I don’t know what I wanted to say because just then, I see Susan, the Elder’s granddaughter watching from another porch. Should’ve looked away faster. Too late. We lock eyes, and I can sense the hostile curiosity in hers. She approaches us, her face stern. “Have you decided?” she asks, not wasting any time.
“No,” Queen answers, her voice flat. “We’ll discuss it soon. Now, if you don’t mind.” I shoot a glance her way, wanting her to be quiet, but she pays no attention. It’s clear that Susan’s actions from earlier today have rubbed Queen the wrong way.
Susan catches on to this, and she bows her head in a more serious fashion. “I must apologize for earlier,” she murmurs. “It was out of line.”
“You better believe you were,” Queen retorts. Anger flashes in Susan’s eyes. Perhaps she would’ve argued, but Queen didn’t plan to let her defend her earlier actions. “All we’re doing is passing through. We didn’t ask your town to drop your problems on our lap. Don’t think badmouthing us will guilt us into doing what you want. If you want help, be like your grandfather and ask. I think you’ll find honey works better than vinegar if you wanna catch flies.”
“What do flies have to do with this?” I exclaim.
“Who cares? She gets the point.”
“Yes,” Susan admits in a slow, leveled tone. Her fist clenches. “I do, and I hope that you can forgive me.”
“Oh, there is nothing to forgive,” Zero interrupts, stepping out onto the porch. It would seem that his nap was over. “He loves women who speak their minds.” He hops down the steps and takes her hand in a tight, but loving embrace, to her blushing surprise. “Zero would fight the monster by himself if it would please you,” my companion boasts. He gives the young woman a sharp wink. “He would gladly fight it for your honor.”
Susan’s face turns bright red. She pulls her hand away, answering in a flustered manner, “Though I admit I was out of line, I still say that you should leave before dawn if you don’t wish to help us. My people have gone too long without hope that you should go before you have the chance to offer any more false hope.” She retreats from us, flustered from her encounter with Zero.
Our strange companion turns with a smile. “Since when were you such a charmer?” Queen hisses at him, her eyebrows rising in surprise.
“There is much you have to learn about Zero,” he replies with a wink. He rests his hands behind his head.
“What’s going on?” Aurora asks, joining us outside. Harva follows her, rubbing sleep from her eyes. I avert my eyes from Aurora while the others give the pair the usual greeting. “Is it time to discuss what we’re planning on doing?”
“Might as well,” Queen suggests. “Most of us are ready. No need to keep waiting for the others to finish up whatever they want to do.” Everyone stands up to head into the men’s room, but I remain where I am. All at once, everything regarding G. and David’s earlier behavior makes sense. Why did it take me so long? G. told me everything I needed to know long ago.
“G. won’t fight it,” I interrupt.
Aurora and Queen both stare at me. “What are you talking about?” Queen asks, her eyebrows rising. “Did he tell you?”
“No,” I answer. Their eyes narrow. “But I have a feeling about it. He doesn’t have to say it to anyone. All I have to do is look at him, and I know that he can’t do it.” Of course, I won’t tell them David’s history. If he wants to, he will. For now, all the others need to know is that G. won’t fight. All he wants to do is get his friend away from this village. It reminds David too much of his past.
Queen almost asks another question, but Aurora strides away from us. She forgoes further discussion, knocking on the door. From behind us, Zero calls, “Who is it?”
“G.,” she says, her voice rising, ignoring the self-appointed commentator. “I know you can hear me. Are you against fighting the Phoenix?”
No one answers. Zero says, “He doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“Maybe we should leave him alone,” I suggest, standing up. This could get bad.
Her shoulders tremble. “G.,” she calls. “You said that we would discuss this. Why don’t you tell all of us what is going on? Why are you against this monster?”
“Go away,” comes the reply. He didn’t bother to deny it.
“No, we deserve an explanation.”
“We can talk about this tomorrow. I’m tired. Go away.”
