"Benjamin Talon and Octavian Poall!" Ben stood up; he could feel eyes on his back as he headed into the arena. He felt like a fly on a wall standing in the middle of the sea of faces.
"Octavian! Octavian!" he heard people chanting. His opponent stared at him through pale blue slits. His figure was tall, though gangly and resembled a scarecrow maybe just a little too realistically. He wore light armor, though Ben wore none. There was no point.
"Begin!" the king yelled from the royal box. Ben looked up and saw a beautiful princess with stormy grey eyes... Slash. A deep wound gouged into his arm. Ben gritted his teeth. He cursed himself for getting distracted. Spinning round and taking the scarecrow by surprise he clanged the flat of his dagger on his head. Octavian stumbled backward, his face furious, which made him a very scary scarecrow. He shot a beam of fire right at Ben, who dodged by jumping unnaturally high over his head, somersaulted once and landed neatly behind him. The crowd screamed in applause. Octavian spun around and slashed with his sword. But Ben was only toying with him. The scarecrow couldn't make another mark.
Using a disarming technique, he had taught himself years ago, he knocked Octavian's sword out of his hand and shot a bolt of blue energy at him. Octavian landed scraped up and bruised far away on the side of the arena. Ben felt his energy diluting and fading. Seems like the scarecrow won't be able to scare anyone for the time being. He turned around and looked at the royal box; the blonde-haired princess stared down at him like she'd seen a ghost. This certainly wasn't what Ben had pictured the Millay to be.
"So, what do you think?" The room before them was a cozy vintage styled bedroom with a bed and dressing table. Large red curtains hung by the sides of the window that looked out over the market street. Leo nodded but didn't say anything. It wasn't exactly reassuring.
"That's great," Kelsie sighed, pushing Leo into the room. "Make yourself at home, go downstairs and have a pint of beer – or anything you usually do in your spare time-" ‘he dissects teenagers in his spare time’, she reminded herself. "Actually no – you go and don't leave this room, ok?" Kelsie told him. "I'll see you how you are getting on later."
Leo nodded again. "Can I have your ear?"
"No! Stop talking about dissecting ok? It's not civilized."
"Please, Caly – I mean Kelsie."
"No, no more experimenting, promise me that."
"I – I...um..." Kelsie glared at him. Leo shrank back.
"Can I have some time to think about that?" he asked tentatively. She glared harder at him. "Fine, I promise. Only for you."
Kelsie wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Good, I'll see you later!" Kelsie shut his door behind her and made her way back down the wooden staircase. The inn owner waved cheerfully goodbye to her, which she half-heartedly responded to. She was late for the Millay; Alyssa was going to kill her. Oops. Nah, it's alright elves can't die. The town clock said quarter past four – she'd missed most of the matches. That's disappointing. Rushing down to the arena and climbing up the long narrow staircase up to the royal box, she swiftly sat down in her seat next to Alyssa.
"Hi!" Alyssa gave her a shaky smile that completely and utterly failed.
"What's up," Kelsie said, though her voice sounded more commanding than worried. Alyssa laughed proper high pitched. Ooook that was unusual. Her hands were trembling, and she was sweating buckets. "Alyssa, seriously, what's the matter?" her patience was wearing very thin today. "Is it the blood of the fighting? Are you sick?" Alyssa inhaled sharply. Did she mutter something about black hair and green eyes? Great, her best friend was turning into a Leo. "Do you need a rest? Maybe it's the heat – have you been hallucinating?" she realized it was a stupid question since a person who was hallucinating wouldn't know that they were having hallucinations.
"Saw a ghost..." Alyssa mumbled. She stood up suddenly.
"Alyssa, what are you doing?" King Frederic demanded angrily. "Sit down, immediately."
Slowly Alyssa sat down. "Alyssa, talk to me – what's going on?" Kelsie hissed in her ear, trying to grab her attention.
"I'm not sure – maybe I've got it wrong...I'll find out...tonight..." Kelsie made up her mind to follow her wherever she was going to go. She could stray off the path and get lost...again. Then after that, Kelsie would finally find out what secret Mr. Wright was hiding from them.
