Short Stories: Gems of Nature

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The sun was bright and warm, an uncommon thing in the bleak land of Tarius. The golden rays caressed the cold, gnarled branches of the trees that lifted their dead branches to the grey sky. The landscape was barren, the ground dry and cracked, only a few dry bushes littered the ground where a mouse or a snake hid from either predator, or hunted for prey. High in the sky a hawk soared upon the light breeze, reveling in the golden warmth that touched the tips of his royal brown feathers.

The only living things in the desolate valley was a small liláu tree, the leaves pale green in youth, shimmering when the sun touched the silver veins as the wind rustled them. Surrounding the tree were a few blades of grass and a forest of tiny saplings. Beside the tree, a clear creek bubbled over the smooth pebbles and green moss covered the bottom of the bed. Small fish swam in the silvery water unafraid, for the large water predators lay farther down stream, where the small creak turned into a raging river. In the tree a small sparrow alighted on a branch a began to sing.

This was the first day of peace the valley had seen in a long while. Stories of the suffering it had endured was told through the elven skull that lay dusty and neglected beside a rotting log not far from the creak.

The valley was at the edge of Tarius, not far from the border. It lay in a desolate state between the mountains and the forest that lay in the distance on either side.

But there was life in the valley—the tree with its young friends and the silvery brook that ran alongside them, giving them water to stay alive. But besides the marvelous works of nature in an unforgiving place, there was also something else—someone else. Two in fact. Two beings living in the small oasis under the grey sky, tending and caring for the brook and the tree...

***

As the hawk circled overhead a shimmering, tiny pale foot emerged out of the healthy trunk of the liláu tree and stepped lightly onto the pale strands of grass clinging to its base. It was soon followed by a pair of green tinted legs and then a waist, then closely by small shoulders and a head with pointed features. It was a girl, a small elven looking girl with a shimmery brown aura that surrounded her willowy form, but then slowly faded. She was small with delicate arms and legs and frizzy green hair. Her small nose turned up into a point and her large green eyes were round and sparkled with mischievous fun.

As she exited the bark of the tree she stood still at its base with one hand still resting on the trunk, as if she wanted to protect it from danger. And she would if she had too, for it was her home. It was apart of her... for she was a tree nymph.

Turning her head from side to side to check for danger the tree nymph stepped lightly away from her home, senses still alert for trouble. When nothing appeared, she relaxed and took a joyful leap toward the brook. Bending slightly over the water the tree nymph smiled as she called out softly, "Sapphire!"

The tree nymph leaped back lightly as a wiry figure arose out of the water and looked at her. She was thin and willowy, with long black hair and a dress made out of pale blue fabric that clung to her wet figure. Her pale limbs gleamed in the sunlight as she cocked a narrow eyebrow at the tree nymph.

"And what is the reason, dear Emerald, that you have chosen now to wake me from my peaceful sleep?"

Emerald giggled as she looked at the water nymph still ankle deep in her stream. "The sun is shinning!" she cried, throwing her arms up and twirling.

This time Sapphire couldn't help smiling herself. "So it is," she murmured. Stepping out of her brook the water nymph looked at her friend as a thought surfaced. "The sun is shinning," she said, "and the water is clear."

Emerald nodded and in answer knelt down in the patch of green grass that filled their small haven in the dead valley. "When the sun is shinning," she murmured, "is the time that we play our part in the resurrection of Latanica."

"Indeed," Sapphire answered as she stepped out of the stream beside Emerald. "To bring color and life back to a kingdom that is suffering... This is our way of protest against our captor, Malcus."

Kneeling beside each other the friends leaned over the ground and placed their hands over a patch of dry, cracked earth outside of the ring of grass. The young nymphs looked at each other and smiled softly before turning back to the lifeless ground in front of them. With a small shudder Sapphire began to murmur in a sing-song voice:

To heal the land of death and decay,

we place our hands on the soil

and wait for the spring of a new day.

With magic of the earth

And magic of the brook,

We remember the ones that the evil one took.

Together as one we sing this song,

And call the powers of the almighty one,

To help call forth beauty long gone.

The ground trembles and the water rages,

As the dirt beneath our fingertips

Nurtures something that lives in all ages.

A green life springs forth,

The water encases it and the sun warms it,

The bud bring forth new worth.

Let our song be heard,

Let us fight against the evil,

So that the land may begin in a new birth.