I watch Aurora’s face take a dark red color, a look of pure rage. She reaches up and bangs her fist against the door. “You can’t turn your back on these people,” she shouts, a growing desperation in her voice. “Don’t you always go around acting like you’re some glorious hero? How can you keep up your claim if you run away as soon as it’s convenient? Is it all a lie?” Her cries make candlelight appear in the windows of nearby huts. “You realize that turning your back on them is like killing them, right?”
“Leave,” G.’s voice returns.
Drawing in a sharp breath, she raises her fist to strike the door again, but Queen places a hand on her shoulder. This snaps Aurora back into the moment, and she catches herself, noticing the attention her tirade brought. She stands in place, fist in the air. At last, Aurora shrugs her shoulders. “I give up,” she whispers, a hint of bitterness in her voice. “If he won’t talk, I won’t waste my breath any longer.”
As she steps away, Queen takes her place in front of the door. “My turn,” she announces. Fire burns in her eyes. “Out of the way.” Without warning, she reaches down and grabs the chisels at her waist. In a clean motion, she removes them and swings at the door, which gives way with a crunching sound.
Placing her chisels back in their holsters, she turns to us, pretending to dust her hands off. I look at her with my jaw hanging. “What?” she asks. “Or did you want to just yell at them?” Turning her attention to her handiwork, she smiles and steps into the doorway, calling, “So, what are we going to do?”
Zero peeks around us. He throws his hands up to his face, letting out a fake shriek. “Queen, you beast,” he says in a falsetto voice. “How dare you break down the door?”
She glances at him for a moment, rolling her eyes. Walking through the entrance, she greets our unwilling host, “G.”
“What?” G. asks. He lies on his cot and keeps his back to us, his face toward the wall.
“Don’t what me. Tell me what you’re planning.”
“Nothing important,” he replies. “We are staying in the village for the evening, then going on our way. If we keep going east, we will find monsters sooner or later.” An eerie silence falls on the room in the wake of that statement’s finality. Queen’s mouth hangs open, clear shock on her face. I understand how she feels. G., a man who traveled the world for adventure, is now turning his back on the chance to challenge a fiery beast. If I didn’t know why he’s making this decision, I would be shocked.
“I can’t believe what I am hearing,” Aurora interjects. “You want to run away from this.”
He rolls around, his eyes meet ours with an overwhelming authority. “If you remember, we agreed that we would never take on fights we aren’t ready for. We’ll leave them behind and find easier targets. Is that correct, or am I just imagining it?”
“No,” she admits, crossing of her arms. “You’re right.” A look of superiority crosses his face, but disappears when she adds, “But how do we know that we can’t fight this monster if we are running away before we have faced it?”
“Fine,” G. huffs. “If you insist on discussing it, let’s open the conversation.”
We all gather around the room, forming a crude circle. Maris joins us, though she doesn’t look like she cares either way. David is awake, but he keeps his head down. He hasn’t spoken since we entered the village. “So, who would like to start?” Aurora begins, her voice thick with tension. No one picks up the conversation. Perhaps they are waiting for someone else to express their feelings toward this matter before weighing in.
They might not reali
ze it, but there’s a clear divide between the sides. G. and David sit nearby one another while Queen and Aurora sit across from them. Zero and Maris remain in their own corners, each waiting to see what the main four decide. Harva sits with her head bowed, not meeting anyone’s eyes. This could go either way. Leaning against the wall, a thought keeps coming to mind. I know that it’ll be silly, but it’ll be better than having to remain in this tense atmosphere.
“What’s a Phoenix?” I ask, breaking that quiet.
Queen shoots me a look. “Leave it to you to not have a clue what anyone’s talking about.” She winks at the end, so I don’t get irritated with her. At least some of us can maintain our friendliness.
“It is one of the fiercest monsters throughout history,” G. says in a low tone, his eyes gazing into the fire. “Even before the King’s Quest, I was aware of this creature. The undying flame. A creature slayed countless times by great heroes, only for it to appear again at a later time.”
“So, it keeps coming back to life. Just like that stupid Golem,” I reply. Fighting another undying monster sounds miserable. “Anything else we need to know?”
