Two Worlds; The Collision

Chapter 12

Sage Pov

It was a good half-hour walk from the inn to the docks, and it didn’t help that they were so crowded. It seemed like everyone who knew something happened last night wanted to come and check it out, and the more crowded it looked the angrier I got. How could I find any evidence here? I tried to listen in to the conversations, to the things everyone was saying, but they all seemed to be the same. The men were all bad men, their names changed but they used to be fairies, banished from the fairy realm. I felt my blood boil at the words, realizing they were probably right, despite just being rumors. I hadn’t ever seen Rhett or his people before, but I knew they resided in this town, tasked to change their names and try to redeem themselves for bad mistakes. My parents were supposed to be watching them closer than this, and more than once I argued with them that they used to be fairies and should be in the dragon kingdom where we could watch them closely. I wasn’t really sure right now if that would have been better, because I knew with certainty that Rhett was most likely the man who Ana and this woman described, and that he was most likely the one who kidnapped Falyn. I just couldn’t figure out why. Was there even a reason for it? Or was this something that they’ve been preparing for the last seven years? Were they originally planning on kidnapping me since I’m the heir? I wished they would have tried. I would have burned them all to the ground. I wanted desperately to tell the woman I had met earlier what I was thinking, but I still hadn’t even asked her what her name was, and I wasn’t sure if I could trust her yet. What if they were vampires? What if the vampires and the humans that used to be fairies were working together? What if this woman was under mind control to tell me whatever the vampires wanted to tell her to make us think something else entirely?

I realized I was thinking too much into this, and when I moved to the side of the crowd, trying to take a breath to calm myself, I heard talk of two women who were gossiping over something else entirely. Something else that I didn’t really understand, but for some reason, it struck me as important. “Lady Elizabeth and her family are missing, we can’t find them anywhere. When I went to their home this morning to see what was going on, all I found was this red scarf lying in the doorway. The door wasn’t even closed, that isn’t like her at all,” The older woman said, holding the scarf up for the other to see.

The woman that held my elbow tried to get me to move but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the scarf. There was something strange about it, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. “Surely not like her at all, she didn’t go to the luncheon I invited her to last week. She was looking forward to it, she said, but yesterday she never arrived.” The other woman said, lifting her nose in the air.

The scarf was set down on the bench next to them as they continued to talk, ignoring the item now that they were wrapped up in their gossip. “Well, maybe she left just to avoid the luncheon, no offense Mertle, but I wouldn’t want to go either, your husband is dreadful.” the first said. I kind of was expecting them to start fighting but they both surprised me by laughing, agreeing about how dreadful this woman’s husband was as they stood up and walked away, talking about how bored they were and wanted to get home before it was time for dinner. Absently, I picked up the scarf, and lifted it to the sky, looking at the way it was sewn. It wasn’t as fine or as magical as a fairy item, but it was too perfect to be done by a human either. I wasn’t entirely sure why it was bothering me, but I felt like it was important and I tucked the scarf into my pocket before allowing the woman to lead me towards the front of the docks.

“This is where I saw the man standing when he killed my father.” She whispered, keeping her voice low so those around us wouldn’t hear. I studied the area, and sure enough, there were a few specks of dried blood in the grass that was growing out the side, easily overlooked if one didn’t know where to look. She dragged me over to the other side of the dock, pointing down at the ground. “This is where he walked over to the woman, where they started to kiss. There were bags placed here, and then a sudden movement filed past them. The movement was fast and then the boat was lit up and alive with activity, and my father’s body was gone.” She informed me quietly.