Under the nymph's graceful hands a bud began to bloom. It grew, and grew. The leaves shimmering with *Łiǵhʈ. A light wind picked up, enveloping the girls and the bud in a gentle embrace. The air carried the nymph's magical song on its invisible back, carrying it through the plants and trees the girls had already brought to life.

When the plant burst forth its first flower the nymphs lowered their hands.

"This is in memory of the ones the Snake King murdered on this very patch of ground."

Sapphire put a hand over Emeralds. "Our parents."

Emerald's eyes welled up in tears. "My brother."

"Our clan."

"We builds this wood in honor of them," Emerald finished.

After a few more moments of silence, they both placed a kiss on the new bud and wiped away their tears. Rising together the friends looked at the new plant and smiled. Banishing the sadness Emerald turned to Sapphire, "Race you to your stream!" she cried and took off.

Sapphire lifted her eyes to the sky with a half smile playing on her lips at the tree nymph's playfulness. Raising her hand the water nymph brought up a tentacle of water from her brook and with a flick sent it crashing into Emerald.

Emerald spluttered and looked toward her friend, who grinned, and then dashed for her stream. She splashed into the water, "Beat you!" she cried.

Emerald wrinkled her nose. "Sure did." And then she smiled devilishly.

Suddenly Sapphire felt a wet piece of weed wrap around her ankle and pulled her down. She fell into the water with a splash as Emerald laughed and jumped in next to her. "There," the tree nymph said impishly, "now we're even."

The water nymph smiled slightly, "yes we are."

***

The ground shook with unseen footfall. The sun had disappeared to leave in its wake heavy storm clouds and cold rain. The land drooped in wet burden, bending at the blows but thriving on the nourishing liquids the sky poured forth. A sense of evil had leaked into the small oasis created by the young nymphs. Nothing could be seen, But Emerald Sapphire could feel it.

Cold chills traveled up and down Emerald's spine as she exited the warmth of her tree and stepped onto the wet ground. After the storm had broke both her and Sapphire had vanished into their homes laughing gaily. The rain was heavy and large, hurtful in some ways but the nymphs laughed for the life it provided. But there was something other then the sky that was beating upon the earth in anger. Real footfalls fell upon the earth. Large ones...

Emerald took a couple of steps forward, straining her eyes in every direction. Nothing but blinding water. Biting her lip the young nymph stepped up to the rushing brook and shouted over the noise in a sing-song voice, "Sapphire, spirit of the waters, come to me!"

Emerald hugged herself as her friend silently rose from the turbulent waters like a white ghost. "What is it, dear spirit of the tree?"

"I feel an evil in the air... something is amiss."

Sapphire wrinkled her brow. "I feel it too. What do you—?"

Suddenly a blood curling screech pieced the air. The two nymph shot up, preparing to fade back into their homes... when the **mälkriss jumped out of the mist. There were fifteen—fifteen hulking monsters.

Sapphire and Emerald screamed as the mälkriss pounced on them and tore them roughly apart.

"NO!" Sapphire cried shrilly as she was yanked out of her stream. As she hit the ground the water nymph called a tentacle of water toward her from her brook. The water rose high and lashed out toward the goblin struggling with her thin wrists. The tentacle struck him on the brow and the hideous green mälkriss dropped to the ground with a moan. Sapphire's tentacle lashed out again as she stood, drawing more strength to call on her Łiǵhʈ.

Emerald struggled with her captors, silently cheering her friend on.

Sapphire raised her hand toward Emerald's oppressors and the tentacle began to move towards them. But, suddenly, a Wereverine jumped up from the fray and cuffed her smartly across the face and she crumbled to the ground.

"Sapphire!" Emerald screamed in panic and began hitting the troll that held her. Drawing on her Łiǵhʈ the tree nymph called up the powers of the earth and lashed at the monsters with branches and flailing vines. Lightning cracked as the nymph used up her energy and killed the troll with a branch from her tree. With a water filled sob Emerald broke free of her captors and rushed to her still friend.

She took Sapphire's hand in her own, it was still warm. Knowing her friend would live, Emerald stood and squared her shoulders, determined to protect her friend to the death.

But then a dreadful sound that made the tree nymph's entire body shudder with pain echoed throughout the valley, it was of an ax hitting the bare flesh of a tree trunk. Another hit sounded, and then another. Emerald doubled over in pain. And then the tree fell with a strained shudder. It hit the ground with a 'thud' and that's when Emerald finally let out her scream of agony.

