CHAPTER I: SAPIENT DREAMS
At the top of a cloudy mountain, lost upon the sky of a stirred kingdom, three sisters were facing the insidious fortune of destiny and fate. The traditional event of assertion, where the direct descendants of the king affirmed loyalty to their blood; loyalty to nobility, and loyalty to the realm. For Amara, the middle daughter, it was the most important moment of her life. For the youngest sister, Rita Abhir, it was a moment like any other of the kingdom: tedious and suffocating. The event was certainly a great ceremony. The people gathered in the Great Square of the Central Tower, to witness the Daughters of The King's departure. The princesses were dressed in extensive and beautiful costumes, embroidered with the most precious gems of the forests from The Region. Those that enjoyed the prosperity of the monumental Feud of Aramordt, the strongest of The North. And time would not wait any longer; the great day had finally arrived. The great moment had come. The main reason, for what they had been both deeply prepared during their thirteen years.
As tradition implied, the descendants must be guided to the top of the mountain, by a being that was not one of their parents; in this case, neither the queen nor the king. This guide should be chosen by the same descendant, with autonomy and freedom. And because Rita's thirteen birthday was two days after Amara's, it was appropriate that her older sister Ceres, the General of the Adheon Army, would be the guide for the two of them. Leading them to the big event, at the same time.
It was precise, for the middle daughter had chosen her older sister from the heart, and the younger daughter did not care at all about this decision. Ceres then, dressed in a special blue hood, fitted with orange stripes; her sword to the right, and her famous bronze spear on her left. And on a path full of fire columns, before the setting of an orange sky, next to the sound of innumerable trumpets and drums resonating at the same time, and the continuous acclamation of the people, exalted, the sisters left the kingdom in the fall of the dawn from the twenty-seventh day of the Leorian Cycle. On Rita's birthday.
It took half of the long day for the beautiful sisters to climb the challenging hill; crossing throughout the uncertainty of the night, across rivers and small forests. Upon reaching the top of it, a clear north appeared over the arms of the mountains. Imposing clearly through the confound, and delirious haze. The place was so high that they could easily see the marvelous horizon of The Region. The first rays of the day paraded before the heavy sight of the alluring princesses, who had not stopped until they reached the delightful ridge of the strange, and wonderful place.
Ahead, at the apex of the mountain, were two small pilasters; right on the edge of the high ground. Both pilasters had a crystal suspended above them.
One of them had a red crystal. Within it, fire energy rested; it floated mystically on its own accord, over the square pilaster. The next pilaster was round, and also had a mystical crystal, although this was colorless and transparent. Coming from an undefined domain. An unknown nature.
"What is our duty?" Amara asks.
"Wasting our time, as it usually is," Rita exclaims. "All this walking, all this effort, for what? To meet again with these illusory duties. Is it for this ritual so disappointing that we have been insisted over all these years?"
"Here you must leave prejudices aside," responds Ceres. "The duty is to corroborate your firmness and your loyalty. The duty is to corroborate the essence by which you really live; the one that beats inside your hearts, sisters. For the first time, you will have the opportunity to decide which is the true energy beating in your being, and governs it; not necessarily, the one that you had been taught to follow all these years, out of need, out of obligations. The kingdom must not have descendants with forced loyalty. My father needs to know that he can count on us, that he can trust in you. And that you believe in his will because you want it from the essence of your blood. Only through this test, fate can reveal the truth about both of you. Here, there is no way to cheat. No way to escape."
"You must approach both crystals, and you must feel the hallowed depths of both energies," continues the eldest daughter. "First you must connect your souls to the Crystal of Fire. Be honest with yourselves, in your heart. Appreciate the light beating within your core, for it will let you recognize the courage, the strength, and the beautiful bond it offers to both of you, forever. Blessings, for being direct descendants of the lineage of fire."
"Afterwards, you must detach from this mental state, and reconnect with the Mystical Crystal. Proceed, towards the mysteries that surround it. The enigma of what it can be, of what could become on me. Are my instincts trying to define a different path, once and for all? This is the last chance you'll have to decide this."
"And when you've felt these deep emotions in your heart, you must listen to your intuition, and you must choose one of the two crystals. The palm of your right hand must have a small cut, for the crystal needs to heed and adhere with your blood. In this way, the essence will be defined, and the process will be completed. As your older sister, I warn you, do not underestimate these energies."
