Prologue: The hero awakens

I am Ilaria. I liked my life pretty much. It was peaceful, yet, adventurous. I lived in a relatively small house next to the city. My parents worked most of the time, so I had time for myself. It may sound strange, but there was a hill one hour away from my house. I loved to hike around it whenever I could because a part of me always wanted to go outside and be a little bit more free. I guess I went too far from home.

This is how the goddesses ended my life as I knew it. Here's the story of my two lives.

What roams below

One regular morning, my parents were getting ready to go work, careful not to wake me, they opened the door and went away.

I woke up with the sun, birds singing and all. I loved doing that during the holidays. Man, school sure was a pain. Why get up so early? Who needed that kind of torture anyway?

So, wishing that the holidays lasted forever, I ate breakfast, dressed up with some jeans and a t-shirt and put an empty water bottle in my backpack. I tied my leather booties and headed to the hill. The morning sun was shining bright and the soil was soft. Just picture how relaxing it was. The wind blowing through the leaves, small stones crunching down your feet. (yes, pretty chill)

As always I took the path to the creek and made a stop there. Filled my bottle and drank from the fresh and sparkly water. Until, I felt something.

A gut-wrenching sensation of being watched by... I don't know, but it felt like danger. I got up slowly and turned towards the gaze. I found myself with a little boy. Perhaps ten years of age, blonde, blue eyes, wearing a bright green tunic and a weird shaped hat. Was that some kind of fashion? This boy maybe escaped a runaway.

When I knew he was no threat, I asked, "Who are you?"

He smiled. Man, that smile could've lit up the whole world. He ran towards my bag and put something in it. Before I could stop him, a big cloud passed on top of us blocking the sun. A fierce wind rattled the trees and I shielded my eyes from the flying stones. When it stopped, the boy was gone, as well as that smile.

I won't lie to you. I stood there frozen for about five minutes. For a person like me, that's A LOT of time. I shook off the feeling of uneasiness and headed home, forgetting the object that lay in my bag.

The sky was painted in tones of reds and blues, as if someone had set fire to it. I walked home contemplating the floor as if it was some sort of labyrinth without solution. I was dizzy and my forehead felt burning hot. I stumbled, but willed myself to keep going, NO WAY was I spending my night in the forest.

Finally, I reached home, opened the door, and somehow got to my room upstairs. Immediately, I crashed.

The dream

That night wasn't pleasant. I had a weird dream. I heard thousands of voices pleading for help, the scene was pitch black, but I knew I was there, contemplating it all. It shifted and I saw myself. I took shaky breaths while I held what looked like a sword on one hand and shield on the other.

The whole scene was blurry, I couldn't make out any details. And then I saw it, a silhouette that casted a red light so bright yet it made the space drown in darkness. It laughed with a thunderous and deep voice and said, "They are waiting for you, Hero", it stretched the word "Hero" long and thin, then, it continued to laugh with derision. I was scared, so scared, I woke on a cold sweat.

The next morning I went to the hill as always, but now, determined to know who that boy was. I walked at a brisk pace, yes I tripped a lot but I just wanted to get there as fast as possible.

No one was there.

"No, no, no, why?!" I said. My mood wasn't helping and I threw my bag to the floor. A blue ball rolled out of it. I didn't recall packing that. In fact, I didn't even know what it was.

I got closer and saw it wasn't a ball, it was an instrument. I had seen this kind being played by street musicians, an ocarina. I blew some air through it, the sound was soft but obviously not beautiful, as I didn't know how to play any instruments. I examined the ocarina closely. There was a silver strip around the nozzle and it had a golden symbol inscribed on it. A triangle with three more inside. Another one upside down colored silver as the strip in the middle of them all, as if separating them.

"Weird"

I headed home.

Mom was there, setting the table for dinner, (was it really that late?)

"Hi, sweetie!" Mom said as she hugged me.

"Hi, mom" "So, how was work? You came home early today, why?"

She took some vegetables and she tilted her head back clearly annoyed, " Well, we always get some trouble in there once in a while, the boss decided that shouting to Darry was the best way to get him to do what he orders" she sighed, "He scared all of us in there"

"Hmmm, that Darry guy isn't very reliable is he?" I suppressed a laugh.

She gave me a look. Ok, ok, then.

"It's not that, but hey, I see you went out again" she peered to my bag.

"Oh" I said hiding it, "Yes, I did, as usual, heh"

"Did something happen out there?"

"No, no, everything normal, you know, the hill, umm, the trees, the creek, yeah"

"If you say so then" she went back to chopping vegetables.

"I'm going to shower, ok? I'll be back!" I said as I went upstairs.

My room was a mess, the clothes I washed were scattered around the room, yesterday's outfit was down on the floor, my bed wasn't done. Wow. I really was a disaster.

In the shower, I couldn't get the ocarina out of my head, it was as if my brain didn't want me to forget it, even worse, I started to desire it. It was calling me.

A strange energy buzzed through my hand, and I went to reunite with the instrument.

