Imrama Pt. 1

'One more day, just one more day and I never have to go to high school again,’ thought Elizabeth. Today was the last day of her senior year. And, so far, this would be the best day ever in her young life. ‘Only one more day with the same predictable people for the last thirteen years, and I’m history! Viva la New York, baby! Here I come!’
Smiling slightly to herself, she walked down the long dirt road to her bus stop. Today's walk was much more tedious than usual, however. For the last day of school, Elizabeth decided to wear a white tank-top with a cranberry-red zip up sweater, a black, knee length skirt, fish net stockings, and three-inch healed boots. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail, her blueish-green eyes shinning with excitement. It was her last day after all, she thought, might as well show off a little.
The morning air was warming as she continued down the road. Last night, it had rained and puddles appeared in her way. As the sun’s rays reflected off the water, a pulsar of light drew Elizabeth’s attention to one of the puddles. Bending over, she reached into the water in search. Catching something in her hand, she brought it out of the water slowly. In the palm of her hand lay a ring. Washing the mud off the ring, Elizabeth drew it closer to examine it.
It seemed to be a silver sterling ring. It was engraved with a flower with white crystal petals. Elizabeth moved her fingers around the ring. It was smooth and shiny, the crystal petals reflecting rays of light onto the ground. It was just her size. As she slid the ring onto a finger, Elizabeth looked around suddenly to see herself begin to disappear. The scenery all around her began to fizz out, as a powerful light engulfed her body. Before she could register what was going on, in the distance, a small dark circle appeared. The circle was growing wider and wider by the second, and before she knew it, her body was covered by the dark abyss. Closing her eyes tightly, Elizabeth drew herself into a ball, and screamed.
A jolt of air hit her body suddenly, her eyes opening in reaction. Now, she found herself floating in midair. Down below, green fields and great mountains formed a different landscape compared to where she had been just moments ago. With another sudden jolt, she was hurled to the ground by gravity. The only problem with her landing was instead of the ground, she had landed on a person.
“Ouch! Get off of me!” Yelled a voice just below Elizabeth’s own body. Elizabeth looked down to see that she was sitting on a boy. Panicking, she jumped off him.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to land on you, little boy.” Elizabeth went to help him, but the little boy drew his arm protectively and just stared at her.
“What did you just call me?” He asked, still sitting down. Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth noticed another man. They boy’s large friend was standing to the left, watching. Noticing his stance, she saw his large, pointy sword. The man’s sword was not a comforting sight. The wind blew slightly, tugging at their clothing, as the boy questioned her once more, this time in a demanding tone of voice.
“I called you a little boy. You are a boy, I presume?” The little boys face turned red and he shot straight up. He wasn’t exactly little either. The older man began to chuckle, but with a glare from the boy, quickly stopped. Elizabeth studied the two.
The boy’s definitely in charge, she thought. The boy was older than her by the looks of it. He had dark brown hair, tanned and muscled skin, but not the bulging physique of a body builder. His companion, on the other hand, had red hair and beard and bulging muscles. He was also very tall, at least around six feet. She assessed him again. A swordsman came to mind, as she looked down at the sword again. Both were wearing odd clothing, almost out of what looked to be medieval times. She began fidgeting with the ring, as the two men continued to stare at her.
“What are you wearing, wench,” demanded the one she thought of as a little boy. Looking down at her absolutely fabulous last day of school outfit, and then back at their attire. She caught his meaning. However, his choice of words, she did not agree with.
“What did you call me?” She asked, in a dangerously low voice. The older man gulped and pulled at his collar. The boy smirked.
“I called you a wench. You are one, I presume?” He smirked a little more and the older one looked up to the sky and muttered.
“You presumed wrong, I’m afraid.” That wiped the smirk off his face. “Little boy.”
“I am not a little boy!” He exploded.
“Well, your acting like one,” she threw back. The older man had had enough. Stepping between the two, he separated them.
“Gentle lady, Pri...Dorian,” the man said in a deep, baritone voice, “please stop this arguing. It will get us nowhere.” The boy looked pointedly at him and crossed his arms, pouting. Elizabeth started to laugh, but the man gave her a look that shut her up quite quickly. “Now miss, who are you and where are you from? I’ve never seen that kind of clothing or fashion on Airuh. Are you from the mainland?”
“What’s Airuh?” Questioned Elizabeth, not knowing whether her ears were working. The man gave her a questioning look. The boy was staring at her as if she were stupid.
“What?” She questioned.
“We’re on Airuh,” the man answered. Elizabeth felt her forehead scrunch up as she tried to figure out where Airuh was on the world map she was imagining in her head. She was pretty certain she had never heard of it.
“Have you ever heard of Airuh,” questioned the man. Elizabeth gave up on trying to remember and shook her head no.
“How did you get here then, if you’ve never been here or even heard of Airuh?” Asked the little boy now known as Dorian. Elizabeth looked around the valley, taking in the scenery. Distant hills covered the ground as a sea of green and mist accompanied, the wind rolling the hills alive. The mist floated above the ground, so thing it was like a haze of air. Even birds flew through the sky, singing their beautiful songs. She had never seen such an enchanted place.
