KEEPERS BOOK 2: THE HUNT FOR SONJA

Chapter 5Visions

"Ansel! Ansel!"
The voice was annoying breaking through his meditation.of all the things he hated, it was being woken from his deep trance. He had broken through the barrier of time and had made contact with the beings from another world. The being had grey puckered skin , it's face was still blurred but it had reached out to him speaking in a tongue so strange he was searching his mind to understand it when he heard his name.
Opening one eye he looked at the intruded and gave her a scathing look "What is so important Gian that you had to disturb me. You know not to do it."
Gian did not cower from the blazing eyes of the oracle, her task was urgent "Nala summons you to the holding cell, the Fae is behaving like a madman."
"Of course he would you twit, you kept him from his family, he senses they are in danger."
Gian's gaze was incredulous "you know?"
"Mother preserve me from ancient morons!" Ansel delivered his scathing remark rolling his eyes before unwinding from his lotus position.
Crossing her arms against her chest she arched be brow  in cold disdain "Watch your tongue oracle my patience with you is not as vast as those of the elders. What you really do behind your closet may become public knowledge if you push too far.  My sisters and brothers may tolerate your kind but I am not made of the same compassion."
Ansel had his back to her, cringing at the sound of her voice, he was contemplating turning her into a flea but thought the better of it. Gathering himself together he turned and faced her with a prestine smile.
"Would love to stay and chat but I believe my services are needed." Turning his vision to wear she blocked the passage way, he thrust the doors open without lifting and finger, walking past her with his head held high she had but one choice, and that was to follow.
They made their way through the bright hallway of Mithra. It was a singular passage made of white marble flooring and walls, the ceiling was made of pure white crystal embedded by millions of fireflies that lighted the way. They stopped in front of a golden archway that led to a series of metal steps made of golden brass.
The stairway spiraled down toward another white marbeled hall which looked more like a corridor of doorways.  They referred to the area as the detention area.  In the past the place would house immortals that needed rehabilitation but with the passage of time it was rarely used as the time of peace had settle among the realms until Cael came to the city. Having breached the terms of his banishment he was placed in one of the rooms.  They called it a holding cell.
They spied Nala standing beside one of her ancient brothers, situated in front of one of the crystal doors. Presumably it was the one they placed Cael.
"Ansel, I thank you for your presence."Nala bowed to the oracle.
"What seems......" He was spared from finishing his question by a loud, roar coming from within the cell. "I see."
"The female Elvin tasked to give him sustainance was unable to complete her task" It was Giaus who spoke, an ancient sharing similar color as Nala. He was tall, towering over the females, his bronze armour gleamed against the light cast by the crystals. His frown of worry was directed at the male within the cell. "He had tried to escape but the door closed before he could complete his exit."
Ansel smiled at his creation giving himself a mental pat for the success of his project. "Why am I here?"
"He is troubled by a vision"Nala responded. "I sensed that vision as soon as I came to see him."
"I explained earlier to Gian that he must be upset by recent events that have plagued his family."
"You have sensed this too?" Giaus inquired curiously "Tell me."
"The vision was vague"Ansel shrugged his shoulders.
"Does it matter to the safety of the realms? Is it of great importance?" Giaus continued turning his attention back to the dark crystal that covered the cell.
"I will not know until I have spoken to the Fae" Ansel replied evenly.
"Then do it and I shall follow" Nala declared.
They heard another roar and a loud thud before Ansel finally allowed the crystal to melt. Walking into the cell he was followed by Nala before the crystal closed behind them.
They found Cael on the floor, his face was tortured when he spied his visitors.
"Are you here to release me?" He asked after looking briefly at Ansel however addressing his question toward Nala.
"We are here to understand your dilemma." It was Ansel who spoke while Nala stood in a corner. "You seem distressed, I presume it had to do with the vision."
Cael raised himself seeing that the stranger in front of him was a good head taller "Who are you?"
"The name is Ansel or better yet the oracle and you are the so called mate of Shyra the wise. I met her too you know, when she came to plead the case of her daughter." He paused as both males weighed each other carefully.
" You had a dream, I saw it too but it was hazy, full of .......darkness. Perhaps you can shed light on what you saw so we may understand better your need to escape this cell."
