I.

Azmoria was once known for it's beauty. The land was rich, and the people carefree. But now, the sky is as dark as the blood that runs across the valley. Even the pristine white flowers bloom a crimson red. The air is stale with the stench of despair. Battle cries have now subsided to dying moans for death is the only survivor. It seems hope has left us now and fear has embraced us all. 

This is what war feels like.



II.

The dragons are deemed to be the most powerful clan. Unlike other creatures, their magic comes from the land itself. Only those who posses royal blood can turn into one of these mythical beasts. Long ago, it was believed that the Nyerins and Azuras ruled together. There was peace amongst the 2 kingdoms and the land was strong and prosperous. However, when the dragon egg from the Nyerins went missing, they assumed the Azuras had stolen it. Even after denying it several times, the Nyerins wanted justice. One dreadful night, they attacked the Azuras and killed their queen. Since then, war has reigned. 



I look out of my room. Our land is dying. The trees no longer stand tall. Flowers don't blossom their brightest and the ground has faded to a dull brown. The word has lost it's color and we are the reason for it's death. I've spent months researching about the lost egg. It's the only way to bring tranquility between the two kingdoms. If I find it, then maybe peace will be restored. After reading several books and scrolls, I finally have a lead. As the future Queen of Nyerins, it's my duty to protect my land and my people. I rummage through my desk drawer and find my journal. Strapping a few daggers to my thigh I carry my blade, Derrian. It is said to be the sharpest of swords that can slice through anything. It's a family heirloom passed down to those worthy of holding it. Wearing my cloak, I leave my room and head down, making sure to avoid the guards. This castle has been my home for 17 years. These cold blue walls have seen and heard so much. I never knew that one day, I'd be leaving this place. I place a letter on my fathers cluttered desk filled with letters from the war generals. If they knew of my plans, they would prevent me from leaving. So by the time they read it, I'll be long gone. 



"Are you sure you don't want to stay here? It'll be dangerous out there. You might even die." Liera just crosses her arms and stares at me. She's a tiny little earth fairy who prefers the quiet. I once saved her from being eaten by a goblin. Since then, she's decided to stick with me. "Oh well, it'll be nice to have a little company I suppose." She gives me a devious smile and I grin back at her. "Come on, lets go. I'll either be welcomed back a hero or my corpse will lie forgotten in some grimy ditch." I gently place her on my shoulder. With a final glance, I try to engrave the memory of home into my mind as I walk away into the Forest of Forever. 



III.

It's a dangerous place meant to keep out strangers. The trees wrap around your mind and create twisted illusions. They look into your heart and find your deepest desires. Entrapped in your own dreams you become a slave to your body. We call these people the lost souls. Many have ventured here in their foolishness to prove their worth and have lost their sanity. 


"Watch out for the trolls Kirane." Liera mutters to me. "They'll take away everything you have even your clothes." She flutters around me, the sunlight passing through her translucent wings and forming different hues of green on my skin. She's a pretty fairy with dark hair that reaches her shoulders and has eyes the color of pine trees. She wears a green dress made of moss and twigs while her voice is as smooth as honey.

"I'm not that stupid. Trolls aren't really the brightest creatures and their traps are easy enough to identify. " Rolling my eyes at her, I walk forward with a confident stride. However, my leg gets caught up in a bundle of ropes pulling me upwards. The world tilts sideways as I hang from one of the branches. I spoke too soon. It appears their traps are, in fact, not easy to identify. Before I can assess the situation and free myself, my vision blurs and I lose consciousness.



IV.

"How much do you reckon' we'll get fer her?" a gruff voice from below speaks.

"A 'air sum I s'pose. The kings decided to reward the one who finds his daughter and bring 'er back," another one speaks with a heavy accent.

I open my eyes to find 3 trolls staring up at me. There are 2 identical troll that stand behind a huge big one. The twins have metal piercings along their ears and carry a huge wooden bat. The biggest one, probably their leader, has spikes all over his skin and holds a dagger to my face. They smell of decaying bones and damp meat. I try to hold my breathe for as long as I can. "Pretty 'lil thing aren' you?"

"Let me go." I demand.

"Bertha you hear 'er? The princess wants ter be free." The other twin laughs at that. Its the sound of metal scraping together. I shudder involuntarily. 

