't care less. Just don't disregard this letter, because it is from me. I don't know what lies you have been brought up with.
I myself became a Dad long before I met your mother. The mother of my first child, I forget her name, had decided it would be best if she raised the child by herself anyway. I was just a foolish and arrogant boy according to her. I was always getting into trouble. No-one sane would have ever let me near a child. I hope you have not inherited my idiotic ways, but I'm sorry: you come from an awful gene-pool. Nevertheless, a boy was born, I saw him once but then he was taken away, as is the way of the world.
I thought everything would be alright when I met your mother all those years later. We had you, our little angel, and we were all happy until my son turned up on our doorstep, (after running away from home, so he said).
We, your mother and I, decided to let him stay with us until we could get things sorted out but I never had the chance. I found him dead the next day, poisoned, your mother standing over his corpse, laughing. I confronted her but she ran away, taking you with her. I reached for your hand as she rushed past me. You clutched it tightly, unable to let go, but your mother tore us apart, glaring at me with such hate as she ran out. That look will forever haunt me. I thought she loved me but how wrong I was. And the boy: the child with so much potential. In that short time I knew him, I saw such wit, such spark. But now it has gone because he cannot be revived. Frozen in a Crystal Tomb for all eternity – if only I had fled when I had the chance, perhaps there could have been a way to save him.
So there you have it. Your mother is a jealous ridden, cruel, dangerous woman and if I were you I'd be rid of her as soon as you can. 'Murder,' I can recall her screaming. The next thing I know, I'm locked away for a crime I didn't commit. To put it simply, she framed me. I am no murderer. Sure, I've committed some crimes, I am not ashamed to admit that, but they were all petty and unimportant. I've made mistakes but murder is another thing all together.
I wish I could see you in person. A letter is not sufficient enough to tell you how desperate I feel – all those missing years and lost moments we should have had together. They burn in my bones. There is no future for us. I have no place in your new family.
Anyway, I wish you all the best in your life but please don't let your mother hurt you. In fact, I hope, for your sake, that she is already dead. I will be dead soon too so please don't come looking for me. Don't worry. I shall find peace of mind at last.
With love,
Your father,
Floyd-Rainard Strelazia
Aldric read the letter twice, trying to make sense of it. He looked up from the page, still questioning.
'I suppose you know,' said Winori. 'Agathea is my mother, your grandmother. After I received this letter, I confronted her. We had a huge fight. I came here to find my father. See he had no pendant. He's a criminal in the eyes of the Elders and I tried to clear his name but it was no use. In the end, I used my own pendant to revive Raiden, the brother I never knew existed. My mother could never forgive me for that. She came after all of us. She would've killed you to punish me so I fled. My mother tracked me down across the stars so I could not settle. We informed The Elders of what happened and they put Agathea on the list of the wanted. We became pirates but only because we had no choice. I came back here after I heard she had been arrested. Of course, we cannot prove it definitely is her because of what we think she had done. The Elders do not believe this but we believe that she went to Etchagon, the only place that would do this, to have a dangerous procedure that would change her genetic code without changing her as a person. That way she can never be condemned for her full crime because we can never prove it was really her. Because of this, my father, Floyd, can never be cleared of his name.'
'And that's why she was travelling with Jagophites,' said Aldric conclusively. 'It was a favour. She had promised to get rid of them for the Etchagons.' Winori nodded. 'And the ship landed on our farm...it was auto-piloted wasn't it? It wasn't Raiden's fault.'
There was a soft clopping noise, and K poked her head back around the door.
'Aldric is required downstairs,' she said.
'What now?' said Winori. 'Don't tell me he's still hanging around.' Her eyes widened. 'Not that I mean any disrespect,' she added hastily.
'Who's here?' said Aldric. 'What are you talking-?'
'The Eldest Elder,' Winori replied. 'He wants to speak to you about your duties. I can't say I know precisely what he means to tell you.'
'Should I tell them you've gone back to sleep?' K enquired. It was a tempting thought. Aldric didn't really want to have to face everyone downstairs. He could hear them bustling, talking in concerned voices, and he was pretty sure someone had just burst into sing song.
