Chapter 3: The Truth
A day passed since I left the walls of Geffen. Rain was pouring down from the dark skies as I ran on the soaked pasture. The rain had started without warning when I was strolling on a stretch of grassland. When the raining just started, there was a small, forested area to be seen a mile away. Afterwards, the rain completed veiled my vision and I lost my sense of direction. Now, after traveling for more than 3 miles, I had not come across any trees or shelter.
I remembered many hours ago it had been pleasurable to dance around the fields of Geffen, the weather being very peaceful. There were only white clouds to be seen up above, and the sun was shining brightly. Then, almost unnaturally, dark evil clouds gathered overhead. It was as if those clouds had been materialized from the air. The presence of evil was strong back then.
For hours I ran blindly, hoping to find some shelter. My sight was reduced to a few meters. I could not see much so I had to rely on a small stream of light that was poking out from in between the clouds, as a way pointer. Soon, however, the light dimmed. Night was approaching. I had not anything to eat since morning when the rain started. The hunger and fatigue soon took over me.
My body felt light, and my eyes blurred. I went on for a few meters without using my eyes, grasping on to the last bit of hope. I could now hear something else besides the rain. It was the violent splashing of water.
"The river! I must be near the river!"
I stepped forward with my last ounce of strength but the step landed in emptiness. I lost my balance as one foot sank into a void. I was falling into the river. I would be washed out into the sea.
Indeed, as I guessed, I landed in freezing water with a splash. The currents hurled me around, making me dizzy. I did not open my eyes at all during the "swim". All I could do was to keep afloat and pray for the best.
The waters blasted at me, stirred by evil. Waves 2-3 meters high were formed, tossing me into the air. The presence of evil returned, stronger now. Something was trying to kill me, or was I just paranoid?
I managed to hold on to my life for a couple of minutes, when the weather changed. The dark clouds were banished from the skies, and stars could be seen. The water calmed down, almost stagnant. I relaxed for a while, and then opened my eyes. To my delighted, a shoreline could be seen not far away. This new hope gave me strength and I swam towards the beach.
I crawled onto the beach, totally worn out. The sand beneath me was soft as cotton. I fell onto the bed of sand. The fatigue put me to sleep magically.
The morning was wonderful the next day. The sea birds flew gracefully, and the sea brought rhythm to my ears. I awoke on a beach of golden sand to discover myself nicely covered by a pile of silk blankets. A nice fire was also set up beside me. Only a thin wisp of smoke could be seen rising slowly rising from the blackened firewood. The beach was empty, not a soul to be seen.
I thought about the events yesterday, how lucky I was to survive. Somehow, I got this feeling that the waves intended to bring me here instead of killing me. Just then, while I was deep in thought, a leather boot smashed down onto the pile of firewood, making me jump. I looked up, a man clad in black stood tall in front of me. He was the man from the restaurant of Geffen, the one that shook me with evil, except that now, he was un-hooded. His face was white and his head was bald. Immediately, I felt fear growing in me.
"Easy there, kid. Do not fear me, for fear will destroy you, and it destroys my enemies."
"I was not frightened, sir. I am merely…"
"Do not be ashamed to admit it child, it is part of my magic, you see. I have long studied these arts and it has both benefited and destroyed me. Though I must say the benefits were much more greater."
"I shall not speak with the users of dark arts, then."
"Ah, but you have, and you will. The dark arts are powerful, and it does not necessary destroy you, simply some light disadvantages, if the wielder has the power to control himself. The good thing is that when you come to fighting with demons, you can fight fire with fire. It is a great advantage, I would say. I am a demon hunter, actually."
"Really?"
"Indeed. And I would like to teach you some of my dark arts."
"Why is this so? I don't even know you, nor do you know me. I will not accept anonymous help."
"Listen here, Rena, your father…"
"You know my name? And my father?"
"Yes, your father, Albert Sandyman, was a bright man, great wisdom, saved my life several times. Sadly, he was born in the Demonic era, and married your mother Loth Longbottom. Your father and I were both demon hunters. We were summoned to hunt for demonic spies in the cities. Little did we your mother was a demon herself…"
"You're making this up, aren't you?"
"No, your mother was a spy, but she fell in love with your dad. She gave up her demonic mind, a nice woman, really. However, in the end, your dad committed suicide, horrified by his discovery. The authorities then hunted down your mother, thinking that she killed your dad. She was still bearing you in her stomach when the authorities executed her. The least I could do for your family, I thought, was to save the baby. That was how you came to be. The demonic era ended a few years ago, you younger generations are lucky..."
Finally, I found the truth about myself. The face of the man was now filled with concern, and his eyes were now warmer. I listened to him for a while, and then later agreed to let him train me in his arts.
"Oh and, one more thing sir, did you bring me here with your powers? For I sensed evil powers when I traveled here."
"No, I did not do anything. In fact, I did not think you would be here. I'm supposed to be here for a meeting. Yes, a meeting is held here, but I see no one yet. It is supposed to go on for a few days too."
"I see… so what were the evil powers that followed me here, you reckon?"
"Fate? Fate can be both good and evil."
"I see. So my training starts tomorrow?"
Maybe it may not be the best choice, learning dark arts and stuff, but I think I feel better about it now. The ability to strike fear in your enemies just by looking at them certainly sounds attractive to me. Perhaps I just like destruction, terror, danger, I admit, so this is the best skill for my personality. I can't wait till tomorrow.
Writer's notes: I know this is quite sudden. Very sudden.