The First Trinity

Chapter 9

"Is everything ok," the forest sprite asked the young princess as Eleanor approached her throne.

"...sorry for not introducing myself properly earlier. As Princess of Libera, I should have done so."

"Princess of Libera?"

Eleanor briefly forgot that she was supposed to hide her identity. "I should not have said that," she sighed knowing her mistake. When the forest sprite saw her reaction, she smiled politely and motioned her hand telling the other forest creatures to resume the match. So the shadow bear and the giant continued to fight.

"Aren't you quite the traveller, your highness...well...at least for someone in your position."

"I left my home," she said regretfully.

"May I ask why?" the forest sprite asked not sounding too surprised, but immediately got her answer without Eleanor needing to say one word. The young princess took a slow look back at the cave, and then tried to shake her head getting thoughts of Alvin out of her mind.

"An impulse I could not control."

"It really is amazing to find out the courage one can gain when faced with an overwhelming dilemma. More and more I'm realizing the love both of you claim to have for each other keeps escalating every time you tell me about it. Never could I have imagined a princess of one of the kingdoms, especially Libera, would ever have decided to venture off into a world so dangerous. You are brave my dear; extremely young...and perhaps naive, but brave."

"You forgot to say foolish," Eleanor said with a small smile as Alvin slowly walked out of the cave. Their eyes met only for a moment, before Alvin started walking in the other direction towards a group of forest animals watching the match with intensity.

"Do not worry Princess Eleanor de la Liber, our forest is usually hidden from normal eyes," a whistling voice that sounded like a deep whisper had said from behind her. When Eleanor turned around, she saw a huge tree cover with silver dust. Its branches were waving back and forth and the leaves on the tree were using the wind to speak. At first, Eleanor couldn't believe what she was seeing...and hearing, but when surrounded by the creatures that she was surrounded by, her ideas about what 'impossible' was supposed to be were changing.

"I am surprised that you or Alvin could even see us. Although it is true that the creatures of the forest are easier to see in the daytime, you should not be able to see us. Unless you possess incredible magic or if a spell of revelation has been casted on you, you should not be able to see us," Persephone said with curiosity.

"I'm sorry, but you will not be able to find any answers from me," Eleanor responded.

"May I ask you a question, princess?"

"You may."

"Where are you going? Where do you expect to end up?" the forest sprite asked.

"I..." Eleanor didn't have an answer for her. She was thinking about it, but she had no clue. When she started thinking about her future, everything became cloudy.

"As much as I do not wish to upset you, I must say that your actions are similar to a young child running away from home with an expectation that they will make it somehow based on possibilities and chances: two events that rarely have positive outcomes in the overall course of one's life."

Eleanor didn't argue. Everything the forest sprite had told her made sense. When she was actually thinking clearly, she had left her home based on the situation of her father disapproving on someone she loved. She was sad, angry, confused, but most of all, in love...and all of those emotions had boiled up inside her. No matter how much she wanted to deny it. When looking from an outsider's point of view like Persephone, she realized how childish she had been. But when she looked at Alvin, her heart was screaming at her telling her she had made the right decision. She was definitely acting like an immature child. She realized she had left her father and her kingdom. Now her mind was switching around.

It felt completely pathetic that after one day, she had already changed her mind, but perhaps common sense and reasoning returned to her. "Maybe you are right Persephone," she said looking over at Alvin who was laughing with the woodland creatures. "Whenever I touch Alvin, every part of me speeds up. My heart pounds, my body turns hot and I cannot think. I love the feeling...I crave the feeling, but to abandon everything I am on such a feeling is...absurd.

"Perhaps I've been mistaken, future Queen. You are young, but you exhibit intelligence beyond your years when you are given the time to learn these lesson on your own."

Eleanor smiled and then looked back towards the match. 'I am indeed the future queen and thus, must act like one.'

"Would you like to know what this match is Liberan princess?" the tree from behind her asked. Eleanor nodded. "We have a contest each year to determine who will become the forest protector."

"Forest protector?"

"Yes. The forest protector will be the creature which will obtain the abundance of the sun's energy and will thus use this energy to protect the forest"

"Protect the forest from what?"

"From the daughters of the wind," Persephone said quietly and seriously. Eleanor didn't dare ask her anything else. She had read about the daughters of the wind in the library of her castle. They were fierce creatures with the power to control the wind. It was fitting that they were discussing about them because this was the exact day when the daughters of the wind would be at their strongest.

"So...they are real."

