This is my first story and I hope you enjoy it Post your feedback in the feedback thread! Chapter 1. I woke up at dawn, as usual, and walked over to the window. The sun's magnificent rays sparkled on the lake just outside the window. It was very beautiful. "Are you awake, sweetie?" Mom called from the kitchen. "Yes, mom." I answered with a sigh. She should know that I wake up at dawn by now. "Could you go fetch some more water for me? We need some more for later today." Mom said as she entered my room. I turned around to face her. "Of course, mom. Is dad well enough to work today? I need to bring some herbs to Serano. He's still sick." I said. Mom looked down at the oak floor, her brown hair covering her face, and sobbed lightly. "What is it, mom? What is it?!" I cried and took a step towards her. "Your dad... He's not getting better." Mom said and looked up at me, her brown eyes almost crying. "But you said..." "I know, honey, I know... He doesn't have the flu. He has been poisoned with demon toxin." I gaped at her. Demon toxin? It couldn't be... Demon toxin ran through the veins of demons instead of blood and it was extremely toxic. If bitten och scratched by a demon, you'd die within two weeks. The toxin causes hallucinations, fever, nausea and in some cases, the victim would attack people. It also causes unbearable pain. "No, who would do that? Unless... Was he bitten or scratched by a demon?" I said, disbelief evident in my voice. "Yes. He was attacked while working in the fields a week ago. We couldn't possibly tell you. You'd be worried sick. We just hoped that it hadn't been a wolf demon that attacked him, but it showed a day after. The wound became infected and he started to hallucinate. That's why we decided to not let you see him. I'm sorry, sweetie." Mom said and began to cry. I couldn't speak. Why did she tell me this now? If she'd only told me before... Perhaps I could've helped him. Maybe he could've lived through it. I caught myself. How could I even think that he wouldn't make it through? Maybe, a little voice in my head said, you're just thinking rationally. No one has lived through being poisoned. I took a deep breath. "I need to leave. I can't be here now." I said and bursted out of the room. I heard mom call after me, but I ignored her. I needed to get out. As I ran out the door, I stopped for a second to grab my bag, then I ran to the lake and the forest surrounding it. Even though I didn't want to be home, I needed to be close to home if dad got worse. Or dies, the little voice in my head added. I didn't argue. It was right. After about 30 minutes, I got up from the stump I was sitting on. My bright purplish blue eyes were probably red from crying a lot, so I walked over to wash them in the lake. I splashed some water into my eyes. I looked at my reflection in the water. My blonde hair looked like a bird's nest and my eyes were a bit red. Serano would think I was sick. I quickly rose to my feet. Serano! I had completely forgotten about him. As I turned around to grab my bag, I saw a boy about my age standing near the stump it was on. His shoulder-length black hair moved a bit in the light breeze and his icegrey eyes studied me carefully. He was very handsome. "Can I help you?" I said, feeling uncomfortable. I'd never seen that boy before. After studying me once more he simply said: "Yes, I believe you can. I need medicinal herbs for my mother and I heard there were some in these woods. Is that true?" "Yes, it is. In fact, I'm on my way to get some. Want to join me?" I said and smiled a friendly smile. "Thank you. Oh, here's your bag." He said and tossed me the bag. We walked a bit into the woods, when I remebered that I didn't know his name. "My name is Awena, by the way. What's your name?" I said. Something flashed across his eyes for a split second and he smiled a mysterious smile as he said: "You can call me Raul."
Ok, though please read my signup and give him a big part (if you can). If giving him a big part needs more information about him, I'll be glad to give you more information about his lifeline, personality, etc.
