Serendipity

Former 13 Knight Encounter

The bluish flames engulfed the electric post, which completely surrendered to its hideous fate. Grandolf stood still, watching the fire consumed the electrical wires, expecting electrical discharge any time now. He closed his eyes then opened it. Nothing burned from the flames. No electric shock. He neither heard any scorching crisps of dried wood nor saw evidence of burning houses nearby. His eyes searched the area for victims and fortunately found none. Grandolf could not help but wonder if everything was nothing but an illusion. He touched the electrical post covered in flames. Something about the bluish flames drew him towards it, tempting him to succumb into something incredibly dominant and formidable. It felt similar to that day when the witch half-burnt the forest. He sensed gentleness. At that moment, he realized that someone could command the fire to inflict damage or not. That someone had complete control to vanquish the town in a snap of its finger but choose not to.

Why had it not burned the entire village or the castle? Why did it burn the forest instead? We may have been in its mercy for a very long time. What did it want? Most of the population of Bielefeld Kingdom knew about the legend. A mage came for its revenge against the royal family but something did not sit right for Grandolf. Whoever the wielder was, it seemed to be spreading fear. Not fear but chaos, chaos but with no complete intent to kill anyone. What was its goal? Why did it have to be gentle when it has the power to eliminate an entire country?

"Grandolf!" Sandra's voice brought back Grandolf to reality. Her voice sounded comforting, and he knew his wife would understand his viewpoint. After all, she knew what had happened that night. Sandra was there when the mage graced them with its presence. The 13 knights were agitated. It was beyond their power to stop one magic-user. Despite their over-the-top strength, it still managed to getaway. They could neither kill her nor capture her. The order from the castle was absolute. Bring the mage before the king and queen, dead or alive.

With his eyes fixed upon the burning electrical post, Grandolf dwelt more in the past. The taste of mud in his mouth as he fell flat on the ground many times, chasing the enemy the castle had required the 13-knights to capture, still haunted his memory. Punching the wet ground, he scurried back to his feet. The seemingly never-ending chase with every good intention to seize the enemy's havoc felt like hunting a wolf with nine lives.

The same rain attempted to wash away his fears and anxiety. With a hint of curiosity reflecting in his eyes, Grandolf expressed his uncertainty, "Sandra, why didn't the mage kill us that night?" Hands in his pocket, he closed his eyes.

"I know." Head down, Sandra whispered. Her voice diminished even more as the rain sizzled. "I honestly had the same thoughts." Sandra gently caressed his husband's shoulder as she wondered about the intentions behind the turmoil the mage had left that night. Her eyes dimmed with confusion, her genuine smile gone.

The brunette had an encounter with the witch too. Everything was still clear in the back of her mind. She remembered it had its back turned. Foreign words from a distance, a glowing light of blue, red, and white. Chanting a spell with her hands clasped together while crying. The unmarried Sandra, who recently turned 26, hid behind a huge oak tree, the forest of Bielefeld still lavish with grown apples and healthy green trees. She could not make out the words. It sounded like a murmur to her, but she was sure of one thing, tears rolled down its eyes. Despite the fog and the rain, Sandra had one useless talent; she could differentiate tears from rain. It still bothered Sandra until today. If the legend was true, she must have been suffering from the fangs of the past. That got her thinking as to what kind of royalties do they truly have? Did we side with the good people?

"We run and chase it blindly without knowing its true intentions. One of the 13-knights, the symbol of truth, had doubts if we were doing the right thing. We cornered it simply because we were ordered to. I also had some hesitations. The kingdom had not clarified the reasons behind the chase." Grandolf looked at his wife. His eyes searched her brown eyes for answers but found none.

"Don't worry, Grandolf." Sandra reached for his face. Gently touching his left cheek, Sandra continued "One day, we will find answers to our questions." Sandra and Grandolf looked at each other for a couple of minutes before the brawny man uttered a thank you and embraced his wife.

The former 13-knight member had always been thankful for Sandra's existence. They fought a lot but those fights made them stronger. He knew they could find the answers they had been looking for.

Sandra had seen Grandolf's vulnerable side many times. It was full loopholes, a series of doubts, overwhelming exhaustion from unanswered questions, and many other things that made him Grandolf. Sandra loved everything about Grandolf, even his flaws. She embraced it as if it was her own.

When they broke the hug, Sandra uttered, "Let's go. We both know that fire is harmless."

Grandolf nodded in agreement and slid his hand on Sandra's back grabbing her waist. Sandra smiled to herself and moved closer to her husband. It would probably sound weird to say, but his broad shoulders were Sandra's haven.

The couple walked through the rain as lightning illuminated their path. Bluish flames continuously burn the electric post, spreading across the electric lines. From his peripheral vision, Grandolf noticed a shadow, moving sideways with its feet crisscrossing at every clumsy step. Grandolf instinctively dashed toward the shadow, leaving Sandra on her own.

"Grandolf! Grandolf!" Sandra called out to her husband. "Where are you going you piece of work for a husband!"

The rain, as if embodying the anger Sandra felt, lashed out its fury on the nearby trees. Its remaining leaves plucked, its sound branches conquered by the passing wind. Some trees forcibly pushed down on the ground. "You know what!!! WHATEVER!!!" Sandra snapped and stubbornly stomped her way to Lilah's house.

Grandolf briskly marched through the forest as the rain, wind, and lightning pounded the area with its invisible feet. Hunching his body with force, the tall and broad man started to take careful steps. Not many trees absorbed the rainwater on the ground. Grandolf searched the area, looking from left to right. His exhausted heavy breathing caused puffs of smoke to escape his lips. Breathe in and out; he restrained himself from getting irritated with the weather and the situation he was in. Rubbing his arms to create friction, warmth started to cloak his body. It was not enough. The temperature kept dropping, making it harder for him to take even one step forward. His body slammed on a tree.

