Fall of a Hero: Hearts Without Foundation (a Fantasy Adventure)

Eternal Fire

The inside was bigger than I had expected. It was dark and warm, complete with a small cracking fire in the fireplace. Everything in the atmosphere had this soft touch of comfort and peace that connected with something inside me.

The place seemed to be as enchanted as it was old. It smelled musty and thick with age. Undisturbed dust blanketed on almost every surface-the circular table in the center, the bunks in the corner-as opposed to the coffin hole I sleep in-and the cabinets. It must have been abandoned.

"I thought you said you lived here," I asked, skeptical. Serpo glanced at me expressionless, so I added, "But if you do, you must be rich."

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless," he recited to himself as he shut the door. He glanced away and paused between me and it as he slowly slid his hand off from the handle. Then, glared at me, studying, and told me to take a seat.

Hesitantly, I slid onto a wobbly chair he "offered" me. Serpo stood up from his place by the door and took his own seat. He crossed his hands and leaned forward.

"Go ahead," he said, challenging me, "Ask me...anything."

I fumbled for words. The trance of the place hit me hard. I wasn't expecting such a formal conversation. Should I ask what I really want to know? Is it safe? Is it worth the price? For a few minutes, he waited patiently for me and finally I brought up the courage, or stupidity, to ask the most valuable question. I had to fill my information hole about Mundus and Maledicta.

"Oh yes," he grinned to himself, "How could I forget. This is only the whole reason I found you in the forest today. See, our first introduction had been a random crossing of paths on accident. At the time, I had just learn of the truth behind the freak incident. I was as messed up as you were so I...I accidentally leaked the information. I'm sorry if it messed you up," he said.

"It didn't mess me up," I lied. I don't know why I kept doing it. Lying, I mean. Maybe it was safer, I justified.

Serpo continued to gaze at me, attempting to penetrate me. "No," he murmured, "It did."

I didn't give him any eye contact. Instead the floor suddenly became much more interesting. "I thought the question was about why Mundus apparently killed Maledicta," I grumbled.

"I'm sorry, I suppose you're right," he replied, crossing his arms, "Here's the deal. So Mundus has this secret relic that he keeps in a nonexistent room, and a couple months before he murdered Maledicta it had said that he was..." his voice trailed off, and he glanced at me. I didn't say a word, but kept on listening for the crux of it.

Serpo abruptly got up and paced a few strides. Then, he fell back into his seat, forehead scrunched in deep thought. Sitting by himself rubbing his chin, his eyes looked at something beyond the inner wall of the tree trunk house. After that, he nodded to himself and got up from his chair.

"In that case, we'll have to go somewhere..." he gave me a double take as if he was unsure of something. I fidgeted in the wonky chair, and it thumped and squeaked against the hard, filthy floor. It was so still that could hear the grains of dirt grind underneath the legs. Was he as afraid to trust me as I was to trust him?

"Well, I did promise you," he paced, strolling back and forth like a hungry beast. Finally he decided to led me aside and motioned for me to come next to him on the floor of the fireplace. He stabbed at the logs with a poker, conjuring up a snapping spray of angry flames.

"See the logs?" he asked, rolling them around to show me.

I said yes.

He nodded again. "Tell me-what's wrong with them?"

I squinted. They looked just like normal logs to me, however there had to be something wrong with them or else Serpo's would have never asked me. I thought about it really hard, but for some reason I felt blocked and empty. It was like the feeling people get when they forget about something important that they're supposed to do. Frustrated, I shook my head and said that I didn't know.

"Well, for one thing, they aren't burning. You can see that they still look fresh as of I had chopped the tree yesterday. Feel it. It's still so hot it can burn you," he held my hand out just far out enough into the fire to sense that it was very much indeed hot. He turned back to me, face sparkling, "Want to know how it works?"

I yanked my hand and glowered at him, increasingly furious. "No, I want to know why you say Mundus killed Maledicta. You are avoiding the question!"

"I'm getting to that," Serpo replied, "Just trust me-"

"Why? Why should I trust you? Just because you claimed you saw something?" I growled, "Just because you look like my dead brother doesn't mean you can expect my trust to you play your mind games on me!"

I got up from my spot and added, "Ok, fine. I admit it now. You're not like Maledicta at all. You are totally different and now you're running around in his body, defiling his sacred death. You think you can come in on me head on, tell me what to do, manipulate me..."

Suddenly, I felt a distinguish stabbing sting in my left palm. I opened it to find a small crimson red bump and had formed on my hand at that very moment. What was it? I was speechless. I had no clue. Whatever it was made my hand numb and stiff. The silent Serpo snuck beside me and took it in his hands.

"It's a...blood clot?" he mumbled, "It's swelling fast! Okay, calm down! Hold on," He rapidly skirted to the door, "Stay here!" he commanded, pointing his finger at me. I didn't argue. He seemed to be knowing what he he was doing.

By the time he returned with some kind of heart-shaped leaf, my lump had ruptured. At first, it was as tiny as a pin prick, but then it was gushing in a steady burst, spilling all over the floor. Blood spattered on the floor, and I frantically tried cradling it from spilling the warm silky slime everywhere.

Serpo cursed and raced up to me. He snatched off a sheet on the bunk and ripped it into strips. Grabbing my hand, he wiped it down and hurriedly wrapped it tightly in a strip. My bound hand throbbed, but I was so thankful that I didn't loose enough of it to get woozy...not that I wasn't already woozy from the sight of all the blood.

Serpo got me cleaned up and then set me on the cushiony chair. I felt sick and tired. I really didn't want to be there with him. I felt awful how nice he was. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to love him or hate him for it. Serpo grabbed the side of the chair and propped himself against it. Hand holding up his head he talked to me.

"Look," he said, "you may not know me, but I know you. I met Maledicta a long time ago. I had wandered into the community to snag a shovel," Serpo laughed, "That was an awkward day. Imagine finding your exact twin you never knew you had by just BAM!" he clapped, and I jumped, "Just running into them. At first, he almost had a heart attack. The main point is," Serpo rose to his own feel and took his hand off the armrest, "when he was with me when he wasn't with you, and when he wasn't with you, I was with you."

I couldn't believe it. They both had been playing mind games with me the whole time.