Okay, sorry for not uploading, but I've been away and I haven't been happy with the chapter. As a special treat (excuse for making you wait), an extra-long chapter and Chapter 3 tomorrow Leave your feedback in the feedback thread and signup in the signup thread. Oh, and have a wonderful day
Chapter 2. We'd walked around for a bit when we came to a crossroad. On both sides, the path was surrounded by trees. I was about to turn left, because that's where the herbs were, when Raul said: "Aren't the herbs this way?" He pointed to the path on the right. If we went that way, we would get to the Dark parts of the Forest. No one went there since there had been demon sightings there. And how could he know it was that way? I was just about to tell him that it was the other way when he smiled at me. Oh, what a smile! His lips curved up slightly and bared his pearly white teeth. His eyes sparkled a bit. Well, we could go there. No one had seen demons here in a while and there might be herbs there too. I just nodded like a moron and walked to the right. "The forest is very beautiful. I bet it would be prettier during nighttime. The moonlight would capture the slight moisture on the leaves and it would look... Magical." Raul said as we walked on the path. "Yes, it probably would be, but there might be demons and... Other scary things." I said and looked around. The trees had started to grow closer to each other and the path grew darker as we went on. There were some bushes with Cerriousa-flowers on them here and there. Cerriousa-flowers are a reddish pink shade and have velvety petals that wrap around the center, almost like a rose. After a minute or so, we approached a clearing. "Look, Raul, a clearing! Perhaps there are herbs there." I said and smiled a big smile. "Yes, perhaps. Race you there?" He said and smiled as well. Even though I'm not very competitive, I nodded and sprinted off towards the clearing. Raul passed me very quickly and smiled triumphantly when I reached the clearing a few seconds after him. We gave each other a high-five and walked further into the clearing. The clearing was very beautiful. The was a small lake in the middle and surrounding it was a lot of plants. If I weren't afraid of demons, I could've lived there. I could've built a cottage and found peace with the plants and small animals, but that was impossible as long as demons existed. I sighed. Maybe someday. "Hey!" Raul shouted, "Is this one of the medicinal herbs?" I walked over to the place he was pointing at and bent down to get a better look. Instantly aware of wearing only a nightgown, I pulled down the hem of the gown to cover my bottom. The herb was a small, green thing with leaves growing from various places of its stalk. I touched one of the leaves. The surface of the leaf was rough like a cat's tongue. This was not a medicine herb. I got up and turned to face Raul. "This is not a medicine herb. The leaves are rough. If it had been a medicine herb, the leaves would have been velvety." I said. "So, what kind of herb is it?" He said. "Judging from the size and the leaves, I'd guess it's an Aina Gurth. That's Elvish for Holy Death. It's called that because it leaves you in a death-like state until the next sunrise. My mother used it when she had trouble sleeping after my brother died." It hurt just to mention the death of my brother, but I kept in the pain and just looked at Raul. "So if I ate that herb, I'd be asleep until the sun rises?" Raul said, looking at the herb. "Yes." I answered without any enthusiasm. "I don't believe you. Eat it and if you fall asleep, I'll believe you." He said and smiled at me. I was about to call him crazy and that he could ask anyone about it, when his smile got to me. He looked so innocent and sweet. It wouldn't be nice to call him crazy. Maybe I could just take a little taste... I began to bend down when my head cleared. What the hell was I doing? Was he a Mage and found pleasure in making me do things? I got up and slapped him in the face. "What the hell are you doing? You can't just go around, pretending to care, and make people do things! I swear, if you try to do anything else, I'll slap you again." I yelled. Raul held his and over his cheek. A smile began to spread over his face, but not a sweet, innocent smile. It was a cruel smile "You have strength. I'm impressed, but I still have work to do. Come with me willingly and I won't have to hurt you." Raul said and extended his and towards me. I spat in his hand, grabbed my bag and began to run away. I heard a roar behind me, but I continued to run. Suddenly, Raul was in front of me, his face twisted into a horrible expression of cruelty. He grabbed my arms and as I struggled to get away, he laughed. The laugh was the sound of earthquakes and shattered rocks. He started to shake, then he transformed into a huge dragon-gargoyle-looking thing. It had black scales, some of the looked like fire when the sun hit them, and the same ice grey eyes as Raul. No. It couldn't be... "I see disbelief in your eyes. Yes, I'm a demon. And I have come to get you. Don't ask me why, you really don't want to know." He said in the same voice as before, just... Rougher, darker and more cruel. "So your name is not Raul?" I said, not knowing what else to say. He laughed the scary earthquake-laugh. "My name is Garagon Raul. Quit stalling now, you're coming with me." He said and pulled me up so I was in his arms. I tried to get away, but it was hopeless. He had me in a strong grip. What could I do, what could I do, what could I do? I was about to give up when I remembered I still had my bag. In my bag, I always had a dagger for cutting herbs. As carefully as possible, I reached for my bag. I searched the bag carefully and I found the dagger quite fast. Quicker than I thought possible, I stabbed him in his shoulder, making him loosen his grip just enough for me to get down and run away. Dagger still in my hand, I was prepared to stab him again, even though it wouldn't do much. As I got closer and closer to the village, I started to hear screams. I quickened my pace. Please let it be the kids playing, I thought to myself, silencing the little voice that had something more horrible to say. When I came to the village, it was a massacre. Demons and