Prince and Courage

Chapter 21

Part 1 - Prince

Minna, the old woman, brews some tea for us in her cottage. The siblings, Stella, Heins and I sit around the hearth in her home. Her home is cluttered with carved wood, hammers, dolls, dollhouses, mugs, and plates. She sets down a tray of beautifully carved mugs of tea, each etched with figures of people and animals. Sitting down across from me, she slowly sips the tea in silence.

“So… I want to know why you called me a prince,” I tell her.

“I didn’t call you the prince, I asked you if you were,” she stubbornly answers.

Dima chuckles a bit awkwardly and says:
“You mentioned something about his markings?”

“Anything that you could tell us would be a great help,” Stella adds and smiles at her.

Minna smiles back. She seems much warmer towards Stella compared to the rest of us.

“Yes, he has the markings of the prince, four down the forehead and one curved down from each eye—or so it says in the story,” Minna tells us.

“Story? Like a tale?” Elda asks.

“It’s not just a tale, it is our history. Most of the adults nowadays are too thick-headed to understand its importance, that’s all. When they were children, they used to listen and learn what I told them with such interest, now they just treat me like an old crazy fool,” Minna pouts.

She is straying from the subject, but I want to keep her in a good mood.

“We would love to hear,” I tell her, forcing myself to smile.

After some hesitation, she finally gives in when she sees Stella’s genuine smile.

“Fine, I should tell you if you insist,” Minna agrees, and continues:

“The story is called The Avi Prince, passed on to me from my mother, and her mother before her. In ancient times, there was once peace in this world. The Mir were a respected people by all races, they were known for cultivating the lands and defending it from the world’s many beasts. Their powers were great, they were the first ones to bond with nature, controlling its wind for themselves. The other races followed, each developing their own way of bonding with nature. One day it would all change.

The Mir had a powerful king that ruled over their lands, he used his power to keep peace among his people and with the other races. He was a kind-hearted man, but with his immense power, his heart began to be consumed by it. As he grew older, he wanted an heir, someone that would keep his legacy in this world. Unfortunately, he was cursed with infertility.

After many years of trying, going from woman to woman, the king eventually had a son. The birth should have been joyous, many celebrated within his city for their king. As the king saw his first child, he was struck by terror. The child was born with markings over his whole body, with four down his forehead and one curved down from each eye. The eyes had a different color—an otherworldly purple.

The king was crushed, he wouldn’t accept the child as his heir. The mother and the child were to be locked in the castle, never allowed to leave or be seen by the public. The king kept trying to get another child with other women for many more years; he was never successful. His anger grew, blaming his son for being cursed. Nonetheless, he couldn’t bring himself to end his only heir’s life. Instead, he went to war against the world, betraying his friendships to the other races as he went mad. He left his son a tutor, only to be disappointed to learn his son couldn’t manipulate wind.

With him nearing the end of his life, he was faced with a choice; let the cursed child be his heir, or let his legacy end with his life. He chose the latter.

The boy had grown into a kind-hearted young man, raised by his mother his whole life. He was strong and had trained daily with his tutor, even if he never was able to develop his powers. The tutor had grown attached to the boy, and hence warned them of the king's plan. Desperate to save his mother, they fled the castle one night.

His mother was a small and frail woman, one that had spent her son’s entire lifetime locked away in the castle. They couldn’t get very far before the Mir caught up.

He was a kind-hearted boy. His big heart couldn’t handle his innocent mother’s death, igniting it into a burning ball of fire. The rage gave him ungodly powers, nature wanting to aid his revenge. The Avi prince massacred the soldiers, and anyone that would stand in his way. Until finally he reached the king.

In the end, the boy had lost everything. His only mother, and his father by his own hands. His heart couldn’t handle what he had done, what they had done to him. A lock was put on his heart, him swearing that he would never use this power again, as he went on a journey throughout the world.”

We all sit speechless. Everyone looks to me, seeing tears run down my face. I feel a staggering grief, but also a relief.

I look into Minna's purple eye and tell her:
“His name was Ziak.”

Her old eyes light up, glistening with tears.

“So you are him,” she says, like she is relieved.

I wipe my tears to look at my friends around me. They all look at me with such compassion. I truly feel blessed that I have them by my side. Stella's eyes fill me with warmth, making me smile. I’ve made up my mind; I will not have the same fate, I will not be consumed with anger, and I will protect them.