“All I remember is walking down my driveway, finding a ring, putting it on, and then I was engulfed in light and darkness. I opened my eyes and saw this valley and then I landed on you,” pointing to Dorian. The two males looked at each other skeptical at what they had just heard. Elizabeth stamped her foot. “I’m telling the truth!”
“Yeah, right,” the boy muttered, with a suspicious look gleaming in his eyes.
“Well, it could be possible. Weird things happen all the time in the mist. All sorts of tales are based here. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were true.” The older man conversed, shifting slightly to one side.
“Barak, you know sailor and merchant stories are old wives tales. They’re told to scare children.” Dorian stopped talking to Barak and viewed Elizabeth. “Any ways, why are you dressed like that?”
“For your information, I’m dressed perfectly normal, thank you very much. My clothing is top fashion and I’m not even showing any skin. And, my heels were only twenty dollars because I got them on sale. If I was in my world, I would be looking absolutely normal.” Elizabeth looked at the two men, who didn’t seem to understand what she had just said. Rolling her eyes to the heavens, she restated her words for the more simple-minded folk. “Basically, in my world women can dress like this.”
“Oh, “ Barak exclaimed. “They sure don’t wear a lot. To my guess, not even a bodice,” studying her figure, “even though she looks to be wearing one.”
“Maybe that’s because I don’t need one,” she found Barak blushing. He seemed to be trying to say something. “Yes?”
“What’s that?” He pointed to her chest. Looking down, she noticed that her sweater had unzipped and her bra was showing. She pointed to the bra strap and Barak nodded.
“It’s called a bra,” Elizabeth replied, dryly.
“What’s it do?” Asked Dorian, annoyingly.
“It gives me support.”
“Support for what?” Dorian asked snootily again and Elizabeth stared at him. She looked down and back up to his face. “Oh,” was the only reply he gave. Barak, by that time, seemed to come out of his trance and looked Elizabeth up and down.
“Well Dorian, we can’t just leave her here. She is a woman after all, and code says we must help them.”
Dorian looked like he was about to protest, but Barak intercepted. “So miss, would you come with us on out little walk back to out camp and permit us to help you in any way we can?” Dorian’s face looked very sour and he looked like he was going to be sick. Elizabeth smiled sweetly over to Barak.
“Why Barak, thank you so very much! I would absolutely love it if you escorted me. It’s so very manly of you to bring up such a fine suggestion.” She cupped Barak’s arm like a southern bell, looked up and smiled innocently at him, as he proceeded to turn a deep shade of red. Dorian regarded ELizabeth with a disgusted look and Elizabeth shot him the bird. His mouth dropped and she smiled.
“By the way, what is your name?” Barak inquired.
“Fat cow,” Dorian mumbled and received a quick kick in the shin by Elizabeth.
“My name is ELizabeth, and yours?”
“Barak, and this is Dorian.” Dorian nodded his head, then began walking. Elizabeth released Barak from her grip and followed him as Dorian followed her. Everything would have been perfectly fine is she weren’t wearing three-inch heels and if Dorian were a mute. Every time she stumbled or tripped in a hole or dirt clump, he would start howling with laughter.
“Not even a gun would be creative enough to get him to shut up, Elizabeth grumbled to herself. “Poison, poison’s good.”
Her dark thoughts continued until they reached the campsite. Two horses stood grazing on the green grass. And that was it. Not even a decent tent was erected. Just as she was thinking how long the night was going to be, a large stampede of people could be heard coming towards them.
Looking around, the three were suddenly surrounded by armed men on horseback. All wore swords that looked really, really sharp and Elizabeth began to feel nervous again. But, before she could react, the armed men dismounted and bowed respectively. Elizabeth watched them with an inquisitive look, Barak didn’t seem too surprised to see them, and when he felt her looking at him, he winked. One of the men approached Dorian, and bowed once more.
“You are to be escorted to Boudicca immediately. The King and Queen ask for you. Come along.” With that, the man returned to his horse. Barak walked over to the two horses and interrupted their grazing. Dorian literally jumped onto his horse, showing off with a superior looked aimed at Elizabeth. Elizabeth rolled her eyes toward him, glad that Barak was going to share his horse with her.
The ride seemed to last for hours, or at least that was what Elizabeth thought. She had never ridden a horse before, and her legs and butt were throbbing in pain whenever the horse moved. By midday, they had reached their destination.
“Welcome to Boudiccca, Elizabeth.” Dorian had just ridden upside her and Barak, and greeted her. Then, just as he was about to fasten his pace, he smiled sweetly over to her.
To Elizabeth, it seemed that they were taking the back roads to wherever they were going because Elizabeth could hear people, but couldn’t see them. She also noticed that they seemed to be getting closer to a very tall castle-cathedral-like building. Looking past Barak, she noticed Dorian. His brown hair was all messed up from riding and he seemed to be getting nervous. Elizabeth caught her breath. She noticed how her heart seemed to jump whenever she looked at him, and dismissed the attraction.
When they reached the castle, Barak helped Elizabeth down and she proceeded to climb twenty painful stairs and entered the castle. The main hall was at least 100 feet long and 50 feet wide. Drapes the color of blue, red and black aligned the stonewalls as paintings decorated them. Towards the ceilings, stained glass windows painted the walls with beautiful glasswork of all assortments of colors. At the end of the hall, two magnificent figures stood and walked down the length of the hall. Before the two figures approached Elizabeth’s group, she finally noticed a line of people which she had not noticed before. They were all standing to the side of the hall, and all were watching her, especially. When the two arrived, Dorian stepped out to greet them.
