Tales and Recollections of a 14 year old Assasin

Story 1: The Past is Past

"Please!!! Spare me! Spare my soul!!!" The huge man, who was lying weak on the cold floor begged with fear.

The dim light bulb twitched and flickered as puny flies fluttered around it. I stared blankly at the man on the ground, his white tuxedo coated with his own fresh blood, his ugly face, expressed horror and cowardice. The pistol I was holding(which was pointed toward his forehead) felt very light as if it was a bird's feather. I held it tightly in my hands like a child's toy and with it I felt satisfaction- no, not really, unless the job was done.

"H-h-hahahaha!!!!" The man was loosing his sane. "I can't believe it! I, William Gold- a multi- billionaire arms dealer, an experienced Navy and a 36 year-old man is being beaten to the ground by a 14 year-old assassin!!!! Ha!Ha!Ha!!!" He laughed till his lungs were slowly inflamed.

I looked at him with a pale, blank face and started pulling the trigger.

"Bang!"

The bullet went inside his right shoulder. He screamed noisily and after that, tears began flowing from his shaken eyes. Yet, there was nobody there to rescue him. The only way to escape the unending pain was through death itself.

"Bang!"

Another piece of metal went inside his chest, finally silencing him. But then, there was still one more bullet left.

"Bang!"

The shells of the bullet sounded as it hit the ground. The last one hit and traveled inside his left eye, exiting swiftly at the back of the head. The annoying bastard was gone for good and it didn't even take so much energy from my body. I wiped the sweat on my forehead and put the gun back to it's proper place. The air got cold as I started walking towards the exit of the empty warehouse. I passed by the corpse of that noisy Gold's men and the smell of blood was all around the place. Before leaving completely, I grabbed a a black suit case and checked if the money was still there. Well, I don't like the organization to be mad at me, I coming home without there two million dollars.

I went outside and stared at the abundant moon. The bright full circle was not at all interesting to me. There's nothing in this world that will ever change me now. I don't know my true emotion, I don't care if all of the people will die, All I know is that I kill to survive. I kill to live, ti live in this cruel world. Nobody has ever been innocent, children grow to be guilty someday.

I gazed at my watched. My ride should be here soon. And just as I expected it, the roaring sound of the speeding red ferrari entered into my ears. The car passed by me then made a drift before it finally stopped. The tire tracks was carved deep into the asphalt road. I looked at it and waited for the driver to step out.

"Very well done boy." A woman spoke.

She alighted the vehicle with a smiling face. Her green eyes shone with light. Her straight blonde hair flowed richly all the way down her waist. She approached me slowly and stared at me like I was some doll on sale. She looked at me from head to toe and took hold of the black case.

"You never fail to amaze me Thirty Three." She leaned down and kissed my head.

"Thank you for the compliment Miss. Rain." I spoke without putting no emotion to it.

"Well, well. It seems like you still need to put more spirit in your statement." She commented.

"I believe that it is not necessary to do that unless I'm under cover or it is crucially needed." I explained to her.

After the little chit chat, we went inside the car with me sitting on the front passenger seat. She decided to be the one to drive the vehicle since the cops were running hot that night and they might be surprised to see a minor like me driving a car. The black suit case sat at the back, silent and cold as ever.

"So? How was it?" Miss Rain asked, her head facing up ahead the driveway.

"Gold was totally fooled. He thought that we were really gonna let him get away with the money. After knowing that there wasn't carrying cocaine like the deal was supposed to be and that you sent someone like me, he let his men attack yet they got cocky and went easy on me, throwing away there guns and charged toward me. There were only seven men with him and I was packed with seven knives and a pistol. A knife on the head for each men and six bullets for Gold." I told her the details without  remembering.

"Oh? Six bullets?" Miss Rain was intrigued and gazed upon me for answer. Then she reverted her concentration on driving.

"I keep count of how many bosses I've killed. Yet I lost count for the past 20 months, so I started all over and                    tonight was the sixth." I told her about my little hobby since it doesn't even matter.

"How unusual for you to do that." She smirked and gave a giggle.

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The apartment I rented was usually dark and well, you can also call it lonely. The moonlight shone through the window, giving the room light. I strolled forward, throwing my bag pack to the couch. I took of the black gloves on my hands and the gears wore on my knees and elbows. The door to my bedroom was opened and so I proceeded silently and took of my sleeveless shirt stained with dried blood. I placed the pistol on my bedside table and lay down my bed with my arms extended.

It was another end of a killing night. Tomorrow will be the same. I have been an assassin for 2 years, working under the organization called Midnight Iris- a group headed by a person known as Mr. Philip Wallace. As of know, that information was all I needed, what I do is to kill all of those oppose to the organization. I follow the orders given to me by my boss, and it will never change. If I leave and abandon the group, it would be useless doing it. I don't even know myself, I have no name, no address to return to, no family, no relatives- I am nothing but a mere puppet who acts according to the master's orders. Nothing is left for me, only in killing do I find satisfaction.

I closed my eyes and slept. After that, I had a dream
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It was dark and I was in an endless void. I felt chilly near the spine but it didn't bother me so much. As I turned my head towards all directions, all I saw was the color black. Then, I walked, and walked, and kept walking toward nowhere, everything was swallowed by the unending darkness. Yet, as I was about to give up walking, a hint of light showed it self, dancing all about in the darkness. It expanded and after that, a lot of colors started moving inside the bright light making a scene. There was a woman that was about in his mid- thirties and a little boy about nine years old. As I moved closer(yet in my field of vision, it was like I can't get out of my spot or the picture was moving away from me), I noticed that the boy looked similarly like me, and, after some quick studying, I found out it was really me when five years ago.

"Mum! Dad! Hurry up!" I was excited.

I called my mother 'mum' now knowing that I was british or something like that. I haven't remembered any of this until now. I was talking to her on a staircase that was carpeted with red. We where on a big lobby lighted by huge chandeliers. A huge portrait was hung on one of the finely painted walls, but the man in the picture was unknown to me.

"Now, now Charlie, Dad's still managing some things. How about you wait in the car." My mother, suggested. Her glossy hair painted yellow was like gold that shone with brilliance.

(Well now, pardon me if you think I speak and describe things oddly but I learned all this from book on how to improve your speaking- my trainer handed it to me. The book included some tips on how to narrate in good manner but I haven't read the entire thing since their had been a lot of killing jobs lately that I had to attend to.)

"What do you think will America be? eh? mum?" I was curious and impatient.

My heart was beating fast with joy. I was waiting for another journey to come, to explore another world I have not known of, especially New York. A city filled with wonders, with breathtaking attractions. There was the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, The museum of Natural History, and many more that I could only stare at the book. Now, I was finally going. (It was like as if I can the the thoughts of my little self)

"I'm sure it will be fun there sweetie, but you must have patience, it is good to wait." My mother explained to me.

