The Journey Continues
That night I had a dream about Marrie's brother. We had two children and we raised Marrie together. Marrie grew up to be a queen even though she was not of royal blood, but that was just a dream, a hope, an illusion at most.
I woke up and I realized that Julie and I were inside Marrie's house. Her brother walked up to me and asked, "Do you want any breakfast?" He almost acted like what happened yesterday didn't happen at all, but I didn't blame. I mean who in their right mind would want to kiss me. I was hideous.
I walked in the other room and sat down and he said, "Isn't it beautiful today."
I just nodded and ate what he had put on my plate. When I had finished he stood up and said, "I really like you. Would you be my girlfriend?"
I didn't know what to say. Then it came to me people who loved me always ended up getting hurt. I remembered my promise to myself.
I said, "I can't because you'd get hurt
and I can't let that happen because I like you back. I don't want you to get hurt. I just can't let that happen."
"I would gladly die for you, so I repeat would you be my girlfriend," he asked persistently. He wasn't going to give up easily, so I nodded my head eyes closed thinking about what might happen to him..
He ran out of the room and came back a minute later with a sapphire ring and said, "My mother said if I ever found a girlfriend to give her this, so here you go." He began to blush bright red and his red hair only made it look worse.
I couldn't help but kiss him. That was the sweetest thing anyone ever did for me. He looked a little taken aback, but I didn't care he deserved that kiss.
Marrie walked in the room and screamed, "Mommy! You're up! Now we can do you know what." I noticed her eyes for the first time. They were not of natural color. They glimmered white in the new mourning's sun.
"He can do it too Marrie," I said looking at him smiling.
"Really!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah, really." We walked outside and Marrie ran all the way there. When we got there he gaped at Chrysilis. I just smiled. I felt my cheeks go hot pink and slightly turned my head to the side to hide it.
We all wanted to ride her at once, but she could only carry two of us at a time. Marrie and I went first because she would grow bored of it sooner than me and her brother would.
When we got in the air she shrieked with joy and turn towards me and screamed, "This is fun. I want to do this everyday." We soared for a couple hours. Up through the clouds and swooped down towards the earth.
Later she said, "This is boring. I want to go play with my friends," so Chrysilis landed and she got off.
Chrysilis was going to take a break before she flew again, so me and Marrie's brother talked.
"You know I still don't know your name," I joked
"Oh, its Robert, but you can call me Robby if you want. That's what Marrie calls me."
"How about I call you Rob, just Rob," I stated once again turning red and averting my gaze.
"Sure if that's what you want to call me."
"Oh, by the way I told her not to, but if your sister tells anyone about Chrysilis here I will personally kill her, no offense."
"None taken and I don't blame you. She always tells people things that she shouldn't. She never listens to me. It gets on my nerves."
So who's your friend Maria.
"Oh, I'm so very rude. Chrysilis this is my boyfriend, Rob." I said, "Rob this is my dragon, Chrysilis."
"Nice to meet you Chrysilis."
"Nice to meet you too Rob"
"She can talk. Oh my gosh. Why didn't you tell me that?"
"She's not going to eat you or anything. Are you Chrysilis?"
"No, any friend of Maria is a friend of mine. Anyways I don't even eat humans Maria that's just gross."
"I was just kidding Chrysilis, so you ready to fly."
"Always have, always will be"
We climbed up onto Chrysilis's back and she took off. He absolutely loved it. We flew all day taking breaks in between where Chrysilis could take a break.
When we finally went back to his house that day I knew I'd broke my promise and I'd given him all my heart because I trusted him with it. Was that trust to last or to be broken? I hope it would last.
I walked inside and Julie exclaimed, "Where were you all day! We were supposed to leave today remember!"
"Oh yeah! Well I wanted to let our new friends ride Chrysilis... And" I replied hotly, "I fell in love!" I turned around and kissed Rob, then ran out the door.
I kept running despite the fact that Julie was following me. Finally I made it to Chrysilis and sat down. Julie walked up to me and said, "That's a really pretty ring, did he give to you. I wasn't, I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm sorry."
