The Avallon Chronicles (BOOK I)

15 | The Fortuitous One

Meanwhile, in another part of the land, another creature was struggling for what she truly believed in.

"You," Evreux spoke out of being confused, "You saved my life. After... After all, I have done to you?"

Cithara allotted him a sincere smile – a smile of success and gratefulness. "Even though you did bully me several times, I can't still leave you behind. Deep inside, I can feel the goodness in you."

"And all in all," she added, "I don't want to be a doormat."

Evreux let out a sigh. "Cithara, there's something I need to tell you." Before he could even continue, they were alarmed by a scream coming from a distance.

The both of them flickered towards where they heard the scream and were startled by the peculiar scene they had encountered.

One of their fellow participants was lying down on the cold, hard ground with his eyes filled with shadow and darkness. His soul was slowly withering away with every beat.

The man was cornered between the thorny bushy walls and in front of him was a shadow figure with a bewildering shape.

"No!" Cithara gasped with dread. "No, it can't be!"

"What... What is it?" asked the confused Evreux.

"It's a demon – a weak form of it," Cithara answered. "We should stop them before he could suck up all the happy memories of that other person he chose as a victim!"

"Fight a demon?" Evreux wavered, then asked, with some fear, "Does that thing even have a weakness or something that can make us possibly defeat it?"

"I don't know," answered Cithara with anguish in her voice. "I haven't read anything about that in the books I read!"

"Why?"

Cithara whispered with fear. "Probably because those who ever met a demon didn't live to tell the tale."

Caught by the two Liberian's terror, the demon's attention fell on them. "I see you!"

"He's coming! He's coming right towards us!" Evreux shouted. "Quick! Touch the Victory Gem so that all of us can get out of here!"

Cithara was ready to touch the trophy when all of a sudden, the shadow demon dashed towards Evreux without hesitation. "You!" the demon called, grinning. "You are full of sorrow yet the few happy memories in you are flavorsome to eat."

"Don't ever come near him!" Cithara spoke, aiming her gun at the demon.

Before the demon could come close enough to suck her new friend's memories, Cithara shot her second gem dust directly toward it. Confident that she hit the demon with her barrier gem, she dashed toward the Victory Gem and touched it with her fingers.

A blinding light appeared wrapping the whole place up and in just a few seconds, she found herself outside the labyrinth with the Victory Gem in her hands.

The whole Liberian garden was suddenly filled with applause, and the gamekeeper unhurriedly came down from his seat located at the top of the audience to greet her. The big light crystal located at the other side of the upper seats focused on her, and the band's music played louder to cheer up the new champion.

"Wait a second," the audience groaned, shocked at what they saw.

"A lady? A lady won the game?"

"Who let a girl join that dangerous competition?"

From a distance, her aunt could see who that woman the audience was talking about, crystal clear. "Cithara," she whispered, her eyes furrowed as she looked at Cithara standing in the spotlight.

Cithara looked startled, unable to find the other participants outside the maze with her. In the previous games, when one participant touched or grabbed the Victory Gem, all the other participants will be teleported with him, too. She looked through every angle from where she was standing but no one came back.

"You broke the tradition!" the people roared.

"GET OUT OF THERE! YOU RUINED THE GAME!"

Getting her mind piled up with several disarray, the fury inside of her began to rise followed by a strange type of energy arising from her body. Trying to control the anger inside of her, she covered her ears, wishing that the people around her would stop.

She tried to seal up her sentiment but it was no use – the anger she felt made its way to come out.

She felt herself aiming her bow and arrow towards the sky and for just a second, she released her quartz gem arrow – the gem of temporary paralyzation. All of a sudden, everyone who attended the festival at the garden fell with their mind awake yet their bodies unable to move – everyone except for a certain stranger who mysteriously survived.

For just a quick moment, Cithara's vision blackened, dropped off her bow towards the ground, and then fell as well, unconscious.

The stranger rolled onto his back and tapped his fingers against his stomach. He glanced at the scene and bit his lip.

"He's just nearby! I wonder where and who could he be?" he whispered, walking away from his seat while tracking something.

Moonlight streamed through the trees, lighting up his path. He then spotted something strange in the crystal that he was holding. He ran towards where the light was coming from and found Cithara with a mark on her shoulder.

"He's a... her?!" he spoke as he checked the pulse of the young lady. "Not what I expected but the crystal never lies."

He sat down beside Cithara, gently carrying her in his arms.

After a while, Cithara woke up, her body lying down comfortably on a soft bed. Her eyes widened, realizing what happened. She lifted her head and let out a groan, her right arm aching.

As she wandered her eyes around the room, she found an unfamiliar man standing in front of her.

"Cleia! You're awake!" the stranger sang out, cheerfully.

"Where's Evreux? Where are the other participants?" Cithara answered nervously. "What happened to the people who attended the festival?"

The stranger suddenly became reticent, unable to answer her questions.

"Please... tell me," Cithara beseeched, her eyes filled with anxiety. "I need to know!"

•○GLOSSARY○•

⚔️Cleia
- Elven word: Thank goodness