Heads or tales?
If you are one of those people who thinks that magic doesn't exist, that different worlds are just fantasies and fairytales, you have no idea how wrong are. I should know. You'd also be surprised how much a rainy afternoon can change the course of your entire life, in fact a rainy day is just where this story starts.
My name was robin smith, though the legends of lorica call me 'the last warrior'. I prefer robin. Life was very simple back then, school, my older sister , homework and trying to cram as much tv in between these things as I could. Then life changed, and fast. As I was walking home, in no real hurry to escape the flooded streets, I noticed a little coin half-hidden in the mud beside a tall oak tree. I bent to pick it up, I was intrigued by this little unremarkable coin. As I scooped it into my hand, It seemed to burn when it touched my skin. Suddenly, my ears where full of a roaring sound, like wind rushing at an impossible speed past me. The white hot coin was no longer sitting in my palm, and the wind was gone, just as suddenly as it came. The rain was no longer pounding against my raincoat and as I looked into the sky I saw that sunset was approaching fast. Impossible, it was only three thirty! But as my eyes searched further they found that I was standing in a meadow, tall grass brushing against my ankles. The grass and the leaves on the surrounding trees were not green, but a bright, sparkling gold. I was not in slough anymore. I wasn't even sure if I was in the same world anymore. as I took this in, one of my dark plaits blew into my face. Plaits? I didn't have plaits in when I was walking, I never put my hair up in plaits. Then my eyes slowly left the handful of hair I was holding, looking down on my clothes. I was wearing a snowy white shirt, a red cotton tunic, black trousers, a pair of thick boots and a leather headband around my head. I also had a belt with a bulging bag of coins tied to it and a long, heavy sword at the side. I had a bow slung across my chest and an arrow holder over my shoulder. Lights ahead meant a town, a town meant people and more importantly a bed.
That night I was woken by soft, warm hands. As I opened my reluctant eyes I saw the person who woke me, and I nearly fell out of bed from the shock. She was tall, with long, fiery red hair and light blue eyes. Her pale, heart shaped face was kind and her flowing white dress made her hair look even more shocking. I blinked twice, trying to form a decent sentence. 'who are you?' I asked, sitting up on my bed and swinging my legs over the side so I could stand up. 'my name is marriella, we have little time, my strange friend, you must get dressed quickly, the queen wishes to see you. I will wait downstairs,' her voice stunned me, it was more like singing than speaking. she gave me a reassuring smile and flew from the room in a flash of red and white. I had only worn my shirt to bed; it was long and soft, and when I glanced to the bottom of my bed I saw my clothes laid out, clean and fresh, including a new shirt. I dressed quickly and rushed down the stairs to meet marriella. 'come, I will show you the way,' she sang, gesturing that I should follow as she left into the street. Though it was very early and dark, people milled around, setting up their stalls for the market, opening their shop windows, standing in the pools of light under the street lamps to chat to friends and neighbours. Marriella led me through the busy streets, towards a grouping of four mountains in the distance, just outside of town. 'marriella,' I began as we stepped through the city gate. 'yes?' she replied, looking sideways at me. 'um, where am I? What are you? I don't mean to be rude but I don't know anything about you or this place' she smiled and laughed a tinkling laugh and turned back to the road ahead, on the horizon the sun was rising. ' I am a jentheopath or an 'element angel' as we are known by many people, we control the weather, the land, the elements' she raised a hand and a soft breeze swept over my face, making my hair ripple and then it was gone, I looked at her with wide eyes. 'this world is called lorica, or the isle of lost dreamers. We are in bad times, dark times. Our good queen is dying and her cruel brother has taken over the throne. We are his slaves, the queen and her brother are beings that possess great magical power, and he is using it to control us ruthlessly!' she couldn't keep the bitter resentment out of her tone, though I could tell she was trying to, so she wouldn't scare me. ' the queen knew you were coming, she says you are the last warrior the one who will save us all!'
I didn't know how to reply to that, but I didn't have to. We had reached a beautiful castle, nestled between two of the mountains I'd seen from the town. Marriella, led me down the entrance hall to a thick, wooden door with intricate carvings that I didn't have time to stop and admire. The queen was limp and weak, lying on a grand four-poster bed in the middle of a large room. She lifted her head and smiled at me feebly, I returned the smile sheepishly and she said in a strained whisper 'ah, robin you have come, we have very little time, it is too late for me. I am dying, my brother saw to that, but you must defeat him, set the people of lorica free!' I nodded, and she beckoned me closer. I went and stood by her bedside and she pressed her hand to her chest, on her palm lay a shining, gold orb. I gasped as she pressed it into my chest and her hand fell limp. I felt the power of the queen's magic coursing through me, I felt stronger than ever before, and as I looked down on the still figure on the bed I felt anger towards his unknown prince. I knew where he was and I was going to free the people of lorica from this tyrant if it was the last thing I did.
I burst into the throne room, he sat on the larger of two thrones. Shock tainted his cruel smile. My eyes where burning a fierce silver colour and I could feel the power tingling at my fingertips. He shifted his weight, as if he was about to stand but a bolt of light from my hand propelled him back into the chair. He was a dark haired, pale skinned man with a wild look in his black eyes. As he fell back against the chair, his eyes widened in horror. I wasn't going to let him get away with destroying his sister and lorica, the world she had worked for all her life. 'who are you? What are you doing here? Guards!' he cried, with my hands I blew the guards away, they hit the wall and slid down it, to land uselessly on the floor. Unconscious, it was just too easy. 'I am robin, the last warrior!' my voice was clear, but ringing with anger. ' you destroyed your sister and now you are trying to destroy her life's work, her legacy, and I won't let you!' he laughed cruelly, a wide grin stretching across his face. ' you think you can defeat me, little girl? Ha, never' he yelled and held out his hand, shooting a bolt of black light towards me. I threw a bolt of white light and they met in the middle, throwing off sparks. I pushed, and so did he, but he wasn't strong enough. My light hit him squarely in the chest, when the black side faltered and gave in. The white light wrapped around him and then they both disappeared. I turned to find half the village cheering at the palace door, and I was, somehow, crowned the new queen of lorica.
Many years later when I was old and grey, one of my youngest grandchildren came to see me. Little Rachel was only four years old, and she'd found a little coin in the garden, she brought it to me because 'grandma knows everything!'. As she dropped it into my palm I felt a familiar burning. Wind rushed past my ears and when I looked up I was on the corner of the street in the pouring rain, as if nothing had ever happened, but I knew I hadn't dreamed it or imagined it, and I hoped I would visit lorica again someday.