The Seven Keys of Areid **COMPLETE**

Chapter XI: Nothing Green Can Stay

Here we are, at the grand finale. What is the moral? Must be, a moral? Who needs a moral! This should be relatively short. I don't want it to be any longer than two pages. 

Stark silence.

That was what filled the lair. Adalira, her eyes steadily filling with hot, burning, angry tears, turned her gaze to the Guardians. All seemed to look equally as confused as she felt. No, not all of them. Her gaze narrowed in on the elderly Green Guardian, whose expression was as steadfast as stone.

"You knew," she whispered, her tone accusing. Sverre stood straight and tall and did not answer her. The Witch giggled maliciously, her expression gleeful and her laughter resonating off the wal eerily.

"He knew nothing of my plan, dear one," she said, her tone simpering and full of false consolation. "He knew it was a possible outcome that you would not survive, though. Be as angry as you wish, I shall not harm you. You're too valuable."

Adalira couldn't be angry. She couldn't be sad. She simply...couldn't. She had trusted these people. She had actually started to believe that they were just as mighty and powerful as they all claimed to be, mentally, spiritually, and physically. But, she realized, they were not. Adalira could feel icy cold hate creeping through her veins like frost on frigid glass. They were just as mortal as she were, she decided. They were just as prone as she; just as backstabbing, cruel, and secretive as all humans, elves, and every living thing in the world were.

She should have known better.

The Witch was highly amused. Adalira could feel the woman's gaze boring holes into her, like a wolf with its target locked on a rabbit. 

"That's quite interesting, and I'd just love to stay and see how this plays out," she said, stretching and standing as if she were about to leave, "But I have some business to take care of...and I'm going to need my trusty new servant, won't I?"

Adalira turned to her, only to find out that the chains that had bound her so tightly to the ground had dissipated into the dank air. Her voice seething, she spat,

"I am not going anywhere with you," she said, her voice so low it could have been deadly. Any self preservation Adalira had was absolutely vanquished. The Witch snorted, and suddenly Adalira felt herself collapsing to the ground. Adalira bit her tongue to prevent from screaming. All at once, throughout her body she felt burning, terrible agony. Death was desired. She would have taken death over this. Her entirety was fire, burning, hot, scorching, fire. 

"Don't even try debating with me, Adalira," the Witch scoffed. She turned to address the Guardians. "You are all free to go and do your duty. I have been released, you need guard me no more."

The fire inside Adalira was quenched, and trembling, Adalira lay on the ground, tears filling her eyes and spiling over onto her cheeks and dripping onto the ground, forming an iridescent little puddle on the ground. The Guardians were so silent, Adalira half-wondered if they were still there. Sending her gaze upwards, she was met with the clouded, beady eyes of her dwarf patron, the owner of the Gryphon's Beak.

~O~

Was it a dream? Adalira wondered, pulling herself shakily to her feet. Was it all fake? She heard the silent din of the familiar tavern, the bright candlelight, the reek of drunken men and the sound of spilled ale dripping to the floor. It could have all been a hallucination. Everything was back to the way she recognized it. Was it real?

Her question was answered by a light, childlike giggle, and the fear in the dwarf's eyes.

"You don't like him very much, do you, Adalira?" she heard the Witch drawl. Adalira did not respond. The Witch shrugged. 

"I didn't think you did." The woman sauntered to Adalira's side, looking down at the dwarf with disgust. She turned to Adalira, a violent look in her eyes.

"What say we take care of him for you? Get this burden off your shoulders? It's the least I can do." Her tone was cruel, false, mocking. Adalira's eyes met the dwarf's. Pure terror was reflected back at her. I, she realized, am the powerful one. I hold his key to life. It is my choice. I choose whether he lives or dies. Do I want a death on my conscience? Is he worth the stain on my soul? Should I bother?

Adalira, her gaze cold as ice, nodded once. In that same moment, the dwarf sputtered. He coughed. The short, spread out coughs grew in size and quantity, until the cretin was eggplant purple, hacking violently as he collapsed to the ground. His stubby hands clawed at his throat as if there were something strangling him, preventing him from air. Adalira's eyes grew wide. She hadn't wanted this. She had wanted him to end quickly, quietly, without fuss. This was the opposite. She had never seen a death before, not in her two decades, and it was mortally terrifying.

The Witch laughed triumphantly as the dwarf finally keeled over, his heart's blood shining scarlet on his lips. She turned to Adalira, who felt positively dizzy - with horror or relief, she wasn't sure. The Witch patted Adalira's cheek, pouting sympathetically.

"Don't worry. He's gone forever now. Good decision. Now, homeward bound!"

The Witch grabbed Adalira by the shoulder. A flash of white light occurred, and then the elf and the witch were gone into the nether.

~O~

Deep in the caverns, a sob was heard. Melanche watched the perfectly still surface of the water, her eyes cloudy with acidic tears.

She has gone. She is gone from me forever. I will never get her back. My own. My Mora.

~O~

The birds sang prettily in their trees, and the trees swayed gently in the wind. High on a branch overlooking the world, a silvery-green squirrel mused, his beady eyes focused on a glowering palace in the distance. He could see flashes of technicolor light through the stained glass, and his expression grew ever more serious.

Fifteen years. 

If you are confused...GOOD! It wasn't supposed to be laid out for you like dinner! You have to work to understand this, and since you aren't me, you have no idea what comes next! 

On a friendlier note.

Thank you, the reader, for sticking with me throughout this book. I started this when, October? It's now April. Look at how far we've come.  How far you've come. How far I've come. This is a very momentous moment in my life. I, TeaIsLeafJuice, have just completed my second novel. 

Thank you all once more. This is the End of the Seven Keys of Areid. But be aware! There shalt be a sequel! When that is coming, I cannot say. But you won't have to wait long, it will be here before you know it.

This is TeaIsLeafJuice, and I have always wanted to say these words.

                                                                          THE END