Slowly, he completed his armor of deep blue and white, with two long curled metals that dangled behind him. Satisfied by the condition of his armor, he left his room.
He stepped out to his balcony that had no rails. Down below he could see the gates of the castle and the entire valley beyond it. He put on his helmet that donned a large metal beak that acted like a visor. He crouched and suddenly jumped forcefully upward as he summoned his wings. The curled metal vanished and became armor for his wings. He flew down in front of the castle gates where the diplomats, the adviser and the King were waiting for him. He landed just in front of them and knelt in front of the High King.
King Aeros looked at his son while Aderon bowed for the last time and spread his wings. He leaped into the air, and then flew towards the meeting place. He smiled deviously as he thought of the outcome of the journey. He leaned his head slightly and then disappeared into the horizon.
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Afternoon at the Eldemensters Temple, outside was a forest full of life. Evangeline was out gathering fruits for her companions while Ravaen was hunting for food. The others were inside the temple resting.
Evangeline spotted another fruit in a tall tree. She approached it and laid the others gently on the ground. She backed away, took a deep breath then jumped softly and hovered high enough for her to reach the fruit.
It was a large yellow fruit and was shaped like a heart. She smiled as she sniffed it. And in that same tree, there were more of those fruits to her delight. She took more of it until she couldn’t hold anymore of it. She hovered back down and put it with the rest of the fruits.
Evangeline suddenly had an idea and made gestures with her fingers. She clamped both of her hands and retracted them. In the middle, a small maroon glowing ball grew. She moved her hands as if trying to hold it. She approached the trunk of the tree and then forced the glowing ball into the trunk. The tree and all the fruits fell down.
“You know, that’s called cheating.” Ravaen suddenly appeared behind her, laughing.
“Do you have any idea what I can do to you if you startle me again?” she said. She picked up the fruits by hand.
“Here, let me help you,” Ravaen said as he picked up several of them. Evangeline was just looking and accidentally dropped the fruits. She casted a spell, “Levos,” lifting every fruit on the ground. Ravaen looked around him and then both chuckled.
“No thank you. I can handle this.” She smirked as she headed back to the temple with all the fruits lifted by a pinkish blanket following her.
Ravaen silently laughed then hovered above and continued to hunt for food. As he searched for prey not too far from the temple, he spotted a wild boar in a forest opening. He extended both of his arms and retracted his wings a little, boasting his speed more and going in for the kill.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure beat him to the boar and sent him streaming past the prey. It snagged the boar so quick, that it was the fastest land dweller that he had ever seen. He turned to catch a glimpse of the unknown figure but he could only a see a tail. It ran nimbly towards the temple. Relapsing back to normal vision, he realized that he was too low to the ground and was unable to recover. He crashed into the trees, cutting a straight path through the forest
He tried to stand up but he was struck with pain. A few pile of broken wood was over his stomach. He arched his back to check his wings.
“I think I broke my wings. Ouch,” he groaned and decided to rest for a while in the pile of broken wood.
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Evangeline was about to enter the temple when she suddenly felt a presence. She was slightly shaken and the fruits fell down from her hand. Someone or something was approaching in great speed. She prepared herself, she closed her eyes and stood very still as she mouthed some words without a single sound. On her left side, a cluster of wind gathered and spun gracefully, carrying some leaves with it. She concentrated on the wind and finally, she felt that the intruder appeared from the forest behind her. She opened her eyes as it glowed bright maroon and turned to her back promptly. She dragged her arms across her and the gust followed her motion.
The wind caught the intruder, slamming him to the temple wall. The boar he was carrying fell to the ground as Evangeline faced the intruder. It was a girl.
She was groaning in pain, lying face first to the ground. Evangeline quickly came to her aid as she turned her face towards her and saw the symbol of the Monarch of the Tigris.
“Oh my God, are you alright?!” she asked worriedly.
“Why did you do that?” Kaira groaned in agony.
