Elaana; Chapter 3

The Journey Begins

As dusk fell on the evening of the group’s departure, Elaana stood, with the other group members, by the side of the sleek-white unicorn, Lightening. Sky helped Elaana onto Lightening, and then to her surprise, easily jumped onto Lightening too. Kayara and Eric took the unicorn, Grey-tooth, while Hyun rode the last unicorn, Dagger, named for his sharp horn which was formed like a dangerously pointy knife. However, for riding purposes, Dagger’s horn had been shaved until it became safe and rounded. The unicorns had been bred with wings which flapped like those of angels, mysteriously as the sky darkened, it’s colors falling one on top of another. Once everyone was on board a unicorn, the magical creatures embarked the indigo sky. The ascent took mere seconds, and Elaana felt her dark brown hair whip back as her stomach hurdeled. It all took her breath away, and was like being on a roller coaster. She dug her nails into the first set of reigns and Sky into the second, his strong hands close to hers. Soon the unicorns were flying on a rather straight path through the sky which had grown colder the higher they flew. The night was marvelous and if Elaana peered below, she could see everything; the villages, with tiny lights in all the windows, the forests with dark trees and the sky scrapers in the cities. After about twenty minutes of flying, Sky yelled, “Descent after me!” He nudged Lightening’s head gently down and the unicorn complied, dipping down into the night like a jet spiraling to earth. Elaana’s stomach sunk inward and she screamed. Sky was laughing behind her and screamed too. They all descended finally, one after another in what seemed to be a clearing near a village. They were quiet now, as they took the reigns off the unicorns, which moved their limbs in relief. Lightening nuzzled against Lana’s cheek. She affectionately patted his nose and muttered, “Good job.” He happily whinnied his response.

“We will stay at this village, tonight. Our unicorns will be left here while we travel into the City of Magic. There will meet with the Council of Witches and Wizards to speak of further plans as Headmaster Waldencott has asked of us,” Sky said. Elaana was excited to see what the City of Magic looked like. She had heard of witches and wizards from her friends at the academy, but had never actually seen them.

After the unicorns were left with Mr. Green, the village’s animal doctor, the group was left to enjoy the free time that was allotted to them, until the morning trek through the forest connecting the village and the city would take place.

“I say we visit a pub!” Eric shouted. Lana had never been to a pub, and thought she was too young, but Eric grabbed her merrily and said she certainly was not, not in this town and she smiled back following the young lad into Ye Old Tavern.

Sky’s cheek reddened in jealousy, but he tried to conceal it with a friendly smile when Lana cheerfully asked, “Are you coming then?” They sat together, sipping Honey Brew, which was tasted sort of like root beer, Lana thought. She was glad that it contained no alcohol. The people at the tavern were all simple folk, dressed in long taffeta dresses and old-fashioned looking suits. The danced giddily about the pub, often tripping about and falling on their arses. Eric laughed, nudging Kayara, “Look at that old buffoon,” pointing out a fellow who had tripped over a banana split and was wallowing in a puddle of liquor. However, Kayara was deep in conversation with Hyun about fighting techniques.

Just then, a funny looking man in green garb, faintly reminding Lana of a leprechaun approached their table. “Won’t you lot dance tonight,” he sung, grabbing Kayara from where she sat, trying to engage her in a some strange boogie he had invented on the spot. Hyun grabbed her back, “Oh no you don’t creep,” he ordered, setting Kayara back on her stool. But the little man was adamant. Lana was next. He took her by the wrist and sent her swinging to the other side of the room, where another man swiftly dose-doed with her. Eric was about to get up and bring Lana back to safety, but Sky said no man, he’d do it. Sky blended in with the crowd, and quickly made his way to Lana.

“May I ask your hand in a dance?” he enquired, politely.

“Of course,” she answered.

The two danced merrily in the pub. Soon Hyun and Kayara joined in. Eric was left sulking. He sipped his bottle of Honey Brew down to the dregs. He fancied Elaana and had a good feeling Sky did too. But Eric knew his chances with her were slim, and looked around the room, for other opportunities for entertainment. There were many other girls at this pub, but they were dressed in strange fluffy dresses, as Eric liked to call them but they did not look as pretty as Elaana.

