Chapter 16
The Guardians held a trial in the courtroom for Adara. She was kneeling in the middle of the courtroom. She had been stripped off her accords, she only wore a silk white dress and sandals on her feet. She had her hair tied behind her. She wore no jewelry or makeup on her. Adara knelt on the ground in the middle of the twelve council members, he queen, the three priestesses and Bloomy. Dain was in charge of the trial. "Adara you disobeyed your queen, fought your queen and helped the traitor Khari. Do you plead guilty?" Dain asked her but she didn't answer. She kept kneeling down and bowing her head to the ground. She didn't regret saving Khari, the only regret she and was not spending time with Pea, not living the life she always wanted as a little girl. The council members whispered amongst themselves. Zahari looked at Adara and she was worried about her. Imani looked at her and felt betrayed. "Do you wish not to answer chief commander?" Imani asked her but she didn't reply her. Aiwel stood up and she struck the commander with thunder. Adara fell to the ground, Imani felt pain for her and she stood up but she didn't say anything. "You are the protector of our people and yet today you endangered us all! Do you not wish to speak?" Aiwel asked Adara angrily but she still didn't reply. The high priestess scoffed. "Very well, if you do not wish to speak I sentence you to death by lightning on tomorrow!" The high priestess spoke and the whole council members were shocked by her decision. "If we do not do this then the others will follow suite." She said and the drum was beaten. Zahari looked at Adara in shock. She looked at Eshu who didn't say anything. The queen left with her guards. Even though it broke her hear Imani knew if she knew this had to be done. Adara was taken by two guards to her dungeon. She didn't say a word or at least cry.
Adara sat in her cell alone when the guard who saw he interact with Pea came to visit. She bowed her head to her former master. "Master Adara, I am here to see if you are doing okay." She asked her. Most of the guards loved their commander she was someone they idolized and seeing her in that dungeon broke their hearts. Adara took a deep breath. "I am alright. Tomorrow you will have a new chief in commander. Protect the people and the queen." She told the young guard. She bowed her head and before she left she asked. "Is there anything you'd like for me to tell Pea?" Adara looked at her and tears filled her eyes. She nodded and asked for her to give her a paint brush and a paper to write on. The young soldier gave her former master the paintbrush and paper. Adara wrote a letter to Pea and gave it to the young guard who left the dungeons to go to back to the dark world. Adara sat on the cold floor looking outside through the window thinking about how a lot of things just went wrong.
In the lotus valley the three priestesses were at loggerheads with the Aiwel's decision to have Adara killed. "Death by lightning? She is the chief commander of the Guardians! What of all the work she has done all these years!" Zahari confronted Aiwel. Aiwel walked over to Zahari. "They are many who served us but they woke up and turned against us because we overlooked their small mistakes because of the work they had done for us." She said to her sister coldly. Zahari scoffed. "We are making a huge mistake! Killing Adara will not only cause problems. This will incite a revolution not only amongst our people but the dark world too. Remember she saved their king." Zahari warned her. Aiwel laughed. "Khari is no king and you make it seem like you acknowledge her." Aiwel questioned the young priestess. Zahari took a step closer to her. "Like it or not they acknowledge him as their king. And maybe if you elders had dealt with Jahzara differently we wouldn't have this mess today!" She said as she walked away from the high priestess. Eshu hadn't spoken since the two priestesses started fighting. Aiwel looked at her. "Do you think I am also wrong?" She asked her. Eshu just walked away quietly. She didn't know what to say to either of them. She knew Zahari would not let Adara die and things in the Guardian's world had shifted and the trial of Adara was getting worse. It was as if they were all playing right into Jahzara's hand. Like she had planned all this from the start. This worried Eshu because she had tried to consult the gods but they had been no answer to her prayers. She didn't know if the gods had fated for all of this happen or. She walked in the valley in deep thoughts.
The young guard returned to the dark forest, she stood by the boundary and Pea saw her. She ran to meet with her and when she got there the guard bowed her head to her and Pea held her by her shoulders to stop her from bowing to her. "Is Adara alright? Are they punishing her?" She asked the young guard. The young guard handed the letter to Pea and she took it from her. "She has been sentenced to death by lightning tomorrow at noon." She told Pea and held on to her letter tightly. She saw how sad the guard was so she held her hand and the guard looked at her and forced a smile. She walked away and left Pea holding the letter. Pea walked a few steps from there and sat on the grass to read the letter.
