Chapter Twenty-four – In the army
Mark was taken to a small camp that had been set up just outside of the kingdom. The organization impressed him. He had never seen anything like it. He saw men that were his superiors in the Kingdom reduced to common prisoners. They had been relieved of the tools to make war and the privilege that they enjoyed before had been stripped away. Mark didn’t speak to any of them. The fact that this enemy defeated them so easily disgusted him. Any respect he had previously had for their position vanished away in a puff of smoke. They were not any better than he was. He could see that now. Their approval that had meant so much to him before now meant nothing to him at all. Maybe they should have been defeated and the rotting carcass of their lopsided social order left to die in the ruins.
All the men who remained alive were rounded up and brought here. The purpose was to add them to the ranks of this formidable army. Mark wanted nothing to do with it. He didn’t want to fight and die in someone else’s war, but he had to do whatever he needed to survive, and he wasn’t the one in control of his own fate, at least not yet.
When the men were all lined up, the man in charge of the camp addressed the men.
“You fought valiantly.” The man started off, “There is no shame in being defeated by a superior foe. You did the best you could and that is to be commended but you were defeated. Your kingdom has been added to our own. Your people and resources now belong to us. This is not a bad thing. Instead of our resources and wealth being used to support a few privileged individuals, those resources will now be used for the common good of all people. Everyone deserves the chance to work hard and to live a peaceful life. Once the entire world is under our rule, there will be no more hunger, no more wars to fight. Everyone will be able to reach their potential and make everyone’s life better. We are all in this together. You have been men of war. If you would like to continue that tradition, fight with us. If you want to go back to your families and earn an honest living, you are free to go. If you decide to revolt, you will forfeit your life. However, you will find that living under our rule is the best thing that ever happened to you. If you want to fight with us, there is a cart here that will take you to a training camp. If you want to be peaceful, you may leave.”
Mark was happy after the man had finished speaking, not because he bought into anything the man said but because the man said he could leave and go back home. If he was allowed to go about his business, what did it matter who was in charge. It’s not like he was the one who was losing some kind of life of luxury. Mark started to walk when he was interrupted.
“Not you.” A voice said behind him. Mark turned around.
“The man said if I didn’t want to fight, I could go home.” Mark explained.
“That’s true.” The man agreed, “for most people, except you.”
“What?!” Mark answered, “I don’t want to fight, I just want to go home.”
“These older men have seen better days, you on the other hand have your best days ahead of you. We need men like you to fight in our army.” The man explained.
“I don’t want to fight in your army.” Mark shot back.
“You have no choice.” The man continued, “If we are to continue to unite the world into one glorious kingdom, we need more men to fight.”
“I don’t care about uniting the world. I just want to live out my life in peace, like the man said.” Mark insisted.
“You can do that when the war in over.” The man went on, “Get in the cart.” Mark stood there for a moment. He was thinking about his options. After thinking about it for several more minutes, he complied with his orders and got in the cart. There were several men who joined him. He wasn’t sure why these men would volunteer to fight for the enemy but maybe they were not given a choice. He watched other men walk off toward their fallen Kingdom and their homes in utter defeat.
Mark still couldn’t get over the fact that the Kingdom was overrun so easily. He had seen the men of the kingdom fight, and they were no cowards. They had trained for most of their lives, and they knew how to fight. It didn’t matter. They lost all the same. How could it not matter? What did these invaders know that caused their defeat so easily.
None of the men spoke as several horses pulled the cart, they were all sitting in. The horses seemed in no hurry to get to wherever they were going. In fact, Mark thought that walking would be faster, and a march might do them some good, but they just sat there. The horses plodded along at an even pace. Mark thought about Carla and all the time he spent with her in the future. If only these men could see the way they lived in the future, with their cell phones and automobiles and TV’s. Even if Mark tried to describe it to someone, no one would believe it. They would all think he was crazy.
Carla was amazing, he would have done anything for her. He didn’t want to think of what plans the other man in charge might have for her. He knew she could take care of herself; he had seen that time enough, but maybe this time she was in over her head. She wanted to stay in the future. A future where she could be anything she wanted to be. Mark tried to put the thought of Carla out of his mind. There was nothing he could do for her. He had his own fate to worry about. As the horses plodded along, Mark could tell his fate was in no hurry to meet him.
Chapter Twenty-three Backstory
A young man walks nervously into a haphazardly kept room. He stands at attention. He doesn’t really know why he is here but when the great one summons you, you come. The great one was attending to something that involved beakers and vials containing substances that common people don’t even know exist. Substances that contain unusual properties. The great one turns around and notices he has a visitor.
“At ease” the great one orders, “I’ve been looking for an apprentice, someone with whom I can teach all my secrets to. That person could be you. You don’t have to but if you are interested, you must leave your family and friends and devote your entire existence to the study and practice of magic.”
“Why me?” The young man asked.
“Because you have what I call the spark. It’s an innate ability to tap into the magical elements of creation. Not everyone possesses it. Only those who possess it can practice magic. I can guide you into learning how to access these magical elements or you can go back to being normal, it’s up to you.”
“Can I think about it before I decide. That’s a huge change.” The young man answers.
“Of course. Take all the time you need.” The great one answers.
The young man leaves. Becoming one who can command the magical elements would bring respect and prestige. It would elevate his status. He would no longer be pushed around by people who think they are his betters. It is a tempting offer.
