––––––––
While we prepared to leave Nyco the next day, I tried to catch Shaw's eye, but either deliberately or accidentally, he avoided my gaze. I realized I was probably making something out of nothing. That's exactly what it was. Nothing. Nothing happened last night. Shaw left me standing there breathless on the balcony, and after a moment I went to bed... Nothing. I was sure Shaw wasn't even thinking about it because, well, why would he? I had to face facts. I was probably just a child in his eyes. I was thirty. He was one hundred and seven. Yes, I was a child, and he was simply here to watch over me like some kind of doting babysitter.
We set off early that morning into a day lacking sunshine. Heavy grey clouds had rolled in during the night. Despite the dreary weather, our group seemed cheered by the acquisition of our new Dwarf companions. Along with them, they brought one of the small colorful horses. This one was called Chett and he had a deep midnight blue coat and periwinkle tail and mane.
Verna Mount was a seven-day journey straight to the north. The coast of the ocean curved eastwardly, so it didn't take us long to lose sight of the crashing waves and the crystalline city of Nyco.
Once we could no longer see Nyco, Maxatte must have felt like it was safe to speak up because he turned to me and said, "I'm sorry King Quafin didn't believe ya."
I heard Matthias scoff. "Are ya surprised?" he said. "Quafin's too dense ta see anythin' other than his next pint o' ale." Maxatte tried to shush him, but Matthias continued. "He's supposed ta be this great king o' the Dwarfs, but he's never done anythin' that resembles greatness. The big overly bloated water buffalo just sits in his palace all day, a different woman at his side each night, while good young men are sent off ta fight for Meric. It's insultin', really. We should just govern ourselves."
"Maybe ya're right Matthias, but King Quafin is still our king, and he should have our respect," Maxatte said.
"Oh, don't be such a lil' girl, Maxatte. The only thing Quafin should have is a big pile o' dung. Oi there, Shawster, what do ya think?" Matthias had me laughing, not just at the more than colorful way he was describing the Dwarf king, but at his new nickname for Shaw.
Shaw walked a bit ahead of us, leading the way. Charis and Cody carried on a pleasant conversation behind us, guiding the horses. I, of course, was strategically placed in the middle flanked by Matthias and Maxatte on either side.
Shaw slowed down and turned to face us. His mouth twisted in a half smile. "I think Quafin can be a bit self absorbed."
"Ha, if that isn't the understatement o' the century then I'm a horse's rear end! 'Course, I'd probably be Chett's rear... not Gunther's, he's too big." Matthias roared with laughter and the rest of us joined him.
I enjoyed my time with the Dwarfs. Matthias was really quite funny. He was constantly taking shots at Shaw, which Shaw always laughed off. I nearly fell over from laughing so hard when Matthias said that Shaw was brave like a Dwarf, but he was about as ugly and dumb as a Leviathan. To which Shaw replied that Matthias had to be wrong because he wasn't tall enough to see a Leviathan's face, how could he know how ugly one was? On and on, they jabbed each other. It was quite obvious they were dear friends, and this playful banter was just their way of expressing that they cared. I think Matthias was overjoyed to have his friend back after thirty years. Although, I'm sure he would never admit it. Most likely, he would jokingly say he didn't even realize Shaw was gone.
I was also enjoying the dynamics between Matthias and Maxatte. For being brothers, they were very different. Where Matthias was boisterous and humorous, Maxatte was quite and very introspective. And I was terrified of disappointing Maxatte. He had his mind set that I was the Savior, that I was special, that I would save him from Leticia's forces. His attitude was so different from the way Charis and Shaw believed in me. He just had so much hope and adoration and faith, I felt feeble compared to his expectations. I knew I would try my best not to let him down. Not just because I would feel awful if I destroyed his innocent—albeit misplaced—faith, but more importantly if I failed, that probably meant that I was dead.
Our days mirrored those that occurred on our trek from Charis' cabin to Nyco. We would travel during the day, and then in the evening we would eat our meal and I would participate in my three lessons. I hadn't had a premonition since that first one. And I was making absolutely no progress with the rocks. Charis had me trying a new technique. She placed the rock in front of me and I had to wave my hand at it to try and get it to move. This felt ridiculous, like I was an insane conductor leading an invisible symphony. At least my lessons with Shaw were progressing. He told me I was becoming quite good, which was exhilarating and uplifting. I also found it a bit easier to concentrate during the sword fighting lessons. Of course, I slipped once in a while and would lose myself thinking about Shaw, but I was able to keep those moments brief.
We entered a dense forest on our third day of travel. The clouds that had arrived on the onset of our journey had not dissipated. This made the thick forest feel dark and heavy. Shaw, as usual, was in the lead. He pulled out a machete from among our equipment, and used it to clear away the massive amounts of undergrowth. It was hard travel, and no one talked much. The forest was so thick, I wondered if it would swallow us whole.