Cael sighed, it would be futile to attempt to fight the oracle for he had heard of the immortal's power. His only recourse would have to be persuasion if he were to succeed in leaving Mithra.
"My dream was filled with darkness, I only the heard the voice of my daughter. She was calling out for help through the shadows of the darkness."
"Shadows you say?" Ansel cocked his brow no eyed the Fae with interest. "Did you see anything else, perhaps a land or a mark?"
Sighing Cael sat on the metal bed and covered his face with his hands, rubbing them "I heard her, but I saw nothing except a swirl of dust surrounding the void like a mist of sort."
"Shadowlands" Nala whispered incredulously. Turning to Ansel in alarm she looked back at Cael and approached him, sitting beside the bed she placed her hand on his shoulder in comfort "Was it Sonja?"
"Nay" he looked at Nala in surprise "it was Kibble."
"Kibble?" Nala repeated in surprise.
Ansel looked at the Fae keenly "She did not go of her own will, she followed someone into the shadow lands."
"The shadow lands are barren" Cael replied in horror "no one comes out of it." He stood and raced to the door "open it oracle I have to find my daughter."
Sighing, Ansel walked to where the Fae stood "patience Cael, what you have sensed could be a future event. It would be hard to break through this holding cell, the elders will know and sentence you to eternal void.  "
Eyeing him skeptically Cael grew fierce as he faced Ansel "Get me out of here oracle, my family needs me."
Ansel could sens the anguish in the Fae, he could sense an emotion that was foreign to him and realized that the Fae was an honorable man "Patience Fae, I can sense deep commitment to that which you hold dear. I can make you a promise to have your answers, but first you have to trust me"
"I trust no one save for my family" Cael replied viciously.
"Then it's time you trust other than your family." Ansel bestowed a benevolent smile "I give you my word as the oracle I will find your answers, but for now," he placed a massive palm on Cael's head and watched as the Fae slid to the ground.
"Sleep honorable one, you will find me in your dreams."
Looking at Nala with hostility he said "what was done to this fae and the wise elder was unjust, the mother has spoken, their destiny will unfold. Convince the elders to release him from his banishment or I will destroy that council."
"Are you threatening me?" Nala stood, her normal composure in turmoil as she faced the one foe she had dreaded from the first moment.
He gave a derisive laugh "Your secrets are still safe but for how long?" Turning toward the crystal door it melted open allowing him to pass "Do what must be done or I will." Turning to Gaius he continued in a calm voice "I go to the Fae kingdom."
"But the oracle has never travelled to the realms." Gaius replied in surprise  making Gian balk.
"He will now" Ansel declared derisively "Fetch me Amorin, she is the only ancient I trust." With that he left the three stunned ancients to watch him disappear like a puff of smoke.
...............................................
Ansel scrunched his nose in distaste at the heady aroma of Rose oil. The whole room room reeked with it bringing back memories of when he was a youngling and his mother would rub the foul smelling nectar into his body so the ancients would not scent him.
Even then, his mother had known he would be taken to serve the realms but she was loathed to part with him. She had anted him to enjoy his youth, witnessing the birth of his brothers and form a bind before succumbing to his destiny.
It was because of this ritual that he abhorred the scent and anything remotely associated with it.
The chamber was austentatious as was common among the ancients. They liked to surround themselves with things of pleasure and beauty. Skimming the room, he spied the marble bath tub and in it lay the ancient he had supposedly summoned.
Walking up the marble steps he stared down at the ancient Beauty Amorin. Her naked flesh was submerged within the transpire at water, her head was thrust back against the ledge her eyes closed as if in sleep but he knew she had sensed his arrival.
She opened her eyes at his approach, lifting her head she stared into his bright blue eyes irritation mirrored in her own deep lavender gaze.
"You woke me from my sleep" she accused in a soft voice, rich and melodious it would fell any immortal except him.
"I summoned you but being the lazy ancient that you are I find I had to come for you instead." He replied sarcastically crossed his arms against his chest.
"What is so important you had to drag me from my rest." She replied scathingly.
He started to chuckle "I think you've rested way too long. Two Fae have gone missing, they disappeared into the shadow lands."
"Why should that bother me, many have strayed there and gotten lost" she shrugged her shoulders dismiss elf.
"It should bother you because they happen to be the Keepers."
