The Whispers of the Fallen (6 page)

We dismounted from our horses and hugged him. This was the most comfortable I had felt in the past couple of hours. Athalas gave me such comfort the moment he mentioned our parents.

“Let us go inside. The moon is about to take its place in the sky and we have something very special prepared for you on this night,” he spoke with great expectation.

As we made our way inside the castle, my eyes could not quite believe what they gazed upon. White marble was used to build the floors; tall white columns rose up to the ceiling. A gigantic glass dome stood majestically above us. Ahead, a staircase; it swayed as though suspended in midair, glistening beautifully.

We were led up the staircase into an immense hallway. To our right was a glass window with a magnificent view of the front garden and the moat. Draped along the window was a gorgeous satin curtain. Statues were scattered along the hall; many canvases with decorative hand-painted landscapes hung on the walls.

“Did you sculpt these?” Demetre asked Athalas, closely examining the statues.

“Well, yes—some of them. We have many fine artists here.” Athalas’ right hand lovingly touched one of the statues as he answered.

“They are incredible,” Demetre whispered as his eyes drank in the indescribable glory of this place.

“I am just glad we are safe and sound,” I said, resting my left hand on Demetre’s shoulder. “And that you are alive and well.”

We finally came to the grand wooden door that stood at the end of the hallway. When Athalas opened the door, we caught a glimpse of a massive room artfully decorated with black and satin artifacts.

“Here are your accommodations, young ones. Inside are two separate bedrooms so you may each have some privacy. Don’t forget, dinner is at seven. I will send someone to personally escort you both to the dining hall,” Athalas said cheerfully.

“Thank you very much,” I replied. “This is the safest we have felt since we left home. We really appreciate it.”

“You are in a safe haven, young ones—many out there know your names. Many have been waiting for this very day. Know that here you will find security and peace. You have done well—bringing the Diary here.” His lips curved into a gentle smile. He then made his way out of the room.

“How are you holding up?” I asked Demetre the moment the door closed. After all we had gone through, I wanted to make sure all was well with him.

Casually, he strolled over to one of the three windows. “I am alright. This is all confusing to me still. I can’t hide that I am sickly worried about our parents.”

The haunting reality had once again settled in. Despite all the things we had discovered on this day, the location of our parents was still unknown.

“What about the pain?” I inquired. Every word seemed to be followed by a strong urge to weep. With great restraint, I held it in. I needed to be strong right now.

He sighed. “I’m scared that it might come back. If you ask me what that pain was, I still don’t know.”

I rested on the settee that was placed next to the window. “What did the pain feel like?”

“Like something was crawling inside of me, desperately trying to get out.” His eyes widened as he spoke. “It was as if someone was alive in me.” He pressed his right hand on his chest.

The thought of witnessing Demetre suffer such pain enraged me. Ever since we were kids, I always looked after him. His dad was never one to mess with. His short temper caused Demetre to grow farther from him as the years passed. He was often alone and never one to blend in with the other boys in Agalmath.

“Remember, I am here for you. Despite all those that we meet, let’s make sure our friendship is untouched. Our trust goes beyond the darkness,” I affirmed.

“Yeah, I know.” He nodded; a smile spread softly across his face.

After we freshened up and were dressed in clothes that seemed to have been tailored to fit us perfectly, there was a knock on the door.

Demetre reluctantly answered. Although this was supposed to be a safe haven, we were not entirely sure whether our new acquaintances could be trusted.

“Athalas is calling you all to come down for dinner. Are you ready?” It was a beautiful woman. Her beauty was enchanting; her physique was statuesque and her presence breathtaking. She spoke in a sensual tone, soft and mellow. Wavy golden hair cascaded down her back. Completely enamored by her beauty, I could not take my eyes off of hers. They were a deep blue color. I recognized these eyes; Devin had these very same eyes.

“Umm…Yeah—we…umm…we will be right down,” I replied, barely able to speak.

She gave me a halfhearted smile. “Well, come on then. I have to show you where the dining hall is.” Another smile followed.

“Right…” Demetre nodded in agreement. I could not help but notice her lovely garments. She wore a thin silver tiara on her head with a small red rose in the middle, a marvelous red wool coat that hung down to her knees, revealing a blouse underneath that was embellished with precious jewels, and heeled boots.

She waited politely at the door as we passed by her. She quickened her pace ahead of us, leading the way. The only sound that I could hear was her boots clicking against the marble floor. She made no attempt to make conversation whatsoever.

“Do you think Athalas really sculpted all of these statues?” Demetre whispered as we once again crossed the hall.

“I believe so. Well…that is what he said,” I answered with a whisper.

She stopped suddenly.

“Well…most of them.” She turned around. “I am sorry to be so impolite and not introducing myself. My mind is off somewhere else. My name is Adawnas—I am part of this Council. Forgive me if I disappoint you, but Athalas did not sculpt all these statues.”

“Re-really…were you one of the sculptors?” Demetre inquired with a timid voice. Her beauty was so entrancing, it intimidated us.

She chuckled.

“No, young one, I am afraid those are not one of my accomplishments.” Her eyes closely surveyed the scattered statues throughout the hall. “There are a couple of statues here that I don’t recognize.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, surprised at what she said.

“I do not often come to this side of the castle, but a couple of days ago, I noticed Athalas had been out for quite a long time. The members of the Council cannot stay out for too long. They must constantly keep watch over the Gates of the Fourth Dimension for any activity. Well, Athalas was out for two days, and then Timothy came to me and filled me with questions.” She sighed. “He claimed that he saw new statues in this hall that appeared out of nowhere.” She was silent for a moment, measuring each word carefully. “As I came to escort you to dinner, I also wanted to check on the new statues. I was stunned by so many new ones appearing so fast.”

