Immortal (19 page)

“You forgot about the creeper because of me.”

“I guess I did.”

“You did!”

“You did!” Jasper said. “Why is that, Staysia?”

“I didn’t exactly forget about him. I mean, I-I was surprised that Gabriel was alive.”

“It was love at first sight,” Jasper just had to say it.

“There it is! I can see the sea,” Staysia said as she pointed at the sea ahead of them. She felt a ball of nerves in the pit of her stomach. “It’s time to meet the Sea Child.”

“Much more flattering than meeting Griffon, eh?” said Gabriel.

“What will I say to him?”

“You won’t have to say much. He is expecting you,” said Gabriel.

“Yes, I will tell him who I am. He should have something to say after that, shouldn’t he?”

“Of course,” said Gabriel.

“Thank you, Staysia. Thank you for bringing me along with you.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Where is my map?” said a loud voice. The sky turned black.

“It’s Nox!” Staysia told Gabriel.

“Just what we need!” Gabriel said, sarcastically. “Come on out and show your face!” he said.

And Nox did just that. “Hand it over if you want your unicorn back!”

Staysia reached her hand out to Gabriel. Gabriel put the map in her hand. “You want the map? Here it is, take it!” she said.

Nox took the map from her and laughed. “Oh yes! The map! He threw the map and it caught fire in the air. It is a shame. It is not the mere map I am after anymore. I know where you are going. You are on your way to meet the Sea Child. I must destroy you and your friends now. You will never take over my reign!”

“Take over your reign? What do you mean take over your reign?”

“Oh yes, the Sea Child had great plans for you. It is too bad you will never get to him before I kill all of you!” He held out his hand that held a fiery ember. “Who will be first? The troll?” He held the ember towards Jasper.

“No!” Staysia screamed. Gabriel got in front of Jasper.

“Lover boy will be the first to die then!” Nox bellowed. He threw the ember. Staysia closed her eyes and held her hands over her face. She noticed a glow on her chest. She removed her hands and could see that there was some sort of
red glow hovering around all three of them. She looked at her necklace again. “It’s my necklace! The Mother is protecting us!” she said.

Nox put his over his eyes. “Turn it off!” he cried.

“I think it’s blinding him,” Gabriel said.

Nox squeezed his eyes shut and waved both hands in front of his face. “You may have gotten rid of me for now, but I will be back!” he groaned, before his
face disappeared into nothing. Gabriel put his arms around Staysia. She hugged him tight and then got on her knees in front of Jasper. “Are you okay, Jasper?” she asked.

“Yes, are you?”

“That was a close one,” Staysia said.

Gabriel turned to Staysia and took her hands in his. He looked down at them and smiled at her. “We are going to make it to the Sea Child and get Isis back. I promise.”

“I know, for the first time, I know.” Staysia replied.

The Island

Th
e sea became closer and closer; so close they could smell it; so close, they could see Mirideous awaiting them on the shore. When they arrived at the sea, Gabriel got off of the horse and helped Staysia to the ground. Jasper got out of his buggy and they ate of the Gill plant and mounted the Sea creature.

“Ready?” Gabriel asked Staysia.

“Ready as I will ever be,” she replied.

Mirideous dove into the water and went deeper and deeper underneath the sea. Staysia watched Gabriel’s wavy hair sway in the water. Jasper held on to her. They were finally on their way to meet the Sea Child. And it didn’t take long until they arrived. Mirideous shot up to the surface of the water.

When they reached the surface, they had also reached the most beautiful place any of them had ever seen before. The birds that flew around here sung songs they hadn’t ever heard sung any other place. Fish jumped inside the waves. There was a scent of coconut in the air, and Lilly pads floated in the sea. Sea creatures of all sorts swam and tromped in the sand.

