Balance of the World

Chapter 2: Prophecy

Elias sat in a chair at a large oak table in front of a fireplace, Zoey sitting next to him on the table as he reclined back with a sigh.

“Now,” he sighed, tapping the arm of the chair. “This dream of yours…explain every detail to me.”

She nodded and explained everything as he gave her his undivided attention, and when she came to the end he could see the fear in her face. Feeling compelled to comfort her, he sat forward slightly to take her hand, making her look to his hand before looking back at him when he winced in pain. She stood tall and helped him recline back again as he gave a groan.

“You shouldn’t move too much,” she murmured. “You’ll make it worse.”

“It’ll be fixed up in no time,” he groaned. “Just a flesh wound.”

“Typical male response,” Zoey sighed, then asked, “What do you think my dream means?”

Elias gave a sigh as he looked to the fire in the fire place and murmured, “I’m no interpreter of dreams. But, it is odd that you would dream of me when we’ve never met.”

“Do you know…why I’m here?” she asked, drawing his gaze back to her. “That Ram-rock—”

“Ramran,” Elias corrected.

“Whatever,” she muttered. “One of them didn’t know what a girl was. He thought I was a witch or an elf.”

“I know nothing else, Zoey, I’m sorry,” he replied.

“Don’t lie to me,” she warned, flatly as he looked to her with wide eyes. “You know something. I see it in your eyes.”

Elias still stared at her for a moment. Of course he was hiding something, but now? After all this time? It couldn’t be a coincidence that she had appeared at the time she had. The dream, as well, had to be proof.

“I…am not sure you want to know what it is I’m thinking right now, Zoey,” he cautioned.

She sat on the table again, this time a little closer to him. She never was one for begging, but being in a strange place with no one she knew, except Elias, for whatever reason, she had no time to think if pride.

“Please, Elias,” she begged, her eyes full of fear as she looked up at him. “I need answers. I need you to tell me everything you know, or think you know. I’m scared out of my mind. Please, tell me.”

He stared at her in thought for a moment trying to come up with a reason not to tell her, but he couldn’t.

“Zoey,” he began. “I will tell you what I know. But first, I must tell you about Kalina, alright?”

Zoey nodded and he sat back a bit more to pat his left knee for her to have a seat there. She swallowed as a blush crawled over her cheeks when she stood and then perched on his knee.

“Kalina is a place of balance and light,” he began. “Everything good here has an opposite evil. Every human that lives here was called by some unknown force, as you were and only men have ever been called. You are the first woman to be called here.

“Many creatures live here. Men, mermaids, elves, wizards, griffins, centaurs, ramrans, sirens, trolls, witches, dragons, werewolves and fairies. For the moment, Kalina is being ruled by a pirate king, named, Captain Kaysar Pitkam. He is a good king, for a pirate. Perhaps I’ll take you to meet him.”

“I’d like that,” Zoey smiled then said, “I think I can figure out which creatures balance each other out, but you mentioned fairies. What balances them?”

“There are different types of fairies,” Elias explained. “Sleep, flight, truth and dark. The Dark Fairies outnumber any one of the other types of fairies and therefore make up the balance. Every fairy glows a different color to identify them by. Sleep Fairies are lavender, as you saw back in the tunnel, and as demonstrated, when they sprinkle their fairy dust on you, you would fall asleep. Flight Fairies have a yellow light, and if they sprinkle their dust on you—”

“You can fly,” Zoey nodded as she finished, making Elias smirk as she curled up on his lap to lean her head on his left shoulder to avoid hurting him before he continued.

“Truth Fairies glow white and their dust makes you tell the truth…about anything, and the Dark Fairies…” He trailed off, making Zoey frown at him before he continued, “They are a completely different matter. They glow a deep purple. When they sprinkle their dust on you, any dark thoughts you may have are increased and may cause you to do…many things you regret and will always remember. You turn into a completely different person if you’re not treated in time.”

His face seemed to shadow over as he gazed into the fire and he felt Zoey fidget in his lap. He looked down at her to see her peacefully sleeping then sighed in exasperation. With his wound, and her on his lap, he couldn’t move at all. Zoey snuggled into his chest and he couldn’t help but smile. He hesitantly wrapped an arm around her, not wanting her to fall and she buried her face into his neck, making him swallow. He had to admit, it was nice having a female around his house again. He hadn’t had a feminine presence there since Eona had been there.

