The Land of Man is a rough, untamed place. It is filled with vast green forests and stony, barren mountains, all bordered by the blue sea that stretches out into forever. The men and women who live here are tough, forced to build cities to survive in the wilderness. They built walls to keep the creatures that inhabit every corner of the land away from their families and lives. But that is not the beginning of the story.
Beyond the magical veil that separates two worlds, an island in the sky is home to a strange race of creatures. They look almost human, except for their brightly colored hair and pointed ears. They are elves.
The elves have existed in this peaceful realm for hundreds of years, separate from the chaos of man. As such, they have flourished in peace, with many of their women becoming powerful magicians. These fortunate elves have the power to conduct their magic through song. This is the Vale, a land of peaceful power.
The young elf's eyes shot open as he sat up rapidly in bed. Blinking quickly to clear the fogginess from his eyes, he looked around to see the familiar walls of his room. There was a window next to the bed, with the blinds pulled up to admit light into the house. Sliding out from under the covers, he grabbed his familiar brown tunic and pulled it on. After he had finished retrieving the rest of his clothes and shoes from the floor of his room, he straightened up and stepped out into the hallway.
Based on the smell and noise coming from the kitchen, he guessed that his mother was baking, as she usually did on the 6th day of the week. Following his nose, he stepped into the kitchen to see his parents in their usual positions. His mother was bent over the counter, kneading dough with her hands. His father was sitting on one of the chairs in front of the smooth stone fireplace, reading a book. They both looked up as he entered the room, smiling.
"Good morning." His mother said, to which he nodded.
"What are you making? Biscuits?" His mouth watered at the thought of the fresh treat made by his mom on rare occasions.
"Why, yes. I thought that you and Iya could have some later, Ean." The elf perked up at the mention of his friend's name, one of the few elves that was around his age.
"That sounds great, Mom." The elderly elf frowned.
"However, I'm all out of honey. Could you go get me some from the beehive?"
"Of course. I'll do it after I go find Iya. Her test was today, was it not?" Ean responded, his mind jumping to another topic of conversation. His mother exchanged a look with his father, but he couldn't tell what it meant. Was it compassion? Pity?
"Yes. She'll be at the Elder Oak with the other students." The young elf nodded and strode to the door, opening it to see the beautiful sight of his home village, Elfwood. He stepped out onto the porch, taking a deep breath of the clean air. The sky was a light blue, with a few clouds high above. Across from him, he could see the green grass sloping downwards to the center of the village, where there was a stone gazebo that the village would gather at for special occasions. Several kids were already running around the expanse of grass. On the other side of the field, he could see the rest of the houses that composed the village. The elderly owner of the general store was outside, fixing his sign that had broken the previous night.
"Give it back!" He heard the cry of anger as a small boy came running across the green, chasing a girl. The girl held a teddy bear in hand, and she was smiling. As they approached, Ean stepped in front of the boy, holding out his hand.
"Row, what's going on?" He asked curiously. The little boy pulled up short, out of breath, and with a tear rolling down his cheek.
"Nisa took my teddy bear!" He exclaimed angrily. "And she won't give it back!" Behind Ean, the little girl named Nisa took the opportunity to run farther away. With an angry exclamation, Row made to chase after her, but Ean grabbed his arm.
"I'll get it for you, Row." He smiled as he turned and strode towards Nisa, who turned slightly pale at the sight of the older elf approaching her. Kneeling next to her and holding out his hand, Ean said:
"Nisa, is that your teddy bear?" The little girl blushed with embarrassment, looking down at her shoes.
"Maybe not, but…"
"Where did you get it?" Nisa seemed ready to curl up into a ball at this point.
"I took it from Row." Ean smiled at her.
"Well, do you think it would be nice to give it back to him?" the little elf nodded, and held out the teddy bear.
"I don't want to give it back, but you can do it." Ean took the teddy bear from her and patted her on the head. Walking back to Row, who had watched with wide eyes, he handed him the teddy bear with a grin.
"Thank you, Ean." said Row, his mouth slightly ajar. Pulling himself together, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few small coins.
"Here. You can have these, okay?"
"There's no need for that, Row." The older elf tried to dissuade the younger, but he refused to be swayed.