“Father. Mother. What a nice retrieval squad that was.” Dorian greeted, stunning Elizabeth. Taking a closer look, she noticed Dorian’s parents wearing a crown of jewels, pearls and gold. An alarm went off in her brain, and she connected the two. Dorian, that annoying boy she had landed on and fought with was their son, and he would then be a prince.
‘Figures,’ Elizabeth though, grumbling in her head.
“Edward, please do not run off again like that. You scare me half to death when you do that,” the woman said, her voice full of motherly love and sternness. Dorian went up to her and kissed her on both cheeks. Elizabeth was once again astounded. Now Dorian was Edward! The newly named Edward approached his father and they had a quiet chat while the rest of the people began to start their own conversations. Soon, everyone else was in a conversation, except Elizabeth, and left her in the middle of the hall, alone for the wolves to attack.
She realized that she stood out. The women wore full dresses with long sleeves down to the floor. Elizabeth’s skirt went two inches above her knees and, when the weather had begun warming, she tied her sweater around her waist, showing off her bare arms as a result of wearing a tank top. On the whole, Elizabeth felt she looked great, or at least she thought she did this morning. But the others did not seem to think so. She could feel their judgmental stares.
While wondering when this nightmare would end, a group of girls her age, encircled her.
“My, my, my. Look at what we have here, a tramp in the castle. Your services aren’t needed anymore. You can leave.” The girl who spoke was wearing on the the tightest bodices in the hall. It was so tights, she looked like her chest was going to pop out if she sneezed. The girl’s hair was blonde, like hers, twisted in a braid and let loose down her back. She was taller than Elizabeth, even with the heels on.
“I’m not a tramp, than you very much. And I was invited.” Elizabeth stared down the girl down.
“And who invited you?”
“Barak.”
“That over grown oaf! He has the brains of a pig,” squealed a chubby, pink blonde.
“Barak is a very smart individual. And your your information, you shouldn’t really be talking about pigs, since you yourself are one. Good bye!” With a hair flip that even Elle Woods would appreciate, Elizabeth shoved her way past the hoarding girls and through a side door. Walking aimlessly through the halls, she sound a maid to give directions for outside. As she walked, Elizabeth reflected on what had just occurred. As the girls hounded her, she had seen Edward watching and had left her for the wolves. Becoming all the more angrier as she thought about it, Elizabeth quickened her pace.
Once outside, Elizabeth realized she was at the edge of the town, where a lush forest grew. The sun had yet to set as she began following a path away from the castle and into the forest. Underneath the canopy of the tall trees, the air was pleasantly cool. Little flowers of white and pink appeared out of the ground, bringing a little more color to the green forest. Everything was balanced and there was a sense of peacefulness which seemed unique compared to the castle. By the time she noticed the sun setting, the castle was barely in view between the trees. Deciding she’d rather walk back now than in the dark, Elizabeth began her way back. As she continued towards the castle, a loud squeak interrupted the silence of the forest. Looking down, an animal at her feet was jumping up and down, protesting something. Elizabeth then noticed she was standing on the tip of its tail. Jumping off, the animal snatched its tail and ran off.
What on earth was that? She thought, as she looked for it.
“It’s name is Ribery,” a voice answered, coming from behind her. Elizabeth, startled, quickly turned around. A woman with a dark cloak covered her face. Behind stood another companion. The woman repositioned the cloak to reveal her face. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Long blonde hair fell from the hood and green eyes, the color of the deep forest, gently bored into Elizabeth’s. The woman’s companion also uncovered their face. A man now stood by her. He was handsome compared to the woman, with green eyes, and brown hair. The pair looked at Elizabeth with so much warmth, Elizabeth felt she could tell them anything. It was a strangely comforting feeling, even though she had never met them before. As they walked towards her, the woman looked into her eyes.
“What troubles you, my dear?” Her voice was calm and quiet, holding a tone of mystery.
“What was that thing?” The woman smiled, amused.
“Its name is Ribery. It’s half squirrel and rat. Don’t worry, you did no harm to it. Now, what is really troubling you?” Elizabeth began to fidget with the ring again and a warm feeling spread throughout her body, giving her confidence.
“Well, you know how I’m not really dressed in your fashion?” The woman just looked at her with a motherly patience as the man stood looking at the trees and listening to their conversation. “And you’ve probably noticed I’m not from around here.” The man moved to a bush and picked up something. It was the Ribery thing. “You know, my day started out fine. I was just going to my bus stop when I found this ring.” She showed the woman. “I put it on and suddenly I was transported here. I landed on a boy named Dorian, who turned out to be a prince!
“Then, back in the hall, Dorian and Barak just left me to deal with these absolute horrible girls. Then Dorian, I mean Prince Edward, even saw it! He was watching the entire time and smirking this awful smirk. Those girls were being so completely rude!” A couple tears of loss and frustration fell down her cheeks, and the woman walked over and embraced her. Elizabeth quietly cried on her warm shoulder as the man cam around and placed his hand on her head.
