Book Two: The Freedom of Death
by Nathaniel, 5th grade
Part One, Chapter One:
*Somewhere*
"It was all a bad dream. It had to be." So thought Euphora as she awoke, feeling oddly light. What had previously occurred, that was what she could not agree with. She had awoken one day to find her village burned to the ground. She had set out to kill the Shadow. Only to be killed herself...
Euphora summoned up all her courage and opened her eyes. As the light ceased its unbearable barrage, Euphora noticed her surroundings: iridescent pink and blue flowers bloomed all over the hill she was lying on. Then she remembered the so-called Soul Keeper's words: "You will find only what you want in this haven." So, if she was dead, she would have whatever she desired... She decided to try it. "I wish for water, to bathe in." No sooner than she had said these words, a roaring wave of drenching, cold ocean water crashed towards her. The wall of water slammed into Euphora, knocking her into the field of flowers. "I am dead!" She was so shocked she did not notice an elf creeping up behind her...
The king of Apheros was about to die. About to die without a successor. All of Apheros would fall into chaos when he died. Even the Havens would crumble in the catastrophe that was about to happen. But there was one way...Yes. He would have to. He would bargain with the Council of Black Ghouls. He would resurrect his one and only true heir from the dead.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a door opening. His page came over. “Your Majesty, audience with you has been requested.”
“By whom?” asked the king.
“Your brother, sire!” If the king could be any paler, he would be.
“Bring him in, my page.”
“Yes sire.” And his page left. The shroud of silence fell upon the room again for quite some time, until door opened again.
In the doorway stood a large, dark, looming shadow. “Hello, brother,” said the Shadow...
Part One, Chapter Two
*Somewhere*
Euphora felt a hand grasp her shoulder. She let out a cry of shock, and turned around to see none other than... “Rhoanon!” cried out Euphora gleefully. She flung her arms around him. “I thought I would never see you again,” she said.
“Nor did I,” said Rhoanon. “Come. There's someone I would like you to meet. It's about time you saw the rest of the White Havens.”
Part One, Chapter Three:
Kingdom of Light, Apheros
“You don't have to die, you know,” said the Shadow. “I can take away all the suffering, all the pain. I can make you live for eternity, like me. All you have to do is ask.”
The king considered this idea. Did he want to be imprisoned in the vortex of eternity? Anything was better than death. “Very well,” said the king.
The Shadow let out a hollow laugh. “Then so be it. You shall spend an eternity of life, brother... in the White Havens!” At these last words, the Shadow withdrew a hidden rapier, black as the shadows he was composed of, and thrust it into the king's chest.
The king's mouth fell ajar as he plummeted backwards into the dark abyss of death.
.. The king's page stood over the king's lifeless, limp body, tears falling from his eyes. “My king! Oh, why did you have to die, master? Why?” The page wept and wept. He had heard a scream from the king's room and come in, only to see the Shadow melt away into thin air.
His intentions must be carried out, thought the page. “I am to resurrect his only true heir. My king will not die in vain!”...
Part Two, Chapter One:
Somewhere
Euphora and Rhoanon hurriedly sprinted through what seemed to be the main city of the White Havens. Houses and other strange buildings lined the cobblestone streets, clustering around a large, marble dome. They turned into a small house, and stopped. A wizened old man sat in a rocking chair by the hearth. “Hello, father,” Rhoanon said...
*Kkarovoier Village, Apheros*
Fharefaros walked along the outskirts of what once was his village. All his memories had been burned to cinders when the Kraggattes invaded. He was the only survivor of the Shadow's wrath; his parents had been slain, and his sister, well, her fate he knew not. His pace slowed to a torpid walk as he reached the mountains. It was settled. He would set out to find his sister, wherever she was. “Apheros protect you, Euphora,” he said as he set off in search of shelter...
To be continued...