As I watched the scene at a distance, like I was viewing a movie in a cinema, for the first time, I felt pathetic of myself. Imagine what would my superiors say once they see this. Maybe they would bring me in a torture cell and skin my arms and legs.

After, the light faded and it was pitch black again. I tried to absorb all I saw in my mind. So, I was, no, am a british boy with a family in Europe. A sweet mother and a father whom I have not seen yet. Not that I know, hmmmm, it doesn't make any difference. I just wanted them dead, that's right, I wanted them dead for some reasons; if they see me and recognize my face, there will be a possibility for them to interfere during my jobs; I don't know them anymore and if my but my mind may play tricks on me and suddenly I'll start wondering about them, about what they are doing right now and things similar to that (well, not that they're important to me but, the human mind is considered as something 'mysterious' it does some actions that are pretty well unexplained, sheeesh, that's why I hate psychiatry so much.); and because, I don't know why but I think I hate them enough to get them decapitated by me of course. That's because, as my mind says, they abandoned me and never found me in time for I to become a cold killer. Now, I'm extremely becoming irrational, I didn't know that dreams had so much effect on one's self.

I'm still dreaming and the place is still as dark as the shadows. But then, another light came fluttering near me. It grew bigger and bigger and I started to back away yet it to, was swallowing me. I closed my eyes tightly to see if something may change, and as I opened them widely, well, it was still dark but the space got much tighter and it was like I was inside my body. Yes, I was currently inside the body of my younger me but I was not the one controlling it. It may sound weird, but it's true.

I was curled inside something shaped like a rectangle with curved edges. The inside was made of some kind of fabric, but the exterior was hard like wood. My guess was, I was packed in an enclosed suitcase with wheels since I can hear the things rolling outside. It was getting harder and harder to breathe in there, the little me was panting really hard, I'm impressed little me was able to keep his inhaling and exhaling until this current time, if the me now was the one stuck in there, well, let's just say I know how to save my breathes when I'm in a situation like that.

Moving on, I moved my left hand and put it inside my pocket. I was curious unto what my younger self was plotting. Then I touched something cold and solid. I grasped it and pulled it out my pouch. It turned out to be a pocket knife. With a click, the younger me unlocked the knife and made a hole close to his nose. Ahhhh..... it felt much better having more air to breathe and it was lucky of him,me, to have made that hole without notice. I lowered my head and peeked outside. There were a lot of huge men around the suitcase, so whatever was in this case was more important than there lives. Now that I've mentioned it, earlier I detected a faint smell of money- this large suitcase I'm in know was beforehand filled with millions of pounds maybe, and possibly, the little me sneaked inside here, hiding the money somewhere unseen, now, I wonder if what pushed me to do something like that. Then, I shut my eyes.

As I blinked open, the view changed again into something gore. high velocity blood spatters on the wall, corpses with deep bullet wounds scattered all over the floor with there eyes almost bulging out of there sockets. And somehow, little me's emotions reached me. I felt boiling anger and great horror within me, it was overwhelming that I thought it was going to devour my soul. Tears flowed abundantly from my eyes in my right hand was a 9mm caliber. The room was in dead silence, dead-all of them except me. The windows were shattered, the room was totally destructed. I lay there on the floor like one of the lifeless people, my strength was fading and I was exhausted. My head turned to one side and I saw a man looking at me, extending his arms yet they were not able to reach mine. As I saw his face, sadness hit me like a bullet. I didn't know why but it was like I was grieving too, the first time for the last four years. Even though I wanted to stop, I just can't. Like I told earlier, the mind is really unexplainable and full of mysteries, I was experiencing it at that moment. It was a genuine emotion, it was from my own self.

The younger me and me, stared at the white ceiling, filled with sadness and pain. I heard my younger self's mind muttering 'nothing, nothing, nothing' all over again, there was nothing left. Then, in the midst of the silence,  the sound of footsteps echoed, I tried to raise my head yet I was fully tired from doing something I didn't know. The person was coming closer to me, just as fear crawled up from my toes. Then, finally, I saw her- it was her with her dark brown hair hanging and his blank face staring at me. She held a gun, pointing it to my face.

I finally realized, that was the first time I saw Seven. Seven, Seven, she taught me how to use a gun, how to use stealth, she taught me martial arts, how to act when under cover, everything- she taught me that people like us were scarce in the world nowadays, we, people that were had a talent to kill. Seven, she taught me, how to survive the cruel world. One night, she said to me to forget everything I had in the past, to forget my emotions and let the things she taught me to remain. Well, she said she'd kill me if I don't do it and so, I damaged my brain a lot, I slept and woke up having long term amnesia, it was special though, only the past memories were erased, I successfully remembered everything Seven said that night. I tried remembering who I was but I just couldn't, and Seven won't let so a gave up. I forgot my name, how old I was, my family, where I lived, I knew english but only words came out of my mouth, my grammar and spelling went bad, but she said it didn't matter. She gave me a new name- Thirty Three, and I had no complaints.

I continued training with her, a 12 kilometer run during dawn, target shooting during the day, snipping in the afternoon, we would fight each other during night and then we slept for four hours. During breaks she taught me academics, she looked only 12 yet she was like a professional, she was a brilliant genius.

Ahem, moving on to the current scene of my dream. She-Seven had a gun pointed to my forehead. I, the little me, didn't have enough strength to run and so I lay there on the floor almost lifeless. The female assassin's finger was ready to pull the trigger that would end it all. Yet I knew that I didn't die there completely since I am still alive at present, murdering people that is.

Bang!

The gun spat out a fast traveling bullet. Everything went black.

The sun shone with radiance as it's light was passing through the window. The birds chirped as they fed there little ones up the old sturdy tree. I woke up on my bed. I, woke up from my long unseen past- those were memories that will forever haunt until my very last breath.

I stood up on the floor and stretched my body up high. Staring at the desk drawer at the corner at left, I approached it with dragging footsteps, I grasped and pulled the metal handle and grabbed several unused bullets. I turned steadily and went back to my bedside table to fetch my gun. The pistol was spotless except for the little stain located at the front sight. I took of the magazine and loaded the bullets one by one. After all seven were loaded, I wiped off the blood from my gun using my bloodstained shirt that was on the floor. Then, it was all clean now, and I was relieved to see it.

As I was about to go out of my bedroom, a swift bullet suddenly came in my room from outside the door.

I was alarmed by the gunshot and I cautiously went to the wall beside the door. I held my pistol on my right hand and my other hand was at the doorknob. At the count of three, I opened the door and pointed my gun to all sides of the living room. Yet, surprisingly,  nobody was present around the room, there wasn't a single soul around.