Eona.

The elf woman who had taken care of him when he had been called to Kalina. She had been so beautiful and pure. Her hair was long, like a wave of silver cascading down her back, ending at her waist. Her eyes were like two pools of aqua green and you could lose yourself in them if you weren’t careful.

She had been like a mother to a ten year old Elias when he’d been called there. He had been running from a man he’d stolen an apple from as a street urchin on the streets of London. He’d ran down an alley and heard a voice call out to him. He’d followed it until his attention was caught by a silver flash of light in the darkness. The ground had suddenly disappeared beneath his feet, and he literally fell from the sky of Kalina.

When Eona had stumbled upon him, it had been raining and he had sprained his ankle from the fall. One look at him and she couldn’t leave him. He didn’t have the face he did now, however. It was easy to want to take care of a ten year old boy with the face of a little angel. But he was a different man now, and Eona was gone. She’d been gone for a year now, and when she’d disappeared, that’s when the war began.

The war against the Mor Witch, Jellina who wanted to rule over all Kalina. If that happened, the balance would be ruined, and everything would be chaos. Elias knew now that the only person who could defeat Jellina and keep the balance of their world was the girl in his arms. He also knew that if he was right, he was the one that was meant to protect her.

Elias was jolted from his thoughts when he heard the door behind him open and footsteps as well. His hand instinctively went for his sword, his other arm still around Zoey.

“Sir?” he heard Varen call, and let his hand fall from his sword.

“Quiet, Varen,” Elias whispered as he heard the door shut. Varen walked around the chair to stand next to the fireplace and smirked when he saw Zoey sleeping in Elias’s lap.

“Am I interrupting, Sir?” he murmured, making Elias glare at him.

“Carry her into the guest room,” he ordered.

Varen allowed his smirk to grow before doing what he was told and picked her up from Elias’s lap. His eyes widened and he couldn’t help but blush when she snuggled into his chest as he turned toward the hall. He heard his general chuckle as he raced toward the guest room to gently lay Zoey down on the bed, pulling the covers over her. He shut the door behind him and strolled back into the main room to sit at the table.

“Did you get to Edan?” Elias demanded when he entered.

Varen nodded as he walked toward the table to sit in the chair in front of his general, reporting, “The men are getting restless, Sir. They want to know when we’ll be moving again.”

“When the time is right.”

“With all due respect, the time hasn’t been right for a few weeks now.”

“Reports are still coming in from our allies. The griffin scouts are in the skies looking for enemy encampments and keeping an eye out for dragons.”

“Sir, what good will that do for the enemies below ground? Ramrans don’t go into the sun very often. I’ve yet to see one above ground since I was called here.”

“You forget, Varen, there are more creatures than Ramrans we have to contend with that are fighting for the Mor Witch.”

“And what of the sirens? Surely by now they would have attacked the king on his ship.”

“Sirens will do nothing unless provoked, and the king remains in mermaid waters. He never crosses the border.”

Varen gave a sigh of thought before reclining back in the chair and asking, “What of Miss Zoey?”

Elias sighed in thought, wincing in pain from his side as he did then looked back at Varen as the blonde stared at him expectantly. The general caught the look in Varen’s eye and realized, “You noticed it as well, didn’t you?”

“The moment she spoke of this place being fictional to her, I knew,” Varen nodded. “She’s the Savior, isn’t she? The Enuria.”

“I believe she is.”

The two suddenly heard a blood curdling scream come from the room Zoey was in and Varen instantly shot toward the hallway with Elias trying to get up to follow. Varen opened the door, ready to draw the sword at his hip but only found Zoey sitting up in the bed, panting in fright. She looked to the door, the blood drained from her face, a haunted look in her eyes.

“Varen,” she breathed as he approached the bed and sat next to her on the edge.

“Are you alright, Miss Zoey?” he hoped, and jumped when she clutched his hands, still staring at him.

“Who’s Eona?” she shuddered and Varen gave a frown of confusion.

“How do you know that name?” Elias’s voice echoed into the room from the door.

The two sitting on the bed looked to him wide eyes as he stood leaning on the doorframe, his eyes boring into her.

“She came to me in my dream,” Zoey replied.

Elias said nothing as he walked slowly toward the bed, ignoring the pain in his side.