The young man returns to his work. It is grueling manual labor, working in the fields. As he toils and sweats under the burning sun, he thinks about the amazing offer that has been extended to him. However, while this offer would improve his life, it would also make it less. He would no longer have the security that comes from the close-knit relationships that are forged through community. He would be giving that all up in a single-minded pursuit of power. He was not sure that the trade was worth it. The men he worked with and the people he spent his time with while he was not working meant everything to him. The fact that he did not have a wife meant he did not have any commitments to disqualify him from accepting the offer. That night communing with family and friends, he made this offer known to all of them.
“I’ve been given an opportunity.” He started out, “I want to tell all of you about it.” He raised his voice so everyone could hear him and while it took a few minutes, it was soon quiet, and everyone’s attention was focused on him.
“I met the great one today.” He started out, “He called me to his house and has offered me a tremendous opportunity.” He paused to let his first statement sink in to all who listened, “He has offered me an apprenticeship. I am to learn all the secrets of magic.” He continued, “This opportunity comes at a price. I am to leave my old life behind and devote myself completely to his guidance and direction. If I accept, I will have to leave all of you behind.”
The young man stopped talking and there was silence for more than a few minutes. The young man finished, “I need all of your advice to make the right decision.” Everyone was shocked and didn’t know how to answer him. Once the shock wore off, several people offered an opinion.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, you have to take it?” One person said.
“Ita not worth leaving your friends and family.” Another person argued.
As more people voiced their opinions, it was some variation of the two, with some thinking the opportunity is too good to pass up while others thinking the benefits are not worth the cost. When the young man laid down to sleep that night, he didn’t know what he should do.
That night he had a dream and the dream seemed as real to him as any dream he had ever had. He saw the world in all its glory. He saw kingdoms whose splendor took his breath away. While he was taking in the magnificence of the images he saw, an army rose up and started marching across the entire world. One by one it consumed entire kingdoms. He saw a wizard who had power that could not be contained command the armies to do his bidding. When all seemed hopeless, he saw a woman. She was a common peasant who rose up to resist the powerful wizard. She wielded magic on a scale that he could not even begin to understand. The two forces opposed each other. Before he could see which force was victorious, he woke up.
The young man was shaking. He did not know what to think. Was his dream the result of an overactive imagination or was his dream a foreshadow if things yet to come? He didn’t know. He did know one thing. If there is such a threat coming, he would need to know the secrets of magic to oppose it.
He spent the day in the fields. He told his friends about the dream and that he needed to accept the great one’s offer, to protect them all from this deadly threat. When the sun was at its highest point in the sky, the young man went uninvited to see the great one.
He walked in and stood at attention, just as he did before. When the great one noticed him, he gave the young man his attention. “So, did you decide?” The great one asked.
“I had a dream last night.” The young man started.
“Let me guess,” The old man interrupted, “You saw the coming of a great war.”
“How did you know?” The young man asked.
“I have also had that dream. It is a dream of the future. A dream that we must prepare ourselves for.” The great one answered.
“Who was the woman who rose up to oppose the great wizard?” The young man asked.
“I don’t know but she is someone who has the spark. Someone who learns it’s deep secrets.” The great one answered.
“We have to find this woman.” The young man replied, “All our lives depend on it.”
“What about your own life?” The great one asked, “Have you decided?”
“I have,” the young man answered, “I have decided to accept your offer.
“I’m glad to hear that.” The great one answered, “Of course, you will have to complete a few tasks before I can accept you.”
“What tasks?” the young man asked, he didn’t know anything about any tasks.
“You’ll find out.” The great one said smiling.
Chapter Twenty-two - Motion
The four young people were escorted back to the castle. The fighting had died down and it looked like the enemy had the situation well under control. Gina remembered her life in the castle. She remembered her life in the future. She remembered how peaceful life in the future had been. However, the dreams were over, and she would just have to handle whatever was going to happen to her now. The old man was dead, whatever his plan was, it failed.
Carla was not happy. She loved being in the future. She loved being the one who was able to soak in a warm bath. She loved having a cell phone and watching movies. She loved being the object of desire rather than the one being overlooked. All that was gone now. She had to deal with what her life would become. Gina had ruined it for them all.
Mark felt helpless. He was always confident in the King’s army’s ability to defend the castle, but it seems that confidence was misplaced. Not only did the kingdom fall, but he personally failed in his own mission to protect the princess. There was no way he could protect her now. He could see now that being a knight was a foolish pursuit. He wondered what he should do with himself now.
Toby enjoyed life in the future as much as Carla did. The thing he liked best was that the day-to-day struggle of living was so much better in the future. In the future he could be noticed and make something of himself. It was a lot harder to do that kind of thing here.
The four were taken in front of a man who was also dressed in armor. The man who had given the order in the cave came before this man and waited to be noticed.
“Report” the new man ordered.
“We found the old man. When we got there, he was alive but there was a flash of light and after that he was dead. It looked like he had been stabbed with a knife, but after a careful search of the surrounding terrain, no knife was found. These four children were in the cave with the old man.” After the knight gave his report, he pointed to the four young people to indicate who he was referring to in his report.
The man in charge looked over the four young people. The first person he noticed was Mark. He thought Mark looked like a well-built machine that might be a good addition to his army with the right training.
