Sometimes it's worth stepping off the beaten path and taking the road less traveled.
I followed a rugged dirt road through a thick yet pristine forest trailing north from the Belmont Hold. Back in its heyday, the reputation and knowledge of the Belmont family attracted patrons near and far seeking aid for an array of monster problems. Nowadays with the Hold in ruins, the road had long since been abandoned . Potholes marked nearly every footstep, and weeds had sprouted between the cracks.
I wanted to walk that road, not just to settle my nervous head and satisfy my curiosity, but to survey and see how far it traveled. Now with Belmont fully established, it wouldn't be long before the village would be put on the map, and people either found it as a new place to live, or set out exploring the country. A working village needs a working road, and Alucard didn't want us isolated from the world.
I kicked a pebble from under my feet, merrily wandering the road with my eyes cast on the sunlight in the trees. The Glaring cloak draped comfortably over my casual hiking tunic, and trusty staff in hand. That staff always had a knack of finding its way back to me, one of the village boys recovered it at the banks of the creek a few days after our return. Even though I could no longer summon its true form, or perform magic, it just felt right in my hands.
Sure makes a good walking stick.
"Sure is cloudy today." I looked up at the overcast sky, dark and warning of rain. I felt the humidity on my skin and in my sinuses. "Oh yes. It's gonna pour. I should head back, don't want to get drenched." Normally I didn't care, I loved the feeling of the rain on my skin, but tomorrow was the big day, and worse than getting soaked in the rain so close to the day was Sypha scolding me to near death about it. She was adamant I stayed in town, and argued with Alucard about him letting me off exploring.
I'm sure she'd hunt me down and yank me home by the ear if her belly weren't the size of a bowling ball. Yeah, best to turn back.
A horse's whinny stopped me from turning around. "Travelers? On this old abandoned road?" Normally I'd follow my instincts and turn the other way, but my instincts were telling me to go forward and investigate.
It's not as if I couldn't defend myself if things turned south, I could still hit very hard with my good 'ol walking stick.
I came upon a traveler's wagon stuck in the road. A tall man in a long grey raincoat stood at the side of the wagon. His boots caked with mud and his face concealed by the hood as he looked disapprovingly at the broken back left wheel. The driver remained in the seat, a slender woman in a black cloak and a deep blue dress. Her face was also hidden by the hood of her cloak as she turned her head. "Who are you?" She watched me approach out from the road.
"Hello." I greeted them politely. "Don't worry, I'm not a highwayman or anything of the sort. I was just strolling through when I noticed your wagon. I don't often see travelers on this old road and curiosity pushed me to check things out."
"Is that so?" The cloaked woman remarked cautiously. She lifted her head and I saw her rich blue eyes cast on me in intrigue. "There's a well known saying about curiosity."
I held my staff close when the cloaked man approached. He towered over me and could have easily sent any roving burglar running for the hills. Yet the tranquility in his shadowed eyes set me at peace. "Luckily the adage does not apply here. For either party ." The man walked to the back of the wagon, and shifted the wheel. "The wheel appears to be broken beyond repair."
"That ain't good. Do you have a replacement?" I asked, already thinking ahead of going into town and getting roadside assistance. "We do, thankfully enough." The woman hobbled the horse to an old post and brought out the spare from the wagon. "If you could lift the back, I'll can switch the broken wheel with the new."
"My dear, I'd rather you not tax yourself. You've only recovered from a cold." Her companion said concerned.
" Replacing a wheel is not a strenuous activity. A little muscle work will help regain my strength." The woman refused.
"I'd prefer you save it for the travels ahead, we have a long journey." The man responded in a familiar gentleness.
"We'll have a longer journey if you do all of this by yourself. Don't tax yourself either, love. We're together now."
Boy doesn't this remind me of someone I know . I thought amused of their interaction. I see my own future. "Indeed we are." The man gazed upon her with such love it gave me the fuzzies.
"What if I switched the wheel for you?" I offered. " I may not look it, but I have a skill or too. Let me help so you can be on your way before the rain sets in." The hooded travelers turned their heads to me startled. "We would appreciate that." The man responded hesitant. "But...You look tired."
"I've been tired." I admitted suppressing a yawn. Very tired, it'll all be worth it. One more day and these nerves can finally rest. Holy smokes one more day!! "Not enough where I can't lend a helping hand."
"Are you sure?" The man asked, more concerned of me exerting myself than his partner.
"Yes. I'm sure." The couple thanked me for their generosity. The man lifted the cart, holding up the rear without breaking a sweat while the woman handed me the wheel. I took out the broken wheel and set in the new one, ensuring it was snugly fit.
I wonder. I flexed my hand and murmured under my breath a spell over all four wheels. I gasped feeling the spell successfully cast and the glyphs prickling all over my body.
"Are you all right?" The woman rushed to me, still in her hood.
"I'm fine." I stood up trying not to cry. "Never been better." I turned to the man. "The wheel's set! you can put it down now."
The man gently lowered the wagon to the ground. "Thank you traveler. You've saved us precious time."
"You're welcome." I smiled picking up my staff. "You should be good to go, and you'll get no more trouble with broken wheels."
