Anticipation coupled with excitement could kill anyone in the world. As the seconds slowly ticked away, my intense gaze was fixated on one thing and one thing only- his lips. At first, they quivered in hesitation, as if preparing it to speak about a forbidden secret. But nothing could have prepared me for the words which came out of his mouth.
"It is because I want to avenge my mother"
What? His mother?
"So that means-"
He shook his head slowly, indicating that his mother was no more.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
"I know, it is not your fault. But me becoming an assassin is a good thing. I get to protect the people I cherish most" he said while gazing at my emerald eyes, looking at me like I was his prized possession.
"I just wish you will trust me more."
"Trust- right now, it is quite difficult for me to trust anyone. But, in course of time, I'll know who to trust, I think."
He let out an audible sigh and shook his head.
"All right, fair enough. But please let me know before you run off by yourself. At least, allow me to protect you... Jane? Why do you look so pale?"
Sweat dripped down my forehead as I trembled in fear. Slowly I raised my suddenly heavy arm and pointed behind him.
"B-B-Bear!"
A bear looked at both Haytham and I. At first, it slowly walked left and right, circling us. No- it was not circling us, it was herding us towards the edge of the steep cliff which we were on.
"Haytham, do something" I whispered, not wanting to alarm the bear.
"Right now I can't do anything as we are dangerously close to the cliff. If I use my powers, we both may plummet to death"
"If you don't do anything, we will be devoured by a bear!" I said in a hushed up, highly panicking voice. He looked at the trembling me and the bear which looked like it was ready to maul us any time.
"Jane, I'll definitely protect you"
Saying so, he pushed me down the steep cliff!
Even seconds seemed like an eternity as everything moved in slow motion. Dust and smoke rose up in small mushroom clouds over the cliff top, on which I once stood. A faint view of a person jumping down could be seen in a glimpse and as the seconds passed, the image grew clearer and bigger.
It was Haytham! He had jumped after me.
Clutching my wrist with an iron grip, he pulled me close into a tight hug making sure I was above him. At first, I didn't realize what was happening until I remembered his words.
"I'll definitely protect you"
He's going to sacrifice himself. No!
Suddenly, a huge gust of wind with the force of a tornado encapsulated us like a cocoon. Slowly, the speed of our descent decreased and when we finally hit the ground, it was just a mere bump. Pulling myself away from Haytham, I looked up to where we fell.
That was a huge fall! It is impossible for us to be alive.
Looking back at Haytham, he sat on the ground, with the same expression as me- baffled. Neither of us uttered a word, just exchanging silent glances at the weirdness of the situation. Finally, scratching his head, he mused,
"You're a wind conjurer?"
"What?"
"I don't believe she can conjure anything, she's a Gaian" came a voice from the trees above.
"Who's there?" said Haytham, immediately taking a defensive stance before me with his sword. A slow chuckle seemed to come from the trees, mocking at Haytham's actions.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you"
That voice! so familiar...
Closing my eyes, I tried to recollect where I have heard that voice before.
Trees. A cottage. Al!
"Al-Alastair?"
"Ah, you finally remembered!"
A lean figure jumped down from the trees, rustling its leaves and landed on a patch of grass. Slowly lifting his head, he looked directly at me, his silver eyes glinting in the sun.
"It has been a while, Jane."
An involuntary smile formed on my lips as I nodded in acknowledgement.
"It is fine Haytham, you can relax."
But he didn't seem to budge.
"Haytham?"
His ochre eyes looked so intensely at Al; he could bore a hole right through Al with that gaze!
"What is your business with her?" he said in an ice-cold voice, enough to send chills down the bear's spine.
"My business? We are acquaintances of sorts, you could say."
"Hold it right there" I interjected.
"I would not call us acquaintances. Acquaintances do not ditch people in the middle of a village"
Al looked puzzled for a moment until he was hit with realization- that is, a branch of a tree.
"Ah, you violent woman! I remember. You must be referring to the village of Lunos right?"
My death stare was enough to prompt him onwards.
"Actually, remember those bandits in Bristol? They had followed me there to Lunos as well. It looked like they had not learnt their lesson from before so I went to re-teach them." He said with a dark smile.
Rest in peace bandits.
"You must be the wind conjurer" said Haytham, still in that ice-cold tone of his to which Al gave a consent nod.
"You ended up saving me again." I said looking down.
"I owe you a lot now."
Only if I hadn't looked down, admiring the grass, I would have noticed Haytham's tightly balled fists, ready to explode any minute.
YOU ARE READING
Mage of Eden
Fantasy"There's a power in this world that no one has seen before. It is gentle and sweet; but brutal and devastating. Maybe, if it could be seen, everyone would fight over it. That's why no one has ever seen it. The universe hid it so that no one could ge...
