Aquirya

She had a peaceful sleep in the Dwarf house on a bed made out of some sort of animal skin and hay. In the morning Frelda sat them all in the kitchen with tea and some sort of sweet bread for breakfast.

Flash started. “It was about five years ago our time, it would be about a couple days where the spell would have sent you. It all came out of nowhere.” He took a sip of his mead. “You were out on another of you and Nikos’ journeys. Looking for something of your parents.”

She was staring at Flash with big eyes. “My parents? Journey? Searching for something? What were we searching for?” She asked him very interested in this story and his answers. She had to know what happened to her maybe it would help her remember something.

“We were looking for a staff the High Queen, your mother, Saday had. It was taken.” Niko said to her.

“Oh yes, The Staff of Grazia, our kingdoms staff. It holds a lot of magical qualities. Fire, Water, Wind, Love, healing, and magic itself. Your parents don’t really need it but if it was in the wrong hands it could be used, and was used for major devastation.” Flash said getting up to get more to drink.

Griften continued. “Craceeris was on the same search for that staff. There are three items that have almost the same magical qualities in them, but each one is more powerful than the next. The staff that you were searching for that day Staff of Grazia, a jewel called the Opalisa which is the most powerful, and the great book of helpful sayings, wisdom, and spells, that were used in the ancient days that founded and created the worlds.”

Aeyla was looking intently at Griften. He was waiting to see if she had any questions. He continued when she didn’t say anything. “When you got to the mountain where the staff was located, Craceeris had gotten their first she had found the staff before you even got to the foot of the mountain. The guards that guarded the Mountain, Afaleo, were scouted by her creatures and killed. She created these beings to take you on and to kill both of you. Niko told you to go back to the castle. She called them Cazarticks, for short we call them Cazzies, they destroy everything in their path. They can swallow something and it appears somewhere else, not remembering what, who, or where it’s from. They overtook the land. She made them fearsome, they look like Goblins but they have so many other features to them. They shape shift, they have claws the size of a horse, and like I said they can swallow someone and make them disappear.”

“Why didn’t they just kill me?” Aeyla said.

“That’s a good question but it is pretty simple to answer, she can’t create things that actually kill. Her creatures can harm and destroy to the point of a person being nearly dead but they won’t die. If the person isn’t healed or helped in a couple hours they will stay that near to death until other causes take that person. That’s one thing your father did put over her when he was around the castle and she started rebelling like this.” Niko said touching her arm and being as warm as possible.

“My father?” Aeyla was so confused about all this. I had a father, Craceeris wanted me out of here? Niko and I are best friends? “Why can’t I remember any of this?”

“The spell Craceeris used on the Cazzies before you were swallowed.” Niko said softly. “They made you forget everything here, they were like a portal to where you ended up for the last five years. So that she could get you out of the way and start her reign. Well, what she thinks is her reign.” Niko got up. “This is enough for her to take in today, we need to rest up for tomorrow is there a place we can stay for the night again? We don’t want to impose on you and she has a lot to learn tonight.”

Griften told him there was a house across the way they could stay in, it was the guest house for their village and it was near the barracks and training yard. “Will you let us know when you are leaving tomorrow?” Frelda asked picking up the plates and cups and washing them at her sink looking area. “Griften will take you.”

“Thank you.” Niko said and motioned for Aeyla to follow him and Griften.

Niko brought Aeyla to the dwarven barracks and showed her some sword work that would help her in the two day trek across the now dangerous land. He explained to her how certain kingdoms, like the dwarf one they were in today, had gone underground to hide. Most of the kingdoms were destroyed and had some had survived. They weren’t all in the same underground pockets but they weren’t very far from each other in their kingdom lines.

In The morning they got cleaned up in the river that ran through the underground village and waved goodbye to their friends. Griften used to be an advisor to the royal army. He was living here to protect the people of this underground village. During their stay the princess had learned that there were quite a few underground villages such as this. Apparently the Evil Craceeris hadn’t figured out they were underground nor how to get into these villages. Being that she didn’t come out on her own to search, she sent the Cazzies or other creatures of hers. Thinking everyone was dead was the best advantage Aeyla’s and other people had of survival. Each village had a head, a he or she, depending on the size of the village, this one was one of the biggest so it was headed by Griften. The village where a part of the once grand Dwarven part of the army of Grazia army. There could be 3 to 4 villages in each of the once bigger towns or cities in the world. Each head had been given enough knowledge in magical arts to preserve and grow food and water in their underground homes. They were only to come to the surface if the Royal Fireflies came to the decoy houses. Of course, in each town or city there were several houses that still “stood.” All those houses had lights on, but only one of those houses led to the underground village. It had worked for the last couple years, but it may not hold up much longer. Craceeris was getting more violent and desperate to find the other magic items Aeyla’s family had hidden away. Once she had all those she could break the spells King Vykris had placed on Craceeris. This village had their houses destroyed when the Cazzies came through a couple days ago. The one they had seen standing was covered in a protection spell but the Cazzies didn’t notice, they destroy and keep going.

They had been walking along a dirt road with trees on each side for what seemed like hours. Flash had brought food and Niko had brought water from the underground village. So they were well supplied. The people there were very generous when they found out the Princess was back.

The other good news was Aeyla had remembered a name without thinking about it. There was an older man that lived in the village. His name was Quico. He’d been an advisor to her parents in the castle. Each important person in the Royal court had been placed in several different underground villages. One of each of them were knowledgeable in the magic arts and they were the ones assigned to protect each underground village. This man had been there for Aeyla when she was growing up. When he came up to her in the village she automatically said his name. He smiled. “So I am the first person you remember.” He was soft and polite. He put his hand on her shoulder and hugged her.

“I guess so. I wonder who the next person will be that I remember.”