Bedtime Stories, Kyle White [free books to read txt] 📗

before anyone was able to confront him about the magical appearance he quickly ran into an alley.
“He found his way back into the palace grounds by staying in the shadows and using the guards blind spots to his advantage.”
I interrupt him again, “What is a blind spot grandpa?”
“It’s a spot where one is unable to see anything,” he sees I am still confused. “Okay it is like when your mom has to look over her shoulder when see drives because she can’t see behind her if she is looking forward.”
“But mommy never looks behind her when she is driving.”
Grandpa just laughs, “Well in any case, a blind spot is a place where you can’t see. So, continuing on. Once Rabinaph was in the Palace he made his way to the Emperor’s chamber. He entered and found it empty. ‘Where are you brother’ he thought to himself. He walked for hours checking every room he passed. Occasionally he had to avoid being caught by wondering guards. Of course they never spotted him, so he just continued looking.
“After many hours of searching he was exhausted and was running out of rooms in the Palace to check. Then he heard a loud laugh, ‘I know that laugh anywhere’ he said to himself.” Grandpa looks at me, “It was the laugh of the Emperor, his brother.”
“Yeah I know please continue.”
“Okay,” he smiles. “Rabinaph entered the room he heard the laugh come from. His brother was lying on his bed with a beautiful woman. ‘Brother I have come back from the dead. You tried to kill me, so now I will return the favor.’ Rabinaph jumped on the bed and stabbed his surprised brother through the heart. The woman fled and Rabinaph knew he had little time to escape. So he jumped through the window next to the bed. The fall was a long one, once he landed though he felt nothing. Not one single done had been broken. He looked up and saw that the window was at least three stories up. Then he remembered and looked down at his finger and kissed the ring that lay there. Rabinaph escaped the Rome undetected by the dead Emperor’s guards and never returned.” Grandpa gets up to leave, “Okay that’s the story now its off to bed with you.”
“What, no that can’t be the end. Tell me does he ever die, where did he go since he couldn’t go back to Rome.”
He looks at me and reluctantly sits back down. “Fine, After escaping the City of Rome. Rabinaph is followed by the best tracker in all of the Roman Empire. Boroc, had come from the Greek City States, ten years ago to serve the Emperor. Now the head of the Emperor’s army, he wasn’t going to let an assassin disgrace him. So he rode out into the country side, with his army, looking for Rabinaph. Every village he passed that he knew had aided Rabinaph he destroyed. ”
“But how did he know that they had helped Rabinaph, grandpa?” I ask.
“Well, remember I said he was a great tracker.” I nod, “Well, He followed his tracks through the towns and if Rabinaph appeared to enter a house or drink from the well then Boroc burned down the village.”
“A pretty mean guy if you ask me.”
“Yes Steph, a very mean guy. Anyway, he followed Rabinaph to the edges of the Roman Empire. All the way to the British Isles. There Rabinaph was cornered, he had no chance of escape.” Grandpa looks at me, “At least that is what Boroc thought. But, as it turned out Rabinaph had found a secret about the ring. One day while hiding in an old fortress in present day France. Rabinaph stumbled upon a portrait of a woman wearing the ring on her finger. He searched throughout the fortress for more portraits of this woman, but he came across none. He was ready to leave and as he was walking out the front gate he spotted Boroc and his men on the horizon. Rabinaph was in a panic, what was he to do. If he tried to escape then Boroc’s men would run him down, but if he stayed then Boroc would find him. He was dead either way. Rabinaph retreated from the door and headed back into the room with the portrait. He looked frantically around for something to hide in. Then as he was running around the room he tripped over a rug on the floor. When he got up, the rug was under his foot and was half way off a wooden door. Rabinaph went to the door and climbed down.
“Once in the chamber Rabinaph quickly looked around, he saw a light at the far end of the tunnel and a smell of sweet air. He looked up and could hear the footprints of the soldiers on the stone floor. He closed his eyes and prayed. When he opened his eyes the wooden door which he had opened was now closed. He heard Boroc speak, ’He must have stayed here over the night then left early in the morning, if we hurry we can catch up to him.’ He heard the men leave the fortress and then all was silent. He thought to himself, ’that means the rug must have been put in place, but how?’
