Aftermath_The Armorian Chronicles

by Courtney Beals

  Everyone was in her room looking at her with curious eyes. Now she felt like she had to explain the meaning of her abrupt screaming in the middle of the night. She was not sure if she really wanted to tell Giselle and Thomas about her nightmares, but William considered them family, and she didn’t want to make them leave her room.

  She told them of her nightmares, and how she’d had the same one over and over again for as long as she could remember. She told them that they were changing somehow, that now it was like she was a part of the dream and how it felt so real. She also explained her mother’s message and how she had no idea what it meant or what she was supposed to find. She couldn’t help but mention the Demorite that talked to her directly and threatened her life.

  Lyla noticed the sad look on William’s face as she told the story. She had been so used to telling Lilly all these years that she didn’t think of how it would affect him. It was the story of how his wife died. That must have been really hard for him to hear, knowing that he wasn’t there to protect her. He would have been there if he could, but he couldn’t, and she didn’t blame him in the least bit. It was actually the first real feelings of compassion she had for him.

  Lilly thought it was incredible that her sister was able to talk to their mother through her dreams. She felt a little jealous, in fact. She never had dreams about her mother and only knew her from pictures, but maybe it was for the best. If she dreamed about her, she would most likely have night terrors just like her sister.

  William was more concerned about the matter. He thought it was possible that a dark force could be an imposter acting as her mother through her dreams. They could be using dark magic to get into her mind. It could also be as it seemed and maybe her mother was actually trying to send her a message. It could possibly even be both.

  “I thought there is no dark magic or spells,” Lilly said.

  “We believe the Demorites may have found a source of power in the mountains of Dresden,” said William. “This would be our worst fear, of course.”

  “Why would they be targeting Lyla?” said Lilly.

  “That, I’m not sure of.”

  He assured them they would find out what the dreams meant. In the morning, they would go to Arthur Storington. He was said to be one of the eldest warlocks around and he was both wise and powerful according to the Armorians. The Armorians, as William had explained before, only had the power to harness energy, but Arthur had learned a few spells of his own during his long life, and many people went to him for help in their time of need.

  After all was settled, everyone headed back to their rooms to get a few hours of sleep. Thomas was the last to leave the room.

  “I guess we won’t be able to go to the training arena in the morning,” Lyla said before he reached the door.

  He turned back and looked at her. “That’s all right. Maybe after you meet with Arthur I can show you around town. Just the two of us?” he said.

  Lyla wasn’t sure if he was interested in her or if he felt sorry for her because of her nightmares and was only trying to be nice. Either way, she was willing to find out.

  “I would like that,” she said with a smile. He returns her smile before walking out of her room, shutting the door behind him.

  Early morning came all too fast. Lyla lay in her bed as she heard movement downstairs, and it sounded like everyone was awake. She wanted to stay in bed and sleep all day. She felt exhausted from the lack of sleep from the night before. Sunlight was shining in from the window beside her and she knew she had no choice but to get out of bed.

  Lyla leaned up and sat at the edge of her bed for a moment, rubbing her eyes and yawning, trying to wake herself up. It was the middle of July so she knew it would be a warm day. She pulled on a black pair of shorts, topped with a burgundy shirt that she found in the closet. She pulled her hair back and put her boots on before going downstairs.

  The smell of coffee filled the kitchen. She loved the smell of coffee in the morning. Everyone sat around the table with a coffee cup sitting in front of them, engaging in conversation, except William, who was making breakfast. He looked up as she walked in the room.

  “Good morning, sweetheart. I hope you got some rest after what happened last night. How do you like your coffee?”

  “Black with lots of sugar, please.”

  He prepared her coffee and handed it to her. She took a sip immediately and thought it was the most delicious coffee she had ever had. She wasn’t sure if it really was that good or if she was just that tired and fatigued. “You like it,” William said, noticing her reaction. She nodded in agreement and walked over to the table.

  “You must join,” Lyla heard Giselle say to Lilly as she approached the table. She sounded overly excited and Lyla was curious to know why.

  “What are you talking about exactly?” Lyla asked. She sat at the end of the table next to Lilly and Giselle and across from Thomas, who glanced at her as she set her coffee cup down on the table, and then continued flipping through the Armorian paper, minding his own business. Lyla was surprised they even had a newspaper here. What news would they have to put in there that people didn’t already know about?

  “The tournament, of course. It is set to happen in a few days.”

  Lilly must have already heard all about it because her eyes were wide and she had the biggest smile on her face. “Doesn’t that just sound marvelous?” she said to her sister.

  “What kind of tournament is this?” Lyla replied.

  “It is a tournament that will test your fighting skills,” said Giselle. “It will first test your accuracy in how well you can shoot an arrow and throw knives. Then you will have to sword fight multiple people, and at the end, there will be a finale. The top candidates will be chosen to scout out the borders of Dresden.

  “Dresden?” said Lyla. “Why would anyone need to go there?”

  “They are sending people to see if they pose any threat to Armoria,” said Lilly. “Kind of like the journeys we made back home to see what their plan might be.”

