"Can you believe in a future

left only to rock and creature?"

- Roy Fuller, "Harbour Ferry"

*****

Soundtrack of the chapter: The Colonel by Two Steps From Hell ( play it for epic effects!)

Media: The bottle

*****

Chapter Forty: Worlds shattered

Hate and love, deceit and truth, it didn't even matter anymore.

Cady held her head high, her straggly red hair drawn back carelessly in a bun which would spill out at any moment. The Gilded Tarot bounced against her waist as she marched onward to a spare meeting chamber where the Chaldean Order had gathered. She had no interest in them, and neither did she have any interest in Starlet affairs. All she wanted to do was to take the urn containing Jasper's ashes and ride off to the Hall of Shadows, enjoying the howl of the wind and the lash of rain against her face as she sped off into freedom.

Starlets and their prejudices, their cold, unforgiving systems, she wanted to be no part of it.

Somehow, if she focused hard enough, she could feel Jasper's presence next to her, encouraging her forward to face the Chaldean Order and whatever predicament they had in mind. Let them ask, she would not speak a word. Words were useless now. Cady would rather revel in silence, letting the hushes voices tell her stories.

Two Warriors gave her encouraging nods and pulled the doors open. Sitting in a U in the room, were the members of the Chaldean Order. At the head of the table was Master Isaac, all skin and bones with patches of thin hair. Cady didn't recognize the rest, but all wore the same regal red and scarlet robes and so many medallions it made her head spin. Firaun and Eli sat next to Master Isaac, according to their rankings. Master Calaeno, High Priest of the Hall of Elements was slumped before Firaun, shooting Cady venomous looks. Cady ignored him, too tired of their hate. The High Priestesses of the Hall of Warriors and All observed her quietly, brown and blue eyes dripping interest.

Her gaze fell upon her brother standing behind Firaun. He gave her a reassuring smile, a smile that he had always wore when Cady needed moral support and courage.

"You must be Cadence Astrid Gates," Master Isaac said, throwing out his arms in a welcoming gesture.

Cady gave him a slight nod as the doors closed with a bang.

"Cadence, I don't want to waste time going with pleasantries. You and I know why we are here. First question, are you really a Walker?"

Master Isaac's words held careful curiosity. Cady turned to her right, showing off the dancing splashes on her arm. The tension in the room increased by a notch.

"How did the Hall of Games not know of this?" Master Isaac turned to Firaun. "A Starlet is sent to their respective Halls according to their Affinities once they turn sixteen. You must have known, yet you sent her here."

Firaun stiffened. "I was worried that she might be hunted down by bounty hunters. There are still plenty of them running amok, hoping to find living Walkers even after the Great War to bitter old Oracles." He shot Master Calaeno a smothering glare as he spoke.

"Point taken." The old Starlet tapped the smooth table with his fingers. "But Firaun, hiding information from the Chaldean Order, especially regarding Hall issues is a crime. I would've stripped you of your title of it weren't for current demands."

Firaun didn't say anything, but he had turned a deathly shade of white.

"Cadence, we are here because of a war waged by a Walker against the Hall of Spirits and we all want to know why. According to our sources, you're the closest to Jasper Silverbird, the Walker who initiated the attack, is that true?"

Cady shuffled her feet, not wanting to answer his question.

Seeing that Cady had ignored him, Master Isaac tried another question. "Are you in league with Jasper Silverbird?"

Before Cady could bite back, Master Calaeno leaped to his feet, slamming his hand on the table. "Of course she is! She is a Walker! If you hadn't known, Master Isaac, they killed Raphine and Eli Sanguinis. They want revenge!"

Eli cleared his throat. "Master Calaeno, I am very much alive, for your information. And Cady is not in league with Jasper Silverbird."

The huge man trained his eyes on Cady, hate pouring out of every pore in his body. Cady didn't even need to take a wild guess that Master Calaeno was a close friend of Raphine's, sharing his disgust for the Walkers with him.

"Proof it then, Walker. Prove that the war wasn't your doing."

"Master Calaeno," Master Isaac said calmly. "This isn't your turn to speak."

"Are we just going to sit here and let this little scum brain wash us with her lies? She's a Walker, and nothing good ever comes out of a Walker's mouth!" Spittle flew from Master Calaeno's lips and splattered the table. Cady stared at him impassively.

