Chapter 1, a Reason for Betrayal!
My tale has been told by many. Of how the cunning young lady of the far northerner lands became a knight of the round table. The quests I have completed have become legend. My vows to protect my people and the people of Camelot have and will forever be edged into the people's hearts. However not a soul except one knows the complete story. Truly tis a tale of treacherous quests and formidable foes, begins at the harvest festival many moons ago. Where a child no older that eight stands out through time. Bearing a dreadful memory from my past. Tis where it all began on the night of the red harvest moon.
"Father once said to me many moons ago, a demon hand will defend" I sang out into the night, the stars seemed to dance to my voice from above. "Mother said one day there is more that you must know, a mortal hand will sustain" I had escaped the ruckus of the village festival to come to my clearing in the forest nearby. The feeling of tranquillity rippled though the scenic area as I stepped onto the grass. "Two hands together, incomplete alone" I walked past the tree's shade and into the moonlit clearing as I made my way to the center of the clearing. "Balance and union then the gate will open" I made my way closer to the center of the clearing, where the moonlight shone brightest. "Go my children go, go to crimson flames" I sat down to finish my song. "To save thy children. Only the flames of memories remain" my voice drifted off into the night as the flute's melody that had accompanied me still seemed to linger in the air. I was neither surprised nor frightened when a young man's voice called out to me.
"Lady of the sea, tis a most befitting title for thee. Young princess whose voice is as lovely as thy." Those words were softly spoken from a young man at the age of 10 or so. Messy copper red hair blew gently in the slight autumn breeze while striking green eyes shimmered in the moonlight gleefully. A lopsided grin plastered on his face. The crest on his cape could only be identified as the Northern lands' Royal family crest. The young lord could only be "Gale" I cried out. His grin immediately widened. I giggled before asking "how did you find me?" I had already known the answer as well as he did, however he answered anyhow "it was easy of course. You always come hear when we go to the village nearby for the harvest festival. Too much noise for thee, right Avangaline?" His eyes were clear and full of understanding as he spoke these words. "Yes brother. You know me well as always" my ears were awfully sensitive; greatly more so than the average mortal ear. Just the in the moonlight a blade glistened by my brother's side revealing the copy of my father's sword of Eldin. El was the name of the sword that was strapped to my brother's belt. I could feel my face fall at the very sight of the blade. My words came out shakily in barely a whisper when I asked "why do you always carry that thing around with you brother". I could see him flinch at the sight of my saddened face. He always did hate to see me sad. However this could not nor would it help. I have and forever despise weaponry. His grin faltered a bit when he responded "I carry this sword to protect thy family and those who mean the most to me. This blade helps me to do so". I sighed before stating to my older brother "ay brother but I like not the look if it". Are conversation ended as my brother sat down and joined my in watching the stars above. The night was truly perfect but it twas not to last. A battle would soon break out as the moon began to shift. Little had I known my fate would soon change forever?
The moon had shifted; its color began to alter from its calming pale blue to a sickenly blood red. A cloud darker than the darkest night cast over our heads and to the village while an ominous wind blew past, sending a chill down my spine. Making me shiver. My brother and I carefully stood, confused at the sudden change in the weather. We both stood there for a while until my brother said that he could not sense any danger, so we simply decided to ignore the strange events that had just conspired. We began to make our way to the village, that was however before I collapsed. Gale's eyes widened in horror as he quickly caught me before I fell to the ground. "Avangaline" he called to me worried "what is wrong. Avangaline, Avangaline" he cried out petrified. I could feel his grip on me tighten as if I would perish if he let me go. His cries almost fell upon deaf ears as more dreadful sounds filled my ears. I could hear them. The horrible screams from the villagers. The sound of materials being burned and slashed apart. The sound of metal clashing on other metal and the crying of others threatened to tear my ears apart. "It hurts" I choked out. "What hurts? Where?" Gale questioned franticly. "My body feels as though it is being burned from the inside out. My body began to churn in immense pain and my breathing became hitched. "Brother… help… i i it's be beco becoming har harder for me to bre. . . breath." I knew my body probably felt like ice but to me it felt as though I was being cremated in a kiln. A strange sent filled my nose. The stench of rotting meat and copper filled my nose. The smell of copper was some how different, like it was corrupted. I had smelled this scent once before, coming from mother's chambers when my younger sister Lillianna was born. I looked up at my brother at some point. I wanted to see his face one last time before the messengers from the netherworld came to take my soul to the land of the dead. My breathing became shallow and I could feel myself slipping away.
