Hey guys, sorry this took a while to get out. Thank you for all the faves and kind comments. Although I am grateful that you guys are anxious for updates, as I have said many times before, I am going through health issues and I am working towards another college degree, which takes up most of my free time. Not only that, I refuse to upload a chapter that I am not completely satisfied with. I'd rather my chapters be late and reader-worthy, than rushed and choppy. So, please, before you decide to ask an author repeatedly, whether through comments or private messages, as to when a story will be updated, just remember that the author may have things going on in his/her life that requires their attention at that time. This was in no way meant to sound snarky and I apologize if it came out that way. My intent was not to offend anyone. It's just that I had 30 emails telling me to update! I know you all have been waiting patiently for this chapter, so let's get to it! :)
Chapter 1
"Hello, can anyone hear me?" A girl called out as she walked through the streets of a large dreary town. Only her bare feet were not touching dirt roads or paved walkways, she was walking on what appeared to be sets of interconnected wooden piers. In fact, the whole town was suspended above water. She observed that its inhabitants were using boats to reach the places where the piers were absent. No one answered the girl; in fact, none of them seemed to acknowledge her existence. In the distance, was a tall, majestic mountain.
She found herself moving towards it, as if her feet were thinking for themselves. She felt herself gliding across the lake, until she was standing directly at the base of the mountain. When she turned back in the direction of the town, to her horror, she found that it was engulfed in flames. Even though she was so far away, the cries of fear and agony reverberated in her ears. She turned back towards the mountain, but she was no longer in front of it, she was inside of it! Her feet were touching something cold and smooth. The girl looked down and found that she was standing on a large pile of gold coins. Just then, the room grew dark and flames flew up around her, encircling her body. A deep, dark male voice spoke from behind her, "No one will take what is mine." As she turned to face the owner of the voice, her eyes grew wide and she screamed as a stream of red and orange flames shot towards her.
"Gah!" A girl exclaimed as she jolted from her bed and fell to the floor. "Oh, Gods be damned!" She said as she slowly sat up and rubbed her head. Strands of hair fell over her face as she removed her hand and lowered her head. A sudden knock on her door sent her head snapping up and into her nightstand. "Son of a bitch!" She exclaimed as she rubbed her head for a second time.
"Cierra, are you awake?" A meek male voice called from behind the door. "And I heard a crash. Are you alright?"
Cierra slowly stood up and sighed, "I'm awake. Everything is just…peachy."
"Splendid!" The man said, "Please get cleaned up. Gandalf will be arriving very soon."
"Yes, Uncle Raddy." She walked across her small room and just as she was about to enter her bathroom, the man, whom she referred to as 'Uncle Raddy,' addressed her once again.
"And Cierra, do watch your language." With that, 'Uncle Raddy,' chuckled to himself and walked off. Cierra rolled her eyes and stepped into her bathroom. It, too, was small. It contained a small wash basin, a toilet, and a tub. There was a small mirror hanging above the wash basin and a window on the other side of the room, which allowed the morning light to illuminate the space. She walked over to the mirror and inspected her sore head. Upon seeing no visible marks, she lowered her hand and stared at her reflection.
She had white hair that ended just a little over an inch below her chin, which appeared unkempt after her tumble. Her eyes were a bright shade of pink and they stood out in contrast to her pale skin and hair. She was Albino. You may be under the impression that she would be considered a freak to other humans. Although, there may be few who would consider her as such, many humans believed that Albinos, due to their ashen appearance, were blessed by the Moon Goddess herself and, therefore, were considered to be sacred. She was in no way sickly or ugly, in fact, she was quite beautiful.
Cierra sighed and walked towards the tub. She stood over it and waved her hand slowly above the rim. The tub instantly filled with warm, steamy water. She removed her night clothes and cast them aside. Then, carefully, she stepped into the tub and lowered herself down. She summoned a small bottle of shampoo and rubbed its contents into her hair. Then, she summoned another bottle and dumped it into the water. The water was instantly overcome with foamy bubbles. She smiled and leaned back against the tub. Her relaxation was short lived when she heard a knock at the front door. "Damn." She muttered to herself as she quickly washed all of the soap off and stepped out of the tub. She turned towards the tub and with a wave of her hand, the soapy water vanished, as if it were never there at all. She grabbed a towel and ran into her room.
"Ah, Gandalf, it is always good to see you, old friend." The man, known as 'Uncle Raddy,' greeted the old wizard and motioned for him to enter.
"Likewise, Radagast." Gandalf replied as he entered the house and removed his signature pointy hat. With one hand, he wiped away a few long stray, grey hairs that fell in his face. "Where is the birthday girl? Still sleeping in as usual?"
"Oh no, Gandalf." Radagast replied as they both looked towards the ceiling. Faint bumping and thumping could be heard from above. "By the sound of things, I would say she is preparing herself." They both chuckled and took a seat at the small dining table. Gandalf pulled out his pipe and began smoking. "Gandalf, please, put that thing out before you burn us all up!" Gandalf rolled his eyes and blew out a puff of smoke. Then, he did as he was told. "Now," Radagast began, "since we are still alone for the moment, we should discuss what to do with Cierra."
"What do you mean 'what to do with Cierra?'" Asked Gandalf. "Is she giving you trouble?"
"What?! No, no, no! She's the perfect student." Radagast replied. "In fact, that is why I have nothing left to teach her."
"Radagast…" Gandalf said suspiciously with one eyebrow raised. "You are not implying that I…"
"Exactly!"
"No."
