SWNOVELS Chapter Alex VII
They started walking again at first light the next morning.
Eddie didn’t seem to want to escape anymore. He wondered what caused this change of heart. Of course, he knew that Octavia hadn’t listened to him. But that was just who she was.
She had a big heart. She was so selfless. She didn’t care if the person was a bully or not, she always wanted to help them if they needed it. All he cared about was that she was safe and if Eddie wasn’t a threat to her, that was just fine.
It seemed like a weight lifted off his shoulders. Even though there was another thing to worry about: how to get home. But he’d put that to the back of his mind until it was time to worry.
“Did you hear that?” Octavia spoke up from beside Eddie.
“Hear what?” Alex questioned. The badger and the mouse stood near him. They heard a crack within the forest.
“That.” Eddie confirmed.
“Hide,” Plume spoke. “It’s her.” And so, they did. Though Eddie again was reluctant. They went and hid under a shelf rock. For a moment everything was silent. They only heard the crunching of the snow. “I’m gonna go take a look,” Plume told them.
“No!” Peep protested in a whisper. “You could get killed.”
“I’ll do it,” Alex volunteered, despite Octavia’s small cry of protest. “Enough people have sacrificed themselves for us.”
“No,” Plume spoke. “You’re no good to Omdrus dead.”
“And what good am I to him if I can’t do anything for myself?” Alex replied. Plume let out a sigh and put a paw on the boy’s shoulder.
“You don’t understand yet,” the badger started. “And that’s alright. But what you need to understand is that your destiny is more than you know. You’re meant to save us all, and you can’t do that if you’re dead.” he paused and looked at the two younger kids. “All three of you. So, I will go and look. Because if I can’t do this one thing for my kings, and my lovely queen, then I’m good for nothing.”
Alex sighed defeatedly. He was no king. Not now, not ever. “Stay out of sight. If it’s them, come back and we’ll make a plan, alright?”
The badger gave a nod. “Yes, sir.” The badger scurried off, out from under the rock. It was silent for so long. And then the badger poked his head out from above, causing a high scream to escape Octavia’s lips. “Come on, it’s not her. Come out now, come on!”
They came out from under the rock. And above them stood a great creature. With legs coated in honey-brown fur and instead of feet, it had hooves, like a goat. Alex deduced that it was a satyr. A creature from the stories his father had read to him all those years ago.
But his top half was god-like. He was well-chiseled and strongly built. He stood with pride and confidence that Alex couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
“My,” he spoke. “It’s true then. The prophecy is true.” he then bowed. “Your Majesties, I am Cyrus, of the Wellhaven Clan.”
Eddie let out a ‘huh’ sound and Alex shook his head. But Octavia was frozen with awe.
“There’s no need to bow to us, sir,” Alex spoke as Cyrus rose, his wild mop of bark-colored brown hair shifting. “We’re no one special, not truly. Just three lost kids from Liverpool.”
He glanced at the badger who let out a sigh. Cyrus looked back to the three kids from Liverpool. “That can’t be so. I’ve just received orders from Omdrus himself. He’s said that he needs more forces for the army, for your army. He awaits your arrival now, as we speak.”
Alex looked down at Octavia who was still too frozen in her awe to speak. “Look, it’s not that I don’t want to help you and your people. I’d love to. But I’m not the person you think I am. None of us are.”
“It’s best you’re on your way, Cyrus,” Plume told him. “I’ll get them to Omdrus alright.”
The satyr nodded. “Of course, Plume. I hope we will meet again, children of Liverpool.”
He left them. And Peep jumped back on Plume’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s not keep Omdrus waiting.”