L`Univers: "The Sigil" Book 2

The dream

     The dream took him in a thick forest with a grey fog in between the trees, making the atmosphere grimmer, he heard someone stepping on some branches and moved there only to see a n***d man with pale skin and red drawings all over his body. The man placed his palm on the ground as it began to shook and then the same sound the earth that he heard on the battlefield the same awful sound. Francis saw the ground tearing itself apart just by placing his palm, he panicked and placed his palm on the mouth as to not let out a single sound, he retreated a few steps back and stumbled on something. As soon as he hit the ground he saw Hugo hovering above him who was also frightened by the same thing Francis was. He helped him up and kept their gaze toward the n***d man. Out from the hole came an object that levitated, the man took the necklace that was just a round circle made out of gold, he twisted and turned the circles of the necklace as it`s gem in the middle changed his color to red and lastly he pushed the gem inside the necklace sealing it. In that very same moment the blinding red light spread across the forest and the valley, the same shockwave pushed Hugo and Francis but this time it did not put them in a coma but rather it woke them up from it.

     Francis woke up and jumped up gasping for breath and looked around the room, he spooked Cristina waking her up from the nap that she had on the wooden chair that stood next to the stone fire.                                                                    

     “My sweet brother,” she stood up and walked cautiously toward him as he seemed to ignore her. He starred at the floor as if he had no soul but then looked up to Cristina and saw her feminine round face with brown eyes thick lips and curly blonde hair.                                                                                                         

     “Sister…” he stood up and both of them stood a distance away and starred at each other until Cristina finally went for it and hugged him.                                    

     “You`ve been gone for three days,” said his sister. “What have you been dreaming of?” she asked as Francis walked away from her and starred at the wall.                                                                                                                                                 

     “I don`t know,” he answered still starring at the wall, he wasn`t sure whether it was real or it was a dream. He moved his gaze away from the wall and looked outside the small wooden window that he had on his small hut.

     “What is going on?” he asked as he stared at the crowd of people that was gathered outside chanting amongst each other, it seemed as they were arguing between each other. Francis got out and heard as a villager yelled:                                

     “This is Villeurve`s  doing, those snakes need to get what`s coming for them!”                  

     “What`s going on!?” yelled Francis as the crowd went quiet and stared at him but no one seemed to have the answer.                                                       

     “Francis,” said a man in his deep and old voice. “You`ve awoken,” he spoke again.                

     “Anfroy what`s thy bidding here?”                                                                                          

     “It`s gone…”                                                                                                                               

     “What`s gone?” Francis was becoming scared.                                                                  

     “Everything,” said Anfroy as he turned toward the well and pointed at it. “It`s dried out, the river lost it`s a strong current, our livestock is dying and the crops as well, dark ages are upon us Francis,” warned Anfroy.                                                      

     “I`m telling you It`s Villeurve, it`s their doing, they harmed our village,” the villager erupted again as everybody seemed to ignore him.                                                     

     “What happened on the battle?” asked Francis as Anfroy remained quiet and started walking toward his hut. “Anfroy!” Francis started following him as they entered inside.                                                                                                                            

     “The war is over,” said Anfroy.                                                                                                  

     “So we`ve won? Alas! Some good news,” Francis smiled in happiness.                              

     “Far from it,” said Anfroy. “The soldiers reported that you have fallen on the battlefield, bested by Cedric`s son, the noble Hugo.”                                                       

     “No such thing has befallen on me,” Francis got angry.                                                         

     “Rest easy kid, a truce has been made with Villeurve,” said Anfroy.                                    

     “What!?” erupted Francis. “Who made this truce!!!?”                                                    

     “Calm your horses!” Anfroy looked at him angrily. Anfroy wasn`t the kind of man that you could throw a temper tantrum and expect to get away easily.        

     “I did.”                                                                                                                                                 

     “You made the truce?” Francis looked at him. “After everything? After all that squabble that we have been through? You took everything we ever stand for and threw it to the pigs!”                                                                                                                     

     “It`s not only us, but they`ve also been hit by the drought as well, and if we hadn`t made this truce the people of both villages would of starved to death. The villagers are so ignorant to see this, but I hope you will understand. Remember if we don`t do anything about this it`s your sisters life on the line. If you don`t care about anyone even for yourself think about her at least,” Anfroy finished as Francis was left speechless and sat down on the chair with three legs.                                                                                                                  

     “What do you reckon we do?” he asked quietly.                                                                       

     “I`ve invited Cedric,” Anfroy started explaining as Francis jumped from the chair.             

     “You`ve invited that bastard in our honorable village!?” he got angry again, but Anfroy wasn`t going to deal with him and just looked at him angrily as Francis became calm again. It was something in Anfroy that made Francis feel intimidated whenever he was around him, `twas perhaps that Anfroy was much older and knew his way around the sword better than Francis does or perhaps that he`s the chieftain of the village.                                                                                           

     “Cedric and his elders are to arrive tomorrow night, and we are to talk a solution as to what we are going to do for this situation,” explained Anfroy as he told Francis to stand up and help him deliver the word to the villagers of Cedric`s coming, they wouldn`t want an incident with an angry mob when the enemy comes knocking on their door. Anfroy knew that these villagers had Cedric as their enemy their whole life and don`t know any other way as the same thing goes for Francis, but times have come that they are going to need to band together and solve the problem or rather push together against nature. But the real question remained was it truly nature that punishes them? Or is there something larger at play? Something far beyond their understanding.

     Francis told the situation to Cristina but in fact, things turned around, and she took control over the conversation because Cristina was really open-minded for things such as this one, and has always believed that one day the two villages could live together in harmony under one flag, in fact, it was Francis who got even angrier when he was explaining to her that Cedric will come to them and all they would have to do is sit back and do nothing whilst the enemy eats their food and drinks their wine.