Tuesday Excerpt, "Quest"

Anvar stood the staff next to Linvin and drew on his pipe.  After being sure it was well lit, he sat down by his nephew and said in a calm voice, “Perhaps you’re right.  I thought guilt might be a motivating factor, but I was wrong.  Know this, though.  Whoever killed your parents undoubtedly wanted these items that you now possess.  How long do you really think it will take them to track you down here?  How long doesn’t matter, because they will come, and you, my dear boy, will find yourself in a grave next to your mother.  I would make sure that your body was laid to rest by hers. That is, if I am not dead as well.  Look at this as a game of chance.  The stakes are high and clear: tremendous power or death.  There is no middle ground here.  No one asked if you wanted to play, you are already all in.”

While he would never admit it, even to his uncle, Linvin was scared.  All the gaps in his life had been filled so suddenly.  It was only natural that he did not want to accept the answers.  Anvar looked down on him with a piercing stare.  Finally, Linvin capitulated, “I will go on this quest,” he sighed, as he took to his feet.  “If my parents wanted me to go that badly, well, I owe them at least that.”

Anvar, once again, held out the staff.  This time Linvin took it from him.

The moment he grasped it, Linvin could feel a force flowing through his body.  His senses tingled and in a moment, things became clear to him.  He could feel its presence washing over him like a wave.  The staff was indeed a living entity.  It felt like a best friend which he had found again.  He could finally understand that the staff was ‘meant’ for him.

A voice entered his head, though no noise was heard.  “At last we are together,” the voice said.  “I am the Path of the Red Sapphire.  Long have I waited for the chosen one to come and wield me in his hand.  Together, we will find the stone that will complete us both.  With it, we will fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.  We will prove that one can save many.  One can make all the difference, and we will strike down the ever-growing tyranny and oppression in this world.  You were chosen because you are true of heart and character.  Together, we will make the difference no one else can make.”

Linvin felt warmth and satisfaction emanating from the staff.  He had never experienced telepathy before and decided to try to send a message back.  “How will I know where to look?” he asked.  The staff’s answer was swift.  “I will point you in the right direction.”  Linvin’s arm involuntarily extended with the staff in hand and pointed to the north.

“What is it?” Anvar asked, nearly dropping his pipe.

Linvin listened to the staff for a moment and then answered his uncle.  “That is the direction we must goin order to find the Red Sapphire.  The staff says it is a very long distance from here.”

“It spoke to you?” Anvar asked with excitement.

“Did you not hear its voice?”  Linvin questioned back.

“I heard no sound,” said Anvar.  He nodded thoughtfully and bit hard on his pipe.  “Do you have any maps around here?”  “Yes,” Linvin answered.  He quickly went inside and came out with a rolled map.

They spread it out on the floor and examined the area to the north closely.  The path set before them was not an easy one.  It would indeed be a perilous journey.