The Cozy Cabin in the Middle of Nowhere

The cabin was small enough to take it all in from the front door. To the side of the home was a small fireplace, with no logs or fire. On the opposite side were two lounging chairs. One chair covered several books, and the other looked worn. Directly to Malik’s left was the small table with the oil lamp. Further⎯past the chairs⎯was a ladder leading to a small loft filled with more books. All of it was rather boring in design and color. There was something remarkably interesting inside the cabin, however. 

Directly under the ladder sat a small dining table. Around it was four wooden chairs. Three of the chairs were empty and pushed under the table. In the fourth chair sat none other than Simbre’s daughter. The same daughter Malik helped escape. 

Malik had not thought of the girl since she and Mollie had disappeared into the woods. Mollie had come back to save him, but the girl had vanished. Now Malik knew where she had made it to. How she had made it here was another story. 

“You’re Simbre’s daughter?” Malik was more so speaking out his shock than asking the question. 

Mollie stepped beside him, the same shock on her face. Only Khris did not know the girl sitting at the table. Really, Malik and Mollie knew little about her beyond her mother and brothers 

“I am Simbre’s daughter. My name is Embre.” 

Malik thought she looked a lot more pleasant without the thought of being forced onto him. She smiled where before she had cried. Her shoulders did not appear as heavy without the hand of Simbre pushing upon them. The time away from her former camp had done her well. These facts made Malik wonder even more how she had arrived here. The trek had not been easy. Even without the fact the mercenaries and Tempre hunted them, it had still been a long, tough walk. There was little opportunity for food or drink and Malik doubted Embre had hidden coin before running off with Mollie. Somehow though, she had survived and looked better for it. 

“Come in.” The old man pushed on the back of Mollie and Malik. “We can catch up over some nice warm tea.” 

Malik did not resist his urging. His feet and legs ached, and a chair would do him wonders. The old man pulled out a fifth chair from the corner. Malik had not noticed the chair before, but it matched the others exactly. Khris, Mollie, Malik, and the old man sat down with Embre at the table. 

“Ahh,” the old man sounded before getting up. He walked over to the small cook stove Malik had also missed on his first inspection. The old man pulled a kettle from the rack and brought it over to the table with five small saucers. “I hope you all like tea,” he said. He poured them each a glass and passed them across the table. 

Malik greedily grabbed his cup. They had eaten earlier in the day, but they had only gotten water to drink. It would be nice to have something to warm his bones. He sipped on the steaming concoction, letting it coat his tongue and cheeks. The others did the same, and the conversation was nonexistent for several minutes. 

Malik could have probably fallen asleep. The tea had calmed his nerves, and he noticed that since entering the home, he had not once heard the roar of the monster. He wondered if the walls were really that thick, or if the beast had given up. 

Malik put his cup back onto the table. The others looked at peace. Their previous worries slid from their face, and their bodies looked relaxed. Malik looked at the old man, who smiled back at him knowingly. 

Malik felt a momentary panic rush over him. Had the old man drugged their tea? They had been so quick to join him in the cabin, so quick to sit with him around the table, and even quicker to chug down his offered nourishment. Had they not learned a thing about how others treated them? Malik did not feel loopy, confused, or disoriented though. He honestly just felt like a week’s worth of trouble, anguish, pain, and hunger had washed from him. 

“There was nothing harmful to you in the tea,” the old man said. Malik realized the old man had been staring at him the entire time. 

“I know,” Malik said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. 

Having sat for a few minutes, thinking about nothing but the tea, the thoughts of before trickled back into his mind. He looked up and across the table to Embre. She was smiling pleasantly back at the group. 

“What happened to you?” 

Embre let the smile drop, as if thinking about the past had ruined the moment. Malik guessed thinking about the troubles that followed them was, in a big sense, a buzz kill. 

“I don’t know exactly what happened.” 

The old man reached a handout and placed it on her shoulder. “Do not worry, child.”

Embre took a deep breath, as if the man’s words were enough to drop a wall inside her mind. 

