Chapter 1- Bright light and a silent cry

Auburn light illuminated the countryside of Panzayda (Pan-ZAy- DUH); however, this auburn light was something simply demonic, caring nothing but destruction, and sorrow on its shoulders. As a once magnificent mansion was set aflame, and engulfed in the auburn light, a hooded couple emerged with only a bundled up object in their arms. The woman's mahogany hair that was exposed to the flames was now chard as well as the hem of her cloak, she held the object close to her chest as if everything she had was underneath that blanket, and it was. The man held the woman close as they tried to escape the flaming house.
Now beep within the forest the couple continued to sprint, but suddenly the man stopped and turned around, he drew a line in the mud, and wall of stone arose from the forest floor. The woman pivoted around and clutched the object to the chest,
"No, please not yet!" she called. The man glared at his wife,
"If not know then when?"
"Soon, I promise!" he began to walk towards her, and then he snatched the object from her arms,
"Soon indeed." he said calmly. The woman began to struggle and tempt to retrieve the object; the man caught on her wrist with his free arm, and looked down on her sternly.
"Enough, Eleanor, your acting as if you were a child. I can assure you where we are sending her will be unreachable to the Zonovas. She'll be safe, and when the stars allow it then she will return to us." he released her wrist and pulled back the blanket to revile a small child with a full head of hair the same color as her mothers. Tears streamed down Eleanor’s cheeks as she stared down at her sleeping daughters face. Alin laid her gently down on the forest floor, and then looked up at his wife. Eleanor nodded her head and knelt down on the opposite side as her husband. They rested both hands gently on the child. Suddenly a bright light flashed, and when it faded the child, named Emily Hail was gone.

* * *
As Madame Maria sat in her study reading, a servant came in and poured her more tea. Suddenly a bright light flashed from outside the mansion. Maria abruptly got up and ran out of the room, calling her husband’s name. When she found him, she informed him of what she saw and the three of them ran to the door. They opened the door and peered outside into the night. The servant girl saw a figure lying in the middle of the garden. She raced towards the object, followed by the lord and Lady. They stood over the object in awe.
“What on earth?” Lord Charles stammered. There laid a small infant girl rapped in a blanket with tears running down her face. The servant girl picked the child of the smoking ground and cradled her in her arms. The girl read the embodiment on the blanket.
“Her name is Emily, Hail.” She reported.
“Grace, bring the child inside.” Maria barked. Grace nodded and scurried into the house. Grace followed the Lord and Lady in to the mansion once more. She followed them up the winding stairs, down the dark hallway, and into the drawing room. Maria turned around to face Grace. She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side while saying,
“Sit.” Grace went wide-eyed and did as she was told. She wondered if she had unknowingly offended the Locke’s, by so easily accepting the child. She sat down in the leather-lined chair as Maria and Charles, Locke stood before her with a superior stance.
“Grace, I want you to care for the child, I also want you to train her to cook, clean, and sew. I will also need her to be able to read.” She told her. Grace was taken aback by her words, how was an eighteen year-old savant girl going to raise a child.
“You are not going to take her in as your own?” she asked. Maria laughed,
“Heavens no! I am much too youthful for a job like that. Moreover, why would I even raise a child that is not mine? In fact, if the only child I will raise will be give life by me. I will need someone of young age who is full of energy to take care of my child…that is to say, when I decide to have one. ” Grace sneered at her from the inside. She was insulted that although she was younger the Maria (who was well over twenty) she was forced to care for a child, and for what? Only so, the child could be used as a playmate and governess as well as a slave to every one of Maria’s selfish whims. Grace looked down at the silently crying child with pity. A spark inside Grace urged her to disobey Maria’s selfish whim, but instead as much as she begged her self not to, Grace stood up and bowed to her while saying with an aching heart,
“I understand. “Moreover, without another word Grace left the room, leaving behind a well beyond pleased Maria Locke.


