The Others

Chapter Nine

I leave Keira's house and see that the sun has completely come up. I raise my hand, to keep the beams of light from blinding me, by creating shadow on my face. While pondering, I take a couple of steps closer to the towncenter. Where should I go to find some information? Who has the biggest chances of helping me? I do not want to go to the butcher, because I'm afraid I'll set his shop on fire. Most normal citizens of Qwerth do not really get involved with gossip, especially when it has to do with Others. The village is not very fond of Others. The Others took Shane away, while he would have been a very strong, helpful neighbour to have. Others never take away the weak, or elderly.

The biggest chances I have, will be with Gabby. Either he, or someone else at the temple, will know if there's any magic spotted. It's the best chance I have. Especially since there are templists that can sense magic. Mysteriously, of course. To help the Crown.

It does not take me very long to reach the big building where I used to come so often as a child. Since Shane has been taken, I come here less and less. Not only because I raise my questions when it comes to worshipping the Crown, but also because I think they have something to do with alarming the King's army about Shane's Other.

Respectfully, I take off my old leather shoes before I enter the temple. I make the proper salutations to the statue of the Mother of all Others, and I enter. The second templist I see, shows me to where Gabby is. Gabby smiles when he sees me. 'You're coming more and more, Maya. Can I assume this is you truly finding your faith for Carl?'

I look at him confused. 'My faith for Carl?' I ask him. 'So you know where he is?'

Now it's Gabby that looks confused. 'Is Carl missing? Is that why you have not come to me last week?'

He truly speaks in mysteries. 'Look, Gab', I say a little agitated. 'I do not have time for your riddles. Carl missing has nothing to do with me not coming last week. You know my faith is not strong enough to listen to the Crown's commands, and if the king has any issues with that, you can point him to where my farm is.’

Gabby seems disappointed. ‘Last time we spoke, you sounded differently, Maya’, he says with a tone of voice that proves the disappointment.

‘Gabby’, I start. I notice that I’m getting angry. ‘Can you please just tell me if you know where Carl is? Keira sent me. She says he has not been home, and she expected him a long time ago. Two men showed up at her doorstep, saying that they spotted magic around her house.’

Gabby shakes his head. ‘You are confusing yourself’, he says. ‘Them coming has most likely nothing to do with Carl. It’s true that they found magic residue, but I have already screened Carl. Besides, he’s way too old to receive an Other. It’s the crystal that has pointed them into that direction, but the crystal only gives so much information. We can not get it more specific.’

This is the information I need. This might prove if the Templists have anything to do with my brother’s early taking. ‘What crystal?’ I ask carefully.

Gabby looks around the temple. Probably to make sure no one is close enough to us, to eavesdrop. ‘Can I trust you, Maya?’ he says. I nod heavily.

‘Of course Gabby, you have known me since forever.’

I see the man contemplating.

‘Please’, I continue. ‘I need to know where Carl is.’

Gabby nods. ‘Of course you do. And I know it’s a bit early, but I think you still have the right to know of his whereabouts. Okay, come closer.’ I do what he says.

He reaches to his neck, and pulls up a small necklace from over his frock. It looks like a small medallion.

‘In this medallion’, he says. ‘There’s a crystal. We get them from the Crown, because the crystal lightens up when it’s in the presence of magic or magicians. This also means their Others. I will open the medallion up, to show you the crystal, but it’s important that you know it will glow a little bit, because of the presence of the two Others somewhere around Qwerth. Not to forget the magic residue that we have discovered.’

I nod. ‘Show me’, I say intrigued. Gabby smiles, and opens the medallion.

The dazzling, light-blue light, nearly blinds me. Gabby quickly closes the medallion, looking up to see all the other Templists look our way. ‘It’s never shone this bright’, Gabby sneers. ‘This can only mean…’ He looks up, right in to my eyes. ‘… it’s you’, he whispers.

I take a step back. ‘What do you mean, it’s me?’ I say.

‘But that’s impossible’, Gabby whispers. ‘Last time you came to me, I screened you. There was no light…’ He looks up, and around the temple. ‘Come with me.’ He takes my hand, and drags me into a different room in the temple.

When we walk in, he locks the door. ‘Maya, I need you to tell me. Did you receive an Other? Do you hear voices in your head?’

