Authors note: This storyline has very little sex in it so if you are looking for a stroke piece this won't be it. Thank you very much to Paul who has volunteered to edit for me as I attempt to finish off this series. Enjoy! ~Ellie
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The big men of Gryphon prepared to move the shackled and neutralised black robed Night Walkers. Having been stripped of their alcove and colour, they each wore a plain undyed robe that was imbued with a powerful talisman created by Gabriel and bound to them by the magic they could no longer wield. The four leaders of Phoenix, content with the last two days of work their people had done to help repair the damage wrought by the short, but intense battle, also prepared to leave the city. Both Gryphon and Phoenix were leaving behind a contingent of peace keepers to assist with the change of leadership. The ceremony had been held on the first evening after the battle, despite the protests of many of the remaining Pegasus elders.
At forty years, Verdani was considered by many too young and untested to assume the mantle Alethea had held for so long. Many of those who had been present in the penitent cells, though, had heard the Hammer name her and her daughter as if they too were part of the prophecy, and rallied to her and ratified the decision of the magicians. The woman had said nothing as the two sides of the debate over her worthiness had raged.
Eventually, after seeing the magicians and men of the other cities standing back and saying nothing, she had stepped forward and addressed the crowd. She had spoken eloquently about her love of Pegasus, and the original vision of their elders before the city had been segregated by small people with big egos. She had stood there as they all watched her and told them she didn't care about the leadership as long as her city survived and flourished for future generations. When she pointed out that Alethea still lived and would remain the true leader of their city, if only in spirit, the stalemate between the two factions had been broken, and she ascended to the position without further debate.
With the help of the other leaders, she had delegated tasks trying to suit the larger tasks to the alcoves most suited to them. She gathered one healer of each of the alcoves, except the black, that she trusted to her side and a new council was formed. She had kept in constant contact with Jade, discovering the fate of the girl that had been attacked and the Son of prophecy who had returned to her side. Verdani sought out Ayla and told her of Jade's theory regarding the fate of Pyre and asked if anything could be done by Jade, who seemed only to be able to feel the fire trapping Pyre's mind with the help of the Son.
"I will be leaving with the delegation. We will travel to Gryphon and then onto the village of Judah where Jade is. She will manage for two or three days until I arrive," Ayla said, her mind preoccupied with all she had left to do before she left the city of Pegasus to its fate.
"I had hoped Jade would return to me here and help rebuild the city," Verdani said with obvious worry. "I had asked her to return home when last I spoke with her earlier this evening."
"She will not return, Verdani," Ayla stopped what she was doing and looked at the woman. "Fate and the prophecy have other plans for your daughter. You will see her again, but she will live in this city no longer."
"No!" Verdani gasped. "I need the comfort of her closeness to manage the trials of rebuilding our city! She is not mentioned in the prophecy!"
"Will you too attempt to challenge fate and interfere with the prophecy?" Ayla rebuked her. "Each city has their own version of the prophecy. It is not only the Mystics of Pegasus that walk the paths of time. The Fanatics and Elementals have also been watching the world. Be careful not to fall into the trap of your black alcove and think your power supreme," Ayla warned Verdani like she would a child.
"But they seek our counsel in these matters," Verdani frowned.
"They are not arrogant enough to believe they are the only ones who have been given the visions and prophecy," she said meaningfully, and saw Verdani recoil as if slapped. "The people of Gryphon sit in judgement because they look at all information from every source possible before coming to a decision. They are hard men, but they are fair and just, even to their detriment at times. The warriors of Phoenix are headstrong and battle hardened to the point where they wish to avoid any further conflict between the cities and the people of the foothills. They keep their own counsel but are no less concerned with what the elementals have been dreaming and prophesizing."
"We are all guilty of arrogance," Verdani despaired. "We had believed for a long time that our powers set us above the other cities and that they sought our counsel because they accepted this to be true, when, in fact, they were seeking to work with us as equals, and we..." she shook her head, not needing to finish the sentence. "Yet they came to our aid when needed, so perhaps there is hope for an equal future between the cities."
"They didn't come because you were in peril, they came because of prophecy. They came because the Night Walkers attacked the Unicorn, not because you called or needed them. Talon rode here because of what was done to the woman he loved and his child. He is a man of the prophecy, and the others rode to his aid. The bridges Pegasus must now build to regain some form of respect from Gryphon and Phoenix again will be great, but not insurmountable," Ayla counselled. "Your daughter is where she needs to be at this moment, as are you and the woman you called sister for so long. Before the year is out, you will all come together again, until then you must do what is being asked of you by your people."
*****
Judah considered the job he had been given by his fellow magicians. Bringing together all of the elements of a prophecy at just the right time could have a profound effect on the understanding of riddled words, and he considered whether his interpretation of what was currently happening was correct.
He had said nothing as Talon, Flint, Emery and Mica entered the underground chamber he had chosen as his library so many years ago. Scrolls and books littered every surface except the central table. Trix had visited this room often during the weeks she was trapped in the fortress and had done her best to make some sense of the jumble of books and curiosities. It was a task that would never be completed, as he constantly consulted the many and varied versions of the prophecy the magicians had collected over the years since the first rulers had come to this place to build their cities of power.
"We will need to leave the village for a short trip tomorrow morning. Is there any chance your warriors will not follow us?" Judah finally broke the silence as he addressed Talon.
"I could tell them to let us go, but that is the one order they have never managed to follow successfully," Talon chuckled.
"I'd say you have about the same chance of the sun rising in the west tomorrow as you do of leaving Venn and Edge behind," Mica joined in Talons chuckling. "They practically sleep with Talon's bike to ensure it doesn't move."
"How do you feel about riding to Sparta with a quorum behind you?" Judah asked, looking at each of the men as he spoke.
"Why would we go where we would not be welcome?" Flint asked, feeling that he would be blamed for the disappearance of the Trix and Emery, notwithstanding how Talon would be treated. "I couldn't return home without Trix, Mother's reaction would be unbearable."
"She will be coming with us. It is essential now, given recent events, that we bring the elements of the Prophecy together in one place, that includes your parents and your siblings, as well as Talon," Judah said seriously.
"She's not well enough to travel!" Talon immediately became protective of Trix.
