Chapter 3: Surprises

The massive ebony door was ancient, but it was still very beautiful. The dark carved surfaces still gleamed due to their protective finishes as Monea continued to provide light for the group. An almost invisible seam ran down the center, indicating that there were two doors instead of one as one would have initially thought.

The wall surrounding the doors was intricately carved as well. Exotic plants and animals in dazzling nature scenes covered the panels gracefully. It was minutes before Leda and the others realized that there were no people present in the artwork. However, the absence seemed to enhance, rather than detract, from the beauty.

“We’re here. Where’s the key?” Ren asked Cassandra pointedly.

Dido stood beside the other Guardian. “What good is a key without a keyhole?”

Cassandra closed her eyes and sighed. “Both of you stop this foolishness.”

Everyone froze at the frustration and the warning in Cassandra’s voice. She slowly opened her eyes, focusing on both Dido and Ren. Her green eyes flashed angrily.

“We have too much to do,” she said, “to deal with this constant bickering. Remember our purpose.”

Dido lowered her head, accepting the reprimand. Ren glowered at the Guardian until he caught Monea’s face. With a mumbled apology, he stepped aside.

As she approached the doors, Cassandra pulled her pendent out from underneath the collar of her tunic. The eight-pointed star glowed with lavender light, bouncing off Cassandra’s gauntlets and the jet surface of the doors.

Still facing the doors, she undid the clasp of the chain and simply held the pendent in her palm. With the air of a priestess performing a sacred ritual, the Guardian of Hope took a few more steps. She stopped just a few inches away from the door.

“Let me see and I will remember. With all that I have, I will fight for what is just. May the House of Light and Love rule forever.”

The pendent flared, emitted white light. As the light dimmed slightly, the others could see the pendent was over twice its original size. Cassandra searched the surface of the doors until she found the panel depicting a swan rising from a moonlit lake, which was in the center of the ebony wood, spanning both the doors. Raising the pendent, she placed it in one of the stars.

The pendent was a perfect fit, sinking into the carving until its back was flush with the surface. Cassandra gave the pendent a quarter turn before removing it and stepping back. The massive doors opened silently, but the shadows blocked any view of what was beyond.

“With all that I have, I will remember,” she whispered.

As she turned to the others, Cassandra smiled slightly at their amazed expressions. “The reason that the king and queen never knew of this door is that we are several floors below the presumed basement of the palace.”

“I still don’t understand,” Dido said. “How did you know about this?”

“When I became the Guardian of Hope,” Cassandra began, “before I called the other Guardians, I learned many things I still cannot reveal. Unfortunately, that meant hiding such things from the rulers of Cignus and the other Guardians.”

With a sigh, she turned back to the doors. “It seems that more of my secrets shall be revealed.”

“What do you mean?” Jupiter asked, fighting an irrational sense of foreboding.

“You will see,” Cassandra replied and walked through the doors.

* * * * *

‘Why a library?’ Carina wondered for the hundredth time.

The ruined palace was probably breathtaking in its former glory. However, the tomb-like silence and the shifting shadows were playing havoc on her sense as well as those of her men. She felt like she was trespassing, committing some kind of sacrilege.

The mysterious woman alone remained unperturbed by their surroundings. She waited patiently in the shadows with a predatory smile. Fighting a sudden chill, the captain moved silently to another part of the room.

As she settled into her new position, Carina finally realized what had been particularly bothering her about the strange woman since they had arrived at the palace. While she and her men tried to keep a sense of duty, the woman had had no such problems. In fact, Carina recognized, the woman seemed to acting if she was returning home.

* * * * *

As Monea increased the light to fill the room, there were several gasps of surprise. The room was huge with its vast ceiling looming some thirty feet above them. Even though she had strengthened the light’s intensity as much as she dared, Monea noticed that much of the room was bathed in shadows.

“By the House of Light,” Dido murmured, “where are we?”

Monea wandered to where Cassandra was standing, staring at the wall in an almost trance-like state. The younger woman was about to touch the Guardian’s shoulder when she read the inscription on the wall. Her sharply indrawn breath drew the others’ attention.

