Chapter 10: The Search

With her white robe, she laced her sneakers and jogged towards the counter table to fetch her water. In one gulp, she emptied the liquid down and then heaved a deep breath.

“You cannot join the challenge,” Jason scolded her. “It’s dangerous.”

“I am a magician,” she said, getting her bag. “I am entitled to such privileges.”

“What skills could you possibly contribute to the team? The challenge is too physical,” he advanced. “You are a time traveler, Elena.”

“I’m still a traveler,” she defended. “I can travel just like you. Besides, why did you allow Fulenas to join if that were the skill requirement of the game?”

She left him on the balcony. The last night was hard. They did not talk much. Jason slept in some other rooms in Dwelling Palace since Elena did not allow him access to enter inside the Time Palace. Just that morning, when he came over, he saw her entertaining four other magicians. She’s joining the Challenge. And, he knew best that changing Elena’s mind was close to impossible.

Jason hurriedly came to the Dueling Court. From his seat, he was anxious to see her. He knew she was a better magician compared to some other magicians residing in the Palace. However, accidents may happen. It’s better to keep those who were close to your heart close to your side. The truth was, he required every clan to bring a representative to join the challenge. At first, all were enjoying it. Elena liked it too when he described the rules of the game. Until, the prophecy was repeated several days in a row, and still, no one could decipher it; worst, the egg was not yet found.

Things got intense then. Each of them who joined tried to back down but things happened to those who did back out. So, instead of dying without a cause, they chose to stay on the game and took their chances – still, to no avail.

Yesterday’s challenge had left 20 magicians, creating four groups. Now, another team had added to the field. Elena chose 4 other magicians. He did not know how she chose them – he did not have any idea how Elena’s mind works. She’s still a mystery to him. Like, she was a flirty, little girlfriend. Yesterday, watching the game, she’s a viper. She did not even meet him in the pantry for breakfast like they usually did.

The teams emerged on the field. He saw Elena. She chose a Revlon, a Samsonara, a Ballerium, and a Relona – a seer, a builder, a seeker, and a gatherer. Each looked as timid and grimly as any other in the field - except for Elena. There’s determination in her eyes. A fire which he wondered if today, the Challenge would be over, message deciphered and the golden egg retrieved.

The moderator came out second and the lines were announced. Elena saw him watching above the stadium. Then, their preparation was given. Twenty minutes later the windows opened and the team entered the world they imagined. Elena never looked back.

“We need to create a diversion,” Elena said. “So, this is a sea of sand. I believe a dragon is keeping the egg.”

The four of her company were gloomy. She could not make a permanent change in their mood. Their friends just died the other day’s challenge. However, she could do something that would help them get through the Challenge. She created a potion last night and it was as powerful as she always experimented. She tried it to herself as well and her goal never went wrong.

“I chose you not because you are talented,” she said. “But because I believe we could use our talents to work together.”

“How should we do this?”

“The goal is to use each of our talents to its best potential.”

“The Rovlons are the Seers. The highest your kind could do is to commune with the gods. Dragons are sacred. They were born or made by the blessing of a deity.”

“The Samsonara builds. Great walls were made by your clan and the Celestial Palace was blessed by your design.

“The Ballerium seeks. Even the tiniest could be found. Hence, science was known.

“The Relona gathers. The humblest of clans, they would take good care of things as they were supposed to be. Their gentle hands bring spring to a summer harvest.”

The four listened carefully. In awe, they smiled shyly. Rony, the Samsonara, folded his hands and created five chairs and a table out of the sand. “Just like that?” he referred to the building of the sand set and offered the seats to them. “What are we waiting for? Let’s end this mad challenge so I can go back to the garden. I miss building something.”

“Don’t worry about that, Rony,” Elena assured. “You are going to build today.”

The five sat and looked at the vacant table. “So what’s next?” Joy, the Seer, asked.

“I have been studying about this golden egg along with the sand time,” Elena started, and continued, “. . . I stumbled across a lost Dragon egg in the sea. No one had retrieved it.”

