Authors: Viktoriya Molchanova
I spoke with no fear
. “Light of knowledge and understanding has shone through me. I now know my path in these realms. I am no longer afraid of what I was meant for. I have trust in the Clamoor Clan; they will win this battle. I will never give you the four parts of the stone.” The star lowered a little.
Maldelsoul grew furious
. “So my secrets are being revealed? No matter how confident you feel about your powers, you know deep inside you I will win the Final Battle. You have found your strength and control of Auvreria, but what is it all worth—to save the worlds of selfish people and their mistaken views? When I count to three, you will come to me. One.”
I
watched the star lower still more. I took the stones from my bag and lay them out in front me. “Two. You think you will escape? Your inexperienced magic can’t match my knowledge. My soldiers will charge at the count of three.” The rays of the star were hitting the mountain. The translucent stones began to glow. The elements were building in intensity in my soul. I felt focused and in full control.
“Three.” Maldelsoul gave his soldiers the signal to charge. At the same time
, the star passed the mountain. The stones suddenly flashed with magic. A portal to the skies opened. I stood up, took the pieces, and walked towards it. Maldelsoul could not cast any complex spell to interfere with the aura of the crossing divisions. I crossed to the gates of Lanora Lake.
Tree of Life, I am coming!
I entered into the land of dreams. This dimension had a mix of material and spiritual existences.
I didn’t know if I was awake or still dreaming. I stood in a deserted, dark valley. Distant stars illuminated the land, stardust scattering in twisting patterns. Its light descended on the surface of the cold stones. The place felt very strange. I thought I saw Aurora, but it was only an illusion. I saw all the people and creatures close to my heart, and then they faded into the dark depths of the mountains. The faint night mist gave the place a mysterious feel.
I felt like I
had made a mistake. I should have waited for Elfeon and Aurora, but Maldelsoul would have teleported me in an instant. The infinite power of the Three Divisions had saved me. I walked around, exploring my surroundings. False visions and dreamy melodies confused my mind. It was as if the sky had its own orchestra. I reached the end of the valley. On a small cliff I overlooked the endless ocean of violet clouds. Only the sky was present, like on my ride with Aurora. I was glad my emerald cloak protected me from the cold. My medallion glowed golden. Cosmic winds lifted the dust.
Elfeon told me only three souls would pass through Lanora Lake on their journey. The Tree of Life had its own aura that protected and hid its presence from the outside world of Arthaesia. I saw the same boy that had passed through the altar of the nine dragons here. I wanted to say hello, but the boy faded away like a dream. This was probably the Astral realm, the dimension of randomly shifting periods and places. I wondered and wandered in this place. I didn't know how long I had been there.
I finally came to the
perfectly circular lake. The indigo waters were still, as if untouched after millions of years. I crouched down and put the four pieces of Cielune in the lake. The pieces flowed to four opposing edges of the circle to form a square. A new square shifted from the original one. The two squares outlined the symbol of Auvreria, then formed two pyramids that extended outwards to a single point. All these transformations emitted a high intensity of magic. The four parts united into one stone in the center of the lake. I walked on the water to collect the stone. It was flat and oval. I looked above me to the point where the two pyramids met and condensed into a single particle of light.
Tree of Life
June 6
th
, 2014
I appeared in a cave with a huge opening that extended from the mountain. I wished Aurora and
Elfeon were there, but I couldn’t go back to the ever-dreaming Astral world. No matter what I tried to do, my journey was a solitary one.
I
moved toward the opening of the cave and saw the wide landscape at sunrise before me. The dark mountains were brushed with ice. Forests down below emitted a cacophony from many forms of life. The emerald bed of leaves faded in the distance. A view of new horizons arose. In the middle of the circular valley surrounded by mountain ranges stood the jewel of the forest, the eternal Tree of Life.
Its immensity was
on a scale with the mountains. Its maroon trunk and green leaves looked familiar from my memory of Mother Nature guiding me there. Its field helped hold the endless realms in the Three Divisions of the universe. It was the portal to anywhere one could desire. Its energy had been stable since the beginning of the universe.
I carefully climbed down the steep mountain. Hours passed as I traveled through the immense, lively forests.
Delicate sounds of insects and small birds filled the air. Gigantic foliage swayed. Waterfalls flowed from the deep chasms of the mountain caves. Everything was connected. When I reached the trunk of the tree, I climbed the small steps to an arch carved from the wood. Who had made it?
The inside of the tree was as huge as a hockey stadium.
Different chambers all connected to the spiral staircase led to the bottom. There was the golden sign of Auvreria carved in the fresh wood. Vines hung from the ceiling. The knots were engraved with runes. The twisting and balanced structures were all part of the foundation for its ancient spirit. The symbol shone. There were the eight shrines containing the elements complementary to their positions in the rune. I felt an urge to leave the now intact stone of Cielune on the symbol.
A sudden flash of fire shot
in my direction. This was getting pretty boring—every time, Maldelsoul had to ruin the moment. “Only a coward would attack from the back. I thought you were invincible, but you are just a helpless liar and betrayer.”
He
laughed. “Well, now we have confidence? Every time you escape from my grasp, you become stronger inside. I thank you for finally helping me find this sacred place of all races. Its aura of balance kills me slowly, so I will destroy it like Arthaesia.”
“You will never do it! I am not going to let the universe fall to a selfish and evil soul. I
’m going to fight till my death!”
“One day
, you will regret your words. This day will be the last of your era and the beginning of the death of Auvreria. One day, you will give your soul for your loved ones. One day, these words will be your death and the death of hope, existence, and the universe.”