Marked with curiosity, Aldric headed towards the door to peer down the unfamiliar stairway. Floyd was standing on the bottom stair bellowing up a tuneless melody.
'Eyes grow barren when the last glow departs, they fade away like a lifeless piece of art, gone as day when in draws night, gone as fear when in shines light.' He stared towards the shut door at the far end of the landing but Winori brushed past and told him to stop being so depressing.
'You're not helping,' she said as politely as possible. 'Why don't we go back to the dining room?' Floyd dismissed her with yet another verse that was vocally worse than the previous.
'It cannot be true, it is but lies, glistened did those eyes with life, with soul.'
Raiden, his face wet, burst through the door that Floyd had been so keenly looking at.
'No wonder strife calls out in painful cries, because never will I be consoled,' said Raiden monotonously. He hesitated for a moment. 'Why don't you just shut up alright?' he said. 'You can't even sing for a start.'
'I'm trying to help,' Floyd replied. 'Go on, you know how it goes.' But Raiden lingered in the doorframe without saying another word.
'All of time may pass me by,' said Floyd. 'All my tears may become dry.' He stopped to give Raiden time to fill in the gaps but was given no satisfaction. 'And still those tears will bleed to prove that I am not dead, so long as her shimmering eyes remain in my head.'
'I'm not a kid,' said Raiden. 'Stop it. Stop bringing up the past. Just stop. You can't just-' he took in a deep breath. Aldric could see he was trying desperately not to cry in front of them. It was like he was angry at himself for even allowing tears to escape from his body. After one last scornful gaze upon his father, Raiden stole away, back into the room in which he had been hiding. K and Aldric looked to Floyd for an explanation.
'What?' he said defensively. Aldric realised with a pang that they had been staring. 'I thought that would help,' Floyd clarified as he slumped against the wall. 'I sang that to him when he was a boy, the night his mother died. I thought it would, I dunno, be nice."
'Wouldn't it have just brought back bad memories?' K suggested.
'I'm an idiot,' he said.
'And a terrible singer,' added Aldric.
'It was a sweet idea,' said K. 'So you're not angry at him anymore?'
'Oh no,' said Floyd sincerely. 'I'm absolutely furious.' He sidled into the other room.
'We should see if he's okay,' said K.
'Who?'
'Raiden of course.'
'Or we could leave him alone,' replied Aldric, making for the stairs.
'Oh come on,' K pleaded. 'He's our friend. He needs us.'
'Raiden doesn't need anyone.'
'Of course he does,' K insisted, and she dragged Aldric by the sleeve and knocked gently on the door. No-one answered. She knocked again.
'Go away,' shouted Raiden.
'It's just me,' said K sweetly, she pushed on the door and it opened to reveal another bedroom similar to the one Aldric had been resting in. The same soft breeze, yellow flowers, and glowing sunlight. Despite all of this, there was a shadowed feeling over the place and Aldric stopped in the doorway, unwilling to go any closer for he had just spotted who was lying in the bed. Aurelia, eyes closed and face half blackened with ash, lay under soft white covers whilst Raiden gently wiped her cheek with a wet flannel. K, bolder than Aldric, walked over to the bed and placed a hand on Raiden's shoulder. Raiden said nothing and looked down at Aurelia. She remained beautiful, even in death. Aldric felt like something was squeezing on his throat.
'Should've been me,' said Raiden.
'It shouldn't have been anyone,' said K.
'I'm so sorry K,' Raiden sat down. 'For everything.'
'It's just the phantom talking,' said Aldric. 'You don't really care.'
K looked at Aldric angrily, as if to tell him to stop talking. Raiden caught the look.
'It's okay,' he said. 'He's right. If I wasn't so selfish, if I'd just confessed the first moment I got, Incursio would never have had this chance. And Aurelia, she'd still...'
Aldric had to leave. He flew down the stairs three at a time. Everyone was in mid conversation when he entered the dining room. Floyd had taken refuge on a stool in a dark corner whilst The Eldest Elder sat at the head of the table.