I took a step forward outside slowly yet something blocked my feet. I turned my head down the floor gradually. The thing on the floor surely stunned me and made me unable to move. On the floor was a teenager about fifteen years old. She was  covered entirely with blood and she was curled on the floor unconscious. On her hand was a revolver. Her dark hair covered her silent face and on her right shoulder was a deep circular wound. I never expected for her to come back. I thought she was dead. I thought she was lost for ever.

The Adventures of Nathaniel Knight Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Diamond Candle Lodge of Magic

Beatrix Town

"Now where are you taking me?!" Nathan was irritated. Irritated because the sun was beginning to rise up high and that Nathan was worried of getting skin diseases. Also, he hates being dragged to places he doesn't know.

Right now, I really wish to be inside my cool dry limo; worrying about my work than being here in a town full of strangers and being pulled by some hyper active child. More importantly, she's dressed like a boy from the victorian era; a brown vest under a plain white shirt, black shorts and leather shoes. The time setting here is all mixed up!!. Nathan was panicking inside himself. To cool off,  he pictured himself inside the big air- condition car, talking to his loyal butler about the progresses going on at the newly built hotels in the Asia. His butler got some champagne and poured it in the wine glass Nathan was holding. The champagne delighted Nathan's taste and so he enjoyed every last drop of  it.

Yet, the fantasy quickly ended as he came back to reality. He bumped on to several people, not even having enough time to see their reactions. He was panting heavily and also a little dizzy. Nathan also collided with coffee tables outside restaurants, destroyed fruit stalls along the streets, and almost got knocked of by a rectangular wooden board carried by two men. Unfortunately, he was able to duck before it happened.

"Excuse me, pardon me, out of the way please." Cosette yelled at the citizens of Beatrix who were walking on the streets.

"Hey!" A grumpy man shouted.

"Watch were you're going!" A baker yelled.

Nathan was growing pale and he was out of breathe. He was a fine healthy man except that he was asthmatic, and was not good at running long distances. The two of them ran up a small hill, with a herd of sheep was busy eating grass. Finally, Cosette came to a halt. Nathan was breathless, he leaned at the iron gates of where ever they were.

"H-h-how can you still stand and breathe like that.....after....all....that running?" Nathan spoke with difficulty.

"Well, we're here." Cosette walked pass the gates.

As Nathan looked ahead, he saw a huge tavern not far away from him. The walls were made of concrete and the roof was colored red. From the gates was a pathway that lead to the small terrace with a sign board above. There were two floors and a lot of french windows on the top. At the side of the building were trees and plants that grew with the help of the sun.

"Come on Nathan, don't act just stand there acting like a sick man!" Cosette rushed toward the building entrance.

"I am sick as of now." Nathan just whispered to himself.

He followed Cosette who was already entering the tavern. As Nathan walked forward, he looked up and watched as the birds chirped and the wind travel west. He was hearing noises from inside the building and sounded like the people inside are enjoying. As he reached the door, a touched the knob and gave a deep breathe. He opened the door slowly and-

Splat!!!


Nathan was unable to move because of the immoral greeting. He didn't expect that throwing cherry pies at peoples faces was a good welcome. The pie slid down Nathan's throat and splattered down the floor.

"HAHAHAHA!!!!" The room was full of loud laughs.

"Kingsley! I told he's not Elli. And it's bad for us to greet elders like that." Cosette warned the boy who threw the pie at Nathan.

"Hahaha!!! Even though it's nont Elli, he's still hillarious!!" The young boy rolled over the ground and tears came out of his eyes because of laughing.

"Hell he was!!" A man agreed.

The giggles didn't stop and Nathan was humiliated in front of a lot of people for the first time. His face was expressionless but inside he was burning with anger. The boy stood up and approached Nathan with a big smile in his face. As he reached him, the 13 year old boy raised his hand and patted Nathan's shoulder.

"Sorry about that man, we were just bored thats all. But honestly it was a great laugh." He apologized half- heartedly.

Nathan was just silent. But, without any warning, he grabbed the boy's shirt and toppled him down in an instant just like he was in a wrestling match. Kingsley, swiftly recovered and he began to back off a few steps.

"Oww..... no fair! You didn't tell me about that." Kingsley protested as he rubbed the back of his neck to ease the pain.

"Well, I wasn't ready for your pie either." Nathan countered.

"Why you..." Kingsley was pissed and grabbed another pie. He ran  towards Nathan but unfortunately, slipped on the remains of the cherry he threw.

Kingsley landed on the floor with his butt going first. The pie on his hands got thrown away and landed on somebody's head.

"Hey Kingsley! that wasn't funny!" A huge man spoke. In order to get revenge, he got an apple pie and threw it towards Kingsley's direction.

"To slow buddy!" The young man remarked and dodge the pie easily.

The wasted pastry was received by Minerva's face who was just quietly sitting at one of the tables. Not long after, the situation got out of control and soon, almost all of the people got pie on them and were also throwing food at one another. Porridge, pies, beverages were flying in the air and the tables and chairs were disarranged  and damaged. The food fight was on, and roughly everyone participated.

"Hugghh.." Cosette sighed.

She sat by the counter with Jane, the lodge's waitress and attendant. She stared as the men and women of the lodge throw appetizing breakfast and snack against each other. The sight was not new, it was always a fight that would be started by someone until everybody's involved. Cosette wondered if the Diamond Candle will ever stop being so troublesome.

"Here Cosette, have some milk" Jane offered a glass to Cosette.

"Thank you." Cosette accepted it and took a drink.

"So, where is Elli?" Jane was curious of Elli's whereabout.

"Well, to tell you the truth I really don't know" Cosette looked at the floor with a gloomy face.

"That's okay. He'll be back soon!" Jane lighted up Cosette with an energetic smile.

"Yeah... and......can all of you stop fighting already!!!" Cosette yelled at the rioting group.

Yet the noisy crowd never seemed to cease. Cosette just gave another sigh. Then, Nathan ascended from the group with a messy face and a wet jacket. His face was just blank, he approached the two girls and leaned on the counter.

"Welcome to the Diamond Candle Lodge. Did you enjoy our greeting?" Jane said and offered a towel to Nathan.

"I was lucky to have survived. It's like a wild jungle in here." Nathan replied as he wiped off the traces of food on his face. He took of his jacket and and gave it and also the towel back to Jane.

"Oh, do you want me to wash it?" Jane was confused, looking at the jacket.

"You can have it." Nathan spoke. "Do they always fight like this?"

"Yeah, sort of." Cosette said as she climbed up a stool.