“I remember you going into the medical tent. I did not know what you would find in there. My people were not evil. I knew they had not killed your friend. However, I did not understand what orders my mother had given about you or your friends. I urged Mollie to run with me as soon as you disappeared. I did not believe you would return. Mollie would not listen to my pleas, convinced that you would succeed. When you did not return, I ran and I heard Mollie following me into the trees.” Embre took another deep breath, steading herself.  She looked to the old man who encouraged her to continue with a nod of his head. “Afterward, Mollie went back and save you. I did not have it in me to risk it. I had been there in the village for far too long. I just kept running. I do not know how far or how long I ran. I did not think about that, I just thought about the idea that I needed to get away. When I finally stopped running, I was here in front of this cabin. Although, I am not sure where here is. I am also not sure here is the same as you’re here,” she said, looking confused by her last statement. 

“What do you mean by that?” Khris asked before anyone else could. 

Embre shrugged. “I don’t think I am the best one to answer that question for you.”

She looked to the old man sitting beside her, and he gently nodded. “I think you did a marvelous job telling your portion of the story,” the old man added. “Since she has arrived, Embre has been a delight. She has been waiting on you all with me, keeping me company, even if she was not quite sure who”⎯the old man looked down at Egg⎯“or what was coming.” 

Embre nodded. “Did you save your friend?” 

Malik realized she had no clue what happened once Mollie had returned. She would not know about Timbre, Zimbre, or her mother. She would not have heard of the demise of her village. She was just like him and Mollie, destroyed by the Tempre Warriors. Malik was not sure he wanted to be the one to tell her, so he waited on Mollie to engage the tale. 

Mollie was not quick to start either. It was not the easiest to tell someone their family was dead. Not only their family, but everything they had ever known. Although, maybe it would be different for Embre; she had run away from her village. She had not been in the best relationship with her mother or Zimbre, her brother. Maybe it would be okay. Still, Malik shied away from saying anything to her about it. 

“I think it will be easier if she hears it now and does not find out about it by accident later,” the old man said, looking at Malik and then to Mollie. 

Mollie nodded, looking uncomfortable at the thought still. “After you left, I ran back to save Malik. I found him in a tent on the outskirts of your traveling camp. There was no one else there with him and I freed him from his restraints.” Mollie looked up to Embre, who was listening intently to the story. “We still had to save our friend Abrie, who had been wounded by one of the Tempre Warriors named Sweet Tongue. Abrie was still, to our knowledge, in the medical tent. So, that is where we headed. Once we were there, we saw your mother and brother, Zimbre, exchanging words with Sweet Tongue and other mercenaries he had brought with him,” Mollie paused. 

Malik tried to gauge Embre’s reaction. If she showed no shock. She had a steady calm about her. Malik wondered if it was still the tea, because even his heart did not race at recalling what happened next. 

“When they went into the tent, we followed and listened to see what would happen. Inside, your mother and Sweet Tongue talked of a deal they had made. They would exchange Abrie for a spot in the Tempre Warriors for your brother, Zimbre.” 

“Zimbre had asked mother to travel to Gray Waters to fight in the mercenary tournament. She considered the benefit to the village,” Embre interjected. 

Mollie waited to see if she would add anything further, but Embre did not speak again. 

“Sweet Tongue had become nervous about your brother, Timbre. He was worried that Timbre would not agree with the transaction, and he would chase after them. He asked your mother if she thought Timbre would be easily deterred and your mother did not sound confident, but she assured him Timbre would do as he was told. It turns out that Timbre could have done nothing to Sweet Tongue or anyone else. Your brother, Zimbre, had killed him earlier that evening.” Mollie stopped again, giving Embre time to process what she had said. 

Embre’s mask of ease did slip in that moment, but she did not break down. “He was one of the best things about the village. He was a good man and a strong hunter,” she said. 

Malik thought Embre was just being brave. She did not seem like a girl who would fall in front of others without standing back up and dusting herself off. She was not a fighter like Mollie, but she was just as strong willed. At least that would have been Malik’s guess. 

“What happened after that?” Embre asked. 

Malik thought the tone of her question sounded like she knew there was more. 

