Chapter 2 - Prophetic Night

When I finally wake up, it is still dark but I can hear the first of the morning birds begin to sing so I know that dawn is only a few hours away if not sooner. I struggled to fall asleep the night before having all these thoughts in my head about what was to happen next. Marrus mentioned that I would begin my training today but what kind? I get up and wash my face with the water from the large basin I fill up every day for that purpose. It feels cool to the touch and for a single moment, makes me feel like everything is still the same. Nothing has changed until I see the mark on my hand again. The Compass Rose symbol of a lotus flower was staring back at me. Its blue color was slightly more pronounced now and the snake that wrapped itself around the flower looks like it might jump out and bite me. I quickly put my arm to my side thinking if I don’t look at it, it might just go away. 

“Do your normal routine.” I tell myself. It is the only thing that’ll keep me from going crazy until I have no other choice but to accept it once training starts. I heat up my wood stove and begin cooking a simple porridge. I add candied chestnuts and a giant spoonful of blueberry preserves on top at the end. I sit at the kitchen table that is still set for four and get lost in my memories of when my family used to enjoy a similar simple breakfast on cold winter days. We wouldn’t have blueberries or chestnuts but my mother would slice a nice winter melon for all of us to share. Then she would also make a nice salad from fennel, endive and cardoon drizzled with her own secret recipe of herbs and spices she would find in the woods. I’ve never been able to recreate that dressing but sometimes I am reminded of it when I pass by in market. I have yet to discover what smell triggers this memory but I’m sure my mother had used it. 

The porridge is warm and the blueberry preserve is subtly sweet. A bit of mint and cardamom really brings out the flavors of the berries. Besides the few birds awake, the only noise are the thoughts racing through my head. I try to lie back down in bed to relax but soon find myself dozing off.

BANG BANG.

I jump up in bed realizing that the sun was coming through the windows.
“It’s time to wake up Claret!” I hear a tiny voice outside my door. I know it has to be Tryst. I wipe away the weariness from my eyes and rush to the door to open it.

“Must you be so loud Tryst?” I ask still sounding a bit groggy.

“Sorry but Wallon and that old man want you to meet them by the lake. The old man also said to wear something comfortable.” Tryst says with a smile. I look down at what I am wearing. My normal blouse and long skirt seems comfortable enough…I only have two other pieces of clothing and I am not going to train in my worship dress. It would get too dirty, I’m sure. 

“So what’s going on? You promised you would tell me yesterday and you never came to play.” Tryst says walking next to me down the road. 

I tussle his hair. “I’m sorry. We had a long chat and it started getting really late.” I say.

“About?” He asks.

“I’m still trying to figure that out myself.” I stop and bend over to meet him eye level. “But I promise, you’ll be the first to know when I figure it out.”

“Promise?”

I smile and give him a kiss on the forehead. “Of course. Now go on, I can walk by myself now. I’m sure you have friends waiting for you.” He smiles and runs off. I wait until he is out of view before I wipe the smile off of my face. I am definitely not in a smiling mood and were it not for Tryst, I would have probably cried instantly when he woke me up this morning.

The walk down to the lake has never been daunting until now. I make my way there and notice the two men standing at the edge of the lake looking towards it while Wallon looks like he is explaining the features of the area.

“Plenty of chestnuts grow right over there…they are wonderful in salad.” Wallon explains. Marrus hears me come up and turns around. Wallon realizes too. “Oh Claret, you’re here. Did you sleep well?” I remain silent. “I’m sure none of us got much sleep after yesterday’s news.”

“I slept like a newborn.” Marrus smirks. I shoot him a look but Wallon quickly intercepts it as he grabs me by the wrist. 

“You will not give him any grief, do you understand Claret?” He says sounding like a teacher scolding his student. I shoot him the same look. “Claret?” He says sternly.

“Fine. I won’t…but all of this is one giant trick to fool you and to fool everyone.” I say through gritted teeth. Wallon lets go of my wrist and brushes his tunic from any wrinkles he might have just caused from his sudden need to scold me. “I have a meeting to attend to so I will be leaving you here with Marrus.”

“But…” I begin.

“If either of you need me, I’ll be at town hall.” Wallon says as he gives a small bow towards Marrus who acknowledges it with a tiny tip of his head.

