A/N: Nice guess, MystyTaurus, and here's your answer! Are you right? Or
wrong? Should I keep talking. er. typing so you have to read it and can't
read the story, or not? ~L~ I'll type the story. Here it is!
*
Alia stared wide-eyed at the door. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?" She gestured for her children to get behind her as she stood, facing the open door.
Standing, blocking the storm wind and rain from entering the cozy home, was a huge, muscular man. The hood of his cloak was down, and as a result his almost shoulder length black hair was soaked. Grey eyes scrutinized the room and Alia, seeming to find the scene familiar. "I could have followed your aura here, but I didn't. I asked your husband to show me the way," he spoke with a deep, rich voice that seemed devoid of any emotion. Her husband, a strong man in his own right, was forced out from behind the stranger.
"I- I'm sorry, Alia, I know you don't like visitors, but he told me exactly where the house was. He wouldn't wait."
Alia shook her head. Her children peered curiously out from behind her skirts. "What are you doing here?" she asked the big man again.
"The storm is coming, Alia, and I cannot break through it without your help."
Alia's eyes went wide. She stumbled back a few steps until she fell into the chair. Her skin was several shades whiter than it should have been.
"Alia?" Her husband tried to rush to her side, but he was held back by a large hand on his shoulder. The powerful farmer glared at the even bigger stranger.
"I know this is surprising," the big man began, "but we've been prepared for this for all of our lives. What's the matter?"
Alia only shook her head. "How do you know?"
"An injured soldier rode to my farm..."
".and you healed him with the Old Tongue." Now the stranger looked surprised. "And he told you his story of journeys to three different towns. The first two were badly concealing their traitorism, the third."
".was good. A man told the soldier just as he was preparing to leave that 'the storm had approached and lightening waits to strike. The true sun must spear its golden rays through the clouds or we are lost. Tell that to your kind. And hurry,'" Alia's oldest son interrupted. Both Alia and the stranger stared at him.
"How did you know that?" the stranger asked before a startled Alia could say a word.
"Ma told us a story. It's just like you were saying, about the soldier and all. It was really good. She was just getting to how the farmer left his house after telling the soldier to stay there. And he asked the soldier what the strange army's standards looked like."
The stranger blinked his large, grey eyes. "What did they look like?"
"Grey like a rain cloud, but with fire instead of rain," the eight- year old answered, obviously proud at knowing all of the answers.
Alia's husband had no clue of what was going on between the three, his wife, his firstborn, and the stranger, so he remained silent. The large stranger was silent for a moment, his reason not much different than the lesser man's. "Alia? How does he know all of that?"
"I- I told them a story. A bedtime story. What he said about the warning, that was word-for-word of what I said this morning."
"Summarize this story, although I fear I already know it." The stranger leaned back against the wall and folded his arms. The farmer suddenly realized that without the bigger man blocking it, the open door was letting in copious amounts of rain. He quickly closed it and removed his wool cloak, hanging it on a peg next to several others.
"The first night I told of a man in a village. He- he looked- a lot like you, I guess. You fit his role. He came out of his father's tavern and was accosted by twelve riders; seven were black, four were grey, and the last was white. He defeated them all, but not before they burned his town. He vowed to kill them all.
"Next night I told them of a farmer tilling his fields. A wounded soldier rode up to his house and he aided him. During the night he used strange concoctions and the Old Tongue to heal the dying man. The next day, the soldier told him the beginning of his story.
"The next time the soldier woke up he told more of his story. Some time later he told of an army he ran across, with the banners my son explained to you. Before that he had gone to a loyal village and received the warning that my son also explained. Then the farmer left with old belongings, off to a destination he couldn't reach fast enough. You interrupted." The last was said with a mother's annoyance for such a deed.
The stranger slumped to the floor. It seemed that he was asleep or dead, but Alia soon perceived a soft weeping. "No. Alia, that is my story. My home that was burned. My farm that I left. This is all too soon! I never wanted this prophecy. I've killed enough."
Alia almost seemed ready to comfort the man, but with a slight shake of her head she chose not to.
"What does this mean? Alia, who is that man?"
Alia looked slowly up to her husband. "My love. The prophecy- the one that I tried to flee- has found me again. He is the embodiment of our hope. He's Xavier."
Xavier looked up. "And who is he?"
"He is my husband, Lucian. And these are my children, Alec, Orion, and Lark."
"Nice to know you all," Xavier nodded. "Now, Alia, we must go."
"We?" Xavier nodded again. "I'm not leaving."
The big man pushed himself up the wall. "You must. We're running out of time."
"No!" Lucian cried, jumping over to Alia. "She will stay here. She left the castle to get away. You are a direct part of the prophecy, but where does it mention Alia?"
"Sadly, it does," Xavier said, putting his head down. "I will wait for this storm to ease, but then we must leave. Until then, let me tell you of the prophecy, Lucian. Let me regale you with the horrors I must live through, or the horrors that will come if I do not. If your wife does not."
*
Ending notes: There we are. I know it's short, but I'm tired. It'd probably be longer except that I had to find names for everyone. -_-;; Xavier a friend gave me, but it has a relevant meaning. I think it's savior or something. Lucian was man, and so was Alec. Orion I found on the internet also, I think it meant man of light or something. ^_^ I liked that meaning. And then I just liked the name Lark for the daughter. Yay! All of the names are done! For now. next chappie is gonna be one of those explanation ones, so you really know what's all going on. Or do you? Dun dun duuun. Oh well, wait and see!! I had something else to say. oh well, I forgot. ^_^
*
Alia stared wide-eyed at the door. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?" She gestured for her children to get behind her as she stood, facing the open door.