I was listening to the hacking sound of Shaw with his machete, when I felt the wave crash over my body again and the pins and needles overtook me. My eyes snapped shut and I saw a dark woman, at least I think it was a woman, my vision was pretty foggy, rushing through the thicket with a sword drawn.
Just then, something burst through the bramble and bushes directly to the left of Shaw. I reacted without thought. I flung myself in-between Shaw and the thing that was crashing toward him with my arms spread out. I screamed, "No!" as loud as my voice could manage.
My eyes were closed, my hands and arms still raised, and I waited for the inevitable pain that was sure to come as that thing that tried to attack Shaw crashed into me, but the pain never came. What was unnerving was there was no noise being made at all. Had I died? Did that thing kill me and did it happen so swiftly I just didn't feel it? I slowly inched my eyes open and looked around in utter disbelief.
"Um, Christina darlin' what did ya just do?" Matthias asked, pure confusion and shock saturating his voice.
"I... ah... I... um, Charis?" I stammered.
Shaw was laying flat on his back to my right, but he had the machete raised in a protective position, shock on his face. At my other side, hanging precariously in thin air, was a woman. She had a sword raised high above her head preparing to attack Shaw. To my astonishment, neither the woman—who was hovering in midair with absolutely nothing holding her up—nor Shaw seemed to be able to move.
Charis rushed forward with a grin on her face, and she muttered more to herself than anyone else, "She has found her powers."
"What... Charis, what do I do?" I asked, completely baffled.
"Whatever you do don't lower your hands," Shaw said unable to move, but at least he could talk.
The mystery woman was still suspended in the air. Her face was twisted with mortified shock, and I finally took a good look at her. She was a black woman with large, perfectly round, deep brown eyes. Her coarse hair was twisted in elaborate braids. She was very tall, about six feet. She was thin, but athletically built with well-defined muscles that could put a lot of men to shame. And her face looked very young, smooth and pretty.
"Charis," I exclaimed, starting to really freak out. "What's going on?"
"It is all right, Christina. You have simply found your powers, your ability to move things with your mind. Try moving your left hand slowly to the right."
I did as Charis instructed and much to my amazement, and the amazement of everyone else because nearly everyone let out an audible gasp, the black woman slowly moved through the air as my hand moved. She looked even more terrified, so I stopped moving her. I was afraid that if I lowered her to the ground, she would attack us, so I held her there. Fatigue pulled at my arms. I wasn't sure how long I would be able to hold her like this.
More people, all of whom resembled the woman, emerged from the thick forest shrubbery to where we stood. They gawked from the woman to me, and back again. Their expressions were a blatant mix of shock and fear.
The man leading this group of about a dozen men and women, shouted "Messiah!" to his followers, then fell to his knees face down on the ground. The others followed his lead. I looked at the woman in the air. Comprehension dawned on her face and I figured it was safe to lower her to the ground.
When I did, she whispered "Messiah" as well, and fell to the ground with the rest of her companions.
I lowered my right hand, releasing Shaw. "Who are these people and why are they doing this?"
"These are Mortif warriors," Shaw explained, getting to his feet. "They think you're the prophesied Messiah."
I frowned and shook my head. This was getting out of hand. First Maxatte, with his overly hopeful attitude that I was the Savior, and now these Mortif people thinking I was some kind of Messiah. I had to do something. I couldn't let this go on any more. I walked over to the woman and knelt down just in front of her. I lifted her head off of the ground and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Please," I said gently to her, "you don't have to do this." Then I turned toward the rest of her people, and repeated myself loud enough for all to hear.
"But you are the prophesied Messiah, aren't you? The one who can save Meric? Only King Davis had such powers, so you must be the Messiah," spoke the tall black man that led the people into the overly unnecessary act of kneeling. His voice was deep, but kind. His skin was very dark, and he had long braided hair as well. He, along with all the other warriors, was of the same outrageously athletic build. This particular man was very big, bigger then Shaw. In fact, his biceps were about as big around as my waist.
I frowned. How was I supposed to answer him? I guess I was the prophesied Savior of Meric, at least according to Charis and the others, but I certainly didn't feel like it, even with this newfound power. The man scrutinized my face, and I eased my frown into a kind smile. Finally, I decided to simply be honest with him.
"My name is Christina. I do not proclaim myself to be the Savior. However, King Davis was my father." Excitement bloomed in his face, so I hastily added, "That doesn't mean I want anybody kneeling in front of me." I got to my feet, grasped the man's hand and pulled, trying to get him to stand up as well. He resisted at first, and I knew I would not be strong enough unless he relented, but after a moment he rose and gestured for the other people to do the same.
