Abbadon Rising - (NaNoWriMo2016)

Chapter Four

THE bikes slowly landed outside the Cathedral and Abi slid off the hoverbike with a sigh. Pierce raised his eyebrows at her as he and the rest of the team dismounted their bikes, and Abby and Pierce, along with the rest of the team, walked over to where Dario was standing. The whole group had windblown hair, Dario and Marcus especially, giving them a windblown look.

"All right team," Darius said as he addressed the group, "this is our first mission so try not to mess it up okay?" He looked at Abby and Pierce who are still cuffed together, and Abby held up her hands innocently. "Are you guys ready?" The team nodded and Dario smiled, "Then let's kick some butt." Dario turned to walk inside the Cathedral and the team followed. A cold feeling settled in Abi's stomach as she prepared to face the woman who raised her, albeit not very well. Dario's knock echoed through the wide arches of the outside of the Cathedral, and Abi shuddered at the foreboding noise.

"Are you cold?" Talia asked, "I thought fire Elementals didn't get cold." Abi shook her head.

"I'm not cold," Abi replied, "I'm actually just really freaked out about this whole 'mission' thing." Tal nodded, and the heavy wooden Cathedral doors swum open without a sound. Dario led the team inside to the Abbadon's office where she was waiting.

'Without her ceremonial robe, the Abbadon is much less intimidating.' Abi thought as they made their way to the Abbadon. The Abbadon's dark brown hair was glossy and straight, and her regal posture, combined with her confident demeanor, showed that this was not a woman that anyone wanted to mess with. She sat in a dark mahogany chair behind a similarly made desk, with floating Light spheres illuminating the small office. When the team entered the room, the Abbadon stood up and pushed out her chair with innate grace, and with fluid steps she walked around to the front of her desk and greeted the team.

"My team." The Abbadon spread her arms wide and smiled as the team approached, and Dario stuck out his hand for a shake. The Abbadon just continued to smile, ignoring Dario's hand completely until he finally stuck it in his pocket.

"You wanted to see us, Your Holiness?" Dario questioned, and his speech was a little quicker than usual, showing his nervousness. Dario's gems began to glow because of all his nervous energy, and the whole team except for Pierce were in similar states. The Abbadon cast her eyes around the group until they stopped on Abi, and Abi tried to hide her anxiety as the Abbadon's eyes narrowed and then recognized her.

"Acolyte," she Abbadon began suspiciously, "so that's where you'd gotten off to." Abi bowed her head perfunctorily and kept it down for a few moments before responding.

"Yes Your Holiness," Abi's voice shook as she addressed her superior, "Although I would've asked you permission before leaving had I known I was to go someplace." Abi hadn't thought about what the Abbadon would think of her leaving so suddenly. She didn't seem angry, but Abi didn't want to be alone with her, just in case she was. Pierce stepped forward and addressed the Abbadon.

"Your Benevolence, if I may?" Pierce waited until the Abbadon had nodded to continue speaking. "Abi was recruited unexpectedly by my parents for the Planetary Program."

"I see," the Abbadon seemed to understand what that meant, and it went over everyone else's head. Jo and Tal regarded the Abbadon with rapt fascination and a slight bit of fear, and shrank back slightly when her gaze settled on them. The Abbadon looked at Jo for a bit, and then suddenly snapped her attention back to Dario.

"Dario, my mission for you and your team is a retrieval mission. I need you to go find some gems for me, the gems of my teacher, to be exact." The Abbadon explained where the gems were located and what they would need to do to get them. The gems were hidden in the residence of a certain noble who lived just outside of Plach. "Planetary Neptune keeps an extensive personal guard on staff, so make sure to be on your guard. The gems should be hidden somewhere in the upper floors of the castle." The Abbadon turned from the team and practically floated over to her desk to pick up a map that was resting on it. Dario walked over to join her at her desk as she unrolled the map, and she pointed out Planetary Neptune's house to them. As the Abbadon kept explaining the logistics of the mission to Dario, Abi interrupted her speech.