"I don't need them anyways. You can buy something from the shop." Shrugging, Ean took the coins from the elf and placed them in his bag that hung on his hip. He had fifteen gold coins already, and the ones from Row brought him up to a total of twenty-two. Of course, there was little in the village he needed to buy, but it was always nice to have some money for an emergency. He turned to head back towards his house and the path that led into the forest, but he stopped. Making a decision, he strode towards the center of the village, where the houses were. There was a statue with a donation box that stood near the edge of the village. Supposedly, it was a depiction of some goddess or something like that. People in the village would donate to the box periodically, believing that it would bring good luck. Ean did not really believe this, but he did donate on special occasions. With a clink, he dropped a coin into the box at the base of the statue.
Please, let it work this time. He opened his eyes after a moment, catching sight of himself reflected on the statue.
He was tall for an elf, with brown hair that was slightly long, reaching down over some parts of his forehead. His eyes were a dark green, like the forest. The elf wasn't exactly skinny, but his muscles were not defined. They lay under the surface of his skin, ready to be used. Turning away from the statue, he walked back across the village green and past his house, vanishing into the woods.
When it was her turn to step forward, the young elf girl did so tentatively, her light blue hair blowing in the wind. It was a clear day, one that was the best for singing. As the others had done before her, she sang to the great tree in front of her, trying to persuade it to release her magic to her. Her voice was shaky, and when she finished, the glade was silent. She waited, but nothing happened. Her heart sank.
I suppose it was too much to ask. One of the village elders stepped up to her. Her grandmother, one of the greatest singers ever to be born in the village. She placed an arm on her shoulder, comforting her.
"Don't worry, my dear. We will keep trying."
"Can we?" asked the elven girl. "You know what today is. My-"
"Yes, your birthday, I know." The older elf said. Behind them, the students that had passed the trial of magic began to disperse, shepherded by the other elders of the village. They were jubilant, exultant in their success. All of them had passed, except for her.
"Then you know that I'm out of time. I cannot speak to the Elder Oak anymore. Nobody beyond the age of 19 has ever had such a late awakening." The girl said sadly. Her grandmother nodded.
"But I actually thought it would awaken this time. There has never been an elf without magic in our family. Never." The girl's voice shook.
"It will be okay. Your mother-"
"My mother's only desire is for me to be a singer, grandmother. What will she say when I come home, having failed for the last time?" The elder sighed, and turned away.
"I do not know. But everything will work out." She strode away into the forest, leaving the young elf alone. She raised her head, glancing around the clearing. The forest was thick on every side of her, barring the path behind her that led back to the village. However, even the trees stopped growing in deference to the Elder Oak, which sat in the middle of the clearing. A pond surrounded the great tree, which was only accessible by a small wooden bridge. It was the Elder Oak that watched over the village, assisted by the three elders.
And yet, he had not even deigned to acknowledge her. She had no magic. She sank to the ground, burying her hands in the soft brown earth. She wore a light blue dress with a cloak over it. The color matched the earth perfectly.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why can't you hear me?" There was no reply, only the soft sounds of the forest.
"Iya?" A voice came from behind her, and she whirled to see Ean standing there, a look of sadness on his face. Her heart broke even further at the look. There was silence for a moment, and then:
"I didn't pass." Her voice echoed in the silence. She tried to stop herself, but a single tear rolled down her face, dropping to the ground.
Ean stood there, frozen at the sight of Iya crying. He thought about reaching out to her, but thought better of it.
"It will be alright, Iya." He said tentatively, not knowing what else to say or think. She looked at him with her brown eyes, and he could see how heartbroken she was.
"I don't know what to do." Her voice cracked slightly.
"Your grandmother said-" Ean began, but she looked at him vehemently.
"Grandmother is crazy, Ean! You know that. She's just trying to cheer me up." She was properly frustrated now, her face turning red. "I'm just not enough, I guess! I never will be." She stopped suddenly, all the anger flowing out of her as her rage deflated.
"I'm sorry." Iya said.
"It's alright. Look, let's just not think about it right now, okay? My mom asked me to get honey so she can finish biscuits. Do you want to come with me?" The female elf hesitated.