The island was the most vivid shade of green. Flowers grew there, beneath the trees. Not just any flowers, the largest kinds of flowers. Some grew almost the size of the trees. Fish women and men sw
am around them. They whispered—as if they knew exactly who Staysia was—as if they had expected her visit. The sun shone down brightly, but the clouds wrapped around it as if they had been placed there by someone to suffice the brightness perfectly. There were several tiny waterfalls that cascaded here and there on the island’s hills.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Staysia said in awe.

“I want to live here!” said Jasper.

“So do I,” Gabriel said.

They reached the island and Mirideous waited for them to step onto the sand. None of them got up from their places. They looked around the island instead.

“Go on,” Mirideous finally said to them.

They slowly slid off of her and began to walk on the sand, keeping their eyes on the scenery. “Uh—” Gabriel finally turned to Mirideous. “Which way do we go?” he asked, pointing his finger in all directions.

“Just go,” Mirideous answered
with a smile and a nod of her head.

Gabriel smiled at Staysia and walked along the sand with her and Jasper. They didn’t know where they were going, but still could not take their eyes away from the beauty that surrounded them. Staysia squeezed his arm. “Am I dreaming?” she asked him.

“No,” he answered. “If that were so, I would be in your dreams and that could never be.”

“And why not?” she asked.

“Tristen must be the man of your dreams.
The son of Cove
!”

“Gabriel, but you are
The Great Beast Tamer
!”

“Ha! Yes, I am. I still do not compare to the son of Cove.”

“Gabriel, stop.”

Gabriel stopped and looked into her eyes. “What for?” he asked.

“It doesn’t take the son of Cove to win my heart. Don’t you know?”

“How would I know?”

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Gabriel put his hand on his cheek where she had kissed him and left it there for a moment. Jasper watched intently and smiled wide. “Kiss her you fool!” he said. Gabriel looked deep into her eyes. He leaned in slowly. Just then, they heard a familiar voice.

“I made it!” It was Tristen’s voice.

“Bah!” Jasper snorted.

“Don’t be so excited to see me!” Tristen said sarcastically.

“Hi Tristen!” Staysia said.

“Hello friend,” said Gabriel.

“Did I interrupt something?” he asked. Jasper put his hand on his forehead and shook his head.

“No, we are glad you made it,” Staysia replied with a smile.

“Isn’t this place magical?” Tristen looked around at the beauty of the island.

“Isn’t it though?” Staysia said.

“Where is he? Where’s the Sea Child?” Tristen asked Staysia.

“We haven’t seen him yet.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind getting lost here looking for him,” said Tristen.

“No, I wouldn’t either,” Staysia said.

“Are you looking for the Sea Child?” said a voice behind them. Staysia turned to see a fish woman floating on her back in the sea beside them.

“Yes, we are. Can you tell us where he is?”

“Are you Staysia?”

“Yes, I am. What is your name?”

“Oh, that’s not important. Do you know who you are?”

“Not exactly,” Staysia replied.

“You are a very special girl!”

“Special how? Who are you?”.

“My name is Marina, but like I said, I am of little importance to you. You are more special than you know.”

“But why?”

“Your mother and father never told you who they were or who you are. They had to keep their identities a secret. If they had told you, your reign would be at risk. They reigned for several years before you were born. When Nox threatened your life they had to go into hiding. Did you ever wonder why they kept to themselves? Kept you away from others?”

“Not really, no, I never wondered. I just thought it was normal. I don’t understand. If Nox is immortal, if he is a god, how can he be stopped?”

“The power lies inside the Sea Child, Staysia. Today is his sixth birthday, and it is time for him to step up and do away with him once and for all. Only the Sea Child can stop Nox for good!”

“Wait! I don’t understand. My parents are dead! How could they have been murdered if they are gods?”

“I will let the Sea Child tell you about that part, Staysia.” She pointed to a path beneath some trees. “Follow it. It will take you to the Sea Child.”

They walked side by side beneath the trees in silence. Staysia was trying to put the pieces together in her head, while the others didn’t know wh
at to say at all. Finally, they came to a door.

“Look at me, Staysia,” said Tristen. “Everything is going to be okay. Great things are about to unfold for you.”

