Before Maya could slink away to her bedroom, her first priority was to retrieve her trident [i]Capella[/i] from the castle’s vault. [i]Capella[/i] originally belonged to her mother; it was an Archon heirloom imbued with special abilities to help enhance and concentrate the Water Archon’s power. Many moons ago when Maya first discovered the glowing trident, it caused her to collapse into a comatose state upon grasping it, thus marking the inception of her Archonhood. 
 
	The delicate slippers of the Water Archon pitter-pattered down the main stairs of the castle as she ventured [url=http://i.imgur.com/ZBlNULT.gif]sneakily[/url] into the lower levels. She was jittery and anxious, possibly side effects of the time warp. Her slender fingers trembled as they pulled at the fabric of her dress, allowing her to descend the steps more easily. She cautiously scanned the surrounding area like a naughty child keeping an eye out for authoritative figures. A few guards stood here and there with solemn, blank faces, but the halls were otherwise empty. It was an odd predicament. Maya was the ordained ruler, yet she felt like a wanted fugitive. Like a stranger in her own home. For months, Maya had been aboard the spaceship [i]Leviathan[/i] during which she trained extensively to perfect her physical performance and gain control of her water abilities. Just when the homesickness had begun to ebb and the sight of galaxies and nebulas out of her window no longer startled her, she was slingshot back to her home planet. She only wished that this homecoming occurred under happier circumstances.

	Upon reaching the lowest floor, Maya bolted down the dimly lit hallway towards the family vault. The route was convoluted, but she could navigate the castle blindfolded, a perk gained from years of playing hide-and-seek as a child. Cobwebs floated from the ceiling, and the musty scent of mold permeated the damp air. Maya recoiled in disgust as a small rodent scampered across the floor. [i]Do the maids never clean down here or what?[/i]  A door marked with glowing blue stones signified the entrance to the room Maya was searching for. She pushed against it, but the solid marble door would not budge.

	“Idiot!” Maya hissed to herself, “Of course it’s locked. I mean, it [i]is[/i] a vault after all. What was that blasted code, though?” She banged her head against the door in frustration, somewhat hoping that would magically open it.  

	At that moment, Andromeda piped up inside Maya's head. [color=00aeef][i]Twist the bottom right stone twice. Rotate the upper left one halfway. Twist the bottom right stone again. Turn the upper right counterclockwise four times. Rotate the bottom left once. Push the middle right and left stones in at the same time. And then lick the center stone. [/i][/color]  
 
	Maya struggled to keep up with the instructions, turning and twisting the luminescent glyphs before finally licking the door. A series of clicks and grinding noises could be heard before the hinge swung open with a loud groan. Dust billowed out from the room of antiquities. 

	[color=00aeef][i]Okay, that last part wasn’t actually necessary. I just wanted to see if you would really do it. [/i][/color]

	Maya rolled her eyes as she tried to get the taste of dusty door out of her mouth. [i]How did you even know the combination to begin with?[/i]

[color=00aeef][i]Lucky guess.[/i][/color] Andromeda was being purposefully secretive, but Maya would have to address that at another time.

	Maya crossed the threshold and peered into the massive room. Expensive jewelry. Old family armor. Piles of gold. An urn containing the ashes of one of her ancestors. Dust-coated artwork. All meaningless possessions to Maya. Her object of interest was located at the very back of the vault, safely encased in a mysterious box of stone known as a bloodsafe. As the name suggests, bloodsafes are a rare variety of safes unlocked solely by the blood of a specific lineage.  Due to their insuperable ability to protect items (and hefty price tag), they are only found within wealthy families.

	Realizing that she had no weapons on her, Maya frantically tried to draw blood from her hand by biting it; however, she was only able to leave a few angry indentions. ((Meanwhile Andromeda is shaking her non-corporal head in disappointment)) Turning around, the Water Archon spotted a diamond encrusted dagger which she picked up and dragged against her palm, releasing a crimson torrent. She placed her bloodied hand on the cold surface of the bloodsafe, causing the markings on it to light up before it unlatched.
 
	“Hello, my beautiful,” Maya greeted the glowing trident, “Promise you won’t render me unconscious like last time?”

	For new Archons, touching their weapon for the first time immediately causes them to pass out, but since Maya had already gone through all of that, she assumed that it would be safe (or at least that’s what she hoped…). Hesitantly, she clasped her hand around [i]Capella[/i]’s shiny silver staff. Nothing happened. With a sigh of relief, Maya exited the vault and headed towards her room.