Forgotten by the Realms

Chapter 7: The Society

Báye woke up to the bright light of the moon pouring through his crescent shaped window. The room was filled with violet light and a few wisps of smoke from the neighbouring campfires outside. He sat up slowly, reaching for the candle on the beside table. Sleep was toying with him. He would wake up every five minutes in a cold sweat, the dark nightmarish claws of a krill reaching out to extinguish him.
He grabbed his cloak and shrugged it on to keep off the draftiness as he strolled into the hallway. Báye tried to calm down as he paced over the smooth floor panels. How could he trust the Graxiellis? They lied to him and kidnapped him away from his house! They did know an awful lot about him and his family, but so did stalkers. Maybe they were stalkers.
Báye stopped as he remembered Coven's kind laugh and welcoming grasp, he did truly appear to be telling the truth. He guessed it would be proven when the twins showed up. Báye shuddered looking at a dark shadow made by a vase, he felt cold and alone. He smiled slightly at the possibility of taking Coven up on his offer. Báye continued down the corridor towards the light grey door at the end.
His quiet knock was drowned out by the rushing of feet and the crashing of several things to the ground.
"Ommmph come in!" Came Coven's muffled voice.
Báye pushed on the door and it swung open to reveal a pile of seeing stones and cloaks. The floor was covered with rugs and cushions hiding the true color although Báye guessed it was probably grey stone. Coven popped up from on top of the pile, grinning. His mask was off now, revealing his features much like his mothers, but far more attractive and much more defined.
"I knew you would turn up! Just not so late at night! Would you like some tea?"
"If you can find the tea table under all this mess!" Thought Báye as he stepped over the pile and plopped down on the floor.
Coven pushed a pile of cloaks off a low bearing table, and picked up the papers on it.
"My room isn't normally this messy, I was just doing a bit of midnight cleaning!"
Báye nodded and spoke up after he looked out of the still dark window.
"How can you tell what time it is, if the sky remains the same?"
"Easy! It doesn't! Right now the moon is in its midnight position, check it out!"
Báye tripped across the room towards the window and looked out. Sure enough the moon was different. It was full and a mellow white color, casting brighter light then it had been.
Báye watched twinkling stars and planets spin above him as he smelled the lavender right outside the window well. He turned around to find the room neat, without a grain of sand out of place. Coven sat cross legged on the table grinning at him, waiting for his surprised response.
"H...how did you clean that fast?!"
"Simple really! I shoved it back in my closet, and that's where it will stay until I have a spontaneous urge to clean my room again! Now let's have tea." He slid off onto a cushion reaching for the kettle which was already steaming slightly.
Báye sat down taking anxious glances at the closet, expecting it to burst open at any second and cover them in an avalanche of clutter.
"Báye? Are you alright?" Asked Coven pouring the steaming water into the square shaped cups.
"Yeah, yeah, as fine as I can be! Under the circumstances." He mumbled the last part so he wouldn't hurt Coven's feelings, but Coven heard anyways.
"I'm sorry. I wish the prophecy would pick someone else, but since the last protector didn't pick their heir the prophecy chose, that's just the way it goes, and of course then it's our job to distribute the candle, and perform the ceremony..."
"What do you mean the Last Protector? There are more?" Interrupted Báye, forgetting his manners, and much to his disappointment. He prided himself on being polite, but it didn't seem like Coven cared too much.
"More like used to be more. This candle is the last known candle that holds the light of the entire realms! Gonrune the Great became ruler of Eden during its making. He instilled it with the light force which fills us and gives us life. As long as it is around the darkness can never win. Ranjor the Brother, took over after him and began his reign of terror known as the Dark Ages. Most light shrines holding Sigils of The Candles power, were destroyed in the dark ages and now only the original remains." Coven paused to take a long dramatic sip of tea before leaning in conspiratorially.
"A protector always looks after the candle and after they reach darknesses door they must pass on the responsibility to another. The last protector was a curmudgeonly old man and didn't have anyone to pick so he left it in the care of the society until the prophecy chose another. And that's you Báye!"
"Society? What society?"
"You're more concerned about that then the amazing history of The Candle of Life? Did you grow up under a rock?"
Báye giggled quietly at Coven's slack jawed awe.
"More like a tree actually. Yes that is very interesting, but all that happened in the past! I need to figure out what is going on now to decide what to do!" Báye said standing and going to the window.
"Even the wisest of the stars has its history. We have to look to the past to figure out what to do in the present! Ranjor was supposed to be the first protector of The Candle but he turned dark. You have to remember not to make his mistakes." Coven flung on his cloak with a flourish, the feathers ruffling.
"Come on! I want to show you something!"

