Destiny by Jinxrox (red white and royal blue hardcover txt) 📕

red hair lifeless, and her normally sparkling green eyes were dull.


'Melina, I'm leaving.' Melina dropped her brush, and stared at Destiny with wide eyes.


'I need to break this curse, I can't have another family broken like Leo's, another family waiting in despair as they would know that the fateful day would come. I can't have that anymore, I can't stand by and do nothing. I am going and you cannot stop me.' Destiny concluded. Melina took a deep


'Here, take Pepper, you should leave tonight, because the caravan is leaving tonight so they won't notice if someone goes missing. Destiny, I-I can't go with you. I'm sorry, but there is to much for me here.'


'You mean Quinn?' Destiny asked, almost teasingly.

Melina smiled a little.


'Yes, Quinn, and this is my home now, my family.'

'I understand' Destiny replied.

'But I will help you in any way I can' Melina assured.

'I will need some food, and I will pack my bag soon. How about I meet you at the old bridge at sunset?'

'Deal, I'll bring lots of food.'


Destiny stuffed several pairs of clothes in her bag. The Voice Projector she put in her pocket, along with a bag of gold coins that Hermy paid her for the show and that her father stuck into her bag before she parted. She was now grateful that he had. Someone knocked on her door, she quickly hid the bag under her bed, and stashed her sword behind her.


'Come in.'


The door opened.


'Who is it?' Destiny asked.


'It's me, Adrian, I know what you are doing, Destiny, and you can't do this alone, especially if you are going to ride a horse. How will you know where you are going?'


'I HAVE to do this, and besides who would go with me, you?' Destiny smartly replied.


'Yes.' Adrian calmly answered. Destiny stood there in shock.


'Oh. Okay. If you want to. It's not going to be easy.' she answered.


'One question, where are we going to start?' Adrian asked.


'I was thinking the Sephorian mountains, it is rumored that a wise old shaman lives there, he should know about the curse.' Destiny answered. Adrian nodded.


'Okay, now grab that poorly hidden bag of yours, and let's meet Melina at the bridge before anyone finds out were are gone.'


Melina and Quinn met them on the bridge. Melina held two horses, Pepper, and a dark bay, and Quinn had a bag of food.


'Here, Pepper is for you, Destiny, and this is Oliver for Adrian.'


Melina's upper lip quivered, and she quickly thrust her arms around Destiny and encircled her in a large hug.

'I'll miss you' Melina said.


'I'll miss you too.' Quinn gave Destiny a quick hug, and shook hands with Adrian. They mounted their horses and set off.


'Adrian,' Melina yelled,' take care of her'.


They rode out of the caravan area and Pepper's clip-clop of her hooves broke as she stepped on something metal. Destiny quickly dismounted and found a long thin piece of metal, badly burnt, but she could tell what it was. Leo's bronze flute.


'I'll break this curse, Leo' She whispered to the breeze, and as they left the town, she could hear the wind calling; Destiny, Destiny.
Chapter 8

Chapter 8


Rain pummeled on Destiny's back, as she tried to shield her face from the storm. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and lighting stuck awfully close to a nearby tree. Flames jumped up, but were quickly extinguished by the pouring rain. Adrian couldn't see anything, so he had attached a cord from his horse, to Destiny's behind him.

'Just a little longer!' Adrian yelled through the howling wind. Destiny tried to respond, but her voice lost the competition against nature. In the distance he could see the warm glow of an inn, and they headed towards it. A young boy took their horses to the inn's stables. Destiny placed her hand on Adrian's arm, as this was unknown territory to her. He tensed, then relaxed. Their boots squeaked as they walked towards the door. Laughter and the clink of glasses could be heard. Adrian pushed open the wooden door, and immediately Destiny's senses were overwhelmed by the pungent odors of rather large (and extremely loud) men. Adrian gently pried her fingers off his arm and took a protective stance in front of her.

'Can I get ya somethin'?' A large man with thinning black hair, and a once white apron asked.

'Two rooms for the night, along with two dinners.'

''Uhh. I only have one room left, if y'all don't mind sharin'.' Destiny blushed

'One room it is'

Most of the occupants have filed out of the main room, and as the clock chimed 10:00 they decided they should too. Adrian led her up the winding stairs and into the room. There were two small beds, a small bathroom, and a wooden desk.

