'Three' Snapshot

*Author's Note: This story takes place after the novel I'm trying to write, this is just me messing around with the characters and trying to sort them out. Please tell me if there is anything you would like to suggest about the characters; this story's plot is not particularly important. Thanks a lot, Annie.*

“What the-” I exclaimed, my eyes widening in shock. “Is that what I think it is?” I said to myself, squinting at the screen in front of me.

“It can’t be.” I whispered reverently. I grabbed the holoscreen and rushed out of the little storage room I was clearing out, running to find Zafina. She would know what to do.

I ran through halls and along outside terraces, almost dropping the holoscreen 4 or 5 times because of bumping into other people. But still no sign of Zafina.

I knew this palace better than anyone here, and yet I couldn’t find one of the most important people in it.

Eventually, I found Yahlie and Makin sitting on the side of a fountain and talking. I jogged up to them, bending over to catch my breath before I spoke.

“Mak, where’s your mother? I’ve looked everywhere and I can't find her. What I discovered in the storage room is really important and I need to tell her.” I said, gesturing with the glowing square in my hands.

I didn’t realise how late and therefore cold it had gotten while I was sorting through stuff.

“Mum’s dealing with something by the Topiary, but she should be back soon.” Mak said, shifting on the probably cold stone.

“Can I have a look at it?” Asked Yahlie. Mak shivered and turned to her.

“Maybe we can all go inside and have a look at it while we wait for Mum? It’s getting quite cold out and none of us is dressed for it.” Mak said gesturing to Yahlie’s thin top and my, frankly, quite revealing dress. It was intended for desert days, not the sudden and gripping cold of the nights.

“Sure,” I agreed, thinking that someone knowing about the picture was better than no one.

Mak led us inside, navigating a couple of corridors and halls until he found an empty, quiet room with enough chairs for us all. We sat down, Yahlie and Mak sitting close together. I handed Yahlie the holoscreen and made sure it was on the right picture. Yahlie gasped and immediately shoved the screen in Mak’s face, her eyes wide and staring at me.

“Is that real?” She asked, gently grabbing the holoscreen from a stupified Mak.

“I wish it wasn’t, but as far as I can tell, yes, it’s real.” Mak came to life, gasping and stuttering.

“B-but it can’t be! The guards would’ve noticed it! How could they miss something that important? I mean, weren’t they trained to detect stuff like that?! All of them have magic detecting Gifts, don’t they? How-” He was cut off by Yahlie putting her hand on his leg to shush him

“I don’t know, that’s why I wanted to talk to Zafina. She’ll know the myths better than us.” I said, holding out my hand for the holoscreen. Yahlie gave it to me with a frown.

“But how did your sister even get her hands on one of those?” Yahlie wondered, turning to Mak. “I thought they were just legends.”

“That’s what I thought too, but I guess all legends have some element of truth. Mum would know the story best though, she’s really into that kind of stuff.” After Mak’s comment, all three of us turned to the window, noticing how dark it was and thinking the same thing: it’s dark and cold enough for her to be inside, so where is she?

Our window had a perfect view of the palace’s front drive so we would’ve seen her if she had arrived. We all turned from the window at the same time and looked at each other as if someone else had the answers to life.

We sat in a comfortable but tense silence for a while, constantly checking for any signs of life out of the window. Naturally, there were no signs whatsoever, seeing as it was now 10:00 pm and a light snow had begun to fall.

The tension grew until Mak jumped up out of his chair and strode towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Yahlie asked, also rising to her feet.

“I can’t just sit here knowing that Ashjah’s got one of the most powerful things in this godforsaken desert and not do anything about it. If Mum’s not back by now, she’s not going to be back tonight. I think we need to do something, but I want to include Kemal. Sometimes he can have helpful insights, and besides, he did help us put Ashjah where she is now.” After Mak’s little speech, I stood up too.

“Then we’ll come with you. Do you know where he might be? I haven’t seen him since yesterday when he showed me those lock designs.” I said, walking over to him and standing next to him. Yahlie also came over and put her hand on his shoulder in support.

“Well,” Said Mak, “He’ll either be in his room or he might be in the Underground fiddling with the pipes.” I pictured a map of the sprawling palace and remembered there was an entrance to the Underground near Kemal’s room.

“If we check his room first, then it’s only a short walk to the closest Underground entrance.” I said, grabbing the door handle and pushing it open.

