The Forgotten Land of Myria

ROY

The healers standing outside the door smiled politely. They were very friendly--no matter how many times I visited the infirmary. Other than that, I had spent the past week exploring the woods, swimming in the billabong, taking naps on treetops, and hanging out in the village plaza. Since everyone was given some time off to rest after the quest, I’d been seeing the others a lot--especially Ada, who would accompany me through the woods, and Sky, who was always hanging out at the village plaza. I hadn’t seen Leof or Safira since we got back, but I didn’t mind.

I hung my new fur coat on the rack by the door--one of the merchants had given it to me when it started getting cold--and brushed back the white curtains covering Alice’s bed. There she was, lying still, in the same position I’d left her. I took a seat in the wooden chair by the side of her bed.

“Hey...guess what?” I whispered, though I knew she was unconscious. “Today I’m going to receive my medal of honor, for all those monsters I fought. They think I’m a hero.”

I laughed to myself, imagining how she would respond to that. Alice would always say I was going to be a hero when I grew up.

“Well you were right,” I said out loud. “At least I hope so.”

“Actually,” I spun around to find Ada leaning against the door frame. “We’re giving you a badge so you can start your guild apprenticeship. Otherwise you’d have to go to class with the pre-initiates--the ten-year-olds.”

She smirked as she came up and took a seat at the edge of the bed. I didn’t know that part.

“Give me a break,” I chuckled. “I’m telling tales to my sister and you’re making me out to be a girl scout. I did save Angus with that flaming spear, if you recall,” I grinned.

“As a matter of fact, a scout--girl or boy--would’ve had six years of training putting out fires.” She gently clasped her hand on my shoulder and her smile dissolved. “You Roy, accidentally set a sacrificial fire.”

“Well I can bend fire, right?” I cocked my eyes and joked. “Do I look like your run-of-the-mill flame thrower?” I chuckled as she got up.

Nailed it.

“You just found out that you are Myrian,” she stopped at the doorframe and looked back, cocking her eyebrow. “You’ve got a long way to go in learning how to be one.”

She smiled warmly, spun on her heels and left.

Ouch...

I turned back to Alice. “Sorry about that, darlin’. You were going to find out sooner or later. Big brothers aren’t the heroes you think they are--but I did my best.”

“But you kid,” I gently ran my finger across her forehead, brushing her silky hair out of the way. “You’re the one full of surprises!”

How was I supposed to accept that that my sister--whom I had loved more than anything, and taken care of for so many years--wasn’t in fact related to me at all. Or, most of all, that she was instead a girl that lived to become a legend--god knows how long ago. It made no sense.

Or did it?

A small voice echoed in my head. Come to think of it...

Snapshots ran through my mind. Glimpses of past memories reminding me of all the amazing things Alice had done. I thought about the time shortly before she got sick when I caught her sitting on the swing in the backyard in the middle of the night, looking up and speaking out loud. When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was talking to the stars. She said they told her all kinds of secrets. I’d seen her do that a few times, besides all the other times that I found her talking to flowers--like the tulips in the garden--or trees, or a stray dog. I always thought that maybe she would confuse them for real people or something, but in fact, she didn’t. She actually talked to them.

I then remember how Nigel--a newborn baby at the foster home at the time--had a 103-degree fever. No one knew what had caused it but he was at risk of death--and Alice cured him by simply holding him in her arms and singing to him. Of course, at the time I didn’t notice that. I thought he’d simply got better overnight. But I saw it now.

I cursed myself for never having picked up on anything--well, supernatural--about her. Or for never questioning the fact that the man who appeared at the foster home five years ago, when she was seven, said that Alice was my sister and that I needed to take care of her. Why wasn’t I suspicious that she hadn’t showed up before? Another thought then came to mind. If she wasn’t my sister, why, did the man say she was? Why did I have to take care of her?

The answer I was looking for instantly came to mind. Yes, Alice really wasn’t a normal human being. But, then again neither was I. A guy who could summon fire and a girl who plays a role in a cultural legend but can’t even remember it, are far from “Commonlanders”. My eyes began to water as I stared at that angelic face that had been by my side for these past five years--all the things we’d been through, all the things she said that made me laugh and cry--and I decided that nothing would get in the way of that. I had been chosen to take care of her, to be her brother, and that’s exactly what I was. No less.

“No matter what they say, Alice,” I whispered. “You’ll always be my sister. My favorite person in the world.”

“And you’ll always be my hero.” Warmth flowed through me and I sighed in relief.

“Roy,” she whispered.

“Yes, Alice,” I responded, trying to hide my shaky voice.

“We’re home. Finally!”

Millions of questions were still racing through my mind, but at that moment there was only one thing I wanted to do.

“Hey Alice,” I whispered. “Time to stretch those muscles. How about we take a walk, huh?”

She laughed and nodded eagerly, though still looking a bit droopy. I gently pulled Alice up, piggy-back, and clutched the frail arms that were lightly wrapped around my chest.

I would never let those little arms go.