He knocked on the front gates. When they opened a short man with a long beard smiled up at us.
“Paul!” Said the bearded man, “how's your sister Patty?”
“Patty is dead, she died when she turned 27 remember Robert?” The man showing me the way said with a lack of accent that surprised me.
“Oh, why I must not have remembered. You look nice yourself Paul, welcome to the castle.” The short man with the name of Robert said.
We walked in, and I was surprised instead of finding red carpets and beautiful plants around every corner of the room like the kingdom of Beral I found a small castle with every type of animal wandering the halls. I was careful not to step on them while the man led the way.
He knocked on 2 large chamber doors. They swung open, and I stepped in. I was surprised to see the man scurry away from the chamber doors, mumbling about having to go. I walked in and saw a tortoise on the throne.
The most beautiful woman I have ever seen stepped through a door to the left. Her hair was spun like gold, long and blond that touched her hips, pulled back by a simple black headband with feathers dangling down its side. Her body was thin, and she wasn't tall. Her eyes smiled with mischief, and she was wearing a shiny gold and green cloak around her waist that went to her ankles.
I had heard about the Queen of Animaux. I heard she was adventurous and one of mischief. Her skin had the slightest tint of green, and she put her hand on the tortoise's back in a caring way that I knew she was bonded with it.
“They live for 150 years you know,” She said stroking its shell. “What are you here for boy?”
“I am here to warn you of a threat to your kingdom and for you to help heal my traveling partner, but sadly I had to leave her behind with an old lady,” I said rambling on.
“Oh yes the girl who is paralyzed, Lady Pandie brought her in, she has been taken care of already, she will be awoken in the morning. Lady Pandie is a dear frind of mine, and for that threat, we can just have the Lumine deal with it.”
I was surprised she had already helped Amaryllis, and I wondered how she got there so fast. “Queen Daya the threat is the Lumine” I spoke quickly.
She seemed curious, “usually, I leave my husband to these things but he's in a meeting with the kingdom of art, Radian.”
“Queen this can't wait, it could be a month until he's back.” I pleaded.
“Yes that's right It takes 9 days to just get down Hemings river and past borders sea. And a 5 day walk to get through Jangers Jungle and another whole day to get to the central kingdom, there is no way we can wait that long. I suppose I can handle this important business about the Lumine.” She said quickly sitting down next to the turtle.
“Speak boy,” she said.
“The Lumine, they plan to take over all the kingdoms and kill anyone in their way. We need an army, we need to stop them.” I said with a hint of panic in my voice.
She laughed. “Where would we get an army around here? Do you see any warriors at my wake? No that's right all the Warriors are Lumine.”
“So you're just going to let them take your kingdom?” I asked.
“I don't want my people to die; they deserve to live no matter who rules them.” She argued in defiance to the threat.
“They will fight back, you know they will, and then all of them will die,” I said my voice raising higher.
Her face turned red “stop it” she yelled, and I instantly fell silent from the power in her voice. She walked over to the corner of the room her cloak flowing behind her. She picked up a small hand mirror and looked through it. It clattered back to the table, and she gasped. She grabbed it up again, but her eyes avoided it as she walked over to me in silence. “This mirror shows you your darkest future, it was from long generations of my kingdom's rulers, we were all told to give it to the Warrior who would save us from the dark ages, but nobody knew what the dark ages were, until now. This is yours, boy.” She handed me the mirror, and I looked at the designs. It had beautiful green and gold swirls, and a small heart made out of tiny horns was at the top of the mirror.
“I will call my people for a meeting, and the news will travel fast, I will have volunteers ready to fight for us.” She spoke quickly drawing my attention back to her. “Now go back to that girl and head off to the next kingdom when she's well, you may stay as long as you want boy, but I must ask you to not dwell here too long.” She said. “I will send someone to tell the kingdom of Beral so you don't have to go dawdling back to where you came from.”