Chapter Seven
Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid mermaids. Green tails...fangs. Why? Why? What? No? What was happening? That girl Kelsie seemed nice. Impatient though, nothing like his mermaid...same voice though...same voice...voices...voices... The diary was still there...where was it? His precious diary...not even his, but still precious. The witch, he remembered her – what did she say to him? No, too blurry. Couldn't remember. He couldn't stay in this inn, the walls felt too threatening. Too real. What he used to live in... the honeysuckle aroma in the air...then it had gone. Vanished. Gone. He stepped out of his inn door. He didn't shut it, what was the point of shutting doors, he was coming back anyway...he always used to leave his doors open... Someone said something to him, but he couldn't process the words. Did he say the word chicken? The figure went away. Why didn't the girl let him experiment? It helped clear his mind...focus on something real. It was late at night now.
The cool air helped him to clear his head, it was a lot better than the small menacing room that the girl had put him in. He started walking. There were still people around. Thankfully no one talked to him if only they would let him experiment... The diary. That's what he came out here for. The old fading pages, neat small handwriting. It annoyed him. He couldn't read it. He used to be able to read. He still wanted it though. His feet started moving faster and faster, he hoped he could find it again. Where was his goblin now? His little creation had abandoned him – maybe he had gone to the kitchens, he did like cooking. He always had made great recipes for Leo. Spinach and cabbage stew...the mermaid found it funny. So, he found it funny as well. The mermaid, the mermaid. Her name was slipping from his memory. What was it? It began with C. Ca – no, Celappa? No, that wasn't it. Maybe her name was in the diary. That girl could read it to him. He would remember then, he would remember... The trees looked distorted. They didn't use to look like that. Everything was too dark. He was never going to find the diary. Then he saw the clearing where the explosion had happened. He didn't know why it had happened. His mind was so full of anger and hatred, then that girl had given him another chance.
Something snapped inside him. He ignored whatever it was. All he wanted was the diary. It must be somewhere around here. It wouldn't have gone too far since it was so heavy. He waded his way into the pool of gemstones; they looked so dazzling and beautiful in the moonlight. A memory came back to him, he pushed it aside. He was going to find this diary, no matter what.
Alyssa silently watched as her maid pulled the lush scarlet curtains together and blew out the candles. Once she was out of the room, Alyssa quietly changed into outdoor clothes and wrapped a cloak around her; she fumbled with the buttons in the darkness. Cautiously, Alyssa slowly found her way to the chamber door and carefully opened it, trying not to make a noise. She shut her door and stepped into the torch-lit corridor. The expensive soft carpet muffled her footsteps as she crept down the stairs. The night sentries stood at the base of the stairs. She stopped herself just in time, pressing her into an alcove in the wall. She thought quickly of all the possible outcomes of this situation. But before she could do anything, she heard her bedroom door creak open. She froze. There must've been someone in there all that time. The door creaked open wider; Alyssa saw the night sentries looking up at it suspiciously. The two of them warily stepped up the stairs, their shoulders tense for any unexpected movement. Alyssa pressed herself deeper into the alcove, holding her breath. They went past her without noticing anything. She fought the urge to run down the stairs whilst they were facing the other way. Instead, she waited patiently until they had both disappeared into her chambers.
Once they were out of sight, she ran as qui
etly as she could down the stairs and out into the back gardens. Her heart thumped loudly from the close escape as she ran down a narrow path through the well-kept gardens. A fountain continued to bubble as she ran past it, the multi-colored flowers stared up at her from their beds, as if wondering what she was doing so late at night. She took her usual route when she often went on escapades. Climbing up a tall tree with no difficultly, she dropped down over the hedge borders of the garden and ran through the deserted field next to it. Stepping over the small style she found herself back on a path again. The silver moonlight streamed through the narrow streets of Mylvehil, enhancing the different shades of colors in the cobbled stones. She hid behind the corner of a house, to let a patrol of night sentries walk past with their burning torches. Alyssa considered it stupid that her father banned people from leaving their houses at night – what sort of law was that? Disregarding that thought, she headed west towards the Millay camp. Even from a distance, she could still see fires burning and people walking around or talking to each other.
