When Magic Speaks - NaNoWriMo 2020✔️

27

Taun panted heavily as he sprinted across the valley, the sound of his racing heart pounding against his ears. The sense of urgency that had taken over was astounding - he needed to hurry. There wasn't much time. His feet slapped against the cobblestone as he crossed the bridge, the dark castle growing larger and taller. It loomed above him like a ghoulish shadow but...he could see why Wiss liked it so much. It was...beautiful. But enough about that!

As he approached the gate, Taun practically ran into it, clasping his hands tightly around the iron bars. He shook the gate as he called Wiss's name, before realizing someone was already standing at the gate. Looking down, Taun met the gaze of a small green troll with a large scroll clamped tightly within their grip. They watched Taun with a startled gaze. Taun stared, only for a moment, before brushing off his own surprise. "Please," he panted. "Please can you tell Wiss I need to speak to her right away? It's an emergency!"

Sharth stared up at Taun cautiously, only reading the boy for a moment before realizing he was being truthful. Sharth nodded shortly as he stared up at Taun before hurrying off back to the castle as quickly as his legs could carry him.

Taun impatiently clung to the gate, earning the wandering eye of a few other nearby trolls. It didn't take long for their curiosity to rise and soft whispers began to echo throughout the village. The young guard continuously glanced over his shoulder, fearful that they might be right behind them. 

As Taun turned his head back around for twentieth time, he finally saw...them, approach from the castle. Out came the troll he'd met at the gate, their short legs scurrying as quickly as they could go. Next came Wiss - her hair was smooth and wavy which, admittedly wasn't her norm. It was pretty. She was dressed in Marma's corset and a pair of tulle balloon pants. She of course was shocked to see him and hurried along with urgency.

Then behind her came...the Knightengale. Though, the person that Taun saw now wasn't a misty, dark winged creature of evil. It was...a human, a man his age. He was neatly dressed, although he looked a little sickly from the fatigue on his face and his slower pace. As he caught Taun's gaze, the two stared at one another, blinking only once. They looked at each other, examining each other, Kitt's pace slowly. Taun clenched his jaw as he turned to Wiss who now joined him at the gate.

"Taun," she whispered loudly, "what are you doing here? I told you--"

"Yes, I know what you told me but this is urgent!"

"What? What is it?"

Taun again looked over his shoulder. As he did the group fell silent as they two listened. And then they heard it - loud footsteps, and many of them. The young guard could see the concern rising in his friend's face as he looked at him with wide eyes, quickly unlocking the gate. She pulled it open just wide enough for Taun to slide through before sealing it again. 

Now that Taun now stood in the dark kingdom, he expected to feel the evil, to sense the unease and looming darkness. But as he stood in Monmouth, he looked around at the trolls, at the village. And instead of feeling cold he felt...a comforting warmth. Huh. He quickly shook it off as he turned to Wiss (and Kitt). Kitt stood beside Wiss, staring at Taun. But instead of staring daggers into him, he too expressed concern. Sharth stood behind Taun, stretching on their tiptoes to listen.

"He pulled the truth from me. I tried to steer him away from here, to lie and say that you weren't here but...Wiss..." Taun rolled up his sleeve then, exposing a giant red marking resembling a sizzle of lightening bolts. Wiss frowned at the wound, her fingers skimming over it. "He has magic too."

Taun expected Wiss to look surprised but her expression was stone cold. She had changed so much already but...she seemed more confident in herself now. Under lighter circumstances, he would've complimented her on it. "That's why he knew so much. He probably extracted the information he needed with magic."