The Realm Protectors - Chapter 15: Chapter 15

These couches are comfy. It's nice and bright in here. There's a beautiful kitchen. We all have our own rooms. Think positive, think positive, think positive.
"Hey, Ci." Enya's voice makes me jump. I unwrap my arms from around my legs and turn around in the window seat so I'm facing her.
"Hi, Enya." I tuck a string of hair behind my ear. "What's up?"
She sits down next to me. "I came to see how you're handling all this." She waves her hand around the room. Faris, Carter, and Nile are in the kitchen, looking through the cupboards and refrigerator for food. Nikolina and Avani are in hushed conversation on the couch, and Lyra is walking around waving her crystals, muttering in her other language.
"I don't know, honestly." I mumble. "Everything feels off-balance right now."
"You're probably in shock right now." Enya sighs. "The whole lot of us are."
"I've seen death before." I tell her. "My great grandma died a few months ago. This feels different though."
"That's because she probably died peacefully, right? Surrounded by loved ones? This is different."
"This is murder." I bite my lip, leaning my head against the window behind me. "I knew her for two weeks, Enya."
"I knew her for years," She sighs. "I can't decide which is worse."
"And now we're expected to be like them? To make decisions and govern people? I can't even decide what to have for breakfast."
Enya laughs a little, more of a chuckle, but it warms my heart anyway to hear something other than the screams in my head. "Me neither, Ci. But we'll get through it. After all, we're partners in this, right? Grand Arch and Right Arch?" She holds out her pinky. I lift my hand and wrap my pinky around hers like a pinky promise.
"Partners," I smile. "What are we gonna do for the press conference later?"
Enya huffs out a breath. "To be completely honest, I don't know. I was mostly going to pull it out of my tox."
"Your what?" I turn to her.
"My tox," She says again. "You know, your butt?"
"Oh," I laugh. "That's what they call it here?"
Enya smirks. "Yeah. What do they call it in the Otherworld?"
"Mostly butt. Some people say ass."
"Isn't an ass a donkey?"
"Yes,"
"So you teach children to say butt when they're learning their animals?" Enya giggles.
"No," I smirk. "They call it a donkey." We both laugh again.
"Anyways, I was just gonna say something about who we are, what Professor Grantwood told us, and stuff like that. Maybe talk about our quest."
"Quest?" I ask her.
"Before the High Arches can be coronaugrated, they have to go on a quest to prove their power and teamwork." She explains. "I think ours should be to find our Grandshield."
"Oh yeah, what was his name again?"
"Tucker Brooks," Nile responds. He and the other two boys walk over and sit on the couch near us.
"I wonder if he's Capitalian or if he's from one of the other countries." Enya hums.
"He's from Mork." Nikolina says. She and Avani turn to our conversation. "But he went to Asavanra."
"How do you know?" Avani asks her.
"Tucker Brooks is a bit of a legendary figure in Mork." Nik explains. "Not for good reasons, either."
"Uh-oh," Faris groans.
"Not like that," She waves her hand to cut him off. "In Mork, he's legendary in a bad way because he was so powerful, and yet he chose to go to Asavanra instead of the Skol for de Sretk." The Mork words sound harsh and stilted. "He was rumored to be the Realm Protector of Darkness."
"Then why wasn't he a High Arch?" I ask. "Aren't Realm Protectors supposed to be High Arches?"
"Technically yes. However, if they're seen as or feel as though they're unfit to lead, they can forfeit the position." Nile explains.
"He gave up being a High Arch?" Avani asks.
"While he was at Asavanra, rumor has it he got into a horrible fight with a light elemental. Gave him darkness poisoning so bad it nearly killed him." Nikolina goes on.
"Wow," Enya looks stunned. "What for?"
"Professor Grantwood." Nik replies. "They were in love, and the light elemental tried to make a move on her."
We all stare at her shocked.
"Grantwood left us her boyfriend as a guard?" Faris asks.
"Ex-boyfriend apparently," Avani snorts. "Where's he been after all this time?"
"Hiding somewhere," Nik purses her lips. "He fought the kid about a week before graduation. After that, he took off. No one knows where he went or even if he's still alive."
