Auvreria (16 page)

“Never
! I believe in my destiny!” I heard a crash of glass as a white dragon flew through the transparent wall. Aurora landed next to me.

“Give us
the two medallions,” I said. I gathered all the power that Lumifale could give me, connected all the elements into one, and threw the glowing spell towards Maldelsoul. He used a reflection spell, and the magic flew back at immense speed. I had no time to react. Aurora used the mark of Auvreria on her forehead to shield us. Maldelsoul at the same time lifted all the broken glass and directed it at us.

I used any element that
came into my head. I put my hands in front of the flying glass and turned it into sand. Aurora and I closed our eyes as it abraded our faces. When the sound of the flying sand stopped, we opened our eyes. We were in a blazing desert at noon. I saw three pyramids on the distant horizon and realized where I was.

Ancient Egypt, a lesson, and the journey of Aethra

3,000 years B.C.
E.

Aurora and I flew upwards from the hot sand towards the three pyramids. The horizon looked like a wavy, golden ocean froze
n in time. The sun was blinding in a cloudless sky. I wondered what lay ahead in Egypt; the idea of being stuck in time was not a comforting one. The sun appeared to move with our location. Aurora’s shadow was visible below us. We landed in a small, quiet village near a large city.

Yellow houses made of sunbaked clay stood
close to one another. Dust lifted from the narrow alleys. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful. The people wore simple, undyed clothing with amulets. They were scared of Aurora and ran to a temple nearby. Out of the blazing horizon came a priest. He wore far more amulets than the rest of the people. His eyes were outlined in black. In one of his hands he had a turquoise ankh. His eyes gazed at mine with wisdom and determination. He stood before us. I was scared—what if I didn’t know Egyptian? The people around him were begging the gods for protection.

He said, “It is time. Ra has shown us a sign. The sun has brought this person and creature to learn our traditions.” He waited for my answer. The sun’s rays hit my medallion, and the priest noticed it. He
invited us to come to the temple with him. As we entered the stone building, which was wide enough for Aurora, I noticed that the walls and floors were cool and gritty. Ancient hieroglyphs and scrolls were everywhere. Narrow windows provided faint light. The priest used the element of light on the torches.

He said, “I am Akhenaton, the follower of the sun disk. You have come here to master your elements. Your medallion is empty. I will teach you the element of light. It is the magic of our land and clan. When you
can conceal the light of the setting sun through night and use it on the rising rays of the sun, you have mastered it.” The man did not ask our names. He seemed to know why we were there.

Days passed by in training and learning the way of life in
ancient Egypt. I used simple spells on light to find out its secrets, but I couldn’t control it no matter how much force and effort I put in. Magic flowed differently in Aethra. I meditated on the burning sand to feel the light. Aurora practiced her flying and attacking skills for the Final Battle. The priest helped me to control the flow of the elements.

I decided I was ready for the challenge. I
n a pyramid at sunset I held the last rays of light in my hands. I stayed in the pyramid all night meditating. My goal was to light up the pyramid when the first rays of sun hit the valley. I opened my palms to the ceiling and closed my eyes so the light wouldn’t blind me. The light ceased, and the white phoenix appeared. She made a yellow gemstone appear in the appropriate hole of my medallion. I thanked her.

B
ack at the temple, the priest congratulated me. He told us to travel to Africa, the land of the people of the earth.

Middle Africa, the jungle of life

3,000 years B.C.
E.

Flying across the desert, savanna, and rainforest took several hours for Aurora.
It wasn’t as dangerous as I had thought. A change in the wind currents or temperature was all there was to worry about. With my new knowledge of light, I shielded Aurora from sunburn. The arrow on my medallion pointed to the humid jungles below.

Out
of the forest came an African sage. She had brown and green markings on her skin, braided hair, eyes like a hawk, thin woven clothing, and a curved posture. Herbs were in her hair and the soft bags she carried. I wondered if I could speak her tongue.

She said, “You have come here by the will of our ancestors to study the element of earth. I foresee the new dawn is close. I am
Ewua, the protector of these forests. Come with me to my village, guardians of the powerful Auvreria.”

She walked with a steady pace toward
a village of straw huts in a grassland valley. Children ran around, women harvested and prepared food, warriors trained, and elders watched. Rituals were held with the voices of prayer to strengthen the faith of the people. I noticed that religion was part of everyone’s life. Faith gave us strength to live our lives.

Ewua
told Aurora to visit an ancient oracle called the Three Eyes as part of her preparation. I was sent every day to the heart of the jungle to learn my lessons. Ewua told me there was a part of the jungle that had become diseased. No animal or plant life could survive there. My goal was to revive that place using the earth element. Ewua taught me to feel the connection of earth. “Humans are part of this element, and when death comes, we revert to earth,” Ewua said.

The forest lived
in balance with the other elements. Rain, fertile soil, sunshine, warmth, air, night, time, and energy supported it. There was a rhythm to its flow of magic. I began to grow plants and reunite with earth and stone.

I knew I was ready. I entered alone into the diseased
area without fear. I sat on a decomposing log. The trees and ground were painted in silver ash. I took a handful of seeds from my bag. As they glowed, I threw them upward, and they floated around me in a circle. Fresh soil spiraled from the dead ground. All the elements were used to make a suitable environment. The seeds were planted. I used the element of time to speed the growing process. Beautiful, tall trees scraped the heavens.

Estrella appeared from the leaves and flowers
to give me the green gem of earth. I walked back to the village feeling connected to the forest. “You have mastered our element of the clan,” said Ewua. “You must follow the arrow to the lands of the people of fire.” I thanked her. I put on my green cloak, and Aurora and I flew across the Atlantic Ocean to South America.