"But why not? She has mastered the spells that even we have yet to master! She can cast spells without even uttering a word. It took us many years to master that, remember?" Radagast said as he leaned forward in his chair.
"Has she mastered her Earth spells?" Gandalf asked.
"Yes, but she has a strong dislike for insects." Radagast replied.
Gandalf chuckled, "Have you ever met anyone of the opposite sex who loved bugs?"
Radagast shook his head and smiled, "No, you are right. I have not."
"And what of her powers?" Gandalf asked as he, too, leaned forward. "Has she been able to control them?"
Radagast sat back in his chair and sighed, a worried look crossed his face. "Unfortunately, she is still too afraid to speak to the spirits. She has told me that some of the things she can see and hear frighten her." He bit his lip and looked down.
"Radagast, what aren't you telling me?" Gandalf narrowed his eyes as he studied the shorter Wizard sitting across from him.
"Well," he began, "she has been having strange nightmares lately. She would awaken in a fright. She wouldn't tell me about them and I was becoming concerned. So, one night, I performed the Dream Seer spell while she slept."
"You invaded her mind?" Gandalf asked, appalled.
"I know I shouldn't have, but like I said, I was concerned. But what I found has left me even more concerned."
"What did you find?" Gandalf was still upset with how his friend handled the situation, but was curious none-the-less.
"A great mountain. A town in flames. So much death." Radagast closed his eyes and shook his head as if to rid himself of the memory. Gandalf looked away. "Gandalf, you aren't thinking of doing what I think you are thinking of doing, are you?" Before the old Wizard could answer, loud, rapid thumping could be heard descending the rickety wooden staircase.
"Uncle Raddy," Cierra called, as she rounded the corner, "is that Master Gandalf?"
Gandalf eyed the girl. She wore her signature form-fitting green tunic that ended mid-thigh and a pink undershirt. She also wore brown capris and brown boots that ended just above her ankle. Her white hair was finally brushed and presentable with her bangs styled to the side. Gandalf smiled and said, "Well, how do I rate? You call him 'Uncle' and I 'Master'?" Cierra stopped smiling and her mouth hung slightly agape. Her bottom lip quivered nervously, like a fish out of water. Gandalf laughed and said, "Calm down, child. I am just pulling your leg." He motioned for her to take a seat. She sighed in relief and sat down. "Now, I have something for you." Gandalf handed her a long package, wrapped in brown cloth. Cierra unwrapped it and her eyes instantly grew large as she pulled a beautiful silver sword from its sheath.
"Oh…my…Master Gandalf, I love it!" She exclaimed.
Radagast was less than pleased. "Gandalf, she'll poke her eye out! Or mine!"
"Oh, calm your beard, Radagast. She is responsible enough to have one. I should know because I taught her." Gandalf said as he stroked his beard, seemingly satisfied with himself. "Not only that, she is eighteen, now." Radagast shook his head, knowing that he would only lose if he pushed any further.
"Master Gandalf," Cierra looked at the taller Wizard, "does this mean I will be training with you, again?"
The two older Wizards looked at each other. Gandalf looked back at her and replied, "Not as of yet. There are some friends of mine that require my assistance."
"Can I help at all?" She asked.
"No. It will be too dangerous. You are to remain here." He replied.
"Does it have to do with a mountain?" She asked.
Gandalf exchanged glances with Radagast before carefully replying, "We will be traveling across mountains, if that is what you mean."
Cierra shook her head. "No, I think you know exactly what I mean. I overheard the two of you."
"But how…" Radagast tried to talk, but was abruptly cut short.
She turned to him and cocked her head slightly, "Seriously? I know you use your animal friends to spy on me sometimes. So, I asked them to do the same." She stood up from the table. "And one more thing, I don't take too kindly to people probing around my head!" She sheathed her sword and stormed up to her room, slamming the door behind her. The two Wizards looked back at each other.
"Well," Gandalf began, "that went well." Radagast just shook his head. Gandalf stood up and brushed off his robes. "Well, I should take my leave. I must get to work now if the plan is to succeed." He walked to the door and turned to Radagast, "Good luck."
Radagast sighed and said, "I think I am going to need it."
Later that night, Radagast was becoming worried. The girl hadn't left her room for the rest of the day and never made a sound. Finally, gathering enough courage to face the angry teen, he ascended the stairs and knocked on her door. Nothing. He knocked again and softly called out, "Cierra, my I come in?" There was still no answer. The birds under his had chirped nervously. He lifted his hat slightly and said, "Now, now, calm down you three." He lowered his hat back upon his head and addressed the door once again, "Cierra, I'm coming in." He turned the doorknob and, slowly, opened the door. The room was dark and empty. With the snap of his fingers, the candles in the room lit up. He looked around until his eyes settled upon a piece of paper folded neatly on her bed. He picked it up and unfolded it. As he read it, he could feel his heart sink a little:
Uncle Raddy,
If you are reading this, then you may have noticed that I have already left. I in no way left because of you. I left because I have to stop Master Gandalf from making a huge mistake that could cost people their lives. I am sorry that I overreacted earlier and I am sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, but I knew that you would never understand. You have always loved me like I was family and I hope that one day, you will forgive me.
Love Always,
Cierra
Radagast sat down on the bed, his watery eyes fixed upon the note. "Oh, no."
So, was it worth the wait? :) Does anyone remember in the Prologue, where the female dragon mentioned that she got in a fight with the elves? And how in the movie, Thranduil showed Thorin his scars that were caused by a dragon from the north? He never said which one. See what I did there? Wink, wink. (Damn, my wrists are freaking sore!)