Carla looked like a common villager, yet there was something different about her. He was aware that there was still one member of the royal family missing and he thought Carla might be the one. She had a look about her that suggested that she was used to getting her way. Had the man met her before she had been to the future, he would have come to a different conclusion.
Toby also looked like a common villager. Someone who was accustomed to hard labor. He could be useful in any number of different ways.
Finally, he noticed Gina. She was dressed like someone who had privilege, but that could just be a trick. She could have been ordered to switch clothes with the real princess in order to hide her identity.
“Do any of you know who the old man was?” The man in charge asked.
“He was the King’s magician.” Carla answered all of them.
“Did you all see the flash of light before the old man died?” He followed up.
“Yes” Carla answered again.
“Do the rest of you know how to speak?” The man asked.
“Yes” The rest of them said at once.
“Did you all see the flash of light before the old man died?” He asked again with a bit less patience in his voice.
“Yes.” They all answered again at the same time. All of them except Carla, who had already answered the question and she wasn’t going to answer it again. The man in charge noticed this and determined that Carla was the one who was in charge of this little group. So, he started directing questions at her specifically.
“The old man was killed by some kind of magic.” The man continued, “Do any of you practice magic?”
“No” Carla answered.
“Did any of you see someone stab the old man?” He followed up.
“No” Carla answered again. The man believed her answers.
“Then there is someone else here who knows how to use magic and if they were not present where the old man died, they had to do it from a distance. Any man capable of that is dangerous.” The man concluded.
“Take this one.” The man said pointing to Carla, “take her to the castle and give her a room, make sure she is tended to and gets anything she wants. I want to speak to her later in private.” The knight who was in charge in the cavern obeys and escorts Carla away. Carla wasn’t sure what to think about this. She certainly didn’t want to serve others anymore, but she also didn’t feel comfortable being served herself. She could also guess what ‘in private’ meant and if her suspicions were right, that was something she was not looking forward to. Still, being waited on was a lot better than rotting in a prison cell, so there was that.
“Take this one.” The man went on, pointing to Mark, “to the captain of the guard for training. He will make a fine addition to our army someday.” Mark was not happy about that. He knew now that it was a fool who fought someone else’s battles. Still, he couldn’t refuse an order. He also didn’t like the thought of this man touching Carla. The thought made his blood boil. Still, he did as he was told. Another knight escorted Mark away from the group. That just left Toby and Gina to deal with.
“You two, “pointing to Gina and Toby, “are free to go. Go back to your lives. I promise you; life will be better now that your oppressors have been dealt with. You might think this is a sad day, but you will look back on this day with fondness when you see how much better your life is going to get.”
Gina didn’t want to think of herself as an oppressor. She wanted to challenge the man’s opinion, but she controlled herself. She was afraid that if she did that, the man would realize who she was and she would be executed. She wasn’t sure why the man didn’t suspect who she was, but she wasn’t going to tempt fate by mouthing off. Gina had nowhere to go. She might have been a princess by birth but now she was an orphan by circumstance. She would have to rely on the kindness of the people who before were so afraid of her wrath. Would a common person reveal her identity to the new authority? She didn’t know the answer to that question.
What she did know was that she only had herself to blame. She could have stayed in the future and had a wonderful normal life. Instead, she chose to be a fugitive in her own kingdom.
“What am I going to do now?” Gina wondered out loud.
“What do you mean?” Toby asked.
“My subjects hate me. They don’t have to fear me anymore. How will I survive?” Gina explained.
“I guess you’ll just have to learn how to be normal.” Toby answered, “I’ll teach you; you can stay with me.” Toby put his arm around Gina and escorted her to his home.
Chapter Twenty-One – Choices
The old man seemed amused. The princess was learning to control the dream. His plans were accelerating a bit too fast for his liking, but he would adjust. Of course, none of it would matter if he was dead. So, staying alive had to be a priority.
“If you kill me, the dream turns into a nightmare and you all die.” The wizard answered. Gina hesitated. She had never killed anyone before. She wasn’t sure she had it in her to do it but she was sure it needed to be done. The wizard could see the hesitation in her eyes.
“Where do you think the magic comes from that allows you to control the dream?” The Wizard said, “Kill me and the magic disappears!”
Gina didn’t know who to trust. They had all lied to her. They had all kept her from remembering. They had all manipulated her for their own benefit. She needed to save her kingdom. She couldn’t do it stuck in the future. Because Gina hesitated, it gave someone else the time to act. Gina’s knife disappeared. The wizard did not try to move away from her. Gina looked around the room, but she couldn’t tell who had done it. All the other occupants of the room were still restrained except for her.
“Gina, don’t do it!” Carla screamed, “You’re not a murderer.”
“The old man isn’t your enemy.” Toby called out, “End the dream, now!”
“I know you’re confused,” Mark jumped in, “but you’re making a big mistake. One that will cost you your life.”
Only one of them knew Gina was no longer holding a knife besides the old man himself. Mark’s restraints disappeared next. He ran toward Gina and the Wizard and inserted himself between them.
“End the dream, now!” Mark ordered.
“You better listen to them.” The old man said smiling, “You don’t have much time left to decide.”
“Is this a game to you?” Gina said disgustingly, “Are you just playing with us?”
Carla’s restraints were the next to break. She ran to Gina and wrapped her arms around her. Gina pushed her away.