"My name is Stafien. This is my daughter Markella." He motioned to the woman who originally attacked us. "I am the chieftain of the Mortif people. I would be delighted if you would join us this evening for your meal. Our village is only an hour's walk toward the west."
I looked at Shaw for clarification on what to do. He stepped forward and said, "I am Shaw—"
"The Shaw?" Markella exclaimed, interrupting him. Her eyes were wide with awe as she looked over Shaw with unmatched admiration. "You are the greatest warrior in all of Meric. Your stories are legend." She paused, then laughing at herself. "I almost attacked Shaw. I am so lucky the Messiah stopped me, otherwise I would have been slaughtered."
"Please, just call me Christina," I said earnestly. I wasn't about to have everyone walking around calling me ridiculous things like Savior and Messiah.
Shaw turned to Markella. "Why did you attack me? It was totally unprovoked."
"A thousand apologies, great warrior," Markella gushed, grasping Shaw's hands and shaking them reverently before dropping them. Shaw looked astounded. "There have been rumors that Rayliex is in the area, and we couldn't take any chances. He could crush us so swiftly and so devastatingly."
"We do not know what Rayliex looks like. We only saw Shaw through the bushes. We did not see the rest of your group. The only chance we would have against Rayliex would be if we caught him by surprise. If he unleashed his powers on us, we would have no hope," Stafien added. He looked sheepish and apologetic. His gaze lingered on Shaw. "We are so very sorry for the misunderstanding." Then his attention shifted to me. He smiled and said, "But now you are here, Messiah... I mean Christina. You have powers to protect us from Rayliex."
"Stafien," I started, "I cannot stay here. We need to get to Verna Mount." I decided it best to leave out the fact that if I had to face Rayliex, he would probably kill me in less than five seconds.
"Then we will journey to Verna Mount with you," Markella exclaimed, her eyes never leaving Shaw. Shaw's face seemed to soften a little, and a touch of trust replaced the apprehension in his expression. Obviously, a fear of Rayliex was a good justification.
"Will all of you be coming with us?" I asked.
"Oh no, we cannot leave our village that unprotected," Stafien replied. "Perhaps just Markella should go with you. She is the best warrior we have. She can help protect you until you complete your destiny and destroy Leticia."
Markella's smile widened at this, her eyes still on Shaw.
"I suppose that would be all right," I said, but my statement was more like a question, and I looked toward Shaw for the answer.
"I have no problem with her coming with us. The more people we have looking after Christina, the better. But I would like to see how good of a fighter you actually are, Markella."
I felt a quick jolt of humiliation at the fact that Shaw thinks I need to be looked after like some kind of child. How embarrassing.
"It's settled, then," Stafien cried. "We will return to the village for food, and Markella can prove her abilities to Shaw. You will not be disappointed, my daughter is splendid."
The Mortif village was very small. There couldn't be more than a thousand people living here. There was a high wooden fence that surrounded the village. We entered only after two of Stafien's men opened the large wooden gate. Along the fence were tall towers, with small enclosures at the top for watchmen to keep an eye out for any possible attacks. Stafien informed me that they protected themselves against Vaipes, Leviathans, Trolls, Nitehawks and a few pockets of evil humans who lived in this part of Meric.
The Mortif homes were small and made of wood, they mostly resembled Charis' cottage. Spaced throughout the town were candle filled lanterns placed on high polls. It was just becoming dusk as we entered the village, and a man walked around carrying a long stick with a flaming end to light these lanterns. At the center of the village there was a general meeting area. Multiple wooden benches and tables surrounded a large wooden pavilion. The pavilion had a dirty wooden floor and pitched roof. Inside the pavilion, dangling from the roof, was a large bell and just to the left of the pavilion were raised wooden bleachers. Everything here had a rough rustic look to it. It reminded me of some old Western movie. I wondered what the pavilion was used for, until Stafien entered it and rang the incredibly large bell.
The bell boomed and all the people in the village flocked to the meeting area. They took seats at the wooden tables, casting suspicious glances toward us strangers to their small community. Stafien motioned for us to join him in the pavilion.
"We welcome some very honored guests tonight," Stafien exclaimed gesturing toward us. "These guests are so special, a proper celebration is in order."
At this the people cheered, and Stafien raced from table to table, instructing different people to get food and drinks. He told a certain group of people they needed to bring out their instruments because he wanted music and dancing. Everyone rushed around, chaotic and frenzied, but apparently enthusiastic about the party about to ensue.
Markella showed us to a small table close to the pavilion. She sat down with us directly across from Shaw, striking up a conversation with him about different fighting styles and sword techniques. This bothered me, but I couldn't place my finger on why exactly. After talking for a bit, Shaw and Markella left our table and walked off to the side of the pavilion where there was some open space. I watched as they drew swords and began sparring. The way they moved was almost like a dance. From my limited knowledge, I knew that Markella was quite good, no real match for Shaw, but she was certainly holding her own.