~

"Delivery Mz. Graxielli, but we are still looking for the other twin."
Yuri nodded solemnly at the young roguish miscreant in front of her, disguised in a delivery flyers uniform. Xanothos Maximilian, head secret agent of the society. She gave them a conspiratorial wink and helped push the floating platform inside, as the brown burlap sack on top wiggled as if in discomfort.
"Thank you Xan, any word on the naughty creepies position? Scared Boy arrived today and learned about the Happy Adventure. We must move fast I want to find the old meanie, and what about the big groups thoughts?"
Yuri sighed in relief as Xan shook their head in amusement.
"We don't have to use the code. The dark one doesn't suspect The Society is hiding in Starlight Desert, they bought the fake leaked information that it was in Isle. Yuri, if what you say is true, and the protector is here, we must have a celebration! I thought the prophecy would never choose!"
"We won't celebrate till Báye fully accepts, you forget that the candle is missing. Fear not I have high hopes that he will accept the duty! Also, I'm summoning The Society to an emergency meeting to help find it. It will be as soon as possible! Tell the others!"
With Yuri's words of encouragement Xan saluted and flew off into the dark sky.
Yuri sighed in relief as she leaned against the door frame, satisfied. She jumped to her senses at the protesting jiggle of the sack, and quickly pushed the platform all the way into the living room. She looked up at the moon dial on the wall, it was just creeping past 12:30 and she wanted to get this over with soon. Hopefully this twin would be cooperative.
She grabbed the coarse fabric and snapped her wrist back, whipping off the bag to reveal the disgruntled form of what must have been Odëthella Aryonwyn. Arms tied haphazardly behind her back and a pitiful effort at tying her feet was made plain by the remnants of rope that must have been shredded apart. Whether in pure terror or pure rage Yuri was about to find out.
"How dare you, you villainous rouge! I'll twist you into a ballon animal with both hands tied behind my back. Where am I!"
Yep, definitely rage.
Yuri chuckled at the afronting nature of the spirited youth before her. Was this one even related to Báyedolune? Certainly they had the same noses, that was a given, but rather than the soft honey brown hair and peaceful doe like eyes, Odëthella possessed fluffy snow white locks, and had vivid blue and green eyes, both angrily looking to tear Yuri apart. She sucked in a deep breath as she gently untied Odë's wrists.
"Peace to you Odëthella! My name is Yuri Gracielli. I'm not here to hold you hostage, it is a far more trivial matter than that. You and your siblings will be quite safe with us here, and your brother has already been in our care. All I can explain right now is that time is wasting and your brother is the only one who can save us. It is good that my associates found you when they did, for servants of the Dark One would have swallowed you up in a moment! Unfortunately we could not find your twin, Sasithorn, is that correct? Do you have any idea where they could be?"
Odëthella reluctantly shook Yuri's hand, still warily eying her up and down.
"Well I suppose this is a justifiable kidnapping if you put it that way. But no, I have not seen Sasi since dinner time, they said they were going to market to search for Báye, but if he's here I guess it was fruitless."
Yuri inhaled suddenly, fear gripping her. What if the Dark One got to the other twin? It was entirely possible, considering they might have even gone back to the house. There was hope though, if they got there after the servants had passed then there might be time. Yuri shook her head sadly as Odë looked up at her concerned.
"Whatever is the matter?"
"Never you mind! I will have it all straightened out shortly, now pop off to bed before you're too exhausted in the morning! Second door down the hall, make a right!" Yuri bustled Odë off the bench and quickly towards the hall entrance.
Odë turned back, her face melted into a sly grin.
"Goodnight Mz Yuri, why do I get the feeling we are going to be the greatest of friends?"
Yuri hid a smile as she turned to blow out the candle.
"I don't know, but it's a pretty strong feeling."