"But don't worry, they should be all quiet at about.........." Jane looked up the ceiling with her hands crossed.

"Now."

Then, a fast moving sword came from the top floor, splitting a wooden table into half and landed ground, cracking the floor. Everybody became motionless, there eyes focused on the deadly sword.

"What's this ruckus all about!?" A woman with red hair roared.

"Ooohhh.....Arty it's you...ah..hahaha." Kingsley was shaken.

"Ughh....not again." The woman named Eron covered her disappointed look with her hand.

"Who is she?" Nathan asked, having his eyes focused up in where the woman was standing.

"Oh! So you're also caught by her beauty." Jane giggled.

"She's Eron Roux. A charming woman yet you might she might be a little too old for you and she's feared and greatly respected as well." Jane spoke.

"What do you mean by feared?" Nathan looked at Jane.

"Well, she has a kind of magic that can summon any kind of weapon. You make her mad  and......let's just say you receive a taste of hell. Also, with the exception of the master, she's the only who can discipline the lodge using her voice." Jane explained.

"Who would even go against a woman like that?" Nathan received shivers.

"Well, there is one! And Eron lost!" Cosette answered Nathan question with her finger pointed upward.

"What?! Seriously?" Nathan looked at Cosette with astonishment.

"It was three years ago. But that man's gone now." Jane spoke.

The three of them looked at Eron with admiration. Even though it was Nathan's first time seeing Eron, he had already garnered a hint of respect toward the woman. Besides having great control of her powers, Eron looked beautiful, her red bangs covering her forehead, her hair cut unevenly forming a letter V at the back. She had black eyes and her lips were perfectly form. She wore a sleeveless collared shirt that was made from thick cloth. At the bottom was a short cargo that was enough to cover her thighs. It was colored brown and it had a lot of pockets. At her feet were a pair of heavy boots that covered her ankles, they were colored black and had shorts thick heels about an inch long.

"Listen everyone, especially you Kingsley." Eron said as she pointed at Kingsley who was feeling guilty. "If all of you continue doing this, I will cut your heads off and sell them at the market for 50,000 gold each! Now who wants get their heads sold at that price?" Eron made a brutal threat.

"There she goes with her warnings again, she probably said that for about the twentieth time already" Kingsley murmured to himself.

Eron waved her hand and out of the blue, a small portal appeared. Eron grabbed something inside it and slowly, she pulled it out. It was a sword much bigger than the other thing she threw previously.

"What did you say again Kingsley?" Eron grinned at Kingsley differently. It like he was a delicious meal Eron would like to kill.

"Uhh....Uhh.... I said I won't pick a fight again!" Kingsley was frightened.

"Very well." Eron spoke and the sword disappeared in a flash.

"Cosette, and that boy over there. Report to the master now." She said and went back to where she came from. Her footsteps were still loud and clear even though she had gone, the people watched her as she got back to her room. Finally, everybody snapped out from Eron's voice.

"Oh! Come on Nathan, the master wants us" Cosette ran up the wooden stairs located beside the counter.

"Why does it have to be me?" Nathan was feeling down. He walked wobbly, following Cosette.

"Hey you!" Kingsley called Nathan.

Nathan turned his head to him.

"Were not done yet! I'm definitely going get you!" Kingsley challenged Nathan to a friendly fight.

Nathan smirked as if accepting it. "Never in a hundred years." Nathan turned against him and continued walking.

"We'll see about that!" Kingsley was a bit pissed. He was about to charge Nathan but luckily, Bruce was able to hold him.

As Nathan approached the second floor, the first thing he saw was a hallway with a lot of doors in the side.

This must be rooms for those members who don't have any. Nathan thought.

As he turned to the right, he saw another hallway although it was short and it led to a brown painted door. Nathan moved to it opened the door. As he was inside, he saw a room with walls colored white. Below, the floor was carpeted with green and opposite to the door was a desk made of thick wood. There was also a swivel leather chair that was turned against him.

"Cosette, reports said that Elli didn't come home with you." The man sitting in the chair spoke.

His had a deep voice and it was more like a groan. Nathan looked at Cosette who was just a few inches from him. Also, Eron was there, standing firm by the huge glass window that had a view of the lodge's colorful backyard.  Her hands were crossed and now, she was wearing metal gloves. Eron looks were fierce and serious.

Nathan stared at Eron and was paying no attention to the conversation. Eron glared at him and Nathan instantly curved his head away from her strict look.

"You there! pay attention!" The voice was calling for Nathan.

"Y-y-yess sir!" Nathan didn't know why, but it seemed that the voice was very powerful and grand.

"Is this the boy who Elli told you to send to me?"

"Yes master."

"Very well, Cosette, please leave for a moment."

"Yes master." Cosette followed her master's command and departed.

The door creaked loudly as Cosette went out of the master's office. Nathan was left alone with people he cannot trust. Suddenly, Nathan felt an eerie sensation, he felt really cold and shaken, he covered his shoulders with his hands as he looked down the floor.

"Wh-wh-what is this icy feeling?" He spoke.

As he looked up he realized that the office was gone, it was all a cold empty void. Eron was still their with her serious but calm look. Nathan looked at to where the swivel chair was and to his horror, the person who sat there turned into a huge and ferocious dark aura, it's eyes were steaming red and it groaned as if it was going to devour Nathan in a second. Nathan was horrified, he tried to scream but no words were going out of his mouth. His knees trembled and not long after, he was down the ground with his eyes petrified and locked to the monster's eyes. But then, after all the horror, the beast began shrinking and the darkness was suddenly fading. The monster was getting smaller and smaller and it was forming into a body of small person. Nathan was still sitting on the floor, his arms supporting the weight of his body.

"Yo there!" an old bald man in a white robe greeted Nathan.

Nathan was still in shock. The dark creature turned into an old man with an extremely long beard. He was standing in a crooked posture and on his right hand was a wooden staff. The rod was pointed on one end while on the other tip was, it chiseled to form a diamond with four edges. By looking at the old man, Nathan was annoyed.

Are they trying to provoke me? Nathan spoke in his mind.

"I'm Ivanox, the master of this lodge." The lodge master introduced himself.

"I'm well aware of that." Nathan stood up and tapped his shoulders to remove the dirt.

"So boy, why are you here?" Ivanox inquired.

"Now that you mentioned it, do you know how I can return back to Ireland?" Nathan was desperate to knowing how.

"Ohhhh....Ireland?" The old man scratched his bald head.

"Hughhh... I doubt if I'll ever go back." Nathan sighed heavily, his face saddened.

"Hmmm......" Ivanox was now stroking his long white beard. "Ah! I remember now, that's the place where Lucas was living." Finally, the answer hit his head.

"Lucas?" Nathan thought the name was familiar.

