The Aurora Stone: The Orea Chronicles

by Alana Grerig

  “Well, for one thing, you would have thought that I only wanted to thank you for saving my sister. Also, I am not proud of our first encounter, so I hoped that if we met and you were unaware of the connection we already had, that I might be able to make a better second impression,” Caleb hurried. Puzzled by this, Evangeline took a moment to think where she had seen Caleb and how it could have been a negative encounter. Then it came to her - the gathering by the well.

  “You were the young man with the group of cowards at the well,” she responded, an accusatory tone entering her voice.

  Looking her in the eye, Caleb answered. “Yes, I was there, having the same argument as you had with them.”

  “Then why didn’t you speak up while I was making a complete fool of myself?” Eve countered.

  “I couldn’t. I was busy trying to stop a tree from falling onto the Mathews house, four houses down from where we were standing, which is not easy when you are…never mind.” Not wanting to have an argument about this on the street or say more than he should about certain things, Caleb took Eve’s hand and hurried her up to Violet's door. Once they were sitting in the sung and very sure that Violet was out, Eve wanted answers.

  “You were doing magic to save other witches, but that is forbidden. Your kin made that perfectly clear,” she spat, the accusation twisting her expression. His face blank, Caleb waited for Eve to calm down.

  “Yes, I was trying to use magic against the rules; however, I do not regret it,” he stated, stony-faced, eyes burning with indignation. Not sure what he meant by ‘trying to use magic,’ and not wanting to question him about it, as it was clearly a touchy subject, Eve remained silent. After a few minutes, Caleb got to his feet.

  “I’m sorry you think badly of me. I was doing what I could, just as you did.” Sighing, he headed to the front door. Eve got up and followed him.

  “Wait, please don’t go. I feel terrible about my reaction.”

  Hand on the doorknob ready to leave, Caleb turned back to face her. “It’s fine, I am not mad with you, far from it. You saved my sister,” he said, smiling down at her. Caleb opened the door and stepped out into the dusk. “I will call on you tomorrow, if that’s ok. I would like to talk some more.”

  Looking up, Eve could not deny that Caleb looked breath-taking with the blush colours of the dusk behind him. He stood at six foot two with sea blue eyes and chiselled features, and although he was wearing a jacket, it was clear that he was muscular and strong. Remembering that Violet had said not to stare, Eve looked past his left ear, noticing the way his blond hair curled on his collar.

  “Yes, I would like that,” Eve replied. Smiling once more, Caleb turned and headed in the direction of his home. Eve was still staring after him when Violet returned with supper.

  Eve and Caleb spent every day thereafter together. Sometimes Violet would tag along and they would have a picnic by the river, Eve had come to think of them as her friends. This worried her, as she knew that staying here was not an option. There were other realms to venture through and a prophecy to fulfil. On her eighth day in the valley, Evangeline decided it was time to leave. Grace was becoming attached to her, and she did not wish to cause the child pain. Violet, she was sure, would be pleased to have her house back. Then there was Caleb. He had become a close friend in such a short space of time. It would be difficult to say goodbye.

  Packing her bag up the next day was hard. She was truly sad to be leaving. Eve hoped to return after her quest, with stories to tell Grace and a new book for Violet. Gathering up her bag, she headed for the snug to bid Violet farewell and continue on her adventure. Violet was waiting for her and so was Caleb.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here, Caleb. We said goodbye yesterday,” Eve murmured.

  “So we did. However, it occurred to me this morning that a gentleman would escort a lady to wherever it is she was headed, to make sure she arrived safely,” he replied with a bow. Suppressing a giggle, Eve smiled and replied.

  “Indeed, it would be. However, I don’t know exactly where it is I am heading, or how long it will take to get there. You would miss your dinner for certain.” This, she thought, would seal the deal, as Caleb really loved to eat. She had no idea where he put it all. Looking rather pleased with himself, Caleb stood to his full height and produced a backpack from beside the chair.

  “All present and correct,” he laughed. Now she was out of bluffs. Eve was going to have to tell them the truth. Just as she was about to, she noticed a lump under the collar of Caleb’s black t-shirt, and it was… humming! She was sure only she could hear it. Yes it… yes, the hum seemed to be emanating from the hidden item around Caleb’s neck. Walking towards him, she touched the lump. It moved; the humming reached a crescendo.

