Chapter Thirty-Two – The Front Lines
Mark woke up in his tent for the millionth time. Every morning was the same. He took down his tent in minutes and within 20, the entire army was ready to march. It was crazy how fast they could break camp, get in formation and march.
They had just entered a large plain. There was tall grass as far as the eye could see. Everything was peaceful. They continued marching. Then from out of nowhere, a single arrow came hurtling toward them. Another arrow followed a few moments later. The arrows kept coming until there were hundreds of them hurtling through the sky.
Some of them connected with their targets, most of them fell harmlessly to the ground. The army kept marching. Another wave hit, a few more soldiers fell, the army kept marching. When the army got to a certain point on the plain, the enemy sprang up all around them and attacked. The surprise gave the enemy an advantage, but the advantage didn’t last long. While the enemy did manage to kill quite a few soldiers, the ambush was quickly defeated.
The army continued to march. It started as a speck in the distance, then as it got closer, it got bigger. A huge boulder came hurtling at the advancing army. They managed to avoid being hit by it. Then another boulder came which also did no damage. Then several boulders at once came. It was too many to dodge all of them. The soldiers that were unable to get out of way perished. The army continued to march. More boulders came. The number of soldiers dwindled but they kept marching.
Finally, the source of the boulders came into view. Rows upon rows of machines that catapulted the boulders high in the air became visible. As the army got close to the machines, they stopped throwing boulders. The reason they stopped is because another army was there to oppose them.
The fighting was fierce, and Mark had thought that they had finally met their match. He didn’t believe there was an army that could oppose them, yet this seemed to be that army. Mark’s comrades began falling around him. He had to use all his training to stay alive. At a great cost of life, the army broke through the enemy’s defenses and destroyed the machines. When the dust had cleared, very few soldiers from either side were left standing.
Mark considered himself lucky to be one of them. The battle was a draw and Mark’s army retreated. They would have to wait for the new soldiers to arrive before they could make another push. It wasn’t defeat, just a delay of the inevitable.
They set up camp on the plains. Mark sat in his tent. He was tired. He didn’t want to fight. He wanted to go home. He wanted to see Carla again. He wanted to tell her how he really felt about her. He wanted to know if she felt the same way about him.
The next day Mark woke up in his tent. When he looked outside, he couldn’t believe what he saw. In the night, the enemy had infiltrated the camp and had captured the few forces that remained. They were taken to a prison and locked up. The plan was to publicly execute them as enemies of the state.
Mark was barely given enough to eat to stay alive. Of course, there really wasn’t much point in feeding the prisoners at all if they are just going to end up being executed anyway, they just needed to be kept alive long enough to make it to their execution.
One by one, Mark’s cellmates disappeared and never came back. This took longer than you would think. The reason is because they had to make a spectacle out of it. They had defeated this huge threat that had bulldozed its way across the planet. Stopping this threat was a big deal. So, Mark waited for his turn. Mark never wanted to fight, and he certainly didn’t want to die.
Mark wasn’t sure how much time had passed; He didn’t have a window and he couldn’t see outside. What he did notice was the number of his comrades still in prison was decreasing. There were only a handful of them left now. The odds of his “turn” coming up were high. Mark wished he could have stayed in the future. He could have graduated from high school and made a career for himself. He could have lived a life in peace instead of war. Now that life was coming to an end and there was nothing he could do about it.
His day finally came, He was dragged out of his cell and marched outside. A guillotine was waiting for him. A large crowd cheered, and he was taken up to the platform where the guillotine had been placed. Before Mark was put to death, the King felt it necessary to give a speech.
“A great army came to take over our Kingdom. That army has been defeated. It was at the cost of great life. We honor those who have died by executing the ones who remain alive that have attacked us without cause.” The King finished his speech and gave the signal.
Mark was moved into position. His head placed in such a way that it would soon be removed from the rest of his body. The executioner swung his axe, which in turn cut the rope that was holding the blade in its position. Once the rope was cut, the blade made its downward trajectory toward Mark’s neck with the intention of slicing through it. As the blade nearly reaches Mark’s neck, the blade mysteriously stops, as if frozen in time.
The ropes that were securing Mark’s hands disappear and he is free to remove his head from harm's way. The executioner grabs Mark. A mysterious woman appears out of nowhere.
“Forgive me, your highness,” The mysterious woman starts, “This person belongs to me, and I cannot allow you to harm him.” After saying this, both Mark and the mysterious woman vanish.
