Our Final Quest

My first real story I ever wrote-it is a few years old. It began as a dream-really, I woke up rather stunned... WARNING: Mushiness :)

There are really only two kinds of people in this world-those who do not accept magic and those who do; what separates them is that those who do believe have been touched by it and consider it either a salvation or a joy. I remember when I did not believe. It took nearly losing my mind, but in one afternoon I discovered the truth behind it and what it would mean for me.

It was only three years ago; since then, everything else moved just as fast and I found myself clinging to those with whom I became most familiar. Especially to him. I had left home to "find myself" and "discover my purpose"-and other such nonsense. I still wonder whether or not I would have been better off never hiking through the forest surrounding my parents' small house. It was the hottest time of the day, but I still wore my overcoat which everyone else believed to be a cape. I remember the November leaves falling from the oaks and the loud snaps and crunches that followed after my every step. I did not mind; in fact, I preferred it. The familiar sounds reassured me that my problems would be solved and questions answered if I just went straight and never looked back.

Perhaps I should have paid more attention as my father had always said. I was so engrossed in the twigs breaking under my boots and the rustling wind that I did not hear the slow, warning whipping the wings made. All I know to call it is a demon; some who care more about the name instead of the power and ferocity of the beast might argue it was anything from a gargoyle to a griffin. I really have no idea.

I remember stopping in my tracks because I had another one of my infamous feelings; then there it was, a few several yards above me with narrowed eyes that seemed to belong to Satan himself. I heard its shrill cry, my startled gasp as I fell back-then suddenly the beautiful noise an arrow makes when it leaves the bow right before hitting its target. This is obviously not about the creature; but rather the man who shot the arrow.

I glanced back once the demon collapsed onto the ground not far from me, bleeding out slowly from the side of its neck. The oddest looking elder and most handsome man I had ever seen were suddenly standing proudly on the bank behind me. The younger called the creature Vindanric as he pulled out his weapon from the new carcass and told his friend to "check on the girl." Looking back, I wonder how either of them put up with me for three years. Vindanric had not even lay a claw on me, but I was hysterical for the remainder of the night. I think the older man, Harmon, felt pity for me at first; Richard, on the other hand, simply found me a chore he had to baby-sit. 

I insisted and urged and begged for a full week before they finally told me everything-why they were following Vindanric, who they were, and why I could never return home. Again, I was overwhelmed with Harmon's honesty and Richard's blatant way of explanation. They were hunters who tracked beasts like the one that found me and fought to prevent others from learning the existence of Vindanric and his friends; I could never go home because they could not trust me to keep their livelihood a secret-not that anyone would believe me, of course, but it could make others curious and eventually everything would then be revealed. Which was a danger neither of them wanted to face.

After another week, I did not mind as much. Harmon had learnt from a very early age the secrets of Mother Nature and how to use her gifts as a sort of magic; I surprised them both by being a very willing and accepting pupil. While at first Richard was forced by the older man to give me at least one lesson on defending myself so that I would not again be a burden-as he referred to our meeting-, he was more than pleased to have someone near his age to gossip with about Harmon or fight in mock battles; I learned that blades and silver-tipped arrows were the only things lethal against anything possessing any form of magic-needless to say, the first dozen battles or so ended with me trying to not drop my weapon. I dedicated my life to serving with them to protect against what so many others were never as blessed to witness.

Richard and I quickly became the best of friends.  Never did we separate; I think that was partially because he did not trust Harmon's ears or eyesight to protect me, and he already swore against my hearing and ability to feel a change. He hated the idea of me possibly having an unnatural or supernatural sense; we never brought it back up after the first time I told him and proved to be right. I guess after daily fighting something not able to explain, he did not want to even consider the fact that the newest member of his happy little club might have something in common with what he found such pleasure in killing.

It did not take long for me to become just as good as he when it came to a sword or bow. What an accomplishment it was to impress and make him proud! He smiled more that day when I had him on the ground and my blade pointed just below his chin than the previous six months we were still getting to know each other. No longer was I just his friend or the girl he rescued and trained; I became his equal and most devoted companion and partner in battle; though, I always did not believe that to be enough. I never thought about my former life. I favored my new family and the quirks of both men; and wonderful ideas and captivating eyes of one in particular.

After another year of simply traveling with them, I discovered they were not alone; there was actually three other people involved in their hobby, but they all stayed in towns either learning more information on our enemies or just drinking away the fear and nightmares that often accompanied an outing with Harmon and Richard. Brendan, Kaitlyn, and Winona were there names. Kaitlyn and I became friends almost immediately; I liked Winona too, but she seemed more interested in the science and understanding of what we fought rather than forming eternal friendships. I did not trust Brendan from the moment I took in his scrawny frame and mysterious laugh whenever someone was being serious or warning; worse, he began spending more time with Richard which prevented the leader from also being with me. When I told Richard I did not trust the other, he shook his head and offered me another one of his amused grins as well as the usual embrace which had me forgetting why I went to him in the first place. After admitting that if anything ever happened to him he would want Brendan to step up as leader, he promised that Brendan would have no effect on our close friendship-so I said no more about it. And as cruel fate would have it, all three of them rejoined their old friends-with me included right between the two.