“Leave us,” he told Varen in a low voice and the young man did as he was told, closing the door on his way out as Elias sat next to Zoey, never once looking away from her and said, “Tell me.”

“There was a girl,” she began. “She was…an elf, I think. She had long silver hair, aqua green eyes and she told me why I was called here.”

“Her exact words,” Elias demanded, softly.

“She said I was an experiment of some kind, but she was lying. I could tell.”

“What made you scream?” he asked, taking her hand and her eyes glazed over with the same haunted look Varen had found her with.

“She—” Zoey choked, slightly. “She didn’t…look right. There was something about her eyes. I had this feeling at the bottom of my stomach that she wasn’t who she said she was. Just then she…changed. She looked…evil!”

She shuddered and leaned toward Elias and he wrapped his arms around her as she began to sob.

“Zoey,” Elias breathed softly, stroking her hair. “What did she look like?”

“She…” Zoey sniffled. “She had long black hair and amber eyes. Her skin was ghostly pale and her dress was completely black too.”

She snuggled into his arms as he held her then felt him tense up, a low growl coming from his throat.

“Jellina.”

“Elias?” Zoey whispered against his chest as he still held her. “Who are Jellina and Eona?”

He sighed and she looked up at him with curious eyes and he smiled down at her, moving a strand of fire red hair from her face. After taking a deep breath he told her about the Mor Witch and the war that was going on, then finally about Eona, who she was and that she’d disappeared a year ago.

“Zoey,” he murmured, meeting her gaze of wonder. “There is something you should know. You may be able to save us.

“There is a prophecy in Kalina that speak of a woman who would be called here. A unique, kind and compassionate woman who would see through lies as if they were glass and this woman is said to come when the balance of Kalina would be threatened. She would defeat the threat with its own powers and become the new ruler of Kalina.

“The prophecy also spoke of a man who would stay by her side and protect her from friend, foe and herself if necessary. This man would call to her in a dream. The woman would be the Enuria. That is to say…I believe you are the Enuria.”

She stared at him for a moment, taking everything in as he watched her. She swallowed and gave a nod of understanding.

“So,” she began. “I’ll be expected to fight…using magic?”

Elias nodded.

“And if I’m the Enuria, that makes you my…body guard?”

“I’m your protector,” he nodded.

“It’s the same thing,” Zoey smiled then looked down at her lap before looking back at him and murmuring, “I…I’m not sure if I can do it, Elias. I’m not exactly a brave soul, you know?”

He lifted a hand and placed it under her chin to bring her gaze to his again and her heart fluttered when their eyes met.

“You will not be alone, Zoey,” he murmured. “Believe that.”

Zoey swallowed again but nodded as Elias lowered his hand and smiled, “Perhaps we will visit the king on his ship in the morning? I’m sure he would be thrilled to meet you.”

“I would like that,” she nodded with a small smile as well.

“Very well,” Elias nodded, and slowly stood. “Now rest. Tomorrow will be a big day for you, I’m sure.”

Zoey nodded, lying back down to sleep and Elias smiled down at her to watch her as she fell asleep quickly. There was a soft knock on the door, and Elias tensed as it opened, looking over his shoulder.

“Elias?” a man’s deep voice called through the crack. “It’s Felix.”

Elias relaxed and started toward the door, his side aching, making him groan softly in pain as he walked up to the door. He opened the door fully to see a man about twenty-two or so, Zoey’s age. He had short black hair and amber eyes and wore a long, royal blue robe that fell to the floor and had sleeves that fell almost to his fingertips with huge wide cuffs.

“Felix,” Elias nodded, shuffling past him and into the main room.

“You’re hurt,” Felix noticed, following him and Elias waved him off as he sat in the huge wooden chair carefully.

“Flesh wound,” he replied, making Felix sigh in exasperation and walked toward Elias to kneel next to him as the general asked, “Where’s Varen?”

“In the kitchen,” Felix replied, lifting Elias’s shirt to see the wound below it.

“Varen!” Elias called, and the young man ran in as Felix slowly removed the bandage from his wound. “I need you to take a message to His Majesty Kaysar. Ask him if I might bring a visitor aboard his ship tomorrow, and ask if I might have a word with him on an important matter tomorrow as well.”