15 years later

I woke up middle to sound of a bell ringing, I opened up my eyes and saw that the bell labeled "Madeline" was ringing; I sighed and shuffled out of bed. I slipped on my night robe and slippers and headed down the hall to Madeline's room. As I opened up the door a small figure about half my size threw them self at me.
"Emily!" she yelled. I sighed and lowered myself to her eye level. I whipped her tears and said in a calming voice,
"Now how about you crawl back in bed and tell me what happened." Madeline was the Lady's fist born child who was often sickly, she had horrible and torturous nightmares almost every night. The nightmares are so troublesome that all of Madeline's ladies in waiting have quite while inciting that she was possessed by an evil soul. I often pitied her more than I did for myself. Here was a gem of a child who is intelligent, whitey, and talented all by the age of five... yet she is hated. The Lord and Lady have locked her away in this small room never wanting to see her. Not even the servants enjoy her. When Madeline was born she was born silently, she did not cry or fuss at all. They took her to the doctor and he informed them that the child was not to be expected to live long, he advised all of us not to become attached. Of course, I have disobeyed this order. Madeline was finally given a name after a year and a half.
Madeline crawled into her bed and waited for me. I sat down and lit the candle next to the chair. I picked up the book, which was rested on the floor at my feet, and began to read.
"Once upon a time there was a maiden with long golden hair locked away in a tower by an evil witch..." as I read these words, I began to realize that Rapunzel was similar to Madeline. I also realized that one day I will leave this place and Madeline will be forced to realize that the stories she hears every night are nothing but fiction. Hours passed and she was finally asleep. I gently set the book down and stared to move out of the room, when small hand gripped my skirt.
"Please stay...,” she whispered. I smiled at her and sat next to her on the floor.

Strange World

"Get up!" I heard a shrew voice call. I opened my eyes to see Lady Maria standing in the doorway. I stood up and brushed myself of from sleeping on the floor. My back throbbed from the hard wooden floor. I then curtsied and made my way out the door. As I walked past her, she grabbed my forearm and pulled me back.
"Where do you think you’re going?" she snarled at me. I stared wide-eyed at he, and wondered what I had done wrong.
"I-" was all I managed to say before she pulled her hand back and swatted my check. I lifted my hand to my check and felt the throbbing flesh.
"Now you place. You are not her mother. I am. If she cries, you tend to her. However if she needs a sleeping companion then you bring her to me. Understand?" she glared at me.
"If you are her mother, as you say, then raise your child." I spoke to her with a sharp tone. I snatched my arm, headed down the winding stairs, and went in the servant quarters, as I did so I could hear the Lady throwing a Juvenal tantrum.
Here was a Thirty-seven year-old woman, whose hair grows grayer by the days. Yet she refuses to pay much attention to the young child, and when she does even mention her, it is only when she is boasting to her equally retched acquaintances. When she does so she points her noise to the sky, oh so proudly and boasts, "I have raised Madeline well." "oh how I enjoy my daughter's company." or sometimes she will repeat things Madeline has said to me and repeated them as if Madeline had said them to her, that she read her stories to ward of nightmares. That she laughed with her. That she gives her affection and love, and thatshe has raised her. How hypocritical that woman is. She talks about loving and raising a child, yet she has never done so.
I enter my room and slip my robe and nightgown off, only to replace them with the dull brown, uncomfortable, and knee length uniform. I tied my stained apron around my waist. I then walk to m y mirror to check my appearance; I upbraided my hair and neatly arranged it into a bud on the crown of my head, and tied it with a white ribbon. I looked down at my shabby dress and remembered the fine silks that Maria wears. How I yearn for a silk or satin dress. I then headed out of my room and headed for the kitchen. As I passed the window next to the back door I saw a small figure with blonde hair, pass the window. My eyes widened and I raced to the door. I swung the door open and flung myself outside while gripping the doorframe.
"Madeline!" I called after the same figure. The girl turned around and stared at me with a blank expression... almost soulless. The girl was not Madeline. She cocked her head to the side, as if she was signaling me to follow her in to the forest of Nottingham. Although I did not know the strange girl... something possessed me to follow her. It was almost as if once I took that first step, I soon found myself running, afraid of losing site of her.
As we moved deeper and deeper into the woods, I knew that I should turn back but something prevented me from doing so. She then turned around abruptly and stepped walking. Her honey brown eyes shifted in to a florescent red. I urged my legs to move but they were unresponsive. I stood there frozen like a statue as I watched the girl part her lips revealing twenty-seven fangs. Her limbs extended from underneath her dress and evaporated in to a mist-like form. The mist crept over me and indulged me in a pungent smell that made me fell sickly and caused my vision to become hazy.


