The Legacy

The meetings that followed, dragged on by long passing hours and still they didn’t have anything that was close to framing a solid plan. She didn’t know Zorzia as well as the others did but she knew enough to know that she was in over her head. Kain might have the power of the deities on her side but Zorzia was experienced with her powers. Zorzia wasn’t emotionally attached to someone or something which makes her the stronger opponent.

Kain kicked a pebble as she made her way to the centre of the camp. All the rebelling fae believed in her. That was what made Kain worry the most. What if she disappoints them instead of doing what they claim she’s supposed to do? What if she lets them down and gets more of them killed, slaughtered like cattle in a butchery? Kain snorted, Bleeder of magic, one of the Seven! What a joke she was. By the honour the other fae announces the title given to her, Kain wasn’t so sure that she deserved it. There was no way she would be able to live up to the responsibility that the title demanded of her. She felt the weight of it all pushing down on her shoulders, weighing her down and she wondered how long it would take before she caves in underneath the pressure of it all. The others are supportive enough, but she wondered if it was all just an act, a mask that they put on to hide that they doubt her as much as she doubts herself. She needs to prove to them who she could be but how does she do that when she doesn’t even know who she’s supposed to be?

The soft lullaby of a flute reached her ears with a friendly tune that embraced her gently. She focused her eyes on the warm glow of a campfire that flickered just between the dark trees. Kain made out the sound of laughter and loud chatter followed by the low thump-thump of a drum and a gentle stroke from a harp. Kain rounded a few trees, walking closer towards the fire, following the quiet fae tune. She almost walked into some of the fae that milled around. They turned and smiled at her before they went back to their friendly conversations. Some of the fae played around, throwing each other with what looked like sparkling water balloons or chasing each other around the bonfire. Some of the fae even danced gracefully to the soft lullaby that seemed to set the mood.

Kain watched a small group of fae sitting underneath a willow tree, lit by fireflies. They were the source for the lullaby. Each had different instruments which they all played harmoniously together. Kain had just enough time to duck to the side when a couple of fae came running towards her, laughing as they ram past and teasing each other around the trees. She shook her head, a smile unconsciously crawling onto her lips. “Kain!” she heard someone calling from the shade of the fire.

Kain watched the bonfire. The flames were high enough that it almost looked like it was licking the stars. She remembered how a strange face appeared out of the fire back at the Academy. She still didn’t know if she was only imagining it or if it really happened. A shadow moved out from behind the fire, making Kain freeze. It took some time but eventually the shadows face became visible enough for her to realize that it was just Alocius. He came stumbling towards her, smiling widely. “Join us?” he offered, extending his free hand towards her. His other hand curled around a wooden-carved cup. Kain frowned slightly, her smile tugging at her corners again. She couldn’t quite tell for sure, but she could almost swear that it sounded like Alocius had a slur in his words. She glanced towards the fire swiftly before taking his hand and allowing him to lead her towards the others.

The others sat on tree trunks half-way buried in the ground by years of rain and mossy growth. The moss seeming alight as it reflected the flicker of the flames. “Kain!” Ciara greeted, patting a space beside her on the stump for Kain to sit, “we were wondering if you’d show up,” she added watching Kain make her way to the stump. “What’s all of this?” Kain asked. Ciara followed Kain’s gaze towards the laughing fae who stood with either wooden cups or wooden plates with an assortment of fruits in their hands. Kain had no idea that there was so many of them.

Ciara squeezed Kain’s knee, her claws gently scraping against Kain’s skin, “it’s just something we fae like to do. We have a much closer sense of friendly gatherings than humans have. We do this often. Staying up late and just laughing and talking, dancing and singing the hours away,” she explained, her warm smile illuminated by the fire light.

Kain stared around wearily. The sounds around her were quiet but at the same time the joy that followed it was loud. “Won’t Abbadon’s hunting parties hear us? I’m almost positive that he’s looking for us,” Kain asked, moving her worried gaze towards Ciara. Ciara shook her head, “the barriers around the camp keeps humans from hearing or seeing us. We are safe here Kain. I promise.” Ciara gave Kain a reassuring smile as she squeezed Kain’s knee once more. Then Ciara giggled, “now enjoy the festivities. We need to let some of the stress go and just laugh a little. Like I said. We fae are accustomed to having feasts and just laughing and dancing all night. We worry about our problems again the next morning.”

