Aquirya

When they reached the end of Elfkin territory the troops gave them their provisions, showed them the easiest route, and bid them farewell.

“Through another forest?” Aeyla asked Niko discouraged.

“This isn’t going to be like Hollyella, Princess. Most of the forests in Aquirya are beautiful, lush, and colorful. You have friends in the forests.” Niko said leading the way to the forest up ahead. Flash mumbled under his breath, “And many enemies.”

After about an hour of walking in the lush, Lilasela forest, they heard someone yelling, “Help!!! Help me!” and the yelling was getting closer. “HELP! They took my daughter.” As the yelling got closer they could tell it was a female being. “Anyo…ne!! Help me..e!”

The group knew that the voice wasn’t coming from directly in front of them they started running to the right towards the desperate cries of a mother. She had fallen, tripped over some branches and started crying in her hands. The group rounded a corner stopping short, a humanoid woman was kneeling before them crying, she was shorter than a human would be, delicate looking, but without wings like the fairies in Aquirya had, they were cautious just in case this female was enemy and this was a trap. Niko and Flash were more cautious knowing that humans weren’t normally in Aquirya, not in this part of Aquirya anyway. This was fairy country.

“Can we help?” Aeyla was first to speak and first to approach. Maybe it was good she didn’t know much about her own world, she acted fearless when helping beings.

The female looked up and her eyes glowed blue. She sprang up and backed away. “Ddddon’t come annny closserr.” She said shaking and tears running down her face. She had bruises on her arms and was bleeding from both legs.

Aeyla kneeled then motioned to Niko to kneel also. “What’s your name?” The woman studied Aeyla for a while, then sat down on a rock in front of Aeyla. “Ziggetra.” The female said.

“Ziggetra, where is your daughter?” Aeyla said softly. “Who has her?”

Ziggetra looked at her, her eyes flared red, “Orcs.” She said angrily. “Orcs have my child. They will kill her.”

“Niko came up beside Aeyla now, “How did Orcs get into Lilasela?” He asked Ziggetra.

“Craceeris.” Ziggetra said standing up. “Are you going to help me or not.” She said annoyed that they were only talking and not moving or doing something.

“Of course, we will help you if you think you can lead us. However, we will not go into something without being prepared for battle. Especially not with Orcs at the other side. Have the orcs set up camp in the forest?” Niko said motioning for her to lead them.

“Yes.” Said Ziggetra.

Niko looked at Aeyla and Flash eyes wide. Flash smiled, he liked Ziggetras’ focus on the problem not the small details.

“This way.” Ziggetra said as she pulled out a machete like knife from nowhere.

“What is she?” Aeyla whispered to Niko as they were walking.

“She’s a Shiggen.” He whispered back. “Halfling of fairy and elf. They aren’t common but they do exist in Aquirya. They are usually friends but can be easily swayed for evil, very quickly. That is probably why her daughter was taken to sway Ziggetra to work for Craceeris. Females are powerful and can do much for Craceeris.”

“Where do they live?” Aeyla said a bit louder than she wanted to.

“We live in the trees at the bottom of the mountain and we can hear a cricket from a mile away, Princess.” Ziggetra smiled knowing her point came across.

“Our apologies.” Niko said bowing.

“The Orcs cave is over there.” She pointed to a thick set of trees. “There is a small ravine, that’s where they took my daughter. Ugly things, orcs. I don’t know how we’ll get down there. That’s why I went for help. Fairies are selfish though, they don’t help many races outside of their own. The animals here are too….”

“Shh.” Niko looked at Ziggetra, with his finger in front of his mouth, and knelt behind a tree. The others followed his actions. They drew their weapons and waiting, quietly.

Another rustling, grunting, then a shriek that sounded like a young child. Ziggetra started to get up to run after the shrieking but Flash was quicker and had her by the arm before she could stand fully up. He motioned her to be silent just as Niko had done. They watched the Orcs as they walked by the group and through the trees.

Orcs are not smart when in battle. They may be large but they were pretty stupid for such huge creatures. They followed dark ways and did what was told to them. They never did things for themselves but eat. Most other creatures did not run from Orcs because they were great in battle, they ran because Orcs are ugly and terrifying looking. Niko and Aeyla had fought Orcs before, he just hoped she remembered how they defeated them.

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Niko lifted his head when he was done with his prayer.

“What was that?” Aeyla asked.

“A blessing from the Great book.” Niko said. “Lets’ go save your daughter.” He said turning to Ziggetra.

