Chapter 36 #2
I nodded, my adrenaline spiking. “All right, I’ll be right there.”
Onyx’s presence and energy wrapped around mine as he pulled up beside me. “Let’s go, then.”
Onyx and I were escorted to the opposite side of the castle.
Cliff? What did they call it? And then we were led so far beneath the earth that I wondered if it was safe.
The deeper we went, the darker it grew, and the more musty the scent of dirt and humidity became in the stagnant air. So reminiscent of the speakeasies.
At the bottom, the stairwell opened up in a cavernous, rocky pit, lit by thousands of floating embers above us to provide enough light to see.
We were met by Brecken, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared at the floor in deep thought, given his furrowed brows.
At our arrival, his head snapped up, pinning us with a sharp warrior look in his eyes that I recognized in Chrome.
“Forgive me for the lack of pleasantries, but I’m afraid there isn’t time.” Brecken inclined his chin and rotated on the balls of his feet, then strode further into the cave, leading us down a tunnel.
Onyx and I followed him, and I took large steps to keep up with his hurried pace.
“There’s been a development down here. You see, we managed to capture an Infernal last evening once Chrome left.
We didn’t have much faith that we’d be able to pry any information from him, seeing as they are so mind-controlled by the Syphon Bond that rules them.
However, our efforts were a success.” The High Mage spoke as he walked, never once glancing over his shoulder.
He rushed through the darkened chambers, passing prison cells along the way.
Most were empty, save for a few that held silent occupants.
I glanced at Onyx, lifting a brow and nodding at him to ask the questions so I wouldn’t have to relay my end of the conversation back to him. It was easy to fall back into our language from all those years ago. He knew how to interpret me, just like Scarlett.
“What is it that you learned?” Onyx asked.
“Celanea intends to move forward with her plans to seize control of the aether in Arcadia. And while that isn’t new information, she aims to act sooner than we anticipated.
Through our alliance with the Mystics, we have received word from one of their Priestesses that Celanea means to attack the Wind Kingdom before the next moonset.
Our projections put the anticipated attack to strike in an hour.
Up until last evening, she didn’t know how to break through our wards and glamour.
But since Chrome managed to invade with a horde of Infernals and capture the queen, Celanea now has the upper hand. ”
“How did the Mystics find this out?”
“One of their Priestesses receives visions. They immediately sent word as a warning,” Brecken replied.
“Are their visions accurate? Can they be changed?”
“Yes, and no. No, in the sense that it won’t prevent Celanea from attacking.
For the Priestess, there are many paths that present themselves to her, but Celanea has committed to this path, so that one cannot be changed.
However, there are many paths regarding whether she succeeds or not.
The one where I’m informed ahead of time of Celanea’s choice offers us a better outcome.
So yes, we have an opportunity to stop her from taking the Seraphite Stone if we act now. ”
“Are their visions reliable?”
“The Infernal confirmed that it was indeed Celanea’s plan,” Brecken stated, turning a corner and walking down another dark corridor.
“How do you know this Infernal is truthful?” Onyx pressed.
Brecken straightened his posture, pausing before he continued.
“Because many Druids have the ability to read minds. Like Cotton here, we harness multiple variations of telepathy. With a group of us possessing different telepathic skill sets, we were able to break through the bindings that kept the Infernals’ minds on a loop.
The Syphon Bond is insidious to the victim.
It is also a direct link to the one who cast it upon them.
In the cursed man’s mind, we found a memory prior to the attack of Celanea commanding them to report back every detail of our kingdom if Chrome managed to break past our glamour and wards.
And seeing as he did succeed, the Infernal’s memory showed us that she would attack us again while we are still recovering and unprepared.
Except this time, it would be far more devastating. ”
My lips parted in shock. I had no idea that they had that type of capability.
“That’s a bit invasive, don’t you think?” Onyx questioned, sounding slightly mortified. No doubt wondering if I had that type of power.
“No, I don’t have that ability.”
Onyx visibly relaxed, his shoulders being the prime giveaway.
Onyx returned his attention to Brecken. “But you guys can thwart her plan and save yourselves if you prepare, correct?”
