The Prophecy

Heavy footsteps echoed through a narrow, old, stone hallway as a tall man enveloped in dark robes rushed towards a jagged opening seemingly leading into darkness. He disappeared into the shadows and his footfalls could still be heard as he got further and further away. Outside, completely dark except for the light of the moon, the man emerged almost as if from nowhere had anyone been there to witness it. He ran, never tiring, clutching something in his arms. His pace only slowed with his destination in sight, a lone wharf with a small fishing boat and a waiting man covered in armour and a heavy cloak, a long sword in his hand. The running man slowed to a brisk walk, covering the wharf in a few steps, it’s creaking wood the only sounds in the quiet night.

“When will you be missed?” The tall man said as a way of hello.

The armoured man just stared at the tall man’s arms, his features tight. Unwillingly he dragged his gaze upwards. He shrugged heavily, sheathing his sword.

“Pass her to me.” He reached forward. The tall man lifted a hand to stop him, his robes slipping down his arm showing his hand with darkly lined tattoos circling his skin.

“Cover yourself Ulric!” Snatching his hands back, the armoured man took a step back and looked away over the water.

“You grew up in the times of Wizards, we were comrades once, brothers even yet you turn away from me Cowan?” Ulric asked in a low voice, pulling folds of fabric back over his hand.

“You chose the dark one even after Zenyth nearly ruined herself for you.” Cowan didn’t look at him as he spoke, “You became a different…” He had almost said person but stopped himself.

“Nobody ever found out, the dark lady compelled me to it and Zenyth believed us in love.”

“Lies!” Cowan yelled. Ulric wondered if he would pull out his sword.

“She fooled me, I realised too late and her energy was already infused with my own.” Ulric’s cloak drooped as his head bowed.

“She cursed us all!” Cowan exclaimed, his anger becoming palpable. “With your help!” Ulric knew of Cowan’s temper and his sword skills, he wished for no more death tonight. Cowan kept himself together realising the urgency of the situation without all the details if the Queen had given her daughter to Ulric. “Why did the queen call on you, why entrust you with her child?” Cowan demanded. What he really meant was why Ulric and not himself. The royal bells had announced the birth of the queen’s daughter with 8 rings as was the tradition in the Kaddeburg Kingdom, 10 rings for a boy, and 5 rings for a royal death. The 8 rings became silent and were followed by 5 loud horrible rings, turning a joyous day into a mourning one. The citizens of Kaddeburg had believed Queen Zenyth’s newly born infant heir to have died but it was the queen herself after a hard birth. Cowan, the captain of her protective guard and her childhood friend, who had loved her his whole life had been reassigned temporarily while the queen went through the last months of her pregnancy and bed rest. He had not seen her in two and a half months.

“She loved you,” Ulric explained, “but she wished to keep you from death.”

“I don’t understand!” Cowan spat out through clenched teeth.

“She has manifested the dark energies, the infant” Ulric said quietly. “Her last request was for her daughter's protection and yours, she didn’t want you involved.” Cowan said nothing for a moment.

“So she gave her to you?” He asked, deflated.

“More like demanded with her last tethers to the living world” Ulric muttered, flashing back to the sight of her frail body. He had been in the middle of his early morning prayers when Zenyth summoned him. He had not expected the sight before him. Bloody sheets and Zenyth so tired looking, the room empty except for them and the small baby in her arms, the Summoning bowl still smoking beside her. She grabbed at his robes in a frenzy.

“You must save her!” She demanded manically. “Take her now; you must take her far away!” She had thrust the bundle in her arms at him. Ulric took the infant, staring at her perfectly round cheeks; she has Zenyth’s perfect rosebud lips he had thought. Adjusting her in his arms to wrap her more tightly was instinctive but one side came loose and the babe’s arm came into view. There was a dark red swirling mark on her shoulder that trailed down to the elbow.

“She has the mark!” Ulric gasped, quickly wrapping her. He had looked up at Zenyth with horror. She was lying back breathing laboriously. She stared at him intently.

“The prophecy….” She breathed loudly, in pain, “the dark lady’s prophecy” Ulric had gone completely cold at that moment, realising what she meant. “Take her, tell no one, not even Cowan.”

She had stopped talking and seemed almost in a daze. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly.

“Your Grace, let me call on the doctor.” He had said slowly, stepping closer. Her eyes flew open.

