• Magic is unbelievable, all the more so because the results of it seem unreal or fantasy-like. Many people think that magic is but a trick, a mere illusion designed to prey on the unwary. However, others believe that there is true magic, which exists within each person. I am one of the latter.

    There are many stories about magic. Some include cute little fairies, others have towering dragons. Some types of magic require wands and strange chants or incantations; others use staffs and beautiful sounding words.

    However, not all magic require these ‘helping hands’. There are some types of magic that require no more than a thought, or a slight hand gesture. This type, or types, of magic, is called Old Magic. Another type of magic, which confers control over wild animals, is called the Wild Magic. The former calls upon the forces of the elements and those which create the world, the latter utilizes the strength of the wild, and all untamed places.

    This story shall cover the above two, and maybe help readers understand that magic need not be far away and unreachable, but can be as close to you as your heart or mind. So it… begins.

    ---------------------------------

    It was a grey dreary day at the Glory residence. Sixteen-year-old Haru Glory was relaxing on his front porch when he heard a cry behind the house. “What the heck…?” he muttered, momentarily dazed by the cry. Suddenly, he came alert. Being an avid watcher of fighting movies, he recognized the cry as a battle-cry.

    Quickly leaping to his feet, he ran behind. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Before him was a true sword fight, like those he had seen on the anime shows.

    “You’re… You’re kidding me!” he said out loud.

    A smallish figure was clashing blades with a tall human, their blades ringing with each slash and parry. The small figure didn’t look too human, for he was barefoot, with a short cloak that billowed behind him as he moved expertly to counter each attack the taller human threw at him. His ears were long and pointed at the tips, and his face when he turned was small, contorted with concentration.

    Suddenly, the taller human lashed out with a foot, tripping the small figure. He fell, but continued to fight his battle on the ground, although it seemed the battle was lost. The tall human bore down, using his weight to press down on his enemy, tiring him as Haru watched.

    As the battle raged on, the hood of the figure fell back, revealing a startling fact: the smaller being was a girl! Or at least, a female of whatever she was.

    Haru was shocked into action. It was against his nature to bully others, size or gender-wise. “Hey! Cut that out!” he shouted. He picked up a rock and threw it at the human.

    The rock struck the human on the head, sending him reeling back. The female grasped her advantage with both hands, so to speak, and thrust up with her short blade. Her blade pierced through the other’s leg, causing him to fall with a gasp of pain.

    But before she could finish off her foe, he made a gesture in her direction, freezing her in place. He stood back with a laugh, somehow managing to control the pain he must have felt.

    “You may think you have escaped me… But you will never be able to.” His voice sounded ethereal and cold, cold to the bone where Haru was standing.

    To his horror, he then turned towards where Haru was. “And you…I will remember you too, brat.” He curled his lip at the pair of them, the female being frozen by whatever it was, Haru by fear.

    “You b*****d, Dytraid! Even if you kill me, my spirit will come back and gnaw at you! The Old Magic will never allow your defilement of it!”

    The words came from the girl, her voice high and clear in the still air. She sneered at the human, Dytraid. “Remember my name, Dytraid, for when death comes knocking at your door, it will be my vengeance! Remember me, Arlisenda!”

    Dytraid threw his head back and gave a throaty laugh. “Very well, lady.” He said mockingly. “I will remember your name. And you will remember mine, Periath.”

    He made a gesture at the ground, then seemed to sink under it, leaving behind a silence broken only by the girl’s (Arlisenda’s?) struggles to get free.

    “Hey you!”

    Haru looked around, then remembered the girl. “Yeah?” he asked.

    “Can you please… c’mere and get me outta this?!”

    “Oh… yeah!” he snapped back into alertness, running over to the girl as she struggled against the invisible ropes seeming to bind her. He stopped short.

    “But what can I do?” he asked.

    She rolled her eyes. “How would I know? Do something for this Periath’s sake!”

    “What’s a Periath?”

    “You humans wouldn’t know, would you?” she muttered. “We Periath are the little folk. Smaller than you humans, at any rate. Also, we at least give out names!” She directed a scathing glare at Haru.

    “Okay, since you insist, my name’s Haru. Haru Glory.” He couldn’t help grinning at the feisty Periath.

    “And mine’s Arlisenda. Call me Arli. Call me Senda and I’ll rip you limb from limb. Now can you please get over here and gimme a hand?!” She renewed her struggling.

    Haru went over to her. Slowly, he put out a hand. To his astonishment, he touched something solid encircling her. That reminded him of the sinister human.

    “Arli, who was that guy?” he asked.

