“And what was that?” Kejuta has inkling what it was, but she wanted a confirmation just to make sure.
He smiled as he reminisced his past. “We were just sitting around making idle talk when Seitha suddenly said that he wanted to make a request. He wanted to personally meet his heir, but I asked him how it was possible? Amused by my ignorance, he said that in the dream world, I can transfer a person in the dream to another location. For my last lesson, Allaura and he are going to teach me how to do that. However, I must pay very close attention because if I messed up, a person may be trapped in Pascifita forever. Just as he said that, your son appeared.
“Seitha gave me a step-by-step instruction on what to do and before I knew it, I have transferred his consciousness to Valendor. The God of the Dead thanked me and left to meet your son. During that time, Allaura informed me that was another task for me. Once I revealed the others’ powers, I was to send them to Valendor so that your son can inform you about them. And with that, she declared that I was completely ready to handle things on my own.
“So that was what I have been doing for the past centuries,” Resphyr concluded as he stretched. “Any questions?”
“A couple,” the Ilmarian of Fate admitted. “First, when did the last two gods disappear from the world?”
“Hmm… it was around the time that the plague hit Marika’s village.”
She nodded. “Okay then, since your magic only works if you’re asleep, does that you mean you’re sleeping right now?”
“That’s correct. The gods told me that they have cast a spell on me so that I won’t be awake the entire time until I wish for it.”
“I see. Another question: in some Ilmarians’ dreams, they didn’t see the god or goddess’s face but in others, they did. Is it because you see them in person and knew what they look like? Also in Hessin’s dream, Versen called him by his name. How did you know who he was? You have been asleep the entire time after all.”
“That’s correct. As for Hessin, I deduced who he was based on other people’s dreams.” He smiled slyly. “You can’t imagine how many ladies dreams about marrying a king and the things they would do to him.”
Kejuta blushed suddenly. “Um… let’s go to the next question. How did you know we call ourselves the Ilmarians? No one else did.”
“Remember what my powers can do? Well, Allaura thought it was a good name for their successor so she asked me to implant that idea in Brenton’s mind. Do you have another question?”
“Yes, I know that the gods gave us powers to fulfill a certain role. Did Allaura and Seitha explain them to you? I’m curious because I want to know what roles do Shintra, you, and I play in this.”
He then looked up and explained, “Yes, they have. Your son and daughter are obviously in charge of guiding and purifying souls so that they’re ready for their rebirth. Aundra, Brenton, and Marika’s task is to make sure the world keeps running. I’m sure that Aundra had mentioned to you earlier, but she is the personification of this world’s magic. Without her, no magic would exist. Brenton is in charge of making sure that the time flow is going accordingly without any mishaps. Marika is supposed to observe the world and alert the others if there is any major crisis going on. If there is, she can use her power to easily teleport you to that place so you can stop it from escalating.
“Lanskas, Oraji, and Zentran are supposed to monitor the natural actions in the world. Alethea, Hessin, and the twins are supposed to judge humans’ actions to ensure that the world is in balance. But we, on the other hands, are different.
“We are manipulators, Shintra, you and I," Resphyr continued. “We influenced people to do the things we wanted them to do by using our powers. You can see the different chains of fate that a person can choose and by decreasing the choices given to him, you force them to pick the chain that you prefer. Likewise, Shintra uses his ability to alter a person’s souls so that they do something that they may not do otherwise. As for me, I give people hints in their dreams so when they wake up, they are willing to follow my suggestions.”
“But why?” the Ilmarian of Fate asked in disbelief. “What are the gods planning with that?”
Resphyr just shrugged. “I don’t know, and the gods didn’t say when I asked. It was as if they wanted to keep it a secret for some reason. Now do you have any more questions?”
“Just one: why won’t you meet us in person?" Kejuta demanded suspiciously. “If you are a manipulator as you so blatantly proclaimed yourself to be, I have a strong reason not to trust you. After all, you only showed yourself now after all these years and putting ideas in our dreams. You might be hiding something from your fellow Ilmarians so that you can use us for your own schemes.”
Resphyr just smiled sadly. “That’s true. However, my intention is similar to yours – I want to make the world a better place for everyone. If you still insist on seeing me though, I’ll show you my location then. After the Neriads found my body, they placed it here.” Waving his hand, the scenery changed from a calm and soothing environment to a murky and damp cave that led out to the ocean. The only light came from the moon since it was night out at the moment. A few patches of moss grew here and there on the black rock floor.
Kejuta memorized the location and thanked him. “I’ll tell the others about you so we can look for you.”
“Aundra and Brenton will probably be the best ones to know since they live in this island.” Sighing dejectedly, he admitted, “To be honest, I have an impression that my role is going to end soon if I leave this world. It’s just that I have a nagging feeling that as soon as I wake up from my long slumber, I’ll be dead.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked curiously but he just shook his head.