“It burns entire towns to the ground,” David says, all eyes turning to him. His voice trembles. “The fire that monster brings with it can wipe out everything a child knows in the blink of an eye. It strikes and vanishes without a trace of it ever being there. Without the fire, no one would know it was ever there. It is one of the worst monsters to ever exist, and the number of lives ruined by it…is innumerable.” Throughout this, Harva watches him with her eyes wide with sudden fear.
David stops talking, his eyes glazing over with a dark haze. His hands clench at his sides, trembling. Lips pressed together, a tear rolls down his cheek. Beside him, Harva’s head looks down in her lap with a sudden jerk. Glancing back at G., I am surprised to find his expression without a hint of his jovial manner. For a moment, I see past the kind, brotherly man and find a darker side, hidden by his usual demeanor, one with a furious wrath.
This is worse than I thought. My mind goes back to when G. relayed a story of David’s past, one filled with tragedy. Could that story and the tale of this village have something in common? Perhaps the tragedies themselves have a common cause. That’s why he wants to avoid this conflict. Still, I can’t let everything slip by without having my say. These tragedies remind me of something else, which we haven’t mentioned, and I speak out.
“I want to fight it,” I interject without thinking.
“Why?” G. asks, his voice stern.
Everyone looks at me, and I hesitate. Didn’t expect that reaction. My stomach churns as the intensity of their eyes makes me want to turn away, but I struggle not to run. Haven’t I fought Serpopards and thieves? Didn’t I survive fighting a Golem and falling in an endless tunnel? This should be easy. I’m a man of action. Speak your mind. “I don’t know these people, but when I look at them, I want to help. There isn’t much I could do. I lack plenty of skills, but we know what the source of their problem is.”
Not allowing anyone to interrupt, I continue. It surprises me that my tongue isn’t getting stuck in my throat. “Out there is a terrible beast that turned their world into a purgatory, one where they’ll have no freedom unless we bring it to them. If we slay the Phoenix, we can end their punishment. I don’t see what there is to debate.”
“Do you think we stand a chance against that monster?” G. asks. “Do you have a plan?”
My mind flashes to the terrible night of the griffins. The image of those broken weapons flashes through my mind. He’s right. No matter how strong we are, this beast might be too much for us. A monster that can light the world on fire at a whim. How am I supposed to defeat that? I have no plan.
“No, I don’t, but I know that we can think of something. Nothing’s stopped us yet.” I look at my fists. “These hands can only do so much on their own, but we’ve accomplished plenty together. We have to try,” I elaborate. “Not because a Memento is at stake, but because these people need help.” I pause, looking up at the ceiling. “You know, I’ve wanted to become stronger for a long time now. I can’t beat this monster, but I want to try my best. It’s like a friend of mine said when I was ready to give up, ‘I’d rather die chasing after my dream.’ If we can do that, what do we have to be ashamed of?”
When I finish my thought, I brace myself for retaliation. If both G. and David are against it, what can my words do? “He’s right,” Aurora declares, standing up. She turns to me, flashing a smile, which I cannot help but return. As we look into each other’s eyes, pained guilt flashes in Aurora’s eyes. “We’re all these people have.” Aurora is someone I still don’t understand. If we make it through this battle, I have to do everything I can to get closer to her.
“Their country should save them,” G. insists.
“Maybe,” Queen retorts, “but they aren’t here.” She stands up as well, raising an eyebrow at me. “Not sure if I worded it quite like that, Felix.”
Maris remains quiet. “Zero would prefer a fight as to running away,” our boastful companion chimes in.
“Why?” G. asks. “Why should any of us do this?”
I feel the eyes going back to me. “Well,” I reply. “Despite our own selfish desires for wishes, we’re fighting these monsters to save the world. How can we go back to Astra with our heads held high, knowing that we gave up on others to save ourselves? I know we don’t talk about the griffins, but I can’t forget that night.” The words tumble from my mouth. How am I able to muster up the courage to say all this? Not so long ago, I lacked the strength to say much. It would seem I have grown stronger in many ways.