Dido quickly strode over to the pair. Like Monea, the inscribed words made the Guardian of Compassion stop. She reread the first few lines over and over. With a look of disbelief, she turned to her leader.

“What is this place? Cassandra, what is going on?”

Jupiter and Ganymede watched the scene uneasily, both unable to read the inscription. However, Ren seemed disturbed by the inscription as well. Cassandra turned away from the wall, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at the other members of the group.

“Do any of you remember the old story about Cassea?” Cassandra asked quietly. Both Monea and Ren shook their heads, puzzled by the question.

However, Dido’s hands tightened their hold on the Teardrop Glaive. “What you are saying? What does the legend about Cassea and Riel have to do with this?”

“What legend?” Jupiter demanded.

“It’s an old tale,” Dido explained grudgingly, wanting to find out what Cassandra was implying. “The was a powerful noble with two daughters. The oldest one was suppose to marry the prince, but she refused. Instead, she fled to a temple and attempted to become a priestess of the god Riel. Furious, her father cursed her, asking to the gods to fate her to watch in cycle of destruction and be unable to prevent the destruction. She disappeared and her sister married the prince, later becoming the queen.”

“What a sad story,” Jupiter murmured, “but why bring it up here?”

“I’m waiting for Cassandra’s answer to that question,” Dido stated, turning her dark blue eyes to her leader.

“All legends have some element of truth,” Cassandra commented wryly, “but they should get most of the story wrong. My father found me at the temple after he forbid from leaving our estate. I had no idea that the prince was coming that evening. When my father and the prince arrived at the temple, my father furious at my disobedience and demanded that the temple attendants bring me to him.

“My teacher reminded my father that he was in a temple and that it was a sanctuary who all who came there. He didn’t listen and hit her. When I came in to see what the shouting was about, I saw her lying on the floor in a dazed state. I helped her up and ordered my father to leave.

“Then he said that he didn’t know what he did to deserve such a disobedient, disrespectful daughter. I retorted, wondering why I had be given a sadist as a father. That was when he cursed me.”

Dido’s wide were wide with disbelief. “Cassandra, you don’t honestly expect us to believe that you’re Cassea. Why you would be hundreds of years old by now. It’s not possible.”

Cassandra shook her head. “The gods granted my father’s wish and cursed me. I’m the reason the cycle Child of Light and the Child of Darkness began. I must watch people I care about die time and time again, knowing that it is coming but unable to prevent it.”

“You knew it was a cycle and didn’t tell anyone!” Dido cried. “How could you?!”

“I couldn’t do anything!” Cassandra shouted. “Do you think it’s easy for me to watch the destruction time and time and time again? Knowing that no matter what I do to try to stop, I will always fail? The gods tied my hands. I can only do what they will let me do, and usually that is very little.”

With tear-filled eyes, she turned once again to the wall. “Those names are the names of the previous Guardians of Cignus, the men and women I called to protect the House of Light. Those people were my friends and I had to watch them die, each and every one of them.”

“Why did you choose me to the prince’s guardian?”

Cassandra glanced up at Dido’s pained face. “I wanted you to have some happiness in your life, Dido. Even with all the pain, you would you give up any of those moments with Adonis?”

Dido shook her head, closing her eyes to hide the threatening tears. Cassandra gave a sympathetic smile and touched Dido’s arm gently. Taking a deep breath, Dido finally opened her eyes.

“I know something about doomed love, too, Dido. I guess that is why I let you continue to be the prince’s guardian, even when your feelings became apparent.”

There was a lengthy pause, each person contemplating Cassandra’s revelation. Jupiter had thought she had known the Guardians, but she now knew how little she really knew. Briefly, she wondered what Dido was thinking. Yet, some things continued to plague Jupiter’s mind.

“Cassandra, if you are tied to the cycle of Light and Darkness,” Jupiter asked, “what happens when the my father’s bloodline stops?”

“Why would it stop?” Ren demanded.

Jupiter froze for a moment before simply answering, “I can’t have children.”

“But you’re the Child of Light,” Monea protested. “If Hadrian has children, it will be your descendent that must defeat the next Child of Darkness.”

