by Martha Woods
“I think I’ll be okay,” I begin. I feel sore, hungry, and nausea all at once. “I didn’t feel Gabriella’s call at all. I was able to reach gate five but I’m sure that I left the world in chaos with my dramatic departure,” I explain softly, trying to become reacquainted with the feeling of my body. I wiggle my toes and fingers first, then begin to stretch my legs and arms. Everything appears to be in working order as I glance down at my hand and realize I’m still holding the coin.
“Well your vitals are normal and your body sustained the experience. You’ll probably need a few days to recover, but the more you get up and move, the faster you’ll feel better,” Mich suggests as looks out the window where we can see my brother and father arguing.
“Nothing seems to change,” I mutter as I lift my arm and toss the worthless coin at the window. The clank immediately catches their attention, followed by my mother rushing into the room and to my side. She starts running her hands through my hair and I’m able to see how tired she looks. The temperature of the room seems to rise as everyone crowds in and all eyes become solely focused on me.
“Anastasia, you were gone longer than expected,” my mother speaks first as she starts rubbing my shoulder, as though to assure herself that I’m really there.
“It felt like a few hours at most. Time is really hard to gage in the supernatural realm,” I explain.
“So, you made it? Was it difficult to get there?” Marcus quickly says as he steps forward, obviously anxious to know my experience. But the moment my father looks down at him, Marcus clears his throat and steps back.
“Anastasia, you must know that I returned the moment the scouts reported blue flames surrounding gate five. I don’t understand what is going on here, but I am glad to see you are alright,” my father says as he steps next to my mother and places a gentle hand on my knee. I smile at him, still having a hard time believing he was really here. It’s been over a year since I last saw my father, and that had only been for a few days. I enjoy looking into his blue eyes and seeing his bright fire burning within. I had often longed for his height, but I prided myself in having similar strengths as him.
“Father, I am pleased to report that I was successful at entering the supernatural realm through a token trap. The spirit within the token led me to the place I desired to find and I’m confident it will be a place that an army might enter to gain a surprise advantage at destroying the other gates,” I begin, avoiding the majority of the details surrounding what I personally experienced. “During my time there, I saw much that may be of a great concern to our people. I saw the pits, where creatures till a massive field for material that is being refined. From what I was able to see and hear, they are planning to build gates in the north for their armies to pass through. The construction has not begun, but they are gathering the resources. When I had the chance, I made my way through gate five, but I had to burn a path to it.”
“That is a lot of information gathered from a considerable distance. Care to explain how you were able to travel that distance in a short amount of time?” my father asks, his voice becoming stern and his face contorted. The news wasn’t pleasant but my people needed to know what they were up against.
I took a deep breath and for a moment closed my eyes. My parents weren’t going to be happy once I told him what I did to gather that information. I open my eyes and immediately start telling my story. From how I threatened the spirit in the token, to what I saw when we appeared in the forest. I told them of the creatures that captured me and how I was able to convince them I was a fortune spirit. I comment how it seems there is a clear division between demons and spirits in their society. Then I tell them how we traveled to the pits where I was given to a dragon like creature as property. I can see the recognition in my father’s face, but I don’t stop to question him.
“After he told me his plans for building a gate before the other three houses, I told him about the forest and how we should inspect it so I could give a better fortune. I was hoping if I could make it back to the forest that I might be able to find my path back out. But once we were in the air, I told the creature to head to the town so no one would follow us. He wanted secrecy concerning his plans so I tried to play into what he wanted. And when I had the chance, I freed my powers and ran straight for gate five”. The room grows silent as I finish my report and everyone seems to be deep in thought.
“And my spell, Princess?” Gabriella speaks up when no one else chooses to speak.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t feel it all. I would like you to meet with your coven and discuss this issue,” I respond. She quickly bows and leaves the room, a new determination in her pace.
I then turn my gaze towards Aaron, who seems to be the most frightened of all. “Aaron, please gather some paper and a map for when I’m ready to leave this room. I will want to document everything I saw and add my own details to the map.” Without speaking, he walks out of the room, relieved to have something productive to do.
“And I’ll see myself out,” Mich says without missing a beat. I give him a small smile, truly thankful for everything he was able to do for me while I was unconscious. Being left alone with my family made me feel slightly uncomfortable as I finally turn my gaze towards Marcus.
“I want to get up and shower. Would you mind walking me back to my chambers?” I ask. His face seems to soften as he finally nears me and grabs onto my arm so he can help me stand. I feel weak on my legs, but I heed Mich’s words to get up and move as much as I can.
“Anastasia, we’ll come by later to see how you’re doing and bring you some real food to eat. Does that sound like a good plan?” my mother asks as she takes my other arm and helps lead me out of the room.
“Thank you, Mother. I truly appreciate your patience with this process. It was absolutely worth it to take this chance and gather this important information. We will need to meet with the generals immediately to discuss our next step,” I say as we finally make it out of the research labs and into the main hallway.