Everyone’s eyes turn from me. I’m not the only one who remembers, I realize. “We saw what these monsters could do. Back then, we were weak and divided. Many lost their lives that night. We’re stronger now. If we went back to that night, we could save some of them.” I sigh. “I know that’s impossible. What happens can’t be reversed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t save others. How can we turn our backs on others when we have the power to save them?”
G. opens his mouth to argue, but he’s cut off. “We’ll do it,” David says, his voice small. Everyone turns to him. He sits by himself with a pellet rubbing between two of his fingers. “I want to do it. I have an old score to settle.” That was all the discussion needed. The matter is settled. Still, I notice that Harva has a sick expression on her face.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Phoenix
15
That morning, we set out to find the Phoenix. It nests not too far from the village, making its home on one of the nearby mountains. On this mountain, there is only one path leading to our destination. I find it strange how easy it is to traverse this terrain. At the bottom of the mountain, I was sure that I would give out halfway up, and I doubt many would’ve lasted much longer. None of us are quite as fit as G., who rarely complains about our surroundings, and far from being Zero, who seems to radiate with excess energy.
After thinking the events of the last months over, it makes sense that this trek is not as difficult as I first thought. All we have done since leaving Astra is walk. What was it that Ian said when the caravan still seemed like all the protection we needed in the world? “The body is far more adept at adaptation than most would think. If you work hard enough, sooner or later, obstacles that seemed unpassable become as simple as tying a knot.” Well, it was something like that. I may have messed up that wording somewhere in there. Strange. Didn’t think I would remember him at a time like this.
The sentiment, however, is accurate. Walking for long distances, sometimes in tougher terrain, has strengthened us, even if we didn’t realize it. I just hope that I’m strong enough for the fight. Gripping my staff, I don’t know what I will do when I come face-to-face with a monster like this, but I won’t hang back and allow others to do the hard work for me. My wish is the key to my dream. This is my task. I can’t hand it to someone else and let them earn my dream for me. That, to
me, is pathetic. If I regain my memories using a method like that, I doubt I could live with myself, and I’m sure my more completed self would feel the same.
At midday, we meet a new obstacle, one I haven’t faced: a wall. It rises high above us and is the only path to the beast. Uncertain looks pass amongst the party, but we have no choice. If we’re going to kill the monster, this is the path we must take. “Zero’s bird could take everyone to the top,” Aurora suggests. For once, everyone is glad Zero’s around. It takes us a matter of minutes for the bird to fly everyone up to the top in groups of two. Have to admit, I hope I get to fly again. Sitting on its back, holding onto the feathers, and floating in the air is an unforgettable feeling.
When we reach the top, I glance over the ledge, wondering how long it would take us to climb back down. Not sure if I feared heights before losing my memories, but it would be understandable if I did. Looking down is only a cruel reminder that one little slip and I would be a smudge on the ground, or at least, that’s the way Queen put it. Thankfully, Zero’s bird could take us back down.
We come across a small brook, the only source of water in the area. The moment we see it, I see a spark in David’s eye. His entire demeanor changes. He has a plan. Pulling himself from his depressed nature, he starts setting up the gameboard. We leave the girls there, much to Queen’s chagrin, but she doesn’t argue. Zero, G., David, and I continue to meet our opponent.
The plan’s simple, at least in its basic concept. We have to corner it and keep it from flying. If we can’t do that, it’ll escape. The next problem, and the more pressing matter, is its fiery powers. Maris is the only one who can stand against this monster, but if we’re gonna win, we need to corner the beast near a body of water. Besides, if Maris isn’t careful, she’ll end up being taken out with her motion sickness. We have to make quick work of this monster. Our job is to lure the beast to the others. With the girls’ help, we’ll corner the beast and let Maris weaken it. Then, we can deliver the final blow and take the Memento. There is the possibility that it will rebirth as soon as we slay it. David believes that taking the Memento will prevent this. Simple plan. At least, I hope it is.
Mind's Journey 2: Of Monsters and Men (A Gamelit Fantasy Adventure - Book 2) Page 19
