Never Alone Again
Chapter 1: Running
Beautiful was the crescent moon that night, but the pure white beauty could not be compared to the slender and petite lady in the middle of the lake. Eri sighed with contentment. The forest looked so lovely and it looked even more so that night with the moonbeams shining down on the willow trees at the edge of the lake, gently dipping their silver curtain of leaves into the water. The twinkling stars which accompanied the young crescent lit up the whole of the forest. The lake reflected the sky, reflected its wonderful glimmer. Heaven and earth looked alike. It was a cloudless night.
Eri in her lovely pearl white gown of finest gossamer was sitting on a little rock right in the middle of the lake. Her bare foot lightly skimmed the surface of the water and watched as it rippled. The forest, her home was such a wonderful place. Eri looked into the water again, but this time there was something near her foot. There was a dead fish in the lake, and its blood stained the water. As Blood from the thousands of dead fishes that seemed to appear on the lake all of a sudden.
'What is happening?' Thought Eri totally confused. She stood up, gently glided across the water and got to land. Eri put on her satin shoes. Eri looked into the sky which was getting cloudier by the minute. She started to get a little worried. Eri tried to call upon the power of wind.
"Lady Wind, hear my call!"
Nothing responded. Now Eri was very worried. Wind had always replied her, wherever she was. Eri started to back to the palace when she saw a figure clad in blue speeding towards her.
"Princess!" Verisse her chambermaid called.
Verisse had tears in her eyes and beads of perspiration were rolling down her cheeks from running such a distance.
"What's wrong?" asked Eri, biting her lower lip.
"We have been attacked! The palace is under siege now!" Eri gasped and ran home. She berated herself on the way. ''Why did I choose to go out today? Why is the lake so far away?' Somewhere along the way, Eri dropped a shoe but she could not care less. When she finally got home, chaos met her eyes. Hundreds of dead mangled bodies of soldiers laid sprawled on the ground. Some were of her kind, others were not. Eri's heart raced. Where were her parents?
"Verisse do you see my parents?" A loud gasp replied her. She turned around to see Verisse pointing at something. A glowing orb was there.
"His Majesty!" cried Verisse. The two ran towards the glowing orb. All gods which perished did not leave behind their corpse. Instead, the body would turn into an orb. "Father!" wept Eri. 'Gods didn't die. Did they?' Suddenly, the orb splintered into many sparkling crystals and as they rose higher into the sky, they pointed to the north-eastern direction before disappearing.
"Princess, those crystals were pointing in the north-east direction. I bet it's your father's way of telling you to go there. We had better head for there soon." Verisse pulled her towards that direction and there they found, Lucine Silverwing. Eri's mother.
"Mother!" Her mother was still alive, but barely.
"Eritha. you're back. Lucky you were out."
"Mother, say no more. Let me heal you!" said Eri, about to heal her mother with her own powers.
"No my child. The wound is too deep, even I cannot heal myself. It'll just waste your powers. Just listen to my last words. Fate has foretold us, that the nymph child, the union of heaven and earth who has twice escaped death, is destined to help the ring-bearer(bearer of the one ring). My child, take this bag and go in search of the ring-bearer. Your father and I will always be with you!"
Lucine weakly held her daughter's hand in hers, and using the last of her strength gave her a small smile and finally she breathed her last breath. Eri wept. Her family. All gone in one night. Mother and Father. How they loved her. Tears consumed her and finally in exhaustion, Eri fainted.
She awoke next morn, her head of long pale golden hair in Verisse's lap.
"Princess, you're awake!" Verisse said softly, obvious relief showing in her voice. Eri's heart felt heavy as the reality of yester night's events hit her. 'Why did she live, when her parents had to die?' Verisse looking at the silent princess, seemed to read her mind and passed the bag that her mother left for her. Eri slowly opened it. Inside was a silver flute, it looked very new. Eri smiled a little. It once belonged to her mother. The next item was a sword which was also made from silver. It seemed to twinkle under the soft caress of the warm sunlight. Its scabbard was studded with the reddest of rubies and although it looked very heavy, but it was very light as she found out when she held it in her hands.