“I don’t know, but it was something that Seitha told me before he disappeared. Never mind, I might be overthinking it.” He gave her a big grin to hide his worry. “Anyway, dawn is approaching so you better wake up soon. You don’t want to be late for the meeting, right? If you’re still interested in finding me, you know where you can find me.”
Before she could say a word, he and the world disappeared in a flash of light.
Kejuta arrived at Welvaria in the late morning and found it already busy with activities. Torryn was teaching a traditional Ankan song to Adia while Hessin was showing Lanskas something he found back in Samara. Pendance and Oraji sat closely next to each other and it seemed like they were deep in conversation. The Ilmarian of Fate smiled in spite of herself; she had approved the young woman due to her kind and gentle nature. If they decided to become a couple, she wouldn’t mind at all.
Aundra and Brenton were hiding in the corner as the former was whispering something in the boy’s ears. It seemed like she was trying to reassure him since he appeared troubled over something. Meanwhile, Marika and Alethea were nearby her as the Aerian was describing her people’s medical practice to the Ishan healer. Kejuta smiled to herself, seeing this sight. If everyone could get along with each other so well, they can work together to improve the world and ensure that another Caeculum War never happens.
Another portal appeared which caused everyone to stop talking all of a sudden. Zentran and Weiss walked into the room with a handcuffed Shintra in tow. Most of the Ilmarians stared at him warily since they were aware of his power, but the Duermon looked back at them defiantly until they turned away. However, he gave his most hateful glare at the Ilmarian of Truth, who gave him a level stare in return. Kejuta made a mental note to make sure those two weren’t alone with each other especially after what Zentran has told her.
When he came to deliver her message to Alethea, he was surprised to find the usually calm angel furious. Before he could ask her what’s wrong, she immediately informed him that Shintra was the reason her people was dead and that she wanted retribution. He had to calm her down before she explained fully what happened. Upon hearing what happened, he admitted that he lost control and nearly beat up the Duermon until Alethea had to stop him. However, what bothered her was that Shintra has promised to get revenge on the Aerian after his humiliating defeat. Based on what she had heard about him so far, she knew that she needed to keep a close eye on him.
After he was seated, Marika turned to her and asked, “Are you ready to begin then?” She nodded so the Ilmarian of Worlds announced, “Everyone, please have a seat. The meeting will begin now.”
“Before we can begin, I have something important to tell you.” Kejuta took a deep breath and continued, “There is another Ilmarian out there and we need to look for him.” After waking up, she spent a couple of hours in her room, debating whether or not she should reveal his identity to the others. Based on what he said, he seemed reluctant about being found but at the same time, he appeared to be resigned to the fact that it was necessary. She was so indecisive on what to do until now.
Everyone reacted in disbelief as soon as they heard that revelation. “Another one?” Pendance asked, astonished. “But you saw thirteen flames in your dream. How is that possible?”
“How did you know that there is another one anyway?” Hessin wondered. The others shouted similar questions that she could barely have time to respond until Marika banged her staff on the floor.
“Silence!” she shouted. “Everyone, please quiet down so she can answer.”
“Thank you, Marika,” she said graciously. “I know all of you are confused so I’ll try my best to explain…” She described her meeting with Resphyr and his powers. However, she decided not to reveal the information about what he said about the manipulator roles he, she and Shintra played. If the Duermon learned about it, he might use the information for his own purposes. She concluded with the description of his location.
Everyone became silent as they absorbed what they’ve heard. Finally Aundra spoke up, “That is most likely the Neriads’ cove, which is located on the west side of the island. Those sly mermaids! I’m going to let them have it for not telling me.”
“So based on what I’m hearing, the last Ilmarian was right under your very nose and you didn’t know it,” Shintra sneered. “I thought you would have known more about your home, Lady Aundra.”
“Shut up, you!” Zentran warned and zapped him. However the Ilmarian of Magic didn’t seem offended at all.
“The Neriads are notorious for being secretive and clever,” she said as she leaned forward and smiled sweetly at him. However, her eyes had a dangerous glint to them. “Most likely even if I did know about this Resphyr, they would refuse to tell me anything about him. But never mind that; what is your next move, Kej?”
“I want you and Marika to go to his location first,” she decided. Aundra was necessary since she could cast the Gods’ Blessing on him before Shintra could use his magic on him while the latter could check on his physical heath.
The two nodded, knowing what she was thinking. “He would most likely be weak since he has been in that coma for several centuries,” Marika surmised. “We probably can’t move him here until he’s much stronger. Should we delay our meeting to another time? Of course, that would mean your children can’t attend.”
Kejuta shook her head. “No, we’ll join you a few minutes later. We’ll just have our meeting there.”
Everyone walked gingerly as they tried their best not to slip on the slippery rocks. They had arrived at the scene once they received Aundra’s message, which stated that she had released the sleeping spell on him and that she has blessed him with the protection spell. Likewise, Marika had determined that he was healthy though still weak.
Pendance led the way while Adia, Brenton, Oraji, and she followed him. Hessin led the second group, which included Lanskas, Shintra, Zentran, and Alethea; Hessin and Lanskas walked in front of the Duermon while the other two guarded him from behind. Lastly, the twins took the rear.
