Vlandimer: The Curse of the Grey Folk

One’s True Destiny



Silas looked at April as if he suddenly realised that she were mad, which he did think. He had been on his own for so long before these two strangers intruded into his life.

Chaz sat silent through April’s statement. He was watching Silas with a curious look on his face which would have disturbed him any other time.

“I think that wine has gone to your head.” Silas said slowly to April.

April burst into fits of laughter. The two men watched her as her fits subsided.

“What amuses you so much?” Silas asked her.

“Wine travels downwards not upwards.” She replied and burst into her hysterical laughter again.

Silas laughed along with her this time as Chaz rolled his eyes at her. He could see the logic into her statement.

“Anyway...” April said becoming serious. “I do not have the wrong person unless you have lied about your name, which I know you have not. I was told were to find you and here you are.”

“You were told to find me?”

April nodded her head very slowly.

Silas stood up and shook his head. He did not know what to think apart from the fact that he didn’t where this conversation was going. He could hear his father’s words ringing in his ears.

One day you will find your purpose in life. People will look for you and you will need to find your purpose in life and decide the path you want to travel.

It was a long time ago his father told him this. He normally did not think about his father but he could not stop himself. His family were always fighting amongst themselves. Silas then remembered Chaz and April were watching him.

“Is this why you were looking for me?” he asked Chaz suspiciously.

“I told you why.” Chaz replied.

“Silas if I may be so bold. You do not need to trust us right here and now. It takes time to build bonds of trust and I am positive that you will learn to trust us and believe what we have said. Why don’t we rest for the night and leave here when morn arrives.” April said appealing to Silas’s better side.

Silas looked at her deciding how the best way was to describe how he was feeling.

“I do not trust anyone. I am not prepared to travel never mind sleep in the company of people I know nothing about. Not without answers.” He finally said.

As he finished speaking he could see Chaz looked rather smug and was looking at him with an appraising look. April on the other hand was a completely different story. She looked absolutely livid.

“Your rudeness will eventually get you into trouble boy.” She said letting her voice get louder with anger.

Silas did not know how to respond. He shook his head slowly wishing he had kept his mouth shut.

“There are more appropriate ways to get information from others.” April said her voice slightly calmer.

Silas nodded his head this time. He didn’t know where to look, April refused to take her angry glare off him.

“I am sorry if I offended you. But could you explain everything to me?” Silas said grudgingly.

Aprils face softened. She took a drink from her flask and then offered it to Silas, who took it from her again and drank.

“Silas I know you want answers but I’m the wrong person to give you these answers. But I will try to answer what I can.” April said her voice gentle once more. “If you sit back down that is.” She added.

Silas was starting to get irritated now, but he sat down nevertheless.

“We were sent out to find you by someone else’s request.” April said.

“You’ll find out who in due time.” Chaz added.

That’s nice to know. Silas thought sarcastically.

“You are spoken about in places you do not know about. Men woman and children await your return for they have not abandoned hope, not yet at least. I fear they will if we fail.” April said sadly.

Something she had said confused Silas. He wondered about it until it hit him.

“What do you mean my return?” he asked incredulous.

April and Chaz exchanged a nervous look at each other.

“You need to tell him now.” Chaz said bitterly.

April sighed.

“What a night this is turning to be.” She said.

Silas sat waiting patiently for an answer. Minutes passed by and still the only sound was the fire crackling away. Eventually April sighed again.

“I suppose I can fill your thirst of curiosity. When you were just a baby you lived in a small town. But a disaster struck us and everyone fled.” April said slowly careful of what she was saying.

Silas eyed her suspiciously. Her reluctance told him there was more to it that she was letting on. He looked at Chaz, who was now looking up at the night sky. He was unsure if he had noticed his desperate look for an answer.

He then looked at the fire not really seeing it at all.

He was thinking to his earliest memories. He remembered his mother and father having a heated conversation about something he could not remember, although he expected it was him they were discussing about.

“How long ago did this happen?” Silas asked April.

“Sixteen years ago.”

Chaz looked down from the sky to look Silas in the face his eyes as wide as plates.

“If you come with us I am sure you will get the rest of the answers you are looking for.” He said.

“All of them?” Silas asked.

Chaz nodded his head.

Unsure what to do or say Silas took another drink the flask and handed it back to April.

“Sleep on it.” She said to him.

Silas nodded his head as Chaz put out the fire. April made herself comfortable for a night’s sleep, as did Chaz when he had finished.

Silas lay on his back staring at the sky. His mind was blank for the first time since meeting Chaz and April. Soon the cliff was filled with snoring sound.

He sighed.

Something about these two strangers had roused his curiosity. He found himself believing that they did in fact mean him no harm. Although he would not admit to them, he was glad of the company. That was when he decided to go with them. He closed his eyes to go to sleep.

He was standing in the middle of nowhere. He couldn’t see any of his surroundings due to the thick for that clung to the air.

Out of nowhere a bright white light flared to life in front of him. The light started to twist in shape and soon the figure of a woman was standing affront of him.

“You have made the right choice. But do not hesitate for it will be a long and difficult journey full of dangers.” She said to him.

“Why?” he asked.

“My dear child you shall find out due course but for now learn to trust April for she will not lead you astray and you will need all the friends you can find before the time comes.”

After she spoke the woman disappeared awaken Silas.

He sat up straight confused by the dream he had just had. It troubled him for he was unsure if it was a dream or something more sinister. It took him several minutes to relax and then even more to realise the sun was shining on him.

He looked at the spots where Chaz and April had been sleeping to find them standing up and looking down at him.

“We were just about to wake you up.” Chaz said.

“No need now.” Silas said.

April laughed to the obvious annoyance to Chaz.

“Have you decided what to do?” she asked looking down at Silas smiling.

“Aye. I’m coming with you.”

April smile turned into a wide grin.

“Well let us be off then.” And with that she turned on to her heels and led them down the cliff.