-Fira-
I woke with cold sweat; I couldn’t believe that Natalie would kill me.
‘It was just a dream,’ I kept telling my self, but I still couldn’t get over that prophecy, it sounded so familiar but so outrageous that Sisters of Ashen would kill one another. See you may not be blood related to them, but they are still you fire sisters. I couldn’t sleep the rest of the night, so I was tired in the morning.
“Are you ready?” Natalie asked.
“Yeah, so we’re going to travel south along the Habelo River down to the sacred grounds and cross over to Ashen. Got all that?” I decided not to tell Natalie about the dream, I just knew that it would bite my in the ass in the future but I still didn’t tell her. What a BIG mistake that was.
-Fira-
We started on our journey to the Sacred Grounds; we found the Jordan trail that lead to the Habelo River. Natalie was very quite this morning, I felt like she was hiding something from me.
“Natalie, are you okay; you’re being really quiet?” I said turning to her on my horse.
“I had a really weird dream last night, it kinda freaked me out; and it kept me up most of the night. But other than that I’m fine.” She made me think of my own dream, what if it was the same one. What if I killed her this time? I just had to know, but what if it turned bad, what if I shouldn’t need to know?
“What exactly did you dream about?” I asked cautiously.
“Well it was dawn the sun was just rising over the hills. I was a meadow, but I wasn’t the only one there. I was surrounded by women, some had spears, some swords, and even cross bows. They all had shields, as if they were ready for a fight. However, I wasn’t scared; I felt a sense of peace and comfort. I also had a weapon, a sword. The most beautiful sword I’ve ever seen, it was glass, like that pure glass that makes light bend in its own way for you. It had some yellow or golden liquid inside of it. Then I sensed an enemy, it poured pure evil. But as soon as it emerged from the trees, I woke up; I didn’t even get to see what it was.” She said looking a little embarrassed.
“Well that would bother me too.” I said feeling kinda guilty.
“Well, we better hurry up I want to be at least half way down the trail before sunset.” We talk a little the rest of the way there, but not about any body’s dreams.
“The sun is almost touching the hills, we should probably start to set up camp.” I said stopping my horse.
“Yeah, Fira is it true that the Die Zeitlos are as old as the Eternal Flame itself?” Natalie asked out of the blue.
“Some legions say that they created the Flame, others say the Flame created them. Why?” I said kinda confused.
“I’m just scared, the Ageless Ones are so powerful and…and….. wait…do you hear that?” She asked, looking around.
“What are you……Do you mean that clicking sound?” I said moving closer to her.
“Yeah, what monsters surround the Jordan trail?”
“The only ones I know are the Ice throwers. Their approaching, get down.” I was ready for a fight, I could already feel the adrenalin hit my muscles; tightening and clinching them, and then you’ll never guess what happened.
“Hello, is anyone out there?” It sounded like a man. I looked up.
“What do you want?” I had my mind shields up and fire ready to strike at any time.
“I am a Blitzman. I bring you no harm I swear.” By the way, if you swear then your powers are bound to that agreement, no matter if it 100 days or 100 years your powers stick to it.
“I’m not going to ask again, what do you want?” I was getting agitated.
“I want a lot of things like money, power, women, and respect but for right now I settle with traveling with you.” He sounded very cocky and a little overconfident.
“Why do you want to travel with us?” I said calming down and dismissing the flame.
“Well I couldn’t help but hear your conversation, and I have some unfinished business with the De Zeitlos that needs to be taken care of. You can trust me.” Well he was right I could trust him, he did swear. The only thing I was scared of was the fact that he had unfinished business with the De Zeitlos, but I dismissed that; what another big mistake that was.
“All right you can travel with us. So why are you in the human world?” I said sitting down and trying to bore holes in his eyes. Not literally thought.
“I’m in the human world because I was always taught humans were to be respected and to not be harmed in any way, but my Dad thought not and he spoke out. So I came here to see if the humans were really worthy of the respect we give them.”
“And are they?” The people of Blitz are very calm people they respect everyone and everything in both realms, their kinda like monks.