“No!” She sat up with great difficulty, snatching his arm, surprisingly strong. “I demand it!” She said loudly, “Please? You know the meaning of this, please save her, so she can save us all.” She said in a softer voice. Ulric sat beside her and swore his oath, she whispered her last words. As soon as he agreed she had fallen back on the bed and stopped breathing. Ulric had let out an anguished cry, scooped up the summoning bowl to hide the meeting and whisked himself outside the castle walls holding the baby tightly in his grip. Ulric had sent word to Cowan soon after.

“You must know, the dark lady used royal blood in her attempt to fulfil the prophecy, she thought Zenyth was her salvation. I realised too late what she desired, I was able to stop her completing the ritual but she left a stain on the royal bloodline. The babe has the mark.” He watched Cowan’s anger fade away, replaced with fear. A look Ulric recognised. Cowan had landed the final blow, finding Zenyth alongside Ulric the day the dark lady took her. She had created a spell to give herself immortal life, such a spell needs potent ingredients like blood from a royal. The dark lady bespelled Ulric to start a courtship with Zenyth as she knew of the then princess's feelings for both of her girlhood friends and this gave her access to the princess when they started meeting in her lair. But nature makes sure that there is always a balance, with such a creation there must be a counter, the very thing that could give the dark lady eternal life could also end it for good, the royal bloodline. Ulric had stopped the dark lady and while she was weakened Cowan had ended her with his sword. Ulric had rushed to help Zenyth; Cowan pointed his sword at Ulric’s torso. His steely gaze, that same look of fear on his face and the way he had banished him still tore at Ulric’s mind as he remembered.

“The dark energies and the mark? ” Cowan began pacing the end of the wharf, “It’s a death sentence! We must…” Cowan stopped and looked at Ulric, “You are yourself still.” He said solemnly. He walked forward and clasped Ulric’s forearm with no sign of his earlier disgust. “Tell me.”

“She is the one the prophecy tells of and she will need me when she comes of age.” Ulric told him.

“The rebirth of the dark lady?”, Cowan gasps out, recoiling back.

“Or her final death.” Ulric declares, “If we succeed the old times will be back from before the dark lady’s rule, the curse gone forever and fertile land returned.”

“Or she will become un-killable, roaming this earth forever and spreading her misery!” Cowan interrupted Ulric, “the infant will be hunted; the crown passes to Zenyth’s Uncle Borin and he will never risk it, plus he hates wizards.” Running his hands through his hair, Cowan began pacing again.

“I will train her when it’s time.” Ulric said with authority. “There is no other path now. If she isn’t trained, she will be taken over and the dark lady will return, she will have no chance.” Cowan sighed and rubbed his temples.

“Where do I take her?” Cowan asked resignedly.

“Somewhere far away, nobody must know her true identity; Zenyth would want her to have a normal childhood.” Ulric’s voice broke as he said Zenyth’s name. Cowan cleared his throat. Ulric pulled a bundled heap from his robes. They both stared at the sleeping baby. Cowan’s breath caught in his throat.

“She looks like her mother…” He wiped at his eyes.

“She will be a beauty.” Ulric affirmed, nodding his head. He passed the bundle over to Cowan gently.

“How will you know when it’s time?” Cowan asked, still staring at the baby.

“We will feel a need to seek each other out, it will happen naturally.” Ulric explained.

“What about her name?” Cowan stroked her small face.

“With her last words, Zenyth asked for her to be named for Dimia.” Cowan stared incredulously at Ulric as his words sunk in.

“For my Mother?” Cowan cleared his throat again, letting his tears fall freely this time. Cowan’s mother had passed beyond the veil when they were all children. Ulric and Zenyth had shared Cowan’s pain at the loss equally. Dimia had been much loved and respected.

“As I said, she loved you.” Ulric placed his hand on Cowan’s shoulder. “The night is fading, you must make haste!” Ulric started pulling the fishing boat closer to the wharf. Cowan stepped in. The men embraced. “There is one more thing," Ulric said hastily. He produced a small black book from inside his robes. “This must stay within her possession, it is very important, make sure it is so!”

“I will.” Cowan nodded, taking the book and tucking it into the baby’s blankets. He placed her gently into a small basket so he could row. Tucking her in tightly. He turned back to the wharf for a farewell but Ulric was gone. Cowan sighed. He grabbed the oars and started rowing into the night.

To be continued…