The buzzing subsided. And I saw a light. Disclaimer: (It may sound crazy for anyone that isn't used to magical ocarinas)

The light made notes in the air, I reached them and they sounded! Each one a different way. Was the ocarina trying to instruct me?

I took it, and began to play. What happened afterwards is hard to explain. Leaves flew around me and the melody sounded, even though I wasn't playing anymore. I was marveled by its magic. After the melody ended, I started laughing, as if I had lost it. (Yes maybe it was too much to take at the moment)

My room was painted in a green light and leaves fell on the floor. This thing was amazing!

A brief moment of happiness was soon turned into indescribable desperation. I had dinner that night, kissed mom and went to sleep.

The magic of the ocarina kept me awake all night, it was as if I could hear it speak, all my mind, soul and body resonated with these words: "go to the hill, with the ocarina", then my mind again: " like now, go, go, go!"

It was too much, I got up and headed to the hill.

The sacred ground

Man, I just hoped mom was asleep, dad hadn't gotten back home yet, but I thought, "I won't be long" ( Yeah sure, right Goddesses?)

The ocarina guided me to a very big tree, emphasis on the "very". I probably had my mouth opened in amazement, because I heard a giggle. Was it? No, really?

I looked at the tree and behind its trunk was the boy, the one who had put the ocarina in my bag. Oh, so this is what happens, the ocarina wants to go back to his owner, I thought. Was this a bad joke?

This thing was the coolest thing ever! And I... I had made the mistake of thinking it was mine, and it wasn't. I knew it, it wouldn't last.

I went to him and took the ocarina from my bag, he gave me an uncertain look.

"Hey, I don't even know your name but, here, I am giving it back, it's yours after all, right?"

He smiled, again. Boy, I never got tired of seeing that smile. He took an ocarina out of one of his pockets. He had an awesome set of pockets on a brown belt. I wanted one of those too.

The ocarina was pink and seemed less delicate, although he took it as if it was priceless. He played a song in it. The notes made me think of peace, but also some kind of dread, as if, things wouldn't be the same. All of the sudden, a tunnel appeared inside the trunk of the tree, I couldn't see what was inside, I only saw pure light and the silhouette.

In a flash, he grabbed my ocarina and went inside the tunnel laughing. "Hey! Give it back!" I shouted as I ran towards him, and away from life as I knew it.

The sword

My first thought was, wow. Just wow. The place looked old, like nobody had been there in years. It was a kind of chamber, covered in grey walls that looked similar to cement. The grey walls were covered with plants and there was a ray of sunshine entering from one of the glass windows at the top. Specks of dust could be seen flying around the room.

I walked a little deeper inside and noticed the boy was gone, as well as the tunnel's way back. "Oh no" panic started rising through me. This couldn't be happening, I started kicking and punching the walls. When I was hopeless and on the verge of tears, I felt an energy. That kind of energy that you just know is going to make things better. I turned.

In front of me was the coldest looking sword ever. As if it had fought many battles and seen lots of blood. It lay on a pedestal with its tip hidden in it.

In awe, I approached it. My instincts told me: "pull it out!" So... I did.

That was the beginning of this, my adventure.

The trial

A light engulfed me. And I felt like I was being lifted. Then I heard the voice, a deep and melancholic voice that sounded as ancient as the place: "Oh! Hero chosen by the sword and the goddesses, please accept this trial, to show you our respect for your ancestry..."

An arena materialised in front of me, then I noticed. I had the sword in my hand, the sword had a blue hilt and it was beautifully attached to two wing-like pieces at each side of it. The sword glinted with a powerful light. I took a wooden shield that lay on the floor. Maybe it could be useful.

But... there was the same symbol of the ocarina, but in the back of my left hand! It glowed a gold color and then subdued as if it was trying to glow bright but just hadn't the strength to do so. "What the...?"

A pain pulsed through my head, it made me flinch and close my eyes. Moments later I noticed a creature coming straight towards me. What was it? It looked like a man, but with horns and had a black bandage covering his mouth, wait, its skin was green as well, and was aiming a flaming arrow at me!

Like in an instinct, I took the shield and blocked the arrow straight away. My heart hammered hard as if it was trying to get out of my core. I turned the flames off my shield shaking it like crazy.

All I could think was: "Mercy, mercy, mercy, I don't want to die!" (Yes I was very scared) (emphasis on very)

Another piercing pain in my head, and the symbol glowed faintly, for only a little longer now. Enough to make out the shape in a clearer way.

A shriek echoed across the arena. It was horrible. As if a thousand fingernails scratched a chalkboard. I was paralyzed.

Only moments later I noticed a tall and creepy skeleton-like "thing" approaching me, slowly but surely, it would get here.

I ran.

The arena looked strangely like a forest. There were trees and caves, creeks, like in the hill... caves... Of course!

I spotted one and hid inside. I lit up a small fire. Outside, it started to rain, the cave keeping me weak and shaky as I tried to catch my breath.

"I am alone" I babbled. "Truly alone" I lied down and slept.

In my dreams, I heard the same laughter that terrified me. But it was cut short as a figure appeared. Another guy wearing a strange hat.

...