Amos Daragon_ The Mask Wearer - Bryan Perro [33]
The druid guided Amos and Junos to the center of the woods of Tarkasis. Seven dolmens marked the limits of a gathering space where a multitude of fairies and druids, who had come from near and far, were seated comfortably on large wooden chairs of unusual shapes. They all applauded when Amos appeared. There were small and large fairies; old, hairy druids as well as young beautiful ones; and some strange, small, wrinkled creatures.
Amos and Junos were invited to sit down at the center of the circle. In front of them, two women were wearing crowns: a robust mermaid with light blue hair and a tall fairy with pointed ears. The two creatures were dazzling to look at. They displayed strength and charisma. The pointed-eared fairy, dressed in green, rose to her feet and requested silence with a gesture of her hand.
“Dear friends, I, Gwenfadrille, queen of the woods of Tarkasis, am happy to welcome you to my home for the revival of the tradition of mask wearers.
“The wearer has been chosen by Crivannia, princess of the waters, to accomplish the mission. Our most ancient druid, Mastagane the Muddy, recognized him as such in Bratel-la-Grande, and so did the Lady in White.” She pointed to Amos. “Amos Daragon, whom we see here, will become the first mask wearer in a new generation of heroes who will restore stability to this world. If anyone is opposed to his selection, let him or her be heard now or be forever silent!”
The assembled council didn’t say a word.
Amos got up. “I’m opposed to this choice!” he said.
A murmur of astonishment rippled through the audience.
“I refuse to serve if I don’t understand what is expected of me,” Amos went on. “I realize that it’s a great honor to be chosen, but I demand to know more about the mission you wish me to undertake, and I want to be told what a mask wearer is.”
A perplexed Gwenfadrille looked at Mastagane the Muddy. “Mastagane, did you not tell him?” she asked.
“Yes, a little, but not all,” the druid mumbled. “I thought that you would explain in more detail. So I did not completely—”
“Are you saying that this boy came all this way without knowing what a mask wearer is?” interrupted the queen, stretching each of her words out.
“I believe that is so,” murmured the druid, looking a little ashamed.
Amos took advantage of the confusion and pulled the white stone out of his pocket.
“I came here first to give you a message, Gwenfadrille,” he said. “Your friend Crivannia, princess of the waters, is dead, and her realm has fallen into the hands of the merriens. Before she died, she asked me to bring this white stone to you and tell you that she had chosen me as the mask wearer. But you seem to already know that.”
“Yes, we know,” admitted the green fairy. “Give me the stone and listen to what I say.
“In ancient times, the world was divided between the sun and the moon, between the creatures of light and the creatures of night. The beings of light represented good, and those of night were the representatives of evil. For centuries, the creatures of the two camps fought deadly battles to ensure the domination on earth of light or of night.
“Tired of these sterile and endless fights, several great kings and queens of both camps decided to meet to try to find a solution. It was necessary to find common ground to restore the peace that everyone wanted. Together they selected humans—the only beings in whom good and evil live jointly—and created the sacred order of the mask wearers. Their task was simple enough: it consisted of working with good and evil, with day and night, to bring balance back into the world. These warriors of equilibrium were given the mission to kill menacing dragons, to calm the ardor of the unicorns, and to reunite the realms that war had divided. These men derived their power from the magic of the elements.