Auvreria (6 page)

He spoke first
. “Ever wonder why you have this ability to cast powerful magic? Your parents gave the power of Lumifale to you by mistake. It all belongs to me. I am deeply saddened that Auvreria chose you as its destiny. You were not supposed to be their savior. You are not one. Look, see the past.” The landscape took on different forms. The petrified tree was alive with blue blossoms.

Maldelsoul started his story
. “Before the celestial dragon gave the power to the eight dragons of the elements, the tree of Lumifale blossomed. Beautiful blue orchids grew on this tree. Each contained some of the most powerful magic in the universe. The celestial dragon forced the winds of time to take the petals of the tree to the eight dragons. One blue orchid remained. Legends were told about its mystical power. I, as a young conqueror, followed the signs to the sacred place. I was not alone; your father arrived there at the same time. We fought for the power of Lumifale. A sudden wind blew the flower to the ground, and it landed between us. We both touched the flower. The flower broke off into two halves and transferred its power to our right hands in the form of a blue mark.

“I grew mad,”
he continued, “with frustration, and I vowed to get back what was mine. The day before your father died, we met in a secret place below the Great Castle of Arthaesia. He came to save the castle. I was looking for his mark, but the symbol was gone from his hand. My anger would have exploded the whole castle if I had used my magic. Your father had transferred that power to one of his children. That night I killed them and turned Aurora into a beast. Before I could find you, your tower exploded. I thought you were dead. Although my efforts to find you were useless, I could sense the other half of Lumifale. There was always that possibility that you were in another world at the other edge of the universe. All these thousands of years of studying the books of knowledge, and yet I could not teleport out of this world.

“From the different levels of magic I could not find yours,”
continued Maldelsoul. “The magic summoned by the body, no. The weakest creatures that use magic spells gained by chanting or hand motion use this sort. The level of magic gained by the mind, no. This one allows for complex spells. There is the third type, however; its secrets are hidden amongst the elves. Even though you might possess it, you have no potential to control Lumifale.” I was surprised that he gave me such an in-depth explanation about my mysterious past.

“If I
possess this Lumifale,” I said, “why can't you take it from me? Can you just win this silly game? I nearly died when you came into my mind! Please, stop this nightmare.”

He smiled and said calmly, “I cannot take it while you are unconscious. My ring did
its job well. At the time we first met, I gave you this ring as a present. It has caused many disasters and will cause more. Your power of Lumifale has to be transferred to me when you come to my castle for a ‘secret’ attack in two weeks. There are spies in the Clamoor Clan, so do not think of running away from our next confrontation. Relax. Let me read your mind. Ha-ha!”

He closed his eyes, and I felt a sudden pressure on my mind. I could not let him see
the secrets that I didn’t even know yet. I had to use Lumifale now to protect myself. I gathered all of my strength, and I shattered the fake world of my dreams. My hand shone with pure light. I felt so strong that I awoke from my nightmare.

I was lying in
Clarimie's royal tent. Aurora felt my return. She looked at me through the hole. Lord Mediel put more herbs on my forehead. I sat up. Clarimie came in the room with the ring and exclaimed, “This ring caused you much misfortune. My magicians and Aurora helped purify it. Don’t worry; this ring is now clean of Maldelsoul's negative energy. Everything is fine now. I think we were in time. What did you see in your dreams?”

The royal tent

May 4
th
, 2014

“You were in time,” I said. “Maldelsoul knows about our secret plan. He has spies in the Clamoor Clan. They know we are going to come. He wanted to fulfill his task of reading my mind.
He nearly killed me. Oh, my head. I feel tired.” Clarimie's expression became stern.

She said, “I was expecting something from him. Lord
Mediel, we need to inspect all the people in our camp with the other lords to be sure there are no spies. We have to delay our attack for a week because the evil one knows and it takes our soldiers a few days to reach his grounds. Anelia, please rest. You may use my tent; no one will disturb you. Aurora can stay with you. Clamoor needs your full recovery.” She left the tent with Mediel. I noticed a light shower of snow outside.