Chapter Thirty-one Prison
Carla was bored. Carla was bored out of her mind. She had been forced to stay in the castle in the princess’s own room and had not been allowed to move about freely. The servants brought her anything she wanted and while it was a lot more comfortable and a cell in the dungeon, it was a cell, nonetheless.
Carla missed Mark. Carla missed Toby. Carla even missed Gina. Before she had felt like she was in control of her destiny and now that control had completely vanished. The days wore on. The servants treated her like royalty. Several times she was tempted to use the secret passage to escape, but each time she thought about it, she decided to stay where she was. She tried to get information about what was going on outside, but each time she asked one of the servants a question, they would give a polite non-answer.
Then one day, she got a visitor, and it wasn’t just anyone. She had attracted the attention of the guy in charge and not just the guy in charge of this area, she attracted the attention of the guy in charge of everything, everywhere. He was old. Carla couldn’t be sure just how old he was, but she could tell that he had been through a lot.
“How are you my dear?” The leader asks.
“I’m okay. I’m kind of bored though.” Carla answers.
“That’s understandable.” The leader continues, “I hope you will accept my apologies for keeping you ‘locked up’,”
“It’s better than being in the dungeon.” Carla offers.
“It certainly is.” The leader agreed, “My second in command thinks you are a natural born leader. He can read people in moments, and he is never wrong. I have come to trust and rely on his judgement. We need leaders, leaders who can bring about the greater good.”
“Is that what your war is about? Bringing about the greater good.” Carla asks.
“I would hardly call it a war, but yes. What you say is correct. We are uniting the world under one system of government. A system which benefits all the people, not just a select few.” The leader explains.
“Why do you get to decide what the greater good is?” Carla asks.
“Someone has to decide, and once people get used to this new system, they are willing to fight to the death to keep it.” The leader adds.
“But why is it you?” Carla asks again.
“Because it’s my vision for humanity.” The leader responds, “and in my vision, you can use the talents you have to benefit, not only yourself but everyone else instead of wasting them because you lack opportunity.”
“What do you want me to do?” Carla asks.
“I want you to use your talents for leadership, to inspire people and get things done.” The leader answers, “You don’t know what’s going on outside because you have been here for weeks. Allow me to give you a tour, so you can see what I am talking about.”
Carla knew she didn’t have a choice. The leader and Carla left the castle and entered the city. The fires that had been burning the night of the attack were completely gone. The buildings that had been destroyed had been rebuilt. In fact, if you didn’t know that a battle had taken place, you would never know unless someone told you. Carla marveled at how ‘back to normal’ everything seemed and how happy everyone looked.
The city was clean and tidy, and everything seemed to be in place. Carla felt like there had to be something wrong, but if there was, she couldn’t see it.
“Now tell me, my dear. “The leader asked, “When was the last time you saw this place in a better condition than you see it now?”
“I’ve never seen this place in a better condition than it is now.” Carla had to admit.
“Pick any random person and ask them how they are doing?” the leader ordered, “Go on. Ask them anything.” Carla stopped a young woman who seemed like she was in a hurry.
“Excuse me.” Carla said to the young woman, “Why are you in such a hurry.”
“Haven’t you heard?” The young woman replied, “The bakery two streets over has baked the best tasting bread anyone has ever tasted. I’m hurrying to get some before it’s all gone for the day.” Before Carla could get in another word, the young woman was off.
“See, didn’t I tell you. Now ask someone else.” the leader prompted. Carla stopped a young man.
“Excuse me.” Carla said, “I would just like to know how you are doing today?” The young man stops to answer her. “I’m doing great.” The young man replied.
“Why is that?” Carla followed up.
“Before the attack, I was out of work. I was hungry. I didn’t know what I was going to do. They rounded me up and a bunch of other people and I thought they were going to throw me in the dungeon but instead they gave me a job. They said no man should suffer the humiliation of not being able to provide for his family. This attack was the best thing that ever happened to me.” The young man’s face was beaming with pride.
“Thank you” Carla said. Carla couldn’t deny what her eyes were telling her. Things were better. Things were better for everyone. The leader was right, who would want things to do back to the way they were before?
Carla couldn’t help but think there had to be some kind of catch, only she couldn’t think of what that catch was.
Chapter Thirty – Apprentice no more
The young apprentice kept being tormented by his dreams. He had basically the same dream every night. When he was asleep, it haunted his dreams and when he was awake, it haunted his thoughts. He became consumed with the idea of defeating this army that threatened to consume the world.
