The Teacher

Mya had been rowing for so long that the sun had crept into the horizon. Whenever she felt tired, she simply looked at the little boy across from her, and her pain and tiredness went away. It had been nearly three weeks since she had been violently introduced to him, maybe that was long enough. She would fight for him, she would kill those that wanted to harm him, and she would die for him if she needed to. It wasn't until the sun shone in her eyes that she realized that she had not raised the small sail or turned on the motor. Since sometime in the night she had been rowing, but not for nothing, she had done it for him. This little boy that she had grown to love over such a short time, he needed her and nothing would stand in her way. A few more hours went by and the sun was at high noon, she thought about turning on the motor and taking a break from rowing, then decided against it. She was afraid of the sound causing something to happen in his dream, if he is dreaming. The sun was beating down on his little face, so she used her jacket to make a tent over him, so he could avoid sunburn. Satisfied with her work she rowed onward, if the tide was kind they would reach their destination early the next morning before the sun came up.

It was dark now and she could hear the waves crashing on the shore, she kept rowing until the small boat wouldn't go forward anymore. She hopped out in a dash pulled a torch from her pack, threw her jacket back on and Alex over her shoulder. Mama's house was only a couple miles inland, yet she did not slow down. Running as fast as she could through the jungle, relying on her training and past knowledge. Finally finding the trail to the destination, running and not slowing down, then unable to go anymore collapsed at the door she remembered from so long ago.

It was the sun shining in her face that finally woke her, sitting up in a fury. The pack and weapons that she had not grabbed from the boat before leaving where lying in a chair next to the bed. Her jacket and boots had been removed and she was covered in the softest quilt, Mama had a talent for making soft fabrics. It wasn't until she fell back onto the pillow that she remembered "Alex", the quilt flew off of her and she jumped out of the bed and opened the door. Mama was sitting at the table with a very old man, very old and deceptively small of stature. His grey hair was tied in a bun behind his head and his dark blue robes with red trim and a beard that rested in his lap. Contrasted to Mama they seemed an odd couple to share a table. Her green scaly skin and sharp finger nails that looked like claws, she wore a sun dress that fit her well and her red hair lay on her back. Her big green eyes and large mouth covered in sharp pointed teeth, some would be frightened by the sight of her, yet her face was still warm and kind. "Oh dear, thought you would never wake up, gone for about a day, Teacher and I were getting so worried". "Where is Alex?" "Oh that's his name, resting in the back room". "What is wrong with him? That is why I brought him here". "He will be alright dear, just needs some rest. Whatever happened to him took a lot out of him." "I know what happened to him, he will be fine here, you however should come with me there is more training to do." "Teacher I can't, I will not leave him now." " If you are to protect him you must understand who he is, his power is unlike any you have ever seen. My cave houses a book and I will teach you to help him harness his power, perhaps it will help." The old man was stern yet soft spoken when he talked, almost reverent. "Why not bring the book with you to here?" The old man smiles softly "you have more combat training." "Very well, I will collect my sword and meet you at the cave." The old man nods with a smile and stands, "Thank you Mama for your hospitality, I will see you soon enough." The old troll smiles and nods in return. "And you" he says pointing a finger at Mya "Do not be late", with that he walks out the door closing it softly behind him.

Mama had made her some food so Mya sat down at the table to eat it. While she ate Mama had a cup of tea and listened to every adventure she had, smiling and offering comments. She went on about the bounties she took with Kelly and his crew and how she met Alex, then finally about the creature she killed in the dessert. Mama nearly dropped her cup after Mya described it. "What's wrong?" "You do not know what that was". Mya shook her head, "Something very old, something very dangerous, they were once called elves. Beautiful and mystic beings of life, songs, and all manner of craft and skills. They made a pact with a dead god and so became death incarnate and dead themselves." "But I killed one", "Did you smash the bones and burn the robe?" Mya shook her head at the question "Then it is not dead, be very careful child, if their like are coming then we will need this boy and whatever power he possess." Mya's face became very grim and she put down her fork and stood "thank you for the meal" she walked over to Mama and kissed her cheek to which the old troll smiled and embraced her in a hug. She walked back to her room and put on her boots, sword, leather jacket and large brimmed hat, then walked to the room where Alex was still asleep. Tip toeing to the side of the bed and kneeling down, she ran her fingers across his head and through his hair. "We will find your brother, I promised and I will not be made a liar now." She kissed his forehead and left the room, and headed toward the cave.