I nodded, “yes that would be very useful, and for my traveling companion I'm afraid there is no time to wait for her to wake, I must be heading on my trail before the last ship leaves the docks for the week.”
She nodded, “Alright then let me get you a satchel so you can carry the mirror without dwelling on it.” She called for a maid to get one and then I hurried out of the castle.
On the way I saw Lady Pandie smirking at me, I avoided her gaze, hearing her say under her breath “I will see you quite soon kind.” I wondered how she got here faster than me.
VIII Travel To The River
Amaryllis
It was my fifth birthday. My sister Maggie and I ran through sundown forest. Her short light blond hair contrasted against my long black curly hair. She was a year older than me.
“Look,” Maggie said pointing through the trees. Her bright blue eyes are full of wonder as she looked at an old gray building. “I saw it a week ago when you had a cold and Ma wouldn't let you outside, I wanted to show you on your birthday.” She said.
Guards stood outside the building but couldn't see us, Maggie spoke in soft whispers telling me that they kidnapped children and trained them to be warriors, but they never saw the light of day ever again.
Soon the sun started to sink down from the sky. “Let's get home before it is dark,” Maggie said hopping onto her small pony.
“Come on let's stay a little longer, maybe something extraordinary will happen in the night, you don't want to miss the chance. Plus mom will still be just as worried in the morning as she will be tonight.” I said begging her. I always loved to break the rules plus I was more curious than ever about this new building.
“Oh alright,” she said hopping off the pony. We stared at the gray building but nothing happened, I closed my eyes to let exhaustion take over me but then I heard a muffled scream.
I opened my eyes to see a brown bag over my sister's head as she struggled against two guards from the gray building. Two others headed my way.
“Let go of my sister!” I screamed and jumped at the men, trying to stop them with all my might, but I couldn't do anything to stop them. I was terrified, fear gripped at my core and panic washed over me like a waterfall.
They dragged her towards the building, and I cried hanging onto her. But then I heard her soft whisper, “Run before it's too late and don't come back, tell Mother I wandered too far in the forest.”
I nodded with tears in my eyes let go and ran to the pony and road away from that nightmare as fast as I could.
. . . . .
When the memory drifted away, I started to feel the soft aches of my healing body and all the memories of the quicksand rushed through my head. Then I felt it, just a slight stinging at first, but then it soon grew into an obnoxious burn of fire on my hand. I could feel the light of a room caress the sides of my closed eyes and my body felt weak. The pain in my throat was unbearable.
I slowly cracked open my eyes, at first, the blinding light was all I could see but then a shadowy form started to take place, watching over me. It was an old woman. Her hair was gray, and her skin was scaly, her wrinkles covered her smiling face.
“Leben!” She yelled then hugged me. Who was this woman, where am I, and where is the Lumine Nate? Confusion clouded my mind, but I didn't say anything.
She must've seen the confusion on my face because she spoke. “Kind is gone; he's been gone for a day, yes? You must get up and catch up to him. He is waiting for you
on the last boat of the week Leben; you have a journey waiting for you!” She said with powerfulness in her voice that I didn't expect to hear from an old lady.
“You know Nate?” I asked.
“Yes, the kind,” she said. “The boy who doesn't trust.”
I nodded “that's him,” I replied thinking of how he seemed so tense and held back. It was almost as if he felt no emotions at all.
I slipped out of bed and looked into the mirror across from me, my hair was down in a frizzy mess, and my skin was as white as bleach. I was so skinny like I hadn't eaten for months. I was wearing a long silk dress that curved in all the right places and pooled at the bottom.
“You look sickly. Well no time to think about that, we must catch up to kind!” She shouted.
“Umm alright but you have to tell me who you are on our way,” I said looking pointedly at the old woman.
“Oh why, yes, of course, I don't want to be a stranger, you get dressed into traveling clothes while I go ask for a carriage to carry us quickly to the last ship of the week!” She said patting my arm.
For some reason, I trusted the woman. Maybe my curiosity had gotten the best of me, but she seemed friendly.