A harsh crackle of laughter pierced her eardrums and she looked up weakly and saw through the veil of water and pain, a cloaked figure. Evil radiated from every pore of the creature, black magic and demons clung to him like a rancid smell.

"Throw them in the cage!" the figure commanded as Emerald was roughly hauled to her feet and thrown into the hard bed of a wagon. Bars surround the wagon and moldy straw was piled against the backboard. Emerald turned as Sapphire was thrown in next to her.

And right as she faded from the world, Emerald heard one more peal of laughter as lightning cracked and she thought, Sly, Malcus' sorcerer, has put an end to our rebellion. And she cried for her buried dead ones and her unconscious friend. And then, she too faded into oblivion as the cart started to roll away from the destroyed oasis they had worked so hard to build.

***

Sapphire awoke to the rough bumping of the cart and a loud cry. She opened her eyes and sat up slowly right as the mälkriss threw someone else in beside her. The creature landed with a thump but quickly scrambled to his knees. It was a human... a man. His hands were tied behind his back but he jumped to his feet and slammed himself against the bars.

"Wait—" She started but the human slammed himself against the bars again. He only stopped when a minotaur jabbed at him with a spear. He began to throw himself toward the bars a third time but Sapphire spoke before he could.

"Its no use," she whispered to the boy. "Its magic."

He turned to her and slumped down. "Of course it is," he growled in anger. He was of mediam height and burly, with arms made for hard work and a face tanned by the hot sun. His eyes were a angry shade of deep brown and his hair was long and of the same color. Sapphire guessed he would have been thought of as handsome by his own people.

Sapphire gave him a small smile and turned to Emerald who was still unconscious beside her. She shook her shoulder slightly. "Emerald, wake up."

The tree nymph stirred, and with a moan, opened her bright green eyes. She shot up instantly when she saw Sapphire, but then groaned again and put a hand to her head. "Where are we?" she whispered.

Sapphire looked through the bars at the snarling mälkriss around her and then at the landscape beyond. "I'm not sure," she murmured, "a long way from home."

"We are in the stretch of forest between the valley of thorns and the swamp," the human said, looking at the nymphs with curiosity.

"And who is this?" Emerald asked and raised her eyebrow.

"I am called Elrise, son of Efrin, the innkeeper of Julahnn," the human said. "They caught me some miles from here while I was hunting."

Emerald raised her chin. "I am Emerald of the valley oasis, daughter of the dead and keeper of the trees." Then Emerald nodded her head toward Sapphire. "And this is my Friend Sapphire, guardian of the water."

"We were captured by Sly... sometime ago," Sapphire said, puzzled that she didn't know how long ago. She paled slightly as a thought came to her. How long did they have left...?

Elrise continued to stare at them. "Yes, but you aren't human...?"

Sapphire laughed lightly, the thought still clouding her mind. "Oh no, we are nymphs."

He shook his head as if to clear it. "You mean you still exists... your race still resides in Tarius?"

Emerald frowned. "Well... yes."

"Fantastic!"

The nymphs looked at him in confusion.

"You see," he said. "We have seen nothing of the Enłiǵhʈened people in over fifteen years," he whispered. "They have all disappeared!"

Sapphire gasped and turned to Emerald. "Are we the last?"

The tree nymph shook her head and looked at the monsters surrounding the cage. "I'm not sure..."

"I doubt it," Elrise said. "There are still lands that were once apart of Latanica that Malcus has not captured. They say those who fled the slaughter went to the coast."

Emerald nodded. "I hope so..."

Sapphire rubbed her arms, they burned, confirming her frightening thought from earlier.

"Oh," Emerald said quietly. "You're already drying up," she whispered.

Sapphire nodded, her face going white. "And you are losing your color."

"What's wrong?" Elrise asked in alarm.

Emerald turned to him with frightened eyes. "They cut down my tree," she whispered. "If I don't find another to bond to soon, I will fade away. My spirit cannot be separated from my home for so long. And Sapphire is a water spirit. Without her water, she will shrivel and die..."

Elrise grew pale. "How long do you have to... to, you know..."

Emerald let out a hollow laugh. "You mean to live?" she asked without emotion.

Elrise nodded.

The nymphs turned from him and looked at the monsters around them. "I don't know... three days maybe," Sapphire whispered. "Maybe less..."

***

Five other unfortunate creatures were found and captured in the forest. They were thrown, screaming with fright, into the cage with the nymphs and Elrise. It was damp in the forest, and rained most nights, which helped the water nymph to regain her moister and strength. But Emerald continued to grow weaker. Sapphire and Elrise worried for her. The water nymph gave Emerald some of her Łiǵhʈ, begging her to hang on.

