cPreface of the Legacyd
Long ago, on the distant world of Mirgard
lived a gorgeous young Lady. She had the entire splendor, glory, and pampering
of royal blood, but she did not have love.
One night during her evening prayer, she noticed a young man lying
injured in her garden. The Lady’s kind heart led her to help the young man.
Soon she and he developed a relationship. The Lady and the young man grew madly
in love. Nevertheless, it was doomed to
fail. The man's true nature was an angel who had been sent
to test her faith. As things looked grim
for their future, the sky fissured with fulguration and a thundering voice
cried from the heavens.
“I shall permit thee wedlock on the
condition that thee abandon thy Angelhood,” it boomed shaking the planet.
The
angel agreed without a thought. Yet, the power of his blood retained in their
lineage. Thus, born of angel-blood were the first
Gemini, the destined rulers of Mirgard….
Chapter I
The Saga Begins
In
the Heart of Crystal Mirgara, the royal city, on the peaceful lush world of
Mirgard, Empress Celine busily prepared for tonight’s royal party in honor of
her pregnancy.
“Sweet Artemis, please come close,”
requested the beautiful empress.
Celine’s
figure was angelically striking. Lush golden-tan mane caressed the sides of her
hued cheeks; her slender porcelain figure round with pregnancy filled her royal
grown. Artemis had always been her favorite. The pretty, teenage maid came rushing towards Celine, her mahogany chestnut mane
flowing in the Jasmine scented air. In
her excitement, the girl stumbled upon her robes and tumbled before the
empress. Gently shaking off the fall, Artemis’s innocent cinnamon eyes fell
upon the cerulean eyes of her empress. The girl turned red and gagged on her
words.
“Artemis, are you all right?” asked
Celine gently as she knelt down to help the girl to her feet.
“No need for apology,” her velvety
voice continued, “I have a special task for you. As you know, I bear the Heirs
of Mirgard within me. Thus I have need for a maid of honor to educate and
protect my little dears.”
The empress requested, “To you
Artemis, I give this task.”
The girl’s face glimmered with
happiness.
“Thank you so Empress! I
will not fail you,” promised Artemis as she, kneeling, kissed the silky hand of
Celine.
Celine then gently laid her palm on
the girl’s forehead. A quiet breeze caressed the air as Celine summoned her
power. A warm white glow scintillated from her hand and white bubbles tickled
Artemis’s face.
“I
knight you, Artemis, Guardian of the heirs of Mirgard,” Celine declared. She removed her palm and the gentle light
danced into the ancient symbol for paladin, .
“Rise Lady Artemis. The supreme
power of the Valkyrie is yours to summon,” she finished.
“Thank you, Empress!” cried
Artemis.
Artemis did not know how soon she
would need her new powers.
Not
to far off, lurking in her dark marble palace, Celine’s twin sister grew sick
at the news of her sisters good fortune.
“So finally the circle is complete;
the little brats of Celine are the new Gemini,” Hecate lamented, her unearthly
voice shaking with anger.
Hecate
and Celine once were the diarchic rulers of Mirgard. They are the Gemini; the
destined rulers of Mirgard and both possess incredible supernatural powers; one
twin of the Light and one twin of the Dark. The darkness and strength of
Hecate’s powers obsessed her mind. Obsessing of her supreme powers poisoned her
mind and twisted her once beautiful figure into a hideous form. Once identical
to her sister, Hecate’s body turned reptilian; lime scales appeared on her
shoulders, hands, hips and under her eyes. Her cerulean eyes evolved into the
scarlet oculus of a serpent and her teeth fanged. Lush lips took on a sickly
green hue, her hue turned purple and her golden hair became a grayish blue. One
day the empresses clashed as Hecate attempted to destroy Celine and create a
fascistic reign. Celine and her court felled the snake banishing her to
solitary life.
“I feared this day would come,”
Hecate said, “As the stars foretell: THE BABES OF THE LIGHT SHALL COME AND THE
BETRAYER SHALL FALL!”
Hecate agonized as she glared at
her magical star chart. The hue of death teemed from her as she smiled.
If
the children are not born, they cannot overpower me, she thought. Her mouth
bowed with an insidious grin as she whispered, “Thus my sweet sister you must
PERISH!”
The
Emperor greeted his wife with a kiss. Celine sat rocking in her golden chair
singing an ancient lullaby to her unborn children.
“Zarian, What do you think of the
decoration?” Celine asked the tall handsome king.
