The Daughter's of Helios and Nyx

Chapter6Oriana

After my soup and salad, I spend a few hours out at the stables cleaning out my horse’s stable, then riding her, then spraying her down and then brushing her. Ori is my horse’s name. Yeah, I know it’s the first part of my name. I was three and learning my name. Ori was a gift from Zeus, or rather Pegasus and Yuriganda. Yuriganda gave birth to two foals. I remember being high in the clouds whenever Mount Olympus was still a place of serene peace. The mountain was beautiful, with so many light and fluffy clouds you could walk on. We were given Ori as a peace offering between Helios and Zeus. Which was way long overdue in my opinion. How many years at peace do you have to be in before being given a gift of peace anyway?

So here I am, having a magnificent day while brushing my superb racing filly, then, all of a sudden, I get a sick feeling while flashes of Celena hunched over with the same pains I’m currently having. Only hers are a thousand times worse. My knees buckle underneath me once her screaming starts, I begin to stumble back onto my feet, legs still shaky I decide the quickest will be to use my power. I use the power of the sun to shoot myself across the fields and gardens to the back door of the manor in 0.3 seconds. Everyone who is in our home has heard Celena’s wails, they ricochet off every ceiling and wall, the chandelier’s shake from the echoing screams. My mother and father blunder up the staircase accompanied by each of their personal guards; Colt is my mother’s guard, then Vaughn is my father’s. We made it up to Celena’s chamber in about thirty seconds. Vaughn and Colt burst down the doors with a great kick and the door splinters into a billion pieces, leaving it super dusty with wood shavings scattering the floor. We arrive in time to see Celena looking green with a terrified look in her twilight eyes before she collapses on the floor.

“Celena!” My mother calls out, her voice strained with worry.

I rushed to my sister’s side, adjusting her head into my lap. I hold two fingers to each of her temples, checking for a sign of life. She does, luckily. Celena is weak but alive. Not that we can be killed very easily. However, I have no idea the reason behind what is going on with Celena.

“Thank goodness, Celena is okay, just weak.” I say low and calm.

“Let’s get her to her bed so she can rest. Vaughn, Colt, carefully carry her over to her bed please. "Oriana go get a healer right away.” Stern authority belches from his chest.

The guards swiftly pick up Celena and carry her to her enormous depressing bed. They gently lay her down as I scanter across the dusty room and walked over what is left of the broken-down door, and out into the hallway. Again, I shoot down the stairs, all the way to the infirmary in my shooting star form. Back in my human form, I race to find Hiedi, one of our best healers.

The room is huge with tons of herbs hanging down the walls while many different flowers hang from the ceiling. Along the other side of the room are a few beds. In another corner sits four tubs where we sometimes go for a ‘healing’ wash.

“Oh Oriana, what has ever happened?” Hiedi’s trembling voice quivers. It is no shock to me that she heard the screams and awaiting orders because she stands with a big brown bag that has almost anything and everything in it.

“It’s Celena. "We need you in her chamber right away.” I spoke quickly and urgently. I held my hand out for Hiedi to take hold of. She gives me a quizzical look; her light blue eyes shoot up at me. Her erratic short blonde hair is sticking up in a bunch that is a frizzy mess. She must have had a stressful day. But that is the thing I like about Hiedi. No matter how stressful her day is or whatever is going on in her personal life, she is always quick-witted and eager to help those in need. That is why my father has kept the little fae. It’s the best pay for a fae. If they work alongside royals or gods, they will forever have the highest paying job. All the fae’s or demi’s strive to end up with royalty or Gods because of this. Though the demi gods rarely make it into royalty.

“Oh, come on and take my hand, you know it’s the fastest way, plus, Helios ordered it.” I took Hiedi’s hand before she could say anything else. We took off, two stars shooting throughout the massive manor.

Once we got to the broken-down door of my sister’s chamber, Hiedi rushed to Celena’s side while opening her oversize bag as she continued to pull herbs, a vile of healing water, then began chanting in a language that is foreign to me.

