Greenderland: The Voyage to a Great Adventure

Chapter One:

Welcome to the Future

            He opened his eyes. The comfort of his sleep had drifted him into a peaceful dream which turned to a dreadful nightmare. The dream Alexander had longingly waited was there at last, ready enough to plunge himself into what it seemed and endless sea. Back to his childhood and wild days, when he was free to do what he pleased. Sprint through the forest or mount his horse and shake the reins. He was fond of the nature ,animals, and keen on the little cottages his neighbors could afford to live in. All of that gave little importance to the torment he was facing now. The haunting memories had pleasurably crawled to his bed and took possession of his thoughts. "Curse forever you shall be. Affluent and  envied, yet heartless..heartless. Noooo" He exclaimed valiantly. The echo of his voice was like a loud mourning to  the house. Alexander was growing tired and weary, for his years of grief and solitude had left nothing but pain and misery  

Alexander is but a fair young man, not past his thirties. Very much admired by his acquaintances. He is tall, elegant, always well-dressed, yet untamed and mysterious. He is particularly known for his intimidating look, when, for any given reason, would penetrate one's eyes until it reached his or her soul. There is also something deeper behind his eyes, which shows a calming expression but also lack of love.   All young and elder ladies alike  are keen of him. Whenever opportunity was at grasp, they would more than gladly take it to fling to his arms and press their soft lips against his cheeks. Yet, the irresistible touch of such countless women seemed not to have the least effect on him, for what he had in mind was and is his one priority.-Vengeance-, is the only word that gave meaning to his life. Not  long ago, his family was slaughtered and their flesh were fed to the wolves. His village was plundered and then burned, leaving no soul alive. The stillness of that unforgettable night was always present in his mind throughout day and night.

Now, Alexander's castle is sufficiently large so as to give lavish parties whose guests are occasionally from wealthy families and noble names. For having reached this far,  he would sometimes boast about his success to his most trusted men at hands and would as well tell his men to announce that he is glad to welcome all villagers to his balls. Alexander always made sure that every living soul would hear of his words, which fortunately enough, people were always eager to receive. His castle is large with fancy fences; the grass is green and the tress well-trimmed.

Once he gained his strength back from such dreadful nightmare, he made haste to keep on fulfilling his plans. After he donned some suitable clothes, he summoned his closest man at hand to whom he said: "As you must have remembered from the previous days and the days before, I made an oath to my family to make justice for all the crimes that have been committed; you may as well recall that upon my arrival to this city I always sought vengeance  and said I would never forget my true intentions. I cannot be the same innocent lad I was before, for they have taken all that kept me alive, I am nothing now. Neither money nor gold can take this burden away. I am nearly soulless, I hardly confide in people anymore. Days grow dangerous still and the world is changing. I long to have an ordinary life, but my hatred grows stronger than ever. I gave my word and I will find who did this to me and to our people. From this day forward, my plans shall be revealed". Cedric, the man to whom he was speaking, was taken aback,. As though he had just met a new person -part of this is true of course, Alexander had just exposed part of his true self-. This was merely the beginning. "Certainly my lord", replied the man. "My duty is to be at your service until my lungs, hands, and feet allow me to do so. No service can ever be enough to repay you for saving my life. My devotion is for you and you only."

"Haha!” Alexander chuckled to his greatest surprise. “There is no need to say such things, although I value your courage and believe your words. I am grateful for your company but you are no slave, nor is your service required, though it will be most welcome. It would be more pleasant if you had me as your friend, if you might notice I have none. This is all I ask of you”

“Oh!, yes!, yes!...my lor…Alexander, my friend. No treasure can make me any happier than your friendship.” Answered Cedric to his delight. ”Very well then, that will do”, said Alexander. “We will go to a ball this time instead, for I want to discover some valuable information. The house to which I have been invited is the earl of one of the richest lands, Earl Gryston. I am interested on his whereabouts, his history, and his family. Our lives will not be the same once I set foot on his territory, of course. Things will start to change and my identity will be harder to conceal, but you, my loyal friend, shall help me contrive as matters deepen. Can I count on you?” Cedric fell silent as if lost in thought; he was bewildered by Alexander’s sudden decision. After contemplating his thoughts, Cedric replied at last: “your wish is my command, wherever you go, I will go, I will be your eyes, hears, feet, and anything you want me to do.”

There was a gleam, in Alexander’s eyes as if it were a mean of gratitude. After some minutes of pause, he said to his noble knight: “Thank you, but I must warn you that we will encounter perils and once you decide to be my fellow, which you have already done I assume and I am most obliged; you cannot go back to your old life.”

      “I have made my choice”, responded Cedric. ”Very well then, we will linger here no more”, replied Alexander. Having said this, Cedric hardly made a sound; he bowed and silently took his leave. The vengeful man seemed serene but at the same time troubled. He paced back and forth and made his way to the window. As he stood there, the morning greeted with a chill breeze on his face. The day drew on as Alexander gazed intently at the sky.