  “What’s this?” she asked, eyes still on the lump. It was no bigger than her little finger. Reaching under his shirt, Caleb withdrew a chain. Suspended from it was a smooth point of stone. It was all the colours of the sea combined, grey and green with flecks of electric blue. It seemed to change colour when viewed from different angles.

  “Oh, it was my grandmother’s; it has been passed down forever. It’s a gem called labradorite.”

  I have found one of the three, was Eve’s first thought. Suddenly realising that he had to come with her, she grabbed his hand and smiled. “I would love for you to escort me at least to the border of the realm,” Eve gushed. Picking up his backpack and Eve’s bag, he headed for the door, leaving Eve to say her goodbyes to Violet. “Thank you for allowing me to stay with you. I am so pleased to have met you.” Eve embraced Violet and kissed her cheek. Violet replied rather gruffly.

  “Don’t mention it. Maybe next time you will be better behaved.” Smiling at her friend, Eve put on her cloak and headed to the door. Taking her bag from Caleb, she slipped it over her head and checked her belt for her purse and knife; she was ready.

  “Come on then, Caleb, lead the way,” Eve chuckled. Knowing that she was going to have to reveal some pretty amazing things to him shortly, Eve wanted to keep the atmosphere light until they were away from the town.

  “Let’s get this show on the road!” Caleb all but sang.

  Oh boy, are you in for a surprise, Eve thought as they headed up the main avenue that lead out of Clear Water Valley.

  When they were four miles outside of the town, Eve explained to Caleb all that she knew of her quest - the prophecy and his part in it. To his credit, Caleb listened to her all the way through before he uttered a single word. Once Eve was done, he took a moment to compose himself. Caleb had known there was something about Eve the night he saw her eyes flash in the lightning. Now he understood, the legends were real. Glancing at Eve, he saw how anxious she looked, waiting for his reaction. Taking a breath, Caleb smiled at her and responded with confidence.

  “Well, I guess you have a travelling companion, Evangeline, and I do believe the next realm is Olia, the realm of the owl riders.”

  ***

  Watching the elf and the witch make their way north to Olia through the swirling mists of the crystal, the malevolent being licked its dripping maw. Placing a claw onto the crystal over the image of the elfin maid, the creature let out a chilling cackle. “Soon you will be mine, young one. Your light must be extinguished, and I look forward to that time immensely.”

  Moving away from the crystal, the creature gazed out the window of its lair. The sight of the broken souls in the pits below caused it to shiver with glee. Not even hope could survive here, and there was far worse to come.

  “Chashoc!” screeched the creature. A moment later, a grotesque form appeared, covered in purple skin that seemed to be charred in places, with a spine so curved, that patches of its long, lank black hair grazed the floor. Looking up into his master’s face with black eyes, Chashoc spoke in a gravelly voice, putrid yellow saliva dripping from his fangs.

  “You called, Great Master.”

  “I wish you to follow the Elf and Witch,” the Creature ordered. Bowing, Chashoc began ba
cking out of the room.

  “It shall be done, Master; I shall take great care not to be seen,” he assured.

  “Oh, I know you will, Chashoc, for if you are indeed seen, I shall cast you into the void myself!” The creature bellowed, its red eyes flashing with malicious intent.

  “Ye… yes, master, I shall not fail you,” Chashoc whimpered as he lumbered from the room. Smiling, the creature reclined on its throne, knowing that is was only a matter of time now. The creature’s cackle filled the chamber with the eerie sound of evil madness.

  Chapter Five

  Eve and Caleb walked for the entire day, only stopping to eat. By nightfall, they were still nowhere near the northern border. They made camp under some pine trees. Caleb produced a tent and a sleeping bag for each of them, which astounded Eve until she reminded herself, Caleb is a witch. Of course his bag was enchanted. Once everything was set up, Eve made a small fire to cook the fish they had caught earlier. When both were full and snuggled into their sleeping bags, Caleb turned to Eve and asked her all about Hermoria - the landscape, what the people were like and, of course, the food. Eve told him all about her home and the lovely house she shared with her mother. How she ached to see her beloved mother. It had only been a week or so since she had left, but it felt so much longer.

