Auvreria (5 page)

“What shall we do with this evil outcast,
Eldorun?”

“Threaten her,”
a woman soldier answered, “and collect information about Mortver's plans. If not, let her suffer by starving her in this pit. This is what Mortver deserves for what they have done.”

“How would you like that, you cruel sorceress?” he answered. He spit directly into the pit. Luckily it missed me.
Not very welcoming people,
I thought. I remained silent.

“No, no
,” a third soldier said. “She should die straightaway because she is far too dangerous. We should bring the matter to Princess Clarimie the Second.” They left as fast as possible.

I was way too young to die. I screamed at the top of my lungs. I tried to feel the connection between my sister and me.
Aurora, please help me!
I yelled in my mind. Some moments after, I heard a sound like a cliff falling down. I felt her connection with me. I could see through her eyes. She glided down with a speed that made the cold forest tremble. She slowed and landed right in front of the tents. Her thoughts and feelings were as loud as thunder. She allowed other people to walk through her mind.
Let her go now! The witch that you took is the lost child of Auvreria, the balance of the universe. Clarimie, do not be oblivious in these terrible times! Step out of the royal tent and face me. Your eyes only have to be open to see she is not one of Mortver's spies.

A woman about seven years older than me stepped out of the tent. She wore old garments that were
tattered by harsh weather and long usage. Clarimie was the head of this army. I had no idea why Aurora would know this dreadful force. Clarimie ordered the guards to open the chained hole. The barrier at the top was removed, and a ladder was sent down. I came up and saw the majestic white dragon. Clarimie and the soldiers looked exactly as I had seen them through Aurora's vision.

Clarimie
spoke. “The medallion of the three central galaxies, the mark of Auvreria in your right hand, and the similarity to your parents make you one of us. It is you, child of prophecy. Come along, and we will discuss the situation. I am deeply sorry for the way my soldiers greeted you. These are very harsh times; Mortver's power is ever-present!”

While walking I took the time to
observe the hideout. Families and soldiers were sitting around weak fires. A few huts surrounded them. Years of subsistence had forced these people to adapt to fear, harsh living, and hopelessness. Children played in small groups. I could still sense the hope deep inside. The imagination of an ideal world always occupies our thoughts, but we never see and value the things that are close to our hearts. They needed help, my help. Even though I had only known this world for a month, a passion to help these people awoke in me.

Clarimie led me to a tent
bigger than the other ones. As I entered, I noticed signs of wealth. In the room stood two warlords in decorated armor. One had a serious expression. The other warmly greeted me. “My greetings, I am Lord Mediel, the one who accounts for the health of the Clamoor Clan. This is Lord Dalius, the commander of our army. Greetings, Clarimie and Aurora.” Aurora peered from a knitted hole that had been made for her. Was it a coincidence that this was the Clamoor Clan that resisted Maldelsoul?

Clarimie saw my wonder and said, “We were friends in our childhood at the Great Castle of Arthaesia. On the day of the attack, Maldelsoul forced us to flee to the Northlands
, where most of the royal family died. We heard that your tower was destroyed by the united six elements. Your parents...died. Aurora was turned into a dragon while Maldelsoul tried to find you. It was uncontrollable chaos that night. But there are more important matters now. Please, Lord Dalius, explain our plan of revenge on Mortver.”

The
commander turned to the map. “For years we have been planning this attack on Mortver's headquarters,” he said. “In one week, we will attack the lower east part of Mortver's castle at night. This will be during Mortver's dark rituals of the unity of the lower Astral world. This will be a stealth reconnaissance mission. You will go through training so you can join the search parties. You will have a battle companion with whom you will share all. We practice strict discipline in the Clamoor Clan.” I knew this was the start of a new war.

O
n the way to my tent, I saw a beautiful woman stroll past. She had the appearance of a countess. She whispered to me in a smooth voice, “I am truly sorry for putting you in that terrible hole. Do not mind what I said earlier. You should not have been welcomed in this manner. I am Lord Dalius's wife. My name is Lady Eldorun.” I forgave her even at the shock of hearing her name. She was part of the soldier force that wanted to kill me! Something about her made me worry.

The plains, grounds for battle training

April 30
th
, 2014

I woke up on a cold, thin blanket. I could hardly move in such a small tent. I noticed weapons, armor, warm blankets, furs, and food stored in
small pots. A girl my age came into the tent. She was in deep red armor. Her black, short hair was loose. She entered in a hurry and looked surprised to see me.

“Uh, hello, I am your comrade
, Fensagenia. I am very pleased to meet you. Once my companion, blood and sweat shall we share in real battle. Our teacher is furious. You have slept late, and now we shall both suffer for your mistake. Rise, young soldier!”

I stood up
and yawned a little. “Hello,” I said. “My name is Ni—Anelia. I'm new, so I might need help in assembling my, uh, armor. And I’ll need help in getting there.”

“I will help you because we are one in battle!” she answered. “Oh, let
’s just talk normally for now. These phrases that I keep memorizing make my head ache. Our teachers are very solemn about control over emotions.”

“Now you sound more human. You
’re very nice to help me out. I would never have imagined myself in this situation, thanks.” She helped me find a suit of armor, a rusty sword, and the way to the grounds for battle training. I always imagined myself as a princess, not a soldier going off to war.

The morning was fresh and filled with
boundless energy. It was a perfect day to train. There were marked fields where men, women, and children came to learn the necessary techniques. The distant white mountains glowed with the light of the rising sun. There was a light sheet of snow that showed that spring was on its way. Fensagenia turned to the right to a group of guys. My curiosity about the plains caused me to bump right into a boy my age, knocking him into the snow and dirt. He pulled himself up as the boys and girls laughed. He turned around and grabbed the collar of my fur coat with anger.

