Spirit Root

STRENGTH AND FEAR

My hands were trembling as I passed the piece of parchment back to Belas.
“It has to be me, doesn't’ it?” Belas looked at me sadly.
“You are the only one that could carry out the prophecy. I’ve researched this for years and you are the only one that has the brightest eyes that match up to the girl in this prophecy.” I fought back tears.
“What will happen if I can’t do it? What happens if I fail?”
“You won’t. I’ve found through my research that the only way to save the Aecretta is to bring the Spirit Root back to her before her trunk turns to black.”
“Where did you get that information from?”
“From a great tome written by our forefathers. I was a Prophecy Teller at the Sanctuary and we have the greatest library in all of Asluinia.”
“You mean, our forefathers knew this would happen? And they did nothing to stop it?” My face contorted to a frown. “Why? Why did they let this happen?”
“There was nothing they could have done about it...they decided to instead help us stop it when the time came.”
My face softened again and I caved. There was so much I had to do. I only had a small portion of time and I didn’t even know what I had to do.
“Where is the Spirit Root?”
“That I don’t know. All I have found is that it is not on a mountain and it is not in water. I have no idea.” He shook his head sadly. I had stood up and started pacing again.
“I have set up a trainer for you. You must learn combat. There will be many attacks against you when the Desolate Vales finds out about you. Shadefiends and Blazemutans have human brains, even if Blazemutans are dumber than some. The barrier has already broken down and the monster is already prone to war. They know how to fight. This is why we must hurry.” Suddenly, a thought came to my mind.
“What will happen to my family when I leave to do this? Will they be safe?”
“That I cannot promise, but if you commence this quest, you will also be saving them from the monsters.” I nod. I needed to do this if only to protect my mother. But could I do it? I had never been trained before and all of my skills include cleaning and...walking. I won’ be able to do this...but I must try. Belas stood and walked over to a bag that was already sitting by the door. He pulled out a beautiful sword; the hilt was decorated in amazing gold designs and the sheath was decorated with a golden dragon. Belas handed it to me. I looked at him in confusion.
“Keep this with you. You are already in danger.” I hesitantly took it from his hands. It was heavy but light at the same time. I pulled it out of its sheath and watched as the lights of the burning torches around us glinted off of it.
“Keep it hidden and stay out of sight. Act normal when you walk home today. I know your mother will be worried about you so I’ll give you a day to make preparations and we will start your training tomorrow night. Good luck.” He walked past me and opened the door.
“If there is one thing you should remember from tonight you should remember this. You are in danger. You are the only one that could complete this prophecy. Don’t die.” He closed the door behind me.

As the next day continued on, I became more and more worried about the monsters. The whole town was unusually quiet and not as joyous as it usually would be. The whole town seemed to be sad and solemn. The Aecretta had died! She was our only protection! I was a naive girl, who was always dependent on others, not on myself. How was I supposed to do this on my own? I couldn’t do it. I would hide away and never come out, rather than risk my life for a lost cause. I was carrying out my normal duties until the moon came out and stars twinkled to life, and I decided that I would tell Belas I was skipping out of it, at training tonight. My stomach tightened at the thought. Would he be angry? Would he be disappointed? After all, I was the only one that would be able to complete the prophecy. Plus, I’d be turning back on my promise to the tree to always protect her, no matter what came to pass. I sighed. This was much harder than I had thought. The heroes from storybooks had made it look so easy, just being heroic whenever there was a need.

Finishing my duties at the shop, the time had come to tell Belas what I had decided. Meandering out onto the street, I realized he had never specified an area to meet. I decide to journey to the motel I had found him in yesterday. Sneaking up the creaky stairs and away from the sound of the bar, one that would never die out, whatever happened, even if the Aecretta had died. I come up to the door of room four and knock quietly. I heard shuffling from inside the room, then the door opened.
“I see you have actually come to the training. Come inside, there is much to teach you.” Belas greeted. I winced and stepped inside.
“Actually, Belas, I would prefer not to take part in the prophecy. I am instead going to find a new place for me and my loved ones to go and journey there instead.” Belas’s face wore shock but also a new emotion like he had expected me to say that.
“Would you risk the whole world for your safety, Nysos?! Are you really selfish?!” I winced again but hesitantly nodded.
“I am sorry Belas. I cannot do what it is you have asked me. I’ll be leaving tomorrow. I haven’t talked to my mother yet, but I will begin preparations tonight. The worry she had after I arrived home...her innocence...has prompted me to make my decision.” Belas had started to pace, a deep crease in his brow, making him look much older than his usually young self.
“I thought you were better than this Nysos. I thought you were stronger. But obviously, this world is much more naive than I had once thought. This world is ruined. The hope for it is now gone.” He paused for a moment, and I stopped breathing.
“Get out, coward. I hate to see your disgusting face.” My chest enveloped into nothing and I felt that I could not breathe. Backing away from Belas, I leave the room. The tears didn’t start streaming down my face until I had made my way to the street and begin the journey home. How could he have said that? Can I not look out for my own safety? I looked down at the rhythm of my feet, silent among the cobblestones. I hear a slight whoosh and turn, but nothing was there.
A figure of my imagination. Just get home Nysos...you coward…

My dreams were filled with haunting faces of my family. The face of my father's, white and ghostly. The face of my best friend, still happy, but empty. Then different faces began to appear. Soon my mother's face came into view, bloody and broken. Then Ellyll’s, the same as my mothers. This was only the entrance to my actual dream, even if it had already haunted me.
Screams. That was all I could hear. Screams. Jumping up out of my bed, I come out of my room to witness a scene like the evil of the Desolate Vales. The fire erupted from out of one of the hands of the monsters in front of me, a humanoid creature, devoid of all human emotions, its body black, and slimy, its fingernails stretched in claws, and its unnatural smile turned extremely wide, showing glinting white fangs. This was the creature of my nightmares. I saw my mother in the corner, whimpering, as the monster attacked her. I reach out, ready to stop the demon, but his hand lashes out and throws me to the opposite side of the room. Pain lanced through my body, but none of that compared to the pain I felt after I saw the only person I ever loved, other than Ellyll, being slaughtered. The monster swiped its long claws across my mother constantly, blood spilling out everywhere. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t cover my eyes. I could only watch.My body held me frozen. Once my mother’s body hung limp, the monster dug its claws into her and picked her up, showing her to me. Then, it was as if time had stopped. Now it was not only my mother and her attacker. But millions of people with their attackers, all held in the same way as my mother. Suddenly, the heads of the corpses lifted up and I tried to scream but couldn’t. The world stopped burning and only one word escaped all of their mouths in harmony.
‘Coward.’
I shot up in the darkness, expecting to see my normal, dark room. Instead, the room was filled with flames and the screams in my dream were real.
The monsters have come.

...

Blazemutans pictured above.