THE KEEPERS ( THE ORBS OF UTAH )

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE ORBS

I woke up with an agonised groan, my body aching all over. Yesterday had been exciting and all but the aftermath of exerting my body over its limit was excruciating.

I heard someone come inside the room, closing the door rather loudly. I didn't care who the person was so long as they don't dare wake me from my much needed slumber.

" Analisia of kenduren, you better get out of bed now before I personally drag you out."

I knew that voice anywhere. It was the only reason I scrambled out of bed like my tail was on fire. I tripped over the blanket then fell face first on the cold hard marbled floor.

" Get up, and bathe. You'll find us in the treasury chamber and if you don't get there by the time I address the rest of the keepers I'll personally take you to the lair of the sahëali," said Oriana irritably, face morphed with a deep frown to emphasize  her words.

She was not joking. That much I could tell. It was a hustle to get rid of one sahëal. Fighting against more than one would surely see me to the gates of eternal slumber.

When she left me to my devices I all but ran to the bathing chamber. I dived in the sunken bath giving little regard to the fact that I was still wearing my night gown. I'd have to take a proper bath later.

I took the gown off right in the middle of bathing then got out. Goodness, if I didn't know what the gate keepers were capable of doing I would take my damned time but it was better not to test them.

I quickly dressed then sprinted out of my bed chambers to the treasury chamber. My legs ached with the effort of keeping my swift momentum but I kept on pushing until I reached my destination.

It was a glassy dome high up at the roof. The stairs I had to take to get there were like torture devices meant to destroy my legs. My legs tingled excruciatingly, like there were needles pricking my muscles.

Shifting in a much quicker form was out of the question. I wouldn't be able to concentrate long enough to shift even a finger. So reaching the treasury was challenging to say the least.

I strode over to the dome then stepped in. All eyes fell on me but I faced their stares head on. If there was one of the many things I'd learned about being a Princess was not to cower under the gaze of anyone, especially those beneath me. It was a bit conceited come to think of it but it made me tougher and more confident. There was no beauty in  shame.

I cleared my throat. " Good moro everyone. "

Carrah scoffed, disbelief apparent on her face. " You can hardly call this a good morning. "

" For gods sake, Carrah. Get the stick out your rear. She didn't mean any harm by simply greeting us," chastised Namira.

" Silence!" snapped Oriana glaring down at us.

She and the rest of gate keepers stood atop a crescent shaped dais. She took the pin holding up her coiled up hair then held it out.

" Incanitto," she murmured.

Brilliant light flared from the pin enclosed in her hold. It sprouted majestically like a bud maturing into a beautiful flower. It grew until it was the same length as her height. It was crostrusted with a shimmering marble like material that was wound with whimsical branches. The branches enclosed around a purple orb at the top.

I was stunned by that little show. I had heard many stories of her staff but no story or rumour could quite capture the beauty of the staff. Some said it could change into any form.