Elixir

Chapter Nine

Queen Safana, was gently pulling Sarah through the castle corridors, it's pillars glimmering silver, in the moonlight.

Sarah aimlessly looked at her small hand, that was intertwined with her mother's long, delicate ones.

Her mother's raven hair and mellow brown eyes matched Sarah's.

The princess, let herself be dragged, with a dazed smile on her face and an unexplainable feeling, in her heart.

When her mother finally stopped, Sarah blinked, looking around.

They were in the palace gardens, in front of the once beautiful lilies, that her mother had planted.

The flowers now lay there, withered and drooping, with life seeping out from the ashen petals.

The mother and daughter walked hand in hand, towards the tainted land.

Queen Safana stopped directly in front of the flowers and turned towards her daughter, with a sad smile.

"Look what happened mother, look at what happened to our beloved Kingdom, I don't know how to cure this." Sarah spoke softly, desperation clear, even if her voice came out as a mere whisper.

The Queen wordlessly caressed her daughter's face, love and longing shining in her eyes, she gently brought her hand towards the flower.

She made Sarah touch the petals.

Sarah felt the black veins on the land retreating, to the point where it restored the flower, back to its original glory.

"Find the source and rebuke it's corrupted effects," Sarah met the Queen's unflinching gaze, "you are the Elixir, Sarah." Her mother spoke.

Sarah woke up with a gasp.

She was sitting wide awake on her bed, trying to calm her heart down.

A dream, it was a dream again.

She instantly got off the bed and walked towards the gardens, holding her breath.

She only exhaled, when she saw what her heart desired and what her brain thought was impossible.

Her heart was right, the flower Sarah had touched, remained replenished.

Sarah just stood there, her mother's words, echoing in her mind, 'you are the Elixir, Sarah.'

She tried touching the other lilies, but they remained unchanged, only the one from her dream, was in full bloom.

Sarah flinched, as a hand touched her bare shoulder.

She turned, to find a concerned Zen.

"Princess what are you doing here, standing all by yourself?" He asked, in a hushed tone.

"Come with me, we need to wake up the others." Sarah dragged Zen's arm, without telling him anything.

The Clover League gathered in Sarah's room once again, with Zen.

They settled themselves side by side, forming a circle, on her large bed, while Sarah told them about both her dreams.

"Queen Safana said that to you?" Carroll asked eyes wide, holding Sarah's hand, rubbing comforting circles on her small wrist.

"The lily replenished when you touched it?" Ilai asked, and Sarah nodded.

Sarah was confused and so was everyone else.

"If you touch the fields, will they be restored?" Timothy asked, Sarah just shrugged.

"I think so." She said, uncertainly.

"This is a lot of information, but at the same time, very little information." Ilai said and however ridiculous it sounded, the situation was exactly that.

Sarah put her head on Carroll's shoulder, as they all sat in silence.

Ilai got up to pour water from the glass jar, into the glasses beside it.

He took one himself and handed one glass to Carroll.

She looked flabbergasted.

"Did you just pour me a glass of water, Ilairon Emberknight!?" Carry asked, trying to conceal her laughter.

"You needn't act as if I am disabled." Replied Ilai with a smirk, while pouring glasses for Sarah and Tim too.

"Dear me, I'm beginning to the think the water is poisoned." Said Carry.

They all laughed.

Carroll smiled to herself, she had successfully managed to lighten the mood.

Suddenly, something clicked in Sarah's mind, like peices of a puzzle coming together.

"The water is poisoned!" She exclaimed abruptly, getting up.

Ilai choked.

"Excuse me!?" He said recovering.

"It's not the land, it's the water that is poisoned, the river Lore." Explained Sarah, impatiently.

"You are absolutely right Sarah Ivory!" Admired Tim, looking totally flattered.

"Of course it is!" Realized Ilai, "that is how the entire Ivory got affected, because they used the river water for irrigation." He said.

"That also explains how the fields were blighted at different times, it was in the order of the time that they were irrigated." Chimed in Timothy.

"We have to go to the banks of Lore right now, if we want to know who is the culprit." Ascertained Carrol.

"We should take Prince Victor." Suggested Zen.

"Right, let's go." Sarah hurried towards the door.

"Wait for your team members, you treacherous urchin." Called out Ilai and they all scurried towards Victor's room together.

They were trying to be as quiet as possible and avoided all guardsmen, not wanting anyone to notice them, especially Beige.

They turned a corner and luckily bumped into Victor.

They told him everything right then and there, he had many questions, but he understood his priority.

"I am impressed." Victor said proudly, despite everything.

"The Clover League is living upto all my expectations, even surpassed them, if I'd like to admit." He smiled, as they walked towards the stables.

When they reached the fields, they were completely deserted.

They had tied the horses far away from the banks and walked the remaining distance.

They camouflaged themselves, in the canopy of trees effortlessly and divided into three groups.

Victor and Zen were hiding behind one tree, Ilai and Sarah behind the adjacent one and Tim and Carry behind the third.

After a while, they saw a tall hooded figure, approaching the banks of Lore, from their respective hiding places.

The man was holding on to a leather bag and was cautiously walking towards the river, his back facing Sarah and the others.

He looked around thrice, to ensure his solitude and knelt down on one knee, emptying the black powdery contents, while muttering incoherent words.

He was too engrossed in his task to notice Victor, who grabbed his collar and hauled him back from the river, the remaining powder, now scattered on the ground.

The Prince knocked him down, with a hard punch on his jaw.

Zen took a step forward and hauled the man in a standing position, unveiling his hood.

He was about to punch the man too, but froze midway, when he saw the man's face clearly and was absolutely astounded.

He dropped the hood, that he had snatched from the man's head, looking completely stricken.

The man had the same stormy gray eyes and pale, sharp features like Zen.

"Zen?" Called out Victor, to a very disoriented Zen.

"Do you know this man?" He questioned, taking in his expression.

"I do." Zen replied flatly, "he's my father."