6

I went back to my chambers later, after tea with the queen. I opened the door to find Micka playing a single-player card game on the floor of my bedroom. He looked up at me and smiled.

"There you are! You have to tell me all that happened!" He gushed, giggling like a girl.

I giggled and rolled my eyes. I took the cards from Micka and shuffled them. We started a game, and he asked what happened again.

"Nothing. Squire Ivon is quiet but very respectful of the Crown and people with the Gift. Prince Nicholas is something; he surely isn't what I thought." I explained, putting a card down.

"Was he nice?"

"I suppose he was. He didn't act spoiled." I sighed and picked up a card from the pile. Micka put down a card.

"You sound tired. Maybe you should- Woah! What's that?" he asked.

He had finally spotted the headpiece I was wearing. I took it off and showed him.

"I got it from the queen before I went to the throne room. She told me I reminded her of her daughter. I lost my mother when I got taken away to the Council of Magic. I don't remember what she looks like." I said. Sadness struck my heart. I miss my mother.

"Maybe she is!" Micka exclaimed. "Maybe after years, she became King Richard's wife."

I shook my head. "Impossible. King Richard and Queen Alanna married while my mother was pregnant with me." Micka's face fell, and he picked up cards.

"Well, it's a nice dream anyway," he mumbled.

"Yeah, I guess."

Micka picked up the cards and put them away.

"I'll see you tomorrow Tilda." he walked out of my room, shutting the door quietly.

"Bye," I said quietly to no one in particular. I dressed for bed, laid under my blanket, and went to sleep.

~~~~^_^.^_^~~~~

I woke up in a dark void. Nothing was in sight except six lights that circled me. A blue light twinkled in front of me; then, all the lights manifested into hooded strangers.

"Matilda of the East, daughter of Magic." said the light blue. It was a woman's voice. "You have been chosen by the Gods and Goddesses as our champion."

I looked around at the cloaked figures that towered over me like giants. My heartfelt as if it would pop out of my chest and run away.

"Do not hold fear, my child. You will save this world from destruction. You will be the hero of it." She said to me.

"But," interjected an adult male's voice. It sounded like thunder. "You are young, too young, in my opinion. Therefore, you must take on even more responsibility and study your magic further."

"Micka of the Highlands will be your partner." said another woman. Her voice rang like children's laughter. "Micka has been chosen as your companion in magic. He will be your lifelong friend."

"Wait! Who are you?" I finally blurted.

The six figures stared at me.

"We are the Six." This voice was another man. His voice made me sleepy and filled me with fear. "The Gods and Goddesses of Love, Magic, Evil, Goodwill, Death, and Life."

The woman that was the light blue stepped forward. "I am the Goddess of Magic. You are my chosen one," she said. The Goddess pulled down her hood and smiled.

Her teeth shone like the whitest of pearls, and her ebony skin was beautiful chocolate. Her voice sounded of a harp's melody. I had lost all the words.

"Micka is the one I chose for you," The Goddess, whose voice sounded of children's laughter. "I am the Goddess of Love," She pulled her hood as well. Her eyes held so much kindness and youth. Her hair was the color of wheat. "Micka will be the best friend you will have until the end of your days." She continued.

I lost my voice. I was in shock. Master Jacob once told me that only influential users of The Gift get Chosen by the Goddess of Magic, let alone all Six Gods. My Goddess leaned in front of me; her eyes were blue as sapphires. She covered my eyes with her hand.

"Matilda of the East, daughter of Magic, I am blessing you with the Sight of The Gods. The aura of one of the Six Gods could surround anything. That aura will be us, there to help you on your path of heroism. You will see it." The Goddess took her hand away and stepped back.

"For the record, little girl, I don't think you are much of a 'champion'." The booming male God said. He pulled his hood down.

The man had white hair, short but stuck up like he had slept on one side. He was handsome, as you would expect from a God, except for his eye. The God's eye was missing, the socket was black and empty. The skin around it was knotted and scarred, his eyebrow grown in patches due to the old wounds.

"Pay no mind, Matilda. As the God of Death, Hudor is very cynical and negative." My Goddess said, putting her hands on my shoulders. Hudor scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Emis, she's a little girl. You saw what path that King Richard put her on! A servant for his son." The God boomed.

"She isn't going to stay like that, Hudor. Matilda has a long existence ahead of her." Another male, his voice light, yet serious and firm. He pulled down his hood. This man must be the God of Life, since he said I'm going to live a long time. His hair was white just like Hudor's.

"Enough, boys," A female's voice rang out. Another hood down and looking into the face of this woman sent shivers of fear down my spine, rattling me bones with it.

"There is no point in arguing amongst ourselves. We all know that you chose a champion because I'm dreadfully bored."

The woman's black hair was long, almost to the floor. It cascaded down her back like a long, ominous shadow. She walked forward with the grace of a cat, stalking it's prey. I knew who this was too, or at least I could assume; The Goddess of Evil. Her smile was malicious, almost like a wild jackal with it's teeth bared.

"W-wait, is this just a game to you all?" I squeak out in the face of Evil.

The Goddess knocks back her head and laughs. "Of course it is, my love!" She howls, her eyes were red like hot coals. "This is a game to see if my friends here can keep their precious mortals afloat in their little world. A game I like to play every so often."

"Pay her no mind, my child." My Goddess, Emis, turned me to face her. One look at her beauty I felt calm again. "Her threats to your world are real, to us it is not a game. I gave you your Gift, you are the one I chose. Whatever happens, you will prevail." Once again, she covered my eyes. "Sleep now, my child."