It took her nearly six hours to reach the next island, it was easy to find, it was the only one with a volcano that took up most of the land. The trek up the side of the mountainous terrain took another couple of hours but, finally she stood at the entrance of her teachers home. Inside was a maze of walls and torches lining every wall. "Now you said something about a book" she said to herself before drawing her sword and turning around and meeting her teachers blade "And training I believe". She smiled at him and sheathed her sword, the old man did the same and motioned her forward "you remember the way". She led him down the winding maze and finally to a room lined with books and torches with a small table in the center with lit candles. He walked past her and motioned for her to sit as he walked over to one of the shelves and pulled out a very old book and placed it in front of her before taking a seat himself. "The Genealogical history of the Eternal Kings and their descendants, no wait that word is relatives not decedents. The queen thought it would be needed or maybe I would find it useful." "Why is that?" "To which part?" "both" "Well descendants would become Kings or Queens and so the word is irrelevant, and the Queen has her own methods that I'm quite sure that not even The Red Wolf has been able to make sense." "Who is the Queen and what is she Queen of?" "The book, open it" The old mans hands motion toward the still closed book. Her fingers run down the old looking symbols on the front then she opens it to the first page. "That is the Badger king, from the city of the onyx I believe, yes The Onyx. More toward the back if you will." Her fingers flip through the old sturdy pages and she reaches a page near the end of the book and her teacher stops her flipping by putting a finger on the page. "The Wolf King from the city of the Sapphire, father to the Grey Wolf. Sometimes he is referred to as The Jeweled Wolf because he liked to adorn everything in jewels from other cities. A couple more pages if you please." He stopped her flipping the same way "The Raven King, named so by his son after his campaign to conquer eternity, or unite, the commoners have mixed thoughts on it. Married to The Grey Wolf, mother of The Black Wolf, The Two Red Wolves, twins and the White Wolves, also twins." "Are you telling me he is a wolf?" "In a sense, he and his twin brother where cursed to walk this earth until they find redemption." "Who cursed them?" His hand motions for her to turn the page and he does not need to stop her this time because it is the last page. "The Spider Queen, named so after her father in-law was killed by the gods and her husband, The Red Wolf, received the same sentence as his brothers for the killing of Thul." "What did they do?" "Try to kill their brother, jealousy I assume, the queen was not happy with them and so she cursed them to walk this earth until they have redeemed themselves in her eyes." " Where is the other red and the black one?" "No-one has seen their sister since her brother killed her lover taking the city of the Ruby, and their eldest brother disappeared after both of their parents where killed by Nero." "Who is Nero?" "They are true gods and he was brother to Thul, or at least most of the time he was." Mya looks at her teacher with a quizzical look, "They don't have a specified gender like you and I, they choose which ever suits them at the time, sometimes even none at all. So now do you understand what he is, not of this world." " So can Alex change his gender?" The old man laughs at this "no child he is not a god, and neither are their siblings, there are few gods left. After their war with eternity and the creating of the thirteen jeweled cities, each left the other alone, until Thul became very brave and very stupid." "Thul is the dead god, I'm sorry teacher but Mama told me of a dead god and I fought a creature in the dessert that she called an elf." "Ah, they made a pact with Thul before his death and after they became dead themselves, you truly killed one?" Mya shook her head "I didn't know what is was, Mama said you have to smash the bones and burn the robe to kill it." Her teacher nods at this and says "for that there is another book, irrelevant to kill them, unless you become curious." "How do you know all of this? Who are you really?" He gives her a smirk and closes the thick book with a single finger, "Who do you think wrote this? I have trained every prince and princess since The Badger King, throughout Eternity. I am a sword master and an educator, I can see potential before a child is even born, and I chose you." With determination on her face she replied "teach me to help him, teach me to protect him" the old man smiles "Very well my student, first I must teach you to read the language that is written in these books."