“Thank you, Tristen,” she said as she lifted her hand to knock at the door. There was no answer. She knocked a second time. Still, there was no answer. “Okay! Looks like no one is home, let’s go!” she said, as she began to walk away.

“Turn around, Staysia,” Tristen said, smiling, as he grabbed her arms and turned her around to face the door.

“Well, I can’t help it if he isn’t home!”

“Turn the door knob, Staysia!”

“Well, we shouldn’t just walk in, should we?”

“Turn the knob,” Tristen said again. Staysia slowly turned the knob and peeked inside. “Oh, it’s dark in here,” she said. “There’s a long flight of stairs and—”

“Open the door all the way,” Tristen whispered to her.

“Right,” Staysia said as she opened the door. There was a long flight of stairs as Styasia had said there was. It was a long, dark flight of stairs. “Why is it so dark in here?” Staysia asked, not expecting an answer. They slowly walked down the stairs together. When they got to the bottom there was a little more light, but not much. The walls were made of sand. There were many tunnels going this way and that. “Which way do we go?” she asked.

“Tristen, which way do we go?” Jasper asked. Tristen stepped ahead of them and walked into one of the tunnels. The tunnel was long and winding and dark. “Wow, this is quite a maze,” Staysia said. When they got to the end, there was a large pool of water. Staysia spotted someone inside the water on the other end. “Look, there is someone there,” she said. Jasper hopped up and down. “Where? I don’t see anyone,” he said.

“I don’t see anyone anymore either,” Staysia said.

“Hello?” Gabriel’s voice echoed.

The figure Staysia had seen had not disappeared into thin air. The child was swimming under water towards them and soon his head came up from the water in front of them. He had a tail as a fish, but as he pulled himself out of the water, his tail became legs
. The boy had long blonde hair. His hair was shoulder length and slightly flipped up at the ends. He had gorgeous, large blue eyes and thick, blonde eyebrows. His clothes were made of sea grass. “Staysia,” he said. Staysia found it hard to speak when he said her name.

“Yes, I’m Staysia,” she said, finally.

“You must be beside yourself with worry and anxiety at this point. Everything is going to turn out great for you. Your parents, Warrick and Dara reign as Star gods. Your mother Dara was born to Danica and Zeke, who are also God and Goddess of the stars. When Dara became pregnant with you, Nox didn’t want you sharing the night reign with him. He always abhorred sharing the night with the Star gods. Nox swore he would get what he wanted one way or another. The race of all the gods was becoming weaker with each generation and death became a concern for the children of the gods. Nox was pleased with this as he had threatened to take the lives of any children that were born to the night or stars thereafter. Your parents and many others took their children and took on human lives. He got what he always wanted. He became the only god of the night. All of the gods having to do with the night pretended to forfeit their reign, but they were actually waiting for me. They became tired of warring with Nox. They knew that I was the only one who could overthrow Nox’s reign or destroy him on my sixth birthday. He began to call himself the God of Darkness. Until today, which is my sixth birthday, all of the children born to gods were faced with a future of growing old and dying. Now I can change that. Staysia, your parents are alive!”

“They are a
-alive?”

“Very much so!”

Staysia’s eyes filled with tears of joy. “How can it be?” She shook her head in disbelief.

“Nox became suspicious of the gods forfeiting their reign
, and he began to look for the ones that he counted as former gods. When Nox learned that your parents planned to give you the map, he told Griffon about the map and ordered him to take it from your father and put him to death. Griffon, on another note, decided to keep it for himself. We couldn’t let Nox know that your father and mother were still immortal until it was time, lest war break out throughout the entire Earth. If it did, it would have all been for nothing. He became concerned that when I had my sixth birthday, the children of the gods would find me and he would have to share his reign once again. The map was the only trace, so he wanted them all destroyed. We made it look like your parents had been killed protecting the map for you. They were never killed at all. The time has come, and all the children born to gods in your generation, including Tristen, will have life eternal, just as it always has been and always will be.”