Chapter 8

"The Dream and the Golden Phoenix"

Arianna was falling rapidly in a deep gulch, purplish red and black swirls encompassed her as she continued to plummet into the unknown. She opened her mouth to scream but not a single sound escaped her lips. She looked below to catch a glimpse of an upcoming landing ground or surface but all she saw were the purple and black swirls circling down into oblivion. Arianna attempted another scream but the voice she heard was not her own. It was a woman's scream, frightened and helpless. Then, the rushing air that filled her ears turned into strange whispers that sounded distant but clear. For a moment, Arianna thought she recognized the voices that were murmuring even more loudly like a distant memory coming back to life,

"Transform now!"

"Take care of her…"

"Fly swiftly. Don't turn back."

Then the gentle voices suddenly became low, gruesome and sinister sounding,

"Her powers have awakened, your Majesty!"

"She is in Vasdenin!"

"Your knights will take the town before the next night ends!"

After which, as if the speaker was right behind her, Arianna heard a soft chilling whisper in her ears

"Bring her back to me…ALIVE!"

Just before Arianna could react, her feet touched something solid and she crumpled unto the dry dusty ground. Glancing upward, she noticed that the purplish swirls had disappeared and the sky above her was gloomy, gray and dark. The, she saw something glittering moving towards her, and as it drew nearer, Arianna recognized it as the golden phoenix. She stood and stretched her hands to catch it but then pulled them back with an alarmed cry. The phoenix had morphed into a swarm of hideous black crows that cawed so viciously. Arianna stopped her ears with her hands and tried to shield her head with her arms as the horde of crows swooped over her head. When she felt that the vile flock had passed on and their caws faded away, she looked out from under her arms.

Rising before her eyes was a huge steep mountain and at the peak of it was a large grim looking black castle. There were no signs of life all around her and the wind that blew was raw and harsh. Then, the purplish haze came back in the form of a thick fog that quickly trapped Arianna within. Arianna looked about her and she could see nothing else beyond the fog. Her heart was beating anxiously and she started to run. But as she did, she felt her pace slow down and she moved in a lethargic pace. Arianna then heard light footsteps behind her and she knew she wasn't alone. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she could see three figures running towards her. Getting even more frightened, Arianna tried to increase her speed but then the footsteps disappeared and when Arianna looked back again, the dark figures were gone. Arianna stopped to catch her breath but just then somewhere in the obscure fog, Arianna heard a low growl. Her heart jumped when she looked before her, something extremely humongous was making its way towards her. She was frozen to the ground as it slowly approached. The purplish mists thinned slightly and she was able to see that the huge figure was a lion. It suddenly paused a few meters away from her and Arianna gasped in terror when the fog faded away and the entirety of the creature was revealed.

The lion was gigantic and of a strange color, which was of an odd blend of red and amber brown. On its side were thick bulges hidden in shadow. At first, Arianna thought it must be a disfiguration of some sort but when it took another step closer, she realized it was no deformation at all. The bulges turned out to bright red and gold wings folded on its side and the lion spread them open and Arianna saw that the size of each were as massive as the lion itself. She could also see that the lion wasn't entirely of fur, on its mane and tail were also a few clumps of red and gold feathers that rippled in the soft breeze. Its bright red eyes stared unceasingly at Arianna and the girl was in utter shock at the sight of this formidable being. It was a creature beyond imagination, she thought that not even the gods would have thought of creating such a beast as fearsome and overpowering as this. This creature was the bird-lion of her nightmares, the one in whose jaws she was engulfed in before she awoke and it was the first time in all this years that she had seen the lion so close and stared at it for so long.

Then without warning, the lion belted out an earsplitting roar that shook Arianna's bones before it slowly turned away. Arianna ran to catch with it but it vanished in the still present haze.

"Wait!" she cried but the creature was gone.