“Cneasaigh,” Felix murmured, which was followed by a small flash of silver light between Elias’s side and Felix’s hand. When he removed his hand, the wound had vanished.

“It shall be done, Sir,” Varen saluted and hurried toward the door as Felix stood away from Elias and sat in the chair in front of the general. Elias stretched to see if any pain remained from his wound.

“So,” Felix began. “Varen tells me you’ve found Enuria.”

Elias nodded, standing from his chair easily now to head back toward the hall, saying, “She’s asleep in the guest room.”

Felix stood and followed Elias as he silently entered the room. Elias stopped at the doorway as Felix stepped next to her as she still slept. He reached into a pocket in his sleeve and pulled out a necklace made of a white leather cord with a drop shaped mother of pearl pendent, set in silver. Felix held it above the sleeping Zoey’s head and watched it glow, brightly, almost waking her.

“Well?” Elias asked, leaning on the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. “Was I right?”

Felix pulled the necklace away and walked back to Elias to place the necklace in his hand to look him in the eye and reply, “She is.”

Meanwhile...

“You idiot!”

The feminine, angry growl echoed through the alabaster throne room. Rada flinched back a bit from his mistress, but he dare not move his feet.

“I told you to kill Blackwood, not wound him! Now he has the newcomer!”

“Ma’am,” Rada almost choked. “I’m sorry, but…but he had a Sleep Fairy with him, and—”

“I don’t care whether he had a Sleep Fairy on an army of wizards with him!” she snapped from the shadows where her throne sat elevated. “I wanted Blackwood dead!”

“With all due respect, Ma’am,” Rada hesitantly continued. “This newcomer… What is so special about her?”

The woman on the throne stood and stepped down the steps leading to the black marble floor, finally revealing herself in the dim light. She had long, jet black hair that stopped at her waist, framing a ghostly white face with golden amber eyes. Her lips were made up with black lip paint, and her nails were painted black as well. She wore a long, black dress and held a tall, black staff with a golden top with four onyx stones in it and slammed the end of it to the floor as she stopped in front of Rada.

“This newcomer is not just any newcomer,” Jellina ground out. “If we are not careful, she will be our undoing, along with that insolent masked man and that dolt of a boy under his command!”

“What is your will, my Queen?” Rada asked, bowing his head in fear.

“Do whatever you must to rid us of this newest resident of Kalina!” Jellina snarled. “I want her head on a silver platter! Blackwood’s as well!”

“It shall be done, my Mistress,” Rada grinned evilly, thrilled at the prospect of Elias’s death. Rada walked toward the exit, but something pulled at his braid and he faced her again, growling in pain. A little deep purple light flitted around the room, floating between the two.

“We should not be so bold,” the Dark Fairy advised. “It would be exceedingly foolish to attack in anger. It makes us sloppy.”

“Yes,” Jellina nodded in second thoughts. “You’re right, Mori.” She shot a glare to the general in front of her who stood at attention. “Have your Dark Fairy scouts observe the two and Blackwood’s second in command for a while, then, when the time is right, we will attack.”

Rada nodded and turned to walk out the door again and as the door shut, Jellina sighed, walking back to her black marble throne to sit, Mori following her to sit on the arm of the throne.

“You looked troubled, Mistress,” she noticed.

“This General Blackwood is becoming a thorn in my side,” Jellina sighed. “Why can he not die?!”

“You know as well as I, that that would be far too easy for you, Ma’am. If he had died in your first attempt to kill him, you have been upset.”

“Perhaps,” Jellina sighed. “Still, it was fun while it lasted. Now I just want him gone!”

“Are you so sure that this woman is who you think she is?”

“Yes,” Jellina nodded, flatly. “She saw through my image of Eona easily, when I appeared in her dream, and in reading her other thoughts I had seen that she had dreamt of Blackwood before being called here.”

“Does she have any idea of her purpose here?”

“Not that I could read. We must keep it that.”

“If Blackwood thinks she is the Savior, wouldn’t he tell her?”

“If he does, we will have to work twice as quickly. Have the scouts send me reports every hour on the location and what they are doing.”

“It shall be done,” Mori replied, flying up into the air then zooming out of the room.

Jellina reclined back into her throne, drumming her fingers on one of the arms, and growling, lowly, “I will not let this woman defeat me! I will have Kalina for myself. Neither her, nor Blackwood, nor that boy can stop me!”