A Race Against Time

Promises

When she was heading down the winding stairs to the dining hall, she couldn't help but think, will she have to take someone's life? She would rather be starving on the streets than do that. But she would stop at nothing to get her mother back. She would go to extreme measures to get her mom back. Even though she never knew her, she felt connected to her somehow. Like they have an empathy link or something. It was strange. She felt a humming in her pocket. She slowly unzipped her jacket pocket and pulled out a golden chain. It went on for a couple of inches when it didn't pull anymore. She then kept pulling and out came the golden pocket watch. Much to her relief, the watch was not glowing blue, but vibrating in a way that made her go crazy. She couldn't take this insane humming anymore. She sprinted down the stairs into the dining hall.

"KING! WHY IS THIS INFURIATING POCKET WATCH HUMMING LIKE WE WONT LIVE TO SEE TOMORROW!?" Kate screamed at him in rage.

"Well, my dear, it is only warming up for the journey. It has been, how do I put this, sleeping the past millennia."King stated in a duh tone, which Kate found even more annoying than the watch.

"Wait, slow down. You said millennia?"

"Yes, I said millennia."

"So has anyone ever had this watch before me?" She wouldn't like the fact that possibly dead people use this exact pocket watch before her. She sat down, terrified. A servant appeared behind her and gave her a plate. That was strange. It was her most favorite meal, eggs and ham.

"Yes," King sighed. "plenty of people have in fact. It has kept them alive for years and years. All you have to do is believe." King stated. And with that she was quiet the rest of the breakfast. She poked around at her eggs and ham that the servants had brought her from the kitchen.

"You have to eat something."Defender told her. He had cleared his plate, knowing that he would have a long first day out there on Defendrall. The unpredictable terrain worried him. Defendralls weather and terrain would change constantly. One minute it could be a sunny, flat, grassy field, and the next minute it could be a cold, snowy mountain. It all appeared how the person wanted it to be pictured. In this case, without knowing it, Kate could make this trip very dangerous.

"I'm not very hungry. I guess im just worried about this journey. I just don't wanna have to kill anyone. Can you promise me that? Promise me I won't have to kill anyone?" She looked longingly at Defender. Maybe he could promise her that.

"I'm sorry dear, I cannot promise you that. I wish I could promise you dear, but if it's life or death you can't talk your way out of things. You can't rob your way out either. You will have to fight. I'm sorry that there isn't anything I can do for you." A silent tear slipped out of his eye. Something told Kate that he had a similar conversation like this before.

"Hey its okay. I'll be fine. But I'll learn how how to deal with myself if I kill someone. It will just be something I have to deal with the rest of my life then. If I were you, I wouldn't promise me anything either." Kate said at an attempt to make him feel better. He then wiped the tear off his face and stood up.

"I will be waiting outside for you dear. You can pick up your backpack, as you call it, full of supplies you need outside your room neatly packed for you. Please, take your time. I don't mind waiting." And with that he headed out of the dining hall to the entrance hall.

Kate soon decided that not eating wouldn't change anything. She scarfed down her eggs and ham and dashed out of the dining hall. She ran up the spiral staircase and found herself outside of her room. There sitting outside the door, was a yellow backpack. That was also strange. This shade of yellow was her favorite shade of yellow. She shook the thought off and grabbed it. She bolted back down the stairs. She looked into the dining hall. King was still eating. She turned the other way and headed out into the entrance hall. She pulled the string releasing the drawstring door. She took a deep breath and stepped outside. The cold winter air was biting her skin as she took steps outside. She approached Defender. How could he have been waiting all this time without getting frostbitten?

"Aren't you cold Defender?" Kate asked him.

"No, but I am now. Why did you have to change the weather?" He asked her. He forgot that she knew nothing about how the climate works here.

"What are you talking about? The weather controls itself." She didn't understand what he was talking about. How could she control the weather?

"Well dear, you may not know you are but you are controlling the weather depending on how you feel. It is hard to explain, but just know that depending on your emotions, the weather and terrain will constantly be changing. That is why I wanted you to eat. To keep up your energy." And with that, they trudged on through the snow, leaving all the comforts of home behind.