Aiyana

Chapter one - Falling into an Adventure

Eirian, Eirian Castle
Coldovea, Forbidden Forest

Alora Hollow. The great. The powerful. the beautiful. My mother. Oh, if only I was half as great as her. How did she do it? I'm constantly dumbfounded by her strength, bravery and beauty. While her daughter can't even perform beginners magic. I will never be as great as her...
Sunlight beams into Lydia's bedroom, coloring everything brightly. The light from her window presses on her eyes, prying her from her dream.
Her eyes slightly open, the sunlight making them glow as she squints.
She gets up, heading straight to her closet. After completing her morning routine, Lydia carefully walks down the small spiral staircase, leading to the Great Kitchen.
Before she even comes close to the door to the kitchen, warm and delicious smells greet her. She opens the door, a stack of about eight pancakes sitting on a plate immediately attracts her eye as she examines everything and everyone in the room.
"Lady Lydia! Good morning, dear." a young, light red skinned Elf girl named Elliot greets Lydia with a warm smile, turning from the hot chocolate she was tending to as she steps further into the breakfast wonderland.
There are plates of waffles, hash browns, eggs sausages and two bottles in the center of the table labeled, 'Whipped cream', and 'Maple syrup - made in the Ahren Forest'.
Lydia smiles. "Good morning, Elliot. I see you've made quite the breakfast this morning." Elliot's rosey cheeks blush as she motions Lydia to sit down at the table.
Once Lydia is seated, Elliot and a younger Elfin girl, Rosaline place a dark green plate, a clear glass and a fork in front of her. Elliot drops one pancake on Lydia's plate and pours sweet-smelling hot chocolate into her glass. "Thank you, both. I really appreciate this," the two Elves blush, unable to hide their smiles.
After eating, Lydia strides up the stairs to The Great Library and sits at the small desk in the left corner, hidden by a large bookshelf. She opens the first drawer to her right and places her spellbook onto the table. She flips the pages until she finds the "Levitation Spell for Beginners."
She sighs, her eyes sad on the page, ashamed that she is still on the beginner section. She eyes the pen on the table in front of her and takes a deep breath. She lifts her hand and attempts, once again, the levitation spell.
She closes her eyes and concentrates, only lasting for about five seconds before she hears a scream, and Rosaline flies into the Library.
Lydia shoots up out of her chair and meets Rosaline in the center of the room. "Rosaline, what happened? Are you okay?" Lydia suddenly notices that the young Elfin girl is crying, tears still streaming down her face.
"It's Elliot! I don't know what happened, I heard her scream and then I found her..." Lydia notices she can not finish her sentence.
"Where?" Rosaline turns and guides Lydia outside and stops at the black gates. Lydia's heart nearly stops when her eyes meet the terrible sight.
Elliot's small body collapsed on the ground, as if she had just fell, but the blood stains say otherwise. Tears rush to Lydia's wide eyes as she steps unsteadily around the horrifying scene.

I'M BACK

Lydia's eyes widen at the two words dug into the dirt, blood coloring the lines; probably Elliot's. A tear falls down Lydia's cheek, her promptly wiping it away, and collects herself. She turns to Rosaline.
"The Dark Entity has returned. Please announce a Nation Meeting at 3:20 at the Theatre this afternoon," she carefully says.
"But, Lady Lydia, what do I tell them?" Rosaline's scared expression and tear stained face almost breaks Lydia's composure as she pauses to think.
"You say that I have an announcement, and that something terrible has happened." Rosaline nods, wipes her face and turns to do as she was told. "And Rosaline," she turns around.
"Please, be careful." Rosaline's eyes glaze with more tears, but she nods and rushes away, leaving Lydia outside with the horrific scene. With no one around, she cups her mouth and sobs quietly into it, looking somberly down at her dead Elfin friend.
Three o'clock comes fast, as Lydia prepares a speech.
