Protector of the Enchanted

The first impression I get of her is that she looks a little like what people think fortune tellers would. She has a willowy frame, silk garments adorning her and giving her an otherworldly aura. A piece of shimmery cloth covers her nose and mouth from view, her hands rest on the orb, her eyes focused on the mirror. It seems as if she sees something we don’t.

 

Looking at Ryan’s face, I see the smile completely gone, replaced by a hard face. His arrogant façade is back, making me wonder the need for it with so few witnesses. But then again, I haven’t known him long enough to know.

 

“You have?” My cousin inquires, “How did you even know we would come?” I’d like to know that as well.

 

Her only response is to tap the orb, taking one hand off it to gesture at the mirrors. My eyebrows furrow, what does that mean? How would those things tell her we would come here?

 

“I looked into the orb,” She clarifies, “It showed me when you were entering the cave.”

 

“And the mirrors?” I ask monotonously.

I can see the smile in her eyes, “Those showed me what has long been in the making.”

 

“We do not have time for these riddles.” The cold tone he uses surprises me, it’s one I haven’t heard him use yet.

 

“No, I suppose you do not.” She waves a hand over the orb and hums, “It seems it’s time.”

 

“Time for what?”

 

“Time for a promise to finally be fulfilled.”

 

Without giving any chance for a response, she crouches down and picks up the sack laying at her feet. Carefully moving things around, before placing it in the centre of the stone tablet in front of her. She unties the rope holding the bag closed and carefully pulls the contents out onto the table. A harsh intake of breath draws my attention to Ryan. His eyes are wide, mouth open a little.

 

“What are those for?” Gem questions. There on the table is a sword and bow and arrows.

 

“These are weapons that need to be returned.” She simply states, putting the sack beneath them.

 

“To whom?” My cousin once again asks for me. Smiling, the wannabe fortune teller simply puts a hand up, gesturing to me and then Ryan. 

 

“What do you mean?”  Still only an answering soft smile.

 

In contrast to my confusion, the man next to me has no qualms about going up to the table and picking up the weapons. He wordlessly comes to a stop in front of me and holds out the sword, in a practised move which implies he’d done it countless times before.

 

They didn’t know what they were expecting when they walked into the cave, but it wasn’t to be met with a strange girl hovering over a crystal ball. For a moment they were left spellbound by the sight of the ornate mirrors and hanging weapons. Their companions, it seemed, didn’t have the same problem. They had already taken the steps towards her.

 

“I know what you seek,” Came the melodious voice, “but, it can only be obtained at a price.”

 

“What would the price be?” The king who fell in love with a mermaid asked.

 

“That is yet to be decided, for the price changes with the choices you make.”

 

“If you know what it is that we came for, you also know where we should go.”

 

“Yes.” Muttered the seer, “I do.”

 

She then closed her eyes for a moment, willing the images to fall in place. Messy. This quest the mortals had recklessly started on was messy. She knew she couldn’t tell them the absolute truth, especially to the two among them who were truly in love. She could only tell them part of it and hope that all would be revealed in the future. In a time where she would no longer be.

 

“Before I reveal the next clue of for your quest, there is something I must ask for.” She hesitated for but a moment before gesturing to the weapons belonging to the two standing in front of her. “I will need to take your sword, as well as your bow and arrows.”

 

“Why?” Questioned the man not yet tainted with despair.

 

“You will not need them, not yet.” She felt she owed them at least this much when she foreseen how much they meant to them.

 

“And when we do?” The woman asked, contemplation clear on her face.

 

“They will be returned to you. I swear it.”

 

As soon as the hilt touches my hand, an almost electric pulse goes through me, like that’s where it belongs. Glancing at Gem, she seems unbothered with the lack of weapons being given to her. Seeing my stare, she smiles and reaches into the satchel hanging over her shoulder, pulling out a couple of sharp silver daggers. Where did she even get those?

 

“Who are you?” I ask, speaking at last, “Why did you give us these weapons?”

 

“Who I am does not matter, what I am does. I am the descendant of the ancient Seer who presided over Mercean. As such, it is my duty to return what has been promised.”

 

None of that makes any sense. I suppose it doesn’t really matter. Not when I feel such an overwhelming sense of rightness with the sword in my hand. I did want a weapon. And now I’ve got one.

 

“Who is that?” Gem asks. That’s what I’d like to know as well.

