Quest For The Key

Chapter 2: Not Acceptable

Everyone agreed. Jealousy was a concern of many and a threat to all. She had been the result of an assortment of catastrophes in the village. From killing farm animals to burning houses to poisoning the main water supplies. They had no choice but to dispose of her permanently. Many thoughts were discussed but in the end everyone agreed that they would send men to kill her while she slept that night.

The decison was left over to a powerful man, the  highest chair of Obradome, Centra who made the command to send 14 of his best men to her fortress in the late afternoon. Over night Centra was antsy as if he knew something bad  was going to happen and he was right. In the mourning only 6 men came back , on horses splashed with blood. There clothes were torn and there faces scratched. They and  their horses were wounded.  The brave and lucky survivors rode into the castle where the  maids bandaged their cuts. When word reached Centra of Obradome’s defeat he was infuriated. Finally he calmed down and requested the full story.  A scribe who had recently talked to the warriors  said that they had reached the fortress by nightfall, as planned. When they had seen Jealousy fall asleep and plunged a sword into her gut she grounded but did not die. In fact that only made her angry and she had attacked them shortly after. It was a blood bath! The men thought it might have been the shining key around her neck that they had all been strangely drawn to that  made her un destructible. Sadly, when one of the men had taken it from her she slaughtered him. Before he had died though he managed to yell out what was engraved on it. The key read:

“Thou who wears I, and obeys I only, shall be given a life escaping death’s role, Thou who obey shall be immortal”

As the scribe had told his story the room had slowly filled with noisy whispering eavesdropping people. Now it was packed. When the scribe finished his explanation the room grew dead silent. Centra looked as white as a sheet but, no one dared to talk. He wore that look on his face that everyone knew. It meant he was thinking hard about something but was totally lost in his thoughts so deep.  A bystander cleared their throat. 

The room was packed with the high chairs of Obradome and the men at guard. Even  King Ronald and his faithful wife Queen Emily were there with the prince. Son of the King and Queen and air to the throne of Obradome the prince was named Charlie. He was a burnet, very tall with broad shoulders, a thick solid body and wore fine silk clothes with gold stitching. He was married to his wife Erica and had a loverly little girl named Iris. She was already growing at a fast pass and had long red hair like her mother’s. It was the colour of autumn leaves and no none mistook her for someone else. Iris was 6 years old and fidgeted impatiently while her grand-parents talked quietly to each other, getting the others’s opinion on the problem.

Centra finally came back to the real world. He looked around the room at all the waiting, expecting, tired and anxious faces then said “ If she can not be killed. How are we to dispose of her?” That was the question everyone was thinking of. Well, maybe not everyone. Everyone but Iris, who was playing with her dress, rocking back and forth in her chair and most probably wondering about what she would be eating for dinner.

Someone said they should research in the library. One of the men in the room suggested they research on the key, another on fairies. It was then that Centra held up his hand for everyone to be silent once more. Without straining his voice he said voice as quiet as falling leaves “ research the key”. Then he nodded, agreeing with himself, turned quickly and stalked out of the door to his chamber.