The great one became increasingly concerned over his apprentice’s mental state. He had made several attempts to change the direction his apprentice was heading in but each time his efforts were met with failure.
“We have to find the woman” His apprentice kept begging his master, “I will go look for her myself. She must be ready when this army appears.”
“No,” the great one argued, “We must be ready to defend our land. The woman will appear when she is needed, you have seen it in your dreams.”
“Very well” The apprentice conceded. He didn’t agree with the great one’s logic, but he wasn’t strong enough to oppose him, at least not yet.
When the apprentice went out on errands, he would notice the spark in different people. It wasn’t common but it wasn’t rare either. Most people never recognized the spark. It took someone who was already able to manipulate it, to point it out and train a person. The apprentice learned of a way to take someone’s spark without them realizing it. The apprentice rationalized this theft but concluded that the person was not harmed by the taking and would probably never realize they had the power in the first place, so they would never miss it. He did this sparingly at first, but as his power grew, he did it more often. The great one started noticing.
“You’ve been taking other people’s spark.” The great one confronted his apprentice one day, “One person isn’t meant to have that much power, you need to let it go.”
“I need all the power I can get. With enough power, I could oppose this coming army. Besides, those people weren’t going to use it anyway.” The apprentice explained.
“That still doesn’t make it right” the great one replied. “If you don’t give it up, I will be forced to oppose you.” The great one said, “I don’t want to fight you, but if you won’t listen to reason.”
The apprentice decided it was now or never. He tried taking the Great One’s spark, but it wasn’t working. “You are going to have to try harder than that.” The great one said. The apprentice found himself restrained before he could even think another thought. His mouth was gagged so he couldn’t cast a spell. The fight seemed all but over.
“I’m going to take your power away.” The great one said, “If you can do it, I can do it.” The apprentice saw his life passing before his eyes. Even if the great one didn’t kill him, he couldn’t continue living without the spark. He couldn’t fulfill his destiny of finding the woman and helping to stop the spread of evil. He dug deep down inside him and used every ounce of his strength to oppose his mentor.
The great one concentrated. He could feel the spark starting to come out of his apprentice. His apprentice could feel it too. With the last of his strength, which had almost been depleted at this point. He got the gag that kept him from speaking to disappear. He uttered some words which seemed like nonsense to anyone that heard them, and the struggle was over. The great one collapsed on the floor. The apprentice was the apprentice no longer. The great one was the great one no longer. The apprentice had taken his spark from him. Now, he was just ordinary. When the great one came to his senses, he realized what had happened. He had failed to defeat his apprentice. His apprentice would try and find the woman and there was nothing he could do about it.
The apprentice disappeared for months. Even though the great one could no longer wield magic, he was still respected and kept his advisory position. He thought that his apprentice had left in search of the woman from his dreams and that he would never see him again. He thought wrong.
One day the apprentice, who was not an apprentice anymore, returned. He entered the castle and interrupted a meeting that the King was having with his advisors. There had been a revolt in a localized section of the Kingdom and while it was under control now, the King and his advisors were taking precautions so the civil unrest would not spread to the rest of the kingdom.
When the King saw him, he tried to have the apprentice arrested. This attempt failed. Several other attempts also failed. When the apprentice had everyone’s undivided attention, he addressed them.
“You are no longer in charge.” The apprentice takes out a document. “The rules stated in this document, will now decide how the Kingdom is run. If you refuse, I will kill you all.” Without waiting for an answer from the council of advisors, the apprentice disappears in a puff of smoke.
The former great one walks over to where the document falls and picks it up. He starts reading it quietly to himself. “Well, what does it say?” One of the advisors asks.
“There are a lot of changes to be made.” The former great one declares.
“If we refuse, can he carry out his threat?” Another advisor asks.
“Yes,” The former great one answers, “He is more than capable of carrying out his threat.”
“What are we going to do?” Another advisor chimes in.
“If you don’t want to die, I suggest you follow the rules of this document.” The former great one replies.
Chapter Twenty-Nine – Normal People
Gina woke up alone. The small dwelling which Toby had taken her to looked pretty much the same as it did the previous night. Gina didn’t notice the flame that appeared that kept her warm all night and by the time she woke up it was gone. Gina wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t know where Toby was. She didn’t feel safe walking around by herself, so she decided to stay where she was.
