by Keegan Long
The two friends laughed together at her comment.
“True,” Bri acknowledged. “It has been one of our hottest summers yet.”
Emma continued on getting ready for the day. Unfortunately, she was not allowed to wear anything close to what she usually wore and was required to wear something more formal due to the incoming guests from across the nation. She hated when she had to dress up, but at the same time she understood how it was necessary.
“Can’t remember the last time I saw you all dressed up like this,” Bri teased her friend because she knew how much Emma hated it.
“Oh, shut it won’t ya,” Emma cried back. “I think the white looks pretty good on me if I do say so myself.”
Emma did a small twirl in front of the mirror to see all sides of her dress. It truly was a beautiful dress that complimented the young princess’s short blonde hair. Emma truly was beautiful and any noble man throughout the kingdom would agree as well. The most important part of her dress though was the crest engraved in the chest. The crest of Andros. And on the crest was the image of a Pegasus.
“Looking more like a queen everyday, My Lady,” Bri praised Emma’s dress.
“Not yet,” Emma was quickly to remind her. “So let me enjoy my last few days of freedom.”
“Well, time to go be with the people,” Bri ushered as she got up and held the door open for the future queen.
Emma smiled back at her friend as she walked out the door with her white dress trailing behind her.
Emma spent the day traveling throughout the royal palace with Brianne by her side. The day was full of simple talk with representatives and leaders from all across Terran. The Greybeards were set to arrive at any time now and Emma’s coronation ceremony was to be held the very next night.
“Oh, you look so lovely dear,” Emma heard as she walked through one of the courtyards in the palace.
Emma simply, and lightly, bowed towards the servant in return and continued walking on.
Emma decided she wanted to go visit her mother’s statue and pay her respects once more before her life would be changed forever. As she approached the statue, and watched the fountain pour water into the bond bellow, she noticed a mysterious figure was sitting at the base and taking in the night’s views.
As she approached the man’s side, she was immediately drawn to the man’s clothing. He was wearing a thick dark black cloak with several engravings outlining the borders. The engravings included a variety of symbols that looked to be some sort of ancient language.
The man looked up as he saw he was now not alone at the fountain anymore. He lifted down his hood to reveal his face. The man had a gray beard and a shade of light gray hair. As he saw Emma approaching his position, he gave the young princess a bright smile.
“My Grace,” the man stood up as he took Emma’s hand and gave it a light kiss. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”
“You as well,” Emma returned the courtesy as she took a seat by the man.
“Greybeard,” the man began before Emma could even ask the question. “I knew you were wondering so I thought I would save both of us the trouble.”
Emma quickly turned around and gave Bri a slight nod as her friend walked out of the courtyard and trailed somewhere else nearby.
“Gordon is the name,” the Greybeard continued as he introduced himself. “Head of the Greybeards of Northgard. At your service.” He added a wink at the last part.
“Northgard?” Emma questioned curiously out loud. “Can’t say I’m familiar with the area. But haven’t been out far anyways and only been to various kingdoms for small formal events.”
“Not a bad place to call home,” Gordon illustrated. “Basically a mountain but its always bloody raining there. That’s one downside I guess.”
“And the others?” Emma asked as she noticed no other Greybeards had come with him.
“Back at home I’m afraid,” he politely responded. “There’s been some troubling signs so I thought it was best they stay back at the temple for now.”
“Troubling signs?”
Gordon let out a deep sigh as he looked down at his feet. “I’m afraid so, princess. There has been increased sightings of dark forces all across Terran that have never been heard of in a long time. And that’s saying something, because even though I don’t look like it I’m over three-hundred years old.”
Emma’s jaw dropped at Gordon’s revelation. “I had no idea that was even possible.”
“I’ve been here since the beginning,” Gordon smiled as he remembered some of his memories. “Since the very first Phoenix King and the very last.”
Emma had always been very intrigued by the stories of the great Phoenix Kings and Queen. The royal family had always ensured their was peace across the realm with their phoenix birds at their side. Then the Druids came in when the royal line disappeared. Things have never been the same since.
“Truly magnificent,” Gordon recalled. “And let me tell you about those birds. Beautiful creatures. Can get as big as dragons did you know?”
Emma truly was amazed to find all those stories she had always dreamed about since she was a little girl were true. “What I would do to see one of those birds.”
“It’s been many years,” Gordon said. “I’m afraid we may never see one again.”
“One can only hope, I guess,” Emma acknowledged as she looked up at her mother’s statue.
“I didn’t know her but I know she would be proud of you,” Gordon went on as he saw Emma turn her attention to the statue before them. “Putting your people first even though it’s not a job you want. I’ve seen this quality in a few kings and queens in the past. And they end up being some of the best in the world.”
Emma blushed at Gordon’s comment. “I don’t know about that.”
“We’ll know soon enough when you take your place on the Emerald Throne tomorrow and become Queen Emma.”
