The Golden Year and the Sorceress

by Isabella Hardiman

  I had always thought that it was just a necklace. A trinket. She sat on the edge of the bed, clinging to the chain as if it were a lifeline. Her hands were trembling and she focused on the ruby with a deranged almost unstable look in her eyes. I was clearly wrong.

  "Caroline," I whispered. This one word managed to set a whirlwind of emotions loose. She broke out into a sob. Tears pouring out of her. I sat next to her and wrapped my arms around her. There was this look of undeniable gratitude. "Caroline, why do you need this ruby?" I stared at her, not blinking.

  She paled and hesitated.

  "Can you keep a secret?" She asked. I nodded nervously to hear what came next. "It's not for me," she admitted.

  "What do you mean it's not for you?" I questioned.

  "Leila. He said he would only make it stop if I got it for him," she blurted out. A tear ran down her cheek. "The dreams. He said that he would not stop. He said that he would hurt people," she sobbed. Dread filled me. What had she gotten herself into?

  "Who?" I demanded. Bad dreams were worse than reality. Dreams were the once place I couldn't-nobody could- defend themselves. The only place I could not escape from my past. The ghosts that are inside my head, the ones reappear every twenty–four hours. Every night I am haunted in bed. The thought that Caroline was also a victim of vicious nightmares struck a chord in my heart.

  "He needed that particular type of ruby, it was important," she rambled on. "He threatened people, Leila. He threatened my father, my brother and my friends." She cried.

  "WHO?" I repeated. I knew if she would not tell me now, she never would.

  "I don't know his real name. They call him 'The Serpent'." She sobbed. "He lives past the lake that is all I know. I promise." She breathed. "I will send a guard to deliver this and then I will never have to deal with that snake again."

  I got to my feet immediately. There was no way I was letting her tormentor win. The pain, fear, desperation had been eating her alive. I would not let him win. No way. He would not get away with this. She was just a child! He was taking advantage of her.

  People had become monsters driven by greed, desperation, and jealousy. Blackmailing anyone, anytime and anyplace. What better target than a rich, powerful, naive, little girl? It was for my motives or personal reasons that I felt so defensive on the subject. Either way, I was relentless in getting justice.

  I headed to the door rapidly. She was too slow to stop me. I slammed it shut and locked it from the outside by using a nearby lamp to barricade her in. She began kicking the door and pounding it with her fist. "What are you doing!?" she screamed. This had been the first occasion when Caroline had truly lost her temper with me. It happened rarely but when it did, all her lady-like, proper, manners were sent out the window.

  "The Serpent doesn't get to win," was all I could say. I have had enough.

  The most logical thing to do would be to call one of the numerous guards that roamed the hallway rather than take things into my own hands. But I have never been one to follow the logic. Besides, I had given my word to keep her secret and I would. A promise is a promise. So the only way to end this ordeal and keep my word is to handle this ordeal myself.

  "Leila! No!" she screamed. "He's dangerous," She shouted. "Leila! LEILA!" I headed down the hallway away from her room. "HE WILL KILL YOU!"

  Just let him try.

  The lake was just outside the city walls. Past that was a few individual homes. That is where he had to be. I paced along the sandy track that led out of the city walls. There was no wind today and the sun shone brightly.

  I did not need to mull over the decision, it was a clear choice. I may hate the nobles but Caroline was just an innocent child. After leaving her I managed to sneak into the guard’s storage and supplies quarters. I managed to steal some equipment for the journey. Having lived with thieves had its benefits, they had taught me many useful tricks and skills to survive. I stole a pair of good boots, a bit of food and an above decent hunting knife.

  The enormous evergreen trees thickened as I got further and further from the city. The forest. I wasn't meant to be here alone. The forest was not safe for people like me. Mortals with very few self-defence skills. That did not stop me though.

  Mortals are non-magical folk, people like me. I did not have an ounce of magic in my blood. I wasn't a sorcerer, witch or enchanter. I couldn't even cast the simplest of incantations. It fascinated me though. Magic had this almost spellbinding effect on me. This ability to captivate me. This instant thrill filled me whenever magic was close. I could not explain it. It was like my soul was sending me a message saying that I did not understand.

  The ancient trees were the towers of the forest. Vines seamlessly twisted around the mahogany trunks attempting to catch a single drop of sunlight. The thick canopy was like a roof over my head. The helicopter seeds fell now and then from the grand trunks. The wildflowers grew sparsely giving it a touch of elegance. The berries grew under sheltered domes of forest leaves. The emerald green leaves danced as they majestically kissed the forest floor. The delicate humming of a bird, in the distance, reached me through the never-ending twisting branches and roots. It was not what I had expected.

  It was beautiful. Far better than any book had described it. Picturesque or magnificent wasn't even close to the enchanting atmosphere that surrounded me. It was almost inviting me in. How could I not go in? I guess that's why it was so dangerous. It was cruel to put creatures of such danger and evil in a place as wonderful and majestic as this! These places, they just do not exist. It cannot be real.