"People of Eiria. A tragedy has happened today, and it saddens us all. Elliot, one of my many Elfin servants, but also... friend, was killed," Lydia holds back tears, pausing for a brief second. "This was not just a murder, it is a warning. The Dark Entity has returned. I know I must leave to stop it and I am sorry I must leave, but I just hope that you all understand, and will support me and each other during this hard and scary time. I will be leaving Army General Rowan Blum in my place..."
Lydia groans and pulls her hair back and ties it in a front ponytail.
"Lady Lydia? Am I interrupting you?"
"No, no, of course not, come in." Rosaline swiftly walks in and closes the door behind her, her long, wavy hair copying her movements.
"A very nice speech, no?"
"Yes, thank you, Rosaline." Rosaline looks at Lydia skeptically.
"Okay. I'm worried,"
"Rightfully!"
"I know, I just... I don't exactly like public speaking. Well, I hate it."
Rosaline nods with understanding in her empathetic eyes. "Well, I think that speech was very good, and that... Eiria will understand your leaving. Just say it like you've practiced, and don't think too much about it. I believe in you."
Lydia smiled, holding back tears. "Thank you, Rosaline," Lydia graciously looked up at Rosaline, until she noticed bandages wrapped around her arms. She carefully took her arm and traced the bandage lines with her index finger.
"Rosaline... what happened?" the Elf girl looked down at her arms, embarrassed, pulling back her arm and holding it close to her chest. "Oh. Just a common Elfish illness. I'll be fine. Please, don't concern yourself with this," the panicked girl lightheartedly giggled, smiling. "Hm," Lydia secretly examined the bandages one last time before-
"Lady Lydia! It's 3:18," a blonde haired Eirian solder whom Lydia was familiar with burst through the curtains, slightly startling the two. Lydia dismissively waved him away with her hand as he disappeared behind the curtains with a quick nod.
Lydia and Rosaline stood from the bench they had been sitting on.
"Good luck, Lady Lydia," Rosaline smiled as Lydia turned and smiled at her from the curtain.
Lydia took a deep breath and stepped out onto the light colored wood stage, autopiloting her way to the announcement stand in the center. Viewing the thousands, maybe even millions of E inrians gazing up at her curiously, she found General Rowan. He met her eyes and smiled, putting both his thumbs up.
Lydia relaxed a little, and raised her right hand to signal the audience to quiet down and listen to her. The crowd slowly hushed, then silence covered them at once.
"People of Eiria. A tragedy happened today, and it saddens us all. Elliot, one of my many Elfin servants, but also... friend, was killed," Lydia holds back tears, the pressure of the people creeping into her mind. "This was not just a murder," she continues, "it is a warning. The Dark Entity has returned." a wave of gasps fills the room. "I know I must leave to stop it and I am sorry to be leaving you, but I just hope that you all understand, and will support me and each other during this hard and scary time. I will be leaving Army General Rowan Blum in my place... please, join me Blum," Lydia watches as Rowan's eyes widen and he gets passed the soldiers surrounding him, quickly joining Lydia on stage.
Lydia nods, indicating that the announcement is over, and waits anxiously for applause, boo's, tomatoes, just something.
The room suddenly roars with applause and excited screams, Lydia unable to hold back a small smile. She turns to Rowan, him immediately noticing the tears lining her eyes and staining her cheeks and grabbing her arm and lifting it up, the screaming growing louder.
The meeting ends and everyone departs from the theater. Everyone except Lydia, Rosaline and Rowan. Lydia paces back and forth on the stage, Rowan and Rosaline watching her, worriedly.
"Dia!" Rowan steps in front of Lydia, holding her arms in place and eyeing her evenly. "Relax." Lydia deflates, a look of helplessness staining her face.
"How! I haven't mastered magic this advanced yet. The closest i've ever gotten is transporting a pencil across the room!"
"That's okay! You're just teleporting something like nine times bigger than a pencil. And, well... alive!"
