Chapter Three: Destiny's First Step

"So Natin do you know what my power is?" asked Marel.

"You will finger out soon young one. Too soon." answered Natin. Then the ground started to rumble. Like the whole island was being shaken. A few moments after it stopped rumbling and shaking.

"Amirael is it just me or did it just got really, really cold out." asked Marel. Airael looked up at the sky and saw that the clouds were growing dark. Surprisngly, it started to snow! Marel put her hand out where a snowflake could land on it. When it landed it on her hand she yelped in pain.

"Ow! That burned like fire!" Marel exclaimed.






Amirael ran over to Marel to inspect her hand. She narrowed her eyes until they grew wide with fear when she discovered a black spot upon her hand.

"Don't touch it!" ordered Amirael as she turned away to find a leaf. Snowflakes continued to fall, but they were not natural, they burned. Amirael came back with the leaf and tried to rub the spot off.

"Ow!" cried Marel.

"Stop, it cannot be wiped off…she has been marked," explained Dymin. He then looked around their surroundings.

"What do we need to do?" asked Amirael.

"We need to get out of here…there are these creatures that follow those who are marked…we need to be moving, and fast!" he explained. Natin sniffed the mark. Natin then went to lick it.

"No! It's poisonous!" exclaimed Dymin. Natin licked it anyway. Some sort of magic made the mark disappear, but it weakened Natin.

"It's gone!" cheered Marel, but stopped when she looked at Natin.

"I am alright…leave. Now," demanded Natin.

"I will lead you," Dymin said in Amirael's head.

"Okay. Come on Marel," whispered Amirael. She looked back at Natin with tears in her eyes, but she held them back.

"Don't look back," spoke Dymin in her head again. Amirael looked forward, and lead Marel on. Dymin then set the pace to a steady jog; if he went any faster Marel wouldn't be able to keep up. As they rushed through the woods, the falling snow began to quicken its pace to. Dymin then stopped and picked up Marel and carried her on his shoulders then he picked up the pace.

Amirael ran right beside him, but suddenly, a strange figure lunged at Amirael. Dymin stopped and turne back, he set down Marel and told her to climb a tree. Amirael kicked the strange beast in the face, but it turned on her and bit her arm. Amirael let out a long and painful screech.

"Amirael!" cried Marel. Dymin stabbed the beast in the back, and ripped his sword back out, but only to find, this beast was not dead yet. Finally Amirael caught up with the moment. The beast was long and furry. It was really skinny and had a very long snout. It had super long legs, built for running.

Toxic saliva and Amirael's blood dripped out of its mouth. Its bloody ruby eyes glared at Dymin. Its long claws extended, begging to tear into flesh. It had a short stubby tail, and very small ears. The strange animal lunged at Dymin.

At the last second Dymin stabbed the creature in the gut, and released a strange blue blood. The creature wailed in pain, but attacked again. Amirael held her injured left arm to her chest and lifted her sword with her right. She raised her sword weakly and swung. She had cut the back of its neck. It the whipped around. Without warning, the beast's eyes meant her eyes and they were locked. The eyes of the beast seemed to pierce through her and into her mind, her soul. Amirael froze, she didn't know what it was, once their eyes had meant, she couldn't do anything.

"It's controlling her!" exclaimed Dymin. "Look away Amirael!"

"Amirael!" screamed Marel. But Amirael couldn't. She was under its control. She thought she saw it smile. This sent a chill run up her spine. Her blood ran cold, leaving behind emptiness. She had grown pale; her eyes were now all black.

Dymin then swung at the beast again, this time sending it soaring through the woods. There was thumb when the creature hit a tree and fell to the cold ground. Amirael's eyes then turned back to normal.

"What happened," groaned Amirael.

"The beast, a Snivla, took over your mind," answered Dymin. Dymin then helped her up, and then helped Marel down from the tree.

"We need to rest," spoke Dymin.

"You need herbs," Dymin told Amirael. Dymin then lead them through another part of the woods. The burning snow had finally stopped falling, seemed to have given up. Dymin then stopped in front of a large tree. There were branches really high; he saw stumps upon the tree that they could climb in order to get higher.

"We will rest here," he declared. He then signaled for Marel and Amirael to come. So, Marel went up the tree first, and then turned to help Amirael get up. Once they were all upon their own large branch, they all eventually fell asleep. Early mourning the next day, Amirael woke up to the sound of starching. She looked down to see a Tola starching the bark, trying to climb to get them. Marel was still asleep. She looked across the trunk to where Dymin sat awake. He was sharpening a dagger. He then through the dagger and instantly killed the Tola. He then looked up and caught Amirael's glance.

"What are doing up so early?" he asked in Amirael's mind.

"Can you teach me?" whispered Amirael.

"I'll try," answered Dymin in her mind.

"So, what do I do first?" asked Amirael quietly.

"Clear your mind. Take a deep breath and catch the person's eyes. Focus on speaking in your mind, and soon after a couple times, you'll have it. Once you're a master at it, you won't need to do all those steps…even the greatest can be a great distances and communicate with others," he explained. Amirael then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. She then opened her eyes and caught Dymin's eyes. She then focused on talking.

"Hello? Oh my goodness! I am talking to you through my thoughts! This-this is amazing!" exclaimed Amirael in Dymin's mind.

"Now, to prevent creatures to enter your mind…this is a whole other situation.  It is extremely tricky. You have to build a wall; some just narrow their eyes and focus on blocking others out. It takes time," replied Dymin.

"I know what they are after. Why they are chasing us. They aren't after Marel…there are secrets few know…I don't want Marel to know…please, don't tell her," Amirael commented.

"I already know what you are planning…do it," declared Dymin.

"Protect her," pleaded Amirael. Amirael then leaped out of the tree and ran. She bolted through the forest, far away. She had to get away.







Marel was in a dark place.
"Hello!" called Marel but all she heard back was an echo. Then a white fog started to appear.

"Hello sweet child," greeted a calm, soft voice.

"Who was that," asked Marel.

"I am the Spirit of the Four Seasons. My name is Elanore," introduced Elanore.

"But why am I here?" asked Marel.

"The Four Seasons are out of Balance. The land of Maddina will go through a long winter if you do not stop The Forces of Morda. You and your sister have two of the four powers of the seasons. You have the power Spring and your sister has the power of Summer. Before you leave here is the spirit of Spring," explained Elanore.  

"Vanina," summoned Elanore. Elanore started to walk away.

"Wait! I have so many-" began Marel but it was too late. Now a young lady started to walk in. She was the same height and looked the same age as Marel.

"Marel, I am the Spirit of Spring. My name is Vanina. I cannot speak long." rushed Vanina. She then put out her hands that held bow and arrows.

"Here are the Sacred Weapons of Spring. You have a great destiny a head of you." explained Vanina. Suddenly she started to fade away.

  As Marel open her eyes she noticed she was up in the tree. Next, she noticed the bow and arrows in her lap. She looked over and saw Dymin looking at her with shock upon his face.