"Ya know? The king 'ill give us 10000 dracons fer you. Maybe we should ask fer more." He traces the shape of my face with the blade, making a tiny scratch near my ear. "Dragon blood is pretty valuable too. Sells at 300 dracons a pint. Ya won't mind us takin' a bit fer 'ourselves do ya?"

Just as he's about to spill my blood, I pull Derrian from its sheath and free myself. The twins charge towards me, their bats raised. Easily evading them, I twist around and knock their weapons to the ground. The hilt of my sword collides with the nose of one and knocks her out completely. Before the other troll can run away, I pick up a rock from the ground and throw it at his head. He stumbles around for a bit before he finally falls with a dull thud and doesn't move after that. 

The spiked troll is a bit more daring. He's about to drive his knife into my thigh but Liera takes care of him. Dark brown roots from the ground hold the troll in place. I take the rope and tie all three of them near a tree. 

"What, thought a pretty princess like me can't get her hands dirty?" I ask innocently. The spiked troll lunges forward and snarls back at me but the rope keeps him in his place. I notice something unusual. The rope glimmers as if enchanted. Next to me Liera gasps. "That's...the powder of crushed dragon egg. If you slip a bit of this in someone's food, they'll fall deep asleep." 

I grab the spiked troll by its neck. "Where did you get this?" I growled. "How did you get this?" I press my blade near his chest.

He just laughs at me. "I 'on't think you'll get any answers by threatin' me darlin'."

I press the blade deeper. "You do not want to test me."

"'Kay, 'kay. The little princelin' hatched not long ago. He lives at the heart of the forest with a young man taking care of him. Reckon' he's dyin' though. He promised to give me the egg if I ensured no one would harm the lil' one 'fter he died." When I look at him for further information, he just shrugs and adds, "That's all I know."

"Do you know how to get there?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowing.

"Just..", he yawns, showing all his yellow stained teeth, "..follow the trees. They'll show you the way." With that he slumps against the tree.

I look back at Liera. "Follow the trees. Yeah that's easy. We always spoke to each other anyways." I grumble. 



V.

A man wearing an outfit as black as charcoal jumps down from the trees and lands right in front of me. Crimson red stripes decorate his shoulders and curl around his legs. 

"Took you long enough. Thought you lost to those measly trolls."

I draw out Derrian and point it at the stranger. "Who are you? Better show yourself before you lose your tounge, or worse your limbs."

He holds his hands up in surrender. "Whoa calm down princess. I mean no harm." With that he tugs the hood of his clock. It falls down to reveal dark curly brown hair. A slight stubble runs across his jaw indicating he's been out here for a while. There are a few scars along his light brown skin. I stare into his eyes. It's both the color of fire and ash, destruction and ruin. They're like glowing embers ready to devour anything that stands in his path.

"Ah look who's here. Prince Elarion, the brother to the King of Azuras himself. May I ask what I've done to be blessed with his grace's presence?" I seethe. Of all the people I could've met, it's him. We're sworn enemies after all, destined to be rivals from the day we came to this world. He is an arrogant insufferable man who believes the world bends to his will. His sole purpose of existing is to torment me.

He holds his hand to his heart in mock pain. "Ouch you wound me dear. The last time we saw each other was 7 years ago. Surely you miss me?" How could I ever forget? I remember beating him in swordplay. It was a bright morning. I could feel my heart thundering with victory knowing I've won. Watching him cower underneath my blade while venom spews out of his eyes was truly a sight. Then the guards came and pulled us apart. Told us that we're not to associate with each other anymore. It's the day everything fell apart.

I lower my blade. "Why are you here?" I question, my head tilting in curiosity. His voice takes a grim note as he says, "Things have gotten pretty bad. Innocent lives are being lost every day. The war needs to be stopped. There's been enough violence and bloodshed. However the only way to do so is to find the lost egg. Which, I assure you, we have not stolen." With that he glares at me.

I avert my eyes feeling uncomfortable. "If it gives you any solace, I don't believe your people have stolen the egg. Someone else has stolen it. The question of who and why still remains unanswered."

Elarion sighs and rubs his face with the palm of his hand. "Look, we both have a common goal. It'll be easier to join forces for now until we find what we are looking for. After that you go your way and I shall go mine. What do you say?"

I chew my lips as I think this through. On one hand the very thought of him torments me. His cocky attitude and know-it-all persona makes me want to bash my head against a rock. But on the other hand he could be pretty useful. Together we could find the egg faster and I can return to the comfort of my home. I glance at Liera, my eyebrows raising in question. She just smiles and nods her head slightly.

