Trinity Awakening (20 page)

             
"I can fight, you under estimate humans, especially female ones." Emma did not like to be put in a box, let alone treated like she was delicate.

             
"It would be best if I have you taken to the shelter beneath the city where the Queen and Princess are, it will be safe there."

             
"Oh, it's no fun down there, much more interesting where the action is." Standing in the entrance way was Parisa, Aarion’s sister; she to was adorned with battle gear. She wore tight leather pants with a V-neck cotton shirt that hung just below her waist. Over the shirt was a dark silver vest, which was made of some type of metal, but it looked light, a perfect fit for her body. There were gold and black symbols on the front embellished with swirling Celtic like designs that intertwined. A black leather belt hung on her hips with a silver sword in its sheath. Her black hair was pulled back off her face and fell into a braid down her back, her green eyes looking directly at Morthos. 

             
"Princess. King Toron ordered you taken to the safety of the shelter." Morthos bowed slightly as he spoke.

             
"My father will need all the warriors he can get for this battle, and that includes me." Parisa was obviously not one to argue with, as Emma had never seen Morthos back down so quickly without retort. 

             
"Please excuse me, I must attend to the Fairon outside the walls." He humbly nodded and Emma could hardly contain her smirk as Morthos left through the doors Parisa had just entered from. Parisa considered the two girls in front of her for a moment.

             
"I've never met a human before. I had heard that you are a stubborn race." Emma and Trinny looked at each other then back at Parisa. "I like it! There are not many here who can talk to Morthos like that, except me of course." Parisa smiled and held out her hand to Emma. "A pleasure to meet you." Emma took Parisa's hand but suddenly felt awkward.

             
"Am I meant to bow or something?" 

             
"No, you are not of this realm, I'm not your princess, we are equals." Parisa let go of Emma's hand and moved to the edge of the balcony, she looked over the growing army below her and then
back
to Trinny.

             
"Thank you for saving my father. I am indented to you. If there is anything I can do for you, please allow me to show my gratitude."  Parisa's face was so soft and sincere.

             
"You're welcome, I know what it's like to lose a father, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, I was happy I could help." The three girls were silent for a moment, looking out on the town square.

             
"How did I not notice that before, it's massive?" Emma was looking up directly above the center of the square. There hanging weightless in the sky was a huge Sphere. It was shimmering with what looked like swirls of cloud and water under its surface. More than half of the sphere was a dark grey, like a stormy mist had gotten under its shield. Now Emma understood why the pond was swirling, it had been reflecting the light from the sphere.

             
"That's the Ora. The darkness in it is the
Shadowdust
working; I have never seen anything like it before. I can feel the Ora's power fading as the poison takes deeper hold of it." Parisa showed worry on her beautiful face, that same look she had when Trinny had first seen her at her sick fathers side.

             
"Princess, there is something I need." Trinny looked at Emma then back to Parisa. 

             
"Anything in my power is yours!"

             
"Emma and I have never been in a battle before, it would help if we had more practical clothes on. And Emma will need a sword, if anybody can fight, it's her." Emma smiled at her friend with excitement in her eyes. Then both
girls waited for the princess's response. Trinny could see a look in Parisa's eyes that she would swear was respect.

             
"Well, as I said, we need every warrior we can get. But we better hurry and get you prepared before my brother finds out what we are up to. Follow me." 

             
"Lucianna, where is Trinny, I have looked everywhere?" Aarion entered the throne room in full battle attire, dark brown leather pants, and a white tunic with chest armor fitted to his athletic form. Brown leather straps crossed over his gold and black embossed armor and two swords haltered on his back. His expression was tense.

             
"I thought she was with you." Lucille looked concerned.

             
"My sister and Emma have disappeared too. I'll have my guards start searching the city."

             
"That won't be necessary brother, they're here, safe." Parisa walked through the huge double doors towards her brother. He swung around to see Trinny and Emma following closely behind. He was speechless for a moment as he looked at Trinny to see her attired in cream leather fitted pants with a cream V-necked tunic and gold vest, she wore no weapons, but she looked fit for battle. He pulled his gaze from Trinny to see Emma in a black leather warrior uniform with sword in halter.

             
"Parisa, what are you doing, they are not fighting in this battle." His tone was not pleasing to his sister.

             
"Aarion, this is a war that will effect both our realms, they have just as much right to fight for it's survival as we do." Aarion was silent as his sister came face to face with him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I think brother, you will find that these young women are ready."

             
"I never thought I would see my daughter dressed for a battle." Lucille looked at Trinny in admiration.

             
"I never expected to find out my mother was a princess from another realm or that I had super powers." They smiled at each other. There was a sudden thundering noise that echoed outside of the building, and a crack that pierced the air around them.

             
"What was that?" Emma cried out, trying to suppress the fear in her voice. 

             
"Prince Aarion!" A guard had run into the throne room. "Your highness, the Acacia gates have been breached, the Dark Empress Army have broken through and are making their way to the town square."

