Chapter Two

Whilst Freja was cleansing her body of the blood and possible brain matter, she thought about her past. She thought about her childhood and wondered if she was just wasting her life. And maybe she was, but she knew if she did not pursue this, she would always regret not finding out and not getting vengeance for her parents.

Stepping out of the shower she caught a look at her naked body in the full length mirror. People would not envy or crave her body if they saw it without clothes. She was covered in scars and fresh cuts and bruises. She glanced at the birthmark on her upper thigh, just below her left buttock. It was a pale pink and looked like an upside down triangle with a line through the tip. She thought it was a coincidence, but a friend she had in school, Shya, was a spiritualist and said that it was the sign of Earth. Freja thought that Shya was a kook, most people did. People at school thought she was a nut because she claimed to communicate with spirits and could see people’s auras.

Freja shook her head, grabbed a towel and began to dry herself. Tonight, she was feeling particularly lonely. Freja had contemplated many times about adopting a dog but she would feel guilty leaving them alone when she would have to go out on a stake out or following a trail like she had tonight. She had left at 7 in the evening and had only got home at 3 this morning. Maybe when she had finally put her parents murder to rest, she could settle down and get a companion.

She pulled on her dressing gown and walked through to the kitchen contemplating whether to have food or just go to bed. Freja didn’t always eat every meal time, in fact, she was lucky to have one meal a day. She was always too busy finding clues and trails. 

Maybe I will take tomorrow off searching. Have a lie in and make it to work on time, for once, and finish my shift. I need to keep this job.

Freja dropped the robe and crawled into bed. She fell into a silent slumber, but not for long before the nightmares began as they did every night. She tossed and turned and became drenched with sweat. This is why she preferred to sleep nude, it was bad enough washing the bedding every day, never mind another pair of pyjamas. And the pyjamas she made her sweat more.

She awoke with a start; not because of a nightmare, but because of a noise within the house. She slipped her hand under the pillow and pulled out a Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact with suppressor. Freja slowly climbed out the bed, grabbed her dressing gown and walked to the bedroom door. She creaked the door open slowly and peeked through, she couldn’t see anything.

F**k, f**k, fuuuck. How did they find me? 

Freja opened the door fully and slowly creeped into the living room. She ducked behind the settee and scoped the room.

Nothing. 

“Thank God.” She whispered aloud.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Freja from behind and covered her face with a cloth and she slowly passed out but not before she heard a voice.

“I’m sorry.”

When Freja awoke she was tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth and a pillowcase over her head. She began to panic and was trying wriggle out of the ropes around her wrists, but all that was doing was making the ropes tighter and cut into her delicate wrists.

“Good, you’re awake.” Spoke the mystery voice.

Although, the voice sounded familiar, who was it? It was male and deep and as smooth a chocolate. 

“I am sorry I had to do this.” 

The aftershave is unfamiliar, a mild scent. It was pleasant.

Freja could hear his footsteps approach, he removed the pillowcase. 

Tad?

Tad, Thaddeus, was a friend from school. One she had become distanced from. Freja had always fancied Tad and the feeling had been mutual but Freja had too much going on to get herself distracted by a boyfriend. He was still gorgeous. Tad was tall with broad shoulders and just the right amount of muscle. His hair was as dark as a raven’s and had piercing blue eyes. His hands were dry and callused from hard labour. Tad’s family owned a farm and Tad would help out every day. He enjoyed fixing anything, especially when it came to cars.

Thaddeus removed the gag from Freja’s mouth and offered her a drink of water which she accepted.

“Why? Why did you do this to me?” Freja demanded.

“Because you are going to get yourself into a lot of trouble. You’re going to get yourself killed. And I couldn’t sit by and watch you do that.” Tad was almost crying.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Freja knew exactly what he was talking about but didn’t understand how he could possibly know.

“Going out nearly every night and putting yourself in danger because you can’t let your parent’s death go. They are gone and nothing will bring them back. You need to let go before you get yourself killed.” Tad lectured her.

“How do you know what I have been doing?” Freja was confused but also a little scared.

“When we were children, I was told by our people that I had to befriend you and take care of you. I had to make sure that nothing would happen to you. And when you were ready, I could tell you everything and bring you home.”

“Tell me what? What do you mean bring me home? Our people?” 

“I don’t want to overload. It is a long story.”

“I have plenty of time. I need to know. Please, untie me and tell me everything.” Freja begged.

