As a child, I believed in magic and magical creatures: fairies, elves, goblins. I imagined the adventures of knights-errant, in shining armor, fighting dragons and other mythical creatures. I dreamed of mystical beings, powerful sorcerers who used the occult arts to reduce their enemies to dust.
Until, sadly and inevitably, I grew up and adult life showed me none existed. Even the magic I so longed for as a child turned out to be nothing more than tricks and optical illusions. That phase of my life was buried under the worries of daily life, work and bills. I understood that it was frowned upon to talk about spells and magical creatures at social gatherings.
It wasn't until a strange package arrived at my doorstep that everything changed.
My friends Hank and Erica had gathered at my home and invited me to join them for an afternoon at the circus. We were about to leave when, surprisingly, I found a package outside my apartment door.
“Come on, we're going to be late!” said Erica, pushing me.
Seeing that I didn't move, she stretched her head out from behind my arm to see why I had stopped. She glanced at the package and looked me in the eye.
“You got a package! I didn't catch the doorbell for its delivery.”
I hadn't heard a knock on the door when they dropped off the package either.
“Leave it. It was probably meant for someone else. Let's go,” interjected Hank impatient to begin our adventure, who, also curious, looked over my shoulder.
The package had a small card with my name on it. It was definitely for me. I tried to lift it, but it was heavier than I thought, my muscles tensed and I almost lost my balance. Fortunately, Hank gave me a hand.
“Is that a bazooka by any chance?”, Hank commented on the shape of the box, as he helped me carry the package into the apartment.
All three of us gasped after I tore the wrapping off the package. It was a wooden box, its impeccable finish highlighting the strange symbols carved into its exterior. They stood out, as if alive, against the spotlights of the room.
I glanced at the back of the card:
It's time to go back.
Alice
“Should I be jealous?” commented Erica.
“Open it now!” exclaimed Hank anxiously.
Inside the box, the wavy edge of a sword flashed before our eyes. It was embedded in a red velvet surface.
“Wow! It should cost a fortune,” Hank added.
“Well, we've already revealed the mystery of the box.” Erica looked at both of us, who were still immersed in how polished the blade of the sword was and the strange purple gem at the end of the hilt.
“The circus! Remember, guys?”
Erica bit her lips and then folded her arms.
“ We'll have time to check out the sword” Hank patted my back.
I'm actually not much of a circus lover, in fact, I thought they had ceased to exist. I hate clowns, as well as the torture the animals go through to get them to do the acrobatic stunts that get so much attention from the public. And circus games are always rigged; however, I had no desire to be a “group buster.” I reluctantly nodded.
Erica, victorious, painted a smile with her lips and eyes. We set off in Hank's car.
The night was just beginning and, as expected, a large Ferris wheel was spinning with its colored lights. Fireworks painted the blackened sky. Jugglers, puppeteers, and contortionists invited the audience to visit their incredible presentations. The air was filled with the flavors of candy, fried foods, and, of course, popcorn. The place was packed with people of all ages, even children. There were establishments where you could try your luck and skill. You could win a big teddy bear or a bag full of cash for a few coins. We knew those games had traps, so we decided to save our time on them.
Hank, on the other hand, was sure he could pull it off this time, though. We warned him that he would lose all his money. He ignored us anyway and continued with his one-night stand.
Erica and I continued our excursion, discovering and observing the other entertainment the circus had to offer. All of a sudden, excited, she stopped at once and grabbed my arm tightly.
We were in front of a dark tent with a huge sign stating that the great Kassandra was capable of deciphering the fate of anyone who paid the right price.
Erica's big green eyes glowed for us to enter, her smile, bigger than ever, inviting us to find out what fate had in store for us. I rolled my eyes, the art of fortune-telling was the worst con of all.
Erica bit her lower lip, I knew I couldn't resist that gesture, plus her “puppy dog” eyes.
“It's your money,” was all I could object.
“Yes,” she whispered victoriously again as she dragged me to the entrance of the tent.
As we entered, we could barely see anything. Gradually, our eyes became accustomed to the candlelight that bathed the inside of the tent; a smell of incense permeated the small space where they used to tell fortunes. A deep, feminine voice invited us to sit down in front of a round table where a crystal ball rested on its center. Unexpectedly, it lit up, illuminating our fortune-teller behind it.
Her face was covered with a purple veil. Her hands and fingers were painted with runic symbols, her glowing rings matched her metal bracelets, which jingled in unison, creating a mystical atmosphere.
“Tell me, little one,” the mysterious woman whispered. “Do you wish to know if your companion will be the love of your life?”
Erica looked down, and it seemed to me that she was blushing, although perhaps it was my imagination, it was difficult to focus my eyes in the candlelight. Undoubtedly, the fortune-teller was just a mentalist, it was obvious as she walked in clinging to my arm, it would be the first thing she would say.
I let out a small scoff
“We see we have a sceptic,” she mentioned looking directly into my eyes, as if she had read my mind. Out of nowhere, she pulled out a bunch of tarot cards. Shuffled it for a moment as she watched us.
“Why don't we start with you?”
I looked at her with disdain.
“I will not let a deck of cards and empty words define my future, I am the forger of my own destiny,” I replied.
“You wouldn't even do it for your partner?”
I glanced at Erica, who was begging me to participate with her eyes, insistently.
Damn … I took a deep breath and nodded.
“Close your eyes and place your hands on the crystal ball,” the fortune teller commanded.
I narrowed my eyes and with distrust slowly placed my hands on the crystal. This was stupid.
A deafening bang drowned out my ears and a light blinded me for a few moments, I felt a loud bang that threw my body out of the place.
The tent, the circus, and Erica were gone.
