1 Escape into the Darkness

The night sky was filled with the sweet scent of Hibysk apple blossoms from the orchards that surrounded the town of Xiahieghts as the moon peaked above the Aqquean Sea giving it a shimmering amethyst glow that invited the night birds to bath in its beauty. 

"Xandria"

"Yes, Mummy?"  Xandria called out as she was looking out her window at the picturesque view before her.

"It's time for bed"

"But Mummy, I'm not tired." She turned around to see her mother entering her room.

"Xandria, my sweet daughter all the other little girls and boys are already in bed and you need your rest you have a very big day tomorrow."

"I know Mummy, but I am so excited. How can I sleep?"

She studied her mother as she was turning the blankets down on Xandria's bed.

"Come on Xandria, climb in" her mother patted the bed inviting her to get in.

Xandria jumped into the bed and let her mother pull the covers up and around her shoulders and tucked her in snug as if the blankets would protect her from falling out of the bed and onto the floor.

 Her mother bent over and whispered into her ears "Sweet dreams my lovely baby girl", and she kissed her forehead and both cheeks for good measure.  She then turned and walked towards the door announcing, "lights out" and it became dark as her mother left the room.  

Xandria lay in her bed, staring out the open window watching as the curtains flowed in the breeze and watching the moon rise higher and higher.  She gazed her eyes around her room taking in the beauty of the delicate designs carved in her bed posts and her little purple desk with a fancy oval mirror that she pretended to be a fair maiden in the distant Kingdom of Luque far beyond the Hidden Forest where her father grew up.  She was proud of how she collected all of her dolls and books lined on the shelf neatly as if it were to be a picture just before bed. She was after all going to the gathering the next day.  Her mind was racing about the following day's events that would spell out her future for her.  How on "Telakritera am I going to go to sleep" she wondered.  She was sure she would not fall asleep as she continued to stare at the most beautiful moon she had ever seen.

The stars appeared to dance around Xandria's head and the animals of Telakritera gathered around her as she sat next to a slow moving stream with a fire keeping her toes toasty warm. She loved the smell of the campfire and smiled as she thought of camping in the Hidden Forest with her father looking for Snagle fin turtles for a warm soup.  The smoke of the campfire was inviting and warm but oddly kept getting stronger and more pungent.  Her lungs started to hurt.  She looked at the Starlight deer and it appeared to be talking to her "Xandria!" "Xandria!"

"Xandria! Wake up!"

Xandria opened her eyes and saw her mother with a horrified look on her face. "Wake up, Honey we need to leave now". Not quite awake and a bit bewildered she sat up it was dark in the house and her mother was moving quickly and quietly through her room. She could her screams outside and flashing lights, followed by a horrible sound she could not make out.

"Mummy, what is happening?" asking as she hopped out of bed into her slippers that were waiting for her feet to step into and grabbed the bag her mother handed her.  "Is it time to go to the Gathering?"

"No, Honey it's not time and we have to leave now" in a hushed whisper and  took her daughters hand and ran down stairs in the dark through the sitting room to the back of the house where there was a closet that her mother put the broom to bed.  "Nydet", her mother spoke and the floor disappeared from the closet and was replaced by cold grey stone stairs leading down into a very dark tunnel.  "Hurry" she whispered, "we must hurry" she pulled Xandria by the hand and stepped onto the stairs and down they went.  She could feel the darkness and the damp musk in the air. Xandria looked back the opening of the tunnel was now closed with a stone ceiling. 

Her mother stared straight into the darkness for a moment she held out her hand and a small faint light appeared to hover over them.  It grew just a little brighter so that she could see her mother clearly.  She looked around briefly to see the damp stone walls with tree branches sticking out from the cracks. Her mother reached in her bag and took out two wraps. "Here Honey, put this on to keep you warm" as she wrapped it around her daughters shoulders and pulled the hood over her head then pulled the second wrap over she own shoulders and took her daughter by the hand looked straight ahead with a big sigh, "let's go".

They walked in silence through the dark tunnel with the hovering faint light leading the way. Hours had gone by and yet they were still in the tunnel Xandria's mother stopped looked down at her daughter, "we will rest for a moment", she whispered.  They placed their bags softly on the floor taking care to be as quiet as possible.  Xandria was scared and wanted  to ask her mother what was wrong and why did she hear so many screams back in her bedroom but she remembered her father's words, "never ask in times of trouble just do".  She missed her father he was going to be at the Gathering in the morning. But where was he now? He had been away working and promised to be home the day she was to finally have a chance to be in the Gathering for her chosen calling. 

"Xandria, its ok to be frightened", her mother whispered to her. "Just remember not to let your fear rule you".   She wiped a single tear from Xandria's cheek. "The Corpus has invaded our town and we needed to get to safety."

"Mummy, will Dede know how to find us?"

