The Sleeping Hero
“Entombed in the covers of another’s bed our hero lays there entrapped in sleep and gloom. They say that only when a century passes will she rise again. Many nations and powerful individuals have tried to seek her help by waking her. Powerful magics of all types were cast. Those of fire to burn her alive and that of electricity to shock her mind out of its cathartic state. Sadly, she lies here still. Sleeping for another day.”
“Has anyone tried kissing her, father?” the boy asked quietly.
“Well, I’m sure they hired many courtesans to do a much more…through job.”
Scrunching up his face the child looked back up to his father with a question on his tongue, “What do you mean by ‘through’?”
Panicking the father pulled out his pocket watch and gasped, “Look at the time Tono we got to go!”
The boy still seeming curious opened his mouth in protest. But before anything could come out the father already spoke up. “No buts Tono, we already went out of our way to visit the Sleeping hero. We have to visit your mom before the festival starts.”
Then just as quickly as they entered, they left the cave in search of his mother.
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“Yo Tono! What are you doing after class!”
Smiling I turned around as Tana came running up alongside me.
Me and Tana have been friends for years, lumped together from an early age because of how similar are names were. It was a shallow thing to start a friendship on, but oh how it grew. Right now, I dare say she is one of my best friends in the town of Hekelworth.
“I don’t know, might go to the lake or even to the forest. Why?”
“Oh stop!” Laughing she darted in front of me and stuck out her tongue. “We all know you’re going to see the sleeping soldier!”
My face going bright red I quietly mumbled, “I don’t always visit her.”
“Yes, you do!” she continued exasperated as she counted on her fingers, “Once, last week and twice the week before! Its almost like clockwork! Except…wait you just go a lot okay.”
Grunting I continued walking as she stood in place counting my visits. “Someone needs to check on her. Someone could be trying to do something unsavory again.” Hearing the stones scatter beneath Tana’s feet I quickly schooled my face to pretend she hasn’t got to me.
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“You always use that as an excuse, but she is entombed in stone you know?” Growing an impish smile, she started prodding me with her fingers, “Besides, I think you like her.”
Retorting quickly my face seemed to heat up like the sun, “I do not.”
Leaning in closer she continued without pause, “You know she is much older than you, hundreds from the sound of it.”
“She looks the same age as me though.”
Sensing weakness she hounded me like a shark that smelled blood as she struck the last blow, “Your 13, she looks at least 18.”
Sighing, I looked at the girl before me. “What does it matter to you?”
* - -
Tana suddenly found the rocky cobblestone path incredible interesting as she kicked around rocks with her outstretched shoe. “Well, I just think you should look for a girl who is closer to home—or even awake!”
“No! I am not going on another one of your blind dates! The last one with Penelope was dreadful!”
“Come on it wasn’t that bad.” Combing her hair behind her ear with her fingers she continued somewhat subdued, “Besides, it is not going to be with Penelope this time.”
“Great, another mystery girl. Why is it only the weirdos who like me?”
Stopping in the middle of the road Tana’s face went white as a ghost, tears started to fill in her eyes. Not even noticing he continued on ranting about how Tana’s love suggestions only brought horror and terror to his life. With each word spoken another tear fell from her face as her silent turmoil went unseen.
Eventually he noticed. Turning around the only thing he caught was tears streaming from her face as she ran away as fast as she could.
* - -
“Now why would she do that?” Wondering if I said something to offend her but found nothing, we talked about to be terribly offensive. I continued this line of thought for a long while not even looking at the normally astounding beauty on the way to the resting place.
Pines, creeks, and untouched nature past me by as I continued my journey deep in thought. The now dirt road shifted dangerously beneath my feet as I climbed the ever so steep hill. Yet, I gave it not a thought already accustomed to the trials of getting to my destination.
Eventually a temple came into view. It wasn’t grand nor inspired awe. It was small and almost dingy having been carved into the side of a mountain. For a site considered so holy there was no lines of visitors or armies of attendants keeping it clean. No, not even for the First Emperors great daughter would they do that. For indeed the soldier was not a soldier at all but one of royal blood who defended the people when they needed her. “Maybe that’s why I’m so attached to her. I just want proof that they care for us still.”
Steeping into the small cave like room, I grabbed the broom I stashed in the corner and began to clean up the mess that accumulated. Racking leaves and trying my best to erase male genitalia that always seemed to crop up on the stone figure shaped casing that protected her body. Horribly enough these vandals always enjoyed drawing their prickly members around her mouth. “Fucking heretics.” Scrubbing harder at one partially nasty drawing I ended up giving up for the day as I noticed the sun beginning to set. Quickly I went through practiced motions of replacing the flowers on the stone covering and the lighting of the grand fire for her to always be warm in her sleep.
Setting out for the village I noticed the birds in the trees stopped their beautiful song. With a smile on my face, I thanked the soldier for my good luck.