Crustel

Chapter 25

    "Mom, what will you do if Lanshirens attack Crustel again while I am gone?" I asked mom. She replied, "Cora, your ancestors won't let you down. I know how to handle it. Just save my brother but be careful with Elvira." I nodded casually but deep in my heart fear haunted me. We packed some essentials and prepared a carriage. My wand glowed in green as the gem of the leader of the tranquets was united with mine. I didn't understand the reason my wand was glowing. I turned back to put my things on the couch. All of sudden, Prince Kanyal bumped at me. "Cora, we need to talk in private," he urged me. I agreed and found a perfect place beside our castle. Ethan and Erica didn't notice us. "So, what's the problem?" I whispered. He was wandering around. Somehow he pulled himself together and said, "Cora, did you listen carefully to the lyrics?" I nodded immediately. "If you listened carefully, you shouldn't have allowed Erica to join or must exclude someone from this team. If I were you, I would like to exclude Elvira's son," he sighed. Actually, he had a valid point. A team of three. "How did I forget that?" I questioned myself.

  "You're right but how do I know which one I should exclude? Three of you are important to me," I told him in a confused tone. "If I were you, I would definitely exclude Elvira's son" Prince Kanyal sighed. "Hey what are you guys doing here? We have to move now!" Erica almost scared me. "Nothing. Come on. Let's go!" I hurried with her as Prince Kanyal stared at me with disbelief. "You're making a mistake," he whispered. I shrugged. Unfortunately, Erica saw us. "What are you guys doing and what do you mean that Cora had made a mistake?" Erica shouted at Prince Kanyal's face. "Nothing!" He screamed and overtook us immediately. He was certainly outraged. Erica's eyes met mine. Her look meant "What's going on" and I refused to tell. We got on the couch. I held the scroll. Prince Kanyal and Ethan had some kind of misunderstanding. Both of them avoided looking at each other.  I was worried about both of them. Erica was quite upset with me that I was hiding something from her. 

   The carriage had a hidden compartment. I wanted to have a private talk with Erica. I hoped that she would understand the current dilemma. I never knew these boys would be so theatrical. "Wow! The hidden compartment looks like an ancient Ruadian library." I ignored Erica's compliment. "We can discuss the compartment later ..." I told her everything. From the map thing till Prince Kanyal's irking moments. Erica was wondering. "Can I have a look at the scroll or map?" she asked. I handed the scroll to her. The moment she held the scroll, she started mounting enchanted spells and the scroll glowed. The map popped again and the haunting humming voice arose too. "This is certainly Elvira but..." Erica didn't continue. "What's with the but?" I asked her anxiously. "This scroll is from The Kingdom of Ruad. Ruadians are powerful wizards. They have the hidden magic world where every wizard wanted to go once in their lifetime...ARDIAN," Erica's eyes unveiled fear. Ardian was not the perfect place for evil witches and wizards. It has the most hidden magic and toughest spells that only the masters could master. When I was five, Lama always told me that the day before my coronation I had to go to Ardian and drink a cup of Ardian's Waterfall's water. The water makes any wizard and witch be the most powerful.

   Knowing that Elvira was in Ruad almost killed the last hope in me. If she finds out Ardian then, there was no more future for any kingdom. Even Crustel. Erica noticed that I was downhearted. "Cora, we have to stop Elvira. THE SONG! Oh No!" she almost screeched. "What's wrong? What is it?" I questioned her as I was frightened. "That's Ardian's Guardian song! We can't enter Ardian as a team of four. Cora, you really have to decide. Only a team of three is allowed.  Wait! That means Elvira has found Ardian. That means Elvira needed a third person!" Erica added every fact so quickly till my brain lost coordination with my organs. All I could do was sit down without hope and belief. "WE NEED ELVIRA'S SON!" I told her. "Prince Kanyal?" Erica questioned. I didn't reply. I was speechless. "Why are you picking Ethan instead of Kanyal, Cora?" Erica burst. "Elvira won't hurt her own son and his best friends but Kanyal is not even a good friend for Ethan. Both of them hurt each and other. That makes it easy for Elvira to defeat us." I told her calmly. "Well, you have a point but Ethan is Elvira's son! Remember! He might even have evil in his blood just like his mom and you know right, Elvira killed Foscor because he stood against her evil plans?" Erica's word made me tremble.  Foscor was Elvira's husband and she did it for the sake of her evil plans.

   I knew Ethan since my childhood. I was really hopeless. I needed Erica. Her knowledge about Ruadian was too vital to winning Elvira. Ethan and Kanyal were like choosing between an old friend and a new friend. I never saw evil in Ethan. I stood with my previous decision. I wanted to go with Ethan but I had another problem. I didn't know how to convince Kanyal. He was the one who gave me this scroll. "Erica, I need to think alone." I calmly told her. She went back to the seat. All of sudden, my amulet glowed. I opened it and the book floated. It turned its pages vehemently and ended up showing an uncanny image. Two young girls and young boys were passing through the Ardian's Guardian. One of the boys was betraying all the time but both boys looked almost the same. I didn't know which was Kanyal and Ethan. "I need your help, Mr Sorcerer. Who should I pick?" I whispered. The book glowed. "Cora, believe in yourself. Anyone could betray anyone. No one can predict. Even the future!" He didn't continue.  His words made me feel worse.