Original Mission

After fleeing the castle, Sharif returns to Drerry's place to try to find the scroll.

“Well don’t just stand there help me pull them in here”, Nadia shrieked as she was pulling a guard by the arm into the dining hall. Sharif followed her lead and when both men were in the room out of sight he stuck his head out and peaked around the corner.      “What did you do to those guards”, he asked Nadia curiously.

            “A small enchantment”, she answered quickly. They went down the hall and to the right which was a corridor filled with guards luckily Nadia caught Sharif as he was about to the turn the corner. Sharif noticed the panic look of Nadia as she was trying to think of a way to get past all the men.

            “Use your enchantment again”, Sharif said motioning towards the guards.

            Nadia appeared annoyed as she faced him. “It is not that easy I am neither a witch nor a sorceress. What I used on those guards was merely being a sultry woman with a mix of noddingberry juice.” She noticed Sharif was going to ask a question and she knew which one, but they didn’t have time. The King would be back any moment. She held a finger to his face and spoke.

            “Follow me.” she said and rounded the corner while straightening her pose. Sharif hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did as he was told. He and Nadia walked side by side face first with a steadied rush pace and they almost made it through had it not been for the Kings second lieutenant Milo to step in there way.

            “Where are you going”, he asked looking directly into Nadia. Although feeling threatened she stood her ground firmly

            “I asked the King if I could escort Sharif out. The King knows how grateful I am that Sharif outed the murderer of my parents and thief of the King.” Milo hesitated for a moment before stepping to the side. Nadia let out a breath of air and immediately withheld it fearing he heard so she walked faster still. They finally reached the main hallway and luckily for the both of them no guards in sight.

            “You know that was almost too easy getting passed those guards why didn’t you try that by yourself.” Sharif asked thinking that she could definitely talk her way out of anything.

            “I’ve tried more times than I know and each time I get to the area of the guards and each time they never let me pass. I needed someone to get me pass and today in the throne room you proved yourself an ally to the King. They would trust you because of it. You’re who I needed.”

            “So wait you just used me is that it.” Sharif heard himself spill out he’d only known her just moments and he felt betrayed and he didn’t even know why his heart felt crushed. Upon hearing his roar at her Nadia felt ashamed in an instant, but knew this was not the time or place.

            “I will tell you anything you want to know but we must leave now.” They both agreed in there silent looks of each other and headed for the castle doors. The doors shut behind them feeling like massive spears they knew there was no heading back now. They ran down the massive stairs as fast as they could without arousing suspicion.

 “Where’s your horse”, Nadia looked up toward him talking. Sharif motioned toward the stables and they walked in and retrieved his horse. Sharif climbed aboard first then extended his hand to Nadia who was now shielded in a brown coat as to not harbor suspicion that she was leaving the courtyard. With Sharif’s lead the horse galloped towards the castle gates and the guards at the gates asking no question let them through. As soon as they were many minutes away and the castle seemed small Nadia asked him to take her to his home even though Sharif was obviously not going in that direction.             “I’ve been blindsided by you. I must do something for Drerry I have betrayed him. I will take you wherever you wish after I go back to his place. She understood she had fueled her own agenda until now. As much as she needed to go back home she knew he needed to go to his home. So she held on tight and after an hour or two she felt herself leaning against his frame. Surprising Sharif himself it was a wanted and welcomed gesture and if he had not been holding onto his horse he would have held her even more closely to him. It was about this time did they notice Drerry’s place. In fact it was his home and workplace.

At the same time the King had returned from viewing Drerry’s body finding it badly burned. He was furious and killed the guard for torching Drerry and forced the remaining guards who let it happen to search the body to make sure the scroll was not engulfed in the blaze. He returned to his chambers and retired for the evening. Although it wasn’t a good evening for him he had dreams of her all night. Her beauty she could be his queen and she would sire him heirs. With the scroll they could rule together forever. Yes he who held the scroll could conjure magic and with magic all things were possible making him unstoppable. He awoke wanting to go to her bed chamber in the middle of the night he wanted to start there life together here and now. He stopped just outside of his room two of his men that guarded his room walked with him. He didn’t want an audience but he could send them away but then again she’d be sleeping he’d seen her sleep he didn’t want to disturb her not now he would be back first thing in the morning. 

