by S K Smith
THE LAST RITUAL
Book One of The Magic Awakens Trilogy
S.K. SMITH
1 – AYDA
Pulling her cloak closer around her neck she crept forward through the cold night. Her breath fogged in a miniature cloud around her. Careful not to disturb the silence, steadily, she tiptoed through the forest avoiding fallen leaves and branches. Not far behind, a short figure was mimicking her every step, following her trail to stay silent through the trees. The first figure raised her hand and signalled for a stop before crouching behind the closest tree, slowly and carefully the second figure joined her.
‘Can you see that?’ She whispered to her comrade, pointing towards several faint flickering
lights in the distance.
‘Yes. Ayda, I really think we should go back,’ Jonas' voice was shaking, from cold
nervousness she couldn't tell.
‘We've come too far! We're almost there!’ Ayda's childish enthusiasm was clear, she was
moving forwards. They had travelled through the night, leaving the safety of the Stone Castle to cross the Myr River and venture into the dangerous unknown. The forest thinned as they approached the settlement ahead. Slowly, they moved forward, keeping low to avoid being spotted. Several wooden buildings came into view as they moved closer towards the town. A dirt path led through Oakwood Town, lined with dim, flickering streetlights and small wooden log homes and stores. Ayda smiled, the lighting through the village was so faint, it would be easy for them to sneak in and out without being seen. Their path was clear, a quick study revealed that no guards seemed to be on patrol. Running slightly, they followed the path into the village and stopped in the nearest alleyway between the first row of buildings. Neither of them spoke. Catching their breath, their eyes darted each way, taking in the surroundings, ears straining to pick up the slightest sounds. In the distance, a couple of hissing cats were threatening each other over scraps of food, muffled laughter and singing could be heard coming from a lit wooden building several streets away from their hiding spot.
‘Everything here is wood,’ Jonas whispered in her ear. Their own people, the Elves, had
little use for wooden buildings. A nearby mountain range meant their own homes in the city were made of white stone, even storehouses and stables were made of stone. Children were never allowed out of the Stone City. Ayda rolled her eyes. Jonas had been her best friend since they were very young children, but he never paid any attention in their lessons, and as they approached their teenage years, he was quickly distancing himself from others their age.
‘So, now we're in the village, what did you want to see?’ He grinned, clearly his enthusiasm had kicked in the closer they became, despite his previous warnings.
‘The Humans,’ Ayda replied simply, ‘My Mother wants me to start my real lessons soon, so I think it's best I see first-hand what we are up against.’ Jonas nodded, he understood what Ayda meant by real lessons. Ayda was a Princess of Myrliar, and as the eldest, was next in line to the throne. This meant that, in time, she would be responsible for protecting her people from the Humans and their bloody history.
‘I can't wait for you to be Queen.’ Jonas said gazing into the distance. Ayda looked at Jonas fondly. She knew the reason Jonas paid little attention in lessons; his mind was on Guard Training. It was his dearest wish to become her Protector, and she would trust no-one else when it came to be offering the position. She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present, they had many years before then and she had to concentrate. It was dangerous wandering into human territory, that much she did know. Elves and Humans had been at war for centuries, but she had only read about it in books, and had never seen Humans with her own eyes. Nearby, a loud crash pierced through the silence as a bin was overturned, followed by the barks of several dogs angry at being woken. Ayda and Jonas retreated a few steps as a man stumbled into the alleyway. Instantly, Jonas stepped between the man and Ayda. Jonas held his breath, not sure what to do. Ayda cursed for letting their guard down. Leaning against the wooden log wall, the man looked at the two with unfocussed eyes before taking a large swig from the flask at his waist.
‘Oo' you then?’ He blubbered suspiciously, ‘I've not seen you round ere' before?’
He stumbled a few steps closer to them, as he leant on the wall. He smelled strongly of ale, his breathing was heavy, and he looked as though he was struggling to keep himself upright. He continued to stare at them, narrowing his eyes as he took a few more sips of his flask. Then suddenly, his eyes rounded as recognition dawned.
