Mythical Creatures of Milshen

A novel about three sisters who must come together with other creatures in order to save Milshem from a dark druid.

Chapter 1

                                                   Jokes, Lies, and More.

 

The day was darker than most, yet clearer than any other days within recent memory. Most of the fall days in the small farming town of Ida Strausss were a light shade of gray except for the summer days. The summer was always the exception because in that season, the breathtaking smells of strawberries and grapes overtook the air from the small vineyards and strawberry farms that covered up half of the small town. However, when fall arrived there seemed to be many days concealed because the sun would disappear leaving rain clouds to hide the way. As so often for fall, today’s sun was hiding behind the rain clouds that seemed to blanket the sky. As Kale looked up at the greenish, yellow fruit that was barely hanging on to the drooping tree because of the rainfall that had proceeded not even a night before; he wondered how long the rain would wait until it could no longer hold its temper and release its fury on the land.  In the small town of Ida Strauss, rainstorms were somewhat common. They never seemed to be violent rainstorms, but instead the frequent down pours seemed to be more of a feeding frenzy for the earth that waited below.  The rainstorms made Ida Strauss a perfect farming town. It was not close to many of the towns by the river that held Inns that were often open and filled with drunken sailors from different voyages. This is one of the main reasons Ida Strauss remained one of the purest of towns and safest places in Milshem. The small town had a rather small percentage of crime as well. Some of the elders would wager that crime only happened once a year at most within the small town, and it was never violent. This made the town of Ida Strauss perfect for most families. The very idea of leaving was hard for Kale, but he knew he could not support his sister if he stayed in the little town. Therefore, leaving him with one only option, he decided they would have to leave.                                                     

          “Kale, how long will it take us to get to Vinar?” Kaleen asked, as she tried to calculate something on her fingers. “I hear it is a two-day ride by horse. However, we do not have a horse so how long will it take us?” Kaleen persisted as she looked back toward their home that now seemed the very picture of sorrow.

          “I am not sure.” Kale said as he secretly hoped she would change the subject.

          “Mr. Sheppard told us that the roads to Vinar are long and curved, he also said that people often get lost because of the Northern Mountain Range. I am sure he said more about it, but I have a hard time remembering everything we covered in that class. He often gets lost in his thoughts, and the lesson on the Northern Mountain Range some how turns into a lesson about killer cats.” Kaleen stated as she tried to squint her eyes to see beyond the snow capped mountains that escalated into the sky.

Today would prove to be a most exciting day for her as she reassured herself. She had always wondered what the land outside their small town would look like, but due to a very over protective father and a brother unyielding in following out orders to look over her, she knew very little about the outside. Her childhood years consisted with her looking over small insects, flowers and anything else that looked questionable to her. She even managed from time to time to sneak off to the spring behind the house in the woods and swing across the small branch that sits so comfortably within the ground. As she looked over at her brother, she wondered how they could be from the same womb. He hated everything she loved, and she in return hated everything he loved!

          “What are you looking at?” Kaleen smirked as she ran towards her brother.  She could not believe how much he had changed; his appearance used to be so thin and frail, but after years of working out in the sun his hair shimmered of a bronze color and his skin held a deep tan. He had the most delightful sea blue eyes that danced if you looked at them in the right shade of light. He was different from the other clerics in the village because he worked on things other than religious documents and teachings. Kale was also good with different kinds of woodwork. However, he shared in their mindset that an empty hand was a free hand for disorder, so he was always busy. Kaleen on the other hand wanted to be free and wild; she often dreamed of letting her long auburn hair down and jetting across the open land as fast as her long legs would take her.  Her brown eyes danced when she learned new things and the dimple in her left cheek seemed to cease never from its constant kidding with others and their fragile emotions. Her father use to say that her smile was pure witchery because she could enchant the oldest of the old and youngest of the young with her brilliant smiles.

          “Well are you going to talk to me or not?” Kaleen said as she kicked him on the side of his leg.