I grimaced slightly when I realized that Shaw really seemed to be enjoying himself. The two of them got on well, and the conversation flowed so effortlessly between them. I was struck by another pang of annoyance, when I realized it should have been me practicing with Shaw, and then I frowned at myself. I was jealous. How stupid and silly of me. I shouldn't be jealous. Clearly I had let my feelings for Shaw get out of control, and now I was going to become jealous the moment he seemed to be happy with another woman. How absurd. I shook my head in a vain attempt to erase my idiocy. I needed a distraction, so I turned to Charis.
"Hey, Charis," I began, "do you think we should be worried about the rumors of Rayliex in the area?"
"Oh, no. There are constantly rumors flying around about Rayliex. In fact, once he was rumored to be near the Marle Dessert and the Fenko Marshlands at the exact same time, and those two locations are hundreds of miles apart."
"How could he be in two places at once?"
"How indeed?" Charis answered with her knowing smile. "It is mostly fear that stirs up these rumors, especially since no one really knows much about Rayliex, and people always fear what they do not know."
I decided I wanted to keep Charis talking so I changed the subject. Even though talking to Charis helped, I couldn't stop myself from casting an occasional glance at Shaw, and the good time he was having with his graceful and talented new companion. "Why do you carry that staff? Does it serve a purpose?"
Charis smiled sweetly at me. "This staff is very special," she said, glancing fondly at the white staff that hardly ever left her side. "It was made from a particular white tree not far from Whitestone Castle." While she spoke, wonderful upbeat music commenced from the bleachers near the pavilion, and the sweet smell of barbecue wafted from several of the houses. "The staff has no real powers," she continued, "but it holds great sentimental value for me."
"Why?" I asked, hoping to drag out my distraction, but Shaw and Markella laughed loudly, forcing me to glance at them in my peripheral vision.
"Ah, that is a story for another time," she told me in her friendly, but cryptic, fashion. "Here," she said, handing me a small stone she picked up off the ground, "you should try to practice your powers while we wait for dinner."
"Shouldn't I be able to do it now? I mean I was able to completely immobilize two people," I said, turning the smooth grey stone over in my hand.
"Yes, but I am fairly certain that incident was helped along by fear. You may find it easier to draw upon your powers when you are under stress, almost like a reflex mechanism. It is sometimes harder to bring them forth when you have nothing counting on them. After awhile, you will be able to use them as second nature. With practice."
Charis was right. I couldn't move the stone at all. Luckily, I didn't have much time to become too frustrated because dinner was served shortly after. Shaw and Markella returned to our table, and Stafien joined us, as well. Soon many people danced inside the pavilion to the wonderfully catchy music. I felt the urge to dance myself, so I graciously accepted when Stafien invited me onto the dance floor.
I was having a grand time, even when I saw Markella ask Shaw to dance, and he agreed. Sure, I was struck by a pang of jealously, but I tried to ignore it and enjoy myself. After dancing with Stafien, Matthias grabbed me and wheeled me back onto the floor. He cracked so many jokes about how tall I was that I had a hard time keeping pace with the music from laughing so hard. That's when I noticed Cody and Maxatte dancing off by themselves.
"What do you think is going on there?" I asked, inclining my head in their direction.
"That has been a long time comin'. My brother has had eyes only for Cody for a long time now." He paused and for the first time I saw a genuine, not a comedic, smile cross his lips, "Cody is a lovely girl, and I couldn't be happier for Maxatte."
I smiled right along with him, and we laughed again when we caught sight of Charis dancing with Stafien. Everyone seemed to be having a glorious time. After a few songs, I went back to our original table and drank some extremely sweet wine from a carved wooden cup. It was completely dark now, and the light coming from the lanterns threw the whole party into a merry flickering glow.
I enjoyed the sights of Charis' humorous attempts to dance with Matthias as the music shifted from upbeat to a lovely slower melody. A gentle tap on my shoulder drew my attention, and I looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes in the world. Shaw held out his hand.
"Would you like to dance with me?" he asked smiling, his gaze locked with mine. My heart pounded double time. I couldn't control the grin that spread across my face and my entire body felt electrified.
I took a deep breath to try and slow my heart before I replied, barely above a whisper, "I would love to dance with you." I placed my hand in his and he gracefully pulled me to my feet, guiding me toward the dance floor. His eyes never left mine, and I couldn't think of another place I would rather be.
While his left hand held my hand tightly, his right hand slowly moved toward my lower back and we were just about to embrace each other when a horrific screech filled the air. We both gasped and he let go of me. I recognized that blood chilling sound. Again and again the terrible screech rang out at us from all sides. There had to be hundreds of them. It was the Vaipes, and they had the village completely surrounded.