by Bonny Capps
We decide to anchor the ships at the docks the pirates originally used for theirs. I make my way down the ladder and onto the old creaky dock. The dark opening of the forest is hiding the secrets of the past. I stand wide eyed, looking into the entrance – the same piercing blue eyes stare back at me. It’s the white wolf again; the one I saw when we left. I look over my shoulder; the others are busy unloading the supplies. I begin making my way cautiously towards the entrance of the forest.
Suddenly a hand firmly grips my arm and swings me around. It’s Breck. He slowly shakes his head and leads me back to the ships. He comes to a halt and looks down at me, his hands gripping my arms. “Everyone stays together. Understand?” I nod slowly. He leaves me and continues unloading. I feel an overwhelming urge to enter the forest again; the wolf turns and disappears into the darkness.
Skye and Elspath have been loaded off the ship and are grazing nearby. The calling grows stronger and stronger. Skye’s eyes meet mine, she must feel it too. She lowers herself to the ground and bobs her head up and down. I walk towards her and crawl onto her back. She stands abruptly and bolts forward, into the entrance of the forest as I grip her soft mane. “MANDY!” Fynn shouts from behind me. But, it’s too late. We have already descended into the forest. I can feel Skye’s muscles moving beneath me as we fly through the forest, the trees passing me by, everything is a blur. The wolf appears next to us, running alongside of Skye.
“Who are you?” I holler as we continue our way. The wolf looks towards me, “I am Liam, the elder of the Watchers.” Skye and Liam come to an abrupt halt and I nearly fly off her back, gripping my legs on her sides.
My eyes grow wide as I look up at the remaining half of the Statue of Bellthor; vines have taken over it as it sits on the edge of the cliff. “You have come a long way child, but you do not belong here. Fynn should have let you be.” Liam says as he sits on the stone ground. I jump down from Skye’s back and kneel down, “I have never belonged somewhere as much as here. This is my home now.” Liam looks to the distance; he is so wise and so regal.
“You are in grave danger here, Hasset is extremely powerful.” He pauses, his eyes stare at me intently once again, “But, I must say – there is something powerful about your spirit. You do not give up.” I sigh as I bow my head, “Without Fynn I wouldn’t be who is standing before you now.” Liam closes his eyes and shakes his head, “I should have known that there is no persuading you.” He stands and begins descending into the darkness once more. He stops and looks over his shoulder, “I will be watching. Keep safe child.” He says as he continues into the forest.
I rest my hand on the statue and look down at the sharp, jagged rocks. “Mandy!” Fynn exclaims as he runs up behind me. I feel his hand grip my arm as he swings me around. His chest is heaving and he looks angry. “Fynn, I-” “DON’T. Save your words!” He exclaims as he looks down at me, searching my eyes. I yank my arm away, “It was Liam Fynn! I followed him here.” His eyes grow wide as he looks over his shoulder into the forest. “Why did you do it Fynn? Why did you pull me in? You knew there would be consequences but you did it. Why?”
He slowly turns to face me once more, “Because I love you. I’ve never loved anyone before. But, I watched you grow. I saw when your mother rocked you to sleep at night and cuddled you and kissed your bruises. But then she was gone and you were just so sad. I wanted to save you. I couldn’t let you just waste away.” I step towards him and place my hands on his sweet face, “I love you so, so much.” He puts his hands over mine and kisses me gently before wrapping his arms around me. I jump when I hear thunder above us. Fynn and I look up and see dark clouds rolling in, lightning is illuminating the sky. He looks into my eyes, “It has begun.”
Chapter Seventeen
The others appear from the forest and look towards the sky. They gather around Fynn and me as the rain begins to fall. I look from one face to another, “There is something that I must say. Each and every one of you has impacted my life immensely. I could never repay you for the lessons you have taught me – for the love you have given me.” I pause as I look into Fynn’s eyes and then back to the crowd, “I see something today that is beauty in itself, each and every one of you have put your differences aside and have made a decision. The decision to stand for what’s right. I commend you all for that. I see determination in your eyes and I feel the love in your hearts.” I draw my sword from my side and raise it up, “Now let’s take this land back! Let’s reunite the people! Let’s overrule the evil that has claimed this land!” The others raise their swords and let out a roar. My heart is soaring through the roof and all the doubt that Hasset casted over me, it’s all gone. I know we can do this.
