Chosen Destiny
"We have to move, tonight."
"How did they find us?," I asked.
"Someone in the inner guard notified that the people from the desert know where you are," said my husband, Darun. I started to pack anything that would be important. We heard a knock at the door. My palms start to sweat with fear as my husband slowly approaches the door. On the other side of that door could be any number of people trying to kill us. Before Darun makes it to the door, it swings open violently. It is one of the King's guards.
"Why haven't you left yet?," he said.
"Do you know who sold us out?," Darun asks.
"It was one of the King's right hand men, we are not sure who, specifically, all I know is that they are coming for you soon. It is best for you to leave tonight to get any sort of head start," the guard says in a whisper. "Go to the village under the mountain. You should be safe there for a little bit."
It is commonly discussed among the masses that we may go to war with the people of the desert. We have disguised the true reason from our people, stating that it is over a land issue.
"Iri, is the bag packed?," asked Darun. I nervously nodded, looking around our home to make sure I didn't forget anything important. As I looked around at what little we had, I knew that after tonight, everything was going to change for us. My husband tied his sword belt around his waist. I took my 6 month old son in my arms and I turn back to my husband, "I'm scared."
"Me too," he responds. He turns to the guard, "Let's go, we're ready." The guard nods and begins to lead us out of the city. We pass through the town square only to think of how my son will not know that this is his real home.
Darun pulls my arm to help me move for our escape. As we approach the drawbridge, I see the mountain in the far distance. The guard stops before we cross and says, "You will be safe in the village for a bit, once everything has died down here, move to the forest."
"Why the forest?," I inquire.
The guard continues, "There is power in the forest that protects the children there. He will be safe." I didn't dare to ask him about my husband and I cause I knew that answer would destroy me. It hit me that my purpose is only to move the pieces along for my boy's destiny.
We made our way out of the city in the dead of night, but that was not enough. We entered the small, silent village with temporary relief. The inn there was open and had space for us to stay the night. We put down our bags and I handed Darun our boy while I went to the well to get some water for us. I lowered the bucket into the well and looked up at the windmill's blades moving slowly in the breeze. That breeze chilled my face as I looked down and brought up the bucket. On my way back to the inn, I passed the grave keeper and his assistant. I overhear their conversation about who was buried there, but I could only make out the word "royalty." I looked back at them and thought, is what I am doing important enough that when I die, could I be buried with royalty?
I walk back into the room in the inn, I see my husband sitting with our son and I break down. I drop the bucket from my hands and the water spills all over the floor. I hunch over with my hands on my face watching below as my tears mix with the water. Darun places our boy on the bed and places his arms around me. I feel the warmth of his breath and touch on me, but nothing can console me.
"Why us?," I scream. "Any other family, any other boy. Why our son? Why do the goddesses have to be so cruel? Is this a test? What have we done to be out through this torture?"
I feel the embrace tighten around me. "I'm scared too, and I wish I had the answer to comfort you.
"How are you so calm?"
"I'm not, I'm terrified. I guess I just know this is bigger than myself, bigger than both of us." Darun pauses for a moment and then continues. "They will need him. When the time comes for this land to need a hero, he will be there. That is his destiny. The king's daughter and our boy will be forever linked and they will bring hope to these people in their darkest hour."
I look up at with tears in my eyes and tighten my embrace on him.
"Thank you," I said. "I'm glad I'm doing this with you. Our boy will be a great hero to them. I hope they love him as much as we do."
We maneuver ourselves to the bed and place our son in between us. Hopefully we will be able to get some sleep after this manic evening. For now we are safe, but I wondered for how long.
Inside the castle walls, one guard is thrown to the ground and kicked in the stomach. The desert king and two of his men dismount their horses while the city's castle looms in the distance.
"Where are they?" The king of desert asks. The king has a pale green skin with and his eyes are as red as his hair. The desert king, Anon, towers over this puny guard as he walks closer. The guard tries to make peace with this king while bleeding through his teeth.
"I told you everything I know," says the guard. " I swear they were in their home before the sun set."
Anon interjects, "Do not lie to me, fool. I will go through every house and slaughter every man, woman, and child." He takes out his sword and stabs it through the leg of the guard. The guard screams as the crimson drips through his armor. "My son will be the ruler of this land. Anon pulls his foot back and kicks the guard right in the ribs. "Where did the family go?" He winds up again and buries his foot in the guard's chest.
The guard speaks as he coughs up blood, " Wait, wait, wait I…" He stutters, "I heard…they were moving…somewhere safer…the forest, yes, the forest is where they are going."
The desert king smiles and helps the guard to his feet.
