Aquirya
Chapter 19

Niko and Aeyla stopped and looked at what was in front of them. A huge black cavern was stretching out in front of them. They each took a direction and walked down looking for a bridge or another way across. Niko used a ball of light and sent it across the expanse to see if he could see an end or a bottom. It looked like it was unending until the light shone on ground far on the other side.

“Hey I think I found something!” Aeyla yelled a ways away from him.

“I’ll be right there.” Niko said turning to walk towards her.

Niko came upon Aeyla kneeling in front a something that looked like a trap door. “It looks like a door of some sort, I’m just looking for a latch.” Aeyla was feeling around the ground when she felt a handle of some sort. She pulled on it and it opened pretty easily. She looked up at Niko and smiled.

“Just be careful Aeyla.” Niko was right behind her as she descended the steps. He conjured up another ball of light. The tunnel looked pretty clear, with weird writings on the wall. They walked for a while and hadn’t encountered anything unusual nor deadly. As the walked the tunnel became wider and wider. It came to a part where the tunnel came into an opening. The opening had a table and a couple chairs around it. There was a door to the left and a door in front of them. Niko went through the door to the left and saw a room with a bed, dresser, a window with no light comeing into it, a wardrobe, and a couple candles.

“What is this place?” Aeyla asked coming into the bedroom with Niko.

“Hey villians’ need a place to sleep too I guess.” Niko said backing out of the bedroom and closing the door.

Niko went towards the other door. “Do you think we’re in her, like palace or something?” Aeyla said coming in behind her. “I mean it’s pretty dark in here and not very palacey.”

Niko smirked and walked into a hallway. The hallway was also dark, dimly lit by candles on the cave walls.

“Which way do you think she is? What are we going to do when we get there?” Aeyla whispered trying to look down the right side of the hall.

“I’m not sure, we just have to keep looking and keep quiet. We are here to confront and hopefully take into custody for trial in front of the royal counsel.” Niko was opening up a door up the left side of the hallway to the right. Nikeo knew this was the best option but most likely not the option that would happen. Craceeris would put up a fight and they’d have to subdue her some how. They walked into another open room In the room their were books and papers laying on tables, books on shelves, papers hung up on the walls, paintings laying around. Niko walked in and created a couple light balls so they could see. Aeyla walked up to a part of the wall that had paintings, papers, maps, and scrolls hung up. She started reading something with her name at the top of it.

Aeyla

Daugher of High King Vykris and High Queen Saday. Sister too Darince (deceased), Voka, and twin sister Alierriaes. Most powerful in the Royal family. Magic comes from within does not need to have the opal blessing. Will conquer the traitor of Aquirya. Does not yet know the power she has with in her through the Father and His Spirit. Through the deep love, she knows from her family she will conquer.

Aeyla looked up from her reading feeling like her heart stopped. She noticed another paper with “High King and Queen” on the top of it. She picked it up, “Niko, she’s been doing research on us all.”

High King and Queen

King Vykris, son of High King Darris and Queen Layla. High Queen Saday married to Vykris and daughter of Queen Cera and King Titus of Ramshorn. Powerful couple will have a child that saves the world.

“Is their one about me?” Niko said chuckling as he walked over behind the princess and looked at the papers she was holding.

“These are saying I’m some sort of Savior.” She whispered choking up. “These papers say…”

“Seems kind of cliché, doesn’t it?” Niko looked to his left towards the steps leading higher into what seemed like a library.

“Cliché?” Aeyla put down the papers she was reading and turned to the direction of where Niko had gone.

“Yes. Princess parents get kidnapped, princess’s sister gets kidnapped, princess is the only one that can save them.” Niko walked up the steps on the left of the staircase. “There is a draft coming from somewhere this direction.”

“Niko, I’m trying to tell you, I think I get all this.” Niko stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Princess you’re glowing!”

“I’m the one who’s going to end this by believing in true love! That’s the magic that I have inside of me. Love. She kidnapped my family so it would take away my love for them. She brought me to another place so that I would forget her, forget them, forget this place, forget you. You’re my husband! You’re the love of my life. Right?”

“You got all that from reading those two things?” Niko said smiling.

“Yes. I did. And something else, whispering to me this whole time. Or someone else.”

Niko turned when a sound came from behind him where the draft was coming from. He walked over to the book case and started looking for something to open it. The book case automatically pulled back and to the side when he walked towards it though. He stopped just to make sure it was he who opened the door and not someone else.