Then she felt a soft hand on her shoulder, looking behind her she saw a tall beautiful young woman hooded in a cloak of midnight blue silk. The woman gave Arianna a grave expression as if wanting to tell her something but couldn't. The woman walked a few paces away from Arianna then turned back to look at the girl again. The woman lowered her hood revealing her long straight scarlet hair. After which, she pushed back the front of her cloak. Arianna spotted a strange colored diamond hanging around the woman's neck; it was of a similar color to the lion's coat and jutting out of her cloak was the jeweled hilt of a sword, sheathed in a scabbard hanging on a belt tied about her waist. Around the woman's head was thin gold circlet indicating that she was of royal blood.

From out of the fog, came another figure, only this time it was a man. The fog thickened once more and though Arianna could not make out the appearance of the man, she felt that she knew him intimately well and though his face was in a shadow, she knew he had a handsome face, clear aqua eyes and deep golden hair. Then, after putting his arm comfortingly around the woman, he extended what looked like a sharp dagger to Arianna but Arianna, confused and frightened, did not take it.

The pair looked oddly familiar to Arianna but before she could speak, they both turned away and disappeared into the red haze.

Mother? Father? Arianna thought but something in her made her doubtful that the couple she saw were her parents.

Then, Arianna saw a small spot of dark blue sky a little beyond the purplish fog and she raced towards it. Arianna walked out of the fog and into the clear night. She was standing outside the fog, on a small cliff, Arianna slowly walked towards the edge to see what was below. When she did, her eyes opened wide in terror and she voiced a faint cry of despair.

It was Vasdenin… and it was burning.

The dark night was suddenly alight with the fiery red glow of the roaring flames. The massive blaze spread far and wide, burning everything in its path. Arianna fell to her knees in incredulity, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched on helplessly. Her ears rung with the frightened cries and anguished wails of the townsfolk, everywhere men and women were screaming, running to and fro. Some were lying still and unmoving on the ground. Arianna covered her face were her hands as she wept uncontrollably. The faces she had seen on the ground were the faces of people she had known her whole life.

They were all dead…

When Arianna looked up from her hands, it was no longer Vasdenin burning before her but instead it was her own home that was in flames. She immediately stood up and ran about in panic. She turned around the house and called out desperately as the tears continued to run down her face,

"Grandfather! Grandfather!"

Oh, where could he be? I must find him!

When she had gone to the back, she saw that the barn and the fields were burning as well. From the raging inferno, Arianna saw someone approaching her.

Grandfather? Arianna thought hopefully.

Indeed it was her grandfather but just as Arianna was about to run to him, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him up close.

No…

There was Baltook the old farmer, staggering towards her. His normal gray eyes were now bloodshot red and his clothes were torn into shreds revealing a ghastly image. All over his body were long deep gashes, sliced randomly on his arms, legs and torso. He was bleeding all over and his blood gushed in a trail behind him. He stopped for a moment and whispered Arianna's name before dropping to the ground, dead.

Arianna stepped back with her hand on her mouth, shaking her head in disbelief, her eyes filled with hot tears as she looked away with torment and grief. As she continued backing up, she suddenly felt the craggy tip of a cliff but before she could stop herself, a hand grabbed the back of her clothes and pulled her over her edge.

Once again, Arianna was falling once again into a dark chasm. All around her she heard someone speaking faintly in a foreign tongue followed by the cruel cold laugh of a woman. After a few moments, Arianna realized she wasn't falling into a chasm but instead into the wide gaping jaws of the bird-lion. As its deafening roar filled her ears, before she was devoured, the last thing she heard was her own voice screaming,

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"NO!"

Arianna's eyes flung wide open and she found herself staring into darkness. Her heart was racing within her chest that was moving up and down in quick gasping breaths. Large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead to the strands of long tangled scarlet hair. She looked about her in confusion since she also found herself in an unfamiliar black surrounding.

Where am I?