“Oriana darling, perhaps you could give us some insight into what happened here?” My mother’s voice beckons my attention.

I gulp loudly, my clenched hands sweating in my pockets while a dribble of sweat falls down the back of my neck. I so don’t want to have to retell these horrid images and the pain Celena and I encountered. Even though hers was way worse, mine did hurt, nevertheless. I won’t retell all, I must make sure Celena is okay with me telling what just went down. I am mostly not telling Helios and Nyx while three others are here. So, I’ll spill the basics, all the while not giving too much away. Chewing my lip, I glance at Celena then turn my big green eyes to Nyx, I take my hands out of my pockets and clasp them together behind my back as I stand up straighter. I must not fail her and refuse to answer her; at that I give my mother the utmost respect. I lick my lips and take a deep breath “Well, I was brushing Ori after riding her, then I’m hit with some pain, I saw something was wrong with Celena, she was having flashes of terrible scenes, that’s when I went inside and followed you and father up here mother.” I really did a terrible job of keeping the shakiness out of my voice. With worry taking over me, I sit on the end bed where my sister lays.

My mother’s look tells me that she knows I’m not going deep into the story how she wishes. “What exactly did these scenes show Oriana?” The words hiss out like a snake getting ready to strike. She really cares for Celena so much more than me, like the little luna nick name, she’s never given me a nickname. Nyx is also way overprotective of Celena. I know that Celena is in training as I am in training with father. But it does weigh on me at times how unloving she can sometimes be towards me or only show Celena appreciation. Though that is for another day.

Jeez, you would think she would have some type of discrepancy. Never would I ever repeat super important information in front of Heidi Billock. I will not discuss Celena’s business in front of her either, Celena would definitely kill me. Anyway, that girl spreads gossip quicker than wildfire.

“May I please discuss the matter in private, mother, father? I apologize, though it is in fact the utmost serious encounter. As well I refuse to speak of Celena’s attack while she lays right here recovering from the incident all together.” Propper and pronounced my voice rings throughout the room, then sat up even straighter and looked at both of my parents pointedly with my enormous hypnotizing green eyes open wide with raised eyebrows. I swear, I only use these hidden powers lightly and without anyone noticing. Sometimes mother can be a brat about getting her way exactly when she wants it, unfortunately for her, I am not like Celena. I do respect her, but I won’t go against a vow Celena and I made when we were six.

The air was thick, smelling wet, right before a downpour in a spring evening, we were six, getting into all sorts of mischief. We had just gotten in trouble for me lying for Celena. I didn’t think it was fair, and I ended up getting into more trouble because of it, but that evening we promised each other that if it involves ither of us, then we promise to consult one another before blabbing it or to keep it quiet.

So no, I will have to talk to Celena before saying anything else.

Father sighs lightly before whispering “Of course sunshine, lets go to the den in an hour.”

Nyx goes over to her favorite child, places her hand over Celena’s forehead, since Heidi finished her cleansing and chanting. She’s still going around the room lighting white candles while sprinkling dragons’ blood on top of each candle after setting them aflame. The dragons’ blood is for protection.

A horrid gasping sound comes from Celena as her eyes shoot open. Mother’s hand is still resting her hand on her head, so Celena doesn’t sit up quickly.

“Little Luna, be still. Everything is going to be okay, you are safe.” The soothing murmur of my mother’s voice draws me in, I crawl up onto the bed. When I make it up to the pillows, I grab her light blanket and lay it over the two of us while I prop my head up with my right hand. Celena gives me a weak smile, though I can see the distress in her eyes. It’s this look that gives me the chills because Celena is scared, which she doesn’t scare easily. Heck, even I’m scared for her. She also knows that I know what she’d experienced. She knows that I won’t talk without her consent.

Celena clears her throat, then asks for water. She licks her lips then finally speaks once she downs a glass of crystalized water, given to her by Hiedi.

