For half an hour none of them said anything; they settled themselves on the table, served their plates while Bear enjoyed his own share of dog food. (Why doesn’t she give him a human-leg to eat? he thought.)
‘Oh!’ said Anna. ‘Take this – where it’s – I kept in my bag – here – this’ she said holding up a pouch in air – ‘contains your medicines. You won’t feel sickness but – no it can’t save you – I couldn’t give you this before because of some restriction and all that.’
‘Hmm … and – in the café you and Alicia were talking about someone – er – Tiana, weren’t you?’
She merely nodded. He thought she’d tell the rest herself but she didn’t and continued with her food.
‘Who is she?’ he said awkwardly.
She stopped, put her spoon aside and stared sternly at him.
‘It were my childhood days … we three were best of friends; me, Alicia and Tiana. I and Tiana met Alicia on her first day of sneak outs, we were kids and accepted her quickly. She, Tiana, was the bravest of us all, even more than Alicia; we held her house as our major party spot. Her parents worked in the palace so, most of the time she’d be with me and her house – empty.
‘We also had Uncle Bernard’s café for our free hours from school; Alicia was taught by her mother, the emperor hadn’t even hired a tutor for her … everything was perfect, we were enjoying ourselves, our life until –
‘Aurisca’s first attack … my parents died, so did Tiana’s—’ she stopped unintentionally by a sob. ‘Uncle Bernard adopted us … even when there was crisis for food (Aurisca destroyed our farms and most of the food resources). But Tiana’s bravery was eating her, she thought her parents deserved revenge and she could have it on her own. But she didn’t know how to.
‘In the meantime, I had been showing skills in Transportation more than anyone. Christin was feeling need of innovations in Sana, something new, apart from sorcery, so he sent a dozen of children to earth and live like humans, I was one of them. Then, I met you and you know the rest.
‘I particularly developed interests in nuclear physics and on each visit to Sana I’d be sharing this knowledge with my friends. Tiana found it strangely interesting. Oh, I should’ve realised!
Derek reached for her. ‘It’s okay.’
‘She stole my books and theories and developed something like a mixture of nuclear science and sorcery.
‘One night, she in the darkness slipped out of the city to plant it. She didn’t tell either of us and never came back … in the meantime, Dark City saw the most terrible day when a bomb exploded at its outskirts … many Dark City’s soldiers died, so did she.’
He shouldn’t have asked her that. It would be really painful to lose your love ones.
‘Oh, I am sorry,’ said Derek.
‘No, don’t worry,’ she said. ‘It’s fine.’
He didn’t dare to say another word until they were done with dinner, Bear kept his head on her lap as they proceeded to the drawing room and sat on the comfortable sofas.
‘So how’s it – I mean living in here alone …’
‘I am not alone – I’ve got plenty of visitors – Alicia, Uncle Bernard and now you – isn’t that good?’
‘Yeah,’ he said weakly.
‘So that was why, you dropped the nuclear physics, didn’t you?’
‘Yes,’ she said nodding. ‘I studied that subject for a year – even after that I couldn’t see how disastrous it was.’
‘Christin knew you were linked to humans, didn’t he?’
‘Yes.’
‘And he should also have realised that the explosion was linked to humans because his tone told me he didn’t like us at all.’
‘I don’t know if he knew that or not but I was never inquired. Instead, I was given the job in the police department and my seniors were very interested in my nuclear knowledge.’
That didn’t make sense, if Christin knew Anna and nuclear explosion were linked then why didn’t he inquire her. He would’ve waved it away … but he was over-reacting when he, Derek – a human, went to the inquiry … then –
Knock!
Bear jumped and ran towards the main door.
‘We’ve got a visitor,’ she said, grinning and walking towards the main door. ‘I told you I have plenty of them.’
‘Yeah,’ he said behind her.
At first, he thought it was Bernard but when a feminine sound vibe “Hi” shook his eardrum, every hair on his body stood up as though he had walked through a chilly snow shower.
‘Alicia, get in, Derek will be happy to see you!’
Happy? Mad to see you – no control yourself. Don’t act like a love arrow stricken fool.
And in a minute, in which he did everything to slow down his racing heart, Alicia and Anna appeared.
‘Look who’s here,’ said Anna brightly. ‘Alicia!’
‘Hello,’ said Derek, as rigidly as he had said it in the morning.
‘Hello,’ said Alicia, quietly. It looked as though she was suppressing her laughter.
‘We were just talking about – hmm – something.’
‘That’s great – we didn’t meet properly in the morning, I thought you’d be free now.’
‘Yeah, I am free now.’
Alicia coughed.
‘Water?’ said Anna but when she was getting up, Derek already had the water jug in his hand.
He offered it to her and took his place on the sofa after shooting a “What? She was coughing!” look.
She drank water in several gulps before saying thanks to him.
‘I’ll go and make something for you, Alicia. You’ve come here after a looooong time – enjoy his company, he’s really funny.’
She smiled softly and watched Anna closing the door behind her.
None of them spoke, the silence was very-very uncomfortable for Derek because he could feel his heart beating like a DC generator and he wasn’t sure if Alicia could hear that, too.