She scurried off while 5 snakes slithered around her. I opened a closet and saw many beautiful gowns hung up row by row and a few folded outfits on the floor of the closet.
I picked up an outfit; it was a pair of soft black cotton pants, and a dark green shirt that matched my cloak and a black vest to fit over the long sleeved shirt. I put on my cloak and tied my long black hair in a braid; I looked at how all my clothes matched my green eyes and black hair. I found my thin swords on the table near my bedside and my many knives. I took pieces of cloth and tied the knives in many hidden and grab-able places and made a makeshift belt that I could hang my swords in.
The old lady walked back into the room, “the carriage is ready!” She shouted looking me up and down with a small smile.
“So what's your name?” I asked as we strode out of the castle door, her snakes are wrapping around her tinted green arms.
“Everyone calls me Lady Pandie, but I am your friend I'm here to help you and kind.” She said her eyes looking over me.
“Why do you call Nate kind?” I asked. It was the simplest question I could ask instead of the thousands in my head.
“It means child in German, and that's exactly what he is, just a wee little child, trapped in a boy that thinks he has already grown up,” She spoke, and I finally noticed the slight German accent.
“And then why do you call me Leben?” I asked with a curious tone in my voice. She laughed hard like I told the funniest joke in the world.
“You must learn what it means, you will find out soon.” Her wrinkles crinkled more with her smile.
We had gotten into the carriage, and the rocking slowly lulled me into a peaceful sleep. I woke up with a start when it was barely light out, “you slept for 10 hours Leben, I thought you would never wake up. The Sun's rays will soon touch the morning's sky and the boat will leave a quarter into the day, after the sun rises.” She said with smartness in her voice. The carriage finally stopped. “Alright you must walk the rest of the way, it’s what's best for you, you need some energy in those weak limbs of yours, and walking will do that,” she said leaning over and popping open the door.
“What?!” I asked. I was shocked. She expected me to walk across the barren savanna while she rode in a carriage.
“You heard me, out of the carriage or I'll kick you out, just follow our trail we leave behind, I'll see you at our destination.” She said. When I opened my mouth to protest, she shoved me out of the carriage and sped away.
I was stuck walking alone in the morning sun for an hour, in the Savannah.
Finally, I saw what I thought was a lake and realized was just a huge river. A large dock with about 10 large boats was anchored here. A line of people stood at a gate that asked for their names for who went on the ship. I was relieved to know that I didn't have to walk any longer.
I walked up, and many people stared at my swords. I stood in the line and tensed up when I saw guards search people's faces. I slid my sword behind my cloak so it wasn't visible. And put my hood over my head, tucking my black braided hair away. I looked down at the floor. A hand grabbed my arm, and I flinched. I was petrified with fear. The Lumine scared me. They had taken my sister after all.
“Ma'am, I need you to take off your hood, we're looking for a criminal trying to escape.” He said.
I felt myself stiffen and panic inside, they don't know that I'm alive I had to remind myself, I'm just dead to them.
“Alright,” I said deepening my voice so they wouldn't recognize me. I shed my hood, and the man looked at my face. His eyes widened slightly, and his grip tightened on my arm.
“I'll need to take you to a place of further inspection.” He said. People looked at me suspiciously. He yanked my arm, and I bit back a yelp as I followed him behind a small building. Many other Lumine guards were waiting. The one in the front lifted his mouth into a yellow tooth smile.
I shifted my eyes, looking for an escape. I grew more and more anxious.
The guard holding my arm shoved me, and I stumbled rubbing my arm.
“Look here,” the guy with yellow teeth said. “A little princess trying to escape, only a fugitive now.” He snarled spitting in my face.
I wiped the spit away and considered my options. He grabbed my chin inspecting my face.
“Pretty little thing,” he said. I felt the need to roll my eyes. His face was so close, and his eyes were big. I spit, and it hit him smack in the eye. He let go yelling “she spit in my eye!” the way he said it made me want to laugh but I held it back. I didn't need to get in more trouble than I already have.
