Anything For You
Chapter 89

"I want to know about my Late Father." Egon's throat had a huge lump, when he said those words to Evanora. Mentioning his dear father as late was the last thing he ever wanted to do. He gulped that huge lump and said those words with a cracked voice. Evanora nodded in understanding and closed her eyes. Placing her both hands over that shining crystal ball, she chanted some spells, and asked Egon to keep his hands over the ball too. Egon followed her with heavy heart. Soon, Evanora asked him to open his eyes. Egon opened his eyes and eyeballs became wider, as if they were ready to be popped out of their sockets. He wasn't able to contemplate all those things inside his mind. How was that even possible. Looking at Evanora in daze, he mumbled,

"How... !?"

Evanora sensed his complicated emotions, and patted his shoulder. She appeared to a bit more aged by now. Egon had been watching his little self with his father, who was alive, flesh and blood in front of him, playing with his little self. He wasn't able to understand the things.

His gaze landed on EVANORA's face hoping to get some answers, to which she narrated,

"We are back in the time when your father was alive. I looked into your memories, and this happened to be the last day when he was with you. After this he left for a hunt. So, we are now here. In short, we are in your memories, but my magic will make us see those things too, which you never knew."

He nodded in understanding. Watching his father lively and happy, he just wanted to hug him tightly and never let him go. Just when he took a step ahead to follow his thoughts, Evanora held his wrist stopping him in his pace,

"Don't. We are in your memories. A single bit of change here, will cause you paralyzed for whole of your life. And not only you, but I will also be affected. My magic will be sealed in your mind. So, you can only observe from far, and not meddle in the past events. No matter what happens."

Egon understood her words and nodded, assuring her that he would not do anything recklessly. But still, it's harder to have someone close to you in front of your eyes, but not being able to talk to them and touch them. His emotions were unstable, and this didn't go unnoticed by EVANORA.

Trying to divert his attention, she enquired,

"Did something happen with late king on this day?"

Egon hung his head down, not letting Evanora to witness his tears, which were threatening him to fall anytime, and shook his head in a no.

Evanora understood, and suggested,

"Then we should move further. Although, the time in here and the time out in the real world are different, and our stay won't affect much, but I would suggest you to not stay here for longer durations."

Egon was perplexed. He didn't understand what she was trying to say. Sensing his eyebrows getting frowned, she patted his shoulder and explained, facing him,

"Look, although it's your memory world, still we can get trapped in here. Moreover, it's magical too. It means the characters and people in here can't see or hear us. But that won't happen for too long, before they would sense our presence. And the ones who would get involved, will loose all of their memories. The sole mission of this memory trip is to help you finding the reasons of your father's death, and not endanger anyone."

But Egon, who had never faced such a situation before, was dumbfounded. He thought something and blurted,

"But this is already in the past. How would our presence affect these people. Also, it's my memories."

Evanora took two steps ahead looking at the beautiful palace and it's surroundings, saying something which left the already Confused Egon even more baffled,

"There is nothing like past, present and future, your majesty. Everything goes side by side."

Saying those words, she snapped her fingers. Within a swift moment, the scenario changed and both of them were now in the wilderness, the same jungle where the late king had gone for hunting.

Looking at the changed surroundings, Egon got raged immediately and snapped over Evanora, almost yelling,

"I want to go back to that time. I want to see my father. Take me back, NOW...!"

Evanora's glassy forehead creased a bot, showing the lines of deep frowns, that appeared because of Egon's behavior. She reprimanded him,

"We are not here to reunite you with your father. We are here to find the truth. And YOUR MAJESTY, I am helping you. Don't try to show your tone to me. You must be aware that I have got nothing to loose."

Listening to her schooling, Egon maintained his calm composure, and apologized with his eyes only. As the duo were busy in their chats, they both heard the tick-tock sounds of a running horse.

Egon sensed the movements, and looked towards the direction, only to see his father, and Akhim besides him, along with some of the soldiers of kingdom

They looked like they were chasing some animal for hunt. Both Egon and Evanora averted their gazes, only to land them on a running swamp deer, which was quite a large animal.