Evangeline was panicking and got startled when Sevidon and Glaivel ran outside the temple.
“What happened? We heard a loud bang and — oh.” Glaivel paused as he saw Evangeline and another girl lying on the floor. Sevidon looked at Kaira trying to stand to keep her composure.
“Where does it hurt?” Evangeline quickly asked. But she got no reply from her.
“What’s your name, stranger?” Sevidon curiously asked.
“My name is Princess Kaira Lamenreise of the Middle Kingdom,” she said with a hint of pain in her voice.
“God it hurts, I think I’m going to faint,” she added.
“Oh my, don’t faint please!” Evangeline begged and quickly casted a healing spell on her hands and continuously motioned her arm over Kaira’s body.
But it was too late.
Kaira limped to the ground again and Sevidon and Glaivel were silent as they looked at Evangeline’s efforts. She slowly looked towards the two, “I did it again, didn’t I?”
Sevidon and Glaivel didn’t say a word and just nodded at her.
Evangeline sighed. “Just help me get her inside.” And the two quickly obliged.
She looked around as the two carried Kaira inside. She waved her right arm and the fruits that fell from the fight floated and gathered themselves then rested on her arms. Before she entered the temple, she turned and examined the dead boar.
She focused on it and it too, began to float and went with her. She looked up at the sky and said, “Where’s Ravaen? What’s taking him so long?”
End of Chapter XI
XII: TEACHER
INSIDE THE TEMPLE, EVANGELINE WAS healing Kaira. She was still out cold from their encounter. Sevidon was back to deciphering the writings on the pillars.
Evangeline was feeling a bit uneasy with Glaivel watching her do magic.
“Could you please do something else instead of eyeing me?” Evangeline said.
“I just couldn’t believe that you did this again. I mean, attacking us was like, not enough for you—”
“Yes, and I knocked her out just like what I did to you,” Evangeline interrupted Glaivel. He was silenced and just whistled out of awkwardness. Evangeline concentrated back to healing their new ally.
“I’m going to get us some wood to cook the boar,” Sevidon suggested.
“Oh, no need,” Evangeline answered, her eyes still on Kaira. “I can start the fire on my own, don’t worry.”
Sevidon nodded and grabbed a fruit from the basket and stayed at a corner. They were all eating the fruits as they heard someone coming. It was Ravaen, barely walking inside the temple.
His wings hung as he held his left arm. Evangeline and Glaivel saw him and were a little bit stunned with what happened to him. He continued walking until he threw himself down the side of a pillar and rested. Ravaen noticed everyone’s puzzled faces.
“Don’t even ask,” he said to them. Glaivel continued eating the fruit while Evangeline looked at Kaira again. Sevidon walked out of the temple while Ravaen still attended to himself and noticed the boar. “Where did you get that boar? And who’s she?” he added as he saw a strange girl lying beside Evangeline.
“This is Kaira, and oh, she brought the boar,” she said. “What happened to you? You look messed up.”
“Well, I was about to snag that boar—” he said as he tried to stand, “ – and then she dashed
through the forest and beat me to it.” He gave up and rested. He moved his arms in a rotating motion. “And before I can even say it, I already found myself crashing through the trees.”
Evangeline giggled a little.
“You think that’s funny?” Ravaen said, slightly annoyed.
“No, no. it’s just that—” then she burst out a laugh, irritating Ravaen more.
“Just do what you’re doing and after that fix my wing.” He successfully stood up and walked out the temple, slightly dragging his right leg.
Glaivel finished up his apple and stood up to grab another fruit and stood beside the girls. He took off his cape then put it to his side.
“Can I ask you a question?” he asked Evangeline.
“What is it?” she answered, half concentrating on healing Kaira.
“How old are you exactly?” he stared at Evangeline. She arched her eyebrows as she turned towards Glaivel.
“Well, okay. But why exactly?” she mused.