The smoky dark yellow lights of the tavern suddenly went off with a loud, “Bang!” It was pitch black and Lana smelled burning. Even beyond that she heard gunshots. Sky was screaming, “Evacuate the building…Evacuate the building!!” and was somehow ushering people out Elaana groped about the dark searching for human contact. She found someone and prodded him…or her in the what seemed to be their stomach. It was none other than Eric. He grabbed her wrist rather efficiently considering the conditions and voiced the command, “Follow me.” Elaana clung to his arm as he pulled her out of the tavern as several more gunshots sounded. They hid in the bushes behind the tavern with the other villagers who had begun to flee. Inside the tavern, men and women laid dead. Elaana hoped that Kayara, Hyun and Sky were safe. Noticing she had a head ache, Lana pressed her hand against her forehead. “You alright?” Eric asked kindly. Lana replied yes, but the aching did not stop. Thoughts were coming in Sky’s voice. “Where’s Lana?,” Sky was thinking. Lana could feel his thoughts vibrating through her entire body like a powerful presence. This must be one of her powers, she thought. However, she couldn’t use this gift all the time, but for now, it led her to believe that Sky was okay. He emerged from the tavern which had begun to crumble as a result of gunshots which were fired on the roof. The taverns shackles spilled down sloppily. Many attended to those who were injured, taking them into the forest, away from the destruction. The enemies were made evident by the fire which was slowly consuming the tavern. Almost everyone was out, but a toddler’s wail could be heard from inside. The toddler, named Teddy, by his parents was in danger. A log was on fire and stood menacingly in front of him; the fire threatening to lick him into sheer bits. A man stood blocking the entrance. His hair was brown and nicely cut. If it was not for his evilness, Lana would have sworn he was handsome, but as he stood there blocking the pathway to the toddler, he took of the visage of the devil himself. Sky lunged at the man, meaning to push him aside with one swift blow, but the man met him in strength and shoved him back into the nearby bush. The man was Luke from Lana’s class. She gasped once she realized this. Wanting to help Sky, she begin to step forward, but Eric held her back. “I’ll go,” he answered, holding her back with his arm. He urged her to stay put, while he advanced. But there was more men like Luke, a whole ninja tribe. Soon Hyun emerged from the bushes and the fight grew to a battle, the smoke steadily rising in the midnight air. It was the Dark Sorceress’s ninja’s vs. Headmaster Waldencott’s army. Both teams were equally strong and quick and the fight was something else to watch. Elaana could not take sitting around anymore. She emerged quietly carrying a large stick she had found. She swiftly ran to the tavern and lit the stick on fire. “Not so fast buddy,” a ninja took her by the shoulder and whipped her around. He violently pushed the stick away from Lana onto the ground, where it continued to burn. By now the village police and firemen had arrived and where trying to stamp out the fire. No one blocked the entrance anymore. Sky sneaked into the tavern and pushed the log away. The toddler, Teddy, crouched in the corner. His parents had abandoned him in a rush to get outside. Teddy stopped screaming once he saw Sky. Sky gently picked him up and made his way outside, where he noticed, Luke the ninja harassing Lana. “Wait over there,” Sky told Teddy pointing the young boy in the direction of Kayara. Sky would show Luke a piece of his mind. He picked up the burning stick and took a hard whack at Luke’s backside with it. Luke screamed in agony. His butt was on fire. Frantically, he tried to take his pants off, but his hands burned too much. Sky, Lana and the rest of the group stood back laughing. Teddy giggled, clutching Kayara’s hand.

Fortunately, the police had been able to round up the rest of the ninja’s and they would be sent to the underground jail on Jarhead Island. The charms placed on Jarhead would disallow them from breaking out, and the fairies would do their best to insure that they were turned inside out and made better men.

As they walked Teddy home, the little boy was excited and looked up at Sky with wonder. “You were like pow-wow-wow- Boom! And he was a goner!” Teddy proclaimed. “I wanna be just like you when I grow up,” he said, swinging Sky’s hand back and forth in his own as he walked. He held Elaana’s hand as well, and walked between them. Sky paused and took Teddy’s little fist and opened it. The kid had the mark which was unusual for a child in these small old-fashioned villages as most of them were just simple folk. He showed Elaana and whispered to her what he had just discovered about Teddy. Teddy continued to bounce happily down passing the village which had awoken to the disaster that had just occurred. Many people had stepped out of their houses wondering about the commotion. Some wondered where their loved ones had gotten too. Teddy’s mom was one of these people. She had tears in her eyes and looked pale with worry until she spotted her little son, walking with the teen warriors.

“Teddy!” she squealed.

“MOM…Sky saved my life. He’s a warrior!” he exclaimed, eager to show off his new friend. Sky simply smiled at Teddy’s mom Molly.

“Teddy must have escaped from his bed and wandered into the tavern. He’s been looking for his dad. Unfortunately, Mr. Wendel was lost in battle last year on a secret mission. Teddy refuses to believe it and thinks his pa is probably just in the tavern sometimes. I have such trouble with him because he’s always running away. Thank god he’s safe. Thank you so much,” Molly expressed her gratitude, squeezing Sky’s shoulder.