    Arlisenda rolled her eyes, muttering something about humans’ inability to concentrate on the task at hand. “Why should you know?” she asked.

    Haru grinned. “Fine, have it your way. But if you don’t tell me, then I would have no idea how to help you. See you around!” He turned to walk away.

    He hid a grin as he heard the Periath’s grumblings behind him.

    “Okay! Okay already!” she finally said. “As long as you c’mere and get me outta this!”

    Haru turned to face her. “Deal. But what if I dunno how to get you out of that?”

    Arlisenda grimaced. “Let’s not think about that. But if that happens, then I want you to call out the words, ‘Hiryu Mellon Arlisenda!’”

    “Why can’t you shout them yourself? I ain’t gonna be standing around shouting out nonsense!” retorted Haru.

    “You really are stupid aren’t you?” came the reply. “What are you talking to right now human?”

    Only then did Haru actually see what he was doing, talking to a creature out of the tale The Lord of the Rings as if it was completely normal and just witnessing a human being absorbed by the earth, as well as immobilizing the aforementioned Periath without even touching her.

    “Good point...” he said, scratching his head. “But that doesn’t explain why you can’t call them out yourself!”

    Arlisenda rolled her eyes in despair. “Stop being so dull! Stop your ears and see whether you can still hear me!”

    Haru obediently covered his ears, smirking a bit at the thought that this Periath obviously doesn’t know much about physics or science. How was he supposed to hear if his ears were covered?

    To his surprise, he heard Arlisenda’s voice in his head. “See what I mean? I’m using mindspeech. I can’t move my entire body, let alone my mouth. Those words have to be shouted out, and I can’t do it! If you really can’t do it, then shout it out! Remember, ‘Hiryu Mellon Arlisenda!’”

    “I must be going mad...” thought Haru. Still, he went over, noticing as he did so that the Periath was grubby, with dirt all over her. Shrugging, he crouched down to her level, and cautiously put out a hand to touch her. Again he encountered whatever it was, binding her to her spot, unable to move. He rolled up his sleeves, and slid his hand through a small hole he found, around the Periath’s back.

    As he worked, Arlisenda began to work on her end of the bargain. She told Haru about the human, Dytraid.

    “You call him human, but he is not one. Humans have hearts, even if they are sometimes hidden below deep feelings. Other beings too have hearts. Even we Periath are but a form of human, albeit with different roots.

    “This being calls himself Dytraid, and he is an inhuman beast. He has no heart, believing that to attain immortality he must possess no heart. He has killed many, stealing their life force for his own. In your reckoning, he would be well over five hundred years, with most of them being stolen from others. He seeks to rule the world, killing any who oppose him. He is master of the Old Magic, which is what he used to stop me. He never uses it without good reason though, for each casting of the Old Magic takes something from the user, draining him of the years he has left in the world. However, he has not much in his way, for he can always drain more years off of another.

    “He slew my parents, my friends, almost the entire Periath population. However, we Periaths are hardy warriors, and we rallied together to force him out of our land. I pursue him, for revenge. I brought him to bay here, at the border of the human realm. We fought, I for the sake of my friends and family, and for the lives and vengeance of the beings that fell to him; he for himself, his life, and for his dream of ruling the world. I think you know the rest.”

    As the tale was told, Haru felt his anger, long held dormant, rising. His anger gave him renewed strength, and he ripped off the invisible ropes binding Arlisenda. As he looked up, he saw tears rolling down the warrior’s rigid cheeks.

    Without thinking, he pulled her into a rough embrace. “Don’t worry, Arli. We’ll bring him to justice, for the lives that he took,” he said, surprising even himself, not to mention the Periath girl, who returned his embrace, shyly at first, then more and more furiously, reaching out for another’s compassion.

    Then, she pulled away from him. “C’mon...” she said, not using mindspeech now. Her voice was gruff. “I gotta go find him.”

    “Wait,” said Haru. “I need to get something inside. And... and tell my folks something.”

    Arlisenda looked at him in surprise. “But... but you’re not coming?”

    Haru grinned. “Try and stop me. I have no idea why, but I loathe the idea that he lives still. Wait a sec...” He turned and ran into his house, leaving the Periath scrubbing at her tears, then brightening as she saw a small stream behind Haru’s house. She ran to it, first looking carefully around, then stripping and washing herself, all the while keeping her keen senses alert.

    Inside his house, Haru was facing a dilemma. He loved his parents, and now he had to leave them on a quest that he didn’t know much about. He didn’t think that they would let him go with their blessing.