humans fought each other and it was obvious that the demons were winning. As horrible as I felt, the first thing I thought about was my parents. I ran to my house and into the hallway as fast as I could and I saw my mom lying there, not moving. Her dress was bloody. A boy was standing over her. I was just going to stab him when he turned around. It was Fenix. His fair silvery hair had a golden tinge in the light from the fireplace. He was wearing his father's red and silver armor, which was a little bit too big. "Awena! How are you? I've been worried sick and so has your mother." Fenix said, his brown eyes studying me with worry. "I'm fine. But mom? Is she...?" I said, not managing to say the word 'dead.' "No, but she's badly wounded. I don't think she'll make it." He sounded so professional and caring that I almost forgot that he was just 15. I pushed him out of the way, barely holding in my tears, and bent down to hold mom's hand. "Mom? How are you? I'm so sorry for this morning, I was just so..." I began. "No," Mom interrupted, "You shouldn't apologize it's my fault. And how I feel... Well, I don't feel very stellar." She laughed a nervous laugh which ended in a cough. "I love you, mom." I whispered, my eyes overflowing with tears. "My lovely Awena," Mom said and put the hand I wasn't holding on my cheek, "You have grown up to be an amazing young woman. I won't make it through, I know that. Even though that fact, I can go in peace, knowing I raised such a miracle. You'll go on to do great things, I know that. And there's something I want you to have." She let go of my cheek and reached for something near her neck. After a second, she held a silvery necklace in her hand, motioning for me to take it. I took it and examined it. It wasn't made of silver, as I thought, but from something else entirely. What, I did not know. The pendant that was hanging from the necklace was a silvery woman with eyes made of emeralds. It was simply beautiful. "Mom..." I said, starting to choke on my words. "I'm proud of you. Your father and I will watch over you from the Beyond. Keep the necklace on, as a memory of your mother." She said. A tear rolled down her cheek, then she was gone. I had just lost both of my parents. I screamed and clutched her body tightly. Fenix, who had watched our exchange in silence, put a hand on my shoulder. I barely noticed him. Tears were running down my cheeks and I couldn't let go of Mom. I couldn't. "How very touching." A familiar voice, dripping with sarcasm, said. I turned around and saw Raul, in demon-form, standing in the doorway. His claws were bloody and he smiled a horrifying smile. "Stand back, Awena." Fenix said to me and took a step towards Raul. "Go away, pesky human, and I might let you live. I only want Awena." Raul said. "Never, you filthy demon scum! I am Fenix Douragh and I will not let you harm her! I've sworn to protect this village and she's the last part of it. Stay back or I will kill you." Fenix said and took out his sword. "Humans..." Raul muttered. Raul simply walked over to Fenix and tore out Fenix's throat with his claws. I thought I was going to vomit as Fenix fell to the ground. "Let's see if he'll rise from the ashes after that. My guess is, he won't." Raul said and smiled a cruel smile. I felt the blackness come and the last thing I saw was Raul walking towards me, his claws dripping with blood.
What's this? Chapter 3 already? Yep I know this is kinda an uneventful chapter, but it's needed to proceed to the next part of the story I know, I'm a total jackass in the end, but there'll be more chapters. Promise You can still sign up in the signup thread, so go there now Leave your feedback in the feedback thread and enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 3. When I woke up, I was in a chair. My arms, legs and torso were tied to the chair. I knew it wouldn't help to try to get out of the chair, but I still tried. After several tries, I finally gave up. I cursed under my breath and decided to look around in the room. The room was made entirely of stone and on the walls were torches that illuminated the room with their red light. I didn't know what was on the wall behind me, but I guessed it would look as the others. On the wall in front of me was a huge, dark, wooden door reinforced with some kind of steel. I sighed. There was no way I was going to get out of there. I thought back to the events that occured earlier. Raul turning out to be a demon. The village, covered in the corpses of its inhabitants. My mom lying on the floor, telling me that she was proud of me and that my father was dead. Mom dying with a tear on her cheek. Fenix trying to protect me from Raul. Raul killing him and walking towards me. I started to cry. Why did this happen to me? Why me? I had no answer to that and I didn't think I'd get one. I looked down at my body. My skin was surprisingly clean. Then I noticed something that made every part of my body shiver in horror. I wasn't wearing my nightgown. I was wearing a black dress with red runes on it. What the hell? Had some nasty demon changed my clothes? An urge to cover myself up with a huge blanket came over me, but I couldn't do anything, of course. Suddenly, the door opened and five demons came in, all in their demon forms. I recognized Raul and shot him an angry glare. The other four were strangers to me, but I could feel an aura of darkness surrounding them, making me shiver. "Is this her?" A demon looking like huge a wolf said. "Yes, that's her." Raul answered, paying no attention to me. "What did you say, Garagon?" A female demon looking like a beautiful gargoyle-thing said. "Yes, that's her, sir. Happy, Orya?" Raul snapped. "Quit arguing!" The wolf-demon said. Raul and Orya looked down at the floor and nodded. The other two demons, one looking like a huge raven and the other looking like a lion, led Raul and Orya out. I noticed that all of the demons were black with red accents. That was VERY creative of them. When the door closed, I was alone in the room with the wolf-demon-thing. He, it sounded like a male, turned to me. "Now... Tell me your name. My name is Yarlothain." He said. I didn't answer, instead I spat at him. He growled a bit before saying: "Garagon told me that you had quite a