“I don’t really know as soon as I got to earth I was thrown in to some intense studies about the history of humans and my people.” It sounded a little false but I let it pass.
“Hmmm; oh I’m so sorry, I forgot to ask your name.” I said adjusting in my seat.
“My names Tod zu Allen.” That name sounded familiar, like it registered in the back of my but I can’t name where I exactly heard it. It felt like something from the past but the memory would not let me pass through it; it was like a mental block. But what frightened me the most was that when he said his name, my heart hurt like somebody shot an arrow through it.
“Fira are you okay?” Natalie’s voice brought me out of my whirlwind of thought.
“Huh? Oh, yeah; I was just lost in thought. So what were you saying again?”
“I was just saying what time are we getting up in the morning.” Tod said sitting down also.
“At 6:00 am; or is that to early for you?” Yes I was trying to make demoralize him, to make him feel challenged for some reason.
“Nope, perfect” I hinted a little hostility in his voice.
“Okay let’s get some sleep.” I unrolled my sleeping bag and laid down. I was really trying to go to sleep but Tod just kept slipping in to my mind. He was tall ‘bout 5 ‘6’ with hair the color of wheat, his eyes an almost orange color. He was dressed in kaki pants, hiking boots, and a black long-sleeved shirt. Even I had to admit he wasn’t ugly. I don’t know why but I was thinking about him when I fell in to the comforting void of sweet sleep.
-Fira-
Comforting void were not the right words, endless void was more like it. I was running, and running, and running to no end. Also I didn’t know what I was running from either, but I just knew that I had to run, I knew that my life depended on it. SMACK! I ran face first into gosh knows what.
“Ugh, what the heck was that?” I said. I looked up to see a marble statue of some girl; I could see that she was very beautiful. At the bottom of the statue was a name ‘Leben’, it did not have the name of the sculptor. And right before my eyes the statue was changing, color washed the statue from head to toe. The statues hair was the color of deep rich bark of a tree, her eyes velvety purple undulation in constant motion, he lips were full and the color of plums, and her skin…was the color of brown mocha that shimmered when she walked. This was the most beautiful statue I’ve ever seen. Then the statue’s foot stepped of it’s pedestal and on to the hard wood floor, then the next foot followed.
“Thank the lord; I’ve been cooped up in that marble for centuries.” Okay, statues usually don’t do this but this is a dream so just go with it.
“Who are you and why are you in my dream?” Yes, I’m talking to a statue. Deal with it.
“Oh, I sorry hun. I’m Leben and I’ve come to warn you. A dark evil is coming, stronger than any other that you or anyone has ever faced. That prophecy will come true if you don’t heed this warning; evil lurks close, stay on you toes and never let your guard down and the second you do, you and Natalie will fall.” She was walking back to her pedestal.
“What evil? Who lurks close? Don’t go I need your help!” I was getting desperate. The statue stopped in its tracks and turned around to face me.
“I’m not leaving; I’m always in the flame you hold so dear.” Then she faded away as the last remnants of her sweet southern bell accent caused me to wake.
-Fira-
Once again I woke with a cold sweat, it was daytime the sun was about to rise.
“Natalie, time to get up!” Lord she could sleep through a snow storm.
“Noooo………..” She turned over and covered her head with her arm.
“Come on its tim……….Natalie where’s Tod?” I swear if he cleaned us out, I’m going to kill him!
“He’s right…..where we don’t know where he is” She said after turning around and seeing his empty neatly folded sleeping bag.
“Yeah, did you hear anything in the middle of the night?” I said getting flustered.
“Hey ladies, what’s up?” Tod said from behind me.
“What’s up? Where were you?” I said turning around and standing up.
“I couldn’t sleep so I got up and was looking around and I found a waterfall. Any one up for a swim?” He said checking Natalie out.
“NO!” Natalie and I said together.
“We need to start packing and get going.” How could he be thinking of swimming when we need to get going.
“Well I’m tired of you bossing Natalie and I around.” I’m getting sick of him very quick.