Magnus
Yorktown
“Wake up!”
“What?” Magnus groaned as he turned over and ignored his sister’s voice.
“It’s time to wake up,” Anna nudged her brother for him to get up.
Magnus turned back over to face his sister and saw that she was already dressed and ready for the day. She had her bow wrapped across her should with her quiver of arrows strapped to her back.
Anna had decided to pull her smooth brown hair back into a pony tail for the day, signaling a hard day of work was ahead for the two siblings.
“Do we have somewhere to be or something?” Magnus complained as he sat up and tried to wake himself up.
“Yeah, we’re going on an adventure,” she grinned at her older brother. “We’re going to Andros.”
“Why?” Magnus got up from his bed and made his way over to his dresser to get his fresh pair of clothes for the day. “We’ve never gone there. Usually someone else goes there if the town needs something from their markets.”
“Mom says it’s time for us to make the journey,” his sister explained as she took at seat on his bed.
“That doesn’t sound like mum,” Magnus curiously questioned his sister. “But hey, gives me a chance to finally explore the world outside Yorktown.”
“So hurry up and pack your things then,” Anna excitedly said as she jumped off her brother’s bed. “Mum wants to see us before we go.”
Anna made her way out of her brother’s bedroom and closed the door behind her. Magnus quickly rushed around his room as he switched to a fresh pair of clothes and packed a few extra in his bag as well. As he made his way downstairs to the kitchen, he noticed his mother and sister we already gathered around the kitchen’s table waiting for him.
The house that Magnus lived and grew up in was far from anything special or spectacular. It was a small wooden house with two small rooms upstairs and a kitchen with a dining table for the family. Their mother’s room was located downstairs in what was actually meant to be a shelter.
“Good morning, Mum,” Mag
nus greeted his mother as he gave her a slight kiss on her cheek.
Magnus and Anna’s mother, Susana, was a strong and just women. She raised Magnus and Anna by herself and their father had left when they were both extremely young as they had no memory of him. Magnus and Anna had always held a grudge against him for abandoning them and their mother, but Susana had always justified that he never wanted to leave and that he had no choice. Magnus refused to believe this.
“So, what’s with this news of us going to Andros?” Magnus asked his mother as he started eating the plate of eggs his mother had laid out on the table for him.
“The village needs some things,” Susana began to explain to her son as she sat across from him at the table as Anna joined her side. “And most of the villagers are getting too old for the journey anymore. Take our two horses and make your way to the kingdom. It’s about a day’s ride.” She handed Magnus a small parchment with the writing of the supplies on it.
“Don’t worry,” Anna comforted her mother. “We’ll be back before you know it.”
“I know you will,” she smiled at her two children as she embraced both of them and said goodbye. “Now get on won’t ya. You have a long day ahead of you.”
After finishing his breakfast, Magnus made his way outside to the backyard stable alongside his sister. As they entered the stable, they noticed the two horses were waiting for them and already saddled for the two adventurers.
The two siblings mounted their respected horses and attached their bags to their backs.
Magnus looked over and grinned at his sister. “Looks like we finally are leaving this place. Never thought that was going to happen.”
Anna laughed at her brother’s comment. “It was time you got your head out of those books of yours anyways.”
Magnus smirked but decided it best not to respond with another smirky comment his sister was bound not to appreciate.
With the two travelers packed and ready for the day ahead of them, Magnus and Anna ushered their horses forward as the view of the small town of Yorktown slowly disappeared behind them.
“What are you thinking about?” Anna curiously looked over towards her brother as she noticed he had not spoken since departing for their trip a while ago.
“What do you think it looks like?” Magnus imagined as he began thinking about Andros. “I’ve never seen it up close and have only learned about it through the readings and drawings in the books I have.”
“Never thought about it to be honest,” Anna went on as she began thinking about the grand kingdom as well. “What do you know of it from your readings?”
“Every writer tells of its beauty and how spectacular it is,” Magnus went on to explain as they continued riding straight through the open grass field. “The Sky Kingdom many have come to call it. Located high in the mountains and the only way up to the royal palace is by flying. Surrounded by the beautiful pegasus.”
“Those creatures actually exist?” Anna asked amazed. “I’ve never seen one.”
“Because they only exist in Andros,” Magnus went on. “Or throughout their realm at least.”
“Well, I’m hoping we see one then,” Anna hoped.
“I bet it’s a safe bet you will,” Magnus assured his sister.
Magnus and Anna spent most of the time traveling throughout the wide open fields of Terran in silence as they exchanged small talk every once in a while. As the evening started to approach, they changed their course and began traveling across the coastline as the ocean view could now be seen on horseback. The coastline had a better trail and it was a better view in Magnus’s opinion.
“Crossbone Sea,” Anna announced as they both looked at the deep blue water that reached far out and beyond the horizon.
“Too bad that such a beautiful place is infested with the likes of pirates,” Magnus mumbled under his breath but Anna was easily able to make out his words.
