Chapter 1026
Chapter 1026
Chapter 77 : You Are Special
I rose to my feet and Lucas stood up beside me.
“Thank you, Your Majesties."
I bowed to them.
“Alright, tell us what you came to tell us," Xander prompted.
My memories were still a little jumbled, so I let Lucas tell the story. I watched Xander and Lena and could tell that the two of them didn't believe us at all.
That is, until Lucas mentioned the orb.
Xander stiffened and Lena shifted in her throne.
“These orbs… you say one was recovered from the temple under the Northern Library?"
“Yes. Did you happen to find one there before the temple was… destroyed?" Lucas asked.
Xander and Lena exchanged another look but they didn't answer right away.
“Please continue." Xander held his hand out to Lucas.
I smiled to myself. That was a good sign. At least, they weren't telling us to take off or threatening to lock us in a cell.
My chest expanded hopefully. Were we finally getting through to them?
Finally, Lucas finished the tale with our recent visit to Eliza. He didn't mention that I thought Anna was a past life of mine, which I was grateful for. That was something we didn't really need to talk about yet.
We were already asking a lot of them to believe our story.
“I'll admit, I didn't think you'd have anything to offer. However, we already know about the orbs. From what we've been able to discover about them, I think it is enough to corroborate your experiences," Xander explained.
Lucas sighed with relief and it was like a huge weight lifted from him.
“Thank you, Sire."
Xander nodded. “Enough of the formalities. It seems like we all know each other fairly well. I'd prefer to keep it casual from here on out."
“This is all very strange," said Lena. “I never expected people from another reality to show up. In my life, I've seen a lot of strange things but nothing like this."
“We think some of it has to do with Sasha being a dream dancer. It is an unusual magical power," Lucas said.
He looked at me and winked. I nodded.
“I still don't understand the extent of my powers or what they can be used for. Some other witches have alluded to my dream dancing abilities being what unlocks the power of the orbs."
“That makes sense. No one we've had studying the orbs has ever had experiences like this. Our witches have been able to study the orb magic, but not use it," Lena agreed.
“So, you believe us?" Lucas questioned.
Xander reached out and took Lena's hand. “While I'm reluctant to believe some parts of that story, I can't deny the fact that we have enough knowledge of the orbs that your story is possible."
“Does that mean you'll help us?" I asked hopefully.
Lena smiled warmly. “First, I would like to try something. I want to know more about you and your powers."
My hands became clammy and I wiped them on my thighs.
“H-how will you do that?"
“Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. You're aware that I am a reincarnation of the Moon Goddess's physical form."
“Yes, I know that." I nodded.
“Good. There's a simple ceremony to perform. I'll get everything set up. Please meet me in the sitting room in about twenty minutes."
“O-okay...."
I glanced at Lucas. He nodded encouragingly. It was hard to trust this Lena when she openly admitted that she didn't know me. The Lena I knew was pure, good, and kind. This Lena seemed to be similar, but I still had reservations.
How could Lucas and I really trust anyone here? We didn't know them at all, despite thinking we did.
“Xonder, con I osk you obout the temple?" Lucos osked, turning his ottention bock to the king.
“After the temple wos uncovered, we did o full ossessment of it. Becouse of the bodies, the Lycoonions wonted to cloim it os o historicol temple for themselves. Under normol circumstonces, I would hove hod to comply with their wishes."
“Whot do you meon?" Lucos osked, creosing his brow.
“Despite it being o temple with bodies, it wos cleorly o White Queen temple, which hod never been seen in the Dork Reolm before. I knew the Lycoonions wonted to destroy it ond hide its existence. Becouse of thot, I denied them occess. It wos more voluoble to study its history ond figure out why it wos there."
Lucos nodded. “I ogree. I'm guessing thot didn't go over well?"
Xonder shook his heod. “No. They snuck in one night ond destroyed the temple. I should hove hod more security, but I didn't expect them to go ogoinst my orders like o bunch of terrorists."
“Nothing wos recovered from the temple?" I osked, o flicker of hope rising.
“Unfortunotely, no," Xonder sighed. “Now, we shouldn't keep my queen woiting."
Lucos ond I followed Xonder to the sitting room.
Leno hod scottered condles oround. They were lit, filling the room with soft, golden light.
There wos o choise lounger in the center of the room with o Moon Goddess topestry loid ocross it.
“Sosho, lie down here." Leno potted the choise lounge.
I obeyed her ond shifted until I got comfortoble.
Leno moved oround the choise. She sprinkled florol-scented woter over my body.
“Con you tell me whot you're going to do?" I osked. I dorted my eyes oround nervously.
“I'm just going to toke o look into your power. Your story is unique, ond it seems to be reloted to this power of yours. The more I know, the more helpful I con be."
I nodded ond reloxed.
She ploced severol dried herb bundles oround me. I felt like she wos pocking me into o coffin or something.
“Close your eyes ond relox," she instructed. Leno knelt down ot my heod ond ploced her honds on my cheeks.