“Well I’m the leader and if you don’t like it you can get you stuff and go face the De Zeitlos alone.”
“Well, how bout’ we brawl?” Hmmm, if he wants to brawl we’ll brawl.
“Let’s go, bring it!” Blood will be spilled to night.
“No, we will not fight.” Natalie was yelling at us.
“Natalie; I’m the leader, no one will ever challenge me and walk away with all their limbs. His blood will saturate the ground tonight!” Oh just so you don’t think I’m a complete weirdo, if you challenge any type of leader and/or official is worse than killing their family. Their challenging you mind, soul, power, respect, and your dignity. And a challenge is where if you hit the opponent with three fatal strikes then they lose and if they challenge you ever again then it’s a fight to the death; and a challenge can temporarily break a promise.
“Fira please stop! Tod take it back!”
“No I’m tired of her!” He’s a dead man!
“On three! One! Two! Thr……..” Before my eyes the sun turned red and time seemed to stop in its tracks.
“Fira, stop this. Enough blood has been spilt on these grounds.” That voice sounded so familiar.
“Who is this? And why do you want me to stop, he challenged me!”
“I am Leben, you need my help.”
“I do not need your help! I’m strong enough to defeat him and any one who challenges me!”
“I’m not here to help you with your powers, Fira, I’m here to help control you emotions and to prevent the prophecy from happening. His time is not now, neither is yours. You need to hold the flame of your anger.”
“But when is the right time to fight?”
“When all else fails, the blue flame will appear; and then it will be time to fight.”
“Alright, now leave.” The sun turned back to it’s normal color and time moved on.
“Fira, please don’t do this.” Natalie was crying now.
“Alright, we will not fight; only because you are my sister.” This is going to kill me.
“Oh, so now you’re scared.”
“Shut up!” He is such a loser.
“Thank you, Fira. Now Tod it’s your turn, take the challenge back!”
“Okay, I take it back. Only because I don’t want to hurt you.” Once again, he is such a loser!
“Let’s get going”
“There you go again!”
“The sun is almost up, we are out in the open, and time is running out! What do you suggest we do?” Why is he trying to make me so mad?
“Control your anger, small one.”
“Okay, but he just makes me so mad!”
“Breath deep, hold the fire. Good, talk to you later.”
“Fira? Are you okay? You look a little out of it.” Natalie said.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Just breathe, Fira.
“What do we do now huh? What do you think Tod?” I said again.
“Let’s just get going.” He sounded defeated.
We started packing up our camp, and mounted our horses. I know what your thinking, and no their just normal horses, they are flame horses. FYI.
“So, um, Tod do you mind if Fira and I talked alone really quick?”
“No, I’ll go ahead a little.” Why was he nice to her, and not me? After awhile Tod was up ahead enough so we could talk without him hearing.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” What if she had another dream? I still hadn’t told her about the first one.
“I had another dream.” Shit.
“Okay, why are you telling me?”
“Because it’s still bothering me, and last time it helped when I told you about it.” She started her story.
“Okay, um; I was on a beach and the sun was setting and it was the most beautiful sunset I’d ever seen. You weren’t there…..but Tod was. He was sitting beside me on a cliff and he looked calm. I mean he just look too calm, like he was submerged in pure bliss. He said ‘Do you still miss her?’ And I have no clue who he’s talking about but I answered him ‘Yes, why did I have to defeat her though, we could have ruled together side by side.’ And he said ‘Natalie, she betrayed you, she defied you. Were you going to let her live with that.’ And at this point I still don’t know who we’re talking about ‘Yes I was; I’m feeling sad, distract me.’ And you will not believe what happened next; he said ‘Okay, DRAGON RISE!’ and a dragon rose out of the sea!
