Chapter 4: Unexpected meeting
On the other side of the door was a spectrum of colors, all shining brilliantly. Soon, the colors formed and melded into white light. It seemed like a celestial pathway, and David knew deep down inside that he had made an irrevocable decision. There was no turning back.
He stepped through.
The white light whizzed by him, blinding him. Soon, everything started changing. The light was gaining definition and shape. From the white, different colors soared out into designated areas. Green light to leaves, grey to houses, and blue to sky. David was most relieved, however, to see the dazzling brightness of the sun.
He then stopped looking at the sun, for fear of blinding himself, and looked ahead. There was a hooded figure who was blocking his way. And sure enough, the person was holding a stringed instrument.
“I summoned you…and you came,” she stated, sounding relieved beyond imagination. Her voice was regal and melodious, and at that beautiful sound, David could feel himself stop breathing. “Come with me.”
“Umm…who are you?” David asked.
“As an answer to that,” she paused. “You’ll have to find out yourself.”
“But-”
“I am not the right person to give you that information. You must find out yourself.” She repeated. Her voice was soft, but it foretold David that he would not soon find out her name. The unyielding tone of her voice told David to not question her further, but David plowed on. He felt caution. He was not going to go with just anyone. How did he know she was not trying to kill or imprison him too?
“Where are we going?” David found himself ask.
“Somewhere to the north.”
“Starli-” could she be trusted? Would it be wise to give her his companion’s name? Starlight popped out of nowhere by David’s side, and uttered a single word.
“Interesting..."
“‘Interesting’?” she asked. Her voice was not encouraging. Cold and cutting, it did not seem the horse had said the right thing. David decided not to make the same mistake as the warhorse. Somehow the gray cloaked figure seemed to emanate danger. But this danger threatened to not hurt him, but just anyone in her way.
“Let’s get going, then,” the hooded girl said. She had a type of majestic, independent air.
“I’m not coming with you.” David said. He was rooted to the spot.
“You’re going to have to.” She said, softly.
“I want to know where we’re going, who you are, and what you want us for. Since when-”
“Please,” she asked softly. Was that a hint of a plea in that beautiful voice? This seemed to cost an enormous amount of effort. With such a unyielding attitude, she seemed to find it difficult not to simply order him to go with her. “Come with me. I’ll explain everything later, I promise.”
“Somehow I don’t hold promises very highly in my opinion. Humans in general are bad enough…” Starlight grumbled.
David remembered how Starlight must have felt with the western barbarians killed everyone the night before. The teenager then recollected that the two opposing countries had signed a peace treaty ten some years ago.
“Starlight…” David warned.
“You don’t think I’ll keep my word?! I am not one of the common dishonorable beggars you meet out in the streets! I, for one, never break a promise.” She said fiercely. And by her dangerous voice, David knew that she would be disgraced if she ever did betray a confidence, and would bet his life that the face under the hood was livid with fury. Someone was feisty.
“It’s a week’s journey on foot, and that’s if nothing goes wrong. I’m thinking that we’ll probably encounter some difficulties along the journey, but I brought some provisions.”
“I think I can carry both of you. I can fly us there,” Starlight volunteered.
“That would be good,” she said, concise. David had a feeling that she still felt insulted from Starlight’s earlier remark. He couldn’t blame her. All he knew was that he liked her.
“I think we should really get out of here,” she said, her eyes roaming around their surroundings. “Something doesn’t feel right…” David listened to the clear cut words but only digested their meaning when he felt their surroundings' quiet disturbed.
“What doesn't feel right?” David asked. She gasped.
“They’re everywhere!” she grabbed David’s hand and jumped on Starlight, pulling David on him with her. David blushed when she took his hand, but had no time to think about it when feathery wings formed on either side of him besides his legs. Starlight pounced from his hind legs and burst into the air, with the two teenagers on his back. David had never ridden a horse, and yelped in terror. He had also never been vertical in the air before, and clung to the girl in front of him shamelessly in his terror as wind rushed past his face and rippled his black hair. His grip on the figure tightened as he came to realize nothing would stop him from sliding off Starlight's back.
"Stop holding me so tightly!" she hissed.
