Story cover was made by Vanmec. You can find more of the artist's wonderful work on twitter, vanmec_ci
Story takes place three years later.
Eilonwy Collins was so engrossed with her studies that she hadn't heard the bell go off.
"Elle, you can go home now." Her teacher, Mrs. Jenkins, stood over her desk.
Eilonwy sniffed and pushed her glasses up her nose as she looked up and blinked a few times. "Oh..." Was all she said before quickly gathering up her belongings and hurrying out of the classroom. She had been studying for her finals right before Christmas break. In fact, that's all she ever seemed to do.
I'm going to leave this town someday. I'm going to leave and never come back. That's what she told everyone, and that's also why she studied so much. Getting into college and having a good education was important to her. In her small town where she grew up, it was filled with people who had been living there their whole lives' too. She didn't want that for herself. She wanted to go far and exceed. But once in a while, she enjoyed some extra-curriculum, such as reading fantasy novels, or practicing her writing skills in Elvish and Dwarvish, and sometimes even Goblin. They had the best insults, aside from the Dwarfs.
As she slung her backpack on, she pulled her gloves out of her coat pockets and slipped them on. It was cold outside and there was plenty of snow to go around.
I'll leave and go somewhere warm all year round, like California, or Arizona.
Eilonwy was from Wisconsin, therefore snow happened EVERY year, and the bitter winter winds made her face hurt worse every time she stepped outside. One would think after dealing with such harsh weather for seventeen years they'd be used to it by now. Nope, not Eilonwy!
"Show us what's inside your bag." Said a boy's voice.
Eilonwy rounded the corner off the school grounds and found her friend, Tabitha, cornered by two bullies. "Hey!" Eilonwy hollered and ran at them. She didn't give the bullies time to think as she slipped off her backpack and swung it as fast as she could at the boy nearest to her. She smacked him right in the face, knocking him on his rump.
"Ouch!" He cried.
"Run, Tabby!" Eilonwy cried breathlessly and her friend took off running.
"You adopted freak!" Yelled the second bully. He reached for Eilonwy's arm but slipped on ice instead and landed next to his friend.
"At least my parents love me." Eilonwy countered and she ran in direction Tabitha had run.
What the bully said was only half true. She was adopted, yes, but a freak...that all depended on your definition. As for Eilonwy, she may have been a little odd, but she was far from a freak, at least in her opinion.
"Psst! Over here, Elle!" Tabitha whispered as loud as she could from behind a tree, although it didn't do her much good. Tabitha was slightly plump, and her bright blue coat made her stick out like a sore thumb. Plus, her rosy red cheeks matched the color of her hair, and that too stood out like an eye-sore among the clean white snow.
Eilonwy made her way over and looked up at her friend with a smile. "Those boys won't be coming after us. I don't think so anyway, so don't worry!" Even though Eilonwy was two years older than Tabitha, the young bookworm had ceased to stop growing after she reached five-two.
"Are you sure?" Tabitha asked as she looked over Eilonwy's shoulder.
Eilonwy rested her hands on her hips. "Yes, I'm sure. Have I have stirred you wrong?"
Tabitha thought for a tiny moment. "Well, there was that one time—"
"Yeah, yeah. C'mon! Claire is waiting for us." Elionwy didn't give her friend time to finish that sentence and walked on ahead.
When the girls finally reached their destination, Eilonwy looked left and right. They stood in front of the library where they were supposed to meet Claire.
"I thought you said she was waiting outside. Do you think she got cold and went inside?" Tabitha asked.
Eilonwy scoffed. "Claire loves the cold more than the polar bears. Yes, I'm sure." She took out her cellphone from her jeans pocket and doubled checked her texts.
Suddenly, someone tugged on Eilonwy's braid, causing her to drop her phone. Eilonwy was ready to turn around and punch the person and then stopped when she saw who it was. It was Claire and she was laughing so hard her red nose and cheeks out-shined her olive skin complexion.
Eilonwy stomped her foot. "Claire! I almost hit you." She then quickly bent down to retrieve her phone. She brushed the snow off and stuck it back in her pocket. "You know I hate it when you do that." She flung her braid over and caressed her shiny light almond brown hair.
Claire laughed again. "Oh, come on, Elle." She stepped forward and ruffled her friend's hair. "You couldn't hit me even if you tried." Standing taller than her two friends, Clair held Eilonwy at bay as she pretended to yawn, all the while Eilonwy swatted at her but was always out of arms reach. And even if Eilonwy managed to make a blow it would be as unimpressive as her petite frame. She was tiny all around: small feet, smalls hands, and even a small chest. However, if looks could kill, Eilonwy's fiery gaze would. Her heterochromia usually caught people's attention fairly quickly when first meeting them. One eye an amber color, and the other green.
"Let's go inside, you guys. I'm getting cold." Tabitha spoke up.
"Okay, fine." Claire released Eilonwy and flicked her long black hair back.
"Finally," Eilonwy grumbled and straightened her coat. She turned about, making her way up the steps and then slipped, falling on her front.