  I was doing well for the time. The shortcut through the woods had saved me a good thirty minutes. Caroline would be out by now. She would have squealed to her father, the King, about what I had done. I was going to be punished severely if I returned alive that is.

  Out of the blue, I heard a booming voice and it sent a flock of crows spiralling. My heart stopped and I felt as if my feet were stuck in the mud. The soil beneath me shook even the trees trembled with fear. The ground was shaking beneath me! An earthquake? It was footsteps and I knew what I should do. Run. I did not. Instead, I did the most reckless thing I could have done, I headed towards it. One step after another.

  I ducked behind a moss-covered log just before the beast saw me. The mythical monsters were enormous giants, unlike anything I had ever seen. Their single, hideous, beady eyeball was at least ten times the size of my head. Their skin was covered in thick clumps of hair, insects crawled all over them. Their skin was covered in filth and grime. You could tell from the stench that they had not bathed in a century. Their yellow-stained fangs were rotting and still had bones in between them from their previous victims. Cyclopes. I had read about them. One thing immediately came to mind, their diet. Flesh, particularly humans flesh. But I was not scared.

  My heart stopped when I noticed the knight's uniform. He was tied to a tree, he looked no more than fourteen-years-old. He was thin, tall, pale-skinned and he had cropped blond hair. The look of fear on his face was devastating. He must have run into the Cyclops by accident. I noticed the leftover bones of a horse beside him. His horse, most likely.

  This was not a hostage situation. Cyclops does not care for jewels or riches like trolls. They are much simpler than that. Their logic is catch, snatch, kill and eat.

  "He's hardly got any meat on him!" one monster complained to the other. "Why can't we just eat him raw?" the first slightly fatter one asked.

  "Because I know you will eat him whole," the other responded, slightly agitated. Suddenly the chubbier one headed towards me.

  "Do you smell that?" he muttered under his revolting breath. His nostrils flared as he sucked in countless air. The other Cyclopes ignored him. It was me. He smelt me! I lay ever so still. I did not even breathe.

  His heavy footsteps got even louder. He was meters away. I could see the heavy breaths blow against the bushes. A whiff of blood and rooting came my way. I felt the beast's warm breaths against my skin.

  There was
a hoot as a collection of white feathers soared up but it was too slow. The enormous fist reached out missing me by inches and clung on to it. "It's just a bird, you moron." The cyclops devoured the owl whole before returning to the fire.

  I gulped. Then I slowly made my way around the rim of the forest. "Hurry up, will you," it grunted. “I’m starving... I haven’t had juicy human blood in ages!”

  "Patience Killer, the trick to a perfect horse stock, is time," the other debate. “You wouldn’t want me to burn his flesh and spoil the meal.” Carefully avoiding the countless twigs and sticks that were scattered on the forest floor, I reached the trunk where the knight was tied. I was relieved that I was there undetected. I might get out of here alive.

  The second their backs were turned. I carefully began undoing the knots that tied the boy. I had to get him out of here and quick. My pulse sped up, I could not even breathe. The knight looked stunned to see me. I placed my finger to my mouth to indicate no noise. We would have one chance to escape. It was now or never.

  I began to carefully walk away when SNAP. I turned to see that the clumsy boy had trod on a stick. The Cyclops immediately swung their heads around. "What are you doing loose?!" they roared.

  "Run!" We ran as fast as our legs would carry us. Heading straight, they were gaining on us so we made a sharp turn to the left and then a complete u-turn. They stumbled to the ground bringing trees down with them. Ancient trunks that had been there for centuries began tumbling down like dominos. They called out in pain. Thankfully, it bought us some time. Their heavy footsteps followed us once again.

  I leapt over countless bushes. Various branches began slapping my shins and rough bark scraped my knees. They were going to catch us! We were about to reach the edge of the forest when I tripped over the root of an old tree and I was sent flying. I landed onto the dusty sand track. This is it. I was going to die.

  Suddenly the Cyclopes stopped. They grunted, roared, and headed back. "The barrier. They can't step out of the forest," the boy observed. "We made it," he gasped. "We are alive!" he shouted cheerfully hysterically. There was silence. "I am not dead. Take that you monsters!"

  I rolled my eyes and began brushing myself down. The cuts and scratches from branches that had torn through my dress and slashed my skin were not so deep. Thankfully.

  "You saved my life." He turned to me.

  "No." I shook my head. I do not help arrogant knights.

  "Don't be modest." He shook his head. "If it weren't for you; I would be dead. You must come to the castle, my uncle, the King will reward you and I am sure my eldest cousin will be amused by the tale of a girl saving me." He tried to crack a joke but he failed.

  "Your cousin, Leonardo?" I interrupted him.

  He raised an eyebrow. "You know him?" He looked surprised.

  "Acquaintances." I thought back to last night. I had made a mess of far too many things.

  "From the look on your face, I would say you don't like him much." The boy laughed. He, like his cousin Leonardo, assumed that all the girls wanted to marry a royal or noble. So pathetic, so arrogant, and so annoying!

