Sentria: The Knight Prince (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Order out of Chaos

I slept well that night in one of the small wooden homes, considering I couldn't get Brio out of mind. Eldwyn slept in the cot next to mine and seeing his face in the moonlight from the square, glassless opening gave me some peace amidst the frustration I had from not being able to hold him. We awoke bright and early and I fully investigated the small space in the light of day. It was a single room and smaller than any guest room at Sentria Castle. It was barren as well, there were only two cots, a kitchen, and round mats on the floor for prayer and meditation.

"How do you like my village so far?" asked Eldwyn, the grogginess of his tiredness had not yet gone away.

"It is nice, Eldwyn," I said, sitting up in bed and staring at the nothingness in the room. "It's peaceful."

"You said that with hesitation," said Eldwyn, throwing his sheets off of his body.

We were both in hand-stitched white cotton one-piece garments, which were surprisingly soft. Though we used similar fabrics in the castle, the one's here seemed to hold in heat better than ours. Perhaps it was the way it was stitched.

"It's a lot to get used to, Eldwyn," I said, getting out of bed. "It's much different than how I lived in the castle. Not worse, just different."

"I've been to two castles now, and I think I've done quite well."

"...The first one nearly burned to cinders and we had to fight a dark wizard to get out and the second one you were imprisoned and if they found you guilty you would've been sentenced to death."

Eldwyn got out of bed and started making his bed. "It wasn't so bad. I'm still breathing, right?"

I got out of bed and tried my head at making it. I had never done so before, but I watched Eldwyn and it didn't seem that hard. "That's one way to look at it."

"You have to be positive, knight. That's the only way through the dark times."

After breakfast with Murton, he took us out through the nearby forest. He opened a portal in the middle of the town next to the chapel with a wave of his hands like it was no trouble at all. We walked through it and entered a world of greenery so vibrant it almost seemed like it was glowing. The air was scented, like a sugary sweet fresh from the bakery and I swore that I heard the light soprano singing of the celestials.

"Where are we going?" I asked, following behind Murton with Eldwyn at my side.

"It doesn't matter the destination, young knight," said Murton who used a wooden-crooked staff to support him and move about the brush. "Only the path matters."

I turned around and saw the tower in the distance as we went further away with each step, and I couldn't stop myself from worrying. "We must be on our way soon," I said, fearing that our stay would be to the detriment of our quest. "We haven't the time to waste away in this forest."

"Time is but an illusion," said Murton, glancing over his shoulder. "You have all the time in the world."

We ducked under a low branch and walked down a bumpy slope that evened out at the bottom and brought us to a clearer path. "With respect, I'm afraid we don't. I do not wish to be disrespectful, but I must draw the line somewhere. We must—"

Murton turned around, his eyes glowing white, and slammed the end of the stick into the hard ground. A whirlwind formed around him with winds that whipped at everything around him. It pushed Eldwyn and I back several feet and I shielded my face. It calmed down seconds later, and Murton stood with his chin raised looking down on me like one would a bratty child.

"This is not a game," he said in a commanding voice devoid of the peacefulness it once held. "I am offering you something beyond measure that will see you through this life and the next. It is not to be taken lightly and I am not to be questioned. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes," I said, standing up straight. His power was immense and I just knew that that wasn't all of it. "I apologize, Murton. I spoke out of turn."

"Apology accepted," said Murton, returning his voice back to normal and going on his way.

Eldwyn and I looked at one another and continued on behind him, more silent than we had been before. We followed this path to a pond that glimmered in the sun like liquid crystals.

"The Blessed Pond," said Murton, drawing out his words.

I couldn't pull my eyes away from its majesty. It was a supreme show of natural beauty that even the most talented artist couldn't dream up. I was in awe. It nearly brought me to my knees.

"It's lovely," said Eldwyn as we stood by its edge.

"Come, knight," said Murton, "look into its depths."

I was a brave lad, but I wasn't brave enough to question him again. I did as I was told and looked into the blueness. "As Eldwyn said, it's lovely." I wasn't a poet and I knew there was no use in trying to be.

"No, look into it and tell me what you see."

I squinted my eyes and looked harder into it. It was lovely, Eldwyn wasn't wrong, but I didn't see anything more. This wasn't the Mirror Lake. This was of water, not made of magical shards that offered you visions of the future.

"I'm sorry, Murton," I said, still looking at it. "But I don't see anything more than the water and my reflection."

"Then you've seen the truth," said Murton. He nearly seemed pleased at my response. "What you see is possibilities. The fates have chosen you for the quest and you are being guided to save our world. You are being pulled in many directions and you see many paths. You fear that you'll make the wrong decision and bring upon us the ruination of all things. Tell me, what did you see in the Mirror Lake?"

"I saw Brio who I had lost, the black tower, and I saw fire rain down upon the lands of Askeran." I looked up from the pond at Murton. "I want to defeat the evil that's coming...but I don't want for the destruction of all things."

"And there we have it." Murton gave me a knowing smile as if I had just solved a puzzle. "What you saw in that reflection was a path to form your own destiny. You found your horse because you believed it, not because it was destined to happen. Don't you see my boy? You create destiny."

"Did I...bring this about? Am I the cause of this maelstrom?"

Murton took a few moments to respond, breathing in the sweet air as if it revitalized him and said, "Order must unite with chaos if you seek victory." 

We returned back to the village after his words of wisdom and I remained quiet the whole time. The words echoed in my mind and I felt like I finally understood my place.