"Whoa! Are you okay?" Tabitha knelt and offered Eilonwy her hand.
Eilonwy forced a breath out of her lungs. "I'm fine..." She struggled.
"You're such a clutz, Elle. There's no ice." She patted the steps with her boot. "The steps have been salted." Claire's words were true, Eilonwy was clumsy. She often tripped over own two feet. It was no surprise that she took a liking to books rather than sports.
Both Tabitha and Claire helped Eilonwy to her feet and made sure she wouldn't fall again.
Once inside, the girls took off their coats and headed straight to the back of the library where they had claimed a secluded spot as their own. It was in a backroom in the far corner; away from prying eyes and ears.
"What's on the agenda today?" Her deep brown eyes lit up.
"Hold your toes, youngster," Eilonwy told her as she slipped off her backpack and placed it in front of her.
Claire scoffed. "I'm only one year younger than you. Now hurry it up!"
Eilonwy grinned and shared a look with each of her friends before pulling out a black leather-bound book. It was huge, not to mention heavy. The edges of the pages were lined with gold color.
Claire looked unimpressed. "A book?"
"It's not just any book." She opened it to the first page. "It's a spellbook!"
Tabitha gasped. "Is that real? Like, real spells, and stuff?" Eilonwy nodded. "Are you sure you should be messing around with that thing?"
"What harm ever came from reading a stupid book?" Claire commented.
"Lots of things." Tabitha shot back.
"Shh." Eilonwy waved her hand at them to get their attention again. "Take a look at this." She placed her finger under the first line of words, reading them aloud. "Mend the ties that bind the blood. Let not one enter less they be one." She stole a glance at her friends before continuing. "Through the eyes of truth, you will see, for the lips they speak all lies to thee." The words stopped and Eilon turned the page, the paper cutting her finger as she did so and a thin line of blood seeped into the edge of the page. She stuck her finger in her mouth to soothe the pain and when the sting subsided she read on. "The curse of daggers doom, their flesh will change into you. Be not wary of the mysteries ahead; the dragon's prophecy is no longer dead."
A shuddering silence fell over the girls' heads.
"I don't like the sound of that," Tabitha said. "Put it away. Now."
"Does it say anymore?" Claire pressed on.
Eilonwy nodded. "The revealed secrets of a silver spell mark a figure hidden so well. The wizard's stone has been turned, the mystery to the lair has been left to burn." She turned the page only to be stumped. It was a different language!
"Does that look familiar to you?" asked Claire.
Eilonwy shook her head. "No, unfortunately." She rubbed her chin, thinking hard.
Before another word could be uttered, a pale green light illuminated from the book and engulfed the girls within mere seconds.
Next thing the girls knew they had fallen on a cold stone floor. It was dark and smelled of mold and rust.
Tabitha shrieked. "What happened?" She flailed her arms, smacking Claire in the process, and then grabbed on to her. "Claire, is that you?" She blinked multiple times but the darkness was still there.
Eilonwy grumbled. "Are you guys okay?"
"Elle..."Claire spoke softly, trying not to lose her cool. "What the HELL happened?"
"I don't know." To hear those three words come out of her mouth was rare.
Not long after, footsteps could be heard making their way toward them. A door creaked open and light from a fire torch lighted the room, and then another, and another.
"Oh, good." Said Tabitha. "Someone is here to hel—" She stopped, took in a deep breath, and screamed. She dug her fingernails into Claire's arm, but Claire was too frightened to make any sudden movements and endured the pain.
Little orange and green creatures circled the girls. They carried with them jagged knives and daggers and even spears. Their beady black eyes narrowed and their mouths turned into a scowl. They were less than half the girls' size, but that didn't make them any less terrifying. One of them dared raise their spear at Tabitha to shut her up, and she did by cupping her hand over her mouth.
"Elle...what are these things?"
Eilonwy surveyed their surroundings quickly, trying to find a means of escape. There were none. Instead of answering Claire's question, Eilonwy turned her attention on the one creature who looked to be in charge. He wore a broken crown atop his head and crossed his arms as he sneered at the girls. Eilonwy raised her hand to her head and waved, giving the creature a crooked smile. "Maal 'dunn." Which translated to 'hello' in Goblin.
Mend the ties that bind the blood. Let not one enter less they be one.
Through the eyes of truth, you will see, for the lips they speak all lies to thee.
The curse of daggers doom, their flesh will change into you. Be not wary of the mysteries ahead; the dragon's prophecy is no longer dead.
The revealed secrets of a silver spell mark a figure hidden so well. The wizard's stone has been turned, the mystery to the lair has been left to burn.
Author's note: Consider this a trial run. If you guys like it so far, PLEASE let me know by leaving a review, otherwise I'm going to assume no one is interested and trash the story. By the way, I hope you like the spell I created. I did my best to include all 12 books. Not sure if you noticed, but that's what I did.
Also, story will contain some strong language and suggestive scenes a little further on.