Zarian shifted his deep blue eyes
across the palace. Golden banners and beautiful tapestries hung about the
marble walls. Wild flowers; silk scarves of green, blue and white hung from the
ceiling; and lush flower arrangements littered the tables. Even the majestic
main fountain gushed the purest water.
“It is gorgeous, honey,” he said
taking her silky hand.
The
royal couple gracefully strolled out to the magnificent balcony. Their
footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Celine’s gown fluttered delicately in the
twilight breeze.
“The sunset is gorgeous
tonight," sighed Celine holding Zarian close.
“Our children have such a wonderful
elegant world to play and grow in,” Celine continued as she beheld the
breathlessly beautiful gardens, magnificent forests and the foaming seas.
Suddenly her eyes gained a hint of
fret. Her pupils constricted with fear.
“Zarian, do you see that dark
shadow creeping across the sky?” her voice tensed.
“You worry to much dear. That is
most likely a thunder shower coming,” he said kissing her head reassuringly.
“No Zarian… I sense something
greater at work,” she whispered.
Closing her eyes, Celine used her
powers to get a closer look at the menacing cloud. Her premonition was right;
Hecate was making her move.
“Prepare for battle!” cried Celine
stepping away from Zarian.
As
the shadow crept through the sky, the alarms of Crystal Mirgara rang for
battle. The Valkyries, the knights of Mirgard; foot soldiers;
and Zarian stole to the armories. They
threw on their armor and gripped every weapon. Cries of the generals could be heard as Artemis raced through the winding walls of
the great palace. Her heart raced and mind agonized with excitement and dread.
“Must find her majesty!” she
sighed.
Wearied and upset, craned her neck
and scrutinized with almost an obsession for Celine. Alas, her eyes caught the
empress.
“Empress!” she shouted, “What do I
do!”
“Calm down Artemis,” Celine
retorted soothingly, “All you have to do is call upon your powers. The rest
will follow.”
“But I don’t understand, how can I
summon them?” whined the girl.
“Artemis, feel the power within,”
explained the empress.
The
young maid concentrated. Her body surged with energy
and the crest Celine had placed earlier blazed at her forehead. Sparkling wind
swirled about her form transfiguring her into a dazzling creature. Two golden
wings adorned her hair and met at a shimmering tiara that formed a lacy heart
on her skull. With a glinting flash, a beautiful blouse bearing the symbol of
Mirgard and a beautiful lace split-skirt replaced her robes. Her bare toes now
incased themselves in fine boots. Artemis was amazed. She had become
ValArtemis.
She however solely witnessed the
transformation; Celine and the others had witnessed something far more dread.
The sky had grown black and the air became like ice. Winds bayed and the form
of Hecate and her army approached fast. From the balcony, it appeared that
shadow had swallowed the lands and the entire area seemed dead as deep
space. A frigid breath of wind made Val
Artemis shiver.
“Majesty?” she inquired.
With sad eyes, the empress lifted
her gaze in a solemn manner and moved her eyes to the face of quivering
girl.
“Artemis, the hour of battle hath come,”
she managed to vocalize.
Soon flashes of laser filled the
darkness as the forces clashed. Hecate drew closer lashing violet snakes of
energy at all in her wake. As she drew
ever closer towards the balcony, ValArtemis clenched her virgin saber. Hecate’s
laugh grew deranged as she crashed energy- balls into the fore structure of the
palace. Her gaze caught the form of her sister and she settled herself on the
royal balcony. ValArtemis stood face to face with her greatest foe.
“Good day, pitiful sister!” Hecate
greeted them, “How are you and this waste of an emperor, Zarian?”
“What is your business, Hecate?”
Celine asked firmly.
“Dear sister, I simply had come to
visit my nieces,” Hecate returned. She paused for a moment then viciously
responded with, “And give them a funeral!”
“NEVER!” cried ValArtemis.
With tears in her eyes, ValArtemis
vaulted through the air and landed her flashing sword across Hecate’s face.
“Die you horrible snake!”
ValArtemis shouted raising her bloody sword to strike again.
“My face!
You cut my beautiful face!” Hecate shrieked.
Hot
blood trickled between her fingers as she clutched the fresh wound. The sticky
crimson steamed as it dripped on the cold marble. In a rage, the demon flung black lightning at
ValArtemis. The girl’s body flailed and struck the floor as she escaped a moan
of pain. ValArtemis struggled to her feet still holding her aching boy. She
raised her sword again, but Celine’s hand blocked her path.
“No Artemis, this is my fight,” she
commanded, “Go you and Zarian. Help the others.”
“Not so fast,” Hecate chuckled as
she tossed a beam of energy at ValArtemis and the Emperor.
