Dawn of the Elements - Book 5: The Children of The Moth

Chapter Seven: The Totem of the Moth

Xander stood, pacing in the main Atrium. He was waiting for Cadance to arrive, so that they could depart for Raigan's old castle, now being called The Chapel of the Moth by his family, and the Castle staff.

Opening his hand, he gazed upon a shard of black metal. As it turned out, his father had kept a fully charged shard of Shadow Thrik Alloy, just in case. When he had said that there were only two left, he'd been lying.

"Prince Alexander?" A voice came from the top of the Grand Staircase. Looking up the stairs, he saw Cadance. She was dressed in some of his sister's clothes. She wore a red blouse, black tight pants, knee high black heeled boots, and a black trench coat. Her red hair was tied back into a braided ponytail. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Cadance, please." Xander said, fiddling with the shard in his hand. "Let's lose the formalities, shall we? Just call me Xander." He took her hand in his own. Cadance could feel the shard of Thrik Alloy in between their hands. "Now, you remember what the plan is, Cadance?"

"Of course I do, Xander." Cadance giggled, playfully punching him. "If memory serves, King Silver let me make the plan. Why would I forget my own plan?"

Xander smiled. "You care about her, don't you?" He asked. "You barely know her, and yet you're going so far, as to risk your life saving her. Why do you care about her so much?" Cadance had to think very carefully about her answer.

"I don't know." She said. "Princess Melody didn't have to come save us, but she did. She could've left us there to die, but she didn't." Her cheeks began to change from skin tone to red. "No one's ever really cared about me that much. So, once we save her, I'm gonna thank her personally for everything she's done."

"Well, then we'd better get this job done right." Xander said, before closing his eyes. Cadance followed suit. "Now, I need you to focus on the chapel's dungeon. Remember it, focus on it, and then walk into the shadows."

Cadance focused on the dungeon that held herself and fourteen other girls. Once she could see it vividly in her mind, she started walking into a shadowy corner, leading Xander through it. The next time she opened her eyes, she was back in the dungeons of the Chapel.

"Hey, it's ok." Xander said, noticing that she was beginning to panic. "It's gonna be ok." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "This place can't hurt you anymore." He brought her out away from his chest, and wiped a tear from her eye. "We have a job to do."

"Right." Cadance sniffled, before wiping her eyes. "We have to find The Moth's Totem." Getting herself out of Xander's grip, she made her way to the stairs. "If it's not on the altar, then it must be somewhere else."

"Then we check by the altar first." Xander replied, following the girl up the stairs. When they reached the top, they clung to the shadows that bordered the room.

Staying out of sight, they could see Minister Horgath standing at the altar, Archbishop Sorelias, and Sister Mel standing by him. Minister Horgath was praising Sister Mel for her successful infiltration of the Castle.

Cadance tapped Xander on the shoulder and pointed at the altar. The Moth's Totem was nowhere to be found, its pedestal bare. "Where else would it be?" Xander asked, concerned that their mission might be a bust.

"Your father's books stated that Minister Horgath has had a rather unhealthy attachment to The Moth's Totem since it was gifted to him by The Mothman over a millennia ago." Cadance whispered, as she began to recall what she'd read in the books. "If it's not at the altar, then maybe he's hidden it in his personal quarters?"

"You really think he's that obsessed with it?" Xander whispered in response. When he got an overly sarcastic look back from her, he had to admit that it was in fact, a really stupid question. "Ok, point taken. Knowing this creep, he probably has it sitting on a pedestal in his quarters, by a window, or something."