‘But, Bear …’
‘He was fake, we walked into an enchanted region that shows us our deep desires. I wanted to meet Bear and he was standing before me, they call it Desria – Desire Area.’
‘But why are they playing with toys like that?’
‘I told you, they are looking for something.’
He wanted to ask more but his head was aching horribly and he wanted nothing more than a nice nap.
‘Give me a hand,’ he said to Anna.
She helped him to his feet and started towards Timple-Town. But Derek didn’t know why, but he’d always catch something unusual in the place. He thought he had been watched – he looked at the forest and for a split-second, caught a glimpse of a pair of eyes.
He frowned and said without looking at Anna. ‘Can you give me a second?’
‘Why? You are not so strong—’
‘It’s urgent,’ he acted, raising his little finger in the air, the well-known traditional symbol of the desire to pee.
‘Oh,’ she realised the seriousness of the situation. ‘Okay then – er – go into the bushes.’
He thanked her and walked to the boundary of the forest. The forest was dark and smoky with numerous trees stood rigid on their spots, he could help comparing them with the guards of hell, who were laughing toothlessly.
But he had something different in his mind, pushing aside a row of the bush, he crouched down to have a better look at the soil.
(‘Men!’ whispered Anna.)
There was a trail of footsteps on land, someone was clearly there. The pair of eyes wasn’t his imagination … someone was there … but it wasn’t his concern, was it?
It could’ve been some kid, playing – but so late in the night?
A nerve on his head throbbed, he was thinking too much. If it was bothering him so much then he’d come back tomorrow.
But when he got to his feet, his eyes fell on an unnaturally black circle on the ground filled with coal and burnt wood.
‘Hmm,’ he whispered to himself.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Long Gone Friend
U nlike the warm streets of Sana, Timple-Town was readily covered in snow, it was as though, someone in heavens had forgotten to turn off the snow shower over the little town. Streets, houses and even lakes were white, but they hadn’t observed any of these because of the fact they were wandering in -40 degree centigrade in half t-shirts.
Derek was shivering violently and Muriel had to arrange winter clothes for both of them from a nearby shop. It was comforting, he couldn’t deny that – and as they walked deeper into the town – where houses were built at long distances, as though they had entered the town of Santa – he finally heard the best words of the day, spoken by Muriel. ‘That’s my house.’
Covering the last distance of their journey very fast, they walked (Derek ran) into the house’s warmth. Though it wasn’t big and reminded him very much of the Uncle Bernard’s café, he found himself a comfortable sofa and fire blazing just beside it.
He looked at the others following him and standing at a distance, Muriel was wearing a soft smile while Anna was shooting “Have you forgotten your manners!” look.
‘Oh,’ he said standing and walking towards them awkwardly. ‘Sorry I was just—’
‘You’re very much like my daughter,’ said Muriel, cheerfully.
Derek kept grinning, apologising in gestures before Anna.
‘Where is she, anyway?’ said Anna.
‘Must be upstairs, sleeping – had to work all day, a teacher in the local school, you know – you aren’t hungry?’
‘A bi—’ tried Derek.
‘No we aren’t – you mind if we sleep? We have to resume our journey tomorrow morning.’
‘No matter – no matter, my girl,’ said Muriel, caringly. ‘You can take my room.’
‘Oh no! We can sleep here, you have already done many things for us, it’s okay.’
Derek knew she was thinking about Sana soldiers, too – they needed enough room to run away from there.
But Muriel was too kind to understand – they, sort of, debated and Anna won. Next moment, they found themselves well covered with blankets in the dimly lit room.
‘But Mrs Muriel,’ said Derek peering over the pillows.
Muriel turned around, holding the door handle in her hand. ‘Yes, my son?’
‘The village head, G-Gwar—’ he tried to say headman’s name but he couldn’t.
‘Gwarllow, yes?’ helped Muriel.
‘He said he didn’t like outsiders, didn’t he?’
