Lunae couldn’t help but look around at this desolate planet that used to be her home world. What was left of the buildings she could tell used to be tall. Vegetation came back and was swallowing the remaining buildings. It was Fulch’s idea to go to the library, and Narutay and Hashmire both liked that idea. On the way to the library, Hashmire was talking to Fulch all about his power and how he could help him harness it; he just needed to crown him king first. Narutay had been especially quiet, and Lunae was thinking she needed to get to the bottom of things.
“Narutay, tell me, why so quiet?” Lunae asked. Narutay smiled at her and gave her a little bow.
“Truthfully, Master, I am just more ashamed than anything. I thought our people would have a place in history since Shardoe showed up. I thought we were going to change things…I’m sorry, I know I have been blinded, but I still hold hope for the promises Shardoe made,” Narutay said. Lunae felt bad for him; he of all people had been duped the longest, and she wasn’t sure how she could console him.
“What promises did he make?” Lunae said. Narutay looked up at her and smiled.
“He promised us a land that could be on the same playing field as the Master of waters. That we would be in a position to have councils with the Masters, and maybe one day one of us could have the honor of becoming a Master. Our planet was the last to be inaugurated into the sacred initiative, and as you know, we didn’t have magic to deal with, and we fell behind,” Narutay said. Lunae wondered what the power play actually looked like back then with magic, nothing she knew anything about.
“You have fantastic contributions, and once I start leading the different worlds, I will make sure your planet isn’t tossed aside,” Lunae said. Narutay put his hands around hers in thanks. That’s when Fulch announced that they were there. The building had strange vines up the walls and seemed to hold some ancient secret. Lunae looked at the bulbs of the flowers, and they seemed to be made of crystal. She walked up to one, touched it, and the sensation that ran through her body was of electricity. Hashmire was intently watching her and smiled when the look of shock ran across her face.
“You hold the power; you can turn anything in this world into a talisman,” Hashmire said. Lunae looked over to him and wondered how he knew this information.
“How do you know? Do you know what type of magic I have?” Lunae asked. Hashmire smiled at her and, with his broken body, leaned up against a rock.
“The high priests study the ways of the Signuck, to try and learn our own magic. You see, your people gave us this magic. I knew you were a Signuck the moment I saw you. It’s the glowing skin. Most can’t tell, but I can, I have studied your people's ways much more than any other I know,” Hashmire said. He then asked Fulch to come over. After he did, he grabbed one of the flowers and twirled it around.
“Lunae, hold this flower and think of something you want it to do,” Hashmire said. Lunae grabbed the flower and wasn’t sure what to do with it. Everyone was intensely watching.
“Like what? I’m not sure what to pick,” Lunae said. Everyone was quiet. Hashmire didn’t want to say anything. That’s when Fulch had an idea.
“Make it look for the piece of eminence,” Fulch said. Lunae looked confused.
“The Master was looking for it in the beginning for you. It will give you the power to take over the worlds,” Fulch said. Lunae looked at the flower and tried to imagine filling it with power, but nothing was happening.
“You may need to speak it first, until you get the feel for it,” Hashmire said. Lunae then spoke.
“Find the piece of eminence,” Lunae said. Then the crystal glowed blue, and Lunae’s pupils turned to a crescent moon. Lunae felt this energy that, for a long time, seemed to be the perpetrator of her rage. Now it had a purpose, and she felt a tingling sensation throughout her entire body.
“Now Fulch, take it and speak the prayer of guidance,” Hashmire said. Fulch took the flower and then recited the prayer. Once that happened, a green light started to pierce through the air, and Hashmire told them to follow it. Luckily, the light was shining into the library, and the rest of the Piskals ran into the building. The light shone on this enormous door that didn’t seem to have a way in. Once everyone was there, they all looked to Hashmire for answers. Hashmire was inspecting the door, which had carvings depicting the ancestors of the Signuck people, and Hashmire realized this place was a sacred one reserved only for Signuck royalty.
“Lunae, only you can go inside, only you can open this door,” Hashmire said. They sat there for a while, while Lunae was looking at the door, trying to figure out how to open it. As Lunae was staring at the door, Tanla walked up to her.
“Master, you must ask the water,” Tanla said. Fulch overheard this and came over. Tanla walked off, leaving them there. Fulch put his arm around Lunae, and she gave a big sigh.
“This is all too much. Don’t you agree?” Lunae said. Fulch nodded in agreement.
“We can’t ask the water, or Shardoe will know where we are,” Fulch said. Lunae looked down, defeated.
“I know, maybe I just need to touch it,” she said, almost laughing. Fulch looked at the door and realized there was a part of the door that would fit a hand.