Nathan recalled very well about who Lucas was. He was sure he had heard the name before. Then, it struck his brain like a moving arrow.

"Do you mean Lucas Knight? My grandfather?!" Nathan was astonished.

"Yeah! that's right! That must be why you look a little similar to Pernel." Ivanox voice was hoarse.

"You also know my father?!" Nathan surprised.

"Oh yes I know Pernel! His Lucas' only son. That poor boy, always shoved in his lessons." Ivanox recalled.

"B-b-b-ut why do you know my family?" Nathan was still in awe.

"No, your're mistaken my boy. I only know Lucas and Pernel since Lucas was my partner back then." Ivanox strated pacing around.

"So that means you've visited Earth at least once!" Nathan concluded.

"I don't know what you mean, well, we also call our world Earth. But yes, I have visited your non- magic world. I really don't even know how I survived their for two years but I was glad to have met your grandfather even though we had a lot of fights and conflicts." The master explained.

"Then you must know how I can go back to Ireland!" Nathan yelled. He was loosing his calm and blank face.

"Woah. Easy there kid. I'm afraid you won't be able to do that. Let me ask you, did you get here through a portal?"

"Yes I did. It was that strange knife that opened it."

"Exactly. It was the Kinl knife that brought you here. It's a unique instrument that enables you to travel to other various dimensions." Ivanox climbed and sat on his table.

"So that thing that I saw in the cave was yours." Nathan spoke.

"Yes. It was mine and it was the last Kinl knife that has been ever made." Ivanox clarified.

"And don't have it with me now." Nathan was disappointed.

"Well, once it opens a portal, you must always grab the knife before you enter or else it will be left in the previous world you are in." Ivanox explained further.

"And so that means, without the stupid knife, I'll be stuck in this strange world for all eternity." Nathan realized the upsetting fact.

"Yes. You will be. Unless you train here and become a mage and make an instrument similar to it." Ivanox explained another option.

"I don't even know if i will survive a week with those dim-witted fools." Nathan protested quietly.

"You'll get along with them in no time! Eron will guide you." Ivanox spoke.

"Of course master." Eron was loyal to her master.

Eron approached Nathan. Nathan just looked up at her. Then, the fearsome warrior pinched Nathan's ear and dragged him with her.

"Come now you expressionless child, you got a lot to learn."

"Ow!" Nathan screamed.

The two of them walked out of the room and slammed the door really loud.

Ivanox just gazed at them and began to think.

Pernel, your son cannot escape his faith. Danger lies ahead of him. I hope he awakens soon enough or else the world  will be plunged in great peril.

The Adventures of Nathaniel Knight Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Strange Dream

Beatrix Town

The town during the night was quiet peaceful. The lam posts gleamed and lighted up the dark streets. The two-story houses made of stone and cement were lighted from the inside. Crickets made sounds and the fireflies fluttered in the air like tiny moving lanterns. The shoppes and restaurants were closed and were soon to be opened again early tomorrow. Few people were walking on the streets, probably going home from a hard day's work

Nathan and Cosette knocked at the door of a building that faced a canal that was about 10 meters wide. The building was concrete while above, the chimney was composed of red bricks. At the alley, cats gathered in groups and dug up trash bins searching for their meal.

"Yes, how may I help you?" The door creaked open and an old woman appeared.

"Good evening Mrs. Grin." Cosette greeted with a smile.

"Ooohhhh.... Cosette it's you. Get in." The woman opened the door letting the pair in.

"Pardon me for asking dear, but where is Elli?" The Landlady of the inn Cosette was staying inquired about Elli.

"Well, about that..." Cosette looked down and was unable to give a direct answer.

"What has happened my dear?" The old woman looked concerned.

Nathan just stood quietly beside Cosette, observing the surroundings. Opposite to them was a fireplace made of bricks. In front of it was a table with four chairs, on top was a bouquet of purple and white irises.There were wooden stairs that led to the next floor where the rooms could be found.

Cosette wiped away her sad face and smiled,"Elli's going to follow sooner or later now."

"Well that's good then." The woman smiled back. "Oh! And who is this gentleman over here?"

Nathan just stared at the old woman.

"Oh! He's Nathan. He's gonna be living here for a while." Cosette spoke.

"Ohh...Is that so? Welcome Mr. Nathan."

"I truly appreciate it."

"Now, it's getting cold. How about I escort the two of you upstairs."

The three of them went upstairs. As they took a step, the boards squeaked noisily. The floorboards creaked and the hallway was illuminated by a light bulb.

So electricity exists in this world. This dimension is unexpectedly more strange than I thought it would be. Nathan thought.

"This is it. I'll be leaving now and good night." The old woman left.

The room was located at the right wing of the two the construction. The door was made of wood and as Cosette unlocked it, the inside was dark. She began feeling the left wall and instantly found the switch. The room was now full of light and the image was clear. facing the door was a table and a chair and also a double hung window. On both sides were  two beds covered with blue fabric. Nathan took a step inside and smelled the air.

"This is were me and Elli live." Cosette informed Nathan.

"Elli. You mean the big man you were with at the forest?" Nathan asked. He lowered the bag he had carried with him on his back.

"Yes. I wonder if he's alright?" Cosette worried. She sat on the soft ben and looked down the wooden floor.

"What were the two of you  doing in the middle of a jungle?" Nathan spoke as he lay down the other bed, exhausted.

"Well, there was a request for 100,000 gold. The mission was to retrieve the Donogol wand that has been stolen by an unkown person. Although there were witnesses, they failed to recognize his face. He was last spotted running inside the Evergreen Forest and so Elli and I figured that maybe the culprit was still there since the forest was so wide and enormous. I don't know why the village chief was eager to get it back but I do know that it in the village for almost a hundred years." Cosette placed her bag on the floor and lay down her bed.

"But Elli knows about the wand, doesn't he?" Nathan said.

"Most probably." Cosette grabbed the Barrim flower from her pocket and placed it on her bedside table.

"Well, I'm exhausted and it's getting really late, kindly turn the light off for me."

Cosette lay down her bed snuggled under her blanket and rolled like a cocoon . Nathan stood up and approached the switch, he clicked it downwards and the light was gone. He went back to the bed he was currently occupying and stared at the dull ceiling.

Today was something out of the ordinary, I expect more tomorrow if I ever wake up. Nathan thought and finally went to sleep.

Nathan opened his eyes. He woke up at an empty dessert, full of nothing but dried sand. The stars up the skies were glittering but Nathan was surprised to see the moon was red. It was as if the moon has been bleeding and so it turned red.

"Where is this?" Nathan was in the middle of nowhere.

