by SunnyJustice » Wed Dec 21, 2016 3:15 pm
Tacet didn't take Casedy's snarky comment personally. In fact, he was just being his jolly self, so he decided to take it literally. "Good idea! Except I don't have any name tags or coloring books. Otherwise, I would definitely do that." He smiled wide. Everyone had entered the house except Jaai, Mallory, and Cyprian, so Tacet joined them inside and closed the door. He never locked the door, since Windwoods was such a safe place. Nobody with an evil heart could come near the village. The same beautiful plants that adorned the village would also violently protect it. They would completely bind and devour anyone who wanted to do evil things here. Afterwards, there wouldn't be even a body visible.
"Let's go home," Timpani told Silas, patting him on the shoulder lightly. She packed up her trumpet and closed the case. Oh, and she had definitely noticed that look on her friend's face.
"She's pretty, isn't she?" Timpani said with a coy smile, nudging Silas and hoping he would spill the beans. Yep, that Lily girl really was pretty. But she was probably into boys, so oh well. There would be other girls.
[How many people have a crush on Lily now? She's a bachelor magnet! And even a bachelorette magnet... XD]
Cyprian wanted to come with Jaai, but he didn't want to beg or whine. That would feel humiliating. Even if it would make Alastair disapprove, Cyprian still didn't want to sound whiny. "Have fun," he said simply and leaned against the wall. He was planning to go after her though, and see what she was up to. Cyprian wanted to know more about this place too.
Especially about Tacet's eyes. Cyprian had green eyes too, but Tacet's eyes... there was something wrong with them. They were too vividly green to be human. What was he?
Gavotte laughed heartily as Lily confessed she was awkward around new people. "I understand totally. It's like public speaking, eh? It must feel pretty similar to you. I'm fine meeting new people, but public speaking to me, that's like getting my wisdom teeth pulled!"
Cilan had put Rowan on the couch, so both of them could rest. The phoenix wanted to go after Mallory and help, but he wasn't going to disobey her word. She knew what she was doing, even if Cilan didn't. He went to look out the window, but he couldn't see a thing. He missed the days he and Mallory used to play in the woods together, carefree and full of energy. The journey had forced everyone to grow up too fast. It was sometime after Cilan's first death that he felt something between them had changed, and it saddened him greatly inside.
He felt like a shadow was being cast over his world.
---
Cilan's suspicions had been far too close to the truth.
Back in the Capital City, Alastair could feel it. He could feel something stirring, an age-old foe he never wanted to face again. But I killed her, he said to himself. I killed her.
Not thoroughly enough. Perhaps he needed to remove her from Hesenia completely. Alastair was powerful enough to override her blessings now, and that was exactly what he would do.
He looked to the skies and began to chant the curse.
"The sun still rises every morning. The darkest night cannot stop dawn from coming." Her voice wouldn't leave him alone. Not even now, four years after he killed that phoenix for good.
Your time's up, he thought scornfully as darkness began to shroud the sky, creeping from the edges of the horizon, blotting out stars in its wake. Alastair would destroy his entire country if it meant destroying her. His hatred for her was stronger than any other emotion he ever felt.
They were both strong, but she was stronger. They were both rulers, but she had ruled for longer. They were both murderers, but she had murdered more. Yet he was hated and she was celebrated.
"My lord?" whispered a quiet voice from the doorway.
Alastair turned around. The spell was already slowly taking effect, he had no more work to do tonight. "I thought you were in bed," he growled.
"I'm sorry... I just wanted to check on you," Atalanta said.
"What's there to worry about?" Alastair snapped at her. "I can handle anything. Now I've made sure the Queen of the Underworld won't bother you ever again. By tomorrow night, all of Hesenia will be covered by darkness. Nobody will fear Solara watching them from above ever again."
"Oh, thank you, my lord." Atalanta dropped to her knees. "You have saved us all."
"Once Solara dies for good," Alastair said proudly, "I can lift the darkness. She won't be able to watch through the sun anymore. Everyone will praise my name because I will have delivered them from two evils. The greater of two evils, of course, would be her. The lesser would be the darkness I created."
"You are wise and good," continued Atalanta.
"I know. Now get to bed."
"Yes, my lord."