Agartha

Chapter five

Galia’s POV

These last days I’ve been distracted thinking about my combat instructor… Hell, I seriously turned into a teenager again. All elves look like coming out of a fashion magazine, but Ragnar has something else… his voice, his gaze, his strength. In class, teaching me how to use a bow and sword he grabbed my hands, his grip was firm and made my knees shake. I know to him I am just a kid, not even close to be as beautiful as any she-elf and relationships between elves and witches are unheard of. But I settle with looking at him and try to steal a smile from his lips. My grandpa gave him my daily itinerary. Every time I am not at the place he expects, I see his silhouette looking for me at the distance. He keeps a big distance outside his class as he promised.

Today I am putting him to a test. Missed my healing spells class. The only assignment was to deliver a report (I miss my computer), but he doesn’t know that, and I’ll forget to tell him. So here I stay relaxed at my gazebo.

Ragnar’s POV

The kids are fine. Taking care of my king’s offspring is an exhausting responsibility. I go to check if Galia is safe and heading to her class before going to deliver some instructions to the legion’s commander. She left her last class and headed to the wood’s pathways.

I wait and she doesn’t return. I know where she must be, my heart skipped a beat at the thought of hearing her saying my name instead of the cold professor or General. I walked to her gazebo and found her there, beautiful, laying on a bench and reading as usual. This time was a codex about magic, time and space… heavy readings for someone her age… for anyone, actually.

“Trying to figure how to literally take this gazebo out of time and space?”

She sat right away “Hello, Ragnar. I thought you were keeping your distance from me” Her sweet voice...

“Hello Galia. You didn’t attend your class”

“Only had to deliver a report today. I’m sorry, forgot to tell you” She forgets about me, that hurts my ego… “And your job is to make sure I’m safe, not to make me attend my classes” And now I’m annoying her… I´ll make her take that back…

“True, your highness. My apologies”

“Remember you can use my name here”

“If you reject a friend’s concern, you are rejecting his friendship. Therefore, he can’t use your name”

“I had no idea I had a friend, so far I had a guardian, General”

Is she openly rejecting my friendship? “In that case, I realize your highness never considered me as a friend and I never had her friendship” She made a concerned face, maybe I’m pushing too far. “My apologies if I made you uncomfortable” I felt defeated.

She rolled her eyes “Humans, wizards, elves… man are clumsy no matter what they are…” She made a dramatic gesture with her hand and asked “Ragnar, I’m new at these lands and don’t know many people. Would you like to be my friend?” She said, looking at me without hesitation.

I have faced armies, monsters, death… but this, she, is the most frightening thing I’ve ever confronted. “It would be an honor, Galia” I need to be careful, I could get lost in her forever and ruin us both.

“Well, I need to know as much as possible about you in order to call you friend, I´ve heard you are seven hundred years old and that is a lot to talk about, so we better begin now”

She said that patting softly the sit next to her. I hate myself for what I’m about to say…

“I can’t stay. Outside this gazebo I’m a General and have something urgent to attend” She blushed and looked down. I´m a beast! Got to fix this! “I can´t stay now, but maybe…”

“I understand” She interrupted me with haughtiness. “Have a nice day, Ragnar” This girl is killing me! Nevertheless, is better this way…

“Galia”. I left.

***

Having her in class is too difficult for me. She is a witch with no previous training in a class for kids in their 20’s with, at least, ten years of practice. I can´t change her to the beginner’s class with the children, she would probably kill me. On the other hand, I can´t focus on the other students when she´s around, that´s not safe.

I clear my throat at Antinoo´s gate.

“Ragnar. Please, come on in. How can I help you?”

“My friend, I need to talk to you about princess Galia”

“Is she alright?”

“Yes, of course. Is about her training” I explained my point of view as a teacher, how she keeps the whole class behind, avoiding the part where she takes all my concentration.

“Do you suggest changing her to a different discipline?”

Oh hell… “No, I suggest giving her lessons in a different schedule”

“With the children? She would kill us!”

He laughed. “No, a schedule just for her”

“I do not want to abuse of your kind nature, especially with such a high rank as yours. Also, she’s a lot to handle, must admit”

“Maybe I can find someone suitable for the task”

“I don´t know… You are the only one I would trust her life to”

“Galia. Come to my office” He made a light bubble with his wand, said her name to it and it floated away to find her. “If I take any decisions regarding her life without consulting her, I get into trouble”

It´s funny to hear that from a man who is feared by everyone. After a few minutes, she gracefully entered the office looking at the both of us with a questioning face. Her grandfather explained everything and asked her opinion.

“I do not want to be a burden for the General, I will be fine with any other instructor if he´s not available”

“Gal… Princess!” I need to be careful not to say her name “You are in no way a burden to me, it´s an honor to serve you. Antinoo, my old friend, please, let me train your granddaughter. I owe you my life, the least I can do is to keep your child safe”

Galia´s POV

He said “my old friend” … Wait, he is seven hundred years old and my grandpa is over four hundred… I have a crash on a man older than my grandpa?

“How long have the two of you met?”

