The Darkest Flame [ON HOLD]

Chapter 3

It looked like no one was there, as he could see no light inside, but he supposed perhaps that was due to the fact that it was getting late. Dismounting, he led the horse up to the door and knocked quietly. It took a few minutes, but then Luka heard a shuffling from inside. Then came the sound of a lock shifting, and the door was cracked open. Luka could see one eye peering out.

"Who's there?" came a gruff whisper.

"My name is Luka," Luka replied.

The door opened a little more, just enough to reveal a burly man who appeared to be middle-aged. He squinted at Luka suspiciously.

"Luka Vasiliev?"

"Yes," Luka said, instantly regretting the word, as he wondered if it was really a good idea to reveal his identity to a perfect stranger.

The door swung open further, and the man beckoned him in. "Come in, your Highness. Come in out of that cold."

"Please, call me Luka. I don't want formalities here," Luka said as he stepped inside.

"As you wish." 

After he shut the door behind Luka, his host lit a candle. 

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "Is there anything you need? Anything at all?" 

Luka shook his head. "No, I'm quite alright. The only thing I need is your name."

"My name is Mikhail," he replied with a bow. "Come now. We have an extra room you may use for the night."

Luka followed Mikhail through a narrow hallway to a small room furnished with only a bed, a washstand, and a diminutive chest of drawers.

"It's not much," Mikhail admitted, shame-faced, "but I'm afraid it's the best I can do on such short notice. I am sorry I cannot do better for my prince."

"Really, it's alright. I don't wish for special treatment from you, Mikhail. All I ask is shelter from the cold, and you have already given me that. Thank you."

Mikhail's answer was nothing more than another bow, and then he exited the room, leaving the candle behind.

Luka sat on the bed with a sigh, wincing as it groaned beneath him. He didn't know until then just how tired he really was. Blowing out the candle, he burrowed underneath the covers and fell asleep.

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"Luka! Luka!"

This time around, Luka knew what to expect.  He waited as the darkness grew brighter, closed his eyes as the light blinded him, and opened them again to the woman from his dream the previous night. Again his eyes were drawn first to her fiery red hair, and then to the deep grey of her eyes.

"Luka."

Her voice was a mere whisper this time, plaintive and broken. 

"You must come quickly."

"I'm going as fast as I can."

"It's not enough. You must come sooner."

"I can't!" Luka shouted. "And I don't even know why I'm doing this in the first place. I don't know you, I have no idea who you are, I have no clue as to where I'm going, and if I know why exactly I need to get there so quickly, I'm the queen's mother!"

The woman shook her head, amusement in her eyes. "I know you don't understand what's going on right now, Luka, but you will. Trust me."

"I have no reason to trust you!"