“That is something we must consider later,” Cassandra interrupted. “I honestly don’t know what will happened, Your Highness. Maybe there will be peace at last, but that is just my hope. Now, we have lingered long enough. We need to move on.”

“Cassandra, I have one last question,” Jupiter stated. When Cassandra made no protest, she continued, “What does Riel have to do with you?”

The Guardian of Hope shook her head. “I can’t tell you that, Your Highness. Perhaps at another time I will be able to. For now, we need to find the manual. Let’s focus on that.”

* * * * *

The mysterious woman suddenly appeared beside Carina, startling the captain greatly. The woman smirked at the captain’s lack of composure. However, she said nothing.

“Do you want something?” Carina mouthed, after a lengthy pause.

“No,” the woman replied, “I just wanted to make sure you were ready.”

“Why is that?”

The woman’s smirked broadened. “They are almost here, captain. I hope you are ready to prove yourself.”

Carina lifted an inky eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“I know, captain. Be prepared.”

With that, the woman stepped back into the shadows and disappeared. Fighting the urge to rubbed her arms, Carina focused on the door. And prayed to the gods to deliver her safely.

* * * * *

As they reached the end of the winding staircase, Jupiter was hit with a strong sense of approaching danger. Glancing at the others, she saw that no one else seemed to be affected by it. ‘Dido would have felt it, too,’ Jupiter told herself. ‘It’s a figment of your imagination.’

Ganymede touched her arm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she replied in a whisper, hoping her smile seemed genuine.

Cassandra paused before she opened the door at the end of the landing. It swung open soundlessly. The library was even larger that the first room they had encountered. There was dust everywhere as well as a dry, sweet smell.

“The manual will be in a protective chest just not far from here,” Cassandra informed them, “if it has survived.”

“And the necessary herbs?” Ganymede asked.

“They should be protected as well,” she replied.

True to her prediction, they found a large chest against a wall not far from the door. Cassandra produced a set of keys, carefully selecting one before inserting it into the keyhole. With a faint click, the lock turned and the heavy lid opened.

Rummaging gently through the items inside, Cassandra selected four books and three leather-wrapped bundles. As soundlessly as possible, she closed the lid to the chest and locked it. She returned the keys to their place and had Jupiter put the items in her bag.

“I thought the manual was one book,” Jupiter stated, as she stowed the items away.

Cassandra nodded. “It is one book, but I thought we might use the other items later. The inner courtyard of the palace is closer than the tunnels when used. Dido, can you get open a portal there?”

The Guardian of Compassion nodded.

“Why can’t you open one here?” Monea asked.

“It’s easier to open portals out in the open. If I am opening a portal to Jupiter, I will need as few distractions as possible.”

At the mention of them leaving Cignus, Jupiter gently touched Monea’s shoulders. “We have to go back to help my sister, but I promise you that I will return to help overthrow Hadrian. I will not neglect my legacy.”

“I will hold you to that promise,” Monea stated.

Cassandra lead them through the various aisles of the massive library. As they neared the main entrance, light suddenly flashed. Taking a defensive position, Jupiter realized that they were surrounded.

“Surrender the Princess of Jupiter and you will be free to go,” a dark-haired woman said. “If you don’t, be prepared to face the consequences.”

“And just who are you?” Dido growled, her glaive glistening.

“I am Captain Carina Essou,” the woman replied. “My men and I have orders from the king himself for her capture. Turn her over now.”

“We won’t be able to do that,” Cassandra answered.

“I was hoping that you would say that.”

The blow caught Jupiter off guarded, knocking her back. She clutched her bleeding arm as Ganymede pulled her to her feet. Assuring him she was okay, she faced her attacker. Her heart sank as Dido moved to confront her sister once again.

However, her pity for the sisters was pushed aside as Captain Essou and her men began to attack. There were too many of them for their group to handle, even with her and the Guardians. They needed to get out of there, but Dido wouldn’t have time to open a portal. That left only one real choice.

“Jupiter Moon Crystal Power--Teleport!!”

The crystal flared with emerald light. As the light faded, Ganymede realized that they were back on Jupiter. Scanning the group, he checked to make sure that everyone had made it.

Dido was doing the same thing, as she knelt beside her sister’s unconscious form. “Where’s Cassandra?”