    However, he soon found out something startling: His parents knew about the Periaths! Even more astonishing then that, they knew about and loathed Dytraid. “Go and aid them.” said his father. “Do not falter on the road, if you wish to go. The family name of Glory lies on your shoulders.”

    “But how..?”

    “The Periath are our friends. Long ago, when I was lost in the woods, they came, and led me back home. We have been friends ever since. And we will not keep you from this quest, for I am glad of this chance to fulfill my debt.” He gestured at his wife.

    She nodded. “Wait here, Haru. I have something for you that could help.” She went down a flight of stairs he had never taken much notice of, and returned carrying something that was shrouded in cloth. “Here. Tell the Periath, Arlisenda was it? Tell her to teach you how to use it.” She handed the mysterious bundle to her son.

    Taking it, he made to open it, but his mother stopped him. “Not here. Later.” She said.

    Haru nodded, and packing up a few essentials, he set out the door, to a new unknown.

    “Farewell… our son…” murmured his parents behind him. “Farewell…”

    Unseen by Haru, Sakura raised her hand. “Noro go hûl, bado go Eru....” she murmured. “Run with the wind, go with God.”

    A small shower of stars cascaded around her upraised hand. Unseen by Haru, the bundle he held began to glow.

    “Namárië... Farewell...”

    ---------------------------------

    As he went out the door, he saw an unfamiliar figure standing in the distance, under the big tree that graced his family’s driveway. She was beautiful, but smallish. Flaming hair fell to her waist, and she was slender as a young birch. Haru couldn’t make out any details, but he felt there was something familiar in the way she held herself. Then, he noticed that Arlisenda was missing.

    He ran over to the figure. “Who are y.....” he began, then his mouth fell open as she turned to face him. “A... Arli?”

    The girl grinned. “Leave your jawbones unhinged any longer and it’ll hit the ground!” She said, giggling.

    She was still wearing the clothes she was wearing in the fierce battle between her and Dytraid, but she had washed it and herself, cleaning the rest of the travel grime off her.

    Her hair shone in the dying sun, her eyes sparkled emerald green. Her small face was finely chiseled, with high cheekbones hinting at a noble-born status. Her eyes held the depth of her sorrow and rage, with a daredevil look in them. She was beautiful in every sense of the word.

    Haru couldn’t believe his eyes. Here was the Periath who had fought off a being whose reputation stretched across all of Eon, who had watched her parents being murdered, and who had been bind by ropes unseen. This was the Periath who had stared death in the eye, and walked away unharmed. One would expect one who had endured such perils to be as hard as diamond, and he sensed that she was, but her exterior was soft as melted butter, until you went deeper, and met her core of steel and diamond melded.

    Arlisenda squirmed, uncomfortable under his stare. “What?” she muttered.

    Haru shook his head, snapping out of his trance. “N... Nothing...” he said. “C’mon. We gotta go find him...”

    “You sure you wanna come along? The road will be long...”

    Haru nodded decisively. “Yeah. And my mom gave me this...” He unraveled the cloth around the mysterious object.

    As the cloth fell away, he caught his breath. In his hands lay a magnificent sword, runes adorned its blade, rubies and diamonds were encrusted in the hilt. A large clear orb was encrusted into the pommel. A sheath was beside it, inlaid with gold and silver, with the sword’s name engraved along its side: Orenar.

    Arlisenda gaped too. “Orenar... That means ‘Heartfire’ in the old tongue... You say your mother gave you the blade?”

    “Yeah.... she said it would come in useful. You think...?”

    “That you would have to fight Dytraid? Nah... Don’t think so. If anything, I would be the one who will fall him...” She gazed off into the distance, her eyes glazed and unfocused.

    Haru, however, remained practical. “How d’you think she got it? I mean, I don’t think she is the warrior type....”

    Arlisenda nodded. “Yeah... well, I dunno the ways of humans. Ask me anything about Periaths but not about humans!”

    Haru shrugged. “Fine by me. Still, it makes me wonder...”

    It did indeed. Haru had always thought of his mother as your average everyday mom, cooking and cleaning and doing whatever it was that moms do. Now, she had suddenly unveiled a sword! Where had she got it from? He shook his head, marveling at all the things that had come into his world today. First, there was the skirmish between Arlisenda and Dytraid, where he had first seen a swordfight and a Periath. Next, his parents had revealed a hidden aspect of themselves that he had never seen, indeed, even suspected, with his mom giving him a weapon that was obviously very well tended, without a single word of warning. Now, the Periath turned out to be a stunning specimen, so to speak, and he was off on a quest without even thinking twice. Well, he was committed now. As his father said, the family name was his responsibility now.