"Oh! Yeah right! You just hate me. I never want to see you again!"
"Well if that's how you feel." She stood up and started to leave
I screamed, "Wait! I didn't mean that Julie honestly, I'm just mad alright."
"Its okay, I fell in love once and my mother yelled at me. She called him a disgusting pig. I never thought I'd see him again. I hated my mother for weeks, but one day he came back. You're just mad and I understand that."
We walked back into town together. We were going to leave in the morning, all four of us.
I had that stupid nightmare again, but it continued, me and Rob were in a dark room. Julie was close by. The room lit up. Marrie was there too. A door had opened. A man walked in and said, "Robert Thosant, You're to die first. Come with me. Oh, and its says that Maria Saria is supposed to wittiness it."
I couldn't refuse. I wanted to kill myself. I felt like someone else did.
They led us into a room and I saw a woman in there and she said, "I'm the empress." I hated her. I wanted to rip her into pieces. Then a thought occurred to me, where's Chrysilis?
They put Rob in the middle of the room and the Empress screamed, "Eid!"
I jumped up ran to him and screamed, "Esrever! Esrever!"
"Oh, did I kill him. Your little spell won't work sweety. You can't reverse death."
"You're right no one can reverse death," I suddenly realized.
"What do you mean."
"This, Eid." She hit the ground dead, but it couldn't be that easy could it, she couldn't be dead.
The guards ran to me, but none would touch me afraid I might smite them or something.
Rob woke me and said, "Maria, are you alright?" I couldn't help but cry. He didn't understand why and I wasn't going to tell him until he asked, "What's the matter?"
"I told you if I loved you you'd die. You're going to die and it's all my fault."
"Oh, no no no Maria. Look I'm just fine. Nothings going to kill me and even if something did I'd still love you."
"Do you mean that, even if you died because of me you'd still love me."
"Absolutely, I love you Maria. That's all there is to it. If I didn't love I wouldn't have given you that ring. Its made of real sapphire I hope you know."
"Yeah, I figured that out yesterday. It was really sweet of you to give it to me. I glad I met you, but what if you do die. I'll cry. You should take this back and give it to a girl who won't get you killed."
"NO! It'll be okay. You get over me soon if I die and at least you'll still have Marrie."
"I guess that's true." I smiled. I was happy. My insides warmed and we kissed again.
Julie said, "Its time to go you two, that is if you two can stop kissing long enough to." We both pulled away and I blushed. I'm pretty sure he did too.
"Oh! Whatever," I joked, "We are coming. Okay."
"Okay, but hurry up Marrie is waiting outside for you two"
I got up and walked out of the room. Rob followed after me and said, "Is she your mother?"
"No, my mother is dead like yours. I don't mean to offend."
"Oh no, you could never offend me. I love you."
"Hurry up you two," Julie screamed from downstairs. We both ran downstairs giggling like five year olds. Julie didn't ask why we were because she knew that we didn't know ourselves.
We were on the road again with two new additions to our family. Things couldn't get better. This was the best day of my life.
She taught Rob, Marrie, and me some more words in the secret language. That night we didn't spare. I told them everything about what happened to me and Julie since I found Chrysilis's egg. They were amazed at what had happened to us over such a short period of time. Chrysilis was happy that they liked the way we told it. Sometimes she'd add something that I didn't quite remember. At the very end Marrie giggled. I didn't understand why.
I got up the next day and no one was there. Did everyone abandon me? No maybe Julie or Marrie, but never Rob he said he loved or did he lie to me.
Someone walked up to me and said, "Oh, so you're awake. I'm sorry, my name is Gathar and your's." He seemed nice enough to tell.
"Maria, sir," I replied using my best manners.
"Oh, none of that sir stuff here. please do call me Gathar."
"Gathar, where are my friends?" I asked politely and waited for an answer.
"I found you alone in the middle of the road half dead. You had a dagger just in between your heart and lungs. An inch in either direction and you'd be dead. I just barely saved you and it didn't hit either. Your one very lucky girl," he said like he knew everything about death.
