A KINGDOM OF DEAD HEARTS [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 33: ELISTHIA'S WORDS

"Horses, Airin. Winged horses."

"Winged horses?"

"When I was a baby and I dropped in the water of elegarii, some orbs made sure I did not hit the deep bottom of the river which was full of sharp rocks. And I saw them ... enclosed within the orbs were winged horses, they bring imagination of winged horses to human beings in your universe, Airin ..."

Airin nodded. "But why? How ...?"

"I do not know. I was just a newborn when they carried me, held me in the warm light of their orbs. I can hear till now the hushed message in my mind: Child, you will be broken to pieces. Our tears will shed for you. But we have chosen you, you who were born of darkness and chaos. We are with you. We are waiting for you. Raise us. From the depth of your fear, raise us. That is what they say."

"And you never told anyone?"

"For the longest time, I thought it was just a weird dream. I mean, how come I remember something from that day I was dipped in elegarii and fell? I was just a newborn! And I do not know how to prove it. I do not know how to ... raise them. I could not raise them even when Halgard was under attack from those evil winged snakes from Ares! They would have been able to help!" Xander was hoarse.

Xander's body shivered, and he let out gurgling sound like he was choked. As he shivered, something fell out of the pocket of his jacket.

It captured Airin's attention. It was something small. Shiny. Airin reached and took it. And she smiled.

It was the glittery, pink heart-shaped Well Done! sticker that Lyanna gave to Xander that day when Xander protected her drawing from the rain.

"Xander, look ... the sticker from Lyanna. Do you remember the day you got this?" she showed it to Xander.

Xander struggled to open his eyes wider. A glimpse of the sticker managed to bring a faint smile on Xander's face.

"I just ... have ... hazy memory of the days in your universe, Airin ..." Xander sighed. "I know it was ... good ..."

A heart dies because it forgets ... it forgets hope, it forgets its reasons to fight.

Airin could hear Mom speak to her in her mind. It was a dream that now started to make sense just a bit more to her.

"Remember those days, Xander. Those children. Their songs. Their laughter. The smile and laughter that will be gone if the elegarii is taken by Ares!"

Xander groaned again, his breath became faster, he grimaced in pain, and almost the entirety of both of his legs now had turned to stone. "Xander!" Airin cried out, and she took the glittery sticker, and stuck it on the back of Xander's right hand. "Remember the good, Xander. This sticker, look! Look damn it!" she shouted, shook Xander's right hand to force him to look at the sticker. "Well done sticker, Xander! You earned it by helping Lyanna, remember? Xander! Damn it Xander! Look at me!" she forced Xander's face to her direction, and Xander vomited fresh blood.

In her desperation, Airin held on tight to Xander again. She started singing softly to his ear as her tears flowed freely. She could not remember any songs other than those she sang the most often. Her young students' favorite nursery rhymes.

Rain rain go away

Come again another day

Little children want to play

Rain rain go away ...

"Remember those children who spoke with you that day after school? Allie? Robbie? Tasha? They have their imagination ... princess, unicorn, dragon ... Xander? Do you remember?" she whispered. "We can survive this. We can fight together. I don't know how ... how to stop you from turning into stone. But let's try this. Maybe if you remember the feeling you had when you were in my universe, with those children and their imagination, maybe you won't turn to stone ..."