"Yes, my sweet girl. Your father has always had a plan for us to be safe". She stood up and picked up her bag and held her hand out for Xandria to take. "Shall we move on" she smiled at her daughter then focused on the dark path ahead of them and began one step at a time to move forward.

"Mummy?" she whispered.

"Yes, Xandria?"

"What is a Corpus?"

"Vile creatures that want to destroy all things beautiful and living."

"Living?"

"Yes"

"But Mummy, I am confused. Why do they want to destroy everything beautiful and living?" 

"Don't they like flowers and the singing birds?"

"No, Xandria. And those they do not kill they will enslave and turn their minds into a blank nothingness to carry out the orders of their ruler, The Trepidation".

"Where do they come from?"

"Subtera, a cold dead place where only the bravest have ventured to go into." 

"Is that where my Dede went?"

"Yes Xandria, he went there to gather information for our Emperor so that we could be prepared for when The Corpus invaded".

"Mummy, did Dede know we were invaded?"

"Xandria, I do not know." Her mother stared blankly into the darkness ahead of them.

Xandria looked up at her mother and saw silent tears streaming down her mother's ivory smooth face.

Her mother's eyes were such a bright shade of green when she smiled. But now they almost took on a color of green that resembled a dark mossy stone. She had never seen her mother look so sad.

She lightly squeezed her mother's hand for some reassurance and her mother gave a firm squeeze in reply.

Xandria had no idea where she and her mother were going but she knew it had to be very far from where they lived because her feet were aching and her legs felt like Mushtal Noodles.  The dark damp tunnel seemed to turn and twist for what seemed to be an eternity.  Her eyes stung from fatigue but she did not complain. She knew her mother would never ask her to do this if it was not extremely important.

Xandria's mother felt her daughter sway a bit. She pulled her close and wrapped her arms around Xandria's shoulders to hold her up and give her some security. "I am sorry my baby girl, I know you are tired and hungry but we cannot stop quite yet."

"We are not safe yet and I need to get us out of the tunnel before it's too late".

Xandria told herself, "you are not hungry or tired!" she picked up the pace and before she knew what was going on, she felt stronger and full of energy that she had never felt before.

All of a sudden they stopped.  The tunnel just ended abruptly. What seemed to be an endless twisting and turning of the tunnel was now behind them the journey of darkness was halted.  Nothing more than a wall with tree branches peeking out from the cracks just as it did at the beginning of the tunnel. 

"Nydet" her mother whispered. Xandria held her mother's hand tightly.  She was terrified as to what was going to greet them.  A set of stone stairs appeared heading up into yet more darkness. Her mother started up the stairs holding on to Xandria hand and guiding her up the stairs.  The hovering light went dark. 

They seemed to be in a very small closet like the one at the back of her house where the broom slept. There was a noise of stone sliding against each other.  She looked down and saw that the stairs became stone. Just flat rocks not even a floor. The dark twisting tunnel was gone as if it never existed. 

But still it was dark and tight in this little space there was an overwhelming smell of fresh living wood that filled her nostrils and lungs. Xandria's mother remained very quiet as if she was trying to listen to the beating of her own heart.

That is when Xandria heard the sound of happy birds for the first time since she entered the tunnel. 

"It's safe" he mother said with a sigh of relief.  The door opened and the brightness of the Orange Sun blinded her.

Xandria pulled her hood over her face to shield her from the light.   Her mother stepped out onto the ground guiding her daughter behind her.  Xandria allowed her eyes to adjust to the natural daylight and looked around at her surroundings. The door closed behind them and with her amazement she beheld an ancient tree.  A tree.

As ancient as the ground beneath her feet.    

Even though the brightness of the sun bothered her eyes she realized she was in a very dense forest. It felt familiar but still she did not recognize where she was but she was sure she knew she had been here before. 

Her mother smiled down at her daughter and with a light touch she brushed a lock of Xandria's magenta curly hair from her face. "Do you know where you are Xandria?" she said with a very loving happy tone.

"It feels familiar like the Hidden forest but that is to far to walk on foot", she answered her mother.

Her mother looked down at her daughter lifting her precious child's chin with the tip of her fingers so that she could look directly into her beautiful eye she smiled then proudly announced. "It truly is the Hidden Forest, Sweet Heart. We are near where your father grew up it should only take us about two hours of travel to arrive at your Grandmothers cottage." 

 "Mummy, that is almost an entire day's journey on a swift flying Dragenbird". 

She looked even deeper into her daughters green eyes. "Yes, it is and you achieved an amazing feat at just seven years old. Your Dede will be so proud of you when we see him".

"Will Dede be at Amma's cottage?"

She looked at her daughter who was still wearing her night gown and had triumphantly walked a three day journey in a pair of fluffy purple slippers in a very dark and damp tunnel. Her face shined with hope and excitement.

Xandria's mother let out a chuckle "We need to get dressed. You can't go walking about the forest with your night clothes on."