The Myrrian Crisis

The Myrrian Crisis - Chapter 02 - First Steps

Chapter 2 – First Steps

I stood by the ferry, stunned. Kess was motioning at me.

“Mikkel! Get onto the ferry! We got to head for Snow!

I couldn’t. She was... perfect. I felt so rude. I was just gawking at her. Her face. Her bronze skin, her electric blue eyes. It was like they were reading me, analyzing my heart, my soul!

She wore a grey parka with the hood pulled over head.

Kess persisted, “MIKKEL! Leave the girl! We have to LEAVE!”

“Kess. Forgive me...” I trailed off. I couldn’t even speak.

“Mikkel! I will leave you behind if you do not come NOW!”

I was too stricken to really even care. Time slowed to a screeching halt from the moment she spoke.

Be careful. She could be a siren. A succubus! Don't let her get too close.

My mind was flipping between extreme caution and extreme infatuation. She was perfect, she made my whole body quiver.

I just about melted as the young woman pointed at me, “I’m going to have to have you follow me. The Cabal is expecting you.”

With that, my mind snapped back to reality.

“What about the Praetorian?” I asked.

“What about him?” she rebutted as she brandished her bow, “He had weapons. We can’t allow armed strangers into the realm.”

Damn. They would surely find my dagger sooner or later. I decided to fess up.

“Wait a minute. I have a dagger, why didn’t you shoot me down?”

She turned around and said, “I’m done answering questions. Follow me.”

She led me through the forest for a while until we approached a bright blue light. It was so bright that it begun to burn my eyes.

As we approached, she hollered, “Lower the western defenses! I have the stranger!”

The light dimmed, and it became apparent where we were going.

It was a fortress. Enormous, elaborate. There were countless guards standing atop the wall.

I remember I had to travel to Poseidon a few years ago. The city was massive. Easily miles across, and it wasn’t nearly half the size of what I was seeing.

We approached a large gate, heavily fortified. Several battalions of foot soldiers were standing at attention with their weapons drawn.

“The Cabal is down this hall,” the woman said.

The heavy gates opened, and we walked down an elaborate corridor, the walls studded with fine tapestries and portraits of rulers past.

It took nearly fifteen minutes to arrive at an ornate double door. It was decorated with stone and some of the finest silver.

The room appeared to be empty, although I sensed that something was in the center of the floor.

The woman gracefully extended her left arm and expelled a stream of crisp, clear water at the center of the floor.

The water started to take form. It was becoming the shape of a man, dressed in a ceremonial robe. Pretty soon, the water disappeared, revealing an actual man.

He seemed pale. His translucent flesh and feeble build made him look much older than he should. His face looked aged, but not nearly as old as the rest of his body.

“You are the wanderer?”

I finally mustered the courage to speak up, “Yes sir.”

“Why were you running?” the old man questioned.

I stammered for a bit, “Well, we... uh... we were running from a man who wanted to kill us.”

The man nodded and asked, “And why did he want to kill you?”

“Because we went derelict. The army needed my brother Kess and I and we deserted,” I said softly.

The old man smiled, “Honesty. That is one of the tenets of the Realm.”

Not knowing what else to say, I asked, “Where am I? What do you want with me?”

“You will learn the answers to all of your questions in due time. But for now, Mikkel, you will train. You are much needed here.” the Cabal replied.

“I’m needed? What could you possibly need with me? I’m a farmer. Everyone in my family was a farmer or a fisher. I’m nothing.”

“A humble heart is a good place to start to become a true warrior. But you are far from just a measly farmer. Your fate holds many dangers and many more honors.”

“And how would you know this? All I have ever done in my life so far is grow corn!”

The old man deflected my question, and asked me, “Does a child begin life’s journey carrying flint for survival? Does a bird know flight upon hatching? Just as these are, you will need training of high vigor. Karana. I am placing you in charge of Mikkel’s training in the art of Water Warfare.”