The Headmistress couldn’t believe her eyes. June was running faster than any other Judge, even faster than Yako, the leader of the Athany. The fastest and oldest of all the old living Judges. However, even he paled next to June. She was magnificent. A perfect child of the Blue Queen Tree, but she couldn’t see this about herself. June asked Uhna to ensure her arrival was kept a secret. And June was getting near the castle quickly. It was very late at night and there were only a few guards, but if they noticed June, it was going to be near impossible keeping her identity a secret for much longer.
The Headmistress ran down the northeastern battlement. She hiked her robe high to avoid stepping on it. She needed to get to Lady Starr and Lady Oliver. They all needed to prepare for June’s arrival as she was approaching at a breakneck pace, along with Light, looking like he was in a frenzy. The odd part was it appeared as if Light was carrying something as well.
As the Headmistress ran down to the infirmary, Lady Starr was approaching at a fast pace of her own.
“June is near and she is losing control,” said Starr.
“Starr, how do you always know when June needs help?” asked the Headmistress.
“I was the first being she touched when she came out of her tree. I think I’m like her Judge-Mother I just know when she is around, when she’s distressed and how she’s feeling.”
“That is good to know. Could you have Shasso get Lady Oliver and meet us at the eastern cave entrance? I believe June is carrying a Gift-Vessel. She told Shasso to wake me and have me look for her over the battlements overlooking the Castleville forest.” Said Lady Uhna.
“Where is Randall?” asked Starr.
“He’s been undertaking some task of his own and doesn’t want to tell me about it. It’s supposed to help June in some way. He thinks it’s best for me not to know.” Said Lady Uhna as she ran down the stairs with Lady Starr following.
“He is doing that, without June having committed to helping us or even agreeing to stay? He has faith. I’ll give him that,” said Starr.
“Listen, if what I think has happened and June has found a Gift-Vessel, then it means she may be staying. In any case, she looked like she was carrying something and so was Light,” said Lady Uhna.
“Uhna, I know she has found someone and we are going to need more than one healer for this one,” said Starr.
“Tell Shasso to call Carmen as well,” said Lady Uhna.
The Headmistress ran to the lower caves of the castle and was soon followed by Starr.
Lady Oliver arrived in her pajamas with her hair in a sleeping bonnet and a green lotion smeared on half her face. By the sound of her, she couldn’t believe Shasso had woken her up at this hour of the night. The young man was almost frantic, making her run.
“What in all the fire stone spires of Hell is going on here?” demanded Lady Oliver.
“Uhna, I hope someone is dead, close to death or with multiple broken bones, because if not I’m going to start writing my letter of resignation now. And you will be stuck with Lord Youh as your castle Healer.”
“June is running as if all the Scroungers and Spirit Demons of the world are trying to catch her. She is carrying something. We think she has found one of the eight Gifted!” said Starr.
“Starr! Please, let’s not overreact. We don’t know that—do we?” Lady Oliver asked Uhna. Uhna looked at Starr, then at Oliver, with an I-can’t-believe-you look. Starr talked as if she had seen June herself. Lady Oliver—shorter than her friends—slumped and her eyes became smaller than usual.
“Starr, I’m going to hurt you,” said Oliver.
“We have too much light, so we are going to need a diversion,” said Uhna. “June will enter the castle through the caves on the Plato Forest side. That much we know.”
“The King’s Guards must be kept busy. If June is bringing a Gift-Vessel we must keep her hidden for as long as we can,” said Lady Oliver.
“I can make a bang—leave that to me,” said Starr gleefully, wearing the most mischievous smile for an adult of her age.
“Starr, please don’t set fire to the labs or the kitchen—or the library! No, no, just don’t set fire to anything inside the castle. Please, no pyrotechnics!” Lady Uhna pleaded with Lady Starr.
“Uhna van Ryland, only you can suck the joy out of a once-in-a-lifetime diversion,” said Lady Starr.
“Be that as it may, I’m still the Headmistress of this place. No fire. I only wish Randall was here to help. June must be very close to the caves,” said Uhna as she ran down to the caves.
Lady Starr left to do her very best to create a fireless diversion to distract the few King’s Guards awake at this hour. But she still had a mischievous smile. Lady Oliver took Shasso and Healer-Magi Carmen to the undercroft caves.
“June should be arriving at any minute,” said Uhna.