"Very much so I'm afraid. It is the power of the sun that protects this forest. A forest surrounded by the desert and yet still is able to grow the most vibrant trees and produce the clearest water. The power of the sun defends us from the daughters of the wind and tonight is when the daughters of the wind are at their strongest."

Suddenly, the ground shook and when they focused their attention back to the arena battle, they noticed that the forest giant had been knocked out. The black bear's shadow which had spread across the whole arena floor was concentrated to one spot and the black bear rose up from that one spot and raised its paw in the air while receiving cheers from the other creatures.

Persephone rose up from her chair. "I give to you, your new champion: Shade, protector of the forest," she said as the trees around them opened up and let a ray of sunshine surround the pitch black bear. It started to glow bright and then a flash of light illuminated the whole forest. Once the light dimmed down, you could tell that something happened to change the pitch black bear. "Shade, do you promise to use the power of the sun to protect the forest and the ones you love?"

"I do," he said.

"Then you are now this year's forest protector."

Everyone cheered as Persephone returned to her seat. "If you wish to leave, it would be best to go in the afternoon, before nightfall because the daughters of the wind will appear at nightfall and you do not want to face them. Let us rest for now."

"Thank you, Persephone...for everything," Eleanor said with a beautiful smile. Persephone touched her cheek and smiled back.

"Whatever happens in the future, you will be ok."

After the festivities were over, Alvin, Alcmeaon and Eleanor met at the cave. Eleanor made sure to stay a good distance away from him. She knew if she felt his touch, she wouldn't have the strength to say what she would say. "I would like to return to Libera."

She had expected Alvin to have at least some protest or some argument. With all the work he had done during the escape from Libera and now, she wanted him to return her to a place where he was one of...perhaps the most wanted criminal. She thought he would have at least something objective to say. But he didn't.

"As you wish, your highness," he said with a bow as he turned and left the cave.

"Alvin..."

In the afternoon, both Alvin and Eleanor were packed and ready for their return. Alvin had not spoken to Eleanor once since their conversation in the cave. But Eleanor couldn't blame him. She couldn't think of anything to say to him that wouldn't make the situation even worse. So she decided silence was the best option.

They hopped on Alcmeaon and where ready to take off. "Take it easy ok, Persephone. That goes for all of you too," Alvin said.

"You too," Persephone said with the other woodland creatures saying their goodbyes as well. Then she turned to Eleanor and placed her hand on top of Eleanor's. When she lifted her hand off of Eleanor's the young princess was now wearing a beautiful green bracelet covered in small vines around her wrist. "We will meet again princess. I wish you all the best and I wish for you to face all the events in your future with courage and grace."

"...thank you. Thank you for everything. I will never forget you," Eleanor said with a slight tear as Alcmeaon flew up in the air and then raced off into the distance.

As they were flying, there was an uncomfortable silence; a silence that was rare and almost foreign to them. Eleanor had no idea what Alvin was thinking about. He remained quiet. She had a feeling Alvin thought she was a spoiled brat who didn't know what she wanted. She would give anything to tell him that it wasn't true and that she really does love him, but she knew if she said those words, it would make it so much harder for him and herself, it might even start an argument. If this was their last moment together, she wouldn't want to hurt him.

"Are..are you okay returning to Libera?" Eleanor asked.

"I'll be fine," he responded simply. That was the only conversation they had for at least an hour. Suddenly, a strange small gust of wind knocked Alcmeaon a little off balance. The baby dragon was able to stabilize itself, but it was a cause for concern to Alvin. "Are you ok, Alcmeaon?" he asked. But before Alvin could receive a reply or any reassurance, an image far away caught his attention.

"What's happening Alvin?" Eleanor asked. Alvin pointed in front of him and Eleanor gasped when she saw what he was pointing to. There were four twisters in the sky approaching them at a fast speed. "It can't be. We were supposed to have more time..." she said in a whisper, but Alvin heard her.

"What do you mean?"

"We have to land now. Alcmeaon, land now!" Eleanor commanded as the baby dragon started rushing towards the ground hoping to land. But he wasn't fast enough, and before they knew it, they were lifted into the twisters.

Eleanor screamed as her, Alvin and Alcmeaon were tossed and spun around along with some other thing inside the twister. Alvin was calling out her name, but he couldn't do much except let his body get whipped around. Eleanor closed her eyes thinking about Alvin, but just before she lost consciousness, within the wind storm, she thought she saw an image of a beautiful figure with brown hair and big glasses.

A/N: Till next time

Atomos Infinity