CHAPTER 10-The Lost Story
From behind the line North taps Lukas on the shoulder to stop him. "Lukas, will you stay and talk with me for a moment?"
Lukas exchanged an uncertain glance with the sisters, and they retune the same look while being pulled forward by Tooth and Sandy. "I suppose," he replied.
Once the girls and the other Guardians were out of sight, North starts his talk with Lukas. "Lukas, why do you think I want to talk to you?" North asked.
"…Well I'm not so sure myself…Because I'm related to Hans?"
"Because you have book," corrected North, "and I know your family has been guarding the book for long generations."
"Too many generations to keep track of," Lukas said jokingly.
North chuckled along with him as he strokes his long white bread, nodding his head in agreement. "Tell me, how much does your brother Hans know of the books?"
Lukas shrugged his shoulders, "Not as much as me I guess. He never paid much attention to the books' content, and he believed even less about the powers they hold like myself and my brothers…Until now that is."
North didn't say anything for a while. He kept his gaze either to the ground or ahead while deep in thought, still stroking his beard. When he it seems he was done thinking, he stops stroking and looks at Lukas with a raised eyebrow. "Lukas," he starts, "you have a special role to play in this battle and it doesn't involve you making Pact." North holds up a hand to stop Lukas from making any objection, "Your roll is important, more so than Elsa and Anna's."
"Oh? And what is it?" Lukas challenge, while holding back his rising anger. For why was he being deny the making of a Pact? Why are Elsa and Anna to be the ones to get the protection of the Beings, his Kingdom was at stake as much as theirs!
"I will tell you, but only after you hear the history of these Promise Books. Why they were made, and why your family protects them…Will you listen?"
"…I will."
"Come, walk with me." North was making his way in the same direction as where the others went, though at a slower pace in order to buy time to talk. "Long ago before there was ever a Santa Clause, Sandman, or any other myth figures you have ever herded, Earth, the whole cosmos, was in an age you could never imagine; the Golden Age, as Manny calls it. There was only light, no children has ever known fear or nightmares, all was at peace. Even the Golden Armies, an army that fights all that is dark, have captured all the Fearlings; creatures that seek to cause harm to children.
After their capture the captain of the Golden Armies, Kozmotis Pitchiner, volunteered to guard them. And guard them he did for many day and night, while having to listen to their wicked whispers, disguising their voices as innocent creatures pleading him to let them out."
"…He fell to their trickery didn't he?" Lukas asks, though the outcome of Kozmotis Pitchiner was obvious.
"The man's only solvation against the Fearlings was the thoughts of his daughter. He kept a picture of her in his locket, close to his heart. One day, the Fearlings discovered his weakness and disguised their voice as her…The result of his action was his own demise a sort. The Fearlings had proses his body twisting his mind and heart, until he eventually became the Being we now know as The Nightmare King."
"Alright…but how are the Promise Books involved here?"
"You see Lukas, Pitch sole thought was vent on revenge. He had gathered many dark Beings under his command, and together, killed many Beings who have fought against the Fearlings, even Manny's parents were victims of the massacre, and his next target were the people on Earth. So a final battle was wage. The remaining Beings and the humans on Earth decided to band together through means of forming Pacts, and so long as neither side betrays their given promise, the stronger the Beings can fight.
"In the end the side of light won. Pitch was weakened but he and the other dark Beings needed to be separated from the children of Earth. It was not full-proof but it would help. For safe precaution it was decided that a separate realm should be created, one where only Beings inhabits, but a full separation was impossible."
"Why is that?"
"Well you can't completely destroy either light or darkness can you? Nor can you have one without the other" North posed, in-which corners Lukas to agree. "But who would know how long till Pitch returns, or how strong he will be. So the Promise Books were created as a reminder of what has happen, so the humans will not forget us, and if the humans ever have need of us again we are only a portal away. We have left these copies in the protection of the most trustworthy humans at the time, each given the title Story Teller. Your predecessors were included. Other than protecting the books, their job includes keeping our tales alive through means of storytelling. A few tales stray from original truth, but, we still exist in one form or another."
"…I see…So my brothers and I have failed your trust-"
"-No, your brother Hans has failed us. He failed your family and predecessors. But that does not mean you should falter in your duty as well Lukas."
"Then what is my role exactly in this fight?"
"It is the same as your predecessors, safeguard the book. For you see, Manny thinks Pitch is after more than just spreading fear this time. But in order for him to acquire his goal, he will need the other half to Hans' dark copy of the Promise Book."
"And that is my copy of the Promise Book, of the light…But how can I protect it if I don't have the power to?"
North placed a hand on his shoulder. "You do have the power to protect it, and it goes beyond that of a Pact—not even your brother Hans can ever have."
North made no indication of elaborating on that answer. "Let me guess, you're not going to tell me are you?" North chuckled, and winked at Lukas in response. "I swear North, you leave more questions than answers!"
North busted out laughing. "Sorry, it is part of who I am. But I guarantee you Lukas; some questions will be answer on their own, including one of your power."
"…I still have many questions to ask but for now, I would like to know one thing—and give it to me straight."
"And what is it?"
"Why are there dark and light copies of the Promise Books? If a foolish human were to get his hands on it and actually use it, then, well—I mean, was there no thought as to how dangerous the information and portals to the dark realm would be?"
North sighs heavily stopping Lukas. His brows slightly slanted as he kept his eyes looking forward. "The dark Promise Books were created as a warning as well as for knowledge. The information given in those books about dark Beings such as Pitch, was so that the people on Earth may know how not to feed their strength, learn to be weary of them. The light copy is there for safety, to counter that of the dark. But if the humans were to have learned well from the dark copy, than in truth, the light copy would never have to be use. This way, we would have continued silently watching, protecting the children and Earth…As for the portal, what you ask is disturbing. There should not have been one; there was no portal to the dark realms in the first place."
Shock, Lukas nearly tripped over his own foot but caught himself just in time. "What do you mean there is no portal? I saw Hans myself opening one!"
"That is why it is disturbing…There are two things I can think of as possible. One is that someone, or a Being, has tempered with your dark copy. Two, the book may have taken life of its own and has obtain magic."
"And how is that possible."
With one hand North rubs his face and wipes the corners of his eyes to relieve some of the tension in his face. "Magic is unpredictable. Sometimes it can seem alive, and acts on its own, and it comes and it goes. But let us talk more about this another time. Now it is time to eat."
Without realizing it, North had led Lukas all the way down to the bottom of the cavern. They walked a bit farther following alongside a stream, leading to where a large table was set up. Anna was asking many questions to Sandy, mainly about other myth figures and if they're real or not, and he would answer with thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Elsa was looking distress, probably worrying about having to do the Pact with unknown Beings. But otherwise, Tooth was telling her the story of how the Big Four met, though left out key identification of who they are.
Bunny on the other hand, looks to be sending out strange messages; first by rapidly painting on eggs with multiple colors, words glowing when shined in the light, but Lukas was too far to read them. Afterword he would send them through a hole that disappears after an egg was dropped into it. Four eggs were sent.