‘You almost killed him!’ she screamed, Rowan managing to catch her and pull her back.
‘I am sorry for my mistake my Queen, I am your faithful servant. I acted in your best interests at the time’, the creature spoke out loud. Rowan held onto Lexi until she calmed. She wiped a few tears from her cheeks and gently pulled his arms from around her, slowly approaching the beast.
‘You’re a Griffin, aren’t you?’ she queried. The creature nodded its head in reply. ‘You knew my Father?’ The large, beaked head tilted to the side a little, quizzically, Indeed I did, she replied inside Lexi’s head. ‘May I?’ Lexi asked, as she raised her hand towards the griffin’s face. You may, she responded, lowering her head further so Lexi could touch her. Lexi smiled faintly as she ran her hand through the griffin’s plumage. ‘You’re beautiful!’ Lexi exclaimed, stroking the side of the Griffin’s neck.
‘Thank you your Majesty, I try to keep myself presentable’, Lexi laughed,
‘What’s your name?’ She questioned, as she ran her hand down through the plumage and into her wonderfully smooth, soft lion’s fur.
‘My name is Zina, I was a close friend of your Father’s your Maj…’, Lexi interrupted,
‘Please, no more your Majesty, from anyone’ she stressed, waving her arm towards the small gathering, ‘my friends and family call me Lexi, and that’s what I want you all to call me, because you’re all family to me.’ Zina nodded her head in acknowledgement. There was a growing murmuring from amongst the gathering, Oakley stepped forward,
‘Lexi, we’ve been hoping to catch you before you reached the Palace. Although not literally of course’, he gestured towards the remains of the rope trap on the floor. ‘We have heard rumours that Garrick has infiltrated the Palace and is attempting to claim the throne for himself. We are planning an uprising, to restore the throne to the rightful heir, you, our Queen’, he bowed.
***
Entering the small village, Lexi couldn’t help but feel in awe of the tree dwellers. There were so many beautiful little treehouses suspended from the branches, connected with wooden walkways, disappearing off into the trees far above their heads. They sat around a large fire all evening, toasting various foods on sticks while drinking cider, which Lexi wasn’t old enough to drink, but nobody seemed bothered in the slightest. The atmosphere was so joyous and relaxed, it helped Lexi forget for a moment, the responsibility that was now placed squarely on her shoulders. Rowan had wandered off at one point, Lexi spotted him a little while later sat with Zina, deep in discussion. She smiled at the fact that he’d at least forgiven her for nearly killing him. Late in the evening, the tired, and slightly inebriated trio were shown to a small treehouse where they could bed down for the night. Zina positioned herself below, keeping guard as they slept. They all snuggled down into their cosy beds and drifted off into a deep sleep.
At some point during the night Lexi woke with a strange feeling. Quietly pulling herself out of bed, she decided to get some fresh air. Stepping out onto the little balcony suspended above the ground, she stretched out her arms, yawning. With sleepy eyes, she could make out Zina, sat a little off to the right of the balcony, facing out towards the woods. As Lexi followed her gaze, she could see what appeared to be fireflies, bordering the outskirts of the village, but they were hardly moving, and were clustered together in tight little groups. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus more clearly,
‘Dad?’ she muttered, as she threw herself at the balcony ladder and rushed, barefoot to the ground. As she drew up level with Zina, she could see the shape of her Father clearly defined within a large cluster of glowing embers. Zina gave her a little nudge with her beak, go on, it’s okay, you can go and speak with him. Lexi looked to Zina, tears welling in her eyes, unable to find the words. She stepped forward, towards the glowing figure,
‘Dad, is it really you?’ A smile formed on his face and he nodded. The figure moved into a sitting position and gestured, as if patting the ground in front of him. She sat down, her whole body shaking. His voice entered her head, Lexi, I’m so glad you’re safe, I’m so sorry I can no longer be there to protect you. All I can do now is observe and hope that you find your way safely. His face appeared sad.