temper. It serves nothing to fight us demons. If you think you are brave, you're not. You're foolish. Now answer me before I show you how much of a demon I can be." I shuddered and decided to answer. "My name is Awena Lorande. I'm 19. I lived in the village Trewden before you destroyed it and my family and friends with it." I said. "Good. See, we are co-operating. If it's easier for you, I'll switch to my human form." He said, faking kindness in his voice. He shook a bit, then he transformed to a boy about my age. His short brown hair looked red in the light from the torches. I might've thought he was cute, if it wasn't for his eyes. They were a dark, blood red. "I'm sure you have questions, so go ahead and ask them." Yarlothain said, his voice smoother and lighter. "Yes. Why me? Why the hell did you change my clothes? Why won't you just return the the hellish place you came from?" I said, hatred evident in my voice. "Why you? You are young and pretty. Why we won't return? We like it here. Why we changed your clothes? I'll tell you about that later." "What are you going to do with me?" "I'm going to devour your soul. Don't worry, it won't hurt THAT much." He said, as if he did it every day. I filled up with even more fear than before. That's what they were doing with the kidnapped humans? To have your soul devoured is worse than death. Why? Because you don't move on. You are forced to live in the person who devoured your soul forever, or until they die. Your soul strengthens the devourer and it's futile to resist. When you see the things the devourer sees and the dark thoughts the devourer thinks, you might just as well give in and not have to feel sick. If the devourer is somewhat nice, he or she might shut you off from their senses and thoughts and leave you alone with your thoughts. It's the worst fate you could be forced to endure. "No... Just kill me! I'm begging you!" I screamed, not caring about trying to keep up a calm facade. "Sorry, can't do that. But I was nice to you. Those runes will make it easier for me to take your soul, which will make it hurt less for you. See?" He said. "You're a disgusting demon scum! I hope you and all of your friends are turned to dust! May your appearance rot to be as rotten as your mind!" I screamed and continued to yell out obscenities even when Yarlothain took a step towards me. "Enough!" He yelled and slapped me. That's right. He's a demon and he slapped me. I couldn't help but to giggle a bit. Then a bit more. Soon, my giggle had turned into an insane laugh and Yarlothain just looked at me as if I was crazy. Maybe I was. "Stop laughing!" He yelled. I stopped laughing, realizing the severity of the situation. "I've tried to be polite, but you... You are the most annoying human I've met. Now I will devour your soul and you can do nothing about it. Isn't it just horrible to know that whatever you try to do, you'll still get hurt? I don't know, you tell me." He said and smirked. I looked at the floor and began to hum the song my mom used to sing to me. If I was going to be devoured, I might as well go down with a happy memory. "The world has many places. Oceans and forests, but none compare to you. The nymphs of Ishtura envy your beauty. The elves of Caldwell envy your agility. The dragons of Draconia envy your strength. The humans of Goloria envy your brave heart. This song is to you, my love, and I hope you love it as I love you." I sang to myself. Then I felt a tug in my very core, as if my soul was being ripped out. You silly, the little voice said, that's because it IS being ripped out. I continued to sing, tears rolling down my cheeks. The world was growing blurry around me and I felt the darkness come. I felt a shockwave coming from my core. Then there was nothing.
Hi! There's going to be a new chapter right after this post. First of all, I want to thank you all for your support. I love you all Second, Monday-Sunday next week, I'm going to be away. I MIGHT be able to update, but I don't think so (but I hope so). Third, this chapter is a bit violent. Just a warning. Fourth, I promise, the next chapter will be brighter and not as demonic Lastly, enjoy the chapter! P.S. This story is on Wattpad! My username is OkamiAmaterasu
Chapter 4. I had probably been conscious for a while before I could hear anything. I heard a few, distant voices that spoke in agitated voices. Was I in Yarlothain's head now? My pulse quickened. As I tried to move a hand, I hoped for a miracle. After a few seconds, my fingers twitched. I let out a deep sigh of relief, but I couldn't understand why I was still myself. Suddenly, I was aware of that I was lying on a stone floor. I tried to open my eyes. My eyelids fluttered a bit before opening, allowing me to see. Indeed, I was lying on a stone floor. I got up on my feet, but fell down almost immediately because I had zero balance. My body hurt and my head was spinning, but I ignored it and got up again. This time, I didn't fall. I was in the same room as before, except the chair had been removed. Why was I here? Why wasn't my soul devoured? And most importantly, why hadn't they killed me if the devouring hadn't worked? So many questions and no answers. I curled into a ball and tried to escape to a happier place. Suddenly, I heard a crash and raised voices outside of the door. I sat up and listened. "...an annoyance! We should kill her and get someone else instead. Yarlothain, you are my elder and I respect you, but she's of no use to us!" Raul shouted. "As you said, I am your elder. You shall listen to me and not question my orders. Besides, if she refuses to answer, you might get to torture her after me. Don't you agree?" Yarlothain said firmly. "Yes." Raul said reluctantly. "Now, open the door for me." Yarlothain said. The door flung open and Yarlothain walked in, still in his human form. Raul closed the door after Yarlothain had entered. He walked towards me and stretched out his hand to me. I didn't take it and stood up by myself. "Hello, Awena. How are you today?" He said, smiling a fake smile. "You tried to devour my soul and you ask me how I am? You must be stupider than I thought." I said. He looked as if he could explode anytime soon, but he pulled it together with much difficulty. "I'm glad your spirits