“Mr. Wendel was a warrior?” Sky asked politely. “Yes, and a rather good one. And he’s not the only one,” she beamed at her son who was engaged with Legos, Earth toys imported from New York City. “He doesn’t know it yet but one day once this world is safe again…” she sighed contently looking out the window. After Eric proclaimed that he was exhausted and the group had no wear to go for the night, Molly insisted that they stay in the guest bedroom which was spacious enough to fit them all somehow. The girls slept comfortably on the bed, and the boys laid sprawled about on the floor. Because it was late, most of the group immediately fell asleep, but Lana lay awake, head on her elbow. She still couldn’t believe that Luke had been a ninja and wondered what had become of him. After a while of restless pondering, Elaana blacked out, too exhausted to think anymore. When she opened her eyes again, dawn had broken.

In the village, there was much to do even before breakfast. The cows had to be milked and the girls were sent to the well to fetch water. Sky did not want to be late for the council meeting which was supposed to be held later that day in the city, so he thanked Molly for her kindness in keeping them, and after a nice breakfast of toast and eggs, the group set off through the Gold Forest on foot. The Gold Forest connected the small villages from the City of Magic. It was named for the golden hues the trees gave off when the sun’s rays hit the bark. The group trekked through the brambles, trying to keep up with Sky who hiked swiftly. The barely stopped to drink or pause until a little after noon, when the sun shone overhead. The wood was sparkling. They sat by the edge of a small spring under the shade of a large willow tree eating berries and sandwiches. After about a half an hour, Sky insisted they push onward, although the group lamented that their thighs were aching. However, Sky would not give up and they reached the outskirts of the city by as night was beginning to settle. One by one, stores and shops began popping up and the trees disappeared. There were several houses, but they were like the buildings and climbed up into the sky like Earth apartments. Although the sun was setting, there were so many lights, from the buildings and billboards, that one forgot the time. Sure looks like New York City, Lana thought, but soon realized that the City of Magic had its differences. First of all, pedestrians were not clad in the latest fashions, but were draped in deep blue, black or purple robes. The witches wore pointy hats, giving the city the feel of Halloween, to Lana. But this was the city Sky had known his own life. Unlike her, he had been born in Our World. His feet pressed down on the all too familiar pavement. After walking for a couple blocks, Sky commanded the group to stop. They stood in front of a large building with golden oak doors. The outsides gleamed as if boasting that they had just been cleaned, and the inside was no different. They walked quietly through the double doors of the building following a man who introduced himself as Rudolph. Pitter-patter..their footsteps echoed loudly against the walls of the empty hall they were in. They walked to the left down a staircase into another room where the council members sat in a semicircle around the Mayor of the City of Magic, the Minister of Our World, and the rest of the minister’s cabinet. It was like being at court, only witches, wizards, warriors, goblins, and several simple folk gathered and talked openly amongst themselves, until one lady, who Lana later found out was Countess Burgher ordered the room to be silent. By then the group had found seats in the back row of the hall and were sitting nervously, biting their nails and chewing their lips, silently promoting Sky as spokesman if the opportunity arose.

“Silence!” screeched Countess Burgher. Moments later the minister began to speak, “Er hem.” He coughed into his microphone. “It seems that our world and Earth is in grave danger. We are meeting today mostly to create a plan to defeat the Dark Sorceress.” The minister coughed again this time more loudly. His throat was aching and his back was killing him. He was growing old, and although he was revered for his ministering talent among the people of Our World, he feared his term would soon be over. “The warriors will be an integral part in defeating the Dark Sorceress,” he continued, glancing at where Sky and the rest of the group sat sheepishly. “They have traveled here from the academy to meet with us. Let us all welcome the Good Academy Warriors!” he said, beaming up at the group, who stood up know as if on cue. The group members smiled politely and shook hands with those who surrounded them. Some of the council members were in awe that teenagers were taking on the Dark Sorceress.

