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She followed him to the castle doors. There weren't any
guards standing at the door at the time. The mystery guy went right into the castle.
Keira sneaked in herself, right after him. This would be the first time in about
two years she would be in the castle. Being as quiet as possible, she followed
after him.
The castle was very dark and what looked like
a white marble floor was now a smoky-grey marble. Some walls were lit with torches
but Keira was able to follow in the shadows - as there were many of them. She
followed the mystery guy up the grand staircase, down a corridor and into a
large area. This room was lit generously with wall torches.
Keira supposed this was a living room or something
like it. There were four tall windows along one wall and a black curtain covering
a round balcony. Standing on the balcony was King Doumeh. The mystery guy headed
toward the king. His face came into view… it was Dr. Sloth. Keira quietly sneaked
into a corner with a bunch of blankets and pillows and hid underneath one of
the blankets.
Dr. Sloth looked back, he had heard Keira but
didn't see anything. She saw that he was carrying a heavy black bag. Sloth came
over and dropped it carelessly on the blanket that Keira was under. Keira bit
her lip as Dr. Sloth walked back to the balcony.
"Hello Doumeh," he said.
"That's KING Doumeh to you," replied the king.
Dr. Sloth laughed. "I guess the Darigan orb
has worked for you then?"
Darigan orb? thought Keira. What would
he be doing with the Darigan orb?
Sloth met King Doumeh on the balcony but could
barely see what they were doing. Keira was just about to get up when the two
walked into the room.
"It's taken two years and you are finally at
100%," spoke Dr. Sloth. "You are possibly my greatest creation. Now, the piece
must be taken out before it destroys you as it did Lord Darigan." He went to
the black bag that was on top of Keira and opened it. Keira couldn't quite see
what he had brought out. "ARA," yelled Sloth. A Faerie that had an outfit and
wings that were shades of grey entered the room. She had short silver hair like
the Space Faeries and brown eyes.
"Yes?" said the Grey Faerie.
Sloth replied, "I'll need you to take out the
shard now." Ara walked over to the King and put her hand against his large paw.
She slowly brought her hand back to her as a whirlwind of grey color was between
her hand and the king.
The king held his head back as a small gold
piece was taken out of him. Ara smiled as the grey whirlwind settled and a small
piece of the Darigan orb was held in her hand. "May I ask how you got this Doctor?"
asked Ara.
Dr. Sloth replied, "One of my minions was doing
studies for me at the Darigan Citadel and found this laying on the floor after
the Lord Darigan had fallen. I studied this and found that it was a very powerful
piece, maybe the most powerful of all. Since the last time it was whole it had
evil power, this little shard is evil and will be kept that way until it is
restored to the whole of the orb. Therefore, turning anything… into evil with
its power. Permanently."
Keira shuddered. "My powers are rightfully coming
back to me," said the king. "Slowly, but it's getting there." Ara handed the
king his scepter; a gold staff held a crystal like ball which glittered once
and a while.
"One more thing," said Sloth. "Break the Darigan
orb in half. One piece for the king and one the queen… like the plan we agreed
upon." He was talking to Doumeh. "Make your piece into a necklace if you wish
to keep it."
"Dr. Sloth, you may leave now," said King Doumeh.
Sloth grabbed his bag and left the room, giving Ara a silver chain for the Darigan
orb before he left. "Ara," spoke the king. "Stay here. I have to ask the queen
something."
"And what is that sire?"
"You will find out when I return," said the
king, leaving the room.
Keira still tried to stay as quiet as possible,
because Ara was coming nearer. She turned to peek out the door. She looked at
the shard in her hand and went to go sit down on a royal throne next to the
balcony. She began to break the piece in half when Doumeh came in.
"I can't believe her! How could she?" he yelled.
"The queen refused to join forces with me!! Send her off to the room in the
highest tower! Don't break that dar-"
-CRACK- the small piece of the Darigan
orb split in half.
"ARA!!" he yelled angrily.
Ara tried to reason with him, "I'm sorry Doumeh…
I - "
"No matter," he interrupted. "I've got an idea.
My evil mind has been working quite well over the past few weeks… since Aurora
refused my plan, I will need a new queen. Ara, I have been having some thoughts.
Would you care to be the new queen?"
"Why would I ever turn down and offer like that?"
said Ara evilly. She and King Doumeh started exchanging evil laughs as Keira
got the chance to sneak out. She quietly went through the half open double doors
and down the corridor. She was on her way down the grand staircase until she
reached the bottom.
"And just where do you think you're going?"
said a voice from the shadows. Sloth came into view. He grabbed her and was
going to bring her to the king - only that she punched him in the face and got
a chance to get away. He dropped her onto the floor and she sped out the grand
doors.
She looked back to see that guards were chasing
after her now. She leapt onto a roof and started going from one to the other.
