Chapter 18 - Part 3

By Erik Brown

Rei sat in his chair. It was very comfy, and the light that played on his brow was relaxing and comforting. The cool clean water he was sipping at was delightful, and refreshing. But Rei felt awful, and confused, and lonely. He felt lost, and he felt isolated. He felt pain for all that he had gained, and then subsequently lost. Or felt to lose. Or never had.

He had written a letter to a girl he loved, but it was not a love letter, nor was it good news. Now he sat in the apartment of someone he barely knew, someone who was expecting more out of him than he cared to give, and knew something he didn't want to know.

Otherwise, there were people in his life that seemed to swirl about him. As if he were the center of a whirlpool. He watched them fly by once, and then again, coming ever closer to him. They were going to collide with him, and crush him, and sink him to the bottom. Or was that all in his imagination? There wasn't a thing as fate, was there?

Was everything truly connected? A grand plan? A web of events, you touch a thread, and alert the spider! And what if it was part of a great desire, then where would he be when he was done? Drowned, crushed and destroyed, no more.

"So, then I would be traveling down this path of life, unable to take a walk down an inviting path, what good is that?" But, hadn't he said something the opposite of that? Some time long ago, in a place far away? Did he not want those paths, did he not wish to walk straight down a path straight to death? To be free from the turmoils of a world gone cold?

Hadn't he left that all behind? A voice startled him, "Naw, that's not true, only people who lay down roots have to stick to a path. If you're like me, and you never lay down roots, then you're free to travel the winds."

It was Aerot, and he leaned over Rei. Rei stared at the wolf dumbfounded, not because of what he had said, but the way he had said it. He was about to reply to the comment, when Servan called, "Aerot, I need your help over here."

"Right away, Servan," Aerot hurried to the door to Servan's workshop, before he went in he turned around and said to Rei, "Hey, take it easy. The whole fate discussion is cliché anyway."

"Huh, yeah…" Rei trailed off, as the wolf left the room. What had really struck him as odd was that Aerot had said 'roots'. All along Rei had always thought of the things that kept him to one place as 'chains'. There was something very different between life giving binds, and links of metal, but not much. They still kept you stuck to the ground, unable to let the wind carry you from place to place.

And as well, what if Rei was inextricably bound to each and everyone he'd ever met, or even passed by, did it mean it was all fated that way? No, he though, there just couldn't be a reason for all of this.

Or, then again…

…

The Emperor was looking out upon his domain from his balcony, and feeling quite pleased with himself. After all, it seemed that plans were finally coming together. Both the Eclipse Sword and the Stone had been captured by his dragons, and would soon be in his possession. Not only that, but as fate decried, Rei and the other destined ones were on their way to Limeburg, and would start in a few days, and be there in a short few weeks. The best part was that they were most likely oblivious to their fates, and possibly even that there was such a thing.

He turned around and saw himself in a mirror, his sharp beak, and glorious red-feathered wings draped upon his shoulders, truly made him look like the ruler of a land far and wide. Turning again, he asked of the servant cleaning his throne, "Life, is it not grand and my wonders unending and immeasurable?"

Not only was this somewhat blasphemous, and the servant was more than poor, and he didn't like the Emperor, and he was cleaning the throne with a rag and his own spit, he said, "Certainly, milord." Disagreement to the ruler was punishable by death, and that counted for citizens and nobility as well as servants.

"Yes, oh yes!" Before he could once again appreciate himself, or his countryside, a flurry of scaly wings was heard on the balcony. "I called for a dragon, and it came, right on time!"

The Emperor was quite pleased, but the servant was scarred out of his wits, "My God, it-it’s a dragon!" Then, death penalty or not, he ran right for the door, and was gone from the room. Fortunately the Emperor didn't notice.

"Welcome, oh my lovely dragon! And I am sure that you and your brood bring me a great gift?" He smiled happily at the dragon, expecting that he be given the Eclipse Sword, or the Eclipse Stone.

"No, I'm afraid not, sire." The dragon seemed to shudder as he said that phrase.

The Emperor was suddenly quite displeased, "What did you say?"

"The Eclipse Sword… and the Eclipse Stone… I have brought them to the place where Beuter was killed."

"What? But I need them here, in my possession! Why did you do this?"

The Dragon smiled, "There are many more forces in want of that power, other than you--" Suddenly the dragon felt his arm be nearly ripped from its socket, he howled in pain. The Emperor had caused this to happen, long ago he had won a contest of magic against the King of Dragons, and he could control the dragons on the slightest whim.

"How? I control you, body and mind, but how are you defying me? I specifically ordered you to bring my treasures directly to me!"

The Emperor was furious, but the dragon was not swayed. Instead, he kneeled on the ground, rubbing his sore arm, and continued, "There are conflicting forces fighting each other for possession of 'your' treasures. Bringing them here could be detrimental to the balance of life, but having them in the desert where Beuter, a spiritual dead zone, we can keep that dire possibility from happening."

"You lie," as the Emperor said this, he began to move his hands, and the dragon's other arm was stretched out.

"No! I am telling the truth!" The Emperor dropped his hands, and let go of the dragon's arm. "Also, a bird named Rei is on his way there, just as it was prophesied."

The Emperor was silent that name, it sounded so familiar to him. Pushing through hazy thoughts, he tried to remember where he had heard it. "If you are lying to me, you shall be in trouble!"

"Yes, my liege. I shall go to the place where Rei shall come." And with that and a leap, he flew away.

Things were indeed coming together, but not in the way he wanted them. It was not in the Emperor's way, to let the threads travel where they would. He wanted the utmost control of everything, but in this case, maybe he should just let what happens, happen. Or maybe he could do something.

The Emperor bellowed, "Messenger!"

Quickly the door opened, and in scurried a short and squat rodent of some sort. He bowed before his king, "At your service."

"Yes, I want you to alert my son, Zaego, of a mission I want him to conduct." Maybe fate would play out the way it wanted, but the Emperor wasn't going to take that lying down!