Fire & Stone_The War for Life

by Luis Robles

  “Mother meet Nuvia, a lifelong friend. Nuvia, meet my mother Arrie,” Hellys said, trying not to stutter.

  “A lifelong friend that you never speak about? No, it doesn’t sound right,” Arrie said in between coughs.

  “Well, it’s hard to explain, and it’s a long story. Perhaps for another time, Mother,” Hellys said with a smile.

  Within a few moments of drinking the potion, Arrie started to get better. Her color returned to her skin, and her energy level rose back to normal. Her coughing slowed, and once again rosy cheeks returned to her face. Hellys sighed in relief, allowing his body to start resting, almost falling down in the process.

  “Wait! Where have you been, boy? Why are you covered in dirt? This better not be one of your so-called expeditions to unknown places. Are you all right? Hellys, we are going to have a nice long talk later. You have to stop being so reckless. Look at you!” Arrie said, trying to get out of bed.

  Hellys didn’t answer any of his mom’s questions, but instead smiled and sighed in relief knowing that his mother was once again going to be okay; she was wasting no time to get back to her old self.

  “As for you, young lady, it’s a great pleasure to meet you. Forgive me that you have to find me like this, sick and all. I have a good feeling that if it wasn’t for you, my son wouldn’t be home right now. Thank you for taking care of my son. He can be a bit reckless sometimes, but he always has a good heart,” Arrie said, looking at both of them.

  “Are these for sale? May I take some of the scarves home with me?” Nuvia asked, a bit timidly, looking at the scarves all over the house.

  “The art is for sale, but not for you. Take as many as you like. They are a gift from me for helping my son get home,” Arrie replied, flattered and with a smile on her face.

  Nuvia took a few steps away from them and picked out four different beautiful scarves made with bright colors and woven in such a way that they would last a lifetime.

  “These are the ones I’ll take today. I hope this coin can cover the cost,” Nuvia then pulled out a golden wall coin. The coin was large and engraved with the gargoyle wall on one side, and it was equivalent to three small gold coins.

  “Oh, no dear. As I said before, these are free of charge. Just by wearing them is enough payment for me,” Arrie replied, moving her head left to right. “Besides, how can I charge my son’s girlfriend?”

  Nuvia’s and Hellys’ faces turned red.

  “Hellys, Arrie, I have to go. They must be expecting me at home by now,” Nuvia managed to say.

  “Here, I’ll walk you to the door,” Hellys said, sighing in relief. He was glad that the awkward moments will soon come to an end.

  “So, Hellys...How long would it take for you to heal, for all of the spots and bruises to go away? Because maybe after you are feeling better, I can see you again?” Nuvia said once they reached the front of the house.

  “I was just going to ask you the same thing. Except for the bruises part and all,” Hellys said with his eyes wide open.

  “Do you think you will be better by tomorrow? I can come here tomorrow around this time, when the sun is touching the watchtowers. Maybe you can help me with some things I have in mind,” Nuvia said as she brushed her bright red hair behind her ear.

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine by tomorrow. I just need some sleep. I am a fast healer,” Hellys readily replied.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Hellys!” Nuvia said as she turned and started running towards the castle.

  The magic between the two young gargoyles was getting stronger, bonding ever more deeply.

  11

  The Will to Help

  When Nuvia got back to the Stone Keep, the King and Queen were waiting for her in the main hall. The Stone Keep wasn’t by any means lavish or grand but rather had a warm feel to it. However, it was built strong and sturdy with the precision unmatched by any. The occasional curtain draped on the wall, and the room was brightened by two large candlelit lamps that hung from the ceiling.

  “So, tell us how did your day go? Is the Stone Kingdom everything you expected it would be? Come, tell us all about it. Did you like it?” Bramma asked expectedly, with a booming voice as soon as he saw Nuvia.

  “I do not, Father,” Nuvia answered with a disappointing tone, looking down to the floor.