A deep violet energy oozed from
overhead and enveloped them in a purple bubble.
“I want you to watch your loved one
be destroyed,” she chortled.
ValArtemis pushed at the walls of
her cage.
Then in a desperate attempt, she
exclaimed “Neo Plasma Bubble Crash!”
A
band of light swirled about her arm, concentrated to her palm and discharged
from her fingers in a glowing sphere of energy. Violently, the ivory ball
smashed into the purple mammoth in a fierce explosion of energy. Pink and purple energy caressed the side of
the shell.
“Oh no!” ValArtemis shouted, “It
absorbed my energy!”
As Hecate teleport-dodged one of
Celine’s attacks, she called to ValArtemis, “I wouldn’t try anything stupid
little girl. Each time you try breaking the bubble it collapses inward.”
The witch beamed as the sphere
crushed inward; a beautiful sight to her, indeed. Celine hoped for this
distraction.
“Glittering Star Shatterer!” shouted Celine as energy swirled above her raised
hand into a huge swirling mass of charged multicolored power. Thrusting her
hand toward Hecate, the mass thundered at the demon. Massive beams pummeled
Hecate’s body as the twister of raw energy encircled her flesh. The dark figure
hit the palace garden with a forceful thud. Celine flew down to her wounded
sister. Bruise and quaking, Hecate clambered to her feet. Seizing the moment
Celine summoned her Gemini Crescent Beam. Vehement bluish energy leapt from her
hand. The trembling figure of Hecate turned sharply and smiled demonically.
“Dark Fulguration
Thrash!” Hecate crowed.
Bolts of sable electricity sailed
at Celine in massive clusters. As the coils of energy sped towards their
victim, the golden Gemini Crescent Beam crushed all but one. Hecate’s pupils
dilated as the white and gold beam cut through the air and scattered her attack
into oblivion. The beam hurled toward Hecate and the cluster of dark voltage at
Celine. Both struck ferociously. The whiteness crushed into Hecate scorching
her body and flung her against a smiling caryatid. The electricity flashed
through Celine’s body grounding her with a sinister crackling. Holding her head
Celine walked over to her foe’s disfigured body.
Celine could not see but the figure’s eyes glowed scarlet and a smile crept
across her shadowed face. Unexpectedly Celine sensed extreme danger. She knew
unfathomable horror was coming. She could not stop it.
Running
towards the palace as Hecate staggered upright, Celine used her ESP to warn the
generals to staff their space cruisers or head for the palace.
This
is our only chance Celine thought. Celine knew Hecate planned to use her
ultimate attack, Dark Matter Cannon, and that being weakened
with pregnancy she could not nullify it. Moreover, she could martyr herself and
save Mirgard; however, she could not risk the lives of her unborn children. As
she forced open the huge front doors, Hecate hovered in the darkened sky
drawing and illuminating with dark power.
ValArtemis
got up from sulking as she beheld the brilliant flashes and the witch’s form
pulsating in the sky. The bubble had broken now. Tears came to her eyes once
more. She feared that Celine was dead. Sluggishly, she turned toward Zarian to
inform him of the bad news. At that second, Celine bounded to the balcony.
“Hai-tai…Artimuscurve!” called Hecate in Mirgarnese as she
discharged her Dark Matter Cannon at the planet.
With
a pillar of pink light around her, she crossed her arms and fired a black comet
riddled with purple swarming energy. The ground cracked, buildings crumpled
like paper under the force of the deathblow heading for the planet. Facing her
darkest nightmare, Celine quickly shot her right arm into the air. A shower of
white magical dust swirled about her body. The Dark Matter cannon ripped
through Mirgard. The planet shook the ground split in half and Mirgard saw its
last sunset. Pink flame shot everywhere and the planet exploded in a cosmic
detonation. As the planet split, a white shimmering bubble encased the palace
and the surrounding gardens. Planetary fragments battered the bubble in mini
nuclear explosions. A white flash filled the palace and the all was quiet.
Celine looked around; her face
covered with sweat and tears. She breathed heavily. Satisfied, she lowered her
hand and her ivory body collapsed to the floor.
Chapter II
The New Gemini
ValArtemis,
free from her prison, ran over to the fallen empress. Her strong arms gathered
up Celine’s limp body. Celine’s sky blue
eyes opened to behold the worried face of the young tear stricken Valkyrie.
ValArtemis smiled turned her face to Zarian.
“Don’t worry young one. Give her
here,” his gentle voice rung.
