The doors opened and the trio walked out with triumphant smiles on their faces. Cole reacted instantly giggling like his ‘Flower’ persona would. He shouted his thanks as he rushed off to warn Sert and Meli of this victory. I nodded to Kestrel smiling while knowing this was sealing the fate of all of us. I followed behind the three as they were escorted to the harbor. Scarabea was given a chance to have a parting hug with Kestrel and a final kiss upon his cheek. She drifted beside as the Brothers made their own parting movements.
“Please do not tell him of his missing daughter.” she whispered to me. I smiled and nodded to her with a quick wink. She giggled before rushing up the gangplank before the Brothers slowly walked to stand on the deck of the Leviathan. Kestrel traded a salute to them while the plank retracted. The Leviathan glided to actually navigate the protective reefs instead of disappearing from the harbor waters. I let Kestrel turn before matching his move. We both smiled as I walked with him back to our home. We barely entered before he called all of us together. He requested our help to carry all his musical instruments to the garden where he gave all of us a day filled with music and leisure. Runners from the Royal Kitchen filled our need for food while the day was spent in joyous idleness.
I watched over everything during the next few weeks as words that the crystals were being loaded on ships ready to be spread to the other world arrived to Kestrel and the other powers in Atlantis. Kestrel, to give me more time away from him, spent his time lounging in the garden. Word started as rumors but word from outpost looking seaward confirmed what was being seen. A massive fleet was positioned on the horizon all flying the emblem of Lemuria. The rumors turned this flotilla into an attacking force ready to target Atlantis. As I reported this to Kestrel a sad mild came onto his face.
“And the world strikes out to force the hand of Atlantis.” he replied. “Once Atlantis acts, they will retreat and our last days are upon us.” he stated. “We still have time for you to complete your final arrangements before you are me.” he added in a whisper. He waved me away to continue my mission of getting all the multiple group of Guards ready to start moving people out of Atlantis. I felt a tremor under my feet before learning that the fleet had retreated. I sighed knowing nothing could divert the path we now rode upon. My path did have me keeping tabs on the Council member named Peregrine at Kestrel’s request. He stayed much closer to the Royal Enclave than the Council Chambers as time passed.
The Holy Queen was taken prisoner by a combined squadron of Royal and Council Guards under the crime of ordering and activating the device that had destroyed Lemuria without consent of all divisions of Atlantis. She had went peacefully while claiming it was the Council that had done all these evil deeds to discredit her. Witnesses told a different tale of a raging bloodthirsty Queen ordering the erasure of Lemuria from existence and proceeded to do so when no one obeyed her. She had been seen activating a forbidden device that the engineers of Atlantis could not dismantle or disarm. The sheer volume of mixed witnesses made it hard to be seen as a plot against her own actions. Kestrel still spent his waking hours in the garden commenting about the clouds or wishing he could play as sweetly as our song birds sang. Two days passed by while Kestrel sat acting the fool in our garden. We did not speak since it was not needed until the third day.
“It is time for my last act.” Kestrel told me. He had me follow him to the empty foyer as he locked arms with me. “Be ready once I call for you, my Squire, since it is the last chance to save Annianka or Atlantis.” he added before leaving. I did not try to follow him knowing where he was going. Miss Hope had been assigned as her Warden as she was placed into her tower to never leave again. The respect all Atlantis had for Lord Kestrel allowed him to be the only other person that could enter the Queen’s prison tower.
“Redpath!” bellowed in my mind and I was off running toward the Queen’s Prison Tower. I came across Miss Hope rushing in my direct.
“He called me.” I stated as I flew passed her. It took barely a minute for her to be at my side as we climbed up a back stairwell to what I presumed was her private room. My feet did not falter seeing the room having been transformed into the central circular room of the Temple of Light. Miss Hope paused as she took in the sight before her. I faced Kestrel from across the pillar of light as they spoke loudly to us while the albino tigress covered her ears.
“The only way for him to take your place is to be you in every way possible.” it told us in a single voice. “Your power and abilities mean nothing without the memories and knowledge that fuels and controls it.” it continued in unison. “Give everything you are and we will accept him as we accepted you, Great Lord Genin.” it concluded with blunt finality. Our eyes meet as Lord Death’s song sounded from behind Kestrel. Lord Death did not touch him but stood as his back sing a serenade for him to be whisked away as we nodded our mutual agreement. Tendrils of light shot out from the pillar to connect us as his form dissipated into nothing as my mind flooded with everything he had ever been.
