The Flow

"They've reached the city gates," the captain reports.

Gasps flit about that room. I look towards my husband. He stares down at the map of the country, one hand stroking his beard. He finally looks up.

"Evacuate the city to the citadel. Prepare to open the escape route in the event we fail to hold the city."

The captain nods then turns and leaves.

"Aline," he says, looking to me, "I want you to oversee the evacuation from here."

I nod. "Of course."

He looks across his nobles. "All of you are to help in the evacuation."

They all nod, chorusing "Yes sire."

He finally looks to our son. "Dimitri. I want you to stay here."

"Father-"

"I need you to be here. If anything should happen to me, you need to be here, able to take control."

Dimitri bows his head. "Yes, father."

My husband leaves and within minutes the city is in disorder. With the nobles and my son, we usher the people along to the citadel, through the courtyard to the path that leads up the mountain.

"Queen Aline!" I hear a voice call out. I turn towards it. A figure wrapped in a white cloak moves quickly against the crowd to me. Another figure in a white cloak chases after them.

My two guards move to block their advance and the first figure reaches up, removing the hood. I immediately recognize her black hair and green eyes.

"Stand down," I order my guards. "She's a daughter of the temple of Nyssa."

My guards obey and within seconds, she has reached me. I catch her arm and pull her to the side. "What are you doing Lena? You need to evacuate."

The other cloaked figure has reached us and I recognize her. She's Diaphanes, the head priestess of the temple of Nyssa. "My apologies, Queen Aline. Come, Lena, we need to go." Diaphanes reaches out and takes Lena's arm.

Lena shakes her hand off and turns to me. "Please, Queen Aline. I can help."

"No," Diaphanes and I say simultaneously.

"You have to let me help," she pleads. "The kingdom is in the balance."

"Lena, what are you talking about?" Diaphanes asks.

Lena ignores her. "King Gregor has messed with the balance. I can feel it. If you don't let me help, the kingdom will fall."

I feel my blood turn to ice. I know better than to just dismiss Lena's concern. She was the daughter of Keeper of the Gates, after all. I look at Diaphanes. Her face is white, but she shakes her head. "Lena, you're not strong enough for that. You could die if you attempt anything," Diaphanes warns.

Lean's green eyes are hard and determined. "I have to at least try."

"What do you need?" I ask.

"A torch, blood grass, and a temple."

"A temple would be preferable," Diaphanes says, looking at the ground. Then she looks up. "But with your connection to the flow, any open space inside will do." She gently smiles at Lena, who returns her smile.

"Come," I tell her. "The physician keeps blood grass on hand and I'm sure the throne room is about as spacious as a temple."

I lead them towards the entrance of the castle. Turning the last corner, we run into Dimitri. He looks surprised. "Mother?"

"Dimitri."

He looks at Lena and Diaphanes, then back at me. "What's going on?" He asks.

"This is Lena and Diaphanes. They are daughters of the temple of Nyssa. They have a ritual that they wish to perform that will protect our men," I lie. The truth of Lena's heritage is a carefully guarded secret, by order of the Lady Nyssa herself.

"Prince Dimitri!" A guard calls, running up to my son. "King Gregor's men have broken through the city gate."

"Thank you," Dimitri tells him.

He nods and runs back the way he came.

Dimitri turns to me. "We have to speed up the evacuation."

I nod. "Yes. Make sure the people get out." I begin walking again, with a quickened pace. In a second, Dimitri is back at my side.

"Mother, what are you doing? You need to evacuate," he says.

"I know, but there's something that I need to do first. Now, go," I order him.

Having reached the entrance of the castle I push the doors open and wave Lena and Diaphanes forward. Before I can follow, Dimitri catches my wrist.

"Mother. What are you doing?" I can see the concern in his eyes.

I raise my other hand and rest it on his cheek. "Doing my job as queen. I am protecting my kingdom." I gently pull my wrist from him and turn back to Lena and Diaphanes who are waiting for my guidance.

"Then I'm going to help," Dimitri says, voice firm.

"Dimitri, no-"

"Your majesty," Lena's voice cuts in, urgent. Her eyes are wide and glazed over. "We need to hurry."

I walk towards her concerned, but her eyes don't follow me. "Lena, what's happened?"

Her head suddenly turns to me. Though she's looking right at me, I know she can't see me. "King Gregor is messing with the flow again. His pull is stronger than before."

I take her arm. "Dimitri, stay here. Lena, I'm going to lead you."

"No," Diaphanes says. "She needs to stay here while we go. She can't see."

"I'll be fine soon," Lena snaps.

"But how soon? You will stay here and when we get back with what we need we will lead you to the throne room," Diaphanes says with authority that leaves no room for argument.

"I can take her to the throne room," Dimitri says. I had nearly forgotten his presence.

Diaphanes must pick up my want to argue in my face because she touches my arm. "We don't have time to argue."

I nod and hold out Lena's hand to Dimitri. "Take her to the throne room. We'll meet you there. Be careful."

