Destiny Island

Chapter 24

The Wise Seer Lejanida

Meeting up with Jade made things easier for Royce on the psychological level. His fears were appeased by her mere presence, but his emotions were in turmoil. Being alone with her made him clumsy and lost for words, and he was sure that women didn't appreciate guys who kept tripping on their own feet. It was strange for him to be like that since he was usually much more coordinated than that. After all, he had had a lot of dance lessons in the past and enjoyed dancing which wouldn't have been possible if he was as clumsy as he must have seemed to Jade. As they kept on walking, not knowing where they were actually going, he couldn't help but sneak a few glances in her direction. She wasn't the kind of person he would expect to fall in love with, but he guessed that the heart wants what the heart wants, no matter how much it was unexpected. He could see that she was strong and independent, and he was pretty sure that she didn't need him. She didn't need anyone, and yet he wanted to be there, next to her even if she didn't need his help, just to enjoy her company. From what little conversation they had, he could tell that she was very intelligent but that she had problems picking up on the emotions of other people. It was so obvious from his behavior that he liked her, but she never picked up on that, while she noticed some other things very keenly. It was strange for Royce to see that kind of combination in a person, but he couldn't help but admire her intellect. He even liked her shifting moods, although they would have driven anyone else insane. One moment she was raving mad at Amber for insisting on separating, the next she was worried about her friend. He couldn't understand her completely, but he tried to soak in every little information about her while she seemed generally disinterested about him.

As Royce kept looking at her with admiration, they arrived at the foot of a mountain that Royce thought, wasn't there moments before. He couldn't be sure, because he was too busy daydreaming, but from Jade's confused expression he realized that the mountain must have appeared out of nowhere. While the only thing he was doing was just standing there dumbfounded, Jade seemed to be thinking and calculating. He could see the gears turning in her head as she scanned the area for any clues. While she was thinking, her nose wrinkled just a tiny bit and Royce couldn't help but find it adorable. It was so strange for him to be thinking like that. Those kinds of thoughts never occurred to him before. He was the kind of guy who liked listening to heavy metal and wearing black clothes, after all. Of course, there were other sides to him, the sides that he only shared with his closest friends and family. However, he never thought that he could be that sentimental, that mushy about a woman. The problem was that he had a feeling that she wasn't just any woman, but the woman he could see himself spending the rest of his life with. What annoyed him, was the fact that he knew how ridiculous that sounded, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting that more than anything else. Jade, of course, had no idea what he was going through focused as she was on solving the next puzzle.

As they continued to intensely stare at the mountain, one part of the mountain moved aside revealing a normal looking door. They wished they could say that it was the strangest thing they had seen, but it was just another unusual island thing that they couldn't fully understand. Suddenly they heard a booming voice coming from the inside of the mountain: " There are many wise people on this planet and beyond, but who could be wiser than a seer. She has lived for 300 years, and she has seen many of the changes in the world." "Okay, okay, that's enough you don't have to tell everyone who comes to our doorstep my life story. You are frightening them." Another, much gentler voice said. Upon hearing the booming voice say that the seer was three hundred years old, Royce and Jade expected to see an old, fragile-looking lady with long, gray hair, and a wooden stick to help her move around but that was the furthest thing from the truth. What people usually don't know is that the very physical makeup of a seer is different from the one of other creatures, they never age. The person who stepped out of the mountain looked like a twenty-three-year-old woman since that was actually the age at which the seers stopped aging. "I do apologize for my husband, he always wants me to make a big entrance. He thinks it is 'cool'. Well, if I am being honest he loves scaring people as a joke. I am sorry about him. I am Lejanida and you are?" The seer asked.

Neither Jade nor Royce could speak at first, as they just stood there admiring Lejanida. She represented a different kind of beauty, the wise and silent beauty of the all-knowing. She had long brown hair that reached her lower back, and the face which was both astonishingly beautiful and intelligent. Her eyes were chocolate brown, but they could turn deep and startlingly when she was looking into the future, which she did for a few seconds even as she was trying to communicate with the stunned humans. She was very tall and thin, wearing a long cloak even though she had a perfect figure underneath it. Even by just looking at her, Royce could tell that she had the strength to endure the inevitable and the courage to change what could be changed. Although she was technically twenty-three it was obvious to both Royce and Jade that she was much older than she looked. There was some kind of ancient wisdom radiating from her eyes and her presence in general.

Jade was the first one to recover from the shock: "My name is Jade and this is Royce. I am sorry, we are new to the island, so you caught us by surprise." "Oh, I see come in, come in. You can rest while you tell me what brings you to my home." As they entered the mountain, they found what they least expected a comfortable looking library that reminded them of some libraries people had in their own magicless world. They were so used to the magical and otherworldly things by that moment, that they were shocked by the room's familiarity. "This is just one of the rooms in my house, but I thought this one would make you feel more comfortable than the others. I hope that is okay?" They just nodded their heads in agreement, like puppets, while they settled down in the armchairs near the fire, in a library that was inside a mountain. It was difficult, even for Jade, to wrap her head around it, so she stopped trying, instead, she asked: "What exactly is a seer if you don't mind me asking?" "Not at all. A seer is a person who can see the future or at least the possible futures. Sometimes seers are able to help people change their ill fates, but that is not always the case. I also have the power to change appearances or change my age. Do you remember all of those fairy tales you read, where an old woman asks for help and rewards the ones who do help? That is my job. I can also turn into different animals, but I rarely do that because it is extremely uncomfortable and confusing. Also, like you might have guessed, I am immortal. This mountain where I live is called Zamen and people rarely come here since the mountain is usually invisible. It only appears to the ones who need help. I guess that's why the two of you are here."

"But how did you make this place? How does this library look so rich and cozy?" Royce couldn't help but ask. "That is actually my husband's work. He is a warlock. Andar, dear can you drop the glamour?" As he did so, it became evident that they were actually in a very modest room where there were only the most necessary things. "You see, a long time ago, I have realized that material things are not as important as everyone else thinks. However, people sometimes find the modesty of my home unfamiliar and strange, so I try to make it as pleasant as I can for them." As she said that, a tall dark haired warlock came out of another doorway. "We don't all share her views, that is why we have our own quarters. " The warlock said. " Andar Sklea, a pleasure to meet you all." He said bowing deeply. " I am sorry if my little show scared you earlier, but it's so fun to look at people's expression when I do that, priceless." He said with a mischievous smile. Suddenly there was a big burst of light behind Andar in all the colors of the rainbow. "Oh, sorry someone has been practicing his magic today, and doesn't seem to be able to stop." He said as he scooped up a golden-haired child who kept giggling at the colorful display he created. "This is Elv Alp our son. He is still learning the ways of warlocks, aren't you?" He said as he threw the child high in the air, and caught him a few times as Elv giggled in exhilaration. "And the ways of seers, my dear. Don't forget. Would you please not throw our only child like that. I do not think that is becoming of a future seer...or warlock." Lejanida stated in her most reasonable voice. "Now how about you two? How can I help you?"