Are you done yet? Are you done with your hatred?

"Master Calaeno!" The head of the Chaldean Order boomed, slamming a hand onto mahogany. Despite his fragile appearance, he did not lack the power and authority as the leader of all Starlets, reigning over the High Priest and Priestesses. "You will shut your mouth unless I say so, am I clear?"

Cady shook her head, almost laughing out loud. Politicians and their antics. It was the people who would always suffer the most-people like Jasper, drove to the edge of insanity from the irascible actions of their leaders.

"However," Master Isaac said. "Master Calaeno, no matter how outrageous he may be, has a valid point. Do you have any proof that you are not, in any way, part of this war?"

A bell rang out in her head, crystal clear, bringing Jasper's voice back from the hazes of her memory.

"Cady, listen to me," he had said. "I want you to keep this. There will come a time where you will be testified. When that happens, present this bottle."

Could this be the moment he was talking about?

She had been carrying the little bottle around ever since Jasper had handed it to her. The bottle slid from her pockets easily and she lobbed it at Master Isaac. It twirled through the air in grace before the Master plucked it and rolled it in his palms.

If it was even possible, Master Isaac paled even more, so much he resembled a sheet of blank paper. "Impossible," he gasped, his had flying to his chest. "This can't be a coincidence. Where did you get this?"

"From the shores of the Savage Seas. A fisherman found it." That was true, the vase seller from the Oracle towns claimed that he had found it at the shores.

"What?" Firaun said. "Show us."

Master Isaac held the little bottle up to the light, resulting in cries of horror and fear.

"He can't be back," someone said. "The other Founders sealed him for good!"

"But no more," Master Isaac said, shaking the bottle. "The seal is broken, and whatever wisps of Yana it had held is gone."

"Are you sure this Walker here didn't release Yana?" Master Calaeno seethed. "For all we know, she could've planned this!"

"Yana, having reduced to nothing but pure consciousness, cannot form a body outside its prison. It would consume the first person who unleashed it. It cannot be Cadence."

"Amueh spoke the truth. His theory about the Great War...I can't believe it is true."

Cady couldn't help herself, but she slid forward, so fast and so near, she was almost upon Master Isaac.

"What theory," she breathed. "Tell me."

It was a calm order, an order that she placed all her power inside. She felt her words penetrate the Master who shuddered.

"Amueh the Wise said that the Great War was induced by Yana. He was certain that someone had released the last Founder. We all dismissed it, saying that Yana was gone for good. But this, turned the tables."

All of the sudden, the great doors flew open. In strode a disheveled Naturam, covered from head to toe in dirt and sweat. In her hands was a piece of parchment, folded over and over again in haste.

"Master Isaac!" she panted. "Urgent news from Star Isle."

Master's Isaac's brows flew sky high. "Star Isle? The Stelliums hardly ever send us news."

"Their doves just reached us, enchanted by magic. It must be extremely critical."

The old Master accepted the crumpled message and spread it out on the table with the flat side of his palms. As he read, he paled visibly, all the color from his papery skin vanishing as though bleached.

"Read it and tell me what you think." He tossed the paper to Firaun. Firaun scrunched up the paper in his fist after reading, his teeth gritted. "The Stars have a weird sense of humor. I, for one, do not approve."

"What is it?" The woman at the side whose red hair was shorn until the scalp and her ears studded with sparkling piercings demanded.

"The Library of All has been raided," Master Calaeno said. "The scroll containing the remaining four Relics is stolen."

"The Library of all is fail-safe, every inch of it is built from Celestite and guarded heavily with the best of our Warriors. How did this happen?" the same woman besieged.

"Stolen from within," Master Isaac sighed. "Some idiot Stellium accidentally released one of Yana's ancient minions locked away within the library."

"Idiot and Stellium do not go together," Another member of the Chaldean Order threw in. "Who is this Stellium you speak of?"

Firaun rubbed his tired eyes. "Daeguar, apprentice of Amueh the Wise himself."

Outraged gasps filled the room. "I knew that Daeguar was an oaf the moment I set my eyes on him. He is too young to be in the library's archive," someone said.