“By the way, I’m just curious. What is this egg supposed to do?” Barrie asked.

“I don’t have any idea,” Elena answered. “I asked Jason the same thing and he won’t tell. Just that it is important.”

 The four watched her closely. “However, I read about it that the egg holds the knowledge of the future - a prophecy.”

“Well, let’s get on,” Alfredo, the gatherer said. “Might be the reason why Jason’s hell-bent on retrieving it. He’s too willing to kill some of our brothers and sisters.”

Everyone around the table agreed. For a second, they were silent in remembrance of their recent deaths. Taking it as a cue, Elena showed her theory.

“This dessert was a sea once where the dragon lived. Time passed, it dried and with the waters gone, it became a desert.”

“No one could see the Dragon because it is a spirit, right?” Barrie asked, a dawn of understanding flooded his eyes.

“Yes,” Elena confirmed. “But the Rovlons could commune with the spirits.” She turned to Joy, and said, “You’ll try to reach her.”

“What about us?” Alfredo asked.

“Rony would build the castle. The doors and wall. Barrie will search for the egg. Just search it. It would be, Alfredo, who would take it.”

“Why me?”

 “You are the gatherer. If the egg is ready for harvest, if Joy begged enough and the Dragon agreed, you can harvest it. It would not be a problem.”

“What are you going to do?” Rony asked her.

“I’ll bring you to the time when Dragons existed. Joy would be talking with the spirit but we’ll face the dragon in physical form.

“Can you do that?” Joy asked, amazed by the skill.

“I’m a time traveler,” Elena answered. “I just learned it though. Just like all of you. I still haven’t mastered my skill set. That is why I need you to remain alive.”

“Building walls are not difficult to me,” Rony boasted. “These walls you’ll be creating will not be just walls. You need to create it in the exact form and like of the place. If you’ll get even a single detail wrong, you’ll fail to invite the Dragon to live behind the walls again. Or else, just what happened to your friend yesterday, the walls collapsed toward him."

No one breathed. Elena was indeed right and no one objected to it anymore. Their fate entirely depended on how each of them worked together.

“We are good to go,” she said, at last, passing a white crystal stone to each of them. “This will be our communication. We need to concentrate. Focus on one mind. Our energy is centered only on one thing. This crystal would become red when it’s time to leave. If someone dies, it would be cooler. The hottest it could go, it meant that everything that’s happening intensified. I would be going with each of you since it’s from a different period.”

“Meaning?” Rony asked.

“I can divide my essence. I am going with all of you even you are not at the same time. It’s the same place. Remember that .”

“Will you remember all of it?”

“I cannot until my entire essence is back in just one body and in just one time. That is the present.”

“How can we return?”

“Hold this stone close to your heart and think only of where you left.”

Elena placed a bowl fire on the center of the table in which they circled in. The crystals were floating, straight to their hearts. “Now, close your eyes. Remember that this fire is our new world.”

They were sitting just like that for more than four hours already. Eight more hours and the challenge is over for the day. “They should be doing something,” Jason thought.

Jason stood, anxious about what was going on inside Elena’s window. There were deaths on other windows already and the field had been inhabited by gloom. He was hoping everything went just as fine.

To the human eyes and to those who could be fooled, he was just a little boy. Betty was a gift of heaven and he could never be more proud of her for becoming the best version of herself.

She chose to be a doctor. He was not wrong about what he thought he could be. Just that, he wasn't there closely to see how she grew. She was a diamond and a precious one.

He watched her when her humanity consumed her to sleep. She was troubled – as everyone else during the plane crash. Good thing was, the damage could still be contained. The power that brought the plane down was extraordinary. Like a magnet, it pulled down the plane.

It was Los Barrios. How long had he been not there?  Did he leave for how long? He could not remember.

He walked towards the forest, looking back as if a human followed him. He could sense them. They were surrounded and Raymond was tired and weak. The power lines were too strong.

