by MJ Schutte
‘Mischief? Who names their child Mischief?’ Al’taish laughed.
‘Mischief is a black panther. He was still born but Brighton brought him back. He mostly stays very close to Brighton and Lilian, as though he is their protector. Dina has never had a vision involving him, and yet his actions have changed the future a few times,’ Robyn answered, a smile creeping across her lips at the thought of a child named Mischief.
She sat down on the chair and continued, ‘Brighton played a vital role in establishing the current royal family as the rulers of Mendin and also saved the elf forest, Livia Farasnei, when it was dying. This, however, imprisoned both him and Lilian in the forest. The fact that the most powerful human ever was effectively taken away from the general population pleased all the spirits, especially Dina.’
Robyn paused for a sip of water which gave Al’taish the opportunity to ask a question.
‘Why was Dina happy about Brighton being imprisoned in the forest? Didn’t she believe he had important work ahead of him?’
Robyn drained her mug, then answered.
‘She believed that his work was done and also had another vision possibly involving Brighton. She saw a monster being created through experimentation with magic. She did not see who would create this monster but knew that it was someone trying to keep a loved one alive. Brighton and Lilian had two children, Thomas and Clarissa. Thomas was killed when he was still a toddler but Clarissa grew up, married, had children and then grew old. When it was her time to die, Brighton kept her alive with his magic. He could not bear to see his darling daughter go. He loved her dearly,’ Robyn answered.
She turned away from Al’taish but the young man had already seen the tears in her eyes. He waited patiently for Robyn to gain control of her emotions. After a few moments she continued.
‘Clarissa begged her father to let her go and eventually he did. She did not become the monster Dina had foreseen and most of the spirits stopped believing in her visions. They still believe Brighton will destroy us all. He is to this day the only human that can enter the spirit world whenever he wants to and has died three times, but returned to the living every time. He is also the only person that can not be influenced by the spirits so they were forced to use people around him. You can understand why the spirits fear him. Dina knew that both Brighton and Lilian would someday be free from the forest and that the worst was yet to come, but when he agreed to let Clarissa die peacefully, she also knew he was not the person that would destroy the world. She acted alone in sending me back since she believed I had a small part to play if the world is to survive. Just before she sent me back she told me that magic was a part of the living world and if we were going to survive, a human needs to be Zaconis, Guardian of magic. I think that human is Brighton,’ Robyn said.
Al’taish shook his head.
‘No, he is not. I am in Father Zaconis’ army. The human guardian of magic already exists. What I don’t understand is why magic is such a threat to us,’ he said.
‘Zaconis is in this world?’ Robyn gasped.
Al’taish nodded.
‘But…but…Brighton…’ Robyn stammered.
She took a deep breath to calm herself, and then said, ‘As I said before, I only know what Dina chose to share with me. The rest is all guess work. It would seem I was wrong about Brighton being the guardian of magic.’
Silence fell for a while as Robyn was consumed with her own thoughts. Al'taish wanted her to continue, but also did not want to seem rude so he tried to be patient.
‘Why is magic such a threat to us?’ he eventually repeated his earlier question, his impatience getting the better of him.
Robyn sighed deeply, suddenly looking every bit as old as she really was before answering.
‘I don’t have a clear answer to that, but I think it has something to do with how magic came into this world. Remember that Zaco’s intention was to create a monster that would destroy the world and Conis wanted to counteract this. While neither could actually create a beast, they could give a human the ability to become or create such a monster.’
She fell deep into her own musings again and this time Al’taish decided to stay patient. He slowly cleaned the last food off his plate and drained his mug. He sat with the empty plate and mug in his hands, not knowing what to do with it.
Eventually Robyn sighed again and said, ‘You don’t become as old as I am without learning to accept when you are wrong.’
Al'taish knew the comment was not meant for him so he stayed quiet.
Wordlessly she got up, took the plate and mug and disappeared into the kitchen.
A while later she returned and sat down on the chair again.
‘I would like to hear more about this Father Zaconis you spoke about,’ she said.
‘I actually know very little about him, except that he is very powerful. There is something more important I want to discuss. I might know exactly what this threat is that has the spirits so worried,’ Al’taish said slowly.’
‘What do you mean?’ Robyn frowned.
‘I have seen it. Where I come from there are human-like beings called the daraghna. They are about twice the size of a human and have long, thin bodies covered with thick scales. They have arms and legs like us and something like a bird’s wings are attached between their bodies and their arms. They also have another set of wings on their backs. They do not have noses and have long, sharp fangs protruding from the mouths. As far as I know they can not be harmed by magic or normal weapons. Daraghna means immortal,’ Al’taish described the beasts.
‘Are you serious?’ Robyn whispered.
Al’taish nodded.
‘Yes, I am. I have heard rumors that they eat human flesh, and particularly prefer humans who possess magic. Father Zaconis says this is not true, but perhaps it is. Do you think it’s possible that the spirits are not aware that these creatures exist?’ Al’taish said.
