-Are you okay?- she asked him.
I think so – he said while looking at her. Stains of blood covered her body and clothes but he knew it wasn’t hers. He had just seen her eliminate three men with her sword, moving as gracefully as a gazelle, striking her enemies with the force of a lioness. They didn’t stand a chance against her.
-We have to move. There may be more nearby. – she said.
-Who are you? What did- he started to say but with a swift movement she was beside him. She dragged him to a corner, her body pressed against him, and covering his mouth with her hand. Just as he started to struggle he heard the voices.
-Where is he? He couldn’t have gotten that far? – said a hoarse voice.
-I don’t know, but he couldn’t have killed all of the others. Someone must be helping him. – responded a second male voice while others agreed to it. The boy could hear them moving closer and wondered if they would be able to hear the beats of his heart who was threatening to explode. At that moment the girl whispered something he couldn’t understand and a cold sensation struck his insides. He looked at her puzzled but she had closed her eyes with a concentrated look on her face. Then he saw them. About twenty men walking toward the place they were standing. They were too exposed. He wanted to run but her grip was getting tighter. Then it was too late.
The leader, a tall muscled man in dark clothes, with sword in his hand looked exactly at the place they were standing. The boy knew they were outnumbered and even the girl wouldn’t be able to defeat them. Drops of sweat went down his forehead while he started to imagine how they were going to torture him once they get a hold of him.
-He’s not here. Where did the little devil go to? – said the man. He signaled his man to follow him and they continued their way without looking twice where the boy and the girl were standing. In a few moments the others disappeared in the shadows.
-Let’s go. – she said and this time the boy followed her quietly. They moved fast, running through the backstreets of the city, protected by the shadows of the night. The boy had trouble keeping up with the girl who seemed eager to get to their destination. A few minutes later they were in front of a building. It was tall, deteriorated and was located in a dirty street with trash everywhere. She knocked on the door twice, constantly looking around the street. A moment later a person in a cloak opened the door. His face was hidden in the shadows.
-What’s the meaning of this Aryanna? – he said in a tone that made the boy tremble in fear.
-I found the boy. They had captured him. We need to protect him. – she told the man in an strong secure voice that even though strained sounded as beautiful as the singing of a siren.
-You have no business here! I told your people I didn’t want anything to do with this shit. – he answered trying to close the door but she was faster, pushing the door with her foot and striking the man in the face. – Argh! What the hell! How dare –
-How dare I? How dare YOU disobey the queen orders you worthless coward! – Fury gleamed in her eyes as she shoved the man into the wall. She took a knife out of her clothes and pressed it against the man’s throat revealing his face. He was a middle-aged man with an extremely long beard who appeared to have not taken a bath in quite a while if you looked at the dirt in his face. – You know how important this kid is? The prophecy needs to be fulfilled. – she shouted at him.
- STOP! Who are you people? – the boy finally said. He tried to use a strong voice but pathetically it cracked in the middle of the sentence and came out as a squeal. Aryanna tossed the man in the floor and turned around to look at the boy. She couldn’t understand how this skinny weak boy could be the one of the prophecy, the strong wizard and warrior of legend that would unite the kingdom and overthrow Dark Lord Norden. Still, he had the Rune of Ruie on his left hand which proved he was the one of the legend. Taking a second look at him she moved to a close chair and sat on it.
- My name is Aryanna Aasimah and I’m a warrior of the Kingdom of Aban to the south of here. This… – She looked at the man in the floor as if he were worse than trash. – is Aaron Cormac and he was once part of a tribe of warriors called the “Ibaad”. The Ibaad were the protectors of Aban and keepers of the Stone of Ruie. -
- Who were those men following me? – asked the boy.
- Those men were warriors of Norden. – she answered. She could see the effect the name had caused on the boy because he stumbled to the chair near him. His face turned green and she knew that even this ignorant boy knew and feared the Dark Lord Norden.
- What do Lord Norden’s men want with me? I’m nobody. – he said.
- Do you see that mark on your hand? It is called the Rune of Ruie. Only one person every 400 hundred years is born with that mark. It grants you longevity, the use of magic and the complete control of the Stone of Ruie. The last person born with that mark was Lord Norden. – she said.
The boy tried to think about what she had just said. Dark Lord Norden had been on the throne as far as he could remember, but if what she was saying was true, then he must be more than 300 hundreds years old.
- That’s impossible! I can’t use magic nor do I know what stone you’re talking about. I was born with this mark. – he said.
-That may be true but the fact that Norden is already trying to get to you means that he believes you’re the one of the prophecy. Besides, magic powers often take time to manifest. –
Despair filled the boy’s chest as he tried to makes sense of what Aryanna had just told him. Dark Lord Norden was the ruler and emperor of Ibrandar, a vicious man that would do the most terrible things to any who dare defy him. Thousands had been tortured or killed by his order. He knew that if what she was saying was the truth, he would share the fate of those people.
-What’s your name boy? – said Aaron. This made the boy jump on his chair as he hadn’t noticed the man had moved closer to him while Aryanna was talking.
–Al….Alexander. – said the boy.
-Alexander. The powers of the Rune and Stone of Ruie have been studied by my tribe for centuries. The user of such power is able to control the elements and any kind of life force. For many years we studied the stone and tried to transfer its powers to our sorcerers with no results. What I’m trying to make you understand is that you should not take your magic lightly. Many gave their youth in search of that power and may see you only as an instrument to obtain it.-
-So what does that mean? That besides Norden every sorcerer will be looking for me to obtain my powers? – asked Alexander. Panic was taking over his senses as he realized in what a huge mess he was just dragged into.
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