“Where’s Leda?” he demanded.


Surprises The massive ebony door was ancient, but it was still very beautiful. The dark carved surfaces still gleamed due to their protective finishes as Monea continued to provide light for the group. An almost invisible seam ran down the center, indicating that there were two doors instead of one as one would have initially thought. The wall surrounding the doors was intricately carved as well. Exotic plants and animals in dazzling nature scenes covered the panels gracefully. It was minutes before Leda and the others realized that there were no people present in the artwork. However, the absence seemed to enhance, rather than detract, from the beauty. “We’re here. Where’s the key?” Ren asked Cassandra pointedly. Dido stood beside the other Guardian. “What good is a key without a keyhole?” Cassandra closed her eyes and sighed. “Both of you stop this foolishness.” Everyone froze at the frustration and the warning in Cassandra’s voice. She slowly opened her eyes, focusing on both Dido and Ren. Her green eyes flashed angrily. “We have too much to do,” she said, “to deal with this constant bickering. Remember our purpose.” Dido lowered her head, accepting the reprimand. Ren glowered at the Guardian until he caught Monea’s face. With a mumbled apology, he stepped aside. As she approached the doors, Cassandra pulled her pendent out from underneath the collar of her tunic. The eight-pointed star glowed with lavender light, bouncing off Cassandra’s gauntlets and the jet surface of the doors. Still facing the doors, she undid the clasp of the chain and simply held the pendent in her palm. With the air of a priestess performing a sacred ritual, the Guardian of Hope took a few more steps. She stopped just a few inches away from the door. “Let me see and I will remember. With all that I have, I will fight for what is just. May the House of Light and Love rule forever.” The pendent flared, emitted white light. As the light dimmed slightly, the others could see the pendent was over twice its original size. Cassandra searched the surface of the doors until she found the panel depicting a swan rising from a moonlit lake, which was in the center of the ebony wood, spanning both the doors. Raising the pendent, she placed it in one of the stars. The pendent was a perfect fit, sinking into the carving until its back was flush with the surface. Cassandra gave the pendent a quarter turn before removing it and stepping back. The massive doors opened silently, but the shadows blocked any view of what was beyond. “With all that I have, I will remember,” she whispered. As she turned to the others, Cassandra smiled slightly at their amazed expressions. “The reason that the king and queen never knew of this door is that we are several floors below the presumed basement of the palace.” “I still don’t understand,” Dido said. “How did you know about this?” “When I became the Guardian of Hope,” Cassandra began, “before I called the other Guardians, I learned many things I still cannot reveal. Unfortunately, that meant hiding such things from the rulers of Cignus and the other Guardians.” With a sigh, she turned back to the doors. “It seems that more of my secrets shall be revealed.” “What do you mean?” Jupiter asked, fighting an irrational sense of foreboding. “You will see,” Cassandra replied and walked through the doors. * * * * * ‘Why a library?’ Carina wondered for the hundredth time. The ruined palace was probably breathtaking in its former glory. However, the tomb-like silence and the shifting shadows were playing havoc on her sense as well as those of her men. She felt like she was trespassing, committing some kind of sacrilege. The mysterious woman alone remained unperturbed by their surroundings. She waited patiently in the shadows with a predatory smile. Fighting a sudden chill, the captain moved silently to another part of the room. As she settled into her new position, Carina finally realized what had been particularly bothering her about the strange woman since they had arrived at the palace. While she and her men tried to keep a sense of duty, the woman had had no such problems. In fact, Carina recognized, the woman seemed to acting if she was returning home. * * * * * As Monea increased the light to fill the room, there were several gasps of surprise. The room was huge with its vast ceiling looming some thirty feet above them. Even though she had strengthened the light’s intensity as much as she dared, Monea noticed that much of the room was bathed in shadows. “By the House of Light,” Dido murmured, “where are we?” Monea wandered to where Cassandra was standing, staring at the wall in an almost trance-like state. The younger woman was about to touch the Guardian’s shoulder when she read the inscription on the wall. Her sharply indrawn breath