haven't gone down, despite your little... Accident. Now, I'm going to ask you some questions and you will answer them. If you don't..." He said. "You'll torture me? I heard. You need to get thicker doors and walls." I interrupted. "Don't interrupt me!" He roared, "You may be right, but you will obey me." "Then ask your stupid questions!" I snapped. "Yes, I will. First, why couldn't I devour your soul? There is some kind of protection around it." "You just answered your own question. There was some kind of protection around it." "Let me rephrase, where did that protection come from?" "I... Don't know." "Think a bit harder." He said, grabbing my wrist and holding it in an iron-grip. "I really don't know! Let me go!" I screamed. "That's too bad." He said and squeezed my wrist with superhuman strength. I heard my bones crush and I screamed excruciating pain. He let go and I clutched my wrist. I thought he was done, but I was wrong. He shuddered, then he exploded into the big demon-wolf. Anger was evident in his eyes and I started to run away into a corner, not being able to go to the door since he was blocking it. He ran after me and pushed me to the ground. After a second, which seemed to last forever, he bit my leg. I screamed and tried to shake him off, but only causing more pain. He let go, only to bite my arm and then my stomach. Tears stared to roll down my cheeks and I screamed even more. Then he let go. Expecting more pain, I closed my eyes and started to curl into a ball, but the pain never came. I opened my eyes, only to see him walk out the door, saying: "I hope that you'll think a bit more about my question. We'll chat more at another time." Then the door closed and I started to cry even more. I curled up even more and closed my eyes. What good did it do to be brave when you could be broken so easily? After what seemed to be a day, someone entered my room. I looked up and opened my eyes. It was Raul, in his human form, carrying a tray with a bowl and a glass on it. "Get up." He said coldly. "Why?" I said, my voice almost failing me. "I bring food. You humans need it, I've heard." When he mentioned food, I felt my stomach growl. I tried to get up, but with a dysfunctional arm and leg, I just fell back down. "Your boss was kind enough to handicap my leg and arm, so I can't get up. It seems like you have to walk over here." I said. He looked at me, his eyes full of annoyance, but he still walked over to me and put the tray down in front of me. "Thanks." I said sarcastically. "You're welcome." He said with equal sarcasm. The bowl was full of soup and the glass was filled with water. The demons had, unbelievably enough, provided a spoon. I tasted the soup. It tasted of water, chicken and some kind of herb. I tasted once more. Yes, definitely some kind of herb, but what herb? After some use of my extreme tasting skills, I decided it was Hûredhiel, a herb that heals wounds. I took a sip of the water. The same undertone of the herb was there. Why would they want to heal my wounds? I only needed to think for a second and what I realized horrified me. They wanted me healthy so they could torture me without killing me. Raul must've seen my horrified expression, because he said: "Did the soup not taste well? I'm sorry, princess, but we demons don't eat human food. How are we supposed to cook it?" "It's not that. It just... It just hurts to sit up." I said. He looked skeptically at me, but then shrugged, left the room and closed the door. If he had noticed my lie, he hadn't cared. I was now in a dilemma. Should I eat up and heal, easing my pain, but allowing them to torture me further? Or should I pour out the soup and water, still being in pain, but not allowing them to torture me without killing me? I decided to pour out the soup. I didn't know how the protection came to be and I'd probably never know. As I began to tip over the bowl to pour out the soup, the door flung open. Raul stood in the doorway, still in human form. "I knew it!" He shouted and closed the door. I just froze, dropping the bowl back down to the tray. Raul stormed over to me and grabbed me by the neck. "You stupid human! I'll force this soup down your throat, since I don't trust you to eat it yourself." He said, grabbing the bowl with one hand and forcing my mouth open with the other. I tried to fight back, but I was too weak. He poured a bit of soup into my mouth and I gagged. Despite my efforts to spit out the soup, I was forced to swallow it, otherwise I was going to die. It continued like that for the next few minutes, then the bowl and glass were empty. Raul let me go and walked towards the door. "Don't make me do that another time. If you do, I will demand something in return." He said and smiled a cruel smile. I shivered as he walked out the door and closed it. I yawned, pushed the tray further away from me and lay down. Sleep came as soon as I closed my eyes. I was awakened by Yarlothain's voice. "Wake up, Awena. You got an answer for me?" He said coldly. "I still don't know." I said sleepily and shook my head. I heard him growl, then he kicked me in the stomach. "Get up." He hissed. Afraid as hell, I got up and looked at him. His eyes were burning with fury. He pushed me into the wall with his body, so we stood very close to each other. As I shook in terror, he leaned in and whispered: "This will hurt, human." Then he touched my arm with something cold. A knife. He dragged the knife across my skin, causing me to bleed. I whimpered. "Are you sure you still don't know?" He said. "I beg you, stop! I don't know!" I cried. He pushed the knife further in and dragged it a bit more. I screamed in pain. "How about now?" He said. I tried to get away, but it was impossible. "It's what I thought. This will hurt a bit more." He said and smiled a cruel smile. I don't know when he finished carving my skin with the knife, I was far too broken to know. As he stopped, I didn't know if I was to be grateful or not. I wished he'd just kill me. He left the room and I feel to the floor, powerless. Then the ceiling caved in. Incredibly, I hadn't been hurt. Among the dust that still hung in the air, there was a huge shadow that filled the entire room. As the dust settled, I saw what it was. A dragon. A huge, freaking dragon.
