Fabled Dreams || Book 1: Truth

Chapter 5

A knock came from the outside of the cabin's door and my gaze turned to it as a voice spoke from the other side, "Andromeda? Are you awake?" It was Elizabeth.

"Yes, I am awake." I called back, "You can come in."

Elizabeth opened the door with a slight creak and entered the cabin. She closed the door with a snap. "Door needs some oil." She commented. Her tawny hair was tied up in a high ponytail and her bright green eyes looked me over with genuine concern and kindness. "Anyway," She smiled finally, "I owe you a story, don't I?" It was a rhetorical question so I just nodded. She came over to where I sat on the bed and sat beside me. She pursed her rosy pink lips thoughtfully. "Hmm... well... let me see. Ah! Yes. Andromeda Briarwood story." She brought out a huge black leather-bound book. It had gold thread stitched around the edge of the cover and letters stamped in gold proclaimed the book's title to be 'Royal Treasury of Tales'. She handed it to me. "Here, take this." She smiled warmly, "Read through each story. You'll probably want some distractions when we set sail."

I nodded taking the thick tome. "Thanks," I said. As I touched the cover, it was like an electric surge coursed through me. The hair on my arms and neck stood up. Soft whispering came from the book; like voices on a radio when the radio doesn't have a good connection. I grimaced a little. Elizabeth got up, not seeming to hear the voices or notice my confusion, and left the room but I didn't notice being too preoccupied with the buzzing feeling and the hushed voices coming from the book. Finally, the voices broke free of the buzzing noise causing me to yelp in discomfort and I drop the big book onto the bed; it made a soft thud. "Find them! Find them!! Set us freeee!!"

"Find what?" I asked thoroughly confused and also questioning my sanity because I was talking to a book.

The voices trickled down so only one voice was left. It was a male voice, and by the sound of it possibly around my age. Whatever that may be. "My name is Allmiris. I am the spirit known as courage. We, the ten spirits of virtue need you to find the codex of Faen and then free us from The Darkness."

"Alright. Uhm... directions...?" I asked awkwardly.

"Go west then go east... Dragon's lair seek and ye shall find the golden gods flower." Allmiris riddled me and I sighed. Of course, it had to be riddles.

"Alright... I guess I will see what I can do...." I spoke uneasily and picked up the huge book as the electric feeling slowly drained away.

I took a deep breath and opened the tome to the first page and read the fancy lettering of the chapter title which was handpainted. And, this is what it said:

'The Tale of Andromeda Briarwood'

This is the account of the first Andromeda Briarwood. She was a human chosen to play the part of the maiden in the Ritual of Bonding. The very first maiden chosen as it happens. Andromeda began her journey from the human world of Nain when she and her best friend Alexander were at a local park. Both Alexander and Andromeda had been chosen to be the year's maiden and man.

However, the original plan of choosing one male and one female went to scrap when Alexander did something unforgivable. He was banished from the world of Faen. Heartbroken, Andromeda abandoned her duties as a maiden and founded the original pirate crew known as 'The Siren's Armada'. Her decedents have lead the crews for generations. As of this recording the current captain of the fearsome 'Siren's Armada' is Captain Lillith Roth.

The story ended there. I stared at the spirally script in slightly overwhelmed awe. My eyes searched aimlessly for any last tidbit of information I had missed and low and behold I found, in small looping script, written in hand a small message.