They crept up on the tree wall that hid the ravine behind it. A ravine that wasn’t as menacing as most ravines. This one being in the Lush Forest of Lilasela had plants, flowers, animals, a beautiful flowing river, Choral River, and several trees with eatable food hanging from them. They came through the trees and saw the colors of the ravine had not been tampered with, maybe the powerful fairy magic for this forest hadn’t been penetrated by Craceeris yet, even in the ravine where part of her soldiers were doing their bidding.

They saw a path that creatures would take down to the food and fresh water. They listened to figure out which way the orcs were hiding. They heard grunting, the same grunting they had heard just a few minutes ago. The sounds came from the left of them where a turn in the ravine was. Niko crept in front of the others and motioned for them to follow. They followed him quietly, weapons drawn, as they turned the corner they stopped.

“Evil is here.” Aeyla said. Niko couldn’t help but smile, noticing evil meant Aeyla was getting back her senses for her world. There was no plant life down this path, no water, no colors, evil was here. He didn’t smile long though because another shriek came from further up.

“Lets’ go.” Niko said after looking around, sniffing and making sure there were no orcs or any other evil creatures lurking in the long ravine corridor. They were running out of time and had to run no matter how much noise it may make. Soon they came to a cage opening that looked like it had been burned to make the opening.

“This wasn’t always here.” Ziggetra said surveying the opening. “It looks like it was burned into the side of the ravine as an entrance to their lair.”

“Sounds like the work of Craceeris.” Flash piped up, shakily.

“Come on, we haven’t much time.” Niko said walking into the cave.

As the orcs grunting got louder and louder the smell of death and evil increased. They came to a wide “door” and below them was a huge cavern. At the bottom of the cavern was about 100 or so orcs, dancing around a fire, grunting. Along the floor of the cavern were dead bodies or various Aquirya creatures, and piles of bones. Above the fire was a small girl, tied to two trees being lowered closer to the fire. They were chanting something now. Flash took out his bow and arrow, created a ball of fire and placed it on the end of an arrow and readied his bow. He looked over at Niko to wait for his signal to fire.

“Bahla, my daughter!” Ziggetra gasped.

Niko looked for a lower advantage point for him to attack with his sword since he didn’t have his bow with him. He saw one and hoped he could get to it quietly without alarming the Orcs that he was there. He climbed down the cavern, using the rocks as support and realized there were different tunnels into this cavern.

“What about me?” Aeyla whispered to Flash. Flash looked at her bewildered.

“Princess, you rarely have to use your sword.” Flash whispered back to her annoyed.

“What does that mean?” She asked him just as annoyed.

“Your powers, princess, it’s time for you to remember you have them.” He looked away from here back to Niko to make sure he didn’t miss his cue.

Aeyla looked at her hands frustrated. She concentrated on them for a while. “What do I do?” She asked whoever would answer.

“Imagine Fire.” Ziggetra answered back. “Like this.” Ziggetra looked down at her hands and whispered, “Fire.” As she did a fire ball appeared in her hand and she looked up at Aeyla.

Aeyla looked at her in amazement. “I can do that?” She asked.

“Yes.” Ziggetra said motioning with her head and eyes to Aeylas’ hands to show her she’d already done it.

Aeyla jumped a little at the site of fire blazing in her hands.

“Now wait for Nikos’ sign.” Flash said still watching Niko climb down. Flash listened to the chanting and realized they were sacrificing the child to please Craceeris and make her stronger. Innocent souls, that’s what Craceeris loved and that’s what kept her so powerful these last 5 years. He’d heard she was doing it but they could never find where or who they’d taken.

“Sego nanerax contazea.” Chanted the orcs over and over.

“What are they saying?” Aeyla whispered.

“We sacrifice a soul for you.” Flash whispered back. Niko nodded at them, he was ready.

Flash looked over at the females. “Now!” he said to them and went back to his bow and launched the fireball arrow. It hit 3 orcs and threw them across the cavern alerting the other orcs to danger. One of those orcs was lowering Bahla to the fire was hit and she was stopped and was far enough away from the fire not to feel it.

