OLD Prologue

[Yangi]

THIS IS NO LONGER THE OFFICIAL PROLOGUE TO THE JROCK ADVENTURES!
However I'll Keep it here for a while since I still like the little Scene between Taranee and Hay Lin.

JROCK int Book 1: "Quailing Earth"

Prologue

Kandrakar fortress of light and eternity:

The hall of elements was shaking. A constant vibration, running deep inside the walls, stirred up the cards of change.
One of the wise men came running hastily, his eyes trying hard to follow the chaos of cards in the air: "Oracle! What does it mean? The elements-"
"-are angry, my friend."
He staggered and came to a halt before a green flowing basin. The dark woman turned to give him a smile: "Nice to see you, Tibor."
"Y-yes, oracle. About the elements…"
The smile faded. With one finger, the oracle touched the water and pictures became clear.
"Look, Tibor, how they rage. The time of W.I.T.C.H. has come to an end."
"And Kandrakar has never been prouder of its guardians.", the man said, stroking his white beard.
The oracle nodded: "I appreciate that. But no one is flawless. We saved so many worlds, too many, that we forgot about our own. Now the universe it at peace but the planet called earth is rampaging. Magic has come to it and under the cover of distance, far from the borders of Heatherfield, a riot began. Organizations formed with extraordinary people. At first you could distinguish between good and bad. However, after time passed, they have become more anxious of gathering new members, of becoming stronger. The competition became war. That is, what we have called upon. The burden of our heritage."
The water slowed and the pictures vanished. Taranee turned to face Tibor: "Kandrakar needs guardians, Earth needs guardians. Even the elements cry for them."
"Then how is it, that we haven't found them yet?", he asked, while ducking under a storm of passing cards.
"Things have changed, Tibor. What once was easy to be done, seems now impossible. Look! One has already been discovered."
He followed her gaze into a pond of green water, where a picture of a girl appeared. He took a moment, then mumbled: "Kia Tenner. The guardian of earth. You
entrusted her sister with the earthcrystal…"
Taranee laughed. "Don't look so grumpy, Tibor! Look how skilled that young girl is. With the guidance of her sister and the training from Josephine she will become a true guardian like us.", she hesitated, then grinned: "Maybe even better than us. We have to be patient. After all, that is, what Kandrakar is best at, right? Patience and observation." She winked freshly, then got up to follow Tibor out of the room.

Hall after hall crossed their path, walls filled with stories of different times, different people. After a while the two reached a corridor with crystal platforms leading up to a tower in circles. Silently Tibor flew up, while Taranee lifted her robe to jump after him, touching every platform shortly with her feet before evolving to the next.
"Any news from Cornelia?", the oracle huffed. They reached a door and the wise man opened it without touching. Both went through to find another green-blueish corridor.
As they continued their way, the man answered: "She is, if I may say so, as happy as the mole in the hole."
Taranee startled. Sudden laughter echoed through the halls of Kandrakar. The mighty oracle could barely stand on her feet, slapping her knee. Tibor gave a proud grin.
Something blinked behind them and a second later Hay Lin watched her friend with great interest.
"I thought I'd come by for a visit, since this place can be so dull, but I see you're doing just fine without me.", she said and hugged Taranee who wiped off a single teardrop.
"It's nice to see you. Let's go to my room. You surely have to tell me a lot."
Hay Lin nudged her old friend with a wink: "Why you too, oh mighty oracle."
Tibor watched head shaking, how the two girls pranced down the hall, giggling and chattering like monkeys. Mighty, indeed, he thought.