"Alright. We can call a truce for now. But as soon as we're done, I never want to see your face ever again. If I do, I swear I'll carve your heart out and feed it to the dogs." I warn him with the most menacing tone I can muster. He lips twitch into a small smile. "Whatever you say princess."

"You should know, there's no egg anymore. The little prince has been born." Elarion's eyes widen in surprise. Looks like he doesn't know everything after all. I allow myself a small smile.



VI.

"The troll said to follow the trees. Do you know what he means by that?" I glance up, hoping he'd know something. He looks up into the sky, his long slender fingers running through his hair and looks down at me. His fiery gaze warms me up. He rubs the back of his neck as he mutters, "Yeah I thought you'd know how to get there. He offers me a sheepish grin. I give an exasperated sigh, groaning into my hands. "At this rate, we'll never find him."

I stride ahead but Elarion grabs my hand and pulls me back. His touch is electrifying, burning my skin so I pull away. He gestures around us and speaks in a gruff voice, "Its almost nightfall. We should wait until the sun rises and continue. Look, there's a cave nearby too. Let's spend the night there. We could use the rest." I hadn't realized how tired my body really was. My legs ached and my arms were sore. So I follow him into the cave.


Its surprisingly comfortable. Elarion starts up a fire while Liera gathers up wood. I go out to hunt for some food. I pick some berries from a bush nearby and catch two rabbits. We all eat in silence. Choosing a small corner of the cave, I curl up, holding on to my bag in hopes of driving the nightmares away. I can still feel the imprint of his hand on my skin as I slowly drift away.



VII.

When I wake up, I find myself in the comfort of my bed. The sunlight peeks through my curtains. I get up, but my head aches with a dull thud. I feel like I'm missing something. Before I can figure out what it is, my older brother Tarman comes knocking at my door. "Come on Kierian, breakfast is ready. How long are you gonna take?" I tie my hair up and walk downstairs.

The king and queen are already there, talking in hushed tones. Probably about some important affairs that bore me to death. Tarman looks up at me and points to the chair next to him. I take my place and pile food on top of my plate.

"What do you say we go practice a bit of swordplay after this, eh?" He nudges my shoulder. I glare at him. "I'll let you win if you want," he tells me, smirking. "I can beat you myself," I sneer back.

Father looks up at Tarman. With a stern voice, he says, "You're to be king soon in a few years. You should stop this frivolity and focus on more pressing matters. I want you to be present and the next council meeting." Tarman is 8 years older than me. Father has decided to pass the crown onto him as soon as he turns 21. "Yes Father," he mutters. He finishes his food quickly and grabs my hand, pulling me with him.



He picks up a sword and tosses me one too. "Tarman, do you want to be king?" I ask. He takes a moment to answer. "Sometimes, you don't get to choose what you really want to do. You have responsibilities to take care of and you have to own that. Life is often unfair, but we manage with what we get. Don't worry your tiny little brain over it. A ten-year old like you could never understand." He ruffles my hair but I swat his hand away. "I'm 11 in a few months," I grumble.

At that moment I see Elarion walking up to me. Something's wrong. He's not supposed to be here but I can't figure out why. 

"Ah Elarion! Come up here. We were just about to practice a bit. Want to join?" I watch Elarion pick up another sword and fight against my brother. Something's off. His movements seem weird and stiff. Like he's being controlled. I've never seen him fight like this.



That's when it hits me. My brother had died years ago, around the same time the egg was stolen. We mourned him for several months. How I wished I could've talked to him one more time before everything fell apart. "You're dead!" I scream at him. "You're not real. You died. This is not real."

Tarman just looks at me, his face confused. "Hey Kierian, are you okay? Do you need to lie down for a bit?" He comes near me, but I pull away. Tears blur my vision. I've missed him. I've missed his presence and his warmth. Him teasing and annoying me but he would always be there for me whenever I needed him. "I'm sorry," I choke out. "But like you said, I have responsibilities to take care of." You don't really notice how much a person truly means until they leave your side and all your are left with is the empty space they used to fill up. I try to remember every little detail about him before I close my eyes and will myself to wake up.



VIII.