I was in a different place. The night had changed to day. I lay on the ground of a meadow under an inclement sun. I felt the weight of the armor I was wearing as I tried to get up. There were bloody and dismembered bodies all around me. A tall man ran up to me and held out his hand. His arms looked like huge braided ropes. His bare chest not only highlighted his prominent musculature but also hundreds of scars. The bushy red beard moved along with his screams that I could barely hear, I was still deafened. I offered him my hand and with a jerk, he lifted me up.
He was dressed in furs and a horned helmet. His other hand held a double-edged axe.
“Sack, are you hurt?”
Without waiting for my answer, he threw his axe hard and buried it in the chest of an enemy coming after me, he fell dead instantly. My body reacted immediately, I surrounded the Viking and grabbed a wavy sword that was stuck in a corpse behind him. And with a couple of movements, I cut down two enemies twice my height that were coming after us.
The Viking retrieved his axe. There was little time to think. The Viking let out a battle cry that shook my body as new enemies came into view. My heart raced, and my blood burned in the heat of battle. Large beads of sweat ran down my face. Although everything seemed strange to me, a feeling of familiarity was in my heart. My body knew what was coming, my hands clenched the hilt of the sword, the blade still dripping with the blood of its last two victims. Five new enemies charged towards us.
My body felt light. There was no fear in it. An overwhelming feeling came over me. My feet gripped the ground and I took a defensive posture. I tasted my lips.
Buzzing sounds, like wasps, brushed my ears. Five arrows rained down behind us and buried themselves in the chest of each of the five warriors we were about to face.
The mysterious archer stopped to my left, his bow still taut, he had a new arrow ready to pierce any other enemy. This being was totally different from the Viking. Although he was taller than us, his build was slender. A face with fine features and straight blond hair that reached behind his shoulders; he had pointed ears and a hawk-like gaze. His pace was swift and silent. He made a quick scan of the area. His eyes stopped on a point in the sky.
What the hell, a dragon?
The specimen was magnificent and terrifying at the same time. Its scales, blood-red, glistened in the sunlight. Its slitted eyes fixed on us, and it immediately dropped down. The imposing wings raised a cloud of dust that caused us to recoil. The ground shuddered with its weight as it landed a few feet away. Above it, a specter, hidden under its black robe, uttered a terrifying shriek that rent the air.
A burst of adrenaline quickened my breathing, causing a battle roar to erupt from deep within me, so intense that it drowned out his bloodcurdling scream and painted a Machiavellian smile on the lips of my two companions.
The air grew heavy and the dragon's eyes glowed, its maw opened, and an ignition began to erupt from its entrails.
None of the three backed away. The elf drew his bow even tighter, aiming at the dragon rider. The Viking drew a new axe from his back. It was clear that we were no match for the creature, dragon fire could melt even the hardest metal.
The earth again trembled beneath our feet. This time it was a small girl who landed between us and the dragon. The rocky ground cracked under the impact of her fall. She stretched out her arms under her violet cloak and pulled back the hood that covered her reddish hair. The tattoos on her arms, in the form of runes, glowed in an intense purple color, creating a barrier that protected us from the embracing fire that the dragon blew from its entrails.
A large bird of prey, out of the blue, swooped down on the dragon's rider, knocking him off his mount. The dragon closed its mouth, extinguishing its fire. Immediately, three arrows pierced the specter's chest, ending its life. The dragon, seeing itself free from its captor, glanced at the girl and thanked her with a slight shake of its head and after a loud flapping, immediately took to the sky, losing itself in the horizon.
The Viking let out a laugh and the elf put away his bow and arrow.
“That was close, Alice!” the Viking shouted.
I could hardly believe what I had just heard.
The bird of prey landed on the girl's arm, distracting my attention. Suddenly, the sorceress's piercing green eyes rested on mine. A familiar phrase left her lips
It's time to go back.
Immediately, everything went dark.
I heard Erica asking if I was all right. I felt the chill of the night, I was lying on the floor. Hank was next to me.
“Are you all right, buddy?”
I sat up immediately. My forehead was drenched with sweat, my heart was hammering as if it wanted to break my chest, I could barely hold my breath. My hands were shaking and my stomach wanted to throw back the treats we had consumed.
What the hell had just happened?
It all seemed so real.
In the background, I could still hear the witch's frantic laughter along with her last words, dissolving amidst the bustle of people and the other circus attractions.
“All in due time will be revealed.”
My knees buckled and I lost consciousness. When I finally woke up, I was in my apartment. But I wasn't alone, my friends had stayed behind. I tried to quietly get out of bed.
“You're awake again!” commented Hank in exultation.
“You had us worried.”
“I'm so sorry,” I replied, ”I'm better now. Possibly, it was something I ate,” I tried to excuse myself to Hank, but he let out a yelp.
“Erica! She's awake!”
Instinctively, I closed my eyes at the yell, scenes from my vision came back to my mind. It reminded me of the rough Viking.
A sleepy, worried Erica came into my room. She immediately embraced me.
“I'm all right. I'm fine,” I repeated, patting her back.
It was beginning to get light.
After discussing my state of health and convincing them that it was just something I ate. I thanked them for their help and begged them to go home reassured. They left hesitantly.
As I closed the door, I kept thinking about what had happened. My attention was caught by the box and its contents. Was it all my imagination?
I went to bed and fell asleep again.
I woke up hours later. On my cell phone, two messages were waiting to be read. Both Erica and Hank had received packages at their respective homes.
“You won't believe what was in my package,” they both commented separately. Each with a picture of its contents.
I was stunned to see a pair of axes in Hank's message and a large purple cloak in Erica's.
Image by Vincent Groeneveld from Pixabay
