L`Univers: "The Sigil" Book 2

The entrance

     “So how shall we be known?” asked Franco.

     “What?” Liza did not understand what he meant.

     “I was thinking, The brave company, or perhaps, The knights of valor?” suggested Franco.

     “Could you please drop it?” Cristina asked him nicely.

     “What does it say?” asked Francis who was walking alongside Aelizia that was busy reading the book rather than discussing the company name.

     “It explains The Watchers, the ones creating this land, in fact creating all existence, the sigil…” Aelizia showed him the page as Francis just starred at it and not a word came from him. “It seems to have fallen from the sky, a gift from The Watchers.”

     “These watchers…” Hugo came close to Aelizia. “What are they?”

     “Are you telling me that you have not heard of The watchers?” Franco was confused. “It`s common knowledge.”

     “It matters not,” Cristina extinguished the conflict before it even began. “Perhaps Aelizia would be kind enough to explain,” she looked at her.

     “It is said that before all of existence twelve souls existed, they created the planets and brought life into them just by the swish of their hand, everything was going according to plan and everything was perfect until reality spawned a new soul the thirteenth evil soul to bring chaos and hatred into the life the other souls have created. It was said that the evil soul would bring balance to goodness and evil, reality cannot be all good. They would watch events unfold and never interfere in fate. Countless wars and conflicts would unfold, weapons of mass destruction unleashed, civilizations extinct but alas they would just watch.”

     “Thus the name The Watchers,” finished Franco.

     “Could it be that the thirteenth soul gave a gift to us?” asked Francis. “The sigil I mean.” 

     “Either that or it`s here because of another reason,” said Aelizia.

     “Whatever it is, you`ve heard her, we won`t get help from them,” said Liza.

     “Wait!” Franco stopped and kneeled next to a droopy flower.

     “What is it?” asked Cristina as Franco gently placed the flower in his palm when Liza came next to him.

     “I know this flower,” she said.

     “This is bad,” Franco looked at her, as Liza nodded in agreement.

     “Where are we? How much till the Shadow forest?” asked Liza as Aeliza picked up the map and read it.

     “About halfway,” she answered.

     “What`s wrong?” Cristina asked again.

     “This flower,” Franco showed it to her. “It never dies, it lives through winter and summer all kinds of weather from the scary blizzards to the sunny days, so explain to me, why is it dying?” he asked.

     “Look,” Hugo pointed towards the direction they were moving. They turned and saw as the whole valley was grim, it was getting muddy and the grass was dying out it was no longer green, the tall trees fell from their grace and onto the ground of rotten leaves. All of the wild animals that called that place home now left on the barren and dying wilderness, they all shared the same fate they died out some would fight and keep marching until they find a new shelter, but the plague that was like a shadow was spreading all across the continent, killing everything in its way.

     “Is this the fate that would befall on my city?” asked Franco who was on the verge of a panic attack.

     “NO!” said Aelizia firmly and loudly. “Look at me,” she stood in front of him covering the depressing sight from his view. “We are going to stop this, we are going to heal the land.”

     “Come on,” Francis tapped him on the shoulder. It seemed that the more bad things they saw the more they were connecting each other, they were finally putting aside their differences and worked their way up to creating a functional company that perhaps at the end of their quest would be able to save the world. And it was finally working, they reached the entrance of the forest and as Liza said everything was true, the creaking woods and the chilling atmosphere made them hesitant to enter, but they would have to.

     “We should set up a camp it`s getting dark,” said Hugo as he looked up at the sky. They worked together and made the tents and lit the fire they made the camp and sat by the fire as they were chatting amongst each other and the time came for them to rest, they went to sleep.

     Franco sat there by the campfire staring at the flickering stars.

     “First shift?” asked Aelizia.

     “Yes,” he answered as he moved to make space for Aeliza who sat next to him. “How do you do it?” he asked. “You are fully aware that the fate of your subjects is in your hands, and if you fail? Who are they going to blame?” Franco looked at her.

     “I don`t know what your expectations for king and ruling were, but I hope nobody told you it was going to be easy, and nobody said this quest would be easy,” she looked at him. 

     “There`s just so much at stake,” he sighed.

     “I know, but people don`t care about the journey, they admire the end product, but we are different, we walk the journey, a journey that`s going to shape you for better or worse, now you don`t feel competent to rule? Dammit if I do as well,” Franco laughed, Aelizia as well. “Tomorrow who knows,” she starred up at the sky. “But as a future ruler to ruler, let`s give out subjects a damn good end product,” she tapped him on the shoulder.

     “Yeah,” he smiled, both of them sat there starring at the stars, Franco talked about the constellations and how he was a bright kid since he was just a toddler, he knew many of the things and exceeded everybody from his generation but he never had an idea for the main thing, school never taught him it couldn`t even if it wanted, his father was dead and his mother never bothered teaching him about what it means to become a ruler, the responsibilities and the consequences that come with it, he was lucky to have met Aelizia, because all she talked to him about is the things that he needs to know, the time flew by for them and it was time for the second shift.

     “It`s okay guys, you can go to sleep,” said Cristina as both of them stood up and went to their tents as Cristina took over the watch, she starred at the fire and saddened her face.

     “What`s wrong?” asked Hugo who sat next to her.

     “I suppose everything,” said Cristina. “The same thing that`s wrong with this world.”

     “What?” Hugo was really confused.

     “It`s nothing, it`s just a stupid idea, you will just laugh.”   

     “No, come on tell me.”

     “When I was home, I loomed over Francis after the war, I thought maybe that the generals are down, I thought to myself are they ever gonna tire of fighting are they ever going to realize we are not so different, I thought to myself, is there a chance for a truce? And afterward, maybe a slight chance to finally unify into a grand kingdom?” Cristina looked at Hugo who was listening to her patiently and with full focus. “And truce did come, but not the kind I was expecting, the kind that unifies you in hard times, and when those times come to pass it`s all back to where it started.”

     “It does not have to be that way,” said Hugo which surprised Cristina. “This could be the right kind of truce if we make it be, new times are coming, and after this, after this quest when we get back home we could start working on changing that truce,” nodded Hugo.

     “Really?” Cristina was amazed. 

     “Yes, and you will get to name the newly founded kingdom and there`s going to be a palace and a tall watchtower so tall that every other kingdom would be able to see it,” Hugo pointed at the sky.

     “You are crazy,” laughed Cristina.

     “Crazy people and crazy ideas change the world, what have normal people accomplished? What have those who sit comfortably ever done?” Hugo looked at her with determination in his eyes he was going to do this. “Together…” he stared at her.

     “Together…” she repeated, as they kept talking how they are going to decorate the kingdom the rules it`s going to have, the colors of the sigil and whatnot, they lost track of time as Francis who was on the third shift released them from the duty and they went sleeping.

     “Wake up,” Francis gently shook Aelizia, it was morning and it was chilly there were no birds around to be chirping as the sun was slowly creeping up from behind the horizon. They all woke up and stood in front of the entrance of the forest, still hesitant whether they should enter.