Martin & Marcella

Sixteen

And then came a night when not even the rim of the moon gazed at the fields from its home up above. Renowned for his wisdom, Finn the Bright sensed the omen of this at once. Because of his ability to read the symbol, the High King's men were ready for the violent attack that came upon them.

The tribes of the North Islands were fierce and filled with anger. Their unjust ways were a thorn in the Kingdom's hand--a thorn which had been pulled out many times only to be thrust unexpectedly back in. And yet they were never, at one time, capable of defeating the Army of the High King. Their reasons for warfare were fueled by greed and revenge, both of which were unmerited causes, and so on that dark night battlefield of black blood and unseen death, there came the blinding swords of the invisible warriors, burning silvery blue against the shattering gloom around them. There was no one alive who could withstand the combined force of the High King's Army and boundless soldiers of the hidden kingdoms.

Cerulean fires danced in the sky, reflecting over hundreds of miles of crashing ocean waters and brightening the land below as if there were an eerie blue sun shining above. White sheets of shields rolled overhead, like waves tumbling over and over one another, replenishing themselves with each resurfacing, striking singing fear into those who knew such warriors were not on their side. And on the ground marched the Army of the High King, furious for being brought to such warfare by treachery. All the more fierce were they that night, knowing that help was on their side. Such signs only brought their aggression to a greater head.

What was happening to him? It seemed that no matter what Joel tried to do, the dark parts of his brain wouldn't let themselves be buried. They kept reappearing, bringing the same horrible nightmares more and more frequently into his daily life. Joel wouldn't let himself go mad. He couldn't. There were too many hopeless paths to take once he claimed his mind was becoming lost. He was entirely in control! he told his quivering self. He knew exactly what to do! Of course, in his heart, underneath his bravado, he realized he had absolutely no idea what must be done. The answers to his dilemma lay deeper, in the unfathomable corners of his insides, but Joel was, to his own detriment, not yet ready to dive into those unfamiliar waters.

And to make matters worse, a society event was approaching--one that Joel had entirely forgotten was even going to take place: The Father and Son Banquet.

Lysander had mentioned the event some while ago, but Joel hadn't made note of it then. Now, he was dreading the banquet to the point where, if he hadn't already been sleeping terribly, he would have lost sleep over it. All of the society members were requested to invite their fathers to the banquet. Not only was it a chance for alumni to reacquaint themselves and discuss business and the world of wealth, but it was also a chance for Sir Blackwell and the Society sponsors to add more dollars to their organization's pockets. It was just another fundraiser, really, so Joel hadn't thought much of the banquet until he came to the realization that he was supposed to invite his father to it.

Every student member was requested to send out a rather formal invitation to his father announcing the event and stating that parental attendance would be quite honored. Because St. Raphael's was an all-boys' school, only fathers were asked to come. It was supposed to be an enjoyable night, but Joel was very near dropping from the society just to avoid it.

Lysander had already sent an invite to his own father, and so had Robert and Alan. "We do it every year," commented Alan as Joel was handed a template for his own father's invitation. "It's a good time, really. It's kind of nice to see your dad and get all dressed smart just to have dinner. Everyone comes. We get the best food with this one; Blackwell always wants to impress people to get more donors. It's a several-course meal, and each is better than the next. It's real fun."