"Mithril! Also known as truesilver. I thought it couldn't be found other than the Dwarf-mines of Khazad-dum."
Eri nodded a little. The last item was a silver chain; on it was the star and moon ensign of the kingdom. Eri wept again.
On seeing that, Verisse said, "Princess you have to be strong, to help the ring-bearer."
'Why me?' wondered Eri.
"The nymph child, the union of heaven and earth. His majesty was an immortal and her majesty was an earth nymph. You are the union! Twice escaped death and twice have family sacrificed. Princess do you remember your elder brother?"
On saying that, Verisse's eyes looked watery with tears. Eri remembered that Verisse was once betrothed to her sibling, Edric. (A/N: Verisse is NOT born a chambermaid. When Eritha's brother died she offered to be Erith's chambermaid.)He had sacrificed his life for his sister's protecting her from an orc attack in the Gladden fields. She escaped death once as her brother sacrificed himself. Now her parents sacrificed themselves and Eri once again escaped death. 'Why am I such a jinx?'
"Verisse.This is all my fault!" She screamed as a sense of helplessness and guilt washed over her.
"No, Princess. The Prince willingly exchanged his life for yours and so did the king and queen. It is fate, Princess."
'Fate.How dare he treat her cruelly treat her thus?'
Verisse stood up and in a clear voice said, "The nymph maid calls upon the four guardians of the nymphs!"
Wind, rain, thunder and lightning appeared in their physical forms.
The Lady Wind said, "My child, we know of what happened." Eritha curtsied.
"We shall be there for you although we cannot accompany you on the journey." The Rain Lord explained.
"Call upon us and we shall lend our powers for you are the daughter of Mesrop, the God of all elements." The Thunder Lord said, smiling down at Eritha.
"Thank you all, my four guardians. Please guide and help me wherever you can." Thanked Eri.
"Say no more, young princess Eritha. We'll do our best to help you." Said the lady of Lightning.
All four bowed and disappeared. Eri sat on the ground thinking of what she should do. Verisse handed her a map.
Chapter 1: Running
Beautiful was the crescent moon that night, but the pure white beauty could not be compared to the slender and petite lady in the middle of the lake. Eri sighed with contentment. The forest looked so lovely and it looked even more so that night with the moonbeams shining down on the willow trees at the edge of the lake, gently dipping their silver curtain of leaves into the water. The twinkling stars which accompanied the young crescent lit up the whole of the forest. The lake reflected the sky, reflected its wonderful glimmer. Heaven and earth looked alike. It was a cloudless night.
Eri in her lovely pearl white gown of finest gossamer was sitting on a little rock right in the middle of the lake. Her bare foot lightly skimmed the surface of the water and watched as it rippled. The forest, her home was such a wonderful place. Eri looked into the water again, but this time there was something near her foot. There was a dead fish in the lake, and its blood stained the water. As Blood from the thousands of dead fishes that seemed to appear on the lake all of a sudden.
'What is happening?' Thought Eri totally confused. She stood up, gently glided across the water and got to land. Eri put on her satin shoes. Eri looked into the sky which was getting cloudier by the minute. She started to get a little worried. Eri tried to call upon the power of wind.
"Lady Wind, hear my call!"
Nothing responded. Now Eri was very worried. Wind had always replied her, wherever she was. Eri started to back to the palace when she saw a figure clad in blue speeding towards her.
"Princess!" Verisse her chambermaid called.
Verisse had tears in her eyes and beads of perspiration were rolling down her cheeks from running such a distance.
"What's wrong?" asked Eri, biting her lower lip.
"We have been attacked! The palace is under siege now!" Eri gasped and ran home. She berated herself on the way. ''Why did I choose to go out today? Why is the lake so far away?' Somewhere along the way, Eri dropped a shoe but she could not care less. When she finally got home, chaos met her eyes. Hundreds of dead mangled bodies of soldiers laid sprawled on the ground. Some were of her kind, others were not. Eri's heart raced. Where were her parents?
"Verisse do you see my parents?" A loud gasp replied her. She turned around to see Verisse pointing at something. A glowing orb was there.