"But Rob wouldn't just leave me. Rob loved me and I loved Rob."
"Look the only other person with you was dead alright. I buried him, but if you want I can show you where I buried him." I nodded my head and he led me to a mound of newly dug up earth.
I dug through it and found the body, it was Rob. I knew Rob would never leave me.
I took Rob out of the hole and put my face to his chest. He was still faintly breathing. I had to help, but I only knew one magic word powerful enough and every man that used it had died. I said, "Eviver."
I was laying flat on the ground panting from the effort of reviving him. I felt someone pick me up, but I couldn't tell if it was Rob or Gathar.
Then I heard Gathar say, "come on wake up Maria. Rise and shine from your sleep so none will weep. Don't keep us in fright please come back to the light. You will be alright if you awake, so please arise from your deathly quiet sleep. All will be fine if you just rise and shine." He was reciting the song Rise and Shine. A song sang to people on their death beds.
Like it was a spell I did just as the song said. I rose and shone. I got up and low and behold Chrysilis was sitting right there next to Gathar.
Laying on the ground next to me was Rob still suffering dying, but not dead. I felt bad for him.
Then Gathar said, "That was stupid. I hope you know that word is forbidden, but you did live. Your the first to live after using it. That is something to be proud of."
"Thanks, I guess," I said confused.
"I'm not finished yet, if it weren't for your dragon here though you would be dead, so yes be proud, but thank her. She deserves some thanks for what she does for you on a regular basis. If it were me I would have given up on you, but she loves you to much to give up on you. Your a very lucky girl I hope you know that."
I just stood there jaw dropped and blinking. Then I closed my mouth and put my finger in the air. I said poking his chest, "When you fall victim to love and you think that love is lost then you can talk to me about what I should and shouldn't do. I was so deep in love that I'd risk my life for him."
I just poked him so hard that I knocked him over and said as I walked forward and he backed away, "You never kissed him, You didn't live with him, and you didn't love him, but I did. Living without him sounded to painful at the time being. I thought I was going to kill myself because I was so miserable." I just chased him all the way back to a river and ran him right through it. I was really peeved.
He was moving his lips trying to apologize, but I cut him off, "Chrysilis deals with me on a regular basis yes, but I deal with her on a regular basis too. That whole forbidden word thing well all is fair in love and war isn't it. I knew what I was doing and thank you very much I do know how lucky I am. I've had Chrysilis for two months now and were best friends, so yes I do know how lucky I am. Did you know my mother is dead? No! didn't think so! She died at the hands of the Empress, my sister too. Imagine that!"
"Maria go easy on him. He just didn't want you to die. You need to calm down and talk about it like adults instead on blowing up at him, alright. You've already pushed him back eight miles just yelling at him," she said soothingly.
I fell into a lulled sleep. I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't fight it. I had the nightmare again, but this time Chrysilis appeared and said, "Wake up please Maria. Just wake up for Julie, Marrie, Rob, and me. We need you to wake up. Hёǎỳder."
I jerked awake. Rob was leaned over me head on my chest, not to see if I was breathing, but just to comfort himself. I opened my eyes slowly. Rob wasn't dead. I could still say he was my boyfriend. I felt sick. My head was throbbing hard and I couldn't feel my throat because it was so dry. I croaked, "Water. Need water." I could barely even whisper.
Rob wouldn't move, so Julie jumped up and ran for the nearest source of water, a lake.
When she came back she poured the water in my mouth and I let it run down my throat. It was so refreshing.
I jumped up and said, "What are you all doing, we need to get going."
I tried to walk, but Rob laid me back down. I tried to protest, but he said, "Shh, it's going to be just fine. You need to rest now talk later, okay."
"No, I've done plenty of resting. When I go to sleep you die some kind of tragic death. I'm never going to sleep again, this I swear. You, I can't see you die again. You, I don't want to cry again. DON'T DIE! YOU CAN'T DIE! I WON'T LET YOU!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I went limp and Rob dove to catch me. I heard Marrie ask, "Robby is she alright? Say she's going to be just fine." Everything remained quiet.