‘You and Anna know each other from childhood?’ she said, when he had just opened his mouth to speak. ‘She told me.’
He closed his mouth, gulped in and said a beautiful - ‘Yeah.’
She nodded. ‘Me, too. It’s astonishing to see how she maintains the balance between her personalities.’
Again, a beautiful – ‘Yeah.’
‘What do you think about her?’
‘Er – she is nice – um – caring and – um – mind-blowing.’
‘Sorry?’
‘Um – great – she’s great.’
‘Yes, she once saved me from Aurisca’s son, who was trying to kidnap me during the battle many years ago … she is very good at transportation.’
‘Yeah,’ he said softly, clenching the pouch of medicines in his hand.
She’s saved me too.
‘Why don’t you like Aurisca’s son?’ he said and by looking at Alicia’s expressions, he knew it wasn’t a great question. ‘I am sorry – I was just – I can be mad sometimes … what sort of boy would you like?’
Derek, you pathetic fool! What are you asking her?!
But he was relieved of the fact that she had taken it as a general question.
‘Someone who understands.’
‘Great.’
‘I didn’t know if you would like it’ – Anna swung the door open, carrying a plate of muffins – ‘but I and Derek find it tasty.’
She sat beside Alicia and kept the plate on the table in their front.
‘I’d surely love to try!’ she said, taking a big bite. ‘Why don’t you two have some?’
‘We just dinned.’
‘Oh,’ she said, surprised. ‘Surely Bear will love them.’
‘But wolves don’t eat swe—’ said Derek as though he was prepared to show his discovery channel’s information about wolves off.
But to his surprise Bear jumped to his feet and had the muffin without any problem.
Oh I forgot he’s been starving for a century. Stupid!
‘You have a great pet, Anna. I love him.’
Bear shook his tail excitedly.
‘That he is.’
After an hour – in which they talked, laughed and literally passed time – Derek was almost taken by sleep when he heard Anna’s voice coming from a distance. ‘Good bye, be safe!’
‘O – I was asleep? Where is she?’
‘She’s home … you aren’t getting too worried about her?’ she added in a teasing tone, clearing the cushions.
‘I meant you …’ he said in a rigid voice.
‘Okay, now get to bed, I will take you home tomorrow morning, momma’s boy!’
‘Okay!’
It was a beautiful town, bright green grass was fluttering with the cold soothing winds on a day of summer. Sun was as though clapping and cheering in the clear blue sky.
He looked at the happy fire ball overhead and then at the person standing to his left – Alicia. Her hair were swimming like a fantasy land’s fairy, and what made his stomach jump was her sudden smile.
On his right stood – his mother and his father. They were trying to say something but he was watching nothing more than their moving lips; they gestured him to look in his front.
He frowned and did the same, a big crowd of people was cheering and he, Derek, was standing at a platform.
What was going on? When had he come back … but Alicia was there, too …
He was distracted by a slow and long voice. ‘Here – cut – it!’
It was Anna, holding a knife and pointing at a chocolate cake with white icing reading –
He smiled, everyone was cheering for him.
‘Derek!’
Someone was slapping him – who dared to spoil his day? Who dared to spoil his 100th birthday?
‘Derek!’
He woke up with a start, the large crowd and green plains had already dissolved into Anna’s room, everything was replaced and reality had dawned in his mind.
He rubbed his eyes and saw a terrified Anna before him, she was looking as though a single word from his side would make her cry.
‘What happened?’ he said, frowning.
‘Sana’s attacked.’
BANG!
CHAPTER FIVE
Princess’ Kidnapped
‘You’re joking!’ said Derek following Anna to the main door of her house.
Bang!
This wasn’t the first time when he had been launched by a heart ceasing blast in past ten minutes.
‘Tell me it’s crackers!’
‘It’s not!’ said an irritated Anna, pushing the front door open – Bear jumped out before anyone and scanned the enormous plain.
‘Oh—’
‘Shouldn’t we take the torch’ – he closed the door behind him – ‘It must be very dar—’
A blazing wall of fire hit the idea of torch out of his mind: the grounds were resembling an ocean of fire, the ginger houses were wasting by the attacks of flying figures and the hovering hills were dancing and falling on the ground to make things worse than ever.
Derek opened his mouth to say something but Anna thundered. ‘C’mon, Bear, we have to go! Derek – you stay in the house, they won’t come here; they are heading for the palace.’
‘No, I’ll come with you!’
‘Don’t be so scared—’
‘I WILL COME WITH YOU!’
And she understood, he wasn’t scared but brave.
‘Okay, but stay with the other citizens … I am sure they have built some Relief Shelters.’
And they set off for Sana, Derek was planning something in his mind: what if she told him to stay away from the battle, he would panic at the last moment and she’d be unable to refuse. After all, he couldn’t leave her just like that.
After ten minutes of hard run, they were able to see soldiers combatting, people running for their dear lives; he never realised how bad a war could be: it looked as though he was watching worst of hells, pools of blood – Sana’s or Dark City’s, he didn’t know – dried his throat considerably, pure vibes of hatred, fear and hopelessness conquered him. He just couldn’t believe such things really existed in the universe.
