Silver Cathedral Saga (4 page)

“They’re
outnumbered. The Shadows have way too many for those knights left
by the looks of it,” said Eleanor. Her eyes closed in fear, not
knowing what to do.

 
The only sister
there tensed up. Again. She remained even more quiet than
usual.

Free as Fire

Eleanor’s mother hummed a number of bars of a tune before breaking
out into singing.

She lulled
the song with ease and peace, crossing into a dream, like a sound
that broke free within itself. Within herself; it sounding that way
to any listeners as well as her. Luna placed two of her fingers on
the wick of a candle before she even lulled the first word near her
daughter’s bed.

She sung a
short song, then the wick lit itself up and moved her fingers away
quickly not to get burned. “Eleanor, time for bed.”

Her
daughter came in and done as she was told.

Luna saw
her child
’
s long, black, thick hair racing
behind like it always did. Although she now also noticed a slightly
healthy glow beginning to colour her skin.

“What’s the
matter? You look upset.” Her mother went to Eleanor and sat on the
bed, enveloping a warm openness to her daughter.

“I don’t
understand why I always feel so cut off from everyone all the time.
I try to talk to the children outside and they look at me funny, as
if I don’t belong here. I don’t understand.”

“Every
child is as misunderstood as the next,” she said to her daughter,
brushing her hair briskly. “Growing up is about finding
yourself.”

“I don’t
think it’s about that,” said Eleanor, looking like she was in one
of her usual trances. “They seem to see something in me I’ve been
trying so hard to hide.”

“Trying to
hide. What would that be?” said her mother as she gestured her to
get into bed. She got tucked in with a dull, brown fleece blanket
wrapped around her; the night being too terribly cold to
ignore.

“I seem to
notice things around me more. Not just like an average person would
glance around. Really notice them. I am distracted and fascinated
by everything that moves, everything that’s still. Everything that
was. I can smell things better than others, hear stronger than them
too, as well as see farther. And on top of that, everything they
say to me I take to heart. Even when I think on it, and I figure
out it was only a joke much later on. I don’t know when they’re
even joking most of the time. I seem to feel more than the rest.
But not just with my emotions—with my actual senses.”

“Eleanor,
you must be tired. Really tired, because this doesn’t make sense.”
Yet the way her mother said it was not very assuring for her
daughter to believe. Luna seemed to be subconsciously knowing what
she was talking about, but at the same time was trying to hide it
for some reason. And yet Eleanor knew this as quick and as easy as
that. After all, her gift was finding things. Even if sometimes
they came to her at different speeds or rates.

Her mother
read a few pages from a book that reflected more truth than story
called the ‘Legends of Creation’, then as soon as she was done,
kissed her daughter on the forehead and blew out the candle on a
small table beside the bed. “Goodnight dear.” Her mother looked at
Eleanor.

“Goodnight,” she said, sounding tired, and yawned straight
after.

Her mother
walked out and closed the wooden door, blocking the little light
that was coming into her room from her mother’s, opposite.

Eleanor
turned on her side to look out the window and exposed part of her
foot to the numbing cold, thinking what it was her mother was
keeping from her all this time. She saw small one tiered houses
standing in front as she covered her full self up again; they all
looked just as cold as in her room with no light or heat now.

Though the
comfort and warmth of the blanket sent her off to sleep all too
easy soon enough.

Free Fires in an Ending Night

“Eleanor, what are we gonna do?” asked Christian as he shook her
friend; her eyes started to tear as she looked out to the field of
battle. The boy looked at her again, and waited before he slapped
her, hoping she would come back to him.

“Christian,” yelled Miyah, thinking her brother had gone too far
yet again.

Eleanor
moved her hand to her cheek, where he had struck her. It turned red
in seconds. The girl turned her head to his eyes. “Ow,
” she cried. “Why on Astora did you do that?”

“Listen,
there’s no time for these quirky trances of yours right now. We
have to move.”

“…You’re
right,” she said looking around, forgetting what was happening.
“Let’s go.”

“But to
where?”

“The city
over there.” She pointed to the battle happening before
Sunndira.

“Are you
crazy?” said Christian. “We’ll get killed.” He noticed her looking
at the brilliant white plant life all around them, and also at the
enemies.

“They’re in
a star shield. Good.” She glanced at the Star-casters doing this as
she said it.

“What are
you thinking?”

And so,
Eleanor told Christian her plan, which he was surprised by; because
he knew it was as impressive as she did. Miyah was kept in the dark
about what was to happen next.

“Although
there is still two problems with that,” said Christian after
hearing the whole idea.

“I know, I
know… We could set the meadow on fire from the edge. It ends over
there by the looks of it,” she pointed.

Miyah gave
a little “ah,” her mind understanding where this was all going
now.

“But how do
we start it? And we better hurry if we’re going to. The casters at
the door are not gonna last much longer.” Christian saw her friend
in a trance again. “Hey, I don’t wanna lose you n—”

“—Shut up,
I’m thinking,” she blurted out before talking to herself, “The
‘
Free as Fire’ song. The one mum used to
sing to make the candles light up. How did it go again?”

They both
darted to the edge of the White Meadow as the finder thought on
what was needed.

Eleanor
thought on the words; which when she imagined the scene again with
her mother, was easy; easier that she thought it would be. The
finder could really imagine speaking to her mother, it being so
vivid that it all felt real.

Finding
and remembering were linked in some ways I never noticed till
now,
thought Eleanor, pondering. And she was starting to figure
that out.
Finding can lead you to what you want. Remembering is
exactly that, but in the past, not the present.