“Just curious how young you are,” he softly protested then laid his back to the floor. “And besides, I want to know my neighbors a little bit more.”
Evangeline shook her head and continued working on Kaira. She was about to reply to Glaivel. She suddenly heard a growling sound coming from Glaivel. Her eyes widened and slowly looked at him. Glaivel fell asleep and was snoring hard.
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Outside the temple, Sevidon sat on top of the roof where the wind was blowing inland. He could smell the Trasidar Sea, where the air was fresh. He enjoyed every ounce of the smell for it came close to the freshness of the air from his homeland.
He was still unused to the color of the trees, the features of it, and the mountains he could see and the one right behind the temple. This put a little smile on his face. He gazed upon the horizon colored by the fleeting crisp of sunset that the sun brought that day. Sevidon took a deep breath as he quickly drifted to his memory of the Trasidian Prince.
The Trasidian Prince was just about to enter his age of manhood. But he knew deep inside, that Tamiron still had a long way to go. He was teaching the young Prince the art of sword fighting. He had such speed, enough to impress him back then. He had never seen such vigor in a young one in training.
They were doing a sparring match, a good one too. Tamiron was able to keep up with his every move. Tamiron could go through and land a blow at him, but Sevidon kept on hitting him and knocking him down. Out of fun, Sevidon tried to get into the young Prince’s head.
“Such grace from a Prince,” he teased as he blocked Tamiron’s attack. “Maybe I should have trained your sister as well. She might be able to give much stronger blows than you.” Tamiron almost hit Sevidon, but he knocked him down. Tamiron was panting as he tried to get up.
“Tell me, Prince. You have an army. Why train to defend your kingdom when you have it?” he asked as he reached for Tamiron, but slapped Sevidon’s hand.
“There is no honor in staying behind the lines while your people die for your safety, Teacher,” the young Tamiron answered. The people are mine to protect. Should I die in front of them, I will die protecting them. So that they know, that the most important person in the kingdom, is willing to die for them,” he added.
Sevidon was surprised. He didn’t expect this from such a youngling such as Tamiron. He looked at the Venis King and saw his amazement by what Tamiron said. They didn’t know how to react to it.
Sevidon looked back at Tamiron but it was too late. Tamiron lunged at him and managed to land a knockout blow, throwing Sevidon down with Tamiron’s wooden sword pointing directly at him.
“Teacher, did you forget what you taught me yesterday?” Tamiron said as he switched from his wooden sword, to his helping hand. “Never look away from your opponent.”
Sevidon was still at awe with his young student. The sun’s rays shined and only the silhouette of the young prince was there for him to see. He knew right then, that this boy was going to make a difference.
“Hey!” Ravaen shouted. Sevidon heard the call and looked down.
“What is it you need of me?” he asked.
“Can you carry me up there?” he asked. Sevidon only raised his eyebrows. Ravaen stepped back a little more. “Well, can you?” he asked again. Sevidon suddenly jumped down landing right in front of Ravaen. He wrapped his shoulder around Ravaen’s waist.
“Hey easy! My wings still hurt!” he shouted as Sevidon jumped several times until they landed on the roof. Sevidon sat back and gazed upon the landscape once more. Ravaen was breathing hastily then sat down carefully. He laid his back and stared at the skies.
“You are quite strong, aren’t you General?” Ravaen said.
Sevidon turned his head towards Ravaen but looked back to the forest without any answer. Ravaen just grinned and asked once more, “General, I’m curious. How old are you exactly?”
After moments of silence, the General answered, “I’m still young.”
“Well how young exactly?” he curiously asked Sevidon.
“I’m only three hundred eighty years old,” he answered. Ravaen was confused a little and began to look away.
“How about your Viris friend back there?” he asked Sevidon again.
Sevidon answered right away, “He’s also three hundred and eighty years old.”
Ravaen felt a bit awkward between them for a couple of minutes. He lost his words as he did not expect those answers.