‘You only kids! You should be abed! Where’s ya mommy?’ He cooed, hiccoughing between breaths. His eyes closed, and he slid down the wall, landed face first in the dirt and fell asleep snoring. Jonas relaxed, and turned to face Ayda,
‘Do you think all humans are like that?’ Ayda giggled nervously, relieved that their cloaks had hidden their identity. Jonas gestured that they should leave the alley, someone was bound to come and check on him after the noise he made. Peering around the building, they checked that their way was clear before moving further into the town. Ayda followed the sound of laughter, she was planning to watch these people from a distance, getting too close would mean certain death. Checking that her hood still concealed her, she quickened her steps. Left, then right, then right again, she counted, making sure she remembered the way out. The streets were mostly empty, many people were asleep she guessed. One or two people clumsily made their way through the dirty streets, paying Ayda and Jonas no attention. Finally, they found the noisy building. Cautiously keeping their distance, Ayda watched through the glass window. A jolly band of men were playing the fiddle and singing, whilst men and women danced, bouncing through the room in glee, swinging each other round and round and laughing when they tripped or fell. Others were standing around leaning on walls or sitting at tables, clapping with the music or roaring at something a friend had said. The atmosphere was alive, Ayda felt a smile creep onto her face. These people were carefree and good natured she thought. How can people this happy be capable of such evil? She glanced at Jonas and was surprised to see his head bobbing along to the music, he too wore a grin on his face as he watched the partygoers enjoy themselves through the window. Staying hidden in the shadows, they watched, immersed for many long minutes, allowing the happiness to warm them on the cold night. Ayda could not understand. Through her lessons she had studied human history, ancient books telling stories of bloodshed, hatred and war, the people in front of her, celebrating life, could not possibly be her enemy. Time crept by secretly, as she watched, fascinated.
‘Come on, I think we've seen enough, I'm going to get a royal beating when the King and Queen realise you've been out all night.’ Jonas nudged her after a while. Ayda heard him, but she could not tear herself away from the sight, the dancers had dwindled in numbers and people were tiring. Any minute now people would start to leave the party. Jonas grabbed her hand and pulled her away roughly back down the street, just as the door slammed open releasing laughter and drunken voices into the night. Hastily he led her through the twists and turns of the alleys that he remembered, when suddenly he stopped and roughly threw her down a side alley and pushed her down.
‘What the –’ Ayda started, but Jonas smothered the sound with a hand to her mouth. Shaking his head at her, she was alarmed to see the panic in his eyes.
‘Guards." He mouthed, keeping low behind the cluster of bins he hid them behind. Listening, Ayda heard the crunching of heavy boots on dirt approaching, and the clink of metal on metal, they were armed she guessed. Breathing as quietly as possible, they waited for the sounds to fade away as the Guards moved their patrol on.
‘I'm going to check the way, if you get caught, my life won't be worth living.’ Jon
as stated. Ayda began to protest but the serious look in his eye silenced her as he moved away. He blamed her. Why had she let her curiosity get to her? Despite his anger at her decision, poor Jonas had felt the need to follow her here to keep her safe and if it wasn't for him, she would likely be a prisoner already – if not dead. What would she do if he got into trouble? He had begged her not to go, had explained that it was too dangerous, but she had gone on. Guiltily, she started to draw in the dirt with her finger, occupying her guilty thoughts and thinking of an apology ready for the moment he arrived to guide her home. Long minutes passed. The town was eerie, no sound came to her. The music and laughter had died out, as had the clumsy scuffles of humans returning home. Where was he? Ayda was sure she remembered the way, she could meet him at the forest, he hadn't said to wait for her after all, maybe he had meant for her to follow at a distance? She sighed and left the safety of her hiding place. Following the path carefully, she double checked each crossing and each shadow before moving, and eventually reached the forest with no encounters. He was not there. Panic started to rise within her. No. He had not been taken. He was lost, she hoped. She would have heard if he had got into trouble, they hadn't ventured that deep into the town. Ayda waited, scanning the town for any signs of him. There were none. There was no movement at all. No cats screeching, no dogs, no humans. The village was deserted, all that remained was the faint flickering of lights and the crisp, cold air. Ayda cursed, she had to go back - she couldn't leave without him. Ayda ran back to the village, confident of the emptiness she had observed, she sped through alleys and round corners, desperately listening for him.
