Hello my friends and welcome to What Price Vengeance. This is a sequel to What Price Loyalty, and as such will refer to that story from time to time. It is strongly recommended that you read What Price Loyalty before you read What Price Vengeance, but it is up to you. Now without further ado, may I present:

Chapter 1

Elyon was ill; sicker than she'd ever been in her whole life. The last few nights had been marked by cold sweats and sleeplessness. Nightmares plagued her dreams, while her body was wracked with pain and tremors.

Elyon's constant nursemaid, Trill, did everything she could to help alleviate the queen's discomfort; but her efforts seemed to be in vain. In spite of Trill's best efforts, the young ruler shivered uncontrollably and moaned in her sleep.

The servant wrung her hands nervously as she watched her leader suffer. What could she do to help?

Without warning, Elyon suddenly sat bolt upright, her eyes wide with terror. Grabbing Trill's meaty hand, the young queen screamed.

"Cornelia...no!"

Trill opened and closed her mouth helplessly. Elyon had been having the same nightmare over and over for the last several nights. Cornelia at the mercy of Gargoyle, her back being shattered into pieces. Of course, according to Elyon, this event had actually transpired not but a few weeks ago. Gargoyle had, indeed, broken the Earth Guardian's back during a recent battle, and Trill knew Elyon was reliving that frightening occurrence.

Needing to do something, Trill sat down on Elyon's bed and grabbed the young queen in a tight, comforting embrace.

"It's okay, your Highness...everything is fine now. Your friend is not hurt. Please, you must wake up."

"Wha-what?" Elyon, breathing hard, looked around the room before finally focusing on her nursemaid. "Trill...what's going on? What's happening?"

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Trill quietly tried to explain. "You are very sick, your Highness; you have been delirious for days. Our best physicians have been unable to help you, though they are continuing to try."

Elyon narrowed her beautiful eyes in confusion. "Sick? I've been sick? I don't remember getting sick"

Trill patted her back gently. "I believe it to be the nature of the illness, your Highness. You ask the same questions every night; it is as if this sickness steals your memory."

"How long have I been like this?"

"For two weeks, my queen."

"Two weeks?!" Elyon's eyes went wide.

Trill nodded. She broke away from her leader and looked deep into her blue eyes. "Everyone is so worried for you. We must find a way to cure this scourge."

Elyon furrowed her brow. "What are my symptoms?"

"You have a very high fever, chills, delirium, memory loss...this sickness saps your very strength to live. And not only that, but it seems to be weakening your kingdom at the same time."

Elyon gasped. "Meridian is affected by this?"

"All of Meridian is affected when its queen is so afflicted," Trill answered somberly. Her eyes appraised the weary girl before her. The brown orbs landed on the jewel Elyon wore about her neck.

"My queen," Trill gasped suddenly, "look!"

Elyon dropped her eyes to where Trill pointed. Beneath the Heart of Meridian, a large red spot had appeared on the young royal's chest.

Trill gently lifted the incandescent jewel and looked closely at the inflamed area.

"It is all red and blistered," she breathed. "And the jewel is warm to the touch."

Elyon's mouth opened then closed. She met Trill's eyes, asking a silent question. Trill only shook her head.

"I received this jewel from your mother long ago. She never told me where it came from."

Elyon opened her mouth to reply, but instead she swooned. Her head began to spin and she collapsed to the pillow with a moan.

"Queen Elyon!" Trill cried.

Elyon's only response was a deep groan.

Near tears, Trill began to plead with Elyon. "Please, Highness, you must not pass out again. Meridian needs its ruler."

Elyon's head, wracked with torment and pain, focused on nothing. She fought for control that was quickly slipping away. Just as she was about to abandon herself to oblivion, her battered mind finally set hold on something tangible...Cornelia. She had to get Cornelia.

Beyond delirious, Elyon began to murmer. "Guardians...must...summon Guardians."

Trill let out a soft cry. "But my queen, I cannot summon the Guardians. Only the Heart of Meridian can do that."

Elyon weakly tore the jewel from her neck and held it out to her friend. "Summon...Guardians."

