Auvreria (2 page)

“Tree of Life!” said the old woman. “I call upon
thy wisdom and history to show thy daughter.” She centered herself in the symbol and continued. “This tree shall show thee the past that eyes can't see. Hear my history with thine ears that cannot hear thine ancestors. Before the universe was created, there lived a celestial dragon. Its soul emanated with energy as pure as the light from all the gems at dawn. The dragon did not want to live alone, so it created our universe. The Three Divisions were formed to separate the universe into three sections: Aethra, Astral, and Arthaesia.Its eight descendants were sent to the three corners of the universe to teach goodness and compassion. The six known dragons of fire, water, earth, air, light, and darkness were told of in our tales. The other two were concealed for fear of the evil that might gain more power than good. If the elements of Auvreria were known, then the greatest power would be taken. This power holds the universe together, for it is the power of the celestial dragon that forged it.”

She continued
. “I am Mother Nature. I am the guardian of the Tree of Life. Arthaesia was a great kingdom whence thine ancestors came. In this country, the eight dragons established the eight clans of the elements. Each dragon gave away its third eye to the chief in the form of a gem. The eyes were put in the chiefs’ staffs. At that same time, evil was spreading in the land. The evil forces became strong with their new leader, and they murdered the eight dragons and their chiefs. The descendants lost their knowledge with the death of the dragons. The evil group called itself Mortver. The new era had begun. Mortver took the throne of Arthaesia and reduced it to ashes. Mortver wants to gain the power of the world, and it has a chance. However, thou, child, art chosen by Auvreria to fight for good. Thy faith in thyself will remind Mortver that they are not the only people after the power. So long I have wanted to see this day and fulfill my destiny. I can no longer stand, for my duties are done. Even if I die now, thy sister, Aurora, will help thee train thy powers by entering the past and mastering those powers through our dragon clans. I will join the supreme one, for the light of my soul in this world is...”

The woman fell to her knees
, and specks of glittering dust took her away. I panicked. Through this history lesson I felt and saw the past. I moved to the exact place where Mother Nature had been standing. I had the weird feeling again. Magic flew around me until I felt a mark being placed on the palm of my right hand. It represented the symbol of Auvreria that Mother Nature had talked about. The magic continued, and from above my head I saw a gliding white phoenix. It looked like an angel. It stopped at eye level, and I felt a medallion appear around my neck. It had the same symbol with eight circular holes symmetrical to the eight lines on the outer part of the necklace. The bird disappeared while I was examining the medallion.

What
just happened?
I am as confused as ever now. Who is the creator and what are the eight elements? What is Mortver? What in the world do I have to do to save the universe? Why am I still thinking this is reality? I could have bumped my head during my dive. This is an impossible tale. I couldn't make any sense out of the story. The woman spoke to me as if I knew all the details that went between her phrases. She called herself Mother Nature. The medallion seemed very valuable. What did I have to do to complete it? In this whole mystery was the biggest question: Why me?

I looked up to the ceiling
of the chamber. The symbol of Auvreria was carved beautifully in the ceiling as it was on the ground. I had no idea how to work this out. Maybe I could pinch myself and wake up from this dream? Before I could take action, a light shone from the ceiling. I felt as though I was compressed into one molecule of light. I shot up with tremendous speed towards the center of Auvreria. I knew I would wake up in my bed....

The Pool

March 18
th
, 2014

I
surfaced in the pool. During all the time I had been in the other world, no time had elapsed here. Nothing had changed.

“Oh
, my!” shrieked Delancey. “That dive was magnificent. Now we have to do more test runs for our data. Say, I never saw that necklace before—and where did you get that awesome tattoo?” Panicking, I climbed out of the pool.

“Never mind,” I said. “Let
’s not do any more tests today. I’m really tired!” I grabbed my clothes and backpack.

“You just
swam underwater for six seconds!” I didn't say anything and walked hastily away. In ten minutes I was home. No one else was there. My hands and body started to shiver. I sat down on my bed and examined the medallion. It was beautiful. It glowed with golden rays like the rising sun. On my right hand the symbol was shining light blue and silver like the radiance of the moon high above the horizon. I put the medallion around my neck and got some rest.

At the end of the day
, I decided to get some fresh air. In my backyard I gazed up at the sky. Suddenly, I saw a flash in the darkness above.
Guess I should make a wish,
I thought. I wished to find a home where people would understand me. School was just an empty space for education. Other activities like sports and music were fun, but I longed for something more.

The fantasy was a reality. I had the mark and the medallion. What adventures lay ahead? My heart was filled with curiosity, adventure, and fear. I looked up; the sky was as beautiful as in Arthaesia
, a vast universe with its mysteries and answers. The stars looked like crystals reflecting light in many different colors. The sky seemed to contain a life of its own, another kingdom in its own tale.

The Spring Garden

April 17
th
, 2014

Today was a beautiful day in the blooming Spring Garden.
We were on a school field trip to study the evolution of plants. The spectrum of colors, from pastel to vibrant, gave me a sense of hope. The garden was petite and unique. The sun's reflection touched the polished surface of a pond and made it shine like a mirror. The warmth and glow from the skies passed through the trees and flowers, wafting their perfume. As the sun rose higher, the morning dew sparkled like little diamonds.

S
omehow I got separated from my group. I followed the golden rays behind the trees. From the blossoming garden I reached the broad woods and couldn't find my way back. I entered an arched opening leading to a bright cave filled with flowers. It was a hidden portal with a round marble slab bearing the mark of Auvreria: eight equidistant lines coming to a point. All the lines were connected by a circle. The swirling patterns resembled the Celtic styles I had seen once in a book. A small waterfall came from the side of the cave, and its waters encircled the symbol. It was like this symbol would never let me go.