Still months later, Richard had another surprise no one thought important to tell me. While we did need to go wherever the magic led us, there was a secret underground dwelling which was basically their base camp; it truly was more like a palace, for it was always lit with torches and their was a room for everyone and still more left over for dining or strategizing. I took to it instantly, glad to finally have a rest after over a year from hunting and fighting.

The second night after we arrived, Richard took me to the room farthest from the cavern's entrance. After a quarter mile of running and laughing, we finally reached it and he again became the somber man I first knew. The room was truly as magnificent as it was horrific. At least two hundred creatures lay dead encased in glass upon a foot-high pedestal for each, all in perfect, neat rows outlining the walls. This room purposely had the most torches so that it could be admired as a treasure hall. I remember being stunned, and, for a moment sickened by everything I saw in one instant. He understood immediately, not waiting for me to bother in questioning him before taking my hand and speaking calmly as he always did when I made it apparent I did not agree or like what I saw.

I learnt that this was indeed like a showroom for their trophies; but the only audience was them. This was how they prevented anyone from stumbling upon a half-rotted carcass of what we fought and hid. Though, that did explain why after every kill he would make Harmon lead me in an opposite direction for about half an hour-to drag the body away so that it could decompose away from humanity or be hidden just so that they could retrieve it at a later and better time; for instance, when I slept or whenever I went to town to buy or replace. 

Then he told me the most intimate secret of all. That room was where we were all to be kept when it was time before being buried at the front of the caves; I did not like the idea of being on display next to a creature twice my size, and I told him as much. Unfortunately, he knew my weakness and played it to our advantage. Since he was really the first hunter of our generation and true leader, he would be honored by leaving with that title and so much more. His reasoning was somewhat farfetched, but that did keep my attention from returning to the giant winged lizard on my right.

It hurt me to hear him speak of dying; I almost broke down that very moment, but he still smiled and I thought he deserved my listening before sobbing. Since he was the leader, he tried to convince me to think of him as king for a moment. I could have cursed him then for taking me to such a god-forsaken place only to lower my spirits, but I nodded and had him go on. 

What he whispered was worth all the hardships endured for nearly two years. He wanted a queen by his side for the remaining time of his life and death after. And as terrible as it may have sounded, that was why he always had me close by-in case anything ever happened to him, he wanted his last moments spent with the only one who could make him laugh and love as if everything was right in the world. Richard still behaved like the serious, mature man he had to be as leader, meaning the only times we could further discuss our closeness were few and far apart. But after we left the back room and both retired to his room opposite of mine, he made up for all the future nights we would never be together because of duty.

The only thing I ever regretted was keeping my own share of secrets from him. I knew he despised what we fought, and with good reason-our kind simply was not safe and only those who understood could kill; after he revealed the last thing he had been keeping from everyone, I knew I could never be honest with him. As hard as I tried to stifle my senses he did not approve of and the nearly painful feelings that always followed, I was discovered not even a month later. Some might consider him a less romanticized form of a wizard; I just called him Teacher. He had been looking for me since my first experience with Vindanric. I was thankful the others were not around when he explained I was his mission and the magic or supernatural world wanted me to learn from him. I agreed and we continued to meet in secret; whenever he was ready for a lesson, he would just have to blink and wave his hands around while uttering a two-word chant then I was in front of him, leagues away from my friends and new family. I kept what happened whenever I disappeared from camp to myself.

I remember our last quest more vividly than the best moments any of us shared. Richard had just returned to the caves from traveling alone in search of more information and tales of our next conquest; we were all in a joyous mood that night and carelessly agreed to go in search of it. It was not like any other creature we had dealt with in the past. A depressed forest spirit seemed much tamer than all the flying and screeching beasts we encountered day after day; legend was that the spirit had been an expecting mother who wandered the woods at the worst time. A band of disguised men robbed and left her for dead, leaving after slicing the child from its womb and in its own blood. She roamed the forest, hiding and waiting for those who destroyed her life so that she could pay her vengeance; the only downfall was that all her victims were never present then and died innocent.

The next morning we ventured on to where it was rumored she was murdered. Each had at least one blade in hand, all of us watching our step and fellow man. The farther we continued from the clearings, the more drops of blood suddenly appeared on the cold ground; we knew we were close, but nothing assured us we were not in one of the spirit's traps. Harmon first spotted the pool of blood under the largest dead oak. In that instant, everything around us became lost in the howl of the wind and wails of a woman crying for her child.

