Guardians of Muraycia - Chapter 4

Chapter 4



“Unbelievable!” Vaulda screeched and she threw a vase at the wall and it shattered into a million shards.

“I almost had her!” Midnight was crouched in the corner shaking from head to toe. They usually sent Midnight with these messages, for she was Vaulda’s daughter, and unlike anyone else who carried bad news, Midnight would not be murdered on the spot. Vaulda had not a drop of humanity in her wicked veins.





Once in the sanctuary of the cabin Corriett waved Genie over and opened the book. Genie eagerly stared down at the lovely perfectly formed letters in the darkest shade of ink. Corriett cleared her throat and began to speak, “Many, many eons ago the high goddess Muraya created Muraycia and its twin world Shirrir. It was her vision of a perfect world, but every thing had a price and something that wonderful came with a large one, Cyn Yan. Muraya did not want to create Cyn Yan, so she pondered the question for many moons. Was it worth it to create Cyn Yan if Muraycia was there? At last she asked the goddess of wisdom Sappientia, who told her to put a guardian at the gates an unstoppable force to keep away all evil, plague, sadness, monsters, and despair.” Corriett put the book down and looked up at Genie who apparently had finished the page already and was tugging at the corner in an effort to turn to the next.

“All right, all right” said Corriett exasperated. Without a word she handed the book to Genie and stomped off. Genie did not notice Corriett had left. She was too busy gawking at something in the book. Corriett slammed the cabin door behind her. She kicked a stone. It went flying and hit a large sycamore tree. She turned around and took a sharp intake of breath. Standing by a large pine was a hauntingly beautiful woman, tall with long golden locks of hair.

“Genie,” Corriett called looking over her shoulder for her friend but the cabin was empty and all she could see of Genie was a vague outline in the sky flying towards the castle.

“Well, hey there, precious,” she said in a slightly sarcastic voice. She was rich with a bad element. “I’ve been waiting for you.” The woman began to approach her. Corriett backed away, chanting furiously under her breath

“Oh, don’t bother. It will be over before you can say abracadabra” and she seized Corriett around the throat. Corriett screamed. Then she could scream no longer, for the crushing fingers had cut off her air. Corriett could feel her head spinning. She knew she was only seconds away from blacking out, as the slender yet strong fingers tightened around her neck. Corriett hanging suspended in the air by her antagonist’s hands, and breathed a single word.

“Incindaray.” Black light exploded through the woods with the incredible force. Corriett felt the pressure around her neck dissolve and she fell to the ground as the world disappeared before her and she tumbled away from reality.





Persephone screamed as she kicked a tree and it went spiraling fiercely into the air.

“Stupid girl, Blows up half the forest and ruins my favorite dress. That actually hurt you know!” Persephone screamed.

“Aunt Persephone.”

“What,” she spat wheeling around to look at her niece

“Mother wants to see you” said Midnight coolly. Persephone’s face drained of color.

“What, what” she spluttered.

“In her room” Midnight instructed.

“Oh, ok.” She finally managed to say, and she turned flustered up the stairs.

“Good luck.” Midnight called, “you’ll need it,” she added under her breath.

It was a long climb up the stairs for Persephone. When she arrived in Vaulda’s bedchamber, she had a stony feeling that Vaulda already new how miserably she had failed.

“Hello sister” said a cold heartless voice. Persephone winced, but something in Vaulda’s tone gave Persephone the feeling that her sister had more plans for her and that she would be given a second chance.



The new cabin was nice but it wasn’t as cozy. It still had six little beds. Three on each side, and a neat curtained little window, yet it was still different. Aside from the cabin Corriett could not shake off the feeling that every one was mad at her, and they went to training the next morning only to find Cooper was no where in sight.

“Cooper” called Periwinkle in her high light voice that never ceased to end an argument. That was an upside of being a Lilac horse. However Corriett preferred having magic.

“Cooper!” Anna called sharply. “COOP-ER.” but there was no answer.

“I’ll go get the Queen” said Genie and bustled out of the room. A few moments later Genie repapered with Queen Anastova hurrying after her.

“Genie told me Cooper has gone missing” there was urgency in her voice.

“Yea we got to training and he just wasn’t there” Mimi stammered. You could tell she was thinking hard because her face was turning even bluer.

“If we can’t find him-” Anastova began but Anna cut her off.

“There’s a note on his desk” the Queen lifted up her petticoats and hurried over in a very dainty ladylike way. Corriett found it rather impressive that she could remain so calm under such circumstances. The queen reached out and plucked the note from Cooper’s desk. She scanned the letter and grimaced.

“Who’s Persephone,” asked Genie who was hovering over Anastova’s shoulder.

“Corriett met her I believe,” said the Queen glancing at Corriett, who nodded as she recalled her near death experience with the woman.

“I thought she was dead,” complained Anna.

“I thought so too,” replied the Anastova, “Which means we are dealing with someone much more powerful than we thought.”

“Well I’ll say” blurted Sinbad who then blushed so badly that it was visible even under his auburn fur “it’s just blowing up the forest didn’t do it!” yelled Sinbad who then retreated to the corner and stayed there.

“Sinbad has a point” commented Periwinkle kindly. All around the circle heads bobbed up and down in agreement.

“Just what exactly does the letter say,” asked Mimi hoping up and down trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious letter. Corriett suddenly overcome with fresh curiosity craned her neck to see. The letter said simply this,



'Hello sweets got your trainer here. He’d probably like to see you right about now, so tell you what. If you come to widow’s peak at sunset, you can have him back.

Tata'



“Great! Just great” scoffed Anna. “Why don’t we just walk into a trap every Tuesday?” the sarcasm in her tone was overpowering. Anna kicked the desk and it flipped over on its side.

“Anna!” exclaimed the Queen, appalled by her behavior. “Please, we cannot afford to go losing our tempers.” Suddenly Sinbad, who had rejoined the circle, sank to the ground and burst into a cascade of hot steaming tears.

“It’s hopeless” cried Sinbad burrowing his face into the carpet. “Coopers gone” Corriett found this rather childish of him, but was sympathetic all the same. Mimi sighed and awkwardly patted his fury hunched back. Queen Anastova knelt beside him and said gently, “No he’s not, we’ll get him back.” Sinbad raised his head a little. The sorry expression on his long face with his large brown eyes was heart wrenching. Corriett could not bear it. She turned away as tears pricked the back of her eyes. She would not and could not accept the fact that they might never see Cooper again.