He started walking onwards without even knowing where he was. He kept moving onward and turning his head to all directions. The suddenly, at after a blink of an eye, he was transported to a void filled with darkness. Nathan's eyes was open wide and he was lost in confusion. He started moving forward again, not knowing what he'll reach.

"Nathaniel." A deep groan made Nathan stop.

He looked around but saw no one. Then in a distance ahead of him, he saw glowing red eyes. Watching them made Nathan shiver, but he kept his cool.

"Who are you?! Show yourself to me at once!"  Nathan demanded.

"Hehehe." The laugh was pure of evil. Nathan backed away.

"You shall see me when the time is right." The voice emanated from all directions.

"Where are you!" Nathan was panicking. He was getting angry and serious.

"Hahaha! We will meet again, Nathaniel Knight." The voice faded and the glowing red eyes was gone.

But then, Nathan felt something dangerous approaching really fast. He didn't now what it was but Nathan was had one thought in mind after feeling it- death.

Aeron Tower, Death Valley

"Milord, the preparations are almost complete." Said a man in a red robe. He was kneeling down with his head bowed low in respect to his one and only master.

"Hmmmmm..." The evil man made a devious smile. He was seated at a big throne carved with complicated marks, his face concealed by the dark blue cloak he was wearing. The man's attention was being caught by the glowing dark orb above his palm. He was monitoring someone using the glowing device.

"That is good my faithful servant. Continue your duties and keep track of what my minions are doing." The man ordered.

"I'll do it at once! Thank you Milord." The servant stood up and left the dark lifeless room quickly.

"It won't be long Nathaniel, it won't be long." The wicked guy laughed.

The orb was showing an image of Cosette shaking Nathaniel rapidly in his bed. The evil lord squeezed his palm and not long after that, the sphere broke and was shattered into pieces.


Grin's Inn, Beatrix town

"Nathan!" A loud voice entered Nathan's eardrums.

He was finally back to his senses. Morning has come and birds were singing their songs. Outside, the people were busy and the town was full of different noises. The various shoppes were opened and costumers were getting into adore their unique products. The skies were clear and the sun was shinning abundantly.

" What happened to you?" Cosette was grasping Nathan's shoulders.

"N-n-othing. I just had a little dream that's all." He answered. Nathan got out of his bed and approched the window to catch some air. He stretched his hand and looked down the busy streets.

"So this is Beatrix in the morning." He turned and sat down his bed, still bothered of the vision he had.

The Adventures of Nathaniel Knight Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The World of Magic

Donogol Village

At the wooden gates of the village, Nathan saw children laughing and chasing each others' backs. There were no The watchmen stood by guarding the entrance for any suspicious men while the women stayed at their tiny huts, waiting for their husbands to come back.

Two figures emerged from the entrance. One was smaller and was holding a rope that was connected to the one tied around the other person. The other person was a little taller and was tied up tightly. The two of them passed by the village youngsters who stopped playing and directly gazed at them. Murmurs of the villagers clustering together overlapped.

"What's that girl doing?"

"The guy looks strange."

"Isn't that from girl a mage?"

"Yeah. They were supposed to get the one who stole the Donogol relic."

"Where's the big guy?"

The whispers of the people crowded Cosette's aching mind. She had been crying all the way and suddenly stopped when they reached the village gates. Nathan was quiet but he there were times in when he would try to break the strong cord. Nathan was still unable to adapt to the surroundings. Everything was bizarre to him. The plants, the animals, the people, all of it yet he didn't panicked and continued to stay calm and think of where he was now.

Nathan and Cosette proceeded inside a medium sized straw hut. Inside were two beds made of dried plant fibers. The place was dark and the only light came from the open entrance. At the corner were two loaded bags.  Cosette approached Nathan and untied him slowly without saying a word.

"Thank you for that." Nathan said as he stretched his hand up in the air.

Cosette moved toward the bags. She bent down and opened one of them and after that she pulled out fresh clothes. She threw them to Nathan with force and the teenage boy easily caught it.

"There's your change of clothes." Cosette said grouchily.

Nathan turned against Cosette and took off his shirt. Cosette's blue eyes just stared at him until a mark on Nathan's back caught her attention. At the top right side of Nathan's back was a familiar sign. It was an eight-pointed sun and around it were vines with thorns. The drawing was painted black and after seeing it, Cosette remembered a specific person that was close to her.

"Now I feel refreshed, even though I feel strange with this clothing" Nathan thought as he finished dressing up.

He wore a plain white shirt on the top with an orange jacket. On the bottom were khaki slacks and a pair of rubber shoes.

 Just then, a small old man carrying a wooden staff entered. He had a wrinkled face and his brows were about to meet. He looked serious and Cosette new why.

"Where is the village's relic?!" The village chief's voice sounded angry.

"Uhhmmm" Cosette was shaking, her head bowing. She was scared to face the village chief.

"Tell me little girl! Aren't you suppose to catch whoever stole it?!!" The old man became loud.

Cosette winced. She was speechless and ashamed for not being able to complete the request. For the last 3 days they had a mission to fulfill- it was to retrieve the Donogol Wand from whoever stole it and bring back to the village. There were some speculations that the person who stole it was hiding at the huge forest near the village and so Cosette and Elli went to investigate. But then, Cosette returned to the village empty handed and also, without his partner.

"You puny wizard," The village chief moved closer to Cosette, his eyes full of range and his staff glowing.

"I'm asking you where is it?!" The old man raised his staff and planned on striking Cosette.

Luckily, Nathan was there and he quickly blocked the staff using his arm. He instantly felt the pain of blocking it, like their was electricity flowing inside his body. Both Cosette and the village chief were shocked and motionless. Just then, the staff loosed it's glow and it finally went back to normal. The cruel old man pulled out his staff away from Nathan and stood speechless because of what he did.

"The sight of people striking harmless little children disgust me! She has done nothing to deserve something like that. If you want the relic so much then how about you go and seek it!" Nathan was mad at the village chief.

"H-h-how dare you say that! Depart away from my village you two! I'll just call mages from other lodges to look for the wand!" The chef commanded as he pointed to the village exit.


Montale Valley

"Are you sure you're okay?!"Cosette was concerned.

After the heated fight between the Village Chief, Nathan and Cosette quickly left the village.

"Hey, you've already ask me that question 117 times. I told you, it's just a little blister on the arm." Nathan answered for the 117th time.

"But, it was all because of me, I'm really sorry." Cosette was still apologizing.

"Please, I'm fine now. By the way, do you now how I can return back to Ireland?" Nathan spoke as they walk  down the grassy trail.

"Hmmmm.... let's see.... there's  Inklet, Imoph, Iyoulle, Itlas.......mmmmm.....No! I've never heard of a place called Ireland." Cosette responded.