The light is gentle this morning and Marrus, somehow, looks a lot less daunting and intimidating as he did standing in my little cabin. He didn’t have the robe or the armor he had on last night but wore a simple taupe tunic with brown pants. As I drew closer I noticed the tunic had wonderful embroidery all over and I could tell the hours of meticulous work that had to be put into it to make such a fine piece of clothing.
“Lovely isn’t it?” He catches me staring. “It is given to the highest prophets from the king himself. Also this.” He unsheathes his sword. It is a 3 foot steel blade that glimmers in the sun. On it is the same lotus motif that was now tattooed on my arm. The gold and leather handle denotes royalty while the emblems etched on the sword tell us that Marrus is not only a first class prophet, but a fighter as well.

Without thinking I reach over to grab the sword but Marrus quickly removes it from my reach.

“Not yet.” He says. “You haven’t earned the right to hold this. This…” He pulls out from a burlap sack, “is for you to practice with.”

“A wooden sword?” I say, grabbing the flimsy weapon in my hands. It’s rough to the touch and probably will give me a splinter or two if I don’t grab it in the right spot. “It’s half the size of your sword and will break if I hit anything with it.”

Marrus looks at me and laughs. “This sword is perfect for you. It is sturdier than you think. Give it a try.” I swing the sword around, not ready to admit that I have never wielded one before. I slash through the air like the heroes did in the books I read and not hearing Marrus say a thing, I begin to think that I’m not doing half bad. I twirl the sword in my hand – I assume it’s a nifty distraction method – and pretend to slay an imaginary beast in front of me. I slash left and take its arm off. I slash right and down to take off a leg and I slash straight up to stab it in the heart and take off the head.

“What are you trying to kill, a colony of flies?” Marrus finally says. I stop with frustration all over my face because he can’t see the sheer size of the beast I had killed by myself. I put the sword down and realize I have built up a sweat. Being a warrior is tough work, I think.

“It’s obvious you’ve never fought before.” He says bluntly. “You look like a horse trying to dance on a frozen lake.”

My face turns red and I have half the mind to pick up the wooden sword and lunge at him the way I did at the beast. The other half of my mind, though, realized he would probably stop me with one finger. So I try to brush it off although I could feel my face still sizzling from the jab at me. “So…I’m not a trained warrior or anything. What did you expect?”

“That is clear with that display. But we do not have time for excuses. You have to learn fast or risk the kingdom and the world falling apart.”

“What is the danger?” I realize that I don’t have a clue as to what I was supposed to fight. The imaginary beast in front of me could have been nothing more than a warm up to what was about to come.
“We can discuss that after your training.” He says sternly. My head droops down as I stumble a bit to pick my sword up again. “And we’ll need to get you a good pair of pants. Your skirt won’t work. Now pick up the sword and follow as I do.”

The sun made its way across the sky as my training continued. At high noon, I had already been smacked around by the butt of Marrus’ sword at least four times for either missing a block or because he heard me spite him under my breath afterwards. But watching Marrus show me certain techniques was like watching a new stream form from the melted ice caps coming down the mountains. Although there is no path, it still flows so effortlessly. It’s like he is dancing with an invisible partner although I admit, at first I was unsure how these artistic movements would translate into fighting but the welt on the back of my head is proof that I still have not the slightest clue what I’m doing. 

As the sun begins to set behind the trees, Marrus decides I’m allowed to take a break. I take this opportunity to ask him about the imminent danger but he has already moved far from me, grabbing a piece of cloth from the bag strapped to his side and began polishing his sword. Even in the soft afternoon light the sword glimmers with intensity. The steel used must have been the highest quality. Perhaps even magic was used to create it. 

I plop myself by the edge of the lake, fixing my skirt to fall gently around me as I sit. The lake has been calmly watching us all day and only made a noise whenever a duck landed in the water or a frog dove in. Even the bees around the flower beds seemed to fly around with hushed buzzing. It is always an intoxicating view and I find myself getting lost in the serenity. 

“Don’t get too comfortable. We have a lot of work ahead of us.” Marrus says looking down at me as I jerk back from the surprise. 

“What are we working towards anyway? You’re being extremely secretive and I feel like I have the right to now…since I’m supposed to be fighting this anyway.”

Marrus chuckles.

“What’s so funny?” I ask, my forehead furrowed. 