“Does Tod really have that kind of power? Who did I defeat? Fira, there are only tow places where you can reach the ocean; 1) In the forbidden lands, and you can’t get to the Forbidden Lands without going thorough the De Zeitlos palace. And 2) a cliff over the ocean is in Blitz Country and you can only get to it by going to the Mirror Room, inside the Blitz Castle. There’s never been a recording of a Fire Bringer in Blitz Castle; ever, not even before the War with Lightning and Fire. Fira, I’m so confused and scared, I don’t what I did or who I killed. What do you think?”
“I think you should finish telling me your dream and we’ll figure it out at the end. Okay?”
“Yeah, your right. Okay, after I saw the dragon, I realized it was stone. Then Tod said ‘I don’t have the power to bring it to life, but you do, will you give it to me?’ Then I heard a voice, it was not mine or Tod’s, so I looked around and the dragon had its eyes open, ‘Tod look!’ I yelled at the top of my lungs; and he was frozen. Not ice frozen but frozen in time, and the dragon called me to look at him. ‘Natalie, my name is Refait; I have come to warn you’ he said. ‘Of course all warnings are not certain, but this one will happen if you fall. Are you ready, now listen my little sprout,
“Ice holds then apart,
Fire holds them together,
Lightning will split them,
There are three.
The first, a fallen queen.
The second is a new.
The third is never seen.
Death is close.”
Fire holds them together,
Lightning will split them,
There are three.
The first, a fallen queen.
The second is a new.
The third is never seen.
Death is close.”
And I woke up.” She finished.
“Okay, let’s break it down line by line. The first was ‘Ice holds them apart.’ What does that mean?” This made me think of my dream. Me telling her my dream could answer most of her questions, but I will just tell her some other time, a better time.
“Do we know in the Ice province? Fira, what about Milo! Milo is an Ice Prov.” Milo was a childhood friend, we all grew up together.
“But Natalie, Milo is under the radar, no one knows where he is; how are we suppose to find him?” I remember Natalie had a crush on Milo in high school; maybe we should try to find him. Natalie really needs a distraction from . . . .
“FIRA!” Natalie broke me out of thought; she was crying and clutching her chest.
“What? What is it?” I said stopping my horse.
“The Heat Stone wearing out, I need a new one!”
“Okay, TOD! GET OVER HERE! Natalie get off your horse.” I was already off my horse and was helping Natalie off hers when Tod showed up.
“What’s going on?” He said so casually.
“Just help me get her off the horse. NOW!” He just stood there like and idiot! I got Natalie off her horse and on to the ground.
“Fire Return” I called to my Amulett.
“Oh, that’s much better” She was okay now.
“I recharged the stone; you’ll be okay for another week.” I said to her in relief.
“What was that all about?” Tod said casually.
“What was that all about? Why did you just stand there while she was in pain? I told you to help get her to the ground! What is wrong with you?” I was fuming.
“I’m sorry I panicked, my mom died of a heart attack and I thought that’s was what was happening. I’m sorry Natalie.” He was trying to make me feel pitiful for him, but what if that is what really happened. I would be a heartless moron; I guess I’ll just have to move along.
“It’s okay, she’s fine now. Natalie can you get on the horse again or do you want to stop for the day and rest. I’ll be fine with either one.”
“No, I’m fine I can just sleep when we stop to eat and eat on the road.” She looked a little nauseous.
“Okay, come on I’ll help you up.” Tod had already gone back to his horse. I helped Natalie onto her horse, got on mine and we started going again. Tod got a little ahead of us again.
“Fira, can we keep trying to decipher the dream?” Natalie was very eager to find out what it meant.
“Yeah, okay. So we think Milo is the ice, so what about ‘Fire holds them together’ maybe that talking about our fire how it connects us.” That seemed plausible.
“Okay that could be it.” Natalie continued. “What about lightning will split them? We don’t know any one from Blitz Country, do we?”
“What about Tod, he’s a Blitzman. Maybe it’s talking about him.”
“But he swore he would bring no harm to us, you can’t UN-swear he’s bound by soul laws. So, I guess we’ll come back to that one.” She continued, “There are three’ what does that mean?”
