Taming the Rogue King

The Ether

Ira

In the meditation room on the lower deck of Athena, Ira took the black diamond ring from Queen Diana. She held the ring and stared at it, a little scared to slip it onto her finger again.

The last time she had tried it, she couldn’t handle the sudden jolt of strength. The lightning spark of energy had left her trembling.

“Only looking at it won’t help. You need to put it on and start learning to use it!” Diana implored. “I will help you as best as I can.”

As she brought the ring closer to her finger, vibrations hummed against her hand. As if the ring had a mind of its own, it mirrored Ira's reluctance to adorn her finger. She swore as she saw a blaze of lightning engulf the little ornament. A flash of a faint memory crossed her mind. Monike’s hands on Liam's bare chest, and she decided. Whether she loved the id*ot or not, she was going to figure that out by being with him. No more running away. No more being the greater person and no more hiding her feelings.

If he chose Monike, good for her, but she was going to give a tough fight.

What is the point of getting a soulmate and letting him go without even trying? With her head clear and heart beating steady, she put the damn ring on again.

Just like the first time, a bolt of energy shot through her. It brought her to her knees and she rested her palms down on the wooden deck to support herself.

She fought back, trying to control the authority emanating from the ring.

She did not know if Diana was helping her. If she was, Diana was doing a shoddy job, as Ira continued to tango with the waves of energy.

Ira’s heartbeats raced, her breathing got shallow, walls started closing in on her and she remembered Ennius. She did not want to pass out again or be carried by that man!

The all consuming force travelling through her body like a thousand volts made her shiver like a leaf. She challenged it.

She could visualise the flashes of lightning in her body. Pushing herself up again, she sat down in a meditative pose and let her mind work on taming the wild, bright strikes of energy.

Moving within her own body was a first for her. She saw herself as dark matter, capable of absorbing every light, and slowly, but surely the darkness took control of the bright flashes of energy flowing through her.

Her heart steadied, and her breathing became even.

She knew the moment the bolts of lightning gave in. The immense power coursed through her system as her own! She had claimed the allegiance of her ring!

Opening her eyes she smiled at Diana who stood still, next to her. Her hands held a ball of black orb between the palms, her eyes were all black and her lips trembled at an even pace. Looked like she was muttering verses in Latin.

Slowly, the air around them started to feel light again. Diana closed her eyes, the dark orb vanished and when she opened her eyes they were normal again.

Ira smiled with a sense of accomplishment. Within the last few days, she had not only realised that she was a witch, but she had managed to acquire a magical tool of high potency and she had gained control of its power all by herself or maybe with a little help from a centuries old etheral witch.

She waited for Diana to say something, but the regal witch waved her hand, conjuring a meditation mat.

The mat lay in front of Ira. Without speaking a word, Diana sat down on the mat.

Her quiet demeanour made Ira doubt herself. Is something wrong? Have I broken something? Have I….

“That was some serious battle!” Diana exclaimed with a smile and Ira relaxed, giving a huge warm smile back. “How do you feel?” Diana asked. The warmth in her question reminded Ira of Sarena, and she missed her world. It wasn't perfect, but she would give anything to be back in her own time with her own people.

“I feel unstoppable. As if nothing can defeat me! Exhilarating!” Ira grinned trying to put her feelings in words. But nothing matched to the power that she felt.

Diana nodded. “Do you want to look at your chest?”

Ira frowned. Why do I need to look at my chest? Will I have to undress?

Diana laughed! “Don’t look so scared. You don’t need to undress. Just move your chiton and check. Here…” She pulled a round handheld mirror out of thin air and passed it to Ira.

Ira took the cold metallic stem in her hand and turned the mirror to face her. She stared in awe at the ornately designed stem and the ruby studded rim of the mirror.

Moving her chiton to expose the swell of her bosom, she angled the antique mirror and gasped. A beautiful wolf peaked from the top of her left boob. The artistic lines of the tattoo showed the soft fur that looked dishevelled, as if it danced to the tune of a strong breeze.

The black and white tattoo endorsed her wheatish skin and the purple eyes of the tattoo peered at an unknown distance, as if looking into the future. She was amazed at how real that looked.

She turned to Diana and mouthed, “How? When?”

“It started when you first blacked out. I could feel it. The connection between Liam’s Lycan and your soul increases even as you are stuck here. He must be desperate to find you. Whatever you saw two days back before coming here triggered this. One of the reasons you could claim your powers so soon is the strength provided by Liam. He is trying to reach out to you.” Diana said.

“Two days? I have been in this room for two days?”

Diana nodded and Ira complained, “the time here is so different. I feel as if it was just a few seconds back! I don’t want to think about Liam reaching out to me. He has been a jerk!” She exhaled, caressing her newly acquired tattoo. Her heart skipped a beat, and it felt good. “Let's get to work! Tell me how I should create a portal?”

“Are you sure you don’t want some rest?” Diana raised her eyebrows.

“Are you kidding me? I feel super energetic and we have already lost a few days. Why wait?” Ira got up and dusted her gown.

“Okay then! But promise me you will tell me when you are tired or hungry! This is going to be a gruelling task!” Diana got up too and the mat vanished with the sway of her hand.

“Sure!” Ira chirped, ready to explore her powers.

Diana started in a slow, deep voice. “Now begin by standing still. Close your eyes and visualise the Moon God. Ask him to give you strength and vision to accomplish what you want.”

She conjured the dark orb in her hands again. “Then look for a dark matter that spreads inside you and around you. You must have already noticed it in your meditative state.”

She caressed the dark substance in her hands lovingly and continued to give instructions while Ira listened, absorbing every word. “Feel it! Feel the texture, the temperature, the viscosity, the flow. This is the fifth element. The Ether! It fills up all the void in the universe.”

The dark matter changed its shape, and form as Diana spoke, mimicking every word that she said. “This answers to you. It is free from the laws of matter. It doesn’t conform to the principles of distance and time.” The substance turned translucent and showed shadows of the future world that Ira was familiar with. Liam's face scowled at her from the translucent dark orb as Diana’s voice boomed, making Ira smile.

“It is inert, yet active.” The orb shrunk in size and moved between Diana’s hands, zigzagging between her left and right palms, as she continued to talk.

“It is hard & magnanimous…,” The orb grew in size as Diana increased the distance between her palms.

“... but if pushed by the right person with the right force, it would be putty in your hands.” She brought her palms slowly together, joined them in namaste and poof… The black etheral orb vanished.

Ira stared at Diana’s palms, mesmerised by how Diana controlled the formless substance. She wasn't even aware that her mouth was open with her jaw hanging low..

“Your turn now. You might not be able to conjure it as yet, but learn to recognise it and move it.” Diana chuckled.

Ira felt silly. She was just fangirling. How was she supposed to do the cool stuff? She felt incompetent as she closed her mouth and prepared herself to follow Diana's instructions.

Diana swished her hand and said, “Don’t worry. Come on… Close your eyes and start. I am here to help if anything goes out of control. I just tied you with me. Even if you go traversing through different times or lands, I will be able to follow you. Don’t be scared…” she encouraged.

Ira had serious doubts about her abilities. She had never been the cool one in her entire life. And now this stuff appeared to be waaaaay out of her league.

If it were books she would have read them within moments. If it was studies and logic, she would have understood it within seconds. But how was she going to gain control of something so intangible and abstract?

Am I thinking too much? I did survive at the Royal Academy! The thoughts of past trials and tribulations gave her strength. She rolled her shoulders back… Never to shy away from a challenge, she closed her eyes and began…

*****