Entering The Forbidden

Prophecy

We traveled for a few hours, with all the tree cover the only way to tell time is how often Princess changes riding positions. Which adds up to roughly every half hour.
"If we see another Dragon. I'm going to name it Firebreath and he will be mine." Princess said throwing another rock at Viviana.
"One more rock and we are going to have a problem..." Viviana answered throwing the rock back.
Princess then proceeded to throw a pincone, "That wasn't a rock." she sang laughing.
"Ok you two stop testing each other's nerves." I intervened, as both Viv and Princess threw rocks at the back of my head.
"The village is not much farther." Will spoke up from the back next to Skylar.
"Thank god! There will be real food right?" Isadora exclaimed from underneath her horse.
"Throw any more rocks and you won't be able to find out" Viv laughed.

Sure enough Will was right and the village was just up the trail a few more miles. When we arrived every one in the village stopped to turn and watch us ride past.
"What are they all looking at?" Skylar asked riding closer to the front with Will in tow.
"Remember all of you guys are myths and legends..." Will answered.
"So we are basically like ghosts?" Princess questioned.
"Follow me the elders are going to want to see you." Will stated flatly ignoring Princess. We listened following Will towards the center of town. Something about Will changed, like a switch was flipped. He sat taller in his saddle, and he acted as more of a leader. I could tell that everyone else in the group noticed, since we all followed him in silence.

"Will, you're not the first to be sent out of the forbidden?" Viv questioned. She was reading the villagers' consciences trying to gather more information.
"Yes, but I am the first to return..." he answered trailing off as we approached a large building at the center of town.
We dismounted and tied our horses to the post outside of the building and followed Will inside. Inside the building was large with a fire pit at its center and tapestries hanging from the roof on the perimeter. Will walked to the elders who surrounded the fire pit.
"You are the first to return...." One spoke up staring into the fire, "With company...this is good"
"This completes the prophecy..." another stated as they all turned to face us.
"What prophecy?" Princess questioned from her hiding position behind me.
Viviana shook her head while the elders whispered among themselves.
"The prophecy states that the true heir will return to unite the kingdom to one again. The heir will travel outside of our borders and return with the wanted, the mistake and the rebel." another elder spoke up.
"So you are saying that one of us is the heir to the old king?" Isadora asked.
"Princess why don't you go scare some small children while we figure everything out..." Viv suggested motioning to the door.
"Wait that is an option....Skylar hand me my matches. I have some bad habits to teach." she said as she sprinted for the door.
"No...this...let's not...ugh." Skylar called after her following.
"Now that she's out of the way... How do all of us fit in to this prophecy?" I questioned.
"Every few years, or whenever the compass magically returns. A family is selected and they send one of their children over the border. In hopes that they return to fulfill the prophecy. Which I am the first candidate to return, especially return with a group in tow." Will said trying to clarify. Something about him was defiantly different...
"How do I fit into this whole thing? The only reason I'm here is since Raziel needed my help and asked me to tag along..." Viv asked as she jumped from conscience to conscience to connect the dots.
"No one knows...this could just be a mistake, but we have to try..."Will pleaded.
"Ok. What do we do now?" I turned to the elders.
"Go to the ruins of the old kingdom...and connect the peices...then and only then will the heir be revealed on the compass." the elder said turning back to the fire.
"Looks like more traveling" I said sarcastically.
"Lets wait a day. To relax and rest the horses, the ride to the ruins is only half a day." Will suggested, earning a nod in aggreement from both Viv and I. Although, I could tell Viv was picking through Will's conscience trying to figure out why he was acting different.

We left the building to go and find some, yes, ediable food. Will takes us to his family home towards the outskirts of the village. The house is a good size and has a stable attached where we can house our horses. After getting our horses situated we follow Will inside. Isadora is still somewhere probally terrorizing children.
"Will!" a young girl, around the age of twelve, screamed from the top of the stairs, as she came racing down into Will's arms.
"Raziel, Viviana this is my younger sister Luna." Will said breaking up their embrace, "Where's Mom?"
"She went to the market to buy more cloth for quilts." She answered proudly, "Are they from over the border?"
"Yes they are. They along with two elves helped me get home." Will answered her, as he walked farther into the house towards the kitchen.

Will started to rummage through the cabinets while Luna said something about visiting the horses.
"Luna stop going through the cabinets dinner is on the fire. You are going to ruin your appetite." Will's mom said as she came through the door, "Will?"
"I'm sorry, Luna didn't say when dinner would be..." Will answered as he shoved more food than I've ever seen him eat into his mouth.
Will's mother enveloped him in a tight embrace "I thought you were still out there." she said pointing towards the boarder, her gaze never leaving Viv.

After Will retreived Luna from the stable, we all sat at the small dinning table and ate beef stew. As we are Will recounted the entirety of his journey; making himself seem more heroic than he was. Viv and I sat in silence trying to figure out why he was acting so different.
"Thank you for your hospitality...but we should go find the Elves." Viv said breaking our silence.
"Agreed. Will you can stay and catch up with your family. We leave tomorrow?" I suggested while putting on my cloak.
"Alright..." he mumbled as he dove back into his food.