I could sense doubt behind her words. She seemed reluctant and I sensed that she was hiding something.

“So nobody knows where they came from?” Demetre asked, creasing his forehead in a sign of confusion.

She laughed softly. “This dinner tonight will be very special for you. Now let us keep on going. We cannot be late.”

We continued walking, but my mind remained focused on the fact that no one knew the origin of these new statues.

“Might I ask you a question?”

She glanced over her shoulder.

“Of course…” She nodded.

“Are you also a Nephilin like Devin?” I choked as soon as the words drifted from my mouth. She gave me a melancholic stare and continued walking.

We came to another large wooden door. Intricate designs covered it from top to bottom. From all the beautiful ornaments, the two golden knobs stood out the most. Adawnas did not knock, but simply opened the door and walked right in. We followed. She bowed her head, greeting the other seven who were also here. They all bowed their heads in return. Devin was also present, dressed in similar attire as to the Council members.

There were two seats reserved for us in the far left side of the table. Adawnas sat next to Devin. There was something about Adawnas’ behavior that seemed incredibly mysterious to me. I could see anxiety stamped on her face.

The door opened and everyone rose to their feet. It was Athalas. He was dressed in a regal black robe that covered his entire body.

“I must say, I love having a full house!” he exclaimed, spreading his arms to greet us two newcomers. He sat in the first chair at the head of the table.

We were respectfully silent for a while when he suddenly clapped his hands and shouted,

“
Bring in the food!
”

The doors of the dining hall immediately burst wide open and servants entered carrying enormous platters. At least the servants appeared to be ordinary humans. The platters were lavishly layered with a variety of meats, vegetables, fruits, desserts and pastries.

“Is this elaborate dinner all because of us?” Demetre whispered, looking at me from the corner of his eyes.

I looked around at the table and simply smiled. “I don’t know, but I must say…I really don’t mind.” A soft laugh followed my answer.

To our surprise, a very merry tune started to play. To my left, there were two masters of music dressed in very colorful costumes. Their hands used a bow to skillfully play their instruments, which were etched with floral patterns and inlaid with precious gems.

“It is an honor to meet you both, Isaac and Demetre,” a raspy deep voice spoke from behind. “Allow me to introduce myself to you both. My name is Ely. Are you finding our accommodations suitable?”

“Yes, very much!” Demetre replied with a mouth full of pork and chicken. I shook my head and scoffed.

“Yes, thank you very much for your concern. Where are you from, sir?” I asked him, taking a nibble from the pork.

“I have been everywhere. I am one of the very men chosen by the Creator to guard the Diary from the beginning of all things. It’s amazing to observe how the world is starting to change so radically because of a wee little book.”

“Little?” I asked, incredulous. “From what I have seen today, this book is anything but little.”

“Little to those who have more power than others. Trust me when I say this—once you encounter true power, the big things grow strangely dim before your eyes.”

“Who are you talking to, Isaac?” Devin asked from the other side of the table.

“To this gentleman, of course!” Demetre replied.

Devin was perplexed.

“What is wrong?” I asked, looking around.

“There is no one here…no one here but us,” Devin replied with a confused look. Adawnas shot Devin a cold stare and bowed her head.

I looked again and there was nobody.

“I am sure someone was here.” I stared at Demetre, confounded.

“I saw him, Isaac…with my own two eyes. I know there was someone here!” Demetre affirmed.

“Attention!”
Athalas shouted as he clapped his hands. “It is a delight as always to have dinner with all of you here tonight; members of this Council who since the dawn of days have been guarding the Diary and those who keep it. Tonight, we have three very special guests with us. I would like the Council to personally meet Isaac Khan and Demetre Aliward, and to greet once again our old son, Devin.” They all applauded.

“Brave ones that have come here to bring the Diary to its rightful place. It might be a surprise to the both of you, but we have been guarding you for eighteen years.”

I surveyed the dinner guests and Adawnas’ fearful expression caught my attention. She sat quite still, her eyes fixed on Athalas.

“Through our mighty gifts, we have been able to protect you and the safety of the Diary.”

“Yeah…they have done a terrific job. Look at where our parents are…” Demetre mumbled.

“In order to honor you, we have personally prepared a rare delicacy. It is the Purple Soul, the purest wine you will ever find!” Two servants approached us. They brought in two golden grails with the emblem of a dark lion and handed them to Demetre and me.

“Now a toast—to the brave ones!” He lifted up his glass of wine; the other members raised their glasses in unison.

“Do not drink it!”
Adawnas shouted suddenly.

Everyone froze.

“
Do not drink it,
” she repeated.

“I beg your pardon, Adawnas.” Athalas spoke in a harsh tone, completely opposite from the soft, kind voice I had heard before.

“I will not allow this to take place, Athalas,” she explained.

“Are you to do something you might come to regret later?” His voice was dark and foreboding. His face had become flushed; the veins on his neck were now visible.

“I am not going to regret this in any way.” She turned to face Demetre and me. “This wine is poisoned. He—they want to destroy you. You are here because they want to destroy you both!”

“That is absurd!” Athalas fiercely pointed his finger at her. “How dare you come against us in such a way? You should know better, Nephilin. No wonder your kind has been hiding in the shadows of the world for all these years.
Guards
!”

Guards clothed in black armor marched in the moment Athalas was done speaking.

“Tell them first! Tell them how you have fallen,” she yelled as the guards surrounded her. “Tell them how you sold your soul years ago!”

“Why must I do anything you order me to do? Who are you before me, incompetent creature? Have you not seen or understood that you are an aberration? Your kind was never meant to be born.” As Athalas spoke, his teeth clattered. His hands moved in a strange, serpent-like manner.