Now Anna was peering at her, too.
Muriel took a deep breath. ‘Yeah … he doesn’t like any outsider.’
‘Why?’ asked Derek, scowling. ‘I can guess he’s rough but why so much of hatred?’
‘It’s been twenty years … Since that dark deed happened … Gwarllow had once been caring and gentle and out of the kindness, he brought an injured man into the town. Healed him, gave him medicines, food and everything. But … that man didn’t pay him quite well … he killed Gwarllow’s wife and ran away.’
‘What?!’ yelled Derek and Anna, simultaneously.
‘Yes … Gwarllow wasn’t same after that. He doesn’t trade with anyone … doesn’t talk to anyone except – Dark City.’
‘Dark City?!’ they both yelled simultaneously. ‘But that – how can he? You know it’s bad!’
‘Yes I know, my children,’ said Muriel calmly. ‘But Gwarllow feels they won’t do any harm to us.’
Anna was horrified beyond narration but Derek’s focus had instantly shifted to another aspect.
‘Mrs Muriel, do you know where the Dark City is?’
Anna turned to look at him, she was admiring him or was horrified, he couldn’t tell.
Muriel frowned. ‘But why—’
‘We just want to know – this is very very important,’ said Derek. Something inside was jumping in excitement. And his stare was pushing Muriel back.
‘I don’t know anything about it … no one knows except Gwarllow himself … he does everything – trade, meetings, everything.’
Derek kept staring at her, the thing dancing in his chest hadn’t stopped jumping yet. ‘But you might be knowing something – anything.’
‘I am sorry, son,’ said Muriel, looking at Anna for help.
‘Yeah, Derek. I think we should sleep now. You haven’t slept for long and we’ll need energy tomorrow.’
But Derek made no movement. They had been so close to finding the location of Dark City. Only if Muriel knew …
‘Derek, please.’
‘Y-Yeah, I am sorry,’ he said, slumping into the mattress. ‘I was just – I am sorry.’
Anna looked uncomfortably at him and then at Muriel, whispering. ‘Sorry.’
Muriel smiled and went into her room.
If one ignored the blue patches of moonlight coming through the window in their front, fireplace was only bright thing in the room,
‘She is kind, isn’t she?’ said Anna, rolling in her mattress to face Derek.
‘Yes,’ he said, looking at the ceiling. ‘But how’ll we proceed from here? We have no information about Dark City and we cannot chase, they must be miles away. And Sana would have blocked your transportations – what the hell is happening!’
‘Have a grip on yourself,’ she said, looking equally tensed. ‘I think we can follow their trails, can’t we?’
‘Trails?’
‘Aurisca is a heartless man, he couldn’t resist murdering people at any cost. He would have killed someone at every interval and if we follow that …’
‘But it will need time to find your trail and let me remind you I have no less than – than two days to live.’
‘I know but,’ she tried to say something more than “but” but she failed. ‘W – We should sleep now, we have a whole day tomorrow … We need energy to travel.’
It was next to impossible for both of them to find any clue, but – coul
d they convince Gwarllow? But he himself was absolutely confident – he wouldn’t tell them anything.
He heard someone breathing lightly, he turned to Anna, her lashes had given up and she was sleeping quietly.
Derek was left alone in the room with the crackling noise of burning wood.
He was happy, happier than ever – family, friends, bliss and love were everywhere around him, cheering at the peak of their voices.
Was it his best time? He didn’t know – every time he felt happiest, something better revealed itself in the broad daylight.
His birthday celebrations had just ended and he knew peak of his happiness had come when Anna insisted Alicia to accompany him on a walk – he agreed so flashily as though a child was asked to have a candy store for free.
After walking, what looked like hours, they went to a cliff – sun was getting behind mountains and everything was dreamy which made him happy as well as scared –
‘Great, isn’t it?’ said Alicia, her voice was strangely loud and magnified. ‘Evening?’