The prisoners were not allowed to talk and were sometimes forced to walk and gather firewood. More often they were called to help push the cart out of the mud, all the while in chains. This task drained Emerald's strength the most.

Many of the prisoners lost the hope in their faces and waited out the days with hollowed eyes and sad acceptances of their fate. But ones like the nymphs, Elrise and a forest imp named Twillip, gave courage to the group, hoping that their luck might change and they might be set free.

That day came sooner then they expected...

***

Emerald sat up from her position on the wet ground slowly, her muscles screamed in protest from lack of strength, but she ignored it. The other captives lay in chains around her and the mälkriss were sprawled about the dying fire snoring loudly.

Mälkriss usually didn't sleep at night but they had gotten into a fight after they had chained the captives. And after the first goblin was trampled to death, Sly cast a spell that made them topple over instantly in slumber. Sly himself lay on a bed in a cart set apart from his minions.

Emerald scanned her surroundings carefully, she had heard something... not something of the forest or the snores of the mälkriss. It was something different. She felt an intelligent being somewhere close, and this one wasn't chained.

Emerald called her Łiǵhʈ to her slowly so that Sly wouldn't detect it. She didn't know if the creature was friend or foe so she turned to Sapphire and gently shook her shoulder. "Sapphire," she murmured. The water nymph slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her friend blearily.

"What is it?" she asked.

Emerald climbed to her knees, careful not to rattle the chains. "We are not alone here," she whispered, panting slightly.

Sapphire was instantly alert, she rose up beside Emerald and called her own watery powers to her fingertips. The girls strained their ears, but they heard nothing but the natural rustling of the forest at night. Emerald peered into the darkness... nothing. But her skin was crawling, she knew they were not alone. She was highly sensitive and was surprised she hadn't already found out who was watching them. Sapphire was feeling the same way.

"If you want to get out of here—"

The girls stifled a cry of fright at the hoarse voice and stumbled back, rattling the chains. Sapphire used her Łiǵhʈ to quiet them and slowly the nymphs turned around to view the creature who had spoken. Both were shaking slightly.

All they saw were two yellow eyes blinking at them through the darkness.

"Wha—?"

"I said, if you want to get out of here you're going to have to listen very carefully," the creature said.

"Who are you?" Emerald whispered, quaking as her strength seeped out of her pale body. Sapphire fed her power into her friend's tired body until Emerald stopped shaking.

"I am, Shade," he replied. "Chief of the forest wraiths and leader of the rebellion against Malcus... Now, do you want to live?"

The girls nodded their heads.

Shade pulled out a key and handed it it Emerald. "Then listen carefully..." he whispered.

***

An arrow suddenly embedded itself into the ground.

That was the signal.

With a single nod, Emerald and Sapphire stretched out to their Łiǵhʈ with all their strength. They weren't trying to bring their Łiǵhʈ to presence slowly, they wanted it all at once, for surprise. Suddenly, vines broke through the ground and rapidly wrapped around the wheals of the carts. The vines squeezed the wheels, and with a crack, the wood splintered and broke into a hundred pieces.

Sly screamed and the mälkriss howled at the damage and powerful display of Łiǵhʈ. Then, water fell from the sky as Sapphire stretched her hands up. Fierce war cries broke out all around them as Shade and his band of wraiths rushed out of the foliage and cut down the mälkriss.

The slaves screamed at the chaos around them. The nymphs continued to draw on their energy and sent their nature Łiǵhʈ toward Sly. He grinned wickedly and and lightning cracked as he raised his hands above his head. A cage of lightning formed around him and the nymph's Łiǵhʈ bounced off, rocketing back toward them. Emerald moaned in pain and to the horror of Sapphire began to fade in and out. The water nymph sent her magic to her and Emerald regained her form.

The girls waved their hands and the Łiǵhʈ dissipated. The lightning Sly had created continued to crack and heavy black clouds rolled in from the distance. Shade and his band of wraiths moved through the enemy like smoke, decapitating all that got in their path.

"Quick!" a voice said. Elrise quickly appeared and unlocked their chains. He had already freed half of the slaves who were being carried to safety by the wraiths. "Look out for Sly," he whispered. "He's the only one we need to worry about."

"You are right boy!" shouted a cackling voice from above.