“I’m guessing that means three people, one with Ice which is Milo, one with fire which is us, and one with lightning and we don’t know who that is.” I said
“But there are two of us which makes four, not three.” She said
“What about the next lines then?” I said,
“It was ‘The first is a fallen queen’ that could be a queen who failed her country; ‘The second was ‘The second is new’ so that could be a baby that we have to find or someone who just discovered their powers; and then ‘The third is never seen’ that could be someone in hiding like a fugitive. So what do you think of my theory’s.” She sounded very confident and her theories were strong.
“What about the last one ‘Death is near’?”
“Fira can I ask you a question?” She sounded confused.
“Um, yeah. What is it?”
“You know the dragon in my dream, Refait. Is he my inner Helper, and if he is how do exactly work? Do you have yours yet?”
“Well, yes I have mine, Leben, and well the first of the Firecrest made a consult to help them in all kinds of ways, and when that Firecrest died Leben moved to the next person in the family, and every time one would die or they didn’t need her any more she would just move on to the next; all the way to me. If its not your time to do something they’ll stop you and hold you back, and they help you on your way to your destine place in the world; same thing for you and your family.”
“Oh, that really cool; what does Leben look like?”
“When you first see Leben she’s a marble statue with her hair pinned up and she has a sun dress on with African violets in her hair and a diamond necklace on, then color just comes out of nowhere like someone splashed her with a bucket of rainbows tears. Her skin is a deep mocha, her eyes are a purple as the flowers in her hair and the stone around her neck, and she didn’t have any shoes on.” Leben really was beautiful.
“Wow, you got an awesome human and I got a stone dragon with ever watching eyes. I wonder if Tod has one; what do you think.”
“I don’t really know what I think about Tod and his aid.” I’m still trying to figure out what his name means to me, I know it from somewhere; I just can’t remember.
“Well I’ll just ask him then. TOD! COME OVER HERE!” We could see Tod turning around to come over to us. He waved at us I didn’t wave back, but I know now that what she was about to do was a foretelling of something now one would see coming, Natalie waved back; but at that time I thought nothing of it. Tod approached us.
“Hey what’s up?” There is just something I don’t trust about him, maybe it’s the crooked smile he won us over with or those deceiving eyes of his; he reminds me of a snake.
“I was wondering what your aid looks like, will you tell me?” I could swear she was flirting with him. What a snake.
“Oh you mean Zerstörung; he takes the shape of a rhino with golden eyes.” Holy shiot; ZERSTORUNG! THAT MEANS DESTRUCTION!
“Wow, a rhino that’s a pretty powerful animal, not very wise though.” I said; I don’t really know if they are or not. Its just too funny to see him get mad.
“Oh, really, what about your aid” Knowing your opponents aid is an advantage to weaken their soul.
“I rather keep that to myself.” I don’t think I'll be telling him anything anytime soon.
“Oh, Fira stop being so mean; Tod hers is a woman named Leb. . . . .” I kicked her off her horse to shut her up.
“You jerk!” Natalie said getting back on her horse.
“Her names what?” I knew he wants to know, so he can take me down.
“Her names Leb….ana, she’s just a normal woman.” I said failing at improvising.
“A normal woman, just a normal woman?” Tod said,
“Yup; well how bout’ we get back on the rode.” I said getting ahead of them so I could avoid talking more about Leben. I mean he already knows she’s a woman and I don’t want him to know anything more. I just hope Natalie doesn’t tell Tod anymore about me, or worse Refait.
We were almost to the Habelo River when we saw a building in front of us, it turned out to be the Habelo River Tavern; all kinds of people from all over Ashen come here to refresh and drink their problems away. I could really use a drink right now; Natalie and Tod were behind me talking about their hobbies and other stuff I could nag her about.
“Guys, we’re coming up on a tavern; do you want to stop and rest awhile? They have boarding.” Watch Tod sleep with a complete stranger, I thought.
“Yeah, I am a little tired and hungry.” Natalie replied.
“Okay, I’ll pay for us; they have a stable over there. Natalie will you put my horse up? Tod give me some money.”
“Why?”
