The Prophecy in the Forest

Chapter Seven: The Pieces Come Together

Rafael and Kallie were having no luck when it came to gathering intel on the blights. The people who remained in Ravenswood were closed off as if they were afraid of any human interaction outside of the safety of their bubble.

"Excuse me, sir, can you tell us anything about the blights?" Kallie was unbothered by the constant cold shoulders and humiliation of being so thoroughly ignored. Like a puppy, she came bounding back when she was pushed away.

Rafael was slowly starting to see why Keena wanted the assassin around. Firstly, the fire was impressive. Secondly, you couldn't keep Kallie down. She was persistent and patient.

"Ma'am, do you know anything about-" Raf was trying to speak to a passing woman, but she shoulder-checked him. He rubbed his shoulder, glaring after her.

"Let's just go have lunch. This is a waste of time," He grumbled. Kallie sighed heavily.

"I agree. They just won't stop." Kallie shook her head. "Hopefully Keena found something when she was searching the old palace."

The two headed off in the direction of where they had left Opal. She had a saddlebag full of rations, and Rafael didn't fancy spending money unless they had to.

Rafael and Kallie stood by the mare, crunching on apples and passing a hunk of bread back and forth between the two of them. Raf was warming up to the girl, but he didn't know how to talk to her.

"So how did you meet Keena?" The assassin asked, looking up to study Rafael's face. The question caught him off guard.

"Oh, uh, a pub in Badaxe. She sat next to me, and we got to talking. That's when she told me about the prophecy."

"What exactly is the prophecy? I mean, these blights are dangerous and must be stopped. But to think there's a whole prophecy involved elevates the situation. I mean, the pressure must weigh you down." Kallie's eyes were wide as if she was considering the stakes.

"The prophecy is that Keena and I must stop the blights. It's pretty vague, except that one of us may die." Raf shrugged. "I hope it's me. Keena deserves to go back to her regular life, where she helps people and has peace."

"And you don't deserve to go back to your life?"

"It's not that I don't deserve it. It's just that it won't matter as much if I die on this mission. I wasn't doing very much with my life."

"You're a prince. C'mon, surely you had important prince stuff to do," The assassin snorted. "Don't tell me your life was just sitting around while beautiful women fanned you with palm leaves. Then I might have to kill you myself." The pair laughed.

"No, it wasn't all sitting around. But it is a lot of posturing, a lot of pretending to feel certain ways when I don't truly feel that way. And so much menial labor and work around the palace, all while wondering when I could adventure. When I could be a part of something bigger than myself, something that means more than just settling down and making my realm look good."

"So you feel that if this quest kills you, it would all be worth it?" Kallie's dark eyes were searching his face.

Raf considered it, rolling his neck. 

"In a sense, yes. I would feel like I died for the good of the realms." He took a deep breath. "But if Keena dies, then I think it would be different. People need her. She's kind, she-"

The enchantress burst through the treeline, Olympus whinnying with urgency. Kallie and Raf's attention snapped to them as they skidded to a stop before them.

"I have- I have something I have to tell you both," Keena panted, sliding off of her horse. She patted him in thanks and he huffed back at her. "I saw my ex-husband."