"Sorry!" his voice came out as a squeak. “What-” David started to ask, but he was cut off by black winged beasts. Their large raven wings, their black lion’s head haunted the sky, and one's scaly serpent tail swung dangerously close to David's face. But Starlight kept flying on, and thankfully leveled out instead of his previous vertical position.
The mysterious girl reached behind her back, and whipped out two short swords. David leaned back, for fear of getting cut. One black lion's head suddenly tried rushing at David, its hideous mouth open. David stared, petrified, as the beast came rushing at him. Suddenly, a quick gleam of silver came in-between David and the famished monster. One quick slice of the girl’s blades made the beast fall through the air.
Still, more and more of the monsters came at them, and the girl’s quick, agile reflexes and her excellent swordsmanship seemed to not be enough to defend them. David watched, horrified, as more and more raven-winged creatures flew towards them. Did they sense fear?
He watched the scene, and wished he could help, and again regretted not learning weaponry. Then, it all happened too fast, a golden sword came spinning through the air, and soon, David found it was embedded in the girl’s exposed shoulder. She fell. And fell.
“Starlight!”
“I’m a bit busy right now,” Starlight said through clenched teeth. He had been trained well, for he was lashing out at the rest of the monsters with his sharpened hooves, a dangerous light in those playful eyes. David momentarily wondered how long the horse would take before he would let his pain for his deceased master come over him. The fighting against the odds must have reminded him of his old friend. But when the boy looked into the horse's eyes, there was only a fierce concentration.
“Starlight! The girl fell off! She’s injured! WE HAVE TO CATCH HER BEFORE SHE FALLS!”
Starlight suddenly dove downwards, that were it not for the fact that David was holding on for dear life, he would have fallen in the same way the girl had. Oh, not again.... he thought. He felt his body seem to separate from Starlight's body as they plummeted downwards, and in his panic, he gripped Starlight's mane tightly.
"You really don't like flying, do you, David?" Starlight asked playfully.
But David was too petrified to respond. How could Starlight maintain a calm, and boisterous, attitude while fighting? It seemed almost absolutely impossible! How could the incorrigible horse not take things with full seriousness?
“WHERE IS SHE?!” Starlight yelled over the rushing air.
“I DON’T KNOW!” David glanced desperately around himself. There! He could see the girl falling through air.
“STARLIGHT!” he bellowed. But Starlight couldn’t hear him. He was defending them from the lion-headed beasts.
He had no alternative. “You must be crazy, or something. You’ll die if you do this…” he said aloud to himself. What would happen if he failed was daunting. But something inside his mind made him do it. Something in the girl's voice seemed to worm inside his heart. "This is crazy! You just met her! Just by listening to her voice you decide to...by the gods..."
Teeth knashing, a monstrous, colossal head wormed around Starlight's neck and lunged at the boy, biting.
"Ah!" He felt himself lose his grip as the teeth came too close to his fingers.
"Jump!"
"What, Starlight?!"
"Jump! I can't fight him off with you on my back! I'll catch you later!"
"But what about-"
As the warhorse shouldered him off, David realized that it was just as well Starlight had given him the shove, otherwise he wouldn't have the opportunity to save the girl. His courage was seriously lacking.
He dove downwards to try and catch the falling girl, but each time, she seemed further and further out of reach.
He was almost vertical in the air, to try and catch up with her. He reached out to try and grab her, but then, another black monster came, and bit his hand.
“Argghhh!” he yelled through clenched teeth. He tried to kick the monster away, but it kept renewing its attack with more and more ferocity each time. Finally, a burst of inspiration came to him, and he leapt on its back. He caught the girl, and dragged her on their new mount. She was bleeding far too much.
Meanwhile, the creature was trying to shake them off, and David was tearing his sleeve off the make a bandage for her. After that, he tried putting pressure on the wound, but it was no use. Nothing could stop the rebellious wound from flowing. And it was only a small shoulder wound.
“EURCHESS!” he screamed. He didn’t know why he thought such a powerful wizard might help him, but he felt the scream ripped from his throat, despite the impossibility of the wizard coming now in midair to help. “Eurchess! Help! HELP!”
He waited for what seemed like hours. The right was simply empty sky, and the left was identical. He held on to the girl and the beast for dear life, and was exhausted with the effort of holding on to the bucking, thrashing animal below him.