drew the others’ attention. Dido quickly strode over to the pair. Like Monea, the inscribed words made the Guardian of Compassion stop. She reread the first few lines over and over. With a look of disbelief, she turned to her leader. “What is this place? Cassandra, what is going on?” Jupiter and Ganymede watched the scene uneasily, both unable to read the inscription. However, Ren seemed disturbed by the inscription as well. Cassandra turned away from the wall, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at the other members of the group. “Do any of you remember the old story about Cassea?” Cassandra asked quietly. Both Monea and Ren shook their heads, puzzled by the question. However, Dido’s hands tightened their hold on the Teardrop Glaive. “What you are saying? What does the legend about Cassea and Riel have to do with this?” “What legend?” Jupiter demanded. “It’s an old tale,” Dido explained grudgingly, wanting to find out what Cassandra was implying. “The was a powerful noble with two daughters. The oldest one was suppose to marry the prince, but she refused. Instead, she fled to a temple and attempted to become a priestess of the god Riel. Furious, her father cursed her, asking to the gods to fate her to watch in cycle of destruction and be unable to prevent the destruction. She disappeared and her sister married the prince, later becoming the queen.” “What a sad story,” Jupiter murmured, “but why bring it up here?” “I’m waiting for Cassandra’s answer to that question,” Dido stated, turning her dark blue eyes to her leader. “All legends have some element of truth,” Cassandra commented wryly, “but they should get most of the story wrong. My father found me at the temple after he forbid from leaving our estate. I had no idea that the prince was coming that evening. When my father and the prince arrived at the temple, my father furious at my disobedience and demanded that the temple attendants bring me to him. “My teacher reminded my father that he was in a temple and that it was a sanctuary who all who came there. He didn’t listen and hit her. When I came in to see what the shouting was about, I saw her lying on the floor in a dazed state. I helped her up and ordered my father to leave. “Then he said that he didn’t know what he did to deserve such a disobedient, disrespectful daughter. I retorted, wondering why I had be given a sadist as a father. That was when he cursed me.” Dido’s wide were wide with disbelief. “Cassandra, you don’t honestly expect us to believe that you’re Cassea. Why you would be hundreds of years old by now. It’s not possible.” Cassandra shook her head. “The gods granted my father’s wish and cursed me. I’m the reason the cycle Child of Light and the Child of Darkness began. I must watch people I care about die time and time again, knowing that it is coming but unable to prevent it.” “You knew it was a cycle and didn’t tell anyone!” Dido cried. “How could you?!” “I couldn’t do anything!” Cassandra shouted. “Do you think it’s easy for me to watch the destruction time and time and time again? Knowing that no matter what I do to try to stop, I will always fail? The gods tied my hands. I can only do what they will let me do, and usually that is very little.” With tear-filled eyes, she turned once again to the wall. “Those names are the names of the previous Guardians of Cignus, the men and women I called to protect the House of Light. Those people were my friends and I had to watch them die, each and every one of them.” “Why did you choose me to the prince’s guardian?” Cassandra glanced up at Dido’s pained face. “I wanted you to have some happiness in your life, Dido. Even with all the pain, you would you give up any of those moments with Adonis?” Dido shook her head, closing her eyes to hide the threatening tears. Cassandra gave a sympathetic smile and touched Dido’s arm gently. Taking a deep breath, Dido finally opened her eyes. “I know something about doomed love, too, Dido. I guess that is why I let you continue to be the prince’s guardian, even when your feelings became apparent.” There was a lengthy pause, each person contemplating Cassandra’s revelation. Jupiter had thought she had known the Guardians, but she now knew how little she really knew. Briefly, she wondered what Dido was thinking. Yet, some things continued to plague Jupiter’s mind. “Cassandra, if you are tied to the cycle of Light and Darkness,” Jupiter asked, “what happens when the my father’s bloodline stops?” “Why would it stop?” Ren demanded. Jupiter froze for a moment before simply answering, “I can’t have children.” “But you’re the Child of Light,” Monea protested. “If Hadrian has children, it will be your descendent that must defeat the next Child of Darkness.” “That is something we must consider later,” Cassandra interrupted. “I honestly don’t know