Dawn- An age of Darkness

"There will always be guys like that. I\'d been through it too. She should bear it and tell them upfront to stop. If she doesn\'t it\'ll never stop."

My mother was in my room. "But she already tried that. She even complained at school but-"

"You spoil her too much mom. If it were me, I\'d have them groveling already."

"Do I need to remind you how many times you spent crying in your room?" She was kind of right, so I didn\'t really have an argument there. "Besides, she\'s much kinder than you and-"

"Argh, fine." I resigned myself.

I woke up in a very soft bed. My clothes weren\'t here. I was pretty much in my b-day suit underneath the sheet. It was embarrassing but oh well. I tried moving but my body hurt like hell. I couldn\'t even move an inch. I had loads and loads of scars and bandages. Do I really have to live with these?

The first thing I noticed was the ceiling and the extravagant chandelier. Why does that thing have so many crystals? I checked my body to see if all my limbs were still attached. Luckily they were. However, moving my body was very hard and painful: as though every fiber in my body was screaming in pain. My chest pain was gone but still, I couldn\'t move.

The rest of the room was quite spacious. I moved my head around. I didn\'t have anything better to do after all. No one was beside me. So, that only happens in fairytales huh? There were flowers by the window and the curtains were flowing. I did want someone to be by my side when I woke up but that never happened.

Faint floral scents swam in the air; in fact, the air was breezing and felt somewhat good. The breeze flowed in and danced around, but I was too absorbed staring at the ceiling. Seems to be daylight. What happened to the city? Is everyone okay?

I realized a little late, but before passing out we were fighting a dreaded battle. Many lives must have been lost. And here I was admiring a chandelier instead of worrying about them, but, I couldn\'t help it. I couldn\'t move and no one came inside my room: what more would you expect of such a man?

Well if I\'m alive, then it means things worked out. I sighed and just lied. I couldn\'t do anything now even if I wanted to anyway.

Knock! There was a knock on the door and a young lady came in. Why knock? What if I was sleeping?

It was the princess and behind her were two maids. She was dressed in a dark yellow dress overflowing with embroidery. Her pink cheeks resonated with the air and I could feel a familiar rage boiling within me. Calm down, calm down. It wasn\'t her, it wasn\'t her. I knew she was just being controlled but I just couldn\'t hide my grin of despair and rude stare.

But something else was on my mind. Oh crap, I\'m nude. I tried my best to keep the blanket from swaying.

"Ah, I was right. You\'re awake. Allow me to introduce myself. But before, first things first," she said with a velvet tone.

She bowed. She bowed right afterwards. What\'s going on? I was startled. What was she thinking?

"Hey! What are you doing? Lift your head already. Aren\'t you a princess?"

"But this needed to be done as soon as possible," she lifted her head.

I was bewildered by her smile once again. She was kind of childish. I\'d bet that she was at least a year or two younger than me. But her looks were definitely mature.

"Now then, that\'s out of the way. Let us pick up where we left off."

What the hell is she going on about? And why is she- the princess here?

"I am princess Beatrine, third daughter of the late king Eldowund. You have my deepest respect and thanks. I must also apologize for all the trouble I\'ve caused you. Please forgive me," she said as she bowed again.

Is it me or does everyone have weird names in this world? "That\'s enough. Now you\'re just embarrassing me." It was kind of embarrassing but something else was much more shameful. I couldn\'t tell that to the princess though.

She grinned when I said that. Was that a political ploy or just a heartfelt apology? I couldn\'t differentiate.

She lifted her head again and smiled even more widely. Her teeth were really white. I was yet again marveled. What is this? I haven\'t felt this way for like forever! It was like I was going through puberty all over again. The two maids stayed quiet and watched us in silence.

"Anyway, what are you doing here," I said.

"Just to, thank you of course."

"That\'s it?"

"Yup," she said closing her eyes and with a smile. As much as I liked her smile, I wanted to smack her good, so, she\'d learn to distinguish between annoyance and productivity. She really was kind of selfish. "Now that I\'ve seen you, I suppose I should return to my works."

"What happened to the city?" I asked.

"It\'s all here. We were saved by a miracle," she said as she looked at me and added, "Your miracle."

I couldn\'t get what she implied so I asked. "What do you mean?" Something about the way she\'d said it, made me wonder.

"I\'m not really good at explaining these things so, I\'d tell Gorgan… I mean Sir Jelight to tell you," she stuttered. Her pink-white face became reddish. I see. So that\'s what going on between you two…. I knew that Gorgan was head over heels for the princess but I didn\'t know that the princess was like that too. Now I had another thing to be jealous of that dork. "Anyway, rest well. Refina, stay behind and see that all his needs are met."

"Yes, my lady." A maid by her side bowed and smiled.

Whatever needs? Calm down, Daarc. This isn\'t the time to think about stupid things. Calm down! I wasn\'t thinking lewd things at all. No sir!

"Thank you for stopping me." I could hear her whisper but she\'d already turned around and didn\'t wait for my reply. She left and one of the maids stayed behind. I couldn\'t really get any information out of her.

The maid\'s smile never faltered. Maybe they needed to smile at all times? She was pretty and I could tell that this one was one of Beatrine\'s personal maids. I stared at her and she blinked rarely. And then just like that I\'d remembered the state I was in.

"So, sir, are you hungry? Or maybe you feel pain and need medicines? I could call the priest right now, if you\'d like."

"No, that\'s okay," I said, a little embarrassed. "Can I get some clothes instead?" My tone was the very epitome of embarrassment.

"Of course!"

She ran outside and brought back fancy clothes. If I weren\'t mistaken I saw Gorgan wear something like these underneath his armor before.

