The Prophecy;The Chosen Ones;Chapter One

Chapter One

         The stars were blinking, the moon was shining. The world seemed to sleep this night, for never in a long time had it ever been this quiet. The birds did not sing, the wolves did not howl, the eagles did not hunt for food, and not even the smallest mouse dared to move. This night all the remaining Gods had their full and intense attention on the red house a few leagues from Lore. The landscape was emptier than ever before; the mountains seemed smaller on the dark horizon, and was barely to be seen against the black night-sky; the distant silhouette of Zelaria’s capital was nothing more than a whispered hint as it silently laid still, waiting; there normally were few trees, but there were even less this night; the normally green fields, which stretched from a bit further west of Lore, to the mountains on the far east coast, had only but a dim green color where the grass laid, waiting for the wind to blow on them. This night was the night when destiny would meet history, the destined night that they, together with all living creature on earth, had been waiting for.
         Inside the house, two parents – a man and wife – were standing in the kitchen. For the first time in the sixteen years they had been married, they were having a fight. Their fourteen year old son, and newly born daughter where tightly sleeping in their rooms, believing everything was like it was supposed to be, but yet they were both seeping very uneasy, for their hearts knew that their parents were fighting, their hearts knew this was a night they’d never forget.
         The parents looked at each other with eyes that could send lightning, and none of them were interested in listening to what the other had to say. “Understand, Kalder, that we have no choice! We have to take them away from here. To some one who knows what to do,” Yora yelled to her unwilling husband. “If my suspicions are right, then something has to be done now before it’s too late!”
         “I don’t believe you, Yora,” Kalder replied as he turned away from the stubborn woman. “What you are saying is make believe, something we tell our children to get them to fall asleep! And even if Salic is what you’re suggesting, then one of us would have to be one too! And we both know that we’re as special as there is snow in lezrath!”
         “You’re absolutely hopeless, Kalder! Who carried Salic? Who was the one who day after day felt the extra energy that was in her? Don’t you remember how restless I was, how energetic I was? I was never like that when I carried Ramis! What else do you call such a thing? You need to see it! You need to take responsibility for your children’s life! And you need to find the only people who can help you with that! Because if you don’t, I will! You got that?”
         He sighed, and slightly shook his head. “You’re realizing, of course, that what you’re saying is that you’re willing to give up the life we’ve built together, the home we’ve given our children, simply to chase a feeling you have? You do know that you’re saying you willingly want to give up the wonderful future we can give our two children, to find out what’s different about Salic?”
         She shook her head as well, hopelessly, sighing as a sign of annoyance. “Stop being so selfish, Kalder! Stop thinking about what it will be like raising two children here. We both know that the only person you think of when you say that is yourself! The only reason you don’t want to leave, is because you’re afraid of the truth, and we both know it! If you had thought at all about your children, you’d be packing our things right now!”
         Upstairs, Ramis, the son, had just awakened from a sound he thought he heard. He was standing in the stairs down to the kitchen, listening to the last sentences his mother had said. His mouth opened in confusion. He was stunned, and tears pressed from behind his eyes. Never had he been so sad, never had he been so crushed. The tears won this fight, and he ran back to his bedroom, pulling his blanket over his head in hope he’d wake up from a bad dream. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t real. He couldn’t leave! He wouldn’t leave!
         Kalder and Yora had seen Ramis run away, and they both regretted. “Kalder, please listen,” Yora said softly. “I know it’s not easy, but you know as well as I that it’s right! Now’s the time to do something, if something is to be done.”
         He sighed again, giving up the argument with his wife, giving in to the argument inside himself. He knew she was right; he felt it just as strongly as she did. “All right. We leave tomorrow. But how do we find such a person? How do we know where to look?”
         She smiled a very relieved smile. “Who was the last one living? Surely you should know that. Since, after all, you’re the one who’s telling our children that story.”
         “You’re right.” He thought a moment, thinking through the story he told his children every night. “I think the last ones where Strongfire and his daughter Stromwind. You know; the one who lost her children.”
         “Then that’s the one’s we’ll have to look for, and my best guess would be to look in Atmo, since there’s where most of them are from.” She smiled and silently walked over to her husband, putting her slim hands around his large and manly waist. “Let’s go to bed and forget about this night. Let’s worry about this tomorrow, when we leave.”

         Ramis was all wet with tears when he woke up. Had he been dreaming after all? He sat up carefully, scratching his head, looking around in the room. The moonlight came through his window, and clear beams were hitting his floor. As he looked around, he noticed the smoke in the room, and his nose caught the smell of burning wood, his ears heard the sound of a child’s cry far away. He jumped out of bed that very instance and ran toward the door. Something was wrong, something bad was about to happen, and he wanted to prevent it.
         Outside, the hall was covered with heavy smoke. He could barely see a thing, but he followed the sound of Salic’s cry, desperately wanting to help his sister. When he reached her bed, there was barely life in her. She was barely crying, seeming unable to, and she was coughing rather badly. He took her in his arms, smiling a little to make her feel safer. “Hush, sister dearest. I’ll take care of you. You’re safe now,” he whispered, hoping with his heart that he was right.
