Young Writers Society

Another nightmare haunted my sleep. This one was different.

The sky was dark, an evil lightless night. I was sitting high on a demonic black horse. My long black robes flowed around me, my face shadowed by an equally as black hood.

I felt a strange power within me, so strong and so dark.

I looked out from the dark cliff top; the landscape was burning before me. Anguished cries from those being defeated brushed my ears. I smiled; enjoying their pain like it was music to my ears.

I laughed a deep and evil laugh as everything and everyone perished before me.

I woke up in a cold sweat. This dream was new, but I didn’t like it any better than the others.

I got out of bed and leaned out my open window. The sun was just rising. I could sleep longer, but I didn’t want to go back to that dream.

I changed out of the clothes I fell asleep in. I felt disgusting; I hoped Nolen woke up early and brought water.

I struggled down the stairs and into the small washroom.

Thankfully, Nolen had brought water.

That’s a first. I thought.

I carried a bucket of cool water to the large polished wood tub and poured it in.

I got in and washed the dream away. This time when I got dressed I felt a lot better, even though I knew what I still had to go do today.

The soft cotton felt good around me. I tightened the leather belt around my waist, changing the cotton dress into a sort of blouse and skirt that ended just above my knees.

I walked barefoot into the kitchen to find a fresh pot of oatmeal hanging over the small fire in the stone hearth.

Everyone decided to get up early today.

I had just started in on the bowl of oatmeal when Christiana popped into the kitchen.

“Finally you’re up.” She exclaimed in relief.

I gave her a very confused look.

“We have to leave soon missy.” She scolded.

“Sorry.” I said with my mouth full of oatmeal.

“And your hair is wet too.” She complained.

‘Yeah, so.” I said, annoyed. I really just wanted to eat my oatmeal.

Christiana sighed and reconsidered a few things. “I guess it can dry on the way.”

She sat down across from me at the table.

“What’s the hurry anyways?” I asked.

“Your first trial is tomorrow.” She explained.

“Tomorrow!?!” I panicked. “It can’t be! I haven’t studied or anything! I don’t even know what it’s about!”

“Don’t worry Natura.” Christiana laughed. “We have all day to study.”

I rushed through the rest of my breakfast anyway and ran up the stairs to my room to grab the last of my bags.

I hurried back down the stairs and through our sitting room to the back door.

I fell out the back door in my rush and everything I had been carrying somehow ended up on top of me.

“Help.” I called pathetically.

I hear Haro’s familiar laugh. “Now Miss Natura, you are a little more coordinated that that.”

He lifted the bags off of me and carried them to the wagon attached to a very impatient looking Arian.

I got up and brushed myself off. I looked at the house and the herb garden in our yard as I walked slowly to the horses. It may be the last time I would be at my home for a while.

“Well Miss Natura,” Haro said to me, breaking me out of my thoughts, “this may be the last time I see you for a while. I will surely miss you at the shop, best of luck to you in the trials.”

“Thank you Haro,” I said as I hugged him.

“Well it looks like you are about to head off,” he noticed.

“I guess it does,” I said sadly.

I pulled myself into the saddle on Arians back and Alaster jumped on top of the bags in the small wagon behind me. Christiana pulled herself onto her horse beside me.

My parent’s led on their horses, Nolen was in the middle, and Christiana and I followed last.

I waved back at Haro and watched as we left my beloved little village of Parcel and headed into the forest to a place where my life was likely to change forever.

We were only a little ways out of the village before Christiana decided to start reading to me from one of my school books.

“Can’t we just enjoy the trip?” I pleaded.

“No. You have your trials tomorrow. We cannot waste time,” she argued.

I didn’t put up much more of a fight. Christiana would surely win.

I reluctantly listened, but only some. I mostly watched the river as we traveled.

We followed the Icarthian River, and my father informed us that we would keep following it until we arrived at the city.

It was a wide a clear river. Every once and a while a boat would slip by or we would pass children swimming along the bank.

“Natura,” Nolen called back to me, “do you know that only ten people from Icarthia will make it to the Academy?”

“Uh, yeah Nolen,” I said. “It said so on the acceptance letter.”

“Oh,” he said after a while, “Well did you know that the Ascensian Academy is on an island in the middle of the Great Lake?”

“Yes Nolen.” I said. I swear that boy was more excited than I was, which really wasn’t saying much.

We stopped only once in the afternoon to eat a lunch my mother so lovingly packed for us.

Nolen spent all of the morning talking about everything he knew concerning the Academy and the trials, and he continued to do so even after we stopped.

It would have been much better if he actually knew enough to talk that much about the Ascensian Academy and the Academy Trials, but he didn’t so he just kept repeating the same facts over and over again.

“Only ten people will make it through the trials.” Nolen told me for the seventh time.

This time Christiana responded, “We know Nolen. And we also knew it the first six times you told us.”

This quieted him and we were all glad.

The trip became decent for all of a few moments, then Christiana picked up the testing again.

“What was the name of the Guardian of Icarthia?” Christiana asked.

“Lady Reina.” I answered reluctantly. “I’ve told you Christiana, I know all of this.”

“Well then we are going to make sure you know it better.” She argued.

I scowled at her.

“What--” She started again.

“No! No more questions!” I shouted.

Christiana sighed. “Fine.” She agreed.