I woke up with a nasty sting on the back of my head and shackles around my wrists. I looked around my surroundings and realized I was in a small wooden room. I saw a small whole in between the floorboards. I leaned down and peered through the small hole. I saw the blurred ground beneath my move quickly past me. I then deduced that I was in a cart of some sort. Had I been kidnapped? What would they possible want with me? Whatever the reason maybe I must escape. I ran my fingers around the walls and felt what seemed like a door. I then ran my fingers around the door and searched for the hinges. To my excitement, I found none, meaning that the door swung out. I stood up and amid myself at the door. I flung myself at the door and heard a small crackling noise. I repeated this several time. I as now tied with splinters in my arms. One more time I try one more time before I give up. Once more, I positioned myself in front of the down. I ran at full speed toward the door, I flung myself at the door, when I made contact with the door the hinges and locks flee of causing me to go flying throw the air.
I landed with the door underneath me as if I was a sled. I skid against the ground for several feet until I came to a stop. I looked back at the cart that I had escaped from and saw that it had come to a stop. I saw two men hope off the top of the cart and began to walk towards me. I got to my feet and urged my legs to run faster. The two goons chased after me calling me horrid things. I ran into the forest and tried to maneuver throw the trees and brush. I looked over my shoulder to see one of the men swinging what appeared to be a string over his head, he released the string and it came hurtling towards me. I felt something wrap around my ankles causing me to fall. I looked down to see a string with weights on the ends of both sides. I frantically tried to undo the string, but in my haste, I only managed to tangle it more. I looked over my shoulder to see one of the men coming up behind me. He raised his ax in the air above me. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain, but it never came. I opened my eyes and saw the ax lying on the ground next to me... along with its owner’s hand. I looked back to see several figures in the distance. I then looked down at what was wrapped around my ankles and carefully unwrapped myself. I stood up, brushed myself of, and walked away.
I only knew taking note of my surrounding. The sky was dark and gray as if a blanked of smoke hazed the sky. Hidden behind the haze was what looked like the suns, were three suns that cluster into a triangle formation and where all smaller then the last. I could not see the ground, fir it was covered in a sea of mist that reached my knees. The forest it's self was depressing. The trees looked lifeless and gray with black leaves. I felt as if the whole world was in black and white. Is this really my beloved Nottingham? I was ripped from my thought when I heard someone call,
"Hey you!" I turned to see a tall black shadow heading towards me. As it emerged from the shadows, I saw that it was a young man with light brown hair. When he saw me, his eyes widened. He was followed by two others. The first one was a small girl with short and wavy white hair, what caught my attention was her violet eyes and long elf ears. The second was another young man with blond hair; this time what drew my attention to him was the large ax on his back.
"Oh my god. Eleanor?" the white haired girl walked towards me. I stammered backwards the closer she came to me.
"Ava, it’s not her. Look at her eyes." The boy with dark hair said. The girl looked into my eyes and backed away.
"Your right there blue not green." She said.
"Where am I?" I finally spoke.
"You’re in Normb near the gate of Humanity." I heard another voice call the three strangers turned to see a fairly toned and thin woman. She was dressed in crimson Arabian apparel. Her black hair was tied back with what looked like a golden clip. Her skin was pale with two black strips on the sides of her cheeks. I glanced up to her eyes and saw that they were golden. Over all she was breath taking.
"What about Nottingham then?" I asked her. The small girl known as "Ava" sneered,
"What's a Nottingham? It sounds painful."
"It's not a thing it's a place, a wonderful and kind place." I told her.
"Then you must from that mortal world on the other side, am I correct." This time the chestnut haired man spoke. I looked at him and nodded my head.
"Then if that's the case, then can I have your name?" he asked me.
"Emily, Hail." When I said my name, their eyes widened.
"Well then Emily, there's someone I would like you to meet that can answer your questions." he took my hand and lead me away with the three other following.
"Wait who are you?" I asked him he turned to me and smiled,
"Erick. As for the others: the elf is Ava, the ax-man is Kail, and the pale Arab is Tara. Is there anything else you need to know?"
"Where are we going?" I asked him. He chuckled and looked down at me,
"That's a secret."