“Watch your steps, mom. The rocks are slippery over here,” Pendance warned as he offered his hand to help her step down to the rocky floor below.
“Thank you,” she said. “By the way, how are the wisps doing?”
He sighed. “They’re fine, but knowing them, they’re probably drunk right now.” She nodded, remembering the first time they experienced the Yuzema Festival. Pendance had a bewildered expression on his face when he came to visit her. Apparently, the wisps had a secret stash of alcohol, which was made from Seitha’s secret recipe, hidden somewhere in Valendor and they drank only on their day-off. Kejuta was surprised to find that out since the wisps didn’t have any corpulent bodies at all. How on earth could they drink? Apparently, they offered a sip to her son though they warned him that it had a kick to it, but he declined since he was still stupefied by the fact.
“I don’t blame them,” Adia commented as her brother helped her down. “This is the only day where they can relax so they’re probably letting out some steam.”
What her daughter was saying was true, she had to admit. Looking back, she noticed that the others except Shintra were talking quietly to each other. The Duermon seemed to be deep in thoughts especially after Aundra’s letter appeared. The Ilmarian’s of Magic way of communicating was very nifty. The message came in shape as a songbird and as soon as it landed on a flat surface, it would transform into the letter, which lay on top of the plane. Perhaps he was impressed by her method, but that couldn’t be it.
“I can see them,” Pendance suddenly announced. Sure enough, she saw three distinct people in the distance. Marika was kneeling down as she was checking a man with grayish-brown hair, whom she assumed to be Resphyr. On the other hand, Aundra was standing a few steps away, but her back was toward them. She was staring down at the ground though Kejuta had no idea why until she came closer. There was a tunnel going deep into the earth. Perhaps it led to the center of the world or to the abyss itself. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell where it went since the tunnel was so dark and the walls were so smooth that there was no way anyone could climb up or down. Not to mention the fact that her main focus should be elsewhere.
She turned her attention to Resphyr, who looked just the same as he was in her dreams. “Hello, Resphyr,” she greeted him warmly. “Did you enjoy your long rest?”
He chuckled. “I suppose so though I’m very eager to move my legs around. After all, it has been several years now since I move about.” Before Marika could stop him, he stood up and stretched though he was somewhat wobbly.
“Easy now,” the Ilmarian of World admonished him. “You have been lying on the ground for a while so don’t overstrain yourself.”
“I’ll be careful. Besides, I like to introduce myself to the others.” The Ilmarian of Dreams looked at the others and nodded. “Hello, my name is Resphyr and it’s nice to meet you all.”
Everyone, in turn, said their names and he returned their warm welcomes. He was also friendly to Shintra though he looked at the Duermon for the longest time as if he was uncertain about him. After everyone finished, Kejuta announced, “Well then, since everyone is here, let’s begin our meeting.”
After everyone found a comfortable spot, Kejuta started the meeting. “To begin our meeting, I think it would be a good idea if Brenton comes up and gives a brief summary of how we awakened to our powers and reunited as a group.”
Brenton nodded solemnly and strolled up to the center of the room. As he walked, he slowly aged until he was in his sixties; he always did that whenever he has to deliver an important speech. He cleared his throat and was about to open his mouth to speak when Aundra interrupted him. “Remember, dear, the key word is ‘brief’,” she reminded him. He blushed with embarrassment and turned to Kejuta questionably.
“Oh, where should I start? Should I go in order of awakening or in order of joining the group?”
“Start in order of joining the group,” she decided.
“All right then.” He opened his book to a page and began, “On Farth 4, 1647, Kejuta was sacrificed as an offering to Merzak to replenish the land. That was when she discovered her role to locate other Ilmarians and later learned that she can control people’s fate. Nine years later, her daughter, Adia, was used as a sacrifice and was discovered to be immortal as well.” Tears built up in Kejuta’s eyes as she remembered that terrible night, but she composed herself. “Pendance was killed on Farth 24, 1679 and awakened to his powers. Her children had inherited the roles of controlling life and death. Three years later, they escaped from slavery and searched for Aundra.
“After arriving in Kreesia, they met Aundra and me in which we explained more about what happened to the original gods and our new roles. Aundra’s role was to be the personification of magic while mine was to control the flow of time. We encountered Marika thirty-seven years later, and she offered her service in our search by transporting us to different places around the world. Fifty years later, we encountered the priest-in-training, Lanskas, who was Merzak’s successor. Then on Seera 23, 1784, Oraji and Zentran joined our group. I still remembered how stubborn Zen was when we first met him.” Those who were there chuckled; even the Ilmarian of Seasons smiled and shook his head as he recalled what happened. “Anyway, we found out that Oraji inherited Puria’s powers while Zentran could control the weather.
