In a cottage, in the far country side of Avalon, there lived a farmer, his wife, and their two daughters, Arianna, and Katherine. Surrounding the cottage was a barn, stables, and crops. Surrounding the farm were lively, green spring trees, which made up a clan of woods, that ran along Avalon’s entire boarder, to the Capital, Aurora.

The far Dragon Mountains behind the cottage towered over the country with defiance. The sky was dark as Arianna woke up, and crossed over to Katherine’s bed, gently pulling her awake. Arianna sauntered out to the stables, and shoveled out the manure, and put it in a bucket, while Katie carried the bucket out to the pasture, to her father.

As she finished clearing out the stables, a light brown horse, with a rider trotted up the dirt path. She glanced up, slightly grinning. She wiped the dirt from her hands and raced to the road. “Hey Will!”

“Anna,” Will shouted, jumping off his horse, and meeting her half way. Will was a tall, skinny, muscular man, with dark brown eyes. He smiled up at her, averting his eyes to the dusty ground. “I have a letter for your father,” he announced forcing himself to stop grinning.

“I’ll go get him,” Arianna declared, hiking up her dress, and running into the fields.

“Will,” Katie asked, racing up from the tall green stalks from the field. “What are you doing here? Come to see Anna, right?!”

“No, a letter for your father, actually,” he answered.

“So you won’t be staying,” Katie inquired, pacing on her tippy toes.

“No, I should be going.”

“What a shame. Anna told me she was really looking forward to you staying. She’s been waiting for a week, and honestly she’s been getting on everyone’s nerves without you. I think she likes you,” Katherine explained.

“Really; you think Arianna likes me!”

“Oh yes,” Katie agreed, pushing her short, curly, brown hair, out of her porcelain white face, that was smeared in dirt. Her eyes twinkled a mischievous hazel-silver.

“Well, I suppose I can stay for a little while,” Will noted, combing back his light brown hair. Katie gave him a reassuring smile, watching the field sway as Arianna and her father rushed through it. Anna pulled her father out, her sandy blonde hair trailing behind her.

As the end of field ended, Anna slowed down to a fast walk, meeting up with Will, and Katherine. “Mr. Brown sir,” Will said eagerly, trying not to smile at Anna. He pulled out a roll of parchment, holding it out to Anna’s father.

“Hello Will, always nice to see you,” he greeted, taking the scroll, and then shaking his hand firmly. “Strong grip,” he noted, unfolding the letter. Anna rolled her eyes and sighed, as she crossed her arms, smiling at the ground. He skimmed the ivory paper, his smiling laugh, turning to confused concern.

“Father what’s wrong,” Arianna asked her smile too, turning to confused distress. He ignored her, racing for the stables. He opened his horse’s gate, and climbed on, rushing out, onto the path. He pulled back the reins of his white steed, the horse sliding to stop against the dirt.

“Anna, tell your mother I’ll be back. Make sure she doesn’t worry,” he instructed, commanding his horse to gallop forwards.

“Father, wait,” she shouted, racing after the white horse. He slowed down the horse again, looking back at her. “Let me come with you,” she begged, catching up to him.

“No, it’s too dangerous. It’s no place for a child,” he claimed.

“Look at me! I’m seventeen. Do I look like a child,” she argued.

“You’re sure are acting like one! A woman wouldn’t be so naïve as to argue about this. No, you will stay here were you belong, where it’s safe,” he shouted dashing on.

“Naïve,” Arianna yelled back to him. She turned and stormed away, shrieking angrily. Will followed her warily, to the end of the woods, where she began to shack out a pile of rugs. Dust and dirt flew in every direction, flying into Will’s face.

“Anna,” he called, dust soaring into his mouth. She looked up, with hopeless eyes, fighting back the angered tears. He spit out the dust, sitting her down on a small rock.

“Why can’t he see, I’m not meant to stay here; milking cows and shoveling manure?! I don’t want to be a farmer! I want to be a knight!”

“You need a break,” he said pulling her into the woods. Arianna grinned, dropping the rugs, and letting him lead her away. He led her just on the outskirts of the woods, so light was abundant through the trees. He let go of her hand, and picked up two long thin branches.

He tossed one to her, and then gripped his own. Anna caught it, and held it firmly in her hand. She lunged forward to him, swinging the stick almost rhythmically. Will swung back, his stick clashing with hers. They gritted their teeth, trying to pull up, and whack each other upside the head.

Anna released the ‘X’ shape, bringing the stick low, and swinging it under her arms, poking Will’s ribs lightly. She pulled back and paused as Will, rubbed his rib, swinging his stick toward her feet. Arianna jumped over it, dodging it. She then ran, ducking under a tree. Will grinned, chasing after her.

Anna came up behind him, poking his stomach. Will held his gut, falling to the ground, pretending to be dying. Anna sauntered over triumphly, her legs in reach of his ‘sword’. Will held out the wooden branch, Arianna tripping over it, falling on top of him.

Her blue, sapphire eyes met his chocolate, brown ones; their heads an inch apart. Katie tiptoed into the woods, hiding behind a bush, her hopeful eyes peeking just over the edge of the hedge. “Are you alright,” Will asked, helping her up.

“Yeah,” she replied, taking his hand, quickly getting to her feet. They stared at each other for a moment, Arianna averting her eyes to the mossy ground. “We can’t keep doing that. We’re too old. We’re not children anymore Will,” she stated, turning away. Katherine’s head lifted out of the bush, attempting to see what was happening.

“Katie,” Anna shrieked in horror. Katie lowered back into the bush, endeavoring to get away. Anna reached into the bush catching a hold of her sister’s dress. “What are you doing here? Go home,” she demanded, dragging her along the path, back to the farmhouse.

“Ugh, I never get to do anything fun,” she complained, dangling in her sister’s grasp.

“You are eight years old, you don’t get to do anything fun,” Anna snapped. “You can’t ever spy on me again. Promise me,” Arianna warned.

“I promise,” she swore solemnly, disappointed.

“Good, now go home!” Katie stomped against the ground, mumbling something too low to hear. Anna glanced back once at Will, her eyes full of embarrassment, and a desire, but forced herself to look ahead.

Anna’s father returned home, just at sunset, in time for supper. As he opened his cottage door, he was greeted with the faces of his family. His wife stared at him worryingly, searching for truth in her husband’s brown eyes. “Father,” Katie shouted, jumping into her father’s arms. He lifted her up, spinning her through the air.

He sat her down, patting her head. His wife leaned forward, hugging him, his head resting on her shoulder. “Later,” he whispered in her ear. She nodded pulling away, setting the table, with Katie. He adjusted himself, staring up at Arianna in wonderment. “Annie, how about a hug for your father,” he suggested, holding out his arms.

Her face was serine, yet filled with contempt. She shook her head slowly, rage building inside her, until finally she stormed past him. “Anna,” he said, following her. She stomped up the stairs, slamming her chamber door. He turned his head to his wife, meeting her gaze.

“Anna, time for supper,” her mother announced, hollering up the stairs. Arianna sat on her bed, waiting for a minute to recollect her thoughts. She walked down slowly, lingering in the halls. She sauntered down to the table where her family sat, only the clattering of the plates, making noise.

“Mother can you read me a story tonight,” Katie asked, swallowing the rest of her bread.

“Of course darling,” she agreed, sipping her glass of wine. Katie smiled, picking up her spoon to eat her soup. “Anna, how was your day?”

“Same as always Mother; boring,” she replied sourly, slurping down her soup.

“Could you pass the bread, Annie,” her father asked. She glanced down at the table, biting into her piece of bread, and ripping it off. Katie reached for the bread basket, passing it to her father. Arianna glared at her, shifting in her seat.

“May I be excused,” Katie required, lifting up her bowl and cup. Her parents nodded in unison, watching Arianna carefully. Katherine gently placed the dishes into a bucket, and ran up stairs.

“May I be excused,” Arianna said tiredly. Her mother nodded, her father averting his eyes in the opposite direction. Anna bolted up from her seat, carrying her dishes, and dropping them into the tub, water splashing onto the wooden floor boards. She dashed away, running up the steps, slamming her door.

Her mother glanced over to her father, glaring at him. “What did you do,” she questioned sharply.

“I don’t know! She’s your daughter!”

“Henry, what did you do,” she repeated sternly.

“I got a letter from…,” he paused, looked around, and leaned forward. “You know who, and she wanted to come. I said no,” he answered shortly.

“What exactly did you say?”

“I simply said that it was too dangerous, and it was no place for a child,” Henry replied, recalling late that morning.

“You didn’t,” she moaned.

“Then she argued and I told her she shouldn’t be so naïve to argue about this to me,” he continued.

“You didn’t,” she repeated.

“What,” he objected.

“You called her a child and ignorant all in the same sentence,” she groaned, closing her eyes, and leaning on his shoulder.

“I didn’t call her ignorant, I said naïve,” Henry stated.

“Our daughter is neither. She is brave, intelligent, strong, stubborn, and… old enough to be her own person. Henry, she does not belong on a farm, with a broom, she belongs in the open, with a sword,” his wife explained, holding his hand.

“Where does she get this insaneness from,” he questioned, placing his head in his hands.

“From you, now go, make peace with our daughter,” she soothed.

“Ithaca, it’s not that easy! You can’t fight a flame with a flame. All you get is a bigger flame,” Henry enlightened.

“Then perhaps you should dose it with water. In other words, go negotiate, and make amends,” Ithaca suggested, rubbing his back, and getting up, to go up stairs. She stepped gracefully into the hall, knocking lightly onto the door.

“You may enter,” Katherine claimed, racing across the room, hopping up onto her bed. Ithaca tiptoed in, almost dancing over to Katie.

“Which story would you like to hear,” Ithaca asked, pulling out a chair, and sitting it in between Katie’s bed and Arianna’s.

“Am I old enough for the Princess story?”

“I think so. Anna, do you want to listen to a story,” her mother called, stretching her head towards the dresser where Anna snatched up her hair brush and dived onto her bed.

“I’m listening,” she shrugged, stroking her hair, with the bristles.

“Alright, once upon a time there lived the most beautiful queen, who had the most radiant daughters…”

“Yes I know, Aurora, Alexia, and Ithaca. Ithaca’s my favorite, because that’s your name,” Katie declared, sneaking under the covers.

“That’s right. Now one day the queen took her youngest daughter, Ithaca out, for a splendid picnic, in a meadow on the outskirts of Aurora. As they finished eating, and watched the sunset together, a loud roar rang in their ears. They jumped to their feet, a giant ogre running towards them. He snatched up the queen and disappeared into the forest,” Ithaca started, her face frozen in a horrifying expression.

Her lavender eyes misty, looking like she was about to start crying. She stared into the candle’s flame, her face blank, as if trying to recall a distant, fading memory. “Ithaca chased after the monster, stumbling over the roots. But something made her pause her rescue. There standing in front of her was the Scar Faced Man. He was young, barely fourteen, with long, sandy blonde hair, and dark garnet eyes.

He raised his sword, getting ready to plunge it in her chest,” Ithaca said, trailing off, glancing over to Katherine, and then to Arianna.

“Then what happened,” Katie asked, awe struck at the story, pulling herself up in her bed. Anna shifted in her bed, with her arms crossed, pretending not to be listening.

Ithaca paused, forcing back her invisible tears. She was trying to find the painful words, looking to say something. She looked into the fire every word racing back to her. “Ithaca glanced all around, fixing her eyes on the torches that lit up the twilight woods. She pushed past the surrounding men, kicking a man who held a torch, in the knee. The torch flew out of his hands, hitting the Scar Faced Man in the face.

The orange flame spread across his face, and down his sandy blonde hair. His screams of pained howled, in the twilight. His face became scared red, with the long, thin white scar along the left side of his face, while his hair turned to crispy ash black. Ithaca bolted from in between two men, racing past them, and stumbling out of view.

‘You ever come back I’ll kill you,’ the Scar Faced Man screamed, dosing the fire with the touch of his hand. And so Ithaca never did come back. She kept on running, until she found a far and friendly village. When she was old enough and met a boy they married, and had a few kids, the end.”

“That’s it! What about the Scar Faced Man? How was he even relevant in the story? The story made no sense,” Anna asked, ranting on her bed. Ithaca sighed, and then shrugged, moving over onto Katie’s bed.

“Arianna, can I have a word with you, out in the hall,” Henry questioned, standing in the doorway. Arianna looked over to her mother, Ithaca turning to her and nodding in encouragement. Anna got up from her bed, stomping out of her room, and past her father, waiting impatiently in the hall.

Henry pulled the door shut, and turned towards her. “Annie I apologize for my behavior this morning. I should not have said naïve. You aren’t completely naïve,” he claimed. Arianna gripped her fists, trying not to shout at him.

“So I’m not a child,” she asked quietly.

“Yes you are. So long as you live under my roof, you are my child. Speaking of which, when are you and Will getting married? You are betrothed after all,” he replied.

“Ugh! You are impossible! I’m not marrying him or anyone, until I am a knight,” she declared.

“Yes you are! No child of mine will be a knight. It’s too dangerous.” Arianna watched him for a second, tears rushing down her face.

“I HATE YOU,” she yelled, pushing past him, opening her door with difficulty, and slamming it behind her. She fell on top of her bed, crying into her pillow. Ithaca, kissed Katie’s forehead, and whispered a goodnight. Then she brought the blankets, up to Katie’s chin. She rushed over to Anna’s side, rubbing her back, trying to sooth her.

After Ithaca, decided it wasn’t working, she kissed Anna’s head full of hair, and whispered in her ear, a soft, gentle, “Good night.” She brushed her hair for a second, and then got up, taking her candle with her, standing at the door, glancing back over her daughters.