Hi! Chapter 5 will be up after this. First, I love you all. Your feedback really brightens my day. Second, sign-ups are CLOSED. Thanks for all of the AWESOME characters Third, sorry for not uploading on Tuesday as I said, but I HATED the chapter, so I re-wrote it. Only the best for you Lastly, there's a lot of dialogue in this chapter because I'm introducing two suggested characters and I wanted to show them off a bit I love you and I hope that you like the chapter
Chapter 5. The dragon shook the dust off its red scales. It hadn't seen me yet. I tried to back further away from it, but it was impossible without causing unbearable pain. As a small gasp of pain escaped my lips, the dragon turned its head to face me. Its blue eyes seemed to bore into my soul. I didn't know if it was friend or foe. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" A magnificent voice roared in my head. Was I going crazy? I looked at the dragon, it seemed to expect an answer. "I don't know if you just said that or if I'm just crazy, but I'm..." My voice failed me. I cleared my throat. "I'm Awena Lorande and I'm from the village of Trewden. Demons killed everyone and they took me, hurt me. Are you going to kill me?" I said, my voice just a whisper. "That you are here interferes with our objective. I'll have to take you away from here." His eyes studied me, "You can tell us what happened later. For now, jump up on my back. I won't hurt you." I tried to get up, but my legs refused to carry me. I looked at him, it sounded a "he," with despair in my eyes. He closed his eyes and seemed to focus on something. Then he opened his eyes and I floated up in the air. I screamed and tried to get down, but then I understood that he was trying to help me. With magic. I'd never seen magic performed before. Fighting the urge to faint, due to the fact that I was flotaing in the freaking air, I tried to focus on the fact that I was getting saved. Probably. After a few seconds, I was on the dragon's back. It hurt to sit, but I tried to ignore. "Hold on." He said, flapped his wings and took off. I reached for the nearest thing to grab onto, which was his neck. Though I was weak and I couldn't put my arms all the way around, it helped me to stay on his back. Then I saw something wonderful above us. The moon. Hope awakened inside me and I felt relief. Relief over seeing the outside world for... Two days? A week? I didn't know, but it felt good. Soon, we were high up in the air and I looked down. A huge hole was straight down in the ground, leading to the room where I was kept. Apparently, I'd been underground. I felt a bit dizzy, so I looked at my "savior." "Who are you? Why are you helping me?" I said, my voice still a whisper. "I am Utho, leader of the dragons of Dreshdûr. I'm helping you because I couldn't just leave you there. We were going to perform a risky operation, to which you would be in the way, and we really don't like to harm humans. Besides, since you weren't dead or just a shell, you had to be something special. You'll tell me about it later, but not now. For now, all you need to do is stay awake. If you fall asleep, I do not know if you'll survive. You are very weak right now. It's a miracle that you're alive and even speaking. Be quiet now, we don't want to attract attention." He said. "We? Who are 'we'?" I whispered. "'We' are my fellow dragons and I, if you're referring to the risky operation. If you referred to my last sentence, it's you and I. Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" He said, effectively ending the conversation. I felt a rumble in my mind, but I ignored it. After what I'd been through, it was probably normal. Or it was just the height, but I didn't care. I tried to think about other things as we were flying across the land, but the horrible thoughts hopped up inside my head despite my efforts. It was like I was watching everything from outside my body. Meeting Raul, my mom dying, Fenix dying, the torture, the ceiling caving in and finally escaping with Utho. Then it repeated over and over again. All I could do was to wait till Utho and I landed. After what seemed to be an hour later, we reached some mountains. Some might not be the right term. There were mountains everywhere, but we reached some that were bigger than the rest. The peaks were covered in snow, and as we came closer, I saw that there was a big cave opening on the biggest mountain. "Prepare to land." Utho said. We were close to the opening and I tried to hold on tighter, but failed. My hands slipped and I lost my grip. I slid to the right a bit and it hurt like hell, but I kept quiet. When I slid down further, I panicked and flailed my arms around, searching for something to grab onto, but not finding anything. I fell down and hit my head on a rock in the cave. Just before I fainted, I saw a shadow over me. When I began to regain consciousness, I heard a conversation around me. "She needs to go to the elves! They have herbs that we do not. I'll fly her there myself! I'm sure that Aranel..." A male dragon, not Utho, roared. "How can you be so sure, Natur? I am your Elder and you will listen to me! Have you forgotten what I did for you?" Utho roared back, interrupting the dragon called Natur. "Of course not! I just think that it would be best for Awena. Besides, Aranel have been nothing but helpful. Why wouldn't she help Awena? I've alway been respectful to you, Utho, but the elves could help her rehabilitate and heal better than we could. I don't doubt your magic, but the elves could help her more." Natur said, calming down. Utho sighed. Well, the dragon equivalent of sighing. "I know that you are right, but it's too dangerous. I'll try anything to avoid you going there. Demons have taken over most of the land on the way there. I will not risk your life or hers. Perhaps I could fly her." Utho said. "No! I'd rather have myself die or get hurt than you. Your people need a leader, Utho, a living leader. You need to think more about