 

Maleia: Nodmez

 

Nadia and Drerry it seemed had a head start for now even though they didn’t even realize it. Drerry’s door to his library was broken if not completely off the hinges. As soon as they walked through the doorway they could see books and papers strewn all over the place.

 “Oh no I must find it.” Sharif began to freak out he started flipping through papers immediately. “I don’t even know what I’m looking for.” Nadia rested her hands on his shoulder.

“Let me help”, she said whispering to his right ear.

“The scroll”, he said.

“The scroll”, she repeated. “I know what it looks like I’ve seen it once when my father was working on it”, it’s very old and fragile but durable and long if your friends smart he would only keep it with his important work not out in the open like the other things.” She was right Sharif nodded and he moved toward his office located in the back of the shackled building with Nadia following. This building like many other merchant housing included an upstairs for the personal household and the first floor to conduct business.

There it was his little office which really consisted of a very small room only big enough for a desk and two chairs with a little window opposite the door. Hope they both now had when to there view at first it seemed the desk was untouched there hearts raced and paces quickened as they each got closer to the desk. For Sharif finding the scroll and saving it from the Kings reach he could somehow redeem himself for the murder of Drerry. For Nadia finding the scroll could help her understand why her parents were viciously murdered. Sharif rounded the desk first to find the drawers in the front had been ripped out and no papers were in sight.

“No, it can’t be.” What to say what to do. He didn’t know all hope seemed lost in those mere seconds. He figured the scroll to be found and the King to be victorious.

“It’s not there”, Nadia said full of disbelief. This too had been her last measure of hope. With hope lost comes sorrow and sorrow gives rise to anger. “Did you get what you wanted”, Nadia yelled at Sharif. “Huh, did you?” “My father is dead, your friend is dead and all you accomplished was giving the King exactly what he wanted no matter the cost.”   

“I never intended for any of this to happen I wasn’t the reason for the death of your parents.” Sharif explained trying to take the blame away she kept pointing on him. The blame he already put on himself he couldn’t take the way she looked at him the disgust she was pointing on him.

“No you didn’t cause my parents to die, but you made sure there death would be in vain. My father risked all of our lives for a scroll to keep it away from the King. My father faced death and refused to give Drerry’s name because he desired safety of the scroll to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Tell me you were thinking of someone other than yourself when you road to the Kings palace.” Her words rang out like needles. He felt every prick from every breath of every word all over him. He had caused this he had made sure the King would get the scroll. He knew if the King would kill for a scroll then there would soon be many more deaths and he would be the reason. He would be the source of it all and he realized there was no hope and he wanted to drown in his sorrow, but there was no time for it he had to act and he didn’t know how or where to go they would be hunted and killed. His anger began to boil inside of him and he released it by throwing over the desk and chairs in Drerry’s little office before throwing himself on the ground and cried for the first time in his life.

Nadia had watched the turmoil unfold across his face. She wanted to take back the words she had spoken to him, but she was afraid to. Not afraid in the sense of backlash afraid that she would betray her parents somehow. They were gone and she had to avenge there murder and make sure there murderer did not get away with his crimes no matter the way she had to find one. Though she did not need to be mean to Sharif she would need his help before long. She couldn’t take on his empire with his vast armies along she was working on plans as Sharif just looked around. Then suddenly she saw his anger get the best of him as he tore about ripping things around the office tearing them down flipping the desk and chairs to the ground hearing them break into many pieces. For a moment she couldn’t think or move too stunned she even thought the anger was for her and before long he would come after her. She turned to leave to grab the horse and flee. Then she heard his tears and as much as her heart was screaming to run her head would not allow it or was it both because her feet failed her and turned around and walked into the office toward Sharif. She knelt toward him lifted his face which was wet from his tears and held him in her bosom. Sharif pulled her closer and for a moment in time nothing else existed and they held each other. Sharif felt an intense connection to her and lifted his face toward her face to lean in to touch her lips.

The moment would have perhaps been mutual if a familiar paper had not been visible from the broken desk leg catching Nadia’s attention.

Author's Note

Hope it's not too long, couldn't think of a better stopping place.