I looked up, past my brother's face to look at the moon it had begun to change back to its pale blue color. I could feel my body being wrapped in a warm blue cyan light while I stared at the moon. I could see my brother's face take on the expression of surprise as he held me as so I would not fall. I could feel my strength return and the air rushed back into my lungs when the strange blue light disappeared as quickly as it had come. Gale's eyes swam with relief as his grin returned to his face now knowing that I was alright. However as he set me down a burning sensation surged through my foot causing me to fall down. I meant to scream out in pain but the look of alarm, fright and guilt on my brother's face told me that is not what had just conspired here. "What is wrong brother?" I asked now concerned for my brother as his face had not changed for the last five minuets. My brother's expression turned to a blank as he tried to be as calm as possible. He began to mumble things like how he knew this would happen, why this have to happen did and is there a way to reverse it. I became eve more concerned when he began to have a conversation with himself while pacing back and forth. "Um brother?" I questioned, trying to see if he was still sane. Well it seemed to have worked fore he turned to look at me before responding "yes Avangaline?" obviously confused as to why I had just called him for no apparent reason. "Are you sure that you are okay?" I asked quietly enough for him to barely hear me. He glared at me to let me know he was annoyed before replying "yeah why?" I smiled nervously before answering "because you have been walking around in circles for ten minuets". He smiled sheepishly before responding with a small oh. I was laughing so hard at my brother that I did not sense the incoming danger approach me with speed far greater than any mortal.
All in a split second the air turned cold while blood sprayed out of an open wound on my brother's chest causing him to kneel over in pain. A shadowed figure stood over him with black hair and blood red eyes piercing into my very being. A sickly sweet smile smeared onto his face. In fact he looked as if had enjoyed wounding my brother. He then eyed me and in a flash he was looming over me, with a lustful glint in his eyes that made my skin crawl. "Well looks like I have found another pretty little lady to kill." He said more to himself then to I. he pulled out a dagger and pointed towards me. He lifted it in an attempt to stab me but he stopped when his hand was cut off. My brother had his sword out for battle right behind the mysterious enemy. "You brat" the enemy hissed before he went to kill my brother. In a burst of adrenaline I ran in front of Gale and blocked his attack. I had suspected the strange enemy to kill me but what happened was the exact opposite. As if sensing that I was in danger my body started to react and a blue flame came out of my hand, pushing the enemy backward. Apparently my attack had been strong enough to knock him out. Upon seeing his unconscious body I turned to my brother who had that blank expression again. He sighed before smiling at me sadly. I wanted to cry when he spoke those next words. "I knew this day would come but I had no idea that it would come this soon" his voice was breaking and shaking as he spoke, I knew he was holding back tears. "What are you talking about brother?" I asked not sure what to expect.
Gale took out a vial of pure water and a golden goblet. Gale poured the water into the goblet before handing it to me. I took the goblet in hand, confused as to what my brother's gesture had been about. That was until he spoke "look into the goblet and take a look at your awakened spirit". I obeyed as I was asked without question and looked into the goblet. I gasped at what I saw; instead of my pale green eyes I saw striking aqua blue orbs staring back at me with surprise and alarm. My straight rose red strands of hair were now wavy, silky raven black tresses with cyan highlights and navy blue low lights. My peach skin was now as pale as pure white snow in color. However the things that caught my attention the most were my ears and teeth. I now had two fangs in my mouth and my small round ears where now medium sized pointed ears. At the sight of my appearance I dropped the goblet and fell back in surprise. As I fell on my backside a sharp pain ran up my spine. I jumped up and meant to shriek in surprise however such is not the case. Instead of a medium pitch shriek, the sound of a high pitch yelp filled my ears. I stood there shocked at what had just come out of my throat. I looked at my brother to see him cringe at the sound of my yelp. He shook it off before ordering me to stop yelping. I had taken it that I must have yelped when I was set down earlier after my fainting spell.
