Fire. Fire, blood and war. The flames engulfed her in a choking blaze, she couldn't escape, and then she saw it. He was smiling at her in that reassuring way. She smiled back in acknowledgment...and then he disappeared.
Ariana woke up. She had that strange dream again with that boy, who somehow felt as if she had know him before, but she could never see his face. She leant over the side of her bed and switched on the lamp by the plug. Wisps of black hair covered her face, four fifty-five a.m. the clock read. 'Man I'm really tired' she muttered. She had a late night last night, chasing her golden retriever, Anubis around the garden after he had heard fireworks; she was still in her clothes.
Ariana wearly dragged herself out of bed and opened the window for a little air. She glanced down in the shadowed garden; there in the middle of the lawn were a couple of pearl-white feathers. That dog! She thought, He must have gotten out again, I suppose I'll go and put him into the house since I'm already up.
The grass was cool on her bare feet 'Hmmm...Here Anubis...' There was no reply. 'He must be inside then' she silently wandered over to the feathers on the ground. They just lay there, as if a bird had died, naturally. (She had thought her dog had been chasing birds again, but she was wrong).
Ariana stared into the night sky, picking out the constellations 'The big dipper, the little dipper-' Ariana shuddered, she thought she heard a sound. A strange aura laundered in the air. Suddenly, without a warning a gleam of light shone in the sky, like a huge star. 'What the-' the light surrounded the frightened girl. 'Huah- help me!!! Mom!!!!!' Ariana found herself levitating, with a kind of energy that was unknown to her. Her blood rushed, her adrenaline and emotions were high and she felt on top of the world. The ascending girl felt a sudden light-headedness upon her.... It was the best feeling she had ever experienced.
Ariana woke up, in the dark, was it all a dream? She hoped so. She gradually opened her eyes and uttered a murmur. Her head was throbbing and felt as if it was going to explode. She was alone, not in her cosy bed, but in an unnatural environment. It was so silent, yet so alive. Ariana cocked her head slightly sidewards and peered behind the huge tree she was propped against.
'Yes, he is way too rough on us, maybe he should chill out once in a while'
'Hey, he didn't hit you!'
'I get told off all of the time, you jerk'
There was an unmistakable sound of boyish laughter, footsteps approaching. Ariana drew her breath and held it, not to make a sound. Should she say something? It sounded like a large group of people. Looking behind the tree again, there was a lot of people. They all looked like teenagers, the same age as herself but they were dressed in all the same weird clothing and were armed with what looked like swords.
'So, how do you think we should prepare?'
'We can make more provisions later and eat all of the food now!'
'But they are our emergency rations, you can't eat all of it!' exclaimed a blonde boy.
'Chesta, catch!' said a darker haired boy, throwing something to the tall blonde.
Ariana realised she wasn't breathing and released her breath.
'Did you hear that?'
'What?' Questioned a female voice.
'Yeah, these woods are crawling with wolf-men, so we better watch it.'
'That's not the only thing we have on our minds, if Lord Dilandau catches us slacking off, he'll be really angry.'
'Awww...Chesta, lighten up a bit, he isn't here, you talk about Dilandau as if he was your hero. Me? I think he's a nut!'
'VIOLE!'
'Well, he is.'
Dilandau? Chesta? Viole? Wolfmen? Who were these people? Weird name choices too. In fact where was she? Ariana felt her heart pounding upon realising she was in a dark forest with a bunch of guys. 'Well I have no other choice, if I stay here I might get eaten by wolfmen, but if I go and confront them, anything could happen.' She whispered silently.
Ariana gathered up all of her courage and with her stomach sinking with fear, she bravely stood up and walked over to them.
'Erm, I'm lost do you know where I am?' Great. Real confident, now they'll think I'm just a little baby, she thought.
'And just who might you be?' asked the blonde boy, Chesta sounding pretty startled.
One of the boys, with dark hair, drew a sword from his left flank.
'Hey, I-I-I'm only lost, I don't want to get physical about it, ca-ca-can you tell me where the nearest town is?' Ariana trembled fearfully, and she knew the small group could sense this fear.
'Approximately five miles west of Palas, capital of Asturia' replied the girl. Palas? Where was that? I must of sleep walked, she concluded, yeah I must of sleep walked but....Asturia?
'A-a-asturia?'
'Yes, at the minute, anyway', the dark haired boy grinned.
'Miguel you idiot!'
'Ohhh well sorry....Viole, you're not my boss y'know!'
'Yes, but Lord Dilandau is and we have to have to complete the mission' trembled Chesta.
'You stay out of it!' Snapped Viole.
'I'm not torching Asturia alongside that idiot!' Yelled the one who she assumed was Miguel.
Ariana sensed she was getting nowhere the way things were going and couldn't take much more of it. 'Look can you just tell me where I am!' she yelled bluntly. Whoops. Uh-oh she thought, what were they going to do now? Maybe they would hold me hostage or something she thought, grimacing at the sight of the sheathed swords by their sides.
'Just get out of our sight, okay!' Good idea. The girl, Viole sounded pretty serious. Ariana decided they weren't going to be of much help and walked away, leaving the small crew arguing over authority.
Ariana peered up in the sky, the woods were clearing, which is a good sign and she could just make out that it was dawn. She continued walking, wondering where she was. I wonder if my mum's worried? sudden anxiety flooded her. What is going to happen to me? I don't know anyone in 'Asturia' and I certainly am lost.
As if by reading her thoughts, the dark woods eventually died out as she advanced. Huge monsters were stationed in this clearing! Enormous, blue, expressionless beasts loomed in gigantic rows. The traveller was shaking, and really wanted to run. To where? Something inside her told Ariana that she should not run, and the curious girl meekly trotted up to the monsters and examined one. They were, after all not monsters, but in fact mechanical giants 'Why would anyone want such things?' There were nineteen, she counted, in three rows of five and one row of four. She touched one, it was definantly metal, smooth and cold, and there was something engraved on the side of the monster's 'ankle'. 'Alseides...unit fourteen?' Ariana had no idea what all of this was or meant, but it somehow felt so familiar.
She was overridden with fatigue and really needed some sleep. She coursed her way out of the clearing with the bland-faced monsters. Ariana saw a beautiful river, a tributary with lots of side-streams running off like watery veins. 'Perfect, I can rest here' She announced, openly to herself, patting down the long grass by the river and she sat down.
00:33 10/11/01