"Obviously Grantwood thinks he must be." Enya says. "It's settled then. Our quest will be to find him and make sure he's still suitable for a Grandshield."
"What if he's not?" Faris asks. "What if he's completely loony?"
"Or dead?" Avani pipes in.
"If Grantwood named him Grandshield, then she must've confirmed it with Arch Price." I speak up. "We have to trust them."
Everyone goes quiet.
"We should probably try and make ourselves look a little more presentable before the press conference." Enya mutters. I look around and realize that we're all still wearing our showcase makeup, hairstyles, and costumes.
"The showcase was barely two hours ago." I whisper. Everyone freezes again, almost in reverent silence.
"I have cleansed the house of negativity." Lyra announces. She stands in the kitchen, holding a smudge stick. The blend of herbs and spices make the house smell wonderful.
"Thanks, Ly." Carter says. "There's chips in the kitchen if anyone wants any."
"I could eat,"
"I'm starved,"
"Yum."
DeleteCreated with Sketch.
"Everyone ready?" Officer Alexxi asks us later. We're back in the Atrium, seated in chairs in front of our respective Seats. They'll have to be rearranged eventually, so that we're sitting in our elemental chair in our position's spot, but the folding chairs on the platform are enough for now.
"Yes," Enya replies. "Let them in." The officers guarding the entrance open the doors, allowing the various reporters and cameras into Arch Hall. They take their seats in front of us, looking up at us seated behind a table. There are cards with our names on them in front of us, as well as a bottle of water.
Once everyone's seated, Officer Alexxi stands in front of them. "Good afternoon reporters. Here we are beginning the first official press conference of the new High Arches' careers. If you have a question, raise your hand and Grand Arch Fuego will address you. Please remember to be courteous, and remember what their Highnesses have already witnessed and experienced today." He nods to the reporters and steps off to the side. Immediately reporters put their hands in the air, and the show begins.
"The lady in the gray suit." Enya motions to a woman in the front row.
"Cara Grandt, your Highness, Channel 8 News." The reporter lady replies, putting her hand down. "When did you eight find out that you were going to become the next High Arches?"
"Last week on Tuesday." Enya replies calmly. "Professor Grantwood asked us to come to her office after class. When we went, the Former High Arches were gathered there and we got to meet them. Together they told us about what our future would hold, and what positions we were foretold by Former Arch Price to serve. Next question... the man in the light blue suit." Enya nods to a man on the other side of the Atrium.
"Bark Rowly, Channel 2 News, your Highness." The man says. "What exactly are your positions?"
"I am Grand Arch," Enya replies. She turns and nods to me.
"I am Right Arch," I say. I'm surprised at how strong my voice is.
"I'm Arch of the Military." Avani goes next.
"I'm the Arch of Protection," Nikolina announces.
"Arch of Intelligence." Nile goes next, followed by Carter.
"Arch of Academics."
"I am the Arch of Peace," Lyra says. Her voice is crystal clear in the Atrium. Normally she's very soft spoken.
"And I'm Arch Ambassador." Faris finishes. Reporters write in their notebooks. A lady in the back raises her hand.
"Yes, the woman in the back." Enya addresses her.
"Chica Nuestra, your Highness. I'm with the Center City Daily Press." She stands to better address us. "What are your birthplaces?"
"I fail to see how that's important, Chica Nuestra." Nile speaks up.
"My apologies, your Highness." The reporter bows her head.
"While that is information that you could easily find on your own, I'm sure, we aren't entirely opposed to telling you." Enya's voice is almost like a sigh. I see her hand sneak over and rest on Nile's thigh. "Arch Aquino, Arch Voronkova, Arch Centauri, and I are Eleneative born of our respective element countries. None of us are Capitalborn. Right Arch Leonide, Arch Gipson, Arch Stellato, and Arch Cummins are Otherborn."
"Thank you, your Highness. I apologize for any offense." The reporter's tone makes it sound like she intended the question to hit us.
"None taken. The man in the red suit, please." Enya motions to the next reporter.
