Shadows Of The Vivian Forest

Humans, how beautiful they are. Fate doesn’t deal them a harsh hand, nor can sorrow give them as much horror as it gives to immortals.

Cursed for centuries, I wish I could go back in time. There’s so much that I want to change, particularly undo all the hurt.

It was something that shouldn’t have happened. No matter how hard I’d tried to give her a peaceful life, it was taken away from her… and me. That day, I couldn’t make it in time while her screams echoed all around the village. She mourned the loss of her son, who was neither dead nor alive. Such a lovely family, gone because of me.

“Where is my son?!” Amber screamed. She’d become a part of a tragedy that happened about a century ago. She couldn’t forget that smile of her child. Her son, who would always stay by his mother just because she had no one else and thus, she mourned.

Draigh, her son was giggling to her tickles when she’d tucked him into bed the night before. And then he was nowhere to be found. She’d searched for him all around the village, but he’d vanished without a trace. Nothing mattered to her; neither a glass of water nor a bowl of stew. Grief and sorrow were driving her mad, drowning out everything else inside of her.

“You must calm down, sister.” Her younger sister, Aurelie, said and grabbed her hands. “We will find him.” She assured her and looked around. The house looked haunted as if the very life had been sucked out of it. And it was darker somehow, as if the darkness absorbed the sunlight that filtered in through the windows.

“Aurelie, you should ask the queen. She will help me.” Amber begged, clutching her sister’s arms so hard that her jagged fingernails left scars.

“I will try. But you must eat something. Come.” Aurelie said and stood up. She guided Amber to the dining table and pointed at the chair next to it. “Sit down, and eat. I will be back after talking with the queen.”

The moment Aurelie stepped out of the house, she drew in a shaky breath. Something was wrong there. She could swear that something was lurking in the shadows, forever watchful.

Aurelie dared to look at the house as she stopped by the carriage. There were shadows on the walls. And the marks of long clawed fingers. Aurelie sucked in a breath and turned away. Chills slid up her spine, and gripped her muscles. She looked at the driver and commanded in a weak voice.

“Take me to the Forest Road.”

Aurelie closed the carriage door behind her, relaxing a bit with a shield between herself and the shadows. Only then, she dared to look back yet again, fearful for her sister. Someone was staring at her from the shadows of the house. So, the myths were true.

“Hurry.” She said to the driver desperately and looked at the sky. The sun was soon going to set and she didn’t want to get near the forest after dark.

The carriage stopped in front of the forest. Aurelie took in a deep breath to calm herself and stepped out. The sight in front of her was so terrifying that she wished she wouldn’t have come.

Aurelie stared as the shadows shifted in the forest, forming different figures. This was not good. After three hundred years, the forest was waking up. She looked up at the sky and fear grabbed her heart. The sky was dark above the forest. Her head throbbed as few visions crossed her mind and a plea for help echoed. She gritted her teeth and turned around to leave.

“Vivian!!! Nooo!!!” A female voice screamed.

Aurelie stopped dead. That voice was so familiar. She had heard that voice.

“Azure.” She whispered and hurried in the carriage.

She didn’t realize how fast the time passed as the carriage raced towards the castle. She was lost in her thoughts and worry for her sister, alone and broken in the house. The castle halls were dark. She looked around as she made her way to the Queen’s chambers. She felt eyes on her and sounds of hissing as she neared the chambers. This wasn’t the first time, but today it was making her jump out of her skin. She opened the doors of the bedchamber and walked in, closing the doors and locking them. The queen was looking out of the window.

“Your Majesty.” Aurelie bowed and looked around, feeling something she couldn’t put into words.

“Aurelie, what happened?” Queen Azure asked and walked towards her.

“The Vivian Forest is awakening,” Aurelie said and looked in the wide eyes of the queen.

“Are you sure about it?” Azure asked, hurrying back towards the window and looked out for demons or shadows.

“I am sure,” Aurelie replied and looked at the closed door. Azure drew the curtains close and sat on the chair by the fireplace.

“This is not good.” She said and looked up at her friend.

“Where did you go?” Azure demanded after a while and stood up. She had sent her friend to go and visit her sister and here she was, telling her that the forest was awakening.

“My nephew is gone, Azure,” Aurelie replied and fell on her knees, bowing low, begging for forgiveness. “I did go to my sister’s house. But, she was out of her mind. Her son vanished into nothingness. Vivian took him.” She said and felt the queen sitting back on the chair and taking in a shaky breath. Aurelie looked up at her friend and saw tears shining in her eyes. “Azure?”

“I have failed, Aurelie.” She said and looked into the sapphire eyes. Aurelie’s eyes widened as she realized what she was staring at.

Azure’s red hair were slowly turning silver and her silver eyes with violet hue were changing into green. The green eyes of a…

“You are a...?” Aurelie asked and the queen looked away. Her appearance was back to normal.