Then Marrie screamed, "Mommy, be alright! Me and Robby can't lose two mommies! Mommy I wuv you! Wake up mommy!" she began hyperventilating.
I couldn't hear anything else, I was unconscious.
I saw little bitty Marrie's dead body. I was sitting next to it crying. I was on a crowded street, but no one stopped to help me. I felt so alone. Marrie was dead, but I wasn't. It just didn't feel right.
Then I was next to Julie we were fighting side by side, to the death. Then a dagger came out of nowhere and almost hit me, but Julie jumped in front of it and died. She died for me. I was going to cry. I was losing everyone and soon I'd have no one.
Rob was smiling. I didn't know why, until he said, "I knew I was going to die for you. Now, I know why. Trust me it's a good reason. You'll believe me when it happens." He reassured.
I was alone, all alone. No Chrysilis, no Marrie, no Rob, and no Julie. One hundred percent alone. One is the loneliest number. Anything is better than one. I wanted a friend, just one friend.
I was in a forest, still all alone. I started running, anything was better than just sitting there waiting for death to take me.
I slid to a stop. There was a man standing right before me. His eyes were deep and full of sorrow. He just lost someone very close to him too. I couldn't help but to stand there.
I turned to run, but his outstretched arm stopped me. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. He was crying. I started crying too. It felt so good just to let it all out. I realized, I wasn't alone. Would I ever really be alone?
He said, "What is your name?" He waited for an answer, but should I answer him. He was a complete stranger. The forest around me seemed to be dying.
I decided to tell him, "Maria." He lunged at me. He was hugging me, but why. The forest lit up like his emotions controlled it.
"Oh! Maria, I thought you were dead. Maria I missed you so much. My little Maria. sixteen years of searching finally payed off. I knew I'd find my little Maria, but who would have thought it would be in a forest in the middle of nowhere. I certainly didn't," he mumbled to himself. He was absolutely insane. I didn't even know him. How could I be his little Maria?
"You don't know me and I don't know you. Your insane. You need to leave me alone." What was I saying. I was just complaining about being all alone and now I was telling him to leave me alone.
"Of course you don't know me, but I do know you. Your my daughter. When you were born your mother gave you up. She refused to give you to me though. I'm your real father. Oh, my little Maria."
"How do your know I'm your little Maria?" I asked.
"I know because you were given up at birth weren't you. I know you were. Your my little Maria. I missed you so much. You look just like your mother. I just wished I could have saved her the way she saved you," he said happy at first, but solemnly at the end.
"But why here? Why now? Where were you when Rob died or when little bitty Marrie died. Where were you then? Why did you find me now that I've lost everything and everyone? What the purpose of that? Why must I be tested so? I'm only one girl, one person. I can't save the whole world at once."
I sat down and started crying. I couldn't stop myself. I was miserable. My father mumbled, "Sweety, your a dragon rider. Life is always difficult for dragon riders. They're attracted to danger. No one knows why."
"Why did mother have to die? How did she save me by dying? How did she know I wouldn't get my dragon if I stayed with her? How did she did she know she was going to die?"
"So many questions, but so few answers. Sweety she's like you. She's was a visioner that means she can see the future. Everyone has to die at some point. The other question I don't have an answer for, though I wish I did."
I started coughing and I couldn't stop. My head was swirling. I was cold and hot all at once. Wet and dry. I was mad, happy, tired, unpleased, sad, jealous, hungry, full, dehydrated, and in love at the same time. It didn't make sense. I saw people I loved, hated, missed, never met, and took care of. Marrie was giggling in her normal way. She was happier and younger.
I saw Rob he was standing next to me with his arm around my shoulder. We were both smiling.
I saw Julie. She was dead, but she croaked, "Maria, please go to Losai and get help there. Then head southward for Artara. Please do so for me." she fell completely limp. I was crying with my head on her stomach.
