• Chapter Five: Mother's Warning

    “Are you sure that is your mother?” I asked, looking at the woman’s face.
    Cai nodded. “She was one of the leaders of the warrior guards, but if you look closer, the crest she has on her chest is the old warrior crest,” Cai pointed out. “I’ve seen the new warrior crest, they still have the swords crossing, but they also have the Warrior Academy’s symbol in the middle of the ‘X’.”
    “I didn’t realize that,” I said, staring at his mother’s frozen face. “This is high level power, I don’t think my fairy powers could set her free, but I think I can get her spirit out of her body for a while.” Trying to remember the spell.
    “Is that possible?” he asked.
    “Yes,” holding my hand out, as a green ball of fairy dust appeared in my hand. “Magic of love, magic of happiness, release this mother’s soul from her body to see her son, release.” As I blew the dust towards Cai’s mother’s body.
    The dust surrounded the body; she began to glow once the dust disappeared. A glowing figure came out of the wall, it was Cai’s mother. Her spirit has been released.
    Her hair was long and blond, when she opened her eyes, her green eyes sparkled with freedom, and her smiled glistened like the stars.
    “Mother.”
    “Cai.” She said, with a heavenly voice. “You look like your father.”
    Cai looked away. “Yeah, I know.” Reaching to touch her face, but his hands went through her face.
    “It’s only her spirit; she can’t be touched by a solid hand.” I said.
    Cai’s mother looked at me. “Is this a friend of yours Cai?” she asked.
    Cai nodded. “Yes, her name is Ai, she saved my life.”
    Cai’s mother smiled at me. “Thank you for saving my son. My name is Lita.”
    “Nice to meet you, Lita. Your son is a kind-hearted vampire.” I said.
    She smiled again. “I know he is,” she said, turning to Cai. “How have you been, my son?” she asked.
    “Not so good, there’s been attacks all over the lands.” Cai said, gripping his left arm.
    She looked at me then at Cai. “You got attacked by an Inbreed?” she asked.
    I was shocked. “How did you know about the Inbreeds?” I asked.
    “It felt like it was yesterday, the alchemist at the warrior camp wanted to create the ultimate creature, for years they have been experimenting with DNA from vampires, harpies, fairies, nymphs, werewolves, wizards, and even the warriors. Then one day a huge explosion happened, and a successful group of Inbreeds were created.” Lita explained. “However, they were not controllable; they started a rampage at the camp. Most of the troupes were off on missions, but my comrades in the camp were all killed except me. I lured them into the forest, but I came close to death if Cai’s father, Avalon didn’t save me. He took me to the cave, but they found us there, and then one of them had cast a spell on me and imprisoned me in the wall. After that, my mind went blank.”
    “I remember. Father came back, dripping with blood, he said that you were killed by the other warriors in my place,” Cai said.
    She closed her eyes. “I guess he did listen to me. I told your father to tell you that I was dead, so that you could move on with your life as a vampire.” She said.
    “How long ago was this? When were you imprisoned?” I asked.
    “When I gave Cai to his father.” She replied.
    Cai clutched his fist. “I was miserable when I heard you were dead, I was still a child, you know how it feels to loose a parent at a young age?” He hissed, showing his fangs.
    She floated towards him, and placed her ghostly hand on his face. “I’m sorry, my son,” she said. “I didn’t know you’ve felt that way.”
    “I don’t know whether to accept your apology, or hate you for the rest of my life for what you have done.” Cai said, walking away.
    I grabbed Cai’s arm. “Cai…Forgive your mother.” I said.
    Cai didn’t look at me.
    “You can’t be mad for what she had done, it’s childish, she didn’t do anything wrong, she saved your life. Remember, you told me she took you to your father, so you would be safe, and not killed by the warriors,” I said. “Your father and mother had a good reason to lie to you. They both wanted you to grow up, safe and happy.”
    “I don’t know about the happy part.” Cai said. “All I wanted was to have my family together, but when I heard my mother died, I felt as though I died.”
    “You felt alone. That’s why you can’t accept your mother’s apology.” I grabbed his hands. “You’re not alone, Cai. You have me.” I smiled.
    Cai finally faced me, and smiled. He nodded, and looked at his mother. “Mother…”
    “Cai, it’s okay, you don’t need to accept my apology. I know you’re old enough to forgive and forget,” Lita said.
    Cai held me closer. “I know too, mother.” He said. “And there is something you have to say to us, right.”
    Lita nodded. “Cai, Ai, there is something I must warn you about the Inbreed.” She said. “You noticed that the Inbreeds are killing the other beings correct? You also noticed that they can take the ability out of any being too. But they can take their victims’ knowledge on their strengths, weaknesses, and tactics.”
    “Are you serious?” I asked.
    Lita nodded. “The Inbreeds the alchemist created are highly adaptable, so you must be careful.” As her body started to disappear, the fairy dust is wearing off.
    “Mom,” Cai said. “Don’t go! We need to know what can defeat the Inbreeds.”
    “To defeat the Inbreeds you must find the Seven Crystals of Hope, gather them, and have seven different being chant the sacred words of peace. I know I can count on you two…to save the world.” Lita said smiling. “Cai, you met a wonderful girl, who cares about you.” As she vanished.
    “Mother.” Cai whispered.
    “The Seven Crystals of Hope,” I said. “What are they?”
    Cai looked at me. “When our world was formed, seven crystals were created to keep the peace in check. But, the crystals disappeared centuries ago, creating chaos between the lands and the beings.” Cai explained. “That’s all I know, maybe the other students at the meeting will know something about the crystals.”
    I nodded. As we continued walking through the passage, I remember when I was five years old; my mother gave me a crystal pendant for my birthday, she said the pendant was a family heirloom, but I don’t know where I put it. I wonder if I left the pendant in my uniform. I thought, as I crashed into something. “Ow, my head.” I looked up and saw a dead end; I guess we made it to the end of the passage.
    “This must be the entrance to the forest.” Cai said, looking around. “Where is the door?”
    I looked around, I didn’t see anything, and then I saw something engraved in the wall. “Cai, I think I found something.”
    Cai looked at the engravings on the wall. “It a riddle.”
    What lies beyond this door you must know,
    To open the door you must have a more
    With a more, lips must connect.
    To a place where enemies,
    Becomes friends.
    “What does that mean?” Cai asked.
    “Well the lines that says ‘to a place where enemies becomes friends,’ it means the Cave of Unity, but what puzzles me is the ‘a more.’” I said.
    “What does a more mean?” Cai asked.
    Thinking harder than ever, the answer finally came to me. “It’s not ‘a more’, the words are connected; it’s amore, which means love!” I said.
    “Love will open the passage door?” Cai said. “Kind of strange, how can we show love to open the door?”
    I rolled my eyes. “The lines that says ‘to open the door you must have a more, with a more, lips must connect.’ It means we have to kiss.” I said.
    Cai looked at me. “Kiss? But how does the door open?”
    I shrugged. “I don’t know, let’s give it a shot.” I said.
    Cai nodded, and got closer. Our bodies touching as he leans down to kiss me.
    As our lips were about to touch, I heard something. I looked, and saw red eyes looking at us. It came out of the shadows, it was an Inbreed ready to attack. “Cai look out!” I said; shoving him away, as the Inbreed began to pounce.