“Good night Mother,” Katie shouted, snuggling into her covers. Ithaca nodded, shutting the door behind her, running into Henry’s chest.

“Good night Anna,” Katie whispered, closing her eyes. Anna’s cries drifted to silent whimpers, but she was able to mouth, “Good night.” Katie began to lightly snore, tossing over on a different side.

“Will you tell me now,” Ithaca inquired, touching her husband’s hand.

“Not here,” he whispered, leading her into their room, shutting the door behind them. Anna, slowly got up, and tiptoed across the room, slowly opening the door, and kneeling down at her parent’s door, pressing her ear against it. “His army is at a rise, and at few days time, he’ll have total control of the kingdom, even the world,” Henry whispered, pushing back his golden, muddy hair out of his face.

“Doesn’t he need the key for that?” Henry pulled her closer to him, digging his hand in his pocket, pulling out a dull silver necklace.

“Yes, which is why he’ll be coming here to get it,” He stated, placing it in Ithaca’s hand, folding her fingers over it, and kissed the top of her hand. His hand stretched over to her smooth face, kissing her dark brown hair. Ithaca rubbed the smooth surface of the trinket, starring up at him with her lavender eyes.

She set the necklace onto her side of the end table, and pulled on her nightgown, getting into bed. Henry did the same, pulling the covers up to his chest, watching Ithaca. “I only wish Katie wasn’t growing up in the age of tyranny,” Ithaca explained.

“You forgot Anna.”

“No I didn’t. Anna is no longer a child, she’s seventeen,” she declared, kissing his cheek, and turning onto her side. Arianna tiptoed back to her bed, slipping under her own covers. Henry leaned over, and blew out the candle, laying still in bed as the night seeped into the cottage. The wind blew eerily against the cottage, it becoming the only sound in the darkness.

Arianna pulled her blankets off her, in the pitch black room. She stripped from her night gown, replacing it with a grey tunic. She pulled her black tights over her legs, and wrapped a black leather belt around her thin waist. She then pulled on her black, torn, light clothed boots, over her feet, pausing, listening to the night.
Galloping from outside approached up the dirt road. Orange lights faintly lit up the dark sky. Henry jerked himself awake, stumbling to get to the window. He peeked his eyes over the sill, and silently cursed. He pulled his pants on, then rushing to Ithaca’s side, shaking her awake. “Ithaca,” he cried, “they’re coming!”
She jolted awake, pushing away the covers, snatching up the necklace, running out the room, and into the girls’ room. She ripped the covers off of Katie, and wrapped her in a blanket, carrying her away. “Mother what are you doing,” Arianna whispered, trying to keep up with her. Henry appeared in front of her, pulling her down the stairs.
“What’s happening,” Anna hissed to her mother, flying forward. They ignored her, stomping down the stairs.
“What’s going on? Is it morning,” Katie asked tiredly, rubbing her eyes. Henry let go of Arianna’s hand, and pushed aside the table and the rug, revealing a door. He pulled it opened and lowered Arianna into the dark, deep hole. He snatched up Katie, and handed her to Anna.

“I’m not leaving you here,” Ithaca said, holding onto Henry. Henry pulled her off and carried her to the hole, kissing her hand as he let go. Arianna, helped her mother down, and pulled them lower, in the hole.
“Stay here,” he instructed, closing the hatch. Henry tossed the rug back on, pulling the table back in place.
The men on horses gathered at the front of the cottage, a man in black hooded cloak stepping off his black horse, and sauntering towards a the shadows where a young man stood quivering with fear and coldness, but standing tall and tensing his muscles to show off his bravery. “Are you sure this is where he lives,” the black cloaked man asked, his voice raspy and deep.
“Yes sire,” the shadowed figure replied.
“Then return home, for you shall be needing rest if we shall need you again. In the end you will be handsomely rewarded,” the raspy voice proclaimed.
“Yes my lord,” the shadowed figured said turning away. As he walked back down the dirt path, the moonlight shined, revealing his golden hair. The cloaked man ushered the men to enter the building, his eyes glowing in the darkness a deep blood thirsty red.
Henry ran forward, trying to escape into the kitchen, but the front door, shattered open. Guards raced in, surrounding Henry. They grabbed their swords, the sharp tips, pointed at his throat. A large man in a black cloak stepped into the cottage, hiding in the shadows.
“Sire, we have him,” one guard said, rushing to the dark figure’s side.
“Good, thank you Captain,” the man in the shadows murmured.
“Seth, to what do I owe this surprise,” Henry said struggling through the grasps.
“You know why. I want the key,” Seth shouted from his dark corner.
“A key; a key to what,” Henry asked.
“Stop this charade,” Seth ordered.
“Your majesty, should we search the house,” the captain inquired.
“Yes. You know Captain Radcliff, I’m starting to like you,” he announced. “You, you, you, and the lot of you, go upstairs,” he demanded, pointing to the guards. They sprinted up the stairs, separating into the rooms. They pulled out the drawers, and threw them across the rooms. The smashed and crushed things, past repair, into pieces.
“Since when are you a “Majesty”,” Henry snorted.
“Since I killed the king and all the royal line,” Seth retorted, chuckling. Henry glared at him, the guards gripping him tighter. Ithaca covered her mouth, to keep herself from gasping. She clutched the necklace in her hand, holding Katie in her arms.
“Come now Henry, just give me the key, and I’ll never bother you again,” Seth said calmly.
“You and I both know that’s just a bunch of pig swallow.”
“You are trying my patience,” he yelled. “Tell me where the key is!”
“No,” Henry refused. Seth quickly flipped the hood off, charging for Henry. His face was crispy red, with a long, thin, white scar that stretched across his left side of his face from his eyebrow to his chin. His hair was long and ebony black, with streaks of grey, and was brittle, and hard. Underneath the floor boards, Arianna peeked through a crack in the boards.
“The Scar Faced Man,” she dared to whisper. Seth gripped Henry’s neck, and cocked his own head to the right.
“Damn you,” Seth yelled, letting go of Henry’s neck.
“Sire, no sign of it,” a guard reported.
“UGH!”
“You’ll never find it,” Henry muttered, breathing again.
“And why is that,” Seth inquired, watching him, quizingly.
“Because you know nothing of love,” he replied, weakly. Seth stood there, anger rising in him. His left eye twitched, his fists shaking at his side.
“So Henry, where is your wife? I’m just dying to see her again,” Seth began, circling him. “And those children of yours,” he continued giving him an evil grin. “Are they upstairs,” he interrogated, watching Henry, for the simplest move.
Henry lowered his head, showing no expression. “No, they aren’t upstairs. Are they in the stables?” Nothing. Ithaca, Arianna, and Katie silently crawled forward, the ground making a low rustle sound. “Are they in the field?” No emotion. Henry’s eyes followed the almost silent rustling, underneath his feet.
“You are very good, but I will find them,” Seth claimed. He paused, giving Henry a grin. “Ah we have a winner,” he announced, starring at the table. Ithaca passed the necklace to Arianna, closing it in her fist.
“Guard this with your life,” she whispered with complete seriousness. Arianna nodded gripping it tighter, looking back at her mother with confusion. She slipped through a hole in the back of the cottage, and waited to pull her sister out. Seth threw the table away, and ripped away the rug. Henry’s eyes widened. Seth ripped open the hatch, it barely hanging on the hinges. He snatched up Ithaca by the hair, and tugged on Katie’s leg. Katie held onto the sides of the holes, reaching for her sister’s hand.
Arianna gripped onto Katie’s hand tugging her towards her. With another forceful yank, Seth reeled Katie to him. “Where’s the other one! Get her,” he bellowed. Arianna starred at the hole for another second, but got to her feet, running for the stables. She tossed open her secret cupboard, revealing a shining silver sword.
She snatched it up, and climbed up to the hay loft. She ducked behind a pile of hay, watching the guards run around outside. “Where is it,” Seth said snapping his fingers to Ithaca.
“What?”
“UGH! Guards, grab them, take them outside,” he ordered. Katie clung to her mother, the guards gripping their arms. They pushed and kicked Henry forward, passing Ithaca. They reached for each other’s hands, only touching for a short second, but were ripped away.
“Guards, lock him up in the …torture chamber,” he said cruelly.
“No,” Ithaca screamed, wriggling in the hard grasps.
“That is of course, if you want to tell me, where the key is.”
“I rather die,” Henry claimed. Seth gritted his teeth, winding his fist, and punching Henry’s stomach. Henry fell forward, holding his stomach.
“Father,” Katie shouted, hugging Ithaca tighter.
“As for you Ithaca, be my queen,” Seth begged, kneeling onto one knee.
“I’ll never be yours, you impersonate pig!”
“Don’t flatter yourself. Guards, put him on the rack. Perhaps that might jog his memory.”
“Alright,” she agreed.
“Excellent,” he hissed. He lifted up Katie by the collar of her night gown, tossing her into the carriage. He dragged Ithaca, tugging on her arm, placing her in the coach. He locked them in, turning to Captain Radcliff. “Burn the land. Burn all of it,” he instructed.
“Sire, no sign of the girl,” the captain reported.
“Don’t worry, when it burns, she was to come out eventually. And if she doesn’t, well… that just leaves one less person to get rid of,” he explained laughing.
“Your majesty, where do we put him”, a guard said, shaking Henry.
“Drag him behind the coach.” They nodded, cuffing his hands in iron clasps, and chaining it to the back of the carriage.
“Ready fire,” the captain shouted, tossing a torch onto the cottage roof. The others torches flew into the field, and onto the barn roof.
“No,” Katie shrieked, watching her home catch a blaze.
“No,” Ithaca shouted, pounding on the window. The roof of the stable collapsed, fire spreading onto the hay and wood. Arianna jumped down from the loft, and unlocked the animal’s cages. They all escaped, while the doorway was still clear.
As Arianna raced for the exit, a burning log fell from the collapsing roof, blocking the only way out. She raced for the opposite direction, pulling planks off of an unburnt wall. She created a small hole and squeezed through. As she made it out, what was rest of the stables collapsed to the ground.
“There she is, get her! Get her now,” Seth ordered, getting on his black horse, leading the carriage away. As the carriage jerked forward, so did Henry, and so he walked, trailing behind the coach, trying to keep up with it. The carriage moved on, on its way to a small rural village next to a large marsh.

The guards raced towards her, stumbling to pull out their swords. Arianna paused, watching them charge towards her. She raised her sword to them, holding her ground.
They skidded to a stop, watching her. They began to laugh, pointing to her. She smiled, chuckling with them. “Put the sword down before you hurt yourself,” one guard leading the others suggested. Then as the others still laughed, she turned her face back to seriousness, swinging the blade towards them.
The blade cut through the leading guard, slicing him in half. The other guards starred at her with incredulous stares, then stepped forward, crossing swords with her. She swung down, slicing his stomach. That guard fell to the ground, while his comrade came forward. Arianna swung the blade, but he blocked it. Finally she kicked him to the ground, the tip of her blade, pointed at his throat.
“I’m going to let you live. Why? Because you will be the one to explain to your lord how highly trained guards, got defeated by a farmer’s daughter, by a woman,” she explained. “However, since I can’t have you following me, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait to tell your lord the information. So farewell,” she said, raising her sword, and hitting his head with the bud of the sword’s handle.
He fell over onto the ground, his arms trying to pull himself, but toppled over beneath his weight. She checked his heartbeat, and nodded in approval, disappearing into the woods. As she turned away she disappeared in the woods, racing through the low branches, pushing them aside.
Behind the branches revealed a dirt path that led up to Marshville. She raced along, the sword trailing behind her. An old man lingered in the darkness, his shadow creeping along the cottage walls. “One o’clock, all’s well,” he shouted, the dull lit lantern swinging in the night.
Anna froze, jumping into the darkness, holding her breath. He held it out to the cold air, searching for something to move in all the stillness. He turned around, slowly moving forward, the lantern swinging steadily along with his whistling tune. Anna breathed out, running out of the shadows, to Will’s cottage.
She broke the latch, and pushed the door in, closing it behind her. She knelt down to the pile and shook Will awake. “Will, wake up,” she hissed. He shook her off turning over onto his side. “Will, I need your help!”
“Mmm,” he groaned swatting his hand out to her. She glared at him in the dark, raising her arm. She balled her hand into a fist, and striked his arm. “Ow,” he yelped tiredly, pulling himself up. “Anna, what are you doing here?”
She tossed his clothes at him and turned around, facing the door. “Hurry up and get dressed. My family was taken by The Scar Faced Man,” she explained.
“Anna, he’s just a legend!” Nevertheless Will pulled on his pants and replacing his nightgown with a breezy, white linen shirt.

“No he’s real! He killed King Nicholas, and all the royal line, and claimed the throne,” Arianna pressed. “He took my family!”

“What! Why,” Will asked slipping on his boots and snatching his sword.

“I don’t know. He said something about a key. I need to help them,” she declared. Will touched her shoulder, turning her to him.

“Don’t worry I’ll help you. Come on, we better get going. Which way did they go?”

“Down the road to Aurora,” Anna answered, pulling him out the door, tugging him to the black forest. As they walked the dim stars above and the crescent moon guided them through the darkness.

“Umm… Anna…,” Will cleared his throat, “If the story is real doesn’t that mean… ”
“Do you hear that,” she said cutting him off. He nodded and paused, hearing the crackling footsteps behind them. Will pulled her towards him, behind a near oak tree. The footsteps approached, becoming louder, and they drew their swords in unison.