The ground below us starts rumbling and cracks begin forming below. Fynn looks into my eyes, “Get on your horse.” He says. “Why?” I ask. “Because I said.” He replies. Without warning he lifts me up and plants me on Skye’s back. He grabs my hand and looks up at me, “I love you, Mandy.” “I love you Fynn.”
The dead army begins crawling through the cracks. They are zombies, walking dead. Their skin is decomposed and has a green tint and they wear silver armor. There are dozens of them and they continue to ascend from the broken ground. Andre raises his sword to the sky, “For The Order!”
I make my way to higher ground. I find a good vantage point and draw my bow and an arrow in front of me. The fight below has begun. I lift my bow and aim at one of the dead. I release on the exhale and it impales through his chest. He shakily reaches up and feels his wound before turning to black dust.
My eyes search frantically for Fynn, where the hell is he? I have to get down there; I’m not doing any good up here. I jump down and run to the courtyard. I draw my sword as another dead runs towards me, his sword above his head, it comes down and I shield myself with my own, the clash of the metal is loud. It makes my ears ring. My sword slides across his blade and I swing around, hitting him in the side. He falls to his knees and I rear back, sending my sword through his heart. Suddenly Andre whips me around, “GO GIRL. YOU ARE AN ARCHER, NOT A SWORDSMAN!” He yells. I yank my arm from him, still wielding my sword.
My eyes travel to Skye, what is she doing down here – she wasn’t supposed to follow me. She is rearing up, kicking the dead with her large hoofs. I’m terrified when I see one of them pierce her with their sword and she begins falling to the ground, blood is pouring from her. Her eyes never leave mine until her full body meets the ground. The life slowly drains from her.
My sadness turns to complete utter hatred as I grip the handle of my sword. My feet take flight as I grit my teeth, making my way towards him – the dead that killed my friend. Our swords crash into each other as we block, my braided hair swings as I spin around and my sword meets his side. One after another, they never stop coming. There is literally blood everywhere. It’s so incredibly loud, screams of agony, death, defeat and swords clanging against each other loudly.
We must win this. How many casualties will there be? I can’t stand to lose another friend. Suddenly one of the dead grabs me from behind and a sharp blade is firmly pressed against my neck, “Pretty girl can fight.” It growls in my ear sending shivers down my spine. I struggle trying to free myself but the blade only presses down harder on my neck. I jolt forward as something hits it, hard in the back and it turns to dust.
I land on my hands and knees. I turn around and see Andre standing above me. He reaches down and helps me to my feet. “Archers should stick to archery.” He says, looking down at me playfully. I smile as I turn away and realize that we are winning. Slowly the dead army is becoming lesser. There are bodies everywhere, it’s a horrendous sight, but I fight on, as do the others. One enemy after another turns to dust as we claim their lives.
I feel a sharp point on my back and whip around. Hasset is wielding a dagger. I draw my sword in front of me and we begin circling, our eyes never leaving each other’s. “I’m impressed girl; I didn’t think you had it in you.” She says slyly. “Well, I do!” I
snap. “It’s a shame that such a beauty has to die at the hands of me.” She says.
A smile slowly stretches across my face. I quickly strike at her with my sword; the clinging metal reverberates throughout the courtyard as she blocks herself with the dagger, she is strong – and fast. One hit after another, she continues to block me. She holds out a hand and her palm begins glowing red as she lifts me from the ground and slams me onto my back.
I slide across the stone ground and nearly fall off the edge of the cliff. I feel paralyzed, I can’t move my body as my head dangles off the edge. She crawls on top of me and grabs the back of my head, pulling my face to hers. This is too close for comfort. “This will be the end of you. Can’t say the wolf didn’t warn you though!” She exclaims as she lifts the dagger. I squeeze my eyes shut.
“Get off of her witch!” Fynn exclaims and my eyes fly open. He places a hand on each side of her head and I hear a loud cracking sound. He pushes her off of me and she lays lifelessly, her eyes wide open. I am relieved that I can move again as Fynn grabs my hand and helps me to my feet. I look around me, the bears, the Norwins and Nomads, the Amphians and the pirates all stand around us.