I smiled triumphantly.

Just when I thought I could relax for a while, Nolen ruined everything.

“I hear the city!” he shouted.

I sighed. Great.

Nolen started in on his Academy and Academy trials facts again.

Everyone groaned as if in pain which shut Nolen up quickly.

It was only a few moments until we came out of the forest and into the brightness of the city.

There was no possible way to be eased into the commotion. We were immediately thrown into the crowd of the City of Icarthia.

Everything was happening at once. Shops were open, children were running through the stone streets, women were chatting around people selling flowers and jewels, men were gathered around a man selling arrows, and the whole city seemed o be preparing for the trials.

Shop keepers made sure everything looked extra nice for the events. Long dark green cloths were hung from shop to shop and little bottles with sleeping fairies sitting in them hung from ropes strung in the same manner.

I noticed a few other families on horseback pulling loaded carts around like mine, and I knew they must be here for the trials also.

“Overexcited much?” Christiana muttered to me. I knew she would feel the same way when it came to how much of everything there was. Christiana was never one for crowds or commotion.

“Josia, which inn are we staying at!?” my mother exclaimed as we had passed about five on our way towards the center of the city.

“The Wooden Horseshoe, dear.” He said, exhausted. She had been asking about every specific since we left.

I looked around, trying to make out the names on the wooden signs hanging from the large wood and stone buildings.

“I see it!” Nolen pointed across the town square to a rather large inn on the other side.

We made our way carefully through the crowd to the inn. A small and rather round man greeted us out front. He seemed overly-stressed, but still greeted us warmly.

“Welcome to the Wooden Horseshoe.” He greeted. “We are certainly glad to be welcoming the participants in the upcoming Ascensian Academy Trials to our fine establishment. May I have your name so I can inform you of which room you will be staying in?”

“Josia Forrest.” My father told him.

He quickly checked his list and walked inside.

“Should we follow him?” Christiana asked.

“I don’t know.” I said, just as confused.

But before I could look to my father for the answer the round man was back.

“Here is your room key.” He said as he dropped a thin brass key into my father’s outstretched palm. “You may take your horses to our stable out back and head right into your room. I do hope you enjoy your stay.”

He hurried away to greet another guest that just arrived.

“Such a busy little man,” my mother commented, “maybe I should bring him so tea later.”

“Oh come on mother.” Nolen complained. “Don’t embarrass the family like that.”

A comment like that brings him a very hurt stare from my mother and a, you-better-watch-it look from my father.

“Sorry…” he said quickly.

We took our horses around the inn. The stable is a little run down but looked as if it should keep the horses comfortable. I put Arian in as good a stall as I could find.

“You stay here and relax Arian. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” I told him.

I grabbed my bags from the cart and headed in the direction I saw Christiana go.

As soon as I walk into the inn, though, I am completely lost. Christiana is nowhere to be seen in the crowd of people and I never thought to ask which room was ours.

So I was stuck standing in the middle of the crowded room looking like a fool.

I tried to peer above the crowd for Christiana’s colorful head. Not much luck there.

I still felt very foolish, but I needed to figure out where my family went. So I asked someone.

“Excuse me.” I said to a tall scraggly looking man.

“What?” he responded with little kindness.

“I’m sorry to bother you but have you seen a girl walk by here with strangely colorful hair and several unnecessary drawings on her? I asked hopefully.

“Maybe, if I did she probably went that way,” he pointed across the room, “to the only staircase to guest rooms there is in this place.”

“Oh well thank you sir.” I said, trying to sound grateful. Luckily he didn’t catch a few rude comments I added under my breath as I pushed my way through the crowd.

I forced my way to the staircase and to the next floor. I was greeted with a similar crowd there.

“Oh, great.” I complained loudly.

“Oh Natura you complain too much.” Christiana’s familiar voice teases from a room beside me.

I wondered what luck could have made this so easy.

“Not much business today I guess.” I said sarcastically as I threw my bags down and fell onto a bed.

“They’ve probably seen better days.” Christiana joked along with me.

We laughed together. I was so glad to be relieved of the tension of the city and the imminent trials for even a little while.

“Haha,you two are very funny you know.” Nolen said sarcastically from across the room.

‘Oh be quiet you.” Christiana said as she threw a big feather pillow at him. It promptly burst open and hundreds of tiny feathers floated through the room.

This sent Christiana into a fit of laughter. She was so loud I was sure everyone in the entire inn could hear her.

“Shush Christiana.” I said as I hit her with another pillow, sending more feathers into the air.

She wasn’t laughing anymore.

“Now it’s your turn.” She held a pillow, poised to strike.

I tried to hide behind a chair.

Christiana hurled the pillow towards me and I dodged it just in time. I turned to watch it explode against the wall.

We had stated a complete war now. Feathers were flying everywhere and the three of us were laughing so hard we could barely stand.

We didn’t stop until my mother entered the room.

“Okay I think it’s time to stop.” She announced loudly.

We froze, the last of the feathers floated slowly to the floor.

“Natura and Christiana, why don’t you two go out and explore the town.” She told us. “And Nolen, you can help me re-stuff these pillows.”

“Aw mom, I didn’t even start it.” He complained.

“Too bad, come on now start picking up these feathers.” My mother instructed.

Christiana and I hurried out of the room before she decided to recruit us too.