The
sky was turning pale. A flock of pigeons drifted across the cereal field,
making their way to their nests. Some made a stop on cereal plants and plucked
them for their young before joining the rest of flock. The clouds were in
vibrant orange and red. Far in the horizon, the sun was sinking behind the
hills as the moon made its way in. I was sitting beside a robust wild berry
bush. I plucked one wild berry and stuffed it into my mouth; delicious and
juicy.
It
would be great if Mum and Dad were still alive. We could spend hours gazing at
the setting sun. It was a beautiful evening, a sunset scene that awakened
memories of the past. I grabbed a spade and a rake with my hands; both covered
in dirt and made my way back to Grandma’s cottage.
In
the middle of my way I stopped by at Aunt Marie’s who passed me some homemade
raspberry muffins. She was a warm-hearted old lady about the same age as Grandma’s.
Everyone who lived in the kingdom of Gorwath, including the royal family acknowledged
her for the tasty breads, cakes and muffins she baked and sold at Marie’s
Bakery. She was the royal bakery. I thanked her and sped up for home.
It
was getting dark and nobody in Gorwath should be out from their houses at night
for fear that the ferocious creatures from the Forbidden Forest would prey on
us. I had never seen any of those beasts but Grandma had once told me that they
had a great liking on human flesh.
The
owls had already started to hoot when I arrived home. Grandma was waiting for
me at the front door looking worried.
“Riko,
what took you so long? A kid like you would make a superb dinner for the nasty
creatures out there!” said Grandma.
“Nah,
not that I’m safely home now Grandma,” I replied.
“My dear Riko, have you forgotten what did Maqueda
said earlier this morning? The Shadow is awakening! That will cause the vicious
beasts of the Forbidden Forest to become more aggressive!” said Grandma in a
pitch that hurt my ears.
“The
Shadow? What on earth is that, Grandma?” I asked.
“Come
in and I will let you know,” said Grandma.
I
went in and locked the door made of oak tree. It was strengthen with metal bars
and a magic symbol which assembled the form of a phoenix was carved at the
centre. The carving was said to be able to guard the house from any evil
creatures from the Forbidden Forest. Every house in Gorwath had the same carving
on their doors.
“It
is an evil magical dragon, a legendary creature that was said to have existed
since the dawn of time. The Shadow has the power to control all the creatures
of the Forbidden Forest and being invincible, no weapon could take away its
life. The last time it awakened, it took years before the Council of Wizards
could come to a solution to the problem. They were not strong enough to destroy
it but they managed to put it into a deep sleep in a cave far deep in the
Forbidden Forest. Even that cost us our dear ones’ lives,” Grandma suddenly
stopped. I saw tears rolling down her cheeks. Then she continued:
“Your grandfather, who was the Supreme Wizard and
you father, the Apprentice Wizard were among those who fought against the
dragon. They were the greatest wizards in Gorwath at that time. But even they
couldn’t escape death. Before it eyes were closed, the Shadow fired out a
strong blast of radiant blue fire from its enormous mouth towards your Grandpa
and your Dad and that, my dear grandson, put an end to their life. I was also
there but I couldn’t do anything but to be at their side till their eyes were
closed. You were still a baby, born only a few days before the incident happened. Your Mum
grieved for your Dad’s death. She mourned for him for days till one silent morning,
I found her dead on bed with her hands hugging you.”
She
turned away against the window and gazed at the mysteriously red moon tonight.
Far in the Hills of Vengeance, the wolves were howling in unison.
I
left her alone in the living room and went to the kitchen looking for dinner.
There were a juicy roasted turkey, chicken porridge and a bowl full of wild
berries. They were just enough to fill up my empty stomach. A day’s work at
Grandma’s cereal field wasn’t an easy job.
After
that, I cleaned myself, put on turquoise pyjamas and went to bed. I could still
hear the creepy howls of the merciless wolves as I put my ear on the pillow. It
sent a shiver down my spines. Somewhere in the distant, a thunder boomed and
scared some freaked owls away.
To be continued...
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