 

“Ouch! Kaleen! I was in thought. Mr. Shepard probably meant the heavy mist that stretches out above the path that leads down south. I cannot say how many days it will take us to get to Vinar because I do not know. Nevertheless, I can tell you that it smells of rain and the clouds seem to be making way for a rainstorm that could make our path a bit unruly at the most. So, it could possibly take us a week just due to the rain that threatens to give us a welcoming party.” Kale said as he nervously bit his lower lip trying to cover up the fear of the unknown. He knew the roads that they planned to take would have been somewhat safer than the road they would really journey upon. For the road that was, lying ahead of them was a road full of desperate highwaymen whom had lost their fortunes on bad bets and other mishaps. Perhaps, it did not help matters that his father used to tell them of tales about demons that walked the roads at night and other horrible things.

          The truth was the town of Vinar was not the town Kale planned to head to, but if he were to tell his sister the truth, she would have many, many questions that he did not care to answer. After their dad’s death, they had to get rid of almost everything just to pay off the debts, and they had very little money to start a new life. He learned about a city below them that needed people with talents, and they would give a small fee for anyone willing to locate to the town. He was more than sure that they could find an Inn near while he worked. All he needed was a chance to show off his talent and they would be hooked on him. It is not everyday that you find a cleric that has a special gift for weapon making and wood making skills all in one. If all went well then perhaps he would gain the townspeople’s trust and be able to take place as their village cleric one day, but one could only hope.

          “Are we ready to go yet? I have some food and some other goodies that I picked up in the bakery. I even managed a trip to see Mr. Palmer near the mill. Therefore, if my calculations are right in about five minutes or so he will find he is missing something that is near and dear to his heart. Perhaps we need to get going now though because I did just as I said, I picked them up!” Jade said with a roguish smile.

Kale gave Jade a half hearted smile and silently wondered how someone who was so blessed could be such a con artist. His friend was of average height for the men in their small town about five feet nine inches with blond hair and gray eyes. He dressed the part of a merchant returning from some great odyssey. Perhaps that was the reason he never paid for his thievery. He appeared to be a man of worth so who would believe he could lift a horse from underneath his very rider!

          “Oh Jade, you will never change, one day you will hang for your ways. I have always told you that to be honest is a virtue and it is to be taken with great consideration.”

          “Aw! Kale, it seems that you could fuss later, but if you really feel that way then I guess you should tell your dear sister….” Jade said with a smile as he bent over trying to get a clear shot to his friend’s ear.

          “You are right we have no time for this, we better get on our way.” Kale said as he looked over at Jade with a scolding glare. The timing really was great because down near the town’s marketplace Mr. Palmer was coming out with a rather large stick in his hand running around his store yelling something in a questionable language.

 “Someone made off with my goods; I tell you this town is going to the pigs!” Shouted Mr. Palmer as he blew his large nose into his rag that appeared to have seen better days. From the looks of his sweating forehead it would appear that, he was rather engaged in something physically demanding before Jade took off with his goods. Perhaps he was playing patty cake of some sort with the twins that so often entered his store with nothing in hand only to come out with all kinds of goods after their short visits.

Kale could only laugh as they began to run toward the end of the small town’s only road. As they entered onto the trail, they noticed that it did not seem very traveled. The grass was ankle high with only two sides worn down by constant walking. Small yellow flowers speckled the floor of the ground as the trail went on. There were trees on one side and a large open valley on the other. There was a broken down sign facing downward on the road that no longer showed directions. It was nothing like the roads outside the town near the port cities. Those cities near the port areas were said to be filled with people and taverns on every corner.

          “You know what I’ll miss. I will miss the twins that live across the street from me.” Jade said as he looked over at Kaleen.

 “I am sure the twins will be most happy to get rid of you Jade. I hear that you are a constant peeping tom when it comes to them. You have no shame at all I swear!” Kaleen said as she looked at their friend with disgust.

“ Oh it is such a pity that we can’t all be like you and your brother, what I would give to be a boring girl, or even a boring cleric that never dreams of fun or scolds at the idea of anything remotely near it.”

“Just because I picked the path of peace does not mean that I am boring Jade, this shows how much you still have to learn. I am at peace with my world and with myself; therefore, I have nothing to prove. In addition, how can you tell anyone about life when you cheat people all the time? Perhaps, you need to read some of my books that I brought along about enlightening of the soul. You are far too restless.” Kale said as he handed a small sachet to Jade that held the First Editions of Spiritual Enlightens of the Soul. As Kale turned around, he silently agreed with Jade. He did find himself far too serious at times, but it was all he knew. However, after a minute of thinking about how much trouble Jade would be in if the storekeeper caught him, Kale decided that being boring was better than being in the gallows.