             
"Make sure my father is aware, he is preparing the warriors beneath the Ora." Aarion had gone into leadership mode; Trinny couldn't help but admire his strong, handsome features at that moment. "Trinny, you will stay with me. Parisa, take Emma to safety."

             
"I will not leave this fight Aarion." Parisa would not be moved and Aarion knew it.

             
"Fine then, go and keep watch from the balcony and let us know if the Dark Empress's army break through our defenses." Parisa nodded and motioned for Emma to go with her. Emma gave Trinny a 'thumbs up' for luck and followed after Parisa.

             
"I'll join my people at the river, they'll need help keeping back more of Eviann's dark followers." Lucille went to leave, but Trinny caught her arm.

             
"Who is Eviann?" She asked in confusion.

             
"That is her name, the Dark Empress." Trinny could see there was sadness in her mother’s eyes when she spoke of
the Empress, but she didn't feel this was a good time to question her about it. 

             
"Mum, please be careful." Trinny hugged her mum; it was hard to make
herself
pull away. Lucille gently touched her daughter’s cheek, smiled, and left to join the battle.

             
"Don't worry about your mother Trinny, Nixie's are very powerful. She will be fine." Aarion tried to make Trinny feel more at ease, but it was to late for that. Trinny was starting to feel overwhelmed.

             
"What do we do now?" She asked, deep concern in her voice.

             
"Let's join Parisa on the balcony, we can watch from there."

             
"Watch? How can we just stand there and watch while there are people getting hurt, even dying? Aren't I suppose to be doing something, isn't that why you brought me here?" Trinny was feeling useless again.

             
"We need three elementals to bind the power of the Empress and heal the Ora, you are only one, and I need to protect you. Hopefully the Elves have found where the Empress is keeping Nina and Micah and they can get them here in time." Aarion knew it was a very long shot, he had not heard from the Elf trackers that were sent out, they could have been killed for all he knew.

             
"You have to let me help."

             
"No. You don't know how to harness your powers to their full capacity yet, I can't put you at risk, and that's final." Aarion walked toward the doorway that lead out onto the balcony, he only looked back once to make sure Trinny was following him, which she was, but she wasn't happy about it at all.

             
"The dark ones are nearly through the tunnels Aarion, there are so many, and our warriors are being slaughtered down there, we have to help!" Parisa was rearing to join the fight, she would jump from the balcony to get there faster if she could and Emma felt the same way. 

             
"No, father will handle it down there, and besides, we can't use any power from the Ora to help us in the battle, it will make it weaker." Even though Aarion was trying hard to keep his sister calm, she could tell he also wanted to join the conflict.

             
"They've broken through. Look!" Emma pointed toward the east wall; Werewolves and Stealth had overrun the entrance there. Hideous looking witches were also pouring into the square, followed by creatures Emma could never have imagined in her worst nightmares. Trinny looked on in horror! She felt a drop on her face, then another.
Rain, just like mum said. I hope she's okay.

The rain started to fall, it made it harder to see what was going on in the battle below, but there were some familiar faces that Trinny could make out. Morthos was like a blaze of strength, slicing through anything evil that crossed his path, then slicing again to make sure it wouldn't get up. King Toron was right in the middle of his warriors, defending every inch of ground, the stroke of his sword was very powerful. It was hard for Trinny to think of this man being 1200 years old, he moved so swiftly. The Fairon were mighty warriors, Trinny could see that this was what they were made for. But the Dark Empress's army was so immense, how would the Fairon defeat them, this was their last stronghold before the Ora. As Trinny felt the cool water run down her face, she felt a new strength rise up in her, and the words her grandmother, who
she had only just met, rung clear in her ears. '
You are your father's daughter, earth, but you are also your mother's daughter.'

             
"Water!" With the word barely on her lips, she turned silently and ran through the ancient stone building toward the fight.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

'I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.'  ~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Nina could hear Micah muttering and was concerned he wasn't coping very well being incarcerated.

             
"Micah? Are you alright?"

             
"I've just been talking with the Elf they captured, he's in the cell on the other side of me. He was one of the trackers they sent out to find us."

             
"Well, he obviously did a great job of tracking, but not so good at the getting back and letting everyone know where we are part." Nina was slightly deflated by this news.

             
"He wasn't the only one, he caused a diversion so the other tracker could get away and let the Fairon know where we are." Micah was now pacing around the small room; his mind was ticking over trying to come up with different scenarios of escape. "How is Jerriq?"

             
"He hasn't spoken again, I get the feeling he has been alone here for a long time. I also get the feeling you know something about this Jerriq guy that you're not telling me." Nina had not heard from Micah since she had revealed their fellow prisoners name and she could sense he must have been important to the Dark Empress for him to still be alive after so much time here.

             
"I'm not completely sure, but if it's the Jerriq I knew many years ago, then there is more than just hope to cling to in this battle. We need to get out, and that includes Jerriq." Micah said with some urgency.