Yulia stepped up to the wall next to Liam. “Can you clear it away?” She asked.
“Given enough time, certainly, but with more Stonekings, we could restore the hillside within a matter of days.”
The vision from Alenga was specific; the Agora should be filled with light. “Liam, I must ask you to try and find a way to open the dome—without the river pouring inside.” He knew it was a lot to ask for his friend to move a river, but they needed sunlight. “Can you do it?” Kai pleaded.
Liam narrowed his eyes. “Water from the river will need to be diverted, or it will rush into this room. I will clear most of the earth around the front and redirect the waterfall before I open the dome.”
Basil stepped toward the pool and looked up. “Liam, is it safe for us to stay inside while you make these changes?”
“The structure is sound, but it would be wise to come outside until I am finished.” Liam darted outside ahead of the others.
Ryker waited near Mariana; her pale complexion was as white as the silk that cocooned her delicate frame. Waiting felt like an eternity to Kai. Each minute they stood in silence made him doubt his choices. Had he done the right thing, saving his mother and coming to this place? Only time would tell if she would ever wake or if his selfish act was for nothing.
When the ground began to rumble, Kai watched dirt and pebbles flow down the hillside into an empty ravine. Each movement of Liam’s hands revealed new remnants of the ancient Agora’s pink stone structure. Its elaborate carvings peeked through various clumps of dirt and thick vines. The hillside fell away, revealing several marble statues, petrified dwarf trees, and the curvature of a decorative water fountain.
Next, Liam directed the waterfall to flow into an exposed channel beside the Agora’s dirty-white pathways. The clean water washed away the debris and trickled through the winding canal.
When Liam opened three of the five large stone archways leading into the Agora, Kai felt the barrier fall. Moments later, the center of the stone dome peeled open like an onion. As the hole grew, fresh air and dust illuminated sunlight poured flooded the space. Liam smiled at his handy work and motioned to the others to approach.
Kai felt the Agora thrum with magic. Peering down into the sacred pool, he noticed a blue triquetra inlaid within the bottom began to glow. The air became thick with power. Ryker eased Mariana’s body into Kai’s arms—his mother felt frail and empty. The time had come to restore his mother. He sensed Alenga’s presence even before he stepped into the water. The lukewarm water felt silky against his skin. Minor scrapes and cuts healed as the water crept up his legs and torso.
Mariana lay floating in the pool; Kai held her lightly above the surface. Her wounds beamed with light, muscle mass returned, and her thin, patchy hair regrew across her scalp. Kai watched his mother’s white skin regain its youthful pink glow.
Alenga’s face bloomed beneath the water, and her hand wrapped around his leg. She tugged at his soul, and his spirit sank beneath the surface. “Kai, my Katori child. You have great courage and faith in the face of doubt. Hold onto your trust in me. You will need it a while longer. There are many trials ahead for you. I cannot reveal everything to you as the future is not set.”
Amazed by the power bolstering his spirit form, he looked to see his mother’s spirit standing beside him in the water. Her soft smile and kind eyes plucked at his heart. “Mother.”
She did not speak.
Kai studied his mother’s gaze and noticed the thousand-yard stare behind his mother’s eyes. He turned to Alenga. “Can you not restore my mother?”
“Her spirit is still tangled with the Beastmaster coils in her soul. It will take time for her mind to return. I cannot fix this with the snap of my fingers—nature has a balance even I must heed. Know that she may not return to you in the way you hope. Be strong, my Katori child. Even in your darkest hour, I am with you.”
The sacred earth mother’s words rang in his head. It was hard to hear her tell him to wait, but he was happy to hear there was hope. Kai nodded with understanding. “I will protect my mother until she returns,” he promised.
Alenga touched his forehead. “Remember what I asked you to do, Kai. I bid you, bring my children home—Davi and his family, and any Katori outcast who wish to return. Lead them through my crystal mountain and bring them here. You will need them for what is to come. I will grant Liam the power to restore the tunnels of my crystal mountain.”
With the wave of her hand, Kai’s spirit rose back into his body. He was once again standing in the sunbathed sacred water of Alenga’s lost Agora, holding his mother. He lifted his healed mother from the waters and placed her on the stone floor. Everyone anxiously looked at him as his aura bloomed with power. As on the day of his blessing, he could see his friends' aura glow.
Kai took Liam’s hand. “Alenga bids you to repair the tunnels in her crystal mountain.” Light flowed down Kai’s arm into his friend, Liam nodded with understanding.
Then Kai told them Alenga bid him bring home the lost children of Katori. He touched his grandfather’s arm, and the power flowed between them. “You must help me bring them home, grandfather. Alenga also told me it would take time for my mother to return, and she may not return the way we hope.”
Lucca nodded with understanding. “I will help you in any way I can, grandson.”
Ryker ran his hand over