I stand up straight and speak:
“I am not the prince!”

ima can’t hold his laughter. He triggers Elda and Heins, and they all laugh. I feel a bit embarrassed for speaking so boldly. Stella smiles at me with her beautiful eyes, giving me courage.

“I’m sorry, Minna. But I believe you, we all do. And, I have something to show you,” I tell her, with her wiping her old eyes.

Part 2 - Courage

All the villagers gather in front of the larger village cottage, with them all facing Dima and me.

Astrid, Callum, and all the others help them gather, pulling them out of their daily activities.

Dima looks at me, nodding his head for me to start.

I swallow nervously before I speak:
“Thank you everyone. I have something to tell you all, I thought it would be easier this way. And—I want to apologize for yesterday, I’m embarrassed that I ran away from your kind welcome. I hope you all can forgive me.”

All the Avi smile, confused but kind, taking in my words of appreciation.

“This might come as a shock to you all, but I wanted to tell you; I come from another world. I wasn’t always an Avi like you, I was something else, somewhere else entirely in my past life,” I tell them.

Their smiles turn more to simple confusion.

“When I came to this world, I discovered that I had a power, a strength. Since then, I have learned that it is not a common trait for us Avi. However, Dima and Elda here were eventually able to use this power themselves. Something happened when I came to this world, and I believe that it is my responsibility to share it with you,” I continue.

Now, only skeptical eyes remain. They have no idea what I’m talking about. It is understandable, that is why I decided that I had to show them.

“Please, all of you, just watch,” I tell them.

Closing my eyes, I concentrate on the world around me, feeling the earth, wind, trees, grass, and creatures. I draw its energy to me, making my markings start to glow. I sense their locked gaze as they see blazing light surround my body, the tension rises in the air.

Opening my eyes again, they all look scared. I lose confidence, but I don’t want to give up.

“This is the power that I spoke of. You don’t have to be afraid. It gives you strength, turning your surroundings’ energy to your own,” I tell them to try to ease their minds.

“Why are you showing us?” A villager asks from the crowd with a worried tone.

“We want you to learn how to use this power, just like me and my sister did. If we were able to, so should you,” Dima steps up and says.

The Avi look skeptical, many averting their gaze or chatter between one another.

Callum walks through the crowd to me. He inspects my glowing body with wonder before he turns to the villagers.

“This power is what saved my family from a horrible fate. Have you all forgotten how powerless we have felt all these years? The least we can do is try,” Callum tries to convince them.

Still, their eyes are still afraid. How could they not be? They have lived their life, powerless, oppressed by the whole world. I am just a boy, telling them a crazy sounding story.

“Do you have no guts?” Minna yells from the crowd.

Everyone turns to the old lady who is standing in the middle.

“This boy is offering you a way for us Avi to fight back, for the first time in centuries. Are you going to live your lives in fear, or are going to take this power with your own hands?” she tells everyone.

The Avi clench their fists, their fear turning to resolution. All stare at my glowing body.

“Please, Iris, teach us!” Astrid yells from the crowd.

Soon, the next follows. Then the next, and the next.

The furry creature eats the dried grass as I pet its soft pelt. It is so fluffy but has a devious look with the curved horns. I try to feel the horn’s texture as it turns its face to me in discontent.

“Sorry, I will let them be,” I chuckle and keep petting it.

It snorts with its black nose and goes back to eating.

“This really fits you,” Stella says as she comes walking into the animal pen.

“What does?” I look at her and ask.

She is wearing the straw hat again, with her white hair over her shoulders and her green eyes looking at me.

“The farmer's life, I’ve never seen someone speak with animals before,” she teases me.

“Ah, that's what you meant. You know what, you seem to fit this life as well. You look very cute in the hat at least,” I tell her, trying to tease back.

She turns slightly red, catching me off guard. I stop and look at her, I’ve never seen her flustered before.

“What? What is it?” I frantically ask her.

“No, nothing,” she says, averting her eyes away.

It’s silent, I can’t find the words to say. She starts to look back at me, her green eyes staring into mine with her rosy cheeks, she is about to say something, as she is interrupted.

Dima clears his throat from the entry, making us jump.
“Am I interrupting?” he asks.

“Wha—no! It’s fine, what is it?” I chuckle and answer awkwardly.

“There are some villagers that want to see you, Iris, but they are a bit shy. Would you mind tagging along for a bit?” Dima tells me.

I look at Stella, she is getting a milking bucket.

“It’s fine, go. I can finish up here,” she tells me with a smile, not meeting my eyes.