As I struggled to wake up, a sudden bone-chilling scream jerked my aquamarine eyes open. I looked around the room searching for my sister, but she was nowhere in sight. My heart raced as I feared the worse, but I knew I needed to regain my composure in order to focus. I sat up and took a deep breath, feeling my body relax slightly. Another loud noise sounded from outside, however; this time it was a crashing noise. I wanted to yell for my sister, but decided it wouldn't be smart to draw attention to myself. My mind raced as I wondered what was going on; Aurora County was a relatively docile farmstead in Eydra. Even though this was so, Lord Porter wanted to make sure all of his people were aware of the dangerous and powerful Storm Legion. My sister and I, as well as others in Aurora County were taught and trained to defend our home from an early age.
I quickly grabbed my bag and filled it with a few essentials. The day I had feared was finally here. I had prayed many times that it would not come to pass during my lifetime. After I had my things, I looked around the house once more, checking to see if my sister had hid away. This was unlikely, but I couldn't stand the thought of leaving her behind. The house was empty with the exception of me so I decided it was time to leave and find someone who might be able to explain things to me. I went out the back assuming it would be the safest route, but I was wrong. A large man in blue with claws coming from his hands leapt from behind a tree. I screamed and began to fall – everything went black before I remember hitting the ground.
Two months earlier, my sister and I were sitting in our small living room surrounded by family and friends. Amberlin smiled brightly, her deep sapphire eyes gleaming as she soaked up the attention. As I watched her socialize with everyone, I felt a bit of jealousy come over me. She seemed so perfect compared to me. Her presence brightened up any room, while I seemed to darken it. As I watched everyone, I tried my best to enjoy their company. What was the big deal anyway? Amberlin and I were eighteen today. To her, it seemed liked a treat, but for me, it just meant more responsibilities – the burden of adulthood.
While growing up on the farmstead, we were all taught about war and what skills we could acquire that would be essential for survival. Being human, we were slightly limited on which paths to take, though the rumors were we had more options than other races. Only a few were blessed by the gods with the power of a priest or mage. Most humans became warriors or assassins, wielding weapons. Some were lucky enough to know from a young age which skills they were most suited for. Amberlin was one of the lucky ones. This caused me to envy her as we got older. When we were ten, she woke up one night after having a divine revelation. Her dream predicted her becoming a very powerful priest alongside her hero, Mira.
Mira was finishing up her training while we were still young. She was a very skilled priest and well known throughout Aurora County. We could both see her determination and her heart and Amberlin strived to be like her. Once her training was complete, she left to help with some mission that I don't quite remember. However, after she left, no one heard anything from her again. Most assumed the worst but Amberlin believed very strongly that she was successful.
"Atta! Come in here, we are getting ready for cake." Amberlin's voice chirped excitedly as she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the chair. I shook my head and forced a smile as I followed her to the now crowded kitchen. Everyone sang to us and we blew out the candles together as we did every year.
"Please help me find my calling…" I wished as I blew out the candles. This seemed pointless, but I was running out of options. Everyone cheered and began helping themselves to the cake. I was feeling a bit sick so I went outside for some fresh air. It was February, so the air was still a bit crisp, but the sun's warm rays helped take the chill away. My pale skin and blonde hair shined brightly in the sunlight. Too bad my insides don't match my appearance, I thought as I looked to the sky.
Rumors began to fill our farmstead as the next few months raced by. The Storm Legion was approaching Oeste, the continent in which we lived. Numerous people, including our parents were sent off to help defend our home. With little protection at the farmstead, many of us began to panic. We had no idea what would happen if the enemies came to our farmstead.