“Sixty years later, we discovered our next Ilmarian, Hessin. Based on what he told us, we were able to infer that he and the next two Ilmarians’ powers were based on the ancient children story, ‘The Three Judges’. Thus, we were able to deduce that we should search for an Aerian and a child next. Our theory turned out to be correct – Alethea and the twins, Torryn, and Weiss, became the latest members. As ones who will pass judgment on the people of Samara, they were given varied powers of light and darkness. While Hessin has full control of light, the twins can only use darkness. On the other hand, Alethea has the ability to use both though it is not as powerful like her peers’.
“After 486 years of searching, we finally were about to track the Duermon Ilmarian, Shintra, whose ability is to change a person’s soul. Then, today we got our final recruit, Resphyr, who died 623 years ago but hadn’t revealed himself until now. He can use his ability to enter dreams and make changes in them so he could leave suggestions. That is how everyone awakened to their powers and we came together to fulfill our roles as the gods’ successors.”
“Thank you, Brenton,” Kejuta said. The Ilmarian of Time nodded and headed back to his seat as he slowly became younger again until he reached the age of twelve. She gazed around the room and noticed that everyone was looking at her patiently as they waited for her to speak. Even though she had practiced her speech in her head several times, she could still feel the butterflies in her stomach. “Now that everyone is here, we can now begin the next step and determine how we can lead Samara to become a better place.”
“And how will you do that?” The Ilmarian of Fate was surprised to discover that it was Shintra who asked that question. He gave her a look as if he was challenging her authority. Grinding her teeth, she chose to ignore it.
Instead she answered his question, “We will introduce ourselves to the citizens of Samara and offer our service to them. Already some of us had made our presence known and provided help to the people.”
“Isn’t that reckless?” he asked dryly. “Why on earth should we do that? We’ll be targeted because of our gifts. Wouldn’t it be better if we rule in the shadows?”
“Our predecessors tried that and it backfired against them. The people thought that they didn’t care for them and view them as playthings,” she replied. She mustered enough patience as she could possibly hold, but right now she was tempted to use her powers on him.
“But if someone try to control us and manipulate us to do his or her bidding? You know that someone will try to exploit us.”
Just like yourself? she thought dryly. “We don’t have to worry about that scenario.”
“Oh? So you do have some sort of protection spell then? If so, why won’t you place it on me then?” Shintra challenged. Dammit! She accidentally hinted about the Gods’ Blessing. Kejuta grinded her teeth and she noticed that the others seemed to look uncomfortable as they shifted uneasily in their seats. “Not answering my question, huh? Well then, I have some more. Why should we help them? What is in it for us?”
Before she could answer, Zentran stood up and defended her. “Shut your trap, Duermon! You don’t have the right to question her especially after all of the troubles that you did while running around freely.”
The Duermon turned his attention to the young Sendoan. “So you’re agreeing with her then? Does that mean you are willing to save a group of people similar to the people in your village? Don’t act surprised. I knew what they did to you. Calling you a monster, treating you like dirt, making you live in that horrible pit…”
A lightning bolt hit close to Shintra’s feet. “They deserved what happened to them!” Zen snarled.
“Then you aren’t in complete agreement with Kejuta’s plan, I assume?” He chortled at the young man’s expression when the Ilmarian of Seasons realized that the Duermon had struck a nerve. Grimacing, he sat down immediately and didn’t say any more.
“You kept criticizing Kejuta’s plans, but you haven’t brought up any solutions,” Hessin commented. “What would you do differently, Duermon?”
“Why bothering telling the lot of you? You already have decided to oppose me because of my race. Not once you refuse to call me by my name. If I were an Aerian or a human, you would be more willing to listen to me and acknowledge me.” Shintra smiled as everyone glanced at each other uneasily. “See? I proved my point, but since I’m in a good mood, I’ll tell you. Since you’re so insistent on making yourselves public, I propose that we make our intentions loud and clear to the people – obey our wishes and we will be keen to helping them. Oppose us and we will annihilate them from the face of the earth.”
“Just like you did to my people?” Alethea retorted.
He waved his hands unapologetically. “It’s true that I caused your people’s death, but I shouldn’t have the full blame.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“While I was the one who ‘convinced’ Fulong to kill the Aerians, have you ever thought of who was the one brought him to me?” He gazed at Kejuta and she immediately realized what he was trying to do. “Her power is to control people’s fates, correct? What if she used that to force the general to move his forces near the border where I could meet him? That way it would make things easier for her when she searched for you.” He then focused his attention to Resphyr. “The same goes to him. What if he entered the general’s dream world and placed a suggestion of trying out his new weapon? Maybe before placing the blame all on me, you should consider other possibilities. Am I right?”
The Aerian opened her mouth to counter his point but closed it uncertainly. Instead, she crossed her arms and muttered to herself as if arguing with herself. In fact, everyone else seemed to be troubled as well as they whispered to each other. Kejuta began to panic. After all of her efforts, was her attempt of bringing everyone together falling apart? That bastard Duermon had placed doubts in everyone including herself and there was nothing she could do about it.
While she tried to figure out how to salvage this meeting, Lanskas asked abruptly, “Wait – do you hear something?”