They jumped out from behind the tree, the tips of the swords, at the throats of two young men about Will’s age. “I told you they would hear us. They have ears like hawks,” the tall one whispered to the blonde one.
“Derrick, Simon? What are you doing here,” Will asked, lowering his sword. Anna lowered her sword too, placing it back in the scapell.
“The question is what are you doing here?” Simon replied. “Two young people like you, wandering in the dark. People will think you’re up to something.”
“Shut up,” Will demanded.
“Unless…Do I hear wedding bells,” Simon continued. Will glanced over at Anna, looking back at Derrick and Simon. Anna glimpsed over at Will, pulling her head back to Simon. She glared at him, with her sapphire eyes, only breaking contact because she was losing time.
“Now if you don’t mind we have to keep moving forward,” she retorted, turning around.
“Hey wait we want to help,” Derrick shouted, his dark brown hair flying behind him, as he raced after them. Derrick was a little taller than Will, and was leaner than him, but had twice the amount of strength in his arms. His eyes were grey like Simon’s only lighter, with a hint of almond brown. They were warmer less cold and ignorant. By these you expected them to be brothers, but were not connected by any means.
“You want to help? Go back to the village and rally the villagers together,” Will said over his shoulder.
“What no way,” they protested.
“Unfortunately their right Will; we have no idea what Seth is capable of yet. He’s cruel, I can tell you that,” Arianna admitted, turning back to them, facing Will.
“Ok you can stay, just stay quiet.” They all turned to Simon.
“What, I’ll be quiet,” he shouted.
“Shh,” they hissed putting their fingers to their lips. Simon nodded and pinched his lips together. They continued forward, marching through the woods. On the path behind them, a carriage raced out of control. Guards on horses, galloped ahead, turning to Marshville. Behind the carriage, Henry struggled to keep, up, being jerked forward.
The horses and carriage slid to a stop, and Henry flew forward, hitting the back of the carriage. “Captain, where are we,” Seth asked bitterly, covering his face with his black hood.
“Marshville, your majesty,” Captain Radcliff answered quickly.
“Collect them,” Seth murmured. The captain nodded, and joined the other guards. Each guard then separated, going to each door in the village. They pounded on the wood, and waited, arms ready. The citizens answered the doors, their wives, and children hiding behind them.
“By order of the King you are under arrest,” they said to them. They gripped the mother and or father’s arms and dragged them out. They wiped out iron cuffs, and locked their wrists in them. They chained the children across the shoulder and waists of the parents, and formed them in lines of two. They ran another chain through the shackles, and pulled them forward.
“We still have the rest of Brown Side, Tabitha, Draco, Dresden, Elysian, Karelia, Lille, Orleon, and Aurora,” the captain claimed, mounting his horse.
“Excellent! Let us move forward,” Seth said, looking through the carriage window. Ithaca sat on the bench, rocking Katie in her arms, looking out the back window. Seth then glanced back at Henry trying to break himself free. He faced the front of the road again grinning evilly.
With a single nod to the captain, the guards lowered the torches to the hay. The village caught flame and blazed as the carriage and citizens moved on. All through the night, the carriage rode on, capturing villagers, setting their homes on fire, burning them to ash. When the chain ran too long, they saved horses and wagons, stuffing the villagers in the wagons.
Anyone who fought was killed. Even as they reached Aurora, at dawn, they seized all its residents. The wagons and chains of prisoners turned to an open field, while Seth accompanied the carriage with a few guards up to the castle.

The woods were calm and eerie, the misty fog rising up to the tree tops. They walked endlessly, their bodies tired and sore, but they still walked. “Do you smell that,” Will questioned, breaking the silence. They glanced over at him, and nodded.

Will turned around and ran towards Marshville. “Will,” Anna shouted running after him. Derrick and Simon ran after them, thrusting back their heads and moaning, but running nevertheless. Will jumped out of the woods and skidded to a stop, on the dirt road, watching Marshville burn.

Anna stopped behind him, reaching out to him. “My mother,” he whispered. He jolted forward, into the blazing flames. “Mother, Rowan,” he yelled, fighting the flames.

“Will,” Anna screamed racing after him. “Will, come back!”

“Hello, anyone there,” he shouted, squinting his eyes in the hot redness. He climbed the unburnt watch tower, and gazed down at the village. The land turned black, the fire slowly simmering down. The trees had wilted, the fields were crispy brown.

Anna climbed up the tower, sitting next to him. She watched the fields in horror, glancing over at Will. “We just missed them,” Will muttered.

“Will, it will be alright,” Anna claimed.

“I wasn’t here to protect them,” he said louder.

“If you had stayed you would either be killed, or captured, then who would save them? We’ll get them back. Look Dresden’s burning too!”

“Every village probably is,” Will said, getting up, and looking further in the distance.

“What are you doing Seth,” Anna said quietly.

Suddenly two white horses, charged out of the woods. They stood on their back legs, and kicked their front hooves up in the air. They had a shimmering white coat, long white manes, and a glittering silver horn on their foreheads.

“Amazing,” Arianna declared, climbing down to them. Derrick and Simon appeared through a black cloud of smoke, approaching the unicorns. As Simon neared on, they thrusted up their hooves, making him fall back into a pile of dirt and ash.

“Stupid horses,” he muttered as he glared up at them with his dangerous grey eyes. He got to his feet, brushing out the black soot from his gold hair. “Shh, calm down,” Anna soothed, stretching out her hand in peace.

She touched the horse’s long face and petted it. “Will you let us ride,” she asked brushing its neck. They nodded. Derrick climbed onto one unicorn holding the mane, while Simon held onto the back of his shirt. Anna pulled herself up, swinging her leg over onto the other side.

Will got down from the tower and mounted the horse, holding her waist. Arianna hugged the unicorn’s neck, as they bolted off running. They ran, time slowing around them. The scenery past by them in a blur; soot flying in every direction.

The unicorns slowed, and came to a stop, faster than a blink of an eye. The horses were ebony black, the horn a dull coal silver. Arianna jumped off, glancing at the village she was in. The unicorn’s neck, where she had wrapped herself around, was off white, the black soft rain, falling onto the white coating.

“We’re in Dresden! That’s amazing!”

“We skipped a day and a half’s walk,” Derrick said climbing off. The village was ash, a few sparks of fire rising, but simmering back to the ground.

“Look’s like some of the villagers fought back,” Will said stepping over a dead body. “I think we should fan out, and search for survivors.”

“Alright,” Anna agreed, heading out into a black cloud of smoke. She couldn’t see a thing, but she heard someone groaning. She neared towards the sound, the black mist dissolving. “Hey I found one!” She rushed to the man’s side, catching a glimpse of his face. She gasped and stepped back.

The boys raced towards her, Derrick tripping over the black fog. Arianna reached for her sword putting it to the guard’s throat. “Where is he,” she shouted.

“Who,” the guard choked out, reaching for his sword. Arianna kicked it away, pressing her blade further into his throat.

“Seth!” The solider didn’t answer, wheezing loudly. “What does he want with the people?!”

“Slaves,” he answered weakly, his eyes drooping closed.

“Slaves for what?!” Nothing. What’s the key for,” she questioned, impatience running through her. His eyes drifted further, blood seeping out of his mouth. He closed his eyes, and took his last breath, diving into pits of the underworld. Arianna plunged her sword into the dead man’s chest, and stormed away.

“Milady,” a voice behind her said. Arianna flinched, and turned towards the unicorns.

“Did you say something,” she questioned. She waited, eyeing the black horses.

“Yes milady,” the unicorn replied. Arianna jumped, backing away from them, “we must take our leave now. Our magic is draining swiftly, along with our strength. If you need any assistance, just call on us,” the unicorn explained. They black unicorns trotted away, into the dyeing forest. Anna sat on the ground, combing back her hair stressfully.

Will walked over, and sat down next to her. He laid his hand on her shoulder, and leaned towards her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” she answered confused. They sat in silence for a minute, ash falling faster from the sky. “Well we better find some shelter.” Will got up, and helped her up, and followed Derrick and Simon.

“Where are we going to sleep,” Simon whined. Anna looked around, at the ashy ground, then glancing up to the tree tops.

“Have you, ever heard of Cradle Trees,” she said starring up at a large tree, with wide flat branches, that stretched out from the trunk. She raced up the tree, climbing to the top, looking down at the scared kingdom. As she lay down on the flat branch, the sides almost instantly, sprouted, cradling her. The spouting ash slowed, only falling in light black flakes. The mist began to evaporate, and the distant, silver stars appeared once more, in the ebony sky. As she drifted asleep, she gripped the silver necklace in her hand.

The sun rose up into the sky, Dawn’s rosy fingertips, spreading across the kingdom. There were blackish gray clouds, which lingered in the sky, hanging above the wilting, dry, brown trees. Arianna stretched, and glanced at her hand. In her hand she still grasped the locket. As she pulled herself to sit up, she put the locket on, and climbed down the Cradle Tree.
She stepped around the boys, kicking Simon awake, but shaking Will and Derrick awake. “Time to get moving,” she called, reaching the ground. They slowly got up, and met Anna at the bottom of the tree. They walked for hours, until they heard an awful high pitched wail, which paralyzed them in their tracks. They covered their ears, cringing, as the sound seeped through their hands, ringing in their ears.
“What is that,” Derrick shouted.
“A Siren,” Will guessed.
“It’s a tree nymph,” Arianna said nearing the shrieking blubber. There not too far ahead of them, was a lavender skinned girl, dressed in a green dress made of leaves, with pink and yellow flowers on it.
Her hair was blacker than night, with pink flowers braided into it. Her eyes were the color of bark, her lips pink. She radiated of a smell of lavender and roses, but her tears were a much more powerful smell. They were thick with sulfur; a smell that made you want to shrivel up and die. In her arms she held an old dark purple man, gasping for air.
“Excuse me…,” Anna said softly, her eyes watering from the salty air. The girl turned to them, and silenced her wails to whimpers.
“Please you must help, my father, he’s dying. We had to leave our trees, we were suffocating! Our trees are dying, along with us,” the tree nymph explained.
“How can we help,” Will asked.
“You must go to Magia, and get the healing water. You must make haste, we both won’t live long,” the nymph announced, moaning her shrieking voice in muffled despair.
“Magia! But that’s almost a two day walk! Then we have to come back here and give it to her. That’s another two days. Sorry miss, but we have a deadline,” Simon shouted. They all glared at him, but it was Arianna who noticed they weren’t exactly on a “deadline” as he called it.
They just had to get there as fast as possible to save their families. It was most likely that Seth would keep her father until he got what he wanted, and the slaves for whatever his purpose. True; they couldn’t doddle, but there was still time. “What could he have meant,” Anna thought. “I promise you, that your father will live,” Anna said sternly, starring into her dark brown eyes, hoping the nymph would see her truth.
The tree nymph nodded, and hugged her father, as Anna and her friends marched forward. “Anna, how exactly are we going to keep that promise? It’s not like we can slow time,” Will noted, following her.
“Yes that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Will, all we have to do is call the unicorns. They move faster than anything. I bet that’s how Seth got through the whole kingdom in one night. He’s got to have unicorns,” Arianna replied, climbing up onto a tree. The tree was weak, and as Anna climbed higher, the more fragile it became.
As she stepped onto the next branch, it broke beneath her. As it fell below her, and she stumbled back, she caught another branch, and clung to the tree. The branch fell to Will’s feet, broken to bits. “Anna!”
“I’m okay,” she shouted, climbing up further. Finally as she could see the whole kingdom, she opened her mouth. She blew as loud as she could, a whistle escaping from her mouth. The breeze carried it, it echoing to the far corners of Avalon. Within an instant four lighting fast, silver streaks, bolted out from nowhere, four gleaming white horses stood before them.
Anna made her way down, but another branch fell beneath her, and she fell. She screamed, her arms waving around, trying to grab onto something. Will raced towards her, diving to her aid. She fell into his arms, both falling to the ground. “I’m going to kill Seth,” she declared, soreness surrounding her. Will moaned.
Anna slowly got up, and pulled up Will with a careful yank. They all mounted the unicorns, and held onto their manes. “Where to maid…,” Arianna’s horse said.
“My name is Arianna. We need to go to Magia,” she replied.
“Okay. And my name is Philartes. Hold on tight,” he ordered, backing up, and charging forward, with the other unicorns. “You can call me Phil,” he noted, as he ran. “Over there is Crystal, Chaucer, and Bob.”
“Bob,” she questioned.
“Yes, Bob. Just Bob,” he answered. Scenes flashed by them; dying trees, villages that were burnt to a crisp. They entered a new part of the woods. More moonlight shined through the tree tops, the trees were more lively here than anywhere. Dark green moss covered the ground, little flowers that bloomed and sparkled in the night. They were white, shimmering like a thousand little stars.
The unicorns slowed, turning away from a high hill. They sauntered forward, a loud rushing waterfall that trickled off the hill, into a pool of crystal blue water that shimmered in the moonlight. “We’re here,” Chaucer declared, shaking off Simon, and turning away. Simon glanced over to him and glared, but turned to look at Magia.
Behind the curtain of clear water, was a dark cave, with jagged rocks sticking out. Arianna jumped off Phil, and ducked under waterfall, mist spraying her. Will followed, the cold waterfall soaking his clothes. The jagged rocks were actually jagged crystals that clung to ceiling and walls. The cave walls were damp, the light dim, but a flicker of fire light, glowed in the back of the cave.
“Hello,” Arianna called, her voice echoing in the grotto.
“Anna, what are we looking for?”
“Fairies. Fairies are the guardians of the healing water. If we took it without their permission… well they’d turn us both into stags.
“Is that why animals can talk,” he questioned, glancing at the tunnels.
“More or less; let’s go right.”
“How do you know about fairies,” Will asked, following the tunnel. She didn’t answer for a while, both walking in silence, adventuring further into the labyrinth.
“My father told me about them,” she choked out, lingering behind Will. “Do you know what the last thing I said to my father was?”
“No; what?”
“‘I hate you’,” she replied, recalling that night, just before her family was taken from her. “I wish I hadn’t had said it. And now he’s going to die…” She paused and turned her back, forcing back the tears and sobs.
“Anna… are you crying,” Will inquired, spinning around, and cautiously nearing towards her.
“No,” she denied, wiping off the salty water that fell from her eyes. He turned her around, seeing her face wet for the first time. He bent down and hugged her.
“Anna, everything will be alright. I swear to you, we will get your family back, save the kingdom, and kill Seth,” Will promised, letting her go.
“Odd, I was just telling you that, the other night,” she laughed, wiping off her tears.
“Sometimes people break down, and that’s all you can say to keep them going on. That’s what a friend, a partner is there for,” Will explained, moving them further into the cave. Anna didn’t respond to Will’s analogy of their relationship, but the silence between them was too much. Will felt Anna wasn’t ready to talk about the arrangement between them yet.
All she ever wanted was freedom; to be a knight. Even if she did eventually agree to marry him, there was another problem now. Will knew what she was now. Even she didn’t, he did. And with that knowledge he wouldn’t be able to marry her, even if the sky had suddenly shattered, and it was the end of the world.
Girls like her didn’t marry peasants. Much less speak to them. Will had a hopeless chance. “How will we know when we see a fairy,” Will queried.
“I don’t know.” As they turned the corner, a speck of gold, flew above their heads, in circles. Then it exploded, bouncing off the walls. On the speck, large bright wings grew. It wasn’t a speck anymore; it was a tiny person, no smaller than Will’s thumb. The fairy had long, silky blonde hair, and yellow skin that glowed.
“Excuse me, we need your help!” The fairy jumped, and flew away.
“You scared it,” Anna moaned, chasing after it. “Wait, come back!” The fairy led them to a small city, crystals dangling from above, a large fire pit that wasn’t lit, with towers of small gold buildings.
“WHO DARES TO DISTURB OUR CITY,” a voice boomed from below.
“Umm… Will and Anna… who are you,” Will asked, searching for the voice.
“WHO AM I, I’M RICHARD, ELDER OF THE FAIRIES! WHY ARE YOU HERE, DISTURBING OUR CITY?!”
“We need to use your spring,” Arianna explained, looking for Richard.
“Oh, why didn’t you just say so,” he squeaked. “Follow me!”
“Uh, we would, but we don’t know where you are,” Will said.
“Oh, my apologies,” he chuckled. Suddenly he appeared in front of them. He was old, gray on his hair, and long beard. He was short and fat, with small little wings that carried him.
“Sir, we’re kind of in a hurry,” Anna explained.
“Oh yes of course.” And with that he led then outside to the pool. Beside the spring were little bottles. “Take a bottle and fill it up. Good luck.” Arianna dipped the bottle into the water, and filled it up. She plugged a cork into the spout, and got up. She took off the locket, and slid the heart of, wrapping the chain around the bottle, and racing up to Philartes.
“Will you take this to the tree nymph?”
“I’d be honored,” he answered, lowering his horn to her. She wrapped the chain around his horn, and locked it with the other end. Philartes rallied up his brotherhood, and they ran off back towards Dresden.