    Haru steeled his shoulders and turned to face the Periath girl. “C’mon, let’s go.”

    ---------------------------------

    Haru was impressed with the pace Arlisenda set up. Well, more exhausted than impressed. His feet were dragging on the road, his head hung low. “Where can we rest…?” he muttered, energy sapped to the point that even raising his voice was an effort.

    Arlisenda looked back and shook her head. “I’m starting to wonder if I should have left you behind,” she said.

    Haru hung his head even lower, if that was possible. “But I’ve never been on a journey this long!” he retorted.

    “Get used to it. Who knows when we’ll find Dytraid…” she answered. “Besides, you need to train more. You wouldn’t last two seconds with him, even with his hands tied behind his back.”

    A huge bead of sweat appeared behind Haru’s head.

    “Anyway, to answer your question, we’ll stay the night there.” She pointed to a small wooden shack, old and crumbling.

    “There…?!”

    WHACK!!

    “Ow…”

    ---------------------------------

    “Hyah!” Haru leapt up, swinging Orenar down in a powerful overhead smash.

    Clang! Arlisenda blocked it without even turning around.

    “That’s right; advertise your actions for the world to hear why don’t you? Pathetic…” she said. With a sudden whirl, she spun round, silent as a wolf, her blade spinning out and stopping right before Haru’s chest.

    Haru’s face registered surprise at his partner’s swift attack, then relaxed. He stood back and laughed. “Alright, I admit, I could use the training. What plans do you have?”

    Arlisenda’s face showed a sly expression. “Well…what would you do if someone laughs at you for being beaten by a girl half your size?”

    Haru thought about it. “Well, they would have to be very brave since I’m the one with the sword. Otherwise, I’ll just beat the crap outta them.”

    Arlisenda’s eyes narrowed. “And what if it was Dytraid?”

    Haru pondered. “Well… I’ll just… I dunno…”

    Arlisenda rolled her eyes. “C’mere, and I’ll show you. Hold the blade with your dominant hand right below or only slightly below the crossguard. That’s right. Now, grip the very bottom of the grip with your other hand. No! Not the pommel! Right above it. A bit lower, that’s right. Now, look at that tree there. Hold your sword so its pommel is pointing at your thigh, with the tip aiming for your opponent’s throat. Let’s see…. Aim at that branch there. Good! Now, swing downwards, but don’t use your own strength. Let gravity work for you. On a side note, don’t grip the sword so tightly. Hold it loosely so you don’t waste energy.”

    They continued like that, with Haru trying to do as Arlisenda said; and Arlisenda demonstrating with her blade. Finally, they called a halt, and returned into the shack.

    “What the…!” Haru was blushing to the roots of his silver hair. “We’re gonna sleep together?!”

    Arlisenda nodded. “Yeah.” She noticed her companion’s crimson face. “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything to you and you wouldn’t survive another second if you pull anything on me.”

    Only slightly reassured, Haru nevertheless balked before Arlisenda’s fierce stare and laid down, and was asleep in an instant.

    Arlisenda smiled as she observed the sleeping young youth. He was so confident and outspoken, but she sensed that he was nervous, and didn’t know what to do. She had never considered herself beautiful before, but the look Haru had given her when he had returned carrying Orenar… It had raised something in her, something she had never felt. She shivered. But then a hard look returned into the warrior maiden’s eyes. Dytraid owed her a life, and she was not going to rest until she had claimed that debt. For now, she would relax.

    From within the folds of her shirt, she drew a small flute. Placing it to her small delicate lips, she began to play. A haunting melody threaded through the thin night air. Arlisenda closed her eyes. The song was a lament to all the slain, the victims of Dytraid. As it rose through the air, Arlisenda threw herself fully into the song, subtly changing it. It became more personal, and any passer-by would have felt as though his or her heart was being wrenched. The pain and anger, the sadness and fury that wove itself in and out of the song, the feeling and emotion poured into it, this was Arlisenda’s personal mourning farewell, as she said farewell to her parents once more.

    Every night she played, saying farewell to her parents again, as her mind revived the pictures it had stored. Like a cinema reel, it replayed itself in her mind over and over again, how they had begged her to leave by the back door as Dytraid slaughtered his way to them, how her father had attacked Dytraid in the hope of stalling him long enough for her to escape, how her mother had been killed by an icicle stabbed through her heart. She remembered the words that her mother had said in the Old Tongue before her last breath left her: “Onen I-estel Arlisenda, u-chebin estel anim...”