“Get away from me.” Gina declared, “You were only my friend because the ‘old man’ told you to.”
“I’m the best friend you’ve ever had. Think of all the things we did and all the secrets we shared. Think of how we laughed together and cried together, and we were always there for each other. Do you think you would have ever had a friend like that if you stayed here?” Carla asked.
Gina knew Carla was right. She wasn’t allowed to have friends in the castle. Everyone deferred to her out of fear, not out of love. She had been allowed to be as spoiled as she wanted.
“Do you really want to come back here for good?” Carla asked.
“I want the dreams to end.” Gina declared.
“That’s up to you.” The wizard cut in, “You’ve never finished the dream, finish the dream and it will end, for good.”
“No, I kill you and the dream ends for good.” Gina corrected.
“I won’t let you kill him.” Mark responds.
“I thought you served the King.” Gina said disgusted.
“That’s what I’m doing.” Mark shot back.
“Is that what he told you?” Gina started, “That he was doing this all for the King, The King didn’t order the old man to do any of this.”
“Yes, he did” The wizard said, “He killed himself rather than be handed over to the enemy. Before he did, he made me promise that I would keep you safe and that’s what I’m going to do.”
“You are not telling me the truth.” Gina declared.
“I am the only chance you have of avoiding death, young lady!” The wizard scolded.
The sounds of footsteps are heard in the distance. As time passes, they get closer. Soon they are loud. “Do you hear that, princess?” The wizard said, “They have found us. They will be here in minutes.”
Gina wasn’t sure what to do. She could end the dream and do the whole thing over again tomorrow night. She had to end the dream. She couldn’t stand reliving the same nightmare over and over. She had to put an end to it.
The enemy had found them. Several knights bearing the insignia of a rival kingdom entered the cavern. “Stop, don’t anybody move.” One of the knights ordered. Everyone froze, “We found the old man. Take him away.” Before anyone could obey the order, Gina froze everyone in time. Only the old man and herself were not frozen.
“What now?” The old man said, “You can’t keep the world frozen forever.”
“I’ll show you.” Gina replied. She made a knife appear out of nowhere and plunged it into the old man’s heart. She didn’t think she had it in her, but she had to make the dreams stop. Once the old man breathed his last breath, a wave washed over all of them. They all returned to the same condition that they had been in before. Mark had full armor on and a sword. Toby was restrained. Gina and Clara were free to move about. Gina remembered everything that had happened to her. It was like she was waking up for the first time after a long sleep.
“Drop your weapon and remove your armor.” The knight order Mark, “Your side lost, there’s no reason you should have to die.” Mark did as he was told.
When the knight saw that the old man was dead, he was alarmed. He saw the blood from an apparent stabbing wound, but he didn’t see the blade that caused it.
“We were supposed to capture the old man alive, who killed him?” the knight demanded.
“We don’t know, he just collapsed.” Carla offered.
“He collapsed because he was stabbed!” The knight explained.
“None of us have a weapon, how could any of us have stabbed him?” Toby offered.
“I don’t know, but one of you did.” The knight replied.
“I would have let you all go, but since one of you is a murderer and I don’t know which one it is, you will all have to come back with me to sort it out.” The knight determined. Mark tried to wake up from his dream, but he was no longer dreaming.
Chapter Twenty – Appearances
“So, you guys know each other, I still get my cut” The student insisted. Mark paid the student and the student, who was satisfied with his cut, went on his way.
“What are you doing here?” Mark asked the old man.
“I escaped the same as you.” The old man replied, “Isn’t it great here. If only we could have been born a century or two later. Imagine all the things that we missed, and we don’t have to worry about being overrun here. This is the most peaceful country on the planet.”
“We think we should give the princess back her memories. She’s remembering in her dreams; she might as well remember when she is awake.” Mark explained.
“Remembering in her dreams is a problem.” The old man answered, “She’s getting better at controlling them and if she figures out that everything in the dream is real, she could send us back.”
“That’s why she needs to wake up, so we can convince her to stay.” Mark continues.
“I don’t know.” The old man replies, “The only thing that will wake her up permanently is ‘true loves’ kiss.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Mark answered, “That is pretty cliché, don’t you think.”
“It’s cliché for a reason.” The old man answered, “true love is the most powerful magic there is.”
“We don’t even know who her true love is.” Mark went on, “It’s not Toby. We already tried that.”
“Even if she gets her memories back, there is no guarantee that you will be able to convince her and if you can’t do that, we’ll have to defeat her in battle.” The old man warned.
“Isn’t there anything you can do?” Mark begged.
“I do have a temporary solution.” The old man offered, “Get her to take a few sips of this and she will remember for a few hours.” The old man handed Mark an old plastic milk container that had a potion in it. Mark took the container.
“Thanks” Mark responded.
“Good luck and be careful” The old man warned. With that, the old man left Mark standing all by himself. Mark left for Carla’s house.
“You will never guess who I found?” Mark states after he gets to Carla’s house.
“Who?” Carla asks.
“The Wizard” Mark replies, “He’s here.”
“What?” Carla asks stunned.
“The Wizard is here.” Mark states again.
“I thought the Wizard just sent us here. I didn’t think he would also send himself.” Carla replied.
“He said he was escaping, like the rest of us.” Mark explained.
