Chapter 3: Secretes Revealed

As we eat the next day at the inn, Danny looks at me. I don't think he realizes that I've noticed, then I hear Ravensha cry out in pain. I go to her, and I start to feel a small ache in my head. It almost caused me to stumble. I hear a cry of pain, but it's not my friends, and from the looks, everyone is giving me, I'm the only one who heard it. Ravensha starts mumbling an old rhyme that the demons and witches would say. Still, she doesn't use her native language of which we used to hear, "The souls they have been angered the gateway is now open, and my people wish to feed." This is from the demon and witch ghost tale that was a true story that kids would joke about, and now…those in that story have returned…. Everyone looks confused, so I look to them, saying, "I haven't heard it in forever." They all ask me, "What does it mean?" I answer them with uncertainty "A soul for a soul an eye for an eye vengeance will rein, vengeance will be mine, the world will burn, as do the souls, all will die the death they fear. This…this is the only way we will rest here." I look to them all and continue but this time explaining what I meant further, " their place of rest has been removed or tampered with. We will have to part ways here, Flahera. You will stay here to plan the trip with your mother to the village back home and head there. Jack and Ravensha, the two of you, will join her. And Danny, you will be Joining me." Then they all nod their heads, so I continue, "Danny and I will be joining you once we find a temporary solution or at least the cause."

Once we get Midnight saddled up, I mount my horse, then Danny joins behind me. I flick the reins with my wrists, and we take off towards what's left of the witches and what's left of the place I grew up at. We ride for a couple hours until we reach the ruins of my childhood home. I dismount, and Danny follows. I tie off the reins and gently pat Midnight, telling her I'll be back soon. As we walk through the village, we reach the place where the castle stood and is just a pile of rubble now. Danny looks at me and says, "What happened here?"

I say blankly, "Death…no one knows how it started….or how an enemy found this village; some say that a vengeful child led the enemy here, but it all began 14 winters ago." Danny looks at me then the rubble and says, "That must have been hard. I couldn't imagine losing everything and everyone like you did." I look at him, saying, " I didn't lose everything. They are still here. I was taught that even though we die and move on. That, we will always still be there for those we care for. To support and love them until they join you in death. So I know I'm never alone…" tears start to fall down my cheeks. "They will always be with me, for the whole village is my family. Though they may be lost, they will never be gone, and even though it is sad, I know that when my journey ends, I will see them again, and it will be a reunion the universe will never forget." Danny says, "Is that why you never give up on anything most would just give by now?" We continue through the rubble. I say, "No, I don't give up because I still have friends to protect that are alive, and I fight because others don't understand things like I do, and I don't want them to go through the pain I did as no child should have to suffer like I did." We reach the temple of souls. We walk in. When we reach the middle, I say a small spell "enots fo sluos emo cot ym dnah" and a little broken stone appears in my hand. I hold it up to the altar, and it glows softly, and I see in the alter one of the other 6 pieces are missing, the stone of death and souls. This stone is the one that the witches were charged with protecting. Now it is missing, and the world is in more danger than ever before. I look to Danny, saying, "There isn't anything we can do the stone is missing, so until we can find it, our best bet is to ensure that the life and prosperity stone is secure." Then I leave, trying to sort my thoughts with Danny in tow.

When we get back to Midnight, I mount her back. Danny says, " why did you just lose all hope just because some stone is missing." I look at him, yelling, "They're not just some stones. These stones are the core of this world. All six aspects of life. Without them, lives will be lost, rivers will dry up, the grounds will lose nutrition, the sun will stop rising, and the moon will be destroyed. More lives will be lost than 300 wars combined, but you wouldn't understand because this isn't your home, your world. It's mine, and if you can't understand that, your two days end now." Then I ride off faster than I have ever ridden on Midnight, leaving everything behind leaving…him far behind to survive on his own. And as I ride, I feel my darkness start to come through, and I can't stop it. The first crack has been made.

When the sun starts to set, I'm too far from the village we were to meet to keep riding. I dismount Midnight and start walking, trying to find a place to set up camp for the night. I finally find an area near the riverbank. I make sure that the ground is flat enough for my tent to be set up, and once it meets my expectations, I set up camp. Once I set up camp, I start gathering firewood. When I return, I hear voices say a quick spell, "thgil ot edalb dna edalb ot worra." I creep through the woods, watching my footing prevent stepping on twigs and brush as a bow appears in my hand and a quiver on my back. I take an arrow in hand and nock it into the bow and draw it back. Once I see seven shadows near my camp. One has a bow. I'll have to take him out first, then the others one by one. That's my plan. I take a deep breath then release the string, but one of them moves faster than my arrow and catches it, snapping the arrow with his bare hand. He then bolts right towards me. I have only ever seen one person move this fast, and that's… I whistle, hoping Midnight will get here quickly. I won't be able to take him on myself; he moves like… wait, there are only two people who move like that. That's when I say. "Jarrin… Jarrin Mainriver, please tell me that's you!" He stops mid punch and says, "Luna is that you?" I smile and nod, saying, " Yeah, sorry about the arrow. I didn't realize it was you and your friends." He smiles, and his fangs show his eyes glow two different colors, and I can tell he's the same boy that used to play with me when I was little. Then, we walk to the camp that I started preparing for the night. Once we arrive, I see Danny, and he's staying away, knowing that I'm still mad at him. Then, the king of the humans, Cyrin Eupetchi, looks at me, saying, "Mind if we join you at your camp?" I then say, "Well, it is the least I could do for Flahera's brother and his comrades after almost shooting him."