The minutes ticked by slowly. As she was looking around, bored out of her mind, she noticed her clothes were missing. The clothes she wore that she had to change out of, they were gone. Toby must have taken them. Normally she would have been mad, but she wasn’t mad now. She didn’t need those clothes anymore. Those clothes belonged to the princess. She wasn’t the princess anymore. Toby finally came back. He brought with him some food for Gina to eat. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she started eating.
“I have some news. I got you a job. If you are going to be normal, you are going to have to work.” Toby announced.
“I don’t know how to do anything.” Gina protested, “What kind of job is it?”
“It’s a job in a bakery, baking bread.” Toby explained, “You will be assisting the baker and I have already told her you don’t have any experience. All you have to do is be able to follow orders.”
“When do I start?” Gina asked. Gina was resigned to her new fate. At least she didn’t have to find her own job.
“Right now.” Toby said. When Gina was done eating. Toby took her to a small bakery and led her to a back room where the baking was done. An older woman was there.
“So, this is what I have to work with?” She said out loud as she looked Gina over, “I guess she’ll do.”
“Then I will leave you two to work.” Toby says as he excuses himself. Toby was a bit apprehensive about leaving Gina but had to grow up sometime and he knew coddling her wasn’t going to do her any good.
Toby worked out in the fields, planting crops, tending to crops, picking crops. Anyone who has ever done that type of work knows it’s more than a full-time job. Today was different though. Today there were men there that Toby didn’t recognize. Furthermore, they didn’t do any work. They just watched. They didn’t say anything. They didn’t do anything. Toby thought it was kind of weird. He asked some of his fellow laborer’s if they knew who the strange men were and none of them knew. Toby wondered if these new men represented their conquerors. While Toby was working hard in the field, Gina was trying to get the hang of taking orders.
The woman who oversaw her was aware that she didn’t know much. So, she went over things as slowly as possible while still maintaining some efficiency. However, even going over things slowly was too fast for Gina. Gina was told what each ingredient was and that it was important to the right ingredient when called for.
The first mistake Gina made was mixing up the salt and the flour. If Gina had just taken a bit more time, she would have recognized that she was retrieving salt when she should have been retrieving flour. The problem was that Gina was flustered and not thinking clearly. When Gina’s mentor tasted the results, she realized what had happened.
“I’ve mixed up a few ingredients in my time.” The older woman said, “Just slow down and concentrate.” The older woman was understanding but this made her work harder. Because one batch was bad, she would have to take the time to make another one and all the money she spent on the ingredients in the bad batch were lost. “We’ll have to do it over again. Throw this batch out.”
Gina wished that she hadn’t made the mistake. Instead of being pleased, her survival depended now on pleasing others. She noticed the texture of the batch change at that moment and took a taste. It turns out the batch wasn’t ruined at all. She rushed back in to get the older woman.
“The bread tastes good to me. Will you try it again?” Gina asked. The older woman tried the batch again and this time it tasted good. In fact, it was the best tasting bread she had ever made. She wasn’t sure how this strange thing happened, but she was happy that she didn’t have to spend the time and resources to make another one.
“Maybe I was mistaken,” the old woman said, “This does taste good.”
Gina finished the day feeling a lot better. It wasn’t fun working all day, but she was doing something useful and participating in the general welfare of the community. She had earned her keep for at least one day. When her work was done, she waited. She assumed that Toby was going to come get her and while she had to wait longer than she wanted to, he did just that.
“How was your first day being normal?” Toby asked her as they walked back to Toby’s place.
“It was tiring. Is this what peasants have to do every day?” Gina asked.
“Everyday.” Toby replied.
“Something strange happened at the bakery. I had made a mistake with the ingredients and the bread tasted really bad. I wished for my mistake to be corrected and after that, the bread tasted really good.” Gina explained.
“Last night, a flame appeared on the stove but there wasn’t any wood.” Toby followed up.
“Last night I was wishing it wasn’t so cold.” Gina remembered.
“It’s just like the magic in the dream.” Toby said, “You thought something, and it happened.”
“Are you saying I’m a magician?” Gina asked, stunned.
“I don’t know but the old man let you kill him. Maybe by killing him, you got his power.” Toby surmised.
“That can't be right.” Gina shot back.
“It must be.” Toby said.
The next day, when Gina got to work, there was a crowd of people in the bakery. “You know that bread we made yesterday?” The older woman asked Gina.
“Yes.” Gina responded.
“All these people want us to make more!” The older woman exclaimed.