"Well, I haven't heard of those places either." Nathan looked ahead. "I guess you'll never have an answer to that question."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Cosette looked up at Nathan with confusion.

"Well, I don't know why I'm concluding this directly but I think I'm lost in your world." Nathan said calmly.

"I don't quite understand it but, does that mean that you're from another dimension?!" Cosette suddenly got excited.

As they were walking, Nathan observed around the place. The healthy growing plants, the cool wind passing by, the herd of deers drinking at the clear stream, the peaceful surroundings made Nathan calm and relaxed.

" Maybe I am. But this world might be interesting after all. How about telling me more about you're world? " He replied, feeling the breeze that was passing.

"Even though you're an egoistic straightforward person, I think it won't hurt if I'll tell you everything about this place." Cosette made a big smile.

Nathan was just quiet.

"First of all, in this world of ours, the most precious thing a person can ever posses is magic!" the little mage started her lecture.

"Magic eh?" Nathan had difficulty swallowing it. "It must be lucky for you here to have magic. Back at my planet, doesn't exist. It only appears in tales that parents read to their young ones in order for them to fall asleep."

"But magic is real!" Cosette protested.

"Yeah, yeah.... move on." Nathan said.

"More importantly, others said that magic is inherited, but that's wrong. The truth is, magic is a skill, if you have strong emotions towards magic then you have a huge possibility to acquire it." Cosette explained.

"So that means, emotions trigger magic powers." Nathan assumed.

"You could say that. Oh! People who can use magic are called mages. Some call us wizards, it's an honor to be called something like that. Then, each mage should be a member of a lodge so that the jobs can be organized and legal. Lodges are those where different wizards gather and look for requests." Cosette said as she and Nathan jumped over a small brook.

"So you're a mage? But you're still a little child." Nathan looked at Cosette with an astonished look.

"What's so surprising about it?" Cosotte was curious.

"Nothing." Nathan then turned away. "It's just that little girls like you should be educated at schools."

"Oh! You don't need schools as long as you have magic and management. I have friends in the lodge who can teach me useful things. The master also takes care of me since my parents abandoned since I was just a baby." Cosette remembered of her childhood.

When she was just a newborn baby, her parents left her inside a dump at the ally. It was raining hard that time and Cosette was having a high fever, she was going to die in a matter of hours. But then, in the midst of her crying a middle aged man found her and carried her in his arms. It turns out that he was a mage, and more importantly he was the head of a lodge. As Cosette grew up, she had a dream of protecting her new family and thus began her ambitions to learn magic.

"So, I assume you're a member of a lodge?" Nathan asked

"Yeah! It's called the Diamond Candle Lodge of Magic. The current head is chief Ivanox. You don't have to worry about the people at the lodge, they maybe always fighting but, trust me, they're all good hearted men and women." Cosette was excited to go home but a little worried about Elli.

Elli, I hope you are safe.


"How unusual." Nathan blurted out.

"What's unusual?" Cosette asked.

"Well, we've been talking to each other as we pass this valley yet we haven't introduced ourselves yet."  Nathan realized.

"Oh no! you're right! I've been so caught up by the topic that I forgot to state my name! Oh! By the way, I'm Cosette Parsle." Cosette held out her hand.

"I'm Nathan. Nathaniel Knight. It's nice to have a handshake but I think I'll pass." Nathan refused to accept Cosette's hand.

"Why do you have to be so egoistic huh?!" Cosette got irritated.

"Wait a minute, I see people." Nathan looked far ahead and saw tiny moving people from their distance.

"We're getting closer Beatrix Town! Finally!" Cosette was glad to finally return home.

The sun was already sinking, the town's lights were switched on. It was quite a huge town with a lot of people living in it. Alas, Cosette was going back to a place where she can assure her safety.

The Adventures of Nathaniel Knight Chapter 3

Chapter 3:  Unluckiest Day

Inside the Portal

The portal felt really hot inside. Nathan was unable to breath well and the surroundings made him to almost throw up. He was alone in the vast space surrounded by glowing violet rings. As he looked at his own self, he saw his body changing. All he could do was to gaze with disbelief.

My body, it's structure is changing. What's happening to me?!  Nathan was panicking and his body was shrinking or maybe, his clothes were getting bigger. In all the confusion, the only thing Nathan could do was to wait until the other opening of the portal shows.


Evergreen Forest, near Donogol Village

The leaves rustled as a slight breeze passed quietly. Behind the thick bushes, two people were patiently waiting for their prey.

"Cosette, I can smell him already. Get ready to trap them." The man wearing a dirty white coat told his comrade.

"Yes sir!" The little girl with blonde hair looked determined.

Then, the sound of footsteps entered the area. From a far distance, a guy was running breathlessly towards Cosette and Elli's direction. His panting was clearly heard and his face was all covered with scratches.

"Now, here's our chance!" Elli whispered loudly to Cosette.

"Yes!" Cosette stared at some weeds that might be stepped by the running stranger.

"Weed trap!" She yelled pointing at the wild grasses.

Suddenly, it was like her finger drew out a magic circle from nowhere. The circle had several unusual lines and symbols and it was glowing with a green color. Afterwards, the grasses began moving by themselves grabbing Nathan's leg. Nathan was busy running for his life he was not able to see the grass creeping towards him.

"W-woah!!!!" Nathan lost his balance and stumbled on the ground, his face kissing the grass.

"Ugghh... This is such a humiliation." Nathan said to himself.

As Nathan raised his head, He saw a silhouette of two human figures looking down him. His senses were shutting down but he could hear the two people talking to one another. Nathan was unfamiliar of the language even though he learned to speak 8 languages through out his life. He tried hard to listen to the conversation but   four hours of running had used up all of his energy. His vision began to blur until he was swallowed by the darkness.

"Oh no! He's passed out! What should we do about him Elli?" Cosette was worried.

"Hmmmm.... Maybe we should string him up and bring him back to the lodge for questioning." Elli implied.

"But, what if this man is not the right one. Looking at his clothes, I suggest that he's not from around here. The witnesses said they saw someone with a brown cape running with the ancient relic. This helpless boy seems innocent to me. And by the way,he smells really bad" The little girl explained, covering her nose.

"Let's check him first." The huge bald man stared at Nathan for a moment. Then he sat down and started touching the unconscious teenager.

"Doesn't he resemble someone from the lodge? I mean the this boy really does look like him." Cosette brushed off the dirt from her black linen shorts while waiting for Elli's inspection to be done.

" Yeah, I know. But this is not him so we still are not sure if he's a friend or one of them. By the way, he's empty." Elli confirmed.


Cosette started to pity Nathan. His clothes were torn from top to bottom and his body was full of scratches and small cuts. I wonder what happen to the strange man. Cosette's face saddened. 