 

Gesturing to the empty space in front of her, she motions for us to take a seat on the plush cushions. “I feel it is much better to show you then tell you. Before we begin, know that there are two things I mean to show you; The first being the answer to your question, the second a guidance on your journey.” She pulls out three crystal balls from underneath the table, “Place your hands atop these and shut your eyes.”

 

I guess that answers the question of whether finding those relics would be a feasible solution. If she really can see the future, which I believe she can, then she’d know that’s the information we came for. It’s reassuring to have a direction to go in. So, I comply with her wishes.

 

In an abandoned storage room, a girl sits trembling on the floor, blood staining her feet. She didn’t know how long she’d been in there. Could hardly recall the events which had led her here. It hadn’t been long since she’d been on the road, abandoned because of her gifts.

 

They hadn’t even given her a chance to object. Immediately throwing her away as if she were discarded trash. But then again, they’d never wanted a child in the first place.

 

Seeing the bright lights had been a saving grace, a chance to start anew, so she’d gone up to them. She’d been mesmerised by the bright colours, the fluidity in the way they moved, like bright candles in a dark gloomy day. They’d given her a chance to follow her dreams, to dance with people without fear of judgement. The troupe had given her a home and a purpose. It just wasn’t meant to last.

 

It started with small things. She couldn’t move like they did. The clothes didn’t fit. She froze when they put a silk cloth over her face. None of these things were as severe as what had led her to her fate. In the middle of performances, her eyes would go vacant. A blankness filling her mind for a moment. Yet, a moment was all it took to ruin the act.

 

She could never remember what she saw, didn’t think it important. However, as the scenery changed, the same situation became more common. It only took a week before they decided she couldn’t stay, horrified at the glowing mess in front of them as her hand fazed over a glass orb.

 

For that was what she was. A useless glowing mess with no home and no one to care for her. A growl from within reminded her of the hunger the pain made her forget. Reminded her of her aching muscles. A shuffling from outside forces her to her feet, no one would want to help a monster.

 

Thunder and lightning flashed through the clouds, as rain stormed to the ground, becoming worse by the second. The earth beneath her had been stained with red, her face growing pale with every step. Just as she felt all hope was lost, she saw it. A shelter from the storm, a place to wait out the night before continuing her cursed journey.

 

Darkness surrounded her as her footsteps lead her deeper into the cave. She felt possessed as if her actions were not her own, compelled to follow a set path. Nearing the end, her gaze fell upon a hooded figure. A pedlar if the horde of orbs and mirrors were any indication. She felt her blood boil, she never wanted to see another mirror or glass ball ever again.

 

Despite her protests, her limbs would not obey, her hand moved of its own volitation towards a mirror. A deafening flash erupted into her mind as she lost all awareness of her surroundings. She did not see the curved lips of the seated figure or the glowing blue her eyes had become.

 

“Well I’ll be, a seer has wandered into my domain.” A deep voice carried across the opening. “It seems it is time for me to leave.”

 

“What…do you mean?” She managed to whisper through laboured breaths.

 

“Dear, you should really hone your gifts, or you could get very hurt.” The voice replied as if she’d never spoken.

 

“Where are you going?” The girl asked, “It’s storming outside!”

 

White teeth gleamed at her, “This place is yours now. Use it well.”

 

Words failed her as she watched the only semblance of company leave. Only a word remained in the confines of her mind. Seer. Is that what she was? What this was? The word seemed to ring through her, calming the wild palpitations of her heart, an answer to an unasked question. So, this was her purpose.

 

The mysterious pedlar had told her to hone her skills, leaving behind food for the time it would take to do so. It gave direction to her time. A reason to face her fears. To stay in one place as injuries healed. It was a slow process, her body aching from the energy consumed, however it did not take long until she saw progress.

 

Within the time spent learning, she adjusted her former dancing wear, using it to create an income for herself. Although people feared those who were different, they yearned to know the unknown. Using her growing skills, she helped them find answers and foretold their future, becoming known as the Seer of Mercean, named for the cave.

 

My eyes jolted open at the end of the memory. The story was not uncommon. Nor was it something that would have only happened in the past. It would be naïve to think that it was. It sent a flow of understanding through me, explaining why there were so many traps in place.