“No ships that I can see of,” Anna inspected. “Must be our lucky day.”
“Then what’s that?” Magnus interrupted as he pointed out a small fleet of ships that were far from them but easily could be made out from the eye. “And are those ships on-”
“Fire,” Anna firmly finished his sentence. “Let’s go get a better look. Hurry!”
Before Magnus could stop his sister, Anna was already rushing across the coastline to get a better look at the ships on fire. Magnus had no choice but to rush his horse behind her. As they got closer to the ships, the view only got bigger and the fire even brighter.
Several long moments later, they got as close as they could to the burning ships and looked down at the scene from the edge of a cliff. As they looked down, they could hear the screaming of the people bellow and even saw people jumping overboard and into the ocean to escape the fate of fire and death.
“What the hell happened here?” Anna asked horrified at the scene that was taking place in front of her.
“Rival pirate clans by the looks of it,” Magnus examined. “But the question is where did all the fire come from?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s no way the battle could have produced that much fire upon each other. It had to have come from somewhere else-”
Just then, a large scream and force came behind them as their horses screamed and the two fell off their horses.
“What the hell!” Anna screamed from the ground as they both looked up to see a large figure with wings fly feet above their heads.
“Impossible,” Magnus muttered as he followed the winged figure fly bellow the cliff and towards the fleet of pirates that were scrambling to survive.
Magnus and Anna got up from the ground and onto their feet as they watched the beast continue to fly and descend upon the pirate ships.
“Is that what I think it is?” Anna asked hesitantly.
“Based on all the stories we have heard since little kids, that seems to be a dragon.”
“I thought they didn’t exist,” Anna questioned. “Or they were all at least extinct.”
“Not anymore by the looks of it,” Magnus commented.
The two siblings continued to watch from the cliff as the dragon descended onto the ships bellow and reigned fire from above.
The dragons that had not roamed for centuries, had returned.
Sara
Olympia
After Sara’s morning interruption from Ashly, she quickly started to make her way back home to help her father open up shop for the day.
As she passed through the city, she noticed that the markets were now open and people were out buying their goods for the day. Even a larger presence of Olympian Guards were patrolling the streets compared to a few hours ago when Sara had first stepped onto the streets.
When she had finally reached her home, she was surprised to find that her father had not opened up shop yet. At this time he usually was already out and about interacting with commoners and selling all the different types of weapons he proudly made.
“Father?” Sara called out as she opened the door to their house and looked around. No answer.
Instead Sara was answered with the movement of a nearby steel cage as an eagle moved excitedly around it at the sight of her friend.
“Well, good morning Rayla,” Sara approached the eagle and opened the cage. “You slept in today didn’t you.”
The eagle roared excitedly at the sound of its name as it began flying around the room.
“Calm down girl,” Sarah laughed as she started making her way over to her father’s room to see why he had not opened up the blacksmith yet.
Sara slowly opened the door to her father’s room and noticed his body was still laying in the bed, but something did not feel right to her. This was very unlike her father as he always got up the same time everyday to open up shop. He never broke out of routine.
“Father, why aren’t you up?” Sara quietly asked as she made her way over to his side. Still no answer.
Sara then turned her father over to see him
and that is when she was struck with horror. His face was black and his breathing was very slow and loud.
“What the hell is this?” Sara cried out as she tried to speak to her father.
This time Sara’s father groaned in reply and began to violently cough. “Just a bit sick it seems, dear.”
“Dad, you are more than sick,” Sara told him. “This is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. What happened yesterday? You were perfectly fine yesterday just like any other normal day.”
“Must have caught it during the night,” he groaned again as he rolled over to his other side.
“This isn’t normal though,” Sara argued. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. This worries me. Like if it’s dark magic.”
Then the thought hit Sara as the room went silent once again. There was no other explanation she thought. No normal sickness would make him this sick and change his physical appearance so quickly. It had to be dark magic.
Sara bent over and kissed her father peacefully as she made her way out of his room. “I’m going to go find us some help. Just keep resting until I get back.”
As she made her way out of the house, Rayla was quick to fly and wrap her claws around Sara’s shoulder as the two of them made their way out to the busiest city in the lands to figure out what the hell is going on.
As Sara took step on the stone streets in front of her, she had to shield her eyes with her arm for a brief moment as the sun was not out in full view for the day. As her eyes adjusted, she looked beyond as far as her eyes could see and saw that the great outer wall still stood tall and proud. Sara could even see some of the tall statues that lined across the outer wall but that was a story for a different time.
“Where’s your father at, Sara?” A nearby voice called out that had caught her off guard. “He usually would have opened up hours ago.”
“Unfortunately, he caught a cold last night,” Sara answered the old woman whom she had recognized as she was frequently stopping by the shop to buy a variety of goods. “Should be better tomorrow and things will be back to normal.”