A reporter from the Weekly Wicked thrust a microphone into the minister’s face. “Do you really think that a group of teenagers is capable of taking on the Dark Sorceress?” he inquired. The minister replied confidently, “They are the only option.” Later, he explained why he thought so, pulling out a long scroll from under his desk. “What I have here is the ancient scroll written by Scaurgon the Great, the minister of Our World centuries ago. It is written in the ancient symbols, “The one to defeat the Dark Sorceress will be a fierce warrior. She will pierce the Dark Sorceress in the heart with the royal diamond. It will be with the lost warrior whose soul has escaped him in the Island of the Dark.” The council members were puzzled, but many cast a sidelong glance at Lana and Kayara. Lana’s skin had begun to burn, and her palms grew sweaty. After the meeting had commenced, Sky, Kayara and Lana were called forward by the minister. “Take this scroll with you. The fate of two worlds depends entirely on one of you, “ he spoke his crystal blue eyes directed towards Lana and Kayara. Lana shivered, glancing at Kayara. Kayara had a feeling she was not meant to murder the Dark Sorceress and it was up to Lana, but she could not be so sure. Her doubts became more clear as she scrutinized the scroll that night under the white desk light at the hotel table. The picture of the girl piercing the Dark Sorceress had long wavy hair and a long nose, unlike her medium length hair and her Asian features. The girl looked like Lana. Kayara could not help but burning in envy for the opportunity she had lost to Lana, a newbie to Our World, but at the same time, she had grown close to her friend and meant her no harm. She only wished, as she lie in bed slowly drifting to sleep, that she could be the heroine and slay the enemy.

The group would have to travel to the Island of the Dark, that was for sure, but the part about the warrior whose soul had escaped him confused him, and where to find him was even more confusing. They would have to do some snooping around to find out who the missing man was that held the sacred diamond. In the city of magic, there was an old scroll reader by the name of Sir Spurlunky. In the morning, Lana and Sky set off with the scroll to Spurlunky’s residence, leaving the other three in the spacious and luxorious hotel. Although it was still early, around eight o’ clock, the city was already alive with witches and wizards, walking quickly, some with brief-cases in their hands on their way to work. Some sat sipping coffee on the benches, charming the coffee to cool it down a little, or flicking a meandering pidgeon away with a snap of their wands. It really was a lively magical city, but as they hurried along the sidewalks lining the cafes and shops, soon enough the atmosphere became considerably gloomier. “This place seems shady,” Lana noted, noticing dark looking wizards sulking in the street corners. The buildings were dirtier-looking and unkempt. Sky squeezed her hand tighter and muttered, “Keep close, we are almost there.” She obeyed and soon they were walking up a tiny stoop into a ramshackle building with a sign on the board, “Spurlunky’s Scroll Reading- Open.”

“Hello there!” Sky boomed in a loud voice.

“Come in…” Spurlunky croaked from a back room.

The front room was empty except for a smelly rug, a sofa and a few other appliances, but the back room was littered with musty scrolls which sat on shelves which lined the entire room. Spurlunky sat at a wooden desk. He looked as old as the scrolls himself and sported a grey beard which he stroked thoughtfully as he observed the scroll Sky and Lana had brought.

“Now, this scroll refers to a woman warrior,” he said, “You,” pointed a finger at Lana.

“My dear you are faced with the almost impossible task of taking on the Dark Sorceress. According to the scroll, she must be pierced with a diamond found on the neck of the warrior whose soul has escaped him. This scroll has been written by the Prophet Draconen. He lived on the Island of the Dark for a hundred years and when he died this scroll was passed on to his son, Draconen Jr. who passed it on to I presume, the minister, who in turn, lent it to you two.” He finished taking a deep breath. The wise man stroked his beard again, “Hmm hmm. You wanted to know about the soulless warrior.”

He began again, speaking kindly but in earnest, “A few years ago the Dark Sorceress was said to have started planning her attack. An army of warriors, like yourselves, was sent to kill her, but they turned crazy.” Lana trembled. “I mean, absolutely ludicrous. And they were locked up somewhere, presumably in a jail somewhere on the island. I’m not one hundred percent sure. Since then the council has been wary about sending warriors. But with the proof of this scroll…” He spoke gravely, “Let me just say, my dear, your fate has been sealed. You will either be a hero or will become a raving madwoman.” Lana could not stop shaking. The old man certainly knew how to scare her. “Don’t worry, Lana. I’ll be with you the whole time.” Sky assured her, but Lana still feared the worst.

Sky and Lana left from Spurlunky’s thanking the old sage with a silver token for his help. They returned to the hotel where they explained what they had just learned to the others as they sipped tea. “That’s absurd,” Kayara whined, “The council expects us to defeat this crazy lady. What if we turn loony ourselves??” Hyun put his hand on hers. The group realized that this was a grave situation they were in and did not have much enthusiasm to begin the journey. However, Sky had confidence in Lana especially since he, himself would be there to see that she was successful. “We leave tomorrow to the Island of the Dark,” he said and his word was the final one.

They would take be traveling by boat leaving at port Magic to the island. Using a magic box would be too obvious, because the Dark Sorceress could monitor their behavior in that way. The boat was a luxury steamer that brought family members of prisoners to visit them on Jarr Island. The Island of the Dark was located a mere ten miles from Jarr Island so it would be possible for the group to take a smaller, less conspicuous boat to their goal destination.