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

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Back in Etheria, Charity too faced her own conundrums and faculties. With the only council meeting left to sit in for Etheria's rule, she felt that grandiose plans for the realm would give rise to more unrest with the spirit guides. With Warrick's secret exposed, left the realm suspicious of its other leaders, even with Charity's undying loyalty to her duties.

Another regrettable act she carried with much weight was the one guide that everyone missed and loved. Charity, casually strolled through the castle with only the sound of her light footsteps taking her back to the grand room; the room that held the way to the hall of souls. As she walked in, it was Slaten and Arianna that abruptly stopped their conversation in surprise to see her.

Slaten and Arianna approached with warmth and smiles. "Oh, Charity!" Slaten leaned over to give her a tight embrace. "I haven't bothered you because I knew you have been through such a great deal. How are you?"

Charity muttered. "Oh, I am okay."

Arianna took Charity by her hands and smiled. "What brings you out?"

"I don't know, I just needed out, to sort my thoughts. I have a lot I need to tend too, and I know appointing council members is something we need to do. I thought it best to call the guides home, have a vote to fill the other two seats. Then, of course, the long-awaited awakening Caius." Charity placed her hand over her heart.

"Charity, waking my husband would bring rest to the realm. Ever since the incident with Warrick, they all seem untrusting and afraid of their own fates. They fear that Warrick will return and that we all will suffer doom." Arianna said.

"Slaten, will you call the guides in from their duties?" Charity asked. "It is time, we need to fill the council members' seats with Warrick and Brennan now gone." Charity became emotional, holding back with strain. She said, "We need to move swiftly."

"What is wrong? Charity?" Arianna's light-hearted face changed, and it saddened her eyes with the grief that Charity expressed.

"The day, the time, we broke out to the dark realm. Seeing Ridge and the others, and Brennan. Seeing them perish before my eyes. I feel," Charity was cut off by Slaten.

"Do not feel guilty. I know that it must have been a lot to take in. We need to have our goodbyes of Cora and Ridge. We do not want to forget about Brennan, even though he was a Warrick follower for so long. I should have seen more; he is my father..." Slaten's positive tone dwindled in the face of his own reality.

Charity placed her hand on Slaten's arm, and her fingers tightened around his arm as she smiled and nodded to him in silence. After the shared moment, she released her grasp, but her eyes lingered upon Slaten for several moments longer as she moved to the grand doors that were the gateway to the Hall of Souls, to the keepers.

She walked and took careful study of the beautiful floors, as though she were seeing them for the first time. She scuffled her feet and observed the great room where so many epic events transpired. She dropped her trembling hands down away from her face where they hung loosely at her sides.

"This is it; we will take it back. Together. The demons will come for us; Warrick will come for us. We must be ready." Charity snapped around, with a sharp breath and steely eyes she spoke as though the demons were already there. "We will stand together, and no matter what comes of me, I will fight for our realm...our peace. But first, call the guides home. Have the vote. Then we will wake Caius with the blessing of the keepers."