Chapter Twenty-Eight Basic Training
Mark was bored out of his mind. It seemed like he had been sitting in that cart forever. Regardless of how long they had been travelling, the horses were just not in any hurry to get to where they were going. Several of the men, including Mark, fell asleep as the night dragged on. When Mark woke up, the horses were still plodding along toward their destination.
It took two days for them to get to basic training. A camp had been set up to train the new men they picked up along the way to continue to fight in the war. So, one moment you were fighting against them, and then those who survived the onslaught were converted into fighting for them. In this way the army, kept replenishing itself. Mark thought there must be a lot of these camps and wondered if anyone in the original army was still fighting. It would be ironic if that were to be the case.
As soon as they got to camp, all the men were lined up and the commander who led the camp addressed them. “This is the best day of your lives.” The commander started off, “Instead of fighting for a royalty that could care less if you lived or died, you now have the honor of fighting for all humanity. Your job isn’t to conquer, it’s to liberate. It’s to liberate your friends and neighbors, not only here but in places you’ve never even dreamed existed. When we liberate an area, the people there experience a better quality of life, because their toil doesn’t go to benefitting a select few, it goes to benefitting themselves. By organizing resources on a mass scale, we can eliminate hunger, provide shelter, and give everyone the opportunity to reach whatever potential they have inside of them. We will eliminate violence and war and bring about a peace that will last for ages. The generations that come after you will remember you as heroes. The skills you will learn here will make you invincible. As you learn to work as a team, those who oppose you will have no choice but to fall. Now your instructor will tell you what to do.” After the commander had finished giving his inspirational introduction, he left and disappeared into a structure and that was that.
The man who was given the task of taking the men and turning them into a well-oiled fighting machine, was not inspiration at all. In fact, he always seemed to be in a bad mood because he yelled. He yelled a lot. As soon as the sun came up in the morning he yelled, and it seemed like his voice was stuck in the loudest setting possible. Mark didn’t have to think, he just did whatever he was told to do. In a way it was a good thing for Mark because he didn’t have time to think about the people he left behind. He didn’t have time to think about Carla or Toby and Gina.
Day after day it was the same. He had no idea of how long he had been there, but he did recognize that he was better. The things he learned about fighting and working as a team amazed him. Back in the Kingdom he had always focused on skill and never got to the point where he needed to learn strategy. Soon his group was the well-oiled machine his new masters had wanted to be. He was not only stronger, but he was also smarter.
One morning, his group was told they were joining the war. Mark was not at all happy about joining the war. He wasn’t afraid of dying, he just wasn’t interested in dying for someone else’s cause. All the talk about making the world a better place through violence didn’t resonate with him. It resonated with others, not him.
There were others in his group that had fully committed to the war effort. They believed that what they were doing was for the long term good of humanity. Mark wasn’t sure one way or the other. Of course, time would tell. The thing is Mark didn’t think he would be alive long enough to find out. Mark’s group were sent beyond his own kingdom to a place Mark had never been before. Anywhere beyond the kingdom was a place Mark had never been before. It took several weeks to get there. By the time Mark got to the front, he was amazed at just how much ground they had captured since his own Kingdom was overrun. He passed carts of men who had been defeated on their way to be trained like he was.
Now you would think that the new recruits would cause trouble, but you would be wrong. The morality of their mission and the promise of a better life for all resonated with all who were forced to join. They had a greater purpose now than just fighting for someone who didn’t really care if they lived or died, and they committed themselves to it.
Mark saw battle for the first time in his life. It was something you never forget. The first time you kill someone. The first victory your group secures for the cause. The strategy of those in command amazed Mark. It was like they knew in advance what their enemies were going to do. The battle that Mark participated in was nothing less than brilliant and the enemy soon surrendered. The bloodshed was kept to a minimum and the whole process repeated itself.
Once the enemy was subdued, the soldiers started directing the common people in getting their lives back to normal. New organizations were established, and the new territory started contributing immediately to the overall good of the world. Mark couldn’t see how this army could be defeated and over time, He felt like it was destiny.
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Role Reversal
Carla was taken to the castle. The same castle where she had been working before the foreign invaders disrupted everyone’s life. Ironically, she was given the room that the now defunct princess once inhabited. A guard was placed outside her door so she could not move about freely. However, the staff was free to move about. In fact, they were free to keep doing the things they have always done. The only difference as far as they could tell was that the people that they waited on had changed.