“Because I have Natalie’s money and I need your money to pay for you.” Duh.
“Whatever, here” He threw me some money.
“You don’t have to be so snappy about it” he continued to complain as I walked away into the tavern. There were Provs, people from the Forges, from Blitz Country, and some from the Earth Movers territory. I went to talk to the bartender.
“Where do you pay for the boarding?”
“Right here, missy.” The bartender smiled a black and crooked teeth smile at me.
“Don’t call me missy” I paid for the rooms and went to sit down when Natalie and Tod walked in giggling. Natalie came and sat down beside me when from out of nowhere a man came by and grabbed Natalie’s ass and just walked off.
“Oh, no you just didn’t.” Natalie walked over to him and SMACK! Natalie hit him with her balled fist; and the man fell back on to his buddies. I would help if she asked me to but it’s her fight.
“Hit him again, Natalie!” I cheered her on from the table as Tod brought our drinks; He been eyeing a cute blond over in the corner ever since he walked in and he walk over to talk to her. But when I looked back at Natalie she got him against a rafter but she didn’t hit him back; she kicked him in his stomach.
“You’re lucky I didn’t hit lower.” Natalie said with a smirk as he crumpled on the floor coughing.
“That should teach you a lessen, you jerk.” And Natalie walked back to the table. WHOOSH! A bottle flue past Natalie’s head and shattered against the far wall.
“What the hell!?” Natalie turned around and faced him; then she started throwing fire balls everywhere, but she wasn‘t getting anywhere near him. Every time she threw a ball he froze it with a quick flick of his wrist, he was no match for Natalie when she was this weak. So she abandoned that tactic and she ran up and started pounding on his face. BAM, BAM, BAM she just kept pounding him in the face.
“Natalie! That’s enough!” I flung myself at her; she would kill him if I didn’t keep her off of him. I got in the middle of them to hold Natalie back.
“I’m so sorry for that, she can get a little hot headed; although you did deserve some of that. Go sit down Natalie! What’s your name?” I said breathing heavily,
“Milo.”
“Milo, I’m so . . . . . . wait do you mean Milo Christian, from Ice Provence?” I said hopingly. What are the chances that we would meet in a Tavern in the middle of nowhere?
“How do you know that? Do I know you?” he said,
“Oh my gosh, it is you. I can’t believe you don’t recognize us; Fira and Natalie Firecrest. We went to school together.” I can’t believe we found him, maybe he knows something about the prophecy.
“No way, Fira? what have you been up to lately?” He said while giving me a hug in a friendly way.
“Nothin’ really; hey Natalie come over here!” I called over to her.
“What?” Natalie said with a hint of hostility in her words.
“Do you recognize who this is?” I said,
“Some loser who doesn’t respect women.” She said.
“Well yeah that too but this is Milo Christen; from Ice Provence.” I was surprised that she didn’t recognize who he was.
“You’re kidding!” She said as she ran to hug him.
“Nope, How ya been Nata?” He was the only one she let call her Nata.
“No ones called me that in forever.” She said jokingly.
“So what brought ya’ll here?” Milo said. We told him everything; even about Leben and Refait.
“Speaking of which, where is Tod?”
“I don’t know, last time I saw him he was laughing at ya’ll in the corner by some pretty blond.”
“O.....kay, well I don’t know about you but I’m tired and I going to bed. Milo are you staying the night?” Natalie said.
“I will now.” He had a glint in his eye when he looked at Natalie.
“Hey, Milo why don’t you travel with us?”
“Umm . . . . Sure why not, where are we going and when do I get up in the morning?”
“We always leave at 6:00 am and I already told you where we’re going.”
“Oh yeah, good deal. I be up and ready.” And we all went to go to our room and catch some z’s.
anyway, a lot of times, people on this website use the enter key for dialog so it won't seem so clogged up. Also, the panda guy with the mohock is right. T.M.I. It's like spilling out information WAY to fast. Narrow it out in your story. Don't make it like a history book and have it tell you the definition right after you say it! Also, be more descriptive 
. LOVE YA!