Sacred

Chapter 4

   Alex actually felt a bit of icy fear shimmer down her spine to spread out through her body. He had tales of the creatures that had hunted the royals down for years, but never succeeded because of the elusive warriors known as the Lights. They were called the Lights because light was the only thing that could drive a Darklen away.

   She shivered again, but this tremor was from excitement. "I want to hear one. Please tell me."

   He gulped and shrugged. "Uhh…you may have already heard it…probably. I…I just tell them because when I tell stories to strangers…m…my nervous stutter goes away."

   She smiled fondly at his cute face. "Then tell one. My aunt told me one once, but she wasn't very detailed. Go on for as long as you wish."

   He sighed and leaned back, resting his arms on the chair. "Alright. Fine. Long ago, in the royal streets of Cloiten, water trembled, the trees shriveled, and people's animals couldn't move. Even the birds of the air froze their movement, falling to the earth for a fate many wished they could've had. For Darklens roamed the earth and were seeking those with the hair of sunlight and the eyes of life. The creatures were human sized and walked on two legs, but they had leathery black skin littered with scars. They each had six fingers on each hand, each digit holding a razor sharp claw on the end. Their heads resembled that of dogs, with pointed ears and hideous sagging jowls and yellow teeth, dripping drool and blood from their victims. Despite these hideous features and bloodthirsty appetites, they craved not to destroy humans, but to make them suffer."

   Alex trembled and pulled her knees to her chest, sitting sideways in the chair. As a child, this was where her aunt had gone into detail and scared her.

   Nicholas kept going. "They only came at night and when they did, they brought storm clouds with them to block the moon's light. They hated life and all its bright beauties that humans craved…so they took them away. Any person, male, female, child, or elder with the faintest traces of blonde hair or green eyes were hunted and captured by these creatures. They were taken faraway to the creatures lairs where they were hung from ceiling chains and enchanted so their hair or eye color would fade under prolonged exposure to pure darkness. Those who were ever released were never the same. Pure darkness was the one thing that made Darklens powerful. The icy cold pit of swirling black currents was worse than a storm at sea on a new moon. A human couldn't see any distance in front of them, but sound cut through the darkness like a blade through butter, torturing the people as others let out screams or moans of fear. Any humans who were not released were eaten."

   Alex put her forehead on her knees and closed her eyes, trying not to picture the image of people dangling from chains in pure darkness.

   Nicholas paused and gulped. "A…am I scaring you? If I am…"

   She shook her head quickly, cutting him off. "No. Please finish."

   He nodded. "Okay. Now during this time, royals were known for and praised for their blonde hair and green eyes. Despite the royal guard that tried to protect their king and queen, they were stolen away. But deep within their castle, a lad and maiden grew from their young age, living amongst cellars lit by torches. They were Prince Phillip and Princess Spectra, twins. While they were hidden away, mysterious soldiers came from the high mountains in the far north where none journeyed to go. They carried lamps with a special light in each one, given off by an eternal flame. When a Darklen was exposed to these immortal lights, it became nothing, but a lowly dog. When all the Darklens were vanquished, the twin royals were brought back into the public. When they became old enough, they each married a royal from another land that possessed their traits. Together, with their spouses, they repopulated generation after generation of blonde haired green eyed children who in turn would make more and when the fifteenth generation came after their deaths, the blonde hair and green eyes would merge with the commoners, and bring back the beauty, taken from us by the evil spawn of Satan himself."

   Alex gasped. "The part about the fifteenth generation. I had never heard that. Who said that?"

   Nicholas seemed a little taken aback. "Uh…I…I don't know? My dad always told me the story. I swear I don't know where it came from."

   She gasped. "I'm the fifteenth generation after King Phillip. That means I don't have to marry that disgusting wretch, Abel. you'd understand if you'd ever seen him. Not only is he ugly, but he's disrespectful and snobby. Even for a royal if that's what you're thinking." She saw Nicholas give a slight jerk and then he opened his mouth to say something, but didn't.

   She cocked her head. "Is something wrong?"

   "No. Not at all. You don't have to marry him because…well. You'd…have to marry the fifteenth descendent of the leader of the Lights."

   She sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Do you know who he is? Or if he's any better than Abel."

   Nicholas sighed and nodded. "But I can't tell you. I swore to him that I'd never tell another living soul."