“Listen here
, squirt, I will crush you like a grain of wheat with my fist unless you show what you’re really worth!” I was so scared I couldn’t do any self-defense or magic. He gathered all his strength, pulled his arm back, and was felled by Fensagenia's strike to his ankles.

The boy was furious now. Just in time
, our teacher arrived. “Who started all this? Come, soldier, you will receive triple the punishment. Show yourself and apologize to Naak, Lord Dalius's son.” I stepped in front of him. He glanced at me and returned to his class. I guess it was Clarimie who had told him about me. The teacher said: “Soldiers to your positions. Let’s begin. Walk proudly, because today is your first step to war.”

Our teacher put us in pairs with our battle companions. He showed us positions in fighting and
blocking. If my right arm held a sword, then my right leg had to be in front to maintain the weight of the sword. If I were using two arms to hold the sword, I would have to face my body directly toward the opponent, not sideways. The shield had to be at the right angle to the strike. My rusty sword was hard to maneuver at such a fast pace. I was the worst at parrying attacks. My main goal was to be far away from Naak. After hours and hours of training, we finally had a break. The sun was setting when I came to the tents for our group and got some food and water. I sat down on the cold ground.

Fensagenia
found me and said, “Come sit near the fireplace and hear adventure stories. Don’t sit here alone; it will be dark soon.” I followed her to the huge fireplace surrounded by thick logs. People of all ages sat around the fire. The sky was fully dark now, with many twinkling stars. Near the fireplace stood an old man wearing several furs. His appearance reminded me of a Native American storyteller and a medieval bard.

At
a look from the bard, the musicians quieted down. He eyed his audience, then began with a whisper and gradually became louder: “Where the forests never reach their end, where the music of the forest continues for a thousand years, where the waters turn into mist, and where the trees talk to each other, there lies the kingdom of Eofea.

“
This land belongs to the elves. Their existence remains unknown to most of the world. We cannot see them or feel their presence, for they conceal ancient secrets. Those secrets are found in their mystical places in the forests of the mountains of Eldeon. Their whispers are like the pipes blown by the wind. They laugh like the serene sounds of the lute. They may open their world to anyone who follows this ancient riddle: ‘Fly in the skies, run on the fields, swim in the waters, however, you will not find what you seek. The key lies inside where the boundaries of mind and body end. Your decision can open doors or close the truth.’ As I end my short tale, many have suffered to find the answer to this riddle that has never been solved...” The voice of the storyteller faded, and the music sprang up.

I decided to go to bed. I was very tired from practice. Fensagenia saw me stand up and said
, “Oh, are you going now? Well, our tent is through those trees and past the orange boulder. Good night!” I said good night and walked straight into the woods.

I followed the main trail through the dark. Suddenly, a neon light flew over me. I looked up and heard a voice that spoke in another language: “Eth-
onufathe Eofea e bedol a onu cethre...” The light turned into an image of a three-leaf flower. Its petals resembled the shapes of a leaf. The light quickly disappeared into the dark. I heard the melody of the forest in the sound of blown windpipes that plucked at my heart.
The impossible things always happen to me,
I thought. I reached my tent and fell asleep despite the weird happenings.

The training fields in the mountains, the first flight

May 4
th
, 2014

Four days passed. I finally learned to handle my weapons
properly. My knowledge was growing, and I felt confident in myself. Clarimie had even asked me to try to ride Aurora. I couldn't imagine flying to such extreme heights on a dragon, even though it sounded awesome. Aurora thought it would come naturally to me. She landed on the soft grass in front of me and widened her massive wings.
I’m ready when you are. Please, let’s start and finish this task quickly before I get hungry.
It was a beautiful morning to go out—and fly. I was afraid of roller coasters, and this was ten times worse.

Time to get this over with
. I checked all the pockets in my new, warm outfit. I felt something round and pulled out a very familiar ring.

Where did you get this?
she asked.

I have no idea,
I answered.
It just appeared in my pocket. Even though the ring seems really familiar, I cannot imagine how this could have gotten here. Uh, Aurora, I’m ready!

Good, jump on!
she said.
My spikes won’t hurt you. Keep yourself relaxed, and don’t let your mind play tricks on you.

I
climbed up on the dragon as she crouched. Her skin felt dry and rough. I hugged her neck, aware of her white, polished spikes. I felt stiff. Aurora ran as fast as she could and opened her colossal wings parallel to the ground. The sound of powerful flapping filled the air. The landscape became wider and smaller at the same time. The cold currents of wind were stronger up here. I felt dizzy. The turbulence was frightening. The clouds floated like large ships on the endless sea of the skies. Radiant yellows were everywhere this morning. I felt free and happy.

Then Aurora dove to the ground. I
flattened myself as close as possible to her. I wanted to scream as we lost altitude and gained speed. Before crashing into the forest canopy, Aurora smoothly changed her position to a glide. I felt a surge of adrenaline.

At that moment
, my ring exploded with negative energy. I saw Maldelsoul in my mind. He said “Lumifale ono cethre!” I was so scared I wanted to close my eyes. I lost my grip after the vision disappeared and fell from Aurora. A moment later I splashed into freezing water. Aurora slashed through the air to help me. The shock made me lose consciousness in the water. Aurora yelled in my mind to keep me from falling into the dark, sleepy world.

I was standing on a rocky cliff overlook
ing a massive canyon of beige rock. The sky was gray, with dark clouds. There were no stars. A cold breeze brushed the brown sand from the rocks. I noticed a petrified tree on top of the rocks. Its life was lost, just like mine was about to be. I began to sense someone's presence. Out of the dark mist stepped Maldelsoul. I covered my fear with a stern face. He stopped in front of me. His black garment made his face even whiter. He carried a dark staff with illuminated crystals.