I woke up looking into the sunlit sky. Some clouds were coming up over the
horizon, and it looked as if it would rain in a matter of days. I could hear
several birds chirping, and saw a few flying overhead. I started to get up,
but I fell back to the ground wincing. My side was throbbing from where the
arrow had hit.
Then Corinth walked over to me with a damp rag, "So you are awake now assassin.
That was brave of you what you did for me. You could have been destroyed. You
didn't have to risk your life for me." Then he put the rag on my side making
it feel all the better.
I let out a choked laugh, "That's what you do when you have a partner, or
two," I said eyeing Laiondite walk up, "You risk your lives for each other.
By the way my name is not assassin, but Zarrel Charmain."
"Well I am Corinth," Corinth said.
"I already know your name Corinth, just not the Pteri's."
"Oh, he's Bakel, but how did you know my name?" Corinth asked dumbfounded.
"Remember when you were back in the castle you met a young working maiden
called Skitrey, and… and her Airax," I said thinking of Tarnox.
"That was…"
"Yes." I turned, and slowly walked into the forest. The pain in my side seamed
to leave in my grave. I walked up to a tree and sat down under it. I remembered
when Tarnox and I were first off for the castle our last job together. The silky
feeling of his feathers under my fingers as I rubbed his head. I really was
going to miss him, my dear friend Tarnox.
I was so caught up in my thoughts for my lost friend that I didn't even notice
Laiondite walk up until she squatted down beside me. "If it weren't for you
we never would have made it out of there with our tails." Then she handed me
a cloth rapped around something. "I am very sorry for your loss Zarrel Charmain."
Then Laiondite walked away.
Slowly I unwrapped the cloth revealing my lost friend. His feathers once groomed
and sleek with a fine shine were now matted and dole. A fine dust had collected
in his feathers dimming their dark brown colour. A tear slid down my face, and
landed on Tarnox forming a small droplet, like dew on the morning grass. I looked
into the droplet remembering Teralk's grin as he said that he was going to take
over the kingdom. Tarnox gave his life to try and protect what was right. He
would want me to stop grieving, and to help to stop Teralk. I slowly wrapped
his body back up in the cloth, and put it into my pack. I would never forget
him.
I got up, and walked over to Corinth, Laiondite and Bakel, but before I could
say anything Bakel cut me off, "That Airax, I am sure that he was yours, he
said something about some creature, Tekol I think, destroying father, and something
about being a king. Do you know what this means?"
"Teralk," I whispered.
"What?"
"How long was I unconscious?"
"About a full day Zarrel Charmain," Corinth said.
"Then there is no time to lose! Teralk, he is the evil creature who hired
me to destroy your brother Laiondite. Right now he is after your fathers throne.
He shall go after your father when he has no protection from your brother."
"We must warn the royal guards!" Laiondite exclaimed.
"There isn't enough time. Teralk has already left with his army. He will be
at your castle by the time the sun rises. Corinth, you and I must do all we
can to distract Teralk. Laiondite you will come about halfway there with us,
and then you will leave for your castle to warn your father. Bakel you are to
go with Laiondite. Lets move off!" and with that we set off into the forest
going at a brisk pace.
We had gone as little as about two miles when Laiondite stopped. "I need a
rest Zarrel Charmain." I have never done so much walking in all my life, and
especially at such a fast pace."
"We can't stop Laiondite!" I yelled. "If you want to save your kingdom get
up and walk." I got her up, but we had gone only half a mile when she stopped
again. "Corinth," I said, "come with me." And I started to walk into the forest.
"Surly we aren't going to leave them?" Corinth said looking astonished.
"Of course we won't leave them. We just have to find a creature or two who
can help us in our need, and I know just the perfect creatures for the job."
In my long dealings out as an assassin I had made a friend or two of the occasional
assassins that I had met along in my journeys. These two particular creatures
that I was thinking of were the black Uni twins. I had saved their lives a wile
ago, and they had said that when I needed them that they would be there for
me.
Corinth and I walked the mile or so up to where they lived, and I had to admit
it was nice. A waterfall flowed over the edge of a cliff above us, scattering
mist all around as the water hit the rocks at the bottom. The mist even formed
a small rainbow, which wiggled with the sunlight. "Through the waterfall," I
said to Corinth who was looking at the cliff before up. We walked around the
small lake the waterfall formed, and up to the edge of the waterfall. I hopped
across rocks with Corinth following me right up to a cave hidden behind the
waterfall. By the time we walked in, though, we were soaking wet.
