Mike Amador

Decades of hardship and war begun.

The dark and the human brought together as one.

An evil new spirit of chaos ablaze.

Two twins will arise from out of the haze.

The eldest of two, courted to three.

Will pursue another in search of family.

An unlikely companionship, mixed feelings within.

The line between life and death are thin

In the land of fallen skies, death will be certain.

Two will fall, trust will be broken.

True colors shine, lights are dimmed.

Revenge will be taken on those who have sinned...

Yes. It's a prophecy.

A secret I have hidden from the world, from myself.

I try not to believe in it, to pretend it's not there...

But everything just keeps coming true, it keeps popping up again.

"Are you sure you know where we are going?" I ask the maid hesitantly, trying not to instill doubt into her mind.

The only clue I have about where I'm supposed to go is "the land of the fallen skies."

It doesn't help one bit.

"Yes. I'm positive." She says, securely holding on to the strange necklace resting on her fair neck.

Her eyes immediately widen when the necklace glows, the pure white gem pointing North.

"W-We have to go that way." Emily says, pointing in the same direction, opposite from the castle.

"Okay then. Lead the way." I say sarcastically as she hesitantly walks forwards, thick black cloak swaying behind her.

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.

.

.

A few hours later and I can already feel a shiver down my spine.

Medvins? Goblins?

I can't exactly tell, but something is definitely up.

Silence follows as I stop, only listening to Emily's footsteps ahead of me.

"Emily." I hiss as the air around us humidifies, fog enshrouding us at an alarming rate.

She doesn't respond.

"Emily!" I say even louder, still with no answer.

Definitely a Medvin.

Unsheathing my sword, I close my eyes, focusing on the two distinctive figures.

One has stopped completely, turning around and holding their arms out. It seems to not know what is happening. Emily.

I surge forwards as the other slender, cat-like figure leaps, going for it's target.

An immense growl is heard as the tip of my sword connects with the beast's chest. I hear another shriek behind me as the Medvin falls to the ground with a thud.

Breathing heavily, I turn around hardly noticing that the maid has taken off running.

That's when I remember a vital detail concerning Medvins.

Where there is a Medvin, there is a cliff nearby.

My feet nearly take off as I run after the maid, yelling her name anxiously. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I see her small black silhouette sprinting ahead of me.

I cant afford to lose her... Not the only clue I have leading to my parents.

Just a few seconds before running straight off of the cliff, my arms encircle her waist and pull back, hard.

She screams loudly, almost killing my eardrums as the fog clears and I slowly back up.

Another gasp escapes her mouth as she looks down at the large, steep cliff greeting us both, her foot hovering above it.

I struggle to breathe as she starts to cough, collapsing in my arms.

"Damn... you sure are... a fast...runner. I almost....lost you...there." I manage to say, trying to lighten the mood.

I half drag\half carry her back to where the Medvin originally was. The gray figure lays slumped in the bloody grass, not moving a muscle. I pity it, taking the leaves from a tree overhead and laying it over the creature.

Medvins aren't this aggressive. Its rare when they even think about bringing harm to anything other than an unfortunate squirrel. Back when I used to sneak out of the castle (as a child) I'd often love to run into the forest and just admire nature. I once met a Medvin whom was quite confused to what I was. It was also young, probably a newborn. We had lots of fun until I eventually grew up and had to do other things. Unlike most creatures, Medvins are deaf and partially blind, so they rely highly on movement. They emit a chemicals that harshly reacts to the swampy air, casing a fog-like substance to surround that area. I don't know how, but I somehow developed a strange way of navigating through fog.

Well, Medvin fog.

"It looks so skinny."

I turn to look at Emily, who has regained herself and realized the creature was no longer a threat.

And yes, it was true. The Medvin was so malnourished that the rib cage was clearly visible even under the skin and fur.

"'That shouldn't be..." The moment I speak, Emily's necklace begins to glow brightly, once again pointing toward the north, left of us.

Something was strangely wrong.

.

.

.

.

I almost forgot how annoyingly low the temperatures dropped at night, especially out here in the woods. My breathing slowly becomes shallower and shallower as the sun sets.

"It's getting cold, isn't it?" I ask, trying to keep her on her feet.

Although I know she also has motives for taking me wherever she needs to take me, if she gives up I won't have any other way to find out about my family.

A simple "Mmph" escapes her lips as she crosses her arms.

Although I don't show it, my feet hurt. I'm pretty sure hers do as well.

"Where are we going to sleep?" I ask as she pauses, looking around for a second before looking at me.

After a moment, she walks over to a large flat rock and begins to clear away the leaves.

"Here. We- I'll sleep here."

Is she serious?

"Are you serious?" I laugh as she stares at me in confusion.

"W-well if you want to sleep anywhere else, that's fine." She stutters, looking back down at the floor.

"No, I just meant- ugh. I brought a tent." I say quickly, reaching for my pack.

"Wait... a tent, as in one?" Her voice once again sounds in my ears as she looks up at me, face redder than a tomato.

"Yeah..." It takes me a moment to realize what she's thinking. "Oh..."

She stays silent as I pull the long bag from out of my pack, taking off the plastic wrap.

"It's, uh... really big. You don't have to worry." I try to reassure her, but she looks askance.

I try my best to quickly assemble the complicated looking tent while Emily looks for some materials to start a fire.

After I'm finally done, I look to where Emily is and realize she is already warming herself up by the fire. She has a worried look in her eyes, her irises a mix between blue, orange and yellow.

"You okay?" I ask, walking towards her.

She looks up suddenly, as if she hadn't heard me well.

"Y-yeah. Just thinking."  She snuggles even closer to the fire, bringing the black cloak closer to her skin.

Wow. She looks so beautiful right now... if only I could jus-

Prophecy.

Right, I shouldn't be doing this.

I have pursued her because I want to know about my mother.

I can't develop feelings. Not now...

Not when my mother could be dying, or worse.

I'm not in love with this person.

I don't wish to snuggle up to them and dispel the cold from their body.

Or do I?

Hey guys! The story is almost over! Just a few more chapters to go and we will be complete!

*confetti falls from above*

Anyways, I hope you guys have enjoyed the story and have stayed until this point. I am very grateful for all of you who have tolerated my late postings and irregular timing.

May we all also keep those who have been affected by hurricane Maria, Irma, and all the other hurricanes that have not only caused physical, but also emotional damage to many people and their families in our minds.

I especially wish for you to keep the author of the book "Betrothed to Jack Frost" in your prayers as she has had almost everything taken away from her, yet still continues to write that amazing story.

That is all I really have to say.

Thx 4 Reading!!!