Fable II: The Quest of Redemption (Book 2)

Chapter 6: The Reawakening of the Mark

It had been a month since the bridge went out. By now, rumors had spread about a woman with brown hair and a dog battling a man named Lucien. The bridge had finally been rebuilt and I sat in my room within the Inn.

"Lyllianna, you can have the day off." The woman's voice rang.

"Thanks, Imogen. I really appreciate it."

"How much gold do you have now?"

"About 11,000."

"Woah! You can finally afford a house!" Imogen smiled and hugged me.

We released and I spoke again "This might be my last time I'm here as an actual bar maiden. After I buy my house, I won't need this job. By then, I'll be trying to find a more permanent job."

"Don't worry, Lylli. We'll always be friends."

We released and I left the Inn with my pack full of my belongings. Now, I also had some food and drinks with me as well, due to working at the Inn. I hurried down to Old Town and made my way to the house I've had my eye on since I started looking. They called it "The House of Goodwill". I knocked on the door and a woman opened.

"Hello?"

"I'm here to buy this house."

"How much ya' got?" The woman wondered, eyeing the pack strapped to my back.

"About 11,000."

"Deal." The lady smiled. I handed her the sack of gold and she continued "Good thing you show'd up, now my husband and I can move into the Gypsy Camp!" The woman smirked.

A few seconds later, she walked out with a ton of stuff and yelled "Keys are on the table, the house is yours!"

I walked inside and shut the door, inhaling loudly. I'd finally found a place to call my own since my awakening at Bower Lake.

"I'm home." I sighed.

I noticed the furniture was mostly worn out and knew what I'd have to do next, buy new furniture, but first, I'd sleep. I raced upstairs and crawled into the bed, dosing off into an oblivion.

I woke up days later, wincing in pain. It felt as if I was being burnt to death from the inside.

"Help!" I yelled.

I began thrashing back and forth, I was dying.

"Please!" I yelled again.

I clenched the bed tightly and my back arched up. Sweat quickly began dropping from my face and body. I clenched my teeth and could feel the pain growing. It was getting stronger. My yelling turned into screeching, my sweat turned into blood. I couldn't breathe. Water had filled my lungs. My sight began to fade when a man suddenly rushed by my side and the world went black.

I woke up in a meadow and stood up. That's when I saw her, Talia. She was playing with Kylie and Peter in a field of daisies.

"Talia!" I smiled and rushed to her side.

She turned around and spoke "You killed us, mommy."

My eyes fluttered open to reveal Walter sitting by my side. Reality took it's toll as my mind registered everything which had recently occurred.

"W-Walter?" I sat up and hugged him "What happened?"

"I came here to enlist as a guard and heard your voice. You were screaming. I rushed over here as soon as I could. By the time I made it, you were passed out. There was blood on the sheets and the floor, but you weren't cut of injured. So if I may ask, what happened?"

"I don't know . . .Can you give me a minute, Walter?"

"Of course. Call me when you're done." He nodded and went downstairs.

I immediately tugged on my upper armor once he'd left to reveal my side and I saw it, the mark. The symbol had gotten bigger and I knew what was happening.

'Hello, Lyllianna. You need to come see us, or else we will kill you. And maybe you're new friend too . . .'

I breathed in deeply and a tear streamed down my face. I couldn't believe it was happening again. The things that had caused the darkest point in my life were back and in my brain.

"Lyllianna, may I come back up?" Walter called.

"Yes."

He hurried back up the stairs and looked at me with concern "Are you alright, Lyllianna?"

"I'll be okay." I falsely smiled "Are you suppose to be doing anything right now?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm not being enlisted anytime soon." Walter chuckled.

"Maybe we can make a deal. I'll teach you how to fight, but you have to fill me in on everything."

"Everything?"

"Cities, religion, people, all of it. I need it. I need to see it."

"Deal."

"Then let's begin our journey." I smiled.

We started packing and I knew it was going to be a hard journey. All I could hope for is that I'd make it through alive.