He smiled as he reminisced his past. “We were just sitting around making idle talk when Seitha suddenly said that he wanted to make a request. He wanted to personally meet his heir, but I asked him how it was possible? Amused by my ignorance, he said that in the dream world, I can transfer a person in the dream to another location. For my last lesson, Allaura and he are going to teach me how to do that. However, I must pay very close attention because if I messed up, a person may be trapped in Pascifita forever. Just as he said that, your son appeared.
“Seitha gave me a step-by-step instruction on what to do and before I knew it, I have transferred his consciousness to Valendor. The God of the Dead thanked me and left to meet your son. During that time, Allaura informed me that was another task for me. Once I revealed the others’ powers, I was to send them to Valendor so that your son can inform you about them. And with that, she declared that I was completely ready to handle things on my own.
“So that was what I have been doing for the past centuries,” Resphyr concluded as he stretched. “Any questions?”
“A couple,” the Ilmarian of Fate admitted. “First, when did the last two gods disappear from the world?”
“Hmm… it was around the time that the plague hit Marika’s village.”
She nodded. “Okay then, since your magic only works if you’re asleep, does that you mean you’re sleeping right now?”
“That’s correct. The gods told me that they have cast a spell on me so that I won’t be awake the entire time until I wish for it.”
“I see. Another question: in some Ilmarians’ dreams, they didn’t see the god or goddess’s face but in others, they did. Is it because you see them in person and knew what they look like? Also in Hessin’s dream, Versen called him by his name. How did you know who he was? You have been asleep the entire time after all.”
“That’s correct. As for Hessin, I deduced who he was based on other people’s dreams.” He smiled slyly. “You can’t imagine how many ladies dreams about marrying a king and the things they would do to him.”
Kejuta blushed suddenly. “Um… let’s go to the next question. How did you know we call ourselves the Ilmarians? No one else did.”
“Remember what my powers can do? Well, Allaura thought it was a good name for their successor so she asked me to implant that idea in Brenton’s mind. Do you have another question?”
“Yes, I know that the gods gave us powers to fulfill a certain role. Did Allaura and Seitha explain them to you? I’m curious because I want to know what roles do Shintra, you, and I play in this.”
He then looked up and explained, “Yes, they have. Your son and daughter are obviously in charge of guiding and purifying souls so that they’re ready for their rebirth. Aundra, Brenton, and Marika’s task is to make sure the world keeps running. I’m sure that Aundra had mentioned to you earlier, but she is the personification of this world’s magic. Without her, no magic would exist. Brenton is in charge of making sure that the time flow is going accordingly without any mishaps. Marika is supposed to observe the world and alert the others if there is any major crisis going on. If there is, she can use her power to easily teleport you to that place so you can stop it from escalating.
“Lanskas, Oraji, and Zentran are supposed to monitor the natural actions in the world. Alethea, Hessin, and the twins are supposed to judge humans’ actions to ensure that the world is in balance. But we, on the other hands, are different.
“We are manipulators, Shintra, you and I," Resphyr continued. “We influenced people to do the things we wanted them to do by using our powers. You can see the different chains of fate that a person can choose and by decreasing the choices given to him, you force them to pick the chain that you prefer. Likewise, Shintra uses his ability to alter a person’s souls so that they do something that they may not do otherwise. As for me, I give people hints in their dreams so when they wake up, they are willing to follow my suggestions.”
“But why?” the Ilmarian of Fate asked in disbelief. “What are the gods planning with that?”
Resphyr just shrugged. “I don’t know, and the gods didn’t say when I asked. It was as if they wanted to keep it a secret for some reason. Now do you have any more questions?”
“Just one: why won’t you meet us in person?" Kejuta demanded suspiciously. “If you are a manipulator as you so blatantly proclaimed yourself to be, I have a strong reason not to trust you. After all, you only showed yourself now after all these years and putting ideas in our dreams. You might be hiding something from your fellow Ilmarians so that you can use us for your own schemes.”
Resphyr just smiled sadly. “That’s true. However, my intention is similar to yours – I want to make the world a better place for everyone. If you still insist on seeing me though, I’ll show you my location then. After the Neriads found my body, they placed it here.” Waving his hand, the scenery changed from a calm and soothing environment to a murky and damp cave that led out to the ocean. The only light came from the moon since it was night out at the moment. A few patches of moss grew here and there on the black rock floor.
Kejuta memorized the location and thanked him. “I’ll tell the others about you so we can look for you.”
“Aundra and Brenton will probably be the best ones to know since they live in this island.” Sighing dejectedly, he admitted, “To be honest, I have an impression that my role is going to end soon if I leave this world. It’s just that I have a nagging feeling that as soon as I wake up from my long slumber, I’ll be dead.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked curiously but he just shook his head.
“I don’t know, but it was something that Seitha told me before he disappeared. Never mind, I might be overthinking it.” He gave her a big grin to hide his worry. “Anyway, dawn is approaching so you better wake up soon. You don’t want to be late for the meeting, right? If you’re still interested in finding me, you know where you can find me.”