Ceres then, with a small knife, cuts Amara's right palm a little. She guided her little sister towards the pilasters of the Curul Mountain, and before the effulgence of both crystals, the king's daughter had to make her decision.
"Ceres," Amara says as she turns around. "What happens if I choose the transparent crystal?"
"No one knows," Ceres replies. "Any descendant has ever chosen this crystal. Some things are made to remain unknown."
The king's middle daughter approached the essence of fire. Sure enough, she had felt the mystery of the strange undefined energy, but her loyalty to her father was greater. Amara was always an intelligent and independent daughter, but full of love and charisma. She fully understood what it meant to be a princess of the Northern Kingdom: responsibility, gratitude, strength, sovereignty. Since she was a child, she was completely in love with royalty. With the empire. Embedded, in the sound of thousands of trumpets; swinging with momentum and clairvoyance. Chanting her name. Chanting her parents' names. She was truly becoming a brave, precise woman, and her sisters knew it. During her few years, she had exemplified her mother's humility and love, as well as the leadership and figure of greatness, her father projected. The family was the most important thing, and the fact of belonging to a magical hierarchy represented a miracle in her. She was really grateful.
She chose the fire crystal and a feeling of gratitude spread over her soul.
She felt complete; overwhelmed in serenity and fullness.
"I knew you weren't going to fail," says Ceres. "You are full of love, kindness, and honesty. Congratulations, you are officially a Royal Raēn. Descendant of the divine race."
The king's daughter's eyes watered immediately. She was touched by her first great achievement. She could not resist returning to her kingdom and celebrating in the presence of her parents, all together. She needed to thank her mother, for everything she had taught her. It was the right decision, the right destination. Enthusiastic, she began to move to where her sisters were standing. It was Rita's turn.
Abhir has been always different; it was in her nature to be. She couldn't connect with many elements of the kingdom, and unlike Amara, she did not find sense in the rules, nor in the reign. She considered her people false, hypocritical, traitorous, dishonest. She defied the laws and the regime, and the people close to her were terrified by this. It represented a threat. She had a lot of power, a lot of knowledge, a lot of ability, and a lot of intelligence. It was scary to think how far these powers could go, especially, if they were guided towards uncertain paths. Orientated, towards dark intentions.
"It's your turn, Rita," exclaims Ceres. "A new fire crystal has emanated from the pilaster. Give me your right hand."
"I can cut my own hand, thanks." Rita interrupts.
Indifferent, she approached the crystals. It was this same attitude that she did not get along very well with most of the natives from her kingdom, including her older sister. Although what was not known, was that exactly this attitude, was a mask to hide what she really felt all the time: fear. She knew it was a revealing moment, and here, she wasn't going to be able to pretend like she had done, for so many years.
The closer she got to the crystals, the more her cravings grew. Every step she took, drowned the thirteen-year-old princess in anxiety. The pressure was consuming her; the clear distinction of her being was undeniable, and a decision like this could open the door to the unknown; to the chaos, to the never seen before. Was she going to die? Was she going to be executed, for representing a danger? Could it be that they were going to cage her, for being an enemy? Could it be that she was actually, a monster?
The air was saturated among the currents of intense currents of coldness, coming from unexpected gusts of wind. The sky became apathetic, and evil, tarnishing into a grayish color. The clouds began to close; she knew what was going on in her heart. Fear invaded the place, and her sisters felt the tension taking place inside of her. It was useless to hide it; something was happening, and they also perceived it. They were terribly scared.
Rita connected her energy with the fire crystal and felt imprisoned by it. She looked through it, and appreciated the good intentions it had; the good attributes it offered. However, at the same time, she felt a submission. An impotence before her soul. It was an uncomfortable, overwhelming presence. Her gaze shifted to her right side and got caught by a sound radiating from the transparent crystal. She listened to its call, for it was inviting her to something unimaginable.
The princess closed her eyes, and extended her right hand towards the strange crystal, as the first drops of water began to fall from a broken sky.
"Rita, what the hell is going on?!" Ceres shouts, with her voice cracking. "What are you doubting? In your parents who have given everything for you? In what you have received, even when you did not deserve it? How is there room in your heart to deny this love that has been given to you? Isn't this your people? Is this not your kingdom? Isn't this your family?!"