‘How are you here?’ she sobbed. He reached out a hand and gently placed its embers on top of hers, they felt cold, yet comforting. It seems I lead my people well, my soul earned the right to pass over, to become one of the Old Ones. Lexi’s eyes grew wide, she looked behind her Father to see other figures bordering the edge of the village. I chose Rowan as your Guardian, unfortunately I couldn’t tell Zina that. His head gestured in Zina’s direction. It was part of the journey for both of you, that Rowan was attacked, they gave me no choice but to let that happen. In doing so, he proved he was worthy of the position, by putting his life in harm’s way to protect you. And you of course, you proved you are perfectly capable of learning your powers by yourself, without the aid of those treacherous snakes in the Palace, as I always knew you were.
Lexi and her Father continued to speak into the night, talking through all they had never got to say to each other in life. Lexi eventually curled herself up on the grass next to the embers of her Father, listening to his voice in her head as she drifted off to sleep. As his embers floated away back into the woodland, Zina approached and sheltered a sleeping Lexi beneath her wing, keeping her warm as she slumbered.
Underground
Rowan woke, sleepily peering over toward where Lexi had settled down to sleep the night before. He swiftly jumped to his feet in a panic as he realised she wasn’t there. Running out onto the balcony, he spotted Zina at the edge of the village, but before he had a chance to shout to her in alarm, her voice entered his head. It’s okay Rowan, she’s safe with me, lifting her wing to expose a sleeping Lexi. Rowan gave a deep sigh of relief and made his way down the ladder, approaching Zina and sitting himself on the grass beside her.
‘What happened?’ he queried, ‘How did she end up out here?’ Zina tilted her head to the side,
You have a genuine care for her, it’s the sign of a true Guardian. She is fine, she had a long night, but I am sure she will tell you all about it when she awakens. He nodded in understanding,
‘If you don’t mind, can I wait with you until she wakes up?’. Zina stretched out her wing and pulled him towards her. Of course you can. Rest here, and I will let you know when she’s awake. You both need a great deal of rest for what is ahead. Rowan leant into Zina’s shoulder and closed his eyes, drifting off into a light sleep.
When Lexi woke, she was a little confused by her surroundings at first, until the memories came flooding back of the night before. She reached out her hand and gently run her fingers through Zina’s lion fur, she could hear her give a subtle purr in response. Good Morning young one, she spoke, as she lifted her wing, allowing the beautiful morning sunlight in. Lexi pulled herself onto her knees and stretched out her arms, giving a large yawn. She spotted Rowan’s legs on the ground, where he leant napping against Zina’s opposite shoulder. Creeping around on her hands and knees, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. A sleepy smile grew across his mouth, he opened his eyes and gazed into hers.
‘You’re awake’ he beamed, ‘I worried when you weren’t in your bed’. Smiling back at him, Lexi rose to her feet, and placed her palm on the side of Zina’s face.
‘Thank you for looking after me last night’, she whispered, leaning forward and gently kissing the end of her beak. You are most welcome, Zina replied, bowing her head slightly. Lexi held out her hand to Rowan,
‘I’ve got so much to tell you, you wouldn’t believe’, she told him, as she helped him up from the ground. They ran back to the treehouse and climbed the ladder, bursting in on Amber, who until a moment earlier had been in a wonderful deep sleep.
Lexi sat herself down on the floor in the centre of the room and beckoned Rowan, and a very sleepy Amber to join her. They sat in a circle with their knees crossed, Amber rubbing her eyes groggily.
