Anna's eyes popped open to find the humanoid sitting beside her. The fatigue and whatever pain she had felt had long gone. Under the tree they had climbed earlier, Eddie lay with a blanket covering him. She stood up with a start, her eyes set on the humanoid with a tight frown on her face.
The humanoid was just a human with wings. His head was shaved bald. Its chest was bare, his below protruded squarely on the brown leather trousers he wore; proofs that he was a male. It was dark but there was enough light in Paradise for his golden storage wristlet to reflect. "Do not be angry, dear prophet. I have done nothing to him and even if I wanted to, with his wound, he is not going to live long. I cannot waste my killing skills on him. How do you feel?" He spoke, with a calm deep voice. His hands moved gracefully and his expression showed calmness she found eerie.
"What…did you do to me?" She asked, as she receded a step. Her arms were up menacingly, should he do something stupid.
"I know prophets are always cautious," he waved casually before looking at Anna with a smile, "but there is no need to fear me. I saw you receive a vision; I know what comes with visions. I decided to help you. I am William, a messenger of the Walks. I have been hunting the mage for a month now. When I saw a prophet, powerful enough to receive a vision, I knew I was getting close."
"He has not been inuncted. If you do not know him, it is hard to trace him. I heard the Walks were intelligent creatures, how come you are not aware of such a common knowledge?" The moment she heard that he was a Walk, her guard was completely lowered. Of all the creatures in Woodland and its underlying kingdoms, Walks were probably the most peaceful.
"We may be wise, but not infallible. Besides, we are desperate to free our land from the grasp of Kasnaya." At the mention of Kasnaya, a scowl appeared on his face and he lowered his head in embarrassment. His wings that had been lowered since she woke up jerked, sending a few feathers in the air. She walked and sat beside him.
"Kasnayas are the most reserved people I know. What do you mean by freeing yourself from them?" She asked.
"The Kasnaya monks have been hunting. I do not know what they want but they are ready to die to get whatever it is. Three months ago, they attacked our land. Most of them died but they managed to take with them our princess. You know she has been the only daughter to our chief. Our people went to save her but none returned. They were all killed. We wanted to send more men there but our prophet stopped us. He said they would die just like the previous troop.
"He told us of a prophecy he had feared to tell us for years because there was a possibility of it not coming true. Our land would be taken by Kasnaya and there was little we could do to save it. A week later, men, more men than we had ever seen came back. They forced us into submission, killing those who were not willing to. Having enjoyed peace for a long time, we had grown weak, especially with the attack where they had taken our princess. The prophet came to me and asked me to go look for the mage. He was the only one who could save us."
"But he has not been inuncted; there is little he can do to save you." Anna stated.
"I know, but according to the prophet, he was to visit out land before he was. He told me that the mage would soon be inuncted. If that happens, there is little chance for us. When I saw you, I saw hope. Can you help me? You prophets from Sharwalk must know where the mage is."
"How did you know I am from Sharwalk?"
"Only they have female prophets. I heard the prophets from Sharwalk were omniscient. How come you are not aware of this common knowledge?" He smiled a mocking smile, which he seemed to enjoy.
"That is something I have never heard of."
"Yet it is the truth. Every prophet not born from Sharwalk knows."