Beyond the Wall – Part.2

Muchi could not believe what the voice was saying. However, there she was speaking to a talking flame.

‘Ok’, said Muchi, ‘IF you are what you say you are, tell me something only a soldier knows’.

‘Well, I cannot tell you something only a soldier knowns… What I can tell you is that if you do not help me, disasters will devastate my world and your world.’

‘Do not threaten me, Talking-flame’, she said and started to walk back to her home.

‘Look! Under this tree is my armour and my sword. For the love of the gods, help me, child!’

Muchi, who felt the pain in Flame’s voice, checked the spot he mentioned… just in case. And, there they were! A rusty and damaged armour, and the most wonderful sword she had ever seen. This could not be a joke, that sword was extremely valuable. She observed it carefully. The pommel was white and it has the shape of a crow and the grips were the closed wings of the bird. The cross-guard was made out of the finest gold and the blade might as well had been made out of silver for it was as shiny as the stars. Muchi had a funny feeling, she had seen that crow before.. ‘Where was it? where was it?’ she thought. She kept quiet for a while and, then, she realised where she had seen that crow before. That kind of sword belonged to a particular kind of soldier… The shape of the pommel was a symbol of the past, a symbol of war…

Muchi was overwhelmed. She felt how the rage invaded her small body. She knew that a crow symbol was a bad omen. She was young but she was not stupid. She knew the crows were part of the Last Big War. She hold the sword between her hands and spoke to Flame.

‘Who were you, soldier? This is the symbol of a despicable tribe’

‘I know, but free me! I could explain everything, child! Help me before she comes back!’

But it was too late. The forest became utterly silent. Instantly, the day became night, the skies darkened and the wind started to blow. Muchi held the sword tight and looked at the sky. She could see nothing but darkness.

‘Run, girl, run!’

Muchi noticed how a dense fog started to emerge from the southern part of the forest, and she run away. She run without looking back. She run away until she could barely breath any more, until she noticed that the sky was clear and the birds were singing again, until she felt it was save. Then, she stopped and tried to breath properly. Her heart was beating faster than ever, so fast that she could barely hear the birds any more.

She sat down for a couple of minutes.

Flame’s agonizing scream followed.

Then, silence.

End of chapter 2.

Beyond the Wall.

There are many legends and stories; however, this is none. This is part of the history of a long-extinct civilization. The way I became in contact with this people is not relevant. Maybe, someday, I will explain how; but, for now, I will relate this true story. This is the way to show my gratitude to this people and their culture.

It is said that in the middle of the forest of Kokora inhabits the soul of a soldier. Every single walker that dared to pass by claimed to have seen a brightness coming from the deepest part of the woods. However, no one came closer to the bright spot of light…therefore, nobody knew what was there until one day a little girl got lost in the woods.

This little girl would grow up to become the saviour of this people, but this is another story. This little girl was called Muchi. Muchi was a brave, orphan child that lived in a village near this enchanted forest. She was not very tall and rather thin. Her face was always covered in dust for she worked on her farm the whole day. She was extremely proud of her harvest and the quality of the vegetables she grew was well know by their neighbours. Muchi was the younger among her friends, but she was the bravest one. So, one night, she decided to investigate the mystery of the brightness. She packed some food, warm clothes, and went for an adventure. Although the majority of their friends were really scared of this so-called “bright ghost”, she truly believed that there was a logical explanation for the forestry light.

She walked all night, and, when she had lost all hope, the light appeared. It was shining among the trees in a a clearing. She walked slowly and tried to think about the situation. There was a light in tat particular clearing, but why there? She had no idea. Muchi kept on walking until she could see it, the flame. In the middle of the clearing there was a flame. It was tiny one and not as shiny as it was from the distance. The brave child stared at it full of fascination. There was not logical explanation for a tiny flame that was floating in the middle of a forest. And it was then when she remembered her grandmother’s stories. It was impossible, it defied any logic, but her grandmother’s stories talked about the soul of a soldier trapped in the world of the living. Could it be possible? For the brain of the most logical child that could possible have ever existed, those stories were just fantasy. Still, a minuscule part of her brain thought about the possibility of the flame as the soldier’s soul. And then…

‘Help me’, the flame whispered.

‘Who said that?’, Muchi asked.

‘I don’t know why, I was condemned to be a flame for the eternity. The witch that lives in the mountains punished me for my crime… But it was no crime. Help me, please. You are the first person I see in centuries.’, the flame stated.

And the whole logical world was about to be destroyed.

‘I do not believe you’, said Muchi, ‘I cannot believe in nothing that is not logical. It cannot be possible. There are not witches. Ok, who is doing this? Get out of the woods and show your face’, but nothing happened. And for the first time in her life,  Muchi was scared.

‘How do you want me to prove my word?’, the flame asked.

‘I just don’t know! You cannot be real… That is not logical’

‘There is whole world beyond logic, child.’

Part 1 – End.