History’s Keeper
TIME STAMP: 11th millennium BC
High on darkened cliffs, the wind’s claws tore across a pale face. Long blond hair whipped into a frenzy, leaving thin, red lines over her brow and neck. Selene closed her eyes, remembering the terrible screams of men being pushed over the precipice, fingers clutching at the smooth stone, weakening and plunging. The churning sea below crashed onto rocks, thunderously marking time. Her toes curled. Despite being comfortable on the edge of the precipice, it was all to easy to imagine the horror of falling. She forced herself to breathe out.
Feeling a small energetic push in the middle of her back, Selene hardened her face, dragged her hair from her eyes but refused to turn around.
“I did the right thing.” The words were immediately lifted by the howling winds. She felt a presence, a familiar warmth, but recoiled just the same.
His calm reply was carried to her ears on that same wind, “That event is centuries away.”
A trickle of rain traced a path down her back, her hair now hanging in snakelike tendrils. Selene stared out into the turbulent Irish Sea. “Out of all time, all places, this is my favourite. The earth is so beautiful, peaceful. Nothing interfering with what is meant to be.”
“The Earth could be returned to this beauty, if only you allowed The Morrígan’s Prophesy to continue.”
“Still trying to convince me to release them, Kristof? Even one of them allowed to roam free would bring destruction of mankind. No. I did the right thing. I protected humankind.”
“It’s time. Your lies cannot be covered forever, no matter how you try to convince yourself you’re the hero. It was by your hand and your lust that those men died.” Kristof stepped towards her.
Selene’s back arched as the air was driven from her lungs, his energetic force driving cruelly into hers. She twisted to face him, her face blazing with fury.
“You dare to Stand? To formally Accuse me? Who are your Second and Third?” The urge to time-jump away from the presence of another Time Warden was nearly overwhelming as she felt increasingly suffocated by the repel-field crushing against her. “Not even the Keeper would be able to find evidence. Any proof you present will only implicate your hand in that event.”
“Selene,” His face etched with hurt. “Hardly.”
“We had an agreement. Stay away from me and from her. Never speak of the Morrígan or of that time again.”
Kristof moved closer still, again driving the repel-field against Selene’s body.
Selene fluidly sidestepped across the knifelike edge of the cliff away from him, relieved that the unbearable energetic surges produced by the two Time Wardens lessened as distance separated them.
“Keep your distance. Your presence is poisonous enough. It’s been centuries since I was an apprentice. I’m certainly no longer in your sway.” Selene’s body betrayed her bitter words. She turned away from him and closed her eyes, attempting to control her ancient, trembling desire.“Why are you here, anyway? No-one has heard from you in over a century.”
His pained expression washed away with the stinging rain. Folding his arms tightly, he stared down at the white, foamy caps along the angry seascape. “Despite all that’s passed Selene, I’m here to warn you. The Keeper holds her secrets too. You thought to keep The Morrígan contained, but in your selfishness you failed to see that it’s all part of a much bigger lie.”
“Your words mean nothing to me, Kristof. You only tell the whole truth when it suits you.”
“What happened to you, Selene? You used to light up a room, but now…” his words trailed off with a shrug.
“Ask that yourself. Ask Mercurio.”
“Merc was an abomination. But you’ve got to know, I had nothing to do with his disappearance.”
“You mean his murder? Your jealousy is feeding your delusions.” Her words spat bitterly against the winds.
“Look past your prejudice, Selene. We Time Wardens need work together, rather than alone. Have you ever wondered why we can’t be in the same space for long? Wondered why our mere presence, our energies repel one another? I’m on the verge of discovering who we really are. I need you, Selene.”
Selene took a deep breath and stepped further away from him. The discomfort of their opposing energies made her sweat and her head pound.
“Are you here to warn or threaten me?”
“You always knew your solution with the Morrígan was short term. The prophesy–”
“Dooms mankind. I will never release one, nor bring them together and unlock the three. I can assure you that neither will my sister.”
“If Cate knew what really happened…”
“She will never know. Now, if you don’t mind, Prehistory is beginning to feel crowded.”
Selene closed her eyes and focused on a new destination, ready to make her time jump unassisted. She frowned as she felt her energies sapped and glared with intensity at Kristof.
“If you’re not going to leave, you can at least let me go, Kristof! Why are you always in my way? Your jealousy is really pathetic.”
“So is your blindness to the whole picture. The Time Wardens’ era is closing Selene. You and the power of The Morrígan are the key. I can’t believe you can’t see that. Before you go, Selene, I’ll give you a gift: Merc is still alive.”
Selene swept her fingers across a tiny screen on her wrist, shimmered and disappeared.
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Where did Selene go?
Option 1 Selene decides to return to her 21st Century apartment to utilise the technology she has available there. Given the sudden intrusion and veiled threat, she plans to check what meddling Kristof may have caused.
Option 2 – Selene decides to pay her sister a visit. Her plan is to find out if she knows anything.
Option 3 – Selene’s century old guilt weighs heavily on her. She decides to tell Cate the truth.
Option 4 – Selene’s head pounds. Confusion clouds her judgement. For centuries she had believed Merc had died. She now decides to attempt a time jump focusing on Merc as the destination.
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