“There, there child. Everything will be all right.” The man said, his voice as calm as the air around them. Elizabeth looked up from the woman’s shoulder to look at his face. He had a kind and gentle face, and when he smiled, she felt as if she had known these two strangers most of her life. The woman patted her back gently and smiled.
“I believe it is time to go now, since it is almost dark. Don’t worry Elizabeth, everything will be fine in the end,” the woman stated, beginning to walk in the direction of the castle. How the woman knew here name, Elizabeth didn't’ know, but for now she didn’t really care. She had never felt this close to someone in all her life. The creature Ribery was leading the way when they arrived at the castle door Elizabeth had left just a short while ago. Elizabeth, leading them through the passage ways, reached the great hall with no problems. The people on the sidelines were gone and only the King and Queen, Prince Edward and Barak were still up. A jolt of pain and jealousy coursed through her body as she saw them conversing. They probably hadn’t even noticed her missing!
As she walked into the firelight around the room, Edward spotted her and crossed the room in a huff.
“Where have you been?” Yelled the royal prince. When she didn’t answer he continued to yell, obnoxiously. Elizabeth was getting tired of arguing with him constantly. He was really pushing her buttons.
“You want to know where I’ve been? I’ve been walking around, getting left behind, talking to pigheaded, giggly, dumb girls, and stepping on little creature’s tails. That’s what I’ve been doing. So, I’ve you please, shut up!” Elizabeth and Edward were about to start another round when Elizabeth’s strangers came forth from the shadows. They had once again dawned their hoods, covering their identities.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my castle, stranger!” The King of Boudicca demanded. “Well, out with it! Who are you and what business do you have in Boudicca?” He yelled once more.
“You know who I am King of Boudicca.” The woman moved to remove her hood, her voice commanding. “But do you know why I am here?” The King’s skin turned a pasty white and his breath staggered. Elizabeth took the time to study him. The King of Boudicca didn’t seem very intelligent. He was about her height and his belly could be compared to that of Santa Claus.
Edward’s mother, however, did not freeze like her incompetent husband. As quick as lightening, she regained her composure.
“Welcome my friends. It has been a long time since I last laid my eyes on the Holy Ones. Your kind are welcome in our kingdom anytime.” The Queen bowed her head slightly, signaling respect.
The woman, however, did not return the bow. Instead, she looked at the Queen with interest.
“Do you know who I am?” The queen looked slightly muffled. Judging by her fidgeting, Elizabeth figured she had no idea who the lady was. All she knew was that she was a Holy One. By this time, Elizabeth assumed that the two strangers were married. They stood together, at equal height, and stared down upon the two royal. Barak and Edward had not moved since the strange woman had spoken. Elizabeth believed they were both afraid and that gave her a feeling of satisfaction.
“I am sorry, but I do not seem to recall your names,” the queen answered. The strange woman smirked at her presumed husband.
“I am Artuntaure and this is my husband, Trino. We are the Elfin King and Queen.” The Boudiccian Queen looked like a frog, opening and closing her mouth, trying to form words. Her husband was definitely in a worse situation. He fell to the floor and groveled at their feet. The two Elfin royalty simply ignored him. Elizabeth was slightly surprised that her two strangers turned out to be royalty and elves, but as things were going today, she wouldn’t be surprised if she kissed Ribery, he would turn into prince charming. Edward looked over and asked if she knew they were Elfin royalty, and when she said no, he looked down lost in his thoughts. Finally, the Elfin Queen spoke.
“King of Boudicca send for your priests. I wish to discuss something of importance with them and you all.” The priests were sent for and arrived quickly. “Elizabeth?”
“Yes?”
“Where did you find the ring on your middle finger?” When the queen asked the question, the priests gasped and crowded around Elizabeth to get a look at her ring.
“I found it.”
“And when you put it on, where did you end up?”
“I landed in the mist.” She decided to leave the falling on top of Edward out of the narrative.
“Gentlemen, it is beginning of the Legend of Deagol. You have heard of it, I presume?”
“Most of it,” replied a priest. As they began recalling the details, the others pulled up chairs to listen. Ribery was still there, sitting in Elizabeth’s lap. He kept spitting at Edward. Elizabeth was beginning to like this creature more and more, despite it being half rat and squirrel.
“Have any of you remembered?” The Elfin King questioned, his first words in the conversation. When they all shook their heads no, the elf sighed and looked over at his wife.
“The legend states that one day, a girl not yet a woman, will appear from the mists wearing the ring of Earendel, and she will be known as Earendel. She will travel to Boudicca and take the crowned prince on a journey to the Island of Mystery, where, once they’ve accomplished the journey, will become the King of Airuh and unite the people of Airuh. Earendel will accompany the Prince for his destined crowning. She will then...”
“Then what,” asked Edward, in a wondering voice.
“That part of the legend remains a mystery,” replied Artuntaure. Edward did not look truly satisfied with the answer, but did not press it. Elizabeth looked around the room. The priests were standing together, discussing something while Queen Artunaure looked on. Finally, after a long debate amongst the priests, one spoke out.
“What do you want? Are you saying this girl is actually Earendel? Just look at what she’s wearing!” Elizabeth could feel her face turn red as the priests condemned her. “The ring could be fake and this girl could be lying!”