“You may be right, look there. Put your hand there,” Fulch said. Lunae was hesitant to put her hand on the door, but knew they couldn’t just sit there any longer. She placed her hand on the door and was immediately transported into the room. It was a rush, almost as if she were going through a puddle. She heard Fulch yelling her name; she yelled back that she was alright. When Lunae got her wits back, she looked around. A teal light was cascading down from a large circular skylight. She had to blink several times to get her eyes to adjust. She looked around and saw rows and rows of books, untouched by the years, and there were tables filled with talismans. Lunae felt the magic pound through her. There were statues of Signuck leaders all around, and she felt as if they were staring at her. She then turned her focus on the green light. It went to the back of the hall, and Lunae looked at a repoussé silver box with crystals on it. She opened the box, and there she saw a ring. There was an ocean like gem. She stared at it, and it looked like the colors were moving, just like the ocean. She picked it up and wondered if she should put it on. She looked around and realized no one would know. Lunae stared at it for a while before putting it on.
The power encapsulated every orifice of her body; it went down into her DNA. Her pupils turned to the crescent moon, and in her mind, she was transported to a room with all her ancestors.
“Welcome Juxa, we have been waiting for you for a very long time,” Chindra said, walking up to her and placing her hand on Lunae’s shoulder. Lunae was looking all around, and she had to admit to herself that she was a bit horrified. She looked at this person and realized she looked very familiar.
“Do I know you?” Lunae said, and Chindra smiled.
“I am your mother, and I’m so proud of the person you have become,” she said. Anger was slowly rising in Lunae, and she couldn’t comprehend why. She backed away from Chindra and had a look of disgust fall over her.
“How could you have left me?” Lunae said, surprised by what she said. Chindra had a look of magnanimity.
“If we didn’t, you would have been dead a long time ago,” she said. Lunae could feel tears welling up inside.
“But I needed you,” Lunae said. Chindra put her arms around her and kissed her forehead.
“I know little one, but I have been here all along guiding you, we all have,” she said. Lunae looked around and saw the faces of her ancestors; they all had empathy, and she could feel the love cascading down on her.
“Now we must warn you about the fulcrum of acquiescence. Lannyre cannot get a hold of it. There is a book in this room that can lead you to where it was hidden, but beware, it comes with a cost,” Chindra said. Lunae didn’t understand.
“That’s all you're going to give me?” She said.
“We’re only allowed to guide; we cannot explicitly tell you,” Chindra said. Lunae grabbed at her hair, frustration coursing through her skin.
“Shuant!” Lunae said, and then the vision started to wane. She yelled for them to wait, but to no avail. She looked around and realized she was back in the room. Fulch was yelling her name. Lunae took a deep breath to control herself before answering.
“Hold on, I have to look for something,” Lunae said. She looked around at the books, unsure where to begin. Walking past the shelves, she decided to look at the tables. There was one in particular that seemed to call to her. It had an inscription on it, which read, The War.
“This has to be it,” Lunae said as she opened the book. A loose leaf of paper was lying underneath the cover, and then she saw her name.
Juxa,
My beloved daughter.
This book entails all that we know about the war,
I hope it finds you well and guides you in your rule.
Your Father
“Hey! I think I found it!” Lunae said. She grabbed the book and walked towards the door. She took one more look around and sighed. She hoped she would return to this place. As she got to the door and placed her hand on it, she realized this time it was just like walking into another room.
Everyone was waiting impatiently, and all were excited to see her. They were, however, more curious about the book she held. Lunae looked at all of them, and when her eyes met Fulch’s, she could see that he was very anxious. Before Lunae or Fulch could talk, Hashmire noticed the ring.
“Is that it?” Hashmire said. Lunae looked at him and showed him the ring. He was enamored by it and was afraid to touch it.
“It let me see my ancestors,” Lunae said. Hashmire smiled.
“Then you are the true heir! I knew it! This is exciting. Old knowledge will be brought back! We will see things we never thought possible,” Hashmire said. The rest of the Piskalians were excited by this, and all wanted to see the ring. They all started to crowd her, and she immediately got tense. Fulch saw this and told everyone to back away. Lunae smiled at Fulch and mouthed her thanks. Hashmire and the others went off to talk; the people had loads of questions for Hashmire. Lunae thought that no one would hear now, and she beckoned Fulch to come closer.
“This book should have information about the fulcrum of acquiescence,” Lunae said. Fulch looked at the book and smiled.
“This is great news, now we can finally figure out why Shardoe wants this,” Fulch said. All the while, they had a listener. Tanla was eavesdropping and was curious.
“Who’s Shardoe and what’s the fulcrum of acquiescence?” Tanla asked. Lunae got angry, but Fulch did not. Instead, he came to her and held her hand, and looked at the puncture wound.
“That must hurt,” Fulch said. Tanla nodded her head and wasn’t going to be dismissed so easily.
“Now, tell me. We deserve to know. Was that the man who could use the water like a master?” Tanla said. Lunae’s anger at that moment subsided; she realized that these people were tortured, and they had a right to know.
“Yes, he is very strong and must be stopped,” Lunae said. Fulch gave Lunae a look.
“They deserve to know, we must prepare for war,” Lunae said. The reality struck Fulch as if he wasn’t prepared for it. Sweat started to accumulate in his hands, and his throat got dry.
“War, yes, we must warn my people. We need to get back to them!” Fulch said. Lunae agreed, and as they walked back to the portals, Lunae and Fulch gave the Piskals all the knowledge they had so far on Shardoe. Hashmire knew the way back to the encampment from the portals, and they all agreed to go as fast as they could.