"No, my queen, you cannot ask me to-"

"Take...take it. Help...help..." As Trill's fingers closed around the beautiful jewel, Elyon moaned again and passed out.

Trill watched as Elyon drifted into unconsciousness...and then she smiled. Laughing softly, her form began to change. The large body morphed into something more slender, the skin into something leathery and wrinkled. Her height extended, and her hair became gray dull. Nerissa, evil sorceress of Meridian, stood in the kindly servant's place.

"I'll be more than happy to take this little trinket, my pet," Nerissa said derisively. "But I won't be using it to summon the Guardians, nor to purge your body of my poisons. Lie here and meet your end, Queen of Meridian."

The evil hag gripped the Heart of Meridian tightly and her smile widened. "You tried to bury me alive and leave me to suffocate to death. You should have finished the job yourself; then perhaps you would have been spared this suffering."

Nerissa sat down on the bed next to the unconscious Queen. Laying her hand on Elyon's cheek, the sorceress nearly purred. "Look at you...so weak, so helpless. I could snuff out your life with a flick of my hand. But I shall let my poisons do it for me. A slow, agonizing death is what you deserve...and so you shall have it. But your suffering shall be nothing compared to the Guardians' suffering. I shall utterly devastate them before I grant them the sweet release of death."

The evil woman stood then and tied the Heart of Meridian around her neck. Turning her back on the dying queen, Nerissa created a fold.

"Now Guardians, to business. You will all suffer; but none more so than the Water Guardian. She shall be my catalyst for vengeance. She shall destroy you all!"

With a chilling laugh, the sorceress strode through the fold...to Earth.

--

Luba watched over the Aurameres. As their Caretaker, it was her responsibility to safeguard the source of the Guardians' power. It was a duty she took very seriously.

Not a woman prone to laughter or sarcasm, Luba would best be described as stoic and sober. Often grim and severe, few could say they had ever seen her in a different light. But one young woman knew another side of the Caretaker; one that was gentle and caring. The big cat closed her luminescent blue eyes and allowed her thoughts to drift to the Water Guardian.

She wondered how the young woman was recovering after her horrific ordeal at the hands of Nerissa and the Knights of Vengeance. Physically, she knew the Guardian had recovered...but it was her mental state that worried the cat-woman. She knew no one could possibly endure such awful circumstances without being emotionally scarred...Luba only prayed those scars would not be permanent.

Her musings were interrupted by the opening of the chamber doors. Althor strode into the Chamber of the Aurameres and stood before the six-foot cat.

"Luba, you have been summoned before the Council."

Luba's eyes narrowed. "What is this, Althor?"

The dwarf shrugged. "Only the Oracle knows...I'm just the messenger."

The cat nodded and followed the little man from the Chamber. As they strode through the corridors of Candracar, Luba wondered why the Council had convened...and why she seemed to be on the agenda.

Althor had to run to keep up with the Caretaker's lengthy strides. He found himself wondering much the same things as Luba. The Oracle had given no evidence of what was going on, and Althor found himself more than a little curious. He remembered the last time the Council had gathered in an official capacity. It was nearly two years ago when the Guardians of the Veil had been selected, and Althor had been present then.

But somehow the dwarf didn't think this was something so benevolent in nature. There seemed to be an ominous feeling to this meeting...something the little man was not accustomed to from the Oracle.

Arriving at the Council Chamber, Luba threw the doors open. Gorgeous pink light flooded the doorway, it's rays reflecting off the huge crystal chandelier that dominated the vaulted ceiling. Four pearl-white columns flanked the glorious room, extending all the way to the ceiling. A large golden star marked the floor in the middle of the Chamber. At one end, Halinor, Tibor, and the Oracle sat calmly in their white seats. Althor crossed the Chamber to join them.

Luba entered and came to a stop at the center of the golden star. Somehow she knew she wasn't to join the others.

The Oracle stood and addressed the Council.

"My friends, thank you all for coming. I shall come right to the point. It is with heavy heart that I have summoned you here this day."

