• The church bells started ringing. Everyone knew that it was coming. The war was getting difficult in the south and the king needed every person that could fight. Everyone rose from their beds and stepped out of their houses. The city was small enough that everyone knew who would be leaving. The king’s guard would take the strongest and those who couldn’t be on the front line to a school to keep the land safe from a distance so that if the undead managed to slide through the front line the land would still be protected.
    Families poured out of the house and looked around waiting for the king’s guard to pass out the lists. The head of the guard came forward and looked around.
    “I must call forth people from every house. They will be expected to come forth to join the king’s guard a week from now so that if something may happen, they will have a chance to say good bye. Lilliana Northwood, Tobias Janes, Joy Wirth, Xavier Guess, Harcras Hamade, Yeix Salt, and Hayden Noel, a week from now we will return to collect you and take you to the Rising Phoenix Academy. You have a week to say good bye.” The guard called out. Families sighed and gasped as names were called. The king’s guard turned to leave the town and everyone either cried out in sorrow or sighed in relief. Tomorrow the town would mourn the loss of the young that the king claimed. Many of the warlock families would be casting spells to try to help keep their children alive and many people would be striving to fight for the children to remain with them. My family could care less. My betrothed was taken off to the academy nearly three years before this night. They never expected him to survive as long as he had. He was one of the best warlocks in the village and had survived because of it. My family was a family of mixed species that had managed to live in our village only because they kept it well hidden.
    The druids are a banned race. Too many of the undead started as druids before they became undead. My father was born a druid. They avoid fighting and try to help as much as the few left can, but there are times when they are taken into the abyss and are made into undead.
    We fear the undead because if the undead show in the village or in the kingdom the land around them would die. If the Pendragon’s discovered what my father was he would be executed. However, there are the occasional druids who do not know what they are until training. Come training if druids are discovered, they are sent to the king’s guard to be in the back row keeping them away from the undead who could drag them to the abyss.
    A water droplet fell on my head before I realized that I had been outside far longer than needed. Everyone had already returned to their beds. I sighed before returning to my house.
    The sun rose early the next morning and I rose from my bed where my sister and I were laying. My sister was still asleep and that was fine with me, it would allow me to get my chores done faster. My father was out already, and that was to be expected. He wasn’t a person we worried much about. He was in or he was out. There was never any in between. He hadn’t been around when the king’s guard came by either so he wouldn’t know that I was called away to the academy. I went outside and grabbed some wood to start a small fire to cook breakfast on. I didn’t want to go to the academy, and if I went to the academy it would result in hardships for my family. I kept the family together. My father tried leaving us when the decree against druids first went into affect I had stopped him, his little girl who could barely hold her sister let alone care for her.
    I cooked some mush and checked the hens. I’d have to go to market for something new for my sister before I left, and often times eggs would fetch a high price. My sister slowly woke and arose from our shared bed when I came back in from checking on the hens. She was sitting at the table for food when I had left to go to market. The market was flowing with those of us who had been called the night before. Most families would be preparing for their kids to be leaving come the next week. The entire village was bustling around quickly in preparation for the king’s guard’s return. I sighed and went out to my friend Micktash’s shop where he would trade for things far better than the eggs and would be willing to buy the eggs for more than they were worth in reality.
    “Lilliana, I fear that the best things that we could give you have been taken already. In a village of fifty when six are called out by the king’s guard their families quickly flock for the best things to send them off with. However, if I buy your eggs and send you to Vockas you can get far better stuff for you and your sister there.” Micktash told me when I walked in. I nodded slightly and looked around the shop.
    “I only want something small for my sister.” Micktash nodded.
    “Let me finish my dealing with Hayden’s mother then we can discuss something that you’ll need to have before you leave. I know the truth, I too am like you.” Micktash whispered in my ear. Micktash was the one person you could always turn to for druid dealings because he knew everything that happened around the kingdom. He turned towards Hayden’s mother and traded new cloth for her son for milk from their goat. When she left the store Micktash closed the door symbolizing that the shop was closed. Of the two shops in town Micktash’s was the most popular.
    “Come with me Lilliana, I promised you news weeks ago, and found something that will benefit you personally during the war.” Micktash walked into a small room in the back of his shop. I followed swiftly behind him trying to figure out what he wanted to show me.
    When in the room Micktash pointed at a chair and I sat down. Micktash bustled around the room searching through boxes, baskets, and shelves.
    “I have several things that will be of assistance to you. I discovered the process to make the druid people become the undead. I have a journal for you on that somewhere in here. Also I talked to a wizard friend of mine in Viextt. He’s found a way to sense when the undead are close and he made pendant necklaces for you and your sister, and a ring for your father and I. It’s not much, but it could save our lives. Also I have armor that my brother used before he had become an undead and since I will never use it I wish for it to go to you.” Micktash told me searching for different items.
    “There’s no need for any of that. The pendants surely would help, but neither the journal nor the armor is necessary.” I told him trying to get him to relax.
    “You must understand I want to help you if it could mean the difference between you living and dying. Too many of my people have already died and I don’t want to lose you. I want to assure that from now on my people are happy and healthy. But to do that means to destroy the creator, and he shall not be easy to kill. Always remember the true enemy. The true enemy will be the one to fight. Take the armor with you and remember that you can be saved if you put your talents to good. Remember that this is what needs to happen to keep the entire world alive.” Micktash told me handing a necklace and a ring. He smiled laying a bag out with the armor and journal.
    “Gods bless you for your kindness. You’ll always be in my heart Micktash, for all you’ve done for me and my family. Keep Ari alive if I am to die.” I told him. He nodded at me and walked me into the main part of the shop. I pushed open the door and then walked around looking for something else to get for my sister. A traveler had come in and looked around.