•   After many hours into the journey they came upon their first Inn, the Inn was small and quaint yet it held a bit of charisma to it. There were no large signs that hung above the door, but someone had taken the time to scratch an almost unknowledgeable looking name into the wood around the window. The Inn did not appear to offer much more than the basic facilities needed to get a journeyman up and back on his way. However, it really did not matter because they did not have enough money to stay over night so they just sat outside behind the building waiting to get a second wind.

          “It looks like it’s going to rain. If that happens, we will get soaked to the bone. I could get us a few extra funds to help along the way.” Jade said as he winked his not so adorable wink at Kaleen and Kale.

          “Jade, I would rather freeze, drown, or maybe even burn than have you use anymore of your thievery. What are you an elf or something?” Stated Kaleen with a smile!

          “That just goes to show that you Kaleen my dear, know nothing about elves because they do not pilfer they kill. When they are finished with their prey they hack them up in tiny pieces and feed them to their elven dogs.” Jade said with a snicker.

          “There are no such things you crazy thief! Anyway! Why must you come with us? We are going to start new life, and make a future for ourselves, and I do not want it to be one paved in crime! You will only bring disgrace on us in the end. I know you will. Then I will not be able to find husband or anything else once they know we are with a thief.” Kaleen said as she hit Jade in the arm.

Jade simply smiled at that comment. He knew why he came with them. Kale was far too nice to do anything that would require the least bit of dishonesty. The truth was, Kale would not be able to make it on his own outside of Ida Strauss, because he had that Ida Strauss way of thinking. He thought that instruction and goodness would overcome everything. Kaleen was no better. Kaleen would not be able to do much with her know it all attitudes either so he knew he was very much needed regardless of her horrid comments.

          “Enough you two, if I have to put up with this all the way I will call a three way spilt. I will go one-way and so will the both of you. Aww, when will you two understand that life is not always about who is wrong, or who is right?”

Just as Kale had finished his speech, the rain began to fall, and fall it did. After about the first hour of getting wet Kaleen found herself begging Jade to turn a trick at least one last time because her skin was beginning to sting from the affect of the water hitting with such strength. The rain never let up so the ground became a wet puddle underneath them, the sand seemed to soak into their clothes and the gritty feelings did not help with the stinging already brought out from the rain. The ground was getting nearly impossible to even sit on due to the sliding of the mud underneath them.

          “Okay, Jade just this one time. Please! I will let you go and …well you know…do what ever it is you do. However, if you get caught, you are on your own!” Kaleen said as she spit rainwater from her mouth trying desperately not to drown within her own discomfort.

          “Ms. Perfect Kaleen, I would have you know, I already have the funds! I was only trying to make a point, which my skills are in very handy to have around. “With a big smirk Jade went in and talked to the Inn keeper and paid him for a room.

The Inn was different from most of the buildings that were back in their old town. It was not only made of wood, but it also had stones that seemed too sat in the foundation that made it look somewhat fancy for a small tavern so far from any port city. A small linen closet set behind the barkeeper. The tavern was clean, but it stank of smoke. The colors that stuck out the most were blue and green because they were the two colors that seemed to envelope the small bar. As the group walked up the stairs, they saw a line of doors that sat across from each other in a formation of some sort. Finally, they reached their door that had nothing more than a piece of wood sticking out to be the handle attached to it.

 The room was small, but it was clean. There was a pitcher set aside for washing and a small wooden cup nearby on the window seal. It did not have much of a view, with its one window housing only a picture of people running to get out from under the rain. With only one bed in the room, the people would most likely have to take the floor. However, it still held shelter from the elements. As Kaleen walked around the room, she wondered how she could possibly get any privacy from her brother and their friend. 

          “Jade why did you let us sit out under the rain for so long? You let us get beat up from the rain. We could have caught the sickness that is going around. Then we could have caught fever and been laid up for a long time, sometimes you act like a complete idiot; I do not know why my brother continues to waste time with you. By the way, I get the bed! ” She stated the latter statement with a large smile on her face as if she had won some untold battle.

          “Guys, I think we need to just rest and get ready for the next part of our journey. Kaleen, I will sleep on the floor near the bed and Jade will take the spot over by the window.”

          “What if I need some time alone to do…. well you know girl things? Can I count on you two to get lost for a while? I won’t be long but I will need a moment or two.”

