I awoke to the sound of fluttering wings. A gleaming gold eye appeared above me, surrounded by red feathers. “What the…?” I jolted upright, and the eye disappeared. A faint echo of a bird’s song swooped around in my head, and I shook my head, trying to clear it.
The sky was a bright blue, with a white-yellow spot blazing high in the sky. I winced, my eyes stinging as I looked at it. I’d seen it before somewhere…
In a dream. I realized, turning to gaze at my surroundings. That’s the sun.
I grabbed my head as a stabbing pain shot through it. “Mother.” I whispered, tears pooling in my eyes as I replayed her death in my mind. I could still see the ground, stained red where she had fallen. But after that...nothing.
Where am I? And why can't I recall what happened earlier?
The glade I was in was encircled by 12 towering trees, each one depicting a different species. No normal tree would have been able to attain such heights, but each of the trees threatened to touch the clouds, ranging from an apple tree that bore only pure gold apples to spiky oak trees with vibrant, ever-shifting leaves. All of them were the same size except for one, a towering Japanese maple, the autumn-colored leaves swaying in a nonexistent wind. The branches curved and swirled until it formed the shape of a regal Golden Eagle, staring down at me with wings flared. “How is this possible?” I whispered, turning around and around until the sky shivered before my dizzy eyes. I lay down onto the ground, the grass cradling my back and arms. The clouds above were streaked with reds and oranges, the sun setting fire to the horizon. How did I get here?
How did we leave the Shimmering Isles?649Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcNtMVZmgA
A beautiful song brought me back to the present, coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. I whipped around. “Who’s there?”
“Gloria Starr.” An ethereal voice danced around me.
“Show yourself!” I was becoming more and more panicked. There was nothing around to use as a weapon. Should I run? Where would I run to?
A fire burst into being under the cherry blossom tree, directly to the right of the gigantic Japanese Maple. When the blaze burned down, a fiery red and golden-feathered bird with startlingly bright gold eyes was perched in the highest branch of the cherry blossom, a smile curving her beak. “You’re a phoenix.” I said, shocked. The tree wasn’t touched at all, though a raging fire had burned there a moment ago.
“Nice of you to notice. I’ve always wondered what type of bird I was.” The phoenix held out her wings and examined them carefully, her smile never ceasing. It took me a second to realize what the phoenix had said, and even then I couldn’t tell whether it was joking or not. “How do you know my name? Where am I, and what is this place? How did I get here? Who are you?”
“Slow down with the questions.” The phoenix swooped down next to me, and I took a step back as a hot wind hit me. A burst of flame, and the phoenix was gone. In her place was a girl about my age, with amber eyes and dark hair. She had a faint outline of red-gold around her, in the shape of wings, but it faded as I looked closer. Her voice had a familiar lilt to it, as if she was about to burst into song at any moment “You!” I stumbled back, falling onto the ground.
“Me.” The phoenix girl nodded. In response, the tree shimmered, and when it cleared, its branches formed the shape of a phoenix rising from tongues of flames, flowers draping over the entire image. “I am Ruki, advisor to the leader of the Guardians of Arimoriia, patron of healers, and savior of the lost.”
“Ruki, huh?” I got up, my cheeks flaming in embarrassment from the fall. I reached out and touched the cherry blossom tree. A flower fell into my hair, and I took it off, setting it onto the ground lightly.
“This place,” Ruki swept her arm to indicate the world around them, ignoring my comment, “Is Arimoriia, a place of magic.” She leaned in, and I took a step back from her glittering eyes. “You were not brought here by fate, it seems.”
“Oh really.” I said sarcastically, “So I ask you again. How did I get here?”
“You were brought here from your village by darkness.” Ruki said, gazing into the distance. “It is lucky that you landed here, of all places. Others before you have not been so lucky.”
“Not so lucky?” I nearly yelped. What is WRONG with this crazy place?
“Yes.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is this a dream?”
She smiled. “No.”
“So...you’re...a phoenix.”
“Yes.”
“What about my dream? With you and that other girl in it? Was that...here?”
“Yes.”
“Who was that tawny girl?”
“Um…”
I stomped my foot, frustrated. “Do you always answer with one syllable words?”
Ruki’s laugh was just as how I remembered the amber girl’s had been. “No. But it is easier since you seem to have many questions.”
Scowling, I plopped into the grass again. “You didn’t want me to come here.” I recalled.
“No. It is too dangerous. But you are here now, and I can do nothing about that.” Ruki’s smile faded a bit. “I have no choice but to stay with you.”
“You sound unhappy about that.” I noticed. “Well, there are many things to do. But I cannot disobey my leader. Do you want to know how to survive in this world or not?”
“How am I supposed to know that you’re on the good side?”
“For starters, I was sent here by Lunara to meet you.” She saw the way I was about to open my mouth and hurried on. “Lunara is the Golden Eagle depicted there.” She pointed to the Japanese Maple tree. “The Guardians of Arimoriia are the creatures sent to protect this land from harm. Lunara is the leader of the Guardians, and she is also the most powerful alone. But some aren’t as...morally driven as others. Take, for instance, Silver, Makiko, and Shadow.” Ruki pointed to 3 trees directly opposite to Lunara’s tree. They showed a shark lunging, baring his teeth, a cobra rearing up, hood flared, and a wolf on his hind legs, howling to the moon. “Who makes these trees?” I asked.
“The trees are a living embodiment of our spirit, Gloria. They reflect our inner beings, what’s in here.” Ruki tapped my chest, right above my heart. When she withdrew, I felt the place that she had touched like a hot brand. “As you can see, Silver the Shark, Makiko the Cobra, and Shadow the Wolf are less than what we are supposed to represent. The trees, in return, are less than healthy, and are slowly dying as a result of their dark spirits.” Ruki said, her eyes surveying the trees. I watched as several leaves fluttered down to join the growing piles of dead or wilting leaves on the ground. “Has it always been this way?” I glanced at Ruki.
“No. They used to be great, but now power has gone to their heads, and they want more. We have been forced to imprison them in areas no one would can go, in hopes that their evil will never be unleashed on this world. Lunara thinks it is for the best, but I still harbor hope that they may see their ways in a new light, and come to join our side once again.” Ruki sighed in defeat and looked over at me. “The tale is long and would take much time. I don’t think we have that luxury. But we do have enough time to let you sleep.” I yawned, and tried to stifle it immediately. “I’m not tired...” I said, but as soon as I did, I dropped to the ground, and Ruki caught me carefully in the shelter of her wing. I could still hear a whisper of her voice as I sank into darkness.
“I hope you rest better than I have. For 30 years I have dreamt, plagued by visions of the evil bearing down on our world, and the danger that awaits us all.”
ns 15.158.61.54da2