I look up to find Elarion cupping water in the palm of his hands, ready to throw it at me. I back away immediately. "What do you think you're doing?" I scream out. Liera bursts into tears and hugs me. "I thought you were dying! You weren't waking up!" she sobs against my neck. I gently stroke her hair, comforting her. "Don't worry, I won't leave you." She sniffles and finally lets me go. 

"What happened? You kept screaming 'You're dead, you're dead'. We tried to wake you up but you just lashed out at us. Are you okay?" Elarion asks, concern in his eyes.

"Yeah I'm okay. Just had a dream about my brother." At that everyone falls quiet. The air becomes heavy, an uncomfortable silence filling the place. "I'm fine. It doesn't really matter. We should get going anyways." I get up, brushing the dust off my pants. 

With that Elarion's eyes light up. "I think I found the way to get there. While you were sleeping I went out to check the trees if they had a symbol or marking. It turns out I was right. Every few trees or so has a drawing of a dragon egg. I'm pretty sure it'll guide us directly to the princeling himself." 

"I see you finally proved yourself to be useful. Good job." Elarion blushes, mumbles something, and walks away. A small grin tugs at my lips. I look at Liera. "Let's go get that prince back home."



The sun shines directly overhead, its gaze burning my skin. Elarion leads us to one of the trees and points at something. When I look closer, I see that the picture is intricately detailed. The egg itself has beautiful swirls that appears to be alive if you moved a certain way. On the left side, there were flames that licked the egg, as if it were sitting upon a throne. The right side however had soft waves, embracing the egg. The flames and the waters intertwine in the middle balancing each other. They were a perfect harmony together, completing something the other seems to have missed. I trace my fingers over the pattern. I can feel both it's urge to fight and the desire to bring peace. I let Elarion go ahead and we follow.


It takes a few hours until we finally reach an empty clearing. The sun is slowly setting as pink and orange hues decorate the sky in long streaks. The clouds move gently as if they have all the time in the world. You can hear the birds singing soft lullabies to their kids.

"There's nothing here." Liera speaks out, breaking the silence. She flutters forward. "What are we-" Before she can complete her sentence, she disappears. "Liera?" I call out worried. There's no answer. "We should go go forward." I tell Elarion, hoping he'd be the first to walk ahead.

Elarion just stares at me. "After you princess." I tentatively walk forward, worried it could be another trap. When I get closer, it's like I've been drenched in ice cold water.

The sight I see is not what I expected at all. The land is dry and barren, cracks forming the earth ready to swallow you up. The air is dry as if it's not seen an ounce of water in years. I see the little prince with the most magnificent wings looking up at me, as curiosity sparks his eyes. But what renders me speechless is the man holding on to him. Elarion appears a moment later and gasps, his shock evident. It's none other than my brother, Tarman.



IX.

He's leaning on a cane which supports most of his weight. It appears as if he has no more life left inside of him. His pale complexion resembles a ghost while his skin barely drapes over his body. Blueish veins cover the left side of his face while a nasty scar runs down from his eye to his nose.

"What- How- Why? " I'm too shocked to form words. Tarman gestures us inside a little hut at the edge of the clearing. It's a warm cozy worn out place. He hands us a glass of water as we sit down on the bed.

He takes a deep breathe and says, "Let me explain. When the egg was born, the stars spoke a prophecy. 'A child born from the waters deep shall bring destruction to the place you keep. But once reborn watch the little one rise for the two kingdoms shall forge their ties.' Nobody really cared for this as prophecies often turned out to be a hoax. But I saw the signs. Though they were subtle, it's effect was evident. It was draining the energy of anything that stood nearby. The flowers were wilting and the caretakers were growing weaker. I knew if the egg stayed here any longer, it would feed on any living thing to grow. So I decided to steal it away to protect the kingdom."

"His name is Zephiran. This little guy is special and is unlike any creature I've ever seen. He posses the power of both kingdoms and has the ability to control both fire and water. Its truly astounding. No wonder he needed a lot of energy. Magic like that can be powerful and draining." Our eyes turn to the little dragon. His wings are a mixture of a light sky blue and fiery red. He has 2 little horns on top of his head. You can see the smoke rising from his nostrils at times. His eyes are deep blue, the color resembling the unknown depths of the ocean.

Tarman draws in a ragged breath and coughs for a while. Taking a sip of water he continues, "I never wanted the war to happen. I tried to come back, to tell you everything's okay but I couldn't."

"Why not?" Liera asks as she perches on top of my shoulder.