          “Kaleen, you will have all the time you need, but just let us rest for now and we will talk about it later. I am sure Jade is looking forward to what goodies he can find within this Inn.” Kale said as he found a spot on the floor to rest.

          “Ha, if I did not know any better I would think that was meant to be an insult after all I did for you two. Perhaps, I will go down stairs and see what our Inn offers. I don’t think this Inn offers much, but the cup near the wash pitcher will do just fine as a going away present.” Jade said as he smirked his way out of the room.

 As Jade went down stairs he saw two suspicious men leaning over the bar talking to the owner. They appeared to be tall with dark cloaks on, and the one nearest him had an emblem on the side. The Emblem was blue and gold with a black raven in the center.  He wondered what two well-dressed travelers would be doing in a small country Inn, but perhaps it was just a case of bad directions. After all, he found himself lost often and with the road ahead of them being famous for sending people in the wrong direction it was probably more common than not, to get lost. As he approached them closer, he noticed a golden dagger that hung from the side of the one nearest to him. It was a real beauty; it had a diamond in what appeared to be a raven’s mouth.

          “Hi there, this is a hell of a day to be traveling. I have not seen such a rain storm in ages.” Jade stated and he leaned over and took a step closer to the cloaked man housing the dagger. All the while, he managed to keep close eye contact with the dagger in his sight. He had never seen anything so mesmerizing in all his life.

          The man did not speak; he kept drinking the liquid in his cup. He looked up at Jade from under his long dark cloak but he showed no emotion at all. Then, finally, he stood up and turned toward Jade. He laid his small stack of papers on the table and peered down into Jades face with his hard unyielding eyes. Jade was able to see a jagged scar that ran from his mouth to his chin. His face plastered with freckles only to leave bare the area around his eyes. When he was leaning over the counter he appeared to be of average height, however as he stood up he looked every bit like a tower.

 “I see you have been eyeing my dagger, well I like it too. In addition, if you wish to keep your hand thief, you had better get away from me at once. I will give you one thought of advice to help you with your pitiful occupation thief. Perhaps if you do not eye the next object so intently next time, you might find the person will not read your intent so blatantly. Only a fool lets a person know that they intend to take something,” Sneered the man as he looked for a hint of fear in Jade’s face.

          Jade backed up and looked at the man with a one sided smile. He had yet to lose a chance before he got the chance to use his talent, but perhaps another chance would show it’s self with the dagger. Jade slowly backed up to the dark spot on the wall, all the while quietly promising he would get his hand on that blade before the night ended. It really did not matter if the man knew or not because he was a master at thievery, as the guard would soon find out.

“You know if he stays with us he will find out about me Kale. I was only able to hide it because dad never let me out for long periods. I cannot control the things that happen to me anymore, and things are starting to come to me that I cannot explain. I want to find out more about our mother. Maybe she is or was like me, and if she was maybe, I can find out how she was able to stop a transformation that seems to be growing inside of me. I feel as if I am a freak waiting to break free, but only I do not know what is going to break out Kale. It is so hard to understand. I often feel as if my body is not my body anymore, yet I’m me, but I am not.” Kaleen said as she held her hands down as if she was trying to bind them of their own intentions.

          “Kaleen, you do not need to worry about it, I am sure it is nothing at all. Many people change as they grow older and I am sure that this is just the result of you coming into woman hood. You are just making too much of this. There goes that over active imagination of yours. That is the reason I wanted you to study some of my books on how to enlighten the busy soul. The books could really help you.”

          “Oh sure, that is right Kale I can look at a person and tell what they are thinking and what they have done, and it’s natural. I am sure all young girls see things that are visions and feel things that are odd at times. Perhaps, the nights that I have awaken with fits of sweat and tears all come from my becoming a woman. Perhaps that day out in our village when I nearly killed our father, I was only acting out my girlish frustrations and that is normal too. I pushed him backwards until his arms nearly stuck to the trees then as if that was not bad enough I managed to swing him forward with such great speed that he nearly broke his leg when he landed. What of the visions of the oceans of darkness? The land where people are roaming but can never seem to find anywhere to go? Dad knew something was wrong with me, and that is why he hid me from others. I have visions of people that I have never met. Perhaps a future is yet to come. As for your books, I cannot seem to get past page one. They are boring! Nothing seems to stop the rising within me.”