As Anna watched the unicorns dash off under the moonlight, Richard had appeared once more. “All of you are welcome to swim in the spring and get your strength up,” he said. “We also would like to invite you to stay the night.” The boys dived into the pond without another word, water splashing outside of the pool.
“That’s very generous of you, but I think we should get moving,” Anna declined, gently.
“Oh come on Anna, we can’t beat Seth without our strength, and rest. What good would that do us?!”
“Fine,” she muttered, plopping down, outside of the pool. She looped a strong vine, through what was left of the locket, and knotted it, putting it over head, it resting an inch or so from her throat.
“Anna, come on in! The water is great,” Will urged.
“No,” she yelled, shaking her head. Will scooped up a handful of water, and flung it at her, his fingertips, dragging across the pond water. The water sprayed her face, her head soaked. “You are so dead,” she shrieked playfully, kneeling down to the spring, splashing Will, with little waves. Will gently took her hand and pulled her in.
She fell in head first, waves rocking the boys forward. She swam to the surface, gasping for air. She pushed her wet, sandy blonde hair out of her face, spitting out a stream of water. Arianna glared at him, as he chuckled loudly. She lunged forward, pushing his head under the water. His hand reached up out of the depths, tugging her off. He reached the surface, breathing again, pulling her down into the water.
“I think we should go,” Derrick whispered to Simon. He nodded, and they pulled themselves out of the pool, and disappeared behind the waterfall into the cave. The world beneath was sparkling blue-green seaweed dancing at the bottom. Bubbles escaped from their mouths, floating up to the starry night sky.
They grinned at each other, staying under the water, just staring at each other. They circled each other, and raced through the water. Anna was in the lead, but Will grabbed her feet, and pulled her back to him. He grabbed onto her arms, getting ready to sling shot past her, but she nuzzled up against him.
He let go, and froze. She kicked off swimming, grinning as she raced to the end of the pond. Will swam after her, coming to the end of the pool. They burst up to surface, water exploding in every direction.
Anna backed up, to the very edge of the spring, trapped. Will swam closer to her, trapping her in between his arms. They breathed uneasily, their hearts racing. Will watched her eyes, as the evening star twinkled in them. She lit up the sky, shining. Will inched closer, Anna placing her hands on his chest. They closed their eyes, their heads centimeters apart, getting closer and closer.
“Ouch,” a booming baritone voice bellowed. Anna turned her head to the woods, pulling herself out of the water. Will too slow to react, barely kissed her cheek. He stood in the water, and sighed. He got out, and chased after Arianna. A loud thump hit against the ground and the rumble shook the earth. Anna swayed as she approached, and was engulfed into the darkness. Will paused, waiting for the shaking earth to end.
“Anna!” Anna glanced back at him, but continued forward. She pushed away the heavy branches, ducking under a thicket of leaves. When she approached out of the shadows, a large yellow-orange foot emerged.
“Wow,” she mouthed. She grinned a little and moved toward the giant. “Excuse me, are you alright,” she questioned.
“Who’s there,” the mountain of man demanded, his voice booming. He squinted, looked down at the forest ground.
“Right here,” Arianna said waving her at him.
“Can you help me? I have a thorn in my foot,” he whined, lifting up his foot and pointing to it.
“Oh, a thorn in your foot! Let me get it.” She turned to his large foot that was stretched across the woodland floor. She sauntered over to it, and examined the thorn. She wrapped her arms around it and pulled.
“Ha, ha, ha, that tickles,” the giant claimed his laugh echoing. The foot reeked, but Arianna held her breath, and pulled on that sharp piece of wood again. Then it flew out, landing in her hands. “Gee, thanks,” the giant shouted.
He rubbed his large foot, and sat up. Anna tossed the thorn aside, and raced back up towards the giant’s face. She gasped for air, and wiped away the odor that clung to her hands and arms. “You’re welcome,” she wheezed.
“I am in your debt?!”
“No debt necessary,” she replied.
“I owe you,” he persisted.
“Alright, there is a false king on the throne; I need you to gather as many followers as possible,” Anna instructed.
“I shall try, Maid…”
“Anna; and you are?”
“Herbert,” he replied loudly.
“Anna,” Will shouted, cutting through the branches, swinging his sword violently. “Anna where are you!”
“Over here,” she shouted back. Will followed her voice, knocking into a big, hard, fungus smelling rock. He backed away, the smell, clinging to him. He stumbled away from the giant’s foot, coming up to Anna.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Herbert,” Anna said sincerely.
“And you Maid Anna,” Herbert declared, getting to his feet. He towered over them and the trees, and stomped away, the earth shaking beneath him.
“What were you doing,” Will questioned.
“Making sure we have alliances. Just in case Seth doesn’t go down without a fight,” she explained, looking up at the midnight sky.
“Brilliant,” Will declared. Arianna laughed, and the sauntered back to the cave. It was quiet between them, but not eerie. They entered the cave from the side, missing the waterfall spray. The cave walls were lit up now, torches that hung on the sides. Above their heads, fairies danced, and twirled around, and around, being tossed higher in the air, and floating back into the partner’s arms.
When they made it back to center of the labyrinth, they surrounded the blazing fire, which was tamed in the fire pit. As the smoke rised up, it poured out of the cave. They curled up around the fire, the flames drying them. With the twinkling music of the fairies above their heads, they drifted asleep. The music died down, and the fairies curled into their cocoons, the fire dimming down; the coals, barely lit.
The sky was pitch black, and when everyone was asleep, Simon rose from his false slumber, and disappeared into the night. He met a dark figure, in the closeness of the woods, and the figure grabbed a torch, and lit the land. The flames spread slowly, working its way up to Magia.

Arianna couldn’t breathe, the harsh smoky acid burned all around her. Her eyes fluttered awake, black smoke rising higher into the air. She stumbled to her feet, kneeling to Will. “Will, we have to go,” she coughed. She pulled him up, and he stirred. He stopped in his tracks, squinting into the fog, looking for Arianna.

They turned around, lifting up Derrick and Simon, and carrying them out of the series of tunnels. They wheezed, gasping for air. Arianna noticed that unfortunately, she was helping Jacob. She quickly let go of him, making him hit the ground hard, and falling on his back.

“What just happened,” Derrick questioned, trying to get the smoke out of his eyes.

“Seth, lit up the safest place in Avalon,” Arianna answered, watching the flames stretch, along the west coast. She watched in horror, as the water nymphs, and fairies, tried dosing the flames. Light breached through the clouds, and daylight was rising up once more. They rushed to help, pouring healing water on the ground and trees. As the fire died out, they continued forward.
By mid morning, the ground had mostly cleared of mist, but the sky was still heavy in it. “Ahh, look out I’m going to crash,” a voice screamed from the sky. They all glanced up, searching for the desperate voice. The voice came closer, then with a thud, it collided, into to the earth.
“Woh!”
“Ouch. One of my better landings,” the voice laughed uneasily. It was short, and scaly, but wide. Its head was long, the teeth sharp, and pristine white. Arianna approached it, smiling in awe.
“Is that a dragon,” Simon stuttered.
“Arianna, I don’t think you should be getting that close to it,” Will warned. Arianna ignored him, and eased forward.
“Woh, back off, what do I look like to you, a dragon,” the dragon shouted. It laughed and said, “Ugh, guess I am. Who are you?”
“My name is Arianna, this is Will, Derrick, and this piece of stupidity is Simon,” Arianna introduced.
“I’m Kora.”
“Kora, where do your allegiances lie,” Will questioned.
“Anybody but the people who enslaved me and my pack,” she declared.
“Enslaved? But the dragons are suppose to live peacefully on the mountains,” Anna explained.
“Try telling those barbarians that.”
“The people who enslaved you, were they led by a scar faced man,” Arianna persisted.
“I didn’t see his face, just his blood red eyes,” Kora shuttered. “He came in the dead of night, and disguised their scents, with smoke, we were completely off guard!”
“Its Seth, I’m sure of it,” Arianna replied, clenching a fist. “What does he want with the people and your pack?”
“We’re building something. Some kind of statue,” Kora answered.
“Kora, we need your help. Will you lead us to the slave camp?”
“What I just escaped! I am not going back there again,” Kora declared.
“What about your pack,” Will inquired.
“Oh please, they made fun of me, because I couldn’t fly. And you want me to save them?!”
“You were just flying,” Will objected.
“That wasn’t flying that was crashing,” Kora argued.
“Please Kora,” Arianna begged.
“Fine, but we’re walking!” Arianna glanced back at Will and the others and grinned. They walked until darkness swarmed around them. There had been no Cradle Trees, nor much of anything for that matter. This part of the woods was barren, burnt shrubs, mossy ground. They were completely exposed, nothing to hid behind.
But there was nowhere for miles, that could shelter them, as much as Magia could. They shiver as the wind howled, bringing a cold breeze. They drifted asleep, dreams seeping into their minds.

Arianna knew what she was, but she couldn’t bring herself to think about it. Her whole life she had only been one thing; the daughter of a farmer. But she always wanted more. She wanted freedom, and now when she finally becomes free, she finds out she is to be put under another prison.
She wanted so badly to be a knight, but when this was over, how could she leave her people to more suffering; to a corrupted society. If she didn’t take her rightful place, someone like Seth or worse than Seth, could take control of her kingdom. How could she abandon her people to endure more bloodshed?

Just then, pictures of the past ran through her mind, over and over again. She could hear the panic in her mother and father’s voice, as they discussed the “key”. “What was the key anyway? And a key to what,” Arianna thought hard. Just then Seth’s voice hissed in her ear, saying, “Give me the key! I want the key. Give it to me!” She shook her head, tossing and turning on the mossy ground. “GIVE ME THE KEY,” Seth screamed, his voice echoing in her mind.

“The key,” she moaned, covering her ears, as she slept. Simon rose from his “slumber”, and glared at Arianna. He backed away, disappearing into the white fog, and the darkness of the night. He emerged out of the woods, passing through the slave camp, into Aurora, and hiking up the tall hill, up to the castle. He stood before the massive jaw bridge, waving up to the guards at the top. They waved back, and turned to the gate opener.

“Lower the bridge! Unlock the gate,” they ordered. The jaw bridge lowered slowly, and the iron black gates, rised, revealing the front courtyard. Simon crept forward, walking with a daring, dark stride. They opened the front doors for him, and as he rised up the castle stairs, and came to the conference door; he rested against the wall patiently.

A guard pounded on the door, and slipped through. He bowed low to a dark figure in the shadows, which was sitting on the throne chair, surrounded by other guards. “Sire, Lord Ashton has arrived.”

“Excellent,” Seth hissed. “Well go on, let him in, don’t want to keep our guest waiting,” he shouted from across the room. The guard bolted out the door, and led Simon in. Simon bowed low, inching towards Seth.