“We’ll, I guess that makes sense.” Carla thought,” But why did he send any of us here. Why didn’t he just come here himself. He didn’t have to bring us with him. He didn’t have to save the princess.”
“I don’t know” Mark answered.
“There’s something he’s not telling us.” Carla declared, “There’s some other reason we are all here.”
“He said that the princess can only get her memories back permanently with ‘true loves’ kiss.” Mark continues.
“Seriously?” Carla responded, “’true loves’ kiss? That’s what he told you.”
“Wait, you don’t think he’s lying, do you?” Mark replied.
“Of course he’s lying. He doesn’t want the princess to get her memories back. It could ruin everything.” Carla explains.
“If that’s true, why did he give me this.” Mark asked as he held up the container with the potion.
“What’s that?” Carla asked.
“It’s a potion that will temporarily give the princess her memories back. We just have to get her to drink it.” Mark stated.
“How are we going to do that, she doesn’t trust us anymore.” Carla shot back.
“We have to find some way to get her to take it.” Mark declared.
That night Mark had a dream.
Mark had been training his entire life to become a knight. He worked hard to build up his muscles to handle the heavy armor that knights wore and to hold up a heavy sword that was the knight’s primary weapon of choice.
Because Mark was young, he wasn’t a knight. He was a knight in training. That meant that he had to do whatever his mentor told him to do. His mentor worked him hard because when the time came to rely on him in battle, he had to be ready. Day after day it was the same grueling routine. He was up at the crack of dawn. He spent the day doing all manner of things and then he slept. It wasn’t exactly the life of hardship that the peasants enjoyed, but it was a life of hardship.
One day after Mark had completed a hard day, he laid down in his bed to get some well-earned rest, a man appeared to him. This man wore a cloak. Mark jumped up ready to battle this unexpected visitor.
“Calm down.” The visitor said, “I’m not your enemy.” Mark relaxed slightly.
“Who are you?” Mark asked.
“I am a powerful wizard. I know you are not a true knight, but I have seen your heart, and you have true courage. In three days, the kingdom will be attacked and overrun. The entire royal family will be put to death with the sword. I have foreseen it and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. The King has asked me to select someone brave and noble to escort his daughter to safety. I have selected you for this important task. I am going to use my magic to send you both somewhere safe. Will you serve your King by accepting this honor?” the wizard explained.
“I am honored to accept the task my King has chosen me for.” Mark responded. Mark worked hard and never complained. He knew what he had to do to become a knight. To be chosen for this important task while being so inexperienced made no sense to Mark but it wasn’t his place to question orders. It was his place to obey. So that is what he did.
Mark was told to wait in the shadows in the cave until he was needed. He watched while Carla brought the princess to the wizard. The princess was beautiful, but he had never seen anyone like Carla before. Carla’s resourcefulness impressed him. She was someone he wanted to get to know.
The princess was restrained but soon her restraint was gone. She didn’t look scared at all.
“You can come out Mark, I know you’re there.” It was the voice of the princess. Mark came out of the shadows. The princess was gaining confidence, gaining more control over the dream.
Marks armor and weapon disappeared, and Mark was now the one restrained. Carla and Toby were also restrained.
Gina casually walked toward the wizard, who still looked unconcerned at this turn of events. When she got close to the Wizard, who was now restrained himself, she held a dagger to his throat.
“Give me one good reason not to kill you right now?” she demanded.
Chapter Nineteen - Carla’s Dream
Carla needed to keep an eye on Gina. If Gina no longer trusted her, that would be a problem. She had a handle on both Toby and Mark and could control them as much as she needed to. That night Carla dreamed….
The Kingdom was at peace. Although Carla did not know it then, that peace would soon be shattered. She was a servant in the castle. She did not do things for herself, she did things for others. Her life wasn’t meant for personal satisfaction or accomplishment, it was meant to provide luxury to others. She hated it but she also knew there were worse fates. So, she had to be grateful. Every so often she would be in the presence of the princess. The princess was beautiful. Carla often thought about what it must be like to have that kind of privilege. To have people wait on you hand and foot and to never say anything that would displease you for fear of punishment.
She didn’t hate the princess, but she envied her position. This was her life day after day.
Carla had no hope of escape.
There was nothing that she could do to improve her position but sometimes fate does those things for you. Carla was in her small chamber, getting ready to rest her tired body when a man appears before her. If he meant to do her harm, he could have easily accomplished that task, and no one would have known about it, but this man presented an opportunity. The man was dressed in a cloak and was wearing a royal ring. Carla fell to her knees.
“Don’t be afraid.” The man started, “I am not here to hurt you, I’m here to offer you a way out.”
“I don’t understand.” Carla responded.
“I am the King’s magician.” The man announced, “I am a powerful wizard. I have seen into your heart. You have potential. Potential that is wasted here. How would you like to go to a place that you can live for yourself, instead of slaving for others?” Carla didn’t know what to think. Is this man really offering her freedom or is it just a trick to get her to do something.
“What must I do?” Carla asked.
“In three days, the kingdom will be attacked and overrun. Nothing can be done to prevent it. When that attack begins, I need you to lead the princess to a cavern near the sea. There I will send both you and the princess away to this place I told you about.” The wizard explains.
“The princess won’t follow me.” Carla declares.
“She will if her life depends on it. There will be chaos and she will be confused. She won’t know what to do. You show up and lead her to me.” The wizard continues.