When everyone goes to sleep, I go closer to the water and mumble my spell, "draws fo thgilnoom emoc." My sword comes to hand, and I start practicing the sets to get better. Then I hear a sound. I turn to throw the sword, but a voice stops me. "Wait, it's just me, Danny, don't throw, please I came to apologize." I lower my sword but don't send it away. I say "Leave" without leaving a bit of the harshness out of my tone. He says, "I'm not from this world, and you haven't really explained it to me much, but on my way here, Cyrin and his friends told me more about this world and I this I understand it and how it works, and I want to help you just tell me how…how can I help you, please tell me."

I look up at the stars as if they will tell me what to do. I don't know what to do anymore. I use to know what to do when someone betrayed me. I would kill them no questions asked, but I didn't do that; I just left him to fend for himself. And part of me wants to forgive him, but the other part knows that he would like to go home if I was to choose him when the time comes. I mean, who wouldn't? It's where he belongs, not here. It has only been a few days, and I… I fear that I've already fallen for him. Still, I can't let emotions get in the way, so I just walk away, not wanting my heart to give him a response because it would be the end if I can't separate my emotions. This is something I have always been told. At that point, I can feel the second crack has been made. The darkness will take over soon, and I won't be able to stop it.

When I get to the village with my new group, it turns out they were traveling that way. My retainers are all there to greet me. I hear Danny say something, but I ignore it, trying to forget him, but it is tough to stay close to me. Then Sahen, the queen of the Elves and Flahera's mother, walks out of a small cottage looking directly at me, saying, " Lutilia Fletia Respiria, I wish to speak with you and your new ally." I look at her saying, " I don't have a new ally, your Majesty." She smiles, saying, "I think you know who I'm talking about." She then walks out of the doorway, expecting Danny and me to follow. So I go, and when I go past Danny, I grab his arm to let him know he has to come as well. We walk through the village to the library.

When we get to the library, Sahen stops to turn around and look at us. Judging, calculating what should be told and what can wait. So I decided to speak first." Sahen, I need to know if the elven stone is still secure. The stone of the witches is… it's missing, and the souls are no longer able to rest in peace." She then knows what needs to be said. " well, that would explain everything then, and why there have been several attempts of theft, but don't worry, child, I have it safe and secure." The then shows me the small stone trapped in a magical sphere just like mine. Danny then says, " could I get a better explanation of why these stones are so important?" Sahen looks then goes to look for a book saying, " then I will have to start from the beginning, and this will give you the answer that both of you seek."

"There was a time where magic was despised, and the kingdoms were at war with each other. This was a time of more hatred than ever before. This war was the creation of the Dark Warlock that everyone fears, and he created these stones, but each one had a cost, each greater than the other. The earth stone was created by killing an entire field of crops and water stone by causing a whole kingdom's drought. Sunstone brought people into the dark and, the moonstone keeps people in the light. The life stone cursed three houses to die abruptly, and the death stone gave people immortality. When these stones come together, it will kill the world. When our ancestors discovered these stones, they decided to come together to defeat a common enemy. This alliance created the rallies that we all know now. They fought for years, and each time they battled him, the stones would join together that much more. It took generations before we were able to separate the stones. The season that we were finally able to separate the stones was when you were born, Luna. Since your mother was one of the strongest witches to ever be born and even stronger when she was carrying you, she was our last hope at a new beginning for everyone, so she took the chance with only a few who were trusted to deliver you once she won. And when she did win, you were born on the battlefield a new life to a new beginning of a new day, the last child to be born during the war, and the first to be born after the war was over. Peace reigned for the first time in generations, so we decided to separate the stones to each of the kingdoms, for they couldn't be destroyed without an equal sacrifice, one that no one wanted to pay after just ending the war the price was far too great for them to be created. It was even higher to destroy them. So as a thank you to your mother for saving us, we had all decided that your life was something that we would protect and cherish, for you would be the only one strong enough to keep us safe if the Dark Warlock was to rise again. That is why you received the magical sphere with the weapons. Each one is a gift from each kingdom gave them the moonstone, which was given to you to protect. The reason I needed both of you here to hear this is because your mother's magic grew with the more love she had around her, and when she met your father, she was unstoppable."