"Okay, even though he's empty we'll still tie him up just in case. We've been here in the large forest since yesterday and he was the only one present here other than us." Elli instructed.


He got the rope that hanged on his back and tied it around Nathan slowly yet tightly. After securing the fibered rope, the pair began departing Evergreen Forest with while dragging Nathan before at their backs.


"A-are you sure it's okay to drag him like that?" Cosette asked.


Elli gazed down Cosette. "Of course it is. He won't feel it since he's unconscious. Riding on my back isn't free you knnow." 


"Yeah." Cosette looked down.


The walked through the forest with silence. Only the sound of wild animals and the rustling leaves was heard. Cosette admired the colorful wild plants as well as the Barrim flowers that sprouted near the stream. Barrim Flowers were herbal plants that cured magic related diseases. They were rare flowers that could not easily be found anywhere. Cosette was happy to have found a bunch of them.


"Elli! Look! Look over there!" Cosette shouted and ran towards where the plants were.


"You're lucky to have found a lot of them." Elli felt glad about his partner's happiness.


The flowers blossomed beautifully in the  midst of the forest. Their orange petals were wet with sparkling dews and their stalks were fine and healthy.


"Ooohhh!!! I want to pick at least one of them! they're pretty!" The blonde haired girl was fascinated.


"If you promise to take care of it, maybe they'll let you have one of them." Elli replied with a smiling face.


"I promise I will." Cosette swore from he bottom of her heart.


She pulled out one Barrim plant carefully and placed it inside her pocket. Then suddenly, the emotional scene was interrupted by a heavy coughing sound. It turns out that Nathan was now wide awake and he was gasping for air. As he moved, his cuts hurt him and he shrieked because of the unexplainable pain.


"Easy there." Elli backed off his prisoner.


Cosette approached Nathan and poked one of his wounds.


"Ow! That hurts." Nathan spoke in English. He watched Cosette as she tasted the blood she poked out of Nathan's cut.


"Hmmmm.... I don't know what this man is talking about but I think these cuts are made by poisonous snake roses." Cosette concluded.


"Snake roses huh? don't their poisons kill people?" Elli was confused.


"I don't know but the poison tastes like it." 


"Hey! Is it alright for you to be tasting poison like that?" Elli was worried.


"That's okay. The poison was mixed with blood already so a drop won't take effect on me." Cosette looked at Nathan's blank face.


"And it seems he doesn't understand a thing we say." Cosette realized.


"Ah! I got an idea!" The young girl pulled a petal from the Barrim flower she picked. Afterwards, from her other pocket, she got a piece of what seemed to be a black tablet and wrapped it using the orange petal.


"Eat this" She offered it to Nathan.


Is she telling me to eat it? Well, they tied me up with a thick rope and probably dragged me here-


Before Nathan could decide wether to eat it or not, Elli grabbed the remedy from Cosette and pushed it inside Nathan's mouth. Nathan was surprised but eventually, he swallowed it and  received a bad taste from the flower petal yet he didn't show it.


"Now, that was like something prepared at some cheap fast food chain." Nathan commented calmly.


"Finally Elli! he speaks our language!" Cosette jumped with joy.


"Speaking your mind boggling language? I believe I'm speaking English at this very moment." Nathan disagreed and tried to stand up. But then, the wounds all over his body still hurt him. He stumbled back down the ground.


"Hey! we saved your life you mean boy! and you have a terrible accent." Cosette crossed her arms and looked away.


"The Barrim won't take effect in about 5 minutes so stay still if you want to be healed. Lucky for you the snake roses' pricks were shallow and were not able to kill you." Cosette was mad at Nathan.


Nathan looked up the clear skies and gave a sigh. 


" From exiting the portal I crashed down trees, chased by angry bees, bumped unto a stranger, passed through thorny plants, tripped and got unconscious, tied up with cables, and now, I'm being scolded by a mere child for commenting on her language. I think I'm going to be insane." Nathan recalled the unfortunate events that happened to him.


"Hahaha!!! Serves you right!" Cosette could not stop herself from laughing. She tumbled to the ground and rolled like a log.


"Wait a minute!" Elli suddenly spoke. " Where is that stranger at this very moment?!"


"Well, if you're desperate to know then he's still laying unconscious on the ground." Nathan stood up. The medicine Cosette gave was already repairing Nathan's wound.


"Unconscious?" Elli was puzzled.


"Yes he is. Instead of following me, the bees changed their course and diverted their attention towards the poor gentleman. He got all the bites and fell to the ground unconscious. The bees were still swarming above him and so I have no choice but to run for it." Looked at himself. "Ughhh... I really need a change of clothes."


"Well you won't get any of it if you continue with that attitude!" Cosette yelled.


Elli's face started to get serious and without any remark he went back the thick woods.


"Where are you going?!" Cosette asked.


Elli turned his back against the two of them. "The man that this boy is talking about might be the one we're looking for."


"Cosette!" Elli spoke


"Yes?!" Cosette stood up straight.


"Take the prisoner to the village and give him clean clothes. After that get some rest for a few ours and then return to the lodge." Elli instructed Cosette.


"B-b-but where are you going? And why do I have to be with him?!" Cosette argued.


"Cosette, you don't know what power the ancient relic holds. You have to keep out of this and stay out of trouble. Bring that man with you to safety and I'll handle the rest." Elli explained more further.


"But I'll help you!" Cosette still argued.


"No Cosette! It's best if you take that man to safety than to leave him here or to take him with us. He's not yet healed completely exposing him to great danger. Besides," Elli gave a warm smile.


"We're mages of the Diamond Candle Lodge!"


At that point on, Elli continued to his path, determined. "Cosette, the relic is something powerful enough to defeat both of our magic. The one who stole it must be aware of it's magical power and he could destroy us for a split second.I'm sorry for not telling you this earlier. If you reach the lodge, tell the master about everything that happened, including the incident involving the boy. This is farewell for now, I know we will meet again."


After that, Elli disappeared inside the thick trees. Tears fell from Cosette's eyes and her joy was changed into sadness. The sound of running water was heard and the birds chirped as they passed by.


"Could you stop crying. It's loud and it makes you look ugly." Nathan uttered. 


He stood up and gazed at the water. Then, he was surprised of what he saw. He could've sworn he was 20 years old when he left the cave. But now, his face was younger and his wrinkles were gone.


So that must be why I felt a little lighter when I got out of the the purple vortex. And the thing that happened in the portal must be this. My body shrinking, my face changing, not to mention my voice. Something or someone, or whatever could it be reverted me back to being a 14 year old boy. Ughhh..... Nathan thought and lay down with a deep sigh.