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

Chapter 16

              In curiosity as much as a demand, the guides returned home to Etheria to welcome the long-awaited words from the only real leader of the realm. In the same room where the first battle took place and Caius was sent to the hall of souls, Charity prepared herself to call the meeting.

The room crowded with the spirit guides who were most eager to hear any news. Charity sat in company with Slaten and Arianna as she called an order to the room.

"Order! This meeting is in session now. Please, now all of you remain silent for this meeting that will answer all the questions I know you have. I want to begin by addressing the most recent event that took place, and that is with Warrick. You all know who he is, and he is not one of us, but a demon of the high court. I am sure many of you have lost faith in the council and must question yourselves if any of us are demons." Charity rose from her seat.

One spirit guide that stood in the middle of the crowded room shouted out, "Yes! How do we know you are not one of them?"

The voices escalated with shouting amongst the guides. Charity resumed her place and called order once more. "Order! Order! Now I cannot show you how I am not like Warrick; however, I can show you through my actions, and that will take time and trust from you. I have one way that I believe you will regain faith in the council and me by doing the most important thing first. We must vote in two additional council members to take Brennan and Warrick's place. We then need to attend to the losses of the guides like Ridge and the others for their sacrifices. Last, we will wake Caius from the hall of souls."

The unrest reached an epic proportion with the words Charity said. Many of the faces were full of confusion and fear. The same guide spoke out once more. "How do we know whom to trust to take those positions? We have not honored those lost souls from Etheria. Where are they now? How did you escape the dark realm? Where is Warrick now?"

Charity drew a long breath to raise her voice over the unrest. "Please! Listen. We lost spirit guides in the escape from the dark realm. We can only guess those souls are lost, trapped in a place they do not deserve. We have to join because the worst has yet to meet us at our door. The demons, they will come. They will invade because they want the hall of souls for what truly lives there. The keepers, the Angels that draw their energy from the Universe. They are the conductors of the cosmos. It is the cosmos where souls come from. If the demons invade, there will not be a hall of souls left, no keepers, spirit guides, and humankind will be destroyed."

The room went silent, and all eyes were on Charity. Another voice shouted from the crowd. "Keepers? Who are the keepers?"

Charity began her speech of words that not all guides ever had the chance to hear and know about their own home. "The Angels have always lived within the hall of souls. They watch over the souls and release them into the world when a baby is born. That is why they are called keepers. They are the conductors, the protectors, and the knowledge of all twin souls. All of you, when you were human, were destined to be with your twin soul. You may have never had the chance to meet your twin soul. Humans are born with free will and with free will comes choices and choices are what change the path. For those lucky enough to have found their twin soul within their lifetimes and come together are and will always be the key; the key to one another's soul. As they come together, their souls join as one, and it is then, they form the soul key."

The room was silent for just a few moments after Charity finished her speech, then a few audible whispers emerged before another voice spoke up to Charity. "What about Pramlee and Slaten? Are they demons too?"

Charity struggled with this question. She brought her hand up to her thin lips and nervously looked downward at her feet that were now moving forward, closer to the guides. "Technically, yes they are half-demons. In truth, they would have to submit themselves to that way, and I have never seen either one of them act in a way that would lead me to believe that they are dark souls. I do not believe they have that kind of nature. You will have to trust them and me."

The same spirit guide moved forward to confront Charity. He was tall, thin and crows feet surrounded his eyes, telling of the time when he left his human body and came to Etheria. "How are we supposed to do that? Our realm has been run by a demon! Now his children are here. Nothing they have taught us is true!"

Charity brought her arms away from her body with her palms down, "Please, calm down. I know how you all feel. I was tricked as well. But it is time to fix things. We must stand together. We need to put in council members, and awaken Caius."

The upset spirit guide pointed at the doors to the hall of souls. "We don't have to have any council members voted in just yet. If the angels are in there, why can't you go in and ask for Caius to be returned? I trust Caius, I believe that he should sit in council."

The hundreds of guides that stood in their presence raised their voices, most of them in agreement. To bypass the council member vote, and straight forward to wake the one spirit guide they had faith in. "Nothing that has happened has been about the rules. I say for once, allow a rule to be broken for the betterment. Awaken Caius!!"