“I am not,” replied Elizabeth, hotly. “Dor...Prince Edward and Barak found me in the mists. I’m not lying!” When the priest had the looks of apprehension on their faces, Elizabeth stood up ready to attack, but Artuntaure interrupted.
“Wait, Elizabeth. Show them your ring.” Elizabeth looked up to the Queen’s face. The priests had yet to see the ring, for she had twisted it around her finger when they had first crowded her. Now, the priest slowly encircled her once more. Slowly, Elizabeth raised her hand to show them. A priest took her hand slowly, and ever so gently, raised it to look at the detail. He held her hand for what seemed forever, than released it. Taking a few steps back, he fell to the ground and bowed. When the other priests saw this, they followed suite and began to bow repeatedly. Elizabeth had no idea what was going on. She just stood there watching the priests, as they began chanting.
Eala Earendel engla beorhtast,
Ofer middengeard monnum ennded!
They repeated the chant many times, the strange language echoing throughout the empty hall. Queen Artuntaure looked over at her and smiled, which Elizabeth returned. What in the world are they saying? She thought once again.
‘Hail Earendel, brightest of angels,
Above middle-earth sent unto men!’
A familiar voice answered her question. Elizabeth jumped at the foreign voice and looked wildly around. No one else has spoken to her. In fact, the voice was coming from her own mind!
‘Don’t be frightened. You are not hearing things, and you’re not going crazy.’ Elizabeth looked around to the Elfin Queen. She looked at Elizabeth, and now she knew where the voice was coming from. ‘You are the chosen, to lead the Prince to becoming the King of Airuh.’
‘But how do I do that? I don’t even know if I really am Earendel!’ The Queen of the Elves looked at her and a tiny smile appeared on her face.
‘You don’t believe that you are Earendel? What does your heart tell you?’ Elizabeth closed her eyes and began to search for a signal. Earendel somehow seemed to fit her and she was beginning to trust Queen Artuntaure. Nodding her head, she opened her eyes to see the King and Queen of the Elves looking at her, both glowingly happily.
The priests stopped chanting and rose to their feet. The King and Queen of Boudicca remained in their chairs, while Edward and Barak softly spoke together. Ribery, on the other hand, was running wildly around the hall like a mad man.
“So,” said the Boudiccian King, regaining his composure finally. “What exactly are we suppose to do? You say that this girl,” he waved his fat hands towards Elizabeth, “she is Earendel? She will accompany my son to the Island of Mystery, where he will be crowned King of Airuh?”
“Exactly,” the Elfin King stated. “Prince Edward is the true King of Airuh. Barak, the best swordsman on Airuh, and Elizabeth, or Earendel, will accompany him on his journey.” Everyone looked around the room. Elizabeth didn’t really like the idea of her having to come along. She was, after all, only wearing a skirt and heels. Not exactly the right outfit for a long journey. But, before she could raise the issue, the Boudiccian King split the silence.
“So, when do they leave?”
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
They left in the morning, bright and early, and Elizabeth wasn’t getting anymore cheerful. She still did not have the proper clothing, although they did supply her with a small cloak. The maids gave her a tiny room with a straw mattress and tiny blanket that had been mostly eaten by the castle’s resident moths. She was then awoken quite loudly, and was rushed outside with not caffeine in her system. However, before the party left, Elizabeth was escorted down to the stables.
When she arrived, the smell of the horses was overwhelming. She had never been around horses until she had arrived on Airuh, and was still antsy around them. The horses didn’t help either. Sensing her fear, they would buck and snort as she walked by. The stableman brought her before the last stall.
“Before the Elves left, they said that this was to be your ride.” Elizabeth looked into the stall. The animal, bucking and thrashing about, stopped at the sight of Elizabeth. It trotted over and nudged its head toward her. A gleam shone off its head and she looked. On its forehead a large horn protruded from its skin.
“That’s a horn. It’s a unicorn? I’m riding a unicorn!”
“Of course!” The stableman answered with a chuckle.
After a small breakfast, Prince Edward, Barak and Elizabeth with Ribery in her hands, set off on their adventure. Her unicorn seemed to float over the ground because Elizabeth couldn’t feel the usual bumps like a regular horse did. Its hair was the color of falling snow, and its mane looked ot be the color of silver when it shimmered in the wind. Its reins were made of silver, helping to give the unicorn a look of shimmering moonlight. As Elizabeth looked at the other horses, she noted that they seemed to be trying to try and look better than her unicorn. They weren’t even competition.
After about two days, they stopped midday on top a hill. When Elizabeth arrived behind them, a strong smell reached her.
“Uh! Gross! What is that smell?”
“It’s the Death Marshes,” answered Barak. Looking at him, ELizabeth noticed that his normal cheerful face was now transformed to a pale color and a stricken face to match. That frightened her. Edward gulped and turned his mount to go towards the marshes. Barak and Elizabeth looked at one another and reluctantly followed.
“Why is it called the Death Marshes, Barak?” Asked Elizabeth, as they began to pass through. At first, he seemed hesitant to answer, but eventually he explained.
“Many men have died trying to find a way out, going through to seek the old witch, or trying to reach the Island of Mystery. Most of them get lost, never to return.” When Elizabeth asked how they were finding their way through, Barak shrugged. “The King of the Elves gave Prince Edward a map. I assume that’s how we’re getting through.” They never stopped while they journeyed through the marshes, but the path they took only took a couple of hours.