Homecoming

We approached a giant tree that appeared to be five feet in diameter. The tree's roots were sticking strait out of the ground and formed a hollow cage. One by one the three others slipped into the cage of roots and disappeared into under the mist. I looked up at Erik with a worried look. He smiled down at me and squeezed my hand tightly. He lead me towards the cage and helped me maneuver through threw the roots, with out ever letting go of my hand. Once we we underneath the tree he grabbed me by my waist and lifted me up into the air.
"What are you doing!" I shrieked. I heard the others chuckle from bellow the mist.
"Relax." was all Erik said. He then released me and I fell threw the air, until I felt someone catch me. I looked up to see Kail with a stupid grin on his face. He rested me on my feet. I looked around to see that we were in a dark subterraneal tunnel that was light by torches. I looked up to where Erik had dropped me and saw a rope ladder leading to the surface where fog seeped into the tunnel. I watched as Erick emerged from the fog an descending towards us. he landed on the ground with a "thud", he looked down at me and smirked.
"I see you landed safely." He commented. I only scoffed at him and walked forward. I watched as Tara walked by the torches and they light. It was almost as if the torches light for her. we walked farther and farther into the tunnel until we came to a caved stair case that was also lined with torches. Erik held me close to him as we walked up the stairs ,and made sure that I didn't trip. We stopped at a small door that maybe a Nome could fit through with ease. Kail pulled out a rusted key and slipped it into the lock and unlocked it. As he slipped threw I wondered how a such a muscular man could fit through the door.
"I hope Elinor is home!" Ava called. I looked up at Erick with a curious look.
"Who is this Elinor everyone keeps mentioning?" I asked him. He only patted me on the back while motioning for me to crawl under the door.
"You'll soon find out." He said. When I crawled out of the tunnel the smell of freshly backed bread, roses , and a hint of honey filled my seances. a feeling of Daja vu swept over me. Ava took my hand and started running with me,
"Elinor? Elinor we're back!" she called as she lead me down a stair case into what seemed like a kitchen. There in the kitchen stood a woman who back was to us as she bent over the oven. The woman had dark hair similar to mine,her hair was pulled into a dutch crown braid.
"Elinor, look!" Ava called. The woman I amused to be Elinor turned around to face us, when her eyes landed on me she gasped and cover her mouth with her hands. I also did this, the resemblance was uncanny the only difference was our eyes, Her's were almond shaped and were a soft green, while mine where round and glacier blue. I watched in shock as she started crying and stepped towards me. She embraced me in her arms as she gently cried into my neck.
"My baby" she cried. My eyes widened hen I heard this. What? I pushed away from her and stared into her eyes.
"What did you say?" I asked her. I turned to the others who where standing in the door way with amusement,
"What did she say?" I asked them, but they simply snickered. Tara came in and leaned against the door way,
"You heard her, she's your mother. Your long lost, blood related mother." she told me. I shook my head at her,
"That's not possible, my parents abandoned me and left me in the garden of that...THING! Besides she's much to young, she could be my sister, but not my mother." I told Tara. I turned to Elinor, my supposed mother, and was surprised to see her smiling.
"I take it you have a lot of questions." she said. I nodded my head, and she motioned for me to sit.
"Could you start from the beginning?" I asked her.
"you were almost two years of age when it all happened. A prophecy was made- till this day it still haunts me, " A nobble born child of May with eyes that capture the sea will lift the sorrows and pain from the land." When Queen Amara, Zonova heard the prophecy, she went mad with fear. She had every infant slaughtered. Then I was blessed with a child, and when Amara heard about you she ordered our assassination. So your father sent you to the human world for your own safety. However ever since we sent you away Panzayda has been nothing but a living hell engulfed in civil war. Emily I need you to understand we are not human sorcery comes as natural to us as does breathing, and that we are immortal we are frozen in time after the age twenty-seven, and you are to never doubt that I am your mother." when she said the last part I couldn't help but to nod in agreement. Something about her was intriguing and persuasive, she could have told me that pigs fly and badgers talk and I would have believed her. I then turned to the four that I had meet in the forest,
"I must ask, if every infant was killed then why are you four before me?" I asked then.
"Both our parents sent us into hiding until we were five." Kail said motioning to himself and Ava.
"I was in my third year by the time the slaughter took place." Tara said. the three of them looked at Erick and waited for him to reply,
"I was lucky." He said. Mother leaned across the table,
"These four are four of the twelve noble born children." She told me.
" what about the other eight, where are they?" I asked. I began to regret asking when I saw the sorrows in there eyes,
"your one of the twelve, and then there is the Zonova boy, but as for the other five... it's impossible to meet them." when Erick said this I fully understood just how witched the Zonova family is.
"enough with this gloomy topic. So exactly how did you four find her?" Mother asked.
"We found her being chased by bounty hunters. It looked like she was going to be killed for attempting to escape." Tara told her. My Mother went wide eyed and covered her mouth,
"what did you say?" she asked them.
"We think that the Zonovas are starting to take blue eyed girls around the age of sixteen from the mortal world." I looked over to Elinor who remained stone-faced.
"Did you kill them?" She asked them
"Elinor!" I said. She turned to me and pointed her index finger at me,
"Hey, it's Mother or Mum. Never Elinor!" she said I only nodded my head.
"we are going to have to seal off the gate of humanity." she said. They looked at her as if she had a second head,
"That's insane. is it even possible?" Kail asked.