Burbor sat down on Ciara’s other side, a low grumble vibrating in his throat, “usually we feast only with our own kind and those on our side of the Mountains. Not with those from the other side of the mountain boarders!” he said with a glare towards Alocius who gulped down his cup of fluids without any obvious notice that he heard Burbor’s jab. “Oh, hush up my love. We are all on the same side here. We all want the same things,” Ciara cooed, placing a kiss on his cheek before taking his wide chin between two black claws, squeezing it a little as she forced him to look at her. “We are at a truce here and in no one’s territory,” she added with a stern raise of her eyebrow. Burbor sighed, glaring at Alocius once more, “doesn’t mean I have to like him,” he said before kissing Ciara on her forehead.

Kain caught herself being wonderstruck by their small display of affection. She noticed too late that she was staring. Kain cleared her throat and looked away, her stomach taking a dive and staying there. She realized with an ache in her heart that she longed for one last moment, one last kiss, with Gavin. Just to have his arms around her once more with his hand squeezing her light curls. Her hair always looked like blood when he let them fall between his fingers as he dragged his hands along the length of her strands. Kain closed her eyes, whishing that he was here, crushing her against his chest one last time. When she opened her eyes again a sting of tears threatened the corners of her eyes. She cleared her throat and forced the longing thoughts to the back of her mind. She was not going to allow herself to cry in front of everyone.

“I thought fae can’t handle harsh chemicals,” Kain said, wiping a thumb underneath her nose, “like alcohol,” she added pointedly at Alocius. Ciara frowned at Alocius for a moment as they watched him drain yet another cup, then shook her head. “Alocius isn’t a plant. Only the plant fae and the fae closest to earth can’t handle harsh chemicals. Although, moonshine isn’t made from alcohol. At least not in the fae world. But I guess it still has the same nasty effects,” Ciara explained.

Kain stared at the cup in Alocius’s hand, “moonshine?” she asked bewildered. “Moonshine in the fae world is made from moonflowers. It’s considered a delicacy in Iridis,” she snorted before adding, “but use the moonflowers wrong and it can easily become a deadly poison. Iridis has a strong opinion about sharing their moonflowers because of it. Both options really. You see, moonflowers can only grow in the coldest of terrains and there for can’t grow anywhere except in Iridis.”

“The white elves love their damned moonshine!” Burbor growled underneath his breath in agreement. Kain watched Burbor with curious eyes for a while. He was an interesting fae to her. It was the way he talked or perhaps it was the way he seemed to see the world. “You mentioned something about a…mountain border was it? Is that in Ovanhail?” she asked, scooting forward until she sat on the edge of the stump, her elbows resting on her knees as she leaned forward.

There was a flash of a spark in Burbor’s eyes, “Aye it is,” he said, turning sideways to face her but also to turn his back on Alocius. The red gleam in his eyes startled Kain momentarily before she realized that the light from the flame reflected in his eyes like it does with animals. He was half animal so it shouldn’t have come as a shock to her. “So, what’s on the other side of the border?” Kain asked, hoping they didn’t notice her momentary hesitation.

“We call it the Cold lands. It’s where the white elves live, on their snowy mountains and in the white woods of Iridis.” Burbor Explained. Ciara rolled her eyes at him, “the misty forest kisses the base of the mountains and you can find the Terretra port at the coast between Iridis and Ubeck,” he added to Burbor’s half explanation. Her gaze darkened, “Ubeck is also known as the dark lands and is the last place you want to visit in the whole of Ovanhail.”

Kain listened intently, nodding slowly, “and what about your home?” she asked. Burbor straightened a little, his chest slightly pushed out with a hint of pride. A lion’s pride. “Our lands are on the Western side of the boarder. The grass lands of Rorca,” he said. He took Ciara’s hand, “we have several tribes spattered all around Rorca and Ciara’s father is the great chief of Baralion, the capital of Rorca,” he explained with an honoured glint in his eyes. Ciara’s lips tilted up. Her eyes focused on the flame behind Kain. Kain could swear that she sees the grassy lands of Rorca reflected in Ciara’s eyes.

“Oh, you should see it Kain,” Ciara sighed, “the beautiful grass lands as vast as the ocean itself. The tops of the border mountains nothing but specks in the distance. The enormous trees as large as giants and the cave of secrets. You should see the Beroin guardians roar on the night of a full moon. The sound is so loud that it shakes the earth beneath you. You can feel the power of lion-pride all over Rorca,” Ciara added with a sparkle burning bright in her eyes. Kain could tell that Ciara and Burbor loved their home and she could see the longing behind their smiles.

