Chapter 4 - The Inn

They sat in the far corner in the downstairs restaurant. People all around were shouting out bar songs and getting drunk. But in the corner where they sat, the noise disintegrated. Slightly.

Tlen had bought some medical supplies to clean Serenity's arm up with and her arm now lay cradled gently in her lap, bandages and all. He'd also bought a dress that blended in with the other clothes of the town, instead of her “Earthly” blue-jeans and zip up sweatshirt. Serenity wasn't even sure if these people knew what a zipper was.

While he was out, she stayed in the room he'd rented. Serenity had sat on the bed closest to the window which she'd claimed when they entered their room.

The dark room was small and stuffy. The only furniture inside was two beds, a dresser and a washbowl. It could hardly even fit that.

But now they both sat downstairs in the corner by the fire.

The dress Serenity wore stopped several inches above her knees and it had thin straps holding it up. At first she was disgusted that he'd bought it, let alone that she had to wear it. But she quickly changed her mind as they sat by the roasting fire. Serenity was glad it wasn't long sleeved.

Steaming bowels of soup were placed in front of them and two cups that Serenity could only guess by the smell was ale. Surprised that they gave beer to under aged teenagers, she leaned over to Tlen and said, “I'm only seventeen! I don't drink alcohol.” He gave her an amusing smile but told the cook to bring her a glass of water any way.

Once the cook brought the water out, he settled back in his seat and said, “Well, let's get down to business, shall we?” He stared at her with those milky eyes. Although he had no pupils and irises to follow around with, Serenity soon learned that you could feel the heat of his gaze with your eyes closed. But once you learned their secrets, you could read them like a book. Gradually, she learned how to do this, too.

“Yes, please. Tell me everything. How `bout you start with why you brought me here to this place that I've never known existed in my life and how we had to go through a purple…popping……thing to get here!,” Serenity sputtered.

“Are you finished?”

“Yeah, for now.”

“Okay then,” he said putting his cup down. “Where do I start?

“Um, well on our planet we have what are called Earth Keepers. What an Earth Keeper does is, put in the most simple terms, holds the ground together. Every root, every tree, every blade of grass is controlled and, or held together by the power of the Earth Keeper. If ever the Earth Keeper would die, the kingdom he or she controls disappears.”

“Wait, do you mean literally disappear or figuratively disappears?”

“I mean literally. It just falls into the earth, becoming a deep hole in the side of the planet. Each kingdom has an Earth Keeper. If they don't, then that kingdom simply does not exist.”

“But what if there was a war or something and the boundaries are changed?”

“The only way to `change' the borders would be to make the Earth Keeper give up their claim.”

Serenity sat back in her chair, trying hard to swallow the forming lump in her throat. Finally she collected up enough courage to ask the question she wanted answered the most. Her voice still came out small and squeaky even with her remaining courage. “What does this have to do with me?”

He let out a sigh and wore an expression that seemed to say `I'll have to tell her sometime'. “Okay, well, the parents you grew up with, the ones you know and love, are not your real parents. Your birth parents were from here. You father had the most important job on this planet. He was Fayrah's Earth Keeper.

“On his death bed he gave his gift to his daughter, you.”

The words hung in the air for what seemed like hours. Great, Serenity thought. Now I'll have to stay here a while.

Tlen continued. “I had to come and get you today because your teacher was starting to make her move. I knew that if I waited any longer, you would die along with all of us Fayrahnians.”

Serenity folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. Why her. Why did she have to be the important person, of all the people it could've been?

Tlen must've seen her anxiety, because he then asked, “Do want me to continue?”

Serenity looked up at his white eyes and whispered, “Let's just get this over with.”

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