Chapter 4: Zoeloft

         Zoeloft was not an average prince, in fact, he was very unlike any knight that had accomplished as much as he had. He grew up in a family of six, he was the oldest with five younger sisters. Zoeloft’s Dad was a traveling philosopher who left his wife and family when Zoeloft was only nine. This lead Zoeloft to be the man of the household and main provider. Being only nine it was hard to find a steady job around town, he wasn’t strong enough for any job that included heavy lifting like most men. This left Zoeloft to be an errand boy for the older folk, he’d garden, deliver news, collect chicken eggs, and sweep out front of local venders for whatever money offered. With the help of Zoeloft’s mother, who would work in the field everyday for local farmers they managed to scrape enough money together to keep the house and the dog. It was the hardest part of Zoeloft’s life. By the time Zoeloft had become fourteen his mother became deathly ill. He was forced to sell the family dog Baelfire, it broke his heart, but it was the only thing he could do to raise money for medicine, to prolong the inevitable. Now that Zoeloft was the soul provider of the family he knew he would need to find work that was consistent and paid better. In his search for work, he went to everyone he knew. His childhood friend Jasper thought he had a solution.

“My dad works in the palace..” he said, “maybe he can find you something.” Zoeloft was thrilled. Jasper’s father tended horses and oversaw that they were taken care of. Just over a week later, Zoeloft was a stable boy, feeding and grooming horses for the king. 

It had seemed that Jasper had always come through for Zoeloft. They had been friends since before the absence of Zoeloft’s father, and even closer friends after. He always provided the right answer, and was a stronger believer of the phrase “if there’s a will there’s a way.” The cunning, intelligent, trustworthy friend that kept Zoeloft on the right path. The difference between the two was always the fact that Jasper was better off. His family had forever worked in the palace, but being the modest people they were they did not make it a priority to flaunt their success. Raised right, Jasper had a lot to offer, he was liked by most everyone, and could swoon any woman. Zoeloft was lucky to have such a good friend always standing by, with connections and the will to do what’s right. After he got Zoeloft the job at the palace, he was soon recruited and sent of to battle. This left Zoeloft alone with his own ideas and reasoning. 

A few weeks before Jasper left, the two friends went riding. Because of jaspers connections, and now Zoeloft’s job, the two friends had access to many of the king’s horses. They were only allowed to ride the horses which were retired from duty and used to pull carriages and some farm equipment. They rode together fairly often, exploring the castle grounds, as well as venturing past the wall into the forest that surrounded the area. On this particular day, the two friends went further into the forrest than they had ever been. They came across a mysterious looking clearing, a lake with an island in the center sat on the left side of them.

“Lets swim out there!” Jasper said as he jumped off his horse and tied to a tree.

“I don’t know, The water looks deep and I can’t swim” replied Zoeloft, Looking at the questionable body of water that lay there in front of him. 

“Oh come on now,” Laughed Jasper, “you can’t be terrified of everything! now get in the water.” And with that Jasper himself jumped in. He did not surface instantly, instead he began exploring the bottom of the lake. Zoeloft’s eyes were left searching frantically across the surface awaiting the reappearance of his friend. Only moments had passed, though for Zoeloft it had seemed a life time, before Jasper reemerged from under the cold water. Swimming to shore he called out to his friend.

“You have to see what is down there, it is so amazing!”

“I told you, I can’t swim.” 

“Look, it’s not that hard, I’ll show you how.”

“Fine, I guess I’ll give it a try.” The two friends spent the rest of the afternoon splashing about in the section where the water wasn’t too deep. By the time evening came, Zoeloft decided that he would try swimming down to whatever it was that Jasper had saw. The sun was setting, it was an orange sky, mixed with bits of gold and pink. The sky reflected off the water and it was the most beautiful thing that Zoeloft had ever seen. They dove. The water was surprisingly clear the deeper they went. Jasper looked at his friend and pointed at the thing that had so caught his attention. A circle at the bottom of the lake, somewhat resembling that of a door. Light shawn around the edges. As they got closer a handle appeared on the left side. Jasper smiled, and Zoeloft recognized that glint in his eye, the one he all but knew so well. Jasper grabbed the handle and heaved; it didn’t budge. Zoeloft swam to his friend, and together they managed to budge the door. Just wide enough that an adolescent boy could squeeze through. 

The other side of the door held mysteries no man could explain. The boys still holding their breath shut the door behind them, as soon as they did it was as if the walls around them began breathing, absorbing all the water around them. Now that the two boys could breath themselves, they began exploring deeper into the cave. The walls seemed to emit a purple light, which allowed the boys to see. It was a very dim light, but Jasper grabbed Zoeloft’s hand and strained his eyes to see what lay ahead. As the tunnel they had entered came to an end, it opened up into a large foyer with many more paths to discover. Jasper and Zoeloft didn’t explore much further than that on their first encounter, but began growing an obsession with going back daily to uncover the secrets of the cave. Everyday the two went down a different path and made a note of where it lead to. Just like the original entrance the two had found, at the end of each Tunnel stood a door, and through that door was a land far away from where they had originally began. It was the happiest point in both of their lives. 

Jasper’s father became suspicious, wondering where his son was through all hours of the day. Zoeloft became sloppy with his chores as he rushed to finish work so that he could go, somewhere. After a week of this strange behavior, Japer’s father decided to confront his son. He waited for him to come home, he sat quietly in a chair just outside their home. When jasper silently snuck through some bushes towards his window, The man called out to his son.

“Jasper! Come here this instant!” There was Silence. “Right now!” His tone was fierce and menacing. Jasper was determining what was best. Should he make a run for it, stay silent or approach his father. He sat there for a few minutes mulling it over in his head. He chose the latter, Jasper was not afraid, he confronted his problems and faced his fears. This was certainly one of them. He replied to his father.

“I’m here, I know I should have been here earlier, I’m sorry father.” The man grunted. 

“I have been very curious as to where you are off to every second of the day?”

“I just like riding my horse with Zoeloft, thats all.” Marcus was unconvinced by his son’s story.

“You two spent time riding horses before, but you were never gone for the entire day, for over a week. Tell me son, where do the two of you go?” Jasper knew that his father would not give in until he had the truth.

“Fine, alright. We found a portal, underwater and a system of caves; thats where we have been spending our time, exploring.” Marcus looked at his son with an expression of disbelief.

“I told you I want the truth!”

“That is the truth!” yelled Jasper. He stormed away, he had told the truth, what more did his father want. 

The next morning when Zoeloft went to the meeting spot after cleaning the stables he did not find his friend Jasper, instead Jasper’s father stood in his place.

“Hello Zoeloft, Jasper isn’t here.” Zoeloft became confused, but suddenly the truth dawned on him. How did Jasper’s father know? The only other person who knew the meeting spot was Jasper. He must have told.

“What have you done with Jasper!” Demanded Zoeloft. 

“That is none of your concern” replied Marcus with a nonchalant look.

“He is my friend!” yelled Zoeloft. The boy began to cry. He did not even know why he was crying. All he knew was that the one person that could ever show him what life was about, was being ripped from him. Marcus did not expect this reaction and hurriedly mumbled.

“Jasper has been assigned a military post in the royal horsemen. I’m sorry son, I know he meant a lot to you.” The father quickly walked away unsure as to what the emotional boy would do next. 

Zoeloft stumbled back to the place that the memories were pure, the spot that there was nothing but good, the only place that had ever meant anything to him: the caves. The majestic, wondrous place that he honestly called home. He wept and waited. Nearly a week had passed before he ventured out of the caves. He had changed. There was a different look in the young boy’s eye.