‘Yes,’ he said, suppressing his urge to say “But not more than you.”
‘One should feel this.’
‘Yeah, definitely.’
There was silence in which grass around them rustled with the wind. His heart was as though running towards her and the only thing stopping him was his superhuman effort.
He looked away – what he usually did when he had to wave something aside, this time he had to supress his lust.
But touching her hand wouldn’t be bad, would it? After all, she liked being with him, why couldn’t he tell her his feelings? It wasn’t bad …
He looked at her, who, indeed, was looking at the sun, her hair swimming in the breeze as though all his concentration demanded her.
He took a deep breath, he could do it!
He went for her hand, but it never came to him – he felt as though the distance between them had suddenly increased to infinity … but she was standing still, just beside him.
He frowned, was she playing pranks? If it was that way, they were really going to enjoy their lives together but –
Something like a black figure flew from nowhere and stopped beside Alicia, who was busy with the sun.
‘Er—’ he tried to warn her.
The figure’s face was dark, covered by furious black gas – but it was appearing – gas was fading – it was Aurisca.
‘NO!’ he suddenly screamed but Alicia didn’t move. She was still busy with the sun. ‘WAKE UP!’
Aurisca took a rattling breath and Derek felt his lung were flattened as a drop of blood ran down Alicia’s head, but she was smiling, gazing at the sun … Aurisca took out his sword …
He woke up with a start, his body was as though he had just taken a shower but he knew he hadn’t, it was a dream … just a dream … he told himself.
He looked at Anna, she was asleep and the thought to disturb her wasn’t an inch near his brain. What would he get by disturbing her and telling he had a stupid dream … please help me … I am a little kid … I am so scared … he wasn’t going to mumble like an infant, after all.
He scrambled to his feet, pushing the bed sheets aside. The town had gone very silent, too, there were no lights shone from any of the houses and only street lamps had stopped windows going completely black.
He went to the door because the warmth, which was soothing until now, was making him sick.
The swing of the door brought a wave of cold fresh air which made his hair fringes jump, and for some strange reason, he really liked it.
As he set his feet on the road, snow scattered and he, sort of, drowned in it. ‘Damn it!’
He crawled up and sat on the stairs of Muriel’s house, perhaps snowfall looked more beautiful from there.
Streets were completely vacated, houses were dark and silent, and there was no way snowfall was going to stop …
He felt the urge to talk to someone … only if Anna was awakened … he would have been sharing everything …
‘Miserable?’ a voice made him jump in the air.
He looked to his left to find a pretty girl with dark brown hair, covered in snow, wearing a thick purple coat and woollen hat. He was uncomfortable with the fact that she wasn’t looking at him but somewhere away because it reminded him very much of the horror show’s episode in which the witch kept stealing her eyes from the one she was going to kill.
‘Who are you?’ he said automatically.
‘This is my house and it should be my question.’
Her house?
‘Oh,’ he said as the truth dawned in his mind. ‘You’re Mrs Muriel’s daughter, aren’t you?’
Even if her face was hidden in shadows, Derek could tell she was smiling mysteriously. ‘Yes. But how have you met her already?’
‘Er—’
‘Don’t be shy.’
‘I am not being shy …’
Derek told her everything (he couldn’t help noticing her glowing borders and strange smile).
‘Oh,’ she said in the same fashion as Derek usually did. ‘Why are you outside in cold? Nightmare?’
‘It suits me,’ he didn’t feel like sharing his thoughts with anyone besides Anna. ‘B-but how do you know about my nightmare?’
‘Intuition.’
Derek frowned. She couldn’t read minds, could she?
‘But you were sleeping, Mrs Muriel told us,’ he was glad he could say something to her.
‘I sneaked out to enjoy the snowfall with a bunch children in the park – don’t tell mum please, she won’t like it,’ she added briskly.
‘I won’t.’
The girl didn’t reply, Derek felt a strange sensation and when he looked at her face, she was staring at his right knee.