‘I suppose it’s possible, but there could also be something else to consider. First, tell me if you think Father Zaconis is the one who created the daraghna?’ Robyn asked.
‘I don’t know, but it does make sense. He is the only one the daraghna will obey. It is almost like he is their father, or creator. There is another rumor that he experimented on his parents with magic and that is how the daraghna was created,’ Al’taish answered.
‘Perhaps the spirits know about the daraghna but can not do anything about it. This must be the monster that Dina saw in her vision, the monster she thought Clarissa would become. Brighton is probably the only person powerful enough to destroy the daraghna,’ Robyn mused.
Al’taish shifted uncomfortably. He was certain that the person he knew as Imlan was in fact Brighton, but he did not want to say anything.
Robyn noticed his discomfort and said, ‘Do you know something else?’
Slowly Al’taish nodded, deciding that hiding things was not the best course of action.
‘Imlan…I mean Brighton was taken by Father Zaconis. They are on their way to Ethona by ship,’ he answered.
Robyn closed her eyes and shook her head.
‘What do you mean taken?’ she asked.
Al’taish told Robyn in brief terms about Father Zaconis’ army and how new recruits were brought into the army.
For a few moments after Al’taish had stopped talking, Robyn was speechless.
Finally she managed to stammer, ‘Brighton’s memories are all gone? He is now on his way to some distant land and he does not even know who he is?’
Al’taish could only nod, suddenly ashamed for his involvement with Father’s army.
‘Young man, start at the beginning and tell me everything that happened,’ Robyn said sternly.
Al’taish relayed everything that had happened since the first day he set foot in Mendin. He left nothing out, except the fact that he had butterflies in his stomach whenever he thought about Angelina. He did not think it was necessary to bring his personal feelings into the conversation.
W
hen he was done, Robyn stood staring out the window for a long time before she slowly said, ‘You are effectively the enemy since you serve in this army Zaconis has created. I am not certain why I was told to help you, but I did my part. I can only hope that I did the right thing.’
‘I no longer wish to serve in his army. I will do whatever I can to help Iml…Brighton,’ Al’taish replied.
Slowly Robyn turned around and looked Al’taish in the eyes. When she saw no sign of deceit, she said, ‘What was you purpose in coming back here?’
‘I was to find a magical bracelet and return it to Father. He believes it’s the only way to kill the witc…I mean Lilian,’ Al’taish answered honestly.
‘I see. And how are you supposed to get back to Ethona without a ship?’ Robyn asked.
‘Father will send a daraghna for me. They can fly very fast. The journey by ship to Ethona will take about forty days, but a daraghna can cover the distance in less than three. They do not need to rest often,’ Al’taish answered.
‘So Brighton does not know who he is and you are going to deliver the only thing that can kill Lilian right into the enemy’s hands. Things are certainly looking grim,’ Robyn surmised.
‘I will not give Father the bracelet! I want to help Brighton and Lilian,’ Al’taish said heatedly.
‘I believe you, but we have to consider the options. I was told to help you since you have a part to play in the bigger scheme of things. If we never had this conversation, you most likely would have found the bracelet and returned with it to Ethona. I think this is what Dina wanted, so maybe we should just play along and do our parts,’ Robyn replied.
‘I won’t help Father kill Lilian! I will go there and tell Brighton who he really is and help him fight the daraghna,’ Al’taish insisted.
‘No, it won’t work. Even if Brighton is powerful enough to kill the daraghna, he has lost his memories, meaning that he does not have control of his gift,’ Robyn argued.
‘But what if I was not meant to find the bracelet? As far as I know, it is buried under a mountain,’ Al’taish said.
‘You were meant to find it,’ Robyn said as she pulled the tiny bracelet out of her pocket.
‘Is that it? Where did you find it?’ Al’taish gasped.
‘I had a little help,’ Robyn smiled.
She put the bracelet on the table.
‘Al’taish, I am not going to tell you to deliver it to Zaconis, but I do believe it is the right thing to do, no matter how wrong it sounds right now. The only thing I know for certain is that we have one chance to save ourselves and the spirit world. For that to happen, every small piece of the puzzle has to fall into place,’ she said.
‘But how do you know it is really me you were supposed to help?’ Al’taish argued.
‘I have sent countless men to the drawings in Fenton and none ever recognized me, not even Matt. You are the only one who realized who I really am. I am certain you are the one I was supposed to help,’ Robyn smiled.
‘Matt from the monastery? He has studied those drawings hundreds of times!’ Al’taish gasped.
‘Yes, he has. A few years ago he came to the royal archives to see if he could find out more about the drawings. I helped him personally and yet he never knew who I was,’ Robyn smiled.
‘It’s going to be hard for him if he ever finds out he spoke to the woman in the drawings and did not know. He is obsessed with those drawings,’ Al’taish frowned.
Thinking of Matt and the monastery, another thought entered his mind.