Looking around her, she realized she would never forget this place. The landscape wen on for miles. Murky green water surrounded tiny islands of earth, places in the water bubbling up, smelling like sulfur. Sometimes, in the distance, faint cries of moans rose into the air. In the water, her imagination placed faceless bodies floating in he water. She would never forget how quiet it was. The only sound protruding were the sounds of their horses and the faint sounds of whispers floating with the wind. Ribery hid throughout the entire trip in the Marshes. When she saw mountains in the distance, she almost cried out loud.
When the group reached the end of the marshes, they settled down for a very long nap. Their next obstacle, according to the map, would be passing through the lands owned by a witch. All Elizabeth had heard of the witch were awful stories of torture and fire.
The next morning, they began towards the Witches Cavern at sunrise. The ground was made of rock and dirt, making it hard for life to begin. Now walking on foot, the group lead their horses along a lone rocky road. Rocks fell from the mountains side, as they made their treacherous way along. Around noon, they reached the dreaded cavern. It looked dark inside, and the air wreaked of dust and death.
“Should we ask to pass through?” Asked Edward, nervously biting his lip. Barak looked at him and shrugged. “Well, it would be polite.”
“She’s a witch, just be quiet to avoid her, and we’ll pass through fine,” answered Barak, walking forward, Edward following.
“If it’s her land, we should ask,” protested Elizabeth.
“We’ve already agreed not to ask,” replied Edward.
“I didn’t agree.”
“You’re a woman.”
“Yes, I’m a woman. I have breasts. I wear a bra. I have a short temper during a time of the month. And I have opinions of my own. So, yes I am a woman. What’s that got to do with anything?”
“You have to listen to me!”
“This is not a ‘you say jump and I say how high’ deal. I do what I want to do and I don’t take orders from the likes of you!”
“Enough!” Yelled a harsh voice from the direction of the cave. The horses began to back up and Elizabeth’s unicorn moved forward, nudging her forward. Edward and Barak began to back up with their horses, leaving Elizabeth alone with the witch.
“Who dares disturb my slumber?” The witch walked out of the shadow of her mountain. Her hair was as black as a ravens feather, her skin as white as the moon, skin young and smooth. Elizabeth stood her ground as the witch yelled. “Well, answer me!” Elizabeth swallowed, muttered a prayer, and replied.
“My name is Earendel. My companions and I are journeying through your domain and I decided it would be polite to ask if it would be all right.”
“You did not have to be so loud,” complained the witch.
“My apologies,” Elizabeth answered, bowing. The witch looked on with suspicion.
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing. I am only asking for safe passage through your lands.” Elizabeth bowed once more, Barak and Edward following her lead.
“And your name’s Earendel, right? From the legend?” When Elizabeth nodded, the woman slapped her knee. “By gull darn, the legend itself at my doorstep. Well, let me think now. I’ll let you through my lands, heck. I’ll even escort you myself. I just want to find out what happens. Curious as a cat, I am. Never know when to keep my nose out of others business.” She explained, in an American southern accent. Elizabeth looked at her questioningly, and got a wink in return. The witch walked back into the shadow and returned with a walking staff. “Come on now, we haven’t got all day. Oh, by the way, the name’s Majie.”
Majie led the group to a new pathway, where the rocks were steadier and not falling as they trudged along. Soon, an ice covered mountain grew in the distance, and the temperature dropped as they journeyed closer. Clouds crowned the peak, while snow fell to the ground. The animals were surprisingly calm as they drew closer to the ice mountain. Looking at the surrounding mountains, Elizabeth noted that all the other mountains grew trees and had no snow. When she pointed it out, Majie answered.
“It’s called the Ice Mountain. All year round it’s covered with snow. On it lives the ice dragon, Etementa.”
“Ice dragon? Dragon’s are real?”
“Of course!”
That was the end of the conversation. As they walked on, they soon reached the ice mountain and Majie signaled to keep quiet. Suddenly, a large roar came from the mountain top as a large gush of wind and snow fell over them. Majie stopped and told Edward to hold the animals. Ribery ran to Elizabeth and hid in her hands. Soon, an enormous shadow fell from the sky to land right in front of them.
Its scales were made of crystal. Colors of white and blue light shown off its body as it’s wings flapped up and down, creating strong wind currents that hit the little group hard. Out of its nostrils came icy breath, creating icicles that fell to the ground like daggers. It snorted, throwing hail toward the group. As they tried dodging the hail, Majie stepped forward.
“Let us through, you old goat!”
The dragon didn’t really seem to like that. He growled and flapped his wings noisily. FLying up, he began circling them, spraying snow and ice down below.
“Enough of this, Etementa! Be gone!” Majie lifted her hands and cried out “flame!” Clouds bashed together, thunder crashing in the sky. A large ball of fire fell onto Etementa. He howled and flew around, but could not escape the fireball. Howling in pain, Etementa flew back to it’s mountain to mourn forever more. Majie let her arms fall to her side, and the great fire disappeared. The clouds returned to normal, letting the sun shine through peacefully.
“Well, that got rid of him. Now, let’s go.” Majie grabbed her walking stick she’d dropped, and set off. At dusk, the set up camp. From their camp, they were able to set eyes on the Valley of Beginning.