Thoughts about the shadow he had seen filled his mind. A high possibility of a next victim, a boy about 10-years-old with a petite figure, sleepwalking amidst a stormy night, he seemed out of it. Sleepwalking or was someone controlling him?

Grandolf decided, pushing the tree with one hand, he started walking again; he would not let one single child from the village be taken away. Not under his watch. His pace got quicker while thoughts about his Lily entered his mind. Was Lily brainwashed, too? He shook his head anxiously. Mia and Lily ran away not sleepwalk.

The enormous man trod through the woodland, his boots crashing every mud and puddle like a heavy vehicle leaving its remarkable trail behind. Water splashed under his protective footwear as lightning struck the ground. Getting quite agitated, desperate for answers, Grandolf gritted his teeth. He glared at no one in particular as his brows drew together.

"If you're going to wear that face, you would seriously scare the kid." A young lad, in his teenage years, warned Grandolf. Sitting on a nearby tree, with his one foot dangling, he harbored a bored expression on his face. Resting his chin on his palm, his green orbs almost surrendered to dreamland before realization struck him back to reality, a former 13-knight member was watching him. "Oops, not a good sight to show him." He murmured.

Grandolf remembered the familiar uninterested look on his face, a blue-haired lad with emerald green eyes. He had never been so nostalgic up until now. "Gil!" The muscular man called out to the yawning lad. "You're Gil, right?" Grandolf ran to his direction.

"Yeah, old man." Gilbert Phantom or better known as "Gil" waved a hand, struggling to hold back another yawn. "It's been a while, sir? Master?" Scratching the back of his messy blue hair, with his one eye closed, he beamed a half-hearted yet genuine smile.

"You've grown so much." Grandolf patted his head, messing his hair even more. By instinct, Gil slapped his hand away. Gil never liked the idea of being treated like a kid especially by someone he looked up to.

Despite the gesture, Grandolf had a proud smile. "So, why are you here? It's not even your shift."

"I can't get some sleep." He said while yawning. After rubbing his eyes, he continued. "I have a bad feeling that something extraordinary will happen tonight."

Grandolf knew Gil since the younger 13-knight member was 10. He served as his instructor. At such a young age, Gil had no problem following his moves. Gil would attack and dodge at the right time as if predicting his every move. It could have been pure fighting instincts or so he thought. Knowing Gil for eight years, he discovered two things. One, he has a believable and credible gut instinct, which was proven when they encountered the mage with the bluish flames. That gut feeling had saved the 13 knights before and it could not be possibly wrong. Two, he has some kind of ability to detect people's energy or something. The former knight urged the green-hair lad to tell him more as they walked toward a green and white house.

"I told you before, I sense people's aura." Gil glanced at the tall, muscular man beside him, looking for assurance that Grandolf knew what he was talking about.

"Yeah. You did mention that." Grandolf responded and urged him to go on.

"I know Lily is no longer here now. I mean, in this world."

The former 13-knight halted and faced Gil with a burning desire for answers. "How did you know that and what do you mean by she's no longer in this world? Where is my daughter?" He shook Gil with force, which made him a little dizzy.

"Hold up!" Gil raised one hand to stop Grandolf while the other hand covered his mouth. "You'll make me vomit all the food I eat before going here." His face turned green as he leaned on an old tree. "I told you. I can sense any person's aura."

"I need more information, Gil! I need my daughter back!" Grandolf demanded in anger. He would not let go of him. Gil had information about his daughter. His grip around Gil's arm tightened.

"All right! All right! You're doing it again sir Grandolf." Grandolf tried to control his anger. Breathe in and out, that was one lesson he learned from his wife. "I'm calm now. Can you please tell me if you know anything about my daughter?"

"She's very likely in hell." His mind traveled in a speed of light. Scanning every area of the kingdom, he attempted to pick up a small glowing light of white and pink. He searched a little farther, exploring every other country and any other places on the planet through his mind. However, he could not find it and that could only mean one thing, Lily was no longer here, on this planet. He gasped for air, hands on his hips. He looked at Grandolf and said, "I'll try to search the rumored place."

Grandolf knew what Gil was talking about, hell. Hesitant but Grandolf nodded his head in agreement.

"There's Lily. I mean, I don't exactly see her but I couldn't be wrong about her aura. I recognized it. I can sense other small auras in that place. There could be more children. I also feel an outstanding aura, a strong force."

"My daughter...she's alive." Grandolf was happy but frustrated at the same time. Content to hear his daughter was alive but something was tugging at his chest. He had just learned his daughter was in hell. But, before Grandolf could dwell into his emotional roller coaster, they heard another scream.

With no second thought, Grandolf and Gil rushed into the scene with quick steps. They run while shielding their faces against the rain. Gil lost his balance and almost slipped. Grandolf had not noticed the incident and moved forward. Gil, on the other hand, kept track of Grandolf by following his aura.

"Gil! This is bad!" Grandolf called out, looking behind him. He expected Gil and the young lad appeared in a matter of second. The rain continued to pour as blue flames lit more electrical post. It served as a light leading their way towards an empty bakery. No fresh bread to tease their noses, no familiar young brown hair lad would wave at them asking them to buy his baked bread, nothing. Instead, the wild wind lifted the rusty covered protecting the bread stand. Thrashing the whole stand, the two watched it broke into pieces. But that did not matter. What concerned the two men was the young boy, about age seven, standing before the stand. The things happening around him had not fazed him. He was staring blankly at the dark sky, his mouth agape. His arms lazily draped on each side.