Part IV: Elvin Secrets
Milo
“Um,” I started, staring at the two people who’d raised me. “I…huh?”
Mrs. Beecham smiled. “I’m sorry, son, we don’t mean to scare you. If it wasn’t for, well, for what happened today, we wouldn’t have told you until you’re ready to regain your powers.”
“Regain my powers? What powers?” I asked, feeling alarmed and confused.
Mr. Beecham stood, put his right hand up in a lotus bud position, and used his other to circle it. Within seconds the right hand began to glow.
“Octubium Octivious, Seletialiamious Dectorum,” he said, and the blue light transformed, turning his hand into an actual lotus bud that bloomed.
As it bloomed, Mr. Beecham transformed into a vast plant, roots and all. My mouth fell open as I stared at where my foster father had just stood. I looked nervously toward the stairs and was about to run when Mrs. Beecham said, “Okay, dear, that’s enough. You’re beginning to scare him.”
A bright blue light burst in front of me, and Mr. Beecham once again stood there. “I’m sorry to surprise you like that, Milo, but that is my true form. Matilda’s form is the same. We are of the Arichimopolia tribe of elves. Your mother entrusted you into our care to guard you.”
“My mother?” I asked. “You knew my mother?” I know. I’m amazed that’s where my focus went also.
They both nodded. “We did, and she was an amazing woman, as was your father.”
“Where are they? Why did they abandon me?” I asked, now beginning to feel anger in addition to shock and confusion.
The Beechams shook their heads. “They are both dead, sweetheart,” Mrs. Beecham said. “I’m sorry, you…you weren’t supposed to find out until, well, until you could defend yourself.”
“Defend myself?” I don’t understand. “I don’t understand any of this.”
I stood to go, but both Beechams waved their hands, and I froze. “You can’t. I’m sorry, Milo, you can’t. You are in so much danger, and our people, the Arichimopolia tribe, are the least powerful of the elves. We must contact the King’s Guard. They are your only hope of survival.”
I wanted to run, needed to run away, but I was stuck. I could tell neither of my foster parents wanted this. They refused to look me in the eye as they joined hands and began to chant. The room started to spin, and I lost consciousness.
The most beautiful little girl came into focus. Her skin was intensely dark, and her eyes piercing. I looked around me, and it appeared we were both swirling around in space for several moments before landing on some strange, moon like expanse. The girl’s eyes were closed, but this was already so freaking strange. If I woke her up, what would she do? Turn me into a rosebush?
“Um, hey,” I said and then jumped back as the girl opened her eyes and stared at me in shock. “Do you know where I’m at?” I asked.
The girl sat up and looked around. “I’m not sure. I was listening to a story then…then I was here.”
I nodded. “Same. I…well, never mind what I saw. How did we get here? How do we get out?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know.” Then she stared at me for a long time before she gasped in shock, startling me.
“Y-you’re King Repratian,” she said, causing me to laugh despite all the bizarreness.
“No, I’m Milo, not a king. Barely even a reasonable human being.”
She looked at me like I was lying to her. “I know you. I can feel it is you. The Limbert stone doesn’t lie, and it has spoken in my mind.” She quickly bowed, lying face-first on the ground.
I looked around me. “Well, this is awkward,” I said under my breath. “Um, kid, can you stop that, please? I-I need to figure out what’s going on, not have you doing whatever it is you’re doing.” I could feel my face scrunch up at the weird display.
She leaned up, looked at me, and then propped herself on her elbows. “You don’t know, do you?” she asked.
“I know you’re freaking me out.”
She giggled, then sat up and crossed her legs. “You don’t know you’re the King?”
I shook my head. “Okay, this is too much,” I said and began walking in the opposite direction. I had no idea what was going on. Maybe the kidnappers had drugged me or something. I didn’t feel a needle stick me or anything, but stuff had happened so fast, anything could’ve happened, and I wouldn’t have known.
“Wait,” the girl said, but I didn’t turn around. This was clearly some weird psychedelic dream, which explained why my foster dad turned into a lotus plant. I almost chuckled thinking about it. Mr. Beecham was well over six feet tall and dark-skinned, although not as dark as the obvious hallucination girl I’d just encountered. Leave it to my brain to turn him into a flower instead of some big lion or something.
I heard the girl stomp her foot behind me, and immediately the entire landscape began to vibrate. I fell to the ground and turned to look at her. Her arms were crossed, and she had a distinct look of frustration on her face. “I told you to wait,” she said.
“Okay, okay,” I replied. “I’m waiting. What…can you stop the earthquake?”
She nodded, and the earth stopped shaking. “How did you do that?” I asked.
“I’m the youngest member of the King’s Guard. Your guard,” she said, and then I saw worry cross her face. “I-I probably shouldn’t have yelled at you. Are you mad?” she asked.
“Um, no,” I said. “Terrified, yes. Mad, no.”
“Good, now, tell me what you need me to do for you.”
The girl was bold, and if she’d been real and not some weird hallucination, I think I’d have liked her just for her spunk. I shook my head. “I-I just want to go home and sleep off whatever those kidnappers gave me. I don’t like this weird trip. I just…I want to go home.”
The girl nodded, and sadness filled her expression. The little girl's face was very expressive, another thing I’d have liked about her if she’d been real. “I understand,” she said, “but when our destiny calls, we don’t always get what we want. I can send you back to wherever it is you came from... but, your majesty, you should be careful. They said you are in danger. Maybe now that we’ve found you, we can help keep you safe.”
“Found me?” I asked, but before the words were out of my mouth, the little girl's hand touched the center of my forehead, and just like that, I was once again sitting in the middle of my foster parent’s living room. But this time, I was alone.
Next Week: Follow the story as the Elvin Guard discovers King Milo needs rescue. |