With a blast of realization, David knew. The wizard wasn't coming. Then a rain of large rocks engulfed with fire fell from the sky. One almost hit the girl, but he pulled her aside. As the cascade of rocks came showering on them, the girl’s hood fell off. But it was then that David felt a bruising pain in the back of his head. He blacked out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David woke up. He realized suddenly that he would need to help his mom run the inn. He got out of his warm, comforting bed, and saw the cup of warm drink on his bedside. He wondered how many guests were leaving, and how many new customers they would have that day.
Then he looked around himself. He took a sip of the warm drink and discovered it was very tasty. Then he realized with a jolt that this wasn’t his room. His room was much cozier, and not nearly as grand! And in the morning, his mother didn’t give him any kind of warm drink! It had to be cinnamon. Cinnamon was only affordable for the rich and wealthy. It was the only export of the Desert Clan. The elves there in the west were the only sole producers of cinnamon, and had a monopoly over the spice. David himself had had a taste before when his father was still a high ranking officer.
Where was he?
Then he remembered everything. The memories came rushing back to him. He discovered he had coped with all this very well- until now.
He curled up on his bed and shook with fury and grief. He refused to let any tears fall. Boys weren’t supposed to cry. His eyes were wet- but he couldn’t succumb. He couldn’t cry. He wouldn’t. When would he see his mother’s face again? Would the good guest at room 3 take good care of her? What happened to Starlight? WHERE WAS THE GIRL?
He got up, then felt the dull aching in the back of his head.
Yes. It wasn’t a dream.
He paced around the room. He needed a plan. He needed to somehow find the girl, make sure she was alright. He had to see her.
Then, suddenly, he felt almost ashamed of himself. He should be trying to find his father.
But where was his dad? But more importantly, where was he?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Ugh!” the girl gasped. She winced as Eurchess bound up her wound. “Eurchess…”
“Don’t talk right now, your majesty.”
“Eurchess, since when did you call me ‘majesty’?” he ignored her and continued,
“You could have died! You’re not supposed to let gold anywhere near your bloodstream.” The girl sighed,
“I know, but the sword came out of nowhere. I know it was one of the swords sent by them,”
“Now, calm down,” Eurchess warned. The girl’s royal blue eyes were alight and flaming with fury.
“I know you want vengeance, but your time will come. You’ll see. It might not work out as you’ve expected either,” Eurchess warned.
“But-”
“Now, my dear child, stop talking. You can talk after I finish this charm.” And with that, the wizard started to wave his arms over Silvia, muttering complex words in a foreign tongue. As he murmured them faster and faster, louder and louder, the blood on the girl’s bandage slowly vanished until it was starch white again. “You wanted to say something?” Eurchess asked. The girl was looking at him in wonder.
“You must show me how to do that someday!” she exclaimed.
“You don’t plan on getting into any more scrapes with gold, do you?” he asked, plainly alarmed.
“No…” she said carefully. “I don’t find trouble…it finds me.” Her eyes were smoldering, recollecting the pain the sword caused her.
“You’re just like your mother. She never wanted to admit she had gotten hurt, but would always say exactly that. You’re your mother in character, and have your family’s fire running through your veins.”
“Eurchess,” she began, “let’s not talk about my character,” she looked sad and bitter. “Let’s talk about the boy you sent me to get.”
“Yes…the boy. He doesn’t resemble his father’s character in the slightest.”
“Who’s his father?” Eurchess ignored this too.
“His name is David. He is the one you have been looking for all these years. Is my thinking accurate?”
“Maybe,” the girl said hesitantly. “But…are you sure? Is this who the prophecy is looking for? If we’re wrong…”
“If we’re wrong, the consequences are dire. However, I think this is him. He fits every description of the prophecy. Sweet, noble, kind, patient. Brave. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
“He’s the one who’s going to stop them? To save the country? A mere thirteen year old human boy?” she exclaimed. She stood up, her hair flying behind her like she was standing on a cliff side. “He looks like a weakling! He won’t even have the stomach to stand up to them! They’ll eat him alive.” Her tone was disbelieving and furious. “This is the one I’ve been searching for all this time?! What a waste of energy! He’s a human!”