Resisting the urge to call out his name, she stopped. Breathing heavily with panic rising in her chest, she spun around desperately. In the corner of her eye she had glimpsed movement, edging closer, her stomach dropped as she saw three armed men hauling a heavy something down an alley not far from her. Guards she thought. Pressing up against the wall, she followed them, hoping to hear anything that would help her find Jonas. As she got closer, she noticed with sickness, that whatever they were carrying had arms. And legs.
‘Jonas!’ She screamed, forgetting her silence, terror clutching at her heart. The guards spun around and dropped the lifeless body on the ground. She stared, willing the boy to move, to breathe, to do something, but he didn't. His eyes were closed, and scarlet blood was trickling down his face.
‘Grab her!’ A Guard shouted. She ran, tears streaming from her eyes, blinding her. Feeling her way back through the alleys, her hands became rough and splintered along the wooden walls, hoping beyond hope that Jonas was not dead, just unconscious. She heard him, his pounding footsteps were close, too close. She veered left, losing all sense of direction through her hindered sight and manic thoughts. Ayda gasped as her foot caught and she tripped, falling, falling into the dirt, smashing down hard into the ground, she felt her knife press against her thigh under her cloak.
‘Stop running girl-elf,’ The guard was right above her, his snarl was rough had harsh. She had nowhere to go. Pushing herself up off the floor, Ayda spun around to face him. He was much older, and he was large. She could tell he was too strong to outrun and she could never fight him off, but maybe she could buy some time. He reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist. Instinctively she grabbed her hunting knife and sank it deep into his outstretched arm, he screamed out and clutched at his bloody arm as she sprinted further and further away. Running blindly, Ayda realised too late, meant she was now utterly lost. Finding herself at a dead end, she cursed, there was nowhere left to run. The guard was yelling as he drew closer. Any minute now he would find her, trapped and vulnerable.
‘Hey! Get down here!’ Someone hissed at her as they poked their head out of a grate in the ground. She looked down and saw a boy, slightly older than her, frantically beckoning at her to follow him down. Without a second thought she squeezed through the small gap in the dirt sodden ground and felt her boots hit shallow water. The boy disappeared momentarily as he replaced the grate as silently as he could. Catching her breath, her eyes adjusted to the darkness that pressed in all around her, she heard the thundering echo of the guards' boots fade away.
‘T-Thank you.’ She stammered, breathlessly. Reaching out to find a slimy wall, she pressed her sweaty face against the cool surface as she recovered.
‘No problem. My Pa sent me to get you.’ He was watching her closely. Unnerved, she realised her hood was down, she hastily rushed to pull it back over.
‘Too late girl-elf. We all know what you are.’ He smiled at her.
‘Why did you help me?’ She asked, regaining her breath. The boy shrugged then gestured for her to follow. Ayda glanced up at the grate, she could escape now that the guard was gone, she needed to find Jonas.
‘They are watching all exits out of the town, you will not escape unnoticed. But, feel free to leave for all I care.’ He stared at her hard, then started walking. Ayda shook her head knowing he was right, she had no chance of saving Jonas alone. Following him she took in her surroundings, by the looks of it they were in the sewers. Water was lapping at her ankles and soaking through her boots, but she trudged on, tense, wondering where this boy was leading her. The only light they had to guide them was a small candle the boy was holding, he obviously knew his way around well. They walked in silence for what felt like an hour before Ayda worked up the courage to speak to her saviour.
‘Where are we going?’ Ayda asked nervously, she did not know how much she could trust this stranger.