They arranged all their medical supplies and set up a cot on which to lay whomever June was bringing. Just as Lady Oliver saw June in the distance, clearing the tall forest trees to enter the cave with Light right behind her, a loud bang, followed by several other booms, was heard and felt overhead. It felt like one of the doors to the south side of the castle wall had just fallen. Then all could hear the sound of many voices and screams. The staff and the children were awake. The Headmistress didn’t want to even think of what Starr had concocted this time. But whatever she had done, apparently it had worked.
June ran inside the caves. She had a small little human clutched in her arms—a bloody, bruised and beaten woman at death’s door. June was cleaning Opal’s face with her hands. June was crying inconsolably, relieved to have found Opal but angry, anxious, fearful and sad all at the same time. All these emotions were running rampant in her chest; she didn’t know why or from where they came, for the little woman she rescued, though barely alive, was a stranger. The woman seemed to have stayed alive through her sheer stubborn will to live, combined with the energy of the Lavei man that was being carried by Light.
“Uhna, please take her. She needs a healer—now. Lady O, please help her. Please help her. I got there as fast as I could run. I wasn’t fast enough. I wasn’t fast enough. Those monsters hurt her. Please help her, please.” June said all this in between sobs.
As the Headmistress took Opal, she held the young woman as one would a baby. She was as small as one of their eight-year-old Athany children. With June’s sorrow mounting, Uhna left the light child-woman in the care of Lady Oliver. Uhna then took June’s hands and helped her warm them, shining bright blue and providing the calm June needed.
“June, look at me. You got her to us. She is alive.”
“June, look at Uhna’s hands,” said Lady Starr.
“Open your eyes and look at the Headmistress’s hands and try to make your hands warm up and glow too. June, you can do this. We practiced this, remember? We practiced the light that helps with your control,” said Lady Oliver.
Oliver then turned and placed her hands on Opal’s head, saying, “The Headmistress has arranged for everything to be in place, to give your charge the care she needs. June, I will not leave her side. I promise you. But for you to keep helping her, you need to regain your own calm,” said Oliver.
Meanwhile, Carmen was taking different medicines out of her bag and began the healing process on Opal. Carmen took her hands and placed them on Opal’s broken leg. She had infected cuts all over her body, broken ribs and a bloodshot eye, and her body was beaten and bruised.
June looked at Opal and then over to Aharo, and her heart filled with a pain that only came from the sorrow of knowing how much it hurts to be so badly beaten.
“You must ensure Aharo lives. He kept her alive. He is the reason she didn’t die earlier tonight,” said June. She cared for the young Lavei man’s health, for June could feel his pain as well.
“Will care for the young man I promise.” Said Lady Oliver.
“Lady June, I will stay with your Gifted until all her injuries are cleaned and tended to, you will see,” said Carmen. “I will not let her be alone. I saw a man in my village who was just as hurt when he tried to battle a bull when he was drunk and—”
“Carmen, please focus on what you are doing,” said Lady Oliver.
June tried to regain her wits. However, she was crying nervously. All the emotions of the night were raw in her head and chest. June’s connection to Opal had become complete the moment she rescued her. Everything Opal felt, June could feel. June was in a state of anger and rage for she knew the demon Grim Reaper was stalking around Opal, and June was powerless against him. June was losing the battle with her lungs. But then Lord Randall ran in and found his wife calming June. He placed one hand on top of Uhna’s shoulder and the other on June’s hands. As his hands glowed softly green, he began to hum. After a few minutes, June stopped crying.
“Lord Randall, she is so hurt. I was late. I was late,” said June, with her eyes full of tears.
“No, my lady, you were just in time. We are never late. Did you go when you felt her calling?” asked Lord Randall.
“Yes, I did!”
“Then you were there at the perfect time,” said Lord Randall.
“Lady Oliver, Aharo needs help also,” said June.
“You must eat and then you must rest. I already promised, I will not leave either Aharo or the young lady’s side,” said Lady Oliver.
“Her name is Opal!” blurted Aharo.
Shasso approached Aharo with hesitation. Shasso’s eyes were full of tears, for he saw the multiple bruises on the young Lavei’s face and arms.
Lady Oliver got up, her hands still glowing, and she walked toward Aharo.
“Young man, may I heal your wounds? At the moment, I can only ease your pain and mend any bleeding, but once we have you at the infirmary, we can take care of you better.”
“You are asking my permission?”
“Yes, if you are awake. I will not touch anyone without permission, even to provide him care. What is your name?”
“Yes, my lady, I would appreciate any help you are able to give me. My name is Aharo.”