"How are the kids?", Taranee asked as soon as the gigantic doors fell shut behind them.
"They're fine. But they miss their aunty Cook."
They laughed. Hay Lin took a moment to observe the new surroundings.
"Nice play you got here.", she concluded.
Taranee smirked.
"And that's not all!"
A clap and a bed of soft clouds emerged from under their feet. Hay Lin squealed excitedly. Together they hopped all over the place, throwing dusty cloud pieces at each other.
After a while they lay down in exhaustion, watching the dawning sunset on the ceiling.
"How are the new guardians?", Hay Lin asked after a while.
"We've only found one so far."
"Really?"
Taranee sighed: "Yeah… How is it, down there?"
She gestured downward. Hay Lin waited until the propper words had formed inside her mind. The she answered: "Let's put it this way: I'm happy my children don't have
magical powers. Up until now, that is."
"I see…"
Sighing. Suddenly a breath of air brushed their cheeks and a tiny card made its way towards the oracle.
"Oh!"
"Oh?", repeated Hay Lin curiously, "What is it?"
"An element card! The guardian of water has awakened! Come on!"
Without any further hesitation, Taranee grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged her back into the hall of elements. Indeed the water cards got calmer and built a barrier over their element. The oracle touched the cards and the picture of a young girl appeared. Her dark hair hung in wild curls over her dark skin. Hay Lin blinked.
"She kind'a reminds me of you.", she said, shifting her eyes from the picture on the water, towards the oracle beside her. Taranee went a little closer to scrutinize the picture.
"Maybe we should get you back those glasses, old lady.", Hay Lin teased.
"Ha-ha. Looked into the mirror lately? Oh!"
"What now?"
Immediately Hay Lin was back at the puddle of water, leaning in almost too closely. Taranee waited patiently, until her friend had gained a certain ballance, then explained: "That's interesting. The first guardian was from Melbourne, Australia. Now look where this one comes from!"
"Oceania… wow, that's rare."
"It seems the elements prepare an international team this time!"
The girl in the picture moved her hands lightly. Josephine appeared beside her. Hay Lin pointed at the woman: "Who's that?"
"Josephine Lieux, a French woman. She will train the new guardians so they'll be ready in no time!"
"That totally sounds like a commercial."
"Yeah maybe…", Taranee shrugged.
The screen went blue. Two big pair of eyes moved even denser.
"Wow! Now look at that wave! Irma wasn't able to do that at the beginning, was she?"
Hay Lin was fascinated. By now the tips of her fringe already touched the water surface.
"No. Looks like the new guardians really are more skillful than we were. ", Taranee agreed. Suddenly Hay Lin jumped back from the picture and poked her friend in the cheek.
"Well no wonder! Look at that oracle they've got! Waaaay better than that old wisenheimer. You even got them a trainer and that other… woman… What's she doing anyways?"
She paused in the poking and Taranee took the opportunity to get a hold of that annoying finger. Irgnoring the asians struggle getting it loose again, the oracle continued: "She's responsible for the girls. Besides I gave her the earthcrystal so it would be easier to find the other guardians more quickly. It reacts on concentration of elemental power."
Hay Lin paused in her mocement to exclaim a sound of aw: "Uh, earthcrystal."
"And Ring of elements." Taranee pointed on a bracelet around the French womans arm. With a "thud" the oracle let go of Hay Lins finger and the woman landed on her butt.
"What does that do?", she asked rubbing her backside.
"It starts to glow when one of the guardians is in trouble."
"Ah, that's clever. Well, well you've become a real show off, haven't you?"
They laughed, then Taranee dismissed the water cards and the two of them went into the tall hallway where they had left Tibor earlier.
"Well I think I gotta go now. Mei has that recital today."
Taranee nodded. A slight shadow of sadness occupying her eyes.
"I see.", she said, "Give them a great hug and your cuty hubby, you can give him a kiss from dear Taranee."
With that the oracle pursed her lips, flapping her eyelashes frantically at her friend, who shoved her face away a bit.
"Yeah, I don't think so. Anyways you take good care of those girls. I'll come by soon."
One last embrace and Hay Lin vanished with a flash.

Earth and water, Taranee repeated in her mind.
Only three to go.


End of Prologue.