CHRONICLES OF AADYA

Episode Twenty-one

ALISDAIR

We endured several sleepless nights before we eventually attained Zoyidel on the twenty-sixth day. The village wasn't much compared to what I had witnessed in the north, though not much distinct from the way we lived back in Irpinia. Somehow, there is this feeling, Aadya was close by, and I could strangely feel her presence near.

High behind the townlet was an enormous black castle that tend to appear peculiar to the rest of the previous town castles, it was some miles out though could be glimpsed from the village. A woman had pointed us to the castle when I described Aadya to her, and with an inquiry whether the maiden in question was a witch, she suggested us to the castle. Though a problem remained, strangely enough, Gunnar and Bellamy were not able to glimpse the castle even though it was unmistakable that the rest of the multitude could catch sight of it.

It got to a point we had to query an elderly man regarding the phenomenon of why Bellamy and the younger weren't capable of seeing the castle. He made known to us the reason behind their circumstance, and that they only were required to transcend the hindrance preventing them from viewing the castle with an explicit veritable motive to be competent. And only with a clear motive, could they go beyond.

It wasn't up until we neared the castle that I became able to glimpse the barrier, like a wall that stretched up into the sky. We stood by the mystical wall, a veil, my eyes absorbed by what was before me, in awe at the strength with which it holds onto its beloved space. As centuries yawned by it stood with these magical bonds. The barrier had a way of belonging to the earth it graced. To me, it's like a transparent light purple liquid veil, however, it was just a clear continuity of woodland between the other two. I reached for the barrier with my right hand and it went through, though seemed like through a thin liquid layer only that my hand was as dry as it was when I withdrew.

"Behold, now I could see it" Bellamy let out in awe, looking heavenward. "This is indeed magic, brother" He let out, though he could yet only see the magical barrier.

"Then it's time," I say, letting him know I wasn't ready to delay more just by watching a magical barrier.

"Apparently, I see no barrier" Gunnar muttered. I wasn't certain what could be hindering him, nonetheless, I believed that he could be able to go through if I held him along. "Take my hand," I told him as I stretched out my right hand, he only stared at me for a while before finally clutching it, a mind touch with Bellamy, he took the other hand of the younger, and with that, we swam through the thin layer of the barrier.

"Hah..." Gunnar impressively let out gazing directly at the structure before us. "You think she would be there?" He perked up at me and I nodded in certainty. I could feel her closer from where we stood.

The castle was built of stones of varying sizes and shapes, each one unique. From a distance it is uniform black, from up close it is a mosaic of humble rocks, each of them nobody would think anything of were they loose by the roadside. But together they are a castle, the crown of Zoyidel, and the protector of supernatural people.

We made our way to the giant front entrance of the castle, the door as high as a kingdom's wall. Yet, on its own the door slowly pulled open at the centre, gradually revealing the enormous hall behind them. Bellamy turned and lifted an eyebrow demanding a clearance, and with my slight nod, he made his way in, Gunnar heeded and so did I.

The ceiling must be twenty feet high. Designs of runes and symbols carved into the moulding and small. Some solid pillar within the hall and the stone staircase was a dreamy spiral right to the castle's top. Soon the sound of soles upon the floor caused us to turn to the approaching woman. Her hair was perfectly styled up, she placed both hands together before her in a moderate form that emphasizes her nobility.

"Welcome, to the coven of Zoyidel" She greeted "I am Harmonia Fabian, protector of the coven"

"I am Alisdair Guadalupe, and I have come in search of a maiden known as Aadya Evandro, a red-haired witch" I announced and her eyes darted at the two fellas beside me.

"And who might they be?" She requested taking a step forward, voice laced with authority.

"I am Bellamy, a brother of his, and Gunnar Evandro, a brother of hers" Bellamy responded leaving me to silently absorb the aura I was sensing.

"You are no warlocks, how were you able to go through the barrier?"