"His Majesty!" cried Verisse. The two ran towards the glowing orb. All gods which perished did not leave behind their corpse. Instead, the body would turn into an orb. "Father!" wept Eri. 'Gods didn't die. Did they?' Suddenly, the orb splintered into many sparkling crystals and as they rose higher into the sky, they pointed to the north-eastern direction before disappearing.
"Princess, those crystals were pointing in the north-east direction. I bet it's your father's way of telling you to go there. We had better head for there soon." Verisse pulled her towards that direction and there they found, Lucine Silverwing. Eri's mother.
"Mother!" Her mother was still alive, but barely.
"Eritha. you're back. Lucky you were out."
"Mother, say no more. Let me heal you!" said Eri, about to heal her mother with her own powers.
"No my child. The wound is too deep, even I cannot heal myself. It'll just waste your powers. Just listen to my last words. Fate has foretold us, that the nymph child, the union of heaven and earth who has twice escaped death, is destined to help the ring-bearer(bearer of the one ring). My child, take this bag and go in search of the ring-bearer. Your father and I will always be with you!"
Lucine weakly held her daughter's hand in hers, and using the last of her strength gave her a small smile and finally she breathed her last breath. Eri wept. Her family. All gone in one night. Mother and Father. How they loved her. Tears consumed her and finally in exhaustion, Eri fainted.
She awoke next morn, her head of long pale golden hair in Verisse's lap.
"Princess, you're awake!" Verisse said softly, obvious relief showing in her voice. Eri's heart felt heavy as the reality of yester night's events hit her. 'Why did she live, when her parents had to die?' Verisse looking at the silent princess, seemed to read her mind and passed the bag that her mother left for her. Eri slowly opened it. Inside was a silver flute, it looked very new. Eri smiled a little. It once belonged to her mother. The next item was a sword which was also made from silver. It seemed to twinkle under the soft caress of the warm sunlight. Its scabbard was studded with the reddest of rubies and although it looked very heavy, but it was very light as she found out when she held it in her hands.
"Mithril! Also known as truesilver. I thought it couldn't be found other than the Dwarf-mines of Khazad-dum."
Eri nodded a little. The last item was a silver chain; on it was the star and moon ensign of the kingdom. Eri wept again.
On seeing that, Verisse said, "Princess you have to be strong, to help the ring-bearer."
'Why me?' wondered Eri.
"The nymph child, the union of heaven and earth. His majesty was an immortal and her majesty was an earth nymph. You are the union! Twice escaped death and twice have family sacrificed. Princess do you remember your elder brother?"
On saying that, Verisse's eyes looked watery with tears. Eri remembered that Verisse was once betrothed to her sibling, Edric. (A/N: Verisse is NOT born a chambermaid. When Eritha's brother died she offered to be Erith's chambermaid.)He had sacrificed his life for his sister's protecting her from an orc attack in the Gladden fields. She escaped death once as her brother sacrificed himself. Now her parents sacrificed themselves and Eri once again escaped death. 'Why am I such a jinx?'
"Verisse.This is all my fault!" She screamed as a sense of helplessness and guilt washed over her.
"No, Princess. The Prince willingly exchanged his life for yours and so did the king and queen. It is fate, Princess."
'Fate.How dare he treat her cruelly treat her thus?'
Verisse stood up and in a clear voice said, "The nymph maid calls upon the four guardians of the nymphs!"
Wind, rain, thunder and lightning appeared in their physical forms.
The Lady Wind said, "My child, we know of what happened." Eritha curtsied.
"We shall be there for you although we cannot accompany you on the journey." The Rain Lord explained.
"Call upon us and we shall lend our powers for you are the daughter of Mesrop, the God of all elements." The Thunder Lord said, smiling down at Eritha.
"Thank you all, my four guardians. Please guide and help me wherever you can." Thanked Eri.
"Say no more, young princess Eritha. We'll do our best to help you." Said the lady of Lightning.
All four bowed and disappeared. Eri sat on the ground thinking of what she should do. Verisse handed her a map.