Coraline Bowman, or Cora as her friends call her, was sitting in history class daydreaming of sword fights and magic spells, blissfully ignorant to what the future had in store for her.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZITCiwf1T
"The Blood King was the most ruthless king Thesonia has ever seen. He killed thousands, he took no prisoners, and he conquered everyone who stood in his way," Ms. McIntire said dramatically, pacing back and forth across the front of the classroom. "If our brave hero Galen Rivero didn't slay him, it's safe to say the he could have taken over all of Europe and possibly the world!"
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJYWQVtWIK
Cora found it hard to believe that just one man that lived thousands of years ago was capable of taking over all of Europe, much less the world. Cora always believed her history teachers had a tendency to stretch the truth, but none of her classmates seem to question it so neither would she.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AadIPQp02
Cora's thoughts drifted off until the bell rang.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YEbSRBdo9
She immediately jumped up out of her seat before any of her classmates had time to respond and bolted out the door.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYGJrFoFDt
Finally, high school was over. She was free. It was a wonderful feeling she felt as she skipped through the halls waving her arms around like a lunatic, which caught a lot of stares from teachers scattered throughout the halls. Nothing could dampen her mood today.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgfRrwEMzS
As she stepped outside she was welcomed by the rays of the sun smiling down on her.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt32OZvIuO6
Shortly after, her father came to pick her up. She greeted him with a warm embrace like she always did, being carful not to crush his injured spine.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVPvLhYiOv
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart! I never thought I'd see the day Coraline 'I'm too cool for school' Bowman actually finished high school," he teased.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EHOk6OU6Y
Cora was slightly annoyed but, in her mind nothing could ruin this day.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3YgAGsA9p
In the backseat of the car she found cupcakes that spelled out "Congratulations Cora!" Undoubtedly her grandmother's doing.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yq2WLveFu
As was Thessionian tradition, today Cora was officially considered an adult. Cora's father brought her to the resting grounds, which are a Thessonian cemetery of sorts. Thanks to Thessoinian crystals, the bodies of loved ones can be preserved for several millennia.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oZ1S81EpJ
As Cora and her father entered the resting grounds, Cora spotted a familiar face.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznApyVEMcr
"Dimitri!" She squealed and ran up to the young man, nearly tackling him.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6Ylq8hPsR
"Cora!" he says with huge smile on his face. "Guess what I got today?" he asked, running his fingers through his tight, black curls.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4sK7rvZem
Cora placed a hand on her chin pondering his question.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeYTsqj56A
"This!" He pulled a sword out of his sheath.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fe0nDAeyq
The sword truly is breathtaking. It's made of black steel and decorated with amethysts. It matched perfectly with his dark leather pants and belt and his dark purple trench coat he always wore.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOBgMjgFWP
Cora couldn't help but be envious of her best friend. They had known each other for as long as she could remember. Their fathers were warriors in the same guild, they fought side by side until her father's injury. Their entire lives, Cora and Dimitri had wanted to be warriors just like them.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClZUHZBVR5
"Do you like it?" Dimitri asked.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSgEQoOWmb
"It's the most beautiful sword I've ever seen!"
She exclaimed.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7xYH3twLN
"Dimitri, lets go!" His twin sister Scarlet called out. Even in this heat her dark bronze skin and wavy hair look as flawless as ever.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuUIOe3ZtW
Cora and Dimitri split up and visited their respective relatives.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWhRiHCcYU
Cora kneeled beside the lifeless bodies of her ancestors. She came from a long line of warriors on her fathers side.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SUInP2epg
"I will make you proud." she whispered before leaving.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbv7Pqiw3r
She arrived at home to find her mother preparing dinner.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhrdNE9PXj
"How was your last day of school?" Mother asked.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAgdIPNLkr
"Same old." Cora responded. "I saw Dimitri at the resting grounds today and he had the coolest sword!"
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPAt0KPfb5
"Don't tell me you're still pursuing this warrior dream of yours," her mother interrupted not looking up from the counter.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhVhAndisj
"As a matter of fact I am, Mom, I've been practicing all the time," the young girl argued
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnTTzPo9VD
"So did your father, and look where it got him!" Her mother exclaimed angrily.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSIwuFyeNI
"Let the girl dream, Karen," her grandmother said looking up from her book.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopzfTsBcXl
"I'm gonna go," Coraline said as she exited the room.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS40NDSBN1p
Later that night, while the rest of her family was asleep, young Cora was about to do something that was going to alter the course of her life.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdw2z7Pyj82
My whole family were warriors, she thought to her self. If mom won't let me have my own sword I'm sure no one would mind if a I borrowed one. They're all dead anyways, she thought.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrPug01ivJ
She searched through her grandmother's study. She had never really been in here before.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24Daf1zGDV
The room was so dark, it was nearly impossible to see anything. She felt along the wall for a light switch. As she felt near the fireplace she felt a small lever and out of pure curiosity she pulled it down.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrJezmF70b
All of a sudden the fireplace, disappeared and a passage way opened up. All she could see way a red glowing light at the end of the passage.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxAEBYsoNk
It's felt like she was in a trance, all she knew how to do was keep walking towards the light like a moth to a flame.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwD8Kzvp3Aa
When she reached the end she was shocked by what she saw.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YjLzzUDgx
A boy not much older the her completely frozen in crystal just like the dead in the resting grounds, but instead of looking peaceful he looked like he was in anguish desperate to escape this prison. The boy had black hair, that went down to his knees. He wore a red cape the color of blood. His clothes were as black as his hair all except for one leg that appeared to be made of metal.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJihI2p0E2g
The look in his red eyes made her shiver. "Who is he?" She asked herself. She didn't want to know.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K3lbyLvxO
"I need to get out of here," she said to herself.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ot5AuAn3G
Then as she turned towards the exit something glimmering caught her eye. The blade was black as night and the diamonds and rubies encrusted in it sparkled like the stars. No, it put the stars to shame. It was right within her grasp and she grabbed it.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3c2moXqvt7
It was stuck. She pulled harder and harder again and again until it finally broke free.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNLOL34FgY
She took the sword and ran out of the passage, carefully shutting it after she left.
397Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArfGTdoI1n
What she didn't notice was that the crystal prison holding the young man began to crumble away.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