Lydia giggles at the lighthearted comment, as Rowan releases her arms, laughing, too. With newfound confidence, Lydia swiftly walks to the stand she had just spoken to all of Eiria from and rereads the spell one last time.
She closes her eyes, and focuses hard on Azora. The image of her Azorian friend's house displays itself in her mind, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Transport la destinatia dorita,"
A faint purple shimmers around Lydia, hastily growing brighter until it disappears, Lydia with it.
Lydia slowly opens her eyes, immediately gasping at her surroundings, as she plunges through the air. The air is cold and sharp on her skin, turning red now. "Lydia!" she turns to her left to see Devan falling next to her, his clothes ruffling from the wind, with an unbelievably calm expression.
"Long time no see! So, how you been?" Devan smiles, curiously.
"Devan! Great, you? wait-" she almost forgets they are falling from the sky until she sees the ground, some rocks right under her.
"Oh, great! Nilu and I ended the war two months ago! They were running out of weapons, and food, and people, and we weren't doing so well either, we-"
"Devan! Could you please get me down before I die on those rocks!?" Devan looks down, surprise lifting his eyebrows.
"Oh, sure," he says as he grabs her in his arms and flies safely to the ground. "Phew. thanks, Devan," Devan floats just a few feet above the ground, with his white wings, a red leaf stuck between one feather. He ruffles his wings and the leaf falls from the feather, him resuming floating.
"No problem. So, what brings you to Azora?" Lydia's expression immediately changes, and she finds herself hiding fear from her eyes, but most importantly, from falling backwards.
"Woah," Devan exclaims, feet on the ground and hands on Lydia's shoulders as she stumbles back, unsteady. "Maybe you should sit down... you look like you've seen a ghost!" Lydia smiles, relieved to be with an old friend again, and lets Devan carry her back to his house.
Lydia takes a small sip from her Trezit tea, as Devan sits in the windowsill, his wings wrapped around himself like a blanket.
"Lydia, are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, thank you Wynter," Wynter, Devan's brother, smiles. "That tea is a specialty here in Azora, I'm sure you know," I do, Lydia thinks.
"Yes. Trezit means wake or awaken. It is drank to gain energy and prevent tiredness." Devan chuckles. "Like coffee,"
"No!" Lydia exclames, Wynter giving him a confused look.
"Coffee has caffeine, and it's dangerous to drink too much of it. As with Trezit tea, it contains no caffeine, and any amount is safe to drink. It also keeps you awake longer, as with coffee you get ten, fifteen minutes at best," Wynter smiles approvingly down at Lydia, Devan gaping from Lydia's lecture.
"That's our Lydia; well educated, and disciplined," Lydia's cheeks blush from Wynter's complement, as Wynter turns her head to her brother.
"Maybe you can teach this little brat a few things," she grunts as she pulls on Devan's wing, him wining and ruffling his wings to try and break free from his sister's grip. Lydia giggles, Wynter pushing her hand off of his wing, and sitting at the table.
Lydia walks into Devan's room, as he angrily tries to stuff clothes into his suitcase. "Hey!- arg! Where to next?" Devan asks. Lydia thinks about it. "Coldovea. We haven't seen Elara in a while, I think she'd be happy to see us." Devan smiles, stuffing the last article of clothing into his suitcase and flapping his wings to hover slightly off the ground.
"Oh, right. No wings. You sure you can teleport again?" Lydia laughs with hesitation. "Yeah, I'm good now." Devan groans, with skepticism, but Lydia returns his look with one of reassurance.
They go out the front door, and Devan looks back at Lydia. "You ready?" Lydia grabs his hand and takes a deep breath. "Yes," she whispers as she teleports both of them above a forest in Coldovea. It's covered in snow.
