A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 105: To Train

By the time we settle in Texas at another one of Lexa's safehouses, Adam speaks of what he's found in the book he stole during our venture back into that cave.

Seated in the lush living room on leather furniture with the pristine white lighting shining over the Garde's Chests, we discuss the situation about the charm embedded into my ankle.

"It states here that it's called the Misfits Charm," Adam begins with the book open on his lap. "A charm capable of producing an invincibility effect where any damage done to the caster is instead done to the one who bears the charm."

"Does it say if we can rid it?" John asks on my behalf.

"It does," Adam replies, his attention shifting to the next page. "In order to break this charm, the one that bears the charm must recite the following phrases in the native language while connected directly to the planet's core," he reads, then looks up from the text. "I assume it means spoken in Loric and connected to Lorien."

"It's possible. What are the phrases?" asks Crayton.

"May I anon becometh free and liveth mine own most wondrous desires. I speaketh in the native tongue and connecteth with L'rien so yond I might lift this charm yond which ties mine own life with the creat'r. May I beest cent'r'd with L'rien once again, the planet of home."

For the first initial moment once Adam is finished reading out the phrases, no one says anything. A long-lasting silence passes between us all. Until Nine is the first to speak.

"Well what the fuck does that mean?!"

"Old English," I murmur to myself, in awe that it would be found in a so-called Loric text.

"Old what, Emily?" Eight asks curiously, having not heard clearly the first time.

"Old English," I repeat. "It's the language that Shakespeare wrote his plays and poems in. During a time long before the English we use today. I learned about it in my English class back home."

"Ugh, I hated English class. Specifically Shakespeare. It was so hard to understand and Ms. Bunsun would test us on it without even giving us a proper translation," Sam says with a groan. "Emily, do you know what it means?"

I smile at the thought that Sam studied it too and reply, "I can understand some of it, but not enough to speak fluently or use it in conversation."

John looks to Henri.

"Henri, do you think we can translate it to Loric and teach Emily how to read it?" he asks.

Henri rubs a hand through his patchy greying beard in consideration. "English to Loric is already quite a transition. Loric to Old English is a step even further. But I'm sure it is possible. It has been a while since I spoke our language though. I remember some words here and there, but I don't know if it is enough to provide a full translation. Crayton? Lexa? How about you?"

"It is said that our language was the backbone of many other languages here on Earth," Crayton adds in response. "I am exactly the same way Henri. It has been too long since I spoke our language and I can only remember common sentences and words. Not much to carry on a discussion."

"Perhaps if we laid out what we knew and sorted out the pieces, we could place them in order of comprehensiveness and complacency," Lexa comments.

"Like a jigsaw puzzle," says Ella happily.

"I can help too. Pittacus Lore taught me some words in Loric. I may be able to be of use," Malcolm states.

"Great, so you adults translate while we kids continue training then?" questions Six rather skeptically.