  “I’m game,” said Lyla. “I’m not sure how good the Armorians are at fighting, but I think Lilly and I have a pretty good chance of coming out at the top.”

  “Well, you can get a glance at your competition at the training arena today after you meet with Arthur,” said William.

  Lyla smiled at her sister before turning her attention to Thomas and noticing that he was looking at her. She returned his gaze for a few moments and then looked down at her coffee cup that was still steaming.

  “Enough talk about the tournament for now,” William interrupted bringing over plates of biscuits and gravy, bacon, and eggs. “Dig in!” he said as he sat at the table. “After we eat, Lyla and Lilly will come with me to see Arthur. Giselle and Thomas, I expect you to get some training in this morning. They all had food shoved in their mouths, so they nodded in agreement. Lyla and Lilly had to refrain from shoveling food down their throats. They couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a breakfast like this.

  After eating too much food, they all sat their plates in the sink and headed outside. They prepared the horses, and were soon on the trail leading to Arthur’s house. Giselle and Thomas would ride with them for as long as they could, until they hit the last trail that led to the arena. The horses galloped down the hill from their house and took the first trail on the left. This led them past many houses and parts of the forest until they got to the cornfield, which was where they parted ways.

  William, Lilly, and Lyla continued forward, passing a bean field and the large garden the Armorians used as their primary source for produce. Several people were in the garden pulling weeds and picking ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and a few other vegetables. They also passed a farm containing cows, goats, and chickens. They continued past more houses––mostly looking the same except for a few minor details––until they reached another road. Arthur’s house was to the left and up to the top of the hill.

  It was a lone cottage house surr
ounded by trees and solitude. It reminded them of home back on earth. Memories came swarming into Lyla’s mind like a wave crashing down on her. Their return home, their training, and their grandmother’s death, followed by all of this. It was too much to think about, so Lyla pushed it to the back of her mind and tried to focus on something else.

  They tied the horses to a post and knocked on the door. After a few moments, an old man answered. He looked to be in his eighties, with white hair that surrounded a bald speckled patch on his head, and he had a long beard that was also white. He was slightly hunched over and had a walking cane.

  “William,” he said. “What a nice surprise. I haven’t seen you in years.” He looked past him and noticed the two girls standing behind him. “Lyla and Lilly Langston,” he said softly with a smile on his face. The girls looked surprised that he knew them by name. “I have been waiting to meet the two of you since you were born. I have heard so much about you, and now here you are. Come in, come in. Please, come in.”

  They all followed him into the house. It was a warm and cozy home. A fireplace surrounded by cobblestones drew their attention. A nice chair sat in front of it with a small blanket draped over the arm of the chair. Bookshelves were lined against every wall, each of them filled to capacity with books.

  Lyla would love to someday own a home like this where she could sit in a chair by the fireplace and just read all day long with no worries or cares in the world.

  They all sat in separate chairs that surrounded a coffee table. Arthur had poured them each a cup of iced tea, which was refreshing after being in the hot sun.

  “So, tell me what brings you here to my home.” He looked around curiously at all three of them. “Surely you did not come just to pay this old man a visit.”

  Lyla pressed her lips together and looked down at the floor, trying to avoid his gaze. William had started to explain Lyla’s nightmares and his overall concern. After he had finally finished, Arthur was holding his tea cup in one hand and stroking his long beard with the other.

  “That is very peculiar,” he said. “It seems that these changes started to happen the closer you got to Armoria. It either drew power from you or you drew power from it.”

  “I don’t understand,” Lyla said. How could that happen? I had just found out that I’m a witch.”

  “The power has always been inside of you; you just did not know about it. Once the two of you found out about your power it was immediately unlocked within you. Our power is stronger than most people think. Learn how to use it properly and it will be of great use to you.”

  “What do we do about her nightmares?” Lilly asked.

  Lilly was happy to hear the news that someone could help Lyla with her nightmares. She had always been there for her sister when she awoke in the middle of the night. She did not want the problem fixed for her sake, but for Lyla’s sake.

  “Fortunately, I have dealt with a similar situation before and I have just the thing.”

  He slowly sat his tea cup down as it shook in his old, delicate hand. He started scanning the books that were on one of the nearby shelves dragging his finger across them as he went. He came to a stop and pulled out a dark purple book with a dark-colored binding and gold lettering. No one had noticed what the title was before he opened it. He flipped through the pages before landing on one in particular.

  Paying no mind to his curious onlookers, he grabbed bottles and vials out of his cupboard that contained different ingredients. Lyla could not see what they all were, but she caught a glimpse of one that was titled “Mossy Leaf.” She was immediately repulsed.

  After adding many different ingredients into a boiling pot, he poured the brew in a cup and handed it to Lyla. “Drink up, my dear,” he said encouragingly.

  She had no idea what was in this soup or drink or whatever it was other than the mossy leaf. She did not know what it was for or what it would do if she drank this weird concoction. She looked from the cup to Arthur.

  “Why do I need to drink this?” she asked.