‘What’s going on?’ she queried. Lexi drew in a deep breath and looked apprehensively at her friends,
‘I Saw my Dad last night!’ she blurted out. Amber looked at her puzzled,
‘Did you have a weird dream? Drink can do that to you, you know’ she stressed sleepily. Rowan sat quietly, his eyes fixed intently on Lexi. She shook her head at Amber,
‘No, honestly, it really Happened!’ She drew another deep breath, ‘I woke up last night thinking someone had called my name, but everyone was asleep, so I went for some fresh air and there he was, talking with Zina’. Amber lowered her head,
‘Lexi, you do know your Father is…’ Lexi cut her off,
‘I know he’s dead Amber, I saw him die. He was different last night, but a magnificent different. It was as if he were made from a mass of glowing embers…’
‘He’s an Old One’ Rowan butted in, a sorrowful smile on his face. ‘I thought I felt him back in the cave, but thought it was just my imagination. He gave me the arrows, didn’t he?’ Lexi nodded and took his hand,
‘Yes, he gave you your arrows. He chose you as my Guardian’, she smiled at him affectionately. ‘We spoke for a long time, he told me about things that are happening in this Realm. Although some of it was pretty cryptic to be fair.’ Amber sat with her mouth hung open,
‘I thought the Old Ones were a myth that we told as bedtime stories, they’re really real? And Bastian is one of them?!’ her eyes were now wide with excitement, ‘If he’s an Old One he can help us fight Garrick!’ Lexi shook her head,
‘Unfortunately not. They have no physical effect on our world. They’re more like observers, who can, at desperate times, offer guidance, that’s pretty much it. It takes a lot of energy to be able to communicate directly with us’, she smiled a little, grateful that her Dad had made that effort to speak with her. Amber slumped her shoulders, disappointment evident in her expression.
‘Did he give us any advice on how to fight Garrick?’ Rowan queried. Lexi nodded,
‘He did’ she replied, an awkward expression on her face, ‘we need to use the underground throughout the kingdom, opposed to Garrick, to build an army. And…’ she paused, ‘we need to track down a dragon!’ Amber gasped, even Rowan drew back in surprise.
‘A DRAGON!’ he emphasised, ‘Lexi, you do realise they’re meant to be extinct?’ Amber swiftly added,
‘Not to mention, even if they weren’t, they’re extremely unpredictable and dangerous!’ Lexi slowly nodded,
‘I know. Dad explained roughly how we can find him, and gain his trust. There’s only one other thing...’ Rowan froze, looking her directly in the eyes,
‘There’s more? Surely it can’t be worse than tracking down an extinct dragon?’ Drawing in another deep breath, she smiled, but it was clear it was an attempt to soften the blow.
‘We have to do it all by sunrise in three days’ time, that’s when we have to confront Garrick!’
***
It was midday by the time the trio climbed down the ladder, one after the other. Oakley and most of his village had congregated nearby, awaiting their appearance, Zina standing proud amongst them. Apparently, rumour had spread that King Bastian had appeared in the form of an Old One during the night. Lexi had wondered if Zina had a part to play in that rumour, to give the people a stronger sense of hope.