She had no true shape-she was the forest. Branches began breaking from their trees and landing inches from us as nearly every leaf formed together like a cyclone in the center; but somehow, I saw her body from the day she lost everything-her eyes, her feet, and even the roundness of her midriff from the eight-month-old who relied on her to bring him safely into this world. It was my idea that the only way to stop her was to stab where the group of men had. It took all my convincing for the other girls to believe that there was no longer a child in danger and only good could come from her release. Everyone dodged slapping vines and raining pebbles in hopes of slicing her through. I had my sword raised the highest, and all it would have taken to be rid of the spirit was one last moment. 

Teacher had ordered me to come that instant; when the blade finally hit stone, it was by Teacher's jumping back before he could be cut in half. I demanded to be returned; never before truly witnessing how insistent I could be, he grumbled and flicked his hand and promised me there would be consequences if I did not learn my craft was more important than our foolery.

I was somewhat disoriented when again in the middle of the battlefield, but paid no further heed to it when I realized the spirit was gone; I heard the cheering and sighs of relief escape from my friends before anything else. But everything seemed as if a blur. I spun around, studying the proud faces of Kaitlyn and Winona, the staid glance from Harmon, and even the smirk playing over Brendan's sly countenance. I did not understand where the spirit's body could lie. 

Finally I asked, "Where's Richard?"

Everything hushed. The girls refused to meet my questioning, pleading stare and Brendan only took in the fresh crimson gracing his dagger; Harmon did not answer until my screams became unbearable. When I was no longer in sight, Richard had made a beautiful hit straight through her; but something went wrong. She revealed to them that she could only die by the blood of a killer. Richard did not believe her and thrust his blade deeper and deeper through; finally, for the good of all, Brendan tried to help and use his against her as well. 

But his weapon missed and nicked Richard's side; the spirit began to weaken, and Brendan missed her again and again and again! Finally, she grabbed the wounded and they stumbled down the tall bank with a loud crash before all was silent. Tears streamed down my face as I looked over without a moment's hesitation and found him still and cut from his left side to his right; my head whipped back to the trio who had nothing to say. I swore and screeched until all I could do was condemn them all to hell in a whisper. How could they? They all seemed to care more about the "good" of all then the life of our leader and friend. And king. Harmon took me back to camp to rest while Brendan and the girls retrieved the body; but I was not fooled by the false remorse-I knew the truth behind Brendan and the accidents. All I could think about was how desperately Richard must have wanted me there, the last thing he would see; for surely, he must have known what was to be his fate.

I was grateful they all let me have time alone to say my goodbyes. As Richard had wanted it, his body was kept in the back room with all his victories; it still did not seem right in my eyes, the hero alongside the scum and vanquished. I fell to my knees and wept bitterly before being able to look at him and not be hysterical.

"You're home now, Richard. You're safe, hidden with me in your kingdom away from them-all the creatures, the others in the caves-and we never have to see them again." 

I had stolen one of Richard's swords from the chest where Harmon kept all the weapons. Before I had even taken a step into the back room, my innards were only being held in by my hand keeping them where they were supposed to be until I made my promise. No one had noticed the trail of blood flowing down my leg as I shuffled through the caves to say goodbye; they were all too busy feeling sorry for me and quieting whenever I entered a room they were in. But I did not care about them. All that was important was reclaiming my title with Richard for eternity. With a last kiss to assure him I would be with him soon, I collapsed onto the floor as the last bit of blood I had left trickled into my boot, and I never had to witness magic again.

Author's Note

Since this was originally a dream, I did purposefully try to make it more of a memory or story of the past. Hence the little amount of dialogue and broader ideas.

Reviews

[Anya Myth]

Wow, it was great and I loved it. It was just my cup of tea as it were. The way it starts so slowly and it builds up and then the ending...okay, so maybe I'm not a fan of suicide but it really was great, just like I stated previously.
Keep writing and don't be shy to ask me to read anything you've written or will write. :)

[Sarah Marie]

Oh wow....this is the first good review this story has gotten :) I am so glad and relieved that you like it. Don't worry, I'm not a fan of suicide either..... somehow this became a twisted Romeo and Juliet version toward the very end. Again, thanks for your review! I really appreciate it!

[The 13th Eros]

You helped us glimpse inside your mind to walk among your dreams. So darkly moving in the shadows of magical enchantments, your creation comes to fullness with each description and succinct, stunning dialog. You're remarkable.

[Sarah Marie]

Welcome to my mind... I never know what to say in response to your reviews or praise! :) I hope a simple thank you always can suffice...

[The 13th Eros]

You need not even thank me for bringing me your beautiful expressions. I should be thanking you. :)

[keyvan]

................. thank for your pen...for your hand...for your write.I kneel in this story....

[Sarah Marie]

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your review! Thank you!