yourself. I'll be fine. I'll fly her there. All I need is your permission." Natur said. "Fine. Fly her there, but protect her. If the demons let her live, she must be special. You're still young, so demons will have an advantage. Remember, take it easy with her. I've healed her wounds, but not her pain. Something blocks me from healing her pain. Even I do not know what it is, but I'll research it." Utho said, almost talking to himself at the end. "Thank you, Utho. We'll leave immediately." Natur said. I opened my eyes, more intrigued than I'd been before. I was leaving? With some dragon called Natur? I looked over to the two dragons standing next to me. Natur was as big as Utho and had rich, green scales and eyes the color of liquid gold. He wore a light steel armor, unlike Utho, who didn't wear armor. "Do I... Do I have to leave? I'm tired." I said, my voice raspy. The dragons turned around to face me, shock evident in their eyes. "You heard us?" Utho said. "Of course I did. You weren't very quiet." I said, wondering what the big deal was. "We were talking each other. Since we dragons speak with telepathy, you shouldn't be able to hear us." Utho said. I opened my mouth and closed it again. What the hell? Natur chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. "Yes, she's very special. Well, Awena, should we leave? If we leave now, we'll arrive at sunset. I just need to say good-bye to Bellethûl." Natur said. I nodded and got up. My legs carried me this time, but it still hurt to walk. I followed Natur deeper into the cave, where there were many dragons. It left me breathless. All of these dragons... They were magnificent. A dragon with violet scales and bronze eyes walked up to us. "Hello, my darling Natur. Are you leaving?" The female dragon said, her voice lighter than the males' voices. "You know me too well, Bellethûl. Yes, I'm leaving. I need to take Awena to the elves." Natur said, his voice softer than before. "Okay. Just don't die. I'd hate it if that happened." "I'd never die when I have you to come home to. Good-bye, love." Bellethûl nodded at us, then she walked over to the other dragons. Natur really seemed to care for her. "Your girlfriend?" I asked. "My mate." Natur simply replied, "Hop up on my back now. We need to hurry." With some difficulties, I managed to jump up on his back. It didn't hurt as much to sit down, since Natur was wearing a smooth, steel armor. "Will we return here?" I said. "Maybe in the future. Hold on, now." Natur said, turned and walked towards the cave opening. He flexed his wings a bit, then he lept out the opening. Before I had the chance to panic, he flapped his wings and we were moving forwards and upwards. I thought of where we were going. The elves. I looked down at my body, trying to distract myself from all the new impressions. I gasped. I'd forgotten that since Yarlothain had bit me and all that, the black and red dress was looking like crap. It was torn at many places and it showed more skin than I liked. I laughed a nervous laugh. "Natur! Could we get some new clothes for me?" I said, smiling a bit. He simply chuckled a bit.
Hi, all of my lovely fans Sorry for no chapter for a while, blame my school. I've had a BUNCH of homework and school is more important than writing, for now. That's why updates will be less frequent I know, I'm horrible, but I'll try my best to post once a week/every other week. That's the best I can do, sorry Thanks for still sticking around and, without further ado, here's the chapter! Hugs, Sophie (aka OkamiAmaterasu) By the way, if you want a map of Nayda (the region), just tell me. I'll try to make one
Chapter 6. The trip to the elves was going to take three days originally, but Natur found another way for us to take. That path was riskier, since it went directly over the Borderlands, but it only takes one day. I hadn't known what the Borderlands were so I asked Natur. "Natur! What's the Borderlands? I haven't heard of it before." I said. "The Borderlands are the lands between regions, no-mans-land if you wish. There were only villages there, before the demons took over. The only Borderland that hasn't been taken by demons are the Borderlands between Tawariel and Humania." Natur said calmly. "Tawariel? I know that the human region of Nayda is called Humania, but I've never heard of Tawariel." I said. "Tawariel is the Elven name for Elviera. The Elven name for Humania is Gwetherindoliel. Gwetherindoliel means 'troops on the hill", it comes from the Great Battle three Ages ago, when humans came from the hills and helped fight demons. Tawariel means 'girl from the forest', coming from an ancient Elvish myth. They might tell it to you when you are there, it's a favorite of theirs." Natur said, his voice betraying the fact that he was smiling. "That was interesting, but why is this way riskier than the original way?" "This way is infested with demons. We are taking the path over the Elviera-Draconia Borderlands. Our original path would have required us to go around Elviera until we came the the Humania-Elviera Borderlands. Now we are going south the entire way. Try to get some rest and we'll land on that mountain there. I'll catch you something to eat." He said. I yawned and realized I was in fact very tired. As I tried to move forward to lean on Natur's neck, I heard a magnificent roar. I looked around and came to the conclusion that it hadn't been Natur. "Natur! Did you hear that roar?" I yelled. He nodded slightly. What could it possibly be? "What is it?" I yelled a bit louder, fear starting to creep its way into my voice, "A demon. A powerful demon. We must fly quicker. I don't know if it saw us, but I will not take any risks. I know I told you to rest, but you need to stay awake, or there's a risk you'll die. I'm not sure I can take this demon on, so we'll run. Fly, to be exact, but never mind. Hold on tight. This will go very fast." He said and his wings flexed a bit. I tightened my grip, but I was fairly certain I'd fall