Chapter Twenty-Four: I Am Not Someone Else

  The next day, Elijah woke up under the glare of the sun already shining through his window, and he realised he should’ve already been awake. Thankfully, he wasn’t hungry, but he needed to dress himself quickly if he wanted to make it on time to let Einar escort him to the Dragon Room, where he would watch over the Orb of the dragon. He was cautiously excited for it, but he still wasn’t sure exactly what the Orb was, so he made sure not to feel too hopeful.

  As Eva the maid helped him get ready, he kept up conversation with his Guide, who, though chipper as usual, was feeling a little guarded today, something which Elijah both understood and mirrored.

  We must talk about Faría, she was saying to him. I’ve seen your memories, so I know exactly what happened, but I wish for you to explain it to me, as your memory may not be completely accurate.

  It all happened when I put the Karthan Emperor’s necklace, Elijah said as he was helped into the small, lithe dress that he would wear for the day. I got transported to a weird, sea-like in-between state before I woke up in a place that belonged to a woman called Faría. The place was called a…

  Gráfa.

  Exactly, do you know what it is?

  No.

  Well, anyway, she told me she was testing me, and that I had to complete several tests. The first was the assassin, and the second is to figure out who she is. I don’t know the other three, but I agreed to at least try, because I feel curious about it. Do you know anything about her?

  I’ve never heard the name, the Guide responded. I don’t know anything about a Gráfa or any of what she said in your memory. It troubles me, Elijah, and I don’t know if I wish for you to keep investigating.

  I think it’s worth it, Elijah thought. Even if just to find out if I have anything to worry about from her.

  That’s fair, but she already sent an assassin after you.

  It wasn’t to kill me, she was sure I’d survive.

  She was putting you in needless danger! You’d lost your levels, you could’ve easily died. If I took a baby and threw him off this castle, and thought he would survive, would that make my actions okay?

  No, because you don’t have a body, Elijah smirked.

  What about if it was you?

  I’m not evil like you, I don’t throw babies. Makes me glad about who I am.

  Guide Amanda huffed but her next words were filled with mirth, something that increasingly gave Elijah comfort and a strange feeling of companionship. You never know until you try.

  Tell me you did not just say that! Elijah gasped inwardly in shock.

  Alright, I didn’t say it.

  “Your highness, are you alright today?” Eva asked, startling the princess, who jumped a little and turned to face her. “You’re awfully silent today.”

  “Lost in thought,” he responded, nodding to reassure her as he pulled the neckline of his dress up. “I have much to plan for and much to reflect on. To be honest, I don’t remember ever feeling so busy and wary.”

  “Your majesty, Amanda, no one will blame you if you take one day off,” Eva told her. “You could relax in the castle, have fun, and ignore your duties for one day. They will wait, and you can forget about any assassins or monsters or teenage boy Lords with missing dads.” A glint in her eyes showed concern but it was masked by a smile that promised help if he needed it.

  “You just want to spend more time with me,” Elijah accused playfully.

  “Maybe,” she blushed and smiled, looking down and swinging her hips slightly in shy embarrassment, but she quickly masked it with a motherly look which fit her aptly. “But you need to rest, princess. You shouldn’t overwork yourself!”

  “No promises,” Elijah said, rushing out the door and waving at the maid, who squeaked as she left.

  “Come back here!”

  “We’ll hang out another day soon, I promise!” He screamed at her as ran to where he knew Einar would be waiting for her.

  You’re becoming more of a woman every day! Guide Amanda laughed.

  Shut up, Mom!

  And there he was, clearly still on guard, pacing the hall of the castle’s ballroom, which wouldn’t be too far away from the Dragon Room. Sneaking quietly forwards, she poked him from behind, and he yelped, unsheathing his sword and jumping backwards.

  “You don’t need to be so careful, no one’s coming after me today,” he told the Ulfír, who sighed in relief when he saw him.

  “You scared me, your highness, and yes, I must be careful. There have been too many dangerous circumstances for me to just act like everything’s normal.”

  “Relax, Einar, and walk with me,” the princess said, turning towards one of the ballroom’s exits. You can guide me to the Dragon Room, correct?

  Yes, just follow my directions, Guide Amanda responded.

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  The corridors passed as they travelled forwards, deep into the castle that Elijah knew he would never understand. To both avoid awkwardness and ease the Ulfír, he made sure to keep up conversation with the wolf.

  “I leveled up yesterday,” he said. “I unlocked a new skill.”

  “That’s awesome,” Einar replied with clear excitement, his big eyes turning to face him with curiosity burning inside of them. “What is it?”

  “It’s called Punch.”

  “What, just that?” He asked. “That’s a really stupid name for a skill. What does it do?”

  “I’m not sure, I haven’t really tried it yet.”

  “Hit me.”

  “What?” Elijah asked, recoiling. “Hit you? Why would I do that?”

  “Come on, Amanda, we must see what the skill can do. You won’t hurt me anyways.” He pointed to his stomach, lifted the armor there, and puffed out his chest in invitation. “It’s a stupid name anyway, it probably won't do much.”