“If you feel proud of your giant Berion lions then I have no guilt in saying that Sora’s dragons are just as majestic,” a boy stated in a friendly manner, “Loki,” he added with a slight bow as he introduced himself. He pushed a tree stump closer to the fire and took a seat. The fire burning hot against his back. The flames bounced of off his dark skin and outlined his sharp features. Kain stared at him, her mouth agape, “dragons?” she gasped with awe.

The boy’s white teeth stood out against his dark skin when he gave her a Cheshire smile, “Sora’s nothing without its dragons. We use them for almost everything. My brother Pavlo is one of the best dragon riders in all of Sora,” Loki said proudly. Kain remembered the name ‘Sora’. She thought of the golden ring she had found in Abbadon’s office. “Wison once told me that the Bleeder crowns were made with Sorian gold,” she said out loud.

Kain didn’t realize that she had spoken until Loki spoke again, “Sorian gold forged with dragon fire,” he said with a nod, “it’s one of the greatest things Sora has accomplished.” Loki smiled at her, cocking his head to the side, “did you know that Sora is also known as the golden mountains?” he asked, raising his eyebrow in an arch. Kain shook her head. She didn’t know. She doesn’t know anything about Ovanhail, except for the few things she had picked up since she met Breezes. “When the sun sets, our mountains take on a golden gleam. Hench the name,” the boy explained.

“It sounds absolutely beautiful!” Kain said. She smiled pleasantly at him. “It is beautiful. Given the history between Sora and Iridis, I can at least admit that. But I have heard stories of Arcadia’s beauty that makes everything else seem dull,” Alocius chimed in. He staggered towards them. Losing his balance as he reached them and slumped down on a tree trunk on the opposite side of Burbor. He earned a disgusted growl from Burbor but Alocius dusted it of by lifting his wooden cup up in a toast like manner to Burbor before draining its contents. “They call Arkadia the diamond city. Mostly because of their diamond palace and crystal houses,” Alocius said, wiping his mouth with the back of the hand he held the cup with. There was only a slight slur on his tongue, but his words were still audible.

“They say you can see Arcadia from miles away at daylight, when the sun is at its peak. They say that even the flowers in the Arkadian forest has petals of crystal and is inhabited by animals unlike any other,” Loki agreed. He spoke with wonder and his eyes grew wide with awe.

“Arkadia is beautiful. The stories all true. It’s Orainvale that has me interested though,” Wison said from behind Alocius. He moved around the group until he found his place beside Kain. He was accompanied by a tree-like fae with skin of bark and eyes black as the night and in the oval shape of eggs. He stared at the fire with sceptical eyes before sitting beside Wison and turning his attention towards the group. Burbor barked out in a series of disbelieving laughter, “Orainvale! What do you know of Orainvale? Those damnable wood elves never allows visitors. Nor do they leave their precious tree!” he barked, his accent growing deep again.

“Oh, contraire my fellow friend. I happen to have been to Orainvale countless times. It just so happens that those ‘damnable wood elves’ as you state, like my merchandise,” the tree-like fae countered with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Woody here has told me all about their white marble walls and golden gates,” Wison said, his face turned towards Burbor, but his eyes focused on Kain.

The tree-like fae Wison had called Woody, nodded, “it is true. Not to mention their silver armour. It’s the tree that ought to keep you looking. It’s known to be the biggest tree in all of Ovanhail. Second to it of course is the giant tree in Anglion. The tree serves as the main courters of Orainvale. You think what you see is what you get on the outside but on the inside, the tree extends even further into the ground. Tunnels lead from the tree into the mountains, extending their courters wider as well. In the heart of it all, is the elven king’s throne,” Woody mused. Wison slammed his hand on his companion’s shoulder, smiling, “between Orainvale and Arkadia, there is no place as vast and colourful as the Amzora forest. Animals of all shapes and colours seems to give life to the world around them,” he said.

He turned back towards Kain, shaking his head, “I swear. Once you put your feet into the boarders of Amzora, it is over! You’d never want to leave again.” Ciara grunted, “that is if you can leave again. Those Amzorian spiders aren’t a joke,” she said then gave a shudder.

Kain stared from face to face, her heart beating in her chest, waking the butterflies inside her stomach. She never thought places like that could ever exist. It all sounded unreal. “You’re basically telling me that Ovanhail is as close to heaven as anyone can get?” she asked. Her heart sank when she caught Burbor shaking his head, his eyes shut with disappointment. The others had a similar grim expression on their faces. “I don’t know what heaven is but if its anything like our spirit realm of Luana then no, it’s far from being heaven,” Burbor said.