I looked into the sky and saw darkness filled with light. The
now-familiar feeling came over me. The mark on my hand glowed, and I felt vibrations in my medallion. I took a step into the center of the circle. A high wind picked up. The water and flowers rose into the air and flowed around the symbol until a ray of light shone on the center. They spiraled inward. I knew that today my birthday would be special. Where would I go now? I hoped it would be a peaceful place. As I closed my eyes, I blended with the air.

I opened my eyes. I was sitting on a stone circle inside a garden
next to an enormous castle in ruins. A few trees remained among the lifeless plants and still-thriving vines along the ancient walls. The castle appeared to be medieval. Brown walls stretched in all directions. It was twilight, and three-leaf flowers glowed in the dark. I felt like I knew this place from my childhood dreams. This castle was abandoned and lost in time like me. It stood alone as a symbol of forgotten hope after destruction.

I heard a melody
played on a flute. It had a perfect pitch that sounded out of this world—well, out of Earth's world. The music sounded Celtic, and the melody made me imagine the journey of a hero who undertook all the challenges with hope for a better future. I wanted to follow the sound. I stood up and walked quietly in its direction. As I passed through the hallways, torches on the walls lit up by themselves, illuminating spider webs, cold stone, and decaying moss.

I came to the roof of the castle
, which offered a view of the surrounding lands: the gentle sea to the west, freezing mountain ranges to the north, valleys and forests to the east, and plains to the south. Rays of fading light lay upon the ranges, making the mountains seem larger. The contrast between light and dark had created beauty unlike any on Earth. Peach, orange, gold, silver, raspberry, and sapphire shifted across the lands. I turned my gaze from the landscape and saw an old man in a silver cloak playing the flute.

The man's cloak moved with the wind. His white hair flowed
, and his flute was made of shining silver. He looked about seventy. He sat on a narrow bench facing the sunset. I took one more step and cracked an old stick under my foot. The man stopped playing, stood up, and turned to face me.

“Greetings
, my granddaughter,” he said. “I finally see you after sixteen years. I have waited with your sister for the day you would come back from Aethra. We all have waited for you to free Arthaesia from sorrow. You have so much to learn of past events. I see Estrella has given you the medallion. Mortver’s army has reached these lands. Come, and I will tell you all you need to know.” He paused. “I almost forgot—I am Almag, the high minister of magic and knowledge.”

In Almag's chamber of secret knowledge

April 17
th
, 2014

I followed
Almag through the empty hallways. He stopped, turned to the left side of the hallway, and looked for something. He moved his hands on the rough rock until he located a stone with a small symbol that vibrated. “Go through the wall,” he said. “Do not worry; it will not hurt you.” I took a step towards the wall and froze. It still looked very solid.
Trust yourself,
a voice said sweetly, a
nd you will overcome anything.
Now I was really getting crazy, hearing voices that didn't exist. I took another step.

I stepped into a massive library. Millions of books were lying on the shelves, tables, and chairs. The library was circular,
with another symbol of Auvreria. A faint light shone from the stained glass. “Why is there daylight in here when it’s night?”

Almag
replied, “Well, I used the element of light to harness it to the top of the ceiling. I created the mosaic depicting the magnificent phoenix Estrella. Isn't it beautiful?” I turned my gaze from Almag to the ceiling. The bird's wings were as pretty as swan wings. Her head was like a falcon's, and she had the eyes of an eagle. Her gaze was noble but kind. The effect of light on the shades of gold behind her white wings gave me goose bumps. Was this the bird I kept seeing in my adventures?

My thirst for answers overtook my thoughts. I had hoped
Almag would provide them. I said, “This is not my first visit, Almag. I learnedthe history of Arthaesia from Mother Nature. She told me I was the chosen one, the child of Auvreria. She waited to see me before she left this world, and then she just disappeared. After that, Estrella appeared and gave me this mark on my right hand and the medallion. Then I returned to my world. So obviously, I have some questions.”

“I know, I know,” replied
Almag. “I see you have been present in the place that many of our ancestors tried to reach in their hunger for power. Let me tell you the history, starting with the world's birth. Our entire universe was created from one spirit, the dragon of the universe. Dragons in our legends symbolize the powerful forces of Auvreria. When the celestial dragon created everything, it also created the guardians. These guardians were the dragons of the eight elements. The symbol of Auvreria represents these eight elements surrounded by the universe, and yet they hold it together. The dragons of fire, water, earth, air, light, and darkness were sent to the Three Divisions of the universe to give knowledge to the first creatures. The other two dragons didn't reveal their powers. All we know is that they became the guardians of the Tree of Life, the magic portal between Arthaesia and the universe.”

Almag
continued. “The celestial dragon created good and evil so they would always remain in balance. The thirst for power established the evil one's goal: to rule the universe. The chiefs stayed in contact with one another to ensure that Arthaesia wasn't threatened by evil. This was a golden age. The clans worked together to create a beautiful culture. Their architecture, religion, economy, and literature flourished above all other lands. However, a golden age never lasts forever.

“The evil in the land gathered together to form the undefeatable clan of Mortver. They found the secret valley where all dragons lived and destroyed it. The dragons couldn't escape. Mortver combined the magic and force of the six elements to destroy everything. They
used the same technique with the eight chiefs. They took all their staffs to transfer all the power to the evil clan.

“
One mastermind arose from all the others, and his name was Maldelsoul. He became the supreme leader of Mortver and was the one who planned the attack. Maldelsoul and his magicians became immortal with the energies of the staffs. Maldelsoul stormed into Arthaesia's Great Castle and took the throne by violence, and so the new age began.”