Delicately, the girl laid the empress into the muscular arms of the
emperor. The emperor laid the young empress in their soft bed. Her blonde hair
caressed the silken pillow. With a hint of fret, the young woman approached
cautiously.
“Celine will be fine. She just
needs some rest,” reassured Zarian, “Come back in a little while.”
ValArtemis transformed into Artemis
and proceeded to examine the rest of the palace.
Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ
As the debris cleared, Hecate realized Celine had escaped. Her hellish
gazed paned the new asteroid belt. Toward the left, she beheld a bubble contain
a chunk of land and
“Next time sister, next time,” she growled softly.
Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ
Artemis stood in the once
great imperial garden, her fingers stroking the scarlet rose bush she and
Celine had planted the previous spring. She half grinned solemnly and plucked a
scarlet bloom. Carelessly, she seated herself on the walk and gazed outward.
The thick cold darkness of space surrounded her. This is what it must be like to be in a space suit, she
thought. It seemed so unreal to her:
never had Jupiter been so clear or the stars so bright. The orange giant seemed
to radiate in the sable. Artemis walked over and placed her hand on the
glittering bubble. She shuddered. Realizing how close the deadly blackness was,
she decided to visit Celine.
Celine turned her head to
see Artemis slipping into the room.
“Artemis, I am sorry. I could not sacrifice the innocent lives of my
babies,” remorsefully whispered the empress.
Her mouth was dry and her body still weak. The room seemed to spin as
she sat upright. She looked at her creamy porcelain hands wishing they were covered in the innocent blood she failed to protect.
That way all could see what she had done.
Artemis came closer. She folded her hands and fighting back emotions; she asked,
“Mirgard is no more. Where shall we go lush blue Earth?”
“No Artemis, I do not want another innocent world destroyed because of me,
thus let us head to the barren world of Mars where she can only hurt me,”
Celine answered, “But I am glad you are here. Tell Zarian to come back into the
room and together we shall discuss the future of our kingdom.”
Celine lay back down. The emperor and Artemis entered the room and pulled
two wooden chairs near the queen.
“Zarian, command the pilots to go to Mars, and check the damage to the
palace, my love,” Celine requested sweetly. She turned her beautiful face to the
teenager “Artemis…Ah ahhhhhhh….ugh!” Celine moaned. H
Her face swelled to a grimace of pain. Her cerulean eyes widened and her
scarlet lush lips parted. The contractions had begun.
Another shriek of pain
escaped from Celine as the midwife tore into the room. The gray haired woman
shifted her pink nursing attire and grasped Celine’s clammy wrist.
“Her Pulse is steady.”
The woman looked at the agonistic face of the fair empress. Celine screamed
again. One of the assistants clicked her watch.
“Contractions are 65 seconds apart.”
The aged midwife glanced at Artemis hugging herself behind a golden pillar.
“Don’t worry child, she’ll be alright, I promise,” the midwife called to
her.
Celine wailed and squeezed the strong hand of Zarian. Through her mask of
tears, Celine could see the love in his blue eyes. Zarian smiled and mouthed, “It’s okay honey, I’m right here.”
The midwife moved swiftly toward the empress’s gown
as the contractions grew quicker and more intensely painful. Celine wailed and
wailed. Tearing, Artemis could not bear to see Celine in so much pain. Out of
respect and sickness, the teen quickly sneaked out of animated bedchamber. Through all the wailing and action, Artemis
collapsed in the next room on her homely little cot. Her eyes grew heavy as
lead and the intoxicating lure of dreams pulled Artemis into the serenity of
slumber. Her long reddish brown ponytail snaked lazily over her back and
touched the floor. Her hands tucked themselves peacefully under her velvet
pillow and her naked toes kissed the soft mattress.
Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ
The infuriated Hecate sat
nestled in the shadows of her cruiser plotting her next move. Eyes narrowed she
thought of how to eliminate her sister.
The cruel thought came to her and a flash of white split her emerald
lips.
“To the dark side of Earth’s moon,” she commanded.
Her voice deepened to a dastard tone, “If I can not rule Mirgard… I shall
dominate pitiful Earth and create an army of earthlings to destroy Celine.”
The black ship flashed through space weaving through chunks of Mirgard and
past Mars at near light speed. The huge figure of the moon approached fast.
Craters and mares hidden by shadow dappled the giant rock. Swiftly the witch
rose to her feet. She posed her paled grayed claw-like hands to cast a spell.
Purple flame materialized about her hands and a red glow became her eyes. The
moon shook as huge monoliths pierced the surface. Craters parted and fissured
in the wake on new growth. As Hecate
closed her inhuman fists the monoliths pressed together to form a black palace.
