Chapter 49

“You have to be patient with her, Dakota. This has to be very confusing for her.”

“I know,” says Dakota, crying. “But I want my baby sister back.”

“In time she will come to see what you speak is the truth. Just as we lead Pralene and the Knights of Odin, everybody knows what we say is the truth because they see our actions. It will be the same for Casey.”

“I hope so,” says Dakota, as she cuddles into her husband as they lie down for the night.

“So do I,” says Sorbo, to himself.

Sorbo awakes earlier than normal. The horizon with clouds on the increase has hues of purple and orange. As September is making its way upon the world a sixteen-year-old girl is broken hearted and alone in a sea of people.

Dakota and Sorbo decided to give Casey the room right next to theirs that used to belong to Sorbo when he was guardian of Princess Hannah. They did not want to put her back in her original room where some poor six-year-old girl was murdered and burned making everybody think it was Casey, although it might of made her feel more at home.

Sorbo gets quietly dressed, though it is probably unnecessary for Dakota kept herself up late worrying about Casey and crying her fears into her husband’s strong shoulder. Sorbo goes out the bedroom doors. He can only see by an oil lamp that is setting on a stand next to a chair where they have put a guard just outside Casey’s door. There are another twenty knights outside her window down on the north side of the courtyard. A blonde-haired green-eyed woman Knight of Odin stands as her king and Odin leader comes walking out of his bedroom.

She starts to stand, but Sorbo waves her off. “Anything?”

“Just crying, Milord.”

Sorbo nods his head sadly and puts his head up to the door. It must be around five in the morning and he can hear Casey crying. He knocks gently as he opens the door and enters. Casey does not move to acknowledge his presence or to stop crying, she just continues to lie under her covers on her right side facing away from him.

Without saying a word, Sorbo goes over and sits down on the bed at her backside and brings up his left leg bent at the knee. Then he takes his big warrior hand that has so wonderfully been able to express his love to his wife and starts caressing Casey’s long straight dirty blonde hair. Casey does not try to move away and after several minutes of his tender ministrations she stops crying.

“I knew your mother when she was a little girl.”

Casey turns over onto her left side and puts her right arm over Sorbo’s left folded leg, bends her legs around his back side and then she bends her head down to rest it on his knee, and as she cuddles into him she looks up at him with the same blue eyes Dakota has. Sorbo continues to caress her hair and starts rubbing her back. From the candle he brought with him, Sorbo can see her eyes of suffering. He pulls her blankets down a little so he can more directly rub her back.

“You did?”

“I did. She was a little sweetheart just like Dakota, so that means you have a beautiful heart also. Do not let lies and misdirection change the wonder that is you. I am so sorry that you have been a pawn in other people’s games for so long, but you are home now and you are safe, and you have Dakota, who really wants the very best for you.”

“I know,” Casey says, starting to cry again.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s going to be just fine, precious one.” Sorbo says it softly and soothingly to the sixteen-year-old girl as he caresses her hair.

Soon she is fast asleep. Sorbo gently extricates himself from her grasp and quietly makes his way out the door. From the bouncing flames of his candle a single tear can be seen as it makes its way down his right cheek.

“How is she?” asks Dakota, from the bed.

“She is feeling betrayed and confused, but I think she is going to be just fine. She reminds me of you,” says Sorbo, sitting on the bed and kissing his girl.

As Sorbo and Dakota are cuddling in bed they hear Casey scream at the top of her lungs. Sorbo jumps up and grabs his sword and goes flying into the room. Both the guard and Casey are looking at something in the corner that has them scared beyond reason.

Sorbo pulls his sword out from its scabbard and rushes forward and stops in his tracks. “You!”

Dakota comes rushing in with her wand ready for battle wearing her royal blue nightshirt and she also pulls up short. “What’s going on here?” Demands Dakota, as she inches her way over to her sister’s side, who is sitting up in bed.

“I am sorry that I have startled you, but I have waited so long for this day that I am afraid I am not behaving properly.”

“This day?” inquires Sorbo.

“I’ve seen you before, in the caves.” states Casey.

“Yes, I have watched over you since you were taken.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about her earlier?” asks Sorbo.

“I couldn’t or more to the point I didn’t fully understand everything my visions were telling me until the two of you came to my lair. Your visit has started the transition and a time of wonder is upon us.”

“Explain, please.” Sorbo says, finally lowering his sword.

“Casey is destined to be the next Seer. As Dakota is the White Sorceress, Casey is the Seer.”

“You are the White Sorceress?” asks Casey.

“Yes. I’m sorry, we are of course going to tell you everything, but we wanted you to settle in first before we laid the weight of the world on your shoulders and the sorrows of nations at your feet.”

“I have watched you since that day our parents and brother were killed. Your face was always blurred so I could not see that it was you, but the love I felt emanating from you kept me sane and warm. The Children kept giving me some elixir to drink because they said if I didn’t the people that killed my family could find me and finish the job.” She starts crying as the decade of lies become clear to her.

“It’s okay, Casey. It’ll be okay, I promise.” says Dakota, starting to cry herself.

Casey and Dakota hug each other lovingly. “Please, Seer, what is going on?” asks Sorbo.

“The new Seer will be able to tell you everything once we have completed the transition.”

When Dakota and Sorbo first saw the Seer in her lair, as she called it, she wore the long gray rob that she is wearing now and her long curly gray hair was a little more wild, but then her skin was almost a tan color, now it is ashen gray color.

Casey gets out of bed. She is wearing a full-length white nightgown that belongs to Dakota, but that she never wears. Casey walks over to the Seer and says, “Thank you for coming to me when I was a little girl. It helped to have someone away from the Children. You kept me balanced.”

“You, my precious child, are about to bring the world back into balance as it is meant to be.”

Casey reaches over to touch the blind Seer and when she touches the Seer her physical body falls away like sand. All that is left is an undulating pulsating orb of white light. Casey smiles, and then she steps into the center of the swirling orbs of energy.

Everybody lunges for Casey, but she turns to them with a radiant smile and says, “It is okay. It is going to be okay now.”

Once she steps into it, the energy starts swirling and a wind picks up in the room. Casey’s nightgown is being buffeted about. “Please, be careful, sister.”

Casey raises her arms to the sky and says in ecstasy, “I am ready to accept my destiny.” Then the lights slowly go inside Casey. As Casey is walking back towards her bed her smile goes from one of elation to torment as she falls to her knees crying. “Oh, my god, what have I done?”

“What do you mean, Casey?” asks Sorbo, as he and Dakota come to her sides.

“The Children of Method, Prophecy and Design used my powers to make Andromeda believe that if she destroyed the fourth moon she would be granted her one desire.”

“What fourth moon?” asks Dakota, looking at Sorbo.

“The fourth moon known as the Crystal Orb that gives this world its magic, of course. If the fourth moon is destroyed all magic will be lost, which means that the White Sorceress will lose her powers and her children will be just children.”