They stood before the gathering, an expectant silence hanging in the air. Lexi stepped forward, Zina’s voice clear in her head, you can do this young one, we all believe in you. Lexi nodded slightly, acknowledging her support,
‘By now, I think you’ve probably all heard that my Father appeared to both Zina and I last night, in the form of an Old One.’ There was a slight rise of murmuring amongst the crowd. ‘I know that many of you may have known my Father, many of you possibly knew him better than I did. He came to me last night, to give me guidance.’ She paused, drawing breath. ‘He brought news that on the third sunrise from today, we must confront Garrick. It’s going to be our only opportunity to set things on the right path’ The crowd began to murmur, once more, louder this time. Lexi raised her voice a little, ‘We need to be strong, and we need to be organised. We need to spread the word, far and wide, throughout our trusted people, that this is what needs to happen for balance to be restored.’ Oakley stepped forward,
‘Lexi, are you sure, this is our only chance? It’s remarkably short notice’. She walked towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder,
‘I am sorry Oakley, but I have faith in you, that you and your people can spread the word throughout the underground movement swiftly for us.’ She looked up to address the whole crowd. ‘We all have a part to play in making this work. Zina is going to escort Amber back to the Gateway, as she’s currently unable to fly, and there’s safety in numbers.’ Zina nodded in acknowledgement of her mission. ‘Meanwhile, Rowan and I are heading to the Misty Mountains, where we will track down a vital ally for our uprising.’ The murmuring from the crowd grew into full blown discussion as people debated who the ally could be. Oakley turned to the gathering, clearing his throat loudly,
‘Come now people, quieten down, quieten down’, waving his arms up and down, encouraging them to hush. He turned back to Lexi,
‘May we ask who this ally is? The Misty Mountains are uninhabitable to most.’ She nodded her head slowly,
‘You may, we’re going in pursuit of Titus, the dragon.’ The village burst into an uproar of panicked conversation. Rowan stepped forward to join Lexi, placing his thumb and forefinger between his lips, he whistled loudly. The gathering promptly fell into complete silence. He pulled himself straight and placed his hands behind his back. Lexi couldn’t help but think how impressive he looked, like a young commander addressing his troops.
‘Lexi and I have a difficult task ahead, but we will succeed. We have something to offer Titus that will ensure his assistance in the fight to come.’ The crowd seemed to take this as a good indication that this may pan out well. Oakley nodded to the trio and turned to his people,
‘Okay, I think we know what we need to do people. Let’s get to work, time is short!’ as he began to move amongst the gathering, giving orders and sending people off on various assignments.
Zina slowly worked her way through the dispersing crowd towards the trio. As she drew close, she turned to Lexi,
‘I would like it noted, I am not happy about yourself and Rowan tracking down Titus alone. I knew him many moons ago, before your great-great grandparents were alive. He is a difficult character to deal with, impulsive and stubborn minded. Please be careful’. She placed her forehead to Lexi’s, then turned to Amber, ‘It seems I have a passenger to deliver safely, are you ready?’, Amber nodded. ‘Climb on then’ as she gave Amber a wink. Amber gave Lexi and Rowan each a tight hug, then a little apprehensively, approached Zina, as she lowered herself onto the grass.
‘Are you sure this is okay?’ Amber asked, cautiously trying to assess the easiest way to mount Zina’s back. Zina laughed,
‘I usually wouldn’t allow it, but you are one of the few Royal line remaining, I feel it is my responsibility to protect you. For that reason, I am happy to assist’. Amber nervously nodded and swung her leg out and over Zina’s back, sitting herself just behind her wings.
‘Where do I hold on?’ she squealed anxiously, as Zina stood. The griffin turned to Lexi and Rowan, a wicked glint in her eye,
‘Just lean forward and hold on very tightly any way you can!’ she replied as she beat her wings and lifted into the air. Amber gave out an almighty shriek as they rose up into the canopy.
‘I’ll see you both in a few days’ She shouted, too terrified to let go and wave goodbye. ‘Be careful!’ she muttered, as they reached the treetops and rocketed up into the deep blue sky.
Captivating Fire
It was mid-afternoon by the time Lexi and Rowan were ready to set off on their journey to the Misty Mountains. They’d collected together supplies of food and water, carefully packing them into the backpack
. Lexi had changed her Foo Fighters t-shirt, which was now torn and severely distressed, for one she’d had in her bag. Again, it was black, with a large snarling tiger on it, a Thirty Seconds to Mars album cover. Ironic she’d thought while pulling it on, the album cover was titled 'This is War'. Yep, pretty much seems that way, she thought to herself. As she stepped outside, Rowan checked out the new tee, a wide smile spreading across his face.
‘Well it’s certainly an improvement from a snake’ he laughed, ‘perfectly suited to the situation too!’ he winked as he threw her backpack over to her. She hauled it onto her shoulders as she walked over to join him, stepping in closely, so no one could overhear,
Ignite: The Awakening Page 7