The nightmarish fort crushed into place as the cruiser landed on the twisted
soil. A protective atmosphere developed around the castle. The witch entered
her new home. The inside resembled a cave with black crystal furnishings and
rugged sable stalagmites as pillars. A crude black diamond staircase swirled to
the upper levels. Hecate then sensed something terrible: her nieces were born.
Luckily, she had prepared for such an occasion.
Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ
Artemis
awoke to find silence. She wiped her cinnamon eyes and tossed back her
hair. Heels touched the cold marble as
she stretched her youthful figure. Her mind cleared as a yawn encircled her
pink lips. I must see the babies, she
thought. As she made her way out of the room, she spotted a dark figure
embracing a weapon. Without thinking, the girl flying tackled the
assassin. The two struggled and the
plasma firearm skidded down the hall. The figure landed a hard punch on
Artemis’s mouth, the scurried for his tool. Artemis quickly rushed to her room
to grab her sword. Frantically she tore through her trunk,
clothes dappling the ground, hearing the footsteps draw nearer and nearer. Finally,
a glint of steel pierced the parade of colors. White-knuckling
the hilt, Artemis ran to the doorway. Her breathing quickened and her heart
drummed as the figure drew toward her room.
As the assassin’s shadow danced on the door to Celine’s room, Artemis
swung her blade around the doorframe. A dull tear echoed from the walls as the
cold steel ripped the chest of its target. The figure collapsed as crimson
lazily pooled around him on the floor. Zarian heard the noise and came out in
time to see the final seconds. He first started at the black garbed figure
drowning in blood, then at his assailant. Face bruised, Artemis stood
quivering; the sword tumbled from her hand and clattered on the ground. She
raised her gaze to Zarian and hugged him about the waist sobbing
uncontrollably.
Zarian helped the unnerved
girl to Celine. The new mother was cuddling her new babes. The little blue eyes
fell on their mother’s face. Their tiny hands grabbed Celine’s gown. The little
girl on the right pushed her head into her mother’s chest. She nestled there
and cued; the one in her left arm took notice to the sobbing figure inching
toward her. Artemis could barely stand. She felt sick as she crept toward the
empress. Salty tears streaked her lovely cheeks and mixed in her mouth.
Celine’s face fell as she saw Artemis.
“Zarian, what happened?” asked the bewildered empress. Her eyes met his.
“Artemis saved your and our babies lives… but to do so she had to kill,”
explained Zarian.
The words hit Artemis like
a blow to the stomach; she grabbed her sides and collapsed, as her legs grew
limp. Zarian grabbed the girl’s arms and placed her on her feet.
“Artemis, you have done no wrong,” Celine reassured her, “Come see the
lives you have saved.”
The tear stricken teen
raised her face to see two beautiful babies lying in Celine’s arms.
“This is Freya,” Celine said as she lifted the tiny girl on the right to
face Artemis. Freya’s blue eyes widened at the young face before her.
“The other one is Brenda,” Celine explained, “Artemis,
these little girls are your charge: protect them, guide them and train them. I
feel that it is time to start the elite guardians of Mirgard once more. Zarian,
go to the treasure room and fetch the Solar Gems.”
The emperor kissed his
wife and left for the treasure room. Large and golden, the doors to the
treasure room groaned open. The jade marble floor to the frescoed ceiling was
stacked with treasure. Mountains of gold swallowed stone columns; jewels of
emerald, ruby and sapphire littered the room; crowns and other royal
accessories stippled the piles of gold. In the center of the room, two sable
boxes rested upon a column of crystal and silver. Zarian’s footsteps echoed as
he approached the boxes. Taking one in each hand, he began to look for a third.
To his surprise, a hole had breached the jade floor. The box must have fallen out that hole during the battle, he
thought.
Back at the room, Celine
explained to Artemis about the Solar Gems.
“The zodiac of earth does indeed possess strange mystical powers. These
signs are on the Solar Gems, which give the wearer incredible elemental powers.
“Why haven’t you used these before?” asked Artemis.
“Because of the dark secrets of the Solar Gems, I have tried to forget
about them. Contrived of the crystallized magic of Pandora’s Box, the Solar
Gems in essence are fabricated of negative
energy. Only a pure heart can produce
positive effects. Thus when united with evil they have astronomical strength. I
would be a fool to use them without concern.”
Zarian entered the room in
enough time to hear the end of Celine’s tale. He presented her with the two
boxes and replied, “ The third box was lost through a
hole in the floor. It must have occurred during the battle.”
