Battling The Golden Queen

The presence of her Innerdemon

Helia! You wish to sleep on the porch or what?! Should I get a sleeping mat for you now?" Jackie yelled from where she stood. The lady wasn't engrossed in her conversation anymore. 

"Jackie, could you wait outside and watch out for me? I want to find some clues concerning the disappearance of my father" She had informed her opening the door wider. 

"What?! You're breaking into the crazy man's house? Are you insane? What if he reports us?" Jackie asked in shock. Her hands waved as she spoke as if she wanted to beat her to the pulp. She really was angry. 

"The door was already open. Don't worry, everything will be fine"

"You have to come back Helia. I didn't become your friend for all this craziness" The lady urged with annoyance. Helia didn't listen. She walked in ignoring her friend ranting. 

"Fine then! Two minutes young lady. I give you two minutes" 

"Love ya Jackie!" Helia replied, blowing her a kiss from the house entrance. 

"You're the worst friend ever!" The lady nagged. Helia knew she was but her curiosity got the best of her. She couldn't ignore her gut feeling and acted as cowardly as Jackie who gave up so easily. She wasn't going to give up that easily. The house was dimly lit. She could barely see the floor she walked on. He had a very small window which hadn't helped in the situation since it was not located toward the sun. Searching around for a candle, she caught sight of a candle and lit it with a lighter. This gave her a big relief. Finally light. This was what could help her big time. Using the candle light which burnt brightly, she gave the house a better stare. It was his sitting room. There weren't much furnitures except four wooden chairs and a center table which had a decoration and a lantern on it. Looking right at the wall, she caught sight of some photo frames.  The first photo frame she saw was that of a woman, a young girl and him. He had stood beside the woman with a very nice smile on his lips. He looked so much younger in the picture than the present. Could he have had a family? Where are his family members? Why was he living alone? She asked with surprise. She looked at more photo frames and realized it contained more of his family photos. Exploring more, she realized a photo frame that intrigued her. 

"Dad!" She said with so much emotion in her voice as she hurried towards it. Though she doesn't remember how he looks from her childhood, she does know that this man in the photograph with Mr Drax having a nice mustache and holding a barnacules was definitely her dad. So they were really this close huh? Aside from the barnacules which gave him way, the old photographs her mum kept of him also helped her in recognizing him well. She definitely took after his looks. They looked so alike. Walking deeper into the house, she arrived at the study room. That was the right place for the investigation. She looked round the study room and began searching for a diary or notebook which had the information she needed but she had found none. There were only letters. Sealed letters to Toronto. They were supposed to be sent to his wife but for some reason he kept each letter in an open box beside his study chair. Why wasn't he sending the letters? The numbers of sealed letters that piled in the box got her really impressed on how much he could spend his days writing letters to the ones he truly loved. Why couldn't he just send it then? There was a post man right? She knew she wasn't her business. Her investigation was getting pointless. She was already getting distracted by things around. As she searched out, she caught sight of a door hidden behind a shelf. Why was the door hidden? What secret could it hold? She thought with surprise. Intrigued by her instincts, she made her way toward the door and opened it immediately. He didn't lock it. He hadn't locked it. Why would he have a secret room and not lock it? Perhaps it could be due to the fact that he lived alone and never expected anyone to go in. She walked in slowly and opened her eyes with awe realizing the secret room was the most lit room in the entire house. There were lanterns on the walls which had shone brightly unraveling every single detail in the room. The walls were covered with papers which had one sentence on each. Each sentence sent her a chill through her spine. They took him! I warned him! They are using her! I have to protect her! We need to tell her! The golden queen will ruin her! She is powerful! The secret can't be hidden for long!... And on and on it goes. All this began to make little sense to Helia. Perhaps this golden queen wasn't the reason for all these problems. Was she the legend? She had wondered. In the middle of the room stood a book which seemed to be one of the last copies of the legendary book. It's title baffled her "The Everlasting Freedom" She grabbed hold of it and flipped through it. An image seems to set her back for just no reason. She wasn't sure why but this picture made her uneasy for some reason. It was almost like it had control of her. She wanted to look away but she couldn't. Something wasn't letting her. She wished to shut the book but her hands won't work. It was almost like she had no control over her body anymore. It was as if she was being sunk into the book for some reason. The golden queens eyes stared deep into her eyes as if it wanted to stare deep in her soul. Her crown scared her for some reason and her long hair seemed so enchanted. Why could she feel some weird connection with this woman?

"It's so nice letting me in Mr Drax" She heard Jackie voice at the living room. This brought her back to her senses. O! Goodness! Two minutes were long gone. How long have she been in there?! She immediately hid the book in her small pocket and hurried out immediately shutting the candle off. She walked into the sitting room and got surprise seeing Mr Drax smiling at her. Jackie sat on one of his chairs eating some muffins. 

"This are delicious muffins Mr Drax" She praised with a friendly smile. "I was really hungry" 

"It's fine Jackie. You shouldn't have waited outside" He responded as he turned on his lantern. 