‘Robyn, what about the belief that magic and the spirits do not exist but that there is one almighty spirit controlling everything?’ he asked.
‘There is such a spirit. He is referred to simply as The Master,’ Robyn answered.
‘That does not make sense. First you tell me how magic came into the world, threatening our very existence, then you tell me that there is in fact a Master who controls everything. It seems he is not doing such a great job!’ Al’taish said heatedly.
‘Let me tell you what I know about The Master then you might understand better. The Master is the one who created the spirit world and this world. He…’ Robyn said but Al’taish interrupted her.
‘He should just fix everything or end it all!’ he shouted.
Robyn bent down and picked up one of the leather sheaths lying next to the bed.
‘Did you make this?’ she asked.
‘Yes, I did,’ Al’taish replied, slightly confused at the sudden change of topic.
‘And would you willingly destroy it?’ Robyn asked.
‘Of course not! I spend many hours getting the mechanism to work perfectly and I keep the blades razor sharp!’ Al’taish snapped.
Robyn kept quiet, waiting for realization to take shape in Al’taish’s mind.
‘Oh, I see! The Master created this world and would not like to see it destroyed! But why does he not simply take magic away and make everything the way it was before?’ Al’taish frowned.
‘I’ve never had children and I’m assuming you haven’t either, so this might be a bit difficult for us to understand. The way Dina explained it was that a parent can not always control what his children do. Sometimes the children have to make their own mistakes to learn from them. We, and the spirits, are The Master’s children and he loves us enough to let us make our mistakes, find a way to fix them and learn valuable lessons in the process. Magic is still in its infancy in this world and we, the people of this world, have to learn how to coexist with it,’ Robyn explained.
‘If he loves us, should he not help us?’ Al’taish frowned.
‘But he is. Who do you think gave Dina the ability to see the future? If it wasn’t for that, everything would have been destroyed a long time ago,’ Robyn replied.
Slowly Al’taish nodded as understanding dawned on him.
‘Everything that happened to me, you, and a number of other people, happened for a reason. We were being guided by the spirits to help Brighton defeat the evil. I understand all of this, except one thing. Why did the spirits not guide Brighton to this evil and simply make him destroy it?’ he asked.
‘Remember that Brighton can not be influenced by the spirits so they have to use the people around him. It was Lilian’s love for him that saved him from becoming the same power hungry dictator that Seth was. It was also her love that brought him back from the dead once and enabled him to enter the spirit world at will. Although I do not see how all of this fits together in the greater scheme of things, I do believe that every event in Brighton’s life was necessary to prepare him for what lies ahead,’ Robyn replied.
‘I still do not see how I will be helping if I give Father a way of killing Lilian,’ Al’taish frowned.
‘There are many things we do not understand. I know it seems wrong to you, but the situation is much larger than either of us can perceive. We have to do our parts, no matter how small, or Dina’s vision of the world ending will come true. Also remember that we are assuming that Brighton can destroy the daraghna, but we do not know this for certain. Perhaps there is a chain of events that need to take place to rid this world of evil and Brighton simply has a small part to play, just like you and me,’ Robyn answered.
When Al’taish did not say anything more, Robyn slowly got up and said, ‘I will leave you to think on this for a while. Just call if you need me.’
Al’taish hardly heard. His mind was racing with confusing thoughts and arguments.
Quietly Robyn left, closing the door behind her.
Chapter 13
The next morning Al’taish awoke early. He found his clothes and got dressed. Although his broken left arm made this difficult, he did not want to call Robyn. For a moment he wondered who undressed him when Robyn brought him to her house, but quickly banished the thought from his mind since he did not really want to know the answer.
He looked at his weapons lying on the floor. He was uncomfortable without them but obviously he could not fit the leather sheath to his brok
en arm. He tried strapping the other to his right forearm, but he simply could not do it. In frustration he finally called Robyn.
‘Good morning, Al’taish,’ Robyn greeted cheerfully as she entered the room. Upon seeing that he was already dressed and had his weapons in his hand, she raised an eyebrow.
‘Are you going somewhere?’ she asked.
‘I can’t get this sheath strapped to my arm. Would you mind helping me?’ he replied, ignoring her question.
‘No, I will not help you. You’re injuries are serious and you should be in bed!’ Robyn reprimanded him.
‘I will not stay in bed all day. I want to go outside and feel the sun on my face!’ Al’taish retorted angrily.
‘That’s fair, but why do you need your weapons?’ Robyn asked as she folded her arms across her chest.
‘I never go anywhere without my weapons,’ Al’taish replied.
Robyn thought for a moment before she answered.
‘Not too far from here is a beautiful place from where you can see the entire city and beyond. I will pack food and we can go there for breakfast, but only if you promise to leave your weapons behind,’ she said.
‘Why should I leave my weapons?’ Al’taish frowned.
‘Because you will be safe with me,’ Robyn replied.
‘Robyn, I need my blades,’ Al’taish said in exasperation.
