Nada's Escape

10- Fairytale.

"These seven heard tales of ghosts in Australia and it was Lucy-Anne who convinced them to go. They all wanted to leave the heavy burden of history that lay in Europe and so they agreed, securing passage on a ship, disguised as gold-struck entrepreneurs. One night on the long sea voyage the Warrior Mage came to those seven. They say he appeared atop the mast in a flash of lightning.

""I charge you seven," said the Warrior Mage, "to protect the peoples of this great land from the supernatural creatures that would ravage them."

"Each of the seven accepted this great responsibility, even the human Lucy-Anne. So the Warrior Mage anointed them each on the arm with his symbol, to show that they had been chosen." The teacher jumps up and chalks a rough symbol on the blackboard. With a sharp point and curved edges, it's almost a chess bishop.

"With the symbol the Warrior Mage also enhanced the strength and magical talents of each of them, especially those of Lucy-Anne, now a newly minted Huntswoman.

"As soon as the ship docked they flew into action and dispatched hundreds of small spirits and demons. Slowly they pieced together evidence of a larger threat, affecting the survival of everyone on the continent. They learnt from explorers and bushmen that every nine years storms of elemental magic erupted and ravaged the land, and its unlucky people.

"By the time the next eruption was set to begin the seven were ready to track the horror to its source. The first sign of it were the flies fleeing to the ocean. Then the birds, swarms and swarms of budgerigars then every other animal you could think of was bounding across the earth trying to get away from it. The seven ran in the opposite direction, struggling to make it to the epicentre.

"They reached the desert edge when the wind picked up, laden with embers. It was a fire storm, fierce and terrible. They hunkered down in a cave as the entire world burned behind them. Emerging from the cave they saw that even bare rocks were charred and burnt. The wind had not ceased though and it picked up every speck of dirt and dust and sent it careening for the seven until they couldn't breathe nor open their eyes.

"They stumbled backwards into the dust for days and days until the wind turned wet. The weight of water was monstrous, and ice shards cut their hands. But they soldiered on, wading where they couldn't walk and swimming where they couldn't wade, until it seemed as though the whole continent was underwater.

"When the rain stopped they paddled onward in a little boat until they saw a great rock rising from the flood. They knew this was the place the energy had come from, though the creature was no longer visible. They climbed out as the water dissipated for another nine years and the Seven used their time wisely.

"They enlisted ordinary human helpers and built a giant walled camp in which to prepare, right on top of the creature's lair. They developed shields against fire and dust, forged weapons and collected information on the creature. The next time the creature awoke the Seven stood strong together and they purged the great beast from its cave with its own fiery breath."

I blink as if waking up from a trance. That was not the same story as before; before there had been no feelings and images conjured in my mind. The teacher gulps down water from metal flask and then asks, "Any questions?"

Amy's hand is already in the air.

"Anyone else?" Asks the teacher pointedly. I always have questions but I leave it to my ally at the front to tease information from the source. Macie doesn't miss an opening though.

"So Lucy-Anne was just an ordinary human like us? How did she become friends with the other Huntsmen?" She asks, not bothering with the pretext of raising her hand.

"That is an interesting question, Macie, one I'm not sure I can fully answer. Her diaries don't cover the time before she becomes a Huntswoman. She does mention at one point first seeing Resco, Loiza and Ayshford while walking through a market in Lancashire. She says she knew that they were different from the people around them. It wasn't the way they looked or the way that they walked, but a feeling that impressed upon Lucy-Anne that they were better than the average Joe. I think that was when she met them but the rest, I'm afraid, is a mystery."

"So what exactly is it that made Lucy-Anne different, if she looked exactly the same as all her Huntsmen friends?" Amy cut in before anyone could steal her thunder again. I almost applaud the question. Yes what is it that makes the Huntsmen think they are so superior?

"Well, I'm not a doctor or a biologist," He starts, waltzing up the aisle between the desk. "But I do know that it's like being immune to chickenpox. It's not what you look like that matters but what's on the inside. This secret thing inside you that makes some people immune to chickenpox and others not, is similar to the secret thing inside Huntsmen that makes them stronger; able to enthral humans and bind oaths."

Amy's expression becomes incredulous at this explanation. "But no one is immune to chickenpox until after they've had it," She protests.

The teacher rubs his bald head and then slowly shakes it, seemingly at a loss for how to deal with Amy.

"Oh but Amy," Macie cuts in on the teacher's behalf, "That's exactly the point. Only after a bloodline has been touched by the Warrior Mage is the secret born inside the Huntsman or woman." Amy turns her entire body to face Macie's and glares. Macie rolls her body lazily into a position to match Amy's and huffs. Tension crackles across the aisle.

"Right!" The teacher walks between the girls clapping his hands. "Who feels like some maths?"