RECOVERY

HERE WE ARE

Back in Zorak, Tarin was taking a walk with Simon within the palace walls and she asked him. “Why is my father afraid of you? Everyone I know is scared to death of him, even me sometimes.” Simon chuckled before he answered her. “Whoever said he was afraid of me?” “Well he gives you some kind of special treatment and the way he talks to you – I don’t ever see him deal with any other person like that.” Tarin Pushed on. “You know, that could be because I am an old man.” He tried to set her mind at rest bust she was not one to give up easily. “There is something not right with you two and I intend to find out.” “There is nothing to find out child.” Tarin shot him a look that says – “Careful there old man, I am not a child.” “Being the Queen is not as difficult as I thought it would be. My father just made everything looked so serious, little wonder people don’t like him.”

“First of all, it is not your father’s job to be liked and secondly, you are not the Queen.” Tarin looked at him with indifference as they walked on; with Tarin wanting to know when her father would be back but Simon gave her nothing. He was not intimidated by the father, no chance the little daughter would do that.

The rains had begun to pour when Dexagon stepped into the Isle of Bones and as such, sought shelter in the nearest building. When the door creaked open, the few people inside turned and looked at him then returned to their various businesses as if he wasn’t there. The king had never felt such indifferent in a long time. It was a small tavern and when he took a seat, the woman who probably owned the place came around him and asked what he would like to have.

Out there in the rain, the sisters Tsan and Rips stood under the little shade a tree provided and Rips seemed to be engaged in some magical craft which was obviously not working or yielding any results. Her sister said to her. “If the legend is true then we cannot afford to be out here in the rain.” “Well it is not and that’s because we are still alive so knock it off” Rips answered her rudely and continued what she was doing. Rips had magic and having heard that the high priestess Kora was in the isle of bones, she set off with her sister to claim a chance at recovering the breath of kings from the outer realm.

Back at the boarding station, Raven and Pavalon showed up running towards the canoes. No one was there, all the canoe men had left following the downpour of heavy rain. The men that chased after them were all big angry looking bounty hunters. When they broke free and jumped out of the speeding wagon, they saw to their amazement that they were just few metres past the boarding station leading to the isle of bones. Not quite long after their escape, the bounty hunters discovered their absence and turned around, unfortunately for them, the roads were very unfavourable for the wagon to keep up with the horses so they abandoned it and continued the chase on foot.

Raven and Pavalon ran as fast as their legs could take them. When they got to the canoes, they flew into one of them and paddled their way to the isle of bones. The rain was stopping gradually and the idea for them was to lose the hunters in the isle. But it would seem the hunters knew too well about the myth that surrounded the isle whenever it rained and as such they broke the chase there at the boarding station. Leaving their bounty to the fate they had chosen for themselves. Looking back, Raven and Pavalon breathed to their relief when they saw that the men no longer gave chase. They were too thankful to even consider why these men broke the chase.

Raven had never been to the isle before but he’d heard of it and it would seem all the mythical stories had evaporated from their heads. Pavalon on the other hand had been there before. It was while he was still in the service of the King. There was a small village a little distance away from the isle that the king had him torch with the people running and trying to secure their loved ones. Their orders were not to kill anyone and the king himself killed one of his own soldiers whom he caught taking advantage of one of the girls in the village. It was when they returned from the raid that the king called on him (Pavalon) and five other soldiers to go with him to the isle of bones. His business there was not known or stated to any of them.

“We are here.” Pavalon said and motioned to Raven to stop paddling. “What now?” Raven asked him as they got off the canoe. “We find shelter.” Just then, the rain stopped. Leaving only little drops. They still had to find shelter because they were drenched. As they started off towards the first building they could see, a bright lightening appeared in the sky and it was this that recalled the myths of the isle back to Raven’s memory. The sound of the thunder clap was matching with the lightening. The impact pushed Raven back into the water from which they were advancing. It was the thud when he hit the ground that drew Pavalon’s attention and when he looked back, he saw Raven lying almost lifeless on the wet ground.

He rushed to his friend and hoped the lightening had not struck him. But what is hope in the isle of bones? Raven had been as a matter of fact, struck by the first lightening that follows every rain in the isle. What got Pavalon’s heart racing was the fact that Raven was not breathing. All his efforts to try and revive him were futile. The people inside the tavern were excited that the rain had stopped and were now coming out from different shelters to notice a young man trying to help another who was lying on the bank of the river. They rushed in their number and circled Pavalon.

“What happened?” Many of them asked all at the same time. “I think he was struck by lightning.” Pavalon answered them. The little crowd which was now growing, exclaimed and Pavalon was not sure if it was excitement or grief but it didn’t matter. Because some of them started walking away and pavalon got all the more confused as he thought of what to do. Luckily, help came.

“Take him and come with me.” Pavalon raised his head to the voice and saw an average height – middle aged man. “Who are you?” Pavalon asked him but the man turned without saying anything to him and started walking away. Without any more hesitation, he grabbed Raven and lifted him up unto his shoulder and moved as fast as he could to keep up with the man. He was heading towards a very large tree. The type of which he had never seen before. He became uneasy but kept on with the man. The man got to the tree, stopped and it seemed he was making sure no one was watching. He began to pronounce some words in a language Pavalon did not understand. In the midst of it, he touched Pavalon without warning and the three of them vanished out of sight.

They re-appeared in a house stuffed with things Pavalon could not begin to comprehend. He almost forgot he still had Raven on his shoulder. Among other things, he saw two young women tied up to one of the pillars supporting the house. At the sight of this, he began to look around for a sword or a weapon of any sort with which to defend himself and his friend if it came to that. “Set him over there.” The man pointed to a table and walked into one of the rooms in the house Pavalon was yet to understand. The ladies tied up were antagonised by his presence but they were not his concern at the moment.

Dexagon got up having drank the last sip from his cup and stepped outside the tavern. He looked around and wondered how and where he would begin his search for the high priestess. But it would seem luck was on his side. As he turned around to the voice that said. “I understand you are looking for the high priestess.” The king turned around and hesitated a little before he spoke. “Who are you?” He asked her and searched her eyes. “Come with me.” She was an attractive young woman, still Dexagon gripped his sword as he followed her. All the while looking back and forth.