South America, the Inca people

3,000 years B.C.
E.

C
rossing the Atlantic was a harsh trip. We met with several storms, and our destination seemed so far away. At last we reached the high, misty mountains of Machu Picchu. The city on the mountain was densely populated. Its inhabitants lived peacefully, farming terraces and raising llamas.

A
s before, all the people ran away from Aurora. One middle-aged woman remained on the foggy mountain plain. She had long brown hair, ochre skin, hazel eyes, and warm clothing made of llama wool.

“I am
Fiere, the fire healer of our clan. By our calendar’s predictions, the alignment of the stars shows a coming of foreigners from a different time. Come with me, and you shall know.” I always wondered why our teachers never asked our names or where we came from.

Fiere
brought us to a small house decorated simply with Inca patterns. She showed us her runes gathered in scrolls and woven into quilts and rugs. The Inca people had fallen into evil ways, sacrificing their blood or bodies for their own egoistical plans for wealth. In the past, the people had had bonfires to celebrate every lunar cycle. Fiere wanted me to set three pillars on fire. She knew the fire would postpone the fall of their civilization. The problem was that the fire had to last through the foggy mist that enveloped the mountains at night.

Aurora and I rested from our long journey. In the morning, I took a walk around the crowded stone city
in local dress. Learning about the culture by speaking and playing with the natives was a great time. I learned to sew quilts, farm, create patterns with the appropriate colors, and ride a llama. The natives told me that the fire came from within. The fire flowed through their blood. By giving their blood to the local fires, they could have fortune in their lives. I thought these were stories, but when I saw them perform their rituals, I knew I had to stop these ways.

I came back to the cottage.
Fiere helped me awaken my inner fire, but I couldn’t hold it for long without burning myself. The element of fire was perilous and unpredictable. I was afraid to start a wildfire. Fiere said, “If the door of the fire from within is not opened, the house will burn. The fire needs a free flow of energy like water.” I focused on my magic, and the fire came from my heart. Not only the three pillars were lit but also all the others near and far. Machu Pichu looked like New York at night. I had learned to step out of my mental boundaries. Estrella gave me the red gem of fire for my medallion.

Five more elements, and the Final Battle would begin.
I wanted to save these cultures from destruction. So many diverse ways of life exist, and people are oblivious to them. Creativity and beauty are expressed in millions of ways, yet we chose not to see them. I wish I could open their eyes. The next morning, Aurora and I said goodbye to Fiere. She told us to go to the mountains of North America. The Native Americans living there were th
e tribe of the element of wind.

Rocky Mountains, North America

3,000 years B.C.E.

From
an airborne perspective the mountains were curved surfaces with shadows of dark maroon. The plateau was small in proportion. Massive clouds the color of pearls faded into the horizon. I had one wish: to lie down on a soft couch with a cup of hot chocolate. We arrived in a nomadic camp full of hanging animal skins and sharpened sticks. The people of the tribe came to us fearlessly. The chief in his vibrant feathers gestured with his hand to a serious-looking man. He was called Windbringer.

Windbringer
taught me with caution. He was not confident in my powers. He preferred Aurora as his student for her understanding. We both knew she had a greater destiny. Windbringer told of Aurora in stories as the creature of the Northern Lights. I tried to prove to him I was a worthwhile student, but it was no use.

He
told me that it had not rained for many months, so the people and creatures would have to move. Windbringer tried to force the clouds to move over the mountain and bring rain, but he did not have the strength because he was the only magician in his clan.

While I practiced alone in the prairie, clouds moved in the sky and stopped
at the mountains. All the rain fell there, and a dry breeze swept the desert land. The animals and plants were swept away with the wind. The people were desperate.

I put my heart and strength into the hand motions
Windbringer had taught me. A sudden gush of wind lifted me to the skies at the level of the mountains. I imagined I was the wind itself. I let it flow freely, and at the same time I held it in control. Masses of rain clouds started moving toward me. The natives, old and young, chanted as one. The tribe supported me, so I directed this love into the air. The clouds blocked the valley and sky. Dense rain fell. It touched my face ever so softly. I had never noticed how a person could help out others just by starting one action. The tribe cried with joy. Children danced, and the adults filled their baskets and skins with water. I used the element of earth to grow the plants and make the animals come.

From the dense clouds fell a single
violet gem from the white phoenix. I put it in the medallion and went to visit the chief. He waved me a thank you and called me the Rainbringer. I embraced Windbringer, who remained stern. Then he smiled.

“You have taught me a lesson: a lesson of trust and companionship with any person different from
me,” he said. “I thank you, and I will openly accept any others who wish to study the air element with me. You must go, Rainbringer, to a land across the world.” With our new knowledge of air, Aurora and I had no difficulty flying across the Pacific to Siberia.

Yukaghir, Russian Far East

3,000 years B.C.
E.

The endless ocean was a beautiful sight. Its calm waters and raging storms were inspiration
s. At night, the stars were reflected in the waters. It was impossible to tell if the water was just below me, or if I was floating among the stars. During the day, the wind created waves on the surface. The fresh breeze gave us the strength to keep going. When we reached the ocean of ice, my compass told us to land. Between the plains and shore we greeted the Yukaghir people.

I was
amazed that so many diverse cultures existed. The people here chanted to their ancestors, the whales. They were skilled hunters and artists. I was presented to a humble woman named Moana.

She
taught me the wisdom of the graceful waters and the strength of storms. “Tranquility in one’s soul saves one from chaos even when the waves of life reach as high as the mountains,” said Moana. She taught me the traditional water dance. By undulating your hands and stomping your feet, you imitated the waves and thunder. I learned how to breathe underwater by transmuting the element of water into air.