“It can wait till tomorrow, Anastasia,” my father speaks up as my mother lets go of my arm and I place most of my weight on Marcus. “Spend the rest of the day recovering and gathering your thoughts. A day won’t matter to the enemy.” I nod in agreement as I turn away from my parents and travel down the hallway with Marcus to lean against.
“I can’t believe everything you saw, Anastasia,” Marcus says once we are away from anyone being able to hear us. “I’m glad you’re okay and made it back without any major issues, but I can’t imagine being able to remain so calm like you did. Weren’t you afraid at all?”
I can’t help but chuckle as we pass through a common area where we catch the attention of almost everyone around. Before we can disappear down another hallway, I hear someone begin to clap and I take a deep breath as I prepare for the scene. I try to straighten my posture as a loud applause fills the area, but I can’t let go of Marcus without falling as I grip onto his arm while trying to look strong for my people. I can only imagine the rumors that have been circling since my departure, but I was glad to see so many happy faces before me. I give them a weak wave before Marcus leads me down the hallway.
“I’ve faced demons and spirits before, Marcus. I took every ounce of knowledge I have learned over the years and used it to get there and back. Now I’ll use what I’ve seen to plan a next attack for our people,” I speak to him once we have finally made it to my chambers.
“You sound a lot like Father,” Marcus says as he leads me to the bathroom and sets me against the counter before he turns and starts the shower.
“I don’t know if that is a complement or not,” I say as I smile at him. Marcus rolls his eyes and tests the water before turning back towards me.
“Just don’t become so disconnected like he is. He’s spent so much time in the supernatural realm that I don’t think he truly understands what is going on here anymore.”
I can’t help but sigh heavily as I look at him. �
��And don’t you push him away just because he is away all the time. He still cares about you Marcus, even if you two seem to disagree on everything.”
“I just wish he could see things the way I see them, instead of just deciding I’m wrong all the time,” Marcus explains as he extends his hand towards me. I take it and slowly walk unassisted towards him. I feel sore, but I can feel the strength returning to my legs. “Anyways, are you going to be okay by yourself, or should I stick around?”
“No, I’ll be fine. I’m going to take a shower and head for the school rooms. I want see how the Mathews children are doing with their work.”
Marcus gives me a nod and then let’s go of my hand. “Then I’ll be back later with our parents to continue our earlier discussion.”
I watch as Marcus leaves the bathroom as steam from the shower soon fills the room. Once he shuts the door, I painfully take a few minutes to take off my clothes before I step into the shower. The heat feels amazing against my skin as I simply stand under the water and allow my body to relax. I slowly lather my skin with soap that helps relax my knotted stomach. By the time I have finished cleaning myself, I feel more normal as I quickly dry my skin and dress in a clean uniform.
I successful cross my room and make it to the door without feeling like I’m going to fall, and as I step out into the hallway, I’m confident I’ll be okay to roam unattended. My pace is slow, but I eventually make it to Elizabeth’s training room. The students are in the middle of their tai chi exercise when I step into the grand hall. I approach the class quietly and step into sync as I follow Gunther’s movements. His eyes eventually catch me as I take a deep breath and move my arms and legs in rhythm to the flow, following each motion and transitioning my movements much like I did as a young student. He doesn’t appear to mind my intrusion as I place more focus on my movements and less on what transition Gunther is leading the students. I feel my hell fire burning brightly within me, a comforting feeling that I still possess my powers.
“Anna!!” I hear my name, pulling my focus back on the class as my powers subside. Elizabeth rushes over to me and throws her arms around my shoulders, pulling me into a tight embrace.
“Careful, now Elizabeth. I’m still recovering,” I say softly as not to embarrass Elizabeth in front of the other students. I can hear whispers filling the room as I glance over at the students who all seem to be shocked that I’m alive.
“Princess, you honor us with your presence,” Gunther says loudly as he bows. His gesture is followed by the others in the room as the students quickly compose themselves.
“Thank you, Gunther. I appreciate your assistance while I was gone,” I say as I look back at Elizabeth who appears to be well enough. “Do you mind leaving class early to accompany me?”
Elizabeth’s face lights up as she looks back to Gunther for permission. He nods quickly as he turns from us and begins instructing the students on their tai chi stance and form. Elizabeth leads me by the hand as we leave the room and walk towards John’s classroom.
“Slow down, Elizabeth. I have just begun walking again,” I say as she loosens her grip on my hand and instead loops her arm with mine.
“I don’t understand. Darien said you’d be gone for a few days. I thought you traveled out of the Kingdom,” Elizabeth states as we round the corner and see John walking down the hallway with his teacher. When he notices me, he breaks into a sprint till he clashes with my body, almost knocking me over with his embrace.
“Anna!! You’ve made it back,” he cries as his grip tightens. I can’t help but laugh as his teacher approaches us.
