The Conquest - by Thompson Emate

https://Voice.club - “They’re here,” he said, his eyes wide with fear.

The lad hurried to the window. “Oh no! But you said we had more time,” he exclaimed, turning to look at the sage.

“Yes, but not anymore. There’s a reversal in time. The book says that sometimes a reversal can happen when the elements grow weary from the weight of the night. Then…”

“Then the veil frays and splits open,” the lad finished.

“How do you know this?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged.

“Then you’re the one who must read the book.”

“How? Why me?”

“The prophecy states that the chosen one will come from another land. It also says that the lad will be different from his siblings—an enigma.”

“And that’s all?”

“It also said that the written words will be scripted within him. You just completed my sentence. That means the writing is within you.”

A brief silence followed.

“Come on, there’s no time to waste! Soon we’ll be dead men, and the town will become a graveyard.”

The town was engulfed in dense darkness, which thickened as the number of monsters and dark knights increased. The people could barely see.

“This is the book,” the sage said, handing it to the lad.

“What are these? What do they say? I can’t read it!” the lad said, flipping through the pages.

“Yes, you can,” the sage insisted.

“How?” the lad asked, closing the book in frustration.

“You can only if you tell yourself you will. The voice within you will speak if you allow your mind to see the light. The survival of the people—and us—depends on you.”

Tears welled in his eyes as he opened the book again. He closed his eyes, muttered some words, and began to read. A light appeared in the sky, gradually growing larger. The sage watched with wide eyes, astonished. Suddenly, white horses with glowing riders emerged from the light and charged into the battalion. There were clashes and slashes, and then they spun and vanished.

Suddenly, a bright light fell like flakes from the sky, accompanied by loud rejoicing.

@ThompsonEmate

What a great story, Thompson! This may be your best story yet. I love the mystery of “the book”, and the suggestion that the survival of the people depends on the lad reading the book.

I also love this paragraph: “It also said that the written words will be scripted within him. You just completed my sentence. That means the writing is within you.” It is so true that the wisdom we need comes from within.

Congratulations on a well-written, memorable story.

Thank you, Julie for stopping by. I’m glad you like the story.

What a fantastic story! The picture helped set the scene of mystery and dread, and your words did a wonderful job of completing that to the end until negative became hopeful. My favorite line is “a bright light fell like flakes from the sky”. Very descriptive! Thanks for sharing this story.