I felt the other Lumine start closing in.
I wanted to laugh about how it seemed like every book of the century, now I just needed a handsome knight to save me.
My smile made them look confused. I counted how many there were, 10 plus yellow teeth rubbing spit out of his eye.
The first one threw a punch, a man with thick blond hair. I tried to avoid blondie’s fist, but another man with a knife was also coming at me. I took blondie’s blow and avoided the knife.
The pain of his fist in my stomach made it harder to make swift movements. I still avoided a few more punches and the knife.
I watched as a couple others joined in with blondie and the guy with the knife. One a woman with a knife that had a weird curve but I could tell it was very effective. And the second was a skinny man with a sword.
Blondie swept me off my feet, and I fell on my back while the air whooshed from my lounges. The woman with the curved knife tried to push her knife down on my throat, I held back, and I could see my knuckles turn white.
I turned her over so her back was to the ground and mine was facing the other enemies. I quickly pulled out my sword and slit her neck. I watched as the blood poured and her dead eyes stared at me. I tried to hide my shaking arms as it suddenly hit me that I had just killed someone. I stared at her for only a second. Any longer and I knew I would be dead.
It was silent for only a second before I whipped around and saw the angry face of the man with the sword. He came at me with hostile moves while the other 8 Lumine tried to get me from every angle. I slashed at every open option in the group of people surrounding me, fighting with their different weapons.
2 more Lumine fell to the ground. Only one I was certain was dead. I was getting outnumbered quickly. They stabbed and slashed at me while I defended with my single sword. I felt pain from every limb, and my moving was sluggish and not as stable as before.
Blondie threw a punch at my head, and I ducked. One of the Lumine anticipated this and sliced me in the back with his knife. I let out a cry and my grip loosened on my sword. That was a mistake I realized much too late as Blondie had my sword. I ripped out 2 knives from my shirt and used them one in each hand. My skin grew paler from blood loss. A
man tried to slice at me but only hit my hand. I almost dropped my knife but quickly caught hold of it. It started to bleed and then green goop started dripping out of me. Then I had an epiphany.
I had heard the doctors talk about it through my haze of sleep. It has the saliva of a white fox permanently in the flesh of my hand. It was deadly and usually would kill right away if it touched open flesh.
I put pressure on the injury so the green substance would leak out with my blood. I quickly did the same thing with my other knife.
I felt weak but I still jabbed into the remainder 7 Lumine, they fell instantly with one stab into their flesh. Blood dripped from my forehead and covered my eyes. My legs shook, but I could feel nothing. I collapsed on my knees and dropped my knives. What had I done? I just killed 10 people. I felt my stomach start to churn. Pain rushed back to me. I felt lightheaded.
. . . . .
I awoke to the feeling of swaying back and forth. I opened my eyes, but all I could see was blurry shapes. I knew one thing for certain, someone was holding me. Finally, my vision made sense, we were in the desert, and heading towards a lake, wait, no it was a large river. There was a large boat and not much else. I saw something with the corner of my eye, It looked like a fox, but its coat was pure white. And its eyes were larger and a bright blue. It strutted towards me playfully its blue tongue lolling. I blinked, and it was gone.
Pain seeped through my bones with a steady rate. I didn't dare to move, did they catch me? Did I miss one? No, No why would they leave me alive this was no soldier. The person carrying me got on the ship. I realized I was bandaged up like a rag doll. I pretended I was asleep and heard the soft buzzing disappear and voices replace it. I recognized the voices, and it calmed me.
“I knew you would come back kind” Lady Pandie’s voice spoke with enthusiasm.
“I wouldn't have, but you followed me and didn't take her home. This is my job, and I want to do it alone. I don't need some little princess following me around all the time. She would be a nuisance.” Nate spoke, his voice gruff, I wanted to say something in protest, but I stayed quiet and kept listening in.
Without Joy Page 5