Before she could say a word, he and the world disappeared in a flash of light.
Kejuta arrived at Welvaria in the late morning and found it already busy with activities. Torryn was teaching a traditional Ankan song to Adia while Hessin was showing Lanskas something he found back in Samara. Pendance and Oraji sat closely next to each other and it seemed like they were deep in conversation. The Ilmarian of Fate smiled in spite of herself; she had approved the young woman due to her kind and gentle nature. If they decided to become a couple, she wouldn’t mind at all.
Aundra and Brenton were hiding in the corner as the former was whispering something in the boy’s ears. It seemed like she was trying to reassure him since he appeared troubled over something. Meanwhile, Marika and Alethea were nearby her as the Aerian was describing her people’s medical practice to the Ishan healer. Kejuta smiled to herself, seeing this sight. If everyone could get along with each other so well, they can work together to improve the world and ensure that another Caeculum War never happens.
Another portal appeared which caused everyone to stop talking all of a sudden. Zentran and Weiss walked into the room with a handcuffed Shintra in tow. Most of the Ilmarians stared at him warily since they were aware of his power, but the Duermon looked back at them defiantly until they turned away. However, he gave his most hateful glare at the Ilmarian of Truth, who gave him a level stare in return. Kejuta made a mental note to make sure those two weren’t alone with each other especially after what Zentran has told her.
When he came to deliver her message to Alethea, he was surprised to find the usually calm angel furious. Before he could ask her what’s wrong, she immediately informed him that Shintra was the reason her people was dead and that she wanted retribution. He had to calm her down before she explained fully what happened. Upon hearing what happened, he admitted that he lost control and nearly beat up the Duermon until Alethea had to stop him. However, what bothered her was that Shintra has promised to get revenge on the Aerian after his humiliating defeat. Based on what she had heard about him so far, she knew that she needed to keep a close eye on him.
After he was seated, Marika turned to her and asked, “Are you ready to begin then?” She nodded so the Ilmarian of Worlds announced, “Everyone, please have a seat. The meeting will begin now.”
“Before we can begin, I have something important to tell you.” Kejuta took a deep breath and continued, “There is another Ilmarian out there and we need to look for him.” After waking up, she spent a couple of hours in her room, debating whether or not she should reveal his identity to the others. Based on what he said, he seemed reluctant about being found but at the same time, he appeared to be resigned to the fact that it was necessary. She was so indecisive on what to do until now.
Everyone reacted in disbelief as soon as they heard that revelation. “Another one?” Pendance asked, astonished. “But you saw thirteen flames in your dream. How is that possible?”
“How did you know that there is another one anyway?” Hessin wondered. The others shouted similar questions that she could barely have time to respond until Marika banged her staff on the floor.
“Silence!” she shouted. “Everyone, please quiet down so she can answer.”
“Thank you, Marika,” she said graciously. “I know all of you are confused so I’ll try my best to explain…” She described her meeting with Resphyr and his powers. However, she decided not to reveal the information about what he said about the manipulator roles he, she and Shintra played. If the Duermon learned about it, he might use the information for his own purposes. She concluded with the description of his location.
Everyone became silent as they absorbed what they’ve heard. Finally Aundra spoke up, “That is most likely the Neriads’ cove, which is located on the west side of the island. Those sly mermaids! I’m going to let them have it for not telling me.”
“So based on what I’m hearing, the last Ilmarian was right under your very nose and you didn’t know it,” Shintra sneered. “I thought you would have known more about your home, Lady Aundra.”
“Shut up, you!” Zentran warned and zapped him. However the Ilmarian of Magic didn’t seem offended at all.
“The Neriads are notorious for being secretive and clever,” she said as she leaned forward and smiled sweetly at him. However, her eyes had a dangerous glint to them. “Most likely even if I did know about this Resphyr, they would refuse to tell me anything about him. But never mind that; what is your next move, Kej?”
“I want you and Marika to go to his location first,” she decided. Aundra was necessary since she could cast the Gods’ Blessing on him before Shintra could use his magic on him while the latter could check on his physical heath.
The two nodded, knowing what she was thinking. “He would most likely be weak since he has been in that coma for several centuries,” Marika surmised. “We probably can’t move him here until he’s much stronger. Should we delay our meeting to another time? Of course, that would mean your children can’t attend.”
Kejuta shook her head. “No, we’ll join you a few minutes later. We’ll just have our meeting there.”
Everyone walked gingerly as they tried their best not to slip on the slippery rocks. They had arrived at the scene once they received Aundra’s message, which stated that she had released the sleeping spell on him and that she has blessed him with the protection spell. Likewise, Marika had determined that he was healthy though still weak.
Pendance led the way while Adia, Brenton, Oraji, and she followed him. Hessin led the second group, which included Lanskas, Shintra, Zentran, and Alethea; Hessin and Lanskas walked in front of the Duermon while the other two guarded him from behind. Lastly, the twins took the rear.
