Meridian Chronicles: Keepers & The Soul Key (#4)

Chapter 3 Part 2

Lahash stood from the hay bale and began a casual stroll within the barn. "Talon, now is that a way to greet someone that is here to provide some answers?"

"What do you want!? I just lost my son, who I never knew, never had the chance to know. Worse, he isn't in Etheria, the fairies haven't seen him. No one knows where he is. You wouldn't help me or anyone else. Get out!" Talon's voice was low and quick.

Lahash waved his index finger up and stopped his casual stroll. "Now, now, Talon. I have helped you before, remember the witch. Maybe I can help you again."

Talon's body froze, his jaw characteristically locked tight, he stared at Lahash with mistrust. "Where is my son?"

Lahash threw his head back and said, "Not that easy now, Talon. I may need a bit from you first. I need a lot of things. I will tell you where your son is if you will tell me what the plans of the fairies and the guides are."

Talon broke his stiff composure, and he turned away from Lahash. "No, I will not help you. What would you ask me, anyway? You have your ways of finding things out. You don't need me to tell you anything. Get out."

"I already know about the sword, the blessing from the keeper. I know that the guides will have to have the sword to destroy Warrick. What if Warrick's destruction could happen without the sword? Maybe he is on his way of falling out of any favor within the court. Ever think of that? That he may not be in Etheria with or without your help."

Talon briskly turned to face Lahash, followed by a futile stomping toward the swaggering demon, "What do you speak of? We will retrieve the sword, we will take out Warrick, we do not need your help."

Lahash chuckled. "Oh Talon, so feisty. Warrick will hold council soon, he has convinced the Etherians that nothing is wrong, to go back to normal. He believes. Seems that some of them are not buying his story. It would help when the fairies break into the dark realm to have a little help?"

"What do you want Lahash? Spill it." Talon said.

Lahash's face darkened and his eyes forceful, locked on Talon, "I want Echo, I want for my life to go back to the way it was before Warrick pulled his cursing stunt on Meridian. We can remove Warrick from power, Etheria can exist the way it always has, without him in power. Demons can continue to exist as the things were, just minding our own business on Earth and taking what we need from the downtrodden of humans."

"Lahash, things will never be the same, and you know that. We will destroy Warrick either way. His time is closing in on him. With the help of the fairies, the spirit guides, and the fallen can achieve this, we do not need help from a demon." Talon lost interest and started to leave the barn.

Lahash, moved toward Talon and said, "Talon, you care to know where your son is, don't you?"

Talon stopped in the barn doorway and maintained his back to the swaggering demon. "Of course, I do, but not at the expense of others."

Lahash rushed to Talon's side, his face was in slight surprise that the fallen one was not so convinced. "I will create a way into the dark realm where no one will know you came. Bring the nymphs, and I will free your passage and the council members Charity and Brennan that have been held prisoners, will be freed."

Talon turned and looked at Lahash in amusement. "I thought you said you would tell me where my son is, or is that a lie? Do you even know?"

"Yes, I know where he is. However, you don't seem convinced. Bring the nymphs; maybe with a release of the council members will convince of things I know of. Gather who you can, create your portal from the old cemetery here in town. No one will bother you. You have my word." Lahash said with his voice in an echoing trail before he vanished from the barn, leaving Talon alone.

***

The fairy nymphs accompanied Selena and Luna back to the fairy realm and made their plans to enter the dark realm and get the spirit guides that were held as prisoners. Orion stood watch at her door as he always did, returning to his usual self as seemingly one of the fairies. Things in the fairy realm remained unchanged as the other fairies that existed there went about their business. Within Selena's quarters, all the fairies gathered around her table, seated with the famous fairy Kool-Aid Relic spoke so fondly of.

Selena stood and waved her hands up in the air, creating a glowing image of the scenery, much like a map of the dark realm. There it stood, hovering over the grand table, a three-dimensional image of the dark realm. Siren and Venus stood up from their chairs as they watched the queen create such a spectacular image.

"Selena, how do you know about all these tunnels in the dark realm? I have not seen such passageways before. When we have been there, it was hard to discern where we were coming in, but we always arrive in the same place where all exchanges take place with the dark one. I only saw the one tunnel where Orion and Ridge came out of when we fought." Siren said.

"Yes, I know. You would not have been able to see these tunnels. They are hidden and guarded. The dark realm is massive, never-ending and each place within the dark realm has separate places for many things. They hide most of which from anyone." Selena lowered her voice, "I know many things, and some I wished I didn't know of the dark realm."

Lotus stood and gazed into Selena's unsuspecting eyes, "Selena..., things you don't want to know?" she questioned, and after no answer from Selena she said, "I know what Selena speaks of."

Venus, sat playing with her fairy wing, uninterested looked at Lotus in amusement. "Lotus, how would you know any of that. You have only been to the dark realm the one time. No one knows what Selena speaks of."

"Yes, I know. When we were there, during the fighting, I picked Relic up, and we flew upward and stayed on a ledge for. I turned around and spotted a small opening where the dark one's demon soldiers were coming from. Tiny and would only open long enough for them to rush through before closing. I think beyond the opening there is much more there."

Echo looked to Lotus in irritation. "So why didn't you share this before?"

Lotus shrugged her shoulders and looked away. "No one asked.

Selena took pause to Lotus and her comment, raising an eyebrow to what she heard. "We can get in here." Selena pointed to the same area where Ridge and Orion exited. Orion can lead us; he was back there when they were taken. I believe that this passageway will lead us to the other Spirit Guides that have been taken away. We need Charity and Brennan... to get them back. Once we get them back, the fallen will have to join us, we will return to Etheria at the council meeting and confront Warrick.