‘Aurisca attacked you,’ she said in a mysteriously cold voice. Her outlines gleaming brightly.
‘Yes,’ he said rigidly, confused: she was asking or telling? ‘But—’
‘How did you live,’ she said as though she already knew everything.
‘Er – I don’t know—’
A chilly wind touched Derek’s skin as though someone had flung razors at him.
‘How amusingly and astonishingly this universe works … you are brought to the place you ought to have been.’
‘Sorry?’
‘You may not be knowing but’ – she took a deep breath – ‘in this town he became the monster he is famous for.’
‘He?’
‘Aurisca.’
‘What?!’
She nodded.
‘B-but, how could he – no one told me …’
‘They don’t know … I do.’
She looked straight into his eyes and he could say, she looked strangely truthful.
‘His house isn’t too far from here … want to visit?’
‘H-his house?’
Derek didn’t know why she was so excited to tell him everything about Aurisca. And to be quite frank, he didn’t want to go to any place which had seen Aurisca in any period of time.
‘Let’s go,’ she said, getting up and walking away.
Derek watched her for a second. Should he trust her? What if Aurisca was disguised as a girl like her to kill him … but he really needed to disguise as someone to kill him? Why wouldn’t he just appear in his front?
‘What are you thinking,’ she said, standing beside a street lamp.
Was it worth a try?
‘What’s your name, anyway?’ he said, getting to his feet.
‘Tiana.’
* * *
‘Tiana?!’ he nearly screamed as he joined her. ‘You are the Tiana?’
She was grinning. ‘Yes, I am the Tiana.’
‘But you are supposed to be dead!’
Now she was surprised. But refused to change her bright expression.
‘You were friend of Anna and Alicia, weren’t you?’
‘How do you know?’
‘Anna told me – she’s travelling with me.’
&nbs
p; ‘Anna?’ she said with an easy-to-read expression.
She knows.
But to his surprise, she shook her head and returned to the usual look she had been wearing. ‘Aurisca’s house is coming, so, I think we should be more worried about that.’
He nodded with a prickling feeling: she was trying to forget her past. ‘But you should be dead – I mean you died, didn’t you?’
She took a deep breath and steered him left on to another snowy path. ‘I didn’t commit suicide, I had found a way by which I could earn some time to clear the blast radius of the explosion.’
He waited for more but she looked satisfied with whatever she told him – he was sure knowing everything wasn’t his fortune tonight.
‘You don’t want to meet your friends again?’
She chose silence and continued walking.
The silence before Muriel’s house was nothing as compared to that in their front. There were no more houses and lights, only the snow gleaming under the moon was helping them to see.
‘Sorry but, why do you want to show Aurisca’s house to me?’
She smiled at him and moved her right arm in an arc so that a gleaming mini-milky way was formed in air – she jerked her hand at a point on the ground and to his bewilderment-confusion-surprise and horror, Alicia more beautiful than usual was standing quietly in the silent ground.
‘You want to save the princess of Sana, don’t you?’
‘Yes …’ he said dreamily. ‘Is she re—’
‘Then, you’ll have to fight Aurisca … and to fight him, you’ll have to know him.’
‘But I don’t want to fight – just creep in and save her,’ he said still unsuccessful in breaking his gaze from a blazing Alicia.
She laughed as if he was out of his mind.
‘You took a second to say “creep in” but it will take you a century to get into the Dark City. Their defence systems are one of the best in the world.’
Derek gulped. ‘So knowing will make any difference?’
‘Obviously.’
‘How?’
‘You’ll know.’
After a five minutes’ walk (Gleaming-Alicia was with them) they were standing before a ragged villa, which looked to have been built and forgotten; like no one had ever lived there and for some reason, it was making the hair on the back of his neck stand. It was as though an evil-dragon leader had turned too old.
Five Days: an adventure (A Fantasy Adventure) Page 7