"Look Helia, he isn't crazy. We were all wrong about him" Jackie retracted her words with a guilty stare. 

"It's fine. I love the fact that everyone thinks I am crazy. Due to that, i don't get to see their hypocritical faces, ``he responded. Helia hadn't found a word to say yet. Why wasn't he angry at her? She knew she had done something wrong but he doesn't seem bothered. 

"I...I am sorry Mr Drax for breaking in. I mean i didn't break in, the door was open but i was…" 

"It's fine Helia. I expected you to come in"

"You did?"

"Yes. That was why i left my entrance open and ordered for the afternoon. You're just like your father. An extremely curious being. Muffins?" He asked as he walked out of the kitchen with more muffins. Helia nodded as she sat on the wooden chair not sure of how to reprimand what was actually happening. She broke into his house and he was completely fine with it. How was that possible? Who does that? 

"This hospitality means a lot to me Mr Drax. I will definitely visit you more often. I have to leave because mum will kill me. Till next week sir" Jackie appreciated as she made her way to the door.

"Thanks for the visit, dear Jackie. No worries about Helia. I will take her home " 

Jackie waved him bye and left. In a few seconds they heard the sound of the carriage leaving. 

"What made you think I will enter your house?" Helia decided to ask.

"Your dad. I was a close friend to him. I am the only one who knows what happened to him. I knew some day you will come asking information concerning what happened to him" 

"What is this book about?" She asked, showing him the legendary book she stole. "Who is the golden queen? Did she take my father? Why were all the books burnt? What's The Everlasting Freedom?" 

"So many questions young lady, so many questions. Calm down, i will answer them all" He calmed her down pouring out a tea for himself from a tea pot he had long brought from the kitchen. "I wouldn't be telling you this if not for what your mum has told you about you. I assure you that they aren't ordinary or pretty things. They are too serious to be ignored"

"What did my mum tell you about me?"

"You remember the incident at the market when you were four? The time the horse turned gold?"

"I don't remember the incident but I do hear people talk about it. There is day it's being marked. The Miraculous day. They do say you make a wish on that day and it will be granted to the lucky five. I don't know how this ought to be related to a horse who turned golden but you know people…" 

"On the day of the incident, your mum had come to me crying later that night. She had seen something she hadn't ket anyone else see" 

"Mr Drax, what was that?" 

"When the horse turned gold, your eyes were also gold. You were staring straight into its eyes and wouldn't look away. Your mum got scared for you and turned your gaze from it immediately making you pass out. You didn't gain consciousness until after two hours. When asked if you remember what happened, you didn't"  

"I don't remember this happening to me. Why didn't my mum tell me anything?" 

"She was scared. She was trying to protect you but unfortunately that wasn't the only calamity you caused" 

"What do you mean?" 

"You always float up your bed when you are deep asleep. Two weeks ago, she told me you were floating up as usual but this time it was different. Your eyes had turned glowing pink. There were these glowing pink flames in both your palms. The entirely room was trashed by a strong pink wind force. It's almost like you weren't yourself, you were sleeping but your powers were taking effect. Your powers were controlling you" 

"Wait hold on! I have powers now? This is too good to be true. My mum must have seen things. I know my room was really trashed that day but i thought it was the wind because the wind from outside often affects my room the most out of the whole house. There is no such thing as magic or powers… i don't want to believe this" 

"You have to Helia. Your dad's disappearance wasn't ordinary. He was taken by the Golden queen in exchange for you. She would have killed him but didn't because she wanted to use him. Your mum suffered from a terrible tuberculosis before he was captured, the same day the horse had turned gold, your mum was considered cure. It's possible the golden queen is using you to connect to other humans…"

"I don't still understand. If i have powers, why can't I shoot fire now or fly or do something magical? Why isn't anything happening to me?"

"Nothing is happening to you because you aren't connected to your powers. You have no idea you have one so it isn't taken effect. You haven't gotten to a situation whereby you will need to use them" 

"So, this golden queen gave me part of her powers to use me…"

"According to Legends, she has fought humans for too long due to the death of her husband in the hands of a human. She has been so vengeful against her husband's death but killing humans has been so easy for her. She has decided to make a human as powerful as her so that she could defeat a human of her strength ones and for all. Unfortunately in the process of defeating you, she will get rid of all human race which will be connected to you. As you move around, you are a miracle. No town you ever step in will face calamity with you in it. You are a vessel of good luck for everyone. Anyone who comes to you with problems will find a solution but all this is happening because the golden queen has connected you to every single human on earth. She is so crafty Helia. If she manages to kill you, she will destroy the human race" 

"But why me though?" 

"Before your dad was captured she had asked for your name. The golden queen is fond of children no doubt. She must have decided to grant your dad his request but also cause twice as much damage. Though your mum is cured, she isn't safe. Nor is anyone in this world" Helia wasn't convinced. She was still perplexed. 