Aeyla had been transformed completely, something touched her when she was reading about her and her parents and looking at the paintings of her and her family. She remembered everything. Her son, her brother being killed in a wagon, horse accident years ago. Craceeris turning from a wonderful caretaker to someone who resented everything and everyone. She had been filled with evil from the evil one ZamzaFa. Pictures were floating through Aeylas’ mind. Scenes of her learning how to fight with a sword, how to string a bow. Her wedding day with Niko, her son being born. Her sister and her playing around White Sky. Going on hunting excursions with her father and shopping in the markets of the different lands in Aquirya with her mother.

Niko started walking towards the new tunnel behind the book case. Aeyla followed along changed in body mind and spirit. Reciting words from the great book in her head, “Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.” She was a warrior she was taught how to be a warrior her whole life. The prophecy she read had been told to her by Quico, hundreds of times when her, her sister, and brother were kids. Her sword was with her, her shield that was her old friend, and her bow that she used the most had appeared on her back when all this came to her. True magic had come back into her veins, it had been awakened. Her son was safe but her parents, her sister and her people were not. She had to do the right thing.

Following Niko, she could feel the evil coming from her surroundings and it was getting heavier and heavier as she walked. There was another door in front of them. Niko got to it first. When he opened it there was a glowing inside the room that flowed into the tunnel. Standing in the large room was Craceeris in front of a map of the world, floating in mid-air. She was saying an ancient spell of destruction. The spell that was most likely keeping the different creatures working for her. She had her eyes closed and didn’t realize Niko and Aeyla had walked into the room. There were trees and bushes in the room, along with some creatures that they had not yet seen. Niko had his sword drawn with his shield in the other hand and Aeyla had her bow drawn.

Craceeris noticed they were in the room and said, “Kill them.” Aeyla and Niko looked at each other and helmets appeared along with their armor. They were ready for the first blow of goblins, Tragens, and Cazzies came at them. Their teamwork was evident. Aeyla had gotten her stride back. Her and Niko had always been a great team when fighting.

“You’re wasting your time Princess.” Craceeris growled. “Your land is already mine.”

“Craceeris it’s not over.” Aeyla said as she took out her sword and put her bow away on her back. She stabbed a tragen in the gut and it fell over in pain. “The one that is true love gives me power. You have none.”

“If I don’t have power, how am I controlling your whole world?” Craceeris said getting angrier.

Aeyla chopped the head off of a Cazzie and then whirled around and stabbed a goblin. “No Craceeris, you have no actual power but the power that may have been given to you.”

Craceeris roared and dropped her hands in the middle of the spell. She threw a fireball Aeylas way but Aeyla was quick and jumped and tumbled out of it’s path.

Craceeris got angry for missing and threw a bunch more fireballs one after another. She got a couple goblins, a few tragens, and two cazzies in her anger fit. Aeyla ran over to Craceeris from behind and wacked her in the head. Craceeris staggered forward but caught her balance. She turned and threw another fireball at Aeyla. Again, Aeyla was too quick and rolled out of the way. She ran and jumped toward Craceeris and kicked her, which landed Craceeris on her butt.

“Why are you doing this Crace?” Aeyla asked, getting up from her tumble over Craceeris.

“Your family are traitors.”

“No Crace, you are.” Aeyla was in a defensive stance in front of Craceeris.

Niko came in behind Craceeris and replicated the same stance.

“You need to stop this, now.” Niko yelled.

“I don’t have to stop anything, you two have no idea who you’re dealing with,”

“You’re destroying our world, if you destroy it you go with it.” Aeyla was watching around her to make sure there were no other creatures that would jump out. Niko was also being mindful of their surroundings.

Craceeris was now standing in the middle of them, both arms out, one arm out toward each of them.

“We have to take you down Crace, you know that.” Aeyla was trying to reason with her even though she knew there was no reasoning left in Crace anymore. ZamzaFa had taken over her whole being, they had to some how get through the evil surrounding her.

“Your favorite verse from the Great book was, ‘Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.’ You’ve lost all that, you’ve forgotten about all of that. Everything you were taught and studied and taught me.”

“Because it’s all a lie. I haven’t forgotten it. It’s just a lie.”

Niko came around to the front of Craceeris and got over to Aeyla.

“Keep her occupied, I have to some how replace where the real power behind the spell over the land is. I can feel It here I just have to replace it. She is only the conduit.”

Aeyla nodded, telling Niko that she understood. Niko had been studying where they were while Aeyla spoke to Craceeris. He noticed more of an evil presence at the back of the room they were in. He could feel a power in the back, he’d been searching for a way behind the wall. Noticing that it was a spell shadowing the door that went where he could feel the evil.