"I…"
"Come on, Iya. Don't be like that. You'll feel better after doing something, alright?" With a sigh, the elf acquiesced, pulling her cloak around her. Ean smiled at her tentatively, and she returned the gesture with a wan smile of her own. They walked away from the Elder Oak and back into the forest. They walked back down the path through the trees. Other elves were still there, celebrating, but they felt silent as Iya passed by. She could almost feel the pity radiating through the air as they strode by. They approached a sign that said:
Elfwood - South
Elder Oak - East
Beehive - West
Ean stepped off the path and through the trees.
"We should get some stuff before we go." He explained, striding between the trees to the river that ran through the forest. They walked upstream until they came to the waterfall which supplied the village with fresh water. It was roaring as it usually did, and Iya could see the fish leaping out of the water. Ean let out a grunt, and she turned to see him shifting a rock aside, revealing a small hole underneath it. He reached into the hole and pulled out a pair of gloves, a hunting knife, and a crude wooden shield. He handed her the gloves.
"For the honey." He said, and she nodded. She had come with him to get honey a few times before. Ean placed the shield on his back, and the hunting knife on his belt. Turning, they walked back to the path and continued west. As they walked, the trees grew thicker and thicker until the path ended at a rock wall. Cut into the rock wall was a massive hole that led into a cave.
"There's no bees. That's good. Come on." Ean whispered to Iya, and they crept up to the entrance. From there, they could see the beehive proper. Every surface of the cave was covered in beeswax, creating a dull yellow light that illuminated the cavern. The air was still, and Ean could hear a faint buzzing. They sneaked deeper into the cave, heading for the beehive that lay at the back of the area. Suddenly, a buzzing sounded from above his head, and a bee came into view. It was massive, about 2 feet tall, and big as Ean's torso. With an angry sound, it flew towards them. Ean stepped in front of Iya, pulling out his shield and knife.
'I'll deal with it." As the bee flew towards him, he stepped to the side and smashed it with his shield. It flew into the wall with a dull crunch, and fell to the floor, lifeless. He let out a breath.
"That wasn't so bad. Let's just-" He was cut short by the appearance of three more bees, who seemed enraged by the death of their brethren. They flew towards him, stingers poised to strike. Iya let out a yelp, and the bees were upon him.
The elf girl stood there as Ean did battle with the bees, smacking them with his shield, and stabbing out at them. However, they flew just out of his range, waiting for an opening. She knew Ean would tire soon, and then the bees would hurt him. Iya looked around frantically for a weapon, anything to help Ean out. Her eyes fell on a stick, discarded on the floor, and she snatched it up. Ean had dispatched two of the bees, but the third had gotten behind him, and was poised to sting him. The elf spun, his eyes wide as Iya brought the stick down squarely onto the bee's head with an ugly crunching noise. It fell to the floor and did not stir again. Iya stepped back, breathing hard. Ean was staring at her with wide eyes.
"Wow. That was impressive." She blushed slightly at his words.
"It's nothing. You could have handled that on your own." He grinned at her words, and they walked deeper into the cavern. As they rounded a corner, she saw the hive in the center of a wide room.
"There it is!" said Ean, and they ran over. Iya pulled on her gloves and prepared to take a large chunk of the honeycomb. As she touched the hive, a low buzzing sounded through the cave, along with the sound of wings. Both of them froze, turning slowly to see the largest bee they had ever seen behind them. It was red, unlike the others, and it had vicious fangs in addition to its stinger.
"Uh oh…" Ean said slowly. "I think we woke her up." With a furious buzz, the queen bee soared toward Ean, its stinger rushing upwards. He managed to get his shield in the way, but the impact knocked him backwards, causing him to stumble. With horror, he saw that there was a massive crack in his wooden shield. The queen came back around for a second pass, and Ean had no choice but to block the blow again. His shield cracked even further, and he yelped in surprise. As the queen came back for the third time, Iya hurled her stick at it, causing it to veer off course. She yanked at the honeycomb, ripping off a piece of it.
"Run!" she cried, sprinting past him, and he followed. Behind them, the queen bee buzzed angrily and shot after them. As they ran, Ean unbuckled his shield from his arm, holding it like a disc.
"Keep running, Iya!" He said, skidding to a stop at the entrance of the cave.
"What!?" She shrieked, but he had already turned around. As the queen bee approached, he swept his arm back and hurled the shield directly at it. It tried to dodge, but it was too late. With a tremendous crack, the shield crashed directly into the bee, knocking it from the air and breaking it in half. Ean turned and ran for daylight. He emerged to see Iya holding the honeycomb in her arms. He laughed victoriously.