“He’s not a mere mortal, as you may think. There is much more to him then meets the eye,” Eurchess said. He walked to the corner of the golden room. He looked out the window, a sheet of sheer glass that showed, not a view, but of constantly changing images: clashing battles, doors of destination, colors, a sword, and a pair of brown eyes.
“You will tell him…..right?” she asked him, her proud starry eyes looking almost unsure.
“This is strange. You are fearless when faced with death, yet you are afraid of telling him. Mayhap your fierceness is simply something used to hide yourself- to hide your true feelings.”
“I’m not afraid of him! This isn’t any mask!” she exclaimed belligerently.
“I think that it is. You just don’t know why.” Eurchess turned back to the girl. “Time will tell. You are able to deliver the news your mother foretold. Go and find him. I think it’s safe to let him see your face. Hurry! I think he’s looking for you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David suddenly saw the grandeur of the golden tower. Gold vases reflected his astonished face at every turn of the building, and the windows were clear crystal. White snow glazed the tower’s surroundings, and David then saw that he could see far and wide from the tower’s high viewpoint. The desks, tables, and everything that looked like wood, were made of polished tiger’s eye. He was in a long golden hall that opened up to a small sitting room, and suddenly heard a shuffle behind him. He whirled around, his instincts reacting faster than his mind.
There in front of him was a short, stout, old lady who held a heavy book that looked heavier than her. Her hair, strands of silver, her clothes of silk, and her eyes like amber with flecks of hazel. Despite her great age and wrinkles, he could instantly tell that this woman was once beautiful in her long gone youth. Her eyes were shining quite brightly, yet had a happy glow about them. She smiled at David and said kindly,
“Are you looking for someone?”
“Yes!” His heart jumped and his breathing quickened to an alarming speed.
“She is well. Luckily you called Eurchess before it was too late. Had you paused precisely two and an eighth seconds longer, she would not be here. She may have the brains of many kingdoms combined, but she can be dangerously foolhardy trying to protect someone else. After all, I should know that best for I was her mother’s tutor.”
David thought he was in a vision for a moment. The figure running towards him must be a celestial person. This couldn’t be real. He didn’t even realize the old woman had sneaked away. As her tied up hair went flying, David noticed the luster of it, shining and glinting in the sunlight. Her attire was that of a deep scarlet tunic, black leggings, deerskin boots, a sapphire necklace, and a sword attached to her waist. Her two twin swords were behind her back. These were all trivial details. Although these were simple clothes, to David, this brought out the girl’s beauty. He noticed she did not wear a dress, like most girls, and to him, this made her even more special.
Her face was flawless. And she truly was a Northerner (as she seemed), her skin should have been peachy or golden. But it was porcelain skin with only a faint kiss of peach that seemed to emit a little glow. Her lips were a dark red, almost matching her tunic. And her eyes were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The small tribes of nomadic Northerners had only dark brown eyes. Yet her almond shaped eyes, rimmed with a royal blue, seemed to look into his mind, and twinkled. Her phoenix eyes were starry, and ice blue, which seemed familiar to David. He didn’t remember where he had seen them before, but he didn’t care. His heart suddenly started to beat so fast that it seemed to rise in his throat. He started to get nervous. He was stock still.
While David was gaping at her, the girl had stared back. She seemed almost unreal. On the tip of her left ear, a small jewel glimmered, red- like a ruby.
“Thanks for everything,” she said, almost hesitantly. David didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t seen her before. Who was she? He didn’t even realize he had stopped breathing.
Seeing the questioning look on his face, she said,
“My name is Silvia.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So, Silvia?” David asked.
“Yes, David?” Silvia answered.
“So you’re the one who killed the sorceress, opened the door of destination, and was the person who was with Starlight and me afterwards?”
“As confusing as it may sound, it’s true. I couldn’t tell you who I was earlier. Eurchess strictly forbade me to do so.” She looked almost apologetic. Almost.
“So then, what did you want from me?” David asked. Silvia looked away, looking frustrated.
“Well,” she said, brushing her bangs out of her face, “I was hoping we wouldn’t come to that.”
“Why not?”