The youngest daughter of the king withdraws, opens her eyes, and says nothing. Just thinking about everything her sister was telling, and kept telling her. She was extremely nervous, at the imminent threat of what this decision could represent, for the lives of the three of them. The pressure in her mind was excruciating, but she mustered courage and decided to close her eyes again. She extended her trembling hand and took her long-awaited decision.
Ceres kept yelling at her sister, screams that translated into fear and despair. Amara silently, motionless, paid attention to everything that was happening. Rita reached out, opened her eyes, and in an instant, grabbed the mystical crystal. She looks back, astonished, and her sisters were petrified at the energy that was rapidly manifesting over her.
Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the center of the firmament; the crystal slowly adheres to her right hand. Above her, a blue and dark energy begins to emerge. Immeasurable power began to circulate through the veins of the princess. Her face turned pale. Her blue pupils dilated. Her ears lengthened, and her wavy brown hair lost its shine and shape. And suddenly, her hair was finely smoothed, into a dyed black color, with some blue frontal wicks that denoted the power and the essence really belonging to the heart of the daughter from the sorceress and the king: The Marine Essence.
Power, and the law of the unknown, seized Rita's soul and body. The crystal lengthened in a pointed way, on both extremities and became an indomitable weapon of a true evil sorceress. Her blood was contaminated by the poison that rested on the new crystal, and with both of her hands, she began to spin it over the cold air; emanating a dark and dense energy. Her true self was emerging. This time, flooded with evil lights derived from a dominant blue fire. The transformation was complete.
In the midst of the pouring rain, Ceres recognized immediately the evil that had gripped her sister: The Legend of Restitutio. A Divine Law, established in ancestral times to generate natural progress for the Dragon Realm, but, when its king became a man for love, this legend became a curse instantly. After thousands of years, it had finally incarnated in her last daughter, playing against the kingdom.
Ceres attempted to attack, and with her bronze spear and her keen sword, started a confrontation with Rita; exchanging deadly blows. A petrified Amara, from afar, casts fire flame spells in circular shapes, learned from her mother. Although all her attacks were easily deflected by the enraged, evil sorceress. The latter counterattacked with blue spells, in the form of bright triangles, which corrupted the earth's foundation where Amara was. The piece of land fell away into the void, and she fell with it, but in the air, she managed to hold on to the hanging roots that were detached; hanging on the slope of the mountain. It was a long fall.
Ceres turned her gaze to Amara and shouted her name in order to ensure her sister's survival. Amara poked her head out a bit, still hanging between the roots, and her older sister found relief again.
And just as she was going to move to rescue Amara and help her up, Rita took advantage of the distraction and mercilessly buried the poisonous crystal weapon in her older sister's chest.
"Ceres!" Amara shouted, crying.
The older daughter tried to attack with her bronze spear, but Rita stopped her with her other hand, holding it to her wrist.
She squeezed her forearm while forcing her sister to drop the spear. Weakening her pulse. Another flash of lightning suddenly fell, as Rita tightened her grip on the crystal; pressing the sharp weapon into her sister's heart. The sorceress coldly directs her gaze towards a desperate Amara, screaming and hanging on the heights of the mountain; returns her gaze to Ceres, and approaches her towards the edge of Mount Curul. And among the darkness of the heights, the mist, and the incessant rain, Rita pushed her older sister through the air; separating her from the buried crystal. Sending her into the terrible void of death.
Amara managed to get back on the field; leaning between the hanging roots. Its fiery crystal of fire rested in a corner of the cliff. She ran quickly towards it, while her younger sister threw lethal spells on the way.
She got the crystal, holding it with her right hand. It gathered energy quickly and lengthened in the same way. The mystical weapon generated two sharp edges at the top; emanating, a red fire at its diamond tips.
"The crystal only activates with pain, my sister," Rita says with a sinister look. "Now, you are worth something!"
"You are nothing to me!" she answers back. "You will never be forgiven for what you have done! Are you listening to me?! You are going to pay for this!
"I've waited for this moment all my life," says Rita. "Come on!"
The battle began in the midst of the deep storm. The confrontation was clothed on top of the skies, amid the clouds and the rushing water. The firmament was witnessing a massive clash of energies and powers; the strongest on the entire planet. The sea essence measured her sinister intentions against the shocking, brave, and volatile essence of fire. Two crystals, two sisters. A curse against a divine correction; it was the battle of goddesses incarnated in two princesses, with exponential capacities that even they could not graduate. This battle was destined from the beginning of time, and in it, the destiny of all the people from the north was at stake. The harmony of The Region was exposed on the table. The intensity of the battle was exorbitant, and it was unclear which of the two was going to win; a massively grueling fight.