Mollie hesitated a moment, looked to the old man who waved her on. “Afterward someone in the tent, we do not know who killed your mother. Sweet Tongue took Abrie and rode out of the village with him. However, that was not before he lit the medical tent on fire. We do not know how many people died in that rapidly spreading fire. However, we do know that nothing would be left of those tents or supplies,” Mollie said. 

Embre looked down and away. Her mask was slipping just as rapidly as the fire had spread. The old man reached out to her, patted her on the shoulder once, and then he refilled her tea glass. Embre grabbed the cup up and drained it in one long gulp. When she placed the cup back down onto the table, her face had built back up the mask of serenity. 

“Thank you,” she said to Mollie. 

Khris, who had been quiet during the whole story, finally broke his silence. “Are you the keeper of the Crystal Dragon?” he asked. 

The old man took a sip of his tea, looking over the rim at the three companions and Egg, who was still latched to Mollie. 

Malik thought about the mules outside the cabin door, but he had not heard the beast again, so he felt better about leaving them outside. 

“Do you know what that creature on your friend’s arm is?” the old man asked Khris. 

Khris took a moment to look over to Egg. Malik looked over too, but he did not know what Egg really was. He knew the adult versions were man-eating monsters, but Egg had not killed them yet. Not to say Malik trusted it. 

“I don’t,” Khris said. 

“I did not assume you were aware. They have been around for thousands of years and yet still people do not know them by name. Not to mention no one understands what they do or can do, I should say.” The old man reached out, putting a finger on Egg’s head. Egg moved slightly, opening its wide eyes to stare at the old man’s face. 

“I will not bore you with the long-standing history of the Saints, the church, and those who would have seen the world drop to its knees. What I will tell you is this simple truth. The Dracolosus, or the Monsters of the Saint’s Blight, are ancient creatures with cognition equal to humans. The only thing that saves our race from these creatures is their inability to live in groups. Mother’s hatch children, eat their youth, and grow stronger for it. Fathers get eaten to sustain the mother as well. The female creature uses the nutrients to produce the eggs. Very few young make it to adulthood, and that is a blessing to humans. However, as you can see, those introduced to other creatures early enough can coexist.” The old man took his finger from Egg and looked up to Mollie. 

“However, even a friendly Dracolosus is a dangerous creature. Deep in the mountains of Luberg, is a cave that protects the last blessings of the Saint’s Blight. There is a relic there that protects the world from dying. The Saints are trapped into this relic and if they were let out the Dracolosus would be the least of humanities worries.” 

The old man finished his small sermon on the horrors of the world. Malik tried to keep up with the rambling. The Saints were a religious faction. The direct descendants of the gods. They were not evil, and the creatures would have no association with them. 

“What does the Crystal Dragon have to do with this?” Khris asked. 

“Ahh yes.” The old man wrung his hands together. “The legend of the Crystal Dragon is a tale as old as Luberg and older still. It is said that when the Saints came to Earth, had hope, vigor, and a passion to help humanity grow. The gods had sent them to assist mankind in making this world a paradise. However, soon the Saints realized that humanity was filthy, greedy, and animalistic. They grew to resent those around them. Together, they banded on the outskirts of what would someday be known as Luberg. There they summoned the power to create a second set of Saints. These Saints shared the powers of all the others combined, but something had gone wrong. These Saints should have brought with them a paradise. However, they came out as beasts with murderous rage that had no care if their victim was human or Saint. The Saints ran from their sight and realized that in doing this act, they were no better than the humans they hated. Still, they would kill the new Saints and then fix the problems of the world. So, they made more creatures. The Dracolosus were the only creatures that survived the bouts of death filled wars, plagues, and the Saint’s Blight. Known then as the Saint’s Monsters, but overtime forgotten. The Dracolosus have never had a large population, due to their inability to coexist. However, some smaller outlying countries talk of them all the time. They talk about how the creatures were the death of the Saints. Although, it is impossible to say for sure what trapped the Saints. Whatever did put them in a relic said to burn with the fire of dragons. Rumors say it still sits in the site of the Saint’s Blight. Surrounded by nothing but death, pain, and destruction,” the old man stopped again, taking a deep breath. 