“Watch your steps, mom. The rocks are slippery over here,” Pendance warned as he offered his hand to help her step down to the rocky floor below.
“Thank you,” she said. “By the way, how are the wisps doing?”
He sighed. “They’re fine, but knowing them, they’re probably drunk right now.” She nodded, remembering the first time they experienced the Yuzema Festival. Pendance had a bewildered expression on his face when he came to visit her. Apparently, the wisps had a secret stash of alcohol, which was made from Seitha’s secret recipe, hidden somewhere in Valendor and they drank only on their day-off. Kejuta was surprised to find that out since the wisps didn’t have any corpulent bodies at all. How on earth could they drink? Apparently, they offered a sip to her son though they warned him that it had a kick to it, but he declined since he was still stupefied by the fact.
“I don’t blame them,” Adia commented as her brother helped her down. “This is the only day where they can relax so they’re probably letting out some steam.”
What her daughter was saying was true, she had to admit. Looking back, she noticed that the others except Shintra were talking quietly to each other. The Duermon seemed to be deep in thoughts especially after Aundra’s letter appeared. The Ilmarian’s of Magic way of communicating was very nifty. The message came in shape as a songbird and as soon as it landed on a flat surface, it would transform into the letter, which lay on top of the plane. Perhaps he was impressed by her method, but that couldn’t be it.
“I can see them,” Pendance suddenly announced. Sure enough, she saw three distinct people in the distance. Marika was kneeling down as she was checking a man with grayish-brown hair, whom she assumed to be Resphyr. On the other hand, Aundra was standing a few steps away, but her back was toward them. She was staring down at the ground though Kejuta had no idea why until she came closer. There was a tunnel going deep into the earth. Perhaps it led to the center of the world or to the abyss itself. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell where it went since the tunnel was so dark and the walls were so smooth that there was no way anyone could climb up or down. Not to mention the fact that her main focus should be elsewhere.
She turned her attention to Resphyr, who looked just the same as he was in her dreams. “Hello, Resphyr,” she greeted him warmly. “Did you enjoy your long rest?”
He chuckled. “I suppose so though I’m very eager to move my legs around. After all, it has been several years now since I move about.” Before Marika could stop him, he stood up and stretched though he was somewhat wobbly.
“Easy now,” the Ilmarian of World admonished him. “You have been lying on the ground for a while so don’t overstrain yourself.”
“I’ll be careful. Besides, I like to introduce myself to the others.” The Ilmarian of Dreams looked at the others and nodded. “Hello, my name is Resphyr and it’s nice to meet you all.”
Everyone, in turn, said their names and he returned their warm welcomes. He was also friendly to Shintra though he looked at the Duermon for the longest time as if he was uncertain about him. After everyone finished, Kejuta announced, “Well then, since everyone is here, let’s begin our meeting.”
After everyone found a comfortable spot, Kejuta started the meeting. “To begin our meeting, I think it would be a good idea if Brenton comes up and gives a brief summary of how we awakened to our powers and reunited as a group.”
Brenton nodded solemnly and strolled up to the center of the room. As he walked, he slowly aged until he was in his sixties; he always did that whenever he has to deliver an important speech. He cleared his throat and was about to open his mouth to speak when Aundra interrupted him. “Remember, dear, the key word is ‘brief’,” she reminded him. He blushed with embarrassment and turned to Kejuta questionably.
“Oh, where should I start? Should I go in order of awakening or in order of joining the group?”
“Start in order of joining the group,” she decided.
“All right then.” He opened his book to a page and began, “On Farth 4, 1647, Kejuta was sacrificed as an offering to Merzak to replenish the land. That was when she discovered her role to locate other Ilmarians and later learned that she can control people’s fate. Nine years later, her daughter, Adia, was used as a sacrifice and was discovered to be immortal as well.” Tears built up in Kejuta’s eyes as she remembered that terrible night, but she composed herself. “Pendance was killed on Farth 24, 1679 and awakened to his powers. Her children had inherited the roles of controlling life and death. Three years later, they escaped from slavery and searched for Aundra.
“After arriving in Kreesia, they met Aundra and me in which we explained more about what happened to the original gods and our new roles. Aundra’s role was to be the personification of magic while mine was to control the flow of time. We encountered Marika thirty-seven years later, and she offered her service in our search by transporting us to different places around the world. Fifty years later, we encountered the priest-in-training, Lanskas, who was Merzak’s successor. Then on Seera 23, 1784, Oraji and Zentran joined our group. I still remembered how stubborn Zen was when we first met him.” Those who were there chuckled; even the Ilmarian of Seasons smiled and shook his head as he recalled what happened. “Anyway, we found out that Oraji inherited Puria’s powers while Zentran could control the weather.
