Equinox- Chapter 1

It has been 3 years since Serena had lived with the faeries. Anneliese, Eric, and Bard returned to Oceanus safely, but not with out causing a commotion when they came back riding wyrms. Everything seemed to progress slowly as the people of Tarigot adjusted to the fact that the stone's were no source of help at all, it was just that their reliance on them was what kept everything going. Finally it seemed like finally everything was going right, until King Garmon died suddenly. It wasn't that big of a shock to the people, because he had been on his death bed from infections in the wounds for the last 5 years. But the big question was who was going to take his place, and rule Oceanus. Everyone, except those associated with the Peregrination, had been told that Serena had disappeared on the trip. So they thought everything was going to be doomed. Anneliese tried to keep peace with everyone, she was in place of the Dauphiness. But there was another who was in line to take the thrown. His name was Darith, even though he being only 21 years old, he had knowledge of monarchy beyond many in the parliament there. He had plans on reforming the country, leading up to the domination of all of Tarigot, which kept everyone wanting him to stay off the throne. However, the only person who was in his way to become king was Serena. But since Serena didn't die, he isn't able to take the crown. That was when Anneliese called a meeting with the original group.



"I have called this meeting because of center person's who threaten the future of Oceanus and eventually Tarigot if they come to throne." Anneliese said. As Eric and Bard entered a secret chamber hidden in the castle. When they had returned to Oceanus after leaving the faerie's world, Eric and Bard had been knighted up front.



"This is awful," Bard said, "What are we going to do to keep that butthead away from the crown?" As he sat down, smushed into a tight corner. The secret chamber was very small.

"I know, and I'd hate to say this and disturb Serena's happiness, but I think that we are going to have to contact her and bring her back. As much as I don't want to. I realize how important living with her mom and the other faeries is to her, but I'm sure she would want us to do this right?" Anneliese asked looking worriedly up to the young knights.

"Of course. But how are we going to contact her? I don't particularly want to go throught the Forbidden Forest, or the desert again." Eric said, as he pulled his knees up into his chest.

"Well remember that scale of a wyrm, the wyrms gave us? Well I have been doing some research and apparently you can use the scale to contact them. And I was thinking about trying to get them to give us a lift back to the faeries world. However, it's going to be a trick to get back into the world." Anneliese said as she pulled out a perfectly white scale that was 2 inches thick and tapered at the sides.

"How do you use it though? Do you just hold it up to your ear and go "Hello? Yes, I would love it a lot if you could give us a lift!" Bard said sarcasticly.

"NO!" Anneliese said irriated, "What you do is you put in a fire and it awakens something in the scale of some sort allowing a portal of some sort so we are able to talk to the wyrms." She finished, passing the scale around.

"That could work, but that still doesn't explain how we are going to be able to get into the faerie's world again." Eric said examining the scale, he ran his finger down the side slowly, cutting his finger at the tip. "Ouch!" he muttered sucking his finger.

"I haven't quite figured that out, but I'm sure the wyrms would have something to help us out!" She said, trying to be optimistic.

"Okay, BUT.." Bard started

"Oh come on! Not another but!" Anneliese said exsperated.

"Who is gonna stay here to make sure Darith doesn't decide to waltz in and claim himself king?"

There was a silent moment, as each thought about it.

"I honestly have no idea, I mean I hafta go get Serena, however i'm the only one keeping from taking the throne." Anneliese said thinking hard.

"Ha ha," Bard laughed.

"What is it now?" Eric said tiresomely.

"Why don't we just bring him with us? That way we can keep out of trouble." He finished laughing it off. To be honest with you guys, I seriously don't think it was all that funny (author's note)

"You know what.. that could work!" Anneliese said.

"WHAT?!" Eric and Bard said unison.

"We couldn't let him know where the faeries are stationed! If he knew he would use them and their power to take over Tarigot, like that!" Eric snapped.

"No! Of course we wouldn't bring him with us to the faeries! We would leave him with Xarieth, Valence, and Qaries. They would watch after him carefully" She said grinning crookedly.



"Ooo, You got a point there." Eric said, as a mischevious looked crossed his face.



"BUT.."



"Oh come on Bard!" They groaned.



"Just let me finish! How will we convince Darith to come with us? He obviously isn't going to come if he knows we are going to retrieve Serena!" Bard said.



Now that was something to ponder about, the group thought. How are we going to convince him to come?



~.~




Serena woke up with a start, this was the 3rd night in a row she has had a nightmare.



"Whats wrong?" Her mother asked looking as concerned as a alien could. Oh, excuse me for those who weren't smart enough to figure out that the faeries are actually aliens from the last sentence in part 1. Well surprise! They are aliens, and to continue on..