The nymphs and Elrise looked up to see Sly standing over them with an evil glint in his eye. Three wraiths lay twisted and bent at his feet. "You and the rebels will learn what the consequences are for defying the law of Malcus!" he hissed.

"Duck!" Elrise cried. They dove out of the way as Sly cackled gleefully and sent another burst of dark magic.

"Sapphire, Ground Break!" Emerald shouted.

Skidding to a stop, the nymphs faced Sly and brought their Łiǵhʈ together. As their magic wove into the other, a giant creature rose out of the ground, shimmering with water and a hard core. It turned on Sly.

"Pathetic!" he hissed.

With another hiss he sent a blackened spear created by magic into the creature and it dissipated. Sapphire and Emerald quaked in exhaustion. It worked on the mälkriss last time!" Sapphire gasped.

"Well, he's no mälkriss," Emerald yelled back and threw herself on Sapphire as another spear flew toward them.

Someone screamed as the spear found a mark. The girls turned and rushed to Elrise, who lay gasping on the ground, the spear embedded in his leg. Pain showed white on his face as he looked at them. "Behind you," he whispered.

The nymphs quickly turned to see Sly kill another wraith and a fleeing slave. He turned to them again, "And now, to finish off the gems of nature. Disgusting, pathetic creatures," Sly spat in disgust, "a curse to ***Geïa. The people of the earth will meet their extinction under my hand!" he screamed.

Suddenly a cloaked figure appeared and bowled into Malcus. "Over my dead body," Shade hissed. "Your days are numbered Sly!" A knife suddenly appeared in the wraith leader's hand. Shade pressed it to Sly's wrinkly neck. "Someone is coming, sorcerer," Shade whispered. "And when she gets here, you and your Lord will be done for!"

Sly screamed as the rebel leader pressed his knife to his throat to slice it open. But then, Sly vanished.

Shade stood up slowly, a little line of the sorcerer's blood trickled down his pale blade. He looked up, "Come on, he is already with the warlord. We must vanish like mist in the rain or we will be as dead as those around us."

He walked up to Elrise, grasped the spear and pulled it out of his leg. Elrise cried out in pain as the nymphs quickly bound his wound. Barking out orders in a strange tongue, Shade called to his warriors who picked up their fallen comrades and vanished. Turning back to the remaining three in front of him, he sighed heavily. "Come," he said, "there will be warmth and food at my village." Picking up Elrise, who offered no resistance, he melted into the forest.

Turning, the nymphs took one last look at the broken foliage, carts and corpse's that littered the ground. Sapphire put an arm around Emerald to help brace her. They sung one final note of sorrow for the dead creatures on the ground, and then quickly followed Shade into the gloom.

***

"We will escort you to the passages below ground," Shade said to the freed captives around him. "The tunnels are Łiǵhʈ and will get you out of Tarius much faster then above ground. Beyond the border lies a city called Second Ahnoria," he continued. "They will show you kindness and give you lodgings in the city. They are all that is left of Latanica."

"Not me," Elrise said suddenly. "I'm going back to Julahnn, they need me there."

Shade nodded. "We will escort you back to your clan, Efrinson. But only when you have recovered enough to travel."

Elrise nodded.

"We will go to Ahnoria with these others," Emerald said, struggling to keep her voice from shaking. "We have nothing left here, and we may be able to help those in the city with our Łiǵhʈ."

Sapphire turned to her friend. "But, we will come back, our ancestors in the valley call to us."

Shade looked into the burning embers of the fire. "The one prophesized since the beginning is coming, she is here... right at this moment making her way to someone who will train her for what is to come." He raised his eyes to the creatures around him, his yellow eyes glinting mysteriously. "Prepare yourselves, for the time is coming when we will need to stand up beside her and fight back to regain our homeland."

All those gathered around the fire turned in on themselves and their own thoughts. Then the nymphs joined in voice. Their song rose above the darkened trees and into the night. Singing of the one who would come to set them free.

Tomorrow, they would journey with the other liberated captives and make the journey to Second Ahnoria to start another life, and another adventure...

At the end of the Golden Age will come a new foe,

Drenched in darkness and bringing nothing but woe.

Out of the ashes a warrior will rise,

The white-haired maiden who will conquer our demise.

For by a woman we fell,

And by a woman we will be set free.

We live in hope for that fateful day...

THE END...

*Łiǵhʈ - a power bestowed on the pure of heart by the Creator.

**Mälkriss - means "creature of terror" in the ancient tongue.

*** Geïa - the world.

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Ty Zeiter

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