The Mythicals

Chapter 7: Nicholas

It was hard finding a hiding spot to cover myself from the arrows. I found a tree shrub nearby and hid there. It seemed I was the only one being targeted for my horse remain in its position. I crouched in that shrub but even though it appeared to look as if to shield me, an arrow pierced through it. 

I let out a small gasp and evaded the arrow, barely touching my clothes. Seeing that the shrub didn't do much of a protection, I looked for another hiding place. I spotted a rather tall but sturdy tree. I went to it, managing to dodge all the arrows shot at me. 

I even almost bent to the ground, which probably cracked some bones in my spine.

The arrows kept raining down in me, it seemed to be an infinite set of arrows. They wouldn't stop until I'm dead, would they? 

This tree wasn't as much worthy as that shrub! I only realized it when another arrow pierced through it, the sharp part of it almost making a small cut in my left cheek. 

"Dammit... is everything arrow-proof?!" I spoke with irritation. 

"What you will see is just an illusion." 

That's right! Myla warned me beforehand that I should be wary of my surroundings, that's why I have to keep my eyes peeled. Remembering that information, my index finger moved to the sharp arrow and found it to be another deception to throw me off. 

"So if this place is just a delusion, what is the real thing?" I asked making sure that my voice was loud, if ever someone is listening to me, they'll hear it. 

I took out the parchment that Platinein gave me. I studied it thoroughly, making sure I didn't miss anything out. There was a faint trace of ink implanted on the back of the parchment which looked like it was meant to be hidden in the first place. She made sure to obscure such thing with her powers.

I searched my brain to find a way to decipher these faint traces of writing in the back. I was led to a memory wherein my mother read letters -- blank letters, to be precise -- but she seemed to understand every bit of it. 

"Mother, how is it that you can read something that is hidden from your sight?"  I would ask and she would smile at me for my curiosity.

"My dear prince, I'm reading this with a different coloured light." 

Of course, I would look at her with a confused expression and so, mother would chuckle. 

"I can alter the light of that lamp you see before you. You wouldn't notice a thing since I'm the only one who could do it, for now." 

"Then, what is the colour of the lamp now?" 

She would wave her hand as if doing a spell before my eyes. The light suddenly turned blue and the words on the scroll she was holding were now visible. 

"That's it! I need a blue light!" I exclaimed, "Though, where can I find such light?" 

Then, an idea struck me. It would look like I'm kidding myself with this bluffing but, I should give it a try. Since now that I know this place is just a delusion, I began to think of my own delusion, which was to make a blue light appear before my eyes. 

"I-it worked!" 

A lit blue candle was in front of me. I ran the parchment over it, careful to not burn it.

"G-got it!" 

I was right, something was etched in the back of this letter and it was another letter, which thankfully, looked decent. The handwriting was in a fancy and perfectly-looking cursive.