    She heard it every night, the words ringing in her head. ‘I gave hope to Arlisenda, I have kept none for myself.’ They haunted her, how her parents sacrificed themselves hoping she would escape. But she didn’t. She did not wish to live as an exiled Periath, as a runaway. She mustered the remaining Periaths, and they charged Dytraid. With nothing left to lose, they fought with the ferocity of possessed beings, advancing and advancing and never looking back. Tears fell from the maiden’s clear emerald eyes, as her song sounded high and mournful over the slight rustling of the leaves blown by the night breeze.

    The tendrils of the sweet lament slid into Haru’s sleep and dreams. He stirred softly, and opened his eyes. His eyes widened at the sight of the lovely Periath pouring her soul into her music, her tears falling unheeded. The music lifted him up, sending his heart into flames, reaching into his inner soul; it brought tears into his eyes.

    Arlisenda continued playing until deep into the night, as Haru secretly listened, his tears mingling on the ground with hers as they both mourned the passing of Dytraid’s victims. Then, as suddenly as she had started, Arlisenda hid the flute, and laid on the floorboards next to Haru. Haru closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep as Arlisenda blew out the candle, leaving the shack illuminated only by the young moon in the night sky. Then the void of sleep cradled them both, refreshing them for the next day.

    ---------------------------------

    This continued in more or less the same vein for a week, traveling and searching for Dytraid and any remaining Periaths by day, training and practicing, as well as sleeping by night. Regardless of rain or sun, they continued, searching for survivors of Dytraid’s massacre, as well as searching for the big fish himself. Haru too, continued to secretly watch Arlisenda’s mourning at night before she slept, and he secretly named it the Beautiful Sadness. He also got used to sleeping with Arlisenda, sometimes in the most intimate of positions as they holed down in a small hollow or in a single bed room. And his skill with the sword increased with each session.

    But on the seventh day, as they were walking along a path, Haru suddenly threw himself to one side, catching Arlisenda on his way.

    “What the...?” she stuttered, in imitation of Haru a week ago when he first saw Arlisenda.

    “Shh...” Haru shushed her. “Look there...”

    Arlisenda looked in the way he indicated, and caught her breath. Galloping across the road was a mythical animal that not even she had seen before.

    The rising light of the dawn sun caught the flowing mane of the unicorn as it galloped past them. Its horn was angled in defiance of being tamed, cloven hooves striking the ground in a melodious rhythm; the white tail flew out behind its rump as it ran. But most beautiful of all was its eyes, its liquid eyes, like moonlight solidified, like diamond liquefied.

    Haru lifted one arm and pointed. “Look...” he murmured.

    Blood streamed from a wound in the unicorn’s silvery white flank, staining the ground silver and crimson. The twin streams of blood wound around an arrow shaft, buried deep in the unicorn’s side.

    “Wounded... But who would wound a unicorn?” muttered Arlisenda. But Haru had gone.

    “Haru? Haru!”

    Haru streaked across the road, moving like greased lightning. Reaching the unicorn, he threw out a hand. “Stop! Tell me your problems cousin, and mayhap I shall be able to aid you!” he cried.

    The unicorn halted, breathing heavily. Then, to Haru’s and Arlisenda’s surprise, it spoke. “Thy kind did this to me! Why should I stop for one such as thee?”

    Its voice was like its eyes, gentle, but at the moment full of sadness and anger.

    Haru stepped forward again. “We humans are not all the same. Some of us are, evil and conceited, Alas! They kill all who do not believe in their ways, and want nothing more than to rule. However, some others do not think alike, and wish only for all humans and living creatures to live in harmony.”

    “But those such as thee are few and far between. How should I know that I am able to trust thee as thou says?”

    “You have my word,” said Arlisenda, stepping out of her cover. “I am not human, however alike I seem. I vouch for this human, that you may trust him.”

    The unicorn turned its noble head to look at her. “Ah... a Periath. I have heard of the tales of the little folk, and I am glad that I am able to meet one before my end.”

    It turned its head back towards Haru. “Very well. Tell me how thy wish to heal me of this wound created by your kind.”

    “I do not know much of the art of healing. But the Periath here is a traveler, shorn from her kind, and she may know the ways to heal you.”

    Arlisenda stared in wonder at Haru. In the week that had passed since they had met, Haru had seemed no different than that first time, cheerful, joking, and a bit dumb, or one could say innocent. Now, as he stood before the noble unicorn, he seemed different, more like a nobleman’s son than a peasant’s. He held his head high, gazing deep into the unicorn’s eyes. His bearing seemed to radiate a powerful aura, while Orenar, strapped onto his back glowed golden.

