INSIGNIAS: THE REGALIS

The darkness in the fortress was swallowed by the eerie brightness of thick lava boiling through the huge hole on the floor. The hole ran across the opened space in the center of the fortress, almost occupying the whole floor of the enormous court yard. From time to time, tiles on the edge of the circle melts, becoming a part of the spreading molten rock. A large group of people in red robes surround it, barely reacting to the painful heat emanating from the lava. The sounds of it sizzling and the bubbles on the surface popping seemed to harmonize with the voices of the Rosein Army. Three rows of people around the hole were chanting, staring at the churning lava; while those farther were talking to each other.

Clyne was curious about what the Rosein Army was doing, but he knew it was something bad. Clyne could make out the words “powers,” “return,” and “receive” but the others were lost in him because of the enemy talking in front of him. He narrowed his eyes at the tall lanky man who surpressed his and his friends’ elemental before in order to torture them. Solomon Gravemoore, the man introduced himself earlier, smirked at him. He was wearing a white suit underneath the red robe, a few hues darker than the others.

“You went here thinking that this is the main base,” Gravemoore started, “Absurd! We are everwhere!” Clyne could feel his patience thinning, however, he couldn’t do anything while Gravemoore surpressed their powers again and muscular men gripped their shoulders.

Clyne glanced at his friends who were in similar situation. Tessa was glaring at Gravemoore, Lei was watching the hole of lava with confused and fearful expressions, Nate kept on trying to escape his captor but the man behind him painfully gripped his shoulder making him flinch, while Kol stared unmoving and wide-eyed at the people chanting behind Gravemoore. Clyne cursed internally, remembering how they were caught.

Two hours before, Clyne’s group descended a mountain near the fortress of the Rosein Army, stopping to camp where they can observe it from a far. After an hour of watching it without seeing anyone coming in or out, the group decided to split and to scout the area around it, and if they see or hear nothing, infiltrate it quietly. Clyne and Lei were caught in the beach where five members of Rosein Army were waiting invisible to the eyes and elementals. Clyne wished that the others were safe but when he and Lei were dragged inside the fortress, their friends were already in the hands of Gravemoore.

“Welcome.” Clyne’s gaze returned to Gravemoore. “You are lucky to watch this in person.”

“Watch what?” Tessa asked. Gravemoore grinned and glanced behind him at the boiling lava and people chanting. Dread crept on Clyne’s skin and he paled. He was already thinking of different purposes of it such as summoning monsters or members of the Rosein Army jumping into the molten rock. What if ‘we’ are the ones who are about to jump into that?

“Do you still need Tessa, Lei, and Aria’s powers? Eloise, Ice, and Levvy’s?” Nate gritted his teeth. He was in defensive mode but Clyne saw fear in his eyes that he tried to hide. Clyne understood his friend. The present odds weren’t in their favour. They were outnumbered. Where are the other members of the Eclipse Ciar were talking about?!?!?!

“Did you ever think about that before marching here?” Gravemoore was holding a laugh. “You’re serving your friends in a hot platter for us.”

Despite chorus of loud noises around, Clyne’s drumming heartbeats overpowed the sounds of chanting, boiling of lava, popping of bubbles on the lava, and Gravemoore’s chicken-like laugh. Clyne glanced nervously from Tessa and Lei who paled because of Gravemoore’s statements. He swallowed the growing fear in his throat and looked around for a possible way out.

“Unfortunately, the plan changed.” Their captor pulled Clyne’s attention back to him. “You’re just an audience.”

“For now,” he added with a spine-chilling smile, before turning around. He walked toward the rows of people around the lava hole.

“Is he telling the truth?” Lei quietly asked. Tessa was standing in the middle with Lei on her left and Nate on her right. Clyne stood on Lei’s left while Kol on Nate’s right.

“I don’t know.” Nate jaw clenched. “But we have to get out of here.” As a response to him, the man gripping Nate’s shoulders tightened his hold, making him flinched. They couldn’t talk about escaping without the five men behind them listening.

“What are they doing?” Lei whispered. But no one answered.