The next morning, they set off toward the Valley. As they entered, Elizabeth got her first glimpse. A light breeze blew in her face as the scent of flowers overpowered her senses. Green filled her eyes, as the sun rose slowly. It was one of the most beautiful places Elizabeth felt she had ever seen. As they walked through, Edward kept to ELizabeth’s side and they chatted most of the way. She found that they actually shared common ideals. Edward seemed to be scared about receiving the crown, feeling he may not be ready to become such a noble and powerful leader. As time passed, they grew closer, no longer arguing with each other. But learning to appreciate one another.
It took three days for them to reach the ocean, but they hadn’t been in a hurry. As the group journeyed closer to the shore, an outline of a man appeared. His clothing was the color of bark and leaves. A scraggily beard hid half of his brownish face, while dark brown eyes gazed into theirs. His gray hair was hidden under a green hat the color of pine.
“Welcome my friends.” His voice was scratchy, as if he rarely used it. He opened his arms as if to welcome them like a king would to his palace. As Elizabeth received help from Edward dismounting, the stranger mad a noise in his throat and the animals gathered around him. He pet each one then seemed to converse with them. Once he seemed finished, he looked back towards them.
“My friends, your animal companions have informed me that you are journeying to the Island of Mystery. Since they tell me you have taken good care of them, I will lend you my ship to cross the canal.” He made his way toward the water as the others followed. Elizabeth left the group and ran up to the strange man.
“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you know what the animals were saying?”
“I’m a herder,” replied the man, “I communicate to the animals of the world.”
“Can this be taught?”
“No miss, it can’t,” laughed the man. “By the way, you’ll be wanting to know my name?”
“Well, that would help the situation,” butted in Majie, jumping into the conversation.
“My name is Bois un arbre, from Green Town. But you may just call me Bois, dear friends. This way,” Bois called out over his shoulder as they walked to the waters edge. There sat a large boat. Its main staff was at least fifty feet high. It looked like a replica of on old Viking’s ship. Barak looked over it with stars in his eyes.
“Aquasaycan, no doubt,” Barak said, admiring the ships workmanship. “A beauty.”
“Aye, it is. They make the best. Now everyone get the animals onto the ship first and we’re off.” It was easier said than done. At first, the horses absolutely did not want to set foot on the ship, but with the persuasion of Bois and the unicorn, they finally approached. Taking baby steps, they walked onto the rickety ship. Ribery had already run onto the ship. He was sitting on the edge, looking over.
Once they set off, Edward came over to stand with Elizabeth. Together, they watched Airuh disappear until it was only a speck in the distance. Elizabeth was looking off the side, leaning on the railing when Edward walked up and leaned on the rail next to her.
“Elizabeth,” he asked in a gentle voice.
“Yes?”
“Do you miss your family?”
“Sometimes, usually at night when I’m not sleeping. But, then again, they were barely ever home, so I never got to see them. I was always alone.”
“Why?”
Elizabeth looked at him, his brown hair still messy and she moved her hand upward, to smooth it out. “They traveled a lot,” she looked out at the sea, then back at him, small tears in her eyes. “They never seemed to want to be around and they never brought me with them. So, I usually spent time with my grandparents. They were great, but it would have been nice if they came home, at least for a while.” Elizabeth looked towards the sea again, tears slightly coursing down her face as she muttered, “always alone,” in a hush voice. Edward came around and pulled her into a hug. She cried for a couple of minutes into his shoulder, thankful about how nice he was being. Sniffing, she began to laugh. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually like this. It’s just with everything going on-”
“It’s all right,” Edward bolted in. “I promise that I’ll never leave you alone, I swear,” he vowed, holding her at arms length.
“Promise?”
Instead of saying anything, he pulled her slowly into an embrace. Elizabeth had never felt like this. If felt like time had stopped and everything was still. She kept her eyes shut, savoring the moment, when he lifted his head. Edward laughed at her face and she playfully slapped his arm.
After a week of navigating through the canal, they reached the island. The mist hid most of the island except for an enormous alabaster tower. As they drifted closer, more of the castle appeared. When they were close enough to see land, Elizabeth’s glowed a bright white light and the fog was lifted.
The town, although deserted, was huge with white walls encircling the city and in the center was the Castle of Airuh, Edward's new home, and hopefully Elizabeth’s. Bois led the animals onto the land first, Ribery in his hands. Barak helped Majie down, and last came Edward and Elizabeth, hand in hand.
They had finally reached their destination, the Island of Mystery.
~*~ Fast Forward: Three Weeks ~*~
Once the five began their residence in Cuivie Arcoa, the city sprung to life. Living plants and trees seemed to spring to life during the night as animals appeared in the mists. Birds could be heard cheerfully singing, building nests and collecting food. Inside the castle, relationships were forming. The quiet Barak was seen trying to give Majie flowers. Edward and Elizabeth were always together, talking, looking into each other’s eyes or holding hands in a romantic silence. Bois, on the other hand, steered clear of all the love birds.
As soon as the city deemed itself livable again, guests began to arrive. The King and Queen of Boudicca were one of the first, bringing with them half the entire kingdom. Soon, the head chiefs of Green Town, Sulfur City and Aquasaycan arrived in the Viking-like ships. The Dwarf King arrived after that. The night Edward was to be crowned king, the entire elf population arrived by sea. Lights from their boats could be seen through the clear night. Once they landed, the King and Queen joined them in the castle, as the rest of the elves waited outside, enjoying the greenery.
