Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Gwenn

I thought that I was ready for anything, I thought that I was ready to take whatever the oath was but I was ill prepared.

“My queen, please wrap yourself up in this.” The Mareikura which was assigned to me said as she presented me with a thin like shawl.

This Mareikura was respectful, I learnt that the trait of Faye was only a characteristic of her as a person, not her friends or the position she held which was a good thing because if there was more than one of Faye in existence at the castle… well when I return, let’s just say that a lot of maidens would have either lost their jobs or their lives. Depending on how annoying they were to me at first glance.

“Okay.” I replied in a tiny voice as I took the shawl and wrapped it around me, not like it helped to hid anything since the whole of me was on display, I apparently have to do this ceremony naked.

The Mareikura, held me by hand into another chamber and this chamber sat roughly twenty people not counting my husband who sat with them and was watching my every move. When one of the people separated from the rest of the crowd, he took my by hand and led me to the hole dug in the ground and filled with a strange purple liquid that was not water, it seemed like thick glue that was alive and kept moving.

“In you go.” The person ordered, leaving me at the edge of the hole while returning to the position he was first in.

I was uncertain, and I looked to Arius for guidance, not even sure why I did that when I didn’t trust him but I guess it was because I knew he was the least person here that would to try and harm me or wanted me dead.

When he nodded, I steeled myself as I walked into the goo, which threatened to sweep me off my feet and into it completely but I tried my best to remain steady.

The goo was not as bad as I had thought it was, it had a cool feeling on my skin and I could move without it being too restrictive.

I spoke too soon.

As that thought came into my head, chants increased and the goo reacted, becoming fiercer. I look to Arius.

“Don’t fight it Gwenn, embrace it.” He whispered at me. Mouthing the words and I could still hear him despite the distance.

When I quirked an eyebrow at him, he added. “Trust me.”

And because I was just as insane as he was, I did. I let the goo do what they wanted which was to sweep me off my feet and drag me to the bottom of the hole.

My eyes shut all on their own accord and when I opened them, I found myself in another world.

The sunset was barely visible but the glassy plains were bathed in its orange glow, I wandered along, watching and thinking about this place and how I could get home.

Then the tremors started. A saber tooth tiger jumped down from the tree as I jumped back in a fighting stance, berating myself for getting distracted to the extent where I could be sneaked up on by a large predator.

“You are not one of us.” The tiger mouth moved and words seemed to flow out of it. I knew that this was not possible. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake because my head has been under water for a very long time and I was actually delirious.

Tigers cannot talk!

“A foreigner.” The tiger hissed. “This is not for me.” And with that the tiger faded into the mist.

“Wait.” I tried to call out to the tiger but no sound came out. I need to know what was going on and I was not above beating or begging an animal to tell me.

“Who do we have here?” A voice hissed closed to my legs. I jumped away from the snake that was circling my legs. I brought a hand to my throat, I had shrieked in surprise but unsurprisingly, not a single sound left my throat.

“Since when did Northshore start to accept those without our blood in the army? My generation will not agree for the madness.” With those words the snake turned to mist and disappeared.

I sat down and started waiting for the next snobby creature to show so I can wrap my hand round its neck and force it to tell me where I am and how to back to where I was before all these started.

This time, it was a woman dressed in gold who walked towards me, even her skin was golden too.

“Finally.” The woman said. “I thought that I would wait forever.” The woman added as I got up.

“There are many trials ahead of you my young Warlord. A curse, only you can break and a legacy only you can fulfil. Northshore will thrive again and you shall be queen of it all.”

I was already the queen, what was this woman talking about? I pondered and the woman smiled.

“You will not understand now but time will make everything clearer, you will see. Now is not the time for you to shine. A fledging need to grow to become a force to be reckoned with. I know this about you because you are you and I am you.”

I raised an eyebrow at her and when she advanced forward, I took a step back. Not ready to meet any part of her craziness, no matter how much I wanted to go back, I was not ready to capture her craziness, when the next strange being come, I will force that one not this one.

She touched my skin and I felt all my hair stand because of the energy she seemed to possess. “Be brave.” She whispered before she sealed her lips with mine, it wasn’t long after that she disappeared into mist but unlike the former mists which disperse, this one seemed to settle on my skin.

“What the hell is going on here…” I said and gasped when I realized that my voice was back, before I could be excited about that, I felt like I was falling and out of fright I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was in the goo.

I could hear low distinct voice, talking worriedly.

“She has been under too long, maybe she had drowned or she need someone to help lift her out of the water.”

“Traditions states that a warrior do this by their own and no one else helps, not even her husband.” Another voice answered.

“What is that, is the color changing… to gold? The mummers increases.

I was suddenly filled with an urgency to come out and so I shot out of the hole, breathing deep to recover the air which I had lost.

“Gwenn.” Arius breathed a sign of relieve and jumped into the hole to reach me.

“Your majesty…”Someone called Arius but all Arius intention was, was to hold me.

“I don’t like what I saw.” I mumbled to Arius.

“I understand.”

“What happened to the color of the hole, it was purple and now, it is purely gold.”

“It signifies next, a new cycle of Northerners, a new age. Since you awoke it, I have no idea what we would be expecting.”

I have a dreadful feeling that I would be right in the middle of things too.