“Then do that!” After hearing Elora’s words though, he was no longer excited. He wanted Elora back as fast as he could, possibly, and not away from him. She was in serious trouble and he couldn’t save her, at all. “Do that! Come back home!”
“But that is why I called you. I can’t.” Elora shook her head. “My decision is going to be to save this world by staying to fight, by staying here and helping these people regain their freedom from that mad king.”
“B-But…but you’re alone! You don’t have any of us with you!” Bram exclaimed, seriously not understanding what Elora wanted to do. “Elora you can die! You don’t even know what you’re up to! Did you hit your head or something?! You’re not a fighter! You’re not even—”
“Stop it, Bram,” Elora said, her eyes gaining a glint in them. “I am not telling you to stop me, I am telling you what I am going to do and you aren’t going to stop me even if you want me to. You know that once I take a decision, not even you will be able to stop me!”
Bram shut up, looking at Elora, pleading for her to change her mind, but then sighed once as he realized he wasn’t able to do so.
“What do you want me to do?” Bram said, his face set in stone. Elora looked equally serious.
“I am going to need clues, from the tapestry. Unfortunately you can’t do anything right now. So what I’ll suggest is you study the tapestry, while I look for the missing piece from the tapestry here. Once I have that, I can safely travel back home, after I am done with saving this world,” Elora said, quite stern and firm of her decision.
And the glow on her key only showed the firmness of her decision and the realization and acknowledgement of her destiny.
14
Bram sighed as he drank his second cup of coffee on that day. The conversation that he had with Elora in the morning had done nothing to curb his fear, and his anger, towards everything that was happening.
He couldn’t believe that Elora was out there, in another world, alone, without anyone to support her. And he couldn’t believe as to what she was going to do. He just...it was strange to think about Elora like that, matured and strong, stronger than he was himself. Stronger than anyone had ever seen her.
He remembered all about Elora, and how much of a loner she had been ever since her fifteenth birthday. She was alone, she would always study and only talk to them and no one else. She was always beautiful, but the fact that she was so ‘nerdy’ and stayed at home most of the time was what made things bad for her.
“Still thinking about Elora?” Marine had been seriously angry on him when he told her he had talked to Elora in the morning without telling her or waking her up, and had basically almost dumped him. But they had made up, and right now were cuddling together. “You are aren’t you?”
“Y-Yea, I am,” Bram nodded, sighing. “She’s...in a different world, filled with magic, filled with all sorts of dangers and everything, and she’s in trouble, obviously traumatized by whatever she has seen, and we’re just sitting here doing bat shit nothing.”
“Hey, don’t worry so much about her. Elora’s smart, you see. She’s smarter than all of us,” Marine said, looking at Bram and stroking his chin. “She’s got friends there now, and some good ones if what you say is correct. You just need to trust her and believe in her, and she’ll be alright. She’s not going to go anywhere, just you wait. She’ll be back faster than you know it, and we’ll be happy, ecstatic even.”
“Yeah. I mean, the more hours we spend here, the more days she spends there. For her, twenty days over there is only an hour here. So till now, she has spent around twenty days in that world, alone, without anyone from her world with her. Soon enough, it’ll be around a month for her, and we’ll have done nothing to get her back, just sat around with our hands on our laps hoping that she can get out of that war torn world, while doing nothing and eating foods!”
“Hey, listen,” Marine said, trying to comfort her boyfriend. “It’s not that bad. It’ll be alright, it’ll be fine. Eventually, she will come home and eventually, we’ll get what we need, okay? We’ll all stay together for like months, and we’ll make sure that she’s not going anywhere away from us okay?”
“Yup, that’s alright.” Bram smiled, looking unsure of himself at the same time looking sure of himself. “W-we’ll make sure that she’s together with us.”
Both of them then went quiet, not knowing of what to speak and what to not speak. Marine knew that there were so many memories of Elora that she had, she still wanted to share with her, memories that she knew that she should probably use to make herself feel better for if Bram was seriously affected by her disappearance, and then Marine was beyond affected.
Elora was her first friend. For people, she was the black girl from the wrong side of town with questionable origins because her father was a cop. And that was, apparently, not good. But Elora had seen beyond all of that. She had seen beyond everything that had happened and all the rumors and befriended her, in fact, it was such so that she had punched a boy in the face when they were younger.
The day had started perfectly. As June had the best handwriting of all of them, she would be the one writing with all the glittery pens and on the large chart-paper, but Elora knew better then to just let it go like that. She knew that there was something that was going to happen, one day or the other and it was going to change the way everyone saw her. For everyone, she was Elora, the quiet girl that only talked to two people, but it was going to change. It was seriously stupid, that is what Elora thought, the views of people, but Elora had never thought that the day would come in so soon, and he certainly didn’t think that it would be this bad.
“Kyle...” June pulled on her hand, suddenly nervous about things. “L-Let’s go, shall we?”