Isaac waved down the commotion. "That is not the point that Amueh had penned us the letter. He is asking for a quest. The locations of the Relics, I believe is now on its way to Yana. He wants us to send a Starlet of any Affinity, willingly to find the Relics before Yana can."

"The location is lost, how do we even know where to find them?" another member said.

"The library keeps a spare copy in its archives, Amueh will provide the details."

Firaun shook his head. "This is a death wish. The Relics are dispersed throughout Esvanira, lost for thousands of years. Who knows if the Relics are moved about or destroyed?"

"When the Four Founders signed the treaty with the Baelyeans, Detriments and the Decanates, each party swore to keep the Relics forever. Valador now uses the wand as his scales, the pentacle is a sacred symbol to the Baelyeans and the sword is a royal treasure in Da'raan. I assure you, the Relics will still be there," Master Isaac said.

"What do we do after the Relics are united? The last time the Relics were reunited was when it was used to banish Yana to the Savage Seas," Firaun pressed on.

Master Isaac made a tired noise. "We don't know. Amueh didn't specify. But he did specify that if the Relics fall to Yana's use, we can kiss Esvanira goodbye. I can tell you that he won't be as gentle as he was on the Hall of Games in the beginning of time."

Cady's attention bounced from one Master to the other, letting their words sink in. No wonder Jasper was so agitated when he saw the bottle among sale. He knew. She considered their words, arguing with each other about choosing a champion to embark on the quest.

She glanced at the ring on her finger before it slid over to Eli. For a brief moment, she almost saw Jasper's composure in Eli-the way he moved his shoulders and tilted his head. But it vanished into nothingness when she tried to latch onto its familiarity, as if she could see Jasper again.

There was nothing left in Esvanira for her. She didn't have a home. She could never go back to the New World for she could not fit in. Eli was avoiding her gaze, she was certain. No one wanted a Walker in their presence. No one wanted her.

Josh had asked her what she wanted to do when the war was over. Cady hadn't known the answer then. But now, she knew.

"I'll go," she said. "I will reunite the Relics."

Everyone in the room froze, mouths agape, turning to look at Cady as though she had just sprouted an extra head.

Master Isaac threaded his calloused fingers together. "Young Walker, this is a very serious task."

"I am serious," she repeated. "I want to go on this quest."

Josh broke his silence with an angry whisper. "Cady!" Quick as a flash, he was in front of Cady, confronting her. "You can't do this!"

"Yes I can," she replied, strangely calm. "You once asked me, what I wanted to do when the war was over. I have nowhere to go, Josh. This quest calls to me."

"You can stay in the Hall of Spirits," Eli said, voice small. "The doors of the Hall are open to you, always."

Cady smiled; a sad, fleeting smile. "You may say that, but your subjects may not necessarily agree. I am a Walker, an abomination to their eyes. It's best that I leave."

Josh's vice-like grip tightened on Cady's hand. "If you leave, I leave with you."

This time, it was her turn to hiss in outrage. "Josh! I don't want drag you into this! You have a home in the Hall of Warriors, you have a future. Don't throw it away."

"You are my home," he said. "My decision is final."

He raised his voice. "My sister and I are going on this quest, together."

Master Isaac's face remained expressionless, as though he wasn't surprised. "Are you sure about this, Joshua Gates? Once I send your names to Amueh the Wise, there is no backing out. I can send Warriors far more advanced in training than you to complete the task. You don't have to do this."

Josh gnashed his teeth. "Amueh said he is looking for volunteers. Well, we are volunteering."

The man clapped his hands together. "So be it."

Cady's hand went to her brother's face, feeling the heat radiating from his skin, feeling the ridges and bumps of his face. "Josh, you really don't have to come with me. This is my decision."

"And it is mine as well. Wherever you're going little sis, I will follow. Even if it means death."

She threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. Perhaps she was wrong. There was still someone in the world that cared for her. She would never let him go.

*****

A/N

It seems that Jasper somehow knew about Yana's escape from his prison when he saw the bottle on sale. Yana's return can only mean one thing--Esvanira will burn, and it will start with the Hall of Games. His hatred can destroy everything. Now it's up to Cady and her brother to find the Relics in hope that they can beat Yana in his schemes!

Final update+epilogue next week, do keep an eye out! ;)

Thoughts on this  chapter?

Ebikko,

Stef