Mahnu, Her Journey Chapter 1 Part2

CHAPTER 1 (Part 2)

Their first meeting was in the year 1613, when King Richard was 20 and leading a small amount of men to the west. She was there discreetly but had come out of hiding to help him unload food, cook and feed the hungry people of Anddin.

Mahnu had liked his way of helping, it had been better than her carting grain, wheat or rice all by herself, not to mention hunting. This, also, was mostly done in the dark, as not to be seen. The travel time she could spend by helping the people of one town could outweigh staying in the actual town. Which sometimes made time go by quickly, leaving that town even years later.

But, this time, she took the chance to be seen by others and tried her best to act as they did, even though she refused to speak to them. She didn’t hate the humans…She just didn’t want to like them. She was sure it would mean a double betrayal if she becomes friends with them.

So…She had scurried to and fro to human's homes, that were against the mountains, making sure everyone had their share.

The King had noticed that she did not say a word and for some reason that seemed to have irritated him. And before he could have a conversation with her, she had already disappeared. He had asked about her in the village, hearing that she comes to help but no one had known her name.

His annoyance helped him forget her, until now. The past was coming back to him as he saw her face.

Yes, King Richard also thought, we've met before.

Back to the present, the King goes to catch up and stop her, after she gets down from the tree. She hadn't changed at all and he wonders if she's even real, as he was sure she was the same person!

He became a little bit confused…

Her age still looks to be from sixteen to twenty. Her figure was totally covered with raggedy, dirty clothes and her hair was flowing free and very beautiful. She even had dirt under her finger nails and knots in her black hair!

He wondered why he thought such a dirty looking woman was beautiful.

King Richard shock his head, bemused with his newly founded taste in women.

The King’s knights that were guarding him, were worried, as she could hear their thoughts about exposing the secret town of Havlish. They intervened telling her that he is the King, in hope that she would venture elsewhere in respect.

She decides to disappear, preferring to watch from a far, so she distracted them with a harmless smoke bomb and left. She was glad that she got away as they didn't trust her anyway.

Ironic, she thought, they are probably related to the Loyal Royal Knights that had helped me in the past!

King Richard later saw her high in a tree and he was absolutely determined to hold a conversation with her.

I must try and get her to talk! He mused to himself.

He just had a feeling that she could talk but didn't, not quite understanding why he felt that way.

King Richard smiled, a fun task indeed, he thought and started to climb up the tree.

Mahnu found it somewhat strange that he, again, found her hiding place.

Normally, even if people did see where I was, she thought, they had never chased after me!

He started yelling up at her, asking questions about the weather and if it was warm. And to his astonishment, she continued to completely ignore him! He hated to admit that her ignoring hurt his pride!

Ignoring a King? He smirked.

He continued talking and climbing with such enjoyment that the guards were wondering if she has become somewhat of a toy to the King.

Is he...a complete idiot? She asked herself as she saw he hadn't given up.

He was getting closer now and Mahnu started to panic.

Why can't he stop and leave me alone! Was this a game to him? She wondered.

Just before getting to the top, he was grumbling about his hands hurting because of the bark, she took that moment to jump down. It was her attempt at keeping a distance, telling him through her actions that she was not someone to get close to.

She watched him get angry and wanted to laugh as he stayed in the same spot looking down at her, his eyes burning into hers. Mahnu felt satisfied that he had lost to her but at the same time she was impressed that a King had climbed so high!

She's strong, he admits, but very annoying. Then King Richard sighs, thinking about his wasted effort.

Grudgingly, he follows her back down, only to see her gone again!

Exhausted, he flops down to the ground and decides to have a nap. One of the guards let out a small laugh to His Majesty's behaviour. It was like he was trying to catch a cat, they thought.

They all seem to be still waiting on the leader to arrive so that they could report to the King on their secret journeys throughout Kralaide. It was only one or two Loyal Royal Knights that travelled to each town to scout out anything wrong. They would meet up back in Havlish to their leader to report of any misconduct. This would happen three times a year and the knights rarely reported anything.

The biggest worry lately was that of the small skirmishes that was happening between Zachary and Sedric that happened every couple of years.