How was she going to get inside with so many people awake? ‘Magic.’ The voice in her head tried to tell her. ‘Magic. ‘No, she couldn't. She wasn't sixteen yet; she wouldn't be able to use it. Her father had banned magic under sixteen anyway – if someone saw her, she was going to be in deep trouble. Alyssa didn't want her father to hate her more than he already did. Even so – there was no other option. Apart from going back to the castle. But all this effort? No, she was going to use this magic and it was going to work. She ran closer towards the temporary tents that had been set up for the contestants. Some of them were already asleep but most were awake and chatting in groups. If this spell ended badly, Alyssa was going to have a lot of angry highly skilled fighters baying for her blood. She closed her eyes for a moment and summoned her energy. She could feel it, physically and mentally, it strengthened her body and mind.
There was a rustle of noise behind her; she quickly turned around, afraid that she was being followed. There was silence and she could see nothing through the trees and houses. Before she lost her confidence, she stepped forward into the entrance of the camp. As if sensing her presence, every single pair of eyes looked at her. She heard the elves muttering to each other as if amused and someone wolf-whistled which caused an eruption of laughing. Someone shouted out something highly inappropriate, which caused her to flush with anger. She raised her hands and channeled her power to them. ‘Sleep.’ For a scary moment nothing happened. More laughter. Though it sounded weak. The air started turning foggy, which reminded her of the woods, she could feel the air getting denser, but it didn't affect her. Her hands shook from the power and exhaustion. She staggered forwards, beads of sweat popped onto her forehead. Everything started moving in slow motion. The flags that had been flapping in the wind, moved abnormally slow. Elves that had been standing up fell to the ground ten times longer than they should have. Their eyes were drooping, it was working. She felt euphoria rise inside her underneath her fatigue. She stopped the enchantment and abruptly fell onto her knees to regain her breath. ‘Move’ she told herself. She was here for a purpose, not just to knock out the one hundred contestants for the Millay.
But the achievement brought a smile to her face, not many could say that their first spell was knocking out the best fighters on earth. Hurriedly, she walked through the maze of snoring warriors; she was sincerely tempted to drop soil into their open mouths. That's what Travis would've done. Panic suddenly rose up in her throat when she saw a perfectly awake figure walking towards her. Black hair...greens eyes. She remembered him.
"Ben? You're still awake." she choked. She could see him smiling.
"You need a stronger magic to put me to sleep, wait...I know you," he sounded surprised. "You're the princess of Mylvehil?"
"You're supposed to be dead," Alyssa stated. She still was getting over him being here. In flesh and blood.
Ben frowned. "Why would I be?" Alyssa just stared at him. She could see his face properly now. Her mouth fell slightly open. "Hello? Anyone there?" he smirked looking into her eyes.
"I – I... y- you, how?" She was transfixed by his face. He was beautiful in an eerie ethereal way, a timeless remote sort of face. But there was no doubt that he was an elf, she could see the points of his ears slightly peeping out of his messy black hair. So why did she feel such dread, just by standing in front of him? "You're supposed to be dead."
Ben frowned. "Really? I don't remember dying."
"B-but you were pulled into that lake when you saved me, you never came out!"
"I did come out," Ben said. "I can hold my breath for a long time."
How did he manage to sound so calm? Alyssa was mentally freaking out inside. "It's not possible to hold your breath that long – you were down there for ages! I've been living in complete guilt these last few years and then you turn up as if everything alright it's -"
"Slow down, slow down – look I'm here now, it doesn't matter what's happened in the past, ok?" She didn't know where her anger had come from, but it felt good unleashing it out since she had always been taught never to talk back to people.
"You still haven't told me who you are," Alyssa fired back at him. "All you've said your name is Ben, you haven't explained who you are or how you could fight a fully-grown mermaid on your own – with magic, which is forbidden under sixteen."