"That I know not" I admitted "It just occurred" That was the much I could utter at the moment as I waited for her response.

She reached before me extending her arm to me. “May I see your path?" She requested. My gaze was a bit intense as I slightly gazed down at her, I could sense she was trying to read my expression but ceded when she wasn't competent in finding what she was hunting for. If this would lead me to Aadya, then I have no intention but to abide. She only took my hand for a brief moment before letting them go, and oddly a slip of blood dribbled down her nose. She appeared astounded and jumbled. "What are you?" Her expression was deformed. The question rose to a clamour in my mind as she twisted her gaze at me.

"I'm a werewolf," I spoke plainly "Is that what you asked of?" I queried as that didn't seem to settle the case, and unexpectedly an elderly man with a long grey beard emerged at the top of the staircases. He appeared beyond eighty years just by his look, who knows, he could be more.

Soles upon the stone staircase, head looking down at us as he earned his route down the curved stairway. His steps stood so slow like he was taking his precious time ambles down the stairway that I was beginning to get uneasy. At the long end, he reached the floor, "No man can glimpse his fate, just like the young fellow that arrived at the coven of Zoyidel" Those words came forth once he got closer to us. "You possess the light of the protector of the prophecy. Perhaps it is you, the protector"

The countenance on the lady's face shows I was solely not the only individual those utterances confused. It's unlikely that she appeared more dishevelled than I.

"What do you mean?" I requested barely showing any form of expression.

"Your destiny is calling. You'd better find out what it wants"

"What do you know of this man?" Although she came off as curious, she managed to conceal it from the tone of her voice as the inquiry came out as calm as ever.

Her confusion was though different from mine "What prophecy? You may at least speak in the manner in which I would understand" I demanded, it does be better if someone could illustrate them in a clearer form because I was getting weary of not unravelling where all these were leading to.

"You had come in search of a maiden, one who harbor the prophecy, but she would face numerous threats from ruthless conquerors and foes alike. It will be on you, to be by her side as her protector. You are what makes the prophecy whole. Very soon, you shall begin to see that, this is just the beginning, many fortes await you, young legend" Just like that the old man's riddles upon riddle came to a silent end and the hall was swallowed in unsettling silence.

"And who might you be?" My head narrowly nod as I held up the query.

Once his voice came up again, it felt more welcoming than the one before "Greetings. I am Ambrose. Master Albus. Sorcerer" He put forward collectively.

A little curve formed at the corner of my mouth as I nodded slowly and briefly, taking in his words. "I see you are a warlock with great intel heeding this prophecy. So, where is this maiden you speak of?"

"Fetch forth the maiden" He turned to tell the lady "And perhaps bring them some tea to take. They must have been drained from their days of journey" He put out to the lady.

"Your kindness didn't go unnoticed though there is of no use treating us when we are yet to end our journey, the journey hasn't ended, we must see the maiden first" He stared at me momentarily before nodding.

"So shall it be"

It took much longer before “Brother..." Bellamy whispered in my head. "What is it?" I was certain why he had asked such a question, the more Aadya's heartbeat draws nearer the more uneasy I fall, I haven't felt her this close before and the thought of how this is going to go puts me on edge.

"It's nothing" I replied Bellamy and I'm certain he did not believe so yet I never minded.

I could feel my blood rushes to the tips of my fingers, the throbbing coming in hot waves that cause everything else to pulse. The booming was furious and incessant. It was my heart, which seemed to swell into a mallet and swing against my rib cage, a drum full of dirt that might burst at any moment, and then she came out from behind the wall of an aisle, alongside her was a male. She appeared more concentrated on the other two to notice us though not until she was halfway across the hall.

A feeling of surprise flickered across her face when her eyes fell on Gunnar but that instantly changed the second they locked with mine. She froze, rooted to a spot as her eyebrows lowered and pulled closer together in what I think appeared to be a shock. Even though those eyes had caused me to groan internally, I still managed to keep my head up straight as I stared back at her.