THE ELEMENTAL CHRONICLE

Twenty Four |

*I'm home now! So, here's a late update!

TWENTY FOUR |

The rest of the ride was quiet. I watched the world blur by as we moved swiftly. My mind raced with so many thoughts and ideas, and such fear. It angered me deeply, the royals were so concerned with power and glamor that they refused to help villages suffering. I wondered how many other places were like Evinare and how many places were past the brink of survival? My fingers curled and I gritted my teeth, it made me angry. The royals made me angry.

"How did they fall so far from humanity?" I whispered.

Bram looked over at me, "Thinking of my mother?"

"How could you tell," I sighed dryly, "It simply does not make sense to me, why won't the queen demand people care? These villages are made up the farms, the people who allow the royals to stay at the top. Why do they refuse to do the same down their own made system?"

"It's a complicated answer," Bram replied, "But mainly, it is because of power. Help too much and other lands will see us as weak, help not enough and our own people will think we're too weak to even help our own. It is a fragile system for everyone."

"Which only benefits the top," I muttered.

He smiled softly, "The world is not kind to those who struggle."

I looked over at Benji, my heart hurting for him, "Do you miss your family?"

"All the time," he replied softly, "All the time."

My eyes wandered back to the window, how long have we been in the carriage now? It felt like hours. My body ached from sitting, and I wondered if it would have been better to go by horseback. My fingertips tingled at the desire to mount Phoenix's back again.

"Lady Roisin," Benji suddenly asked, "Have you heard the tale of Nimue?"

"Benji," Bram snapped.

I looked over at them curiously, "What is the tale of Nimue?"

Bram gave Benji a sharp look and neither responded, both just staring blankly at each other. It was Loli who nervously looked between them and me before opening her mouth then firmly shutting it. I was even more curious now, what was the tale of Nimue and why was it so secretive? So, deciding to be a terrible pain to my friend, I nudged Loli's side.

"What is the tale of Nimue?" I demanded.

Her eyes widened, "I-I should not say."

"Well you have all put it in my mind now," I pouted, "Do spill the secrets."

Bram groaned, "It is an old tale that was dangerous to be around, and so the Queen forbade all speak of it. Which is why it would be stupid to discuss now, while on the way to already break many royal rules."

"Since when is helping the suffering against rules?"

He gave me a look.

"Well, if caught we will already be charged with treason, correct?" I demanded, this silence answered my question, "Then tell me of this tale and why Benji thinks it is worth me knowing such a thing."

"Very well," Bram muttered, flicking his wrist.

"The tale goes like this. There once was a maiden by the name Nimue. She was of sprite blood who had the hobby of watching the humans as they grew. They were weak creatures, and yet she could not find any other hobby as enthralling as watching humans."

"Sprites?" I asked confused, "Like fairies?"

He laughed, "I guess of sorts, however not as pretty as those creatures from fairy tales. They were creatures of pure magic, each being bonded to the elements in much more powerful ways than we are now. Sprites were believed to exist and some even think they still do exist—they could be one answer as to why we have such magical abilities as we do now. Anyways, the tale continues that one day, Nimue became much too obsessed with humans, and fell in love with one."