Atlantis 3: Opening the Door

Chapt,er 7.

"Diablo!" Diablo looked around to see who was calling for her. "Who's there?" She called out. Still not seeing anyone. She was in the stairwell of the secret passage leading from the princess quarters to just outside the throne rooms back entrance. "Diablo!" She heard the voice call again. She looked up the stairs and down and still no person to go with the female voice calling to her. She couldn't place the voice to anyone she knows either but yet somehow the voice just seemed so familiar. "I demand you show yourself and stop your game this instant." She said in the most royal voice she could muster up while hiding the fact that she was scared almost enough to run. "Diablo. Abandon hopes for lands unknown. Your plans must change. Never leave your home unprotected." The voice said in a low whisper. It sounded as though it whispered the words directly in to her ear startling her enough to jump and turn her head towards where the voice came from. Upon seeing that there was still no person to accompany the voice who was speaking she lost all composure. "Who are you? Show yourself." She commanded loudly. "Did you hear me? I command you reveal yourself or face my father for crimes against the crown." She called out demandingly. She figured if anything that would scare whom ever it was out in to the open. Still no one appeared. Diablo then screamed as loudly as she could. "Who are you?" There were tears forming in her eyes from fear. Then she heard the voice say loud and powerfully in swirling winds. "The storm behind the crown will protect all upon it's grounds. Never forget little queen to be. Love, cherish & live what you must be. You are the future of all that is. Their queen they will need you to become."
  Diablo awoke suddenly screaming in her bed. Looking around wildly trying to figure out how she was suddenly in her bed. Panicked and crying hysterically. Lorna came

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running in to her room ready to blast whatever intruder or evil thing had her screaming. Seeing Diablo sitting on her bed half way under her blankets and hiding her eyes like she was terrified of seeing something Lorna realized Diablo had had a nightmare and rushed to her. She wrapped her arms around Diablo and started rocking gently. "Shh shhhh. It's alright sweetheart. Calm down. It was just a dream whatever it was. Your safe now. I've got you." Lorna said in a soothing voice. Diablo was violently shaking. Her tears were like a flooding river down her face. Her attempts at speech only came out sounding like convulsed grunts and heaved breaths that couldn't be deciphered into a known language. "Let the images that fill your mind fade in strength so you may find some peace from this fear that binds. Do so now with in this minutes time." Lorna spelled. Her magically rythamic words soothing and yet commanding. Little sparkles shimmered in unison with her speaking. Almost immediately Diablo had stopped crying and shaking. The images of her nightmare became less intimidating to a point where she could begin to form rational thought. "Aunt Lorna there was a woman's voice but I didn't know who it was. I saw no one. Then there were strong winds the were swirling around me. They were like a cyclones. I just know it was going to... carry me away. I was so scared." Diablo said shaking. "Your alright now. Your safe. Nothing could ever hurt you with me on watch." Lorna said. Diablo's breaths were heavy and labored from crying so hard. She was trying her best to calm down but the words from the voice in her dream had her so shaken up. "Do you want to tell me what you were dreaming." Lorna asked softly. Diablo was silent in her debating of telling her. "I'm sorry I would imagine that's probably

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something that you have only done with your father. I didn't mean to over step him on this. If you would like I can send for him for you." Lorna quickly offered realizing Diablo's upbringing with out Merriam. "That won't be necessary." Ranist said as he came in the door. Lorna looked up at him puzzled. "How..  Were you...?" Lorna said shocked at his sudden arrival. "Anytime she has a bad dream or anything occured in the night I'm immediately notified." Ranist said with a grin. "Makes sense." Lorna said shaking her head in approval.
  Ranist walked over to the bedside of Diablo's bed opposite Lorna and sat down. He held his arms out and gestured with his fingers. "Come here to me my darling. Tell daddy all about the silliness of your dream that has you all upset." Ranist said in his daddy voice. Diablo wasted no time in scooting herself over to the warmth and safety of her daddy's embrace. He wrapped her up inside his arms gently and let here soak up his love until she was ready to talk.
  "Daddy, what does the storm behind behind the crown mean?" Diablo asked quietly as she was still wrapped up in his embrace with her head upon his chest. Ranist's eyes went wide as he looked over to Lorna. Lorna mirrored his shocked expression. "Where did you hear that?" Ranist asked softly attempting to hide any sort of emotion. "There was a woman's voice in my dream that said it. I don't know who she was. I never saw her. It was only her voice & circling winds that were strong like a funnel cloud." Diablo explained. "Diablo honey, did the woman's voice sound soft in tone like Granny Mila's but kinda deeper like Grena's and mine?" Lorna asked with a sudden urgency in her voice. Ranist knew already who Lorna was thinking of. Diablo just shook her head in an up and down motion for her response. Lorna's heart sank at the realization of the possibility of it being

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Merriam's voice. If it were truly Merriam's voice that would mean that her sister was truly dead and that she was trying to communicate from her place in death. Diablo had not gained Merriam's magic so that meant that her sisters shedalia had not passed into the Crystillian and her soul was not at rest. Lorna fought hard against the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes. She didn't know if Posidon would allow her shedalia to return through the boundary that separates Atlantis from from the world of man. "I know what you are thinking Lorna and it's not her. She's not gone. Not like that." Ranist said sternly. "Then who else would have used that title and in that form. She was the storm behind the crown and by succession that title would only fall upon her shoulders." Lorna said matter of factually gesturing to Diablo. "What if she found another way to send a message somehow?" Ranist questioned imploringly. "I don't see how. She and Tural fortified the barrier to be impenetrable. Nothing including shedalia's can get in or out to my knowledge." Lorna said sorrowfully. "She has the strongest magic of all those who possess magic in Atlantis and she was the one who built that cursed barrier. Mommy would have found a way. She's not dead. She's not..." Diablo said breaking down in to tears again. "Your right baby. She would have found a way." Ranist said as he held her tightly rocking her gently. "We don't even know for sure it was her in your dream. It could have been just a dream." Lorna said hoping to deescalate the situation.
  Suddenly there was a loud thunderclap causing them all to jump fallowed by swirling wind that didn't come from the window. Lorna shielded her eyes and looked around the room trying to determine the cause of the sudden wind. Suddenly in the center of the room a tunnel of

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wind formed and the figure of a person started to take shape as it hurriedly walked out of it. Lorna's eyes went wide with disbelief. Ranist's mouth fell open and tears starterd running down his face. Diablo looked confused. "Merriam?" Lorna said. She wanted to confirm that what she was seeing was real. "Yes sister it is me but I can't hold this for long. I came to tell our daughter to get rid of the idea she has in her head. I am where I must be for now." Merriam said. She then looked at Ranist with sorrow in her eyes. "My love. I miss you so much and I'm sorry for my recklessness that got us in to this. I must stay where I am for now. I'm not so sure now the barrier was a good idea. They need magic out here. They will all die without it. I'm trying to fix things from this side. I will return to you my love. I am so proud of the father you have been to our daughter. She is so beautiful and I do keep watch." Merriam said. Just then the tunnel behind Merriam shuddered. "It's becoming unstable. I must return to my body. I love you all." Merriam said. "Merriam wait. Can you come home? Is there a way through the barrier?" Lorna asked. "Not yet. But I'm working on it." Merriam said as she turned and walked back into the tunnel. "Your going to be beautiful today my baby. I'll be watching." She called as she disappeared into the wind. The winds stopped as abruptly as they started and Merriam was gone once again.
 

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     (End of chapter 7)