“My king, I have brought you what you have asked. What you seek, lies about twelve miles from where you sit, in a barren patch of wood,” he explained.

“Brilliant! Simon of Marshville, go back to your little camp site, my men will accompany you. Thank you for your services,” Seth said rising from his throne, and lifting up a bag of coins. He tossed it to him, and grinned. Simon caught it, and grasped it firmly in his hands. He bowed, and exited out the door, guards following his lead.
A figure lurked in the shadows, disappearing into the walls. In the hall as the guards followed Simon out of the castle, Ithaca lingered in the shadows of her chamber door. She had only seen the busyness of her future husband’s plans, from the hallways, but she had seen the smoke in the air from her window, and the roaming soldiers, racing at Seth’s command. Everything she has seen was not good.
She tiptoed out of her room, down the stair case, and went through an old door, that led to an old spiral staircase. She lifted up a blazed torch, taking her first step into the gloomy shadows. Every step she took, descending in the pits of darkness, was like stepping into the pits of Hell. At the bottom of the stairs, was a long corridor.
When she reached the dividing corridors, she turned right, opening a heavy all iron door. She sauntered across the cold, sewage covered ground, looking for the man who was broken. She caught the hint of his face, and ran to his side. She gripped the bars, her clean face lying on them.
“Are you hurting,” she inquired. He kept his head bowed, starring at his shackles.
“No,” he answered.
“I have been observing Seth, and he is planning something, something big,” Ithaca explained. He didn’t reply. “Come, you must speak at this,” she begged.
“I am a broken man, and because of this, I cannot speak at this,” he replied.
“Henry!”
“Please leave me.”
“Henry, is my lion’s heart dying?”
“Yes. I could not protect my family. Here you are, my wife, marrying another man, one of my daughters, a prisoner in fear, and the other venturing out alone, or dead,” he shouted.
“Henry, I will survive! My heart will never belong to Seth, it was always yours. Katie is strong, and has become my eyes and ears, discovering the tunnels of the castle, and Arianna, is alive,” Ithaca shouted, kneeling to the floor, slipping her arm through the bars, and bringing him closer to her.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do, I am her mother. I can feel it. And when she dies, it will be this ripping agony in my chest. Arianna is braver than any man, even you, and because she is so strong, and has every ambition to succeed, she will succeed,” Ithaca declared, looking into Henry’s brown saddened eyes, with her strong, delicate, lavender ones. “Arianna is our only hope.”
They pressed their foreheads together, the dreary silence overcoming them. A door creaked, and Ithaca turned her head quickly towards the door. “I must take my leave,” she said, kissing his lips swiftly, pulling herself up, and racing to the iron door. “Do not lose faith my love,” she whispered, opening the door, and slipping through.

Simon led the soldiers, a mile or two from the camp site, and continued alone. When he reached it, he laid back on the ground, hugging his coins. “The key,” Arianna moaned, tossing violently. “Noooo,” she screamed, jolting up, her eyes bursting open. She blinked, becoming aware of her surroundings, gasping for air.
She was covered in sweat, her sapphire eyes widened. She wiped away the sweat, touching the locket that was around her neck. She pulled it over her head, fingering the chiseled designs. She noticed the seam, dug her fingers into it, gently pulling it open.
As the locket flung open, a golden light erupted from it, on the golden light scroll of light, was an ancient inscription she could hardly make out.
“The night is dark the day is bright. The moon and sun come together to share their light. Good and evil across the land, fight over this power that is so grand. If evil’s darkness shall succeed, then all is lost for an eternity. But hope we have, one and one alone, can save us all and gain the throne,” Anna whispered.
As she shut the locket, she was left in darkness once more. She crossed over to Will, and shook him awake. “What,” he asked tiredly, pulling himself up.
“Will, look at this,” she whispered, opening the locket the golden light reappeared. He scanned the writing, squinting at the bright light. “I think Seth wants this. My parents, the night they were taken, they were talking about a key. I think this is the key they were speaking of,” Anna hissed.
“Then we can’t let him get this,” he replied, rubbing his eyes. Anna nodded in agreement, snapping the locket shut, and putting it around her neck again. The colors of dawn peak up from the horizon, and Arianna sighed. She got to her feet and pulled up Will.
“Guys time to get moving,” she declared. They all stretched, got to their feet, and travel on. As they walked, Will felt an uneasiness around them. Something was watching them. Something was closing in on them.
“Hey guys, hold up,” he murmured, looking around, stepping slowly. They glanced back at him, waiting. “I hear something…” They waited, rustling of leaves, and crunches of small twigs. From the sky, loud gusts of heavy wings flapping echoed, and the cries of terrible monsters sounded off like a siren.
Will and Arianna fingered their swords, pulling them out, the silver blades glittering in the early morning. Derrick flung out his sword and knife circling around his group protectively. Simon stood, waiting for the attack. Kora dived for the nearest tree, which unfortunately was a shriveled up shrub, no taller than herself, and no way could the skinny trunk, hide even half of herself. The sirens neared, and in the sky a fleet of king sized dragons appeared, trying to throw their riders off.
The guards on top of them, dropped a large heavy chain, and all but one on each of them, climbed down. Soldiers appeared from behind the trees, unsheathing their swords and nearing towards them. They were surrounded, at least fifty of them. “This doesn’t look good,” Will muttered, taking his fighting stance. “What do we do? We can’t fight them all off,” he noted.
“Run,” Anna mouthed.
“There is no escape. Drop your swords, and surrender,” Captain Radcliff announced.
“Over my dead body,” Arianna spat.
“That can be arranged.”
“I’m guessing, that little soldier of yours didn’t have enough courage to tell you, that I single handedly defeated five of your men,” Arianna said.
“Really,” Will questioned, turning to her quickly.
“Yeah,” she nodded proudly.
“Nice work,” he said nodding in approval, turning his attention back to the enemy.
“You don’t scare us, you insolent girl,” the captain declared. “Just remember if you fight, you will die, but if you don’t fight, you will die later.”
“How comforting,” Derrick mumbled.
“Now,” Arianna instructed. They raced forward, retreating into the woods. The enemy stood there, squinting, waiting for pain but it never came. They opened their eyes to find rebels gone.
“Go you idiots! Run after them,” Captain Radcliff ordered. Arianna jumped over fallen logs, running as fast as she could. Will and Derrick and Simon followed behind inches behind her. Kora trailed behind all of them, trying to keep up, but out of breath.
“Wait for me! Ugh, ugh, ugh… never mind you guys just go on without me! I’ll catch up later,” she shouted. The dragons above roared, violently thrashing the riders around, blazing their fiery breath in every direction. The flames stretched from their mouths, chasing after the refugees.
The hot flames grazed across Anna’s right arm. She gritted her teeth, clasping her arm, and stumbling over her feet. “Anna,” Will yelled, dashing to her side.
“Go,” she urged, slowly getting to her feet.
“But…”
“Forget about me, I can take care of myself. Now go!” He jogged forward, looking back at her. Derrick pulled him forward, and the three of them raced for cover. The pain subsided, and she readied herself, raising her sword. The soldiers skidded to a stop, watching her and chuckling.
“We can’t just leave her,” Will whispered, as he was trying to catch his breath. Derrick nodded, and they bolted to her rescue.
“Where are your friends now,” Captain Radcliff asked as he neared her.
“Right here,” Will yelled, jumping out from the woods, covering Anna’s back. Derrick covered her right, while Simon stood behind both of them, his sword drawn, yet lowered.
“Ha ha ha, it’s three against forty. You are outnumbered,” the captain proclaimed.
“Three? Learn to count, we have four,” Anna shouted.
“Are you certain about that…” Simon gently pushed Will and Derrick aside, moving Anna out of his way. He crossed the empty gap between the two sides, and joined Seth’s soldiers.
“I should have known,” Arianna groaned with disgust. “You little traitor!” He grinned, raising his blade in a fighting stance. Arianna took a deep breath, and glanced over at Will. He nodded to her, and with another deep breath, they charged the men across from them.
As Kora cowered behind a wide tree, she looked up to the morning sky. The sound of whips crackling, caught her ears, and a sudden burst of courage entered her heart. She charged out into the arena, bulldozing men over. She held them down under her foot and as she opened her mouth she let out a fearful roar, and a raging stream of burning fire, sending it to the sky.
Then she rose a few inches, anger rising in her. Kora looked down, panicking as she saw herself floating off the ground. “Woh…Don’t look down. Don’t look down,” she muttered to herself, slightly rising into the air. She soon found herself to her cousins’ eye level, and burnt the men riding them, to a crisp.
Kora unhooked the chains, and the heavy metal fell below, landing on several men. When Kora glanced down uneasily, she wobbled in the air, her eyesight blacking out. She caught herself, and laughed. She looked back at her family, but they were miles away, their scales shimmering in the sunlight. She frowned, but smiled to herself, spinning around in circles. “Look I’m flying,” she shouted.
Arrows immediately shot up at her, and while trying to doge them she forgot to flap. “Wrong, wrong, I’m crashing,” she screamed, falling to the earth. She hit the ground with a thud, but it was a softer landing than what she thought. Something just then wiggled underneath her, and a strange gassy feeling fell to the pit of her stomach.
A loud blast ripped from beneath her, and an awful stench filled the air. The wiggling underneath her came to a halt, and she sighed, catching her breath. When she got up, she found a soldier lying motionless, flattened against the ground. She wrinkled her face in a “oops”, and tiptoed forward. Suddenly ten men jumped her, and pinned her to the ground.
She tried desperately to shake them off, or deep fry them, but she fumbled underneath all the weight. It was all left to Anna, Will, and Derrick. They swung violently, slashing and stabbing the men, left and right. It seemed as though every man they killed came back to life, bringing ten more with him.
Will swung at a man, but he hurled Will to one side, and his sword to the other, like he was nothing but a rug. Will hit the ground hard, but crawled back to his feet. The soldier blocked his path, tossing him to another side. Will slingshotted back, plowing into him. He reached for his sword, gripping the handle, and pushed down on the fighter’s neck.
He got to his feet, wiping the blood from his face, diving back into action. Derrick pulled out a sword from a dead warrior, and swung both his swords, flinging one forward, the other behind him, stabbing two men from both directions. He yanked out his blade, charging for another man. The blade sliced into his stomach, but Derrick didn’t stop there.
He kept charging, driving him into a tree, and pinning him there. He spun around, sheathing his sword, and picking up the flag pole, and ramming a squad out of his way, knocking them to the ground. A man jumped him from behind, but Derrick wrestled him, kicking him off. He lunged for the pole, thrusting it into the man, and staking him to the ground. He spun around, flinging a man to the ground.
Arianna was surrounded by men, all in line to fight her. The first man, swung, but Arianna dodged it, jabbing his stomach, and pulling his sword out of his hand. He fell to the ground, piling on top of another fallen man. Three men joined in this time, and she sliced through them like butter.
A whole squad joined in, lunging forward and back dodging her every move. They circled her, swinging to end this pointless battle. She eluded their blades by an inch, finally bringing the heavy blow. She kicked her leg forward, knocking a man to the mossy ground.
That man waved, trying to catch his balance, but knocked the man beside him to the floor. Standing before her were the final men. They quivered in fear, their knees shaking. She sliced through their legs, and they slid to the ground. Men flung her around, jeering and grabbing her.
She shrugged them off, swinging the blade, their hands plummeting to the ground, blood pouring out from their wrists. “There’s too many,” she screamed, gritting her teeth, as a man crossed swords with her, both fighting to break the “X”. She pushed him aside, his blade gliding through time, a scratch forming across her left cheek. As he lifted the sword up, she drove her blade into his gut, pulling it out, and pushing him down.
“We can take them,” Will replied tiredly, shoving his dead victim to the ground. He looked back at her, Anna trying to get the men to stop fighting her. He charged for them; slicing them to the ground and pushing the other men back. Derrick turned to hold them, stabbing half, while Will pierced the others.
He ran to Anna’s side, both covered in blood. “Thank you,” she said, searching in his eyes. He broke away, sliding his sword under her arm, stabbing the attacking man’s chest, and ripping it out. He fell backward, his face frozen in pain.
“You’re welcome,” he answered searching through her eyes.
“Will, behind you,” Anna shouted, diving forward, stabbing the man with her sword, underneath his arm. But Will wasn’t watching his back; he was watching hers, because as she lunged towards him, he dived for the man behind her.
He swung higher than anticipated, cutting through his neck, decapitating his head. The head rolled away, his throat showering Will’s face with blood. He wiped it away, opening his eyes again. Something skinny and fast flew through the air, heading towards Arianna. He ran towards her, diving in front of her.
Something sharp pierced his shoulder, and he fell to the ground. “Will,” she shrieked, kneeling to his body. Derrick paused, rotating towards the cry. She lifted up his head, placing her hand on his blood stained shirt. He gasped for air, his eyes fluttering closed. “No, stay with me,” she begged. The captain grinned, running to her side, grabbing her arm, and dragging her back.
He clasped her arms together, tying it with a short piece of rope. She wriggled through the grasps, trying to break free, and run to Will. She slipped through the poorly tied knot, and lunged for Will. The captain leaned forward, holding her shoulders back.
“Don’t you know when to give up?” He pushed her wrists together, tying her hands so tightly, she couldn’t feel her fingers.
“What do you want?!”
“You,” he said, pushing her forward. He nodded to a man behind Derrick, and with a hard, forceful blow with the bud of his sword, Derrick tumble under his weight, hitting the ground. “Let’s go,” Captain Radcliff yelled, breaking up the pile up of men holding down Kora. “You can skin a dragon some other time. I suspect you won’t give us any more trouble,” he asked her.
Kora glanced around her, locking eyes with Arianna. Kora shook her head, cowering on the ground. “Good, let’s continue forward!” Arianna looked back at Will, but was jerked forward. Will watched as Anna was taken prisoner, slowly slipping into unconsciousness.