Craceeris took another shot at Aeyla and this time the fireball grazed her arm which made her groan in pain. She quickly remembered the Fathers’ spirit to heal and put her hand over the area and said a few words. The burn went away almost instantly.

Niko had made progress into the room where the spell was originating. He noticed the dark orb that surrounded the room. Knew there was a lot of evil in here, he sat down and knew that the only way to battle this sort of evil was through prayer to the Father.

Aeyla was feeling the evil surrounding Niko and knew she had to deal with Craceeris quickly. She had to think fast on how to subdue her, she had power but not the power she had inside her. She just didn’t want to use it on her, she wanted to get her to back down and get her to the royal counsel. They would charge her and put her away. She really did not want to use force that would kill her.

“Your family did this to me, they treated me like nothing. ZamzaFa has given me true power, I will rule this whole land.”

“You know that’s a lie. You know he won’t give you what you think. His true battle is with Armaduu.”

“Bah, the tiger doesn’t have enough power in his pinky toe to take care of ZamzaFa.” Craceeris was breaking down, her voice was shaky. She hadn’t been connected to the power in the other room for a while.

Aeyla watched her closely, she could see fear in Craceeris’ eyes. “There is no fear in love, perfect love drives out fear. You taught me that one too Crace. Do you remember? It was when I got lost in the woods with Voka, She thought she knew where she was going. We were so fearful when it became dark and you found us and helped us through it. You taught us that verse and the meaning of who the Father the Protector is.”

“It’s a lie though, he doesn’t protect anyone. Fear is power.” Craceeris was babbling under her breath. She put her hand to her forehead like she had a headache. She squeezed her forehead.

Niko was making progress in the back room the black orb was getting smaller, revealing an image of the whole world in the floor. It was live, and he could see the different lakes, mountains, and people in the lands that hadn’t hidden underground. He was relieved that it was true she couldn’t see the underground cities, nor the castle behind the clouds in the air. He closed his eyes again and continued his praying. This time he started saying them out loud with more power and believing behind them. There was hope.

Aeyla continued to tell stories from her time with Craceeris when they were younger. She focused on keeping her away from the small orb and map of the land. Aeyla had decided if she got close enough and Craceeris wasn’t being defensive she would knock her out so she could bound her enough to hold her. It seemed that Craceeris was also under some sort of spell or possession and the little bit of talking that Aeyla was doing was helping. It was breaking down something.

Niko stood up when he saw that the orb in the middle of the room was about the size of a basketball. He didn’t see the two eyes in the back of the room glowing. His prayer became louder and more involved and his eyes were closed again. The man in the back of the room stepped out of the shadows holding a staff. Niko opened his eyes and immediately knelt on the floor.

“Father.” Niko said shakily. “Where have you been?”

“Right here.” Armaduu sat down beside Niko.

“If you’ve been here, how come you haven’t stopped this?” Niko asked him looking into the eyes of the Father.

“Niko, not everyone listens nor follows what I say and want. People have free will. Pride makes people think they are more powerful than they are. It makes them feel they have a better way. I’ve kept our people safe. I’ve kept them from the eyes of the evil one. He thinks he’s won, he thinks this is his battle. It’s not. Sometimes these things need to happen. It is time to stop the spell that is cast over the world though. Your prayer Is what has brought me here, your cry, your heart. The heart of all those that have prayed to me. It is time. It is my time.” Armaduu stood up and waved his hand over the rest of the orb and it disappeared. “The world is healing, people will start coming out to their old towns. regaining The rest is up to you. Zelexko is going to need your help soon and Alierriaes is in grave danger.”

Armaduu walked into the other room where Aeyla was getting closer to Craceeris.

“Craceeris, daughter, stop this.” He came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. “You’re coming with me.”

Craceeris turned to him and started to tear up. “I can’t, I’m not done. I don’t believe in you anymore.” She was frantic. She looked over at the map of the world, back to the door where Niko was standing. She looked over at Aeyla, then down to the floor. “This is not over!” She yelled. “I’m afraid it is over.” Said Armaduu. ZamzaFa has taken his power away from you, he is focused on someone else. He’s left you.”

Craceeris looked away from Armaduu. “I failed him.”

Armaduu lifted his eyes upwards, waved his staff, and the two of them disappeared.

“Well I guess we have that taken care of.” Aeyla said with a smile at Niko.

Niko just looked at her, then walked over to her, moved a piece of hair out of her face and kissed her.

“I’ve been waiting to do that since I came for you in the other world.” He said and smiled at her.