We’ve done it. We are all exhausted and injured but we’ve won. My eyes lock onto Makin's and I make my way towards him.”To the king!” I exclaim, reaching my sword to the sky, the others follow. I kneel down and hug him tightly, “We did it, friend.” I whisper as I pull away and look into his kind eyes.
Tears begin working their way down his cheeks as he looks at me intently. I lean forward and kiss his cheek before standing and turning to face my love. He has the usual adorable smile on his face, his gentle, playful eyes dancing with excitement. He stands next to the Statue of Bellthor waiting for me. I quickly walk towards him, my heart galloping in my chest. Suddenly I see someone behind him. Oh no, Hasset! She isn’t dead; I was supposed to be the one to defeat her! I see a shiny object from behind him and I am filled with terror. She raises a dagger and I stop in my tracks. Fynn’s expression changes immediately. As he begins to turn, Hasset sinks the dagger into his side. His face is that of pain.
His eyes are locked onto mine as he falls to his knees. “NO!” I scream as I run towards him. Hasset stands behind him and kicks him down; I can hear his head crack hard as he lands on his side on the stone ground below. I fall to my knees and place my hand on his cheeks, his eyes trying hard to stay opened. I feel the air leave my lungs.
My eyes travel up to meet hers; she is smirking as she looks down at what she has done to the love of my life. Hatred fills me entirely as I watch her step over his body as she begins retreating to the forest. I slowly stand and retrieve and arrow as I grip my bow. I aim for the back of her head, as I pull back on the bow string she turns to face me. She scoffs when she sees me aiming for her, “You going to kill me, girl?” She asks, her blue eyes piercing through my soul. “Yes.” I respond through gritted teeth. I release the arrow and it flies gracefully through the air, her eyes grow wide as it makes contact with her forehead. She extends her arms out, dropping the dagger to the ground; it clinks against the stone ground as it bounces several times. The rain ceases and she falls to her knees. She begins turning to dust beginning at her finger tips and then to her arms – all of her becoming part of the earth along with the rest of the dead army. I drop my bow and arrow and turn towards Fynn once more.
I slowly kneel down next to him and gently place his head in my lap as I examine him; his eyes still struggle to stay open as he looks into mine. Tears flow uncontrollably as I gently run my finger over his cheek. I’m trying to cling onto any hope that he will not die right now. I cannot lose him. Not now, not ever. “Don’t leave me!” I plead as I rock back and forth, running my hands through his hair, “Please, you promised.”
He shakily reaches towards me and gently places a hand on my cheek, clumsily wiping away my tears. His lips part as he struggles to speak, “You… you have done what you’ve set out to do. You are… strong… you are… beautiful. I love you…”
His eyes slowly close and his head falls to the side as his last breath escapes his lungs. “NO! NO! PLEASE NO!” I scream at the top of my lungs as I shake him violently. Not Fynn! This isn’t right, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to him! I look up at the others; they are in utter disbelief, some of them covering their mouths, others shaking their heads, looking at their feet. Andre, Makin and Breck stand beside each other, each one of them saddened by what we all just witnessed. I am so filled with anger and sadness. My heart has literally just been ripped out of my chest. “WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?” QUIT STANDING THERE! DO SOMETHING!” I yell, my voice becoming hoarse.
Andre walks towards me and kneels down, gently placing a hand on my shoulder, “He is gone, Mandy. His fate is in the elder’s hands.” My body begins convulsing as the tears continue. I lay my head on Fynn’s chest and wrap my arms around him. “I love you. I love you so much.” I whisper. I look up towards my friends, “Please, just leave us alone.” They nod and slowly retreat to the forest, leaving Fynn and I alone with the countless other dead bodies. He’s one of them; he just died in this battle with all the others. He is now just flesh and bone, no soul. No more Fynn. I squeeze my eyes shut. “I love you so much, you can’t leave me. You promised, you said you would never go away. Come back to me please.” I whisper, my face buried in his chest and my fingers through his hair.