Amara's curly golden hair faded, for there was a thirst for revenge, anger, and rancor in her heart; at the sheer betrayal her sister had done and still was doing. She couldn't help it, even if she wanted to. This momentum allowed her to fight better. In fact, this impetuousness established a greater strength in her being, although it was infuriating for her. The middle daughter was leading the battle.
In a rough, horizontal movement, Rita attempted to attack her sister's head. Amara crouched down quickly, and with her left hand, buried the crystal of fire in the ankle of the evil sorceress; with it, she inflicted excessive pain on the right leg of her sister. Forcing her to remain static in her weakened position.
Amara clenched her right fist and quickly covered itself in fire. With all the strength she could hold, she threw a punch at his sister's belly; moving her to the near edge of the mountain. The blue crystal fell from Rita's hand onto the moistened earth, and Amara grabbed it, while she was slowly approaching the edge; for in her mind, the image of annihilating her treacherous sister with her own evil, was strongly present.
Rita then ripped furiously the fire crystal; still buried in her ankle, and tried to defend herself. But her enraged sister's attacks forced her to back down further and further; getting closer to the precipice of emptiness. The golden daughter began to impose on the contest, and in an instant, cut off part of the fingers of her sister's left hand. And while she was screaming in agony, Amara caught the elongated crystal of fire.
Amara was attacking now with both weapons and seemed to be winning. Rita defended herself as she could, with the silver bracers once gifted by her father, and with the dark magic that she barely managed to emanate from her hands. She was weak, exhausted. But this did not make Amara stop, on the contrary. She attacked her with more power, with more hatred, with greater intensity, until Rita fell to her knees; neither her magnetic shields nor her wavy spells resisted. The aura of her body fell defeated, in the presence of her golden sister.
She was then, prostrated on the same edge where she had thrown Ceres's body moments before; in front of a victorious Amara, with the oscillation of red and blue vapors spinning around her.
"What are you waiting for Amara?!" Rita says crying. "End this once and for all! I have done my duty."
It was a necessary path. Rita was a danger to everyone, and the evil she had engendered in her, had to be removed. Or not? After all, she was her sister; her partner from birth. And if she killed her, she was probably going to become the same evil that she had become. Rita's life was now, in the hands of the golden princess.
The king's daughter peered through her sister's eyes, and found only terror in her soul; Immeasurable panic towards death. Amara understood, observing inside of her, that her sister did not know the dimension of the power that she had released; but that, at the same time, she knew perfectly well what she was doing, and what she had done. She understood that her sister was not being controlled by any evil: she was the evil. An evil that was now in her hands to correct.
She was not sure, however, for she did not know if death was the right solution. However, after thirteen years, she had finally comprehended that her younger sister was an impure being. A being with intentions that were neither genuine nor honorable. If this didn't explode now, it would explode later. Perhaps even with greater consequences.
However, Amara could not do it; she couldn't murder her. It was counterproductive and did not fit in with the values her mother had taught her. Nor with the sense of honor instilled by her father. Her mind began to cloud with thoughts. And suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Rita snatched the fire crystal from Amara's hand and buried it in her left leg. The golden daughter cries out in pain, and in reaction, holds her sister's arm; and brings her closer to her, while she was still kneeling on the ground, and with the blue crystal, she attacked Rita directly in the heart, piercing her body. Impregnating it with the bluish poison.
Weakened, Rita closed her eyes. Held herself accountable, and allowed her body to fall back; sentencing her to death. Falling into the deep abyss of the great Mount Curul. Abandoning her life, in the cloudy void.
The sky began to clear. The forest began to glow green again, and the daylight illuminated Amara's face one more time. But this one did not feel enlightened. She wasn't happy, actually, she was crying uncontrollably. Her pain was ruthless, and her severe sadness echoed through the mountains. Making her fear reach the closest places. The princess had lost her two sisters. How could she continue to live like this? How was she going to explain this to her parents? How was the kingdom going to continue with the tragic death of two of its royal princesses?
