Chapter 45: The Price of Power
"So, during the last exchange with the Shrouded One, you called for the queens and alerted the guardians of the chosen ones?" he asked, his voice steady but carrying a hint of urgency.
"Hold on, what guardians of the chosen one?" Ariella asked, her voice thick with confusion. Elara nodded in agreement, her expression matching Ariella's as they tried to grasp the gravity of the statement.
"Don't tell me you both didn't know about the existence of your own guardians?" he asked, his tone shifting to one of disbelief. His eyes scanned the girls, looking for any sign of recognition. The silence that followed confirmed it—they had no idea that guardians even existed, let alone that they each had one tied to their fate.
The revelation hit them hard. It was as if an entire layer of their world had been hidden from them. How could they not know? The guardians were supposed to be their protectors, but they had never once felt their presence or understood their role in this unfolding prophecy.
Realizing the shock this news must have caused, the guardian took a step back, giving the girls a moment to process before continuing. He slowly began recounting everything he had told their parents—how the guardians came into existence, their role in protecting the chosen ones, and how they stepped in to safeguard the girls when their predecessors could not. He explained how the guardians took on bird forms in response to the girls' call, a manifestation of their power and duty.
The girls exchanged looks of disbelief, their minds racing. The idea that these powerful beings were watching over them, disguised as birds, felt surreal. They had unknowingly lived alongside their protectors without ever realizing it.
"So when we called for the queens, it was the guardians that responded and took a bird form?" Elara asked, her voice a mixture of wonder and disgust. "Does that mean we've been staying in trees for the past month? And eating small animals like ants? We-we... that's so gross," she said, her face scrunching up in distaste.
Ariella rolled her eyes and knocked Elara's head playfully. "Focus, little girl. Focus on the important things." Her words were light-hearted, but there was a seriousness beneath them.
Elara's playful demeanor faded as she remembered the importance of the situation. She looked up at the guardian, her face serious now. "I suppose you're right. But it still feels... wrong. So much time, and we didn't even know."
"Don't worry," the guardian said, his voice reassuring. "Even in bird form, your guardians protected the village well. Nothing happened while you were there. You were safe."
Ariella let out a sigh of relief, though the worry still lingered in her eyes. "But how? How could they protect us without our powers?"
The guardian's expression softened. "To answer that, I have to explain something else. To get you back to your human forms, your parents had to bring you here. They sought me out because I could help you, but it wasn't as simple as just 'changing you back.' They had to leave you girls here for a week to regain your full human form."
Elara raised an eyebrow. "But how does that even work? Birds don't have marks, and the stones only glow in our palms. Birds don't have palms—let alone the marks. How could we regain our forms if our bodies didn't even have those signatures?"
The question hung in the air for a moment, and the guardian hesitated, as if weighing the truth carefully. Finally, Ariella lifted her hand and checked her palm, her breath catching in her throat. "Ela... my mark is gone," she whispered, her voice trembling with shock.
Elara quickly checked her own palm, and as expected, there was nothing. Her mark was gone, too. The realization struck them both like a cold wave.
"What happened to our marks?" They asked in unison, their voices laced with both fear and confusion. The marks were such a crucial part of their identity, the symbols of their powers, their destinies. Without them, they felt... lost.
The guardian sighed heavily. "Well, I was getting to that. To regain your human forms, there was a price to pay." He paused, watching the girls carefully.
The air seemed to freeze around them. The weight of his words sunk in slowly. They had known there would be sacrifices—there always were—but hearing it out loud made it feel so much more real. The price was their powers.
The girls exchanged glances, their hearts heavy. Losing their powers felt like losing a part of themselves—like losing the very essence of who they were. They had spent so long learning to wield and control their abilities, and now they felt... hollow.
The guardian, seeing the sadness in their eyes, softened his expression. "I know this feels like a loss, but don't worry. Your powers are not gone forever. Right now, according to the guardians, you're not strong enough, and you're not yet ready to wield the powers you had. It's part of the process. Stay calm, wait, and you will get them back—when the time is right."
The words brought them a small measure of comfort. It wasn't the answer they had hoped for, but it was something. The thought of their powers returning, even if it took time, kept the flicker of hope alive.
Now, all they could do was pray that the Shrouded One didn't show up at this vulnerable moment, when they were powerless. They couldn't afford another battle without the strength to defend themselves.
Having understood the situation, the girls turned to leave, their minds still reeling with everything they had just learned. The guardian didn't stop them. His role in this moment had ended, and they needed time to process.
The walk back to the village was quiet, the weight of the revelation still heavy in the air. Each girl retreated into her thoughts, wondering what the future held for them—now that they were powerless, and now that they understood just how much was at stake.
They reached the village, and without exchanging another word, they each made their way home, lost in the quiet stillness of their thoughts.