She sees that the guards were watching the King closely because of the a.s.sa.s.sination attempts, some in which have already been made on the him. There was even an attempt on the heir, she could hear. The heir was unharmed but they never found out who was behind the attempt, due to the a.s.sa.s.sin killing themselves.

Innocent children overcoming a.s.sa.s.sination attempts was not what she had wanted to save!

She hated the fact that she saved this...lot...just so they could kill each other!

Is that why I think of them as beasts? She wondered. They are territorial and fight for leadership, like a pack of wolves.

Then her thoughts were interrupted by what she saw was the King's dreams.

Watching as the dreams proceeded, Mahnu saw herself with others from the past. She recognized the prophets, Royal Knights and King Maximus surrounding the chest that becomes 'The Chest of the G.o.d's'.

How is it, she wondered with wide eyes, that the current King is dreaming of something that happened over a thousand years ago!?

It was pictured in her mind, as no time had pa.s.sed, but it was seen by not her eyes but of the eyes of King Maximus.

"Are you sure it will work, Mahnu?" King Maximus had asked her.

Mahnu had replied that she had found out through notes that had said it had worked before and if she had done it properly, it should trap them all inside.

"We have nothing to lose...I am willing to aid you with my strength!" The King had said, nodding at Mahnu.

"Then if you are all ready, place your hand on the chest and chant what I say after me” Mahnu had said.

She had waited till they all had touched the chest before she touched it herself and provided the power needed for the chest to work.

"For we could not achieve peace through words or actions, we entrust our power into this chest to protect the future of mankind."

Mahnu waited until the others had finished repeating before continuing, "Each of us are willing to sacrifice to achieve that peace we could not obtain without this chest."

Then light had overwhelmed the room, also waking up the King in the present.

Without knowing, she had left her hiding spot and came to stand before him and he opened his eyes to see her shocked face. He was wondering what was going on.

The King saw the knights start to walk towards them but the King put his hand up to stop them

He asks if she's alright but she gives no answer.

King Richard sighs and scratches his head. Did something bad happen while I was sleeping?

He wondered if he had looked that ridicules while sleeping to make such an expression on her face.

Suddenly, she stopped something getting close to him, shocking him. Hearing a sigh of relief, as she was glad she was here to catch it, she pulled something out of her arm.

He was surprised to see that it was a poisonous dart before she hid it in her clothes and looked into the bushes. When he looked after her, he saw her following that gaze into the dark.

"Wait!" He yelled. But she was already gone.

He called for the knights to rush and follow.

After some searching, they came across someone that was roped and gagged. King Richard wondered if the maiden had to leave so fast for an antidote as the knights that were sent out to look for her didn't find her.

After they ungagged the a.s.sa.s.sin, he was too quick to stop and before anyone could do anything, the a.s.sa.s.sin was already dead through poison. King Richard was sure that she had gone through all that trouble, only for this to happen and he felt pathetic that her efforts had gone to waste!

Mahnu sighs at their bad luck, already knowing herself were the a.s.sa.s.sin had come from.

As there were no other killing thoughts close by, she decides to leave.

What good would come out of telling them that a governor is behind it all, it might break all the government currently in Kralaide. It wouldn’t be the first time…

The King's thoughts made her leave even faster, as they did something to her that made her question what it was.

And Questions want answers, she thought, so best to leave it be and not think about it. It is normal for me to stay away from others, I'm destined to be alone.

She walked away, silently saying goodbye, scaring herself as she didn't normally even go that far with humans.

It doesn't matter, she thought, I probably won't see him again and one day he will die and I will remain here. It's a huge circle that I can never forget. Humans are creatures that die. I am not.

Mahnu left in more haste, angry and even upset but not knowing why. And she didn't even want to know why.

King Richard didn't see her again before returning to Conrella but he thought about her.

Why doesn't she speak? What has she been through? Did she get the antidote in time? So many questions he wanted to ask her.

He was that distracted that the knights asked him if he was alright. The King snapped back saying he was "Fine!"

The knights only worried more for the King, who they had never seen this angry before!

“Your Majesty, a note from the leader of the Loyal Royal Knights, Marcus.”

“Oh…Right.” The King said.

That’s right, he thought, I’m the King of Kralaide, I have things to do!

***