“So you were already here since the Great War?” Ravaen asked
“Yes,” he answered.
Feeling satisfied, Ravaen glanced at the forest again as he scratched his left arm. “We were here. We were still young when the Orderian were just settling by the shores of the then emerging Trasidar Kingdom. We were here when the Venis Elves was becoming big enough to be acknowledged,” he added.
“Settling? What do you mean settling?” he asked slightly baffled. Sevidon looked at Ravaen only to see a disturbed face. He gave a little giggle as an answer to Ravaen’s question.
“Well? Answer me, Sevidon.” He began to be silently frustrated as he asked again. Sevidon showed a little smile and then answered.
“Ask the Orderian. I’m not at liberty to answer such a sensitive topic,” he answered Ravaen. Then Sevidon stood up and jumped off the roof.
Ravaen was surprised and yelled at him, “Hey I still can’t go down by my own here!”
But still, the idea bombarded Ravaen’s mind. Something was not revealed to them. He felt stupid because of the General’s statement. It continued to echo in his mind that he was, in fact, clueless.
Evangeline was done attending to Kaira and came across Sevidon as he entered the temple. Both looked at each other for a second before she walked out. She looked for Ravaen. She looked up and remembered that he couldn’t fly because of his broken wing.
“Ravaen!” she called out. She continued to look around for him and walked down the grass field in between the forest and the temple.
Ravaen slowly emerged from the roof and saw Evangeline that was about to enter the forest to look for him. “Up here!” he shouted.
“How did you get up there?” she shouted.
Ravaen fixed himself up, “Sevidon left me here!” he shouted. Evangeline sighed and saw Sevidon who was watching them as he ate a green apple.
“Why did you do that?” she asked as she raged to Sevidon. He only answered with a quiet giggle as he ate the fruit. Evangeline then softly punched Sevidon on the stomach that made him throw up. Evangeline backed away and pushed her two arms downward, making her float towards Ravaen. Sevidon only shook his head as he was slightly amused of her before he entered the temple again.
She quietly touched the roof and landed in front of Ravaen. He turned away quickly as Evangeline prepared to heal his wing. Her left hand glowed pink and she suddenly stretched it across his right wing which the wing followed. Ravaen shouted in agony as the energy surprised him.
“That hurt you know. A little head’s up woul
d be good,” he told Evangeline. She was quiet as her right hand started to glow a darker shade of red. Both of them were silent all throughout the healing. She paid attention to Ravaen’s right wing while Ravaen looked at the sky. It was starting to become windy on the temple’s roof.
“Why do you keep on knocking people out?” he smilingly asked Evangeline.
She looked at him unnoticeably as she focused to heal his wing, “You know, that’s a bit annoying,” he added. Evangeline sighed and was done with his right wing. She stood up and got to the other one.
Ravaen flapped it a little and was pleased to see his right wing was now ok. Evangeline stayed on Ravaen’s left side and she repeated what she did. Another awkward moment began to set in as Ravaen looked straight forward while Evangeline attended to him. He took in deep breaths and caught Evangeline’s attention.
“Why are you breathing like that?” she asked him then looked at his wings. Ravaen looked at Evangeline before turning back again to the forest.
“Can I ask you something?” he asked Evangeline. She looked at him and was a little curious about it. She turned back his head to the right wing before she answered.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Is the Orderian a native of this continent or an outsider?”
End of chapter XII
XIII: OF LUNAFLARES GLOW
EVANGELINE STOPPED, LOOKING FOR RIGHT words to say. After an eerie moment, Evangeline slowly turned her attention back to the broken wing and ignored Ravaen’s question.
Silence lingered in the air. Both were speechless. The wind blew lightly as the healing spell hissed its last. Evangeline stepped back and Ravaen flapped his wings to test it. Delighted by the result, he was about to thank her but she already left.
His smile slowly faded and he recalled his wings. He took a deep breath and laid his back on the roof to watch the starry sky.
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