The hooded man lowered his chin."Yes, that protective charm was quite strong. Mind if I asked what it was?"
If my startled look didn't give it away, my faintly glowing staff did. "You saw that?"
"I did." He said calmly. " Rest assured, I've known magicians in the past ."
"Good to know." I sighed relieved. "It's a spell that renders anything it's cast on indestructible. This road's nearly abandoned and hasn't been kept up in years. I didn't want you two suffering more broken wheels from its bumps and cracks."
I rubbed my sleeves. "In all honesty I doubted I could pull it off. It's been some time since...Since I thought I'd lost them forever, but I didn't! It's still in me! I feel it coursing through my veins!"
"The skill of magic can never truly be lost." The hooded man replied knowingly. "It can lay dormant within its wielder, but it never goes away." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Least that's what I've heard."
"Guess you've heard right."I flexed my hands. "Thank you for not freaking out and judging me poorly."
"It's us who should be thanking you." The woman said graciously. "You saved us from getting caught in the rain on an old abandoned road."
"You're welcome." I smiled, tipping my head to the side. " What brings you off the beaten path anyway?"
"We're just traveling." The man said amiably. "We prefer roads less taken."
"I get that, nothing better than taking a road less traveled and seeing its wonders." I observed, sitting on the rock holding my staff. "There's been a lot of travelers lately. Since the night hordes have been vanquished, people aren't afraid to move freely anymore. Everyone's going somewhere, it seems."
"And where are you going?" The hooded man asked.
"Nowhere really, I'm just following the road to settle my head. Got a lot on my mind lately, and it helps when I walk among nature away from the busyness of my village."
"There's a village nearby?" The woman asked.
"Yes, it's called Belmont. A welcoming place for refugees all over Wallachia to start a new life. It's recently established but you'd never guess that when you see it." I pointed to my staff southward . "It's that way. I can take you there if you want, it's not a long walk."
The man stared in the direction of my staff. "You are very kind." He said hesitantly as the woman held his hand. "But our path lies elsewhere, and we're trying to find the connecting road east. We already have a destination in mind."
"I understand." I nodded. "In any case, take this, it's the least I can do to help a stranger." I got up and tossed a bag of coins into the woman's hands, enough to cover an inn and new clothes. "This a lot of money." She declined, giving it back. "We can't."
I gently pushed it back. "Take it, you need it more than I do."
"You've already helped us enough, we couldn't..." Her face wasn't visible because of the cloak and hood, but her eyes widened, pinned on my hand and arms. "Those markings....." She looked me straight in the eyes as if she knew who I was. There may have been a time where I might have recognized her if I knew her before, but I only saw the startled gaze of a stranger.
"Shoot!" I pulled down my sleeve. "It's okay! I'm not a forest spirit or a demon. I'm a human, and honest to God I wouldn't hurt you."
"Why would we believe you would hurt us after you've fixed our wagon and given us your own coin?" The man asked unafraid.
"You don't know me." I gripped my staff nervous. "The people of my village do, but there are many who'd see these markings and think I'm evil."
"We certainly don't think you're evil." The woman reassured. "I apologize for my reaction. I was surprised, I've never seen such markings before."
"Don't worry about it. You shouldn't have seen them at all. These markings....." I brushed my hands along the angelic glyphs running up my arm to my shoulder and neck . "They're reminders of a former life. Not a bad life, mind you, just something beyond human understanding. I was given the chance to return to it, but I turned it down."
"I see." The hooded man seemed to catch my drift. "Why would you reject such a chance when it was offered to you?"
"I didn't want to leave the people I love . They weren't worth giving up, so I made my choice and stayed. That came at cost; I don't remember much of what I used to be anymore, and as time goes on I remember less and less. But that's okay. I have a new life now with new memories to make, and apparently I still have my magic! It was worth it and I can't imagine being anywhere else."
"We're happy for you." The man said in a hushed voice.
"Thank you. I don't regret my choice and I never will. I have a family now, friends, a village to call home, and by this time tomorrow..." I flexed my hand revealing the brilliant ring on my finger. I couldn't see their faces, but I saw it in their eyes they were smiling.
"Congratulations." Said the man genuinely happy.
"Congratulations. That is wonderful." The woman responded the same, I saw her eyes glistening beneath her hood.
"Thank you." I smiled with a blush. "That's why I'm out here . Got the pre-day jitters, and it's my last chance to be alone for a while. The entire village is going to be there, I think they're more excited about the wedding than my soon-to-be husband and I are. Can't say I blame them, they need something to celebrate after everything." I tossed the hood over my head. "I should get going. The rain's about to settle in, and if I come home soaking wet before the big day, my sister's gonna scorch me solid."
I plopped the bag of coins in the woman's hands again. "Take the money, honestly I don't need it. You will. It's okay." She put the coins in her cloak this time and hugged me with all the strength in her body. I was caught off guard but I didn't push her away. People were starting to understand human kindness again, and who knows, this may have been the first instance in a long time kindness was shown to her by a stranger.
Though the kiss on my cheek was a little extra.
