by Crimson Skye
CHAPTER V: UNWRITTEN PROPHECY
“You should never did that,” Old Claw chided the young woman, healing her inflamed hand. The pain disappeared and the wound have healed with just a few magical spells the Old Wizard uttered. Her teary eyes lowered in embarrassment.
“Guard yourself not destroy it,” Claw begin and finished with a sigh. “Don’t you know how Gifted you are, my child?” Sofia met his stare in bewilderment as silence took over.
“If what you’re saying is true… so, w-who am I?” She stammered as she spoke.
Claw stared at her for a moment and said, “In your blood runs the blood of the Ruler, the blood of the Hunter — the Blue Blood of Lynabria.”
Sofia bit her lips, still confused. “You said that this King Belmonte killed the Royal Bloods of Etheria. What happened to their people then?”
“Some went astray to the far South. Some moved and settled here in Lynabria for thousands of years,” Claw replied.
“And to King Belmonte?”
“He ruled Etheria and the people that were left behind. He made them Slaves of Hesperians, forcing them of hard labor,” Claw sighed deeply, lowering his gaze.
Her desire to know more brought her another question, “What happened then?”
“So, time went by and the King of Hesperia died of old age. He had no son and the princess was still young at that time therefore not suited to rule over the Kingdom. His young adviser, Skull… A Royal Wizard took over the throne. The people hoped that he will change the wrong-doings of the late king but their hope failed them. He turned against his own kind, slaying them each by each, afraid that a time came that one Gifted sorcerer would stand and opposed him of his dark plans.” The old Wizard paused, glanced at her and continued. “He grow wicked than the king himself. Skull indulged himself in ancient curse and dark sorcery. The mysterious death of King Trious, your forefather was being accused on him. His family fled along with the Archmage’s Script, in the fear that they will end up like the Etherians and they were right. Skull’s disciples hunt them down in seek of the book. Lynabria had come to the state of chaos as no one led its hopeless people. You were just a new born child when that happen I presumed and to keep you alive they sent you to the human world…”
Sofia lay still, watching as the candle melt down. She never met her parents. Could it be true that she was the only one left of her line? She looked back at Claw. “If Skull’s disciples were after me, how can I survive in this world? How can I defeat them?”
“Wonderful question, my child.” Claw let out a smile. “I had created this place and I guaranteed you were safe here. The Hordes won’t be able to pass through the Veil. Besides, they won’t sense your existence here.”
“If you were that powerful, why don’t you fight Skull yourself?” Sofia inquired.
Claw chortled, touching the tip of his white beard. “That was suicide, I think. My power was limited and just enough to keep the people and the wizards in this Valley sheltered from any threat of Darkness.”
She chortled. “Then, you expect me to brawl against those horrible things out there?”
The Old Wizard shook his head. “Not at all. Not by yourself.”
She raised a brow. The Old Wizard continued, “All you have to do is to find the Script. Brawling? Left it to someone Gifted enough to handle it.” His eyes glistened with hope but Sofia has a doubt. How could she possibly find the book when at the first place she was not sure if she was the right person to handle such responsibility? As if remembering something the Wizard said, “Let me show you.” He draw something from his table, a key. Claw went to the glass case, opened its lock and draw the Crystal Orb gently to his grip. He laid it in front of her eyes.
“This is the Sphere,” the Old Wizard expounded. “This will open up your Gift as a Hunter. It shows things you want to see, though it needs vital awareness and besides… if the Sphere, itself, allows you to.”
The Crystal Orb shines bright under the candlelight. It holds great power and in some way Sofia could feel it rushing down her soul. The Old Wizard uttered something and a bright light filled the room to the extent of almost blinding her vision. Sofia buried her eyes on her hands. The light grow faint and disappeared.
“Now, look.” She heard the Old Wizard spoke. Sofia lifted her face and saw a blurry vision on the Sphere. It grows clearer and clearer until she saw its brilliance. Claw nod with a smile. He found the Hunter at last whom he only heard on myths and rumors. She took a closer look on the Sphere and there she saw the Darkness whipping the people of their deadly pestilence. She heard their cries of agony, their grief and their pled for mercy. She saw their tears and it struck her heart with so much pain. Sofia saw dark smoke shaped like a skull, casting its dreadful shadows over cities and towns. The people tried to run but their feet were shackled down to the ground. It was a terrifying sight. Suddenly, the scene shifted… she saw herself dressed in all white. Two men were standing on her both sides with their stunning garbs of the same tint as hers but their faces, she could not see. The Hordes of Darkness and the Shadows appeared. The two men had protected her with their gleaming swords. However the Shadows seemed not on her trail, but on them. Her vision became blurry and the last things she saw was the picture of her protecting one of them while the other fell into great darkness. The scene changes with a blink of an eye. She then saw herself and behind her was a woman standing with a knife, aiming at her. She look closer and was shocked to see that the woman was no other but her. The vision ended and the Sphere shine no more, leaving her with crinkled brows and a fretful look.
“What does it revealed to you?” The Wizard inquired seeing her face turned a little pale. Sofia stared in emptiness and softly answered, “It shows the people of this world and they were calling for mercy… for help.” Nonetheless, it was just a part of her vision that made her felt uneasy, troubled upon what the future holds. The urge in finding the book in no time came unto her senses. She wants to end up the suffering of these people either it was hers or not.
Sofia gained her intellect, looked back at the Old Wizard and said, “We should find the book immediately and then, follow your plan.” She paused for a moment. Thinking about the book, she asked, “What was the book all about?”
“As what I’ve told you, the book holds great power. It might contains all the ancient spells that could free the people from Skull’s dark curse,” Claw explained. “The book could only be found by you.”
Sofia nodded. “Very well then. When should we start?” she asked, stirred by the visions she had seen. The ardor in her eyes could be seen by the Old Wizard. He stared aimlessly at the dangling pendulum before saying, “I’ll think about that. For now, you should rest. You might be tired.”
She nod and choose to be silent as she traced down the patterns on the Old One’s eyes. “My associate will guide you to your room,” Claw stated, placing the Sphere back into the glass case. Sofia turned around but saw no one in the hall, which supposedly would guide her to her room.
The Old Wizard spoke again. “Go now. Lead the way…”
The candelabra on the side suddenly floated in the air. Sofia dropped her lips. She never thought that thing was alive. The door slowly opened and it came out, waiting for her to follow. She turned back to the Old Wizard saying, “I am leaving. Thank you — ...” She never knew his name.
“It was Claw,” the Old Wizard announced. “The Great Wizard of the Hidden Valley!” His cheerful hysterics filled out the whole room. The candlestick’s flame died in rebuke of its Master’s silly thought. The Wizard turned towards the candlestick and growled, “How courageous you are to defy your Master?!” The candlestick shines again in fear.
Sofia chuckled, bowed her head and leave the master and his assistant behind. The door closed on her back. She sluggishly followed the candelabra as it led her upstairs. The thought of her being dragged into the mystical world and now, following a candle bring a silly smile on her lips.
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