"So this is why I felt a connection with her picture. It's like a magnetic force. I couldn't move" 

"Exactly. You took a part of her which makes you a part of her but don't let her deceive you. You are way stronger than her. That's the mistake she made. She made you stronger but hoped you were dumber so that she could defeat you in a real fight. Even if you manage to defeat her, she has a son who is more cruel and powerful than her. When his feet touch the ground, his temper is always out of control. The golden queen often prevents that, this is why she always sends him off on probation to help calm his temper" 

"She has a son? This battle isn't simple at all" Helia mumbled. 

"Exactly my point. You could get a higher chance of defeating the golden queen if you manage to form an alibi with the prince. In as much as he is cruel, he doesn't get along with his mother  and loves doing things his own way. If you manage to gain his trust and tell him the truth about the death of his father, he could turn the table around and help you" 

"Who is his father? What happened to him?"

"His father was a Flame King. He was full of rage, evil, and weakness for women. He was always interested in all the female golden beings and some human girls. At that time, the humans got along well with the golden beings encouraging peace and harmony but for some reason the queen got jealous of one of the human girls and killed her. The human girl's family got furious and decided to start a war against them but the Flame King refused since he didn't see the need for that. The Golden queen set off killing all the girls the king had ever touched and the King did nothing. One time she couldn't take his infidelity anymore and cut his head while he slept. Then she blamed the humans for it. Her prince was still too young to understand at that time. He took it in that way and began to show hatred toward the humans causing a war and drift between them. Together with his mum, he hadn't made life favourable for us. This is why no human is able to enter the Everlasting Paradise. It's could be anywhere at anytime. It's almost as if it's within your reach but you can't reach it unless authorized. You are authorized Helia so it should be easier for you"

"This all sounds funny to me. A Golden queen, a flame king, their stupid son, pink flames, this all sounds far fetched. My mum must have seen things. This is too good to be true. Too good to be taken seriously. It sounds like a bed time story for child. You know, a story concerning good and evil. I really thought coming here would remove my doubts but now i see all this is pointless. You are only telling me stories. You aren't telling me the truth about what happened to my dad. There is no such thing as magic" 

"Helia, i know it's difficult for you to believe"

"It's not difficult for me to believe. This is nonsense and far-fetched. Maybe you really are crazy as everyone said. It's pointless talking to you. I will find out the more realistic reason why my dad disappeared and not just this magical tale of lala land." At these words she headed for the door. 

"The sooner you head for this journey, the better for you. The map to the former location is in the book you are holding. You have to go with people you trust who will protect you and not just anyone. You will need to fulfil the prophecy"  He had shouted after her as she walked out. 

"I don't need this stupid book" She replied throwing the book at hos feet and shutting the door behind her. If only she had listened to Jackie. Jackie was right. All this was pointless and stupid. None of this made sense. Who the heck believed in magic at this modern age. As she trekked past his house she discovered it was getting really late and she needed to pass the shortcut to get home quicker. The problem though was that the shortcut involved passing the woods and she doesn't like doing that but she had no other choice. The longer route was a rough road which connected the hillside to town. She wasn't ready to stay 30 minutes under the hot scorching sun. 

"Let me drop you off!" She heard Mr Drax tell her as he rushed out his cottage. 

"Leave alone! I don't need your help. I have magic anyway. I can protect myself, right?!" She snapped at him with a sarcastic stare. He hadn't said a word this time. He watched her walk into the dangerous woods and headed back. 

Helia walked deeper and deeper into the woods hearing the beautiful songs of the birds and the creeping movements of the insects. As she walked on, she got a little bit more conscious about the environment. She had definitely heard so much about it and the news she'd heard weren't good. Could she have followed Mr Drax. Why did she let her anger get out of control? As she walked on, she heard a loud rumbling among the bushes. 

"Just ignore Helia and move on" She said to herself as she increased her pace.  If only she knew it was too late. Out from the bushes a wild bush bear roared at her leaving her in terror. She screamed in fear and began to take a step back slowly. Her heart raced very fast and her body began to shake uncontrollably. 

"I am going to die. I am going to die" She said to herself as she continued to take her step back. 

She turned back immediately and began to run as fast as she could towards the direction of Mr Drax cottage. She had already walked too far. She knew she couldn't get there anytime soon before the bear devoured her. The bear's large movements were making a heavy impact on the ground making it tremble and difficult for her to run faster. It knocked down trees, jumped obstacles even better than she did. Unfortunately she got weak and couldn't run anymore. She knocked her leg over a stone and tumbled over knocking her face to the ground. She began to bleed through her nose. Tears began rolling down her eyes. The bear raced closer and closer, roaring as loud as it could. 

"I am going to die" She said to herself as she began pulling herself away. 

"No you're not!" She heard herself say. This shocked her. 

"Wait what? Who said that?" She asked in confusion as she realized she had spoken without her control. Was her mouth speaking on it's own now.