Better Things
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Better things to do than chase after you.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you for not leaving me.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, resting his forehead against mine and breathing in the scent of my hair. “I’m glad we’re still here together.”
He lifted one hand from my back so that it could rest on the top of my head. I knew what was coming next, but I couldn’t stop him. I’d never had anyone touch me like this before—so tenderly and with such a gentle caress that it made me feel as if I were the most precious thing in the world. He was touching me, holding me, feeling every inch of me—and it felt like heaven.
When he finally stopped kissing me, I drew in several deep breaths. All traces of fear or uncertainty had left me.
“So, when are we going to have our first real conversation?” I asked once I’d found my voice again.
His lips twitched into another smile. “Well, now would be good.”
I nodded. “Yes. Now would definitely be a great time to talk.”
We sat down on the bench beside each other. The sun was setting behind the mountains, sending pink and gold rays through the trees onto the grassy field.
“Before we start, can I ask you something?”
“Anything at all,” he assured me.
“Are you immortal? Do you always age slowly?”
“Not exactly,” he said. “I don’t really know much about myself. I’ve only just discovered who I am recent. When magic first came to me, it changed everything. It gave me powers beyond anything I’d ever imagined, but it also brought me pain.”
“What kind of pain?”
“My body is aging more rapidly than normal people, especially when I use my powers. I’m not sure how long I’ll live, though I suspect I might be around for quite a while.”
“But why?” I asked. “Why does your magic make you age faster? And what other changes has it caused?”
Valdov looked sad. “The magic isn’t bad, Liliana. It’s dangerous, yes, but I’ve come to learn there is something greater involved. We will do our best to find a way of using it for good rather than evil, even if I may not live to see the consequences.”
“Then why aren’t others doing anything about this?” I demanded angrily. “Your family? Why didn’t they do more to stop these problems when they realized they existed?”
Valdov sighed. “Many people think their efforts will prove useless, perhaps because they lack faith or simply don’t understand the power of the dragons or the elves.”
“I’m sure my dad understands the importance of protecting nature and its creatures—the other two kingdoms probably do too. He used to study them as a child. Did he ever tell you about the stories of ancient times, about the dragons flying through the clouds and the elf gods walking beside them?”
He shook his head.
“Okay, so the elves were wise and powerful, and the dragons saved the world many times throughout history. But if you can fly, then why haven’t the other kings done anything to help protect nature?”
A flash of anger appeared on Valdov’s face. I knew he was starting to get angry—there was something about a person’s eyes changing when they grew irritated that told me immediately.
“Because they believe the dragons need to remain hidden.”
My shoulders stiffened as my anger surged even further. “Who do they think they are, keeping secret the existence of true wonders in the world!” I whispered fiercely.
“They fear the dragon’s influence on politics, I’m afraid. They worry that if the people learned they existed, they wouldn’t be able to control their actions or be kept under restraint.”
“They’re cowards,” I spat, rising to my feet.
“What is it you want us to do?” His words seemed to catch in his throat, and for a moment, it occurred to me that perhaps I hadn’t been clear enough about my feelings. Perhaps he did feel guilty for keeping the truth away from the rest of the world. “To fight the dragons?”
I shook my head. “No. That will never happen. Nothing will change until all the rules change.”
“But what must change in order for those things to occur?”
The question startled me. I had no answer to give.
“If we have answers, perhaps we can make some progress. Come and meet me every day, at sunset. If I don’t show up after three nights, wait for me again.”
Valdov stood up and held out his hand. I stared down at his wrist for a long moment before finally looking him straight in his bright blue eye.
***
The next day, Valdov came to find me at a slightly different place—a spot where a small stream flowed through the forest, perfectly situated near a series of brightly-colored wildflowers. I was sitting beneath one of them with a book. Valdov took a seat beside me on the grass, giving me a warm smile. I returned it as I opened up the book, leafing through a few pages before glancing back at him. He still wore his hooded cloak and hat over his long hair.
“Where were you yesterday?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Trying to discover the secret of immortality. Your grandfather always says if a problem can’t be solved by looking it right in the face, then it’s time for a new approach.”
Valdov chuckled. “You should read that poem from the ancient scroll. ‘Study well, think deeply, then solve the riddle.'”
“Oh yeah, I do love ancient texts! Which one is this?”
Valdov smiled proudly, pointing toward a small crumbled pile of white papers in front of me. The handwriting was intricate and beautiful. “It’s yours.”
“Wait…no. This was written thousands of years ago by someone who doesn’t exist anymore.” I set the page down on top of the rest, trying to hide the fact that my hands trembled. My chest ached, and I couldn’t deny the sudden feeling of sadness in my gut. “I read this a million years ago when I first discovered it.”