“You’re not expected to fight. That’s what the Warriors of Legend are for. They’ll do all the fighting.”
“Then what’s the point of all of this!” I say jumping up and grabbing the wooden sword. I find myself so angry that I’m swinging the sword indiscriminately in the air.

“So you have a lick of a chance to survive this quest. You have no idea what’s waiting out there in your journey to find the warriors. The bubble of a life you have here in this village is a distraction from what really awaits you out there.”

“Bubble? I have never considered my life here a bubble. I’ve lost my parents in a barbarian raid. My brother disappeared without a trace. I’ve lived and survived on my own for years. I may not be able to swing a sword, Sir, but I will have you know that I am still a capable woman.” I say all of this as I dare inch closer to Marrus that I can feel his breath on my cheek.

“At least you have heart.” He says without skipping a beat and turns away from me. “I will be going back to my quarters. I will be arriving at your home later tonight with your Overlooker, expecting dinner.” 

Who does he think he is! I understand he’s a Prophet of the First Order but is being rude and condescending two criteria for them to be one? How does he expect me to cook him dinner after talking to me like that?
“You can’t take it like that, Claret.” Wallon tells me after I go to find him at town hall fuming. “He’s just being truthful about the dangers out there. No one is going to coddle you or tell you that trying your best is good enough in the wilderness. There is a real danger out there.”

“What danger! He hasn’t even told me what’s going on. I’m supposed to fight and yet I have no idea what I’m going to be fighting.” 

“I’m sure he’ll tell you when the time comes. Tonight just get dinner going and don’t speak unless spoken to. Let Marrus tell us.”

Night falls and dinner arrives along with my guests. A beautiful blue harvest moon shines through the window. It’s a good luck sign for a bright harvest through the summer and the fall. I cook the two of them a nice hearty stew made from rabbit, potatoes and leek. I also bake crusty bread with poppy seeds and a fresh strawberry jam. For dessert I offer Wallon’s favorite candied water chestnuts in a pie with fresh wild rhubarb. 

“Isn’t she a marvelous cook?” Wallon asks patting his belly from having his fill. Marrus sits next to him, his chin resting on clasped hands. A thoughtful look glued on his face with his eyes closed. Wallon and I look at each other wondering what Marrus is thinking as I begin clearing the table. “Is everything okay?” Wallon asks the prophet. A few moments pass.

“I think we’ll have to cut our training short.” Marrus finally says. 

“What do you mean?”

“We’ll have to leave first thing tomorrow…the minute the sun rises over the horizon. Otherwise, I’m afraid Claret will die.”

I drop the plates in shock and immediately realize what I had done and rush to grab the broom to clean the mess up.

Wallon chokes on his wine and cleans the bit that dribbles from his mouth. “What did you say?”

“Claret will die if we don’t leave first thing in the morning. Danger is closer than we thought.”

“In the form of what!!” I say finally. I can’t continue keeping quiet as Wallon suggested. “I’m so tired of this! The last two nights I’ve asked what kind of danger I’m supposed to be stopping but you just keep telling me that you’d let me know. Now I’m going to die unless I leave first thing tomorrow? Shouldn’t I know what is coming after me? If anything?” I am now yelling.

Marrus just smiles and directs me to take a seat. “Fine, if you insist.” He gets up and grabs the rose bound book from beneath his cloak. Flipping to a page near the end, he clears his throat before he begins reading something. It doesn’t sound like a part of the legends…it sounds too profound, too cryptic…it could only be a…

“A prophecy!?” I ask.

“Yes, one of my own, actually.” He goes back to the book. “I’m not sure how I forgot this, On the eve of the harvest moon, the Key must travel towards the sun or succumb to the blade of darkness.”
“What does that mean?” I say looking at Marrus then at Wallon who is obviously just as confused.
“We don’t have much time. It’s obvious that it is a harvest moon tonight. But I will tell you, first, what danger we speak about. Wallon, can I ask of you to leave for this? It is solely a conversation between the Trusted Key and me.” 

“As an Overlooker of Pion, I am enforcing the law and putting my foot down to that request. I am staying.” Wallon says. I’m sure he’s doing that to ensure that I’m all right but at the same time I’m sure he wants to know what is going on. Marrus just stares at Wallon for a second. 

“Fine, if you insist…but don’t let your blood boil over. It won’t be a good look for you.” Marrus sits back down at the table, his face carved out by the candles around the room. I can see crevices in his face probably formed from all the things he has seen in his life. 