“Aurelie, go to the royal library and find everything you can about the Vivian Forest. Don’t let anyone know about it. Keep it a secret. Trust no one. The forest is soon going to choose a Heart and it will be a human. We must stop everything before the Heart is chosen.” Azure commanded and stood up.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Aurelie bowed.

“And Aurelie, stay away from the shadows.” Azure warned and Aurelie walked out of the chambers, leaving the Queen behind her. Azure looked at the curtains and saw shadows crawling in her room.

The Queen smirked and spoke in a whisper. “Stay low, you are going to cause trouble.” She moved forward and pulled the curtains away from the window. A shadow bird took flight in the night and her eyes glowed green with anger. How could this happen?

Aurelie searched all around the library for days. There were about ten books related to the forest. She read them slowly, taking her time. Everyone of them had a different story. It was as if people didn’t know how exactly the forest grew and what exactly made it so accursed or in simple words, alive.

When a hundred years ago a child was taken, the guardian of the forest was careless and had let the shadows lose. The forest grew after civilization was set up. Some said that the forest grew because of black magic. Some said it was cursed by a witch. Too many people talked about it but never found the reason. And a guardian was chosen, to guard the civilization against the forest.

Aurelie looked at the picture of the guardian and bit her lower lip. The guardian was still alive and she had met her. She threw the book away and it fell on the ground with a thud. Aurelie looked at the other books and sighed. She was tired. Why did Azure tell me to read these books when there is nothing in them just folk tales? She sat down to pick up the book, which she had thrown away, but she froze at the text on the last page of the book.

And they follow and kill those who look for answers. Beware, seekers. Or you become a guardian or a shadow, to live forever. Never to be free.

Aurelie picked up all the books related to the forest and ran towards the end of the library. There she pushed a big scenery away from the wall and pushed the lever at the bottom of the wall. It slid open to reveal a secret passage. She took in a deep breath and threw the books inside. Within a moment the secret passageway sealed itself once more, becoming one with the wall just as the scenery slid back into its original place. Once Aurelie was satisfied that she’d done a good job, she turned. A horrible scream escaped her lips and her brain kicked her body into motion. She ran towards the exit, with a huge shadow hot on her tail. Beside the hideous shadow were the cursed birds of the forest.

Aurelie ran out of the library and towards the Queen’s chambers. She threw open the doors and stepped into the room. It took her a moment to focus her eyes on what was in front of her. Only when she saw blood all over the place and Azure’s body covered with blood, did she feel her world crashing in on her.

She turned around and felt the shadow grabbing her arm. She screamed and darkness fell around her.

Amber looked at the ceiling of her room and sighed. It’d been more than a week since her sister went back to the palace. And so far there had been no word from her. She had a nightmare at night, her son standing in the dark, his golden eyes emotionless and he was crying for her to save him but his lips weren’t moving. Since then she couldn’t find sleep. She looked out the window and her anxious eyes trailed the rising sun from above the horizon. Sighing, she turned and walked down the stairs and opened the door to walk around the garden. Surprised, she stopped short as she opened the door.

“Aurelie?” She whispered, in disbelief as she saw blood all over her sister and deep cuts on her arms and legs. Her dress was also torn from many places. And her hair and eyes were changing colors. Her eyes looked like that of a stranger. There were no emotions or anything familiar in those eyes. She was Aurelie, and yet she wasn’t.

“Run. The shadows have been unleashed. Queen Azure is dead. They will come after you.” Aurelie gasped and started running away, almost dragging her injured body. Amber stared at Aurelie, unable to call her as her voice died in her throat with the pain of seeing her sister in such a terrible state and because she had questions she wanted to ask about her son. Strangely, her body obeyed Aurelie’s words and she vaguely felt her body move. She left the old house behind and ran away from the village.

And so, the people never heard about the two sisters ever again and never found the body of their dead queen. Left behind was the blood in the chambers both red and black; soaked in the carpet and splattered on the walls, leaving stains burned on the furniture.

Some said that the demons took away their queen and some speculated about murder. But no one found any trace.

Aurelie carried away all the secrets with her and the answers the world sought. Burying them deep in the forest along with herself. She was a Guardian of Vivian, yet she was not who she was supposed to be.

MOUNT MAGE

“We will remain patient.” The Mage Queen said as they walked in the corridors of Mount Mage.

“For how long, Your Majesty?” Nessa asked.

“Azure will pay dearly for her actions. She has a lot to learn.”

“And Aurelie?”

“She will suffer because of her dear mother. Let us wait and see. And remember, when the time comes, we will step in.”

“What about your other daughter?” Nessa carefully chose her words.

“She will never see home again. She violated our laws, so she must suffer. Make sure I don’t see her again.” There was pain in the queen’s voice, but she refused to shed tears.

“Yes, Your Majesty. As you command.” Nessa bowed low.