The Avallon Chronicles (BOOK I)

47 | The Night Before Dawn

The eight went off towards the preparations for the upcoming coronation. With the traditions of the kingdoms choosing their representatives to represent their land to the other kingdom, they were the ones chosen to cooperate with the ceremony.

By simply dressing up their best and giving the new ruler a gift, they would surely bring peace to the other domains, especially now at the time that Liberia was opening up to the outside world.

After heading towards places where they bought the clothing and accessories that they would need, they finally started another one of their quests.

The plains of Everdaile were probably the best thing one had ever seen. With the colorful and luminous winter flowers scattered across the vast land, a scene full of happiness and amazement could be seen bursting in the white snow that covered the area.

There, they went for the thought of getting to know each one of them better. However, they didn't know that something was about to happen.

Wearing their winter clothing provided by the kingdom, they scattered around the area, browsing and gazing at the astonishing site early that night after eating dinner.

"Cithara, since you said that you are friends with the queen, do you think that you're needed back there for the preparations?" asked Marivielle.

"Actually, to be honest, I don't think that I can be helpful there," Cithara sighed. "I mean, I'll just mess up."

"Hey, fish lady!" Marivielle heard someone speak from behind them. "Hey!"

As she turned her back around, she caught a glimpse of the man who caught and imprisoned her.

"Where's my ship?!" Rei asked with his eyes furrowed.

Most of the creatures around him suddenly became secretive with uncomfortable smiles on their faces. Before she could even answer, she was suddenly interrupted by the strange presence right around them.

"Did you feel that?" she asked.

"Come on now. Don't try to act like you can't hear me!" Rei exclaimed.

"I'm not joking, you bird-brain. I'm not kidding around!" Marivielle notified.

All of a sudden, some of their companions disappeared one by one as if they were being dragged toward the shadows of the icy, cold forest.

"What's happening?" Cithara asked out of curiosity and worry.

"This is it! It's happening again!" Hanari shouted with a sense of anxiety in her voice.

Two of them were taken, and six were spared. The question that lingered inside their mind was who might have done such a thing and why.

"They've taken Izatha!" Cithara exclaimed.

"Leo, too," Sefira spoke worriedly.

"Hey, does this mean that me and Hanari are the new members of the team?" asked Rei. "And also Cithara?"

"This is not the right time to make jokes, Rei," Cithara interrupted.

"Oh, it seems like my luv is not being so optimistic about -"

"Don't call me luv!" she added, her voice sounding to be annoyed.

"Okay, fine," Rei replied.

"So, Hanari," Cithara spoke as she tried to brush off her rising emotions as soon as possible, "what do you mean by it's happening again?"

"I... I don't know. I... I just saw something that appeared out of my mind at the moment that we came here, and now it really... it happened," Hanari answered in her shivering voice.

At the moment that she caught those words, Cithara turned speechless. Is this what Alastair told me? she thought. Is Hanari having visions of what will happen to the people I love?

As midday came, the worst weather turned. "A blizzard is coming!" Wil reported.

"Do you think that we still need to look for the others?" Sefira asked.

"I don't know," Wil replied, trying to think of any ideas inside his mind at that moment.

"We're not leaving them behind. If there's a storm coming, they might be aware of it and can panic," Cithara bravely answered. "Besides, it's too late to go back to the castle. The safest thing for us to do is to make ourselves cozy and stay in this flat area."

"If only someone here knows how to create a small tent where we can stay," Rei sighed, his voice beginning to shiver from the cold.

With her creative and amazing mind, Cithara knew what to do. But, one thing pulled her away from volunteering.

"Wil, can you build a tent?" Sefira asked.

Longing to help and wanting to stay alive, Wil gave her a nod and fled hastily toward the forest nearby with his night crystal.

With everyone busy planning their search, Cithara caught a perfect chance to help Wil without letting anyone know. There at the front of the forest came Wil, who was letting out his murmurs, thinking that no one could hear him.

"What am I doing? I don't even know how to build this tent! Why do I have to say 'yes' to everything even though I can't handle it anymore?" he murmured as he cut off a branch from a thin birch tree.

"Here comes the hero Emperor Wil again, saving you from your troubles," he spoke sarcastically before struggling to pull off the branch away from the tree.

"Hey! You don't need that small branch," Cithara spoke as she came out of the shadows.

"Ah!" Wil shouted in fear as he saw his friend standing right behind him even though he knew that she was back at the camp. "How long have you been here?" he asked sheepishly.

"Uh, let's just say that I... I came here just a few moments from now," Cithara replied.

"Did you hear what I said?" he asked.

"I... Yes," Cithara answered timidly, not trying to freak out her friend because of her unintended eavesdropping. "I might have heard some."

"Oh, no!" She heard Wil gasp. "Cithara, please... please don't tell anyone about what you just heard. I... I didn't mean to... I-"

"Wil," Cithara interrupted, "your secret's fine with me."

"Promise?" Wil asked, showing off his right hand on Cithara with his palm facing toward her. His three fingers were spread out while his index and his middle finger were touching each other.

"Promise," Cithara replied in her kind, sweet voice as she gave Wil the same finger pose he did as a symbol of an accord that was not meant to be broken.