Grandpa answered, Ragnar blushed. “We met about two hundred and fifty years ago. He trained me because I didn´t have any combat knowledge and was about to go with the elves to take care of a horde of monsters in some distant lands”

“Your grandfather saved my life. I was alone, ambushed and surrounded; he came to my aid. His power was amazing and with him by my side I survived the attack”

“That’s why I chose him to guard you, I trust him. Outside the palace you are an easy target, I can´t always be around and he´s always here at this center. The elves camp is a few steps away from the north towers”

“I do not wish to discuss this any further. Please, General, choose the time at your convenience, you have my itinerary”. My heart was beating so hard I was afraid they could hear it. I will be spending time alone with him! But now I understand why he´s being so nice to me. He owes my grandpa his life… It has nothing to do with me.

“Friday mornings, at eight am”

“All set. Gentlemen, have a nice day” I´ve been taking classes to behave like a royal, I enjoy it very much. Gave my grandpa a big hug, bowed my head to Ragnar and left trying not to shake or trip. Walking away could hear my grandpa telling his friend how proud he was of me. I love him so much.

Two days later it was time for my first private class. That morning getting dressed was a big deal and took a long time. I didn’t have my hair straightener here, and now I understand why my human family has straight hair and I am the only one with curls; all witches have curly hair. All my efforts failed, I would have to settle with this look, long curls. I arrived a couple of minutes late.

“Good morning, Ragnar”

“Good morning. You are late. And here, I am professor or General. Don´t be late again” I felt heart broken.

“Yes, General” My voice was shaky, and tears wanted to flow but I put myself together and did all my teacher demanded. We practiced with a bow from the very basics. After that, he explained with lots of patience all about swords but didn´t have time to begin to use one.

A bird came singing and landed at our feet. It meant class was over.

“Thank you very much professor, see you next class” Took my things and rushed away before he could say anything. I didn´t have any other class for the rest of the day at the center so I decided to go to my gazebo before going to the palace for lunch.

I would like to talk about him to my mom. She always had good advices and she was a great listener… Or just cry on her lap…

I sat on a bench hugging my knees and heard steps approaching. Sent energy to my hands (I quitted using my wand, just couldn´t figure it out) ready for any danger and saw him coming.

“Please, Galia, don´t try to kill me again” What a beautiful smirk he had.

What is he doing here!? “May I help you professor?”

“Galia, this is our gazebo, here I´m Ragnar, remember?”

Is he bipolar? In that case he should tell me! I felt rage and decidedly walked towards him and his dumb, perplexed face, stopping with only an inch away from touching and started yelling. “Have you lost your mind!? Minutes ago, you were the coldest person and now you come all warm and nice. Just go away, I´m sorry my care is such a burden to you!”

Before I could even react, he grabbed me with unnatural speed and held me between his arms. His hug made me feel comforted and safe. He spoke softly to my ear, whispering “I´m sorry. Please don´t ever ask me to go away from you, it hurts too much”

He gently pushed me away, took a knife from his belt with one hand, with the other grabbed my hand and placed the knife there with a somber expression. He pushed my hand towards him and put the tip of the knife on his chest.

“This would be better, would hurt less. Don´t take your friendship from me” I didn´t know what to say. At my silence he pressed the knife and the sharp tip cut through his shirt and a drop of blood stained the fabric.

“NO!” I tried to remove the dagger, but he was so strong, didn´t even move it, only made it worst. “Please!” I begged “You have my friendship! I give you my word!” He slowly put the dagger down.

“Galia, my life has been full of horrors. You and my king´s children are the only pure things I have treasured. The only peace I get. I don’t deserve your company, but I crave it. In return I can offer my shoulder if you need it, my protection. No one will ever hurt you, I´ll make sure of that”

“I can take care of myself, all I need from you is your presence” This man is so beautiful, having him so close to me his body looks even stronger. I feel him as my equal, young and strong.

“You are young. At your age everyone thinks is invincible”

With a rush of energy my eyes turned blue and the dagger flew towards my chest stopping as soon as it touched me. He had an expression of horror, tried to take it but the knife had a haze keeping him from grabbing it.

“GALIA, DON´T!”

My voice echoed around “I am not a kid. I´m not invincible, but I´m stronger than you think and only I can protect me from myself”

“I will protect you even from yourself”

“Not outside this place”

“Take this dagger, is yours. It’s magical and has my blood on it. If you ever need me, whisper my name to the handle and I will come. Promise you will always carry it with you, I´ll train you to use it” The dagger was amazing. The blade was transparent and bright like a crystal but strong and sharp enough to cut through anything. The handle was made of gold with climbing plants, leaves and blossoming flowers (the design looked a lot like my wand´s). The haze disappeared and I took the dagger in my hands.

“I promise. Thank you”

“I have to go. I want you to meet my king’s children soon, they will love you”

He took my hand and kissed it, pressing his lips very hard against my fingers. I felt shivers. Imagine that kiss on my lips… No! Those thoughts are forbidden. We are friends and that is all we get to be. We took separated ways and I left to the palace.