I deny it by shaking my head. ‘Of course not, I have never heard voices’, I say. I do not know how to act. This is ludicrous, I’m not magic. Should I tell him about Lilly? ‘Trust me, Gabby. You need to trust me.’

The look on Gabby’s face is pensive. ‘I need some time to think’, he says. ‘I can not report you just now. Leave. Take the back-door. But Maya’, he takes my hand and looks me in the eye. ‘Promise me that you do not leave Qwerth. If you are the magician, that means you have to report to the Crown.’

I nod, without meaning it. ‘Of course, Gabby’, I say. ‘Thank you for letting me go’, this I mean. He shows me to the door, opens it with a small key, and I run out, quickly back to Keira.

The closer I get to Keira’s house, the more and more people I notice. Everyone’s leaving their houses, and it seems like they are all on their way to Keira’s shop. I notice Porty, and run up to him. ‘What’s going on, why is everyone out and about?’ I ask him.

Porty smiles when he sees me. He instantly looks at me, from head to toe and back to my eyes. I try my best not to show my repulsion. ‘There’s two Others in town. In front of Keira’s shop, they said. Everyone needs to gather, because they will take the magician with them. Disgusting magicians.’

I feel my throat get dry. ‘Thank you, Porty’, I peep, before I turn around and run away. What can I do? Where should I go to? What if it has to do with Lilly? I can not leave my mother, not now. And I can not show them Lilly. What will they do to her, if she truly is a dragon?

It’s a good thing she’s back at home, safe from everything. At least if they want me, I can deny her existence.

I run to the forest, connecting the village to the road to my home. I hide behind a tree, to catch my breath. Should I go home? Should I pretend nothing has happened, and wait for the news that they have caught someone? It can not be me. It just cannot.

A gentle little braap makes me smile. ‘Hey Lilly’, I say to the little dragon that has just appeared from behind a big tree.

Wait what… Lilly?

I kneel down with the dragon. ‘What are you doing here?’ I hiss at her. She tilts her little head. That’s when I randomly realize, she must have followed me. Yesterday, in the dark. I told her to wait, damn the King. Now she has put herself into jeopardy.

‘Is that why the crystal shone so bright?’ I ask. ‘Because you are so close to the village?’ it might be the truth. ‘Come’, I continue to her. ‘We have to go Lilly. Maybe we can hide somewhere in the forest, and wait for this all to be over.’

I run deeper into the woods, and hear the little one following me. It’s a good thing I know the woods by heart, and I have just the perfect hiding spot: the cave where I hid from the rain, not so long ago. When life seemed different.

The moment we reach the spot, I am completely out of breath. The little dragon has followed me all the way, and lays down right next to where I dropped to the floor. ‘And now we have to be very quiet’, I whisper to the little girl. I put my finger in front of my mouth, as a gesture.

She curls up next to me, and I see her fall asleep. With my hand on her head, I rest my head against the stone wall. Thoughts rush into my head.

Is Lilly really an Other? Can it be that I am a magician, like Shane? Like I always wanted, as a child? Or did the strange crystal shine bright because of Lilly’s magic itself? I have so many questions, but a part of me hopes I will never find out.

I do not want to leave my mother’s home. She’s already depressed, and alone. I smile, thinking of the slim escape I will make from the betrothing. I sigh deeply, when I realize that I still did not know who my mother promised me to. I have not had the courage to ask her, with everything that happened to my father.

That’s when Gabby’s words come back to mind. What exactly was it he had said? About me, finding my faith for Carl. And me asking about Carl, it made so much sense to Gabby. Can it be that Carl is my betrothed? Is that why he helped me, when I asked for help when it came to my dad. Is that why he gave me the flacon of alcohol, without asking for any money.

It could answer to so many questions. About him saying he needed to be back soon for something. I frown. Does that mean I will be Carl’s wife?

I shake my head. I do not want to think to much about it. If it’s true, Carl would be the only man in Qwerth that I am willing to marry. But if it’s false, it will disappoint me even more than I already am by this betrothing.

Besides… I smile, and pet the little dragon… I have different things going on right now. I need to protect this little creature. Magic, or no magic. I do not know if I want to hand her over to the Crown. If she’s truly the last of her kind, I will protect her with everything I have.