Trudging through the woods, lugging Anna behind them, they finally breached sunlight. Arianna squinted her eyes, as she felt the warmness of the sun on her face. As they pulled her through the slave camp, the workers glanced back at her, but quickly went back to work, carrying heavy loads of powder and bricks on their backs.
As the marched into the deserted city, and up the hill, a massive boulder, towered over them. Arianna gasped, watching as they got closer the rock turned to a polished marble castle. The four tower wings had a rainbow glass roof, and it had an immense jaw bridge, that opened wide, getting ready to swallow her whole.
She wriggled through her ropes, but it was too late, she had entered the front court yard, the black iron gates, falling to the ground. She was trapped. They jerked her forward, dragging her in side. They marched forward, a deformed figure waiting for her, in the middle of the corridor.
They threw her to her knees, but she pulled herself up. Seth crouched low, leaning forward. He moved his hand across her neck, ripping off the locket, and grasping it in his hand. “Take her away,” He ordered, getting to his feet, looking down at the silver locket. The locket didn’t shimmer once in his hand. Instead, blackness spread across his hand, affecting the pendent to become black as coal.
He grinned tossing it in the air and catching it, opening an old creaking door. He tossed Arianna into the gloomy light, and led her down the spiral staircase. Every step she took deeper down the hole, the gorgeous light from above disappeared from view. As she took her final step, reaching the bottom, it became completely dark.
When they came to the divided corridors, Seth turned left, his black cape trailing behind him. The guards pushed her forward, unlocking a sturdy iron door, pulling it open, and stepping into dimmer light. Arianna couldn’t see. She felt the sewage water absorb into her shoes, and the rats scamper across her path, but she couldn’t see anything but a thick black fog of emptiness.
The soldiers led her down the aisles of cells, opening the one in the very back. They swiftly untied her, and tossed her into the cage, locking the bar door behind her. She groaned on the hard, wet floor, trying to hoist herself up, but her arms were too weak.
She finally extended her arms, gripping the bar, and slowly lifting herself off of the ground. When she got fully up, she turned around. She jumped in a startle, noticing that there was a silent man, staring at the prison wall, completely unaware that she was here. She cautiously approached, nearing the filthy man.
“Excuse me,” she whispered. He didn’t look over, just blinked, and stared at the wall. She lifted her hand and tapped his shoulder. He glanced up at her, out of his trance. His brown eyes filled with tears, and he quietly whimpered. She searched his eyes, trying to see who was hidden underneath the layers of dirt and grime.
“Father, is that really you?!” He nodded, and she embraced him. “I thought I’d never see you again… I’m sorry about what I said. I don’t hate you,” she blubbered. He let go of her, and placed his hand on her left side of her face.
“I know. Do you see why I didn’t want you to get into this mess? Look at your face, if you were a knight, you would gotten much more than a scratch. I’m glad you are alive.”
“But father, it doesn’t matter about my life, it matters about the people I’m saving! Father I’ve gotten this far, without anyone to protect me. I can save these people,” Anna explained.
“I’m sure you can, but at what cost?” Henry didn’t want to fight. This was the first time he had seen Anna in days. “So, Seth got the locket,” he asked, changing the subject.
“Yeah,” Arianna replied, going along with her father’s change in topic.
“Did you open it?”
“Yes, but what does it all mean,” she inquired.
“It means on a day of an eclipse, the locket will release a powerful force. This power can be used for good or evil. It says evil will win, unless the chosen one is defeating the darkness,” he replied.
“Who’s this ‘chosen one’,” she asked.
“I don’t know?”
“So we’re going to leave the lives of hundreds of people in the hands of a person we may not even know,” she shouted.
“Yes, that’s all we can do,” Henry claimed, looking at the far end, where the jailer stirred.
“No it’s not, we can fight! To the death if that’s what it takes.”
“Shh the jailer is waking up,” Henry hissed trying to calm her down. She unwillingly silenced herself, glaring at her father.
“Wait, an eclipse, isn’t there one tomorrow?” He nodded gravely. “Then that doesn’t give us much time! We need to escape out of here,” she stated, getting to her feet, and shaking the bars.
“Arianna, we are behind bars, trapped in a locked dungeon, in a highly guarded castle. Even if we managed to escape, we wouldn’t survive on our way out,” Henry said, explaining this with utter most seriousness.
“What happened to my father that held up the same ideals as a knight, believing that you should stand up against an injustice no matter how much it costs you?”
Henry didn’t answer, just sat on the ground, starring at his shackles. “I guess a few days of darkness shows you what you really are! A coward,” she jeered, she spun away from him, looking out through the bars. She revolved back around him, squinting her eyes in disgust. “But I’m Never going to give up,” she declared.
Henry zoned out again, waiting in his solitude. Arianna paced, but she began to wear herself out. She sat down, curling up in a corner, holding her legs. A creature shrieked loudly, and shook the palace. Arianna looked up, and turned to her father. “Part of Seth’s plan,” he noted. Suddenly the iron door flew opened, and a large man charged towards her.
“Henry,” he roared, “why isn’t it not working?!” Seth gripped the bars, sticking his head into the light.
“You have the wrong chain,” Henry said glancing up once, instantly seeing the vine that was holding the locket. He glanced down staring at his wall again.
“UGH! Where is it?!”
“How should I know, I wasn’t the last person to have it,” Henry defended. Seth snapped his head to Arianna, his red bloodshot eyes wide with insanity.
“Right, like I would tell you,” Anna laughed.
“UGH,” he screamed, turning away, throwing a chair, and shattering it into a million pieces.
“Sire, she gave it to a unicorn,” Simon stammered, from behind him.
“That’s wonderful! She had to go and give it to the fastest animal in the kingdom,” he ranted. “Boys were going hunting!”
“No,” Arianna shrieked in objection. Seth stormed away, Simon following closely behind. Angry, hot tears leaked out from her eyes, as she bent her head down. Phil, Crystal, Chaucer, and Bob were all doomed. She needed someone stronger to hold her up, she couldn’t do this by herself, but she was all alone.

Will’s eyes flickered open, pain surrounding his entire body. An orange burning fire sparked up the black night. He tried to pull himself up but a sharp pain screamed in his left arm, telling him to lie back down. He slowly lay back down, and turned his head slightly to the right.
There sitting in the shadows, staring at him with wide eyes was derrick and Kora. He grinned happy to see them, but couldn’t figure out where Anna was. “Where is she,” he murmured, looking around. They didn’t answer, just sat in silence. Will thought hard, realizing she had been taken.
He recalled everything that had happened, the soldiers, Simon betraying them, Anna disappearing from his view. In the corner of his eye he saw heaps of log surrounding them, creating a barrier. No not logs, the bodies that they killed earlier that morning. “We need to go save her,” Will shouted, getting up again.
The pain in his shoulder burned, and he lay back down. “Will you got shot with an arrow in your shoulder! You are in no condition to waltz up to the castle and start killing people,” Derrick explained.
“I know, but we can’t just sit here!”
“That’s why we’re going to do something a little less suicidal,” Derrick replied.
“Like…”
“Well if you’re up for it, I was thinking about freeing the slaves.”
“That could work,” Will replied, thinking of seeing his mother and little sister again. Derrick sauntered over to his side, gripping his arm, and supporting his back, as he launched him up to his feet. Will grimaced, but shrugged away the pain.
“Can you grip your sword,” Derrick questioned, picking up Will’s sword, and holding it out to him. Will reached for it, holding it in his hand.
“I won’t be able to use my left arm, while fighting, but I should be okay,” Will explained, swinging the sword in his right hand. They crept forward in the dead of night. They hid behind thick bushes at the end of the forest, peeking through them, watching in horror as slaves trudged in the dark, carrying heavy loads on their backs, nearing a tall statue.
The statue was yet to be completed, but the face of the man was completed enough to identify. The block was only slightly oval shaped, the face hard, and the lips smiling sinisterly, the eyes narrowed. On the left side of his face, a single thin scar stretching down from his eyebrow to his chin. Seth was creating a statue of himself…
A slave looked up from their condition, and glanced over at the woods. His eyes became wide, warning off Will and Derrick, with panicky, pleading eyes. They didn’t budge, just waited. “You distract the guards, I’ll get everyone out,” Will instructed, hunching low. Derrick nodded, crawling away.
“Hey, you stupid guards, look at me, I’m free! I’m not a slave to anyone. Come and get me, you big uglies,” he shouted, waving his arms around. The guard’s faces turned red with anger and they left their posts, chasing after Derrick. Will charged forward, gathering up the people, and sending them free into the woods.
He raced from cabin to cabin, slashing off their shackles, leading them into the forest. As the last fled the place, he pulled them further, into the woods, to the fort made of dead bodies. They were free, but Arianna wasn’t. As Will watched the people cheer, embracing their families, he thought about Anna, and if she was alright.
“Don’t worry, Arianna, you’ll be free soon,” he murmured, looking up into the sky.
***
Arianna shook the bars with all her might, the guard at the door, snoozing away. The iron door, swung open, and Seth stepped into the gloomy room. The guard woke, holding his eyes open, as Seth sauntered forward. Arianna, let go of the bars, stepping back, lowering her head.
Seth knelt lower to her, slipping his hand, inside his robe, pulling out a dull silver stick that was tipted at one end, jagged at the bottom. Arianna gasped, glaring at Seth through her loathing, tired blue eyes. He laughed, sticking his large hand through the bars, caressing her cheek.
She smacked it away, backing up. Seth grinned, turning away, his black cloak following him. He opened the iron door and disappeared, slamming shut, and the guard let go of his eyes, instantly falling back asleep. The wall of her cell groaned, and creaked.
Arianna lifted her head, nearing it with interest. It slid out of place, a dark doorway appeared. A small head popped out from the blackness, her short curly brown hair, matted with cobwebs. Her face was pale, and her lips were bright red, that clashed with her curious, mischievous, hazel green eyes.
“Katie,” Anna shrieked, leaping up in joy, bending down, and squeezing her sister.
“Shh,” she hissed, pointing back to the sleeping guard who snorted, turning over on his side, in the chair. “You guys, coming or not. The guards are off patrol right now,” she whispered, her eyes sparkled, in pride, as she said this.
“What did you do,” Anna questioned.
“Let’s just say, they’ll be asleep for awhile,” she chuckled. “I slipped a sleeping potion in their wine.” Henry smiled, Anna’s jaw dropped, laughing. “Come on, what are you guys waiting for?!” They followed her into the dark doorway, the wall, sliding back in place.
Katie led them down the narrow hallway, pausing at an intersection. She continued to go straight, but Arianna looked down the opposite hallway. “Katie’s what’s down there,” she inquired.
“Tomorrow, when Seth makes his move, you must go down that hallway. Follow the noise. But until then, follow me,” she instructed, her curly hair flying behind her, as she snapped her head back. She led them up a stair case, and through the tunnels of the passage. “Mother wishes to speak with you,” Katie stated, pressing her hand on a stone.
The walls gave a silent groan, the stone wall grinding against the stone tiles. Katie slipped through the crack, and ducking under a fire place mantel. Anna followed, tilting her head at an awkward angle. As the mantel cut off, Anna rose up, seeing a woman in an elegant gold dress.
“Mother!” Ithaca held open her arms, holding her daughter tightly in her arms.
“Thank God you are alive!” Henry hid in the shadows of the tunnel, starring at Ithaca, as a freeman, in danger.
“Come on, we can all get out of here,” Arianna claimed, tugging on her mother’s arm, pulling her to the fire place.
“Arianna,” Ithaca said gently, staying in place. Anna looked back at her mother. “My place is here, for now. Here take this cloak, and keep warm.” Anna nodded, taking the dark blue cloak, and wrapping it around her, pinning the front.
She hugged her mother, ducking under the mantel, being devoured by the darkness. “Katie, come on,” Anna urged.
“I’ve got to stay here as well. Besides a war is no place for a child,” Katie noted. Anna nodded, smiling to her sister, continuing into the darkness. Henry led her through the tunnels, a crossroad before the stairs that lead to the dungeon. He turned right, zigzagging through the maze.
Suddenly there was a dead end and Henry pressed forward. He placed his hand on a stone, and the walls rumbled. As it slid open, there was no grinding noise like they heard in Ithaca’s chambers. At Arianna’s feet, she saw green moss. She slipped through the doorway, fresh air hitting her.
It was nighttime, the moon’s rays, shining on her. She pressed against the wall, Henry slipping through, and closing the tunnel entrance. They glanced at each other, looking over at the woods. They nodded in agreement, bolting for the woods. Up above the guards stirred, rubbing their heads. One looked down the walls, watching as two figures darted across the dark green grass.
“Gentlemen at arms, two rebels found on the west wing, running south,” the guard yelled. They raised their bows, pointing it at Arianna. They divided into the forest, the arrows following them, piercing the trees. They ran, pushing through the drooping branches of leaves. They ran over fallen logs, and through the maze of trees.
The guards followed close behind stumbling to keep up. They hacked off the branches in their way, heading towards them. Arianna and Henry paused, trapped. The marches of the soldiers from afar, neared. Anna looked around, looking for a hiding place. She looked up, glancing back in the direction of the approaching soldiers.
She dashed for the tree, wrapping her arms around it, and climbing. She sat on the branch ushering her father to follow. Henry did the same, clinging to the tree. They guards past by below them spreading out as came to the dead end.
They thumping footsteps of the soldiers died out to the chirping uneasiness of the woods. They climbed down, their feet setting back onto the ground again. “Where are we going,” Henry whispered, following Anna.
“We’re finding Will,” she answered, cautiously looking around in the woods. A figure emerged out of the shadows, grabbing a hold of Arianna, before she and Henry could react.
“Hello Henry,” Captain Radcliff greeted, gripping Arianna’s waist, holding a knife to her throat. She gritted her teeth, her fingers clawing at his arm around her neck. “Hello Arianna, it is Arianna right,” he whispered in her ear.
“Anna,” she grumbled. Henry lunged forward.
“Ahh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Or your daughter’s blood, will be on your hands,” he explained, digging the knife into her neck. Henry backed off. “Good. I knew you would see it my way.” Arianna looked at her father, and he caught her eyes. His eyes dropped to the captain’s belt.
Arianna glanced down, a glimmer of silver sparkling in the night. She dropped her hands, to her side, pretending to give up. Captain Radcliff laughed, as Anna slid her hand down slowly, to his belt. Within a blink of an eye, she pulled his sword out of his scapell, and stabbing it into his thigh.
She and Henry dashed into the woods, pushing the thorny bushy out of their way. “Damn you girl,” he shouted, holding his leg, pulling out the blade. They ran an orange glowing faintly in the jet black scenery.
They stood in the darkness, starring at dark figures, surrounded by a fire. Arianna’s eyes lowered, but she held her weight. They heads turned to Henry and Anna, gasping for breath. “Anna,” a voice yelled jumping up from his seat. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she swayed. He rushed to her side, and she swooned into his arms.