All of a sudden I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I could sense that we were in danger here and I could feel a demonic aura coming at us fast. I waited 10 more seconds before I could sense the demonic aura coming from behind me. I whipped around only to be standing face to face with the one that tried to kill my brother. The villain in question had knocked my down harshly before making his way to my brother. At the sight of him going after my brother I balled my hand into a fist in anger. What I was not expecting was to cringe as a copper red liquid pulled out of the open wounds now on my hand. I unclenched my fist only to find claw shaped wounds imbedded in my palm. I glanced at my fingertips to se that they were covered in my blood. I quickly whipped off the blood to discover that it was not only my head that had changed but the rest of my body too for I now had claws instead of fingernails. I glanced up to see the enemy getting closer to my older brother. I felt my anger rising and a voice that sounded like a fox sounded off inside my head. 'You have to do something Ava; you have to save your brother. I will help thee with the power of your natural born abilities' it spoke. I sat up only to have another pain shoot up my spine. Confused as to why every time I sat on my bottom I would feel pain, I stood up. I studied the ground, nothing there. I looked at my bum only shriek at what I saw. A tail that matched my hair was swaying back and forth behind me. I almost fainted until I heard metal clashing on metal. I turned towards my brother to see him barely blocking the attacks of the enemy.
I could feel every fibre of my being burn inside. This time however it was giving me energy instead of trying to kill me. An ominous voice filled the air as the mysterious villain spoke "Foolish boy, do you honestly think you can defeat me the all mighty Vegan. Many have tried but all have failed. Once you are out of the way I am going to kill that half bread over there. The filthy thing does not deserve to live". He manoeuvred my brother's special attack and threw my brother's sword 8 feet away to right about where I was standing. I quickly picked up the blade and began to dash towards my intended target out of pure instinct. The enemy was about to kill my brother with a final blow before I spoke up while slashing off his other hand " How dare you try to harm my brother. I will never forgive you for what you have done. I despise fighting but will do so to protect thy family. How was that for a so called 'half bread' Vegan" I growled harshly before staggering back in horror as the enemy's cut off ligaments began reattaching themselves to vegan's body. I tried to call upon the flame that I had called earlier only to find that I could not call forth the power of the blue flame. Vegan ran towards me with a murderous glint I his eyes. I handed my brother back his sword and fell to my knees and began to pray for my family's safety. I could feel a warm light surround me and gale. I opened my eyes to see a shield of light enveloping me and Gale. The safety of the light did not last as it was soon demolished by Vegan's blade. Before I could react vegan blasted past me, grabbed Gale and flew off with him. As a last minuet attempt to get my brother back I ran towards Vegan while throwing anything I could at him. It did not do any damage but it definitely made his pissed off. Vegan turned around with a struggling gale over one shoulder and a black and purple energy ball in his free hand. Vegan grinned with that bloodlust look in his eyes again as he fired his attack on me. The dark orb hit me at full blast, making me transform back to my mortal appearance however my high senses did not change back. After gaining composer I ran after Vegan in a hopeless pursuit in order to free my brother. "Brother, Brother no! Come back! Big Brother" I shouted before I tripped and fell. "Avangaline stop. It is too late for me. The are trying to get your powers. Here take this." Gale shouted and he flung his golden flute to me. "This flute will always shine gold until I die. It has special powers that will aid you through you life. Use it well and goodbye, Avangaline" he yelled to me. I burst into tears as Gale was carried away. "Big brother, big brother" I called. Two hours later I collapsed thanks to exhaustion. When I awoke I made a vow to save my brother, even if it would cost me my life. My family however immediately forbid me of such a request. However I would never forget this day.
Eight years have passed since that day of the harvest festival. My brother's flute still remained a golden hue, meaning he was still alive. Tonight was the night that I had awaited for the last eight years. I had spent the last eight years training in secret with both swordsmanship and archery. At the time of midnight is when I would take my unplanned leave from the castle that had been my prison since my brother's fate. My younger sister Lillianna had grew up without knowing her older brother. I hated to leave her here but I had no choice. The quest I had accepted and the pledge I made were for me alone and it would be too dangerous for Lilli to be with me. I would bring my brother back even if it would kill me. I packed all the things I would need for the trip to Camelot. It was there I would travel to ask the king for the aid of the Knights of the Round Table and if possible if I could join them in there quest. I had awaited this night for a long time. Once I left I would be open for anyone to kill me while I was safe here at the castle. Once I left the castle walls I would be disobeying my father's decision and forever betraying my country. Once I left the castle I would be considered an outsider until I came back to beg for forgiveness. However I would gladly exept my fate if only to bring my brother back alive. Once the moon was past the tall oak tree outside in the court yard I knew it was time to take my leave. I quickly made my way to the stables to get my horse Nala. I saddled up and we dashed out of the stables. I took one last look at my home before dashing off into the moonlit night. I had no idea that I was being followed but I would soon find out by whom.
