“Your father has so dearly missed you.” The lady gave me a short, but deep hug. As to not fall onto my back I dug my nails into the mud. I nodded but my mind was still mired in that vision. The smell of mixed tree sap and old paint.

“Is anything wrong?” she asked in a quiet whisper at my silence.

I didn’t want to answer, I didn’t trust nor believe her. Enough, if only I could fly away and hide in a cave for the remainder of my years I would. I would. I would, if not for one thing, one hope, one wish.

She broke off the hug, looked at my eyes and ran her thumb across my lower eyelid. A frown creased her soft face.

“What is it?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh, nothing.” Sweat drenched her titanium white collar and stained it yellow. “Wear these glasses.” She handed me a pair of rounded glasses not too different from the monocle worn by the master; they had rough edges and seemed to be constructed for utility’s sake. Something made my tongue itch. A word, no, a name was at its tip. I remembered it, her name. “Diane…” My voice croaked. My tongue scraped against my palate; when I swallowed, my saliva dried halfway down my throat.

“Yes, young master,” she leaned in.

She was the court healer. Unaffiliated to any church, she served with total and absolute discretion. A slave bound by chains of gold. “Why do you hide my eyes?” Why did she act without my permission? How did human relations function?

“It’s nothing,” answered the lady. She passed her hand over my head. A silver shine appeared above. “Look, your hair is all cleaned up.” Her smile slowed my heart. It was beautiful. However, it reminded me of Master’s. A smile which displayed rotted teeth, deep wrinkles, and brought attention to his eyes made of jell-od blood.

From the corner of my eyes, a knight who towered above saplings approached. His hand rested on his sword’s hilt. He walked wide steps; they were quiet. He wore a well-trimmed handlebar moustache. “Lady Diane.” He glanced down at me. “If the young master is in a stable condition, we should return. The vampire may have other accomplices. Let us escort him.”

Diane nodded at first but shook her head when it came to the second point. “No, I’ll take care of the young master.”

Sir Richard exhaled. “I understand your relation, but this is for security’s sake.”

Although reluctant Diane accepted.

#

The knights adopted a diamond formation, I walked in the back half of the arrangement. They wore enchanted brigandine armour and leather pants. Pinned to their chests there was a black crystal, shaped as an ebony tree. The emblem of the royal guard. Something slivered into my mind, words I had never heard.

Ebony black, more valuable than gold

Ebony black, sturdier than iron

Ebony-black shield of Rosalia

Thus went their motto. The boy’s memories had started to slip in. That’s right, how did I know what knights were? There were none in the forest, and my sister hadn’t spoken of them. My mind twisted once more. I closed my eyes and with great force stopped memories from taking me aground.

The trees started to thin, and the ebony barks became scarcer. Oak and birch became more common. Blue jays and yellowthroats appeared in tall trees; their nests set deep within the mass of leaves.

My legs tingled and ached. The slight incline out the ebony forest starting to take its toll. I slowed down; the knights did as well, their steps perfectly timed with mine. The aggregated sound of our march could be confused with the step of a chimera. Attached to their dark brown scabbards a small bell jingled. At least, it probably did. The hunters were always accompanied by the most ear-piercing noise, and the only thing the few dozen I had seen had in common was that bell placed on their hips. Their ring gritted at any bird's ears and would repeal even the largest of griffins. Better miss out on birds than die by a griffin’s claws.

We reached a woodless highland. Bushes with tiny purple flowers covered the ground. The wind breeze passed over tall grass; the grass turned into a sea of emerald-tipped needles. I looked down to make sure I didn’t have any exposed skin. Whilst in that dream or memory my escorts had fitted me with knee-tall leather boots, weighted leather pants, and a long-sleeved shirt.

Emerald grass sways in the wind. Its quiet and repetitive whisper attracts curious eyes; however, its crystal-like edge serrates skin like diamond-tipped blades. Often believed to be poisonous due to the pain one feels if one decides to sleep amidst its beauty. This grass will not reap your life, but it will harvest your joy.

- Encyclopedia of Plants.

I couldn’t block it all, the images, the scents, they reminded me of these words.

The emerald grass, the reason why no large land walking beasts had ever reached the ebony forest. It was unfortunate no emerald air existed; griffons always caused a mess.

Griffons, the bird of the land, the lion of the sky.

- Rosalia’s griffon division motto

I couldn’t remember details of the boy’s life, but tiny facts and sayings had stuck. If I could ride a griffon, it would make my life. I’d die of laughter if I could have a griffon’s golden plumage rest under my ass. Those pride-ridden beasts always forced Rose and I to hide in the cove until they had their fill of boars. It forced us to live off rats and mice. Those were the darkest days. No, these weren’t my thoughts. I needed to ride griffins to level up faster, to kill larger animals and beasts. No, those weren’t my thoughts. I need to accrue achievements, and the good graces of gods. There had to be a way to halt this invasion of the mind.

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I took another step, my foot sunk into something sticky. The emerald grass had turned to mud. My eyes were locked to the skies. The azure sky flickered and became an elaborate arrangement of furniture and smells. I knew I had been had anew.

#

Julian’s POV

“Young master.”

I turned around. It was the knight with the handlebar moustache, Sir Richard. “What is it?” I asked.

“Your father wishes for me to take you outside.”

“To train?” I asked, unsure why we wouldn’t do so in the training yard.

“No, to explore and see.”

I neither accepted nor refused; I didn’t like the outside world. The mud took too long to clean off my shoes and sweat made my clothes cling even tighter.

