L`Univers: "The Sigil" Book 2

Adventure awaits

     “I say we sent emissaries to the kingdom and gain what knowledge they can about this plague and sigil,” said Teodryll as his diplomat stood next to him and bowing. “No, someone from a higher rank,” he looked at Aelizia.                                    

     “Me father?” she asked.                                                                                                          

     “Yes, you are wise, use it to guide you toward the knowledge to help our subjects.”           

     “Very well, father,” she bowed before him.                                                                     

     “A lady? Unaccompanied? That is unheard-of,” said Cedric. “I offer my son, Hugo le noble!” as he pointed with his palm at him.                                                                          

     “But… father,” he began protesting, he wasn`t sure what to do and could he expect from the outside world he only knew the village life.                                    

     “You would let a woman be braver than you?” asked Cedric.                                         

     “No father,” he bowed down.                                                                                                  

     “Well I wouldn`t let our enemy deciding the fate for us,” said Francis as he looked at Anfroy. “If you could allow me,” Anfroy just looked at Francis and nodded.                                                                                                                                         

     “Aelizia the Illuminator, Hugo le noble and Francis…” Teodryll stopped.                      

     “The brave,” Anfroy looked at Francis and smiled at him.                                                 

     “The brave,” added Teodryll as the three of them bowed before him and his shining sword. “May nature guides you towards her salvation and the pressure of the cries of given kin force you to stand up whenever you feel tired, time is of the essence,” Teodryll finished with his blessings as the three of them stood up and went outside to prepare themselves.                                                                            

     “They will face many dangers,” warned Teodryll.                                                                  

     “But shouldn`t we do something to save our very existence?” asked Cedric.               

     “We must,” nodded Teodryll.                                                                                                   

     “Even if it means sacrifice?” asked Anfroy as Teodryll just nodded. Cristina gasped in fear as she placed her palm on her mouth preventing her from screaming. “Sacrifice? But that`s my brother that they are talking about…” she moved away from the bookshelf as he pushed a book that fell on the dusty old wooden floor.                                                                                                                       

     “Who is there!?” asked Anfroy as he moved toward the shelf holding the blade ready for anything. Cristina moved away and luckily for her there was a window big enough that she snuck through and started running toward her house. She pushed the door with quite the force startling Francis who was preparing himself.                                                                                                                                          

     “Sister!” he yelled at her. “What ails you?” but she did not answer as she ran up to her room and closed the door throwing herself on the bed and from underneath it she pulled out a small casket that she opened and pulled out a golden pendant that had portraits of somebody.                                                                  

     “Oh dear father and mother, what has befallen on our family?” she started crying. “I`ve lost you, don`t let me lose my brother as well,” she held the pendant firmly and closed her eyes as she let out a tear. In that moment something came to her mind, an idea. She wasn`t going to sit by and watch her brother leave with the chance that he might not return, she was going with them.

     Aelizia and Hugo waited for Francis outside on the gates with their backpacks all set and ready. Francis was also ready but was roaming around the village all morning looking for his sister where could she have gone?                                          

     “Don`t worry, I`m sure she is fine,” Anfroy comforted him.                                           

     “She seemed disturbed yesterday,” said Francis who was really worried.                                                                         

     “Perhaps she could not cope with you leaving.”                                                                   

     “Tell her I will return, and I promise,” Francis nodded as he shook hands with Anfroy and joined Hugo and Aelizia. The three of them slowly step by step made their way on the outskirts of the village as Francis looked back at the grim sight of his village and breathed out.                                                                                                

     “We will help them,” said Hugo quietly as he placed his palm on Francis`s shoulder, Francis just looked at him and nodded, he finally understood the seriousness of the situation and the time for playing enemies was long gone, he finally realized that he must trust his former enemy in order for them to achieve their goal.

     The three of them found themselves in a field with barley seeds that were fully grown, but no one there seems to gather them. They came out of the field as Hugo stopped completely.                                                                                               

     “What?” asked Aelizia.                                                                                                           

     “Do you hear that?” asked Hugo as the barley seeds were producing a rustling sound.                                                                                                                                          

     “It`s just the wind,” said Francis.                                                                                              

     “No… something is coming, it`s following us,” said Hugo as from the distance a girl came out of the field and fell down on the ground, Francis ran up to her to help her up.                                                                                                                                         

     “Cristina!!!” he raised his voice. “What are you doing out here!?”                                  

     “I am coming with you,” she looked up to him.                                                                

     “No you won`t,” Francis demanded.                                                                                      

     “Easy now,” Hugo stood between Francis and Cristina.                                                     

     “You stay out of this,” Francis pointed a finger at Hugo`s face. “I am bringing you back,” he grabbed her arm and pulled her away.                                                            

     “No!” she protested.                                                                                                                  

     “Hey!” Hugo intervened again as he split them apart. “Let her be,” he looked angrily at Francis.                                                                                                                       

     “Let her be?” chuckled Francis. “Do you have any idea what await`s us? What dangers that we are going to have to go through?” Francis asked him.                                      

     “It`s late!” yelled Aelizia. “If you return now many will die…” she stopped as she looked at everybody. “And it won`t matter if you saved one life, it won`t matter whose life it is,” she finished.                                                                                                    

     “You return now, not only the village will see you as a coward but you will put this expedition in jeopardy, they trusted you, Anfroy trusted you. Do what you will,” Hugo pushed his shoulder against Francis`s and walked past him as he kept going down the road where Aelizia followed behind him. Francis and Cristina just stood there watching as the two of them were walking away in the distance, Cristina opened her mouth to speak but Francis shushed her immediately.                                                                                                                               

     “We will speak of this later, you will stay behind me and won`t attempt anything,” he started moving ahead as Cristina jumped in happiness and laughed.

     “Can`t believe that I will have to deal with this,” said Francis under his breath.   

     The four of them grouped again further down the road that led them through a thick grim forest that was parted by a narrow muddy road. There were no birds chirping only the wind howling and the leaves rustling, falling to the ground. `Twas no winter by all means so the leaves could fall to the ground in fact summer was just starting, but something was wrong with the land, it slowly grew barren, old and lifeless it seemed to be sick and dying. All of them heard a loud howling in the distance as Hugo and Francis went for their swords attached to their bosom they looked at each other and then looked out front. Both of their lips were trembling from the fear but no one wanted to show any sign of weakness nevertheless a sign of fear. The howling echo dissipated slowly as they looked at each other again and loosened their grips on the handles. As soon as they let down their guard a branch snapped from behind a bush and out of the bush an animal with grey fur, long sharp teeth, and giant pointy claws having the resemblance of a wolf jumped on Christina pushing her to the ground. The creature pressed on her with its big claws and tore apart a piece of her clothing, Hugo jumped at the monster as it pushed it out of the way. The creature sprang back up and growled at Hugo who was holding his stance prepared if it jumps. What he did not expect was another one of the same creatures jumped him from his rear and pushed him to the ground. Francis unsheathed his sword and stabbed one of the creatures as it ran in the thick forest and out of sight. But that wasn`t it, Aelizia turned around and saw as two of them are running around them, not two but more… three, four, finally there were eight of them. Aelizia brought up her staff to conjure a spell that will protect them but the monsters jumped on her as if they knew who was going to harm them. Without Aelizia Francis, Hugo and Cristina remained unprotected and prone to attacks on every side, they were surrounded and with no means of defending themselves.