The Ageless One: Beginnings

The Ageless One: His Destiny

It was strange that the shriek could remind him of crickets, and yet chill his bones at the same time.  He turned around, his heart pounding instantly!  They were far off, but he wasn’t going to waste time.  He picked up speed.

The shrieking came again, faster this time.  Doelan picked up more speed, his breathing getting faster.  Then, when the shrieking was loudest and Doelan was convinced they were coming directly for him, he broke out into a run!

He ran for his life.

He got to the end of the tunnel, only to find more tunnels.  He started picking directions randomly, searching frantically for escape.  The shrieking behind him got louder and louder, and eventually he could hear buzzing.

The goblins were getting closer!

Where’s the way out?!  He asked himself as he ran. How do I get out?!

He nearly screamed when he saw it, a bright light at the end of the tunnel.  He had found the way out!  The joy lasted a split second when he remembered he was being chased.  He ran towards the light.  It was far off, but if he could just get there…

He heard the shrieking and the buzzing, louder than ever this time.  He looked but he still could not see them.  He was beginning to feel wind, as if from a thousand wings beating at once.

He kept running, that bright light getting closer and closer.  He was almost there!

And then he looked back.

He could see them, the goblins.  They were coming for him.  He didn’t want to see them.  He didn’t want to see those skinny, yet muscular builds, or their big round bald heads.  He didn’t want to look at their two slits for a nose, their thin lipless mouths, their dragonfly eyes and wings, or the swords that hung from their loin cloths.  Yet here they came, ready to kill him!

He ran, getting closer and closer to the exit, and the goblins flew, getting closer and closer to him.  He was almost there.  Just a little further.  He thought.  Just a little further.  Just a little…

And then he tripped.

He fell face first on the stone, and felt a pain in his ankle.  He tried to get up, but the moment he put pressure on his ankle he cried out in pain and fell back.  He had sprained it.  He turned around he crawled backwards.  The goblins were almost on top of him!  One raised his sword to strike!  Doelan covered his eyes!

And then nothing happened.

Doelan could still hear the angry shrieks, but they weren’t attacking.  He felt himself shaking and sweating, and his heart pounded in his chest.  Slowly he looked, and saw something strange.  The goblins were stopped, as if held back by an invisible force, but that wasn’t what was strange.  In front of the goblins, floating, were pink leaves, also held up by some invisible hands.  The goblins couldn’t pass the leaves.  Doelan didn’t know why, but they couldn’t pass those leaves.

Doelan stood as best he could, not putting weight on his ankle.  He started limping towards the exit.  He turned back, thankful, and then saw the goblins with a torch!

They reached the torch out and began burning the leaves one by one.  Doelan limped as fast as he could.  The Goblins got more torches, and burned more leaves.  Doelan was almost to the exit, almost to that bright light!

When the last of the leaves burned the goblins came on!  Doelan limped as fast as he could!  He was right on the threshold of the light!  The goblins were almost upon him and then…

They cowered!

He had reached the light!  The bright blinding sunlight that the goblins feared.  He was safe, but he didn’t stop.  He limped on and on until he was out into the sun and then…He fell down on the ground, remembering nothing afterwards.