The attack was on, Aeyla, Ziggetra, and Flash were all sending fireballs every which way into the now panicked orcs. About 20 orcs were already down, dead, or very wounded. Orcs didn’t have any magic and if they weren’t prepared for battle they weren’t prepared at all. They had no advantage against the four trained warriors before them even if one of them couldn’t remember her training. An orc watched Niko as he jumped up on a ledge near the girl and ran after him. Just as he was underneath Niko he stomped and Niko lost his footing falling from the ledge but catching himself and was now dangling from the ledge close to the orcs head. He kicked and it caught the side of the Orcs head and made it stagger. Niko pulled himself back up onto the ledge and started pulling the rope nearest him up. Bahla started to be lifted up as he pulled and he realized the other side of the ropes were being cut by another orc. They sure were stubborn when they were told to do something. The other three were now on the floor using more than just their fire skills to battle the orcs. They only needed to distract them long enough for Niko to free Bahla. Niko jumped on top of the contraption that was holding Bahla and climbed down the rope.

“Bahla, you are going to have to wake up. You have to climb this rope when they’re done cutting the other one. Bahla, wake up, Bahla.” Niko tried desperately to wake up the small Shiggen but she had been drugged or put under a spell. He would have to carry her up the rope himself. He held on to her and started using the rope the orc wasn’t working on to start to climb up with her in his other hand. He was about half way up the rope when the other rope came crashing down and landed right in the fire. Aeyla looked up and saw the trouble Niko was in. Could she? Was she able to do that too?

She looked at her hands and thought about ice. In the same moment a cold form replaced the fireball that was in her hand. She opened her eyes wide and looked back up at Niko and Bahla. Bahla had come too and was struggling to get away from the fire and from Niko not realizing he was trying to save her. The fire had shot up the rope pretty quickly and was almost at their feet. Aeyla took aim at the base of the fire with both hands and the ice formed around the fire and then went up the rope making the rope slippery and the two holding on to it slid down into what used to be a raging bonfire.

Only 5 orcs remained, after most ran out through the other tunnels that came into the cavern. Niko was being surrounded. An Orc push Niko and he rammed into the ice pile behind him making Niko groan. Another orc was coming in to grab Bahla when he was taken down by burning on his back. Flash had started rapid firing fire arrows at all the Orcs around Niko and Bahla. Niko jumped and kicked the ugly orc closest him in the face with a back flip coming to another orc and punching him while landing on the orcs shoulders. The smelly orc fell backward into another orc and when they did Flash was there with a fire arrow that he stuck right into the top orcs eye. It went right through down to the second orc and they caught up in flames.

“Let’s get out of here!” Ziggetra said. She had picked up Bahla and was waiting by one of the tunnel openings.

Niko led the way, sniffing as he went as to not get lost in the vast tunnels that were under the forest. They were dug centuries ago before the fairies took over the forest above. They weren’t used as much anymore. Goblins, Dwarves, dark elves, and the like would use the tunnels to hide out, live, or find metal to make weapons and armor from, but that’s about all these tunnels were used for.

Finally, after about 3 hours of running and turning, they came to an area of the tunnel where they could see light ahead. The group was tired, hungry, hurting, and happy. They ran to the light and found an exit into Lilasela forest. They walked out of the opening and saw the lush trees again and a fresh water lake right before them. Ziggetra said she knew what they could eat and would gather some fruits for them while flash went and got some water. Niko and Aeyla sat down on a rock to catch their breath.

“I’m really the princess of this place aren’t I?” Aeyla said after a few minutes of sitting there alone with Niko.

“Yes. You are.” Niko said smiling. “Here.” He handed her a leaf. “It has washing qualities, you can wash yourself with it.”

“Thank you.” Aeyla said. “I think I might be ready to save our world.” She laid down and fell asleep.

Niko turned to Ziggetra, “Which way to Grazia from here?

“The castle probably moved by now, but I will lead you to the Treleskan Forest, It’s about half a mile that way.” Ziggetra pointed ahead of them past the lake.

“…But you need to be careful, Craceeris has creatures in that forest that no one wants to meet and they’re there to find you and the princess.” Ziggetra got up and started to walk towards the lake.

Aeyla opened her eyes a little later and Niko told her it was time to keep moving. They packed up what they’d picked for food and put water in their goatskin bags that Ziggetra had created. They followed Ziggetra to the end of the Lilasela forest then showed them which way to get to the royal forest of Treleskan and they were off on their own again.

“Thank you for saving my daughter!” Ziggetra yelled behind her as she went back into the thick forest they had just come out of.

They walked across grasslands, streams, and hills until they reached a hill overlooking a tree filled forest.

“Treleskan.” Niko said to Aeyla with awe in his voice.

“It’s burned.” Aeyla said looking closer and starting to run down the hill.

“Aeyla!! NO!” Niko screamed, seeing something pass through the trees out of the corner of his eye.