IN THE LAND OF FANTASIA, CHAPTER 5 – C 2011 JoJo

CHAPTER 5
Delphistra perched her little bottom on a rock by the Lake of Mirrors, then wrapped her arms around her legs, drawing them to her chest. Her golden hair rippled down her back, gleaming in the sunshine, like molten gold.

Coming up the path behind her, Coalis held his breath. He’d never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life, he thought to himself. He stood silently, drinking her in with his eyes, feeling his heart turn over in his chest as he gazed at her. Suddenly he noticed she look preoccupied and frightened. He glanced around anxiously to see if any danger threatened her, and on seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he crept up and tapped her gently on her shoulder.

She leapt up like a started rabbit, jerking backwards and almost falling down. Rushing forward, Coalis caught her before she hit the ground.

“Coalis, you nearly frightened me to death!” she said angrily. “Don’t ever creep up on me like that again!”

Still holding her Coalis gasped. “I’m sorry, I had no idea you’d be so scared – I thought you heard me coming.” He paused. “What are you scared of anyhow?” he asked. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been scared edgy and nervous.”

She drew herself away, and reluctantly Coalis let her go. “Never mind,” she muttered “You really don’t want to know.”

As a rule Coalis backed down when Delphistra insisted on keeping her secrets, but this time determination won the day. He felt he had to know what fears she held in her heart and wouldn’t know a moment’s peace until he knew what they were. It was the only way he could protect her from whatever threat loomed in her life.

“Delphistra, I need to know. I can’t go on like this, wondering if you’re safe. I don’t know what to look out for, or what dangers lurk in your life. You must tell me,” he gently laid his hands on her dainty shoulders and gave her a small shake. “You… must… tell…me.”

Delphistra looked into Coalis’s deep brown eyes and saw the love and tender concern for her in them.

Sighing she sat down and patted the rock next to her. “Alright Coalis, sit here next to me and I’ll tell you but you must promise you won’t tell anyone else. If anyone asks you questions about me, you must tell them nothing, do you understand? Nothing!”

“Yes yes of course I understand. You know your secrets are safe with me.”

Delphistra gave a deep sigh. A small frown knitted between her dainty golden eyebrows. “I don’t like telling you because it puts you in danger. By knowing my secrets, your wall of ignorance comes down, and you are as vulnerable to him as I am.”

Coalis felt rage surging inside of him. “Who is he? Who is this person you are so scared of?”

Delphistra paused. “Do you remember the other day when I mentioned that Bactris had come around?”

“Yes I do,” Coalis said. “And I told you I’d sort him out for you and I still will.” Coalis started to rise to his feet.

“Sit down Coalis, sit down, he’s not the problem. I told you he can’t harm me because I have the rainbow ark, but he knows about … Grogan, and my ark is powerless against Grogan. Bactris said he was going to tell Grogan where I am!” She broke into fresh sobs.

“Who is Grogan?” Coalis demanded.

Delphistra’s eyes filled with tears.

“Grogan the ogre – you’ve heard of him haven’t you?”

“Well yes, of course, we all have heard of him. But he lives in the Zolta Badlands and never comes to Fantasia Land.”

Delphistra’s tears poured down her cheeks and she started sobbing gently. Stricken by her distress, Coalis put his arms around her and cuddled her. “Hush, don’t cry Delphistra, I will protect you. I would lay my life down for you.” Plucking a leaf from an overhanging branch, he tenderly wiped away her tears.

“So why are you so afraid of Grogan?”

Looking into his face, she gasped “Because he is … my father.”