Lady Oliver touched Aharo’s chest and she jumped in place.
“I can’t believe the enormity of the torment this poor soul has lived through.” Whispered Lady Oliver.
Aharo was fascinated by this beautiful woman. First, he had never seen an Athany before—until he’d seen June running into the middle of what was left of the fair to save Opal’s life, and his life from the Shadow Demons who were after Seamus. He had believed the Athany had died out over five hundred years earlier and whatever descendants of the Judges that existed now were corrupt assassins for the king. Secondly, he had never before seen a woman who shone in this way. This lady was even taller than the Blue Judge, but he was impressed by her gentle hands. These ladies were refined and beautiful. He wanted to touch Lady Oliver’s white braids.
Lady Starr’s explosion had been nothing more than a pinch of her secret metal. The metal had to be kept in a resin. If any of it touched water, it would make a colossal and loud BANG. She’d told the guards she’d wanted to test the metal and she had not known it was going to explode that violently. She said she had not wanted to test it while the kids were awake.
The amount of metal she used didn’t damage the door, but it did blow the door off its hinges at the gate. In the end, the door was lying flat on the ground and all the children were awake, which had given the Headmistress the diversion she needed.
Headmistress van Ryland was furious with Lady Starr. She had blown open the door in the main gate. That meant all were going to need to use the western gate entrance, which was smaller. Uhna went up to arrange for the doors to be fixed and for the staff to get all the children back to bed. In the meantime, June begrudgingly returned to her own bedchamber while Lady Oliver, Shasso and Carmen took care of Aharo and Opal in the caves for three days, until they could be moved to the infirmary.
The van Rylands thought Opal was going to die for sure. Opal was at death’s doors, but little by little she recovered. Every day, Aharo would go out to the meadow of the Blue Judge. He would touch a Blue Tree for a few minutes and it helped him recuperate in a week. On the other hand, Opal walked out of the infirmary with only a cast on her leg and some crutches two weeks later.
The night Opal left the clinic room to move to her own room, June requested Uhna recognize Opal as one of the Eight.
“June, are you sure we must give Opal the artifact of the Teacher-Magi this soon? Are you sure about this?”
“Uhna, please listen. Randall said each Gifted needs their corresponding artifact to achieve unity with their own Gift and Vessel. I know Opal is hurt, but the artifact will help in her recovery. Don’t ask me how I know this, I just know. Listen, four weeks ago I had no idea where Opal was, or how to find her. Then, two weeks ago it was as if I had a good to honest homing beacon attached to my head that was pulling me toward her. Randall said I had to choose whether or not I wanted to accept my role. I decided to go help and find her. I know what she feels – I feel it too – and I know this is the right thing to do.”
“June, you have what attached to your head?”
“Nothing, Uhna, it’s just a figure of speech. Give Opal the artifact. Her power will be released when we least expect it. For now, I must figure out a way to rescue Opal’s sister, Dia. She is not my charge, but I owe it to Opal. There must be another Companion Judge arriving soon. I’m going to need help.”
“June, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but you know Opal’s Vessel may be broken,” said Headmistress Uhna.
“Trust me, her Vessel is there and usable. She is just hurt. For now, all I know is the artifact will help her bind whatever is left of her Vessel and her Gift. I have to find my second charge and Opal’s sister.”
“June, you need to rest. No excuses or fighting me on this one. You know you must sleep. I’ll send Shasso with food. We can talk later.”
The Headmistress said her good nights to June and closed the door behind her. As June sat at her desk, her only focus was on Opal. June needed to think.
Later in the week, Uhna was sitting by the fireplace in her office. Lady Oliver was giving an account of Opal’s and Aharo’s progress. Lady Starr was giving her account on the supplies needed for the next three months. Lord Randall was giving an account of the repairs to the gate’s door.
“Uhna, next time you need a diversion to bring June into the castle, please don’t send Starr to do the job. These repairs are ridiculous!” said Lord Randall.
“I know, dear. But there was too much light and you know we have to keep June’s presence a secret. There were new guards on duty that night. I’m sorry, but I was in a pinch and I needed to organize the healers. Starr has that connection of hers with June,” said Uhna.
“Randall, I’m not going to apologize again. We needed a diversion and I gave them one.” Starr sat sideways so as to show her back to Randall.
“Enough talk of the door. Uhna, this is important! We must contact Yako,” said Lady Oliver.