    “I may. However, I do not know the anatomy of equines, and my knowledge may not be right. My first step would be to remove the arrow....” she said. Haru nodded, and stepped forth.

    However, as he tried to remove the arrow, the unicorn shied away, screaming a horse’s scream, which is one of the most terrible things in the world to hear.

    “No! Do not remove the arrow! The head is barbed, and removal of the shaft shall destroy my body! Foolishness! Did thou not think, even for a second, that I will not remove the arrow of my own accord?”

    “Barbed?!”

    Now this was serious. Shooting a unicorn without reason was bad enough; using a barbed arrow was death-seeking. Orenar started to rattle as Haru barely contained his fury.

    Suddenly, there was a burst of light. A sound like a blade being pulled from its scabbard sounded, as Orenar burst out of its scabbard. Haru reached up, palm up, as his sword swung around, catching it neatly by the grip as it came spinning back down.

    Arlisenda shook her head. How many more times was Haru going to amaze her? She surmised that Haru had been secretly practicing every night every since she had taught him the basic maneuvers. Orenar had more power than even she realized, as it had shown by glowing whenever Haru’s emotions got too powerful, its soul connected with its wielder.

    Haru, on his part, was literally shaking with anger. He had no idea where his anger came from, as he hadn’t even known the unicorn that long. All he knew was that at that moment, he would like nothing better than to rip the guts out of the guy who shot the unicorn. “My friend, rest assured that I will find the one who did this, and bring him to justice. Arli,” he beckoned to the girl. “Come and do what you can for him. I’m going hunting...” There was a strange glint in his eye as he said so.

    “Wait just a minute! Where do you think you’re going now? It’s night already!”

    Haru looked around. It was true. Night had fallen, and the only light was from the full moon above and the glow of Orenar, as well as the reflected gleam of the unicorn’s coat and the rivulets of silver and crimson blood flowing down its flank. Luckily, the bleeding had slowed. However, he could tell from the unicorn’s breathing that the pain had not lessened.

    “I don’t care,” he said. “Someone out there has shot something innocent, without even the decency to help it out when he saw what it was. Moreover, he used a barbed arrow! You think I’m just gonna let it go?!”

    Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes where they had hidden before. Arlisenda leapt forward. “Get down!” she shouted.

    As Haru ducked, an arrow sped over his head, whizzing off into the night. “What the...?!” Orenar burst into flames. “Lhach Rist!”

    Haru swung the flaming sword, sending an arc of fire smashing into the bushes. There was a scream, a hoarse shout, then two men leapt out of the bushes, a third one rolling on the floor, trying to put out the flames on his clothing.

    The two men drew their bows. The reddish gold light of Orenar glinted off the barbed heads of the arrows.

    “Give us the unicorn, demon!” shouted one. “Then we shall kill you, aye, and the Halfling there!”

    Haru pointed Orenar at them, as Arlisenda drew her blade.

    “No. We shall not hand it over, anymore than we shall stand awaiting death!” shouted the Periath.

    “Then die now, cretin!”

    The twang of their bows sounded as they released their arrows, barbed heads seeking their flesh to lodge. Moving together, Haru and Arlisenda leapt towards each other, kicking each other’s foot to cannon off in the opposite direction.

    The third man finally managed to put out the fire on his clothing, and stood up, a long serrated sword in his hand. “Vermin...” he hissed. “Demon spawn! Children of hell! Die!” He charged forward, swinging his sword.

    Haru jumped forward to meet the attack, Orenar blazing in his hand. However, he had under-estimated his foe, as well as being inexperienced.

    The man swatted Orenar away, then sliced back with the serrated edge. Only a lucky duck prevented Haru’s head from rolling on the ground. He rolled, catching up the man’s blade and swinging it away from him, then leapt back to catch his breath.

    The man laughed; a cruel sound. “You are a mere talented novice! I have years of experience. Now you shall taste the wrath of Tyran! I will burn your skin, so that you will feel the agony of the searing flames!”

    Haru closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a gold flame burned in them.

    “First, tell me why you want the unicorn that much.”

    The man eyed him. “Isn’t it obvious? They’re rare, and what’s rare’s valuable. I’m gonna take that there unicorn and sell it, then I won’t have to work again for the rest of me life!”

    Haru swung Orenar, pointing the tip of the rune blade to point at the man. “Not while I’m alive. We are all the same, humans all. Why do we differ so much?”

    “Who cares? You’re stupid, that’s all. Now c’mere. Let me put you out of our misery, then I can take back what is mine!” He lunged forward.

