History

[DEATHY]

The morning was still and quiet, the sun just barely beginning to cast a rosy glow on the horizon. It was a scene from a fairy-tale, on the eve of battle, just before the hero rode in on a white stallion to save the day and lived happily ever after.
But this fairy-tale had no happy ending. It was battle after battle with no relief in sight. But maybe, just maybe, that could be changed.

A small figure darted across the moor, casting a long, ominous shadow on the ground. She cast an occasional glance over her slender shoulder, but it was evident that her disappearance had yet to be noticed. Which was in her favor, for if she was caught…the Gods, help her.

Reaching a small stretch of woodland, the figure darted into the protection of the trees. Branches enveloped her and tugged at her gown, while brambles clawed at her bare feet.

“Sir Simeon? Adelaide? Sir Markus, where art thou?” she quietly called in a strange tongue.

“Thou hast arrived at last, Lady Selene. We must make haste. The armies shall be waking soon. Should they discover our betrayal, not even the Gods will be able to save us. We must have thy full commitment.” The deep timbre of a man was followed by a body that stepped from the shade of an oak. His face was darkened by the sun, and scars carved his features, shrouding his smoldering grey eyes in shadow.

Selene bit her lip. This form of betrayal, allying herself with the enemies of her kingdom, was punishable by the worst form of death. But she had no choice; the fighting had to stop. The others were putting their reputations, and their very lives, at stake. She couldn’t run away now. Even if she did run away, they would sell her out. Even if she wasn’t killed, everything would be taken from her. Her father would disown her, strip her of her rank, and banish her to the outskirts of the kingdom.

A hand rested upon Selene’s shoulder, squeezing it gently before tucking her silvery white hair behind her ear.

“This is a great risk for us all, Lady Selene. If it be thy choice to let this pandemonium persist, and we should be caught, we shall say nothing against thee. But ye must choose thy fate.”

Sir Simeon; always the comforter of the little band of rebels. The son of the queen of the Water kingdom, he was risking the most simply because his mother was the one insisting on the war, pitting the kingdoms against each other. And yet her son was willing had already risked everything to stop her.

“I understand. I will assist thee in stopping this madness. We shall bring peace to the kingdoms once more.”

Simeon smiled and stepped away from her.

“Lady Adelaide, did thou bring’st the Book?” he asked, his voice grim and serious.

A petite, eccentric-looking woman jumped from the branch of a nearby tree, an ancient-looking book grasped in her hands like an infant. The flowers that adorned her soft brown hair and the flowing green gown she wore did not look well with the sour expression marring her dainty face.

“It cost me a great deal to come by this book. The men of my kingdom are such disgusting creatures. It is of no wonder that they should be so willing to fight such a pointless battle.”

Simeon smiled again, but his eyes were full of sadness and dread. Tension rippled among the four, and Selene felt the tremors of pain in her head from the overwhelming emotions she felt radiating off her companions.

“We must make haste! The sun is risen. Our time draws nigh.” Markus urged, beginning to step from the protection of the trees. Simeon followed, along with a large brown wolf, carrying a book in its jaws. It turned its bright, intelligent green eyes on Selene. They looked at her almost pityingly before tuning and darting off after the men.

Selene sighed. She should be in her bed back at the castle, warm and sheltered, worrying about who she would be betrothed to. Instead she was out with the royal children of her father’s enemies, preparing to betray her kingdom.

Following her companions, the princess stepped from her sanctuary in the woods to the harsh, blinding sunlight. Her head began to pound uncontrollably, but she ignored it and raced after the other three.

Markus was sitting at the top of the hill, his legs crossed, and his chiseled face staring hard at the ground. Simeon was pacing. The wolf had once again turned into a woman, who was hastily flipping pages.

“Here it i—”

“Something is wrong,” Selene cut in, grabbing her head. It was throbbing, the pain unbearable. The only time she ever felt that way was when she was bombarded by angry emotions.

“We have been betrayed. Thine armies are approaching!” she shouted.

Three heads turned. Sure enough, all around them, dots were blotting out the horizon, flags and emblems blazing, sunlight glinting off of polished swords and shields.

“Nay, we mus’nt worry about them. Simeon—” Markus swung his head toward the son of the Water. “—cast the spell.”

