PROPHECY, DESTINY, AND TRUTHS
Stranger's and Umi's destinies are told (cont.)
I apologize for the quick return, Umi. But everyone's becoming a bit ancey for your arrival," the Queen returned to the Steef's home, just minutes after Umi's dilemma had settled.
Umi nodded to her, looking back inside the house.
"Do we need anything?" she looked back.
The Queen shook her head.
"Sorry, Umi. But the Seer only requires you to come to the Native's Village empty handed. He believes it'll slow you down on your journey,"
"Oh..." she said.
The Queen gave a soft smile to her depression.
"Do not fear, Umi. As long as you have each other, then you really don't need belongings to help you out,"
Umi's eyes stuck on to the Queen for a moment, then she nodded.
Stranger came out from behind her, leaning over to the Queen.
"Sorry fer the wait, ma'am," he bowed his head.
"Good. I hope you two are ready for the long journey ahead?" she asked.
Umi held within her hand her dragon pendant. She wore her old clothes that she could never part from.
Stranger, however, felt himself glue in to the house. He was used to living here now, that he couldn't leave it.
But moving on for him was the only thing he could do in his life.
"Yeah..." he said.
"We're ready,"
The Queen gave a confident smile to both, stepping away from the doorway, allowing them out.
Umi stepped first, feeling herself rip out of a sketch that had made her come to life. She was drawn to the home, feeling to never leave it.
But life had a funny way of putting things like that to an end for her.
Stranger came out last, shutting the door, and touching the knob of his comfy home for the last time.
He straightened out his hat, wearing his bounty hunter outfit, instead of showing off his true colors under his tight tan tights and large boots.
Even out in the country he would be a potential prey for an outlaw, or any other trapper.
She led them down to the docks, the Grubbs of their villages bidding a dreadful good-bye to their protectors, bowing to their feet, and paying their last respects, as they headed for their final test.
Both stepped in to the boat the Queen had used to get over, along with four Grubb rowers.
Stranger glanced at the Steef boat he'd always used. Dependable, strong, fortified. And a gift.
He sat comfortably beside the Queen, with Umi in front of him.
The Queen nodded to the rowers, and they began to glide off the riverbed free of ice.
They began down the Mongo River, the Grubbs of the village watching with tearful eyes.
This was only a bit of their test; to test them on their strength from not looking back, so that they would not become trodden of their sorrow of leaving the Grubbs behind.
The Native's Village wasn't as far as Last Legs, only reduced by fifteen minutes.
It was a warmer climate, barely any patches of visible snow, and the sun glowing in beams of light through the blanket of clouds.
A crowd of Grubbs were gathered among a hill, looking outward to the plains ahead, and the rocky barrier that keeps the Native Village safe from the Sleg Swamps far ahead of the barrier.
But there were miles of flat plains carpeted out towards the mountainous barrier.
Stranger and Umi, led by the Queen, parted through the crowd of Grubbs, and walked to Seer Daedlus, standing patiently atop the hill, holding his favorite staff in his wobbly hand.
He glanced back to the quieting crowd, as the Steef and Umi parted through to him.
His mouth curled under the bags of wrinkles, smiling confidentally up to the new arrivals.
"Welcome, Steef and human!" he said joyously.
Both stopped in front of him, the Rebel Leader emerging from the crowd invisibly, and merging back beside the Queen.
"It's about time you got here. We were becoming a bit out of order, if you see what I mean," Daedlus nodded to them.
He began to shuffle by the Steef, and raised his arms to the crowd, along with his staff.
The crowd dimmed to a silence, staring intently upon their sage.
He gazed upon the natives that gathered, seeing that everyone was ready to what he had to say.
"Today, is the day. That we see off, two of the greatest guardians, we've ever known! Although a bit of a mix-up with Steef, he, and his lawful daughter, shall set off, amongst a journey, of peril, treachery, and unknown precidences! To fulfill their destiny, as guardians, to find the last Steef tribe!" he announced with all the might in his voice.
He turned back to the Steef, a great smile on his face.
"And I know, we have the deepest of our faith in you, as you look in to the face of danger, and extraordinary crisis. But, only think, that you are proving yourselves worthy as our guardians," he told them.
Stranger was speechless, but all he could do was to look out among the crowd, as they began to bow their head in unison, down to the feet of their protectors.
The Grubb Seer also had his head bowed to them, along with the Queen and Rebel Leader.
They gazed around, all heads down before them.
The feeling that gave off to them was great. A feeling of pride and respect the Grubbs was giving to them. After a very short year of protecting the tribes of the Grubbs, they got this in return; a feeling of pride and confidence.
And respect like this was an unusual feeling to Stranger.
The Seer's head came back up, his eyes lit with life.
"We know this is another ordeal that must be pressed against your chest, you two. But believe me, we're all in this for you," Daedlus nodded to them.
"Now! We must see you off! Steef, Umi. We thank you for your devotion of protecting us from unknown dangers, but now, we set you free. All you can do, is to free yourselves. Go now, prove, and release the strength that hides below!"
The Grubbs regained on their feet, an uproar of applause thundering in a wave among the crowd.
A faint voice called through the crowd.
"Umi! Umi!"
The Grubbs parted from the voice approaching them.
"Jala?" Umi spun to the crowd.
Jala, wearing her red tunic with a green outlining, ran up to Umi, panting tiredly down before her knees.
She stood back up to Umi, as tall as to her shoulder, her eyes dampened with depression.
"As much...as I don't want you to go," she began to reach in her pocket.
Out came a square-like velvet-covered box, and as she opened it, a glimmer of silver shined in Umi's eyes.
Inside the box was a silver bracelet, wrapped with a flower blossom, as deep blue as Umi's eyes.
Umi stared at it in awe.
"Oh...Jala, it's beautiful," she took the box in her hands.
Jala smiled sheepishly down from her.
"At least...you'll have something to remember me by..." she drew off.
Umi closed the box, placing it within her pocket, and looking back to her.
She knelt down to Jala, taking her slowly in to an embrace.
"I'll miss you..." she whispered to her.
Jala came over her back tighter, tears streaming down her face.
"Me, too," she cried.
Both broke away from each other, their eyes glazed with tears.
Jala parted backwards to the crowd, her hands near her eyes.
The Seer smiled sweetly to Jala, then looked back to the Steef.
"Now, off with you, Steef! May the great...dude, in the sky, be with you!"
Stranger bowed his head to the crowd's thunderous cheer, then tipped his hat back up, staring up at the streamers of light bands in the sky.
He began to walk away from the Seer, waving at the Grubbs his farewell.
As they paced further out, they turned among the flat prairie rolling out for them.
Umi wiped the tears stinging in her eyes.
Stranger wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, huggin her to his hip.
"Don't worry, kid. I bet we'll see 'em again...real soon," he said reassuringly.
Umi nodded, but sad about the fact of what she said last night.
Of how she never wanted to leave her friends behind again.
Even thought she hoped for the best, she wanted something like this to never happen again.
But it was.
And even though how much she prayed, it would always happen, for she always had to move on.
And she would have to get used to it sooner or later.
"I know," she said timidly.
They tramped through the baby-soft grass towards the mountains ahead, not looking back to the wide eyes of the Grubbs, watching their guardians leave forever.
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