(Author's Note: The songs 'Say Goodbye', 'Sunrise' and 'One Wish' are from the Bliss album, One Hundred Thousand Angels. I don't take any credit for the lyrics. The web address for the artist is www.blissfulmusic.com)
Lady Kristel felt that the start of year rock concert was a good idea, especially this year. It seemed that most of the Academy was going to be there. It seemed that the rock group this year was a mixture of students and Guardians. It would probably humour the students to see some of their teachers start to jump around the stage and sing.
Lady Kristel was doing the opening piece. It wasn't rock music but a calming piece. The Lady had chosen it for a reason only she could know. In the Gates of Time she had seen the future if they couldn't stop the undead evil.
"Lady Kristel, the concert will start in one hour, please get ready," Eden, Guardian of Happiness asked her. Lady Kristel let herself be lead off to get changed.
There was a knock on the door. Jinxes had gone all out for the rock concert. He wore a blue hawaii shirt, open to show off his six-pack, and three quarters trousers. He smelt of aftershave, he'd accidently spilled it all over the bathroom floor, which had pleased Victory no end.
Jinxes opened the door. It was Mraya. Salem noticed that she wore a black mini-dress, that had rainbow glitter all over it. She wore black make-up and looked slightly gothic. Salem wondered if she was a goth. Was it really true they worshiped the devil?
"Hi!" She said walking in. Victory looked up from his book. He looked at Mraya and then looked back into his book.
"Hi... Well?" Jinxes said. Mraya saw Salem sitting on his bed. For some weird reason she thought that he might be coming, even though he was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, that looked like they had been bought at a charity shop.
"I was just gonna walk over with you," She said, closing the door. Jinxes grinned.
"You wanna be seen with me?" He asked. Salem an eyebrow.
"Actually I wanna be seen with Salem, but you'll do," Mraya replied jokingly. Salem wondered why they did this. Did they really have a crush on each other, or did they just do this for the credibility?
"I'm not going," Salem replied. There was another knock on the door. Jinxes answered it again. It was the Princess.
Jinxes grinned and let her in. Salem didn't bother to look up, it would only be something for Jinxes to tease him about. Mraya, however, looked from Salem to the Princess over and over again, until Salem finally had to look up.
"Hello," Salem said. He couldn't look the Princess in the face. Not since the comment on his looks earlier. Instead he got up and walked to the door.
"I'm gonna go explore the Academy grounds," He said, but the Princess grabbed his arm.
"Oh no you don't!" She said. Suddenly he found himself blushing terribly, he couldn't get free, her grip was too tight. He tried to pull his arm free, but to no avail.
"You're going!" Mraya added. "Or else!"
A few minutes later Salem found himself going through his clothes for something he could wear to the rock concert. He found a pair of jeans that were extremely baggy and a baggy t-shirt. They'd do, he thought as Jinxes steered him into the bathroom.
When he came back into the room, the Princess, Mraya and Jinxes all gave their approval. Then the girl's began to worry about how they looked, going up to the mirror to re-do their hair and make-up.
"You look fine!" He and Jinxes assured them, but they wouldn't listen. When they finally got out of the boys dormitory it was five to eight, five minutes before the two hour concert began.
The Princess was wearing a tank top and a long skirt, both a beautiful shade of purple, that made you look at her eyes. Salem thought that both of the girls looked nice in their clothes, but to tell them that, when he hardly knew them, would get him teased by Jinxes for years.
They arrived in the Water Gardens, which house the Shrines to the various Elements and was normally peaceful. There was a great stage in the far end. Half the school was already there. Salem and the rest pushed passed everyone until they got a fair distance from the stage.
"Here'll do!" Jinxes shouted over the noise of hundreds of voices.
"Yeah!" replied both of the girls. Salem was looking through the crowd. He had a horrible feeling, like someone was clawing at his insides. He thought of Kaptra, who was lying on his bed and realised that it was him that was making him feel like this.
"I've gotta go back!" shouted Salem. The Princess drew herself up. She was a head shorter than Salem but Salem still felt a little nervous.
"Your highness, something's happened to Kaptra! I-I can't stay!" Salem began to run through the crowd. He looked back, Lady Kristel walked onto the stage. The Princess was watching him go, but when the music started, she looked away...
Miri watched him go. He'd called her 'your highness'. She hated when people called her that. She was only important because of who her parents were. Lady kristel walked on stage and Miri turned away from Salem, who was looking back at her.
Lady Kristel started to sing in a deep voice.
"Say goodbye to all you see,
to all you see with these eyes.
Say goodbye to all you've been,
to all your needs and desires.
fly above the silent ocean
to the purest star.
Feel your heart begin to break,
become the light that you are...
"Fear is man enclosed in flesh,
and wrapped up in a lie.
Freedom dances over thread,
that try to tie her down.
Faith is humble like the one
who walks a step behind.