Arianna felt that she was lying on a flat but rough surface and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that she was on the floor. She knew that she had to get up and get on the bed. But as she pushed herself up, the muscles in her neck, shoulders and lower back contracted excruciatingly and as she sat up, her head whirled in a frenzied state and she started seeing purple blobs before her eyes. A wave of nausea fell over her and she suppressed herself from throwing up right then and there. She grabbed the coverings at the edge of the bed for support and mustering all her strength, she pulled herself unto the top of the bed and lay there moaning in agony. When she had moved herself into a comfortable position, she realized that being on the bed was not as different as being on the floor but still a slightly soft bed is always better than the coarse wooden floor. She then realized why the room was so dim; the candles must have burnt out in the long night.

Arianna turned her head towards the window and saw that sky was still dark and the stars still twinkled. It was nearly dawn but she knew that the sun wouldn't rise till a few hours more. Her aching head and her queasy stomach had relaxed a bit, to her relief and just when it did, she was slowly able to recall the events of the day before.

Escaping Madam Lilianne… the Archery contest… thirty gold pieces… the Golden Eagle Inn… the hunter's conversation… her rich and overly satisfying meal… the servant boy… and then… a blank space…

Thinking hard, she wondered why she couldn't call to mind what had happened just before her vicious nightmare. Arianna brought a hand to her head and she felt her skin burning up with fever. She groaned

No! I can't be ill now, at least not in this sort of place! How will I be able to take part in the contest tomorrow if I'm ill? No, I must get well… I must rest…"

Arianna wrapped herself in the coverings of her bed as she pulled it up to her chin. It was her nightmares again. She knew that she had to fall back to sleep so that she could regain her strength and energy, but even a simple thing as closing her eyes was not that easy to do. The vicious dream she had had was coming back to her, every single scene of it and it tortured her, as she lay awake. She ached for her cup of tea to wash away the pain, to help her forget it all, to drift off into a harmless slumber but she couldn't have it now, it was miles away from her all the way back home. Home. With her grandfather… Arianna then remembered the final scenes of her dream and it went painstakingly to her heart. In a few moments, Arianna was curled up into a little ball, weeping softly like a lost child and in a way she was lost. She missed her grandfather terribly and she wished that even for a few minutes she could feel his presence near her. It was almost a week since she had last seen him but it felt like a hundred years, she wondered how he was doing back at the fields… if he was still alive. The vision of her grandfather in his bloody state stayed in her mind until her bed was damp with her tears. She grabbed her head and urged herself to not believe it, to force herself to say that it was just a dream… only a dream… nothing more.

But it seemed so real…

Rap-rap-rap-rap-rap

A sharp tapping on the door shook Arianna awake.

"W-What? Who's there?" Arianna murmured groggily.

A low and deep voice answered, " Tis I young master. Pardon me for disturbing you but it is nearly noon and you haven't broken your fast thus far. I have taken upon myself the liberty of preparing a sumptuous meal for you, young master, for the right price of course."

It was the sleazy innkeeper and Arianna knew he was eager for few more pieces of her gold.

"I—" then Arianna cleared her throat, "Will be down in a moment, Barley."

Once the heavy footsteps of the bulgy innkeeper had tottered away, she sat up and yawned. Looking out the window, she beheld a clear bright blue sky spotted with a few wispy clouds instead of the deep dark chilling one she had seen a few hours ago. The sun was beaming hotly on the many rooftops and the town was already bustling with activity. It was indeed nearly noon for she could see the sun was nearly high up in the blue sky.

Setting her feet upon the wooden floor, she hung her head in a somnolent way before looking up and rubbing her eyes. Then, when she stood up and started looking for her boots, she suddenly realized something. Her fever was gone and so was her nausea. She was feeling fully energized and healthy that morning and Arianna laughed out loud.

"I am perfectly all right, all I needed was a little rest."

In a corner was a small washing basin filled with water, Arianna wondered how long it's been there but after she had checked out the quality of the water, she concluded that it was still sanitary for use and must have been brought up the night before she came in. After she had washed her face and arms, she continued the search for her boots.