Elora looked up from what she was writing. She saw what June was worried about and she sighed. There was a boy in school that was the local bully, named Luke. Elora was tired with the name Luke, there were so many bad people with that name that it seriously surprised her, seriously surprised her. She didn’t even know why Luke bullied people in the first place, but it was getting annoying...and old.
“You go. I still have to finish this,” Elora sighed and shook her head dreadfully. “I don’t like this, at all, but I need to finish this Essay or I’m dead. The teacher will kill me.”
“Alright,” Marine said as she got up and got her books, ready to leave. Elora looked back down on her essay and started to write again. But of course, it was not going to be so easy. She heard a squeak and then the sound of someone falling. Looking up, she saw June on the ground, and Luke’s leg sticking out, a cocky smirk on his face. His blonde hair and roughish looks did make him for a very, very bully like figure.
“Ha! Well look who it is...the dreadlock girl.” June had dreadlocks for her hair. Anger burnt through her, pure and utter rage that was not going to only help her out, but also change her. She wanted, wanted to help June, but she knew that June could handle herself if needed. “What do you need now? Glasses?!”
“Shut up Luke,” June replied, irritated. She couldn’t believe how disgusting this pig was acting. “And let me leave in peace. I am not in the mood for you.”
“Big words from a crying and whining little brat.” Luke snarled. “You know, I do remember hearing a story about how you cried when you got a precious little doggie.”
“That is none of your concern.” Inwardly remembering to bash Bram over his head, June glared right back at Luke as she got up and got her books. “And none of your business. Now go on and bother someone who actually gives a penny about your words.”
“Oh you think you’re smart huh? Using big words and big sentences like that,” Luke sneered. He grabbed her book and threw it down on the ground. “Pick it up, for that is all that you can do. Huh? You want to fight me?”
“As if.” June simply picked up the book and turned around. “I am not going to deal with cowards and petty little insects like you. Go away.”
And with that
she started to walk. But Elora knew better. Looking at the enraged fire in Luke’s eyes and the deadly look he had, Elora knew that turning away and ignoring a bully was the last thing that someone wanted to do. It would only end up with getting more hurt, and Luke was the worst one out of the lot, the very worst one.
So she got up and sneakily walked towards where the altercation was going on. She knew what was going to happen and by damn was he going to let that happen.
“Don’t you dare turn your back on me!” Luke shouted and grabbed the girl by her hand. “Do you know who I am?”
“A little daddy’s boy that cries to his father for everything that happens,” June snarled. “Now let me go or I’ll report you!”
Luke raised his hand in anger at her words and at the sight of her talking back. June paled and the entire hall went silent, most of them worried that he’d actually do it. Well the worry was right. He did fly his hand forward, right in the face of June, but before it could even impact, it was caught.
June looked at Elora’s hand. When had she even moved? In fact, none of them had even seen this happen, none of them. They had only seen Luke about to hit June, and then Elora coming out of nowhere into the picture. Actually, how had Elora, a skimpy, scrawny little girl, caught Luke’s hand?! How was that even possible?!
“For the big bad bully you pretend yourself to be, you surely are weak,” Elora said, with a sense of calm in her. She knew another thing about these bullies, they were very, very afraid of those that stood up to them. And as for how had Elora caught that hand? She didn’t know the answer to that herself, maybe because she helped her mother out whenever she wanted to take her books anywhere around the house. “Why? Not eating your veggies? Of course I wouldn’t expect nothing less of a pig-breath like you.”
“Get out of my way James! This is none of your business! You’re not involved in this!” The bully growled. Elora raised her eyebrow, and let Luke go. “What the—”
“Then move me,” Elora said, standing protectively in front of June. “I am right here, you have two hands and two legs. Move me.”
Luke growled and jumped on Elora, punching him directly in the stomach. Elora simply snorted as she danced around the punch. He tried punching her again and again and again, but he kept on dodging the punches until his theory stood corrected. Bullies were scared of those that were stronger, and smarter than themselves and managed to escape every single time.
“Is that how you punch? I doubt you’d hurt her that much though,” Elora said simply, tilting her head. “If that is the case then let me show you how to punch.”
And then without warning, and containing her strength, Elora punched Luke hard in the face. Everyone gasped at the sight and some even screamed at the harsh punch. Luke was seeing the stars as he looked up in the sky, laying on the ground.
“I will warn you again, this was a simple baby tap,” Elora snarled. “Next time you bully someone, especially my friends, I won’t hold back.”
And from that day, Elora James was her hero. She was the one person that she would always look up to and she would always be after. Elora hated bullies, she had made that certain that day. She hated bullies and jerks, and she also hated, hated those that looked down upon her, and now had showed she had strength in those arms as well.
Tears slowly started to fall out of Marine’s eyes as she remembered more and more about the times she had spent with Elora, the times where she had enjoyed and she had always looked forward to meeting her again. But then they grew up, and moved apart.
And now here she was, unable to help her friend when she was in a completely different world, alone, without anyone with her. Bram was right, it felt pathetic, but his simple company of tightening his hold on her was enough comfort for now. They would try their best to help Elora out, and when she did return, Elora wasn’t going out of their sights for a long time.