“Who are you?” he called out. “Show yourself”

“Be careful,” a voice answered. “The forest is alive and we are not the only ones listening.”

Ray scrutinized everything. But like, invisible line, darkness made everyone blind.

“Who are you?”

Behind the shadows, Albert came out. “It has been centuries since that particular magic had been counteracted successfully.” 

“Was it you?”

“No,” Albert responded. “The Vampires did.”

“The Night Children never have the peaceful politics,” Ray said. “So many things changed a lot. How long had it been, werewolf?”

“They call me Albert here, Siren,” he said. “Now, tell me yours.”

Raymond was still on little Mark’s form. From his little limbs, he grew into his magnificent form. “Raymundo Palmero.”

“Leaving the Jade Island for the second time?”

The two immortals stood face to face – a werewolf and a siren – both in their glorious forms.

“How did you know I am here?” Ray asked back.

“It’s hard to ignore such magnitude you bring,” the werewolf replied. “To be honest, I’m more than happy that you made the Vampires so furious.”

“No,” Ray defended. “It’s not me they’re mad at.”

“Oh,” Albert countered. “They are mad at us ever since.”

They walked among the shadows. There were only the two of them. Ray made sure that they were fully concealed. He’s not yet ready to expose himself. He’s too weak. He needed to regain his strength first.

“The layer of magic is quite strong,” Ray told Albert. “Is it yours or the vampires’ trap?”

“Both,” Albert replied. “The Night Children set in preparation for the Hunt. The Vampires stayed too. But I haven’t seen their lair yet. That’s what made the power too thick. They concealed themselves too.”

“Still Miranda?”

“Yes,” Albert answered. “She’d been making so many of them through human blood.”

“I see,” Ray responded. “Now, tell me, what’s this boiling here? I can sense something’s amiss.”

“The veil is breaking.”

“That’s bad news,” Ray commented. “Are you ready to meet your cousins?”

“I don’t want to make a war with them,” Albert confessed. “You speak the languages of gods. Is it a deity’s doing?”

“I could not answer that,” Ray replied. “Yes. I am a messenger. But I am not all-seeing.”

“I know,” Albert responded. “One more thing, are you against or with us?”

Ray looked at him. Even in the darkness, he could see his intent on meeting him. He answered earnestly, “I am a messenger, werewolf. I just bring news,” Ray paused and tapped him. “I can’t answer that either.”

Ray turned and be Betty’s little Mark again.

She sat regally on her crowned throne facing her father’s serpent figure. She kept that position for the whole evening like she was in a trance. Around the figure, her swarm of vampires was chitchatting, snogging, or humping. No one cared. They were already damned.

“Owen, I don’t know what went wrong,” Miranda said. Owen stood next to her right. “How many humans do we still have?”

“Not enough,” Owen replied. “But, she’ll lead us to the camp.”

“Would you stake your own that she would not betray us?” she asked him.

“Yes, she will come,” Own replied. “Albert is not her lover.”

“Be sure of that,” Miranda said. “Will you visit her tonight?”

“Yes,” Owen replied. “But I am free the whole day.”

Miranda did not smile. She just watched her kin down below. The Siren was unexpected and she needed more blood than what she required to destroy the veil. The Sacred Place was just a myth. But if it’s found, the former world would soon dawn again, healing the rift of the Great Silence.

“The Phoenix had not been found for hundreds of years,” Owen said, reading her thoughts. After the failure of the carnage, Miranda was thinking if the Phoenix would look for the Sacred Place. Now she understood completely. It made sense. The Phoenix would look for the Siren. If that came, the Great Silence would not exist and the glorious Highlands would be back where the Circle, led by the Phoenix, was the rising star.

“Father was wrong,” Miranda said. “The Phoenix is not with us.” 

“What are we to do now?” Owen asked her.

“We’ll do what we can still do,” Miranda said. “But you will join me today.”

Miranda stood from her seat and signaled Owen. A few steps forward was Miranda’s room.