I listened intently to her, trying to remember all of the tracking I had learned from my father. I could see the smooth spots where bags were placed sure enough, despite the many footprints from others stepping all over the evidence in their excitement for a good gossip. There wasn’t any more blood over here, but if her father’s death was a clean slice there wouldn’t be, especially if they took the time to take the body. They probably took the time to clean as much of the blood as they could. This was the work of vampires. I had never really met any, besides Thais, whenever she visited with Jareth, or Lenny and Louis when they visited Sam and Doris, but I knew of how fast they could move. I wasn’t entirely sure how they managed any of what they managed, but one moment they were on the ship, and then the next it was taking off hugging the coast, and that was something I could believe. I wasn’t doubting anything this woman said, because everything she'd pointed out has seemed to be one hundred percent accurate now. “What is your name?” I asked her quietly as I stared around us. The one thing that was bothering me, was what Ana said. The cliff overlooking the sea. There wasn’t a cliff here, there was flat land for a few miles to the west and east, and then a mountain on either side. The mountains were tall and steep, and too jagged to be stood on to look over the sea. Maybe if a dragon flew up there and perched on their claws they’d manage it painfully, but I had a feeling she wasn’t meaning that. I just wished I could figure out what she meant.

The woman batted her eyelashes at me, probably a habit from when she was trying to pick up men, and I tried not to notice it as she smiled. “My name is Anastasia, my lord. I guess I should have asked your name as well, forgive me for not introducing myself earlier.” She said, smiling softly at me.

I nodded, and while I wasn’t entirely keen on revealing to everyone that I was here, I knew this would be the only way to clear the area so I could further study this place in peace. I lowered my hood, brushed my fingers through my dark gray curls, and stared at her. She almost instantly recognized me, her eyes wide as those around us started to stare and mutter. I looked around at everyone, taking a deep breath as I chewed on my lower lip. “I need this area cleared out so I can investigate it. Please return to your homes, or to the square. Once we figure out what really happened here, we’ll let you all know.” I said, my voice loud and filled with authority. I wasn’t the king yet, but I was getting closer and closer to twenty-two, and everyone knew me in the towns that belonged to the Dragon Kingdom.

Most people tried to stop and bow to me, and a lot of the older women tried to brush their fingers against my body, pulling at my cloak, my hair, and my hands, but after a few minutes, they all slowly departed, leaving me alone with Anastasia. I looked down at her, a sheepish look on my face as she raised her eyebrows at me in surprise. “Well, I guess I don’t need to ask your name, Prince Sage.” She said, a soft smile on her face. “More like I should ask your forgiveness, and hope that you can forgive me for how forward I was towards you. I didn’t know you were you, and I never would have tried to proposition you. I beg your forgiveness, my lord.” She said, her voice wavering in fear.

I sighed, running my fingers through my curls, trying to pretend I wasn’t annoyed. I really wasn’t annoyed with her, and I wasn’t mad at her. It was her trade. As much as I didn’t agree with wenches and their trade, they did have to eat somehow and she was just trying to get by. No, I was mostly annoyed I had to reveal myself, but it was the only way to get everyone to clear out of the way and I was getting tired of trying to step around them and their useless gossip. Only the two women seemed to have something of interest to say, and I was still trying to figure out how the disappearance of a family linked together with the disappearance of Falyn. So many things happening at once, and none of it screamed something Falyn would be part of. None of it was making sense and I wished I could talk to my mother. She was much smarter than I, but at the same time, I didn’t want to talk to her. She’d just tell me to go home, let my father and the assassins find her, but I wasn’t stepping aside. Not this time “Anastasia, I have no qualms with you. Though I do have a question. Do you know how to read and write?” I asked her, staring at her.

She was confused for a moment, her eyes shifting back and forth as I walked away from her, walking towards the area where the baggage was once more and studying it. “Yes, my mother taught me when I was younger. A proper husband wants a woman who can read and write, my lord, so we can help them conduct their business.” She answered.

Her answer didn’t surprise me. Her father was the one in charge of the night shift at the docks. It meant he was well known and trusted. With that steady paycheck and trust, their family must have been one of the prestigious families in the town, which was probably why she was so easily kicked out, so she didn’t ruin her parents' reputations. Of course, she knew how to read and write, it made the letter in my pocket much easier for my mother. I had no doubt that, despite what was going on with Falyn, my mother would stop and take care of this matter for me. “Yes, good. Anyway, the boat was here, and it was facing this way against the coast, right? Was it going east or west?” I asked, curious.