She looked away and I clothed myself as fast as I could. It still hurt like hell to move my body but it was better than spending my time nude. When there\'s a will there\'s a way. And apparently my will to get clothed was stronger than any pain my body could produce.

Why the hell was I like this to begin with though? There wasn\'t anybody I could ask that without dying out of embarrassment, so I kept quiet about it.

"I\'m really glad you came to this town. No matter what the rumors about you say, I believe in you. I know you are kind." She gazed out of the window.

Me? Wait, what rumors? "Umm… excuse me, what do you mean by rumors?" I buttoned my shirt.

"It doesn\'t matter. You could never be his chosen warrior destined to destroy the world." She turned around: her eyes sparkled.

His chosen warrior? What in the world is happening? I didn\'t get my answer. I wasn\'t feeling hungry and I most certainly didn\'t want to see the priest. That guy would probably use this chance and force his religion on me again. And who knows what kind of revelation he\'d have for me. I lied again and before long fell asleep.

I woke up around the afternoon when the sunlight seemed warm in color. This time my stomach signaled me that it required some attention but I ignored that. The maid Refina was sleeping in a chair next to my bed. This might not be that bad….

"Well, at least he\'s awake this time," Gorgan said from the outside.

Took you long enough, jerk. I beginning to think you guys had forgotten all about me.

Three people came inside: Gorgan, old man Jocaur and the nun.

"The nun? Why are you here? And should you move already?"

She looked a little confused. "Has no one told you? And it\'s Meriane. Please engrave it in your soul as I have yours. "

I ignored her last sentence and pretended I\'d never heard it. "What exactly?"

"It\'s been one full week since the battle already."

I didn\'t really need to know that though. More like I didn\'t want to. "I see," I said tying my lips together and looking like a moron. But two weeks? Two…weeks? Literally!?

"Anyway, I\'m glad you\'re okay. I never knew you had so much power," Jocaur said looking proud.

"What the hell are you guys saying? We accomplished this together, remember?" I said. If I were alone, I\'d never have able to beat that fish head, anyway.

There was more to that together though. I didn\'t want them to think I was some selfish boaster. I wanted to be as friendly toward them as possible.

"I\'m touched. I never knew you had so much humility," Jocaur said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"It\'s okay," I said. But the effect was much stronger than I expected. In fact all three of them looked too happy and too proud. Did I step on an emotional mine or something? What is going on? I sighed, took a deep breath and glared at Gorgan. "You look like the most sensible person here. Care to explain why they are treating me like this?"

"You don\'t remember? You casted the grand spell of holy flare and eradicated every single undead. It was a magnificent honor to witness such magnificence with sheer presence. For once I felt regret for not witnessing it fully as I was blinded by the light." Gorgan too seemed a little over board with pride and admiration.

"Say wha…" I was in a daze. Just what the hell were these three spouting?

Huh? Huh! What grand spell? I couldn\'t even use magic to save my life let alone save others!

"Yes, I consider myself to be lucky for witnessing something as grand as that," Jocaur proudly declared.

Why be proud of something like that? And what grand spell!

"Well you seem, okay now. Refina!" She didn\'t wake up. "Good job," Gorgan tapped Refina\'s shoulder. The poor girl was still sleeping in spite of our conversation.

"Yawbn* huh! Oh, sir Gorgan. I-I you see-I," She couldn\'t say anything, She was too flustered. Gorgan tried to calm her down. But honestly, I\'d have preferred if someone was calming me down instead. My mind was going haywire.

"How\'s your condition. Does it hurt too much?" Meriane asked.

"It hurts to move. Nothing too severe though," I said. I was still recovering from the emotional shock these guys just inflicted on me but I couldn\'t say it out loud, now could I?

"Hmm… you\'ve sustained significant damage. So normal healing spells wouldn\'t do much. Your injuries are mostly healed but your mana system has taken a significant hit. I\'ll see if her highness would allocate a few potions to you. Potions should at least ease your pain. But you\'d need a long time before these wounds can fully heal." Meriane didn\'t sugarcoat my condition. I was glad, she was being honest.

"Thank you. " I still had thousands of questions but these three morons were just stepping on my nerves instead of actually explaining stuff. "Gorgan, you were there right? Can you tell me more about what happened?"

"I don\'t think I can tell you much. All I saw was a flash of light and the undead were gone," he said.

Useless….

Weren\'t Lianne and the elf boy with me? "That reminds me. What happened to Lianne and the elf boy?"

"The elf boy? Ha hah." Gorgan laughed, hysterically. "What a sense of humor." I didn\'t know the name of the elf boy yet, but that didn\'t mean I was making fun of him.

"He\'s fine. Lady Lianne, on the other hand, is severely weak and still recovering," Meriane added. Her voice seemed a little off. Maybe she was still recovering herself. The other two however looked fit.

I was glad to know that they were at least doing okay. "I see. I\'d like to visit them."

"First you\'ll have to get well," she added.

I groaned. They didn\'t really answer me and left me even more confused. The three of them left after saying goodbye and again only the maid remained. The light became redder and redder. Finally, it was evening. Refina had yet again fallen asleep. She was drooling in her sleep. An urge to draw something on her face emerged within me. Isn\'t there anything here that I could use to draw? But then again I couldn\'t move my hands properly anyway.

Life seemed pretty boring, lying in bed. Refina woke up, wiped the drool off her face, and went outside. For once, I actually felt lonely. I was a shut-in nerd, so, I never even considered the possibility of me being lonely. Fate can really be cruel at times and contradicting too.. Or maybe I was just hypocritical.