Dimitri nods. I turn and lead Diaphanes to the physician's chamber. While Diaphanes locates the blood grass, I steal the torch from the hall. Once Diaphanes has found the blood grass we head to the throne room. Dimitri and Lena turn towards us when we enter.

Lena takes the box of blood grass and the torch and walks to the center of the room. She places the box on the floor then holds up the torch. She begins speaking. I don't understand her, but the language is lilting and hypnotic.

Lena lowers the torch and points it at the ground. Her words become a chant as she walks in a circle. Completing the circle, she walks across to the center and places the torch down. She exits the circle and picks up the box. She walks halfway into the circle towards the torch. She begins speaking again in that language, but this time it sounds like she's singing. As she does this, she circles the torch, leaving a trail of blood grass. Making a complete circle she stops speaking again.

She exits the circle and puts the box down. She reaches up and pulls one of the long pins from her hair. She steps back into the circle. She says something in the other language then turns the pin on her arm, carving a figure into her skin.

Dimitri steps towards her in shock, but Diaphanes stops him with a hand and a shake of her head. He looks at me for support, but I shake my head as well.

Lena dips a finger in the blood on her arm and kneels drawing a circle with a slash through it. "Order," she says.

Standing up, she steps out of the circle and walks to the side opposite of the mark on the floor. She places the pin in her other hand and repeats what she had done before but etching something new on her arm and saying "Chaos."

Stepping out of the circle, she moves slightly to the left and reenters the circle switching the pin to the other hand. She repeats the mini ritual again with a new carving and the word "Light."

As she had after order she moves to the opposite side of the mark and repeats the mini ritual finishing with "Dark." Another shift left and repeat, but with "Eternity." Another cross of the circle and repeat with "Time."

Lena walks to the gap between eternity and chaos and steps into the circle. She closes her eyes and lifts her arms. Her lips move, but there is no sound. Her head suddenly drops.

"The flow stems from the balance. Without the balance, there is no existence. In the balance, we thrive. Order cannot exist without chaos, nor chaos without order. Light needs the dark to be appreciated as the dark needs the light to be appreciated. Without the existence of time, eternity would not sound as sweet, as, without the existence of eternity, time would be meaningless. Life is a gift of time, and death is a release to eternity. Death will not be cheated, and the flow will not tolerate imbalance. Life and death are two sides of one coin. They are both agents of the flow and balance," Lena intones. Her head snaps up, her eyes pure white. "Open now, the gates of death. Your life flees into the darkness of chaos. Your time runs short as your eternity flees from your grasp. To meddle with the flow is to declare war on the balance. The balance has heard your cry and has responded. Your life is now forfeit and death comes to claim it."

The temperature in the room drops and the torch goes out as the blood grass goes up in flames. The sounds of the evacuation are gone as if we are in a bubble of silence.

As fast as it went out, the torch relights, the sounds of the evacuation flood in again and the room is warm again.

The white fades from Lena's eyes and she crumples to the ground. Diaphanes rushes forward and I follow. Diaphanes gently cradles Lena's head in her lap, brushing her hair back.

"Is she alright?" Dimitri asks from where he was left standing.

"She'll be fine," Diaphanes responds.

"What just happened?" he asks.

"A reset, if you will, of the flow Gregor sought to foolishly bend to his will and control," a new vice muses from the shadows.

Dimitri spins towards it, drawing his sword. "Show yourself."

A man steps from the shadows. His hair is black as well as his eyes. He wears all black. Tendrils of shadows seem to snake around him. He smirks at Dimitri. "My, my. Such crude manners for a prince."

"Who are you?" Dimitri demands.

The man spreads his arms wide. "Lord Bayard, Keeper of the Gates, god of death."

Dimitri lowers his sword, bowing his head. "Lord Bayard."

The god of death waves his hand dismissively. He then walks up to Diaphanes and looks down at Lena, shaking his head. "My child, what were you thinking?"

The light behind him manifests into a woman opposite of him in every way. Her eyes are chips of white light. Her hair is white as is her dress. "She probably wasn't, much like you never do," she muses.

He doesn't even glance at her. "Nyssa," he states by way of greeting.

Lady Nyssa steps forward and kneels by Lena. She places a kiss on her head. "Wake up my dear. The balance and flow don't want their grandchild passing just yet." Lena's eyes flutter, but don't open. Lady Nyssa gently chuckles. "Stubborn. Just like your father. Sleep well."

Lady Nyssa stands and turns towards Lord Bayard. "Lena will be fine. Now, shall we go, or do you intend to wait until your daughter wakes up?"

Lord Bayard turns from Lady Nyssa. "I trust you sister, and we've work to do." With that, he steps into the shadows, vanishing.

Lady Nyssa turns to Diaphanes. "I trust you'll watch over her, and once more attempt to keep her out of trouble?"

Diaphanes bows her head. "Of course my lady."

Lady Nyssa smiles. "My thanks as always," she says, bowing her head. Then she laughs, spinning and disappearing in a flash of light.