Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Julien

 At breakfast, Blake stared at Julien with a look of dread on her face. She was hallucinating again, as was a symptom of a sand dweller's venom. That was the only symptom that seemed to show itself, though. She wasn't having any nosebleeds or headaches, even after the third months after getting bit.

"Blake," said Julien. "What are you seeing, this time?"

"I know it's not real," Blake gasped. "I always tell myself that."

"Calm down," said Julien.

"I know!" Blake snapped. "Please tell me you've found another ingredient for the antidote."

"It's far," Julien answered. "A leaf from a dragonwood tree."

"Aren't those extinct?" asked Blake.

"They're endangered," Julien corrected. "The only problem is, they're only in one forest in the entire country, and its thousands of miles away."

"Define 'thousands of miles'," said Blake.

"A forest lining the eastern edge of the Fields of Eternity," said Julien. "Two thousand miles west."

"What!?" screamed Blake.

I must have forgotten that paranoia is another symptom, Julien thought, rolling his eyes. He would need to ask Trevor, Illyria, and Theon for help since Blake was in no condition to travel long distances. Just to his luck, Trevor and Illyria came into the dining hall with Queen Kara.

"Good morning, guys," said Trevor, sitting across from them at the stone table. Illyria sat beside him, while his mother sat next to Blake and Julien.

"So, how are you holding up?" asked Trevor, to Blake, but she didn't answer. She must have zoned out, looking above her.

"Blake!" Trevor shouted, and her eyes met his.

"I'm fine!" Blake screamed.

"Yeah, I can tell," said Trevor.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" asked Kara, putting three fingers up.

"Are you sure those are fingers?" said Blake.

"What?" Kara whispered.

"So, are you any closer to finding a cure for the venom, Julien?" Illyria asked.

"Well, I found one," Julien answered. "But the ingredients for it are scattered across this country. We just found the first one by dumb luck."

"What are the other two?" asked Trevor.

"Dragonwood tree leaf, and a drop of evergreen sap," said Julien. Trevor blinked his eyes.

"Tree sap?" he asked. "That doesn't seem like an uncommon thing to find."

"Evergreen sap." Julien reminded. "Specifically, from the Icewood."

"Sounds simple enough," said Illyria. "Have any of you been there?" Trevor, Blake, and Kara raised their hands. Illyria touched Trevor's shoulder, closed her eyes, and opened a green portal behind her.

"I'm not the only one seeing that, am I?" Blake gasped.

"No," Julien groaned. Illyria took a wooden cup from the table and went through the portal, then Trevor went with her. Julien soon followed, and he quickly went from sweating to freezing.

"The hell?" he cursed. When he stepped through the portal, he found himself stepping in the pure white snow that reflected what little sunlight that shined through the tall, frosted trees.

"Never seen snow before, have you?" said Trevor. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"How does anyone live in this?" Julien shuddered, with his teeth chattering.

"I used to wonder the same about people in the Sandlands," Trevor answered. "No offense."

"None taken," Julien assured.

Suddenly, Illyria came from around a tree, shouting "Got it!", holding up the wooden cup from the dining hall.

"Got what?" Julien asked.

"Evergreen tree sap, right?" said Illyria.

"Right," Julien answered. They went back through the portal, and Illyria closed it behind them. Julien was glad to feel the warmth of the sun again, but they had to go in a different direction, now.

"That was quick," said Kara. "Where to, now?"

"The Eternal Forest," Julien answered, wiping snow from his hair. "It's the only place in Aetherian where dragonwood trees still grow. It divides the Windlands and Sandlands."

"Have you been there?" Illyria asked, and Julien shook his head. "Have any of you been there?" No one raised their hands.

"The furthest west in this region I've been is a village a few hundred miles southeast of Belhall," said Julien. "It's a start, isn't it?"

"I guess it's close enough," Illyria admitted. Suddenly, Blake screamed, with her hands on her head, and fell back from her chair.

"Blake!" Trevor shouted as he and Julien rushed to her side. She was writhing on the stone floor, with blood leaking from her nose.

"Let's get her to the apothecary," said Kara. Trevor lifted Blake by the shoulders, while Julien lifted her from the legs, and they carried her across Dragonbarrow, still shaking, even in their arms. On the way, they ran into Theon Bloodbane, who carried Blake the rest of the way over his shoulder. When they rushed Blake into the apothecary, the female Draconian sage with short, dark hair pointed towards a large bed against the wall.

"Is the venom acting?" she asked, speaking in Draconic, as Theon put Blake down on the bed.

"Give her a sedative," Kara ordered. The sage pulled a syringe filled with a blue substance from a shelf on the wall and stuck it into Blake's neck. When the substance drained into Blake's neck, she gave a long sigh, and she stopped shaking.

"Well, she's in no condition to travel," said Theon.

"No kidding," Illyria agreed.

"We need to get those leaves as soon as we can," Trevor suggested. "Illyria, get us to that village Julien was talking about." Illyria touched Julien's shoulder and opened a portal in front of them. Illyria stepped through first, but when Kara stepped forward, Trevor put a hand on his mother's shoulder to stop her.

"You should stay here," he suggested.

"What?" Kara argued. "You're going thousands of miles away. I'm going with you."

"You're the rightful Queen, before Valeria," Trevor reminded. "And you're my mother. As capable as you might be, you haven't seen the things I've seen, and you don't want to. Julien and Illyria will look after me." Kara thought long about what Trevor said. He was more powerful than any Guardian she had seen, but he was her son that she thought she lost years ago.

"As long as you come back," she said, then gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"I will," Trevor promised. "Just look after Blake for me." He went through the portal, and then Julien, and found themselves on the shore of a familiar lake that shined with the reflection of the sunlight.

"Oh, this place," said Julien. "Areistead. I actually think I was born here."

"Really?" Illyria asked. "It's a dump." Trevor nudged her.

"I know it's not like one of those big cities that are the home of lords, but it's better than nothing," said Julien. Suddenly, a familiar voice called to Julien as Illyria closed her portal.

"Julien?" he said.

"No way," Julien gasped, turning around. "Arthur?" Ser Arthur Drumwind seemed happy to see him at first, but when Trevor turned around, his smile went away.

"Arthur Drumwind, Julien?" Trevor asked, with an aura of dread.

"We met months ago," said Julien.

"And you met my father two years ago," Arthur snapped, drawing Burn before Trevor.