15
Elora was sitting in front of the fire, still thinking about what she was going to do now that she had made her decision.
First of all though was finding more about the Tapestry piece that was missing. She needed it desperately before they could go ahead and try complete her destiny of helping out Feather Grove. But for that, they would need complete and total war, a war which was inevitable. A War that all wanted to avoid, yet still was going to happen, a war which could very well end up in their loss.
“Elora.” Elora looked up to see Kieran heading towards her with two plates. One of them obviously was for her. Looking behind him, she saw Jeremy talk to Chaiya and Emily about something and laugh, not coming over. She didn’t mind, she was pretty much deep in her thoughts at the moment. “Here, eat it entirely, you need the food.”
“Thank you,” Elora mumbled, accepting the plate. She needed a lot to think about now, and had a lot to think about as well. First of all, though, was starting to think where the piece of the Tapestry was. “Can I pluck your brains, for a moment?”
“What?” Kieran asked, his eyes wide. “What do you mean by that?
“It’s a metaphor, a saying, don’t worry.” Sighing pitifully, Elora looked up at Kieran. “I wanted to ask, if you would know where would the last piece of the tapestry be? I know I have to finish my destiny first, but it doesn’t hurt to look for it.”
“Oh, why didn’t you just say so then?” Kieran tilted his head and rubbed his chin. “Let’s see, the tapestry is magical in nature, so we’ll just go on with the magical people of the world. Starting with Aamadora.”
“Like Jeremy?” Elora asked, surprised. “He told me he was a mage of Aamadora.”
“Yes, that is correct, like Jeremy.” Suppressing his jealousy for the moment, Kieran scowled. “There were once three great witches in Aamadora, known as the great three. I don’t know the names of two, but one of them is someone we knew very well, Lady Sinara.”
“I thought so,” Elora sighed and shook her head. “Of course she is a great witch, I’ve heard a lot of things about her and not all of it is pretty.”
“No, they aren’t. She is the worst one out of the lot,” Kieran snarled. “The absolute worst. Either way, two out of the three were banished by the Yogis of Veila. Sinara remained and is now in Claw Worth as the personal seer and bed mate of Italus.”
“I thought that would be the case too,” Elora sighed. “So that’s out of the question, not that I would ask her either way. I met her once, she’s...”
“I know, downright sinister and borderline evil,” Kieran said, his eyes distant. “But let’s forget that. So Sinara is out of the question. Jeremy has no idea where to even start looking for it, and you didn’t ask Sanotori but he suggested to go to the Yogis of Velia, which we all knew how it went. So that only remains a very, very less known choice. The vault of Claw Worth.”
“Why there?” Elora asked, after a moments pause to think about it. “Why Claw Worth?”
“Because of the fact that Italus had all the scrolls, the hidden scrolls, of all the four kingdoms taken either by trickery or calling in debts, or, well, destroying the kingdom. Currently there is a castle in Feather Grove, our home, which is surrounded by soldiers,” Kieran said, a hungry look appearing on his face. “Two hundred soldiers kept it guarded. Now though, there are only twenty, twenty normal, weak soldiers guarding the only castle of feather Grove.”
“...You want to take it back don’t you?” Elora asked, without even blinking. “Right? You want the castle back.”
“Of course I do, it is my home, and where I will live,” Kieran said, his eyes determined. “And so, I, Jeremy, Chaiya, and a few others of the campers, including Johan, are going to go and try to claim it back.”
“Surprised you’re actually working with Jeremy on this, you hated him some time ago.” Elora snorted, but nodded. “Sure, I have no problems. I’ll help you guys out. Besides, if I am to be a part of war, then I am going to need to learn how to wear and use this armour.”
“That’s also a good point.” Kieran nodded, smirking. “What do
you say girl, want to learn from a real man how to use an armour?”
“Actually...” Blayne’s voice interrupted their conversation as the two of them looked at him, Elora slightly surprised that he was here, and Kieran suspicious about him. He had, until now, not shown any perverted desires for Elora, but Blayne was a man, and was a gargoyle, and gargoyles didn’t do things bad, they did things properly, and strangely. Gargoyles were absolutely hellish. They raped the women they chose and they didn’t stop just there, they were completely and utterly savage when it came to women. “I would like to be the one that does that.”
“And why is that?” Kieran asked, suspicion and Jealousy rising inside of his heart. He completely ignored the glare that Elora shot him and stood up, smiling cordially at Elora.
“I completely understand, you were the protector of the armour, weren’t you? I am sure that you can do some good things together, you must know a lot about the armour,” Elora said, glaring at Kieran. “Besides, I would rather take you over this self-centred pig anytime.”
“I...” Kieran sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Alright, fine, I am sorry, I couldn’t stop myself. And I get it as well.”
Surprised by the fact that Kieran admitted defeat, Elora thought that maybe Kieran had some hope left after all, and that maybe, just maybe, the future wasn’t that bleak.
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