“Maybe you read it once and understood its meaning, but you missed out on all the insights you’ll gain only by reading it for yourself multiple times,” Valdov said softly, tilting my chin up so that I could look at his face. When I looked down, he continued. “Think about it: your life passes in mere minutes while you remain a part of a much larger eternal being.
Do you remember what happened a week ago today? A year? More? How would you even go about recalling everything you’ve learned throughout that period of time? For you, it would seem impossible. But this is how it happens.”
My cheeks grew hot as tears filled my eyes. It didn’t matter that I remembered learning those pages every second of my waking existence, or that each of them meant more than their physical appearance; the truth of their words struck me deeply. I rubbed my face as tears rolled down to my lap and gasped for air.
“Did something just happen?”
I nodded.
Valdov pulled me close and rested his cool forehead against mine, embracing me as tightly as I wrapped my arms around him, too overcome to speak. Finally, when my breaths calmed, I asked. “What made me start crying?”
He brushed back a stray tendril of hair that had fallen across my face. “Remember how the first part of the ancient text goes? Study well…think deeply…” His mouth twisted in a little smirk. “Then the last part reads, ‘And then the real mystery begins.'”
I blinked at him and nodded. “Yes…well, I always liked to picture myself in that process, searching for whatever makes us immortal.”
“Does that not imply an awareness of what death truly means?”
“Not in a philosophical sense. In fact, if you stop to think about the very idea of living forever, it seems contradictory.”
A quick flash of amusement lit his face. “True! And yet here you are, about to break that mystery for yourself.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said simply.
“My dear, this is not a favor. Don’t call me that.” He studied me for a moment before smiling slowly. “Tell me what you were thinking earlier.”
“About this entire search and the mysteries hidden within the oldest books?”
He nodded, taking another breath of air to steady himself. “But specifically? About our discussion yesterday about whether we’re ultimately our own creators, and whether we know the source of our creation, which was your question.”
I shook my head. “No. That was just a theory. It doesn’t take a genius to come up with something like that.” I reached into my pack and pulled out several scrolls before laying them on the ground beside me. They were all small but thick with writing.
Valdov raised his brows. “Go on.”
I dug under one pile and lifted out one particularly thin, dark-blue paper. “This was found in a tomb that belonged to Alexander the Great.”
“What does it say?”
I sat up straight as the words burst forth from my lips without forethought. “The royal family believed that they were gods when they ascended to heaven, and thus they created humans to worship them.”
Valdov closed his eyes briefly. “That certainly explains some things.”
“Yeah, especially the religion’s intense devotion to its creator!”
He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his gaze. “How does this revelation fit in with your discovery of the scrolls in the pyramid?”
I went back to the previous afternoon and recalled the three primary themes in the passage I’d memorized for the past ten years. The third phrase jumped out to me as it held a subtle connection to my current situation. “Nothing’s certain, except for the final answer,” I repeated out loud.
Valdov smirked as the light of understanding glowed bright inside his eyes. He held up the remaining scrolls that he’d taken from the tomb and spread them out between us. “There appears to be a theme to these pieces, despite their great age. When combined, they create an entire story.”
“Which means there exists a piece missing—the fourth scroll,” I concluded, unable to resist spreading out the remainder of the scrolls before me.
Valdov pointed. “The secret lies in finding it, but for now, we need to focus on something else.” He glanced back toward the palace. “Have you given any thought as to how you intend to approach the emperor tomorrow? How do you plan to explain the scrolls without getting caught by an angry mob?”
I kept the papers clutched in my hands. “It won’t matter. There’s no telling what reaction we’ll get. He might laugh in my face or accuse me of trying to swindle the throne for gold.”
Valdov appeared to consider that. “For that reason alone, it would be best to stay away from the palace and live out the remainder of my days quietly in the desert—alone.”
“You’re asking for trouble if we try to hide, Valdov. Even the king is an open supporter of the scrolls.”
His lip curled upward into a snarl. “Do you really think I want to go to prison? I spent time in one as a boy, so don’t expect my cooperation anytime soon. Our lives may have taken quite different paths than you assumed.” He patted me gently on the hand, staring intently ahead. “We have a shared goal. As long as we keep it together, nothing will tear us apart.”
I gazed at the clear blue sky far overhead. “Let’s hope that isn’t the case.”
***
With sunrise still hours away, we continued to ride across the rolling golden sands. This region was devoid of vegetation of any kind, only appearing barren under the stark sun’s glare. To me, the colors looked more vibrant than anywhere I’d traveled so far on earth.
In this dry, sunny land, the sun shone with a strange warmth that left me both comfortable and strangely excited about the impending dangers. For weeks we’d been going against the grain, doing precisely as we pleased, seemingly heedless to the repercussions of our actions.
The End