we went too fast. He went faster almost immidiately, and I needed to hold on even harder than before. The world was a blur around us as we speeded past the mountains. My stomach turned as a result of the high speed and I was unfortunately reminded of that I hadn't eaten since... well, since Raul had "fed" me. I shuddered at the memory, closed my eyes and tried to imagine that I was in the small forest clearing. The feel of grass against my skin, the smell of flowers and the sunlight peeking through the treetops. Ah, how lovely it would be to be there now, but I wasn't. Instead, I was on the back of a green dragon, escaping from a demon that might have seen us. Why would a demon be interested in us, anyways? You idiot, the little voice said, you escaped from demons, what did you expect? I sighed and went back to the clearing in my mind. I could almost hear the chirping of birds. Then something my mind hadn't conjured up appeared in my clearing. An incredibly beautiful woman with long, blonde hair wearing a dress made of leaves. "Who are you?" I said to her, not out loud of course. "I'm Avani, but that doesn't matter. Duck. Duck now." She said, then she disappeared. I opened my eyes and ducked as fast as I could by pure instinct. A black arrow flew over my head, missing me by just an inch. I straightened myself. "Did you see that, Natur?" I shouted. "Yes. Keep low and..." He began, but I didn't hear the rest. Another black arrow had been fired towards me, and this one hit my shoulder. The pain was instant, but not only my shoulder hurt. My entire body flared up in pain and I could feel every wound the demons had inflicted open up. I cried out in pain and screamed Natur's name. He roared and everything began to spin around. It was probably just me passing out from the pain. Then the blackness came, and the last thing I saw was fire. So much fire. The whiteness came after the blackness. Everything was so bright, it hurt my eyes. Somehow, there was no pain. I stood up and looked around. Too much white. I walked around in the never-ending whiteness. Where was I? Was I dead? I didn't feel dead. Despite that, I couldn't help but to feel if I had a body. Yes, I had a body and I was wearing a white, flowing dress. Hmm, white seemed to be a theme. Then something definitely not white stepped out of nowhere. Yarlothain. In his human form. Feeling helpless, I fell to the ground, covering my chest with my arms. He simply smiled a cruel smile. "Oh, how beautiful you are, Awena. Come with me. Your soul will be safe with me. No pain, I promise." He said and stretched out his hand to me. I crawled away from him, but he didn't react. He stood as a statue with his hand outstretched, watching me. Then another person stepped out next to him. This time, it was an Elven girl, looking about my age, but was probably many, many years older. She wore a lavender dress that was short-sleeved and knee-long. It complimented her long, brown hair, which actually had some green undertones. Her emerald eyes looked at me with compassion. "Awena, you don't know me, but I need you to trust me. Come with me. You'll feel pain, but you'll still be alive and be able to make choices that might change the world. Take my hand, Awena, and wake up." She said and stretched out her hand. Feel that pain again? I wasn't all over the idea, but that was better going with Yarlothain. I got up and walked to the elf. She smiled. As quickly as I could, I put my hand in hers. Suddenly, everything got brighter somehow. I heard Yarlothain snarl and he lunged towards us. He never hit us, because we were consumed in light before he got there. My heart pounded and I was aware of that I was lying down. I opened my eyes and was greeted with light, but not the blinding whiteness. The light was soft, almost creamy, and soothed me. Then, as promised, came the pain. It wasn't as intense as before, but I still screamed in pain. Almost as out of a dream, I heard footsteps. At least two people were coming towards me. I tried to move, just to curl up into a ball, but the pain escalated. I screamed even louder and tears began to roll down my cheeks. Suddenly, I was aware of a presence in the room. "It worked, father! She's in terrible pain, can I...?" A female voice began. "Aranel, no. You are too weak. I'll see to it myself." A male voice said. "Father! You are the one who is too weak. After fighting that demon, thank the Gods it ran away by the way, you are far too fatigued. I'm not a little girl anymore." "I understand your concern, but I won't let you. You were..." The male began. "She's in pain for crying out loud! Get out of my way, father, or I'll remove you from my way." The female, apparently called Aranel, interrupted. "Aranel... I'm just worried about you." "I know, but let me help Awena!" "Fine. Go ahead." I didn't really listen very intently, the pain was too intense, but when I heard something implying that my pain was to be relieved, I became very interested in the conversation. The female named Aranel walked over to me. A gasp managed to make its way through my lips, even though I screamed. Aranel was the same girl from the whiteness, only more beautiful in the soft light. "Don't worry, Awena." She said and smiled. Then she put her hand on my chest and began to chant in Elvish or something. Where her hand touched my skin, it burned. I squirmed to get away from the extra pain, but I was immobilized. The burn soon passed over to a cooling sensation, like fresh water from the Lake. The sensation slowly made its way over my body, relieving pain as it went. I stopped screaming and moaned in relief. Soon, the pain was gone and I could move. I sat up and saw Aranel. She fell to the ground, her skin pale as moonlight. As quicky as I could, I hopped down from the bed and helped Aranel up. She looked at me. Her eyes were tired, but there was something in them that hadn't been there before. Something intriguing. Her eyes had a special spark. The spark of a true warrior.