Verayah POV
I stepped onto the ship along with my other companions. I felt Elizan's presence as he walked close behind me. I examined the other passengers, trying to make out any unwelcome familiar faces and fortunately it wasn't as crowded as I pictured. But my body didn't relax as my attacker's face was still on the forefront of my mind. I need to be more mindful.
I jumped as a hand was placed on my lower back; I looked back and Elizan quickly made his way beside me.
"We've been assigned a room," he held up a bronze key.
"We should go there now, so we can talk privately," he glanced over at our new companion.
Zyheed talked to one of the guards as he handed him the reins to his horse. His skin was dark, a lot darker than I have ever seen in my village and his brown dark locs matched him almost perfectly as the top half was tied back from his face and the rest of it draped down his back. His light brown eyes connected with my much darker ones and I looked away.
Is it really a good idea for him to sleep in the same room as us? I know I was the one who let him join us in the first place but we still don't really know him.
I looked up at Elizan, "Why are you wearing that? Are you not hot?"
"Yes, extremely but," he looked down at me, "I need to be prepared to protect you at any time," he rubbed small circles in my back.
My cheeks grew slightly warm. I shouldn't be this lucky. "Yes, but you won't be able to do much protecting if you pass out from a heat stroke."
Elizan slid his hand from my back and moved a stray hair behind my ear, "Perhaps, you're right."
He removed his hand, "So what made you trust him?"
I thought before I spoke, "I don't, it's just when he talked about his mother. He wasn't just angry, he also seemed to be full of regret. I know he's not lying about what happened to his mother or at least I think I do," my eyes shifted toward the ground. Did I make a mistake?
"Then I guess we'll just have to see."
***
I sat on the floor and slid the straps of my bags off my shoulder. Elizan's armor clunk against each other as he sat beside me and also began to remove his bags.
Zyheed lit a couple of candles, "So, where should we start?" He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
Elizan opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him, "I'll go. What do you want to know?" Shadows from the candles blended in with parts of his skin.
"How did you find out you were the Chosen one?"
I bit the inside of my cheek as I recalled my kidnappers' faces, "There was this light," my voice lost all words and he raised an eyebrow at me.
I quickly opened my bag and searched through the many books and supplies to pull out the small lamp that was at my graduation.
"I'll just show you," I clicked on the light and flashed it onto the side of my face.
I watched as Zyheed's eyes widened, "Amazing."
I stiffened as he started to step toward me but Elizan quickly stood up and moved into his path.
He spoke, "You can observe from over there."
Zyheed stepped back and leaned back onto the wall, "Apologizes."
Elizan kept his position for a moment before stepping back beside me but continued standing.
I cleared my throat, "Once one of the council members found out, he revealed who I was during my graduation," I clicked off the light.
"And that's when you got kidnapped," Zyheed said.
"Yeah."
"What did they want?"
I looked down at the light in my hands, "They wanted to kill me."
He paused, "Why?"
Elizan interrupted, "Is there ever a good reason to murder someone?"
"Maybe? Plenty of people do terrible things for the right reasons. The question is what reason did they have for wanting to kill her."
"Rayah hasn't done anything to anyone. She didn't deserve what happened to her."
"Listen, I don't know you and I certainly don't know her. I'm just trying to understand the situation and what I'm getting myself into."
Elizan didn't respond, and I took this chance to speak, "They wanted to kill me because I was the Savior. They believed that the Savior was going to end the world instead of saving it. In a way, I think they're right."
"Rayah?"
Something rose from the depths of my stomach, "I mean, how am I supposed to save the world when I can barely throw a punch," my grew loud as I tightened my grip on the light.
Elizan stepped in front of me and bent down, "That's not true."
My heart hammered inside my chest as my hands began to shake, "Elizan, I'm traveling to a place that I have no knowledge about and I'm just supposed to expect the leaders to believe me when I tell them I'm the savior. It's ridiculous. I-I shouldn't have gotten on this ship. I should have been ki-,"
"Rayah," Elizan placed his gloved hands on each sides of my cheeks and tilted my head up.
The color of his brown eyes matched my own as they held determination and compassion.
