The Enlightened Few - The Journey Begins

The Chase

I can't see where I am walking, can't he just slow down a little. My father is on our heels, that much I am certain of and who knows what he has done to Edan. I thought he said that we would reach the misty swamps shortly, underestimating the effort it takes to get there a little I think. I can't believe how much I have seen already, what sights were hidden from my eyes, now darkness looms and I can't enjoy the beauty of the world. I see the stars judging us, but I cannot stop to enjoy them. Come on Aden, put your foot one in front of the other, not much longer I hope. This is all I ever wanted, waited so long just to escape those heated, oppressive walls my forefathers erected. I will return, when I am ready, and I hope by then my father would have forgiven me.

"Hurry, Sire! We are almost there."

He keeps saying hurry; can he not see that I am going as fast as I can? I can't fly now can I? Why is my father chasing after me anyway, why won't he just leave me in peace to finally do what I want to? Am I supposed to sacrifice my life and dedicate it to the problems of our people at this age? I need to be granted time to accomplish the things I desire most, first. I hate this plastic world we live in, there is too much that is hidden from us.

"Sire, stop. We have finally arrived and I must warn you, you cannot see the ground because of the mist and steam. Tread only on flat ground, the elevations are geysers and if you step on one you will be thrown into air, upon landing you could get badly injured. We should be perfectly concealed now, so do not be scared and walk slowly if you need to." Ilmatar was a good guide; he had learned this trait while tracking birds in the wild every Saturday with his father. His duties did not allow much free time, but the Saturdays were an exception and dearly longed for.

I am not scared and what in the spirits name does he mean by elevations? I don't feel any elevations anywhere, it's all flat! Almost immediately after these thoughts, Aden screamed playfully, "I missed it, it jetted out steam!" Aden felt an exhilarating wave come over him, "this is so much fun!"

"Sire, please be careful, it will be no joke if you are hurt here. We would have to end the journey and we have many days ahead of us." Sound did not travel far in the steam, it evaporated like all the puddles of water. The swamp, like everything else, seemed to go on forever, the same scenery all over just like a desert, but instead with small patches of shallow, slimy, green water. There was steam coming out from every crack in the ground and the steam, once free, surrounded them eagerly. It was hard to breathe in this place, but joyfully dawn was soon to come and would brighten up their mood. Aden couldn't believe that they had been on their feet for about half a Moonicle now; it felt as if they had not covered enough ground in that time, but he was feeling tired enough from the journey. His excitement and adrenalin could only last for so long, before the sleep started calling.

Instead they resorted to small talk to pass the rest of the time, "So what job do you do, Ilmatar? I mean, do you have a job?" Aden tried to forget all his apprehensions by asking foolish questions.

"I do indeed have a very rewarding job, Sire. I tend to the hawks of the Erion kingdom. I pretty much grew up doing it, took it over from my father, who took it over from his dad and so on. It's been a family profession for over 200 Suncycles. We now not only tend to the birds that we catch and sell, but to the royal hawks and eagles too." Ilmatar was proud of his family's heritage, "I do hope that the birds are doing well without me. You see, I am the only one that is tending to them, apart from my master. We take care of 1100 birds altogether, quite a number for a royal collection. My father has a lot less than that back at home. At times, the beautiful Anemone visits them; she is enchanted by their flight, but I on the other hand am enchanted by her beauty, like all the men in our kingdom," Ilmatar giggled to himself.

To this moment, Aden had not thought of women, girls or any lady for that matter. He was not interested in asking any further questions with regards to this Anemone, but he did admit to himself that the name sounded beautiful. Aden also found it strange that Ilmatar had brought up this girl in their shallow conversation; he was probably thinking of her all along.