She couldn't recall her horrible nightmare anymore and that didn't bother her one little bit. When she had found her worn brown knee-high boots, she stuck her feet into them and picked up her hunting cap on the floor.

She looked around for her brush and then she remembered that she had left it behind inside her trunk at Madam Lilianne's house and it must have already been crumbled into ashes with all the other objects she had left behind in that house she burned down. She decided that she might as well go through the day without it. So, after combing through her hair with her fingers, she braided it in a quick fashion and tucked it inside her hunting cap. Glancing sideways, she caught sight of her empty quiver and she made a mental note to purchase some new ones later in the day.

Thinking about purchasing made her wonder how much gold she had left, so taking the small pouch, she spilled its brilliant contents on the small desk and in the end, though she knew not the counting word, her coins equaled to two sets of both hands and two fingers. It was still enough to last a week or even a month if she spent it wisely. Shoving the coins back inside the small sack, she deposited it inside her hunting vest. She walked towards the door, unbolting it and thrusting it open. She found herself once again in the long corridor of the upper floor of the Golden Eagle Inn.

Turning left, she headed towards the staircase but when she had reached it, she heard the raucous chatters of excitement below and she wondered what all the commotion was about so she descended the staircase. Looking into the common room, she saw a large group of hunters gathered at one table conversing rather elatedly. Some of them, she recognized the night before while others looked new to her.

Then, suddenly the man Arianna identified immediately as Bracker, the young hunter who had narrated the magical story of the golden phoenix, walk steadily inside but it was evident that he was feigning it since she noticed a slight jittering movement in his stride and his eyes glistened with keen enthusiasm.

All of a sudden, the hunters crowded around him, soliciting a lot of questions while talking animatedly, Bracker merely smiled and walked towards a table. The other hunters called out for more ale as they intently listened to what the man had to say but before he could speak, another hunter rushed in impatiently into the Golden Eagle Inn.

"What's this? What's all this I'm hearing from the streets to my very own home? I have been searching for you all morning, Brother Bracker! Come! Come! Tell me what all this fuss is about over… a bird?"

All the men spoke at once and the inn was filled with loud deep exclamations. Bracker held up his hands for silence and he turned his attention to the newcomer, "You're welcome to hear my latest news brother, along with all these other fine men, so please take a seat and call out a pint of ale for what I have to say will come as a deep shock to you all."

Arianna listened attentively to this hunter and she sat quietly on a bench close to the wall where she could not be openly distinguished but could hear every word spoken clearly. She was eager to hear what his news were about, and she was not alone, the other hunters were impatient for it as well.

"My friends, our greatest expectation has finally come! All those non-believers! Those who doubted my tale about the golden phoenix, it is your time to come to shame, for I, my good men have valid proof on me of it's existence."

The men whispered and murmured to each other but Bracker held up his hands again.

" I will reveal it to you anon but first, let me tell you the interesting tale of how I came about it. Very early this morning as I was on my way to this very tavern, I happened to pass by an broken old wooden cart and of course seeing that it was nothing but rubbish, I walked by with hardly a glance at it but then something had caught my eye. At first, I thought it was a lost coin or a hidden trinket of some sort, instead gentlemen I found the greatest treasure ever to be found in Vasdenin."

"You desired discernible proof of the golden phoenix's existence, my fellow hunters, well then, feast your eyes on THIS!" exclaiming loudly, he reached into his vest and pulled out a radiant object that seemed to illuminate even brighter than the sun inside the tavern. His audience gasped in amazement. All eyes were on the extraordinary item he held in his hand and Bracker held it up with pride and delight.

"The Golden Phoenix's feather. But, if you found it here, does that mean then that…" a man voiced out.

"It means precisely what it means my friends! The golden phoenix is HERE IN VASDENIN!" Bracker proclaimed excitedly.

