Crustel

Chapter 22

   I was able to hear. My mom was encouraging me. My ancestors were worried. I couldn't hear Emerald's voice. Ethan screamed like a teenage girl, "Emerald went to the aventurine mine!" I tried to get up but I felt as I lost my eyesight. Everything in front of me was too dark. I could only hear what everyone was shouting. I tried to focus but my lost eyesight made me hopeless. I wanted to run far from them but I accidentally fell into the river. I immediately transformed myself into a mermaid but still, I couldn't see anything. As no one followed me, Lama guided me. "Cora, you can't give up! Listen to my instructions" Lama told as we were in hurry. I swam according to his instructions. I still felt haunted.

   When I reached the aventurine mine's entrance, Lama told me to change myself into a tranquet. At that moment, I felt someone holding my hand tight. I couldn't see who was it. "Who are you?"I questioned as I tried to take off my hand from the person's grip. He giggled. I recognized the voice. It was Prince Kanyal's but I wondered why he was here. I asked a question in my mind, "Is it really you, Prince Kanyal?" just to ensure whether he was really Prince Kanyal. My guess was right. He read my mind. "Yes, my lady!" He replied. Lama was checking out for Emerald's arrival. He wanted to make sure that I am safe and not sighted by any tranquets. "Why are you here? In Crustel?" I asked Prince Kanyal. Suddenly, Lama whispered. "Cora, it's time. Prepare your wand and sphere shield. Most importantly, your sword. The leader of the tranquets is here." I replied quietly and nervously, "What if I fail? I couldn't see anything!" Suddenly, I felt forced backwards throwing me out of the river. I got back my sight as Lama still had his healing power but I couldn't standstill. Something controlled me. 

   Emerald was running towards me. I saw her wrist. Her aventurine bracelet was not on her wrist. I was quite relieved to have back my eyesight but was still puzzled as that why I couldn't see before this. Literally the last few hours. I saw the leader of the tranquets. The wrath made me seize him. I took my sharp silver sword and sliced his head. To my dismay, his head turned into someone else's face. It was not him. I couldn't understand. Even Lama was puzzled. Emerald came towards me, "I know where he is! He is inside the mine and hiding at his underground secret office. Go get him." she told. I was stunned. She was instructing me to kill her own father. "Are you alright? I am your opponent and you're giving me details about your OWN DAD???" I burst. At that moment, I realized that I spit out the truth. I told "OWN DAD". Emerald was startled. She was speechless at that moment. "Cora, I can explain! You have to get him down!" Emerald trembled with her words. I heard evil laughter from the mine. Lama started mounting ancient enchanted spells. My amulet glowed. The twist of the test was right in front of me. 

   The war! It has begun. Someone had already killed the leader of the tranquet. So, that was what Emerald was trying to tell me. Both of us exchanged looks. I took my sword and activated the Aquan shield. At that moment, someone held my shoulders and whispered, "I am here for you!" I immediately turned to look. It was Prince Kanyal. I smiled. I ran inside the mine. To my dismay, Emerald was in front of me, with an ancient Taleas Sword. She killed her own father. Now, I was speechless. She was talking with me at the entrance but there was no way she could have killed her own father so quickly. I looked beside me. The thing was, there were two Emeralds! I didn't know who was the real one. As usual, Prince Kanyal read my mind. He whispered as he bent a bit lower because he was few inches taller than me, "My lady, save the girl beside you! She is Emerald and the one who killed the leader of the tranquets is..." he stopped. "My lady, this is the information that I am allowed to tell." He reminded me about his law.

   I grabbed Emerald's hand and ran out from the mine. Prince Kanyal followed us. We were surrounded by tranquets and Lanshirens with aventurine. I tried my level best. Fighting with my sword and the shield all made me tired. I wanted to give up until I killed the last one with my sword. I realized Emerald was scared. She used her arrogance to show off as she was not scared of anything. Actually, Emerald didn't know how to fight. She was not eligible for the throne and that was what she tried to convey to her mother. She was wise but not strong. The Lanshirens were quite strong but my sword answered them. At last, it was me and the fake Emerald who killed the leader of the tranquets. She was holding the shiny gem. I tried to get that back. I saw an aventurine bracelet on her wrist. I mounted an ancient spell to know who was it. "SENOLA!" I chanted as my wand produced a beam. I hit her. I saw a familiar face. She acted too fast. She grabbed Emerald. I got panicked and accidentally dropped my wand. All I could do was seeing Emerald dying in front of me. Blood filled the entrance of the aventurine mine. Tears rolled down my cheeks. "EMERALD.....!" I screamed as even the fake Emerald closed her ears and lost focus. She fell to the ground. Even the tranquets were startled. My eyes glowed.

    I screamed till my ancestors surrounded me. They were indeed in shock to see Emerald's body laying down on the ground. Mom burst into tears. Aunt Ayari wasn't with us. I knew she couldn't accept the fact that her own daughter is no more and her lovely evil husband too. I snatched the gem from the fake Emerald. The moment I grabbed the gem, she tried to attack me with her aventurine bracelet but Aquan Shield was really powerful. It threw her away from me. Crustel's soldiers surrounded us. "ATTACK!" I yelled. With pain in my heart and wrath in my focus, we won the war but the fake Emerald escaped. A superior security team and soldiers were commanded to search for her!