“How did the rug move back in place grandpa?” I ask.
“I don’t know, I have wondered that…err I mean Rabinaph wondered that as well. But he didn’t care how it happened as long as he was safe. So down the tunnel he went, with every step he took the tunnel seemed to grow longer. Finally after many hours of walking he exited the tunnel, and he saw the most beautiful water fall. The water was crystal clear with birds flying and singing. He walked into the water, and felt the cool liquid around his body. Then he bent down to take a drink. When he cupped his hands in the water the ring began to glow. Rabinaph quickly withdrew his hands from the water but the ring continued to glow. Then he noticed something about the ring. The black jewel had turned blue. It was as blue as the water. Then a strange mist rose up out of the water. Rabinaph was scared so he ran to the shore.
“It was no use the mist followed him to the shore but didn’t float over the sand. The mist never took any recognizable form but it did speak, ’I am Aurora, guardian of the waters. I have waited for many a millennia for a Champaign to arrive here. And finally the fates have brought one such Champaign.’ Rabinaph replied, ’I am no Champaign, for I am being hunted.’ ’Those who hunt you shall never find you, that ring you wear will always lead you away from danger. The ring will give you a special power. A power over all your enemies. Use it wisely.’ The mist started to leave but Rabinaph had two more questions. ’Wait Aurora, this ring you know what it is.’ ’Yes it is one of the five magical elemental rings, the one who wears the ring into one of the sacred temples of the elements will gain the power for their ring.’”
“Grandpa, what are the five elements” I ask.
“Hold on dear I am getting to that part. So Rabinaph asked his second question, ’What are the five elements Aurora?’ ’Wind, fire, earth, and yours water. The fifth is the dark element, if that element should fall into the wrong hand then all hope is lost. Brave Champaign I ask a favor of you. Go forth and collect the other four rings. Keep them safe.’ Then Aurora vanishes. Rabinaph is shown the way out, led by a trail of mist. Once out in the open Rabinaph collects himself and thinks about what to do next. He sees a shimmer of light coming out from behind a shrub and checks it out. The shining is coming from the sun reflecting off piece of paper.”
“Why would a piece of paper shine grandpa?”
Grandpa looks at me and smile, “This piece of paper Steph, is made out of gold. That is why it shines. Anyway, on this piece of paper is a map, of the world. And on the map are five markers. One of the markers is the fortress where he got his elemental powers. He folds the map up and puts it in his pocket, ’Okay, now to find the four other rings.’ Rabinaph sets out on a quest to find the four other elemental rings. Boroc never finds Rabinaph, and Rome falls into a long line of corrupt emperor’s. The end,” grandpa gets up to leave.
“Grandpa, I have a question,“ he stops at the door and turns. I think, “Where did he go to find the rings?”
“Rabinaph traveled around the world. He visited exotic lands like China and the America’s, even before the first European’s sent foot on those lands.”
“Wow,” I’m so excited by the answer. I’m picturing the places grandpa had just told me in my head and how cool it would be to be the first European to set foot there.
“Any other question before you have to hit the hay.”
Snapping out of my excitement and remembering my other question. “Oh, yeah, did he ever die, and did he find the other rings?”
Grandpa thinks about this answer for awhile. “I can’t say that he did. I have heard though that if he takes off his ring he is able to age like everybody else and eventually die. But I don’t know if that has happened. As for the rings, he only found three of them, the forth he was never able to find. Did someone else find it before him, I don‘t know. But it may still be out there” Then he stands up. “Okay Steph, it is time for bed. If your mom knows I let you stay up past eleven she will kill me.” He tucks me in and kisses my forehead.
“Goodnight grandpa.” I roll over and I hear him put something down on my night stand and leaves. Once he is gone I roll back over and see that on my night stand he left a letter for me. I turn on my light and I open the envelope. Out slides a gold ring with a black stone. I see the inside is engraved and I read it; “To all who where this ring, great power will be bestowed unto you.” Then I read the note it says; “Love Grandpa.“ I put the ring on and fall asleep, felling a strange energy flow through my body.