Standing, blocking the storm wind and rain from entering the cozy home, was a huge, muscular man. The hood of his cloak was down, and as a result his almost shoulder length black hair was soaked. Grey eyes scrutinized the room and Alia, seeming to find the scene familiar. "I could have followed your aura here, but I didn't. I asked your husband to show me the way," he spoke with a deep, rich voice that seemed devoid of any emotion. Her husband, a strong man in his own right, was forced out from behind the stranger.
"I- I'm sorry, Alia, I know you don't like visitors, but he told me exactly where the house was. He wouldn't wait."
Alia shook her head. Her children peered curiously out from behind her skirts. "What are you doing here?" she asked the big man again.
"The storm is coming, Alia, and I cannot break through it without your help."
Alia's eyes went wide. She stumbled back a few steps until she fell into the chair. Her skin was several shades whiter than it should have been.
"Alia?" Her husband tried to rush to her side, but he was held back by a large hand on his shoulder. The powerful farmer glared at the even bigger stranger.
"I know this is surprising," the big man began, "but we've been prepared for this for all of our lives. What's the matter?"
Alia only shook her head. "How do you know?"
"An injured soldier rode to my farm..."
".and you healed him with the Old Tongue." Now the stranger looked surprised. "And he told you his story of journeys to three different towns. The first two were badly concealing their traitorism, the third."
".was good. A man told the soldier just as he was preparing to leave that 'the storm had approached and lightening waits to strike. The true sun must spear its golden rays through the clouds or we are lost. Tell that to your kind. And hurry,'" Alia's oldest son interrupted. Both Alia and the stranger stared at him.
"How did you know that?" the stranger asked before a startled Alia could say a word.
"Ma told us a story. It's just like you were saying, about the soldier and all. It was really good. She was just getting to how the farmer left his house after telling the soldier to stay there. And he asked the soldier what the strange army's standards looked like."
The stranger blinked his large, grey eyes. "What did they look like?"
"Grey like a rain cloud, but with fire instead of rain," the eight- year old answered, obviously proud at knowing all of the answers.
Alia's husband had no clue of what was going on between the three, his wife, his firstborn, and the stranger, so he remained silent. The large stranger was silent for a moment, his reason not much different than the lesser man's. "Alia? How does he know all of that?"
"I- I told them a story. A bedtime story. What he said about the warning, that was word-for-word of what I said this morning."
"Summarize this story, although I fear I already know it." The stranger leaned back against the wall and folded his arms. The farmer suddenly realized that without the bigger man blocking it, the open door was letting in copious amounts of rain. He quickly closed it and removed his wool cloak, hanging it on a peg next to several others.
"The first night I told of a man in a village. He- he looked- a lot like you, I guess. You fit his role. He came out of his father's tavern and was accosted by twelve riders; seven were black, four were grey, and the last was white. He defeated them all, but not before they burned his town. He vowed to kill them all.
"Next night I told them of a farmer tilling his fields. A wounded soldier rode up to his house and he aided him. During the night he used strange concoctions and the Old Tongue to heal the dying man. The next day, the soldier told him the beginning of his story.
"The next time the soldier woke up he told more of his story. Some time later he told of an army he ran across, with the banners my son explained to you. Before that he had gone to a loyal village and received the warning that my son also explained. Then the farmer left with old belongings, off to a destination he couldn't reach fast enough. You interrupted." The last was said with a mother's annoyance for such a deed.
The stranger slumped to the floor. It seemed that he was asleep or dead, but Alia soon perceived a soft weeping. "No. Alia, that is my story. My home that was burned. My farm that I left. This is all too soon! I never wanted this prophecy. I've killed enough."
Alia almost seemed ready to comfort the man, but with a slight shake of her head she chose not to.
"What does this mean? Alia, who is that man?"
Alia looked slowly up to her husband. "My love. The prophecy- the one that I tried to flee- has found me again. He is the embodiment of our hope. He's Xavier."
Xavier looked up. "And who is he?"
"He is my husband, Lucian. And these are my children, Alec, Orion, and Lark."
"Nice to know you all," Xavier nodded. "Now, Alia, we must go."
"We?" Xavier nodded again. "I'm not leaving."
The big man pushed himself up the wall. "You must. We're running out of time."
"No!" Lucian cried, jumping over to Alia. "She will stay here. She left the castle to get away. You are a direct part of the prophecy, but where does it mention Alia?"
"Sadly, it does," Xavier said, putting his head down. "I will wait for this storm to ease, but then we must leave. Until then, let me tell you of the prophecy, Lucian. Let me regale you with the horrors I must live through, or the horrors that will come if I do not. If your wife does not."
*
Ending notes: There we are. I know it's short, but I'm tired. It'd probably be longer except that I had to find names for everyone. -_-;; Xavier a friend gave me, but it has a relevant meaning. I think it's savior or something. Lucian was man, and so was Alec. Orion I found on the internet also, I think it meant man of light or something. ^_^ I liked that meaning. And then I just liked the name Lark for the daughter. Yay! All of the names are done! For now. next chappie is gonna be one of those explanation ones, so you really know what's all going on. Or do you? Dun dun duuun. Oh well, wait and see!! I had something else to say. oh well, I forgot. ^_^