          “Kaleen, first we have concluded that we have never seen this village that you dream about, it is nothing more than a reoccurring dream and it does not need to bother you so much. You give far too much thought to things that are bizarre and of no meaning to you. I want you to think about a new beginning, and how we will start a new life. As for what happened with father, his version was very different from the one you just spoke of. He said he was blown by a strong wind.” Kale said as he placed his head back on the floor. He knew the truth; he was coming around to give their father a small sachet when he was caught off guard by something that seemed to be an unseen barrier. As he stood there unable to move, he saw his father flying in the air towards a large tree. He glanced back around to find a nearly unconscious Kaleen lying on the ground. Yes, he remembered too well that day because that was the start of their father’s declining health. He always pushed Kale to protect his sister because he knew she was different, and he knew if anyone ever found out she would be in danger of dying.

 

Kaleen did not want to anger her brother, but she felt that something was wrong and it did not help matters that she sensed some kind of danger nearing them as they continued into the mist. However, if she told Kale about it he would surely give her a scolding about her over active imagination. In recent months before her father’s death she had began to see more things and once while she was taking a bath in the stream, she had made the water form a wall around her just by telling it to rise up and cover her? It had started out as just a joke, she was playing as if she was a woman and everything and everyone around her did her bidding. However when the water started to obey her command her first thought was to flee, yet she became mesmerized by the level of obedience from the water. It was so unbelievable because the water moved as if it were a great curtain that enveloped her. It was as if it took a life of its own after she commanded it. It would appear that the water was trying to awaken her from something, but she could not understand it. As for the dreams that she continued to have, as she grew older, they were beginning to take on their own existence in some ways. It almost seemed as if they were visions or memories that were breaking out of her. Water and misty grounds always seemed to be at the center of the dreams. In some of the dreams, she was a small girl with two sisters running near a castle ruin playing in the forest, but in other dreams, she was fighting alone side Kale and others protecting a village that was nothing like the villages she knew.

          “I think I will be retiring Kay, so stay near and do not talk to anyone other than Jade or myself. These taverns are known to have dangerous men in them and they would like nothing more than a young woman to harm in the middle of the night.”

When Kale fell to sleep Kaleen tipped toed out of the room and walked down the barley lit small row of stairs. As she went down the twisting staircase, she noticed a board that was out of place and after trying to push it back into place; she gave into her instincts and commanded it with her words.

          “Get in now!”  With a gush of air, the board flew back into place as if someone had nailed it. Happily, she thought that perhaps her powers could come in handy after all. However, she could never tell her brother about the new twist of her abilities. Most of the times, when she had moments like these her powers seemed to flow from her as the water flows from the waterfall.

          “I would not believe my eyes if I would not have seen it with my own eyes.” Said an old timer with more than a few of his teeth missing. As he stood back looking at her through what looked to be his only one good eye, he bent down and touched the board to see if it no longer needed fixing, only to find it was as if it was newly hammered by someone. Then he smiled and walked off.

Kaleen jumped back clenching her hands behind her back and glared around to see if anyone else was looking. Her vision seemed to zoom around the room in the oddest fashion. It only took her one glance to see the others that now seemed to be looking her way.

 “I was just jesting with it that’s all. See, I pushed it down with my feet and it went into place. It just took a while; anyway do you not know that it is not nice to sneak up on people?” Kaleen said as she looked on at the old man with a hint of anger in her glare. She recalled how her father use to tell them about how a magical being had come and ruined their country once before. If her memory was right, the magical being was from an old dark family and once everyone united, they were able to push the evil magic worker out and save their lands. So, every since that day magic had been outlawed in Milshem.

          With a near smirk, the old man backed up and said, “I didn’t mean any harm mammy, I thought I saw you talking to the darn board, maybe I had one too many ales. Anyway, I am the least of your worries, there is a tavern full of men down there and if you show yourself to them in clear sight, you will have a fight on your hands. You need to stay put mammy. Or better yet get back up those stairs.”

          Kaleen did not want to give into the old man, and from all the commotion, she heard below, she knew he was telling her the truth. However, knowing something does not always make a big difference in what we desire to do because she preceded down the stairs as if he had said nothing to her at all.

