Chapter Four: Trespasser

Sebastian continued to walk while pondering the things that had bothered him lately; his dream, the church, father and the sword. Drowning in his thoughts, he almost forgot about Veronica. Then he remembered that he needed to hurry, they would be waiting for him.

Sebastian raised his head to look up. The clouds in the sky had started to get dark and it looked like rain. Carrying the items in his satchel, and the sword now clipped underneath my armpit, he looked for somewhere to take shelter from the threatened rain.

He spied a shed beneath a big tree, next to a pub. The tree was huge with thick branches and a wide trunk. Heavy rain started to fall before I reached the shed.

Running to the shelter, Sebastian hugged the bag to his chest and slung the sword on his shoulders , loosening the ties which bound it to the cloth. The sword fell.

Feeling a sudden lightness on his back, he turned to look and saw that it had fallen on the muddy track. Grumbling and cursing, he retraced his steps to retrieve it but, as he bent down and picked it up, he was struck by a bolt of lightning.

Bam!

Cold and wet, he lay there half dead, his head dizzy, vision blurry and with blood oozing from his ears and nostrils. All he could hear was a buzzing sound. He tried to move but wasn't even able to move his fingers. He felt, strangely, half burned and half frozen. Before he finally passed out, Sebastian saw a cloaked figure hovering over him.

~~~

It was almost midnight and Arya, in her dark blue nightgown, was standing on the balcony outside one of the palace's rooms, the curtains swooshing as the midnight breeze blew. She was singing a mournful song, her sweet angelic voice gently ringing out as she finger combed her hair. Anyone listening would have been struck by its bitter-sweet quality.

A tear dropped from her eye and she wiped it from her cheek. After a while, she started to return to her room. Walking down the hallway, she came to pass a room whose doors were wide open.

Peeking in, she saw a flickering candle atop a table covered with books. Close to the table, a window was open and the night breeze blew into the room. Carefully, so as not to be seen, she craned her neck to see more. In the left corner of the room, she saw a dark figure hugging something. Focusing her attention on the figure, she came to realize that it wasn't hugging something; It was biting someone, a woman, on the neck!

Shivers ran down Arya's spine. Nevertheless, she considered grappling with the beast in order that she could rescue the poor woman who was being feasted upon.

Looking around the hallway, her eyes searched for something, anything, that she could use and, only a few steps away, she spotted decorative armor standing, statue-like, against the wall with, sheathed at its side, a short sword. She reached for the sword and examined the blade to ensure it wasn't blunt. Conscious that her nightdress would hinder her movement, she quietly made a large slit to enable her to move more freely before returning to the open doors.

Wielding the sword, she charged into the room shouting, "Away you foul beast!"

The creature dodged her blow and bared its teeth her but Arya was accustomed to combat having, in the past, fought with rebels, orcs, trolls, corrupted elves and altered mages. She had shown fierceness and fearlessness in battle and survived. Of course, she was well trained by her mother. But this, this was the first time she had confronted such an opponent.

Suddenly, at a sound, both the creature and Arya looked towards the room's entrance. Each had heard footsteps and rattling of armor beyond in the hallway.

Arya grinned, sensing her advantage now.

Assuming a fighting stance, she said, "You cannot escape me now."

"I doubt that," said the beast in growling voice.

She was stunned to hear it speak and she shook her head. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her. She took a pouch from the hidden pocket in her nightdress and threw its contents onto the windowsill. Slowly, a golden film enveloped the window.

"That should do the trick," she thought.

She could hear the soldiers getting nearer and, tightly gripping the cold steel of the sword, she engaged the creature again in an attempt to corner it. Her sharp blade did manage to inflict cuts to the beast but the abomination also cut Arya's arm with its bare claws. Her arm went limp. The creature attacked again and she rolled to the side to avoid but her left leg was cut by its claws and that limb, too, fell limp.

At that moment the palace guards rushed in. Among them were bowmen and they fired arrows at the thing. It ran for the window and leapt out.

Just what kind of creature was that? Its physique didn't resemble that of an orc, a corrupted elf or the defiled soul of a mage.

Zion and a very pretty girl, both in sleeping garb, followed the guards and they ran over to Arya. Zion's face wore a worried frown but girl, on the other hand, didn't look at all concerned. Arya saw, by the look in the girl's eyes, that her actions were forced. Nonetheless, she went to Arya and took out a small box.

"Let me see your wounds," said the girl.

"Are you alright? Where are you hurt?" Zion asked. "Zaya, hurry up. Don't be a slow poke," he added.

"Where are your manners?" replied Zaya, throwing him a stern look.

He took no notice and focused his attention on Arya, checking her wounds and asking her the same questions over and over again. In turn, Arya replied politely saying that she was okay. Arya told Zaya to check instead the lady lying in the corner. Zaya motioned for two of the guards to look and one came back saying that the lady had lost a lot of blood and was barely alive.

Zaya quickly went over to the woman. "I can still save her! Bring me the box," she said.

The first soldier took it to her. She took a ring and a pouch with glittering dust. The girl wore it and took some powder and sprinkled it on the lady's face. Then, chanting an unrecognizable spell, Zaya went into a trance. Vermilion-colored plumes of smoke sprang from each of her hands and her eyes became golden. Flinging her hands up, she released another puff of smoke.

"She's amazing," Arya gasped in awe.

"Well, that's Zaya, the second best healer we have here." Zion whispered before adding, "Princess Zaya to be exact."

"Second best?" Arya asked.

"Yes," said Zion, "her brother is the best."

"Oh, I forgot," continued Zion, "come lie down first. I will temporarily put bandages on you. Tell me if it hurts too much."

Arya replied," I won't feel anything. It's numb. Please go on."

After Zaya healed the woman's near fatal wounds, she told three guards to take the her to her brother for further observation. After some additional instructions, she returned to Arya. Lifting some of the bandages and tapping lightly on the wounds' surroundings. First her arm then her leg.

"Does it hurt?"

"No"

"Can you feel anything?" Zaya asked again.

"No," replied Arya "As soon as the claws cut through my skin, my arm and leg went limp."

"I see."

"So what now?" asked Zion. "What should we do? Is she going to be ok?"

Zaya stood up with her hands on her hips. "You know what," she said, "why can't you just shut up?" She rolled her eyes. "For Heaven's sake," she continued pointing at Arya, "can't you see that I am working here?"

"You can't blame me," replied Zion angrily. "I have a guest attacked by a who-knows-whatever it is in the middle of the night. A guest who is severely wounded!" His voice echoed around the room.

Zaya went quiet for a moment, clearly hurt by Zion's angry outburst, before she proceeded.

She took a small amount of the dust and rubbed it on the palms of her hands.

"It's better not to take the numbness now," she told Arya. "I will only reduce the swelling and stop the bleeding. My brother will handle the rest. Ok?"

Then she left the room.

"Come. Let me carry you." The prince lifted her up.

Arya was saddened by this. She hadn't intended that two friends fight because of her wounds.