The Gate of Humanity

Once again we walked threw the tunnel and into the gray forest. Eleanor Kept close to me, and never was more then an arms length away from me. I was no longer in my dull servant uniform. Instead I wore a plum colored silk dress that went three inches below my knees.The thick fog stuck to my legs and made me feel agglutinative. I constantly had to bend down to itch my leg where the ruffles of my new petticoat rubbed against my leg. I had never worn a petticoat before so my skin has never come in contact with the scratchy fabric. I was completely fine wearing my uniform, but my mother was afraid that I would stick out like a sore thumb if I did. I was then forced to barrow some of Ava's clothing until I ave my own.
As we walked towards the "Gate of Humanity", my heart sunk deeper with every step. For, if they closed the gate, would I ever see my beloved country side of Nottingham? I suddenly stopped in my tracks when I made this realization. I can not return home. Erik placed his hand on my shoulder,
"Is every thing all right?" he asked me. I shook my head at him and looked at the ground,
"I need to know if I will be able to ever go back after the gate is closed." I said bluntly.
"Yes and no. You can not visit the mortal world when the Gate is closed. However you can come and go as you please when we reopen it. That is to say after... and if we win the war," He briefly explained the situation to me. He then looked at me with a puzzled expression,
"Might I ask what is important to you in Nottingham?" He asked me.
"A small child I take care of, with out me she's all alone." I told him. Mother turned around to face us,
"Emily, I understand your needed among the mortals, but right know we need you." i sighed and nodded my head at her, and we continued walking.
When the gravel road ended we stood in front of a cliff wall that towered over us and disappeared into the over head clouds. Ava walked up to the cliff wall. She placed he hand on the wall and veins of light snaked up the side of the cliff. Suddenly slabs of stone pulled away from the wall and formed a stair case. Ava took the first step and skipped up the steps. I continued to be baffled by this strange world. Tara and Kail followed after her. Elinor took my hand and lead me up the steps. I clung to the wall as we made our way up the cliff side. I watched as small pebbles crumbled away and fell towards the ground. My breath caught when I realized how high up I was and clung to the wall. The others were far ahead of me by now and now I was left to afraid to move. I took a deep breath and continued to walk up the cliff. I reached the top to see the others waiting for me.
"I am glade you could join us." I herd my mother say. I shot a glare at her.
"This way ,child." She said to me. She walked into the mist and I followed her. The fog was so thick I had to strain my eyes to see. I walked blindly in to the mist not truly thinking of where I was going. I was stopped abruptly my what felt like an iron bar hitting my stomach. The mist cleared ,and I looked over to see that the iron bar was my mothers arm.
"Look." She said. I looked in front of me and gasped. It was truly breath taking. We stood at the top of a cliff and bellow us was a sea of mist. The mist swirled and twisted like the eye of a hurricane. There were flashes of light and when the wind picked up it brushed against my face. I inhaled the smell of fresh rain water and elm trees engulfed me. Below me, just beyond this sea of mist laid my Nottingham. I had the urge to lean forward and fall into the clouds. I would be home, and awake from this strange dream. I thought of Madeline. Has she noticed I am gone? I have most likely already been replaced with a new shiny toy to keep her company.
"I can feel your thoughts, child. So heed my words. The mortal world in nothing but a distant dream

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 13.10.2011

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