Chap. 11
Serenity slept soundly that night; Esmera snoring softly beside her. In the middle of her dreams, she had a nightmare.
She was on a battlefield with numerous dead and wounded soldiers. They all looked at her with black eyes that seemed to say, ‘help us.’ Serenity looked up and saw a cliff where two men were facing off. One had a blue sword and the other a rock.
The man with the sword tried to stab the other man, but he easily avoided it. The man with the rock raised it above his head and yelled something and the other man was thrown backwards. The man with the sword staggered up and reached into his bag on his back and pulled out a rock similar to the other man’s, except it was blue.
The man with the blue rock raised it above his head and a blinding blue light radiated from it. It was about to hit the other man, but he counter-attacked it with a blinding red light that came from his own rock. Then a blinding white flash caused by both of the rocks was created. The man with the blue rock fell back, never to move again.
Serenity woke up with a jolt. She pulled her sweaty hair into a ponytail and laid back down. That was strange, she thought. The memory of that vivid dream kept Serenity awake until morning.
* * * *
“Serenity!” yelled Jason from down the hall. “Wait up!” Serenity turned around to see Jason running toward her.
“Yes?” Serenity asked. She had been on her way to see Isabella, wondering where Jason had been these past two days. He ha told her that he had some business to attend to, but Serenity had wondered what it was. But now, her questions were about to get answered.
Jason finally caught up with Serenity, and he was panting. He stood up to his tallest, and said, “Serenity, I know I had told you that I had some business to attend to, and this is what it is. Close your eyes, please.” Serenity did what she was told, curious as to why she had to close her eyes.
Jason reached behind his back and pulled out something from a bag. In his hands, held a shining red necklace. He undid the clutch and put it on Serenity. “Open,” he murmured. Serenity obeyed. She gasped one she saw what Jason had given her.
The necklace was a little red star on a brilliant silver chain. The star glowed brightly and Serenity could have sworn she saw Jason’s face in it. “This is wonderful,” Serenity awed. “Is this what you were doing the past two days?”
Jason nodded, and then explained. “That necklace is very special. You see the gem in the middle?” Serenity nodded. “That gem is part of the Firestar.” Serenity gaped at Jason once he said this. “My friend chipped off a piece when she went to fight Rellark. She didn’t want it, and gave it to me. I thought it would make a nice gift to you, after all you have experienced.”
Serenity was at a loss for words. Finally, she managed to choke out, “T-Thank you, Jason. I will always cherish it forever.”
“There is also a certain quality to it. Since I made it into a necklace, it kind of has some of my power. It will tell you how healthy I am. For example, if it is red and glowing, like now, that means I am fine. If it is dim, that means I am injured. Lastly, if it is black, it means I am dead. That chip of the Firestar will not allow you to possess any power, as it is only a little chip.”
Serenity thanked Jason again, and she and he parted ways. Serenity watched as Jason walked back to where his room was, and then continued to Isabella’s throne room.
When she arrived, something strange happened. Serenity’s surroundings disappeared and she was in a forest. She saw fire, and lots of it. Above, she heard a painful roar. She looked up and saw a pearl white dragon trapped in the flames. The dragon’s scales were burnt and black on one side. Then, with a last growl, the dragon fell.
Serenity snapped back to reality only to find Isabella staring strangely at her. “Are you okay, Serenity?” she asked.
“Yes, I was just daydreaming, that’s all.” Serenity replied. The truth was, Serenity was not daydreaming. The last time this had happened was when Serenity was going to see Isabella for the first time. She saw in her mind a lady that was crying over a pile of stones. But she hadn’t remembered until now.
Isabella came up and hugged Serenity tight. “I will miss you,” she murmured.
“Why don’t you come with us?”
Isabella looked grave. “I have to stay here and distract Rellark, so you guys will have more time to get away.”
Serenity looked shocked. “What will happen to you?”
Isabella sighed. “Who knows? Who knows.”
Serenity was sad. During the time in Albyra, she had come to know and love Isabella very much. “Please,” she begged.
“No, I have to stay. I have to do something. Promise me this, Serenity, no matter what happens, you have to go on. Alercaria has waited over a century for you. If you die, we will have no chance what-so-ever. You have to be strong, Ilea.”
Serenity nodded, tears in her eyes. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Thank you. Now, take this bag, and go pack. I will see you and Jason off tomorrow morning.” Isabella handed Serenity a brown leather bag and sent her off to Esmera’s cave.
When Serenity arrived at their cave, she put the bag on the ground and started looking for things to put inside it. She found a canteen, some clothes, some dried berries, and a map. She had told Esmera what she had said to Isabella, and she too, felt sad that she was going to stay behind. Esmera also admired the beautiful necklace that Jason had given Serenity.
They went to sleep early that night, saving their energy for tomorrow, when they would leave Albyra and Isabella for possibly the last time.
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