Arianna saw only darkness, her eyes, flickering open, to a bright orange light. The dark figures around focused, their shadowed faces, becoming visible. “Anna,” a voice whispered, hovering over her. Will’s tan face appeared, and he smiled at her in relief.
“What happened,” she said pulling herself up. Will gently gripped her elbow, kneeling down to her.
“You fainted.” She got to her feet, starring at the people around the fire.
“Who are all these people?”
“The people of Avalon. Made slaves, but freed by Derek and I,” he explained.
“Where are your mother and sister,” she asked. He was silent for a moment, lowering his head. “Oh, I’m so sorry Will,” she gasped. She pulled him aside, hugging him. He held her in his arms, embracing her for a minute. They pulled away, their eyes serious. “What’s the plan,” she inquired.
He held up his index finger turning to a man in the back. They nodded to each other and the man held up a horn, putting it to his lips to it, and the whistling sound of birds chirped from it. Large groups of creatures materialized out of the shadows. The earth shook, as a pack of giants neared.

“Herbert, shh,” Will hissed, gathering the creatures together. They backed up, kneeling to Will. “Everybody, I…” The groups shouted over each other, clustering around Will. “I need you…”
“QUIET”, boomed Herbert’s voice over the roaring group. They instantly fell silent, starring over at the shy giant.
“Thank you Herbert,” Will said.
“You’re welcome.”
“Fellow citizens of Avalon, there has been a plague of tyranny brought upon us. We must band together to defeat this villainous treachery. You all have seen at firsthand what they can do. If we wait, then more will die, if we do not act at all, we all will die; first the creatures of the forest, then us, the people of the kingdom.
I have seen the magical fountain of Magia. Its power resides through these trees; your home. The trees are dying. We must act here and now! We must make our final stand, and show them we will not go down without a fight! Who is with me,” William shouted his voice roaring with a fiery passion that blazed inside his heart flickering to life in each and every one of those who stood there in the moment of silence.
They slowly one by one rose to their feet, courage rising in them. Arianna stood, watching Will with amazement. She couldn’t help not starring at him. He turned to her, and grinned. She grinned back, the full, white luminous moon, lighting her face.

As they finished cheering, they pulled off the armor and swords of the dead bodies around them. Will turned to Anna, holding out his hand. She took it and they strolled around their camp. “You were amazing! I didn’t think… You are a natural leader,” she murmured.
“That was for my mother and sister. Seth will pay, and I’ll be the one to give it to him,” Will declared.
“Come sunrise, we’ll be marching to a thousand guards, who will be protecting that coward,” she noted. Will gulped, looking into Anna’s sapphire eyes. They shimmered in the night.
“Anna, I…”
“Look,” Anna cried spinning away from him, looking into sky. It turned from a dark blue to an orange pink glow. The moon stayed where it was, the whiteness of it evaporating. The bright orange sky rised into sky, it peeked out behind cloud the yellow rays shining.
“It’s time,” he whispered, leading her back to the inner part of the camp. As they walked to the group of people, they stood, nodding to Will. “Everyone gather around!” They clustered together, starring up at him with fear in their eyes. “Today we are not people.
We are not creatures of the wood. We are warriors fighting for our chance to survive. The only way to do that is to overthrow Seth. In only a few minutes, we may not see each other’s faces for awhile. If you wish to back out no one will think of you as a coward. If not let us march,” he shouted turning around back to Arianna, and marching out of the forest to Aurora, all of his disciples, except the children followed, marching to war.
From a far, the guards rushed around protecting the castle. Outside, soldiers waited, forming rows of soldiers to attack. The generals and captains mounted horses, in the middle of their assigned rows. Seth pushed around a few soldiers, glancing up to see a small rebel team, marched up the hill, to the castle.
“If it’s a war they want, it’s a war they’ll get. Everybody in formation,” he yelled, storming back into his castle as the sun and moon inched closer to each other. Will crept low, leading Anna and Derek through a shrub.
“There it is, the hidden passage,” Anna murmured, to Will.
“Okay, let’s go,” he whispered pulling her through.
“What? Will, these people need a leader. That’s you,” she hissed, shaking off his arm.
“I’m not letting you go in alone!”
“Well what do you suggest we do?! We are running out of time,” she whispered bitterly.
“Derek.” Will turned to him, his brown eyes pleading. “I want you to lead these people. I need you to lead these people,” he declared.
“I won’t let you down,” he replied, getting to his feet, crouching under the low branches, heading to the front of the formation of their rebellion troops. Will and Anna bolted forward, pressing themselves against the castle wall. Anna scooted further, pressing her hand against a stone of the castle wall. The wall moaned, the wall shifting open revealing a door. They raced into the tunnel, Anna placing her hand onto the stone wall, it retracting to a closed door.
They sauntered forward in the pitch black tunnel, stepping up the stone steps. They followed the tunnel, but Anna paused. She waited listening for the screeching, earsplitting roar. It sounded just then and she turned left, racing down the dark hall, turning right. Will chased after her, skidding to a stop, as she popped her head out of the open tunnel.
She slipped, through the light brighter, but not by much. As Will stepped out, something crunched underneath his feet. He looked down his eyes wide as he saw the white shards of red stained bones. Anna lifted up a human skull examining it in the dim light. She shrugged and tossed it to Will.
He instinctively caught it, but instantly threw it behind him. Anna pulled herself off of the bone pile, the bones falling to the floor. They moved forward hiding behind a grey column. At the far end of the room was a large wooden door that shook, and rattled, the screeching roar bellowing behind it.
Just behind the door, stood a shadowed man, his black cloak, blowing in the mysterious wind. Beside him, was a woman wriggling through the grasps of her shivering guards. “Mother,” Anna whispered, nearing towards them.
“Anna, get back here,” Will hissed. She turned back to him, glaring.
“We can’t just sit here!” She inched closer, darting behind another pillar. Will paced, watching as she neared Seth. He rolled his eyes following her.
“Now Ithaca, do you remember what I told you to say,” Seth asked, pulling her close to him, his lips inches from her ear. She glared at him, pushing him away. “Sorry, but I need someone of royal blood to saw it. Since your daughter escaped, that leaves you. Now say it.”
“Go to hell,” she spat.
“Been there, done that. Wonderful place actually. I think I’ll bring it here… Now say it,” he ordered, gripping her tighter.
“Sir, you will unhand my mother,” Arianna declared, appearing out from behind the column. She neared pulling out her sword. Seth reached for his, the blades touching each other.
“Drop the sword, you are no match for me,” he said. She smirked, charging. Their blades collided, the clashing of metal, clinging. She pushed him away, swinging her sword, slashing his arm. “You really are your father’s daughter,” he muttered, gritting his teeth, knocking the blade out of her hands.
She glanced down at it, diving for it. He reached out, grabbing a hold of her sandy blonde hair, and dragging her closer towards the door. “Say it now,” he ordered to Ithaca.
“No!”
“Then your daughter will die,” he replied, nodding to a guard in the corner. He nodded back to him, pulling out Katie from the darkness.
“No,” she gasped, watching Katie struggle, a knife held to her throat. “Fine,” she agreed. “Oh supreme rulers of the powers of the universe, grant my master immortality, and control of this monster that lies within the deepest depths of hell! Let the sun and moon become one, and stop time, and leave us in an endless eclipse,” she chanted out loud, holding up the locket. Her energy drained from herself, and she became weak and tired.
The monster shrieked, the doors pounding harder. The dull locket exploded with black shadows pouring out of it, it swirling into the air. The mysterious wind grew, blowing open the doors, revealing a twenty foot high monster, with the head of a bull, the body of a dragon, and the tail of a scorpion.
“You know,” Seth said, gripping Arianna’s hair tighter. “I like a girl with spirit,” he said in her ear. Arianna shook him away, but he pulled her back. “Feisty!”
“Let her go!” They turned, Will emerging out from the shadows, his blade pointed into Seth’s back. Seth glowered, releasing Arianna’s hair, spinning around, the blade at his chest.
“You can’t kill me boy.” He raised his hand, the locket from Ithaca’s hand flying into his grasp. His fingers twisted, the monster charging, towards them. His tail swung, the tipted end flying off into a thousand pieces. They dived out of the way. Anna ran, a sharp pain, stabbing her back.
Ithaca’s gut ripped. Her chest throbbing. Everything inside told her to turn around, but she knew that if she did, she would burst out into tears. “I do believe it is time to wreck havoc on this pathetic piece of land,” he laughed, disappearing with his monster.
“Ugh,” Will moaned pacing in the dim light.
Ithaca slowly spun around, gasping. “Anna,” Ithaca cried, leaning over her fallen body. Will spun around, racing to her side. He knelt down to her shivering body, lifting up her head. Her sapphire eyes looked up at him, wincing in pain.
“What’s wrong,” he asked, looking up at Ithaca.
“She must have gotten stung by the scorpion tail,” she answered.
“Come on guys, we have to get her cured,” Katie urged, pulling on Ithaca’s hand. Will lifted Anna up in his arms, her head lying against his chest, her legs dangling over the sides. They raced out of the dark room up the old spiral stairs, out the old wooden door, up the stone staircase, into the infirmary room. They set her down on the bed, her body shivering.
Ithaca laid her weak hand onto her forehead, moving it to her cheek. “She’s burning up,” she noted worryingly. Will sat down next to her, her blonde hair clinging to her sweaty pale skin. She looked up at him with her dark blue eyes, slowly drifting closed.
“Find a cure, quick! I’m going to find Seth,” he said getting up, heading out the door glancing back at her.

He raced down the steps, and pulling open the massive doors, racing out into the raging battle. The guards ran around protecting the walls of the castle, that they didn’t even notice Will, dash across the perimeter, to the gate. He pulled down a lever, and the gate rised open. The army waited, Derek at the front.
“Charge,” he ordered, pointing his sword towards the castle. They stampeded forward, pouring into the gates. Will ran to Derek, slapping him on the back, and diving into battle. A rebel soldier fell, his blood trickling down to Will’s feet.
He ignored it as best he could searching for Seth. Everything around him went and came in a slow motion. They collided, ramming into the guards. They fell backwards, the guards beating on them with their swords. Will spun around in circles, watching as his people, were being defeated. “Will, we’re being crushed,” Derek declared.
“Everybody look out, the Calvary is coming,” cried Kora. Her large scaly body gleamed in the shadowy sunlight, her wings flapping with determination, packs of dragons following not an inch behind her.
“Kora, you’re flying!”
“Don’t remind me,” she shouted back. Suddenly a shriek echoed in the humid, stiff air, of the darkened day. Will raced up over the hill, there thrashing around was the Monster, his poisonous tail swinging violently. He bolted up to his side, unsheathing his sword. There he stood at the feet of the Monster, it towering over him.
As it roared blasts of fire erupted out of its mouth. He ducked, the hot flames inches from his skin, boiling sweat trickling down his face. As he neared, Seth popped out from behind the Monster. He charged, Will blocking his attack. They swung left, but the swords clashed. They pressed forward, gritting their teeth as they gripped their swords trying to push through.
They held firm, Seth finally faltering, under his own pressure. Seth got up, but froze on his knees, as Will swung, the tip of the blade, at his throat. “You can’t kill me boy. I am immortal,” he explained
Will glanced up, at the massive Monster, then back at Seth. Seth’s black crispy hair fell into his scared, burnt red face, glistening in a thin layer of sweat. The white thin scar reached down his eyebrow to his chin. Will pushed him back, with all his might, racing for the Monster.

The Monster threw itself, shrieking, and fire blazing, as Will neared. He backed up, running towards it. He leaped up onto the Monster’s scaly back, his large wings flapping into the air. Gusts of winds swirled, tousling his long brown hair. He gripped onto the Monster’s bull horns, rising into the air. He gripped his sword, plunging it into the Monster’s back.

The Monster let out a high pitched howl, and he plummeted, back to the ground. As the earth and the Monster collided, a wave of dirt flew in every direction, a small crater forming. It cried out in pain, his head falling lifeless to the ground. “You may have destroyed my monster, but you will never be able to destroy me,” Seth declared.

“Wanna bet,” a weak voice shouted, over the roar of war. They turned to her, Will’s eyes becoming watery, starring at her with pleading eyes. Her face was white as snow, sweat dripping down, and her eyes weary. She shivered, but ignored the burning pain in her veins. She was barley was able to stand, let alone saunter over towards them.