          “Looka here men, what a pretty one we have. Why don’t you come sing a song for me love? I bet your voice is as pretty as your little lovely face, and after the song maybe you can feed me my mush darling.” Stated a man about mid height with dirty blond hair. He wore a pair of old muddy boots with a scar under his chin; he walked with a drag under his right foot.

Kaleen looked over at the man, and came to a stop. She thought perhaps if she presented herself as being a loose woman that the men would leave her alone. If they thought, she was a fresh, pure woman they would be more willing to try to rid her of her pureness so a plan formed within her mind. She would play the role of a tavern w***e, only by words of mouth and nothing else of course.

          “Why don’t you sing the song Mr. I bet you could sing a really wicked song, perhaps of how you frighten children from their dreams with that awful smell of yours or that mess of a scar circling around your neck?” Kaleen said as she ran her fingers across her neck in order to give him a clear picture of what she was talking about. She knew she should have left out the latter part, but the words sounded so easy that she thought it would be better to go with the flow rather than think of something different. Moreover, she did not know what a tavern w***e talked like, so she thought she could wing it by imagination only.

From the look on the man’s face Kaleen was beginning to think her imitation of a tavern loose woman was horrible at most and very lacking near best. She looked at him a bit longer and started to notice a change in his demeanor. He was no longer smiling at her; he seemed to be looking rather indifferent now.   The man’s face started to stiffen and slowly he looked up from his glass. His face seemed to turn a near gray. If there were one thing he could not stand, it would be a woman with a smart mouth. However, a young girl with a smart mouth was far more than he could take. Before he could reply Jade was by his side.

          “Mister she is daft you have to pardon her she does not know what she says.” Interrupted Jade. “I will take her back up stairs where she belongs. Come on Kaleen I think we should get going you have offended the man.”  Jade said as he reached out to grab Kaleen. “Say sorry Kaleen.”

          “No, I do not think I will. He started it.” She whispered as they backed up an inch or two.

          As they began to turn and walk away, Kaleen felt the sudden grasp of a hand around her neck and then she felt a tight squeeze. Without thinking, she struggled and managed to loosen the grip as she faced her offender only to see him facing her with the intent of murder in his eyes.  Only one thought came to mind. The thought that came into her mind was not, hide, but it was rise. With a fast wave of her hand, she threw him onto the table across the room. The table bounced against the floor while others fled from it. As she studied the men’s faces, they seemed to glare at her with hate and scorn. While others looked on in fear.  She looked back at her would be attacker. In addition, slowly she moved in closer to him. The man who looked so brave and harsh only seconds ago now looked scared and childish. His eyes grew large with fear while the scare around his neck seemed to disappear due to his constant lowering of his face. If he could have ducked it within his neck, he would have, for now it hardly looked as if he had a neck at all. She leaned in closer and then it hit her. This man like the others in the tavern was afraid of her. With nothing more to do, she ran back up the stairs to awaken her brother. She knew the stories about mages and people of magic. The truth was many years ago a mage could have lived in peace, but not now. A mage would be imprisoned, took off and maybe even killed. The new times did not find any places for mages. She knew they needed to depart as soon as possible. Jade walked around the other side of the tavern and hid in the dark corner. As the tall guard stood with the others and whispered something Jade reached around and very gingerly took the dagger and scurried off without the guard noticing a single thing.

          “Kale, Kale, wake up we have to get out of here. Come on we have to get going. Get up!  ”She cried as she pulled at her sleepy brother.

He slowly looked at his sister and then turned back around as if he were in a dream. Kaleen knew if she did not get out of the Tavern, her and her brother would be in great danger so quickly she went at the task of getting Kale to his feet all the while picking up their small bag. Together they climbed out the window. Jade arrived seconds later holding a small sachet. The three began to sneak around the back of the tavern hearing loud shouts and curses. The back of the Tavern was not well lit up at all. It only had a small lantern that did not seem to work well. Kaleen blew a small wind at the lamp knocking it to the ground. With a sudden thump, the small light blew out and the three were able to flee under the cover of the night. The quicker their pace the more holes they seemed to step into, and then finally Kale made them come to a stop.

          “Jade, Kaleen, is either one of you going to tell me what happened? Why are we leaving so fast I thought we were going to get some rest? It is still raining we will get sick and catch our death out here. Why are we running off like thieves in the night? Jade were you caught stealing? I told you one day you would pay for your ways. Oh great now we all will rot in the gallows. I knew this would happen. I knew it.” Kale said as he tried to keep up with the others.