For a moment there was a terrifying, eternal silence. Amara did not know what to do or what to say while drowning in the penury of her feelings. Heartbroken, she looks straight ahead, and a beautiful white rose falls gently on the top of the mountain; she gets up to pick it up, and perceives a faint and peaceful light descending towards it. It was the most beautiful bird she had ever seen. Covered with snow, it prostrated itself before her, descending in the form of a spirit. Delicately, it transformed into the essence of a man. Dressed in a long white suit; his feet were not seen, and the end of his clothing faded into nothingness. Its specter floated in the sky, and its face was so bright that the creature could not be distinguished.
"Beatific has always been your nature, Amara," the being exclaims. "I've come here to give you a message from the highest of the skies."
"You've fought hard, and you've chosen the right path," the creature continues. "The annulment of this evil, and of this adverse law, could only be carried out by you. And it is in this way, by which the light is consecrated, and the glimpse of the joy will be delighted forever over all my creatures. You have destroyed the curse of the mystical crystal, and you have risen to the heights of my kingdom with the fire crystal; the instrument designed to lead your people, our people. You are the Divine Correction, Amara, and this is the path to our glory. This is the precedent for the prosperity of your days. Welcome to your best times, New Queen of the North."
Amara was not really convinced, although, very amazed. She remains silent and said nothing.
"Serene, my daughter," continues the being. "I am Elgoneth; holy member of the Divine Golden Assembly. Do not cry, for you are eternally blessed with me. Take this message to your parents, and take this for yourself."
The divine being presented her with a golden lyre, covered with precious crystals; as a gift from her, and a perpetual reminder to be protected by The Gods. But even so, Amara could not comfort her heart, and there was still restlessness inside of it.
"Thanks, but this isn't going to bring my sisters back," says Amara. "This is cruel and foolish. And if this is my destiny, it is dark and a depressing one. I don't think I am the one to guide my kingdom towards the light that it will need so much these days."
Elgoneth then led her into the abyss of the hill and took a gold seed out of his right hand. It was small and badly damaged. He planted in front of her, and said,
"This fragile seed is broken; injured from within. She has been through long days of severe drought. Although, she knows she can grow. She knows that, in order to grow, she needs to be placed in the bitter soil. She knows she must be covered in darkness, and that she must fight if she really wants to find the light. It would cost her a lot, but when she finds the light, Amara, she'll become the most prosperous tree in The Region. Flourishing her preciousness, as an inspiring shield of gold and silver. Encouraging all the hearts of her people, into their legendary triumph. These will be your days, princess, for you are destined to become, the testimony of light.
I promise you, Amara, every time you are in your kingdom, and you go to the highest point of its prestigious fortress, you'll see this tree getting bigger, brighter, and stronger. And someday, it'll be so vast, so fruitful and so magnificent that the whole North will see it easily. I hope that day, you sing our best songs. Share your sweetest arpeggios. Tune in with the universe, and I hope that day, you recite the most beautiful melodies. Never heard in the currents of these ancient winds. I hope you inspire your land, with those anthems already living in your heart. And I hope you make this dance, a joyful one; along with the gift I had offer you. You and your people will be divinely protected by us, for all future times. Remember this, every time you look up towards this sacred mountain."
"Madam, madam! Wake up!" a woman exclaims.
"Irene?" Amara asks.
"Wake up, ma'am! You've been sleeping all day here in the third square!" says the woman. "Night has fallen already."
"How did I end up here?" Amara exclaims, confused.
"You were training in the morning, and decided to take a break," Irene replies. "I didn't think it would take that long! Do you know what day is today?
Amara shakes her head from side to side, still confused, before the woman continues.
"It is Leorian's twenty-fifth day… your birthday, ma'am!" Irene exclaims.
"It's your number thirty-three."
"Irene," interrupts Amara, "we must prepare ourselves immediately. Elgoneth is trying to communicate with me. The day is coming." "The day, my lady?" Irene stutters, trembling.
"The day of the great battle," replied Amara. "The Dark Legion of Dynamo is reaching us, all the way down. And this vanity does not come with mercy. We've no choice. If we do not face this evil, this malevolent prosperity will reign forever, and the light of its traitorous empire will be as inextinguishable as the sun before us. Perfect for the eternity of the hazy days. Favorable for the uncertainty of the dark nights. An unfaithful witness over the skies, with poisonous intentions covered in abhorrence and fear. We've waited four rimmers for this moment. I can feel it, Irene. The end is coming to us. Rita is coming to us."