Amorin sat up abruptly disturbing the tranquility of the water "Keepers you say? Then they must be the daughters of Shyra" she mused "Why would they be foolish enough to go into the shadowlands unless the shadow people are rising again." She said excitedly standing up she grabbed a nearby bath sheet and warpped it around her body, her long flaxen hair tumbling down her shoulders to her hips.
"Correction, the shadow people will rise again but now is not their time."
"Then why did the two of them do a foolish thing as that?"
He cocked a brow "Exactly! This is why we have to leave Mithra and discover what is about in the realms."
Grimacing with distaste she gave Ansel a skeptical look "And you need me why? You know I loathe traveling to the realms."
"This isn't about our personal likes and dislikes this is about shaking the realms. I suspect there is more to it ." He walked away from the bath toward a table and poured himself a glass of sweet nectar.
"Oh, what is you suspect?" Turning toward her wardrobe she opened the cabinet and fingered the clothing within until she came upon a dress in white and gold.
"I won't know until I sense it. A closer proximity to the place will grant me a clearer vision on what I need to know."
"Where do we go?" She asked donning the dress easily. It cascaded down her body like a glove emphasizing her full chest and tiny waist.
"We start in the Fae kingdom."
With a start she turned to him perplexed "Why there?"
"We'll know soon enough. Prepare yourself to meet Sierra" he grinned before they both disappeared and reappeared at the gates of Fairland castle.
They looked at the White Castle that stood above them in its full glory. It was almost daylight when they reached the castle, it's turrets gleamed under the light.
"You should have told me we were going to meet her, I would have declined" she gave him an irritated look.
"No chance of that ancient one, this reunion is part of the journey."he grinned, waving his hand for the gates to open.
They walked directly to the front of the castle where they were met by two guards.
"Halt !" One of them said "have you come by invitation?"
"Not really"Ansel snorted and with wave his hand both guards slid to the ground in slumber.
Sierra woke with a start, she shivered at the sudden blast of wind that suddenly blew into her chamber.  It was nearly dawn, she could see the gentle light stream through her room. Pushing her bedcovers aside she stood and marched to the window which were opened wide. She could sense no cold coming from outside, wondering what made her skin prickle she turned back when her steps were arrested by the vision of a male in a red clack and a woman in a white surcoat.
"Sierra, it's been awhile wouldn't you say?" The greeting came from Amorin as she made herself comfortable on a nearby chair.
Wrapping her arms around her waist Sierra was shocked by the appearance of the ancient, the smile on her face did not reach her eyes. Turning to the male she remained motionless as he pushed his hood to reveal his face, she could not forget those features.
"What are you doing here?"she asked haughtily.
"Two keepers are missing, I suspect one more has also gone" Ansel looked at Sierra carefully. It was a long time since he had encountered her, he could sense her distress but he could not quite fathom if it was because she had just discovered that two keepers were missing or she was hiding something. Sierra was very good at masking her emotions. Even he could not see through them.
"Two......?" She was completely surprised by his announcement. She already knew about Sonja's disappearance, could Kibble have been foolish enough.......her thoughts remained hanging as she stared at Ansel dumbly.
"You know of the land that boarders between the shadow lands, we will need to go there." He said.
"I cannot take you there, it is hidden by wards" Sieera replied grabbing her wrapper that was on the bed, she quickly slipped into it needing th extra layer of cloth to warm the chill that had crept into her body.
"You know the chant that will bring the wards down,"Ansel continued.
"Not I oracle, only Shyra was given the words to them." Sierra scoffed.
"Aunt Sierra, I heard......." Mystralya walked into sierra's room which was beside her own.  She had heard voices from within and thought to check if her aunt was in trouble. Her words stopped as she looked at the two immortals who were in the room. Her eyes travelled first to the woman who smiled at her curiously but when she turned to the male her gaze. Was arrested by the intensity of his.
"Who are you child?" The man spoke in wonder he took a step toward her making her take a step back in fear.
"Who are you?" She asked instead.
"The name is Ansel" he replied  in a friendly tone, smiling at her with warmth "You must be a keeper.  I know your mother well" he flashed Sierra a glance before returning his full attention to Mystralya. He sensed her fear and chose to be careful with his words "Do I scare you?"