“Good idea,” Yahlie said, following Mak out of the room. We walked through grand halls and dusty corridors, eventually coming to Kem’s room. On inspection it was empty, and Kem’s tool bag was also missing which could only mean one thing

“So he’s messing with the water pipes then,” I said under my breath as we exited his empty room. I led the way to the Underground entrance, pausing to let the others catch up. I may have been a bit keen to do something about the picture I found.

“Ready?” They nodded. I opened the door and flew down the stairs, Mak close behind me. When we reached the bottom, Mak and I started yelling Kem’s name, trying, to find him as quickly as possible. A distant shout answered our calls and Mak and I took off in the direction it came from. I heard a clanking sound further ahead of me and raced forward, pulling away from Mak.

I turned a corner and there he was, kneeling by a tangle of pipes with half of his arm swallowed in the twisted metal. He looked perfect.

“Hey,” I said, putting my hand on my hip and admiring his bare chest streaked with grease and dust.

“Aria!” He said in surprise, hastily looking for his shirt. It was hanging by my head so I picked it up and threw it at his head playfully. I watched as he grabbed for it, his muscles tensing and then relaxing as he tried to get it over his head quickly.

Mak skidded around the corner, Yahlie on his heels.

“Aww, come on Kem, you know better than to take your shirt off in the company of girls.” Mak said teasing his younger twin. Kem frowned and wiped his dirty hands on his white T-shirt, leaving grey marks all over it.

“Ok, first of all you know I hate that nickname. Second, there were no girls anywhere near me when I took my shirt off, and third, I really hope you all didn’t run all the way here just to tease me.” Kemal said, putting whatever tool he was using in the tool bag by his side.

“You’re right,” Yahlie said, shooting Mak a dirty look. “Aria found a picture that needs addressing quickly so we thought you might be able to help us. Show him Aria.” She nodded to the holoscreen in my hands and I held it out so Kem could see it. He squinted at it in the low light and then got up to look at it closer. He gently took it off me, frowning at the picture. Suddenly he looked up.

“Where on earth could she have gotten a Desert Star? And if she did get her hands on one, where is it now? We’ve looked through almost every room in the palace. There’s virtually no place she could’ve put it unless she…” He trailed off as he came to the same conclusion we had come to. “Of course! I knew that box looked suspicious! Ugh, I should’ve had the guards look for a false bottom or something.” 

“But shouldn’t the guards have been able to sense something like that?” Mak said, pushing a dark curl off his forehead.

“You didn’t listen much to Mum’s bedtime stories, did you?” Kem said condescendingly. Mak shook his head and Kem sighed.

“Well, you could all do with hearing this anyway. Basically, it was believed that a couple of stars fell from the sky, no one really knows how many but it was generally accepted that it was more than three, and they landed in the desert. It is said these stars hold magical powers in them and with pulses of their light a new Gift is received. That’s why Gifts aren’t logically received because apparently, it’s completely random based on a multitude of factors including the magical light pulses. 

“Anyway, people have tried looking for them for hundreds of years and only one or two were ever thought to have been found. They were shortly destroyed thanks to battles and wars that broke out because of others wanting their powers. It’s said that they can’t be detected by magic because they give the magic. It’s sort of like the opposite way an ant’s scent trail works. They can follow their own colony's trails, but not another’s. Other way around but you get it. 

“So then there’s this thing about the colours. Apparently, depending on the colour the power differs. I have no idea what the red colour of that one would mean, but it’s still bad news. If that crystal is in the wrong hands, which it is, then this could mean doom and destruction for probably most of the city.” We all stared at Kem, silently digesting what this meant.

“So. We’d better find that crystal before Ashjah uses it to do something really bad.” Yahlie said with a focused and slightly scary look on her face.

~~~

*Ashjah*

I smiled darkly to myself as I felt the power wash over me and settle in my stomach. There was no one near enough to my dark, dusty and dank cell to notice the faint red glow that came from the cloth-wrapped, vaguely cylinder-shaped crystal in my hands. The guard had just come to check on me so I had a few minutes to myself before the next one came.

I hated this dark, windowless tower almost more than I hated that stupid ‘resistance’ group and my little sister’s betrayal. ALMOST more, but not quite. I chuckled evilly, knowing they would get what they deserved even if it killed me.

I rubbed my hand over the slight bump in my belly, knowing the time had almost come. They wouldn’t know what hit them.