Chapter 16: The Elder

"Phileas, is it not about time that we visit the elder to ask for a new prophecy? Things may have changed, you never know," Sarah asked after she finished reading the book about the history of the Rokav kingdom.

Phileas turned to look at her while thinking about the right course of action. He knew that she just wanted to chase after Brave. She did not really need a new prophecy, she just wanted to convince him that everything she did should be permitted. It really bothered him. He did not know why, but deep inside him he always felt annoyed whenever she hinted about him. Especially now that he had just felt a rush of emotions from her touch, he really wished Brave would cease to exist. Even so, he also began to feel that new prophecy was not unusual. Things could have changed. A lot of variables are involved in building up to fate. Perhaps her sudden return, her discovering the cursed garden, and the forest incident today changed how things would turn out in the future.

"You never know. Maybe the elder will say that I won't find my magic in the next 50 years".

For someone who suddenly became the owner of a kingdom and is fated to die young, she sure has a lot of time to joke around, Phileas thought. He stood up from the couch and paced a bit. Looking up at the ceiling, he sighed a little. Maybe they should visit the elder. It would be of relief if the princess could escape the cursed fate.

Phileas carried Sarah as they flew towards the sacred mountain. There was nothing sacred about the mountain. It was named so, because of the elder who lives there. He is known to have lived for over 200 years and can speak the future. People in the nearby villages began to believe that he was a sacred being with sacred magic. They believed that him living in that mountain meant that everything in the mountain was cleansed of dark magic and evil. Sometimes the villagers hiked the sacred mountains to pray or to cleanse themselves. Very few could make it to the top where the elder was known to reside. Word was that only if the elder wished, would he allow himself to be found, otherwise people were to be lost in the woods with no hope of reaching the top.

For Phileas, who flew to his destinations, finding the elder may seem to be a piece of cake. But even he roamed around the woods once when he first came for the prophecy. His father was the one who found the elder.

When he landed in the woods, Sarah began to shiver from the extremely cold weather. They were above the clouds by now and she was not used to the cold at high altitudes. A large mass of white feathers wrapped around her to keep her warm. She huddled close to the owner of the wings, but was very careful to not touch. In her head, Phileas' wings were probably a very sensitive part of him that she better not defile.

They walked into the forest and kept walking, all the while trying to make sure they were not going in circles. Trees after trees standing tall with their roots covering almost every spot on the ground. The forest ground itself was a visual indication of the absence of trespassers. In fact, not a life was visible, not even a bird. Just the leaves rustling in the light breeze breaking the otherwise numb silence apart from the sound of their footsteps. It was so silent that Sarah's ears began to hurt.

After a few minutes, the pain in her ears began to fade. She started to feel warmer. Phileas felt it too and folded his wings in response. Sarah looked up at him to see his expression. He kept his eyes fixed at a distant point. She followed his gaze to find a small hut far away. This must be the elder's residence.

The hut was no larger than the height of Phileas himself. Made from dried mud and dried leaves for the roof, it looked old to be standing, yet quite firm at the same time. When they waited at the door, a small man in a one piece robe walked out to greet them. When he smiled at them, his small eyes disappeared under his thick eyebrows.

"Welcome to my humble abode, your highness".

Sarah instinctively bowed.