  “I think by tomorrow we should reach the border,” reassured Caleb as he repositioned his folded jacket he was utilizing as a pillow.

  “Do you know much about Olia?” Eve inquired, turning to face Caleb.

  “No. The owl riders are a bit of a mystery to us. There was a time, long ago, when they used to steal star shine roots from our lands. My Grandfather said that there was a great battle, but neither side claimed the victory. Since then, Witches and riders haven’t really mixed. I still think it an odd thing to fall out over.” Eve pondered over this revelation. Snuggling down into her bag, she drifted off to sleep, her dreams filled with owls with large jewel-like eyes and masked riders brandishing spears tipped with silver.

  A few meters away, Chashoc crouched in the branches of a pine tree, the saliva dripping from his fangs scorched the bark where it landed. He scanned the camp the two companions had made. The only weapon he had seen was the dagger the Elf carried on her belt.

  “Time for some fun,” he chuckled. Cupping his claws, he howled into the night. After a few moments, another howl could be heard on the wind… and then another. Smiling, Chashoc moved to a tree slightly closer the pair. “Let us see how you fare against werewolves, young ones.”

  To the west of the camp, six sets of yellow eyes appeared in the dark. Rubbing his claws together in anticipation, Chashoc prepared to watch the scene unfold.

  Caleb was woken by a growl. Suddenly very alert, he sprang from his sleeping bag. Grabbing the pan they had cooked supper in, he turned towards the menacing sound. A huge beast stood before him, eight feet long with paws the size of dinner plates and extremely long claws that glinted in the moonlight. Intelligent yellow eyes assessed him. Caleb, however, was most concerned with the size and amount of razor sharp teeth the beast had in its open, salivating jaws.

  “WEREWOLF!” Caleb bellowed just as the beast leaped at him. Knocking him to the floor, Caleb was momentarily winded. The wolf snarled as it brought its jaws down to rip out Caleb’s throat. A loud clang rang out as the cooking pan connected with the beast’s skull. Caleb used this moment to look for Eve, hoping she had not been harmed.

  He saw her then, dagger in hand, blood dripping from its blade. A wolf circled her, fangs bared and snarling; it had a large gash down its left flank and was missing an eye. The wolf sprang, claws extended, ready to peel flesh from bone. If he hadn’t seen it happen, Caleb would never have believed what took place next. Eve’s eyes flashed with golden fire. She leapt straight up at least six feet into the air. Turning a graceful summersault, she slit the beast’s throat as it reared up to claw her. Landing on the balls of her feet, just behind the now dead wolf, she looked magnificent. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders and rippled like wildfire. Eve then moved onto the next wolf and then the next. Like a graceful angel of death, she seemed to almost dance with her attackers before cleanly dispatching them.

  Caleb, who had been staring at Eve for the past few moments needed to snap out of it. He had problems of his own; the wolf he had successfully concussed was out cold on top of him. Unable to move, he was easy prey for any remaining beasts. Wiggling was futile; the animal must have weighed at least seven hundred pounds. Not wanting to ask a girl for help - he had his pride, after all - he muttered a levitation charm. The huge bulk rose a few inches off him, which was all Caleb needed to extract himself. Ready to bludgeon the beast to death, he raised the pan above his head. Just as he was about to bring it down on the wolf’s skull, Eve grabbed his arm.

  “No! It is unconscious and of no threat now. Let’s gather our things and leave this place,” she urged.

  “It tried to kill me!” Caleb spluttered.

  “There is no honour in the killing of an unarmed opponent. Come on, Cal, let’s go,” Eve begged, pulling on his arm. They packed up quickly, then hand in hand they disappeared into the forest.

  Chashoc sat stunned on his branch overlooking the scene below. Four dead wolves, all killed by the elf! One was unconscious, and the sixth pack member had retreated. Master was not going to like this, especially since Chashoc had been instructed to follow and nothing more. Feeling decidedly sick at the thought of the possible punishments that he was sure to have earned himself, he took out an amulet of onyx and uttered a spell in his guttural voice. A portal appeared in the tree trunk. Taking one last regretful look at the carnage below, Chashoc leapt into the vortex and vanished.