“The danger is Pion, specifically the King.” He says calmly.

“TRAITOR!” Wallon jumps up from his seat yelling. He pulls a long white baton from beneath his uniform. With one push on the side, the baton begins to buzz. I step back, not having seen this side of Wallon come out for a long time. The last time he reacted this way was when a Senior Overlooker was visiting and Wallon had to strictly enforce the rules. The man he punished didn’t lower his head to the Senior Overlooker when he was passing by. Wallon took his baton and electrocuted the man until he was shaking violently on the ground. Women had taken the children away from the scene as quickly as they could and the other men in the village gripped their farm tools or anything they had in their hand for the matter, tighter, ready to fight if Wallon dared try to attack them too. But I guess one punishment was enough. The Senior Overlooker smirked and had Wallon lead him away from the square to allow a few villagers to tend to the man on the ground. I remember seeing Wallon take a look back at the convulsing man with an honest sadness in his eyes. When the Senior Overlooker left, Wallon made a public apology to everyone and helped tend to the injured man until he had healed from the unprovoked attack. 

I’m not sure what kind of energy source these batons have but to see a full grown man fall like that and suffer that much pain, makes me nervous about the intensity Wallon would inflict on Marrus knowing he is truly angry this time. Electricity is a rare commodity so I don’t know much about it nor do I really want to know what it feels like to have it surge through your body.

“There is no need to act in such a brutish manner, Wallon. Just put the baton down and we can talk through this.”

Wallon stood his ground, his teeth gritted, holding the baton in his shaking hands at Marrus. The intensity in the room is suffocating and I’m glued to my place. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I can attest both men are capable fighters. Training with Marrus today showed me that he is quite talented but Wallon isn’t a pushover. If it’s true that he was kicked out of the Main for murder, there’s no telling what he might do at this moment.

In the blink of an eye, I see Wallon lunge at Marrus with his baton, scraping Marrus’ maroon cape. Even with his face away from me I can tell that Marrus has a small smirk on his face. He quickly unsheathes his sword and uses it to divert Wallon’s next lunge but with a fancy side step Wallon manages to avoid Marrus’ sword and deliver a quick blow into his back causing Marrus to back up in pain.

“Not bad.” Marrus says laughing a bit. “And I thought we would be good friends.” He whips off his maroon cape onto the floor and cracks his knuckles before grabbing his sword again. “Claret…you might want to get to a corner.”

“But…” I try to say.

“Now, Claret!” Wallon also says. I run and jump onto my bed pulling my blanket up to my chin thinking the thin fabric just might protect me from the mayhem happening before me. Shadows are projected onto the wall from the flickering candles as the two men fight in my small cabin. Dishes crash all around them as they knock in the table. The unfinished food drops to the floor and the candles are extinguished with one of the swipes of Marrus’ blade. Engulfed in the darkness, the two men continue to struggle with each other with only the light from the harvest moon to assist them. 

“Did it really have to come to this?” Marrus says. I squint my eyes to see him reach into his pocket. Wallon stands to the ready. A small glowing orb rests in Marrus’ hand. The bright white light starts off dimly but the light slowly continues to build its intensity.

“What the…” I catch myself saying.

“You don’t dare.” Wallon provokes. It’s obvious he knows what this object is. It is probably something familiar in Pion but outside those ivory walls the rest of the kingdom is oblivious to its power. I get to experience it firsthand.

Marrus tosses it quickly at Wallon. Rays of light immediately wrap around him as he emits a high pitched shriek of pain. Within seconds Wallon’s body is nothing more than a bright light struggling uselessly on the floor. I can’t help but scream and Marrus immediately runs over to me and shuts my mouth with his hand. My mind begins to race. Is he going to do that to me too? No, he can’t…I didn’t fight him. But at the moment I’m not completely sure. I’m not positive what comes over me but I bite his fingers as hard as I can to escape his grip. It gives me just enough time to run out of my cabin followed by the sound of him screaming for me to stop.

