The Enlightened Few - The Journey Begins

Changeling

Slowly the King began to awake, it seemed as if he awoke from drowning and the images beyond his eyes seemed too blurry to make out. Edan beside him had awoken sooner, having pains in his head and feeling drugged with wooziness. Both men were slowly stumbling to their feet with the aid of the soldiers, now having returned from Apirite.

Would it have really changed Aris' decision had he known or felt the pain of his soldiers having to steal this beautiful child from her loving parents? This child will never ever have the pleasure of adoring and looking into her parent's eyes once more, she would grow up to believe Lady Louhti and Lord Ahti to be her real parents. There she lay, still in her crib and as if the wind had carried her away, just like that, she was gone. The King's rage would be beyond any overwhelming fire, but that would be if it wasn't for a greater purpose, a cause worth defending.

He would only have to play a small, but life changing part in this child's life so as to get exactly what he planned from the day his son became unreachable. After all he was only doing what a protective parent and ruler would do, sacrifice the one for the good of the whole. His heart pumped hard and fast, with a firm step backwards and with a swift glance away from the child he decided he would not look at her. He would never regret his decision, he would not become attached and focus on protecting the very thing he had already sacrificed so much for. Standing straighter now and without hesitation, but rather with more power he spoke, "You have what you want, now give us what we have requested!"

There was no protest, only silence and the child had disappeared in Lady Louhi's hands as fast as she had come. Edan, feeling very emotional, but without protest was being escorted away by the daughters of this sorceress kingdom.

As Ahti spoke he gestured with his long, warmly glowing fingers towards the pathway leading to the opening of the cave Mab, "The transformation will take time, dear Aris. Will you and your men kindly leave us now and return to us at daybreak."

Aris had not thought this far as he was unsure as to how the events would all fit systematically to produce this almost complete result. His limbs and his instinct did not allow him to betray his departure from the last hope he had. Edan was always around and although he was there to take care of Aden, the King was still compassionately attached to the boy.

Lord Ahti saw into Aris' questioning mind and read the very fear of failure, he didn't have to look far as the king's eyes showed everything. With a warmer tone to his already ice sharp voice he said, "We are indebted to you Aris, if we could do this repayment faster we would. We are a solitary people and do not enjoy guests. We do however stick to our word, Edan will be well taken care of. If we wished you harm, you would not be alive right now." Ahti knew that he did not need their help, but he believed he needed to do this so as to contribute to the change of the world. He had felt this change just as Aden had and strongly believed in his intuition.

Aris smirked and then deeply sighed one final time before giving into his stride, his brain had finally forced him to move in the right direction. He had no option but to follow their wishes and his men followed him obediently. His mind was so preoccupied with questions, that he found it hard to find a way out of the labyrinth. He thought to himself how the world was changing, with change that was taking shape faster than it had for centuries.

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Aden was paralyzed, unable to unblock the apprehensiveness that was keeping his thoughts from flowing. He had never felt so uncomfortable; usually he would be shy and withdrawn, but this was a new level of unease altogether. The secret would be revealed in a matter of seconds and the peace would break with it. Aden did not trust anyone and worst of all, he did not want to put a burden on someone he was already fascinated by.