“At least they are not in the hands of the enemy,” Celine sighed. She
handed the boxes to Artemis. Artemis ran her fingers across the carving of the
warriors on the lid. The elegant figures stood in battle circumscribed in an
elegant zodiac complete with symbols and mythical images. Carefully, she lifted
the golden latch with a rusty snap. Light showered the interior of the box.
Four unusually shaped earring pairs lined the velvet interior of the box. As
Artemis looked closer, she could see a zodiac symbol imprinted in each.
“Now that you know they exist. Artemis I…” Celine stopped mid-sentence
interrupted by on of the little girl’s cries.
Little Brenda pawed at her
mother’s gown and cried again.
“Brenda, are you hungry again?” Celine asked of the little child. “Artemis,
take Freya while I fix myself,” she commanded.
The teen gently raised the little newborn. Freya’s little blue eyes
searched the figure holding her. Artemis rocked the little girl and whispered
sweetly to her, “Hi little Freya.”
Sensing she was safe,
Freya closed her eyes, cooed and gave a little yawn pressing her little body
against Artemis. Once Brenda was suckling, the conversation continued.
“Artemis, I want you to form a school to train a new troop of Valkyries.
Give eight of the Solar Gems to the top students. The school shall begin when
Brenda and Freya have their sixth birthday,” Celine ordered, “Keep the ninth
for yourself: someday it will come in handy.”
Artemis stopped rocking
the baby. It took her a moment to absorb what Celine requested. Quietly she
nodded to the empress then began to hum to the child in her arms. Artemis’s
motherly gaze fell on the innocent little face as she pondered Celine’s words: What will the future hold for this child
and me?
Chapter III
The Coronation of the Valkyries
Jupiter’s
orange haze rose above the horizon as Freya watched the night’s evanescent
darkness become day. Today fate would take her hand and guide her life forever
upon the path of the warrior. Today she is coroneted along with her colleagues.
In a mere few hours, she will become Luna, the Valkyrie of Night. Rubbing the last bit of dream from her
cerulean eyes, the princess planted her bare feet upon the chilly marble
floor. Haphazardly, she made her way to
the chair in front of a wooden vanity. She centered her face in the mirror
fluffing the static out of her golden hair. Freya then stared nostalgically
into her own pale eyes. She was not sure what she was looking for: perhaps
confidence or a merely serenity for her growing anxiety. Still she may be
looking for her soul to see if indeed it has the mark of a warrior’s spirit.
After a moment, she frowned slightly and uncrossing her long legs moved toward
the window. The Marscape was so barren and sterile.
The harsh winds blew dust like wraiths of soldiers over the bloodstained
desert. Freya could almost hear the whisper of the future and for some strange
reason it chilled her spine.
Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ
Favon
was late. Borelia, Auster and Zephyr waited in the darkness of Borelia’s
apartment. Today they would be coroneted and today Mirgara will finally fall.
With a twist of the brass knob, the slender brunette
entered the room. “You’re late again, Favon!” Borelia hissed through her teeth.
Zephyr’s eyes met the triangular tattoo over Favon’s left eye. Did he ever abhor
her.
“Let’s just get on with this,”
Zephyr grumbled brushing a hair from his face.
Borelia
rolled back the throw rug on her floor to reveal a large pentagram burned in
the hardwood. Favon placed a candle of
black wax at each point. The hiss of the igniting wicks broke the hard silence
in the room. Borelia then knelt in the center of the pentagram and began to
chant. A burst of purple flame flashed in the air and an apparition of Hecate
appeared before the quartet.
“Greetings my Sable Angels,” The
witch spoke, her voice echoing across the walls.
“Today you will be given the Solar
Gems. These items will give you all the strength you need to destroy the twins
and their mother Celine. Delicious how the birth of Celine’s elite heroes will
spell her demise,” Hecate licked her lips as she spoke. The thought of her
sister’s death brought her pure ecstasy.
“Then the diarchy will topple and
we will prove that the right to rule is more than just blood. Courage, honor
and justice mean more than genes,” Auster declared.
(PICTURE
02)
Hecate
smiled sweetly. Celine and her legacy will soon die and Hecate will have her
revenge. Satisfied, the witch dissolved into the shaky candle light and the Sable
Angels were alone once more. Favon hardly noticed; she kept looking at Auster’s
handsome features. She loved his gallantry and his gentle good heart. If anyone
knew what was best for Mirgara, she felt it was Auster. Favon loved him, but
only she knew how she felt. She was always too afraid to tell him. Favon closed
her eyes and tried to imagine the new Mirgara. A place she and Auster created;
a place that they could dance, kiss, and be happy.
Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ
The
royal flourish sounded in the festival scented air. All of Mirgara gathered in
the majestic gilded ballroom of Mirgara palace. Now was the hour of the
Coronation of the Valkyries. Fresh
flowers and gold ribbon decorated the marble columns of the titanic room. The
center fountain flowed with the clearest water and the gold trimmed windows
reflected the soft candle light of the chandeliers. Freya and Brenda entered the room in their
royal battle armor. The other Valkyrie candidates followed them to the
platform. Brenda smiled as she looked at
the families of Mirgara watching her walk to the platform. Both Freya and
Brenda knew most families personally either as their servants or as friends.
Mirgara loved their princesses. Like Empress Celine, the twins showed
benevolence and compassion for all and more importantly gentle strength and
nobility. Freya again felt her chills as her eyes met Artemis who was presently
standing on stage with Empress Celine and Emperor Zarian. Something is rotten, Freya thought.
The candidates lined up as if for inspection, the princesses slightly
forward of the other six candidates.
Artemis then addressed the crowd.
“Citizens of Mirgara, I present to you the
young men and women that will become the finest champions of Mirgara, the
Valkyries. They have trained their
bodies to the pinnacle of fitness, their minds with wisdom and their hearts
with the temper of courage and honor. Today I am proud to call them my students.
May God be with these fearless youths as they serve our country,” She
said. Then taking the first set of
earrings, she faced Freya. The girl stepped upon the platform and knelt before
Artemis.
“Freya, with these, the dusk
earrings do I crown thee Luna, Valkyrie of Night,” Artemis stated with strong
pride in her voice.
She
placed the earrings on the girl. Freya’s body levitated and
became engulfed by a sparkling light.
Twin wings, their purity and white aurora matched only by their chick
down softness, adorned her hair. A tiara
of gold embossed with a vermilion crescent glistened at her ivory brow. A choker of precious metal covered her neck
.Her royal armor became a silk blouse.
The collar flowed to a shimmering brooch, a sable heart chambered by a
white cross. A star of pearl embossed the cross. Gold lace molded the
sides. Her skirt became an emerald skirt
triumphantly ornamented with a rose belt.
Green gauntlets covered her hands.
Next
Brenda stepped upon the platform “Brenda, with these, the sunlight earrings do
I crown thee Helios, Valkyrie of Sunshine,” Artemis said. Again, she placed the earrings on the
kneeling girl. Likewise, Brenda transformed as Freya did except for her skirt
and gauntlets were a rich sanguine and her heart brooch etched with an image of
the sun.
One
by one, the other candidates came forward. A girl with orange hair named
Hildegard received the Virgo earrings becoming Virgo, Valkyrie of the Cascade.
A tall athletic brunette with a long braid became
Libra Valkyrie of the Gale. Favon became Pisces, Valkyrie of Darkness; Borelia
became Scorpio, Valkyrie of Bane; Zephyr became Taurus, Valkyrie of Inferno and
Auster became Sagittarius, Valkyrie of Rock.
The
celebration began and the people of Mirgara danced, drank, and sung to the
joyous occasion. Caryatids of
“Hey Auster… um would you like to… er… dance?” She asked shyly.
“That’s the best idea I’ve heard
all day,” he said taking her quivering hand.
Slowly, he drew her close to him.
Favon’s heart raced with excitement and bliss drugged her veins. The two danced gracefully across the marble
floor. Favon had her dreams within reach. She nestled her head against Auster’s
strong chest. The moment she wanted to
hold onto forever was shattered as marble exploded from the walls. Hecate had
arrived.
Auster
let go of Favon and drew his sword. Favon waking from her dream likewise
summoned her whip. Artemis scrambled to the empress as a sea of frightened
people fled the palace walls. Freya,
Brenda and the other Valkyries followed her lead.
“Majesty, what should we do?” asked
Artemis war plans running through her head.
“How about die!” Zephyr snapped
raising his hammer to strike. Brenda crossed his blow with her sword. Borelia drew her
“So you four wish to join with
Hecate? May that be your gravest mistake,” Zarian shouted drawing his golden sword. More rebels from the crowd drew weapons on
the royal family. The battle of battles was at hand. Zarian led the palace
guard against the rebel forces. Artemis and the Valkyries clashed with the Sable
Angels. Celine faced her sister. The
battle raged for nearly an hour both sides struggling for the upper hand. Then
suddenly Hecate knocked Celine to the floor and released an energy bolt that
leveled the remaining palace guard. Zarian seeing Celine fail rushed to her
side. Borelia’s poison was resisting her powers making her ever weaker. As Zarian ran, one of Hecate’s soldiers sunk
his saber into the king’s back. Celine screamed with pain as she watched the
life drain from his face. Brenda cried. The battle grew grim for the royal
family. They were failing fast. “Fall Back! Head to the war
room! Fall Back!” Celine shouted. Artemis lifted the wounded Celine onto
her shoulders and with the other Valkyries dashed for the war room. Celine used
her powers to bar the onslaught as long as her magic field held.