“With this relic hidden, the world is safe. If retrieved by the wrong hands… well that would devastate all humanity,” the old man finished. He took another sip of his tea and said nothing else. 

“So, the Tempre Warriors are looking for the Crystal Dragon to destroy the world?” Malik asked, still highly confused on what was being said. 

“They want the Saint’s power,” Khris answered without waiting on the old man to do so. 

“That is my assumption,” the old man added his weight to the offered answer. 

Malik thought he should have felt alarmed, scared, panicked, or any other emotion. Instead, he felt nothing but confusion. It was hard to grasp what the old man said. It was even harder to understand the significance if it was the truth. This old man lived out in the middle of nowhere. He may very well have been insane, and yet, Malik found he believed him. At least, he believed the old man believed the story he had told. 

“What will happen if they find it and use it?” Malik asked. 

Khris did not have an answer this time. 

“They will break the relic and cause a second Blight to destroy the land. The creatures that the Saint’s created to destroy humanity will rise again with them. It will be the end of the world as you know it,” the old man answered. 

Malik knew one thing; the Tempre Warriors were a nuisance enough without added power. If they attained more, then it would be impossible to get his revenge. 

“So, how do we make sure this does not happen?” Malik asked. 

The old man looked all around the table. “Well, I suppose, work together. If you can attain the relic before the Tempre can, then you can bring it to me and I will hide it away again,” he answered. 

Malik did not like going against the Tempre for a relic. He needed to save Abrie and then run far away. 

“Why can’t you go get it? If you know so much about it and know where it is, then why don’t you just go grab it before the Tempre get there?” Malik asked. 

“I am not as young as I once was. I fear I would be of little use. Not to mention, it is not I who knows where the cave is. It is your friend here who can show you,” the old man pointed toward Egg. 

Egg gave a stretch and a yawn in reply. 

“Follow him, and he will show you the way,” the old man added. 

Malik looked to the creature on Mollie’s arm. “What happens when we get there?” 

The old man shrugged his boney shoulders. “I do not pretend to know that answer. I know much about the relic and its history. I know the Saints by name and ancestry, but I do not know what happened to them and I do not know what guards the relic.” 

Malik did not like the answer. There could have been anything in the cave. The word dragon alone brought up images of being roasted alive. Being a bard, Malik knew thousands of stories about dragons. No one had seen one in over five hundred years, but all still claimed they fully existed in the mountains of Luberg. Was that part of the myth of the Crystal Dragon? A piece that generations had held onto, even though they had forgotten the source?

“We have to make sure this doesn’t happen,” Mollie blurted out, ruining Malik’s thoughts. 

Malik knew Khris would agree with her. This was a reoccurring sentiment. They would drag him along, kicking and screaming. Khris was not the first to answer though. 

“I will go with you,” Embre said. 

Malik almost laughed. Embre, who had no fighting skills, would volunteer on a journey of sure death. 

“I will be with you,” Khris added in. 

Two untrained fighters, Malik thought. He was not so sure he wanted to throw his life into the fire. He still was young. He could still look for Abrie and get out of Luberg. Did he even believe what the old man said? It all made little sense to him. Everyone was staring at him, awaiting his answer. 

Malik looked into Mollie’s eyes and thought he saw them pleading to him. What help would he even be? He froze at the thought of death every time. Could not swing a sword, shoot a bow, or fight. He was nothing but a third untrained hand to add to the group. Still, Mollie held her breath, waiting for his answer. He could see he would destroy a bit of hope if he stayed away from the foolish journey. 

“I do not like it,” Malik started. 

Mollie smiled, not letting him finish. 

“Then it is settled, we will all find this relic, bring it back here, and stop the Tempre from destroying the world,” Mollie said. 

Malik figured she was way too happy to be walking into the literal Saint’s Hell, but he said nothing to deter her. 

The old man smiled and poured another round of tea. If nothing else, at least he would get one last night’s calm sleep from the tea.