"That is all you had to do for. You will be rewarded for assistance to us." Anon plunges his sword through the chest of the guard. The guard stares at Anon in confusion as the spark of life fades away from his eyes. Anon pulls out the sword and shakes the blood from it. Anon concludes, "In hell."
Anon looks at his men and tells the one on his right, "Gather up a few men and strike fear into the eyes of these people." He looks to his left, "You, come with me, we are heading to the forest before that family gets there." Anon and the two men walk away leaving the bloody orpse behind.
I awaken to the sound of commotion coming from outside. I look out the small, wood framed window and see people moving about outside. It is still evening and I am wondering what the problem is. I quietly move to the door, to not wake up my husband and son to see if I could find any answers. I walk down the hall and meet up with the innkeeper. "What is going on outside?," I ask.
He responds nervously, "I heard desert people attacked the city. Murdering anyone who got in their way. It sounds like they were looking for someone."
My heart sinks into my stomach. Any peace that I gathered is gone. I whisper to myself, "they're early." The inn keeper asks me if I said anything and I told him, "no, but thanks for the information." The walk back to my room was the longest walk of my life. It seemed like the door was getting farther away as my hope was fading. I opened up the door to see Darun awake with our boy in his arms.
"We have to leave…now," I said.
Darun asks, "What happened?"
I told him that Anon's men attacked the city looking for us. I let him know of my fear that they could be on their way here next. It was my job now to get my son to safety and restore hope back into Darun about our mission. I walked up to him, kissed him and said, "we heard about our boy's destiny. This is our destiny." He kissed me again grabbed his sword and we left.
"The forest entrance is right there, we made it," I said. Darun and I stopped to catch our breath over the long distance we just traveled. The sun was out and shining brightly as the hope for our son's safety finally returned.
"Well, well, well. What a nice family moment."
It wasn't over. There was no more peace for any of us. We turned to see Anon and his soldier standing in between the trees of the forest entrance.
"Once I kill your son, my son will be able to rule this land without any pests getting in his way," Anon said.
Anon walked closer to us and drew his sword still stained from the previous guard. Darun draws his sword, looks me dead in the eyes and says, "Run." Without hesitation I kiss him and bolt into the forest. I hear from behind me Anon saying, "So, you are going to make this difficult. No matter, I needed a bit more practice."
The forest thicken as I run deeper and deeper inside. The trees' canopy blocks most of the sun as I run around in what I feel is circles. My son was good, sleeping through all of this confusion. He was not crying at all as I held him in my arms.
I didn't know where to go, running through this maze of green. I stop dead to the sound of laughter at an unknown distance. I hear it multiple times, alternating from distant to right next to me. I turn behind me and feel a sharp pain in my abdomen. I look down to see the ornate handle of Anon's blade.
"Cute son. He looks just like his parents," Anon says, looking at my arms. I cannot say anything as the blood rushes into my mouth. He pulls the sword from my chest as I drop to the ground with my son. It is almost he could sense my presence because at that very moment he started to cry. I turn my head towards my boy as the darkness is growing stronger to see Anon raising his sword. Tears form in my eyes and the blood thickens in my mouth, "L…" Suddenly through the canopy, the light increased 10 fold. Anon is blinded and yells as he is thrown back by an invisible source. I hear a voice come through the trees,
"Anon, demon, leave this sacred place. You have no power here." Anon tries to stand up as he is thrown back further and hits a tree, the sound of ribs cracking reverberates through the trees. Anon's soldier finds Anon and they both feel one more rush of pure power that forces them out of the forest.
The mysterious voice speak to me, as if he was standing over me, protecting me. I hear him say, "The courage that you two have shown is unlike anything I have ever seen. Your son will be safe. He will grow, live, and learn here in the forest. He will learn that he is different, and when the time comes, he will learn about his destiny. I hope he has as much courage as you do." The darkness in my eyes turns to light. For the first time I feel truly at peace. One more tear rolls down my cheek as I fade away.
A few children appeared from behind the trees looking onward at the mother and child. They walk towards the child on the ground, and one picks him up and says, "He's so cute. Just a tiny little baby, but he looks different." The children look at each other, nod, and walk deeper into the forest.
This was the reoccurring nightmare I have had for a while. I see a city in flames, death and destruction everywhere. Behind this wall of fire I see a man, dressed in dark royal clothes, mounted on his horse laughing as he rides into the flames. I awake from this nightmare to see a glowing ball of light in front of me. This ball of light looks like it has wings and is fluttering around my head. This ball of light speaks to me and says, "Link, wake up. The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you."