  The sky was turning the pearl colours of the dawn when they finally stopped running. Reaching yet another stream to wade across, the pair decided a well-earned rest was in order. Flopping down on the bank, Caleb dug about in his pack for some food. Finding some apples, he washed them in the stream, then tossed one to Eve. She caught it and bit into its crisp rosy skin. Enjoying the crunch of the fruit’s flesh and the sharp tang of the juice, Eve was transported back to a different stream, where the light danced through the canopy of leaves and the comforting embrace of ancient tree roots cradled her.

  “It’s a shame we don’t have any cheese,” moaned Caleb. “These would taste even better with a bit of my uncle’s homemade orange cheddar, or ruby skin yaks cheese.” He sighed, looking at the remains of his apple. Rolling her eyes at how desolate he sounded, Eve opened her own pack and produced the famous floating cheese. It had been in the pack for some time, so she wasn’t holding out much hope that is would even still be edible. Getting up and handing the slightly squashed lump to Caleb, Eve smiled at him.

  “Here, if it’s not green with fungus and mould, you are welcome to it,” she laughed. Caleb unwrapped the cheese; it had indeed seen better days, though surprisingly, it was still fresh- looking. Smiling like he had just received the best gift ever, Caleb tucked into the soft, creamy offering.

  “Oh, my Goddess, this is amazing!” he exclaimed through a rather full mouth. Eve went to the stream to wash her hands and face while Caleb finished up his meal.

  “How much further is it to the border?” Eve asked Caleb once they were ready to go. The sky was now the palest of blues, almost white.

  “I am not sure; it can’t be too far.” At least that’s what he hoped. Caleb had left out one tiny detail about the border. He didn’t know exactly where it was located. Deciding now was not the best time to divulge this rather inflammatory piece of information, Caleb put on his most charming smile.

  “Come on then; the day is young, and I want to reach Olia before tea time,” he bolstered.

  ***

  “You have no idea where we are going, do you?” Eve seethed. It was now twilight, and they still hadn’t reached the border. She was so angry right now, bone weary and dirty with a combination of sweat, wolf blood, and forest derby smeared all over her. She was ready for a bath
and clean clothes.

  “Not exactly…no,” admitted a sheepish Caleb. Keeping his eyes on his shoes, he didn’t dare look Eve in the face. “I know we are on the right track; Olia is north. I just don’t know exactly how far north,” he stammered.

  “Wonderful, that’s just great Cal. WELL I AM NOT STAYING ANOTHER NIGHT IN THIS FOREST!” Eve screamed. Oh, how wonderful it felt to scream. She had hated killing those wolves - not that she had a lot of choice in the matter. What was really bothering her was that she was sure there had been a creature watching from one of the pines by their camp.

  Storming off, Eve picked up a few stones and began throwing them into the forest ahead of her. She could hear Cal running to catch her up. Still mad at his dishonesty, she didn’t slow her pace. It was almost too dark to continue, and she was not looking forward to the prospect of another night in this forest. Eve threw her last stone as hard as she could. Sighing, she was about to declare that they would have to camp here when something hit her hard on the forearm.

  Instantly alert, Eve reached for her dagger. Looking for what had hit her, she was surprised to see the stone she had just thrown sitting by her right shoe. Confused, she picked it up and was about to throw it again when Caleb stopped her.

  “Wait, someone is using magic nearby,” he told her.

  “You can sense it?” Eve asked, slightly astonished that this was even possible, but then she wasn’t a witch, why would she know about such things? Nodding, Caleb took the stone and threw it ahead of them, with a lot less force than Eve had used. This time, Eve’s keen hearing picked up a slight popping and then a hum. A few seconds later, the stone landed about a foot away.

  “Interesting,” Eve murmured as she went to retrieve the stone.

  Curiosity getting the better of her, she moved further into the forest. Caleb caught up with her, putting a finger over his lips. They moved stealthily through the trees, the moist loam underfoot aiding them. Soon they were facing a rather impressive wall. It was made of tree trunks that had been tied together with the thickest vines they had ever seen.