A young woman, whom Carla knew (she knew the entire staff) came in a made a polite bow. Carla was not used to being treated with respect and it made her feel uncomfortable to be given respect by someone that she had worked alongside previously.
“May I get you something miss?” The woman asked. Carla could see the fear in her eyes. It was the same fear they always had, only this time, she was the one they were afraid of.
“Some tea, please.” Carla answered. Carla did not drink tea often so she thought if she had privilege, she might as well have a cup of tea.
“Coming right up miss,” The woman answered and then disappeared out the door. Carla wasn’t sure why she had been singled out like this. She was just a common peasant. Did the man single her out for entertainment purposes? She couldn’t think of any other possibility that made sense. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She would decide when the time came.
It wasn’t long before the woman returned with Carla’s cup of tea. She placed the cup on a sitting table. “Here is your tea, miss.” The woman announced. After a moment, she turned to go.
“Wait.” Carla ordered. The young woman stopped and turned back around to face her,
“I didn’t ask to be singled out.” Carla explained.
“Of course not, miss.” The woman answered politely. Carla could tell the woman was very nervous and wasn’t interested in staying any longer than was necessary. She thought about questioning the woman further but then decided against it.
“You may go.” Carla ordered and having been given permission, the young women left. Carla sat down and took a sip of tea. It tasted wonderful. She sat back and got lost in the experience. However, soon she was done with her tea and didn’t have anything to do so she decided to go to bed. It wasn’t long until she was fast asleep.
Carla woke up the next morning to another young woman staring at her. It was a bit creepy to think this woman was just staring at her while she slept. “Here is your breakfast, miss.” The woman said. Carla sat up and the woman put a tray of eggs and toast on her lap with a glass of water.
“Thank you” Carla answered, still not quite awake yet.
“You’re welcome, miss” The woman said smiling as she left the room. Carla ate her breakfast. Once she was finished, she laid back down and stared at the ceiling. She wondered where Mark was and if he thought about her. She wondered how Gina was getting along as a peasant. She wondered when someone would come a tell her what she was doing in the castle.
The hours went by slowly for Carla. No one came to see her. The guard stood outside her door. She could have escaped anytime she wanted to through the secret passage, but she didn’t do it. There were two reasons why she didn’t, the first reason is because she was curious as to why she was there in the first place and the second reason is that she wanted to indulge in comfort. At least as much comfort as this time could offer. Carla had been spoiled in the future and to go back to being a servant was a thought she didn’t want to bear entertaining.
Sometime in the afternoon, two men came to visit Carla. She recognized one of the men as the one who ordered her to the castle. She didn’t recognize the other one. The other man was old. At least he looked old to Carla. He looked at her intensely. It made Carla extremely uncomfortable. After several minutes of just staring at her. The man spoke.
“She is not the one.” The man announced.
“My apologies, my lord” The man that Carla recognized said, “I know potential and this one has it.”
“You have a gift at appraising people, but you can’t tell if someone has the spark.” The other man said, “She does not have it. The old man gave his spark to someone before he died. I must find out who that person is. Was there anyone else with the Wizard when he died?”
“Yes, there were two boys and a girl.” The man answered.
“We need to find the girl. She is the one who has the spark.” The other man answered.
“What is the spark?” Carla asked. She knew it was impolite to interrupt but curiosity got the better of her.
“The spark, my dear, is the ability to use magic. You either have it or you don’t. Now who was the other girl with you in the cave?” The man asks. Carla swallowed hard. She didn’t want to give Gina up but if she lied, she was pretty sure this guy could tell.
“It was the princess.” Carla answered, “The princess was the other girl in the cave.” The man studied Carla. He could not detect any deception in her.
“My Lord, the princess was apprehended this morning.” The man Carla recognized said.
“Are you sure?” The other man asked.
“Yes, she had on the same clothing as last night.” The first man answered.
“Then I must see her.” The other man said.”
“What should we do with this one?” The first man asked.
“She will our guest and stay where she is, after all, you are right about her potential.” The other man said smiling.
Chapter Twenty-Six - the Magicians Apprentice
The young man had become the Great One’s apprentice. He left his old life behind. He left behind his friends and the people he cared about. He left behind his labor in the fields. He left behind the evenings spent in comradery with his fellow peasants. He became singerly focused on becoming the best magician he could be. He learned about what the Great One called the spark and how to recognize it in others. He learned how to use its powers to shape reality and he dreamed.