“We can only hope.”
A heavy silence hovered between us, the only sound being our footsteps as we pressed further into the underground cave.
“So where are you taking us?” Onyx asked, seeming unsteady.
“To retrieve the Seraphite Stone. We cannot leave our kingdom unprotected, especially after last night’s events. Because of Cotton’s lineage, he’s the only one capable of possessing the stone without it affecting the properties of Arcadia’s aether,” he explained.
“What’s so special about this stone, anyway? I get that it determines whether light or dark magic controls the realm, but why?” Onyx continued.
Brecken sighed. “It’s from the Angel Realm, which is an entirely different plane than the gods reside in, called Elysium.
Seraphite consists of raw Angelic power and was gifted to Arcadia by the Archangels.
It’s the only one of its kind that we were given.
We cannot allow it to be destroyed; if it is, then we will be in more dire circumstances than ever before, as will Terraguard.
If Celanea got her hands on the Seraphite Stone, she would no longer need the Syphon Bond for survival.
And while that would be pleasant, her distorting the natural aether that fuels our magic would be devastating.
Our power would turn dark, which would poison us in the same way she is. ”
Onyx glanced at me, wearing his anxiety on his shoulders before taking a deep breath. “Let me get this straight. You want to hand over the stone to Cotton, even though the stone is safest here, to prevent Celanea from getting it?”
“Correct.”
I swallowed, daunted by the possibility of having such a hefty responsibility placed on my shoulders. I didn’t like it. Being a hero had never been something I’d sought after.
“Okay, cool. Angels are real and shit, too. Got it,” Onyx murmured. It was clear from his dubious expression that he didn't quite believe it.
“They very much are, young halfling,” Brecken retorted, offended. “Angels are responsible for this realm. Celestials are derived from the essence of Archangels.”
Remembering what Valik had told me back in the abandoned Celestial Castle, I asked, “I thought the gods were responsible for Arcadia?”
“The gods are responsible for crafting the world and for the magic in Arcadia. They each represent an element. But the Angels created the Celestials, which, at one time, brought a harmonic and balanced world, despite their arrogance. The gods created Druids and Dryads first. Even non-magical humans once existed here as well. And the Mystics? They were once humans chosen by the gods and Angels alike. Humans who possessed the purest of souls were gifted an element to help the Celestials maintain the light magic in Arcadia.”
“So where do the Tempests come into play?”
“The Tempests are an example of what happens when Angels fuck up. In fact, the state of Arcadia is a glaring example of that,” Brecken said, rolling his eyes. “Anyway…” He redirected the conversation and shifted his attention to me.
“So what am I supposed to do with the stone once you give it to me?” I asked him, a sense of dread beginning to climb up my throat.
“While Celanea is absent from the Goshen Kingdom during her attack on us with the sole purpose of getting the stone, you are to go directly there, where the true queen and her Guardian are being held captive. Moonset is nigh, and she will be here upon us shortly. My brothers are keeping me informed of the preparations as we speak. We will remain here to protect our home.”
“Why don’t you just flee?” Onyx asked. “It sounds like this is pretty much a suicide mission if you stay. You barely survived the first ambush, from the sounds of it.”
Brecken’s eyes hardened, and his nostrils flared. “We are warriors. Every single one of us. This is our home and has been for the past six thousand cycles. We do not cower. We protect. If we die, we die with honor and our virtues. We stay and fight, or we stand for nothing.”
I couldn’t help but see how rigid their belief systems were.
Thinking back to the conversation we’d had previously in his chamber, I reflected on their purist views.
While I understood their deep-rooted fear of the unknown, given their mandate, I strongly disagreed with their law of no interbreeding.
That was no different than back home before Devolution Day, where there was still the bullshit debate where laws dictated who humans could love.
“Okay, that’s a bit hardcore, but I can respect that,” Onyx said. “So what do we need to do?”
“The Seraphite Stone isn’t the only weapon we were entrusted to possess from the Angel Realm. They both serve different purposes but can have grave consequences if they fall into the wrong hands.”
“And what is the other one?”