The Magic Lands

CHAPTER SEVEN • CARTER

I walked out of the area where all the cottages were set. It was a busy village and the sun streamed down onto the cobblestone streets, littered with fallen leaves from the nearby forest. I saw several boys laughing near a cafe, and when they saw me one of them called me over. "Hey you! Come join us!" He said waveing his hand. I walked over and he smiled. "Not from around here is what I have heard." He said to me and I nodded. I normally am not that comfortable around strangers, as I have mentioned. This was no different.

"Hey what's wrong, don't ya talk?" Another boy said, he somewhat reminded me of Arnold, having red hair and freckles dotting his cheeks.

"I talk..." I said quitely. The boy who called me over gave me a playful punch on the arm.

"No need to be shy! I ain't gonna turn you into a frog like Harlina." He said and a few laughs came from the other people in the group. There were three other boys plus the Arnold looking guy, and the guy who punched me in the arm.

"Yeah, what is the whole deal with Harlina anyway." I asked, speaking a little louder.

"Ha, haven't explained it to you yet? The General should have on your way here. Harlina used to be a member of the village, but what off set her from the rest was her magic. At first she used it for good causes, like healing. But one day everything just... shifted. She started seeking more power and that's when she found the staff. She even killed the General's Dad." He told me and I looked at him in shock.

"What about her staff?" I asked, forgetting how shy I was in the first place.

"The dragon's eye staff. It is said that a flame from a dragon with green fire got solidified and turned to a gem. Then, a powerful wizard formed it into a staff and hid it away." He finished but he no longer bared his greeting smile.

I stood there for a second then one of the other boys spoke. "But good thing you, your friend, and your horse is here to stop her." He said, this boy had dark brown skin and faded blue eyes.

"Heh, yeah..." I said looking around nervously to change the subject.

"Hey, you could use some fighting skills to get Harlina. We are army men in training, you could come with us to practice with us one day. You should probably find a horse. The winged one would work." The boy that had called me over said and I shook my head.

"I couldn't ride Valerie, she isn't really a horse, Harlina..." I started to say but he cut me off.

"Well, anyway, she might need some training either way. Horses are horses. Maybe go talk to her." He finished with a laugh that rippled through the other boys in the group.

I shrugged and gave it some thought. "I guess I could come to practice, when is it?" I asked and he filled me in. "Got it, well I should probably go." I said and turned to leave.

"Hey what's your name?" The boy called.

"I'm Carter."

"Nice to meet you, I am Peter." He said and combed his brown bangs over with his hand. I nodded and waved goodbye. The other boys waved and then went back to talking.

I knew where I was headed now, to go talk to Valerie about army training. I still wasn't sure about it but, it was worth a shot if we were going against Harlina. Horses are horses, even if that was true, Valerie wasn't a horse.