"The barrier prevents me to do so. I've tried everything I can to get out but the magic that's been used to keep it up is ancient, from the land herself. I woke up one day to find I've been trapped. After a while I gave up trying to escape. I took care of the egg at the expense of my own life. I'm afraid I might not live long enough anymore."

He closes his eyes for a moment before they finally open. His electric blue eyes land on me. "Kierian, I never meant to cause you any pain. It hurt me being away from you yet there was nothing I could do. I'm sorry." 

I look at the untouched water in my glass. It has an eerie stillness to it. Elarion gets up, causing the water to slosh around in the cup. "I- Uhh will take the dragon outside for a while. Liera, would you care to join me?" She follows him and both of them give us some privacy.

"I thought you were dead. I mourned you for several months. Now that I've finally got you back, I have to lose you again?" Tears stream down my face. He reaches up and wipes them with the sleeve of his shirt and gives me a sad smile. "Sacrifice is necessary Kierian. I did what I had to do to protect our family."

"But now that you're here, I can finally let go. The prince is in good hands. I trust you to finally bring him home, yeah?" He leans on the bed, his voice raspy and dry. "You've grown so much Kierian. I'm proud of the woman you've become. Azmoria is in good hands."

"Please don't leave me again." I sob against his chest. I hold his hand as he gives me a soft smile. Eventually, his eyes glaze as his grip loosens. I stay with him for a few moments before I reach out and close his eyes. Getting up, I join Kierian and Liera outside. 

"So, how do we leave this place?"



X.

Elarion transforms into a dragon. Red and black scales shimmer along his spine. His wings resemble volcanoes spewing out lava. It's a color so vivid it hurts to look at. His eyes are like molten rubies, with an iris as dark as blood. He crouches on the ground and motions for us to get on his back. I fasten Zephiran tightly with a piece of cloth. Liera looks over him as I hold my brother near. I refuse to let him succumb to this pitiful forest all alone. Elarion's nostrils flare as he breathes fire at the barrier. In a split second, it shatters like glass and we fly away into the sky.



It's not long before we reach my home. The guards stop us immediately as my parents rush forward. Elarion lands softly and we get off his back. He transforms back into his human state. I run and hug my mom. She clutches to me, as if she's afraid I'll slip away. "It's okay mother, I'm here."
I bring my brothers body forward. My parents are stunned into silence as I explain everything that has happened. Both of them rush forward, holding on to him. My mother can't stop crying. The guards had to pull her away until she could calm down. Though my father tried to hide it, I could see him wiping his eyes. He knew he was hard on him and the guilt killed him. For years he believed he was the reason Tarman had left. 

"I've bought something else for you." I look at Elarion and he brings Zephiran forward. There's an audible gasp.

My father was never one to run out of words. But today, he stands speechless. "Is that who I think it is?" he asks, disbelief in his eyes. 

"The one and only Prince Zephiran, King to both Azuras and Nyerins." At that, confusion mares their eyes. "He posses both the power to control fire and water. He is special for he is the one who'll bring peace amongst the two lands."

 

Immediately, the two leaders met up and cleared things out. The lives of their dead soldiers was a burden on their shoulders but it was time to start anew. Several peace treaties had to be signed but after 7 long years, the war has come to an end. This was a start to a new beginning. It will take a long time for the people to start trusting one another. The scars of war run deep but its nothing time cant heal. 



We hold a funeral for Tarman. It took place by the sea. All of us stood in silence, waiting for our turn to speak our last words to him. When it's my turn, I go up to him and whisper, "I will make you proud." He looks at peace, no longer tormented by his duties or the pain he felt. Once everyone is done, the ocean takes him away into the dark depths of the sea. It's the place where we were born from and it is where we will die. 

Everyone slowly walks away until it's just me and Elarion. I smile up at him. "You're not so bad after all."

"Is that a compliment dear princess?"  he chuckles. "But I must admit, I was afraid you'd kill me the first time we met. Turns out you're not as tough as I thought you would be."

I slap him playfully on the shoulder. "I could take you on anytime. You're just too scared to admit it." 

"Maybe I am." He glances down at me, giving me a lopsided grin as he walks away. I'm left alone. The sun is about to set, it's rays already reaching down to give the ocean a kiss. I breathe in the salt sprayed air, watching the tides lap at my feet. The splashing water provides a comforting sound. The wind blows a soft breeze, twisting my hair into patterns.

This is what peace feels like.