THE WRETCHED

TARGETS AND HARD TRUTHS

"I did not sign up for this!" Arold grumbled when Gregory pulled the blanket they had been sharing and shouted that they had to go to the training ground. He had his sword in the sheath strapped around his waist with a leather belt. At one second he was standing at the door and the next he had his sword out and pointed at Arold's neck, the latter freezing at the sword's cold contact with his warm morning skin.

"You better get up right now or I won't be responsible for what happens to you," Gregory threatened, his sword glimmering in the faint twilight.

Alec who had shared a tent with Arold woke up with a start, his eyes wide with horror at the sight of the blade, "what's going on?" he asked.

Ignoring Alec, Gregory pulled the sword back and sheathed it, "Aelius is waiting for you outside," he told Arold, "get your bow and spear. It's time you learned to use the damn bow on your own!"

Arold startled by the sudden burst of words from the phoenix pushed the remaining part of the blanket off his legs and stood up, nodded and took his bow and arrow that he had placed beside him when he slept. The last thing he heard before disappearing out was for Alec to grab his sword and follow Gregory to the training field.

The chill morning wind hit his warm skin with such brutality that he had forgotten yet he had been sleeping outside for the past week. He searched around for Aelius but couldn't see anyone except for a short girl standing outside a tent just a short distance from where he stood. He marched over to her, his long strides carrying him with a slight stupor.

"Hello," he greeted the girl who sharply turned to him, her cat-like eyes running from his legs to his face, her scrutiny not the least bit subtle, "you're taller than I expected," she said once she was done, her face a permanent scowl.

"You're shorter than I expected," he shot back even though he had no idea who she was.

Her upper lip curled up, "I might just make your training hard enough," 

Arold almost jumped, "No, you're not my instructor," he offered, "I'm looking for Aelius," he said, watching the way she rolled her eyes "you're Aelius?" he asked, his face scrunching, "your mother didn't have a better name for you?"

Aemilia took out an arrow from her quiver, drawing it on her bow and pointed it at Arold, "it seems you lack the basic manners,"

Arold's big eyes widened, his hands going up in surrender, "sorry," he said but she still wouldn't move the  arrow, "am just looking for Aelius,"

She dropped drew it back, "I am his twin sister. I am the one to teach you. Follow me," she said, turning around and walking away. Arold swept his eyes around uneasily and followed the short girl. Her afro bouncing on her head as she walked. She was short but her blue fierce eyes and her attitude wasn't something Arold wanted to mess with, he felt that in her own right she was a warrior; he saw it in the way she walked. The carefully calculated steps, the way her thin arms stood as if ready to pounce...she wasn't to be messed with.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he struggled to keep up with the quick short steps that made her seem as if her feet barely touched the ground.

"The outlands," she replied.

"Outside the camp?" he asked, worried that she would take him to a cave and most likely kill him, it wasn't paranoia, he convinced himself.

"The most fearful are often the bravest kid," she replied as they made their way through some twigs and tall shrubs that bordelined the camp and opened up to the dry mountains above, "call me  Aemilia,"

Arold sighed, there was no need talking to her, she wouldn't listen to him!

They came to a clearing. The ground was covered in dry grass amongst some growing rocks, in the horizon, he could make out the big rocks that littered the ground with ingrown grass among some of the rocks, "this doesn't seem like a very bow and arrow place," he stated, his long legs stretching to catch up with her short quick steps, she was way ahead of him, her tiny frame on the edge of an enormous rock; how she climbed on the rock so fast was a mystery to Arold.

"You would do good to quicken your steps, you don't get long legs for nothing kid!" she shouted from the top of the rock.

"You're also a kid," Arold snapped, he was tired of her calling him a kid every other time, "I would say you're younger than me!" he said, his words coming out short of breath as he struggled to climb the rock.

"Whatever do you eat in your realm that has you this weak!" she exclaimed as she watched him struggle to grip the rock to steady himself.