The crowning took only a few minutes, with Edward taking vows and having the crown placed on his head from Boudicca. After the important ceremony was finished, festivities and dancing began. All in all, it was a joyful celebration. Elizabeth had received a white gown from Queen Artuntaure, letting Elizabeth look more elegant than she had ever been in this world. As the night progressed, Elizabeth hadn’t talked to Edward since before the crowning. She figured he would be busy talking to diplomats, learning valuable information on ruling. Elizabeth walked outside to talk to some of the elves, who where just sitting by. They told stories from the old world, as they called it, the old world when all of Airuh was united. They also told of the downfall of the country, of the corrupt king and how the elves came to Airuh to try and help. The night went by as she sat and listened. When the moon was high in the sky, Elizabeth excused herself to go check on the new king.
When she walked inside, drunken laughter filled the hall. As she stepped closer towards the laughter and into sight, her heart broke. Edward was surrounded by girls, drunk, flirting obnoxiously with them. She noticed he was also telling them an apparently hilariously story, as they were all laughing. Stepping back into the shadows, Elizabeth wandered toward them, to hear what exactly they were talking about.
“Then I kissed her, hiccup. And, ha, ha, you should have seen the look on that whore’s face!” When Edward imitated Elizabeth’s face after they kissed, making it look like she was puckering up to a frog as he made a stupid face. All the girls laughed and banged their hands on the floor, laughing drunkenly. “ ’I promise I’ll never leave you alone!’ And she bought it! Yeah, right, she’s by far the ugliest girl I’ve ever met!”
As the drunk group laughed once more, Elizabeth stood by, silently. No emotion showed on her face as the feeling of heartbreak numbed her body. It was as if someone had come up and dug her heart out. Through the weeks they had shared together, she could feel the beginning strings of what was love encircle her heart. Edward was someone whom she completely trusted. He was going to watch over her, and she he woke up in the morning, he would be glad he work up to her! And suddenly everything she loved and wished for was a lie. Every plan she thought of for the future were yanked out from her heart and diced in front of a large, drunk crowd. It almost felt like a prank, but watching the group, she knew the prank was on her. Her breath began slowing down, and tears began pooling. Before they were able to drop, she found a quick exit and ran through the palace until she reached an outer side gate. Pushing through, she began to walk towards a forest, but stopped at the sight of Artuntaure. Elizabeth ran to her and cried her eyes out. The queen stood there, trying to comfort the heartbroken girl.
“Why?” She cried out, her heart chipping away second by second.
“I’m so sorry about Edward, it’s absolutely horrible what he’s done to you. But, right now, I need to tell you something that's very important.” Artuntaure’s voice brought Elizabeth to compose herself quickly.
“What?”
“Now, this will be hard to tell you, and you may not understand at first, but just listen. It is time for you to learn your true heritage.” Elizabeth tearfully looked up with a questioning glance. “You carry the ring of Earendel, my daughter’s ring. Only Earendel can touch it. You, my dear, are my daughter Earandel, the Princess of the Elves.” Elizabeth’s mouth dropped. She couldn’t believe it.
“What about my parents on earth?”
“They are what you would call a diversion. They were created only to make sure you were born into that world, grew up and remained alive. Imagine an immortal elf getting killed in your world. You could be walking around bleeding half to death, and be perfectly fine.” Although the example was a little odd, it made perfect sense. “Now the time has come for you to make your own decision. You have two choices- either live with Edward, always in his shadow, or live with your own kind in our world. Airuh is united once more, there is no reason for us to stay. What is your decision?”
Elizabeth looked at the Queen, then back at the castle. The choice, at this point, was not a hard one to make. Turning her back on the castle, she looked at the Elfin Queen. “Can I at least say goodbye?”
“Of course. We will be waiting on the eastern shore.” With that, Artuntaure left Elizabeth. Watching the queen leave, she turned and reentered the castle. Standing in the light waiting for here were Barak and Majie. Elizabeth walked over to them and engulfed each one separately in a large hug. Barak held tears in his eyes and Majie, for once, was speechless. Elizabeth smiled, her eyes cloudy as she said her thanks and goodbye’s.
“Barak,” she asked, “do you have some paper and a pencil?”
“I don’t,” replied Barak. “Majie?”
“I am a witch,” Majie replied sharply, eyeing Barak. Barak blushed as Elizabeth chuckled. Majie conjured the items and handed them over to Elizabeth. Taking them in her hand, she looked at them. Slowly, she wrote two words on the paper, writing just ‘Goodbye.’
“Please give this to King Edward tomorrow morning,” she requested, giving the paper to Barak. “Goodbye you two, and good luck,” she said, smiling as she left them and walked through the gate. As she approached the eastern shore, lanterns seemed to float on the water. Waiting for here was the King and Queen, her new parents. Each were smiling to her. Ribery ran up to her and climbed up her skirt to perch on her shoulder. Giggling as his whiskers tickled her, she met her parents. Her unicorn was already on a different boat, it’s white coat glimmering in the lantern and moon light.
Elizabeth slowly entered one of the boats and drifted off into the sea.