He turned to Luba and looked at the cat somberly. "Luba, you have committed a grave offense. You allowed your personal feelings to cloud your judgment and because you did so, three innocent people nearly lost their lives."

Luba began to see where this was going...but she remained silent.

"Instead of summoning me, you enlisted Halinor and the Water Guardian to battle Nerissa in the Chamber of Air. Yan Lin was in great distress and she needed immediate assistance; but you chose to endanger her further by allowing your personal feelings to dictate your actions."

Luba held her breath but still said nothing.

"The proper course of action was to summon me to deal with Nerissa and to free Yan Lin from her deadly prison. But because of your personal feelings towards me at that moment, you chose instead to put the lives of three people at risk."

Luba met Halinor's eyes...and the latter looked away quickly. Althor stared open-mouthed at the Oracle. Tibor held Luba's gaze intently.

The Oracle took a deep breath and paused. After what seemed like several minutes, he finally spoke. "Because of this, it is my feeling that you be banished from Candracar and dismissed from this Council."

Althor gasped and stood up quickly. "Oracle, no!"

"Quiet, Althor," Tibor warned.

"No, Tibor, let him speak," the Oracle said gently.

Althor clenched his fists. "Never has anyone been banished from Candracar. There is no precedent for this kind of action."

"And yet Luba's actions necessitate the Oracle's actions," Tibor said.

"Perhaps it does necessitate action, but why something so harsh?" Althor argued.

"Do you not believe that killing innocent people is a serious offense?"

"Tibor, I never said-"

"Enough both of you," Halinor stood up. "If anyone should have a say in this, it's me. Not only was I nearly killed in that battle, but Irma as well. I believe some discipline is in order."

Now Halinor met Luba's gaze and held it defiantly. Luba narrowed her eyes. She had never seen a vengeful side of Halinor.

"Luba should have summoned the Oracle for help, not me and not Irma. As a former Guardian, my powers of telepathy are limited and were no use in contacting Hay Lin. As the Water Guardian, Irma's powers were of absolutely no use in the Chamber of Air. Water cannot fight Air. Because of Luba's pride, Yan Lin, Irma, and I were nearly killed. Had the Oracle not intervened when he did, I would not be standing here addressing this Council today."

Althor swallowed hard at the passion in Halinor's voice. He understood her anger, but he still could not see dismissing Luba from the Council. He resumed his seat, seething quietly.

"Let us vote then," the Oracle suggested. "Tibor?"

"I vote yes," the big man rumbled.

"Halinor?"

"Yes."

"Althor?"

The dwarf looked at the Oracle defiantly. "No."

"And my vote is yes," the Oracle completed. "As we are a majority, Luba, you are to be removed from the Council of Candracar forthwith. You will retain your duties as Caretaker of the Aurameres until a suitable replacement can be found. When such a person is located, you will be banished from Candracar, never to return."

Luba narrowed her eyes and curled her lip. "Is this your final decision then?"

The Oracle nodded. "It is, my friend."

"Do not call me friend, Oracle. My friend would never banish me from my duties, much less my home."

"Luba-"

"Do not speak to me, Tibor," Luba growled. Then she turned to Halinor.

"As for you...vengeance is not your way. Why do you do this?"

Halinor raised her chin. "Because I have grown to love Irma very much like a daughter. You risking my life I can overlook, but not Irma's. She died at the hands of Nerissa and her cruel Knights. Had Will not been there, Irma would have remained dead. In spite of Will's efforts, Irma would have died anyway if not for the Joining; a necessary but brutal way to save a Guardian's life. Playing with that fragile life like you did...it is unacceptable."

Luba was taken aback by Halinor's words. She had never thought of that way. In fact, she didn't even have a response. With one final look of disdain for her former friends, the cat turned on her heel and strode out of the Chamber...perhaps for the final time.

Thank you everyone for reading. I would like to thank Visigoth for editing this piece; he is remarkable. I would also like to thank all my readers of What Price Loyalty for encouraging a sequel. This is for you. Thanks again, and please leave a review if you feel so inclined.