    Haru didn’t expect the man to attack so fast, and even as he brought his sword swinging up, he knew he was going to be too late.

    However, another shorter blade met the attack, throwing the man off balance with a shrewd twist.

    “Need some help?” Arlisenda asked, taking a stand beside Haru. Behind her, the two rogues were lying on the ground, blood seeping out and staining the ground. The unicorn stood somewhere off, its breathing labored as it watched the two friends take a stand against one of the boy’s kind.

    “Two of you? What are you little miss?” He took in Arlisenda’s beauty, and licked his lips. “You’ll be a fine mistress. Why don’t you join me?” Lust was heavy in his every word.

    Arlisenda tossed her head. “Not for all the mushrooms in the West!” She replied. She, like all Periaths, had a passion for mushrooms. She levered her sword.

    “Well?”

    The man shrugged. “Well, if you don’t want to join me, I’ll just have to kill you.”

    With a sudden spinning motion, he threw a small dagger that he had stealthily brought into his hand at Arlisenda.

    Haru saw the dagger a split second before it left the man’s hand. “Arli!” he shouted.

    Arlisenda’s sharp eyes saw the dagger too, but as she leapt to one side, the dagger meant for her heart was buried in her shoulder. “Argh!” she shouted.

    The man grasped his advantage, slashing at Haru while he was distracted. However, the unicorn charged, catching the man in the hand with its sharp horn, impaling it straight through.

    The man screamed, even louder than before when Orenar had burnt him. Blood spurted onto the floor, staining the ground crimson.

    Haru turned swiftly, Orenar a blinding firebrand in his hand. “Bad move pal!” he shouted, bonfires roaring in his eyes as Orenar split into two flaming blades. “Flaming Retribution!” He brought his blades slashing down, roaring across the man’s chest with the heat of an enraged volcano, leaving a burnt ‘X’ shape in it’s wake.

    The man screamed again, a dreadful sound that rose higher and higher until, with a final, ghastly, choking gurgle, he disintegrated into ashes.

    Twin streams of flame swirled around Haru’s two blades, as they fused back into a single one. Orenar gleamed gold and red in the dawn sun. Haru blinked. He hadn’t known the extent of the sword’s power, and this release of it wasn’t intended. He also had no idea how long he had been fighting, but he guessed about a few hours, since the sun had begun to rise.

    A gasp of pain alerted him to his companion’s status, and he sheathed his blade as he ran to her. “Arli!” He knelt down by her side, carefully, drawing the dagger from her shoulder.

    Arlisenda watched Haru unleash the strength of Orenar in wonder, the pain and the dagger in her shoulder momentarily forgotten. The flames lit up the area as if it was day, and she saw the unicorn narrow its eyes as it watched the young man who was her friend.

    As Haru checked her over, she brushed him away. “I’ll live. What about the unicorn?”

    “Wait. Let me help you,” replied Haru. He bound up her wound, not noticing the small red sparks left in her wound after he was done. The sparks merged with her skin, melding the torn flesh together and holding it firm, fixing it anew. However, no-one knew what had happened.

    Haru went over to the unicorn. “How are you? Are you hurt?”

    The unicorn shook its head. “Nay. No more hurt than I was before. Who art thou…?” it asked with a kind of respect.

    “I am Haru, son of Gale,” replied Haru.

    “I am Slivermane, foal of Shadowfleet. Art thou of the Wild?” it asked.

    “No. What do you mean of the Wild?”

    “The flames that surround thee… They are not normal flames. They have the scent of the Wild. The power that dwells within all things untamed, and the power that resides in the blade that which you wield.”

    “Well…. I dunno…” said Haru, taken aback. “My mom gave me this.”

    “Thy mother? What is her name?”

    “Erm… Sakura…”

    “Sakura!” Now it was the Silvermane’s turn to be surprised. “Sakura…” he murmured. He cleared his throat, a funny thing to hear a horse do.

    “Haru, son of Gale and Sakura, dost thou speak the truth?”

    Haru nodded, speechless for the moment as the gravity of the situation radiating from the unicorn silenced him momentarily. He glanced at Arlisenda, ready to smile off a joke. But Arlisenda was staring at him with her mouth open.

    “You never told me your mom was Sakura!” she told him in a fierce whisper.

    “That’s ‘cos I didn’t know that she was so important in the first place! Why’s she so important anyway?”

    “Sakura is the greatest practitioner of the Wild Magic in the history of time! If you’re her son, then…” she stopped short, her eyes wide as they came to rest on Haru and the magnificent sword on his back.