  “How can you not like the kingdom? It’s your kingdom. It was built strong, and it will last centuries to come. People live in harmony, and we are at peace; we are not at war. I don’t understand,” Bramma asked, a bit confused.

  “I don’t like the way the villages are being ran. There is so many people suffering in the Northernmost Village. People are living in poverty, and we are too blind to see it,” Nuvia explained as she stood firm.

  “It’s wrong? What did you see out there?” Queen Laila asked worriedly.

  “People are suffering, Mother. Look at these scarves. They are of the best quality I have ever seen, and yet they are only worth a few coins of silver in the Northernmost Village, if at all. People cannot survive on that. We pay in gold for a lesser quality of clothing to people in the inner circle of the kingdom. That isn’t fair.” With a stronger tone of voice and tears building up in her eyes, she continued, “I request an audience with the King and Queen of the Stone Kingdom as Princess of such.”

  “Very well then. I hereby grant you an audience with the King and Queen. You will have your audience as of now. What are your concerns?” the King asked solemnly.

  “The people and the buildings around the Northernmost Village have been forgotten and abandoned. People don’t make enough money to buy food and supplies for their trade, much less fix the buildings themselves,” Nuvia said while looking at the King and Queen.

  King Bramma’s face was filled with disappointment because what he heard from Nuvia and the official reports of the city’s administrators were two different things. However, he knew that the only one telling the truth was his daughter.

  “It breaks my heart that we live so lavishly but there are people in our own city that can’t afford to have dinner as a family. I want to change that. I want all our people to be able to have dinner without worrying about what they are going to eat tomorrow,” Nuvia continued.

  “And how will you accomplish that? This task seems too big for just one person. What is your plan?” the King asked.

  “I only ask, King and Queen, that we help with the re-facing of the buildings around the area and pinpoint the corrupted gargoyles in our kingdom. I also want to donate food and resources for those in dire need so that the spirits in the Northernmost Village will be lifted. I have a friend that is willing to help me help the people in the city,” Nuvia replied.

  “And how would you prevent people from taking advantage of your generosity?” the King asked, trying to cement her plan.

  “It’s not their fault that they’re living this way. It is the fault of the corrupt people that we entrust with power and are stealing from the poor, making the wealthy wealthier and poor poorer. We won’t do this forever, we will only do it until we fix our corrupt system,” Nuvia replied with a firm voice.

  “Who is your friend? Is it one of our helpers?” the Queen asked, ever so curious. She hadn’t heard about a friend before.

  “No, my Queen, it’s a gargoyle boy I met several years ago when we had the banquet,” Nuvia replied with a faint blush.

  The King remained quiet for a few seconds, thinking, and then regally announced, “It shall be done. We will help you, and you will have access to all the resources you need. You will be my right hand, and you shall use power as you see fit. I only have one request to make from you. I want to meet this boy.”

  “Thank you, King and Queen,” Nuvia said.

  “I hereby dismiss this audience,” Bramma said, relaxing once again.

  Nuvia rushed to give the King and Queen a warm, thankful hug.

  * * *

  The next day, Nuvia left the Stone Keep with a small but heavy pouch filled with gold coins. She he
aded straight towards Hellys’ home. As soon as Hellys saw Nuvia walking down the street, a big smile spread across his face.

  “What are you doing up there?” Nuvia asked as she looked up at Hellys sitting on top of his house.

  Hellys then unfurled his wings and, with two beats, he flew down from the roof to meet her in the middle of the street.

  “For starters, I was waiting for you. It’s easier to spot anyone from high above the ground,” Hellys answered once he was in front of Nuvia.

  “Well, you weren’t lying about being a fast healer. I don’t see any bruises, scratches or anything wrong with you now,” Nuvia said in admiration.

  “Yeah. Well, I think I’m just lucky, that’s all. Nothing special or remarkable about it,” he replied casually.

  “Are you ready to spend the rest of the day with me?” Nuvia said, looking him straight in the eye.

  “I think so. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Hellys said, just gesturing to himself.

  “Good. Let’s get going. We have things to do, and a lot of things to catch up on,” Nuvia said with a smile.