         The two siblings went then to their parents’ room, where no good news was to be found. The smoke laid like a heavy cloud on a stormy day, and there was almost no air left to breathe. Yora looked like she was sleeping when Ramis reached her side, but when he touched her, she was cold and had a faint hint of a pale blue color on her skin, and she was not breathing anymore. Tears fell from Ramis’ eyes when he glanced over at his just as lifeless father. He was ready to leave when Kalder moved. The fourteen year old boy ran over to his father, still holding his little sister. “Father,” he said. “Come, father, let’s leave now that we have a chance.”
         He coughed, looking up at Ramis with dead and tired eyes. “No, my son, it’s too late for me,” he whispered. “Save your sister and leave. My place is with your mother. She has already left this world, and I’m not staying behind to live in misery.”
         “Don’t talk like that, father. You’ll have a great life. Come with me, and you’ll be fine.”
         “I can’t, Ramis. My time is up. It has to be like this. Trust me. But promise me that–” he coughed again, harder this time. “You remember the Tale, right?”
         “Yes, I do, father.”
         “Then promise me that when Salic is about your age, that you’ll take her to Atmo.” Once more he coughed, harder than ever. He seemed to be slipping away, using all he had left of powers to give Ramis this message. “Search for a person called Stromwind. She’ll help her. Do also promise me that you won’t say anything about the tale until then. Do you promise?”
         Hard as it was, and as little as he understood, he replied; “I promise, father. But why can’t you come with us? Then you can do so yourself.”
         “Promise me, Ramis. Hesitate no longer! Promise me that you’ll take care of her until the day when she meets her destiny. Keep her from strangers, and never let her out of your sight. Teach her everything of importance, and give her a normal childhood. Do you promise, I ask again? This is my last favor, my last command! Promise me, Ramis!”
         He sighed and looked to the floor. “Yes, father, I promise.”
         “Now go. Save your sister and yourself, and leave this house.”
         With these words in his head, Ramis nodded and ran out of the room with no looking back. His tears were falling endlessly, but he did not know until he was outside and had no more strength left in him to run. He collapsed on the ground, holding his sister’s head tightly against his chest, weeping endlessly. He could do nothing more than to watch the house burn to the ground, only clad in a thin tunic, and some shoes. It was the saddest day of his life; he was certain of that, and he wept.
         The next day the birds where once again singing, and there were movements everywhere. Ramis and Salic had fallen asleep on the fields next to the burned house. It had burned to the ground, and there was nothing but ashes left of what once had been Ramis’ home. Ramis and Salic were both covered with the ashes that had blown over them during the morning, and their endless crying the day before had made them fall asleep, no matter how hard and cold the ground was.
         Ramis was still sad, and did not know what to do next. For hours he sat there, watching the ashes of the house, looking down at the little child in his arms, smiling at him, speaking meaningless sentences only children her age could. Somehow he had to find a home for her, for he certainly couldn’t take care of her. The nearest town was Lore, so that was where he had to go. That was his only choice. Once more he glanced over at the ashes of the house, and another tear fell from his eye. “Farewell, mother and father. I hope we’ll meet again someday,” he whispered silently.
         He arose then, looking east. He had been in Lore a few times earlier, so he knew where to go and how to get there. The only problem was that he had no horses, for they had either run away when the fire started or they had died in the fire as well. He sighed. By foot was the only way, so by foot he had to get there. It wouldn’t be an easy journey, and it would probably take a few days, maybe even a week or more. He sighed again. He had to take the journey, for he had to give Salic a life. He’d probably not be there with her, but at least she’d be all right. That was the important thing. So he started walking, looking at the faint shape of the town far away on the horizon, the early morning sun shining in his face.
         After a few hours of walking, Ramis sat down. He couldn’t do it any longer. His feet were tired, he was hungry, and the three-year-old in his arms seemed as heavy as ten bags of food. His hope was still there, and the only thing driving him on, was the promise to his father. “Promise me that you’ll take care of her until the day when she meets her destiny.” The words seemed to be stuck like glue on his mind. He gave a heavy sigh and glanced down at Salic, who was so silent and so peaceful. She had no idea of what had happened, and she would never get to know her parents. How could he give her a normal childhood? He wasn’t capable of that. It was too big for him. But he’d do his best, for he had promised.
         When he stood up again, he noticed a dark figure coming his way. It seemed like a horse and a wagon, but from that distance, Ramis couldn’t be entirely sure. He started walking in the shape’s direction, hoping it was someone who could help him.
         The shape came closer for each step Ramis took, and he hoped with all the power he had left in him that it was not an evil person, like an Elgo, that was heading his way. For if it was, he’d be defenseless against his whips, powerless against his swords, and helpless against his evil. He knew all Elgos hated Ramis and his family; neither he nor they knew why, but every time they met an Elgo, he had tried to kill the entire family. But luckily this person was not any sort of an evil man, for he was no other than a deliveryman. “Good day to you, young sir,” he said with a smile, stopping his wagon as he approached Ramis.
         “Good day, you say? I wish it was so,” Ramis replied, looking to the ground as the image of cold ashes appeared in his mind.
