A Mysterious Arrow

Chapter Three: Helping a Human (?)

    Cora pounded on the glass prison that she was in. She already hated Sendaria. Senn pinched the skin in between his eyebrows with two fingers. "Cut it out!" he exclaimed. But, of course, Cora didn't listen. Instead, she dropped to her bum and started kicking it instead. "Enough!" he yelled as he faced her. Cora raised both eyebrows and put her foot down. Senn turned to Ria and saw her nearly laugh at him. "We need to get Galleous here as soon as possible."

"He already said no."

"Well, maybe I'm not taking no for an answer anymore. I hate children." Ria crossed her arms. "He isn't going to be very happy about having to foster a human," she said. "You're the only one that can force him to do this." Senn replied. Ria tsked. She didn't quite agree with Senn but called Merlin to her anyways. "Merlin," she said before he flew in. "Yes, my Queen?"

"Let Galleous know we're ready."

"Yes, my Queen," Merlin said before flying away. "I don't know what you think I have but I don't have it!" Cora yelled from inside the cell. "The Supporium Song?" Senn tried to remind her. "I don't even know what that means!" Senn rolled his eyes. "The Arrow, girl!" "What Arr-oh." Cora looked beside her. The arrow had hidden itself in Cora's pocket. "It's just gonna keep disappearing." Senn furrowed his eyebrows. "What?" he asked. "You think I wanted this? You think I didn't try to get rid of it?" Senn had no response other than slightly narrowing his eyes at her. Suddenly, Merlin flew back in. "He's here, your Majesty," Merlin said to Ria. "But he refuses to come inside." Ria looked at Cora for a mere second. "Alright. Open the cell." slowly but surely, the glass lifted, and Senn stooped down to Cora's level. "Go on." as soon as it seemed like Cora was beginning to get comfortable, she bucked him in the nose and ran. "Shit!" Senn swore. Cora didn't get far before Sendarian guards grabbed her and dragged her outside to see Galleous. Galleous peered his eyes at her, but in Cora's perspective, he was much more menacing. She quietly gulped and stood up, shoving herself away from The Sendarian Guards. As soon as she did, the guards left, leaving only her and Galleous. Cora looked to her left and then back at Galleous. She immediately noticed a scar under his jawline that must have been layers deep when it was first cut and soon after, she noticed his limp too. But Cora, being too shy, didn't mention either details.

    As soon as they entered the Ataraxian borders, Cora marveled at what she saw. She had never seen a place like it before. The sky almost always seemed like it was filled with Auroras seeping through the atmosphere. It was mostly blue of course, but Cora swore she saw tints of green and magenta through the evening sky. Galleous' house impressed her more. Sendaria owned Ataraxia a while back, which means Galleous' family used the entire country as a vacation home. But after the Second Great War, Galleous decided to stay for good. His home was practically a palace with dark wood and ivory surrounding the walls. Old Sendarian paintings were on almost every wall and velvet carpets covered the floor. Galleous noticed her getting distracted and called to her. "Cora," he said. Catching her attention. "Come on," Galleous led her up a flight of stairs to a singular door that was to the biggest bedroom she had ever been in. "Sleep here tonight," he said before leaving the room. Cora unzipped her bag, took out Misha, and set him on the bed. "Fine. I'll stay here for a while," she told him. Cora then found the arrow still in her pocket, shoved it in her bag and hid her bag under the bed that she assumed had to originally be for a princess.

    It didn't take long for Cora to feel like she was completely sinking into the pink mattress and she fell completely asleep.

Her sleep was interrupted by a quiet, constant humming causing her to open her eyes. But she didn't see the walls of her bedroom, she saw golden rays for miles. Her eyes instinctively slammed shut due to the bright light on her face, but after a while, they peered open when the light dimmed slightly. She had so many things to say so many things to ask but for some reason, she couldn't. Her mouth could open but nothing could escape. Suddenly, she heard a voice. "How much privilege do you think you have, Ms. Provenzano?" the voice was raspy, dark, and male. When Cora looked around to find the source of the voice, all she saw were the Golden embers that surrounded her. "What?" she managed to croak. "For an orphan girl, you have it pretty good, huh?" he asked rhetorically. "Poor old Hubris would love to have this life,"

"Hubris?" Cora repeated. She was familiar with the word. Where she came from it meant vanity, pride, confidence, sacrilegious. But the voice said it like it was a name or title. "The old man didn't tell you?" the voice said with a hint of disbelief in his voice. "His last child, Hubris Nestoris died in The Second Great War," the voice explained. "A Netheran Sword went through one hip bone and out the other. Your so-called 'father' held him in his arms and watched as his blood-ridden son's life drained from his soul," Cora winced at the disturbing imagery. "You think the rest of them stayed? You think you'll stay?" Cora looked back toward the voice in confusion. When she looked back up she saw the exact thing thing the voice had explained. Cora froze in shock. What was happening? "He'll push you away like he pushed the others away," the voice said. "And you'll be alone, abandoned, like you were destined to be."

"No," Cora insisted with tears in her eyes. Her face glowed a golden color from the image she was seeing. "That's not true. He's going to keep me!" the voice chuckled. "Did he keep the others?"

~~~

Galleous turned his head toward Cora's room when he heard a familiar noise. Sobbing. His heart sank into his stomach and his breathing became heavy. He didn't exactly care for Cora, but he had always been a father. He couldn't just ignore whatever distress she was in. "Cora?" he called out, walking into her room. When he saw her, forehead sweaty, and tears staining her sheets the feelings became unbearable. Galleous, without hesitation, shook her awake. "What is it? What's the matter?" he asked frantically as she jumped back by being woken up. Suddenly, Cora wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, refusing to let go. The last child Galleous had ever hugged was- his son.

"Can't I stay?" Cora asked her voice shaken from still crying. Galleous didn't know what else to do other than to be honest. "We...we weren't planning on your staying-"

"Please! Just for a little while! Then you'll never see me again!" Galleous sighed. He couldn't refuse. He just couldn't. She always managed to remind him of Hubris. His mother committed suicide when he was five years old and Galleous agreed to take care of him. Hubris, too, had a severe phobia of abandonment. Galleous sighed. He had no idea what to say or do. If Galleous was the same man we were a decade and a half ago, Cora would have been under his wing for the rest of his life. Before he could say anything something under her bed started to glow an azure blue. It was the arrow. Both Galleous and Cora looked under her bed to see the arrow had found its way out of her bag and something was forming next to it.

The silhouette of colors nearly made Galleous dizzy. But suddenly, it stopped. The silhouette was still there but it was no longer flowing. Galleous and Cora looked at each other in confusion. This was going to be a long while.