'We've seen Incursio,' said The Eldest Elder. 'The coward was fleeing. He used Feliciana's relic retracement to get back to Atarikka.'
'You mean he killed her just so he could escape at the opportune time?' Floyd clenched his fists.
'I'm afraid so,' was the reply.
'That's how she got back to us,' said Haydon. Aldric had not noticed her enter the room behind him and was shocked to see that she was covered in bruises. Thin dry gashes tore across her face as if she had been repeatedly scratched at by some vicious animal. 'I'm sorry, it was me who told him how to use it, and Feliciana only knows the basics so he couldn't use her, but he had an idea. I had no choice. After he couldn't get through to me, he said he would start on her. I couldn't let that happen.'
'We understand,' said Floyd, noticing Aldric. 'I would've done the same.'
Everyone else looked at him too and The Eldest Elder stood up. It became clear that it was Aldric he had wanted to see.
'I know you've been through an ordeal,' he said. 'But I hope you agree that enough is enough. Aldric my boy, you have responsibilities as the Crystal Guardian. You should have been there to stop Incursio. Since killing the previous Guardian, how many times have you been back to the caves?'
'How can you ask this of him?' exclaimed Winori. 'You can't possibly...he's only a boy.'
'With respect, Eldest, get out of my house!' said Haydon.
The Eldest looked furious and Aldric had an absurd image in his head that if his face were to get any redder it would burst into flames.
'I will leave,' he said, 'if my presence displeases you. But I will be back.'
Haydon slammed the door behind The Eldest Elder the moment he stepped from the doorway.
'He's right though,' said Aldric.
'Don't listen to him Aldric,' said Haydon loudly.
'I can't stand anymore of this,' he said.
'We know you're frustrated,' his mother pushed him back into his seat.
'No,' he said, escaping from her grip. 'I'm going back to Atarikka. I'm going to fight. No-one else is going to.'
'Sweetie, you can't,' said his mother. 'Sit down, have a drink.'
'There was a time,' he told her. 'Not so long ago, that you said that you would be willing to fight. So why won't you let me?'
'What if you're poisoned?' she added, raising an eyebrow. 'What if you can't recover?'
'Did me no harm,' said Raiden darkly, slamming the door behind him. 'If this is the only way to get something done.' He turned to Aldric. 'I'm coming with you,' he said. 'This is all my doing anyway.'
'I'll do it,' said Haydon. She looked at Aldric imploringly. 'I will. Let me stand beside you. I won't let you down.'
'You're all leaving?' said a quiet voice. Aldric turned to see that Feliciana had joined them and was lingering in the doorway.
'Will you stay Winori?' said Haydon pleading with her niece. 'Please will you look after her.'
'You're not leaving me behind are you?' Feliciana addressed her mother more than anyone. 'What if you don't come back?'
Aldric swallowed hard. She had brought up the fear he had been harbouring himself. But Haydon looked unfazed and knelt so that she was eye level with Feliciana.
'I promise,' she said. 'I will do everything in my power to bring down the one who did this to you. I will not stop until he is hurt at least three times worse than he hurt you.'
'I'd rather you just stayed,' was the reply, 'and I'm not hurt that bad, honest.'
Haydon opened her mouth to speak but Feliciana continued. 'And I'm not stupid. I heard what everyone was saying. They said I'm dying. But I'm not. Look.' She gave a little twirl to demonstrate her argument. 'I feel excellent. Really I do.'
'Still,' said Haydon, a slight laugh emerging from her lips. She turned to them all, 'We can't let the Jagophites roam across Atarikka forever. We need to snub them out now so that they don't attack us. If we do nothing they will try to seize power, maybe they will even succeed in killing more people. We were lucky this time. It could have been a whole lot worse. That's why I must go Ana.' She held onto Feliciana's hand. 'And if I meet Incursio along the way, which is my plan, I will ensure he is punished.'
'Don't forget to count me in,' said a muffled voice from the corner.