Her comment gave him an extra boost of strength as he took a deep breath and breathed out heavily as he took one more step and eventually reached the top of the rock, "am just fine as you can see," he replied to her last comment, his eyes fuelled with a determination to prove her wrong. He didn't like that everyone kept referring to him as a weakling, it always came as a blow to his self-dignity, it was bad enough his friends didn't think he could do anything of value. He badly wanted to prove to the short fierce girl in front of him that he was more than his body size.

They made their way down the other side of the rock and came to a cluster of trees that stretched out as they meandered through them and eventually came to a clearing that was oddly shaped like a perfect circle. It was very deceptively big, the size a Boeing plane could comfortably fit. The further end of the circle opposite them had planted targets; the heads of some weird dead creatures, some with three horns, others two horns and the last three had their canine teeth drawn out. Arold had a good inclination to who they were. They stood looking at the targets, a silence reigned in the air until Arold decided he'd had enough, "isn't this place dangerous?" he asked to which Aemilia rolled her eyes, "I mean... don't monsters stray to these parts?" he added.

"That makes it more fun,"  he seemed confused at her words, "practising!" she added with a side glance at him, "if we happen to be practising here and we encounter them, it gives us first-hand experience and as you can see," she pointed at the targets, "we are pretty good," she said, "Aelius shot the two vampires and I shot the Upir and the two-horned ones while Greg sliced through the Basilisk's head," her eyes fell on the hideous green reptilian tail with protruding horn-like scales and ugly brown patches on its scaly surface, the Basilisk must be a big reptile, Arold thought. He made a note to ask Gregory about his fight with the reptile.

"What's an Upir?" he asked, he'd never heard of it neither of the Basilisk but that was reserved for Gregory.

"It's like a vampire but it doesn't get burnt in the sunlight," she replied.

"It can walk in the sunlight? Does it look human?"

"Too much questions kid," she cut his overflowing questions and the curiosity that had bubbled inside him, "take your bow," she ordered, "show me you can hit the eye of the first vampire,"

He sighed, willing his body to relax but instead, his body tensed at her extreme glare, "staring too much is proven to cause bad luck you know," he said. She clicked her tongue and looked away.

His hands wobbled as he withdrew his bow from the confines of his shoulder, he wished he knew what he was doing. He didn't think the magic he'd experienced when killing the enchantress would help him. He took a deep breath when he drew the bow. The arrow limply flew and hit a spot just an inch from the stick the vampire's head stood on.

He slowly let his eyes find the glaring eyes of Aemilia, "you are worse than I thought,"

"Watch and learn sissy," she took her bow, drew it and shot the arrow. The arrow hit the target with such accuracy that Arold would hope to learn, "what can you do?" her next words came with a mock embedded in the tone of her rough voice.

"Isn't it peculiar that you're so short yet you can shoot an arrow with such precision?" Arold commented once she had drawn her bow for a second shoot, his eyes looking at the arrow that had hit the target. She angrily snapped her eyes at him, a fire stirred in her deep blue eyes and she wanted nothing more than to put an arrow through his thick head. He looked away when he felt her burning eyes on him, "sorry," he muttered.

"Said the twig to the dwarf," she snapped at him, her hand taking another arrow from her quiver, "watch and learn Arold," her eyes had lost the fierce look in them and was focused on the target.

Arold swang his arms back and forth to try and reduce the intensity of the sourness he felt in his arms. They had practised until dusk and though Arold felt he'd been giving his all, Aemilia hadn't been satisfied and had been irritated to the point she almost shot him with an arrow, he gulped, she had anger issues he thought.

"Hurry up imp!" she shouted. They were approaching the camp and the dark was closing upon them.

"Whos's the imp!" he angrily muttered under his breath but quickened his steps.

"Training is really fun," Alec was saying as he munched on an apple, "that Gregory guy can really swing a sword," he beamed. Arold had never seen Alec so happy before and even though he didn't want to sound rude he found himself clicking his tongue, "he's awesome, so what!" he snapped at the poor boy. Anger boiled up inside him that he tried to push down but couldn't.

"You're just jealous," Alec teased.

Arold stood up and kicked the small bowl the fruits had been placed in and angrily stomped out, hitting someone on his way, "look out asshole," Jenna's voice rang in his hot ears.

