Moonlight Rainbow Chapter 6

Chapter: 6  The Dove and Sphinx

As we reached the palace, it was already dark. Soren guided me to my room and then left on some urgent official call. I could sense something was wrong. I decided to ask Linn. When I reached her room, I found her dressed in a black Yuracian war-like uniform.

“What’s going on?” I asked her.

“Kate. When did ya get here?” she was startled to see me.

“What’s going on? Why are you dressed like this?” I asked again stepping in.

“We’ve been attacked”, I heard Soren entering the room behind me. “And because you are not so responsible about your people, we have to take care of the matter.”

“I see. Very well, then. That way you would be able to take care of the matter even after I would have left this darn place with Alice” I snapped back.

“Your presence doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Aa-haan?” I grinned beside the fact he was scaring me like hell with those eyes. “Look who’s saying that? Weren’t you the one who tried every mean of making me stay back here just a couple of hours ago?”

“That was on orders. I don’t want weaklings guiding the empire anyway.”

“Well nice thing I don’t take orders like you.”

“Don’t try my patience…” he said.

“What would you do? Burn me?” I went on. “But hey, did you take permission for it? Because I found out you live your life on orders.”

“Stop it you too. Enough is enough” Linn stepped in between.

“Kate, you stay here” she said. “And no matter what happens, you are not going to leave the palace alone, promise me that.”

“Ok, promise…” I said. “Why would I leave anyway?” 

Linn closed the door in front of me. I found it a little strange. Anyway, I went to the window to gaze at the stars turning off the lights, praying for Alice’s safety. Soren had told me earlier, she was safe and alive. Just the fact to worry was that she landed in an adversary kingdom called Dominia. But he’ll be finding her soon, for me.

It was strange, the way we talked. But it made me smile.

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard a little birdie flapping its wings in vain trying to fly. It was lying there on the slope build in front of the huge window I was standing. I climbed up and caught hold of it, trying my best not to hurt its broken wing. As I sat there on the slope, I found out although I had the little birdie there was nothing I could do to help it. I was locked and injured myself.

‘If only I could make my way out from jumping down the slope like a superhero despite of my weaknesses...’ I thought.

I carefully looked beneath how far was the ground from here. The birdie was twisting and twirling in pain. I had to hurry.

My distance from the ground was too high; I quit the thought of even thinking of jumping down. I rather chose to creep along the slope and hope to reach the corridor attached to it on the other side without falling down. It would have been a lot easier without these dressings on my neck and left arm.

It was a dark night. The only thing that was helping me see my way was the light from the stars. I was scared like hell. But then, I knew I was doing a right thing, so thought of falling didn’t really bothered me. And then there I was, in a couple of minutes, at the corridor.

“Phew!” I exclaimed. “That was easy”.

Never really knew I could do something like that. Wow, I thought. I was getting better and better at escaping. Now I had to hurry. This palace was so huge; I was pretty damn sure there must be some hermit in here. All I had to do was find any living person who would tell me where medication was available. Luckily, I found a maid coming my way.

“Lady Kate” she said as she saw me. “What are you doing out here?”

“See!” I showed her the birdie and asked her where the hermit was. Her expressions changed as she saw what I was holding.

“That’s a dove!” she said. “Come with me, right now!”

It was hard to keep pace with her she was walking as if her house was on fire. Wait, won’t one run in a situation like that? Whatever.

Soon we were out of the building walking towards the royal garden.

“Hold on there, birdie” I whispered.

“Wait. Where are you taking me?” I asked the maid.

“To someone who knows just how to heal that bird.”

Thereafter, walking for like ten-fifteen minutes, we arrived at a small hut covered with climbers of all kind. It looked wonderful.

“Why does your hermit lives too far from the palace in such a simple normal house hidden somewhere inside this forest like garden?!”

“Shh…. Come in!”

The maid knocked on the door and steeped back. The door opened itself. Or maybe, the climbers did it. However, we entered in.

It was a simple place but extraordinarily decorated by nature itself.

“Who lives here?”

“You’ll know” she said to me.

“Rhinn”, I heard an aged voice. “What brought you here, my child?”

I saw an old, little man with this charming childish smile, walking with the help of a stick.

“Greetings” he said.

“I need you to heal this bird. Please can you do it for me? She has been crying in pain for very long now” I cut them out. “We can talk later too.”

He smiled. He walked up to me and took a look at the birdie in my hands. He raised his hand and caressed with it the injured wing of the dove. It healed at once.

“How-how did you do that?!”

“Just with the help of the same faith that you had while you crossed the dimensions for your little sister” he smiled back and patted me on the head. “You are very brave, my child.”

His words were enchanting. His voice was so peaceful. His touch… was healing.

“Who are you?” I asked as I felt my wounds disappearing. “Do I know you?”

“I am Sphinx” he beamed. “Remember me from the letters?”