“May I speak with Oriana alone please? I promise I will make sure she sees you in the den.” My sister’s voice hoars as she croaks out the words.

“Oh, of course little luna. I will get the guards to replacing your doors once Oriana steps out. You stay in bed, I will check on you after this meeting.”

She turns to Hiedi as well as the guards “follow.” She demands softly then proceeds out of the room with father right behind her “get well Celena.” Helios smiles affectionately at Celena, then at me. The guards and Hiedi follow suit behind our mother and father.

“feel better miss, and if you need anything at all please let me know!” Hiedi’s high pitched toned voice squeaks out all the while the guards, Colt and Vaughn do a quick stiff bow and march out while barking to the lower ranked guards to replace the door in half an hour.

Now that we are alone, Celena sits up, crosses her legs then drags a hand down her face, while using her other hand to run her fingers through her medium long silky black-blue hair. I know she doesn’t want to talk about it. Unfortunately, she must, this is way too important. Plus she knows mother and father know something terrible is going on.

“Okay Celena, you know you gotta spill. What even were those images? There was some serious c*****e and death. Do you know the guy? What about the girl? Do you think they are responsible for all the destruction, or could the girl be in charge?” frantic whispers come from my lips, trying to stay quiet since the doors are broken down, which is quite difficult.

Celena sits up and puts a long, elegant finger covered in rings to my mouth “chill Oriana.” She says sort of annoyed. “And no I have no idea who these people are, what the c*****e is all about or who is behind it, I do know they have assaulted me all day, it first came to me in a dream or nightmare or whatever whenever I went to sleep this morning. Each time it hits me, the pain is worse and worse than what just happened has been the worst yet.’’ Her voice low and trembling as she drops her head into her hands she whispers “you may tell Helios and Nyx, they wont stop until they know what happened. But seriously, Oriana, I’m worried that something catastrophic is going to happen.”

Celena’s demeanor switches and she’s peeking through her fingers, with the curve of a grin beginning to form on her face. “Even though that guy might have something to do with It,” she sits up straight while crossing her arms over her chest defiantly as she continues “he is so hot with a capital H, like I need to see who he is in the flesh.” Her playful, sultry, facetious voice chimes between the two of us. This is not like Celena. It has been almost four years since we were as close as we were when we were kids. But then a fatal accident happened.

Her best friend and I were out with some of our friends who enjoyed flames and brightness, it was the Summer Solstice party four summers ago, it was super late so at this point in the night we were ready to go, so we began heading back to the manor to pick up Celena. We were flying in my father’s chariot and an evil sorcerer sent one of the most powerful spells at the chariot. The so her spiraling out of the air and plunged hard into the icy Atlantic Ocean, Anarosa and her fiery power was lost forever. Thick as thieves, partners in crime, turned into strangers who were forced to live in the same home.

Although we are no longer close, I can’t even imagine not being with her right now. That attack, and yes, I am calling it an attack because that’s what it was, premonitions or not, Celena’s gifts assault and attack her.

Ever since we were young, I could never understand how Celena could make jokes while we were in trouble or during serious affairs. She definitely has a twisted sense of humor. Like, how can she talk about this stranger, who could possible be the cause of the death and destruction that is likely to happen. See, that’s what I mean, twisted. The girl is twisted.

I take a deep breath, let it out slowly “well Celena, we might have to do exactly that.” I say unfortunately while running both my hands all throughout my cascading wavy hair as I sit up cross legged like my sister. How are we going to find out where these beings are? How can we find out if the boy and the girl are the reason behind the destruction?

Celena lets out a giggle while waggling her eyebrows as she grins wickedly. I roll my eyes at her, because seriously? Again, issues. This is all starting to hurt my head, alas, I still must repeat the entire attack to Nyx and Helios. The throbbing is beginning to set in, I know mother will have tea already prepared for me.

I can’t tap out yet, even though I don’t want to be in this mess in the first place. However, this is nowhere near over. This is only the beginning.