“Did you tell the King?” Carla asks.
“The King is a fool. He deserves his fate. We can still save the princess.” The Wizard goes on.
“If everything happens as you say. I don’t want to stay here and die. I will do whatever you tell me.” Carla promises.
“Good. Once you are in this new land, the Princess will not remember who she is, but you will. You can befriend the princess and look after her. If she ever gets her memories back, she will want to try and return but if she does, she will die.” The wizard warns, “You must prevent her from doing that.”
“If you give me freedom, I promise I will do it.” Carla replies.
Carla wakes up. She can’t lose her grip on Gina. It could ruin everything. Her life here is a thousand percent better than life back in the kingdom. Carla gets to school and meets up with Toby and Mark.
“Gina doesn’t trust me.” Carla announces.
“That’s not good.” Mark remarks, “What are you gonna do about it?”
“I don’t know yet, did either of you find out anything?” Carla asks.
“I googled as many different ways as I could think of and came up with nothing.” Toby reported.
“Some nerd in the ‘Wizards and Warlocks’ club say he knows a guy that can get Gina back her memory, but it’s gonna cost me.” Mark announces.
“Okay, let me know how that turns out.” Carla orders.
Carla spent the rest of the day giving Gina some space. Toby on the other hand was done giving Gina space. Toby sees Gina walking in the courtyard and approaches her.
“Hey,” Toby starts off, “can we talk?” Gina ignores him and continues walking. Toby steps in front of her to block her path. When Gina tries to step around Toby, he refuses to let her pass.
“Okay, if you don’t want to talk, at least listen.” Toby demands. Gina stops trying to get away from Toby and just stands there with her arms folded across her chest and an irritated look on her face.
“I’m not sorry I kissed you. I’ve been wanting to kiss you since the moment I first laid eyes on you.” Toby explained, “It sucks the way Mark broke up with you, but Mark just wants you to be happy.”
“You’re not sorry?” Gina answered.
“How could I be sorry for kissing the most beautiful girl in existence?” Toby answered. Gina could feel her heart melt but only slightly, very slightly.
“It was a horrible thing to do.” Gina shot back.
“I know.” Toby affirmed,” Maybe some time you’ll let me make it up to you.”
“I have a lot to think about.” Gina said as she was leaving.
“Carla also wants you to be happy.” Toby added. Gina walked away without answering.
After school Mark meets up with the student promising magic. “Did you get the money?” The student asks.
“Did you get the potion?” Mark shoots back.
“I told my guy about your situation, and he said he wanted to meet you.” The student answered.
“Why does he want to meet me?” Mark asked.
“There aren’t a lot of people who want memory potions. So, he wants to talk to you first.” The student explained.
Mark got a lump in his throat. Anyone who could make potions could easily get rid of him if they wanted to.
“Okay, when do I get to meet this guy?” Mark asked.
“You get to meet him right now.” The student answers. The student leads Mark to a car
that is parked nearby. When Mark gets close enough, the window in the back rolls down revealing an old man’s face.
“I didn’t expect to see you again.” Mark exclaims.
Chapter Eighteen - Strained Relationship
“Okay, look. Mark is really, really, sorry he dumped you the way that he did. The thing is, Toby has had a crush on you since forever and Mark decided to step aside and let him take his shot.” Carla asks Gina.
“What?! Are you saying that Mark never loved me!” Gina demands.
“I don’t know if Mark ever loved you or not, but Toby does.” Carla answered.
“Did you know Mark was going to break up with me?” Gina continues.
“Of course I didn’t. If I would have known, I would have given you a heads up.” Carla insists. Gina studies Carla face for several minutes.
“You did know!” Gina decided, “So, the three of you are planning a way to get me to like Toby. Is that why he was your ‘date’ on Saturday.”
“It’s not like that. I only wanted what was best for you and Mark isn’t it.” Carla explained.
“Is that why you were worried about whether I was going to break up with him, because you wanted him to break up with me first!” Gina accused.
“That doesn’t even make sense.” Carla shot back.
“You are my best friend” Gina says as she starts crying. Gina felt a strong sense of betrayal. Like when you find out you thought you knew someone, but you really didn’t.
“I am your best friend.” Carla assures, “I would have never let this happen if I didn’t think it was for the best.”
“Get away from me, it’s like I don’t even know you.” Gina declared. Gina was hurt. Her boyfriend whom she loved had dumped her and her best friend was in on it and didn’t tell her. She had to take some time to process everything. Carla had always had her back. If she couldn’t trust Carla, who could she trust?
While Gina’s life was falling apart, Toby was trying to find someone capable of creating a potion to counteract a powerful spell. He tried entering some search terms into Google, but he didn’t get anything back worth mentioning. He knew it wasn’t going to be that easy though. Someone capable of that kind of power wouldn’t want to attract a lot of attention. Toby decided to take a different approach.
Mark decided to check out a meeting of the “Wizards and Warlocks” gaming club. Anyone who would be interested in that type of role-playing game might know something. Mark entered the classroom designated for the meeting and all the activity in the room stopped. You know when something just looks out of place, like it doesn’t belong? That is what Mark looked like. Mark was invading a space reserved for social outcasts and students who had tastes that were to say the least odd.
Everyone was eyeing Mark suspiciously. Mark wasn’t a social outcast. There was some unwritten but understood rule that people like Mark didn’t belong here. The truth was that Mark himself had served as a knight and knew more about wizards and warlocks than anyone else in the room.