Aurora fixed her gaze on m
e.
Lie down, sister,
she said.
You need time to recover.

Aurora,
I whispered in my mind,
I didn’t tell the whole story of my dream. Maldelsoul told me about...

Lumifale
.

How did you know?

It’s a very long story. I know he found his prize, and you are in the way. It all started when I was ten years old. You were two years old. This happened before the attack on the castle. Life was bright and lively. We had festivals, balls, and holidays. The royal family was not stingy. The former castle was magnificent: it had majestic beige walls and beautiful carving. I used to run in the long hallways for fun. I always liked exploring the castle, the gardens, the rooms, and the towers. One day I ventured outside the castle walls. I ran as fast as I could to the white forest. It snowed like today. I wondered why the locked doors happened to open that day. I ran through the snow-crystal woods. I was happy. I wore a bright, purple dress with my warm cape.

I came upon a field in the
forest,
she continued.
It was not covered with snow, but with summer flowers. In the middle of the field stood a tall man who wore black garments. His cape was decorated in onyx symbols. He was as still as if he were the phantom of the night. He did not look at me. I noticed a caterpillar on his hand. His skin was white as snow. His appearance was the same as what you saw in your dream. He asked me to come. My curiosity overtook me, and I came to stand next to him. I did not know it was Maldelsoul. “You see this hideous caterpillar,” he said. “It is slimy, ugly, and unwanted. As it turns into a butterfly, it becomes the essence of beauty.” The caterpillar turned into a butterfly before my eyes. “However, this butterfly is helpless. It is weak and small. It cannot escape death. It will someday burn into ash and fall to the ground.” He burned the butterfly with his magic.

“What is the point,” he asked, “in seeing the beauty of the world if the inescapable violence and injustice will destroy it? What is the meaning in life when power is above all else? Where is the Lumifale that your father gave you?” He turned my hand towards me. I had no mark. I screamed for help. He became filled with anger and wanted to destroy me. Before he spoke the word of death, a bright light shone and I awoke in my room back in the castle. I heard his voice, “The one who will be touched by the rose petal butterfly will suffer for her chosen destiny to save the world. Her soul will be destroyed like the butterfly.” I lay in bed in terror while my parents tried to soothe me with sweet words.

All these times I thought it was a dream until I met him
and he turned me into a dragon. After the attack, I flew away to the Northlands with a broken heart. I entered one of Maldelsoul's traps that imprisoned me without light for sixteen years. Almag found me through one of his spells and kept me company. We watched you grow through childhood. When you came to the Northlands, I knew that the magic inside you would break the barrier of the spell. After you went back to Aethra, I found the Clamoor Clan. Here in these cold lands filled with pine forests and snow I have stayed, waiting for your arrival.

Aurora,
I said, t
he rose petal butterfly found me. Could it be true that I am the one destined to protect the universe?

Yes, I knew this when we were together. Estrella had to hide your marks of Auvreria so the
people of Aethra would accept you as one of their own. Don’t tell any more; I know your life story. Now rest. Close your eyes, and don’t think about this too much.
She left the tent and flew away. I wanted to think, but my tired mind forced me to sleep.

The training grounds, a terrible mistake

May 7
th
, 2014

The valley was
covered with shadows. The wind blew from the east, and the clouds were white and blue. It was early in the morning. People from Clamoor had come to practice their battle skills. I looked at the sky and felt cold when the breeze blew. I took out my rusty sword, examined it, and dropped it to the ground. I could not imagine my future. I felt more connected to Arthaesia, but the nostalgic feeling forced me to recall my memories.

Naak
, the son of Lord Dalius, walked up to me. He had a grin, but his eyes were serious. He picked up my sword. “What is the point of training you to be a warrior of the Clamoor Clan if you’re going to drop your sword–the blade of protection? You don't belong here. I can't believe my father didn’t tell Clarimie to choose me. I am the best in our training class. Why don't you answer, girl? Are you afraid?” I did not take my gaze from the sky.