The cave was dry and exceedingly warm. Corinth and I walked father into the
cave, the darkness enveloping us. "Now who do we have Herupah, two strangers
in our cave?" a dark voice echoed throughout the cave.
"I don't know Decorah. Perhaps we should destroy them for just trespassing,"
another voice sang out in the darkness.
I knew these two. They would go on trying to frighten us as much as possible
until we either left, or keeled over from fright. I looked at Corinth. Though
he was barely visible I could see that he was frightened, so I called out, "Herupah,
Decorah, I have come to ask of you a favour."
"Zarrel Charmain, we knew that you would come back soon," Herupah said.
"Yes, come out into the light so that you can see better," Decorah said.
"Even though we don't need the suns light to see well." Herupah and Decorah
talked like that. Taking turns talking as if they could read each other's minds.
For all I knew they might. I never have, and probably never will ask them.
We walked in to the sunlight, and I got my first glimpse of the Uni twins
in the past three years. Their black velvety fur shone in the sun. Each of their
bodies was completely black; hooves, mane, horn, wings and all. Their wings
were twice the length of their bodies, and their eyes were about as black as
their bodies, then Herupah and Decorah started up again, "Is it just me of has
our Friend Zarrel Charmain shrunk."
"Yes, she is definitely shorter then she was the last time I we saw her."
"It is not me who shrunk," I said laughing, "But you who've grown."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Now Herupah, Decorah, I and my friends are in need of you terribly. You know
Teralk?"
"Yes, he is very bad."
"He said 'join me or be destroyed'."
"But we were to smart for him."
"We tricked him, and escaped."
"Anyway Herupah and Decorah I need your help. Teralk is trying to take over
the kingdom of Laxcorna, and if I know him that is not where he will stop. So
I need you two to fly my friends to an area where we can intercept Teralk, and
distract him until my friend the princess gets the Laxcornian army over to help
us. Can you two help us?"
"Anything for you Zarrel Charmain."
"Yes, anything for you."
Through out all of this, Corinth did not say a word, but then he spoke out,
"Zarrel Charmain we must go now." I agreed with him, and we got on to the backs
of Herupah and Decorah. I jumped onto Decorah, and told him where to go with
Herupah and Corinth following.
We flew over to where Laiondite was resting, and when we landed next to her
she jumped back in fright. "Come on Laiondite we must hurry in order to save
your father." So she got onto Herupah right next to Corinth and told me that
she was ready. Then Bakel got up next to me.
As we flew off I couldn't help notice the fact that it was getting dark. If
we didn't hurry it would be too late. I was giving Decorah the directions of
where to go when he suddenly said, "The rain will come soon Zarrel Charmain."
Then Herupah flew over next to Decorah and me, "We shall fly as ghosts in
the darkness of night."
"In the dark nightmare you shall perish, but live up to the name of the red
ghost."
"In a strike of light the end will come to this nightmare."
"Even so it is only the beginning," Herupah finished.
"What was that about?" Bakel asked me.
"It is best not to ask," I said, "These twins may sometimes be strange, but
they also have strange powers. The last time I was with them they foretold…"
suddenly a drop of water hit my nose. Then it started to pour down rain. "Can
you fly in this?" I said to Decorah.
"Yes, it is no problem for Herupah and me to fly in the dark and rain."
I looked ahead, but saw nothing. "Decorah, tell me if you see anything up
ahead. I can hardly see the red of my fur in this weather."
We flew on further in the night, and I had to trust everything to Herupah
and Decorah. Suddenly Decorah yelled out over the crash of the rain against
fur. "There is a big lot of creatures below us. They are marching through the
cliffs of Eternity through the rain towards Laxcorna. I think that Teralk is
there."
"Thanks Decorah. Can you tell Herupah to land? Possibly in a cleared area
where we don't have to worry about Teralk," I said.
With a nod Decorah called through the night telling Herupah to land. We landed
in a cleared area, and I jumped of Decorah, and walked over to Herupah, "What
now?" Laiondite said to me over the rush of the wind and rain.
"I want Herupah to take you and Bakel back to your castle. Herupah, come back
as soon as you are drop off Laiondite. I need you to help stop Teralk while
he is in the cliffs of Eternity. Corinth you go as an escort, but come back
with Herupah. Decorah and I shall be waiting right here. May you go with speed,"
I yelled, and then watched Herupah, Bakel, Corinth and Laiondite disappear into
the night.
I sat staring into the night sky. Then the rain started pouring down much
heavier then before, soaking me to the bone. Decorah Walked up to me. "Do not
worry Zarrel Charmain, for my brother will return, and all will go well." Then
he lifted his wing over me shielding me from some of the rain.
To be continued... | 