Freya
thrust open the war room doors and the remaining troops piled into the room.
Brenda and Hildegard barred the doors with a table. The room hummed with scientific equipment including
five cryo-chambers that could be rocketed to a near by world.
“We must escape it is our only
chance!” One of the soldiers pleaded with Empress Celine.
Celine was feverish now, sweat
dappled her head and pain grasped her muscles. She looked at her daughters
posing as soldiers, the mask of war and fear hard on their faces. The soldier
was right.
“Let’s go to the chambers,
Artemis,” She ordered. The girls removed all of their clothing and handed their
earrings to Artemis. Each shivering girl then climbed into a tube. The glass
lids discharged gas as they shut. Celine then heard her barrier shatter. Using
what remained of her physical strength, she shoved Artemis into the last
chamber. Artemis pounded on the glass and shrieked for Celine.
Celine touched the glass and
whispered gently. “Sorry sweet Artemis, but I must protect my kingdom and more
importantly, I must save my babies, the legacy of Mirgard. It has nothing to do with being queen or
Gemini… it is my job as a mother.”
“Farewell Artemis. Take care of my
girls. You know where to find me if you need me,” she said touching her heart
as tears streaked her face.
The
cryo-chambers blasted into the night sky as the war room doors crumbled.
“We finish this here, Hecate!”
Celine called to her sister. Borelia’s unstoppable poison caused her vision to
blur in and out of focus. All Celine could do now was hope she could last long
enough to finish Hecate. Balls of white power surround Celine’s fists as she
rose into the air. “Star Dust Catastrophe!” Celine shouted
as waves of white energy rushed from her hands.
Zephyr and the other Sable Angels flew backward as the pulverizing waves
ripped through them. Hecate dodged the blast and fired her
Malignant Crisis Pulse. The surge of iridescent light whizzed past Celine. She
barely escaped impact as her senses grew weak. Zephyr
vaulted into the air swinging his hammer with all of his might. As the hammer came round, the super heated
plasma of Celine’s Tranquil Creation knocked him clear across the room. Blood spit from Celine’s back as Favon’s whip
made impact. Favon smiled and struck Celine again. Celine let out a yelp of pain.
“Diamond Flare!”
Celine called as swirling orbs of light leapt from her outstretched arms. Mid-lash
with her whip, the orbs brutally struck Favon rendering her unconscious. As Celine turned to face Hecate, attacks from
the other Sable Angels impacted upon her. Hecate swooped out of the air and thrashed
Celine with black lightning. Like an angel that lost her wings, she fell from
the sky. Hitting the marble floor, Celine collapsed. Blood dribbled slowly out
of her mouth. Her body quivered from exhausting. Mortal wounds and the deadly
poison had gotten the best of her. Blinking in and out of consciousness she
rose to her knees: Celine had fought Hecate and her minions until she could not
anymore.
“I want to hear you beg for your
life,” Hecate hissed looming over her exhausted sister.
“You will never win, Hecate,”
Celine groaned wiping blood from her face.
Struggling
to her feet for the last time, Celine activated the sealing machine she had
created. The machine sought the dark energy of Hecate and her angels drawing
them toward it like iron to a magnet.
Hecate screamed with rage as machine chained her to itself. In a flash
of blue light, crystal crept over Hecate and her angels. Using the last of her powers, Celine buried
the evil ones deep into the crust of the moon where no one would ever
travel. A solider hobbled over to the
queen. Then with her last breath, Celine ordered, “the four….the four chosen
women to be given the Pearls of Venus… send them to… Earth.” Turning her gaze towards the sky, Celine’s cerulean
eyes shut for the last time: the goddess fell. Without her to power Mirgara’s
environmental shields, soon the great city was little more than a memory.
c
Mirgara may lie in shattered ruins and
Celine may have died;
however, the war has just begun. d
Look for the rest of the Solar Element Saga: The
Legacy of Mirgard to arrive on Here
or in your local Borders, Barnes & Noble or Walden bookstores
2004.