what will happened, Your Highness. Maybe there will be peace at last, but that is just my hope. Now, we have lingered long enough. We need to move on.” “Cassandra, I have one last question,” Jupiter stated. When Cassandra made no protest, she continued, “What does Riel have to do with you?” The Guardian of Hope shook her head. “I can’t tell you that, Your Highness. Perhaps at another time I will be able to. For now, we need to find the manual. Let’s focus on that.” * * * * * The mysterious woman suddenly appeared beside Carina, startling the captain greatly. The woman smirked at the captain’s lack of composure. However, she said nothing. “Do you want something?” Carina mouthed, after a lengthy pause. “No,” the woman replied, “I just wanted to make sure you were ready.” “Why is that?” The woman’s smirked broadened. “They are almost here, captain. I hope you are ready to prove yourself.” Carina lifted an inky eyebrow. “How do you know?” “I know, captain. Be prepared.” With that, the woman stepped back into the shadows and disappeared. Fighting the urge to rubbed her arms, Carina focused on the door. And prayed to the gods to deliver her safely. * * * * * As they reached the end of the winding staircase, Jupiter was hit with a strong sense of approaching danger. Glancing at the others, she saw that no one else seemed to be affected by it. ‘Dido would have felt it, too,’ Jupiter told herself. ‘It’s a figment of your imagination.’ Ganymede touched her arm. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine,” she replied in a whisper, hoping her smile seemed genuine. Cassandra paused before she opened the door at the end of the landing. It swung open soundlessly. The library was even larger that the first room they had encountered. There was dust everywhere as well as a dry, sweet smell. “The manual will be in a protective chest just not far from here,” Cassandra informed them, “if it has survived.” “And the necessary herbs?” Ganymede asked. “They should be protected as well,” she replied. True to her prediction, they found a large chest against a wall not far from the door. Cassandra produced a set of keys, carefully selecting one before inserting it into the keyhole. With a faint click, the lock turned and the heavy lid opened. Rummaging gently through the items inside, Cassandra selected four books and three leather-wrapped bundles. As soundlessly as possible, she closed the lid to the chest and locked it. She returned the keys to their place and had Jupiter put the items in her bag. “I thought the manual was one book,” Jupiter stated, as she stowed the items away. Cassandra nodded. “It is one book, but I thought we might use the other items later. The inner courtyard of the palace is closer than the tunnels when used. Dido, can you get open a portal there?” The Guardian of Compassion nodded. “Why can’t you open one here?” Monea asked. “It’s easier to open portals out in the open. If I am opening a portal to Jupiter, I will need as few distractions as possible.” At the mention of them leaving Cignus, Jupiter gently touched Monea’s shoulders. “We have to go back to help my sister, but I promise you that I will return to help overthrow Hadrian. I will not neglect my legacy.” “I will hold you to that promise,” Monea stated. Cassandra lead them through the various aisles of the massive library. As they neared the main entrance, light suddenly flashed. Taking a defensive position, Jupiter realized that they were surrounded. “Surrender the Princess of Jupiter and you will be free to go,” a dark-haired woman said. “If you don’t, be prepared to face the consequences.” “And just who are you?” Dido growled, her glaive glistening. “I am Captain Carina Essou,” the woman replied. “My men and I have orders from the king himself for her capture. Turn her over now.” “We won’t be able to do that,” Cassandra answered. “I was hoping that you would say that.” The blow caught Jupiter off guarded, knocking her back. She clutched her bleeding arm as Ganymede pulled her to her feet. Assuring him she was okay, she faced her attacker. Her heart sank as Dido moved to confront her sister once again. However, her pity for the sisters was pushed aside as Captain Essou and her men began to attack. There were too many of them for their group to handle, even with her and the Guardians. They needed to get out of there, but Dido wouldn’t have time to open a portal. That left only one real choice. “Jupiter Moon Crystal Power--Teleport!!” The crystal flared with emerald light. As the light faded, Ganymede realized that they were back on Jupiter. Scanning the group, he checked to make sure that everyone had made it. Dido was doing the same thing, as she knelt beside her sister’s unconscious form. “Where’s Cassandra?” “Where’s Leda?” he demanded.


Chapter 4: Searching for Hope Jupiter's Gone