Clyne’s gaze swept the place, taking in what was happening. His friends and Kol kept quiet. Maybe thinking how to escape, like me. He noticed two things after minutes of observing. A group clustered in a place farthest from the lava pool, farther than where Clyne and his companions were standing. The group was standing, unmoving, in a close circle, very close to a wall. Gravemoore went back and front to the group from the rows of people chanting. Clyne counted more than 10 people in red. Some were facing outward, some inward. Whatever they were hiding in the middle was obscure from view, however, Clyne noticed a white cloth in the pool of red robes. He turned toward the second thing he noticed but the person quickly looked away. A member of Rosein Army had been stealing glances at Clyne and his companions. At first, he didn’t mind it because the person might only be curious about the captives. However, that person was the only one glancing at them several times from where he was standing near a wall with twenty others in red robes. They stood a few feet on Clyne’s left, behind another group of Rosein Army. Clyne met the man’s eyes three times, which made him curious. The others, however, remained staring at the people chanting around the lava pool.

“Can you tell us what’s happening?” Tessa broke the silence. “What’s the lava for and the chanting?” Clyne figured that she was asking the man gripping her shoulder. He only grunted as a reply. The group was silent again but the chanting became louder. Clyne tried to understand what they were saying but after Gravemoore left, the people in red robes switched to chanting that didn’t include words. Or it’s in a different language? The melody became insistent, rushed, and heavy, which didn’t help Clyne’s fear. Whatever they’re going to do, we have to leave before they start.

When he felt eyes on him, he turned to his left, making another eye contact with the man. The man gave a small nod before averting his eyes. This surprised and confused Clyne. He was about to tell Nate when the man’s group started walking toward them. He clenched his fists, getting ready to fight even though he knew it would be futile. The man who had been glancing at them refused to meet Clyne’s angry eyes.

“We have to switch,” the man said once they reached Clyne. He was the tallest among the 10 with chestnut-colored hair and eyes. He radiated an air of leadership and power.

“What?” the man behind Nate asked. “No one told us we’ll be switching.” Clyne glanced at Lei who looked confused as he was.

“Lady Levvi requires the five of you,” the leader replied, looking rather irritated. “You know how she is.” Clyne glanced at the five bulky men behind him and his companions. They glanced at each other looking confused with a hint of suspicion.

“We didn’t hear anything-”

“Fine,” the leader interrupted, “I’ll tell her you didn’t want to be her guards tonight.”

“Wait!” the man behind Kol shouted, stopping the leader from turning. “She needs more?”

The leader rolled his eyes.

“Yes. Said we’re too lanky to be her guards and find the five of you.”

“Alright. Make sure these don’t escape you. Gravemoore will be pissed.” The man behind Clyne removed his tight grip on his shoulders, only to be replaced by another set of hands of one of the leader’s men. After the turnover, the five bulky men glared at Clyne and his companions for the last time before leaving.

“Nice to see you here, Kol,” the leader said. He was standing in front of Tessa with his back on them. The rest of his team surround them.

“Right on time,” Clyne heard Kol murmured. Confused, he looked at Nate for explanation. Nate mouted ‘Eclipse.’ Clyne breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t relax yet,” the man holding Clyne murmed. “We’re not safe yet.”

“You were careless,” the leader pointed out without looking at them. “Running into the mouth of the lion.” Clyne wanted to argue and defend themselves but Nate shook his head.

“We were,” Nate said, “We are glad you are here and thank you.” Tessa looked like what Clyne felt, annoyed. But he knew they were. Only a little bit.

“What’s the plan?” Kol asked.

“We have to stop this.” Tessa interrupted before the leader could answer. “Whatever this is.”

“You don’t intend to leave?” another Eclipse member asked. He had his hands on Lei’s shoulders. Clyne, Tessa, Lei, and Nate looked at each other before nodding.

“No,” Lei answered, “We went here to do something.”

“At what cost?” the leader asked. He still had his back on them. Clyne didn’t speak but he knew the answer. It was prophesized that the Regalis have a role to play in the next war. They had to win it, even if it costs their lives. Reality sinked in him deeper than ever. Despite his dreams to live longer and experience more, he knew that his life would end soon. A part of him wanted more years with Aria and his friends but he chose to fight.

“It’s starting,” the man behind Clyne said, interrupting his thoughts. “We have to move.”

“What is starting?” Lei asked.

“Sacrifice,” the leader said. Clyne paled. Of what?

Before he could ask, the group of Rosein Army who appeared to be protecting something moved. The crowd in front of it parted to give way. In the middle of the group was something in white. No. Someone in white.

“A person?” Tessa whispered. This is bad. We have to do something.

The shadows of people around the person made it harder too see him or her. Clyne noticed long white sleeved dress and raven hair. For a second, the woman turned, giving him a view of her face. Ice blue eyes. Nate gasped, his voice a whisper.

“Alyssa Roseshadow.”