"Knights of Ys: Chapter 3" by Laura Beth Levinson

            The hours after leaving the hotel were pretty much a blur. I know I took a cab to Newark airport where I purchased a ticket on the next flight out to Heathrow. As I was on a student visa, I tended to carry my passport with me at all times just in case something happened and for once my paranoia paid off. I exchanged my wrecked evening gown for a pair of jeans and a “I love New York” t-shirt, thanking god for the invention of airport shops. Up until the moment the plane started its trek down the runway I was convinced that Drew would suddenly appear to take me. It wasn't until we were actually in the air that I relaxed enough to attempt a restless sleep.

            After landing I took the tube to King's Cross Station where I was able to purchase a ticket to Lincoln. The station was busy as usual and I started to feel a bit dizzy and light headed from the combined effects of my anxiety mixed with the vibrant hum of a bustling train station. Dodging several over enthusiastic tourists who were apparently trying to recreate scenes from Harry Potter by running themselves into the platform wall, I managed to board my train without further incident and prepared myself for the long trip.

            I stepped out of the station in Lincoln several hours later and took a deep breath, feeling a little better now that I was back in my home town. Lincoln is an ancient town, having its origins in the Iron Age before becoming an important Roman settlement and medieval city. I loved the beauty of the architecture and growing up in a place where so much history collided is what led me to my current interests and studies. The cathedral stood, its two towers and spires shrouded in an early morning fog that hung over the town. It was a beautiful, but ominous sight.

            My home, about a ten minutes walk from the station, was small and white with a slate roof and a quaint cobblestone walk leading to the door. It was quiet and dark inside, my foot hitting a pile of mail that had collected inside the doorway while my parents were away visiting me in New York. Habit forced me to pick it up and place it in a neat pile on a console. I felt a pang of pain upon the realization that my parents would never be back to open any of it. Biting my lower lip to keep from crying, I slowly walked through the house and into my father’s study. I knew he had all the documents and information on Ys locked away in a box he and felt as if I had to grab this before anyone else could see it, that it might be important. I’d never seen the entire contents of the box before. Opening it gave me a sense of trespassing. For all they told me, there were some things that my parents kept from me. Despite my curiosity, I never questioned their reasons, and even now I hesitated to pry into their secrets.

            The study, with its tartan carpet, deep mahogany woods, and forest green walls reminded me of my childhood. Of nights spent sitting cross legged on the floor, enraptured by my father's tales of lost cities and princesses.

            “Now Auriana...as you know Ys held four treasures that kept the magic of the city sealed away. What were they again?”

            With my dark grey pleated skirt neatly tucked under my knees, I knelt on the floor feeling the carpet try to tickle my skin beneath the stockings I wore. A warm glow issued from the fire that burned in the fireplace to my right, its smoke filling the air with the heavy scent of peat. My hair was dyed a plain shade of brown, braided demurely down my back and I was listening to my father relate the familiar tale that I had come to know so well. My usual delight at this nightly time with my father was tempered by the scolding I had received an hour before for bragging about my royal heritage to my classmates. I was seven years old.

            “The Lia Fáil, the Spear Luin, the Claíomh Solais, and the Dagda's Cauldron,” I replied with a bit of a pout, still smarting over the talking to I had received.

            My father smiled a little, “Yes...the stone, spear, sword, and cauldron. And why were they so important?”

            “They protected Ys and kept the magic there in check so that it wouldn't be used for wrong purposes. Too much power was bad.”

            “And it still is bad. As you know, the princess was the only living soul intrusted with the ability to use the power sealed by the four treasures. You, as a female descendent of the royal line, now have that ability and are charged with the task of keeping that power locked away. Right now that job is an easy one as the treasures are scattered and lost. I pray it stays that way.”

            I pondered this information for a moment, “Does that mean mum is the queen?”

            The fire cracked a little, setting off a few stray sparks as my father chuckled at my question, “No, she's not the queen. Only one princess is ever born in a generation, the rest of the children of the royal line all being male. You are the only one in our time Auriana. And this is why you must keep your heritage a secret...to protect yourself and Ys.” His expression turned grim as he reached into his wooden box, pulling out two seals I'd never seen before.