"You're not doing this alone. I'm right here with you."
"But what if-,"
"I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself. You're smart and adaptable. Everything will work out, alright?"
My heart beat slowed and I let out a breath, "Alright."
"I don't mean to interrupt."
Elizan's eyes hardened, and his hands fell from my face. He stood up and made his way back beside me. Zyheed stared with a raised eyebrow.
"How do you plan on, as you like to put it, save the world?"
I collected my thoughts, "I'm supposed to collect these items. They're somehow supposed to help me. I don't know too much about them besides the fact the land leaders know where they are hidden. And I'm going to learn as much as I can about the first Dragon Reign. There may be something there that I can use against the dragons."
He nodded his head, "Items, huh?"
"It's your turn. Tell us all that you have learned," Elizan said.
"Well, as you know there is a woman controlling the dragons. I'm not sure what's her end game with all of this but I don't really care. I just want to avenge my mother. The land that I am from tends to keep certain knowledge inaccessible to its citizens, so I learned very little but your land was more accommodating. From what I learned, during the first couple of Dragon Reigns your King was the one who discovered a certain metal that was used to fight against the dragons. But from what I could tell, the lands don't use them anymore. My theory is the metal could have been lost during the war or lost to time."
"What land are you from? What did your land do during the war?"
"I'm from the land of Ashune. From what I could gather, my land just brought soldiers. Our population was and continues to be a lot more dense than the other lands."
Elizan spoke, "Then how do you plan on defeating these Dragons?"
"My plan isn't to defeat the dragons but to get rid of the one controlling them. If you cut off the head, then the rest of the body will go with it."
"And how are you going to find this Dragon User?"
"That I'm not sure about."
"Then you're just as clueless as us. Tell me something, do you even believe in the savior?"
"I don't think it really matters if I believe or not. If she really is the Chosen one, then the Dragon User will make her appearance sooner or later. She won't just wait around to be defeated. And if she's not, it doesn't change the fact that I'm still going to find her and that the world will still be where it's always been."
Elizan sighed and made his way to the floor, "Well, at least we know who to target," he said under his breath.
"What about you?" Zyheed pointed toward Elizan.
"What about me?"
"Who are you and why are you here, well besides the obvious," he glanced toward me.
Elizan ran his hand through his blonde hair, "My name is Elizan Solace, I've been trained to be my Land's soldier and I'm here to help Rayah with her journey and protect her."
Elizan grabbed a long object wrapped in a thick cloth and placed it in front of me, "This is one of the items that Rayah was supposed to get."
He began to unwrap it and I blinked as the light from the candle shined onto the item. I felt my hands gravitate toward it as Elizan revealed a long golden sword. I leaned a little closer but kept my hands in my lap.
"Where did you get it?" I asked.
"My grandfather had it but it's yours. You should keep it."
I frowned and shook my head, "No, I shouldn't. It's safer with you besides it looks heavy."
Elizan nodded his head, "Alright."
"May I get a closer look?"
I looked up to see Zyheed looking at Elizan.
"You may look but nothing else," Elizan said.
Zyheed stepped closer and bent on one knee before the sword. The gold from the sword reflected into his eyes as he examined it.
"And these items that you're supposed to get, are they perhaps the same items that your King found during the past war?" Zyheed looked at me.
"I'm not sure but it would make sense."
"Then why is it, you're only supposed to use them, when others have used them before?"
"I don't have an answer to that? I've only recently learned that I'm-,"
"I know, I'm just thinking out loud," he stood up and walked back to his wall.
"It would be a good idea not to have that sword out for all the world to see. There are people who can easily snatch it away from you and sell it for a pretty penny."
"I know that, why do you think I had it covered in the first place," Elizan answered.
Zyheed stayed quiet before moving toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get some air."
Before Elizan could say anything Zyheed had already gone out the door. He sighed and looked at me.
"So, how are you doing?" He wrapped the sword back up.
"Fine, I guess," I went back through my bag and pulled out a book.
"I should probably learn more about our history with the dragons and all."
"Yeah, I'll go get us something to eat and keep an eye on the traveler. I'll be back," Elizan stood up and also went out of the door.