“Ready when
you are,” said Christian pulling his sister back. “I’m not going to
lose you too to this war Miyah!” He clutch at her tightly now.

Eleanor
looked at her friend back in the real world. “Okay.” The girl
looked as if she was about to grab a clump of the white grassland.
She sung the song; though when Eleanor’s words poured out, she
could hear her dead mother’s. Almost like her vivid imagination was
trying to show her that her mother would help—even after death. The
words, soft:

“Free as fire

Come from my tips

Fireflies watch this

Free as fire

Light where I touch

Ignite like you are watching this.”

Christian stood back as the vegetation caught on fire.

Eleanor
jumped out of the way, but not quick enough. She got burned. Her
fingertips were red and hurt. She clenched her hand and sipped at
the air trying to relieve the itchy pain.

“I take it
you won’t be doing that any time soon again?” said Christian.

“Gee, what
made you think that,” replied Eleanor, shaking her head. She didn’t
look amused; however, at the same time, she was glad she had done
what she did.

“Are you
okay, Eleanor?” said the youngest, looking at Eleanor as she looked
at her hand.

“Yes. I
think I will be. Thank you, Miyah. At least someone cares,” she
said, gazing at her brother.

The
immediate red and orange flames swept up into the air, blazing in
the ending night. A strong smell of smoke trickled above and made
all the children pull back even more so.

The
three saw the field
’
s flames burn and
grow. It took about forty minutes for it to reach near the battle
some distance away. There seemed to be a breeze picking up; as if
to encourage the fire to flourish in this time and help out.

They saw
that the people alive over Sunndira
’
s way
noticed it crackle and spit, heading towards them.

“It’s just
a matter of time now,” said Eleanor.

“I hope
this works,” said Christian with a little hope in his voice.

“You and me
both.”

“And me,”
said Miyah’s shy voice

The blazing
flames began to take over the faint noises they heard from the
entrance to the city.

Some
time later they ran to where the battle once was. It was not
silent, exactly, but more of a lessened sound that gave their ears
some relaxation for now.

The star
shields were still up at the entrance, protecting against the fire
from spreading into the city, as part of the meadow trickled inside
also.

“Children?”
said a Star-caster behind his energy shield very loud. His shield
was the colour of blue stars at night.

People came
to the top of the city’s wall, attempting to put the fire out
beneath. They looked terrified; but the danger of losing a home
will always have that effect on beings. These specific children
knew that much.

“We have to
help them somehow,” said Christian.

“But how?”
asked Eleanor. “My mother just used the spell on candle wicks. I
can hardly blow this all out.”

“Then we’re
in serious trouble.”

“No, little
ones. You’re not,” said one of the men in the shield, loudly.

Another
inside the blue sphere created more protection—one that slowly
engulfed the entire meadow.

It appeared
terrifying to see such power happen: Blue star energy lit up the
area, and fought with the colour of the blazing flames inside.

Eleanor,
Christian and Miyah once again stood way back, noticing the sun was
well on its way out now.

Several minutes passed before the fire started to wither down. It
soon turned into being little else than an inch off the ground. A
few more moments later and the flames were gone. All that remained
was its black, thick smoke polluting through the sky. Much like the
black soot the Shadows had become from the fire on the ground, and
the little life left of the White Meadow around. It made the
surroundings look like a tainted location, not one of hope and
legend anymore.

Strong
yellow rays of light pierced the meadow even more so, starting the
day off with the kind of pleasant weather that was exclusively for
the sense of sight at first. The heat from the sun developed after
thereon
.

Both
Star-casters powered down their shields now. One spoke:

“Saved by
kids’. Star-casters are mocked to begin with, we will never hear
the end of this one if we tell the others.”

“Hmm…
Either way, we should be mighty glad we were,” said the other
Star-caster.

“Oh,
believe me, I am. And they will be rewarded for what they have done
here today. There is no doubt about it,” said the other with some
glee in his voice.

“We will?”
said Eleanor, sounding somewhat excited.

“You better
believe it. The king is very generous when it comes to rewarding
those who help.”

Eleanor,
Christian and Miyah beamed as potent as two rays in the darkest
night imaginable, their gloomy moods turning to a more gray colour
now.

“We best
get moving. There is a Priest in the city awaiting our return. He
will be taking us to the Cathedral.”

City of Light

They
entered Sunndira.

The city
was both lush and tacky at the same time, which seemed impossible
in thought, but the sight seemed to adjust to the eyes of the
little ones to see the truth of it. It was like a half finished yet
completed city, or a run down one that looked that way.

A well
polished silver statue of Starao stood tall to greet them when they
entered. It was surrounded by some nurtured grass with steps going
up to see a plaque Eleanor, Christian nor Miyah couldn’t work
out.

Then there
was little specks that were holes; they were here and there on the
ground. Anybody could see all the way to the bottom, to the sea, at
least if you tried to. As the children did this, they noticed the
sea was calm, as usual, singing its serene song to the
onlookers.

There was
exquisitely crafted walls that protected the city: White, with such
fine and effortless details of swans, and of what looked like
several different kings. White ivy vines ran all the way around the
inside of the wall, clutching to it like its exclusive friends.

Houses:
Most looked old and worn, and where in need of some good work to be
done to them; some looked so run-down that they appeared as if they
would fall apart if you would touch them with a single finger.

The grey
stone road lacked some actual stones, and Christian almost got his
foot stuck in one, but Eleanor told him to “watch it” before that
incident took place. His sister smiled as a response.

There was
too many people wandering the streets, and to make matters worse
the paths were too narrow for how many there was; this caused the
Star-casters and two children to stop several times, to let people
by and wait for others to let them by. It was human traffic, but
without any kind of system.