The teacher who presided over the class was one of the school’s counselors. He kept his hand on the pulse of the student body and didn’t leave out those deemed invisible by others.
“Can I help you?” The counselor said to Mark as he made his way into the classroom.
“Yeah, I’m interested in learning how to role play.” Mark answered in as disarming a voice as he could muster.
“You’ve come to the right place.” The counselor responded, “The best way to learn is to observe. We’re in the middle of a campaign right now and you’ve come at an exciting point.”
“How does it all work?” Mark asked.
“Well, everyone creates a character that they use to interact with in the game. There is a narrator, which right now is me, who decides what happens based of character decisions.”
“That sounds great, is there magic in the game?” Mark asks.
“There are characters that wield magic.” The counselor admitted.
“It would be cool if magic existed in real life.” Mark offered.
“There is magic all around us.” The counselor responded, “The rays of the sun, the beauty of a flower. The cycle of rainfall and the miracle of birth”
“All those things can be explained by science” Mark answered.
“We understand the processes of nature through the lens of science, but that doesn’t make it any less magical.” The counselor corrected.
“But what about real magic?” Mark asked.
“What do you mean?” The counselor followed up.
“Well, I kind of screwed things up for a friend and this girl he likes now hates him. If Magic existed, I could make her fall back in love with him.” Mark explained.
“Relationships can be difficult,” The counselor agreed, “In fact, that’s the whole reason I have a job. Your friend doesn’t need a shortcut, if he really wants her to like him again, he’s going to have to put in the work.”
“You’re right, of course. I just feel horrible about it, that’s all” Mark replied.
“I get that.” The counselor responded, “You want to be a good friend. I wish I could help but there’s no magic when it comes to relationships that last, only hard work.”
“Thanks anyway.” Mark answered.
Mark stuck around and watched the game unfold. The adventurers had stumbled upon a nest of giant wasps and had to fight for their very lives. There were a lot of dice rolled and action dramatized. One character did die but the rest managed to survive.
After the session was over, Mark left to go home. He wasn’t exactly sorry he came but he didn’t get any information that helped him get Gina’s memories back. As he was leaving the school grounds, he heard someone calling to him. The voice was faint, and he turned to see where it was coming from. It was one of the students.
“You need a love potion?” The student asked.
“You got one?” Mark shot back.
“Maybe.” The student answered.
“Where did you get it?” Mark inquired.
“I know a guy” The student responded.
“I actually need a potion to restore someone’s memory.” Mark confided.
“That’s a little harder but I do know a guy that can do it.” The student said.
“Then let’s do it.” Mark continued.
“It’s gonna cost you.” The student explained.
“That’s not a problem.” Mark assured.
Quantity vs. Quality
Disclaimer: Whenever you are generalizing roughly half of the world's population, there are going to be exceptions. This is a good thing because if there were no exceptions we would all be doomed.
Men want to spread their seed around to get as many chances as possible to produce offspring. Since men don't get pregnant, they can spread their seed around to a lot of women fairly quickly. This is the reason why men are not picky, being picky would restrict this spreading around process.
Women want the best possible genetic material with which to create offspring. Since women do get pregnant and since being pregnant is time consuming women don't get that many chances to produce children over the course of their life. This is the reason women are picky, they have to make the most of what chances they get.
These two completely logical mating practices kind of screw things up for people. What ends up happening is that most women gravitate toward "a few good men" and gravitate away from the unwashed masses. Men have to work a lot harder to secure mating opportunities than women do and there is that "too many choices" paralyzing people into thinking they can always do better. The only group this is good for is the "few good men". Everyone else is pretty unhappy about the situation.
Society could always try and force people against their nature. We have already tried that and while it worked for a while, nature reasserted itself. The only hope anyone has is finding that "exception" I talked about in my disclaimer. I think that's pretty much the conclusion I've come to. Until then, remember the "4 no's", No sex, No marriage, No dating, and No children!
Chapter Seventeen - Suspicious Minds.
When Carla came home with Gina. Gina’s mother eyed her suspiciously. She had overheard Carla talking with Gina the night before and from that conversation, had deduced that Carla had come from wherever it was that her own daughter had come from. Furthermore, Carla didn’t suffer from the memory lapses that Gina suffered from. Gina’s mother wasn’t sure if Carla was there to keep an eye on Gina or to protect her from something else.
“Hello. Girls” Gina’s mother greeted the two girls warmly as if nothing was wrong.
“Hi mom” Gina said happily.
“Hi” Carla said assuredly.
“So, what are you girls up to?” Gina’s mother said, making small talk.
“Just hanging out.” Carla answered. Carla’s eyes darted here and there in an attempt to notice something out of place.
“Is there something wrong Carla?” Gina’s mother asked. She asked because of her suspicion about Caral and that Carla seemed to be looking around the room for no apparent reason.
“No.” Carla said. She stopped looking around as she determined she was being too obvious. Carla took Gina by the arm and they both went into Gina’s room.
Gina’s mother held her ear to Gina’s door. She wanted to know what Carla was up to. She couldn’t hear much and what she did hear wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. After about 10 minutes Gina’s door opened and Carla appeared. She seemed startled to find Gina’s mother at the door.