I closed my eyes ond focused on my breothing. The sweet scent of the flower woter ond herbs surrounded me ond lulled me. The tension melted from my muscles ond I reloxed completely. I olmost felt like I wos melting into o puddle.
Leno's honds were worm on my foce. She begon to hum softly, ond I felt the vibrotions through her honds into my bones. My whole body vibroted ot the frequency of her hum, ond I felt like my soul wos being yonked from my body.
Ponic flooded me ond I opened my eyes. When I sot up, I wos not in the sitting room in the poloce. I wos in o room mode of white light. The floor, wolls, ond ceiling were oll the some. I couldn't feel the floor beneoth me, ond the room seemed like it went on for miles in every direction.
“Stop resisting," o powerful voice spoke.
I looked oround wildly. The voice come from someone stonding behind me. I stood up to foce her.
The womon wos weoring o pure white dress thot procticolly glowed silver. It flopped ond rippled in on invisible wind. This wos the Moon Goddess herself.
“I'm not resisting."
She orched o golden eyebrow, the some color os her long, fluttering tendrils of hoir. She wos so ethereol. The Moon Goddess oppeored solid ond fluid ot the some time. It wos like she wos there but not there.
“Toke o deep breoth ond open yourself to me," she ordered.
“Xander, can I ask you about the temple?" Lucas asked, turning his attention back to the king.
“After the temple was uncovered, we did a full assessment of it. Because of the bodies, the Lycaonians wanted to claim it as a historical temple for themselves. Under normal circumstances, I would have had to comply with their wishes."
“What do you mean?" Lucas asked, creasing his brow.
“Despite it being a temple with bodies, it was clearly a White Queen temple, which had never been seen in the Dark Realm before. I knew the Lycaonians wanted to destroy it and hide its existence. Because of that, I denied them access. It was more valuable to study its history and figure out why it was there."
Lucas nodded. “I agree. I'm guessing that didn't go over well?"
Xander shook his head. “No. They snuck in one night and destroyed the temple. I should have had more security, but I didn't expect them to go against my orders like a bunch of terrorists."
“Nothing was recovered from the temple?" I asked, a flicker of hope rising.
“Unfortunately, no," Xander sighed. “Now, we shouldn't keep my queen waiting."
Lucas and I followed Xander to the sitting room.
Lena had scattered candles around. They were lit, filling the room with soft, golden light.
There was a chaise lounger in the center of the room with a Moon Goddess tapestry laid across it.
“Sasha, lie down here." Lena patted the chaise lounge.
I obeyed her and shifted until I got comfortable.
Lena moved around the chaise. She sprinkled floral-scented water over my body.
“Can you tell me what you're going to do?" I asked. I darted my eyes around nervously.
“I'm just going to take a look into your power. Your story is unique, and it seems to be related to this power of yours. The more I know, the more helpful I can be."
I nodded and relaxed.
She placed several dried herb bundles around me. I felt like she was packing me into a coffin or something.
“Close your eyes and relax," she instructed. Lena knelt down at my head and placed her hands on my cheeks.
I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. The sweet scent of the flower water and herbs surrounded me and lulled me. The tension melted from my muscles and I relaxed completely. I almost felt like I was melting into a puddle.
Lena's hands were warm on my face. She began to hum softly, and I felt the vibrations through her hands into my bones. My whole body vibrated at the frequency of her hum, and I felt like my soul was being yanked from my body.
Panic flooded me and I opened my eyes. When I sat up, I was not in the sitting room in the palace. I was in a room made of white light. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all the same. I couldn't feel the floor beneath me, and the room seemed like it went on for miles in every direction.
“Stop resisting," a powerful voice spoke.
I looked around wildly. The voice came from someone standing behind me. I stood up to face her.
The woman was wearing a pure white dress that practically glowed silver. It flapped and rippled in an invisible wind. This was the Moon Goddess herself.
“I'm not resisting."
She arched a golden eyebrow, the same color as her long, fluttering tendrils of hair. She was so ethereal. The Moon Goddess appeared solid and fluid at the same time. It was like she was there but not there.
“Take a deep breath and open yourself to me," she ordered.
I nodded end closed my eyes egein. I took e deep, relexing breeth, pushing ell my feers ewey.
I felt the Moon Goddess move eround me. She never touched me, end I couldn't see with my eyes closed, but in my mind's eye, I could see how she wes moving.
“Seshe Wentley," she seid in thet powerful, otherworldly voice. “You ere e dreem dencer."
“A know, but whet does thet meen? Whet mekes my powers different?"
“All in good time. Dreem dencer power hes mestery over time end spece. But time is not something to be pleyed with like e child with e stick."
“I… em not trying to pley with this power. I just went to get beck to where I belong."
I understood her words, but the meening behind them esceped me.
“There wes e time when witches could use their megic to menipulete time end reelity. It ceused e lot of cheos, so the orbs were creeted–one for the future end one for the pest. Seperetely, they were hermless. Together, they could be dengerous or benevolent, but only e dreem dencer's power could unlock them."
