The Heroes of Armagh

9: Dark powers revealed

Talia:

She walked over to the small group of people. They were all so different, but with one thing in common; they all had special powers, just like Talia herself and she needed them, to help save her land and possibly the world.

"Hi Benji, nice to see you are dressed now, and once again sorry for the pulling you out of bed and the handcuffs". She said looking at him, and he smirked at her, giving her a light bow.

.

She moved on and looked at Chrim. He had been freshened up to and she nodded at him. "Good to see you Chrim".

He returned the nod, but looked uncertain.

She turned to Gaia, smiling warmly. "You look like a real princess Gaia".

Gaia blushed, keeping her gaze low. "Thank you, Your highness".

"Oh lord Levi, I almost didn't recognise you. Don't you clean up very well". It kind of just came out before she had time to filter it. She was just very surprised by the change a simple bath and clean clothes had caused.

He blushed and looked at the floor, looking like he didn't know what to do. "Uhh thank you, your Highness".

"Please just call me Talia, all of you. I am not so fond of titles, and I hope we will all be friends. But now let's sit down and have some food, and I tell you everything". She said.

They all walked to the table and sat down, and when the waiters had come with the food and everyone had started eating Talia started to talk.

"You all probably know that the land is withering, my grandfather unfortunately thought that magic was the reason for everything bad and tried to snuff out all magic". She said and they all nodded.

She continued. "And my father, well I love him, but he is an incompetent king. He has done nothing, but I have studied the land and read the old scripts and the problem is the magic. Not the presence of magic but the lack of magic".

"But how do you propose to fix that ? It is not like we can just restore magic to the land". Benji said looking at her.

Talia sighed. "I know this probably seems far out, but all my studies point to the magic coming from a tree growing in the middle of the Leenaun forest. The tree of magic".

"Isn't that just childrens stories ?" Levi said. He had heard those fairy-tales as a kid just as the others.

She shook her head. "There are a lot of evidence in the old scripts and I know someone who once saw the tree. It is for real, but something is very wrong. I have send out soldiers to check the tree several times, but they never came back, except for one and what he tells is alarming".

"And what does he tell ?" Gaia looked a bit scared and nervous, not really understanding why they were there and why Talia was telling them this.

Talia bit her lip. "The tree is dying it seems. Even though he only saw it at a distance, but the worst part is that something evil is coming from the area. He talked about monsters and decay".

"But why are we here ? What can we do ?" Benji looked at her. He had a feeling, but he couldn't really wrap his head around it.

Talia looked at all of them in turn. "I realised we need more than just soldiers here, we need magic and special powers and that is what you got".

"I get why Benji is here. I guess he has some impressive and dangerous powers, as I saw how scared the soldiers were, and Chrim well he is clearly used to fighting, but what do you need me for ?" Gaia said.

Levi added. "Or me ?"

"My friend.. My teacher actually. He is the one who has seen the tree. He has powers to and he saw all of you. He helped me find you. I need all of you. I don't exactly know how or why, but when he say I do, that is the truth". She said hoping they would believe her.

They all looked a bit overwhelmed and Talia stood up. "I will leave you to talk and to think. I will come to talk to all of you in the morning. If you wish to leave and return home, you can do so, but I hope you will help me".

Talia got up and left to walk to her own rooms. Thinking and hoping, hoping they would believe her, hoping they were all willing to risk their lives helping her.

Wondering what or who the missing part is. Her teacher master Adler had told her he saw a dark power, but even he couldn't see who or what it was. Just that she needed it to succeed.

Arran:

He had sneaked into the fort. Climbing through a window on the backside, and he was trying to find out what to do, when someone entered the room. He acted fast, pinning the person to the wall, a knife at their throat.

The person snapped her fingers and the candles turned on instantly. He recognises the princess. She looked at him without fear. "And who might you be ?"

"That is none of you concern. I am here to free Benji. You have no right to keep him prisoner". He hissed at her.

She lifted her hand and touched the knife at her throat, and second later he had to let go as it was burning his hand. "I am not keeping Benji prisoner. I am sorry for the way he was picked up, but he is here to help me".

"And what if he doesn't want to ?" He asked. Apparently there was more to the princess than meet the eye, powers for example.

She smiled at him, apparently totally unafraid of a stranger in her room. "Then he is free to leave, but I hope he will help. I need him badly".

"For what ? What do you need these people for ?" He was still standing directly in front of her, but keeping his face in the shadows of his hood.

Talia was starting to realise something.. This man, this stranger that somehow had managed to enter the fort and her room without getting seen. He was her dark power, the last piece of the puzzle. She can feel the magic from him like nothing she had ever felt before. It was like it is emitted a low humming feeling. She knew he was dangerous, more dangerous than anyone she had ever encountered, but she needed him to fulfil her destiny.

She looked at him, knowing she was really taking a big risk here. "Will you come with me ? There is someone I want you to meet, someone who will make you see. Do you trust me this much ?"

He took a step closer to her and gazed into her eyes. Talia felt sucked into his piercing blue eyes. It was like staring into infinity, unable to escape, then he blinked, releasing her and he nodded. "Take me there".