"Thank you, your Highness. Kaj Tarheel, Good Morning Fajro. My question is aimed at Right Arch Leonide. Your highness, you and the two arches to your right are first sectors at Asavanra, is that correct?"
My voice cracks the first time I try to answer, so I clear my throat and try again. "That is correct."
"And how does it feel to have the power of the entire Realm transferred to you after only spending two weeks in the Elemental Realm?"
"It's a little bit nerve-wracking, but we assure you that we are going to do our best. We have a very specialized Arch Council here to help us along our way." I reply.
"And with that, we're going to close the questions." Enya says. "As Right Arch Leonide said, we have chosen our Arch Council. As always, it's going to include the senator of each country. We've also chosen a few members who were on the previous Arch Council to help us get settled. After all of us have turned eighteen and all legally have the right to rule, the Council will be downsized a little bit to include just the senators and one or two council members."
The reporters start clamoring with questions and Enya raises her hands. They go silent.
"Thank you. We have one more announcement before we finish up with this conference. As our quest, we have decided to find our Grandshield. Former Arch Grantwood named Tucker Brooks as our Grandshield, and we're going to find him and see whether he's fit for his position."
Enya nods at Officer Alexxi as the reporters start talking over each other again. He walks in front of them and waves his hands.
"That'll be all for today's conference. We thank you for coming, and please have safe travels home!"
Reporters start making their way out but one remains: a woman in a white suit. She raises her hand and asks Enya, "When will you arrest the person who killed the High Arches?"
The room goes silent.
"To everyone out there who wants to know, I personally guarantee that Arch Aquino, his Intelligence team, and we High Arches will find out who did this and make sure they get what they deserve." Enya's voice is cold and regal. All of the reporters freeze as she speaks. "Conference dismissed."
We all walk back to the Arch Residence through the tunnels, followed by Officer Alexxi. He's temporarily being our Grandshield, until we find Tucker Brooks. When we get back to the Arch Residence, he tells us that a teleporter will be here in a few minutes to take us back to Asavanra to get all of our things from our dorms.
"We had a cleaning crew in here earlier to clear out any of the old High Arches things." Alexxi says before he leaves. "Closets and drawers are empty, the kitchen has been restocked with the basics, and the bed sheets have been replaced. We've almost finished hiring a new crew of maids, so if you have any preferences about food or the way your room is cleaned, write it on a piece of paper and leave it somewhere."
"Thank you Alexxi. You've been wonderful," I smile. He bows and heads towards the door.
"Oh, by the way, each one of them left something for you. I think it was whoever was your mentor. Those got left in your rooms." He bows again and walks out the door.
"Let's go find our rooms, I guess." Enya shrugs.
We walk down the hallway beside the kitchen to find eight colored doors, engraved with symbols of our element. On the left is earth, light, air, and time, with darkness, fire, water, and space on the right. When I touch the doorknob to my room, the engraved symbols on the door light up, showing suns and stars and little bursts of light. It's incredible. I open the door and the light drops down to the floor, following along the floor and climbing up the walls like vines. They twirl around the posts of the bed and stop. Strings of light hang from the ceiling like fairy lights.
"Wow," I murmur to myself. The room is beautiful. The walls are made of a rough white wood of some kind, each of the veins of the wood grain glowing softly with a warm buttery light. The floor is polished milky chocolate brown hardwood, with fluffy round rugs poking out from underneath both sides of the bed. The bed is a four poster, with white tulle hanging from the posts to form a canopy that twinkles with fairy lights. There's a white wood desk in the corner next to an enormous bookcase that gets me excited. To the left of the door is another door that opens to reveal a closet, and another door on the same wall that leads to a bathroom. The bathroom is gorgeous, all white with gold detailing. There's a shower and bathtub combo that looks like it has jets.
"This is incredible," I laugh, flopping into the pile of pillows on the bed. There's another large white rug in the other corner with two comfy-looking chairs and a coffee table.
"Wow, yours is incredible too!" Avani gapes from the doorway.
"They're all gorgeous," Enya smiles from behind her. "The teleporter's here. Let's go get our things so we can get some sleep."