It turns out that the Sophia Stone's had actually come from a different planet, from another galaxy. They came through the world portal along with the aliens, faeries, whatever you want to call them, when a mission went bad. The stones on the alien planet was a source of power that kept everything going. The aliens were on their way to another galaxy when they started getting sucked into a black hole, when their means of transportation malfunction making the stones die quickly, so the head captain removed the ones that retained any power quickly. They were sucked into the endless emptiness of the black hole, where they thought was their end when they entered an area of bright light, which brought them to a steel gray world. It was metalloid elements that were retained there. So they built a new kingdom out of them. After awhile some of the aliens went outside that world to explore the world around them, thats when they found Tarigot. Apparently Serena's mother was one of the adventerers and when looking over Oceanus she fell in love with a young a prince there, King Garmon. So she stayed there. But in order for her and the other faeries to live outside their metal world, the stones had to be placed outside through out Tarigot. So when the stones went back to their home planet, because they were summoned by the Emporer aliens, the aliens had to come back to their world that they had created. When the aliens first ventured out, the people of Tarigot didn't know who they were, but from their old folk legends they thought them to be the creatures their imagination thought up called faeries. So thats how the name stuck.



It took her mother a long time to explain this to her.. in a way she could understand. This whole story was beyond Serena's thought process. Humans, only use 10% of their brains. Aliens use all of their brains and beyond, making them a very advanced and civilized race.

"What's wrong" Her mother asked looking as sympathetic as a alien with red eyes could.

"It's nothing," Serena said rubbing the crust out of her eyes.

"Did you have a nightmare again?"

Serena hestiated for a moment before answering. "Yes." These dreams had been happening for the last couple of days, picking up where they had began. She could barely go to sleep at night, with the thought of them coming back. The nightmares had always came on and off for her, since she was a young child. But never as this consistant and vivid.

During the peregrination that was held 3 years ago, that was the last time she had had a dream, or a vision per say as vivid as these were. She had began researching dreams, and visions, noticing that most of her dreams were representation of something that was going to happen. That was what frightened her the most.

Her most recent night-horrors involved a kingdom burning in flames of blue. All the people being burned alive, melting to their doom. In her dream she was the ruler, the head in monarchy and there was nothing she was able to do. No matter what, whenever she tried putting out the fire that had started, the fire wouldn't go out. She tried beating out all the flames, but once she thought she had put them out they would come back.

"What was your dream about?" Her mother asked looking straight into her eyes. One unique thing about aliens was the fact if they are able to look straight in between the iris of the humans eyes, into the pupils they are able to read their mind. However, Serena being part alien her self, prevented her mother from reading her clearly.



"It was nothing.. Its all a blur. I don't remember it. Really! It's all over. Let us go back to sleep now." Serena said, her fake smile concerning her mother.


"Okay.. if you are sure." Her mother replied, going along with her daughter.


Yeah, I'm sure. Serena thought as she laid her head back down on the silver square for a pillow. It may look like just a block of metal, but it was made out of smart matter, allowing the pillow to adjust to its users needs.


Are my dreams about what I think it is about? She thought, as she slowly nodded back into sleep, hoping to not hit the REM cycle.


~.~


Anneliese had ordered a meeting amongst all the knights, lords, and other young monarchy in the kingdom. She knew that naturally Darith would show up. Many young Duchess's gathered in a group gossiping about Darith, giggling behind their fans.


"Ladies! Would you please be considerate of other people? Please get your pea brains out of the gutter while your at it!" Anneliese snapped at the Duchess's. Sniffing, being the divas they were they walked out of the meeting and went off to talk such rigamarole somwhere else.


"Okay, thank you all for everyone joining us here today. We have some important matters to discuss." Eric started, standing up projecting his voice over the crowd.


"Come on! Please hurry up with it all," Groaned Darith, fixing his hair. " I have a joust match at 3." He said glaring straight at Eric.


"Well because of the monarch crisis that has been going on, we have decided to go visit the great wyrms again, to ask for their advice. We would like volunteers to join Anneliese, Bard, and I." Eric finished.


A wind of whispers came up through the crowd. 'No way! I have enough on my plate already.' 'Hmm.. that would mean eternal glory right?' ETC.


"I will join." Darith said. "I'm not afraid of any ole' dragons." he sniffed, smiling snobbily.


"They prefer to be addressed as Great Wyrms, Darith." Bard said, defending his friends.


"Whatever, I'm coming anyway. When shall we set off?" He said dragging his hand through his hair again.


"That will be discussed later. Everyone is dismissed!" Anneliese shouted over the now loud crowd. Darith started sneaking out to his Joust match when Anneliese caught him. "Oh no you don't! You hafta stay here with us to help plan our journey." She said smiling crookedly. Their plan had worked like a charm. Darith, not being to bright in the first place, had taken the bait and is now stuck with them on the journey. One might think, What about all the other young monarchs that might have thoughts about taking over the kingdom while the ones protecting the throne are gone? Well honestly, those teens are to obssessed about wordly things to care about it. Much less even consider and plan out a way to take the throne. So there was no reason to worry about them.





"What's so important that's going to make me late for my jousting match?" Darith said pulling back the arm that Eric had grabbed and dragged him to the back corridor with.




"We need to discuss plans, schedules, and packing preparations, you goon." Anneliese said more sharply than expected.




Darith settling down, rolled his eyes. "Is that all?"




"Yes. Now you are only allowed to bring one horse, no bodyguards, it's going to be only us 4..." Eric said, the list went on and on.