The Avallon Chronicles (BOOK I)

38 | Someone's Target

Cithara might have escaped the unfocused trolls, yet she knew that she was still missing. There was a barren plain surrounding her - no water, no food, only dried trees that were scattered in the area.

"I never thought that being out here in the open is more terrifying than being there in the forest of Everdaile," Cithara spoke as she let the small light of her gems light up her way. It sure provided light, but it was not enough for her to see what was coming on her way.

"Oh, no!" she gasped all of a sudden as she remembered her family in Liberia. "I hope that the invisible barrier of Liberia can be enough to cloak my aunt and friends away from whoever those creatures who want to get me!"

The night was ghost-quiet, and the breeze of the ice on Everdaile passed through the barren land. It never snows in Mithrin, but the winter in its neighboring nation could still be felt.

As the southwester blew towards the land with no trees to give even a little heat, the cold of the evening hastily crept all over her skin, giving shivers all over her body.

"I have to find out who those hunters are! I need to find answers," she spoke as her journey once again continued.

Cithara looked at the pink-tinted sky now ridden with a million glitters. Even the aurora lights and the shimmering stars woke out from their slumber to somehow brighten the night.

She continued to walk as she wondered when the last time she let the people around her be protected - to be away from her tinkering, which was now one of the reasons why her people hated her.

A loud sigh escaped from her rosy lips. As she tore her gaze upon the sky, her eyes met with Alastair's green ones. She didn't notice him watching her all that time, and for just a few seconds, she let the bar that was guarding her emotions down.

"How did you get here so quickly?" Cithara asked out of surprise.

"I go wherever you go, my lady," Alastair replied as he kneeled on one knee in front of the lady.

"Seriously, how? Do you... Do you have a gem that you used to teleport yourself towards here?" Cithara asked in a serious voice.

"Do you want to know?" he asked after pausing for a few moments with a serious expression. "It is because of my teleportation magic."

As she heard Alastair's reply, she couldn't help to prevent a laugh from coming out of her mouth. "Your magic, wow! It's so amazing!" she spoke sarcastically. "Of course, it's because of your magic!"

Alastair might have done what was told, but still, the seriousness on his face didn't leave her. Cithara noticed his behavior, and her conscience began to bother her.

Their journey once again continued with no one speaking another word. Not until an idea came out from Cithara's mind. "Just in case you might be telling the truth, you... you are strange," she spoke. "Perhaps you do have teleportation magic that can track my current position."

"Y- You believe me?" Alistair asked innocently.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," Cithara replied. "But please don't be mad about that. I... I don't know much about that magic stuff. In Liberia, we only use gems. Well, I'm the only one who mostly uses it because, unlike the others, I can't craft dreams on my own. In fact, I don't even have any powers."

"My lady, there's a lot that I learned since I lived in the tallest mountains near the Endless Sea," Alastair spoke "One of those learnings is that the essence of the magical rings was still alive in the hearts of many. Also, magic can not be easily removed from an Enchantrian like you."

"I'm listening," Cithara said.

"Now trust me on this, You're Majesty," Alastair added, "I have high hopes that you can find your magic, too."

"Do you think that... Do you think that I can also have my power?" she asked with yearnings of knowing what she's capable of.

"Certainly, my lady," Alastair replied.

"I wonder what my magic could be! I wonder if it could help me find my father," Cithara added.

Alastair remained silent as he looked at his wooden staff with a night crystal on top of it.

"Anyways, I might just say that it is now safe to travel back towards Mithrin," Alastair spoke as he broke up the silence.

"But I don't know why I can not teleport myself towards it. I wonder why that happened," replied Cithara.

"Maybe that's because of your distance and maybe because you barely know much details about that place," Alistair answered. "However, you don't need to worry, You're Highness, I shall take you with me to Mithrin and look for your friend."

"What shall I do?"

"You just have to stay right beside me," he replied.

Cithara did what was told. With his right arm facing forward, Alastair drew an imaginary straight line in the air that he encircled around them.

For just a few seconds, the line he drew soon caught its gleaming golden light and began to spin clockwise. As soon as it stopped spinning, they found themselves standing from where they were earlier that night.

Everything she knew about the place was gone, replaced by the scene of burning walls and falling debris. The smell of the sweet roasted meat and the freshly baked loaves of bread were suddenly replaced by the scent of the smoke that had circulated all over the town.

She scanned her eyes around, and finally, there at one corner of the inn came Wil together with their items all safe and sound.

"Wil," Cithara breathed as she pushed herself towards the lad.

"Cithara!" Wil called. The excitement in his eyes can be noticed as he spoke.

"Thank goodness you are safe!' said Cithara as she searched for any harmed parts of Wil.

"Where did you go? I was worried sick!" Wil asked.

"Well, an unexpected visitor took me with him and somehow healed my arm," replied Cithara.

"That person is the one you're saying, right?" said Wil, pointing towards Alastair. "Yes, he is," replied Cithara.

"I'm so glad that you are unharmed!" Wil beamed.

"Wil, we should go back to Everdaile now. It's not safe for us to lurk here anymore," Cithara notified.

"How can you say that?"

"Wil, someone's out there to get me, and I'm worried that the other persons related to me will be harmed, too," Cithara stated.