He dreamed of an army sweeping over the Earth like locusts devouring everything in its path. He saw the Kingdom’s of the world fall one by one to this great power. No one could prevail. The dream always ended the same, with the woman opposing this army. A woman who could command the very forces of nature. Every night when these two forces collided in an epic battle to decide the fate of the world, the apprentice woke up. The great one had told him it was the future he saw. The apprentice knew that the woman must be found, she must be trained. The great one said that she wasn’t even born yet and that the events he saw were not going to happen for some time. But what if this army is moving right now, what if they have little time to prepare for the inevitable. The great one assured him that precautions had been taken.
They were currently assembling a great army themselves. All the resources at his disposal were being funneled into making this happen. The apprentice tried to reason with his master. None of their precautions were enough. Their only hope was to find the woman he saw in his dream. She is the only one that could save them.
One day the apprentice ran across a young woman working mending clothes. He sensed that she had the spark. Could she be the one? How would he know when he found her?
“Excuse me miss?” the apprentice greeted the young woman.
The young woman bowed in respect to the apprentice. Even though he wasn’t the great one, he still had a reputation, and no one wanted to feel his wrath. He had never actually done anything bad to anyone, but everyone knew he was capable of it and there’s always a first time for everything.
“How may I serve you?” The woman responded.
“How would you like me to teach you how to use magic?” The apprentice offered.
“Me, sir?” The women responded confused.
“You can use magic. I can teach you how to do it.” The apprentice explained.
“I intend no offense,” The young woman started, “But those who practice magic are cursed. I want no part of it.”
“No offense is taken,” The apprentice said warmly, “Do you want me to remove your ability then.” The apprentice had never heard of anyone’s spark being taken away, but theoretically he felt it was possible and if this young woman didn’t want it, he would be happy to add her spark to his own.
“Yes, please” The women answered.
The apprentice thought about it for a moment. After thinking about the right approach, he uttered some words which sounded like nonsense. A wave washed over them both and the apprentice could feel his own power increase. Furthermore, he did not sense the spark in the young woman anymore. When the apprentice returned to the great one. The great one sensed that his power had increased.
“Your spark has grown.” The great one said, “by quite a bit.”
“I met a young woman. I sensed that she had the spark and I offered to train her. She told me she didn’t want it and gave it to me.” The apprentice answered.
“You took the spark from another person.” The great one said, concerned, “How is that even possible?”
“I don’t know” The apprentice answered, “But I did it. I added her spark to my own.”
“That is not the right way to grow your spark.” The great one scolded, “That kind of power leads to corruption and corruption leads to suffering.”
“I meant no harm,” the apprentice answered, “I promise I won’t do it again.”
“The army has been assembled and trained. It is the greatest army the world has ever seen. When the army you saw in your dream opposes us, it will not be an easy victory.” The great one announced.
“We should not be assembling this ‘great army’. We should be looking for the woman.” The apprentice argued.
“We have no idea when this woman will appear, but you must trust that she will appear when she is needed.” The great one responded.
Didn’t the great one understand that this army is doomed. There is no way this army is victorious against the army is saw in his dream. The apprentice was convinced that the great one had lost his way. For whatever reason, the great one was not able to understand the dire situation they were in. They had been warned of the danger and it was their duty to make sure this future army didn’t succeed. The only way to do that was to find the woman.
“But you don’t know that the woman is victorious because you never see the end of the dream” The Great One would argue.
“But it’s our only chance.” The apprentice would argue back.
The Great One could feel that something was off in his apprentice. His apprentice wasn’t thinking clearly, and he had grown in power. If he were to come unhinged, it would complicate matters greatly.
That night the apprentice had a dream, only this time it was different. This time he didn’t see the splendor of the Kingdom’s of the world. He saw the suffering of the masses. He saw the ones upon whom the Kingdom’s were built and who did not share equally in its glory. In Kingdom after Kingdom, he saw misery and suffering as common people went about the task of survival while a privileged few benefitted from its wealth. He heard the people cry out for help, but no one answered their cry.
He woke up in a cold sweat. He was the one who heard their cry. He had to be the one who was going to answer it.
Chapter Twenty-Five Princess no more
Gina walked toward her place of refuge with Toby’s arm wrapped around her. She looked at the destruction. The enemy, whose victory had been decisive, had already started repairing the damage. Common people had been summoned to commence in the effort to make everything normal again. She didn’t see the looting and pillaging that normally accompanied a military victory. The enemy didn’t just come to destroy, they have a purpose, and they are organized. If the lives of common people improved under this new power, why would they want to go back to how things were before. Toby was right, she had to learn how to be ‘normal’ because her old life was gone.
