Mernatian 3

Back at Maraquat…

 The crowd now restless as the suspense grew more and more with every passing minute. Once more the queen looked down at the tiny starfish resting in her palm. Many thoughts rushed through her mind as she slowly brought it up towards her lips. She paused briefly then gently she kissed its back, just as her mother and her mothers mother had done, as it was tradition.

 The child’s face scrunched upward into a twisted smile. She forced open her dry cracked lips revealing her rotting yellow teeth. Her hair fell over her face as she tilted her head down just far enough to give an evil glare.

 Hesitantly the queen looked up into the child’s face but immediately wished she hadn’t and quickly looked back down. She then squeezed her eyes shut along with the hand holding the small creature, but made sure not to squish it. Once again a million thoughts rushed to her head. Thoughts about fate, and evil, along with prayers, wishes and questions about the outcome of it all.

 More and more time passed as the queen stood there eyes shut hand closed. This angered the girl, and yet the grin remained. Suddenly the child fiercely pushed her arm out in front of her as if to reach for something, but did not take a step forward. The queen heard the crowd gasp, and opened her eyes just as her own arm began to float upward towards the girl.

 “NO!” The queen yelled and pulled back with all her strength but it was no use, her arm stayed there.

 Everyone stood around the holy stone in shock. Some tried to run to her aid, but were repelled backward by the spell that was cast around the rock for protection before the ceremony began. They began screaming, children cried out, and yet they could only stand and watch.

 The Queen’s heart began to race as she held her fist tightly shut. Desperately she tried to access the power of the starfish, but the 100 years was up and every second was used it would no longer work for her.

 The child continued to stand there arm outstretched, waiting for the starfish to be placed in her hand. Still the girl remained silent and moved her gaze to the Queens fist. Pain was obvious upon the Queens face. The eyes of the child literally burnt into her wrist and began to pry open her hand. In a last act to save her country she reached towards the child and grabbed her shoulder with her free arm. Immediately the girl moved her outstretched arm to the Queens and grabbed her fist.

 The touch of the “dark one” melted the queens hand right off her wrist. Her screams only made the crowd try harder to get onto the rock. The magic quickly traveled up the Queens arm and with in seconds Queen Selika “the radiant” was reduced to a smoldering pile of ash.