"Thank you." Her embrace was tight as she cried happy tears. "Thank you, so much."
" You're welcome." I hugged her in return, patting her back. "It's the least I could do." I propped up my staff after we ended our embrace . "You should come to the wedding, it'll be fun! There'll be music, good food, and maybe you'll meet some travel buddies. You don't even need to bring gifts."
The traveling couple turned to each other and smiled.
"I think we shall." The man responded. The woman took his hand. "How could we not?"
"Excellent!" I clapped my hands together elated. "I can escort you to Belmont right now! I'm probably going to get chewed out by my sister for being in the rain the day before I'm married." I could hear Sypha's voice ranting in my head now. "But it'll be worth it to help kind strangers."
"Do not worry for us." The hooded man said. "We'll find the way ourselves, but before you leave..." He handed me a simple but beautiful necklace from his pocket. "It's a Mystic Pendant, I bought it from a merchant who sold it for far less than it's worth. Should you wish to reawaken that part of yourself, it will aid in resurfacing your magic abilities. If not..." He draped the necklace over my head, where it rested perfectly around my neck. "It's still a fine necklace for a beautiful bride."
"Thank you." I held the pendant in my hand. I've seen this before. "I love it."
"You're welcome. Consider it a gift from both of us." The hooded man smiled, lifting his head to the clouds. "The winds are changing, soon the rain will come again. You should head home."
"What about you two? I could still lead you back."
"It's all right, you've helped us more than enough.We'll be fine."The hooded woman responded with a motherly warmth. "We don't want you to catch cold before your wedding."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes, absolutely sure."
I nodded, thanking them for attending what was about to be one of the happiest days of my life and told them my human name. "The groom's name is Adrian. Just so you know who's who. The village lies at the foot of a great castle, you'll know it when you see it. When you arrive, head to the inn and tell the innkeeper I sent you. He'll set you up with room and board. See you there!"
"We'll see you soon." The man responded amiably. I stopped and turned, holding my wooden staff and gazing at the hooded couple for a few moments. I could've sworn I recognized them but didn't think more of it. I wasn't bothered by that sort of thing anymore. I waved them farewell before heading off.
I jaunted down alight and homeward bound. Oh it felt so good to help people! That part of me would never change. I hope they liked the village enough to stay. We could use a few new faces, and even if they don't, well, I know I helped them in the long run to get wherever they needed to be.
I touched the pendant at my breast, tracing the engraved wings and angelic rune. Even if I don't use it, and choose to fully embrace humanity as I've already done. I placed my hand on my belly and hips, thinking of Maria and the golden haired woman from the Corridor with a strong family resemblance. Someone down the line will.
Maybe sooner than later, Aiden's been begging for a little sibling.
I breathed the fresh green air when mist condensed from the surrounding grass. It pressed against my body before solidifying into the form of my beloved.
"There you are, my love. I was hoping you didn't walk too far before the rains set in." Alucard wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I could never wander far from you." I set my staff down and wrapped my arms around him, touching foreheads in our gesture of affection. "I just needed some time to relax for myself, before the greatest day of my life."
"I can understand." Alucard stroked my cheek. "I cannot believe we'll be married tomorrow. It feels like a dream. A dream I'll never fear waking from."
"Neither can I. It's unreal. I've never felt so nervous and excited in all my new life!" We took each other's hands while walking alongside the wildflowers. "How are you, dear? Still tired?" "When am I not tired?" I yawned. "Tomorrow's excitement will keep me up and awake. Right now I feel I can sleep for centuries like a river spirit."
"Then rest."
"We gotta get home for me to rest."
As we walked I told him about the travelers. "Always lending a helping hand and making new friends." Alucard smiled. "Though be careful next time when encountering travelers on roads less taken."
"I know, but it didn't get a bad sense from either of them. Something about them felt ...familiar. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I knew I was meant to help them. I don't think they mean to stay, but at least they'll have a good experience as the first visitors to Belmont." I held out the pendant from my neck. "They gave me this too."
"How interesting." Alucard remarked. "And very rare. Few Mystic Pendants exist these days. It may indeed have been a fated meaning." As the clouds thundered in the distance, we sheltered under the trees, watching the rain pour about the forest and our home atop the hill. The castle seemed to be shrouded in mists.
I hope those two found shelter, I've a feeling they did. The trees are very heavy in that area and are sure to cover them.
Alucard covered me with his cape, and as I huddled in, and idea sparked in my mind.
"My dear, come back!" Alucard watched when I stepped out into the rain. "Come on." I beckoned him. He ran next to me. "You'll get sick! Please, I don't want your first moments as my wife sniffling from cold!"
"I won't get sick." I gave him that recognizable smirk and raised my staff . The Pendant channeled my magic and the staff glowed, protecting us with a force- field from the pouring rain. This time, holding up the shield didn't drain me.
"You never cease to surprise me, little one." We kissed beneath the shield of light.
"I'm full of surprises, you should know that by now." I took his hand.
Together we watched the rain pouring on the castle and village below. Soon the rains would pass and we'd return to our home, our village, and our new life together.
THE END
.......