‘GET TO THE CAMP!’ yelled a Sana soldier at him.
He looked around to see Anna and Bear but they were gone - in that scene of complete evilness, he never realised when she had run away.
‘ARE YOU DEAF?!’ the soldier yelled again, now battling someone. ‘GET AWAY!’
Derek was horror-stuck, where should he go? Where would he find Anna? What if she was in trouble that very moment?
But next second he felt something like a travel bag thrown at his feet – he frowned and saw the Sana soldier lying dead there. Flashily looking up at the demonic expressions of the one who killed him, he ran away.
ROAR!
Something roared like thunder but the sky was clear and a storm was the last thing he could think of–
‘RUN AWAY!’
‘Run!’
People around him were suddenly screaming as though Aurisca had popped out of thin air but what caught his attention was far worse than a flash of light –
A hovering hill was falling slowly over him, it was so big that for a moment he felt like he was watching a jumbo jet was trying to land over his body – he ran for his life like others – the hill slammed into the ground and an awash of dust raced in all directions.
Derek dived down and let it pass, covering his soft organs like eyes and ears …
Even if his ears were covered he couldn’t help himself with the yells and shouts of the family of those who were crushed beneath the hill.
He was trembling now – was it all real? Someone so bad really existed?
He got up – he wouldn’t be very helpful either to soldiers or to himself that way – he dodged several teary faces and pools of blood on his way to a destroyed alley.
He rested against the wall, sweating profusely and breathing hard … a medical team, protected by soldiers had reached the site of the crashed hill and bodies – dead and alive – were taken under consideration.
SPARK!
The noise like a billion hornets had crossed him echoed through the alley – he frowned but immediately got up with attentive senses like the voice was attracting him – only him.
‘Aw!’ screamed Anna.
His heart fell and his feet automatically started towards the very new danger.
The little pathways, branching off the street showed war cries, help shrieks and worst of all, the silence of death. He wanted to close his eyes but refused to slow down – when he was at the end, what should have been a broad plain proved to be a cliff.
With a superhuman effort, he stopped himself from falling down but not before he had watched Anna struggling with a muscly soldier, just beneath him. The soldier, no doubt, was an astonishing fighter: he was aggressively attacking her with hungry eyes fixed upon his best friend, making Derek’s stomach bottomless.
‘Hey!’ yelled the soldier. ‘Ever wondered why Dark City doesn’t give chance to women in our army – because they can’t fight.’
Anna steeped forth – transported – appeared behind him … she punched the back of his neck and when he turned around to take her into his sword’s swing – she transported again and this time, kicked his groin after appearing on the same spot she’d been standing before … the soldier crouched in pain.
‘And this is why Sana gives chance to women—’
She couldn’t complete her words as the crouched soldier flashily advanced his hand toward her and successfully got a hold on the neck.
‘Enough now … ready to embrace death?’ he said laughing hard. Anna whimpered in pain and made weak attempts to pursue freedom. Her day had come, she was sure but her fate wanted something else.
The soldier stopped abruptly, his face had suddenly turned as rigid as a wood. His mouth was twitching and before Anna could do anything, he fell down with a thud, dead.
She retreated and looked over at the dea
d opponent, rubbing her neck in bewilderment.
A blade, not more than five inches long, was buried deep between his brows. Who had flung it?
‘Never let me find you that way again!’ called Derek from the cliff, holding a shield.
‘I love cricket and it wasn’t hard to imagine this shield bat and your lusty friend’s head boundary line.’
She grinned. ‘I am sorry.’
It looked like Earth’s last day had come, explosions had stopped but not battle cries. The clashes of swords with metal and muscle were looking usual but were as terrifying as one’s worst fears had been battened into a lifelong movie.
Derek and Anna were now together, not leaving each other alone at any cost. After all, one couldn’t get lucky all the time.
‘Where’s your pet?’ said Derek as they ran through a temporary channel formed by the remains of a hovering hill.
‘I don’t know, he must be helping other soldiers.’
They could feel flashes and swords colliding with the walls of channel and stones were sprinting out of some weak places.
‘Where are we going by the way?’ he asked dodging a brick.
‘To the castle basement,’ she said jumping over a mount of stones. ‘They have kept most of the citizens there and I’ll need a doctor’ – she pulled her shirt’s sleeve up to show a wound, bleeding profusely – ‘This isn’t looking pretty, is it?’
‘Yeah, it isn’t.’
The channel came to an end and they could see the walls of the castle and a bunch of Royal Guard securing an entry. Anna’s wound really needed attention and doctors would surely be there but the only problem was the distance between channel’s mouth and their desired place, which was filled with flashes of light.
There was no shortcut or trail they could use. But when Derek’s eyes flashed as though he had concluded something, Anna knew he had come across a crazy and terrible idea.
‘Can you run while you have your eyes closed?’ said Derek, looking at the impossible trail.
‘No,’ said Anna wearing a mixture of frown and obviousness.
‘Should have learned,’ he pulled her arm without any warning and ran as fast as he could.
Five Days: an adventure (A Fantasy Adventure) Page 4