"Say goodbye to all you see,
To all you've been and desired.
Take your place and
dance the dance and
leave the world behind.
Fly up high,
the proudest eagle
a true king of the sky,
feel the chains begin to break,
become the light you are."
Miri soon became one with the music. She listened to the next band singing 'Sunrise' which had good lyrics, but gave you a bit of a headache after a while. Miri thought about Salem, she had seen him die in her dreams, why? Her mind was on other things when she heard Mraya shout.
"You've been asked to sing a song up there!"
Miri walked forward, a path was cleared for her. She didn't know what she'd sing but she would sing something from her heart. She climbed onto the stage, she couldn't see any of the audience. Lady Kristel told her to just sing a song, the instrumentalists probably would know the song.
Miri walked back on stage to hundreds of shouts calling her on. She smiled and relaxed. Time to sing about what you think girl! She thought.
If I had one wish, then it would be,
for each man and woman to live in peace.
To live in a world that's secure.
Some say it's a fool's dream
but I'm not so sure-"
Miri bowed and hurried off stage. Something wasn't right! She couldn't carry on the song. What was wrong? Salem? What was the matter? She felt her throat tighten. She screamed but no sound came out...
A tiger leapt out of the bushes and attacked a hooded figure in the audience. Miri found she could breathe again. The figure pulled off the cloak, it was the woman they had met on the mountainside, the other day. Baroness Tami...
Miri ran next to the tiger. It was Shinkokami. The Baroness was trapped underneath her great paws.
"What have you done with Salem's familiar!" Miri asked. The Baroness disappeared from underneath Shinkokami's paws. Lady Kristel pushed through the crowd to Miri's side.
"I believe we had better look for Salem and Kaptra."
Salem had heard the Princess sing. He and Kaptra had been inside a bush, hiding from a weird hooded figure. It had almost choked Kaptra, but had disappeared when Salem had came. Kaptra was shaking uncontrollably.
"SALEM!" shouted Jinxes from somewhere to his left. Salem found he was too scared to stand so he tried his voice.
"Over here," He tried to shout but his voice was hoarse. He felt like he himself had had his air supply cut off. Perhaps that was the link between him and his familiar? Then why hadn't Jinxes died when his familiar had died?
"I think he's over here!" shouted someone. It sounded like the Princess, but it was more likely to be someone else. Why would she look for him?
There was rustling in the bush and Jinxes appeared. He looked concerned and serious. Behind him was Mraya, and behind her was the Princess. She probably thinks I'm weak, he thought miserably. If only he was like Victory then she would... Was that what this feeling was? A crush? No, he didn't have a crush on her...
"What happened?" Jinxes said kneeling down beside him. Salem was leaning against a tree, like a wounded soldier, hugging Kaptra tight to him. He must look like a three year old hugging their teddy bear!
"A-A thing attack Kaptra. It was choking him," Salem stopped and coughed. "I think the link between me and Kaptra made the magic pass onto me. I thought he was going to die..." Salem began to cough uncontrollably. Jinxes laid a hand on Salem's forehead. His throat loosened, and he took a deep breath. Kaptra also stopped shaking. Jinxes coughed, he stood up.
"I'm gonna go lie down, the magic really drains you!" He coughed and walked away. Mraya ran after him.
"Can you walk?" The Princess asked. Salem signalled to Kaptra to get off his knee but Kaptra refused.
"If I get up then I'm afraid I'll be sick," He said. Salem smiled weakly.
"Well you can't stay here alone," The Princess said, sitting down next to Salem. He looked away. It wasn't that he was ashamed, but embarrassed that she was sitting with him. She was a Princess and he was an orphan. The stories about how lucky orphans were was a lie, he'd never had any good luck!
"I was attacked too," The Princess made herself comfortable. Salem saw that she was slightly tired, her eyes were half closed.
"Really, your highness?" Salem replied. The Princess made a face.
"Call me Miri. Yeah, it was a woman called Baroness Tami Schinkia, she was the one who attacked you too. I think her and Lady Kristel are enemies, like for centuries they've been fighting..." Miri reached out and began to stroke Kaptra's head, it sent a shiver of pleasure down Salem's spine. He reached out and firmly pulled her hand away.
"Don't," was all he said. Miri blushed and withdrew her hand. Kaptra looked up at his master, unsure what to say. Salem widened his eyes in a signal not to say anything about it. Instead he changed the subject.
"Where is your familiar, Shinkokami?" Kaptra asked. Miri looked happy at the change of subject.
"She's with Cornflower and Daphne, they're checking her over for cuts and such," Miri replied.
"I'll just try and get their myself..." Thw snow leopard got up and slowly prowled away. Salem got to his feet himself.
"I've got to go now," He said and began to walk away.
"Okay, maybe we'll be put in the same class or something?" Miri called after him. Salem didn't reply. He wondered why he felt like he was falling deeper and deeper into a situation that he couldn't get out of?