Tears cascade down my face blurring my sight already distorted by the darkness. I want to wipe them away but I’m afraid that if I divert my focus even for a second from running, Marrus will catch up to me and hurt me, if not kill me. I really want to look back to see if he is getting close, if he is even chasing me at all. Running through the small patch of woods near my cabin, I realize there is only the sound of crunching leaves beneath my feet. I crane my head around slightly and notice that I am running away from nothing. Marrus isn’t behind me and probably stayed at the cabin to finish Wallon off. I should run back and help him…he’s my friend. But I don’t stand a chance. I would die instantly. If that is what Marrus wants.

I make my way back close to the cabin and peek from behind a small herb shed my dad had built when I was younger. It was empty these days and houses spiders and a family of foxes that got through the missing chunk of the rotting wooden door. I try to refocus my eyes towards my cabin but all is silent and dark.
“Are you looking for something?” 

I turn around and instantly land a kick into someone’s stomach causing him to take a few steps back clutching the area I had hit and laughing slightly. It is Marrus.

“So you do have some fighting instinct in you.” 

“What did you do to Wallon!” I try to sound tough but secretly hiding my absolute fear. 

“Don’t worry about him. It is you we have to worry about.” He says extending his hand to me. I quickly retreat afraid he might do something to hurt me next.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“We have to get you out of here. Wallon will be fine but Overlookers from the Main will be here by the morning and if you’re still here, surely you will die.” 

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” I say sincerely confused. Marrus huffs and folds his arms.
“Must I explain everything to you word for word? You might have some fighting instincts, but I have yet to see if you have a brain.” I can feel myself getting angry. Marrus doesn’t notice and continues to talk. “We’ve attacked an Overlooker of the Main.”

“We’ve?!” I can’t hold myself back.

Marrus looks at me stoically. “They will find out soon enough. If your relationship with Wallon is as close as you’re making it seem, then he probably won’t reveal your identity but they’ll know a Prophet was the one who attacked him. And there aren’t that many of us left that are capable of doing what I had just done. So if you stick around, there’s a very good chance you’ll be taking the brunt of the attack. I’m not sure about you, but I’m not staying. There are warriors we need to find and standing in this tiny village, as lovely as it may be, won’t help us in our search.”

I stand there quietly taking it all in. I catch myself staring at the dark patch of earth by the shed and realize that it’s the only spot where grass wasn’t growing. Staring at the patch I couldn’t help but wonder why that was but I quickly shook it off to seriously think about what Marrus just told me.
“So?” He says.

“I’m going to need more explanation but I’ll go with you. Just promise me that Wallon, Tryst and everyone else in the village will be fine if I leave.”

“I can’t promise you that.” Marrus says bluntly.

“But…”

“Claret! We have to go.” And he begins to run ahead of me. The tears start to overflow from my eyes again as and I follow behind him. I look back at my cabin knowing that I am probably leaving something important. I am probably leaving something behind that would remind me of my family and of my life here in my tiny village.

“Will I ever return?” I scream out ahead at Marrus who is at least four paces ahead of me at all times.
He looks back but says nothing and continues to run. I don’t accept this. I yell louder.

“Will I ever return?” I scream again.

Again, he doesn’t say anything but just looks back. I’m hysterically crying as I plant my feet in the ground. I yell one more time, at the top of my lungs, to finally get an answer from him.

“Tell me! Will I ever return?!” 

He stops abruptly and turns to me. “Not unless you succeed.”

Not unless I succeed. A few days ago all I wanted to do was sell flowers and water chestnuts at market. Making enough money to buy an extra pastry for dessert was succeeding for me. Making the customers at my stall laugh and happy was succeeding to me. Now I have to succeed against an evil from Pion and find the Warriors of Legend. No big deal. I’ll probably end up dying first though.

“Now hurry up! We need to be as far away from your village before the sun rises.” He yells at me from atop a large rock he has climbed to survey the land. This is probably the furthest I’ve ever been outside my village and the terrain looks so different and alien to me. I’ve read about the outside world in books so I have a vague idea of what I should expect but even this outcropping of large rocks and low lying grass has me wondering what else is waiting for me out there. Will the beasts I’ve read about really be as vicious as they’re written? Will I get to see these extravagant cities I’ve only ever imagined seeing? Perhaps even, Goddess forbid, will I run into the same barbarian tribe that killed my parents? I have no idea what’s waiting for me but as I see Marrus looking at me impatiently I realize that we are in a race, I guess, to fend off evil. But I’m still unclear what that evil is. I quickly remind myself that I’m going to demand an explanation from Marrus.

Once I catch my breath, of course.