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Chapter 1-The Beginning

I stared down into the peaceful, flowing water. The blue surface rippled calmly, distorting my image in its sapphire depths. A tear slipped from my face and dropped into the river, pathetically pale compared to the vivid blue.

Gripping the lush grass tightly with my fingers, I fought against a sudden wave of nausea. Blue, the color of eternity. Full of light and brutally, grossly twisted into corruption. Fire, burnt flesh, my birthday, the sapphire, my family, me, them, the fire--it made a circle, flowing through my head unmercifully.

A bird called sweetly in the distance. Rage filled me, uncontrollable, and for once I didn't care. Peace shouldn't surround me; clouds should cover the sky, filling the air with thunder and lightning. Flooding the calm river, and sending torrents of blue raindrops down on me, soaking me with its blue beauty…

I opened my eyes and retched all over my hands. Giving in to the nausea, I vomited over and over, shaking. I couldn't stop. Blood covered the ground and then smeared into my eyes. I felt a cool sensation surround me and then slowly, slowly began losing consciousness.

---

"You are eternity,

I am part of you,

I am eternity.

The one and only,

You are,

I am you.

The chosen,

The one and only,

Only one.

We are,

Eternity,

You are eternity."

Pause.

"We are…

She isn't?

She is.

She must be!

We are."

Pause.

"She will be.

We are,

She will be."

---

A sharp pain shot through my wrist, jolting me awake. Blue water filled my eyes, washing out the red. Sitting up on the river's floor, I pushed off the sandy bottom and swam up until my head broke through the river's surface.

The agony of minutes before was still sharp in my mind, but peace filled me. I had the nightmare again last night.

Dipping my head back underneath the water, I let the blue fill my eyes, mouth and nose. This river had always been part of me. Blowing bubbles out of my mouth, I resurfaced. The sun was directly overhead. Pulling myself onto the riverbank, I wrung the water out of my clothes.

My stomach hurt from lack of food. Tugging at my long, snarled hair, I tied it up loosely. The elf camp was southeast of the river. Stepping onto the first stone, I crossed the bridge slowly, letting the water flow gently over my feet.

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