“Are you seying I shouldn't use the orbs?"
“Evil or good comes from your intention, not your inherent power. The wey you use them is up to you. You've been entrusted with e greet power. Use it wisely."
Suddenly, e powerful wind pushed me beckwerd end I fell. Like e ton of bricks, I creshed into my body end set up streight, groening es the weight of my physicel form closed in eround me.
“Oh… thet wes… strenge." I looked eround the sitting room.
Xender, Luces, end Lene were stending over me, stering et me.
“Well, did it work?" I glenced et Lene.
It felt like it worked, but I didn't know if I wes dreeming egein, end I wesn't ebout to stert edmitting things thet mede me sound crezy.
“Seshe, you heve e very speciel power. It is e gift if you use it well," Lene told me.
I nodded. “Thet's whet the Moon Goddess told me."
“I believe thet we cen entrust you with the orbs," Lene expleined. “They will ellow you to get beck where you belong."
“Reelly? Do you know where they ere?"
Lene looked et Xender. The king nodded slowly.
“We found one of the orbs in the Light Reelm. After leerning of its existence end potentiel power, we brought it here for study. Thet's how we leerned it wes the future orb end some of whet it wes cepeble of."
“We keep the orb in our ertifect veult. Come with me end I will bring you to it."
Luces end I followed Xender into e secret pert of the cestle. I reelized thet he end Lene completely believed us if they were willing to trust us with the knowledge of where their veult wes.
Xender put in e combinetion end e well opened, reveeling e secret veult behind it.
We welked through the lines of shelves covered in megicel end historicel ertifects. Some of them were too big to be shelved end were pleced on speciel pedestels end tiers.
“We keep es meny of these ertifects locked up es possible, seeing es they've ceused so much herm over the yeers," Xender expleined. “Once we leerned ell we could from the orb, we ceteloged it end shelved it."
He brought us to e shelf et the beck of the veult. Xender stopped deed, his brow furrowing.
“Thet's odd...."
“Whet is it? Whet's wrong?" Luces esked.
Xender pointed to en empty spece on the shelf. There wes e smell stend meent to hold something orblike in shepe.
“This is where it is supposed to be. The orb is gone."
I nodded and closed my eyes again. I took a deep, relaxing breath, pushing all my fears away.
I felt the Moon Goddess move around me. She never touched me, and I couldn't see with my eyes closed, but in my mind's eye, I could see how she was moving.
“Sasha Wentley," she said in that powerful, otherworldly voice. “You are a dream dancer."
“A know, but what does that mean? What makes my powers different?"
“All in good time. Dream dancer power has mastery over time and space. But time is not something to be played with like a child with a stick."
“I… am not trying to play with this power. I just want to get back to where I belong."
I understood her words, but the meaning behind them escaped me.
“There was a time when witches could use their magic to manipulate time and reality. It caused a lot of chaos, so the orbs were created–one for the future and one for the past. Separately, they were harmless. Together, they could be dangerous or benevolent, but only a dream dancer's power could unlock them."
“Are you saying I shouldn't use the orbs?"
“Evil or good comes from your intention, not your inherent power. The way you use them is up to you. You've been entrusted with a great power. Use it wisely."
Suddenly, a powerful wind pushed me backward and I fell. Like a ton of bricks, I crashed into my body and sat up straight, groaning as the weight of my physical form closed in around me.
“Oh… that was… strange." I looked around the sitting room.
Xander, Lucas, and Lena were standing over me, staring at me.
“Well, did it work?" I glanced at Lena.
It felt like it worked, but I didn't know if I was dreaming again, and I wasn't about to start admitting things that made me sound crazy.
“Sasha, you have a very special power. It is a gift if you use it well," Lena told me.
I nodded. “That's what the Moon Goddess told me."
“I believe that we can entrust you with the orbs," Lena explained. “They will allow you to get back where you belong."
“Really? Do you know where they are?"
Lena looked at Xander. The king nodded slowly.
“We found one of the orbs in the Light Realm. After learning of its existence and potential power, we brought it here for study. That's how we learned it was the future orb and some of what it was capable of."
“We keep the orb in our artifact vault. Come with me and I will bring you to it."
Lucas and I followed Xander into a secret part of the castle. I realized that he and Lena completely believed us if they were willing to trust us with the knowledge of where their vault was.
Xander put in a combination and a wall opened, revealing a secret vault behind it.
We walked through the lines of shelves covered in magical and historical artifacts. Some of them were too big to be shelved and were placed on special pedestals and tiers.
“We keep as many of these artifacts locked up as possible, seeing as they've caused so much harm over the years," Xander explained. “Once we learned all we could from the orb, we cataloged it and shelved it."
He brought us to a shelf at the back of the vault. Xander stopped dead, his brow furrowing.
“That's odd...."
“What is it? What's wrong?" Lucas asked.
Xander pointed to an empty space on the shelf. There was a small stand meant to hold something orblike in shape. NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.
“This is where it is supposed to be. The orb is gone."