  They headed out, walking back towards the Great Wall. As they walked, they each took turns telling stories of how it was for them growing up; they had good laughs as if they had been together for all these years.

  “Where are we going?” Hellys asked as they got closer to the wall.

  “The very first thing we have to do is go pick up a special chariot that was made for us, down in the great wood carver’s shop,” Nuvia explained.

  “When you say ‘us’...Does that mean they know I’m coming along with you?” he asked.

  “Yes, silly. Even my father knows about you. And by the way, you have to meet him after we are done.” Hellys snickered nervously as he heard this. Nuvia then asked with a hopeful voice, “Are you up for it?”

  Hellys took a deep breath to relax and was able to catch Nuvia’s scent: she smelled of roses and wild sweet berries, giving him a warm, tingling feeling in his stomach.

  “Yes of course, it would be my honor to meet the King and Queen,” Hellys commented as they kept walking towards the wood carver’s shop.

  Once they got to the great wood carver’s shop, an impressive medium-sized chariot was waiting for them. The chariot was made perfectly for the task the Princess had in mind.

  Constructed from the strong and beautiful wood, the wagon had two large wheels held in place by spiraling rods. In the front of the wagon sat two massive magic earth stones that made the wagon levitate in the front. The wagon was one and a half meter’s wide and two and a half meters long. For nearly a decade, gargoyles had been using the magic earth stones to move their giant slabs of stone with ease. Magic earth stones were common within the gargoyle world, but only they and a few others knew how to use them to their full potential.

  After noticing that the Princess of the Stone Kingdom was there to pick up her chariot, the master carver went to greet them. He was an old but skilled gargoyle, with white hair and wrinkles around his forehead; he seemed to be a wise seasoned man. As he approached the Princess and her friend, he introduced himself, and said very formally, “Hello, Princess, my name is Rompos and this is your chariot, made exactly how the King suggested it for you. You may take it any time you want.”

  “How did you know it was me?” Nuvia asked.

  “Well, there isn’t many gargoyles with the red hair. It’s a known fact that you look like your mother,” Rompos said, smiling.

  “Well, it is very nice to meet you, Rompos. This is Hellys, a close friend of mine. And yes, we will be taking the wagon now,” Nuvia said casually.

  “She said close, but what did she really mean by that? She said that I was a close friend,” Hellys said to himself.

  “Hello, Hellys. A friend of the Princess is a friend of mine too. It’s nice to meet you. I hope you two find this wagon useful,” Rompos said, breaking Hellys’ concentration.

  “Ah yes, it will be very helpful. It’s nice to meet you too, and I’m very impressed with your ability to build with such detail,” Hellys said, trying to catch up with the conversation.

  Rompos laughed and said, “It’s what I do, boy.” Turning to Nuvia, he said, “All you need to do to make it work is pull on the thin iron chain, and the wagon will follow.”

  Nuvia and Hellys then left the wood carver’s shop with the wagon following them.

  “Well, I really don’t know where we’re going, but I’m guessing it’s this way,” Nuvia said after a few minutes of walking.

  “What did you have in mind for our next stop?” Hellys asked as he pulled the chariot.

  “Do you know of any good place where we can get a large amount of quality bread?” Nuvia asked cheerfully.

  “I know just the place. Follow me. They sell the most delicious bread,” Hellys answered with a smile.

  Near the wall on the west side of the Northernmost Village, Nuvia was beginning to smell sweet aromas of baked goods being made coming from somewhere within the village.

  “This place is owned by a human, a close friend of mine. I come here all the time after work to pick up some bread for my mother and myself before I go home,” Hellys said. “We are here!” he exclaimed as he came to an abrupt stop.

  They arrived at what seemed to be just another hut in the village, but with a huge chimney on the side of it. However, it did have a small sign outside of it that read ‘bread.’ Nuvia pressed her lips and nodded in approval as the delicious fragrance kept getting stronger. They left the chariot outside and walked into the almost hidden bakery.