'You have first choice' Adrian said as he gestured to the beds. She put her bag on the one closest to the window.

'I'm going to wash up' Destiny said. She felt her way in the unfamiliar room to the bathroom. She turned the bronze faucet on, and lukewarm water streamed out. She sighed as the water washed away all the dirt and grime she had accumulated today.

Adrian stood over a map he had laid out on the desk. He ran his hand through his slightly curly brown hair. He heard a knock at the bathroom door.

'Adrian? It's you turn to wash.' Destiny opened the door, dressed in a simple white flannel nightgown. Her blond hair was combed, and her white eyes turned to him, fixing him with their unseeing gaze.

'Adrian?'

'I'll go wash in a minute, you go ahead to bed.'

'You better wash though, because you stink.' Destiny giggled. Adrian rolled his eyes.

'Alright, alright, I'm going.'

She laid down on the hard bed, and draped the blanket over her body. A little while later, a clean smelling Adrian emerged from the bathroom. He went over to the desk and started to roll up the map.

'Adrian?' Destiny's tone of voice made him turn around. She was stroking the blanket.

'What color is this?'

'Blue'

'What does blue look like?' Adrian paused, unsure of how to answer.

'I mean, what does it feel like?'

'It feels,' he started 'serene, calming, it makes me think of water, the pounding of the waves on the shore, the smell of the ocean, the-' Adrian stopped when he heard the smallest of snores coming from Destiny, who's hand was clenched tightly around a disfigured bronze flute.


***


They rode hard the next several days, only stopping when they absolutely needed to. The days after the storm were hot and very humid, making it hard on the horses and their riders.

'We are here,' Adrian drgged Destiny's hand to their spot on the map, 'and we need to be here', he positioned her hand about five inches to the east.

'We better get going then' Destiny replied. They rode harder than before, and stopped briefly at villages to inquire about the shaman, but nobody seemed to know him. They stopped at the base of the mountain.

'Are we going up there?' she asked.

'Yep'

'It looks cold.'

'It most likely is.' Destiny shivered, she didn't like the cold, but preferred it to heat. They had been on the road for almost a month now and Destiny was loosing hope. The steadily began their climb up the treacherous mountain. That night, they stopped in a vacant cave to rest.

'I'll take first watch,' Destiny suggested. Adrian nodded, as he needed a well deserved rest. Destiny sat on a large rock and started thinking about Melina. How is she? Where is she? Then she remembered. She grabbed the voice projector out of her coat pocket.


***


Melina couldn't go to sleep. Whenever she was about to, she thought about her fight with Quinn, or Destiny being gone, and she woke up again. She groaned into her pillow.

'Hey! Melina, be quiet would ya!' A bitter voice said on the bed above her.

'Sorry'

Melina?

''Destiny,' she whispered, 'is that you?'

Yes.

'How are you and Adrian?'

Tired, tired of looking and not finding anything. This mountain is our last resort, if we don't find anything, I don't know what we will do.

'I'm sure you'll find something.'

How is everyone there?

'Good, for the most part.'

Who's the exception?

No answer.

Did you have a fight with Quinn?

'Maybe.'

What happened?

'I don't want to talk about it.'

Well, whatever he did, give him a second chance, that boy really loves you.

'You think he does?'

Oh, I'm SURE he does.

'Melina! I thought I told you to be quiet!'

'Uhhh, I better go, 'night!'

Goodnight.


***


Destiny put the Voice Projector back into her pocket. She heard a rustle in the bushes and unsheathed her sword. It got louder, then suddenly stopped. She lowered her sword slowly. Destiny heard a growl to her left.

'Adrian,' she whispered a she shook him frantically, while still listening to the growls of a nearby beast.

'Adrian!'

'Whaaaaat?' he said, his words still thick with sleep.

'Something's out there, something big, something that's getting closer by the second.'

Chapter 9

Chapter 9


A large black bear lumbered out at them. Its claws shone in the moonlight, and its razor sharp teeth would intimidate even the best of fighters. Adrian jumped up and quickly and swiftly grabbed his sword. Destiny already had her's drawn. She knew that Adrian would have a disatvantage because it is nighttime, but she was