“Ovanhail is a dream world, but every light casts its shadows,” Ciara explained. Loki nodded in agreement, “I should know best. Sora is surrounded by shadows,” he said. His frown deepened. He was so proud about his golden mountains just a few moments ago. Kain felt her own excitement die down. A shiver crawled down her spine as she waited for the boy to explain. “On Sora’s West is the ghost woods of Oakland. It used to be the centre point of Ovanhail. The home of the Bloodleaf family and a few farmland families. It was also considered the base for the Bleeder get-togethers,” Loki began. Kain nodded slowly. According to Loki, that meant Oakland was her home. “Until Zorzia burned down the whole town,” he continued.

“Now it’s nothing but a haunted forest of deadly memories,” Wison cut in.

Understanding dawned on Kain. Oakland used to be her home. The flashes of burning buildings and screaming people surfaced to her thoughts. “My family’s home,” Kain murmured. Ciara squeezed her knee and when Kain stared up at the lioness, she was greeted with a gentle smile of empathy. Loki straightened his back. Pinpricks covered his skin even with the flames burning hotly behind. That’s when Kain noticed the eerie silence around them. The music had stopped playing and the laughter and chatter had died down. The fae gathered closer to them, listening as they spoke of Ovanhail. The friendliness of the gathering was replaced by a heavy emotion. Kain diverted her attention away from the staring eyes and turned back towards Loki who began to speak again, “on Sora’s South lays the dark cursed mountains. So dark and cursed that the queen of Ovanhail had declared it forbidden,” Loki said.

“To this day it is still known as the Forbidden mountains,” Alocius added. He was sobered up completely. “On Sora’s East lays Ubeck. The dark lands linger right on the doorstep of Sora!” Loki growled.

Kain turned her wide eyes towards Wison, “what’s in Ubeck?” she asked. “Only evil. The dark lands of Ubeck belongs to Zorzia. The land is naturally poisoned. The rivers and lakes run with water as black as tar,” Wison explained. There was a long moment of silence that hanged in the air around them. A silence so full of unspoken fear that it became deafening.

“Well!” Burbor said, slamming his hands onto his thighs, breaking the silence. Everyone stared at Burbor with startled expressions. Burbor met their eyes equally, “I suppose it is time to retire. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,” he said, holding his hands out for Ciara to take. Burbor helped Ciara to her feet and Kain watched them disappeared through the trees. “I never thought I’d be saying this, but I suppose Burbor is right. It is time to depart,” Alocius said, throwing his wooden cup into the fire. The flames flashed a shocking blue colour before fading back to its original orange-red hue. The others began to depart and soon it was only Kain and Wison left standing beside the dying flames of the bonfire.

“That turned into a different direction quicker than I could have said octopus,” Wison sighed. He pulled his arms behind him, stretching his back, “do you want me to walk with you?” he asked, turning towards Kain who kept her gaze on the smouldering logs.

Kain shook her head, “I think,” she breathed then smiled faintly, “I need a moment,” she said. Wison laid a gentle hand over her shoulder, “everything will work out as it should. You’ll see,” he assured before walking away from her.

Kain was left by herself in the dark night with only the smouldering logs lighting the space around her. She rubbed her hands over her eyes then pressed the palms of her hands, hard into them. The sudden hiss and splatter of the flames beneath her, drew her hands away from her eyes. She jumped back in surprise then leaned forward with a frown. She could have sworn that she had seen a face within the flames. Kain startled when the flames morphed into a face right in front of her eyes. The face flickered like a TV with bad reception. Kain knelt down, crawling closer to the flames. The face flickered back into focus, “don’t trust…don’t trust…” the face kept repeating. The face flickered out, never finishing its sentence. Kain’s frown deepened, who wasn’t she supposed to trust? she wondered.

The flame had given her a warning once before. A warning that was given to protect her. She wondered what the face in the flames tried to warn her from this time. Kain slowly retreated from the bonfire and started walking back towards her tent. She held her arms around herself tightly, feeling cold though the forest air was humid. Who shouldn’t she trust? She wondered again as she walked between the shadowed trees. Surely there couldn’t be a fae here in the camp untrustworthy. Perhaps the face meant someone she hasn’t met yet. Or perhaps it is meant to warn her against Abbadon or Zorzia. Not that she would trust them, they were untrustworthy. It made no sense to her. Kain shook her head. She’s going on and on about what the burning face said that she doesn’t notice the bigger issue. There was a face in the flames talking to her. Who does the face belong to and why is it communicating with her? Those are things she should be wondering about.