            “What are those?” I asked with natural curiosity. The small thrill at the prospect of learning something new was tempered by my father's grave expression.

            “These are symbols that you need to memorize and avoid. They represent a danger to you and to Ys.”

            The first one he showed me was a silver wyvern in flight, its claws done in gold set over a dark blue background. I found it beautiful, the beast rendered in great detail and had been made with obvious care. “It's lovely papa.” The second didn't generate the same response. Oh it was well crafted, the same loving detail showed to it when it was created. There was just something about it that I didn't like, perhaps it was the design or maybe as a child I was more drawn to the gold and silver of the wyvern. This one depicted a crimson sword, created so that it appeared that small droplets of blood dripped from its tip, the effect heightened by the jet black background it rested on.

            “Auriana, promise me. If you ever see either of these symbols outside of this room..outside of either your mother or I showing them to you, you must flee. Run, don't ask any questions and don't look back or stop to think.”

            “But papa, why? Why should I run away from them? They're just symbols...” I replied, genuinely confused as to why a seal could harm me.

            My father sighed heavily, running a hand through his thinning salt and pepper hair, “Because these symbols represent powerful forces that seek to use you and your abilities. This is why they must never know you exist and why you must be extra careful about revealing anything from the stories we tell you to anyone.” I felt scared at that as it was obvious that my father was very troubled over these symbols. His earnestness in making me see the danger made me promise that I'd never tell another soul about Ys.

            The sound of a door slamming followed by a dog's bark broke me out of my reverie. I quickly scooped up the box and ran to the window in time to see two men with rather familiar lapel pins coming up the walkway. For a moment I stood still, afraid to move lest I be discovered, my mind racing. The two men started to mess with the door, trying to find a way into my home. I quietly moved through my house to the kitchen, taking the time to grab a knife from a drawer, wrapping a towel around it so I wouldn't inadvertently cut myself.

            To me, the back door, pealing paint, checkered curtains and all, seemed at that moment like the gates to Eden instead of the entrance to my mother's garden. I slipped out into the small backyard and moved around the back of the house to the gate. Pressing myself up against the house I waited quietly until I heard glass shatter followed by the sounds of the men entering the house. Taking a deep breath I bolted out of my yard and into the street, running as if my life depended on it. It's funny how that phrase takes on a whole new meaning when its actually true.

            I heard a shout come from behind me but I ignored it, concentrating on escaping. I darted down side streets, turning random corners in an attempt to lose anyone who may be pursuing me. This was my home town and I knew all the roads and shortcuts, an advantage I hoped I didn't share with those behind me. I eventually came to a stop to catch my breath, finding myself in front of the cathedral. The men were nowhere in sight, though I knew better than to be overly relieved. I ran up the cathedral steps, entering through the large wooden doors.

            The calm, peaceful silence of the church felt at odds with my racing heart. Small groups of tourists milled about murmuring softly to themselves as they snapped an occasional photo. A few of the pews held worshipers scattered about, each sitting by themselves as they begged God for help with their problems. I moved forward toward the pews, oddly aware of the sound of my footsteps on the stone floor. After settling down on the hard wooden bench I gave a quick look around to make sure I hadn't been followed in and to my relief, I saw no one that looked out of place.

            As I sat there I took a look at my father's box. It was locked tightly and I was quite sure he most likely had the key on his person which, to my dismay, meant that I'd have to break it open. With a sigh I glanced up, noting the little imp carved above. The tiny anomaly had always amused me and trying to spot it was a favored game of tourists. Stories say that the imp was causing trouble within the cathedral so an angel froze it into stone for all time. It certainly seemed like it was a troublemaker, its lilliputian face holding a mischievous grin. Perhaps I was imagining things but in my current state it seemed as if it were looking directly at me, its grin in reality more of a sneer in my direction as if it enjoyed my plight. I looked away from it, though remained conscious of its gaze as I tried to decide what to do. The cathedral was a good hiding place for the moment. It was public and no one would question my sitting there for a long while. However, it was also temporary as it would eventually close for the evening, but for the moment the fleeting sanctuary I found would provide me with time to decide what to do next.