He didn't bother looking back, he just wanted to be alone but Jenna wasn't having that. She followed him and pulled his arm to ace her, "at least have the decency to say sorry," she said, her face forming a scowl.

"Am sorry," he said, "can I go now?" 

"You f*****g entitled asshole," she snapped, "you don't even mean it!"

"Maybe I am entitled because this whole trip until now, I am the one who's killed an enchantress and saved your sorry asses from a lifetime of s*****y and all you ever do is take me for someone who can't do anything!" he snapped back, his words rushing out like blows to Jenna. Arold felt all his anger rush out with each word he said and some part of him finally felt free of the resentment he'd been holding for the past few days against his friends.

"f**k you," she calmly said, "try shooting an arrow next time without some magical help and try saving us without some goddess coming to your aid," she turned around and left. She had wanted to see Arold in his tent but after their scruffle, she decided her tent was the best option.

Arold stood rooted to the spot, his eyes threatened to let loose a tear but he bit his lip to avoid it, the slight pain soothing the growing lump in his throat. He lifted his leg, one after the other but he had no idea where he went, all he wanted was to soothe the anger inside him.  He claimed the rocks at the edge of the camp and lay down, his back to the ground as he gazed at the stars. There was some comfort in them. How bright they shone in the dark. He felt himself take in the tranquillity the stars and the darkness offered. He closed his eyes and felt as if he was floating in the sky, his heart at peace and content. He wanted to stay like that forever.

"I see you have no need for company," he heard a rough husky voice say. He opened his eyes and noticed Hero's tall silhouette standing next to him with a smile on his face.

He closed his eyes, "not now," he stated.

"I will stay anyway," Hero said, taking a seat next to Arold.

A comfortable silence reigned between them. It was the type of silence that two friends would enjoy without finding the need to have a conversation. The one where hearts spoke and came to a mutual understanding. The birds chirping warmed their way into Arold's hear and he found himself taking a deep breath and released all the anger he felt, "if you could wish one thing, what would it be?" he asked.

Hero smiled, his eyes finding the starry sky, "to be home with my family, safe and secure with no impending danger,"

"You live with your parents,"

"My mom  and two siblings; Afia and Ali," he replied, "my dad died while trying to get me away from a djinn,"

Arold opened his eyes. He saw the pain in Hero's eyes even when he looked away to avoid Arold's gaze, "it was my fault and I've tried to forgive myself but I just can't,"

Arold sat on his bum, "that's why you came on this quest," he concluded and from Hero's sad eyes, he knew he was right. He could feel the sadness and pain that Hero felt as if he was connected in some way.

"I wasn't reluctant like the others when the seer told us we would be going on a quest, my heart found some kind of solace," he replied, his fingers poking the ground, "I want to do what my father would have done. I want to make sure my family is safe,"

Arold nodded. He understood for the first time that this quest meant life and death for some of his friends, it wasn't just an adventure but a mission. It wasn't about him, it was about all the innocent lives that would perish if the rings were to land on the wrong hands.

"I know about the prophecy," Hero said.

"What prophecy?" Arold asked.

"The sky will open up and two stars will put out the darkness," he replied, "you're the stars,"

"You think Jenna and I will drive out the darkness?"Arold asked a bit perplexed.

"Yes," he replied, "the prophecy says the darkness stirs and the sky opens up, two stars fall to take down the darkness," he added, "it's weird how you fell from the sky just when the darkness was stirring up,"

"What if it means the stars will perish together with the darkness?" Arold asked, "it says tow stars fall. That to me seems like an invitation to death," he said uneasily.

"I would gladly die if it meant my family would be safe," Hero replied, "you have a great purpose Arold, wherever brought you here couldn't have done it just for the sake of it, there's more to this,"

"I have no idea who brought us here," Arold replied. The thought had never really crossed  his mind and he wanted to find out but more pressing matters were at hand, "but let's save earth 2 first,"

Hero laughed, "this is earth 1,"

"Guess we will never know," Arold said.