         “Why the long face, lad? The sun’s shining, the birds are singing and lezrath is just around the corner.” He looked around. “Are you all alone out here? Tell me, where are your parents?”
         Ramis looked away, feeling his tears press behind his eyes. “They–” he started, trying to be as serious as possible. But he failed, and once more burst into tears. His tears looked like diamantes as the sun’s light shone on them, and they landed with no sound at all on Salic’s face. She was also looking sad now, as if she knew why her brother was crying.
         The man stepped out of the wagon and lifted Ramis onto it. “There, there, young lad. Why are you crying?”
         “My– parents–” he stammered. “They died in a fire last night.”
         The man’s face instantly turned serious. “So it was your house’s smoke we saw last night. That must have been some fire.” He looked at the little child in Ramis’ arms. “And that’s your sister, I presume.”
         Ramis nodded.
         “Right. Then you wouldn’t happen to be Kalder and Yora’s son, would you?”
         He nodded again, drying his tears.
         “And I was just about to deliver my usual delivery to them.” He seemed sad now. “Right, now listen to me, my sweet boy. You probably need a place to live. You heading for Lore?”
         Once again Ramis nodded.
         “Right then. Well, since I have no errand here, I might as well give you a ride. You can’t walk all the way to Lore with a child in your arms, now, can you?” He smiled gently at Ramis. “And I know just the place where I can drop you off.” Then he got back on the wagon and turned the horses. “Baktor and Virla will know what to do.”
         They rode for no more than three days before they reached Lore. The nice man had been kind to Ramis and Salic, and Ramis felt he owed this man his life. “There’s no need to worry about that, lad. I’m glad you’re alive, and that your sister hasn’t died yet,” was his reply. He had dropped them off at an inn, called ‘The White Maiden’ after their beloved Goddess, Zadrih. The innkeeper, named Baktor, had immediately welcomed them, and offered them a room for free the moment he saw them. His face was kind, his dark blue eyes seemed to smile when he looked at Ramis, and he had a few wrinkles. His hair had a pale brown color, and there where hints of gray stripes some places, but he was not old. He was a tall and strong man with wide shoulders, and big arms. He wore a white linen tunic when they arrived, and a couple of white hoses and brown leather boots. As for the waitress, Virla; she was just as kind. Her pale skin seemed to glitter in the light from the oil lamps, her smile warming and calming the very soul of Ramis. She was a very slim person, but she was as tall as Baktor. Her eyes, as deep as the ocean and blue as the night sky, shone of a kindness and peace Ramis only had seen in his mother, and her curly red hair seemed like fire in the dim light. She was a beauty, and Ramis found himself smiling for the first time in days.
         The man who had helped Ramis had moved over to Baktor the moment he came through the door, and he was now talking to him rather quietly. After a while Baktor signaled for Ramis to come closer, while he was smiling. Ramis approached with small and uncertain steps.
         “This kind gentleman here tells me you two have no where to live. Is that so?”
         Ramis nodded. “Yes sir. My parents died in a fire a few days ago, and there’s nothing left of our home,” he replied.
         “I see.” Baktor looked at Virla a moment. “Virla, come here a second, will you?”
         She looked up, glanced over at Ramis and Salic for a moment, and walked over to them. But she didn’t approach Baktor as Ramis had expected; she walked straight in his direction. “What a sweet little girl,” she said, looking at Salic. Slowly she sat down so she could look at the youngling in his arms. “How old is she?”
         “Three,” Ramis said, carefully placing Salic’s small feet to the floor. She had never really been too steady without having something to lean on, but she seemed to adjust very soon. “But she’s a little shy. We lived a slightly sheltered life.”
         Virla smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Her eyes fastened on Salic’s face, and she could do nothing but smile. As she kept looking at her, Salic suddenly stormed toward her, embracing the strange woman before her. But she said nothing. “Is this your sister?” Virla asked.
         “Yes, ma’am.”
         “Where’re your parents?”
         “Their dead, Virla, and these two youngsters have no where to live,” Baktor said. “That’s why I wanted you to come over.”
         “Oh, Baktor, you sweet man. You want them to live here with us?”
         “That was the thought, yes. If you don’t mind, that is.”
         “Mind? Why would I? I’m incapable of having another child and our daughter would be awfully lonely in our house with no siblings to play with, so what could be better than having another child to take care of?” Her voice sounded sarcastic. “And besides, this is a great neighborhood to grow up in, since Kerim’s sons live just across the streets. This little sweetheart will have plenty of friends.” She smiled as she looked down at Salic. “I’ll take care of her as if she was my own.”
         Ramis smiled and bowed politely to Virla. “It makes me glad to hear so, for I’m not capable to take care of her myself. But your time will not be wasted. I’ll help here in the inn, work for the stay. I’ll try my best to repay you all I can.”
         They both looked at him. “We do need help around here, but you certainly won’t work for free,” Baktor said as he looked at his just as puzzled wife. “If you work here, I’ll pay you just as much as I pay the others.”
         Ramis smiled, and bowed his head in appreciation. “I am grateful, Baktor and Virla. More grateful than you can imagine.”