Chapter 1
Mist filled the fields of Nasolais as the morning air crept quietly and slowly through the land.
Kitamya woke to a start, with beads of cold sweat running down her forehead and smothering her
eyes.
Heart beating wildly, she brushed the sweat out of her green eyes, threw off the beautiful shimmering
white sheets of her silver-báán bed, and dashed to her sister, Soaring. "Soaring, Soaring! Wake
up! It has
happened again! Soaring, wake up!" Kitamya screamed in her ear. "It has happened again! You must
listen. It was different this time. Very different. Get up and I will tell you." Pacing back and forth
as her
sister got out of bed and gathered herself together, Kitamya replayed the dream over and over
again in
her mind. "Ok, ok I'm up. What happened? Tell me everything, right from the beginning."
Soaring said
calmly. The two walked out into the beautiful silver sunlit kitchen, where they could see all of
the land
through the glass walls. As Kitamya settled down and gathered all the courage she had to tell her sister
the dream, Soaring gazed out the Eastling window. How beautiful it is, the land of Nasolais. The
mysterious trees of Kharja, the sparkling river of Ceol, the rolling hills of Knuk, and the golden sun,
Ishchakh. How wonderful it all is, though it won't be that way forever. It is already changing. It is
getting
darker and colder, and you can feel a strange presence in the night air. Soaring's thoughts were
interrupted by the quiet voice of Kitamya. "I'm ready. I will start now." She breathed in deeply
the fresh
morning air and exhaled.
"First, it was all the same. The land, the water, the sky. All perfect. The land was as green and
lush as it is now, with the flawless flowers blooming on treetops and leaves opening and
flourishing. The
water was clear, sparkling, and beautiful, like a diamond. The sky was as blue as the Sayl Stone, clear
and fresh as always. But the wind, the wind and the air weren't. They seemed to have a different
feel to
them. They weren't calm, fresh, crisp, or peaceful anymore. No, they were of Darkness. You walk
out
into the warm sunlight, but you feel cold. But the cold got worse. You feel drained of energy,
life, and
happiness. You feel like you are empty, like there is no point of going on. The wind gets
stronger, and
you can almost feel as if the awakened spirits are around you. But it gets worse. The sky darkens,
darker
than I have ever seen it in my sixteen years. Then-" Kitamya stopped, for outside, there came a
crash of
thunder, louder than they have ever heard. "What is happening? Soaring, we must go, we must
visit him.
I have delayed it too long, so it's now or never." Kitamya grabbed her sister by the wrist and led
her out
of the house to Cumhdaigh-the Eldest Elfin in the land.
"What shall we do? What is happening?" Kitamya screamed over the booming thunder. "I
believe that you know something that I do not," Cumhdaigh said calmly, "Though I do know of one
thing. It is you who know the fate of Nasolais and the rest of these lands, and so I rest the power of
change in your hands." "What, why me? I am only sixteen, and my sister is only eighteen! We
cannot do
this! We aren't strong enough!" Kitamya declared. "Yes, you may be young, but you are
powerful. Youth
is a strong stage, and with you, you have the gifts of your ancestors. You know of one of them by
now-
the gift to foretell. I am weakening by day, so I cannot help much. Though there is something that
I can
give you. It is the Light of Geal. Keep it secret, and do not lose it." Cumhdaigh urged. "Must I?" Kitamya
pleaded. "No, you must not, not alone. Soaring, you must go too." "Me? I mean, we?" Soaring
questioned. "Yes. Remember, the light of Geal is to be kept secret. It is to light your way when
no other
light shines. It has other uses, though it is your task of finding out. Good-bye, and keep well.
Now be
off!" Cumhdaigh ordered.
Mist filled the fields of Nasolais as the morning air crept quietly and slowly through the land.
Kitamya woke to a start, with beads of cold sweat running down her forehead and smothering her
eyes.
Heart beating wildly, she brushed the sweat out of her green eyes, threw off the beautiful shimmering
white sheets of her silver-báán bed, and dashed to her sister, Soaring. "Soaring, Soaring! Wake
up! It has
happened again! Soaring, wake up!" Kitamya screamed in her ear. "It has happened again! You must
listen. It was different this time. Very different. Get up and I will tell you." Pacing back and forth
as her
sister got out of bed and gathered herself together, Kitamya replayed the dream over and over
again in
her mind. "Ok, ok I'm up. What happened? Tell me everything, right from the beginning."
Soaring said
calmly. The two walked out into the beautiful silver sunlit kitchen, where they could see all of
the land
through the glass walls. As Kitamya settled down and gathered all the courage she had to tell her sister
the dream, Soaring gazed out the Eastling window. How beautiful it is, the land of Nasolais. The
mysterious trees of Kharja, the sparkling river of Ceol, the rolling hills of Knuk, and the golden sun,
Ishchakh. How wonderful it all is, though it won't be that way forever. It is already changing. It is
getting
darker and colder, and you can feel a strange presence in the night air. Soaring's thoughts were
interrupted by the quiet voice of Kitamya. "I'm ready. I will start now." She breathed in deeply
the fresh
morning air and exhaled.
"First, it was all the same. The land, the water, the sky. All perfect. The land was as green and
lush as it is now, with the flawless flowers blooming on treetops and leaves opening and
flourishing. The
water was clear, sparkling, and beautiful, like a diamond. The sky was as blue as the Sayl Stone, clear
and fresh as always. But the wind, the wind and the air weren't. They seemed to have a different
feel to
them. They weren't calm, fresh, crisp, or peaceful anymore. No, they were of Darkness. You walk
out
into the warm sunlight, but you feel cold. But the cold got worse. You feel drained of energy,
life, and
happiness. You feel like you are empty, like there is no point of going on. The wind gets
stronger, and
you can almost feel as if the awakened spirits are around you. But it gets worse. The sky darkens,
darker
than I have ever seen it in my sixteen years. Then-" Kitamya stopped, for outside, there came a
crash of
thunder, louder than they have ever heard. "What is happening? Soaring, we must go, we must
visit him.
I have delayed it too long, so it's now or never." Kitamya grabbed her sister by the wrist and led
her out
of the house to Cumhdaigh-the Eldest Elfin in the land.
"What shall we do? What is happening?" Kitamya screamed over the booming thunder. "I
believe that you know something that I do not," Cumhdaigh said calmly, "Though I do know of one
thing. It is you who know the fate of Nasolais and the rest of these lands, and so I rest the power of
change in your hands." "What, why me? I am only sixteen, and my sister is only eighteen! We
cannot do
this! We aren't strong enough!" Kitamya declared. "Yes, you may be young, but you are
powerful. Youth
is a strong stage, and with you, you have the gifts of your ancestors. You know of one of them by
now-
the gift to foretell. I am weakening by day, so I cannot help much. Though there is something that
I can
give you. It is the Light of Geal. Keep it secret, and do not lose it." Cumhdaigh urged. "Must I?" Kitamya
pleaded. "No, you must not, not alone. Soaring, you must go too." "Me? I mean, we?" Soaring
questioned. "Yes. Remember, the light of Geal is to be kept secret. It is to light your way when
no other
light shines. It has other uses, though it is your task of finding out. Good-bye, and keep well.
Now be
off!" Cumhdaigh ordered.