Auvreria Read online

  Suddenly I felt tremendous pressure. Whenever evil confronted good, destruction happened. These two opposing forces were too strong to ever unite. I gained a drop of strength as Aurora quietly gazed into Maldelsoul’s eyes. He concealed his anger deep inside, and his expression did not change. The battle down below had stopped. My bones ached, all was a haze, and I could smell the scent of my own blood.

  “People and creatures fighting this war,” Aurora said, “we are one. We cannot let Maldelsoul destroy our universe. Mortver, he has betrayed you by leaving his false self to guide the war while he took what he has always desired. Clamoor Clan, Anelia and I reached the center before harm could be done. Maldelsoul is a selfish monster. Forget and forgive your enemies and what they have done to you. We must unite before all is lost.”

  Clarimie was the first one to lead the unity. She dropped her weapons. Grealn, Fensagenia, and Zekreon dropped theirs, too. Lord Dalius put his weapons away, and one by one Mortver and the Clamoor Clan made peace. Now this is the power of a leader, I thought. Even though Maldelsoul’s and Aurora’s powers were equal, Aurora knew her abilities. Maldelsoul could not control his hatred when he saw both sides becoming one.

  “We are all connected by the ninth element,” said Aurora. “We are brothers and sisters. We are all part of one intertwining journey of existence.”

  “We will never unite!” Maldelsoul yelled. “Evil never dies. You, white dragon, shall suffer for your stubborn mind. I never knew that the real guardian would be you, and that you would hide behind your sister. No one has a soul; we are all living bodies controlled by our insane minds! No heart, no love, and no soul exist. We imagined it all. The war will always continue. I challenge you, Aurora, to fight me. We will fight to the death, and the remaining one shall take hold of Auvreria!”

  Both Aurora and Maldelsoul transformed into gigantic dragons. They bruised, hit, and burned each other, destroying the architecture in the process. I crawled away from the falling stones. When they struck each other, it sounded like thunder. White and black fire clouded the skies. Maldelsoul was indeed stronger in his dragon form. Aurora could not last long. I had to do something.

  I dragged myself up with the elven sword in my hands and walked with great concentration and effort in the direction of Maldelsoul. Aurora missed an opening, and he hit her on the left foreleg. She dropped, moaning, to the ground. Maldelsoul roared with agony and delight. I started to run as fast as I could. I lifted my sword, ignoring my wounds. The dark dragon raised his enormous claws. I used the broken pillars to jump to the height of the dragon’s heart and stabbed through the thick skin. The dragon fell as I did. We lay a few yards apart.

  The dragon transformed back into a human. Maldelsoul lay there, grasping his heart with his hands as the black blood flowed out. Aurora transformed, too. She supported herself with the podium, weakened by her wounds. Maldelsoul glared at me with hatred.

  “I will lose my material form,” he said. “However, I shall come back through the Astral world to destroy everything. The evil within shall live as the spirit of the black dragon. With their selfish desires all souls possess it. Evil… forever… exists… no…”

  He stopped talking to use all of his energy to attack me with its deadliest form, the ninth element. I had no strength to react. A sword appeared in front of me to reflect the spell. I looked up—it was Grealn. The ninth element completely erased Maldelsoul’s body. I saw the fading image of a black dragon soaring into the vibrant cosmos.

  “You saved my life,” I whispered to Grealn. “I do not know how to thank you….”

  “You thank me by remaining alive for my fragile heart.”

  I gazed into his eyes. They sparkled for the first time, erasing the deep sadness inside. I slowly stood up with Grealn’s help. Fensagenia and Zekreon came to the platform after their fight with Maldelsoul’s magicians. Aurora looked at us with tranquility and serenity. Her injuries had healed, and her new self was beautiful. She wore white robes flowing in the wind and a clear crown shining with harmony. My family arrived, too: Orenelius, Liliamera, Mother Nature, and Mediel.

  “In this glorious moment I bless you with appreciation and love from my soul,” Aurora announced. “I thank Anelia for saving me from the dark soul. This is the dawn of my fate. I honor you, Silvius and Magdalion, to become the two brother kings who will show others the importance of kinship. Anelia, Fensagenia, Zekreon, Grealn, Clarimie, and Mediel shall form the Golden Circle of Arthaesia. Others shall receive this honor for their strong spirit and skill, not by wealth. We have learned this lesson from Clandelsoul.”

  Suddenly the spirit of a young boy descended from the skies. The boy was Clandelsoul, from Astral. He spoke softly to Aurora, “I am sorry for what happened. I didn’t realize what I had done when I refused to forgive my parents. The soul of the black dragon overtook me. I’m sorry.”

  He started crying as Aurora wrapped her arms around him. She whispered, “It’s not your fault, young one. We make mistakes, and we learn from them. If you forget your fake troubles about what the evil spirits have done, I will ask the supreme soul to give you another chance in another birth. You will find your true self if you want to change your ways.”

  The boy smiled and returned to the skies.

  “Anelia, you gave the people hope and faith in victory, and as a result, we have won. Your perspective on the world has changed, my sweet flower. You put your desires aside and sacrificed yourself for the good of others. You have proved your love for everyone. This love that comes within is the connection of the universe: the ninth element. Good actions, respect, true friendship, devotion, and trust guide our path. This can heal all wounds.”

  I sensed my love, and I was healed. I used Lumifale to restore the beauty of the place. “Sister, will you leave us forever? The end of your journey is here, as the guardian of the ninth element. Will I ever see you again?”