“Well…”
“Please tell me.” His brown eyes looked into hers, and she felt her strong façade slip. Her heart was in her mouth. It only slipped for a moment, however.
“I-I’m supposed to tell you, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do it,” she said, mentally preparing herself for his reaction.
“Tell me.” He said gently. She took a deep breath.
“Did you know that all the human kingdoms at war right now are blaming each other?” Silvia asked suddenly.
“Yes…”
“There is a group of people who want world domination. They kidnap noblemen, and slaughter villages and noblemen, and falsely accuse another neighboring country of doing it. This makes the countries fight each other, and weaken each other. One day that they’ll take over all the weakened kingdoms, both human and elven alike. The enemy want to make the country so weak that in a couple years from now, there will be no fighting back.
“For me, that means training and getting my troops ready for battle. ”
“What does this have to do with me?” David asked. He had ignored how Silvia had said “my troops,” thinking it a slip of tongue.
“Eurchess…he believes that you are the one predicted in the prophecy my mother made of you. That you will save the entire country. That…you’re a seer and can predict the future.” Then her eyes went alight with flames. David then wondered if he had said something to upset her.
“Elowen.” She said.
“Silvia.” David turned and found it was the old woman from earlier.
“Princess to you. I will not allow any scum to use my name.” she said.
“Well, Silvia,” Elowen continued. “I was wondering if you would like to tell David, here, the truth.” David’s insides went cold. What truth?
“Ha!” Silvia laughed, although there was nothing funny to it at all. “The truth? I was about to tell him when you butted in!”
“I thought you would have at least inherited your mother’s manners,” Elowen said quietly.
Her eyes were not only alight now, but her ear’s jewel was now a deep fiery red. “I am not my mother.”
“Yes. She was weak,” the old woman said, looking uninterested in the current conversation.
“SHE WAS NOT WEAK!” Silvia screamed. David could hear her yells echo off the golden walls.
“Weak to not defend herself? Weak to not stop what was happening in her family, to save her father?” Elowen mocked.
“No. Don’t-you-dare insult her honor!”
David had no idea what was happening. It seemed as if the two, young and old, had a long time feud that had not yet been resolved. And Silvia was a princess!
“Yes…she was weak. You are not, on the contrary. You are a confused little girl who doesn’t know what to do. But you are loaded with purpose.” When she said that, David noticed the volume in her hands was marked: Prophecies.
“I am not the little girl I once was.”
“And to think…I used to rock you on my knee when your mother, my pupil, was busy.” Elowen recollected, her voice like thick honey, yet her eyes cold.
“I had no idea of what had happened between you and mother. I hadn’t the imagination of what you would do next.” Silvia retorted. She didn’t seem like a confused little girl to David at all.
“Oh. Yes. They were mine by right.” Elowen said, her eyes on the window behind Silvia.
“Mother’s discoveries weren’t yours! They were hers! She discovered all of them! She did nothing to stop you! She trusted you! When you did that, it really hurt her. Then you turn around and stab her in the back and accuse us all of stealing human children! You horrible toad! Every man should beat you for your horrible crimes!” Silvia cried. Her ice blue eyes were burning now.
“Really?” Elowen asked.
“YOU CHARALATAN!” Silvia exclaimed.
“Hmm…Silvia…”
“Princess,”
“…I have never met anyone with your temper. I don’t think I’ve met anyone quite like you. Hot headed girl.”
“Miserable toad!” Her features were contorted into rage as her face darkened. “Elowen, what are you doing here?” Her voice was as chilling and sharp as ice. The color turned to black in her ear jewel. What quarrel was between the two? David looked into the girl’s eyes and they were like blue fire. David stepped between them but she glared at him and said,
“Move aside, human!” Her voice was a fierce yell, her jewel orange. Did she just call him "human"?
Silvia reached behind her back and drew her twin swords. The woman, the tutor, Elowen, drew a thin blade that was concealed behind her ruffles of clothes.
“Don’t do this! Why are you determined to start-?”
“No, David! She ruined my mother’s honor. She stole my mother’s discoveries. I WILL DEFEND WHAT MY MOTHER DEFENDED AND WHAT IS MY MOTHER’S BY RIGHT!”
. Keep up the good work