    Silvermane nodded. “The blade that which thy wield, may I see it?” he asked.

    Haru nodded again, reaching behind to draw the rune blade from its scabbard. The rising sun caught it, sending rays of bright light glancing off the runes. Flames ran periodically along it, yet they did not catch. The unicorn gasped audibly.

    “Orenar! Heartfire!” he said. “The Blade of the Wild!”

    Arlisenda smacked a hand to her forehead, then winced at the pain in her shoulder. “I should’ve known! Back when you first got it, I thought it was some fancy of your mom’s. Who knew it was true!”

    “But what’s Orenar to do with it?” asked Haru.

    Arlisenda rolled her eyes. “Haru, Orenar is the sword of the Wild Magic. It gives you power over all things wild, all things not under the control of man, Periath and beings. The fires of the volcano, waters of the sea, winds of the sky, and grounds of the earth all are under its control.”

    “Aye. It is said the Abyss Warrior wields it, the warrior from the deep darkness,” added Silvermane. “He overthrew many great warriors. Many fell to Orenar, as he fought for his beliefs.”

    “Abyss… Darkness… Does that mean the guy who’s gonna use Orenar is evil?” asked Haru.

    “Nay. The Darkness as well as the Light can be used for good. It is only the will of the user that chooses which side to fight on,” replied Silvermane.

    “Does… does that mean I am the Abyss Warrior?” asked Haru in awe.

    The unicorn inclined his head. “There is only one way to know for certain. Say now: ‘Nin estar Iaothar, Orenar, anno nin tur!’ Then we shall see what befalls us.”

    Arlisenda perked up her ears as Silvermane spoke. “Silvermane, do you… do you speak the Old Tongue?”

    The unicorn smiled down at her. “Aye, little Periath. We unicorns speak the Old Tongue as humans speak the language they call Latin. Ceremonial, humans call it. We use it as a tongue of songs and poems, as well as to call upon the forces of nature to aid us in our lives. We ourselves are Wild. Therefore, the Old Tongue is embedded in us as well.”

    Haru nodded, understanding at least part of it. He grasped Orenaar firmly. “So… here I go!” He took a deep breath. “Nin estar Iaothar, Orenar, anno nin tur!”

    As soon as he said it, Orenar burst into flame again, but this time the flame was dark, dark as the midnight sky. The flames roared along the blade, then leapt onto his body, twirling all around him, engulfing him in a roaring maelstrom.

    Arlisenda watched in awe as the fire folded all around her friend. The heat was intense, but she didn’t move – no, couldn’t move. Her eyes were riveted to the sight of the roaring Wildfire, spinning around Haru like an avenging tornado of flame.

    Silvermane nodded, as though his suspicions were confirmed, as they were. “I guessed it would be so…” he muttered.

    Haru, for his part, felt a sudden rush of pure energy rush throughout his entire body. His eyes opened wide, exhilarating at the pure power that filled him. His fists clenched and unclenched, Orenar hovered unsupported beside him. All he could see was the eternal flames swirling around him, and on him. Armor appeared wherever the flames touched him, formed by black plates with dancing flames etched on them. Orenar vanished in a flash of fire, reappearing looking slightly different. The runes on the blade now glowed, flashing with an inner fire. Dragons were now entwined around the grip, eyes flashing with the same fire. A black helmet of onyx appeared on is head, with a mouthguard of ruby. Gold vines snaked on his breastplate; gloves of ruby onyx covered his hands. Boots with flaming eagles protected his feet; a cloak the color of crimson blood billowed behind him.

    The flames dissipated, leaving the new Abyss Warrior standing in all his glory. Orenar gleamed anew in his mailed hand, a shield black with a crimson cross glittered in the sun.

    Haru looked down at his new armor with surprise. Turning to Silvermane, he asked, “Is this what you mean?”

    “Aye. Thou art the new Abyss Warrior, and Orenar is your blade. Thou art the Master of the Wild, and we art your subjects.”

    Arlisenda looked upon Haru with renewed interest. “I think we can face Dytraid now… hopefully without dying,” she said.

    Haru shrugged. “Well, we will see.” He lifted his hand and pointed in the distance. “Here he comes now.”

    Arlisenda gasped, whirling around and gazing hard in the distance where he had pointed. A cloud of dust appeared in the distance, accompanied with a low long roar.

    Silvermane raised his horned head and narrowed his eyes. “With a dragon.”

    Haru nodded, his face grim. “We’ve got company. Big company.”

    ---------------------------------

    After Note
    This marks the end of Part 1 of the story. It was too long for me to post it all in one go. Have fun with the second part too!