"My dearest Pea thank you for coming into my world and shining the light
Upon it. Even though it was for just a short time. You something special in
My heart. I really hope you make it and I wish me and you had met in a world
That is different.
Love Adara"
Pea folded her letter and she sat there looking up the sky. Her heart felt this kind of pain she had never experienced before. She began to sob quietly sitting on the grass. She didn't expect to feel sad when she heard about Adara's death. Amara saw her sitting there alone sobbing so she went with Nile to sit with her. The two of them sat next to Pea and held her. She began to sob so hard and they just sat there comforting her. "Why does it hurt so much?" She asked them in tears. Nile squeezed her. "Because you cared for her and she too cared for you." He told her and she cried even more. They sat with her until the sun had set. They walked back inside the boundary and found Path waiting for them. She heard the other Guardians talk about the death row passed on Adara and she wanted to comfort her sister. She hugged her tight and took her to sleep.
The next day was gloomy and dark even for the supernatural biengs in the dark world. Adara's death sentence had dampened everyone's soul. The mood in atmosphere was down. Pea woke up and she looked at the tree she and Adara used to sit and talk. She couldn't help but tear up. In the Guardians' world everything was just so sad. The queen sat in her room unable to bear the thought of losing her longtime friend. But as a queen she was not even allowed to visit her so she sat in her room waiting for the auspicious time for her death. The other soldiers dared not to go and see their commander. The three priestesses had not resolved their issues and Zahari had not returned from her meditation since her fight with Aiwel. It was almost midday when Adara was brought back to the courtroom. She was taken to the death gallows of lightning she was wearing just a white dress and she knelt in the middle of the court. The drums were sounded and Aiwel stepped forward. "Does the traitor have anything to say before we start?" She asked Adara. The queen looked at her former commander as she had her head bowed down. She thought Adara was going to speak but she didn't. this infuriated Aiwel who gave signal to start the lightning punishment. She was struck by the first bolt of lightning and she groaned in pain but she didn't move. Imani closed her eyes in pain. She was struck by the second and the third bolt and she fell on the ground on her abdomen. She was shaking and she put her hands on the ground and lifted herself up kneeling up straight again. She was ready to die but as the commander Adara swore she would go with dignity. As the high priestess struck the fourth bolt of lightning it was stopped by Zahari. She stood in front of Adara protecting her. She wore her priestess's garments. It was bright blue in color, with the lotus flower on her back Zahari stopped the bolt or lightning with her scepter. Everyone in the court yard was shocked to see the high priestess protect Adara. Aiwel was outraged by this and Eshu just stood up. "Zahari don't do this please." Eshu begged her but the priestess but Zahari turned and usedher power to set Adara free. The Guardians assembled to fight the high priestess for treason. "I do not want to fight anyone, but I will not let you kill her. What we are doing is wrong!" Sh told them. Imani rose from her seat. "You are the high priestess of our people how could do you do this?" She asked her angrily. Zahari took the lotus flower on her back off and threw it on the ground. "Not anymore, I do not serve your purpose." She told the queen as she took off her flower and threw the high priestess's scepter on the ground. "Zahari!" Eshu screamed at her. The high priestess went and held Adara by her arm. "If you want her then go through me." She told them and she vanished with Adara. Imani felt outraged, her most trusted Guardians had betrayed her because of Khari and she would not let this slide. "Assemble the guards, find me the high priestess and Adara. Kill them both and kill Khari too!" She commanded as she left the court yard on her way to change into her armor.
Zahari and Adara found themselves in the forest. Adara was weak so the high priestess helped her move until she found a tree and she lay there. She was coughing blood so the high priestess began to heal her with her magic. Adara frowned and groaned in pain. "You are now a fugitive. You should have just let me die, Zahari." Adara said to Zahari who just laughed. "I do not mind being one for a clear conscience. Come we need to move I know the Guardians are looking for us." She said to Adara as she helped her up. The two of them walked together with Zahari helping Adara move. They were deep in the forests of the Mirkwood forest. It was one of the most dangerous forests and the two guardians had just fallen deep into the forest. "If we do not die by the hands of the Guardians, we going to die in the mouths of the mythic beasts in this forest." Adara said breathlessly to Zahari. "Then we die fighting and with honor." The high priestess replied her and they both began walking in the forest.