“As long as you don’t try to attack me or escape.”

“I promise. I need to know.”

Tad untied Freja and helped her to the sofa. He made them a cup of tea and sat in the armchair opposite Freja. He looked at her tired face and scarred arms and legs. He wished he had done this sooner. She was drained and looked older than she should. This wasn’t something a girl of her age should go through. She should be enjoying her youth, be surrounded by friends and have a boyfriend to protect her and a family to share memories with. His body filled with guilt and sadness.

Thaddeus began his story; “You are not who you think you are. You are not from this realm. We are not from this realm. We are from Coe's Galad, it means Earth’s Light. You come from a race of warriors. Warriors that protect the Earth from all that is evil. That is why you were such a natural at martial arts and fencing. You were born to fight.”

Freja thought back to when she was a girl and remembered getting so easily bored with Karate and Ju Jitsu because everything was too easy. It wasn’t a challenge. And fencing went to archery and then to shooting. But it all seemed too much of a coincidence. Tad was clearly insane. But he was insane with her gun in his hand.

“What about you? You say I am a warrior, but what are you?” Freja interrupted.

“My race of people are workers. We build, create, repair and farm. We build settlements, make weapons, farm crops and animals.”

“So if I am a warrior, why were you sent to protect me? Why not another warrior?”

“Because warriors are impulsive. A warrior would not have waited till the right time. They would have come barging in, telling you before you were ready. You are still not ready to know but you are becoming suicidal going out tracking and trailing. I had to intervene.

Your parents moved to this realm to hide, to protect you and themselves from a mistake they made back home. One they had to run from. No one knew why they did it, they still don’t. But they were found. They managed to live a few years here before the Royals caught up to them and had them assassinated.

When they were killed, my family were moved here to protect you by the Prophecy Guild. They said you were destined for greatness and would rid the realm of the filth it is soiled with. They won’t tell us what they mean by that. They will only tell you, but only when you are ready. If you know too soon your destiny will not be fulfilled and you will die in vain.”

Freja shook her head. It was all too much. “Can I just have a minute?”

“Of course. I understand how all this sounds. And this is why we needed to wait for the right time.” 

Tad took the tea cups and went to the kitchen to wash them and give Freja the moment she desperately needed to take in all this information.

Me? A warrior? Destined? What did my parents do? And why would they risk everything for it? Am I insane if I believe this story? 

Freja sat in silence trying to make sense of everything. She had only ever known of her life here in the “human realm”. He could easily be lying. He might not know anything. Whilst Freja sat mulling through all the information she had just been given, Tad was panicking. He didn’t know if he had done the right thing, telling her everything. And so soon. All he knew was that he needed to stop her going out on these suicide missions. Maybe it was time to take her home, to her to Coe's Galad, and show her the truth. Maybe he should have done that in the first place, taken her there. At least there was more of a chance that she would believe him. He knew how far fetched it sounded. Especially since her family had hidden it from her. But she had more family, back home. Her dad’s parents, her grandparents. 

Freja was three when her parents moved her to this realm. She doesn’t even remember her grandparents, Aloysius and Irene Dragonson,  on her father’s side. But for the past eighteen years, they have missed her dearly. And what has hurt most is that they didn’t get to say goodbye properly to their only son and are unable to pay their respects to his burial site. The day Freja is reunited with them, will be a joyous day that they pray for every day. 

Aloy and Irene live on a large dragon ranch that they bought when they retired from the warrior life. Aloysius comes from a long line of dragon ranchers who have an affinity to control dragons. Having this affinity made Aloysius and his son greater warriors, it gave them the element of surprise and an extra weapon. And hopefully, Freja will have this affinity too. The Dragonson family never disrespected dragons despite being able to have a hold over them. To them the dragons were majestic creatures that should be treated with respect and dignity. They preferred to work with and not above the dragons.

Back in Freja’s flat, Freja was still sat on her sofa lost for words. Her thoughts were all over and she was so confused. She felt very emotional and vulnerable right now. Finally, she looked up and over to Tad who was sat back in the armchair. He looked like he was almost asleep and Freja wondered how long she had been sat, lost in her thoughts for.

“How can I believe you?” Freja asked Thaddeus.

“I wish I had a better answer than; you just can. Maybe if I show you.” Tad responded, feeling a bit defeated.

“Show me what?”

“Home.”