“Not everyone will protect you like a baby,”
he said. “You are even worse than one. Answer, you irresponsible, spoiled lady!”

“I don't want to,” I answered bitterly. “Please, just go away.”

“I will not go, because nobody is the boss of me. You are nothing. You are needless dust that makes everything worse. You don’t help anyone because you are special. Everyone should fall on his or her knees to greet your royal majesty. You... are... nobody!”

I felt so angry that I could not control myself. I wanted him to go away. My anger diffused into powerful magic. Red, orange, and yellow flames came from my hands. The flames surrounded
Naak, and he was gone. My fire stopped, and I looked at what was left on the ground. No ashes were on the grass. I couldn’t believe I had burned someone alive. The guy must have disappeared into thin air! Clarimie yelled in the distance. Aurora was confused. Lord Mediel was shocked. Lady Eldorun was crying. Lord Dalius glared at me in fury.. I felt sorry for Naak. I wanted to run away. I didn't want to take my anger out on others. I ran away to the forests where no one would find me. I ran through thorns and tangled leaves. Nothing mattered now.

The forest seemed like an endless line of brown and green as I r
an. The ground kept moving. The leaves kept touching my face. I had no fear of the animals in this forest. Poisonous plants, rifts in the earth, and mazes didn't scare me. I kept climbing up colossal rocks to the mountain. I saw a waterfall. The forest was quiet except for the sound of my footsteps. The leaves followed the path of the wind. The water from the fall became blue mist that swirled in pretty patterns and made small, transparent gems on the breeze and foliage. The rustling of the leaves became gradually louder as I reached a cliff.

Small plants grew on the
rough, dark stones. A panorama opened before my eyes. The valleys, forests, and mountains were twice as big as those on Earth. Harmony filled my soul. I heard a voice whisper softly in my ear, “Eth-onufathe Eofea e bedol a onu cethre...” It was the same voice I’d heard before. “Aestre secrete ofe alu onu...” I couldn’t understand it. “Oel soul de Avresie cone a quel elfe cliffe...” I listened more. “You elde come one cliff perul Eofea.” I knew this message was about Eofea. “You have to come to the tip of the cliff to continue your journey to Eofea. You will be safe there.”

“Who is this, where are you coming from, and why am I involved?” No answer came. I wanted a better explanation, so I walked to the edge of the cliff. I started to transform. My hands and body faded away. My hair took the shape of leaves. Only my soul was left. The wind blew
it with the leaves, and I flew through the wide-open sky. I felt free, but I was controlled by the wind. I flew down to the forests, deep into the paths of the woods.

Eofea, the kingdom of the elves

May 7
th
, 2014

Through tangled trunks and vines, through seas of trees, through solid rock, through mist and cloud, I
traveled until I came upon a field hidden by enormous trees. Their spirits were ancient and wise. The winding, multiple layers of trunks, their bright leaves, the scent of thousands of plants—this place had existed for eternity. The trees produced a flow of everlasting life.

The leaves gracefully circled
to the ground. The wind gently lifted the vibrant flowers. I slowly stepped out and transformed back into myself. From the trees came an elf who appeared to be about eight years older than me. He said, “I greet you with all the purity of my heart. The name given to me by the stars is Elfeon. I will guide you as the wind did. You will become strong with the spirit of these trees and gain confidence as you walk your path. Secrets will be revealed. Welcome to Eofea, the kingdom of the ancient spirits of nature.” His voice was the same one I had heard on the cliff. He had green eyes and brown hair. His clothing was deep green. He turned around and went into the depths of the forest. I had a feeling that he had waited a long time for me to return.

Elfeon
stopped in front of a boulder with mystical symbols. He studied them as if he were solving a puzzle. I asked, “Where are the other elves? This is the kingdom—I thought the place was supposed to be pretty lively according to legend.”