“Release the moon and sun from this eternal light, and take away the evil one’s powers and immortality. Leave our kingdom to its original sight, and our peace and reality,” Arianna chanted.

“No,” Seth bellowed, reaching out to her. Will pointed the tip of his sword at his chest, starring into his ruby red eyes. “Mark my words, your children and your children’s children will never see the last of me!” Seth grinned wickedly, dissolving into a pile of ash, blowing away, in the wind. At his feet, laid Seth’s sword, and the silver locket.

Will picked up the locket, turning back to Arianna. He grinned at her, but frowned as her eyes, rolled into the back of her head, falling to the grass. He dashed to her side, shaking her. “Is he gone,” she whispered, looking up at him.
“Yeah,” he lied. She smiled, her trembling hand stretching out from her reach, touching his face. “What are you doing here?! Katie and your mother were supposed to find a cure!”
“I snuck out. Couldn’t let you face him alone,” she laughed, wincing in pain.
“You’re so stupid Anna. Why did you do that?! Why?!”
“Because I lo…,” she said drifting away.
“Anna stay with me. You’ll be alright,” he declared, lifting her up in his arms, and racing back into the castle. The sun and moon separated, the black sun becoming orange. They drifted further and further away, the sun sinking into the horizon. The fiery sun glimmered in her sandy hair, making it look pale blonde.
“Will,” Henry shouted dropping his sword at the sight of Anna’s almost unresponsive body. Together, they carried her into the castle, and up to the infirmary room, where Will’s disciples followed him, lingering out in the hall.

They laid her down on the bed, cushions surrounding her. “Did you find a cure,” Will questioned desperately. Ithaca and Katie shook their heads slowly, their faces grave. He spun around, striking his fist against the end table.
“Hey guys,” Anna croaked, her sapphire eyes staring up at them, her last strength, forcing them open.
“Anna! You’re going to be alright. I promise,” Will said, sitting next to her on the bed. She weakly shook her head, raising her hand to him.
“I feel so weak…I’m…”
“Anna! No stay with me! Anna!” Her eyes closed, her heavy breath silenced. She laid still, life draining from her. Her skin went gray, her lips a pale peach. He held back the tears looking back at Ithaca. “She’s gone,” he choked.
Ithaca ran into Henry’s chest, Henry wrapping his arms around her. Katie whimpered, sitting on the other side of Arianna. “Mother, what about the locket?” Ithaca looked, her lavender eyes gleaming with tears. She wiped them away, racing to her side.
“Will, let me see the locket,” she said quickly. He dug into his pocket, holding out a shimmering silver necklace. She cautiously reached for it, gripping it in her hand. “Katie, hold onto your sister’s shoulder,” she instructed, holding her hand.
Katie did this, Ithaca holding onto the other shoulder. “What are you doing,” Will inquired.
“There might be enough power from the locket, to bring back Anna.”
“How?!”
“Long ago, when the goddess gave the locket to King Nicholas the first, but the locket was lost. The locket didn’t reappear until my wedding day. It is said that the royal family is in some way related to elves. Thus they have mystical powers, which enable them to control the locket.
But King Nicholas the first was not related the elves, therefore unable to control the power within. He unknowingly unleashed the power and was struck down for his foolishness. But the power to control the locket drains them. That’s why Ithaca looks so weak. Why Arianna is dead,” Henry explained looking over at her still body.
“So it’s true then, you really are royalty,” Will asked.
“Yes. I thought with Aurora and Alexia as future queens, me, Arianna, and Katie would be free to live a normal life,” Ithaca explained. “Katie, concentrate now.” They snapped their eyes shut, keeping their hands on her ice cold shoulders. Will held her frozen hand, closing his eyes praying to himself.
They opened their eyes, but her stillness remained. They gazed down at her, turning away. Ithaca fell into Henry’s arms, sobbing. Katie clung onto her mother’s legs. Will looked down at her, releasing her hand, and leaning forward.
“Goodbye Anna,” he whispered, inching towards her face. His warm pink lips met her icy ones, and he pulled back, facing the window. The sun faded, the night rising. The moon rose up into the black sky, the moonlight shining through the window onto Arianna’s face. Her hand twitched, color returning to face. Ithaca was weaker now, gray tinting her dark brown hair.
“Mmm.” No one turned, their heads bowed. Her eyes fluttered open, starring up at the surrounding crowd. “What’s going on,” a fragile voice asked. They didn’t hear her, engaged in their sadness. She stretched out her hand, touching Will’s warm hand.
He jumped, spinning around to her. His eyes were wide with surprise and joy. His face was frozen in shock. “You’re alive,” he cried, petrified. Heads rose, starring up at her in awe.
“Say something,” she laughed. Will lunged forward, holding her face, and caressed her cheek. He leaned forward, and kissed her. Time slowed around them, everything around them being forgotten. It was just them, evolved around each other’s worlds. But what was special about this kiss above all others, was that Arianna kissed him back.
They pulled back, the crowd cheering, in applause. Her family raced to her side, wrapping their arms around her and hugging her, kissing her forehead, and combing back her greasy, sandy blonde hair. Henry pulled Ithaca towards him, and for the first time in days, he was able to kiss his wife as a freeman, stronger than any lion or any king.

It had been a whole year since Seth had wreaked havoc on Avalon, but truth be told, it was more beautiful than it had ever been. The sky was clear, the bright yellow sun stretching out his cheerful rays of light, not a shadow in sight. The trees were fully healed reaching up to the sky. The grass greener than any emerald and the sky had never been so blue.
The people and animals were in harmony with each other and nature, the peace stronger than any mountain. The dragon’s lived isolated on their mountain, keeping watchful eyes on the people around them. Homes were rebuilt, lives reestablished. Yes, Avalon had never been better.
For the past year, Arianna had taken up the duties of Avalon, as their princess. She has learned what a lady should do and act like, and taken every government class available. But this splendid afternoon, was her coronation ceremony, where she would be crowned queen of Avalon. But the problem was, she wasn’t to be found, and the ceremony was to begin in just an hour.
Will hopped onto his horse, his sparkling new sword strapped to his side, of his fine new tailored clothes. He whipped his horse’s neck with the reins, and he galloped forward. They raced into the woods, and Will pulled back the reins, at the sight of a glittering dark blue pond, with a waterfall, stirring the crystal clear water.
There sitting on the soft dark green grass, starring at the flowing water fall was an elegantly dressed girl, in a pale green gown, with embroidered sequences running down her silk dress. Her long sandy blonde hair was down, curled, laying against her tanned cheeks. “I thought I would find you here,” he shouted, sauntering up to her.
She looked up, her sapphire blue eyes returning back to the glittering pond. “Anna…You’re majesty, it’s not safe out here. He’s still out there. Come on, let’s get you back inside the castle walls,” he explained.
“No,” she whispered gently. He stood in the breeze, light raining down on them.
“Derrick is thrilled about being a knight; he won’t shut up about it,” Will said changing the subject.
“I’m glad. It’s strange, that what I wanted all my life was to be free, fighting for the crown, for others freedom, but just to end up willingly volunteering myself, to give it all up; for my people, for my country. I see you got everything you wanted,” she noted, turning to him, and sauntering towards him.
“Not everything,” he replied, looking down, into her eyes, their faces inches apart. She turned her face away, backing up.
“You don’t like being a knight,” she asked surprised. They remained silent for a minute, everything around them tense. “I realized how my part in this life is to be played. I may not have the glory of saving those, but my word, is what it all comes down to,” she said, walking around the pool of water, Will following her. “It’s not fair, I should get everything I want, but what I want is something I cannot have.”
“I know the feeling,” he said starring at her.
“Tell me Sir William, what it is, you want,” Arianna inquired, stepping slowly close to him, her face meeting his.
“Like you said, something I cannot have.” There was silence between them, just searching each other’s eyes, trying to find themselves in them. “I want you,” he answered, “forever. Because I love you.”
“I knew it was you,” she murmured, leaping towards him. They kissed. This kiss wasn’t just some ordinary kiss. This kiss was so moving that it can’t even be written down to be explained.
Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he lifted her off her feet, spinning her around. They pulled away, their eyes fluttering open, they grinned at each other. “I swear to you, we will be together,” Arianna vowed. He brought her back to the ground.
“I know. Come, you don’t want to be late for that ceremony,” he said, gently tugging her, lifting her up onto his horse. They rode back to the castle, the breeze whistling through their hair. The horse skidded to a stop, Will jumping off, and Arianna jumping into his arms. He set her down, every bone in his body willing himself to not kiss her there.
They bolted for the front door, guards pulling it open for them. They walked swiftly down the hallway, people surrounding them. “Princess, where have you been,” Ithaca hissed, sweeping away the dust from her dress, fixing her hair, placing a silver tiara on her blonde hair.
She lifted up a white cape, wrapping it around her, it trailing behind her. “There perfect,” she whispered. Arianna glanced over at Will, Will meeting her gaze. “Hurry, the ceremony is starting,” she explained, pointing to the throne room. She took a deep breath, stepping into the room. The light was white, shining down on her.
The crowd got up from their chairs, turning to her. They bowed, as she past, finally making it to the front, where a priest stood. “Do you, Princess Arianna, princess of the people, swear to protect them, and remain justly, and true, to them and your country? Where you serve them and only them to your power,” he shouted, so the crowd behind her could hear.
“I do,” she replied.
“Then by the power vested by me, I crown you, Arianna, Queen of Avalon, ruler of the people,” he said, lifting up her silver tiara, and replacing it with a large, golden crown. The crowd cheered, clapping and hollering. Arianna turned to them, watching Will stare at her from the back.
“My people, I will not fail you. But, my first law will not be for you, but for myself. All my life I was told I was never going to be somebody! That I was weak and should forget about my dreams of making this kingdom great! I was told that because I was a woman, I was never going to be somebody, because women were not supposed to be intelligent, and were expected to rely on men! I vowed to myself that I would not marry until I was as great as a knight. And here I am… queen. As a commoner; a woman among yourselves, I was betrothed to one like yourselves. I found that as a woman of low status, I could marry almost anyone. But now, as your queen, I find I do not have that pleasure. How is it that I can give the most powerful commands, yet am not allowed to marry the man I love? So now, I plea with you, no I beg of you, let me be free to choose who I marry,” she hollered over the cheers.
“Let her choose,” a man from the audience cried. Soon they all chanted it, and Arianna couldn’t help but smile as they agreed with her plea.

“Ut hmm,” the priest coughed, clearing his throat. “The Council,” he said, pointing to the right side of the room, where, a cluster of old men, in fancy suits sat, “has agreed, that Queen Arianna, shall have her choice to marry, whomever she chooses,” he cried. Arianna, spun her head back to the priest, where he winked to her, grinning. She nodded thanks to him, and turned back to Will.
They ran down the aisle, towards each other, Will wrapping her in his arms. He bent down to her face, and their lips met once more. Now of all the kisses they shared, this one left them all behind. It was a kiss of timeless love and passion; something that symbolized an eternity of love. The crowd erupted into cheers, but they didn’t hear them, it was only them, in their own little world.

Arianna’s face went scarlet, using every bit of strength left in her body, to push. A cry let out, from out of the room, the nurses, wrapping the baby up, into a blanket, holding it out to her. “Congratulations your majesty, it’s a girl,” the girl cried. Arianna, breathed, gasping for breath, pulling herself up, turning to the crying baby girl in the woman’s arms.
Her trembling arms reached out to her, the baby, lying in her own arms. As she was brought to Arianna’s stomach, she stopped crying, her eyes, looking up at her mother with curious hazel eyes. Her eyes were the color of caramel, at times, the way the light hit them, they seemed almost golden.
She had milky pale skin with little patches of pink on her cheeks. Arianna, brushed the girl’s thick, what little, golden hair she had. “Aurelia, that’s your name,” she murmured, brushing her own russet hand, across Aurelia’s baby smooth skin. Will stormed in, kneeling to her side. “It’s a girl,” she murmured, taking her sapphire eyes off of Aurelia, to Will. “Aurelia, her name is Aurelia,” she explained, tiredly.
“Mommy,” cried a small voice, from behind Will. A small toddler waddled in, crawling up onto the bed, beside Arianna.
“Eric, this is your little sister,” Will said, looking down at Aurelia. Her golden eyes scanned the room, her arms swaying above her, reaching for Arianna.
“I’m going to go announce her to the people,” Will replied, kissing Anna’s forehead, and getting to his feet, sauntering over to the balcony.
“Wait,” Arianna croaked, pulling herself up. He spun around, stopping in his tracks. “Announce her as a boy,” she whispered.
“What?!”
“Seth is still out there, somewhere, and he for an inexplicable reason, has crushes on the women of this family. I don’t want him to go after Aurelia. Announce her as a boy,” she persisted. He nodded, walking out onto the balcony.
“My people, I am overjoyed to say, I have another son! Prince…Edward, is alive and healthy,” he added. The crowd below him cheered.
“Mommy, why did you say sister was a boy when she isn’t,” Eric asked, leaning over to Arianna.
“Because there is a man out there, that wants to hurt her. I promise you Aurelia, you’ll be safe. I promise I won’t let any harm come to you,” Arianna vowed.
“I want to help! I promise too,” Eric said, kissing his sister’s forehead. Aurelia’s infant arms, reached for the silver shining locket around Arianna’s neck.
“No,” she murmured, releasing Aurelia’s grip, pulling off the locket, and setting it onto the end table. She rocked Aurelia in her arms, her curious golden eyes, drifting asleep. Eric laid his head on Arianna’s shoulder. “I promise,” she repeated, sitting up on her bed, cradling her.

..........To be Continued..........