“Sixty years later, we discovered our next Ilmarian, Hessin. Based on what he told us, we were able to infer that he and the next two Ilmarians’ powers were based on the ancient children story, ‘The Three Judges’. Thus, we were able to deduce that we should search for an Aerian and a child next. Our theory turned out to be correct – Alethea and the twins, Torryn, and Weiss, became the latest members. As ones who will pass judgment on the people of Samara, they were given varied powers of light and darkness. While Hessin has full control of light, the twins can only use darkness. On the other hand, Alethea has the ability to use both though it is not as powerful like her peers’.
“After 486 years of searching, we finally were about to track the Duermon Ilmarian, Shintra, whose ability is to change a person’s soul. Then, today we got our final recruit, Resphyr, who died 623 years ago but hadn’t revealed himself until now. He can use his ability to enter dreams and make changes in them so he could leave suggestions. That is how everyone awakened to their powers and we came together to fulfill our roles as the gods’ successors.”
“Thank you, Brenton,” Kejuta said. The Ilmarian of Time nodded and headed back to his seat as he slowly became younger again until he reached the age of twelve. She gazed around the room and noticed that everyone was looking at her patiently as they waited for her to speak. Even though she had practiced her speech in her head several times, she could still feel the butterflies in her stomach. “Now that everyone is here, we can now begin the next step and determine how we can lead Samara to become a better place.”
“And how will you do that?” The Ilmarian of Fate was surprised to discover that it was Shintra who asked that question. He gave her a look as if he was challenging her authority. Grinding her teeth, she chose to ignore it.
Instead she answered his question, “We will introduce ourselves to the citizens of Samara and offer our service to them. Already some of us had made our presence known and provided help to the people.”
“Isn’t that reckless?” he asked dryly. “Why on earth should we do that? We’ll be targeted because of our gifts. Wouldn’t it be better if we rule in the shadows?”
“Our predecessors tried that and it backfired against them. The people thought that they didn’t care for them and view them as playthings,” she replied. She mustered enough patience as she could possibly hold, but right now she was tempted to use her powers on him.
“But if someone try to control us and manipulate us to do his or her bidding? You know that someone will try to exploit us.”
Just like yourself? she thought dryly. “We don’t have to worry about that scenario.”
“Oh? So you do have some sort of protection spell then? If so, why won’t you place it on me then?” Shintra challenged. Dammit! She accidentally hinted about the Gods’ Blessing. Kejuta grinded her teeth and she noticed that the others seemed to look uncomfortable as they shifted uneasily in their seats. “Not answering my question, huh? Well then, I have some more. Why should we help them? What is in it for us?”
Before she could answer, Zentran stood up and defended her. “Shut your trap, Duermon! You don’t have the right to question her especially after all of the troubles that you did while running around freely.”
The Duermon turned his attention to the young Sendoan. “So you’re agreeing with her then? Does that mean you are willing to save a group of people similar to the people in your village? Don’t act surprised. I knew what they did to you. Calling you a monster, treating you like dirt, making you live in that horrible pit…”
A lightning bolt hit close to Shintra’s feet. “They deserved what happened to them!” Zen snarled.
“Then you aren’t in complete agreement with Kejuta’s plan, I assume?” He chortled at the young man’s expression when the Ilmarian of Seasons realized that the Duermon had struck a nerve. Grimacing, he sat down immediately and didn’t say any more.
“You kept criticizing Kejuta’s plans, but you haven’t brought up any solutions,” Hessin commented. “What would you do differently, Duermon?”
“Why bothering telling the lot of you? You already have decided to oppose me because of my race. Not once you refuse to call me by my name. If I were an Aerian or a human, you would be more willing to listen to me and acknowledge me.” Shintra smiled as everyone glanced at each other uneasily. “See? I proved my point, but since I’m in a good mood, I’ll tell you. Since you’re so insistent on making yourselves public, I propose that we make our intentions loud and clear to the people – obey our wishes and we will be keen to helping them. Oppose us and we will annihilate them from the face of the earth.”
“Just like you did to my people?” Alethea retorted.
He waved his hands unapologetically. “It’s true that I caused your people’s death, but I shouldn’t have the full blame.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“While I was the one who ‘convinced’ Fulong to kill the Aerians, have you ever thought of who was the one brought him to me?” He gazed at Kejuta and she immediately realized what he was trying to do. “Her power is to control people’s fates, correct? What if she used that to force the general to move his forces near the border where I could meet him? That way it would make things easier for her when she searched for you.” He then focused his attention to Resphyr. “The same goes to him. What if he entered the general’s dream world and placed a suggestion of trying out his new weapon? Maybe before placing the blame all on me, you should consider other possibilities. Am I right?”
The Aerian opened her mouth to counter his point but closed it uncertainly. Instead, she crossed her arms and muttered to herself as if arguing with herself. In fact, everyone else seemed to be troubled as well as they whispered to each other. Kejuta began to panic. After all of her efforts, was her attempt of bringing everyone together falling apart? That bastard Duermon had placed doubts in everyone including herself and there was nothing she could do about it.
While she tried to figure out how to salvage this meeting, Lanskas asked abruptly, “Wait – do you hear something?”