“Princess, I must say that I am equally pleased to see you have returned. But forgive me for not showing the same enthusiasm as young, Mr. Mathews.”
I lightly push John away as I place my weight back on Elizabeth while trying to catch my breath. “Thank you, master, for your assistance while I was away,” I simply say as John keeps his arms around my waist. I’m beginning to worry that I should have waited before venturing out of my chambers. I can feel my stomach start to cramp and I’m unsure of what to do next.
“Mr. Mathews, make sure our dear Princess receives plenty of rest today. I’m sure her travels have taxed her greatly.”
John finally let’s go of me as he bows and then takes my other arm to lead us away. I give his teacher a thankfully gesture before I follow the two down the hallway. “So, where exactly did you go, Anna?” John asks as we near the cafeteria. I can smell fresh baked bread and the smell is almost intoxicating as we step through the large hall doors. My eyes start wondering to the source of the smell but the silence of the room forces me to look around. Every warrior in the room has quickly stood and now bows before me. I can feel the children tense as I hold steadily onto their arms. I take a deep breath and try to straighten my posture. The cook from the back pushes his way to the front where he bows in front of me, then finishes approaching me.
“Princess, you honor us with your presence. Is there something particular I may present to you as a sign of my gratitude?”
“Thank you for your kindness. I would like to request a loaf of bread that I might take back to my chambers to enjoy,” I reply. Without hesitation, the cook jogs over to the serving counter, folds a loaf of bread in packing paper, and returns promptly to hand me the parcel. “And please serve your best brandy to the warriors. We should celebrate before the final battle.” Cheers erupt as the cook turns and raises his arms above his head as though he has just won a great prize. I don’t stick around to share in their comradery. My only thought is now I need to get back to my room and rest.
By the time John and Elizabeth have accompanied me to my room, I’m breathing heavily and sink onto my bed. John is kind enough to help me pull of my boots as Elizabeth quickly fetches me a cup of water. I take a moment to drink the water before I situate myself on the pillows. “I’m sorry for taking you two from class. I had hoped we might enjoy the day together with your brother, but my body has seemed to fail me.”
“So, are the rumors true, Anna? Did you really go to the supernatural realm?” Elizabeth asks as she sits down next to me on the bed. John looks surprised by Elizabeth’s words as he climbs onto the bed as well and sits at my feet. I reach out and grab Elizabeth’s hand as I close my eyes for a moment. These children have already been so much, and now they have been brought into my people’s war.
“I traveled to the supernatural realm through a new way. I have learned many things that will hopefully aid my people in the next battle,” I say simply. I can tell Elizabeth is concerned by the way her forehead scrunches together.
“The people I’ve been training with. They have mentioned being able to fight in the final battle. Will it require everyone?” she asks in response. I give her a weak smile, knowing that she has been the last week with people she might not see again by the end of the month.
“It is what we have trained for since we could walk, Elizabeth. If there is a way to end this war, then we are all willing to risk our lives to see this through. That is why you see my people acting the way they have today. I have returned from the supernatural realm, even though many thought I would not,” I explain as I look beyond my bed and notice that Darien has stepped in the room. He looks panicked as he quickly walks across the room and gently nudges his sister aside so he can pull me into his arms. I hear John start giggling and I can’t help but smile as I push Darien aside so I can clearly study his face.
“When day three came and went, I thought for sure something had happened. I tried to ask around about you, but no one had an answer for me. It was like they were trying to hide the truth for me,” Darin quickly says, his worry clearly still present.
“I have returned successfully, Darien. Though I’m not sure how to comfort you, let my presence be confirmation enough that I am well,” I say softly. In return, Darien pulls me into his arms again and for a moment I enjoy his touch even though the pressure is uncomfortable.
“You want some
of this bread?” John pipes up as I look over and see that John has already opened the parcel and had torn a piece of the bread. I reach out and take the bread as Darien settles down next to me, an arm still around my waist as he accepts a piece as well. For a few moments, we eat in silence as I take time to look between then. I’m enjoy my reality and the taste and feelings of things around me.
A knock on the door distracts me from my moment of peace. I motion for Darien to get it, hoping my visitor won’t mind the fact that I already have company. I feel less tense as Aaron steps through the door with his arms full of paper.
“Thank you, Aaron. You may set them over there at the table. Do you mind assisting me with the details?” I ask as I move to the side of the bed and then steadily stand. I feel a wave of dizziness pass over me as I reach out and grip the post of my bed.
“Princess, take the King’s advice and wait till tomorrow to work. You must build your strength,” Aaron chastises. “Would you like me get Mich?”
“No, Aaron. But if I change my mind, I promise to send for him right away,” I say as I gain my footing and walk steadily over to the table and quickly take a seat. “Now sit and help me figure out a plan.” I don’t say a word as Darien motions for his siblings to follow him out of the room. I simply give him a nod of thanks and silently hope he understands what I must do for my people. In my heart, I promise to make up for all the time I have missed with him.