Chapter five.


Arrival.


After crossing the lake, Luna realised something didn't feel right. She was meant to feel relieved and relaxed, but a feeling of uneasiness struck her chest. The sky responded to her thoughts. The light of the sun glowed dimmer, but no clouds were blocking it. She glanced around nervously, wandering what to expect. Jacob looked her way, reading her expression.

"What is it? What's going on?", Jacob whispered, not wanting to alarm the others. 

"We have to go, now", Luna warned, alerting Amber and Andrew. She wanted to inform them more, but had no idea who, or what could be listening. Amber and Andrew hopped on the horse while Jacob and Luna walked. Andrew knew the directions to Evenlake Hedge, as he had journeyed there before. Thankfully he had informed her on them too, so she didn't have to rely on the sun. Suddenly Luna halted, pretended to have something in her shoe and whispered to Jacob,

"We are being followed". 

Luna nodded to him and they ran. Swerving past trees and fallen logs, she sprinted, Jacob pulling her after him. Her lungs felt aflame and she had scraped her legs against numerous sticks and low branches, yet she felt no pain. The shear adrenalin of the moment had disabled her every sense and emotion and replaced them with an overwhelming willingness to survive. Jacob was strong and fit and thus could run for a long time. Luna however, had no idea how long she could keep it up. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and she was struggling to breath. The worst part was she knew what her stalkers were after, and that was- well her. While Luna was not a princess or anyone of royal blood, she was the daughter of Astrid Rose, the duchess of Warandeer, and thus any enemy kingdom would pay high ranson for her. It was the reason she never ventured from Mayfeild for more than a day. She felt guilty on Jacob's behalf, she was pretty much a magnet, luring unwanted guests towards them. The farther she travelled, the stronger the lure would become. Her eyes were frantically scouting the area for somewhere to hind, anywhere at all. Thankfully they were hard to follow due to the forest's layout. Shapes and colours were merged together and her eyes watered from the immense headache she had from pushing her body to the limits. They needed to stop, even Jacob was desperate for a rest. She noticed a stone platform, engraved into the hard earth. The sun shone brighter telling her to investigate. They were short on time, if she misread the sun's intentions it would cost them...


Crossing her fingers, she huffed over to the stone, trying to control her emotions and the intense that was spreading like a rash all over her body with every breath she took. The stone had a range of markings engraved into it. She recognised the script. It was the same as the writing of the cover of the book that Ocean was trapped in. She quickly emptied her bag taking out the enchanted book. She opened it, revealing Ocean, well, the ghostly version. 

"Where am I-".

"No time. Can you read this?" Luna pointed to the engravings. 

"Yes, I somehow can, it says; welcome to the Aurora Demounise, please speak to us, dear enchanter." Luna closed the book after Ocean told her the meaning. She didn't have time to waste on explaining, and decided she would apologise to her sister later. 

"Um hello, it feels strange talking to rock… erm can you help me travel?"

Nothing happened. 

"Perhaps actions speak louder than words?" Jacob suggested. The sun sparked, clearly indicating they were on the right track. 

"But what action would trigger a magic stone?" Luna wondered out loud.

"Well probably… Magic?" Jacob said after a short pause. The answer was so simple and Luna was a little frustrated she hadn't thought of it. She conjured a ball of light, beckoning it to grow larger. She knew better than to waste time, the light would only bring their enemies closer. She dragged it to the middle of the platform, watching the light be snached out of her control as it illuminated the carvings, forming foreign words that were so bright that even she had to look away. She grabbed Jacob's arm and pushed her thoughts violently at the strange magic, telling the stone exactly where they wanted to go. The stone seemed to test her strength, knowing that no mortal could possibly be more powerful than something so ancient. Her forehead was saturated in sweat, but still her determination remained strong. Light began to swirl around her and Jacob, it felt like mist except softer. The stones grip on her mind lessened, declaring her worthy of its help. It was at that very moment that she realised she could not control light, on the contrary, it controlled her. She realised it could be seen as a gift and a curse, she would do the lights bidding, even if it wished for her own death, and in return it would grant her great power. These were the terms... and she had agreed.


Luna opened her eyes to see Jacob on his knees, gasping for air. She quickly realised that the immense power of the magic had weakened him. She herself had experienced the feeling before as the first few attempts of conjuring had left her drained. 

"L…Luna .. y...your ar..m!" He managed to gasp. It touched her that even though Jacob was exhausted, he still cared more about her than himself. Luna risked a glance at her arm, worried what she might find on it. She stared in open disbelief and confusion, for her arm was carved like the ancient stone. The script shined a pleasant gold, and felt warm when she touched it. Jacob just stared at her in awe, slowly recalling the past events. She helped him to his feet, surprised he could even walk. He noticed her worried look.

"Look, I may seem pathetic to you but some weird glowy energy is not going to kill me".

"Oh don't worry, I never thought it would kill you".

"You do realise that I will soon be eligible to join the military? We will see who is the strongest then", he boasted. She grinned. 

"Anyway, we are in Evenlake Hedge, right?" 

"Yes.. we are", Luna replied nervously, knowing that it was only the beginning. 


Evenlake was pretty, though Luna didn't understand why they called it a 'hedge'. She promptly found out. Her and Jacob wandered into the centre of the town and saw a lustrous green hedge on the outskirts of the west side. Luna had never seen something so extraordinary. The hedge seemed taller than any ladder or structure. It was definitely old, but at the same time ever young, as if it were immortal. Luna wondered what it would be like to be immortal. Many would say it was a blessing, that no gift could be greater than being granted endless life. Luna however, couldn't see it as anything other than a curse. How could someone watch all their loved one's pass and remain happy? How many whispers had this ancient bush heard? They had agreed to wait for Amber and Andrew to arrive, giving them time to explore the town. 

"Should we get something to eat?" Jacob asked, clearly ready to bolt for the bakery. Luckily Luna had brought a small bag of coins with her, and she agreed. They sat at a table eating. The both of them realised that they were in the middle of nowhere and only had each other to depend on. Luna wondered whether it was love or pure friendship that had gotten them this far, she didn't mind either way, all that mattered was she was grateful.


Is it possible to be eager to do something, but the closer this thing gets the more you dread it's arrival? Ever since I was a child, warfare and weapons always sparked some… life into me. It had been my dream, my passion, my goal to be a part of one, as a knight. I practiced every day, spoke to others who had experienced and survived various wars and tried new tactics. A storm is brewing between kingdoms, I know that my dream is drawing near. At sixteen I can participate, I am currently fifteen. One year… one year seems too little. Soon everything will change…


-Jacob Forster.


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