"We did it!" He raised his arms in mock celebration, but Iya frowned.
"You shouldn't have done that, Ean." She tried to stay mad, but she couldn't bring herself to be angry at her friend, who was now doing an impromptu jig. Suppressing a smile, they headed back to the village with their newfound treasure, stopping only to hide the supplies away under the rock once more. Behind them, the queen bee rose lopsidedly into the air, buzzing angrily.
When they entered Ean's house, covered in beeswax and grinning ear-to-ear, his mother merely laughed and took the honey from them and told them to get cleaned up. They did, and the two spent the rest of the day inside chatting with Ean's parents. As the sun began to set, Ean's mother called to Iya.
"Your mother wants you home now, Iya. I'll have Ean bring you some biscuits in the morning." The elven girl nodded, and said goodbye to Ean, waving as she walked out the door. It was beginning to get dark, and she walked quickly to her home across the green. Opening the door, she mentally braced herself for her mother's words.
Her home was much like Ean's except for the layout of the rooms. She slept with her sister in one room, and her mother and grandmother in the other. Her mother was in the kitchen, but she turned to look at Iya as she walked in. Her grandmother and sister were sitting at the table, waiting patiently.
"Where were you?" asked her mother.
"I was with Ean. We went to get honey." She replied politely.
"And how did your singing test go?" her mother asked, already knowing the answer. Iya looked down at her feet, the shame crashing down on her.
"I failed." Her mother stared at her for a moment.
"You did. What's the problem with you?" Iya felt tears begin to burn in her eyes. "Your grandmother and I have our magic. Where is yours, daughter?"
"I… I don't know." she said sadly, now holding back the tears.
"I just want you to carry on the legacy." Her mother said. "I want you to be a singer." Iya nodded.
"I'm sorry." She said, and she ran to her room before the tears could fall. Once inside, she fell onto her bed, exhausted, and cried until she fell asleep.
She opened her eyes, and saw that she was not in her bed any longer. She was in a strange forest, one covered in a white, powdery substance. The air was cold, and she shivered.
"Where am I?" Her voice echoed amongst the trees before fading away.
"Hello, child." A voice sounded from behind her, and she turned to see an old woman, dressed in dark blue robes. She looked much different than any elf she had ever seen. Her voice was calming and warm.
"Who… Who are you? Where am I?" The questions spilled from her mouth rapidly. The elderly woman smiled.
"I am the Snow Queen, my dear. You are dreaming right now, I think. I have come for you, Iya Tiki." The girl looked at her, confused.
"You have come for me? What does that mean?"
"I have heard your cries, your desperate pleas for magic." The queen answered her, and she felt the familiar shame rush back to her.
"I-"
"I have come to answer you." The queen opened her palm, and a blue light emitted from within, shining over the forest and illuminating the trees. Iya gasped.
"You have magic!"
"I do." replied the woman, lowering her hand. "I have come to offer it to you." Iya was struck dumb by these words. She tried to speak, but no words came out.
"You… can give me… magic?" she gasped out. The Queen smiled, and her smile was kind.
"Yes. I have longed for a daughter, but I have never had one. You can come with me, and I will make you a princess. You will have a proper family." Her words washed over the young elf, entrancing her.
"Me? I could be a princess?"
"All that, and more. Just say yes. Will you come with me?" The elf hesitated.
"But, my family… I need to say goodbye." The queen stepped closer to her.
"Nobody must know!" Her words were sharp. She paused for a moment, collecting herself. "I'm sorry, child. But they would prevent you from going. They do not want you to find your magic."
"I… that's not true." Iya said feebly.
"It is true. They fear your true power, Iya. I can teach you how to be a true mage. I will make them forget you, and you will have peace. What do you say?" The Snow Queen finished and stood there quietly, waiting.
Iya was torn. She did not want to leave, but… there was nothing left for her here. She could have magic, finally.
"I… I accept." She spoke, and as she did, she felt a magic take hold of her, binding her to her words. "Wait! No!" she cried out, but it was too late.
"Ha! The deal is struck!" the Snow Queen shrieked, and the last thing Iya saw was a blinding flash of blue light.