If it was going east it was heading towards the empty land where the volcano had killed the previous Dragon kingdom, the land that was still after so long barely touched, small pockets of heat escaping the land and trailing down into the sea. It was also headed towards the vampire kingdom if they kept to the coast and swung around the curve, and would end up being there in a matter of days now, if that was their destination. “It was going west, my lord, of that I’m certain.” She said, her eyes narrowed as she pointed towards the west. I frowned, confused. The west, towards the dragon kingdom? Is that how they kidnapped her? But how could they be in two places at one time? The boat was taken and moved the same night Falyn was taken. There would have been a few days' travel on a horse and even if they did take the ship to the kingdom, someone would have spotted it surely if it was close enough to land. Before I could question this logic anymore, she grabbed the scarf out of my pocket where it had been dangling out and studied it, her head tilted to the side. “There is one more thing, my lord. The woman, she wasn’t from around here. I’ve heard rumors from the men who frequent my chambers. Rumors of something new brewing in the wind. Vampires who don’t care to hide their kills. Some say it’s the vampires that couldn't get their daylight items and were causing trouble, but if that was the case why wait seven years to do so? Some say they might be being led by someone else. A man called her a Goddess, isn’t that silly? Most have no idea who she is or what she looks like. I’ve heard a few rumors but never anything that came close to the woman last night.” She said, turning the scarf over in her hands. I watched her as she puzzled over the knowledge, my head tilting to the side as I listened. Being a wench was useful at times, almost like a spy, the way men revealed their secrets when they were balls deep inside someone. In the future, when I need information, I’ll be sure to go to the wenches first, before the useless old men that sit there studying checkers. “This scarf, it’s strange. It doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen. But it’s the same color as the dress the woman wore last night. Strange, how connected that is.” She said, shrugging. “Probably means nothing.” She muttered, her cheeks red as she hastily pushed the scarf back into my hands. “Sorry, my lord, I always did like a good puzzle growing up.” She added absently.

I stared at her, at the scarf, replaying the words over and over again in my mind, mumbling them out loud as I tried to make use of them. I paced the grass, moving back and forth as Anastasia sat down on the bench nearby, fanning herself with her hand as she held her hair off of her neck. “Vampires acting strange. Thais and Jareth were so sure they’d eventually come back once they got tired of being outcasts, especially since they weren’t being bold and revealing. Suddenly they’re being bold, rumors of a new woman who calls herself a Goddess. Scarf of strange material made somewhere…else.” I said, turning to look at Anastasia, holding the scarf in the air. “Somewhere else!” I said, pointing at it like a madman. Anastasia stood and I grabbed her shoulders, ignoring her shriek of surprise. “What if she came from somewhere else? The woman, what if she isn’t originally from here?” I asked, my eyes wide as I stared at her.

Anastasia was confused, squirming out of my grasp as she shifted her eyes back and forth, confused and slightly frightened. “What does that have to do with anything, my lord?” She stuttered, confused.

I grinned, gently pushing her back to the bench, holding the scarf tightly in my hands as I backed away from her. “Because my useless element, dear Anastasia, might not be so useless after all. If she comes from another dimension, I can use this scarf to track where she came from.” I said, grinning.

Anastasia’s eyes brightened as she clapped her hands in surprise. “What will you do with that though? Doesn’t it only remain open for a short amount of time?” She asked, confused.

I nodded, shrugging. Holding my hands in the air, I felt the air shift as it started to swirl in front of me, shades of purple, blue, green, pink, so many colors swirling around as the air crackled and shifted around me. “I’ll grab someone from her dimension and drag them through. If I’m right, then they’ll be able to help us. She’s surely running from them. They’ll probably thank me for helping them find her.” I said, grinning. I was right, I knew I was. I could feel the portal connecting to the scarf, something it wouldn’t be able to do if the scarf was from this time, this dimension. I was right, all along. I couldn’t hear anything Anastasia said over the roar of the portal as I sunk my hand inside, waving it around and grabbing at the first thing I could feel. I felt a neck, a pulse under my hand, and before they could move out of my grasp I yanked backward as hard as I could, pulling the person through.