A Hidden Truth

Dim light drifted downward from the fixtures on the walls, sconces shaped like golden goblets, flickering in golden waves as flames danced within their embrace.

Knight and Seraphina loomed over the Ardent table, its width laced with many maps of Gaia.

Several green pins dotted the maps' contents, a blue pin on the map marked the place where Arcadia was, it was a pin to represent King Weslo. Another stuck out from the region of Melaina, marking Prince Paradox. They had decided to keep track of their members as they left the realm, unknownst to their queen.

"Alright. Now that that's done, we should get some rest." Seraphina straightened up from where she had been leaning over the map.

Knight gave her a curt nod. "Good night." He spoke through a yawn. "What's wrong?"

Seraphina cast an anxious glance down at the maps, her lavender gaze hovering over the pins. "Do you think we should keep this from her?"

"I don't know how she would react." Knight answered, his tone soft.

"Perhaps it would ease her suffering a little." Seraphina began to argue.

Knight shook his head, the firey strands a shade darker than their leader's hair, glared against the half light. "If she knew that we knew where those who left were, you know she would go right into Gaia and chased them down until she got them to come back."

Seraphina hefted a heavy sigh. "It stings, but I know you're right."

"One day." Knight placed his hand on one of the maps, his top armor had been removed to reveal dark gray light armor underneath, his muscles full beneath the soft material.

His umber gaze was reverent as he looked at the pins once more. "I miss them too and my home." His eyes swept over the map, resting on Brigadier. "But those who come here are changed. After sending time here and then going back, I think this realm will always feel like home. Even to those who leave. "

He spoke without looking up, his eyes focused on the map. "I think those who leave go back only because of those they leave behind. We are all in this together."

"And we will defeat this threat in the end." She spoke with finality.

"We will." He agreed as he straightened up. "But staying up and not getting any sleep won't help either." His tone was softer.

"See you tomorrow then." Seraphina called, casting a final glance at the map.

As Knight exited the meeting room, the click of the door mechanism echoed the sound of footfalls as they carried their way his ears as a shadowed silhouette dissapeared down the hall.

He focused intently on the darkened corridor. *Where were the lights?*

Seraphina bumped into him as she exited the meeting room, startling him from his observations.

"Sorry- what is it?" She asked, noticing the tension in his stance.

"I don't know. Go to the other side of the royal wing and get another knight to go with you. Someone is headed for Ardent's chamber."

With a curt nod, Seraphina dashed away down the hall, pulling put her mini Renfred communicator.

*Whoever you are, you're done for now.* Knight thought as he hurried his way down the opposite end in pursuit of the intruder.

He would follow the suspect down one of the hall and block the east entrance, while the other knights would block the west.

Àskérian's hurried steps echoed down the corridore, the one that he knew would lead him to Ardent's chambers, the dream still fresh in his mind.

As each step brought him closer to Ardentia's leader, the dark presence grew stronger and stronger as it brought with it the physical evidence that always occured. The scar that ravaged the skin across Àskérian's back began to burn. Gritting his teeth, he pushed onward through the pain, it only made his goal more urgent.

Pale quartz guilded in gold blurred past him in the darkness, along with the adornments on the walls that he once would take the time to admire. Then, finally as the burning sensation from the scar became almost unbearable, he reached the end of the hall.

A short flight of stairs separated the hall from the royal wing, on the other side of the castle, it was the same, each set led downard into the lower hall that was the royal wing.

Ignoring the pain in his back, Àskérian pushed himself down the small staircase, he could see the silhouette of someone familiar standing outside of Ardent's bedroom door. Mustering up more strength, he dashed down the length of the royal wing and flung himself at the intruder.

Metal collided with metal, the metalic screech ringing through the air as Àskérian found himself face to face with Sean.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded at the younger knight.

Sean smiled darkly, the image made Àskérian's skin crawl. Sean chuckled menacingly, and Àskérian shifted all of his weight onto Mora, putting more force into his attack, but Sean only shifted his weight as well to counter the force, extending both hands lower on his javalin.

"What are were planning to do to Ardent?" Àskérian hissed, "Were you going to hurt her?" He asked accusingly.

"Oh, I was just going to take her soul." Sean replied as if the very thought wasn't full of treasonous intent.

The sound of Àskérian's roar echoed throughout caslte Celest, shaking the foundations and alerted the other Ardent knights, waking some of them from their sleep.