The Secret

Maila recalled the three days before the attack perfectly, every detail of every minute. How she was feeling, every conversation she had, from the sarcastic remarks made by Sulon to the private conversation she had with Talia about Talia's secret and very illegal girlfriend soon before she left. How she tried to resist the Queen, and how her father was forced to fight, how they devised a plan to stop the war, and how the Queen wouldn't say why they were starting one in the first place. Every detail, every heartache, every guilty thought as they flew across the universe to kill. Ever tear that fell for the soon to be broken families of a peaceful planet.

And they listened. Throughout the entire story, Maila remained respectful and truthful, and just like how they planned, they Mighty Four listened. The leaders that Maila knew could kill her with the click of a finger, or the wave of a hand, listened. That in itself was an accomplishment for the tired and weary girl.

Until they heard the screams. The throne room had no windows, and neither did the front room, so they couldn't see the city or anyone who was outside. The four immediately stood up and Maila turned, with wide eyes, as the doors slammed open and a disgruntled Sulon rushed in. Guards ran up to him, but he continued to thrash against them, resisting their force with as much energy as he could muster.

"MAILA!" he screamed, and tried to reach out. She stood up and cried for the guards to stop, and then a loud voice boomed from behind her.

"STOP IT! Stop all of this at once! Intruder, who are you, and how dare you invite yourself to where you don't belong!" the Elven King declared, fury written across his features.

Maila turned and pleaded with the king, attempting to calm him.

Sulon didn't listen.

"She's coming, Maila, the Queen! She knows what we did, she knows our plan! She saw them take you; she's on her way. Maila, there's so much you don't understand right now! She's been under influence and-and-

He was cut off by a bloody figure which stored into the room, and to Maila it was clear as day as to who it was.

The Elven King and Queen immediately stood up, alongside the two Kalibri who were baring their teeth, the dominant male protectively standing in front of the other on all fours. The Elven king took out a staff and pointed it at the Queen.

"How did you get in?" he seethed, his voice was full of rage and venom.

She cackled, her eyes bloodshot, her pupils smaller than normal. Her hair was ruffled and crazed, spiking in all weird directions. She was coated with dry and wet blue and red blood, her hand carrying two sharp daggers coated with blood and poison. Maila took a step back and so did Sulon.

The guards holding Sulon immediately released him, letting him run to Maila and hug her, whilst they attacked Halina Wentick; Maila's once Queen, her now nightmare. She watched as the Queen sliced through the guards with unnaturally fluid movements, her speed faster than the average Stelra. She didn't stand a chance against the flood of warriors attacking her now though, and Maila watched in horror as the King finally lost his patience and effortlessly shot magic into the Queens heart. She spasmed, her body trembling in odd and jittery movements, as the attackers moved away. She screamed, her voice filled with agony and panic as she fell to the floor, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, a single drop of blood escaping from her mouth as she took her last breath.

Maila froze with Sulon, who was still holding her tightly and protectively. She couldn't look away from the horror of her previous Queen, who had no heir, and apparently no heart. The woman who lost her mind under influence, as Sulon had called it. The woman who took care of her when her father fell sick in her childhood, and took care of millions of Stelra. Halina Wentick; 341 year old woman who was the most powerful nature driven Stelra known in Maila's generation.

Dead.

Killed.

Murdered.

Maila squeezed her eyes shut as a tear fell of its own accord; who was the woman in front of her, the woman who she no longer recognised? The Elven king coughed and Maila was forced to turn with Sulon to face the man who killed her, took revenge, and brought the war to an end. The one week war which Maila started, and helped end. The war which continued even when Maila was healing in the dungeon, unconscious as the Queen helped to kill.

"We shall move to the meeting room. Your friend will help explain everything." All four leaders stood at once and wearily stalked towards a doorway on the left hand side of the throne room.

Maila shook her head and looked at Sulon. The guards moved to remove her chains, and her sore wrists were more than thankful. Sulon threw them a hateful glare after inspecting her red and bleeding wrists, but she pulled him along towards the meeting room, whilst other Elves and Kalibri moved to dispose of the monstrous deceased being on the carpet.

The two walked into the meeting room, and Maila didn't fail to notice the extravagant architecture and lavish furniture. She sat down on a chair, which was very comfortable and listened to the ELven King, who seemed to always speak without fail.

"You will start by telling us who you are and what your position is."

Sulon sighed and stared the Elven KIng in the eyes as he spoke.

"My name is Sulon Tureberry, and I am Maila's second in command."

"What is your purpose, and what were you screaming about in the throne room?"

"I was trying to warn Maila. The Queen found out that we were trying to warn you, and by now, since it's been a week since we came, her advisor has surely set off to receive reinforcements from the Air, Water, and Fire districts. My guess is that we have all of two weeks to prepare for their armies, should they come."

Maila froze--surely not? Maybe she was overreacting, but there was no way...

"I-it's been ... a week?" she mumbled in disbelief.

"Yeah, I was worried as to where you were. I saw you fighting one moment, then the next you were running into the forest. I thought I lost you." He threaded his fingers with hers, and though she didn't reciprocate his romantic feelings, he was still her best friend. She squeezed his hand lightly and looked at the Elven King.

"Lauk found you; he took you to the nearest dungeon which happened to be abandoned and was being used as an infirmary on the upper floors. He healed you and you were unconscious for a week. In fact, he warned us of your arrival hours earlier." he spoke in an obvious tone which irritated Maila. "Continue Tureberry, what were you saying about Halina?"

"She's been going crazy. She's convinced, no, manipulated the other three monarchs to help her, probably using the drugs she's addicted to. My parents found out...Th-they tried, they really did t-try to stop her. She killed them. For acting out, even though i-it wasn't their fault. She threatened me that if I told anyone then she would kill me, and all of Talia's and Maila's families. The drug; yeah, I don't know where it came from or how she got it. She's been using it for months though, and she's been hiding it very well. But her use of it is not directly why she came up with her plan of invasion."

The Mighty Four stared at him intensely as he spoke, Maila couldn't believe or even start to process what was going on. He knew, the damn bastard knew all along. And he never told her, or Talia, not even in secret.

"The drug is destroying our planet."