Silent Moments

Chapter 3

“Or are you the demon?” I retort, “Look at her, she is beautiful, and look at you, you are the one who fits the profile of a demon, how do I know that you’re not the one who wants me dead in a clever ruse?” Even in my words, I know that deep down, that he is right, you can’t lie to memories. It is obvious when you do. I stop in my tracks realising that I am within a arms reach of the girl, I take a step back, a little too hastily as I fall on my backside. She looks down at me, once again saying those chilling words, “Come with me.” The familiar sensation floods through me, a sense of longing. “No,” I gasp, her face begins to contort; she bares her teeth at me and growls, “You WILL come with me whelp!” She shouts at me as I spring into action, I still have my practise sword that I was previously fighting with, with a sense of dread I wonder where my mother is. “We have your mother, if you ever want to see her again, COME WITH ME.” I look at her in complete confusion, I am about to decide on what to do when Dephereon spoke up, “DON’T GO WITH HER, YOUR MOTHER IS SAFE. BELIEVE ME.” I turn to face the creature that stands the same distance behind me as the girl does in front of me; a choice presents itself as I remember the prophecy that was spoken at my birth. “As a choice presents itself, a decision must be made; it will either be your greatest bringing or your greatest undoing.” The words echo around in my head as I realise that my entire life has been based on those words, I have been so careful to ensure that I never have to make such a decision, I berate myself for being so careless. I look from the girl to the creature. I begin think, I know they will not be as patient as I would usually hope for, “May I have some time?” I ask, “TIME? WHY DO YOU NEED TIME? I SHOWED YOU WHAT THEY DID TO MY PEOPLE.” I pause and start to think, I think over the memories that the creature had just shown me, looking for any plausible hole in the stream, then I come to a conclusion, these creatures have been waiting so long for my arrival. They have had so long to prepare for this encounter; they would have had to make sure that I would believe them, even if it was only momentarily. The creature showed me the blood shed against the spirit people, but what it didn’t show me was who it was in the crowd, what happens if that the spirit people defended themselves against the invaders and cursed them? That would make more sense I conclude. I turn and face the creature and the girl in turn. “Come with me.” She says, and I do. Our hands meet as we warp through time and space to a different region. I take a look around me, we are in a forest, it appears to be untouched by man, it looks so peaceful, and the trees are so tall that they look like they are touching the starry night. They are as old as time itself. “Where are we? I wonder out loud, “This is the spirit folk’s sanctuary; we fled here after the great battle.” I turn to face her, the moonlight reflects off of her face, realising that I am staring I turn away feeling the heat rise on my cheeks. “Where is my mother?” I ask, “There is no easy way to tell you this Zephyr, I am truly sorry. But your mother was the mate to the leader of the cause.”

“No, she can’t, she wouldn’t.” I stammer, “She can and has. I am truly sorry Zephyr, but at any cost she wasn’t your true birth mother. She stole you from us as you were not but an infant. She wanted to raise you and teach you everything she could in the hopes that you could release her mate and his cursed army, she wants revenge.”

“But then who am I to your people?” my voice is completely calm, but it doesn’t match my insides, they’re all screaming in protest, but my mind is seeing the logic behind the girls words. Mother always made regular trips to see the elder, and all her odd behaviour when I muttered something indecipherable, her words explain everything, and since she isn’t my birth mother, or any one that deserves my attention I feel no obligation towards her. “You are the greatest prophecy to our people, at you birth a prophecy was spoken of, to even have a prophecy at the birth of anyone is a rare thing to behold.”

“So what was my prophecy?” I ask, “Thou shall breathe and live in the cursed lands, thou shall fall into forbidden, a choice is to be made, a grave choice. It shall be thous greatest victory or thous greatest undoing.” The similarity between the two prophecies is unnerving. “Are there any more of your people left?” I ask, “Yes,” She replies, she graces me with the barest of smiles, turns and begins to trot through the forest, she is as graceful a sea serpent I think as I stop and stare at her retreating figure, she turns and gives me a genuine smile, “Are you coming or just going to stand there?” I grin in response and take after her, keeping in her tracks as we make way through the forest. I gave up on mapping out where we are going a while ago and just continue to enjoy the scenery, we have come across all sorts of creatures, some that I believed to be all dead and others that I have never seen or heard of.

We walk into a clearing, it is fairly circular but right in the centre of the clearing is the biggest, tallest tree I have ever seen. I look up to try and see the top, but I cannot make out the top branches, I crane my neck higher, as the top of the tree is enveloped in a shroud of clouds.  “This is the tree of Luré, it gives our people life and knowledge, it provides protection and in great times of need, it will save us.” For the first time in my life I completely speechless, I cannot utter a single word that would even begin to describe the overwhelming sensation the tree presented. After what only seemed like seconds I say, “Wow,” The girl besides me laughs, “Indeed wow,” She is grinning at me, I grin back, once again feeling the heat rise to my cheeks as I look away.  “I never did get your name?” I enquire, she looks at me and tilts her head to the side, “Out of everything you can ask, everything you have seen, and you ask me of my name?” My cheeks flush again I turn away from her again, feeling annoyed at myself, “Sorry,” I begin, “Nonsense,” She cuts in, “I just find it interesting that none of this overwhelming, you truly are a remarkable person Zephyr.” We wait in silence for a few minutes more, “So what is your name?” I ask, she laughs, I laugh as well, I don’t know why it is so funny, and maybe I just needed to release all the tension from the past few hours. The past few hours I think, have felt more like days. After her fit subsided, she answers my question, “My name is Willow.” Willow I think is the most perfect name for her. “And Willow, how do you know my name?” I ask, “Oh, well, everyone here knows your name.” She answered carefully, I got the feeling she wasn’t telling me everything, before I could say anything further she grins and says, “Come, let’s go get you acquainted with everyone else of the tree.” I follow her into the tree, which is a bustle of activity. I look around, in what appears to be a market place, people haggling over prices of bread, but as soon as we enter the room, everything goes dead quite, everyone in the market place looks over to where willow and I stand. For what seems like minutes, no one says anything, then Willow introduces me, “People of the Luré, I bring to you Zephyr.” Her words echo around the tree, seconds pass, and suddenly there is roar of commotion, everyone trying to get a glimpse of the one who has been in all there prophecies. “ENOUGH.” Calls a voice through the commotion, this voice held regal authority. The uproar ceased immediately, a way parts through the crowd as one single individual, walks through the way, he is an elderly man, with a beard that is tucked into a belt, his belt is a exquisite pieces, embedded with jewels of every colour and shape, at his belt hung a sword, also embedded with jewels. I realise that the sword is only for show, for the jewels would definitely make it unbalanced with the rest of the sword. He wore emerald green robes, with gold embroidery if dragons and other mystical creatures, it looks as though as it is telling a story. A history is embedded in his robes. Willow next to me bows to this man, as I remain standing; everyone else kneels before the monarch. Hastily, I then bow before the king, “Rise, daughter, rise, Zephyr and rise my people.” His words reverted throughout the room. Silently everyone rose to their feet, I rise, but I keep my head bowed as a sign of respect. “Zephyr, welcome home.” The monarchs words were met with another uproar, people cheering, they’re cheering I think, they have so much belief put on me, what happens if I am not the one they need. I push such thoughts out of my mind and just look around; I won’t let this people down. “I give you my life, and with it my loyalty.” I say to the king, he looks pleased and puzzled at the same time, he looks over to his daughter, Willow but she looks as surprised as he does, I chuckle at both of their faces. The king laughs with me as does his daughter, tension gone and the mood is suddenly lifted. “Bring out the best of our drinks, the finest of our foods, tonight, we feast.”