The ground shakes beneath us once more and I feel warmth on my back. I weakly open my eyes. I am stunned to see grass and flowers sprouting out of the ground, working its way between the cracks of the stone courtyard. The Statue of Bellthor is one piece again and the kingdom sits next to the courtyard as it should be. The trees begin to become lush with foliage and birds begin singing along with the chirping crickets. The fog has subsided and the sky has become clear.
I place Fynn’s head on the stone ground carefully and cuddle up to him as I look at his sweet face, “We did it Fynn. We bought the lands together again.” He looks at peace, despite how that wretched witch killed him. She stole him from me. If I could kill her again and again I would.
I rest my head on Fynn’s chest, I would give anything to hear his heart beat once more, to hear his laugh or see his beautiful eyes. I miss him so bad already. I see furry white paws appear and look up to see Liam looking down at Fynn as he sits beside his body, opposite of me. “Child, it is time for Fynn to go home to the gods. You must let go.” My eyes meet his, “I will never let go.” I whisper as I tighten my grip on Fynn. Liam shakes his head and leaves us alone once more.
I feel something on my arm and look down to see a beautiful blue butterfly. More begin landing on Fynn and I until he is completely covered. I don’t dare move because a part of me knows they are going to take him away from me. I stay with him until my eyes close and I drift away into sweet sleep.
Right where I need to be. Beside the love of my life.
Chapter Eighteen
I am floating through a vortex of sorts; the colors are swirling round and round. Purple, blue, yellow. I hear Fynn’s voice, “I love you.” I hear the other’s as well; Makin, “I must do this for my people.” Breck, “We must all stick together.” As I float weightlessly I see my friend’s faces and replay the events that lead up to Fynn’s death, seeing him in the mirror for the first time and reaching out to touch him, the shock of feeling his skin under mine.
Our first embrace.
Our first kiss.
The first time he told me he loved me and how it filled my soul and my heart entirely. I see him up in the crow’s nest looking down at me and I see him as we say our final “I love you.”
Then I see him after the battle, we thought that was it that we didn’t have to fight anymore.
I walk towards him and a crack forms in the ground, but he doesn’t move away from it. He begins falling and I run towards him with all my might, reaching, I can no longer see him. I jump and I am falling, falling, falling. Just when I think I will never stop descending into the da
rkness a hand grips mine. I look up. It’s Fynn. He is hanging from a root, his hand grasping mine. His sweet eyes alive and his skin filled with life and warmth once more. Our promise lingers around us like a sweet aura. He smiles down at me and I can feel warm tears flowing down my cheeks. “I promised.” He whispers. But, then the walls begin to shake once more. My hand grasps his tightly as his does mine but it’s not enough. I slip away and I am falling to my doom.
I jolt awake. My hair is sticking to my face and I can feel my clothes sticking to my sweaty back. My chest is heaving and tears are rolling down my cheeks. I immediately recognize my surroundings. The moon shines through my balcony door onto the wood floors. The shadows of trees dance across the floors and my down comforter. I run my hand through my hair and throw the comforter off of my body. I swing my legs around and they meet the cold floor of my bedroom. I’m here again. “No.” I whisper. I walk towards my wood carved mirror, our meeting place and run my fingers along the edge. Nothing. I fall to my knees and look up at the mirror, tears falling one after another. This entire experience, was it in my head? Was the battle real? Was what Fynn and I had even… real? It doesn’t feel like a dream. It doesn’t feel like it was just all in my head.
After sitting in front of my mirror, silently begging and pleading for Fynn to come rescue me once again for what seems like forever I clumsily get to my feet and slip on my robe. I open my bedroom door and make my way down the dark hallway. I walk down the familiar stairs and into the kitchen. I see dad sitting at the bar, smoking a cigarette and slip onto the stool next to him.
He smiles as he looks towards me, the same sadness looming over him. His eyes are red, but he’s not drinking. He’s been crying. “Bad dream?” He asks. His voice is weak and raspy. My lip begins to tremble as I slowly shake my head, it was the best dream I have ever had. I grab his hand tightly and lay my head on his shoulder. He leans in and kisses the top of my head. “Do you ever wish you could just run away? From everything?” I ask quietly. He squeezes my hand gently, “Every damn day, sweetheart. Unfortunately, we aren’t given that option.” I force a smile as a tear makes its way to the tip of my nose.