Toby was happy. He wasn’t happy because the Kingdom had just been defeated in humiliating fashion but because he was finally with the girl of his dreams. The one person he had longed for but could never have. That was before, now that she was normal, he could have her. They were free to live a life together. Of course, he knew she hadn’t fallen for him yet, but now that she was in his sphere of influence, it was only a matter of time. Her choices would be severely limited and unlike the future, a single woman doesn’t last long here.
“We’re almost there.” Toby announced quietly. He had been trying to shield her so that people wouldn’t recognize her. It would be easier if her clothing represented a common person but while she was dressed in nice things, it would be a problem. Fortunately, there were a lot of distractions to keep people from noticing. Life was far from normal now and people had a lot to deal with.
They reached Toby’s humble dwelling, and he showed her around. There really wasn’t much to see as it was basically one room that changed identities depending on what use was needed. There was a bedroll on the floor, there was a small table with a single chair and there was a small stove that wasn’t really a stove but resembled more of something you might have at a campfire. He also had a small chest that contained his change of clothing. He was simple. He didn’t need anything else. He spent his days working hard in the fields and every so often he would treat himself to a meal at the pub. Gina looked around. She had no idea that people lived like this. Her own room in the castle was larger and warmer and she didn’t have to use her room for EVERYTHING.
“Stay here and don’t go anywhere.” Toby ordered, “I’ll be right back.” Toby left and Gina was all alone. She had been by herself many times, but she never felt alone, this time she did. The uncertainty of the future and what she was supposed to do with herself made her feel alone. She was lucky to have Toby to give her a place to sleep. With the realization of her circumstances hitting her, she felt gratitude for one of the first times in her life.
Toby didn’t have to give her shelter. He didn’t have to be afraid of reprisals for not obeying her every whim. She felt for the first time that Toby liked her. She isn’t the monster that everyone thinks she is. She realized that the time she had spent in the future changed her. In the future she was normal and if she could be normal there, she could be normal here.
Toby returned with some clothing. “Here, I got some clothes for you. It will be better for you to blend in with everyone if you look the part.” Toby explained, “I’ll step outside while you change.” Without further conversation, Toby steps outside to allow Gina to change in private.
Toby looks over the relief efforts. Common people and enemy combatants are working together to return things to normal. This is not the way enemies usually behave after a victory, Toby thought. It was strange. There was something not right about it. No one does that. When an enemy conquers, the victor takes the spoils. They don’t reinvest it into the place they just conquered. Toby didn’t see anyone who belonged to the King’s army. Toby guessed that they were captured and taken somewhere. While he was thinking this thought, he saw men, who he recognized as soldiers, walk into town from somewhere. Overcome with curiosity, Toby stopped one such man.
“They let you go?” Toby asked.
“Yes,” The man replied, looking like he had just suffered from PTSD.
“Why?” toby followed up.
“The man told us we could either join his army or go back home and live in peace.” The man answered, “So I’m going home.” That was weird, just letting enemy soldiers go home.
“Did anyone stay?” Toby asked.
“Yeah, a lot of men stayed.” The man answered again.
“That is really strange.” Toby said, thinking out loud.
“They plan to conquer the entire world” The man said, “and I think they can do it.”
“The whole world?” Toby asked, “The whole world is too big.”
“They can try all they want; I don’t care as long as I don’t have to fight.” The man said.
Toby allowed the man to continue his way. Toby didn’t get it. A lot of things were not adding up. Toby was sure that the old man could have stopped Gina from killing him. He was a powerful wizard. He must have let Gina kill him. Toby couldn’t think of any good reason why the wizard would commit suicide like that but there had to be one. The old man wasn’t just powerful, but he was also wise. He saw things that other people had no chance of seeing. Toby tried to think of what that reason could possibly be but couldn’t think of one.
Gina poked her head outside for a moment to let Toby know he could come back inside. Once inside, when Toby laid eyes on her, even though she was dressed plainly, she still took his breath away. Toby made a place on the floor as comfortable as he could for Gina to sleep and then he laid himself on the hard floor beside her. Gina was a bit cold. She wished there was a fire to warm them up. Before long, she felt warmer and drifted off to sleep. Toby felt warmer too. He looked and noticed that there was a fire on the stove heating the entire room but no wood to fuel it. Now where did that come from? He thought to himself.
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.