  “Hellys, my boy! You came back. How is your mother? I prepared some bread for you guys so that you could take some home. Maybe it will make her feel better,” a cheerful voice said as soon as Hellys walked through the door.

  A bit embarrassed at just how loud the baker was in front of Nuvia, Hellys answered, “My mother is doing much better now, thank you for asking. Yoha, can you come out here for a minute? I have somebody that I want to introduce.”

  Confused at what Hellys said, the baker stepped to the front of the bakery. The baker was a human of average height, with a square jaw, thick black facial hair, and hands that looked like they could bend iron. With a surprised tone of his voice, the baker said, “Oh, I see now! You didn’t come alone...you brought your girlfriend with you.”

  “This is Nuvia, a longtime friend of mine,” Hellys said nervously, scratching the back of his head. “Nuvia, this is Yoha, the best baker there is, and also a good friend,” he added as he turned to face Nuvia.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Yoha. Your bread smells delicious! We came to get our wagon filled with sweet loaves of bread and jars of milk if you have any,” Nuvia said.

  “Well, looks like Hellys brought you to the right place. I bake the best bread in the kingdom, and I have loads of them; I have everything you need to fill any wagon up. Let’s get to work,” Yoha said as he laughed.

  Without wasting another minute, Yoha, Nuvia, and Hellys began moving, quickly filling the wagon with the most delicious-looking bread they had: some covered in real honey, others filled with sweet cheese, and there were even a few with chocolate sprinkles. In the back of the chariot, they loaded a jar of milk to accompany every loaf of bread. The jars were carefully stacked on top of one another in such a way that they would not fall.

  “Well, my boy, there you have it...Your wagon is filled to the brim with the best quality bread and milk you can get. Is there anything else this old baker can help you with?” Yoha said with great satisfaction looking at his work.

  “How much will this cost us?” Nuvia said as she looked into her small pouch of gold.

  “Let me see. I’ll give you the special Hellys discount and it will just cost you...let’s say...five small gold coins,” Yoha replied. “But I do have to ask you. What will you do with all this bread?”

  “We are planning to deliver this to people that can’t afford to have it so that every family in the Northernmost Village will be
able to have some form of dinner tonight,” Nuvia answered.

  “So, you are doing all this work so that people can have a free dinner tonight? In that case, I have to do my part in it also. I’ll tell you what...just pay me for the ingredients so that I’ll be able to make more bread. The rest is on the bakery. Two gold coins should account for everything,” Yoha said with surprise in his voice. Kindness seemed to be spreading quickly with every person Nuvia and Hellys came across.

  After saying goodbye and promising to return, they got on their way towards the places where people needed the most. The loaded chariot followed them as Hellys pulled very lightly on the chariot’s chain. People around the small villages stared at them and murmured in a curious way, “What are they going to do with all that bread? Is that the Princess of the Gargoyles?”

  “So, where are we going first with all this bread?” Hellys asked, blocking off distractions.

  “Well, I was thinking to start on one end of the village, go knocking on doors until we reach the other end,” Nuvia answered with a smile on her face.

  “And what will we say after we knock? Are you going to introduce yourself as the Princess of the Stone Kingdom?” Hellys asked, trying to satisfy his curiosity.

  Nuvia stayed quiet for a few seconds, thinking, and answered very thoughtfully, “That’s a good question. I don’t think I want the gargoyles to know it’s me. We can just say it’s a gift from the King. We’ll play it by ear depending on the person.”

  The sun was setting as Nuvia and Hellys started to give out loaves of bread and one jar of milk to every gargoyle family around the Northernmost Village, stocking up on their food for days. Some gargoyles were cheerful as they received their dinner at their door. Some could not believe that the Gargoyle King would do such a thing and that he was caring for his people once again. Some broke down in tears and gave Nuvia and Hellys many thanks and warm hugs because they had nothing to eat that day. It took many hours for Nuvia and Hellys to finish giving away all the loaves of bread. By the time they had an empty wagon, it was dark and the moon lit up the sky.