Statera *Chosen At Birth*

Chapter Thirty-Two

Walking into the cavernous dining room, Daniel stared up at the ceiling where dozens of chandeliers hung above the massive tables. Ten chairs rested on each side of the three massive tables with one at the end of the middle one, where are Arthur sat.

"I was beginning to think that no one was going to show up." Worry washed away from his face. Isabel eyed the middle of the table, where food was piled high on giant platters. She sat down and began to help herself to the delicious smelling food.

"Where's Bestienna?" Arthur watched Isabel curiously as she tore into her full plate of food.

"Umm, she had to go back to Arbolinger to pick something up." Isabel munched happily, ignoring the stares she was getting from more people walking in the room.

"I had no idea someone that small could eat so much." Kristen commented while Kat gave Isabel a hug. She looked down at Isabel with a frown.

"Why does your aura seem different?" Kat asked, Isabel suddenly stopped eating.

"Why are you asking?" Everyone was beginning to take their seats, with some spilling into the other table as well when the middle one became full.

"It still smells like spearmint, but it smells like something else at the same time." Kat failed to explain when she got a blank stare.

"I did feel sick earlier, that may be throwing it off." Kat sighed and stood up straight.

"You do remember that you're a fairy, right?" Isabel went ghost pale and looked at her plate in distress. Bestienna walked into the room as Kat walked away with her parting words.

"What happened?" Bestienna sat down next to Daniel. Before Isabel could answer, Arthur stood up and held his hands out.

"I wanted to start out by expressing my gratitude for everyone showing up this morning. A small dose of all nine kingdoms coming together for the first time in forever with one goal. To keep our homes and way of life the same and give back to those who have already lost it." The whole room got quiet as Arthur spoke. Isabel's whole friend group was here and his brothers. Amongst the familiar faces were a few knew ones, "As we may all know, the southern kingdoms have officially declared war on the rebels and the northern kingdoms." Danie l took Isabel's hand knowing that she would be shaken by the official news.

Bestienna stood up to continue the speech. Daniel felt useless since he was the only pure element at the meeting that wouldn't be speaking, "Onto the next subject." Bestienna continued as Isabel took a sip of tea, "Isabel's pregnancy and the significance of it." Isabel choked on the tea and began coughing. Daniel attended to her while listening.

"I'm what?" Isabel asked after getting tea out of her lungs.

"That would explain why your aura would smell weird." Kat commented while Justice grinned from ear to ear.

"Someone's fertile." He joked with a few people snickering around the room. Kat jabbed him in the side, but it didn't bother him.

"Fairies are actually very fertile along with pure elements so that we can pass down the possibility of keeping the pure element gene in the family. When we pass, it'll go to the youngest member of the family." Bestienna explained, "There's also a prophecy at play that I found in Arbolinger's library." Bestienna waited to see if anyone had any questions.

"So why did we have to announce someone's pregnancy right now when she should be discussing more serious things." A woman rolled her eyes, who clearly didn't want to be here.

"Everyone knows about the last Stateran war that divided the kingdoms out of cooperation correct?" Everyone nodded as Bestienna nodded at Eric. Nine different colored objects floated over the large table. Finally, a last one, in the shape of an island, floated in between them all.

"As most of us know the history, Statera is based on the balance of all nine elements. Separate relics that keep the world alive. Nine guardians were appointed by the island to keep the relics safe. Not from dark creatures, not from outside forces, but from ourselves and greed. Not one person can have too much power." Arthur started as he stood back up walking around the table like a professor at a university.

"Every time Jake moves into a new kingdom; he deactivates a relic and replaces it with his own. Eventually the kingdoms merge into his. He already has drained the lightning, magic, and air relics. Soon enough he'll be draining the ice relic." Bestienna sighed at the mention of Fiona. Isabel was growing impatient, and so was Daniel.

"What does that have to do with me being pregnant?" Isabel asked as Arthur walked back to his seat and stood there. The doors flung open with a gust of wind that wrapped around everyone. Daniel felt the wind move around him as it joined with the air from the dining room.

"A babe born of fairy and pure spirit will hold the heart of the world in his chest. What once was lost, he will restore." A woman recited and stood at the end of the table. A few people moved away so that they wouldn't be so close to her.