I shot Maldelsoul with a combination of fire and ice. He easily blocked it. I had no idea what he said. He crafted a complex spell that required the intertwining of the energies of death. I used my full power of
Lumifale to unite all the elements. Blue magic spread like a bomb blast, but it didn’t affect him. Still, I maintained focus. I suspected he was way more powerful than he actually portrayed himself.
He started to talk
. “Not a very pleasant surprise? You have to deal with me until I finally become the king of everything and nothing. I am not human; I am all the evil from the Three Divisions in one body. Auvreria wants to destroy me because I am ruining the balance between good and evil. My knowledge and discoveries would be lost like you when the perfect moment came.”
“How did you get here?” I
asked. “Elfeon and Aurora were supposed to come here. You were very far away at the time, so how did the tree let you in?”
“
Elfeon and Aurora are not alive. They did not possess one of the medallions when they tried to enter through the barrier. The medallions prevented us from becoming part of the Tree of Life. It would be hell for me in this balance if I did. Elfeon and Aurora have become spirits among the others in the tree.”
“No, you are lying. It
can’t be true.” And yet I could not feel Aurora anymore. So many losses—and for what gain?
Maldelsoul
marked the decrease in my strength and continued. “There is an ancient legend of the black and white dragon. The Final Battle will come, and one dragon will remain. The other will die and wander the depths of the lower Astral world. These two dragons represent evil and good. I am the dark dragon, and you and Aurora are the white dragon. You and Aurora are part of a whole. Because I already killed part of the dragon, you are all that’s left.”
“The Clamoor Clan will defeat you for what you have done.”
“No one can stop me. A betrayer of the royal family of Clarein betrayed the Clamoor Clan at the end of the battle at the Crossroads of the Valleys. Now they all serve me because the betrayer did not want to hurt you. I have always told you since the beginning how love forces us to take risks and pass boundaries. All this leads to suffering as a result. You wouldn’t mind if I sacrificed the Tree of Life for your life?”
He forced the tree to obey his will. He gathered all of his hate and levitated between the floor and ceiling. He emitted rays of agony, storms of chaos, light
ning of anger, and disease from his dead soul. I felt the tree losing its energy of life and sustainability. The earth became lifeless, the light faded, the skies shattered, and the waters were poisoned. Among the millions of voices crying out, I heard Aurora.
Do not let go of your strength.
Elfeon and I are alive as spirits. Not another tear, sister; I will be with you again. Elfeon is at the heart of the tree where his destiny is to be the new guardian of the Tree of Life. Unless what Maldelsoul is doing is stopped, we will definitely go back to the Astral world. Do not worry about me. My fate does not end here—our journey will continue. Never will our ways part, forever always flows, my sweetheart.
Her last words ended like
the letter my parents wrote. I knew I had to get over this lack of confidence and save their lives. I stepped into the golden center of the symbol. Above was Maldelsoul destroying everything, and here I was below. I heard the voices of the eight dragons. They appeared around the symbol to lend their energy to save the tree. I concentrated on the dragons, the eight elements, and the soul of the universe. Strength kept emerging. I opened my hands. They glowed with Auvreria marks in neon blue. The blue orchid appeared. Rays of magic shone everywhere. I united Auvreria under one force into one point. I imagined the vast energy and power of the universe. I united the elements, and a huge explosion appeared on a circular path. The sign and its ring of elements glowed with the runes on the walls.
Maldelsoul was hit. His power was lost
. He levitated to the floor placidly and started talking. “Every time you attack me, I want to kill more. Here you go. I don’t want this ring anymore. Why use it if there will be no more you?”
He threw me
his ring. The shape of our rings could interlock if something oval could fit between. Of course, the whole stone of Cielune! I assembled the key. The transparent stone with the two rings lifted itself above the center of the sign. It broke off into many layers. This was the key for entering the hidden doors of all the realms of the Three Divisions of the universe. I reached and touched the key. The world turned upside-down. I felt that feeling again as I saw nothing. All I could do was think of my home, Aethra.
Home, all things change over time
June 8
th
, 2014
Everything
was spinning in circles as the worlds passed by. The flow of magic carved its way out as I entered through the tunnel. I came back to the world of Aethra near a bench in the park downtown. The buildings in the distance, the busy streets, and the noisy sounds made me feel at home. The sun would set soon. Aethra’s time compared to Arthaesia’s was completely opposite. There it was sunrise, and here it is sunset.I decided to quickly hurry to Delancey’s house. My parents would never forgive me after what I had said. I ran quickly to avoid attention from anyone because I was still in my elven traveling clothes.
I passed my parents
’ house. There was a sign that said
Sold.
I wondered what had made them move. What day was it now? I had no idea how to feel. After all I had been through I had no strength to judge the situation. I held all my tears, and yet one came out. I was in too much shock, so I ran away from the abandoned house. Was I abandoned? I didn’t know where to start.
At
Delancey’s house, I knocked a couple of times, and she opened the door. Happiness filled my heart. Delancey, however, did not recognize me. “Please go away from my house, whoever you are. I’m not hosting a medieval party for failures. If you don’t leave, I will call the police!”
“I
’m Nicole,” I replied, “your best friend since childhood. Don’t you remember me?”
“Excuse me, but my best friend left me two months ago without even a goodbye. She made me explain
to her parents that she had left all of us. Now leave, or you won’t like the consequences. No more words!”
She slammed the door. I decided to visit Ryan
; he was my only hope to find a roof over my head before nightfall. While walking, I thought about the changes in my town in my lifetime. It was becoming more urbanized and less memorable than it had been in my childhood.
Ryan
couldn’t believe his eyes when he answered the door. “Nicole?! Come inside! I see you went through a lot.”