  He explained to her that this was a potion that would allow her to interpret her dreams better. It would either drive out the evil in her mind or it would make her dream broader and explain what the meaning was behind it, depending on which situation it was. This potion would show her more of the before and after events that happened the night her mother died. He continued to explain that it would only happen at night when she was sleeping and would only come in bits and pieces.

  She looked at William who nodded his head. He knew this man and trusted him, so she would as well. She put the cup to her lips and tilted her head back. The fowl taste of the potion created a disapproving look upon her face and she could feel every last drop as it passed down her throat. She thanked him for helping her, even though it was completely awful.

  They all began to chat for a little while longer when William remembered he wanted to know more about the girls’ symbols. William told him they had just received them the previous evening.

  Arthur looked at the crystals that hung from both of their necks. They were the first twins of Armoria and no one had ever had the same exact symbol until now.

  “I cannot be certain how two symbols alike will react to one another. It can be a huge advantage, but it can also be dangerous. These crystals acting together could possibly give you both immense power that no one in Armoria has ever had.”

  Lilly then looked at her sister who then glanced at her for only a moment before returning her gaze back to Arthur.

  “And how can they be dangerous?” Lilly asked. “They are our source of power. Our energy.”

  “This is a very unique situation,” Arthur continued. “Your crystals will look to one another for power. They are bound in ways I cannot explain. I’m afraid that if one of you die and you are both wearing your crystals, the other may die as well.”

  William, Lyla, and Lilly all looked horrified. These crystals were their symbols that were supposed to protect them and help them in need, not hurt them.

  “This is only a theory, I must remind you. No one is sure, like I said, so you must be cautious.”

  William saw that both of the girls were upset. He did not want this for them. He wanted them to embrace their power and who they were, not be afraid of it. He rose from his seat and thanked Arthur for his services.

  Arthur reassured them not to be strangers and said to visit as often as they could. Lyla thanked him and shook his hand, forcing a weak smile. Lilly did the same.

  They pulled themselves onto their horses and rode for the courtyard. They rode most of the way in silence until William finally said something.

  “I’m sorry, girls. I know that is not what you wanted to hear, but keep in mind that it is only a possibility, and the possibility of one of you dying is slim to none. You are both great fighters and you also have each other.”

  Lyla was picking at her saddle with her nail, and Lilly was the one to say that he was right and it is really nothing to worry about. Lyla turned to Lilly and her father and agreed.

  “What is your symbol, William?” said Lyla.

  “My symbol is an eagle.” He held out his right hand and showed them a ring that had a silver eagle perched on a branch. “I suppose I got this symbol because I keep watch over everything.”

  “The eagle is also the symbol of our homeland,” said Lilly. “Grandmother told us all about it. You are very lucky to have such a symbol. The eagle was chosen for its beauty and strength. It’s a symbol of our freedom and independence, except…”

  Lilly trailed off, but they knew what she was thinking. Their freedom had been stolen from them.

  “We will win back our freedom,” said Lyla. “It’s only a matter of time now.”

  They were coming up on another area of the forest that surrounded them on both sides of the dirt path. Rays of sunlight shined through the canopy above.

  “Is seems like Armoria is mostly made up of trees from the forest,” Lyla said.

  William look
ed at her noticing she was staring into the forest. “It is, mainly. There are plains near Dresden, as well as a lake, but other than that, it’s mostly made up of the forest.”

  Lyla continued to look in the same direction. It looked no different than the forest she used to run in as a kid. She imagined herself running past trees and playing ‘tag’ and ‘hide and go seek’ with her sister.

  A shadowy figure moved behind one of the trees and Lyla caught it out of the corner of her eye.

  “Did you see that?” she turned to Lilly and William.

  “See what?” Lilly asked.

  “I thought I saw something move in the forest.” She stared thinking she would see it again, but she saw nothing. Was the sun playing tricks on her? Maybe it was some sort of side effect from the potion Arthur made her.

  “Could it have been an animal?” William suggests.

  Lyla didn’t reply and changed her focus to the path ahead. If it was an animal it was very large, but were there animals that big in Armoria? It looked tall from behind the tree. Was it a person? Whatever is was, it probably wasn’t anything to concern herself with.

  Minutes later they passed through a clearing in the trees and into the courtyard.

  Chapter 8

  They had arrived in the courtyard, and all around them, people walked along the pathways and through the surrounding the shops. It was a new feeling being in a lively town where everything was normal and not abandoned or desolate.

  They walked across the courtyard to a massive building that took up enough space for two buildings. Lyla and Lilly were confused. They thought the training arena would be out in the forest somewhere like they had back at home, but this one was indoors.

  They walked through two double doors that opened into a large room. There were many people with different weapons either fighting or aiming at a target.

  This had to be where everyone spent most of their time.

  There were more people here than they had seen since they arrived.

  William escorted them to the weapons room. Swords, bows and arrows, and knives hung on the walls. They even had a separate room where they could shoot guns. He explained that these weapons were made of a different metal that would be able to kill a Demorite if penetrated with it.