"You really should teleport to somewhere other than mid air!" Devan shouts to Lydia. "I'm not trying to! Just- get us down!" she cries. Devan smiles, nods, then flies down to the ground, safely, Lydia in his arms. "Where are we?" Devan asks as Lydia gets on her feet. Lydia gazes up at the snow frosted trees, not one bit of the earth showing from under the snow. "The... Coldovea Forbidden Forest. Wolves live here. No human or Elf is allowed here." Devan shivers. "Then lets get out of here! My wings are gonna freeze." Lydia smiles and nods, but the the smile is quickly erased. Devan is cut off by a close by voice. It's coming from the pine tree, iced with snow.
"Stop!" Suddenly, a boy who seems to be about fifteen or sixteen runs out from behind the tree. He has messy hair as white as snow, and as he runs a pair of white, fluffy ears bounce atop his head. The boy stops about three feet in front of the two, lost pair. "State your names and the reason of your presences!" the boy announces. Devan grunts as he ruffles his wings to shake off the snow that fell on them.
"I'm Lydia Hollow, and this is Devan Springs," the boy's face takes an expression of realization and surprise, "we are here because the Dark Entity has unfortunately returned, and we have to assemble all the Sages to defeat it. If I may ask - who are you?" the boy smiles. "I'm Kit. Come, let me show you my home." Lydia and Devan blindly follow Kit as he leads them through the snow covered forest.
They finally reach an opening in the trees, wood huts clustered in a circle. "Kit! Empty handed again I see-" another white haired male called as he approached the three. "Hm... but it seems you brought friends?" he asks. "Elder. This is Lydia Hollow and Devan Springs. Lydia-"
"It is an honor to be in the presence of Alora Hollow's daughter. How may we be of service to you, Lydia Hollow?" the elder cuts Kit off, a surprised look crossing Kit's face. "Um, no need for such formalities. Just call me Lydia." the elder smiles. "Very well, Lydia, what can we Azai do for you?"
Lydia was about to ask for directions, but she couldn't get her mind off that word. 'Azai'. She had never read about them in any book before. "Well, we do need to get going, but could you spare some of your time? I don't quite understand who you all are and why you're... here."
The elder smiles. "Why of course! Follow me to the campfire."
The three follow the elder to the campfire in the center of the opening and sit down on the chopped logs of wood.
"As you've heard us say, we are called Azai. we're a small group of people who live in this forest-"
"But this is the forbidden forest. No humans are allowed to live here- oh, I'm so sorry," Lydia cuts him off, apologizing after.
"Haha, it is alright. But we are not human, Lydia. Haven't you seen Kit?" Lydia and Devan look at Kit, their attention focusing on the fluffy white ears on his head. "Long ago, a human girl who was unwanted by his human family ran away into this forest. She got lost, and cried and cried, and eventually the white wolves found her. She was frightened at first, but then she realized that they were not attacking her. And... they were a little like her; lost and alone. So, she stayed with them. Built a small wood hut. Then, one day, she was kidnapped by a hunter. A wolf transformed into a human boy and killed the man. Months later the two had a child, and it had two white ears and a white tail. Years and years later, and here we are." Lydia was in awe. How was this not in any of her books?
"Also, some of us - like Kit here - only have ears, or only have a tail. It all depends on their parents' genes. Oh, and most of us can transform into white wolves."
"Why have I never read about this?"
The elder's face tensed, as if trying to find the right words.
"Coldovea... isn't very fond of us. They called this beautiful forest forbidden, and even made laws restricting us from entering any town or village in Coldovea. Which is why we unfortunately can only escort you two out of the forest, and not to a specific town."
Lydia nods.
"That's fine." The elder thanked Lydia then took a deep breath.
"Kit will bring you to the Forest's border. Then you must find your way." Kit looked up at the elder, praisingly, then stood up, his ears straight up. "Let's get going!"
The three wandered for what felt like hours, until they no longer walked among trees. "This is as far as I'm allowed to go. Sorry, good luck!" Kit said as he turned into a white wolf and sprinted back into the forest.
Lydia and Devan turned to the snowy terrain in front of them. "There," Lydia points to a dark blue castle structure, far in the distance, "that's the Coldovea Castle."