‘To my Pa.’ He replied. It hit Ayda that this could easily be a trap, yet, if it was, he could have just left her to the guard back at the dead end. No. She had to follow this boy. She had no other choice, he may know where Jonas was, and be able to help him.
‘Will you help me get my friend? Do you know where he is?’ She asked desperately. The boy did not reply. He stopped and climbed up a tiny hidden ladder. Ayda noticed a wooden door above him, he pounded on it a couple of times before it creaked open. A rough hand took the boy by the arm and lifted him through the gap. Ayda followed cautiously, her foot slipping on the wet ladder. Light flooded her vision as she was heaved up through the space, steadying her balance, she found herself in a small cold room. The small wooden door in the floor was closed behind her.
‘Sit,’ A man's voice filled the room. She sat at the lone table and chair next to the young boy.
‘Well done Niall. Nice to see one of em' is in one piece.’ He patted the young boy on the back. Niall grinned, clearly proud of his daring rescue. Niall was a couple of years older than Ayda, but small for his age and thin. His dark eyes and dark hair contrasted with his milky white skin. The older man looked tough, he wore dirty clothes, several sizes larger than necessary and his long messy hair was greying in places. He had strong arms and work hardened hands, a worker, Ayda guessed.
‘T-Thank you Sir, for your help,’ Ayda stammered her thanks to the older man.
‘I don't know why you're here kid, but you should have known better. We don't want your kind here.’ The man said roughly, sitting opposite her at the table. Ayda nodded and looked down at her hands. There was blood on them she noticed, the guard’s blood, she checked her knife belt and felt the blade safely where it should be. ‘We need to get you out of here, girl.’ The man instructed, gruffly.
‘Ayda,’ She looked up at him, ‘My name is Ayda. I'm no girl.’ The man chuckled to himself, patted his son on the back and rose to his feet.
‘Right then Ayda. If you are no girl, maybe I should kill you right here and now?’ He said staring her down. ‘I don’t like your lot. But I won’t see harm come to a kid.’ Ayda nodded and looked down at her trembling hands again. She had to get to Jonas, she didn't have time for this. She felt tears in her eyes as she thought of her friend only coming along to protect her, and now she had gotten them both into so much trouble.
‘I need to get my friend and then we can go home.’ She said quietly.
‘No. You need to leave. No
w.’ The man said impatiently, pressing a flagon of water into her hands.
‘I can't just leave him here!’ Ayda replied firmly, anger rising at the idea of leaving Jonas.
‘Niall will take you safely back to the bridge. You will retrieve your horse, ride home and never return.’ Ayda's frustration was boiling, she was not going to leave Jonas here at the mercy of the humans. She could not leave him.
‘Why didn't you help him?’ She demanded impatiently, shaking with growing anger. Niall's father placed his hand to his face and rubbed his temple. He looked at her as his gaze softened slightly. Ayda regretted this last question. This man clearly loved his son and had done what he could to help her purely because she was a child. It was obvious he detested 'her kind' and yet out of respect for the love of a Father he had saved her.
‘I sent Niall to help you because he is still small enough to fit through all the tunnel exits. We did not realise that there were two of you until it was too late.’ The man explained.
‘Well we can go back to Jonas, now can't we?’ Ayda asked despairingly.
‘No,’ Niall said quietly, ‘We can't save him.’ Ayda studied their faces, a feeling of dread swept over her as she realised what they might not be telling her. The lifeless body being dropped and not responding through her cries crowded her minded.
‘He's dead, girl, better get used to it.’ The older man said.
‘They were carrying his body to the river when you spotted them.’ Niall whispered. Ayda slid off her chair and slumped to the floor. Grief swamped her, dragging her heart into the deep dark ocean of despair. She couldn't breathe. No. He could not be dead, he was not allowed to die, he was supposed to protect her. He could not so easily be removed from her life. She shook her head violently, in denial, as if she could rewind the last day and not start this adventure that had cost her best friend his life. She wept. Guilt racked her body, she was shaking. He was just a boy, not yet thirteen. How could they kill a boy?