I stand there, blushing, knowing what she meant by that, but I refuse to accept, and I say, " then why bring this loof here. He will only get in my way. I can take this on alone if I have to; I don't want anyone else to get hurt. This world was at war for far too long; I won't let it enter chaos again. Isn't that the task you charged me with when giving me this stone?" I walk out knowing that I can't accept this I can't let those I care about going into a battle of basically certain death. I'm not my mother; I don't need anyone; I'm not weak like her; I can do this…alone….completely alone…because I have something she didn't, I have the moonstone.

I keep walking through the palace of the elves, trying to avoid them and my comrades, knowing that if they see me, they will talk me out of this; I have to go alone. I don't want any more lives wasted on this endless war when there is only one that needs to die, and that is the dark warlock, and I will keep fighting him to stop him…ill do anything to protect everything; the family I found, the friends I've made and the home I've made for myself. I have to preserve these things because no one else will, no one can, this started with me alone, and that is….that is how it has to end with me…..alone. When I get to the stables, I work on getting Midnight Sattled up and ready to go. Once I get her ready, I fix my armor and prepare for battle mount Midnight, then take off into the night to a place unknown and a battle that few have ever returned from. I'm ready for whatever lays ahead of me. I will take it on and not back down. It's all because of the dark warlock that I grew up alone, no friends, nothing until I met Jarin. While riding to the pending battle, I remember how I met everyone that is now apart of my life.

'The first memory I have was in the village. The capital of the witch domain, I was an orphan for as long as I can remember and always alone. All I had was the neckless that my mother left me when she died. However, I don't remember her or who she was. I only know what people say about her and me. That I'm a cursed child that I'm the reason, good people, powerful people are dead. That is why I'm alone. It's because no one wants a curse around; not even the children my age will play with me. So I live by myself where ever I find a place to sleep in the village; on the roofs, in the trash, the wood, on the river banks, just where ever I can find some food. When I was about 4 years old, I met a kid. He was just a little older than me. The kids from my village picked on him because he looked different, so I stepped up to them and said, " Hey, found you now it's your turn" the other kids run. Hence, I cautiously walk up to him, afraid that he might turn on me after helping him. He said, "why did they run from you like that?" I looked down, stopping in my tracks, and said: "they are afraid of me because they think I'm curse because those who have cared for me ended up dying, so people run in fear of this fact." Then he said, " I won't. My parents died on the way here; I still really miss them too." He smiles, walking weakly over to me. "I'm Jarrin. Since we're both along, we should look out for each other ok, so what's your name?" I look at her confused that's when I said, " I don't know if I even have a name" then Jarrin smiles, shaking his head, and says, "that won't do. Everyone needs a name, so I'll give you one you can use" he looks up. The moon is shining through the evening sky. She said, " How about Luna? I think that it would suit you nicely because you seem like the person who will always be there, just like the moon is always there" I start to cry, smiling. He continued, "is it really that bad?" I laugh, tears still in my eyes. I looked at him and said, "No, it's perfect because it's mine for the first time. I have a name for the first time people can remember something other than the cursed child."

A few years passed as Jarrin, and I played, bickered, and just survived together. Still, on a cold, moonless night, the chaos began. I remember Jarrin waking me up yelling at me, " come on, Luna, we have to go the Dark Warlock is he? We have to go now before he catches us." This was the first time I had ever heard this name, but the fear I felt from my fearless friend was genuine. Hence, we grabbed what little we had and ran through the village as people screamed children cried. This was also the first I ever ran away. I swore it would be the last as we ran to the woods to get as far away as possible. But we stopped for a second, and fire was all we could see, and this was all that we would be able to remember of that old village.'

I make it to the Dark warlocks palace, and soldiers are everywhere as if they knew I was coming. I fight when I jump off of Midnight with a sword in my hand that I don't remember summoning, then I get lost in my memories once again.

'I never remembered when we stopped because what happed the next few days took him and me by storm. A queen of a kingdom named moon haven took the pair of us in. She had told us that the one who had the most kindness would be her heir. I said that no matter what, Jarin should be so, for he was the only one who took the time to be my friend and give me a name to answer to. Well, apparently, that made her decision. Even though I refused her, she never took no for an answer, so that was how I became a princess. The next several seasons were so busy that I don't remember much, just meeting Flahera in a conference with her mother and my adopted mother. Then meeting Jack on the training grounds, I beat him after a sparring match. That's why he's my retainer. It's because he lost a match against me and a bet. Saving Ravensha from the flame engulfed village. Then me meeting Danny in my study.'

When I open my eyes, I see Danny crumpling to the ground. I fall to my knees, saying, " you loof, I was ready for what was to come." A battle engulfs us as tears fall down my cheeks. "look, just stay with me, ok, please don't go, just hang in there, ok. Dliehs renul." A shield of light surrounds us. I look down at him and say through my tears, "I'll be right back. Just don't leave me, ok, I'll fix this. You just can't leave me, please." I get up to walk out of the shield. I summon my sword without saying a word, I take the hilt in hand, start walking….faster…..faster….faster. I can feel the last crack start. If I can't end this now, my family with have more to worry about than enemy soldiers.