Anniya

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*`



The moment Anniya's necklace exploded with light, the Elves were immediately blinded by the brightness of it and shielded their eyes immediately. The light was so bright and intense that even those who had retired early to their hammocks on the other side of the village could see it. Several Ayorthorian huntsmen caught sight of it several miles away. But unfortunately, as the Elves would soon come to find, they were not the only non-Elfin creatures that saw it. The light lasted only moments.

At least, for everyone but Anniya herself.

The moment it had erupted, she had immediately been engulfed in the light. Unlike the Elves, who were terrified, a calm feeling of peace washed over her in waves. And then suddenly that feeling changed.. Suddenly, Images flashed through her mind, pictures of things she didn't recognize. Odd enough, she was not terrified, as she should of been. The pictures flashed too fast to comprehend. Only simple thoughts came into entered Anniya's mind. She saw a battle, she saw victory, then failure, then a flash of gold. And just as suddenly as they had come, the images stopped. She abruptly struck by something. In fright she though of Gleex and tightened her palm, almost as if she were gripping something. Whatever she had been gripping suddenly vanished, and the green light vanished. She felt darkness coming on quickly. But before, as she was slipping out, a voice in the distance echoed in her head.

Anniya, above all, remember the most powerful weapon is not a sword, but something that lies within, something that everyone isn't immune to.......

It was both loud and quiet, beautiful and scratchy. Before Anniya had any more time to contemplate it, it was gone.

The clearing was quiet. Everyone stared at her with reverence and great respect. Too many thoughts swam through Anniya's head.

" I'm not her. Whatever fairy tale you came up with, I'm not her," she began, too confused to say anything else. I should have never come here, Anniya thought to herself.

The Old Elf named Sheena stepped forward, positioning herself directly in front of Anniya's line of vision so she could not escape.

" If you are not the one we have been waiting for, then why does the necklace light up for you? If you are not the chosen one, why are you of the exact same blood as our almighty ancestral

Queen? If you are not, then why do you call yourself Anniya, the opposite spelling of our Queen," the woman questioned.

Anniya was finding herself more and more uncomfortable as the Sheena or whatever her name was woman went along. That was why Ayinna sounded familiar. Ayinna and Anniya. Nearly the same. The necklace lit up for her. The necklace had protected the mythical Queen against Ogres.

Suddenly everything snapped into place. That was what the ogres had been looking for on that fateful day so many years ago, when she had hid in the hollow tree. That was why they had combed the ruins for so long. They had been looking for the necklace. The necklace that would of saved her mother. And it was also why they hadn't found Anniya. As long as it had one of the queen's descendant's wearing it, she would be safe from the Ogres. That was why she had never ran into any living in the woods for so long. The necklace had healed her from her concussion. The necklace had miraculously cured her from a deadly virus that fairy's couldn't heal.

Anniya's emerald eyes looked up, startled at her realization. The old elf smiled, her wrinkles deepening.

" It is true. You are the one."

Anniya's eyes proceeded to dart around the circle. Every pair there was on her. This was outrageous. She didn't ask for this. Anniya fumbled with the necklace, then ripped the chain off her neck when it refused to come off. She gave it to the old woman.

" Take it. I don't want it," Anniya stated, holding it out stiffly. The woman made no move to take it, only looked at her solemnly.

" Take it! I'm going to drop the bloody thing if you don't," Anniya told her angrily, noting with annoyance that she sounded like a two year old.

" Even if the magic was still in it, it would not work for me."

" Oh, then where's the magic gone? A holiday to the Gnome Caverns," Anniya replied sarcastically. Deep inside of her, she knew she wasn't being sarcastic because the woman wouldn't take the necklace. Though Anniya refused to let the feeling become official, she was scared.

" You. The magic's gone into you."

Despite the fact that everything impossible had happened that night, that was something she had not been prepared for. Sheena continued when Anniya stood in silence.

" Magic is something only fairies and dragons posses from within, and it was why they are the oldest surviving races. They can draw magic from anything, from an ocean to a pebble, at any time. At rare, rare times, they will give someone not of their kind a gift of magic, as one was given to the queen. With her, the magic would of died if she had not poured it into something. The magic has at last been freed, and it poured back into you. You are the magic now. This necklace you try to give me is nothing more then a fancy bauble."

Anniya struggled for some bitingly sarcastic remark to come up with, but for perhaps for the first time in her life, none came. After a long period of silence, she finally spoke.

" I didn't ask for this, you know," she said quietly. " I don't care what I am. I don't have to be it."

With that, Anniya turned her back and ran.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You are a pathetic creature indeed, Anniya thought as she gazed at her reflection from the pool of water. Diobla snorted from nearby, impatient to move. She glared at the horse with all her ferocity. It no more heed to her glares then Anniya's feet heeded her conscience.

But what could she have done? Stayed there and done what? It wasn't as if that village needed protection. They had been faring fine before she had come, they'd go on doing so.

Esperanza's annoying little prophecy, legend, whatever it had been kept popping up into her head. She remembered how the gypsy girl had looked at her with the same awe.

Let's face it, Anniya. You're a coward. You're afraid because everyone thinks your something your not, Anniya thought to herself angrily. She kicked her reflection, succeeding in only getting herself wet.

" Damn water," she muttered angrily. Instantly Robert flashed into her mind. That was something he'd say. At that moment, she just wanted him there........

Anniya pushed the thought out, frustrated. She had been so preoccupied with running away she hadn't thought to take her necklace. How typical of her. Too busy running away to take notice of anything else.

" Jakfv Ssyng."

Anniya froze.

Even Diobla stopped his incessant nickering for a moment. His ears flicked back and forth. Anniya recognized the tongue is was spoken in all too well.

Ogrese.

Not even daring to breathe, Anniya listened to what she guessed were two ogres lumber through the woods. That wasn't truly hard; with the racket they were making, she was surprised she hadn't heard them half a mile away.

If anything that old elf had told her was true, she should of felt safe. But Anniya didn't, and was unfortunately all too aware of the Ogre's excellent sense of smell.

Anniya was intent on searching for a good hiding spot when another voice caught her breath.

" Great lumpheads. It's insulting, having to work with them. And I still have an uneasy feeling they wouldn't mind snacking on us if they had to," an utterly distinct voice said. A human voice.



Ogres and humans were working together.

At that moment, Anniya realized that these two species that despised each other were collaborating, and it was without the King's knowing.

That Count. The first thought that flew into her mind. It had to be him. He had the Ogres on his side, and they were powerful allies. She was surprised why he hadn't attacked yet. Then the answer came to her.

It was her. Anniya should have seen it sooner. She should of seen everything so much sooner. It had been the necklace. They had been trying to prevent her from obtaining the power, because it was the only thing holding the Ogres back. . Which meant someone would of known about the necklace.

That was when Anniya realized she was in trouble.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

* Author's note*

alrighty, I'll be the first to admit that wasn't the greatest chapter. I've basically cleared up all the mystery that's lurked in the past 20 chapters. Next chapter should be up within a week( As I can seem to deliver everything on time as promised, I'm giving myself more room). Next chapters going to be a big one-- West's in it, Robert's in it, and yes, Gleex ( you'll find out how the bars melted, if you guys haven't figured that out already).

I hate giving away stuff when I've worked real hard, but in one of the next two chapters Robert and West are going to see eachother for the first time in well, a while.

Ok, I'm going to go before i give more stuff away( it's so much more fun then actually writing out.)

~* Faerie_gurl*~