  I was not about to forget my place. I may have saved his life but he could have my head if I offended Leonardo. "It is complicated," I muttered. I looked back to the beaten track. "I have to be going." Nothing could distract me from finding the Serpent. I needed to track this man down before anyone could stop me.

  "Where to?" He looked at me suspiciously.

  "Business." I shrugged. Why couldn't he just thank me and go? Royals never cared about being nosy, they just assumed they had a right to know.

  "Can I accompany you...?" he asked. He was trying to be a gentleman or helpful but I did not want his help.

  "NO." I interrupted him too fast. He knew I was hiding something now. "It is something I just have to take care of." I was determined to keep Caroline's secret. I had promised her. Promises to me are eternal. They never die. If only I was not the only one who believed that.

  "Are you sure?" he questioned again.

  "Yes," I confirmed turning to leave.

  "It is a dangerous road," he called after me.

  "Then you better get home before you get into even more trouble." I heard him chuckle. I do not know why he was laughing. It was only five minutes ago that he was almost eaten alive.

  "Be careful," he warned.

  "I always am," I lied and disappeared down the winding road. I was one step closer to finding the Serpent, the man who threatened the princess. The so-called deadly sorcerer.

  Chapter Four- The Serpent

  The sun was beating powerfully down on me and I was completely dying of thirst by the time I reached the opening of the slums. The slums - 'the place of a thousand problems'.

  This was an area of the kingdom which was particularly treacherous. Unlike the forest, it sent a clear message of life-threatening peril just through its appearance. The black smoke stained the buildings, the countless knife marks on walls and the dirt-covered the streets and concrete walls. Marks of blood scattered here and there. Lead curse tablets had fallen into the drain pipes. Vermin covered the streets and I am not talking about the rats.

  Majority of its inhabitants worked in the mines, the black market or 'unspecified' work. It was a place of refuge for the desperate and a hiding place for the hunted. Large, greasy, dirty figures hung about. These places were to be avoided unless you had a death wish.

  Thieves, outlaws, and murderers lived here. This is a place of chaos and danger. At least five dead bodies are found every night. Even the guards hardly visit this place. The king does not seem to mind the cruelty festering among this small area. He overlooks it.

  In the slums trees ceased to grow, the flowers refused to bloom and birds did not dare fly above. The rooftop tiles were falling, the buildings structure crumbling and the stench of sewage was all that remained. It has been years since I have been here but nothing has changed.

  I knew the rules: keep my head down, avoid eye contact; above all do not be weak. Once you were a selected target in the slum, you would not come out alive. I slipped the scarf over my face so it covered my entire head. Nobody could recognize me.

  I headed into town, the dirty air had already begun staining my clothes. The chemicals began filling my lungs. I got more than the occasional glance from the shifty side character. I despised it. I loathed this place with every part of my being.

  This place put me on edge. Even the elderly woman under the archway stared at me intimidatingly. Her layers of wrinkles surrounded her cruel heartless eyes. It was as if the hardship over the years had rubbed away her humanity.

  Another older woman sat beside her, she had a pair of scarred lips, piercing eyes, warts and tangled grey hair. She took a long whiff of her pipe smoke and then frowned in my direction. I ignored her. I wondered if she recognized me.

  The buildings looked even worse up close. It looked abandoned but at the same time, the town seemed overpopulated. I tried to keep my face covered with my scarf, leaving only my eyes for view.

  I noticed a sickly figure watching me in the distance. He had a shamble of a hair, shaving off a beard, greasy skin, knives and bony body. He did not look anything different from the tens of people that passed me. It was this vile almost corrupted look that shifted in and out of his expression. That is when I knew, I knew his type. I walked towards him. "I'm here to see Serpent," I muttered, staring at him directly.

  He did not say anything, he just gestured down a side road. I followed him. I noticed that all the women and children had vanished from sight as we got further down the cobblestone street. The large, muscular, tattooed men that lurked outside a shabby wooden building, which had once belonged to a baker, gave me a couple of suspicious looks. It felt as if I had only been yesterday when I had been running for my life down these very streets.

  The sickly man pushed the door open, there was a spine chilling creak. This was it. Here goes nothing. If I do not come out of this alive, at least I would have done some
thing with my life.

  The wooden building was covered in dust and grime. The windows were sealed from the outside with rotten wooden planks. Single drops of light fought to enter the room. The room appeared empty but it was far from it.

  "Serpent." I called.

  "Yes," his slithery voice filled my ear like a vile poison.

  "Show yourself," I demanded. Out from the shadows came a long, twisted, green snake with deadly yellow eyes then it began to transform into a tall, bald, figure. His blood-red jacket was pristine. He was clean and cut. His narrow face was newly shaved. Those eyes, those Amber eyes. I recognised them.

  A shiver came down my back when I realised that we had met before. I held my breath. "I'm Serpent." He hesitated. "And you are?" He looked at me curiously. His snake-like eyes illuminated in the shadows.