Crystal Guardian

21

Aldric could not help himself. He was drawn to stare up towards the clear sky that dazzled with multi-coloured stars blinking through the dark. There was a fresh dewy smell in the air as if it was a black spring morning before the sun had rose. No-one arriving at the pleasant scene would ever have imagined that there had been a murder only a little way down the road from where they stood.

When Aldric entered the room, he found that the atmosphere was a little duller than would have been expected of a birthday party. He sat down at an empty table. If a person had not been killed in the temple, they all could have been there: amongst silver and gold streamers, delicate ornate statues, pillars, stained glass windows that looked like solid rainbows, orchestras and dancing. The dining room was ten times smaller, even though all the tables and chairs had been moved to the sides of the room, and a hundred times less eloquent. Although banners and streamers did decorate the place, they hung limply as if they had been put up in a rush. K didn't seem to mind but Aldric thought that she was probably being polite. He watched, frustrated, as Kyrone strode up to K like a vulture and asked her to dance. How dare she dance with his new found enemy? He clenched his fists within the safety of his pockets.

'Hiya Aldric,' a swoop of brown found the seat next to him. 'Nice night isn't it?' It was Aurelia, sporting a very eccentric sparkly brown dress and a necklace of glistening green leaves. 'How's life treating you?' she asked happily. Aldric did not know why she was so happy after what had happened. He looked at her to try and decipher her mask but her voice didn't match her face. It was blank and emotionless. He had been right. She was indeed putting on a front.

'It could treat me a lot better to be honest,' Aldric muttered, fumbling with the gift he had yet to give K.

'What's that you got there?' Aurelia asked him as her hands found the box in his. Aldric snatched it away from her.

'Sorry, but it's special,' the words sounded corny as he said them. Aurelia looked like she wasn't even listening. She was glancing around the room. 'Looking for Raiden?' he asked her.

Aurelia spun round. 'Have you seen him?'

'Not since this morning.' Aldric was aware that she was looking at the box with a look of concern.

'What's up?' Aldric asked her. Aurelia's eyes flicked towards him.

'I did have a word with Raiden,' she said, 'and you were right. He's not himself. He's convinced he's being possessed by a demon.'

Aldric raised an eyebrow. Was she being serious?

'You keep looking at this,' he held up the box to her face. 'Raiden was doing the exact same thing. He looked like he was obsessing over it or something. What do you think?'

'I think that some objects can be cursed,' she replied. 'There are creatures in this world that-'

'You're just talking rubbish now,' Aldric dismissed her. He hated it when people messed him around. Aurelia gave an annoyed sigh before getting up to mingle with the others. Aldric watched K and Kyrone impatiently as they waltzed around the room. In all the years he had known K, he had never seen her dance. It wasn't her style, but she looked like she had been doing it for years. Her white glistening dress spun with her, flaying around her ankles as they twisted in time with the music. Kyrone was a sharp dancer too even though Aldric hated to admit it. He was too good. Aldric had not expected him to be graceful. He walked with such a clumsy swagger that it seemed impossible for him to put a foot right. Kyrone had proved everybody wrong.

Eventually, K tired out. She threw off her flat shoes, shyly waved goodbye to her dance partner as he left through the opposite doors and scuffled over to Aldric. She sat down in the chair Aurelia had just abandoned.