  “My soul will unite with Auvreria forever,” she replied. “The simple truth is we are all in unity; however, we cannot see it. I will never leave anyone. I will be united with the supreme soul to be present in you, in the Three Divisions, and in the universe. I will raise the eight suns to start a new dawn with the new guardian of the power. Do not be afraid. Bloom beautifully like the deep blue orchid. I will always be with you. Forever flows, it never destroys. Hold your eternal love in your soul, never let evil befall your heart. Never will our ways part. Forever always flows, my sweetheart.”

  These were her last words as she took up her celestial flute and started playing. She stood in the center of the golden symbol on the podium. The heavens harmonized with her. From the dark horizon rose the eight suns to align perfectly with the lines of the elements on the sign.

  I held Grealn’s hands as the horizon became lighter and lighter. Aurora stopped playing her flute, yet the sound continued. She raised her hands to the central point of the universe, the point of no dimension. The lines represented the first dimension. The circle surrounding them was the second. A sphere arose, and that was the third. All the other dimensions came in their complexity.

  The eight suns shone with pure light that enveloped the skies and the valley. I watched Aurora become one with the supreme soul of the universe. I did not blink until all I could see was light. I did not say goodbye—there was no need.

  Arthaesia, my home

  Two years later

  I am writing this book for the library archives of Almag. Being in battles, attending festivals, having overseas adventures, studying the Arthaesian writing system for hours, exploring the land, enhancing my magic, and finding answers left me no time to write down what happened. I am sitting right now in Almag’s library in one of the highest towers of the Great Castle of Arthaesia. I come here every day to write diary entries of my past by using the element of time.

  At the present day, Arthaesia is thriving in its Second Golden Age. Comparing it to Earth history, I would call it the Renaissance. The grand castle was fully rebuilt. Port Archalypsis became
a major trade center. The Crossroads of the Valleys became a great military power. The secret hideout of Clamoor enhanced its living conditions considerably. Biriun was never found. The elven kingdom of Eofea allied itself with Arthaesia despite its century-long war.

  Mortver received its justice: the third eyes of the dragons of Auvreria sent most of the magicians to the Astral world. The remaining few planned their revenge in the ruins of Maldelsoul’s castle. I had a curious feeling that something would arise again, someday.

  Magdalion and Silvius used their various skills to control Arthaesia. Silvius took hold of the military and noble families. He became known as King Golden Lion of the Sun in the legends. Magdalion was involved in the economy and trade. He was known as King Silver Lion of the Moon.

  The Tree of Life disappeared. Elfeon probably shielded it for safety. I had one more chance to visit the Cave of Livaunde. I asked the spirit to show me my powers again; I felt something different about them. Wonder overtook my soul as I opened my palms with the blue, glowing marks of Auvreria. A pure white orchid appeared, emanating sapphire lights. Aurora had given me her power of the white dragon. I wondered why she let me raise the sun from the valley in the Northlands, when she could have done it and not stayed there for sixteen years. Probably she wanted me to discover my own power where she could help me.

  The spirit of Livaunde told me that Maldelsoul was locked in the lower Astral, or what people on Aethra call hell. I found out that Aurora and I travelled to the middle Astral, the path between hell and heaven. Aurora has told of each soul reaching the higher Astral when they reached the summit of their journey. I was happy that she was in heaven with the supreme soul and all the others.

  Fensagenia became my best friend for life. We went back to her village, all restored now. She forgave her tired mother and discovered hidden talents inside her. She has very powerful magic, too. The four of us (Fensagenia, Zekreon, Grealn, and me) had fun as we experienced life in a new way. Zekreon and Grealn went back to their village to make amends for their past. Their surviving relatives were content to have them back in the family. All went well, and the four of us have become the closest friends.

  I have been spending time with my real parents as I learn about Arthaesia. Liliamera took me to Eofea to tell Elfeon’s family the news about his destiny. Orenelius helped me with the studies I had to undertake in the castle. Almag showed me all the books I could learn from. Together, we grew a new garden around the stone circle of Auvreria where I arrived on my second journey to Arthaesia. He has played the flute for me. I loved it, but it was not as melodic and beautiful as Aurora’s playing. I miss her once in a while. I could not think of having another dragon as my companion, so I rode Elfeon’s flying horse when I needed to travel to other kingdoms.

  The Golden Circle expanded. Its members became lords, leaders, and generals. We gave children inspiration to become like us, the group of people who cared for others. I was excused from my duties to visit Aethra. I saw my parents in Italy and played with young Nicolas. They were proud of my actions. I was proud of them, too. I had a wish that someday Nicolas could learn my secret and come to Arthaesia. Mortver’s influence on Earth had disappeared, and balance was restored.

  With good comes evil; with evil comes good. Neither wins, equilibrium returns. The battle of the universe to save Auvreria helped me discover myself. My existence and everyone else’s are important. We are all part of the world and the battle between opposing forces. This is who we are. We should never give up on something we want to turn into reality. We are all a unity, the unity of the universe.

  There are millions of ways to tell a story; however, there are only a few words to tell its meaning. During sunset my powers faded. Through the night I stayed strong. At sunrise I arose with purity of heart and soul.

  From the balcony I have seen Arthaesia’s beautiful night landscape. I have looked into the heavens radiant with colors. I have heard Aurora’s flute song flow through the skies. I will never forget Aurora, the eternal guardian of Auvreria. She will always be part of me as a sister. I cannot say this is the end. Our path and destiny never terminates, but forever flows through the existence of the universe.