 

Someone wanting to take advantage of a weaker being would have no qualms about hurting them. Especially when faced with a woman who could see the future. But that still doesn’t give us any indication of where to go next.

 

“There still remains more to be known.”

 

One day, a cold chill engulfed her, an invisible hand pushing her to act. To see. As her hands touched it, her mind was consumed, leaving a shivering mess in its wake.

 

‘This can’t be right.’ She thought, ‘Why would this happen?’ It foretold her a future that chilled her to her bones, one with immense pain and longing. Yet, her mind could not make sense of the fog in that moment.

 

Not long after, a group of travelling questers came to her door, seeking an answer. It took seeing their faces for the fog to clear. For the warning to finally make sense, the first time would not succeed. She knew what she had to do.

 

Pulling back this time, I’m left a little confused. I don’t have any time to dwell on the confusion as she shoves a rolled-up scroll into my hands.

 

“You will learn the meaning of my second memory in due time.” She says cryptically before gesturing to the back wall. “What you need for your quest is in inside that scroll. That opening will lead you back to where you came.” She waves her hand, and the ground seems to move us through the opening.

 

I’m left blinking as the blinding light suddenly shines on my face. Between blinks, I see the outline of a person walking towards us. I squint. A tall male figure comes into my eyesight as soon as they’ve adjusted.

 

A yelp from Gem breaks my focus, as she immediately runs towards him, a large grin on her face. I suppose she recognises him; she does have her arms wrapped around his body. Once it seems she’s had enough, they make their way towards us, hands linked.

 

“This is Cylen.” She introduces upon seeing my raised brows. She seems embarrassed. Her face turning a bright shade of pink, her eyes refusing to focus on one particular place. A quiet chuckle draws my attention to my side, only to meet a straight face. That’s weird.

 

“You forgot about me, didn’t you?” Cylen asks my flustered cousin.

 

“No…” Gem starts, only to sigh at his disbelieving face, “Yes…”

 

“I knew it.”

 

“I had a reason though!”

 

Cylen smile, glancing at me, “I know you did, but you could have at least called me.”

 

While Gem tries to sputter up a response, I let my eyes assess him, returning his smile after. He seems to be a good person; I have a feeling that he cares about her very much. “So, you’re Gem’s boyfriend?”

 

“Yes.” He holds his hand out towards me, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

Hm. I think I’m going to like him. “Does Gem forget about you often?”

 

“Oh definitely.” He replies, a grin crossing his face, “Especially when she…”

 

The rest of his sentence is muffled by a hand, his body being dragged towards the nearby trees. It happens very fast, one moment he’s answering my question, and the next he was being dragged out of sight. I’m left blinking at the space they occupied.

 

Not sure how to feel, my eyes turn to the side, to meet sapphire orbs. Without my noticing, my body relaxes, a smile gracing my lips. Glancing at the pair by the tree, I can’t help but wonder the last time I was surrounded by so many people.

 

I lean against the tree closest to me, right beside Ryan, watching as Gem whisper yells at Cylen. Unbidden a grin starts to spread. It’s nice.

 

Never. She’d never been accepted as part of a group. Sure, she’d been surrounded by people, but only mocking faces with cruelty in their hearts. Their intention only to break any semblance of hope from one they deemed undeserving of it. They had never liked her, the reason a mystery to the small child. She never would have imagined that the reason was one that already brought her misery.

 

If she knew, she would probably scoff. They thought that being passed around like a pack of potatoes was fortunate? Did they not see the sorrow in never finding a true home? Did they not see that although they were not put into foster homes, they had a stable place to stay? The little girl would have thought them even more strange than she already did.

 

It was better, she decided. Better to be alone, than surrounded by a crowd of fakers. They would leave eventually. Everyone did. They would find a home, with a family to care for them. That was a fate she did not have. What awaited her was probably endless wandering, tossed into a world with more cruelty than care.

 

She sat in a corner, one she knew no one would look upon. It gave her a great vantage point to observe the people around her, and a place to cry where none would see. Huddled in the corner, she allowed herself a small break to just let her emotions rein free. The best way to survive, she’d learnt, was to never people see the impact their words had.

 

Her face turned towards the sky, tears staining her cheeks, sobs shaking her body. The clear day seemed to be mocking her with its tranquillity, an illusion she did not have the luxury of. She’d never felt so alone. She wondered if there would ever be a time when she’d no longer feel that way.