Ben looked shocked at her outburst. "Why should I explain myself to you?"
Alyssa glared her best glare at him, she saw him flinch slightly which made her feel a bit better. "Because I'm the Princess of Mylvehil, my father is the king and he will personally punish you for using magic under sixteen."
"Where has this come from? I freaking saved your life and now you're going on about punishing me for using magic under sixteen? You're just as arrogant as every other king or queen."
That stung. "I'm not arrogant, I just believe in justice."
Ben sighed. "Ok, ok I understand. Can we just forget everything that's happened and start over again – what is the real reason you decided to come here?"
Alyssa breathed in. Why had she come here anyway? No, she couldn't say it. Not to him anyway. "I wanted to know if you really were alive since I thought you were dead."
"Good, and now you know that I'm alive, what are you going to do?" He was seriously making it hard for her to control her anger. "I need answers; I'm not going to tell anybody. I just want to know how you are so skilled at magic."
Ben hesitated; Alyssa noticed he was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "Ok, I'll tell you. Do you want to sit down? You look shattered."
Only then did Alyssa realize that she could barely stand on her feet. Her first spell had drained an incredible amount of energy from her. She sat down on a small wooden chair that some bulky guy had fallen off and was now lying with his face in the ground. "So, tell me from the beginning," Alyssa said.
"Right, ok..." Ben hesitated again as if unsure of what to say. "There's not a lot to say actually, so don't get your hopes up." Alyssa nodded. "When I was born, my parents abandoned me in a cave," his voice wavered at the end. "I grew up on my own, I learned how to feed and cook for myself..."
"Right..."
"Well anyway, when I was two, I was exploring the human villagers. It was the middle of winter and I was looking for someone to look after me...I didn't like being alone and cold in my cave. I remember looking into the human’s small houses, there were bright colorful fires inside each one of them. They looked so comforting and warming..." Alyssa gestured to go on. "The humans called it fire; I kept looking at it through the windows. I wanted it for myself. I didn't realize my hand was covered in it until I looked down. There were flames all over my hands – it didn't burn me, I didn't scream. I just wanted more of it...but it wasn't until I was three years old, I managed to create fire again." Ben let that sink in and then carried on. "I continued using magic, to fight off monsters and bandits...I usually help the captives of slave traders or thieves – then I leave them, and they ne
ver see me again."
"That still doesn't explain how you managed to find your way through the fog and rescue me from the mermaid. Not even the most powerful elf can defeat one as quickly as you did." Alyssa felt like she had stepped onto dangerous grounds.
"No, you just have to know their weakness."
"What is it?" Ben gave her a crooked smile. "It's surprisingly simple; a smart girl like you can figure it out."
"Uurrgh, you're so frustrating. Thanks for the story but I really must be going now," she stood up on her horribly weak legs and started walking between the fallen warriors.
"Nice spell by the way!" Ben called. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Alyssa turned around to see Ben holding a pile of soil right over Prince Tristan's mouth. She smirked. Forgetting her weak legs, she rushed back and carefully placed the soil in Tristan's open mouth. At least he stopped snoring. "I think we'd make a good team," Ben said, although Alyssa wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.
"Yeah," she replied, gazing at his face one last time before disappearing back to her castle.
Chapter Eight
"AHHHHHHHH!" Alyssa jolted awake out of her slumber. Piper, her serving maid was standing wide-eyed at the entrance to her bedroom chambers. Her laundry basket was in a heap on the floor in front of her; both of her hands covered her mouth as she stared down at...
"Thieves! Robbers! Bandits! Alyssa, what's happened?" Piper wrenched her gaze from the unconscious elves on Alyssa's floor. Their scarlet blood had soaked into the white carpet and had turned an ugly brown color. Alyssa recalled the adventures of last night. Someone had been in her room and had distracted the sentries whilst she legged it to the back door down to the gardens.
Dark Oceans (Ocean Series Book 1) Page 4