'But you're not allowed to leave Zace Ella,' said Aldric.
'I don't care anymore,' said Floyd. 'I'm not letting you kids go running riot without me to watch out for you. And you'll need this.' He drew out of his pocket Aldric's pendant, glistening as brightly as the day he was born. Aldric took it gladly; a comforting weight had been placed upon him. 'Let's go,' said Floyd.
'What, now?' Winori jumped out of her seat. 'You're not prepared. Aldric can't even use his powers properly. He's never even fully harnessed the Evepyra. None of you are ready. You don't even all have pendants. This is mad.'
'We can't waste any more time,' said Aldric. 'Enough has been wasted already. Lives have been lost.'
'I know sweetie but...'
'And I understand you're scared,' Aldric turned and saw Floyd, Haydon and Raiden all standing on the doorstep, their faces were deadly serious and full of determination. 'But we're more ready now than we're ever going to be.'
'You can't go,' she said. 'I won't let you.'
'I have to,' said Aldric plainly. 'I have no choice.'
'And I promise I won't let anything happen to him,' said Floyd, waltzing over and kissing his daughter's hand. 'Trust me.'
Winori still looked unsure. 'I want you to be safe,' she said. 'All of you.'
'And we all will be when this is over,' said Floyd.
'I second that,' shouted Raiden, banging the table with his fist. Floyd ignored him. He strode right past.
'Don't worry about pendants,' Floyd continued. 'Winori has a stash of them from her pirating days.'
Everyone drifted off to make their own preparations. Aldric, whose sword had been left at Floyd's house, went to the attic with Haydon to find a weapon. She pulled down a rope ladder and climbed up, Aldric followed on. When he reached the top, he found himself in an armoury situated in a large airy tower room with blazing white walls.
'Do you mind me asking something?' said Aldric.
'What is it?'
'Did Incursio do that to you?' Haydon turned to face him, the gashes on her face glinting red and sore under the white light.
'It wasn't going to be anyone else was it?' Haydon replied ruefully as she walked across the room. 'You know, Aurelia really liked this place,' she added, letting her hands glide across the scabbards. 'We were lucky to have known her.'
'I'm really sorry for your loss,' said Aldric, not knowing what else to say. Haydon smiled and looked into the distance.
'Who's going to practise swordplay with Raiden now?' she wondered. 'I really feel for him, I really do. He loved her so. Stupid boy would never admit it.'
Aldric shuffled his feet.
'Oh, sorry,' she said. 'We need to find you a weapon...something light...something powerful. How's this one?' She lifted a green jewel encrusted scabbard from off the wall and threw it to him. Aldric caught it. It was lighter than it looked.
'It'll do,' he said.
'Aren't you going to take a closer look?' said Haydon. Aldric shook his head. 'You can choose another if you want.'
'No thanks,' he replied, 'This'll do perfectly.'
'You know... you are our guardian,' she rambled, 'but that doesn't make a difference. Personally, I don't expect anything more of you. You're just a boy. You shouldn't have to be doing this.' She jumped down from the attic and pulled on the ladder so it did not swing too much for Aldric to get down. 'Just curious,' she said, 'But why did you even suggest this in the first place?'
'I just want to help,' said Aldric. Haydon looked at him as if expecting a more complex answer, but Aldric didn't have one. She sighed.
'You're a brave boy,' she said.
K stood in the doorway wielding a bow and arrows.
'You aren't fighting?' said Aldric, eyes upon K.
'Yes we are,' she told him. 'Evie and I aren't going to sit on the ship and do nothing!'
'But you're...'
'I'm what?'
'You'll get hurt,' said Aldric. 'More easily than any of us anyway. You forget we're Isahiels.' He followed them downstairs but K wasn't having any of it.
'Just accept this will you,' she told him.
Angry and defeated, Aldric headed down to the ship with everybody else. It was an ex-trade ship that his mother had been using. Aldric boarded wondering if perhaps, it would've been better to keep quiet. Did the others really know the danger they were putting themselves in?