Chapter 26

Arriana woke the next morning to the smell of frying bacon and eggs. She sleepily sat up, breathing in the wonderful aroma and looked around. Victoria was standing at the stove cooking while Barwick, Marc, Deacon and Zoe were sitting at the table drinking coffee and talking. Getting up off the couch, Arriana slowly made her way to the table and sat down followed, shortly, by everybody else.

"What do you think happened to the agents left on the other side?" Zoe asked Barwick.

"Well if they attempted to cross while Arriana was closing the ingress they are lost. This means three less agents for us to worry about later," he replied.

"Wait do you think I killed them?" Arriana asked shocked.

"I'm not sure, Arriana and don't worry about it. They were evil. Do you know how many people they probably killed before they were sent through the Ingression?" he asked her.

"No," she replied.

"A lot. Followers of Lucas are pure evil. There is nothing good about those people."

"How do you know?" Mary asked him.

"I was here, I saw what they did. I lost my son in the attack seventeen years ago," he replied.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea," Mary told him.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your wife?" Arriana instantly regretted asking that question when she saw the pain wash over Barwick's face again.

"Um, after Peter died Elizabeth went on a quest to find the man who did it. She searched for eight long years, we both did. We couldn't find him. That was when we decided to try and move on with life. Victoria was born nine months later. The labor was unusually hard on Elizabeth. She slipped into a coma for four months before passing on from this world. She's resting peacefully with our beloved son now." A tear trailed down his face as he sighed heavily at the memory of his lost son and wife.

"I'm so sorry Barwick. I had no idea..." Arriana let her voice trail off. Her heart was breaking for the man.

She glanced over at Victoria. The little girl was sitting there, tears also gracing her face.

"It's ok. It was a long time ago. Victoria and I just take it day by day." He smiled at his daughter.

"Wick, do you think that Arriana will be ready in time for the battle?" Beau asked looking at the young queen.

"If she trains hard enough and wants to be ready, yes, I believe she will be," he responded.

"Who will I be training with?" Arriana asked.

"Aroman, Marc and I will be leading the training," he replied with a sly grin on his face.

"That's too cool," Zoe said.

"Marc? He knows how to fight?" Deacon asked skeptically.

"I'll have you know I was in the Coresovan army when I was living here. I was an expert with hand to hand combat and archery," Marc replied insulted at Deacon's lack of faith.

"We'll see Marc man, we'll see," Deacon laughed.

"SO who is Armon?" Scott asked.

"He is the patriarch of the centaur tribe," Barwick explained.

"The what tribe?" Danni asked, looking lost and confused.

"Centaurs. They are the mightiest warriors in Coresova, aside from the guardians of course," Beau told her.

"So, what are they?" Danni Prodded.

"They are part human part horse," Marc cut in.

"Ah, okay and who are the guardians?" she questioned further.

"Well, they are the ones who protect the royal family," Barwick said quietly.

"Wait a minute. There are people who protected my family?" Arriana asked baffled.

"In a way, yes."

"What do you mean in a way?" Arriana asked confused at the statement.

"Well they aren't people," he told her.

"Um, ok then. What are they? How did my family die if we have guardians? Why weren't they doing their jobs?"

"It's complicated," Barwick told her.

"I have nothing but time so you better start telling me," she replied sternly.

Sighing heavily, Barwick was dreading the day he would have to tell Arriana the story of her parent's death. "The night your family was killed, the guardians were called away, all of them, including Beau. It was all a set up by Lucas. A message reached your father that one of the outskirt villages to south was under attack by a rebel group. The only ones fast enough to reach the village in time to save the people were the guardians and Arion. King Charles found it odd that they requested Beau as well, until he realized that is where he came from. When they reached the village, it was too late. Everyone had been murdered and all the buildings burned. Once they realized it was a diversion they returned as quickly as possible, however, they were too late yet again. The royal family was dead and you were gone," he explained.

"Why didn't my father see this happen if he had that foresight gift?" she asked, getting agitated.

"The foresight cannot be turned on and off like a switch. He caught glimpses of things whenever the Cosmos decided to give them to him. He did not control it otherwise he could have had his army ready and at arms. He only had three days notice. The army was on a leave and they were unprotected. Without the guardians in the palace, they were vulnerable," Barwick tried to explain.

"Why? Why did Lucas have to kill them?" Arriana was bothered by all of the revelations of the day and it was only eight in the morning.

She sat at the table, poking her eggs for a few minutes before looking up at Barwick. She had her thoughts under control, at least for the moment.

"So this gift works whenever it wants to?" Arriana inquired.

"Yes."

"What about the rest of my powers?"

"Those you will learn to control and use at your will but you must not use it for your own personal pleasure. It is a gift that those who do have the ancient magic must use it for the greater good of Coresova."

"You know what you sound like?"

"No, what?" Barwick asked, anticipating a boorish answer. He was right.

"You sound like one of those drama ridden comic book openers," she told him.

"I what?" He looked at her befuddled.

"Never mind. So, how many people have this ancient magic?"

"We don't know anymore. There were a lot of families who did posses it but most were murdered during the assassinations."

"Where did they go if they did manage to escape?" Zoe asked.

"We have a colony a few miles from here," he replied.

"How has Lucas not found it yet?" Arriana stared at Barwick baffled.

She did not understand how a man so determined to exterminate witches, wizards and myths could not find the one village they all lived in. It seemed an easy enough feet for someone with limitless possibilities like him.

"His hunters are fearful of the woods and have not entered in quite some time," he affirmed.

"Fearful? Why?"

"The creatures and beasts are why they do not venture to far into the forests." He was rather straightforward with his answer. His voice unwavering and eyes locked on with hers.
"What about them scare the men?" John asked speaking for the first time that day.

"They take the hunters and never return them." Barwick told him narrowing his eyes.

"They kill them?" Mary gasped.

"Not all of them some have joined the Coresovan army and live peacefully with us, while others are kept in prisons that we have built," he told the group.

"What about the ones who decided not to join?" Zoe asked.

"They refused to surrender and continued to attack us. We had no choice but to take lethal action against them. Our first priority is to protect those who are left."

"You mean that, that you killed them?" Scott asked almost disgusted that such things happened.

"It was either we killed them or let them invade the village and possibly kill more innocent victims. Please, Scott, tell me, with all of your years of military experience, what were we to do? What should my men have done? Let them murder the village?" Barwick slammed his fists on the table looking at the man.

Taking a deep breath, closing his eyes and pursing his lips Barwick turned his attentions back to Arriana.

"Will the army be ready by time we go to war with Lucas?" Arriana asked putting her hand on her fathers.