Essence

I had been pondering and thinking up a multitude of strategies on how to leave, even making up a story to convince the guards to let me through. Though I doubted that. They probably had been forewarned about me and as soon as they would notice me, they will realise I wasn’t from around here. So that was out of the question. I was considering whether or not on climbing up the side of a wall, without being noticed; when someone approached me and made me jump out of my skin. “Ah, you’re awake!” It was the old man, Iskandar. This time he was wearing a blue robe with gold trimmings, and holding his eagle staff in his hand. Its eyes weren’t shining blood red no more, but I eyed it before I narrowed my gaze on the man. He didn’t seem unperturbed by my reaction. He raised his staff and I flinched, fearing he might whack it across my head or stamp it on the ground to produce more of the sleeping gas so he wouldn’t have to deal with me. But instead, he placed it in his other hand, which then he placed it at his waist. “Where am I?” I asked, clearly startled. “At Moonlight Hollow Village, of course,” he said simply, like I should have known that. “Are you going to kill me?” I said, stupidly. He laughed gently and answered my question, joyously, “Of course I am not going to kill you.” That was a relief, but it still didn’t explain what I was doing here or why the heck he took me against my will to some foreign place. For some reason, I believed the old guy wasn’t going to hurt me. I didn’t know why, so don’t ask. It was because the tone of his voice was so calming, neutral and humane. It didn’t hint that he was some dangerous guy. The vibe coming of him was friendly too that was why I was positive he wasn’t going to harm me. “I’ve been waiting for a long time to meet you,” he continued. I stared at him, puzzled. What the hell is he on about? “Come with me,” he said simply. He held out his arm to invite me to link it, but I just shook my head. He frowned and wandered off, clearly disappointed that I hadn’t linked him. However, he wasn’t going to argue with it. I followed alongside him, taking everything in. “What you mean you’ve been waiting ages for me?” I couldn’t keep quiet. And for what it’s worth, I was going to get answers. But I just couldn’t shake a sense of recognition off my chest when I looked into his warm brown eyes. “And why do you look so familiar?” “Can you not guess?” he sighed deeply. “Let me start from the beginning.” He cleared his throat. “As you know my name is Iskandar. Or Master to everyone here at this Village. You may call me whichever. I once went riding one day when I noticed that someone was in danger.” He eyed me funny. “And that someone was you. At first I just rode over to you to stop you from falling down that cliff, as you may remember,” I did. That’s why he looked so familiar! He was the guy who saved me from falling to my death and that he had vanished into thin air. He must also be the guy who waved at me when I was on the bus, but I wasn’t going to mention that, not yet anyway. “But when I helped you up and our eyes met,” he shook his head in disbelief. “I knew straight away who you were. And from then on I have kept a watchful eye on you. I kept or tried to keep you out of harms way.” “What you mean?” “I knew immediately you had great power and passion and strengths and the One. I just didn’t know I’ll find you because I had given up hope of ever finding you at all. I was so joyful when I saw you that I literally wanted to jump for joy!” “I still don’t get what you mean,” I protested, agitated that the man was speaking in riddles. This guy was talking gibberish. Maybe he’s got heat stroke, I thought. It would make sense. Can’t blame him though, could I? This heat was affecting me too. For all I knew, I could be perched right on the equator. I heard that was the hottest place on the earth. So I was probably in Australia or something. But that couldn’t be. I had no idea where I was or what day it was either. “You possess the Essence,” he announced, dramatically.