" I'm sure whatever you have to tell, it won't be short. So, could you be brief? My head aches already." Haren unequivocally stated, glancing at Edýia.
" As you wish, lump!" Bastos amusedly said and stopped.
" Right, right. Haren, you said you were called. Habit, you see." he turned and started walking again as soon as they reached him.
The sky was changing colours, and the moon had set for the day. Still could be seen in the changing sky, but its light was dull.
The lush greenery, devoid of wildlife, lay in front of them, wild, untamed. The top part of the castle towering on the summit was now visibly closer. The white stone slabs looked pristine as if it was built the day before. Curios thought Edýia. The walls to the fortress were made of the same stones, or so it appeared from afar. The dull shine of the tower wasn't visible any longer.
" Long ago, before time was being recorded-"
" Brief I said, that doesn't sound brief." Haren quickly interrupted Bastos, who began his story.
" Right, you said. Impatient lot you are. Time is short," he repeatedly said over his shoulder.
"If it is short, then why lengthen the story? Time is short, or so you said!" Haren annoyingly spat and frowned.
" My people were robbed long ago by a man that now they call Seth, I believe. He is gone, no longer in this plain. He took our most precious source of power and perverted it to gain control. But you see, magic comes at a cost. No one can use it without paying the price. We had a good system, if you ask me, but when he robbed us, it didn't work for him. The power was meant for my people to use. Of course, we had to pay the price, but we didn't need it to conquer other realms or for riches and luxurious life. We used it for abundance, good crops, and agricultural purposes. The land thrived, teamed with wildlife and other beautiful creatures. Anyway, he had used it for other things, things that it wasn't meant to be used for, you see. Soon, the source began fading away. The land slowly stopped producing good crops. Famine plagued our people, and soon diseases and death ruled the once-beautiful realm. Whoreson, he was that bastard. Anyway, the price we paid increased tenfold, and our people rioted. Do you know what he did? He killed them all and trapped their souls in the source. He said they were damned, anyway. Soon all my people followed the same fate. In the meantime, our queen gave birth to a girl—beautiful girl, I'd say, dark-haired, amber eyes. Anyway, the little girl, the little bundle, fell gravely ill, and he sacrificed the queen to save the little bundle. There is a cost. There was nothing left of the Queen when he was done with her. He eventually had to slit her throat. There were only three people left in the realm. I was hiding the palace archives, the little girl that grew into a beautiful woman, and the sourpuss. He bedded the girl, his daughter, and sired children with her. They all looked pretty much the same. The younglings were either dark or light-haired. Fascinating detail, you see. The children he sired fell ill, and he turned to the source and began plucking souls and forcing them into little bundles. Finally, he found a way with some help from the guardian of the Hollow and tied his bloodline to the source. You can see where I'm going with this"
Edýia and Haren looked at each other, puzzled and listened to the story. Not having the faintest clue what he was speaking about.
" I don't think I need to explain further. And thus, a new kind was created, the sithrians, as Seth named them. That pompous bastard." he took a deep breath and looked at his other hand holding the book, bringing it in front of him.
" Not long now! This book belongs to my people, we wrote this book," he held the heavy book with his bony hands in front of him" It can be used for good and evil, depends on who is using it, you see. I named it Hith Eil Meh. It roughly means Book of Life. No, it doesn't give life, but it will help protect it. " He answered a question that no one asked.
" Where was I? Ahhh, yes, as I was saying. Balance was restored after a long time of death of destruction, and I don't know what happened after that since I have met my end. My bigmouth got into trouble since I told the girl the truth, and she wanted to right the wrongs, so she said. Eventually, all she wanted was to take power for herself, like father, like daughter. But he found out and threw her into this realm and put a blade in my heart. We are here. I must bid you farewell." He halted his steps and looked at his hand, which began crumbling as the first rays of the morning sun began spreading their light over the forest. The Castle lay in front of them in all its glory.
" Tell my story, tell her. She will understand!" these were his final words before the light breeze in the forests took him with it, and all that was left behind was a cloak and the book that fell on the ground with a thud.
Small sparkling grains of dust fell from the sky, disappearing before they touched the ground as they marvelled at the sight. Edýia noticed that the veil, Haren touched when they entered was now gone.
" Fuck!" Haren cursed through gritted teeth and picked up the book, and stared at it for a while.
" I don't think they will believe us." he looked at the castle walls, a little doubtful.
" They will have to, surely, if we mention his name. They will know that we speak the truth." Edýia reasoned, walking past him and propped herself against the castle gate, trying to open it, but the gate wouldn't budge.
Haren grumbled something and pushed the gate open. She lost her footing and fell to the ground with a thud.
Edýia cursed and whined and stood up, brushing the dust off her bottom, glaring at him.
Haren annoyingly smiled " Sorry ", he feigned an apologetic look, but she knew he wasn't.
The castle yard looked trashed, and a bush with purple flowers stood in the middle, out of place.