I felt his grief of placing this upon my young shoulders but his mantle felt like a perfect weight for me. I stood discovering myself taller as I stood in a room looking towards an empty bed with Miss Hope kneeling beside it. I also knew why he could not openly attack Genia because of his promise to his mother Universe. I was not him but need her to believe I was meaning I would only attack without truly being angry at her. The plan was simple but could not fail in this case. Miss Hope still looked upon the empty bed with no trace Lord Kestrel ever existed.
“We cannot allow anyone to know that he is no more.” I stated. I did not realize I spoke with his voice. Miss Hope turned and gasped wide eyed at me. From a mirror in the room, I saw that I now had Kestrel’s appearance as well as his voice.
“The eyes he had shown me when we first met.” she whispered still staring at me. I glance to the mirror closer to see my golden amber cat eyes studded Kestrel’s face. I focused my mind remembering all the details of my previous form and watched myself shift back into my feline form. I smirked at my reflection.
“Please listen carefully, Miss Hope.” I purred out softly. “We must pretend that Lord Kestrel was removed and never let it be known that he has died the final death.” I started explaining slowly. I created a second copy of myself and manifested it standing beside me. “She, who attacks Atlantis, will not believe he would charge her unless he lost something dear to him.” I continued purring from both bodies. “She will know, upon seeing my cat formed duplicate, that I am his chosen Squire, sacrificing myself to save a weakened Lord Kestrel.”
“How have you been able to present twice?” she asked confused.
“He had many more abilities than he allowed any of us to see.” I answered softly. “He was hiding who and what he truly was to protect us as much as to protect himself from a pair of ancient enemies.” I added softly.
“You will face two enemies here?” she asked bluntly. I saw her feral nature rising in her ready for a challenge and to call all into this battle. I raised a hand to touch her shoulder.
“Only one may be defeated here if Atlantis is to survive for the far future when it will be needed once more.” I told her softly. “The second of his enemies cannot be destroyed yet.” I continued softly. “And it is best if no one else interferes in the battle since I know they will die the worse death possible.” I informed her. Her eyes turned to meet mine. “It has no form to be defeated on the last day of Atlantis being above the waves.”
“Continue with your plan.” she ordered in a half growl.
“My supposed death will allow me to attack her with the full strength of my righteous rage.” I began weaving the details. “When she think I am done, the true death blow will take her.” I explained. “In her last moment, she will see my true face and learn a secret she craved to know.” I concluded. A smirk was on my face but it was not a snarl nor were my words filled with aggression as I describe murdering her, his half-sister.
“I do not hear, see, nor smell anger in you.” she muttered. She stepped back examining both myself and my copy. I let my original body return to Lord Kestrel’s form.
“I do this for Atlantis and the world, and not for the revenge I would previously be my motivation.” I replied with a soft deep throated purr. “He has enlightened me that anger need not be what makes a person act or hold back from acting.” I said. “An emotionally empty vessel is feared more than any other since opponents cannot fathom what they will do.” I concluded in a purring chuckle.
“How long will we be forced to play this farce?” she asked. I could see how difficult it was on her to see Kestrel and myself standing before her. I let my copy dissolve but kept his countenance.
“Until Atlantis is rising again from the waves, or has been freed from the darkness hidden in its Heartstone.” I admitted quietly. I sighed softly as visions of future possibilities flashed in my mind. “A very long time, sweet tigress.” I added. I slipped back into my feline form giving her a cattish grin and wink.
“It is best you return to the others before they believe something has gone amiss.” she suggested. Her padded hand came out to touch my cheek as she looked into my eyes.
“Still the exquisite and wise tigress Kestrel could have fallen in love with, even if this life had him held in a bird’s nature.” I returned with a chuckle. One of my hands covered hers as my other hand touched her cheek. “Dia can chide me for this later.” I purred. I leaned in and rubbed my cheek along hers while we both purred to each other. “Until we meet again in the far future.” I whispered in her ear. I pulled back to look at her. “None of my future forms will remember this until the first shadows of the great darkness touches this world, unfortunately.” I added before disappearing from her room.
I had one last duty to perform since some needed to know that I was the new Kestrel and stood as his replacement for the being that has existed nearly forever. My body splintered into multiple copies ready to manifest around the globe and in other planes.
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