  “Yeah, it won’t hurt,” Elijah told himself as he edged closer to the Ulfír and gently, very gently—you hit like a baby—touched his fist to Einar.

  The Ulfír flew back, hitting against the wall and breaking through it, smashing through the next room, into another, and then a third, until finally, he broke through the outer wall of the castle into the outside where he landed on the ground with a pained thump.

  Elijah screamed in shock and horror from the destruction that had just occurred, rushing through the holes in the walls to help his friend, who lay on the ground dazed, arms spread out in surrender, unmoving yet still clearly breathing.

  “Oh my Gods, Einar, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to,” he said as he knelt next to the wolf, who coughed softly yet smiled.

  “That hurt, and I take back what I said. It’s not a stupid name, because there’s only one way to describe that skill,” he said, coughing and rising to his knees.

  “Punch,” Elijah chuckled.

  “Punch,” Einar affirmed, before bursting into laughter with the princess. They held each other as they laughed, and Elijah could feel tears beginning in his eyes from how hard he cackled.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked.

  “Three hundred and ten percent sure, your majesty,” he replied, catching his breath. “The armor took up much of the impact, but I’ll definitely have bruises.”

  “Three hundred and ten? Your brains must be really addled then,” Elijah teased.

  “They already were. I guess I don’t need to protect you anymore though, Amanda. A punch like that would dissuade any assassin,” he grunted. “Just don’t do that to me again.”

  “Then don’t get on my bad side.”

  “Oh, I won’t. Not anymore, anyways.”

  The Dragon Room was not far away, but it was through a mix of winding corridors and straight hallways that they finally arrived at the room. The door seemed to be uninviting, a simple brown wooden door with no carvings or patterns inlaid, and in any normal circumstance, Elijah’s eyes would’ve passed over it without a second thought.

  Are you sure this is it? He asked his Guide.

  One hundred percent.

  “Are you sure this is it?” Einar asked him doubtfully.

  “Not really,” he responded—Hey! How come you don’t trust me!—, staring at the door with a critical look, as if waiting for it to show him how this could possibly be a room leading to something of extreme importance in his life. Finally, after careful consideration of whether he wished to obey his Guide or not—I hear all of that!—he opened the door, and to his astonishment, there was—

  “It’s empty,” Einar shrugged. “I would like to say I’m shocked, but that door was a clue.”

  “It’s not completely empty,” Elijah replied, pointing to the middle of the room where a single spark of light emerged and taking a step forwards, he entered the room.

  Immediately, it glowed, and suddenly the room was awash in colors and rainbows that his eyes feasted upon and blurred before coming to terms with and returning to normal. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the colors and he could see normally again, he gasped.

  The room, while still mostly empty and uniform, was now filled with small motes of dust, each with their own vibrant, glowing color. No two seemed to have the same color, and they made the room glow with brilliance and splendour.

  While the motes and colors seemed to be bunched close together, there were more huddled around the spot in the middle where the spark of light had been; in fact, it was still glowing with a golden light, but the light was fading to reveal a big rock, white as snow, maybe even whiter, and although it was simple and smooth, it attracted his eyes, and he couldn't help but feel like maybe he should touch it.

  “This is incredible,” Einar gasped, coming to stand next to her, his eyes wide, pupils large and his jaw open wide enough for the princess to smell his breath—pretty sure he was eating lamb. “Is that the Orb?”

  “I think so,” Elijah responded.

  What else in the room could it be, dumbass? Guide Amanda teased. It’s just empty space and the Orb. Oh, maybe it’s in the left corner over there!

  Elijah instinctively looked to the left, and finding nothing, he scowled, but the Guide just laughed.

  You looked! I can’t believe you looked, you gullible boy.

  What am I supposed to do with it now? Elijah asked. The Queen just said to look at it, right? So I just need to stare for a little?

  No, you’re supposed to touch it, that’s the whole experience, I’ve heard, the Guide responded.

  You’ve heard. Absolutely wonderful assurance from you once more.

  Thank you, I try.

  Elijah neared the Orb.

  “Are you going to touch it now?” Einar asked, his eyes still fixed on the egg in wonder, unable to look away from it, but his posture still cautious.

  “That’s what she said.”

  “What?”

  “I said, yes, I’m going to touch it,” Elijah snickered, walking over to it.

  You sick, sick woman.

  “I’d advise you to sit down. From reports of those in the Guard who helped her highness when she began this process, it was quite common to collapse during these meetings.”

  I’ve heard the same from our mother herself.

  Dutifully, Elijah sat down. “If I do collapse,” he said. “Make sure to catch me, so it’s a royal swoon instead of a pathetic faint, alright?”

  “Of course, your majesty,” Einar bowed and blushed, rushing over to kneel behind her, ready to hold onto her in the case of an emergency.

  Turning to the Orb, the princess could feel his heart pounding as he started to feel terrified, unsure of whether it would hurt or any of what would happen when he touched it. His Guide wouldn’t even tell him what the Orb of the Dragon was, and that scared him more than anything.

  Closing his eyes, he slowly reached out with his hand towards the inviting, shining, brilliant white orb, his anticipation reaching a fever pitch.

  Until his finger finally connected with it.