The proposal
1536 Words
“We should make this at our future castle,” said Cristina. “Don`t you think?” she turned at Hugo who remained silent. They were sitting under the apple tree and was still illuminated by the silver light from the moons and the stars flickering as always. “Are you okay? You seem quiet.”
“Why didn`t you tell me?” Hugo looked at her. “You are bearing my child and you didn`t tell me.”
“I`m sorry, I just wasn`t sure that it could be true,” said Cristina. “And besides my brother…”
“Your brother can`t do anything, he can`t protect you forever, he can`t make the choices for you… Look I understand and I love you, and I would scale that mountain if I had to for you, all I ask in return is at least share the good news,” she looked at him as she simply nodded, he hugged her as they were leaned with their backs on the tree. “It`s just that there is so much at stake, there seems to be a connection with me, Francis and the sigil,” Hugo left out the part where he made a deal with the witch, the decision that she will offer when the baby comes of age.
“I know it`s though, but we are going to have to be strong for him” she placed Hugo`s palm on her stomach as they kissed each other.
“For him?” Hugo was confused.
“The witch… she whispered to me, she knew somehow,” smiled Cristina.
“Are you telling me, that I am going to have a baby son?” Hugo couldn’t gather himself.
“Yes…” Cristina answered. Hugo stood up and looked around.
“We will protect this, this beauty,” he nodded. “And when we do join the two villages, we shall build the same thing outside our walls, we will even plant an apple tree. No we will plant the whole dozen of them we will make a plantation for apple trees, and our baby boy is going to run amongst them, then he is gonna grow older and try to climb the trees, one day he is gonna fall and hurt himself and you are gonna be harsh on him. ‘I told you not to climb the trees,’ but I am always going to defend him against you,” he smiled.
“You truly are crazy,” she walked to him and wrapped her hands around his neck.
“Those things that your brother said, about the raid,” Hugo stopped smiling and got serious. “You should know I am sorry for that, and I never did anything so cruel.”
“I know, you couldn`t off, you were just a kid like us,” she said quietly.
“It was time my people understood that violence is not the answer, either they get that in their heads or I will make them.”
“You are going to make them? I thought you said no to violence.”
“No, we shall be married in the town hall for everybody to see and with our marriage, the villages will have no choice but to make an alliance.”
“Married?” Cristina was surprised.
“Yes,” Hugo was confused by her reaction. “Oh… right,” he grabbed a small twig from the ground and made a circle of it, as he then decorated it with some grass, and kneeled on the ground with his right knee before Cristina. “Cristina of Silverwater will you marry this lost and confused general, a general who is fighting to save the world without his army?” Hugo smiled and waited for her answer.
֎֎֎
In the distant dark land, Echo walked amidst the sharp rocks of Dark Mountain. They called it dark because the legends told of a cult that used to make rituals, it is said that they used magic so dark it would make your spine shiver. The cultists were cast away from society and they would claim that mountain as their own, people would not dare venture into the mountain because of all those who enter the cult domain get haunted by cultists ghost, and who wouldn`t be scared by the dried out trees the constant fog and hooting of the owls and if you do ever dare to enter there are the crows patiently starring at their next victim. Of course none of this was true and Echo knew it, but before him, the evil soul Ox knew if there was an evil thing happening around the universe or even they called his name he would know. Never the less Ox had a cave carved into the very mountain. Echo had carved out an altar in the middle of the cave. He used magic and lit his palm with red fire, it illuminated the grey walls, he moved down on the pavement and reached the round grey altar where he placed the sigil. It lay still the fire illuminated Echo`s pale face that was completely focused on the sigil eagerly waiting for its master. The sigil deafened the light from Echo and it completely shone around the cave illuminating every corner.
“Master…” Echo talked to the sigil, so he speaks.
“My minion,” Ox`s voice sounded deep and sort of lazy as he was waking up from his winter slumber. “Have you yet acquired the planet`s resources? It`s life?” his face appeared. He was like any other human, he had a short on the sides and long on top hair, thin beard that covered his masculine jaw, and an average-sized nose. But his eyes… his eyes were ever burning cherry red as if a fire was burning inside his iris.
“There`s a group of people who have halted me in my progress,” said Echo.
“I thought so… They are growing mad, confused, they have no idea what`s happening to their land. Then again they have become a nuisance and must be removed.”
“I agree master,” Echo looked at him.
“There`s an army moving north, they`ve banded together thinking they would be stronger, I have a gift for you,” Ox looked at Echo. “It`s an army, you shall use to defeat the human army, once broken we shall drain this planet of its life and I shall return to my godly form.”
“It shall be done master,” Echo bowed before the hologram.
“Hurry Echo, The Voyagers are coming, and I must prepare myself.”
“Of course master,” he picked up the sigil from the altar and left the cave. Echo got out of the cave as his breath was taken away by the river of flickering torches that marched below the canyon.
“Thank you, master,” he looked at the skeleton army that saluted him.
“Loyal servants to you as we are for Ox, master,” the skeleton general who wore a helmet and half-destroyed battle armor stood next to Echo. He looked at him and saw a blue fire burning in the skeletal retina. The skeleton never moved his jaw whilst he was talking the words just sounded out of nowhere and it looked at you, you could feel your blood freezing and your body became motionless.
“I have a task for you,” Echo spawned a piece of cloth that he tore from Cristina when they were fighting. “Find them, kill them,” the skeleton general just grabbed the cloth and nodded. He jumped at the undead horse who was half bones and half fur and whose eyes were glowing blue as well, the general rode off in the dark with a couple of his followers.
֎֎֎
Dawn came at the realm and the sun rays reached the throne room at The White City.
“Everybody wake up!” Hugo was knocking and yelling as he moved down the corridors, disrupting everybody`s sleep and there was a reason for it.
“What`s the matter with you?” Liza was livid with him.
“Everybody in the throne room now!” he ordered them as they half-asleep managed to drag themselves to the throne room. “Alas, some good news!”
“Keep it down, please,” Aelizia was never a morning person.
“Great news!” he yelled again, there was no way to extinguish his enthusiasm.
“By my sanity what is going on?” asked Franco, Hugo just hugged Cristina and smiled.
“We`re getting married!” said Cristina as the only thing that was heard in the throne room was the wind howling and the birds chirping.
“You are getting married?” asked Aelizia.
“Yes,” confirmed Hugo.
“Don`t you think this is out of nowhere and off all of the time you choose now to get…” said Franco.
“To get what?” asked Francis who stood on the door, nobody called for him he just showed up on his own and stood on the door. “What is going on here?” he asked and everyone remained quiet.
“It`s nothing Francis,” said Liza.
“It`s not nothing.”
“It`s nothing brother, we were just going over the plans for the trip,” Cristina managed do drag his attention away. “Here what do you think, what route shall we use?” she brought the map to him.
“Right then… Get your stuff we leave at once,” Franco left the throne room.
- Writer