The guards were Elephantes, and though they had small wings, they couldn't carry
themselves as well with the heavy armor. Two of them climbed up a ladder beside
a wall.
They started chasing Keira while jumping over
roofs. Three more guards were on the ground during the chase. Keira misjudged
a gap between roofs and made too short of a jump. She fell straight down onto
the ground, forced herself up, and leaned against the wall. Her ears were moving
in every direction to pick up the sound of guards coming.
"Keira? Is that you?" said a voice from behind
her. She turned to see that it was Cedric. The only problem was, the guards
showed up just then. Cedric saw the guards and said, "Now what's this?" Keira
didn't say a word, but one of the Elephante's did.
"We have orders, sir," he said. "To take the
lady to the castle for punishment. Sneaking out of the castle she was."
Cedric took a small look at Keira before talking
to the guards again, "Go back to your places. Leave her to me." The guards nodded
and walked away.
"How did you manage to get them to leave like
that?" asked Keira.
Cedric looked to the side, not wanting to look
her in the eye and simply said, "You will find out later." Cedric and Keira
talked for a little until Nick came around the corner, asking where she had
been. "Well," said Cedric. "I have business at the castle. We will meet again
Keira." Cedric walked away. Keira and Nick walked to the two-story building
they were staying at with Laura. They walked inside. It was very dusty and had
lots of dung things. It very much looked like a place you would find ghost wondering
around. The window had scratch marks and the door barely closed.
They walked across the filthy floor scattered
with papers. Nick grabbed a silver handle from the ceiling and pulled down a
stair leading up to Laura's small apartment. "So where HAVE you been?" asked
Nick while Keira was climbing up.
Nick climbed up after her and closed the stairway.
The stair closes up in the fake fireplace. He walked through and said hello
to Darren and Laura, who were in the room. Darren was on the couch and Laura
was standing in the kitchen.
"I was at the castle," replied Keira to Nick's
question earlier. Everyone's attention was immediately on her. She told them
the whole story.
"Wow," said Darren. "You've had quite an evening
then." Keira sighed. Laura was in a bit of shock -- she spilled the tea she
was drinking during the story. Nick looked like he wanted to just stroll on
up to the castle and find out what was going on.
* * *
They were at a food stall the next morning buying breakfast.
"There you are," said the yellow Shoyru handing
them their fruits with a warm smile. "Enjoy your breakfast."
The group walked to a nearby table and started
to eat. When they had just finished, a guard was passing by to make an announcement,
"ATTENTION! Attention all citizens! The king will be pleased to have you join
him in the back of the castle in the gardens where he will be making an important
announcement. We shall see you there at 12 noon."
The guard walked away to talk to another group
of people. Everyone thought they should be there, because they were afraid of
what would happen to them if they didn't go.
Darren, Nick, Keira, and Laura arrived there
at exactly noon and were not surprised to see nearly the whole town there. They
managed to get in near the middle at least. The garden hedges were kept trimmed
by the gardener and the flowers and trees were kept beautiful. There were tall
wooden barriers that stood around the gardens. They looked to have some mystical
writing all over it.
Engraved at the top, though you couldn't see
it very well, was a Kougra paw. Keira knew that these were for keeping the dung
mist from getting to the plants. Up in the front of the castle was a large deck
that leads down to the gardens. The doors finally opened and out came about
half a dozen guards and the king himself. He walked up to the railing in the
center, the stairs on his left and right.
"Welcome," said King Doumeh, his crystal scepter
glittering in the shadows. "Good. It certainly looks like you are all here.
Let's get right to the point. For my announcement, you will be having a new
queen and not a princess - but a prince." The crowd was filled with whispers
at this. "Presenting your new queen," said the King loudly. "None other than
Ara the Faerie of grey magic."
Doumeh held out his paw as Ara walked out of
the castle for everyone to see. She peered at her citizens standing in the sunlight,
while she was on the shaded deck with Doumeh. She and the king didn't look like
a good couple at all… more like Ara was a servant to the King.
Ara bowed and smiled evilly. "Please welcome
your prince," said King Doumeh. Out of the castle walked a red Kougra, his cold
eyes glared at everyone.
"Cedric?" whispered Keira. In fact, it was Cedric.
"BOW FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY!" yelled a guard loudly.
The entire crowd fell to bow to them.
"King Doumeh, sir?" said Laura after everyone
had gotten to their feet. Everyone stared at her as she spoke, "Keira here is
the princess, might she be living in the castle as well as yourself? She is
part of the royal family you know." Keira was surprised she had said this, but
was curious to see what the king would say.
Doumeh opened his mouth, but Ara said something
first. "Keira will be staying with us starting today," she said. The crowd clapped
and Keira felt as if she had been hit with one of Doumeh's electric balls. She
was going to be living in the castle!
To be continued…
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