“Oli, we must be patient. Yako is our leader and I agree, he must know. But we will be taking a huge risk of the guards intercepting the message,” said Lady Starr.
“Yako and the others need to know what is happening here, but there is another issue we need to discuss. June asked me to give Opal the artifact of the Teacher-Magi,” said Uhna.
“Are you sure you want to do this? She is a Gift-Vessel, but her Vessel is almost broken. I tried to connect to her Vessel and there was nothing,” said Randall.
“Listen, Opal’s Vessel is damaged. Aharo is a Vessel and he is using his ability to help her. She doesn’t let anyone near her but Aharo. She needs time, but even with Aharo’s help, she may never be able to use her power to full capacity,” said Lady Oliver.
“June was given to us in our own backyard,” said Uhna. “She had the Box of the Chosen. This was a secret only Yako and I knew about, but the Box of the Chosen was given to Lady Coventry. After her disappearance, we thought we had lost the box forever. How June got it in her California is a mystery. I must believe. My friends, I believe we must move forward by following June’s request.”said Uhna.
“Uhna, you know as well as us the artifact will start the fusion of her Gift to her Vessel and if the two are not ready, this will hurt Opal,” said Oliver. “I’m afraid now is too early to try. Blending her Gift and her Vessel at this point may break her Vessel forever. She needs time to heal.” Said Oliver
“We know, but we have very little time and few choices left,” said Uhna in an exhausted voice. “She is the Teacher-Magi and June was most insistent. We must help her heal and she must have the artifact because it is hers by her Gift designation.”
All of her seven hundred years were weighing on Uhna. The last 480 years had been pure, unadulterated hell. All because fourteen of her leader friends wanted a quick end to the war. Just because the fourteen believed the lies Tatiana Falesto had given them. Tatiana, empress at the time, hated the Geners because she thought Humans were the strongest race and should continue to rule. Athany-Elder Anastasio had killed Adam Palas, the Gener successor to Tatiana Falesto. Elder Anastasio was deceived along with thirteen other Elders, thus holding a majority. They couldn’t see the error of stepping away from impartiality; they couldn’t see the Athany were helping the Humans commit genocide. And Anastasio was the hand that ravaged the last 480 years for the Athany. The fourteen let the freedom of the many be controlled by the will of the one empress, Tatiana Falesto.
Uhna walked to the mirror over the mantel of the fireplace. She touched it ever so softly on all four corners, tapping eight times with her ring finger. The mirror faded and the image disappeared. Randall placed his hand where the mirror used to be and removed an old stained ink bottle and a crooked pen.
“Well, we are committed to June and Opal. It is time we let the other three know we have the Blue Companion with us and she found one of the Eight,” said Uhna.
“That letter will be intercepted by the King’s Guard!” said Starr.
“Not if it is carried by a Henfo!” said Randall.
“A Henfo has not been woken in 468 years, since they were placed in slumber after the war,” said Starr.
“Well, it is time for them to wake and be useful,” said Oliver.
“Randall, you do it then! I’d hate to go down and see my Lailaby and not be able to wake her,” said Uhna. Henfos were panther-looking animals, with mouths full of teeth, entirely black eyes and two small horns on their head. They obeyed only one person and killed anyone hurting their person. They used to be docile pets to the Athany, but now they were cursed just like their masters.
“I will wake Yako’s Henfo and write the letter. He must know what is happening here. They have been away for over eighteen months on this last campaign. Igor and Hesh must be willing to make a stand with us as well. However, I’ll wait two or three weeks before I send the letter. I don’t want to attract attention after June decimated what was left of Seamus’s fair,” said Randall.
“We must train June in how to achieve union with the other Companions. Once the king knows of her existence, she will have very little time for training,” said Starr.
“She is not ready. June needs a lot more training. She doesn’t even know how she can protect her charges using their Gifts or how to start the ceremony,” said Oliver.
“We still have time. We’ll finish June’s training when she wakes after this rest-sleep cycle,” replied Randall, as he sat back on his chair near the fireplace.
Oliver also relaxed back on the sofa and said in agreement, “She is just like a newly classified warrior. Training her will be harder now that she is aware of the Gifted, she is to protect.”
“Oh, this is going to end up in a nasty fight and is going to hurt. I know it will,” said Starr.
“In the meantime, not only do we need to hide June, but we must protect Opal as well. But it has begun. We are ready. I just hope we trained June well,” said Uhna. And with this, the Headmistress took the Teacher-Magi artifact from Randall and she went to find Opal.