          “If we stay Kale we will die for sure and that might be before we reach our new home in the gallows. Your sister caused a scene that even I could not top back in the Tavern.” Jade said as he looked back to see if anyone was in pursuit. Jade looked over at Kaleen and then back at Kale. All a sudden this adventure had just taken a turn for the better he inwardly thought. A real adventure was far better than finding a job in some boring place. In addition, to make matters better, he now had in his possession a rare dagger that held a raven with a diamond in its mouth. “Kaleen you were the perfect ploy that I needed to get the dagger. I always knew you had it in you. Now we see I am not the only one with tricks.” Jade said as he laughed aloud.

          “Yeah that’s right just be loud Jade. You want them to catch us right. I bet they would cut both your hands off for that blade.” Kaleen sneered as she looked over at Jade.

          “What are you talking about Jade?” Asked Kale.

          “If you are asking about the thing that happened to your sweet little sister, it is best she informs you of that. However, I ran into someone who out right called me a thief before I could even commit the act. So, in small words I proved him right and wrong at the same time.” Jade said as he toyed with his new toy.

          “Kale may I speak to you in private?” Asked a confused Kaleen.

          “Not to intrude, but I saw what happened you might as well talk in front of me because for all we know the man that she offended might be following us from the Tavern as we speak. We are in this together guys no secrets.” Jade said as he nervously looked back into the darkness. Fear was something that did not usually visit Jade, but he could swear he felt eyes on them and they seemed to be close. So close that his back was beginning to feel like a critter bed.

  “Okay fine, Kale, you know when I was talking to you about some of the odd things that were happening to me when dad was alive? Well, the oddest of all things that have happened in a long time, just happened back in that tavern. A man grabbed me and before he could choke the life out of me, I turned and threw him across the room without meaning too. On the other hand, perhaps I did.  It came so natural, it was like a wave of the hand and he was gone. I told you something was wrong with me, but you did not believe me. Things have been happening a lot more often since the death of dad. I think my emotions are tied to it some kind of way. When I am happy, I can make things happen, and when I am mad, I can make them happen as well. The only time I feel at peace is when I am tired. My dreams are a constant battleground. The dreams are good verses evil, with me as always being the deciding blow.

“Guys, I heard noises and rather it be Kaleen’s thugs that will come, or the cloaked men at the tavern, I would really rather not be here. We need to make haste if we are to make sure none of those people can come after us. Maybe we can cut threw the forest by the mouth of the mountain I am sure we will make it around the same time to Viner.”  Stated a distraught Jade. Fearful he was not, but he knew if the guards saw him, he would go to the gallows. Moreover, what ever lurked in the woods seemed to be awful curious about their conversation because it still did not show it’s self. Yet it stayed very close.

          “Jade that is one of the first things you have said that I can truly agree with.  We will talk more about Kaleen in a more private setting. I guess since truths are coming out I might as well let it be known we are heading toward Klovenstein.”

          “Klovenstein, what is a Klovenstein? You told me we were heading toward Viner. I guess I was not the only one holding back brother of mine.”

          “Kaleen, I do not think we need to argue about the intent of our location at this moment. We have more pressing issues at hand. Besides we, all need time to think about the events that have unfolded back there in the Tavern. If you are indeed a mage that will put us in a very difficult spot because mages are hated in these parts.”  Kale said as he slowly looked around.

          Mages were somewhat hated around the Country of Milshen because of an old century mage that was a druid. The druid once ruled a country far off in the seas... The town was not near Ida Strauss, but it did not stop the stories about the evil mage from spreading all throughout the towns under Milshen. The dark druid mage use to put the people under spells to make them do his bidding. He would make his guards go into the villages and take young boys. The children would return years later only to be his henchmen. He reigned for sixty years before he was caste out. Legend has it that an old druid caste the mage out and set up protection for the lands surrounding the mist every sense. Before he left out of his territory, nothing was ever the same. He left the place desolate and horrid with nothing but dark shadows that seemed to hold the people prisoners. They all knew the stories well, for they all heard them as children.

With nothing more to say they continued walking, and the rain continued pouring, but unlike before, there was not a hint of newness and fun in the air. This time is was a hint of danger and unknown troubles that lurked around the corner.

 

 

                              

 

 

 

Author's Note

Working on grammar issues