The knight noticed my frown. “You are the crowned prince. There are some things you must learn and see. If you cannot fight, you should at least know how to observe. With all due respect, I must say that there is more than one way to rule.” He bowed. His hand fluttered down to his chest with the swiftest and most delicate of manners. He was elegant. Why would such a man want to wield a sword? What did he see in those mud-filled lands?

“I’ll go.” If only I could wield a blade at a knight’s level, if only I wasn’t hopeless when it came to magic. Alas, those were dreams and gods only listened to the dreams of the strong. I should learn to wield the pen. I would be king regardless.

“Thank you.” He stood back up straight.

A servant saddled my horse, and a squire did so for the knight. We rode out the castle. The inner city bloomed as spring swept through the lands. The air smelled of lilies and roses, of newly felled timber, and of birch-scented incense.

However, once we left the city gates, inodorous beaten earth was the nicest scent one could find. The people wore ripped clothes, and their teeth were rotten black. They carried wooden plows and wrought iron scythes. I noticed a child who beat the earth with a hammer as tall as himself. With each breath he hit the earth. Letting himself be brought up and down by the swing of his hammer. I couldn’t help but pull back the reins. “What are you doing?” I asked.

He looked up. Mud was so deeply ingrained in his pores that even if he were to live the rest of his life in the palace baths his skin would remain brown. “I am hitting the earth with ye old hammer.”

I understood about half of what he said but I could guess what he meant. “Why are you doing so?”

“Ya mean hitting the earth. Well, my dad’s foot is sprained bad. Snagged it in the field’s yesterdays; the sun had too much to drink last week so he’s out more recently.”

“But why do you hit the earth?” I asked again.

“Because I gotta hit the earth. Ain’t need for any more reasons. Bad things happen if it ain’t done. The emerald lady visits the huts that ain’t done their work.”

“What does the emerald lady do?” I asked intrigued. I hadn’t read many fairy tales. Father only wanted me to read history, maths, magic, and warfare.

“She uses her emerald hair to cut a wedge under doors. Indoors she skins kids alive and sells it to demons. That’s how devils make clothes ya know.”

“We must go,” implored Sir Richard. “If you stay there too long, you may catch an illness.”

A king didn’t listen to his servant’s words. “What’s your name?”

“Tis Tim your Highness.”

“We must leave,” repeated Sir Richard.

But a king did consider their words. “Farwell Tim.” I spurred on my horse, Carbella. The boy waved me goodbye and continued to pound earth. “Why does he pound the earth?”

Sir Richard pointed forwards to a green shimmer on the horizon. “You’ll see soon.”

Half an hour later the horses came to a stop on their own. A solid line of green formed a wall a little way off the farmlands.

“This is the emerald lady. One touch and you’ll want to sear your finger. They aren’t poisonous but they can be harvested and put in meals in place of other herbs to make a person wish to gut themselves,” said Sir Richard.

We got off our horses.

“Touch one.”

I did so with my pinky. It burned. I definitely didn’t want to walk in that field, less eat a fistful of the grass.

“Do you remember our main export?”

“Ebony wood.”

“And where can we find it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Guess.”

I looked into the distance. There was only a tall hill covered in emerald grass. “I suppose on the other side of that hill.”

The knight nodded. “The emerald lady is a boundary set up by the forest spirits to protect the ebony forest from us and us from the beasts who roam it. Respect her. Do not trample upon her territory unless you wish to skin this kingdom.”

We continued to explore the regions on the border of the capital. From the quartz mines in the east, the silver lake in the north, and the great plains to the south. They each had a will, goal, and duty. The quartz mine created golems which guarded magic gemstones which hide in the depths of the mine. The great plains, a sea of golden hay which could not be cut or traversed hide vast fields of magical grains. And the silver lake…well, no one knew. What it protected was still a mystery.

Though I didn’t enjoy leaving my palace room, I could admit that the world held a certain beauty. One which could only be appreciated when devoid of animals. From that day forth, I carried a little parchment notebook if only to capture the slivers of beauty one could find in this scum filled world.

In emerald fields wind blows through the emerald lady’s hair

Her whispers…

That’s all I could write. I was yet a poet.

Valravn’s POV

The emerald fields turned to mud. My heart throbbed and my forehead was drenched in sweat. This time I hadn’t collapsed. I looked down, my feet moved on their own through the seedless earth. I padded my chest to calm down a bit. There I found a notebook. The first page only had two lines. The second page read:

In emerald fields, wind blows through emerald hair

Her whispers cut through skin and swim through blood

Like the ebb of wheat fields, she bends and bows

And speaks words when the wind allows

Remember her words

For her words are etched in the layout of grass

Forget the words of men

For their words are etched in gold

And gold cannot sway

Rigid words lead to rigid fates.

I felt bad for this boy. His memories were dull, somber, or painful. They corrupted my mind. I had to stay myself.

I remembered the two skill points I had received, perhaps I could use them to stop the memory leak.

“System, can I purchase a skill which solves my current memory issues?” The silence ate at my spirit.

You may purchase the following skills with 2 skill points:

Increased mental fortitude 1pt.

Increased mental control 1pt.

Increased mental resistance 1pt.

Fortified mind 2pts.

…

The skills kept going on and on. Their effects weren’t even explained. “System, can you suggest the best choice for my situation?”

You should purchase Mental Dam 2pts. It controls the flow of memories; this dam may be opened if one needs a river or closed if one is flooded.

“Then give me the skill.”

Skill named Mental Dam purchased for 2 skill points. Skill points remaining: 0.