Simeon nodded, but his eyes were filled with fear. Selene could feel it dripping off of him; she couldn’t blame him, though, as her insides were jelly.

“Ch’rarl ept nic’rah chawbec,” Simeon began, his words meshing together in some unknown way as he recited the ancient incantation, laying his hands on the open pages of the book. “Diabelle ep’shu nicomeh Sawdes shi’chrar. Water, Earth, Fire, and Air: combine the sacred jewels to cast out thy demons. Rep nir sh’rai bi. Vanquish thee of hardened hearts, oh Gods, and restore peace to thy servants’ hand, restore tranquility to their broken land.”

Simeon looked up. “It cannot be finished without thy sacred jewels. They must be combined for the spell to work. Hurry! The armies are upon us!”

Selene quickly unclipped the brooch that pinned her willowy hair up. Set in the center was a large, ornate diamond. “The Crown of the Air”, it had been passed down from generation to generation. She watched as the other removed their sacred jewels. Markus pulled a dagger out of his belt, inlaid with a large ruby: “The Life of Fire.” Simeon pulled a small pin out of his tied hair, which fell gracefully around his shoulders. Inside the pin lay the sapphire, “The Heart of the Water.”

Selene turned toward Adelaide. “The Jewel of the Earth” was still attached to the bracelet on her ankle. She was smiling.

“I am afraid my time with thee has ended. Thou hast betrayed thy kingdoms, which shall results in thy deaths, while I have aided my kingdom in destroying the children of their enemies!” She cackled with mirth while the armies drew ever closer.

“How dare ye! Thy heart is as blackened as thy kingdom’s. May the Gods have mercy on thy soul!” Markus cursed.

“The Gods be damned! I shall have all the riches mine heart desires for this. I shall be more powerful than thy precious Gods!”

Selene cringed. Adelaide had betrayed them. Peace would never be restored with her emerald. As the traitor turned and began to flee, Selene snatched a startled Markus’s dagger from his hand. She hurled it at the fleeing woman, who fell to the ground like a marionette with cut strings as the dagger pierced her back.

Feeling the fear and underlying relief flowing off the other two, Selene retrieved the dagger and the anklet, grimacing as the dead woman’s blood sloshed between her toes as it pooled.

She returned to the others, handing the two jewels, as well as her own, to Simeon. But before he could return to the spell, an arrow flew through the air, piercing the arm that clutched the jewels. Simeon cried out in pain, while Markus drew his sword from its sheath.

“Lady Selene, stay near me. Simeon, I beg of thee to finish the spell.”

As another arrow flew toward them, the Son of Fire sliced it in half while Selene coward behind him.

“Shibeh nu takari ni, eb’niu shar,” Simeon uttered through gritted teeth. Selene could feel the pain oozing from him, but she could not help him, not when her feet were frozen to the ground in terror. “Denew sh’rarl bel shu kin. Nezeru!”

“Simeon, we must fight back!” Markus cried, his calm exterior shattered by impending doom.

The jewels began to glow. Simeon flipped though more pages and quickly added, “Shimeh nareh mik’hrah shall. Though we perish, let Thy servants live!”

The Son of Water stood up, raising his hands to cast another spell. But before he could utter another word, he crumpled, an arrow sticking out of his neck.

Selene screamed as arrows blotted out the sun. She was silenced as Markus fell upon her, shielding her. As the arrows fell all around, she whispered, “Thank ye, Sir Markus.”

He didn’t answer. It was then that Selene noticed the dagger that protruded from his back. His smoldering eyes were lifeless and glassy. Markus was dead.

Selene shoved the dead prince off her. Standing up, she quickly grabbed the jewels Simeon still held in this dead hand, which melded into a white sword at her touch. She stood still as the armies converged in her, weapon at the ready. As one soldier made a grab for her, she screamed, “Thy servant has spoken! With this life, let me live!”

With a sad grin at the soldiers’ baffled expression, she plunged the sword into her stomach.

With dying eyes, she watched as hands grabbed at her, then at the sword, which had shattered into billions of pieces. Her eyes closed and she somewhat felt the impact as her body hit the cold earth. But after that all she knew was pain. Pain and darkness. And even they eventually faded away.