The animal had long sensed those men chasing him for hunt, and now was running to save his life directionlessly. The faces of those men chasing it, were beaming with happiness because they knew, it was just a matter of time before this poor deer would be killed. Just then, Egon heard Akhim talking to Late king still riding the horse,

"Your Majesty, I don't think we should go far into the jungle. It's a dangerous area, and also our soldiers are left quite behind. We should head back."

The evening was falling down, swiping all the rays of sunlight, and covering the earth in dark shadows. But the king was determined. In his full enthusiasm, he kept on chasing the deer while talking to Akhim,

"I won't go back now, Akhim. Did you forget that Egon loves the deer. How happier he would be, when his father will present him the deer, he had hunted himself. I want my dear son to be happier. It's a matter of time. Just one arrow, and the deer will be in our hands."

But while chasing the deer, king fastened his pace, and Akhim and other soldiers were left behind. He was chasing it way too faster. The animal had gone into the deeper parts of jungle, making it even more dangerous for the king. Although the land belonged to his kingdom, yet he wasn't totally aware of the dangers lurking in this area.

Following it inside the jungle, the king suddenly lost it from his sight. Evanora and Egon were still following the king, with her magic. Evanora had already sensed the bad vibes, but Egon was totally lost in his thoughts.

In another split second, they both heard a loud whimper of a man. Egon took it for his father and ran towards the direction, while Evanora sighed helplessly.

Approaching the direction of whimper, they both saw Egon's father sitting besides a man, who was crying in pain. The arrow that late king had launched for the deer, accidentally struck in the heart of that man. But they weren't able to see that man's face. Moving slowly towards the whimpering man, Egon was shocked as of he was hit by a thousands bolt of thunder. The man lying on the ground bleeding profusely with tears in his eyes, was a hybrid. He was a man, and a giant snake. Looking at him, Egon covered his mouth with his hands gasping for air.

Soon, another loud whimpering sound of a lady was heard, but to their utter surprise, there was no lady. Instead a huge golden green colored Snake passed by them hissing loudly and approaching the lying man, it shifted into a beautiful human girl. It was for the first time that Egon was watching these creatures. Not understanding anything, he looked at Evanora hoping for her to make the things clearer, to which she said,

"Your father shot this Snake, a wishful serpent, who can turn into his human form and snake form, any time he desires. And the lady sitting besides him is his wife."

"But what it has to do with my father's death?" Egon asked her.

Before she could respond, the heard the lady yelling at the king,

"What have you done? You look like a king. It's your duty to protect all of your people. We live in this jungle from decades. You... you killed my husband. How could you do this? Now what would I say to my daughter, who is waiting for her father!!! TELL ME....!" The king started stuttering realizing his mistake. He apologized several times to that lady, but she refused to forgive him, and then she cursed him, "You killed my husband, my love. You separated a sweet baby girl from her father.

I ... I, THE QUEEN OF SNAKES, CURSE YOU, THAT YOU WOULD BE SEPARATED FROM YOUR BELOVED CHILD, AND YOUR LOVELY WIFE. YOU WILL DIE MISERABLY, WITH NONE OF YIUR FAMILY MEMBERS BY YIUR SIDE. I CURSE YOU KING, I CURSE YOU....!" Saying all those words, the lady looked at sky and closed her eyes. Within a moment, the lying man took his last breaths, and he shifted into a huge snake. The snake immediately started burning, leaving nothing behind.

Tears were still rolling down her eyes and she chanted some spells, leading to herself choking on her own breathing. She shifted back to her snake form, and died on the same spot.

The king was puzzled. He was still not able to decipher all the things that happened there. He knew that nothing could be done to revert the curse that snake queen had casted over him.

With heavy heart, he hauled up from his sit, with tears in his eyes and guilt in his heart. The guilt of killing an innocent couple started to haunt him. While he moved away from that place, with an ancient artifact in his hands, which was with the dying man, stepped on his horse to return back to his kingdom, Egon was left standing there dumbfounded, looking at his broken father and that artifact in hands.