4 The Journey Begins

Chapter 4 Preparations

The Journey Begins

 

    Gen awoke and stared up at the top of the healers tent. He sat up and looked over to see the divination teacher sleeping soundly with heavy bandages over her eyes. Thomas sat beside the teacher with his back to Gen.

 

 

            "Good, you're awake." Meeka said softly from behind him. "We need to talk. Come on, if you can walk." Gen swung his legs over the side of the cot and stood up. The room didn't spin, much. He walked slowly to the door. Meeka opened it for him and he followed her outside.

        

    "Thomas told me what happened. Did you? Did you do that to Master Elise?" Meeka looked troubled. Her face showed signs of recent tears and her hair was disheveled.

 

    "No. I have no idea what happened." Gen shuddered. Had that really been his future?

        

    "I should have made you come with me when I left class. I knew something bad was going to happen today. I thought that it was seeing my home village destroyed. I had no idea that anything worse would happen." She shook her head. "We are late for the Headmaster's I'll go get Thomas and we'll meet you there." She shooed Gen off and walked back into the healer's tent.

 

    When Gen arrived at the Master's office, he was surprised to find Aaron there already. Thomas and Meeka arrived shortly after.

        

    Aaron was barely conscious but still standing. Gen could tell that even after the healer got done with him he was still in a great deal of pain. Serves him right. Gen thought. The Headmaster’s door opened silently and they entered the room.

        

    "Sit." the Headmaster said. Gen readily obeyed.

 

    "I must say I don't usually like my students fighting like that, but this time I agree it was needed. Now I hope you two have laid your differences aside; for you will all be spending a lot of time together." The Headmaster turned to Gen. "What happened to Elise today, Gen?"

        

    "Master Elise was demonstrating using a mirror for future sight. She chose me as her subject. Then the mirror exploded and the shards all went into her eyes." Gen started shaking again. The Headmaster looked at him silently for a long time.

        

    "I have decided to send you all on a mission of sorts. You are to take a package to the Crow temple. You have two weeks to get there." The Headmaster opened his desk and took out a small pouch that was tied shut with a simple knot.

        

    Gen looked around questioningly. Meeka stared ahead uneasily, not looking at him. Thomas was white as a sheet, and Aaron looked down quietly at the floor.

        

    "I hope you take this time to learn some new things. Gen, since you won't be here to receive your new robes I have decided to give them to you now." The Headmaster walked to his closet and quickly took out a package tied with a blood red ribbon. Placing it in Gen's hands, he smiled to him softly. "You all have a hard road ahead of you. Use what you have been taught well. "

        

    The Headmaster returned to his desk and started writing on a new sheet of parchment. The group knew they were dismissed. Gen waited till the others left and sat waiting for the Headmaster to finish writing. The Headmaster wrote on till he had filled the page and sprinkling the fresh ink with fine sand he looked up to Gen.

        

    "You have a question?"

        

    "Yes. Why us?"

        

    "For a lot of different reasons, but the main one being that you are to the point now where you need to get out in the world a bit. Living secluded here is not what is meant for you; though I feel young Thomas will return here and spend the rest of his days teaching. As for Aaron, I don't like what he's becoming so I'm hoping the world will set him right. Try to keep him away from the bottle while you are gone. "

        

    "Why Meeka? She has never known anything but the Schola. It will be hard for her to leave."

        

    "Gen," The Headmaster said rubbing his eyes slowly. Gen noticed that the Headmaster looked very old now. "Meeka told me of her dream. It frightens me to tell you the truth. I hope it is only a dream but if it is a vision then all of you need to be away from here when it happens. That, and I fear that if I tried to send you away from her I would be doing a terrible thing. All that and now this incident with Elise." The Headmaster shook his head. "Just go Gen but be careful. Something bad is swiftly approaching. I can feel its chill in my bones." He smiled sadly.

        

    "Thank you for telling me the truth, Headmaster. I will do my best to bring this package to the Crow temple." Gen said as he stood and picked up the pouch and placed it atop his own package. "May the gods watch over the Schola"

        

    "May the gods watch over you, Gen" The master replied with an odd tone in his voice.

        Gen found Thomas waiting for him as he left the office.

 

    "I'm scared Gen." Thomas said. He was shaking slightly and his face was still white.

        

    "I know Thomas, but you will be fine. I'm going too, remember."

        

    "Thank you Gen." Thomas said; and in an odd moment hugged Gen close to him, and cried softly into his shoulder. Gen patted his friend on the back and waited for him to compose himself.

        

    "I'm sorry Gen. I just.... I just get a terrible feeling about all this. Like some dark thing is lurking above us; watching." He shivered.

        

    "Go to sleep Thomas. We have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow." Gen said, and pushed his friend gently down the hall.

        

    "Good night Gen."

        

    "Good night Thomas." Gen said smiling till Thomas had turned his back. Then, his face became covered with a frown. What an odd day this has been he thought, as he returned to his room still shaken from the image in the mirror.

        

    He was surprised to find a candle burning in his room; and even more surprised to find Meeka asleep in his bed. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he placed the pouch and his new robes on the small desk. He then took off his tattered gray robes and folded them on the floor beside Meeka's. He was just settling in behind her when she spoke to him.

 

    "Gen, hold me close tonight," she requested quietly, "I don't want that dream to come back again."

        He replied by squeezing her tight against him and kissing her gently on her pale shoulder.

Author's Note

This is in really rough shape.