“I was just coming to see if you girls wanted a snack.” Gina’s mother explained as a reason for being right outside Gina’s door.
“I was just going to get a glass of water. Gina might want something though.” Carla explained. She didn’t wait for a response but went down the hall to the kitchen. She started looking around for something. Anything that might indicate where Gina had gone to get her memory back. She didn’t find anything useful, so she opened the refrigerator and started looking for something else. Way in the back of the crowded refrigerator there was a plastic milk container, but it didn’t have milk in it. It was almost empty, but it still had a few drops left. Carla thought that it might be a potion that brought Gina’s memories back but before she could take it, Gina’s mother interrupted her.
“All we have is tap water?” Gina’s mother explained when she caught Carla going through the refrigerator.
“I don’t want water anymore; I want something else.” Carla explained.
“We don’t really have anything except water and milk.” Gina’s mother offered.
“That’s okay.” Carla responded as she went back to Gina’s room.
After Carla had left, Gina’s mother went through the refrigerator herself to see what Carla might have wanted. She noticed the plastic milk container. She had poured almost all the potion that the strange old man had given her for Gina, but she had left a few drops just in case she changed her mind. She took the remaining drops and poured them down the sink. She threw the now empty milk carton away.
Carla had to figure out some way to get that potion so she could figure out how Gina got her memories back. She didn’t want to have to explain how she was from another time and place and that Gina was also from another time and place. The less she had to try and explain the better.
Gina’s mother came in a few moments later with some store-bought cookies that were knockoff’s of Oero’s. Seeing the “Oreos” gave her an idea.
“I think I’ve changed my mind. I think I will have some milk.” Carla explained.
“I can get you a glass.” Gina’s mother offered.
“That’s okay. I’m used to getting things for myself.” Carla responded cheerfully and got up to go back to the kitchen. When Carla got back to the kitchen. She looked in the refrigerator for the milk carton that had the potion in it, but it wasn’t there. She got out the actual milk and poured herself a glass and went back to Gina’s room. Gina’s mother knew. She knew that Carla was looking for something and when Carla went back to Gina’s room, she got rid of it. Carla would have to think of something else.
The next day at school, Carla tried to meet up with Mark and Toby secretly. She didn’t want Gina to get suspicious. “Did you figure it out?” Mark asked Carla when they finally met up.
“There were a few drops of a potion in the refrigerator. I was going to take it, but Gina’s mom interrupted me and when I got a chance to grab it again, it was gone.” Carla explained.
“That must mean that Gina’s mom is on to you.” Mark reasoned.
“When Gina got her memory back the first time, she must have told her mother about it.” Carla continued.
“She had to have gotten that potion from somewhere, but who in this time even bothers with magic anymore.” Mark thought out loud.
“Well, somebody does, and we need to find them.” Carla went on.
“What did I miss?” Toby asked as he joined the group discussion.
“There is a guy around here who knows how to make potions.” Mark explained.
“That doesn’t sound good.” Toby responded, “He knows about Gina.”
“I wonder if he also knows where she is from.” Mark wondered out loud.
“We have got to find him.” Carla states again.
“I’ll check the internet” Toby offers.
“And I’ll see if anyone around here knows anything.” Mark added.
“Okay,” Carla said, “Let me know if either of you find anything out.”
The group break up and later in the day Carla and Gina meet up.
“I saw you with Mark and Toby again.” Gina states coldly, “After what they did to me, how could you still be talking to them?”
“I don’t want to talk to them. They keep trying to use me to get to you.” Carla explains.
“You’re lying. They haven’t tried even once to approach me.” Gina accuses.
“Gina, I swear, I’m not lying.” Carla states again.
“You’re my best friend, how could you do this to me?” Gina starts to cry.
“I’m not doing anything to you.” Carla says.
“There’s something going on that you are not telling me and if you value our friendship, you better start talking!” Gina demands.
Men are Trash
I've been spending some time on the female side of the internet in regard to gender relations. Regardless of the topic, one theme appears more than any other and that theme is that men are trash. It doesn't matter what men do; they are all trash. I've read posts by women that describe what I would consider a pretty good guy only to find out in the comments that I was sadly mistaken. These women in the comments bring up points that for the most part I didn't think of which is why I've been spending time on the female side in the first place. I want to get an idea of what kind of things matter. It's pretty depressing though.
While I was wondering around, I ran across something called "the 4 no's" which are as follows...
No dating
No marriage
No sex
No children
A small segment of the female population has adopted these 4 principles and while if enough women adopted them, it would become an extinction level event, I can't say I disagree.
I noticed a lot of "women going their own way" content on the female side which surprised me. However, they don't call it "women going their own way" they call it "decentering men". Any video you watch that talk about "decentering men" is the female equivalent of "men going their own way". There are also a lot of videos putting down "men going their own way" while at the same time ironically embracing the "decenter men" philosophy as if the two are different somehow.
While I have been trying to put into words my feelings on romance/mating I think I have settled on the following...
The act of trying to get what you need from someone trying to take advantage of you.
Having said that, I acknowledge that loyalty is a trait and that there are people of both genders who possess it. I also acknowledge that loyalty is a trait and there are people of both genders who don't possess it. So, it really comes down to this.
Fall in love with someone who has the trait of loyalty, and you should be alright.
Don't look for it on the internet though, unless you enjoy depression and a feeling of utter hopelessness.