The men talked livelier and praised the wonders of the golden feather but Arianna frowned when she looked closely at it, something about the feather was extremely familiar but she couldn't remember why. But then the hunter spoke again,

"Today, the mystical monarchs of the east will be arriving in our humble town and wouldn't it be ostentatious to present them with an even more magical gift? The golden phoenix, the most powerful bird ever to subsist on this earth. Gods help us! We will have that bird in our possession and once we do, Vasdenin will not only be great and powerful but we would leave a distinguished mark on the map that no other land would ever forget and we will be acknowledged as the finest town in all the earth! Now, men let us not waste any more time over this idle talk! We must find that bird and capture it!"

The men cheered and voiced their agreement loudly. After drinking a toast to the now famous hunter, Bracker, they downed their drinks in one gulp before turning towards the door. On their way out, they tossed a coin or two to the innkeeper who caught it all graspingly as he smiled malevolently.

Only Arianna was left in the large common room, pondering deeply on the intriguing news brought by the hunter. The phoenix was here in Vasdenin. Now her moment has finally come! Not only would she be labeled as the only woman hunter of Vasdenin but if she caught this mystical creature, her name would certainly go down in the history of the world as the girl who made Vasdenin the greatest in all the lands. All these new exciting ideas were making Arianna's stomach do cartwheels and she couldn't help but quiver with anticipation for the upcoming events of the day.

Today is the day that my life turns on a new course. The day when the word woman means so much more than what it was in the past. Everything anyone ever knew or thought they knew about life will alter entirely all because of me.

She smiled confidently and took a deep breath. She wanted to have a head start on the day, since she had already wasted so much time of it in slumber that she realized that there were only a few hours left before the fairy lords come to Vasdenin and the final Archery contest begins. She cringed when she also remembered that she would have to endure seeing Uther's despicable face once again. She sighed heavily, well, not all exciting victories came without defects and trouble, and she would just have to simply bear him until the end. Then Arianna thought slyly, how would Uther respond when he finds out he was beaten by a mere peasant girl. Ha! That would certainly be a charming spectacle and she wouldn't dare miss it for the world.

But, as Arianna noticed, her stomach was still empty and had already started to complain. She also realized that she wouldn't last through the day if she didn't have a decent meal at the moment. Now where was that meal, that conniving innkeeper had promised her?

She looked towards the counter near the door where Barley was occupied with his profits, she called for him and he looked up with irritation. He certainly wasn't in the mood of being disturbed in the middle of his counting spree but when Arianna held up three gleaming gold coins in her right hand, the innkeeper's frown relaxed into a slick grin and promised her, her meal was on its way. Though it wasn't he who had served her meal correspondingly to the previous night, the food brought to her by a young servant boy was not the least appetizing. Her brunch consisted of three large loaves of bread, a slab of cheese, two thick slices of lamb and a small cup of ale. As Arianna was munching on a loaf of bread, she began thinking of her agenda for the day.

First, she would secure herself a brand new set of arrows and possibly some decent clothing, she wasn't expecting to be dressed glamorously though she had the funds to acquire it but she just wanted something more presentable than what she had now. Then, she would seek out a secluded place to warm up for the upcoming tournament and when it might be an hour or two from the start of the festival, she would probably take a quick wash somewhere and prepare herself for the Archery contest. Arianna was pleased with her plan and she promised herself that right after her meal, she would get right on it. Very soon, she would no longer be the outcast peasant girl from the fields or just a farmer's granddaughter. She would be a renowned huntress and a revered woman throughout the land. Nothing could possibly go wrong. She was certain that the gods had no objections whatsoever to her intentions since she had been able to manage thus far. Arianna was nearing the end of her goal; she was just an arm's reach away from her victorious success.

Oh, if only grandfather could see me right now… he would be so proud. Maybe he would even say that my parents would be proud of me as well. After today, our lives will change for the better and happiness will reign throughout our lives! We would no longer have to be farmers! We could live in a better land, in a more wonderful home and have a feast every single day! Oh, what would he say if he only knew the great future we have before us!

And so it was that the peasant girl mused optimistically on her and her grandfather's future not knowing how exceedingly wrong she was… if only she knew how very, very wrong she was…