    “I hear that this would be the best place to find things on the druid tales. I’m trying to learn more on the tales of the undead. I was told that I might be more knowledgeable if I were to stop here than anywhere else. Look, my village was just destroyed by them and I have no idea how to help. I need to learn how to kill them. They murdered my pregnant wife.” The traveler had told Micktash.
    “I’ve no way to kill them or the war could be over by now. It takes a druid to kill the undead from what I’ve heard and most druids have already turned to being undead. I’ve no way to truly help you unless you too are a druid.” Micktash told the traveler.
    “I am not. I knew many though. Before the village was destroyed, the majority of the village was druid born. I was one of the few who were not born as a druid. All of them were taken and my wife who was indeed a druid was killed for being pregnant. I don’t know what more to say. The undead tried to kill me but I fled. I am no fighter because.” The traveler replied.
    “The king’s guard will soon find a way to destroy them, or to try to bring them back to the living from their undead state. Surly they can help save your neighbors. Until then I’d hide and remain near.” Micktash told the traveler.
    “Best that I don’t, I must be off to seek out the land of the Roskls. I have a sister there and she too has lost people.” The traveler replied. Micktash nodded and handed the traveler a letter.
    “Give that to the guards of the border lands and be safe. Come back if you ever wish to. Unless the world ends we will remain here.” The traveler nodded and left.
    “Things are getting worse dear Lilliana. Come to me before you leave. I’ll have something for you that is not here yet. Do not fear what’s happening, for I will assure that your sister survives. Go now sweet Lilliana and remember the promises of the new world.” Micktash told me. I gave him my eggs and grabbed the belongings he set for me and several other items before turning to leave. I walked back to my house quickly.
    “Ari where are you?” I called to my sister walking in the house.
    “How is Micktash?” Ari asked me coming from outside the back of the house. I looked around the house and noticed that Ari had washed all the clothes and had set the table with some of our finer dinning ware.
    “He’s worried. A man came in talking about how the Undead destroyed his village and that he didn’t know what to do. Micktash wanted me to give you this. It’s supposed to help sense when undead are near.” I told Ari giving her the pendent.
    “Gods it’s gorgeous. The emerald green is beautiful, and the silver and gold cross pattern is just perfect. I love it. Micktash out did himself this time.” Ari exclaimed. She seemed happy with the gift which was the least that I could ask for. I loved my sister and wanted to see her happy.
    “Micktash had them made especially for us. Even papa has one, though his is a ring. A friend outside of the kingdom made them so that we could try to protect ourselves during the war. Ari listen to me, it will help save your life if you do it right. Micktash could be executed for getting them for us though so keep it well hidden. The magic is supposed to work so that it’ll heat the emerald and the silver and gold that entwine it both have special properties but while I was eavesdropping on the traveler I only read Micktash’s explanation on the emerald. Look I’ll finish the reading and tell you, but keep it on at all times after I leave because I can’t protect you when I leave.” I told Ari. She nodded as I talked to her. I sorted through the rest of what I picked up at Micktash’s shop and sighed. I didn’t want to leave my home, but I would have to if things didn’t change.
    “Have you seen papa recently?” Ari asked me.
    “Not since Friday,” I told her. She looked worried but sighed.
    “I’m sure he’ll come home soon. If not then I shall manage to deal without either of you.” Ari replied.
    “If he hasn’t returned by then I’ll find someone to care for you.” I whispered. She must not have heard me though because she walked away to look out the window. I put away the things I had gotten at Micktash’s before joining her at the window. Looking out I noticed that people were rushing past far faster than they typically would. I reached down to touch the pendent and gasped.
    “An undead? Here! Never, there’s never been an undead here.” Ari gasped looking at her pendent. I jumped up from the seat where we were sitting and grabbed a dagger that lay on a table by the door. I looked over at Ari and sighed.
    “Stay put.” I told her rushing out of the house with the dagger in hand. I rushed towards the village square where everyone was meeting. An undead was standing off near the forest heading into the square. Everyone pushed at each other to see who it was and what was going on. Suddenly my pendent necklace started glowing a bright pink and the entire square save me collapsed asleep. Micktash came out to the square from his shop and rushed over to me.
    “Think Lilliana, we need to save the town and that means killing it or saving it. I take it you haven’t read everything that I gave you this morning yet or it would be far easier to know what to do and how to help.” Micktash said.
    “I can’t think about killing it, it’s not just an undead, he’s my father.”

    “I don’t want to hurt him Micktash. He’s family.” I told him.
    “Run home, and make sure that Ari doesn’t come. Grab the books I’ll try to bound him for now.” Micktash told me. Being the only four people who were slightly druid in the village it caused problems for those who hated the druids and who didn’t know anything about the living druids. I ran home quickly and grabbed my books that Micktash had given me earlier in the day.
    “Ari stay put, something is happening and you wouldn’t be safe in town.” I told Ari running back out of the house. I ran back to the square and flipped through the books trying to find answers on what to do. Micktash had my father entangled in vines and sighed running over to me.
    “Please tell me that you’ve gotten everything that I gave you today. You want us to try to save him so we need to find a way to turn an undead back into a natural druid. Complications may arise so we need to be careful with whatever it is that we do.” Micktash said. I tossed him a book and he flipped through it. “I found something that might help. It’s called the Living and it’d take both our energies. It’d probably bring him back from the undead but I’m not sure.”
    “We have to try.” I told him. Micktash nodded and took my hand.
    “The spell is this, Rig the side and repeat the living bring back the life that stole the fear let this man become a living once again.” Micktash told me. I nodded and prepared to cast the spell.
    “Rig the side and repeat the living bring back the life that stole the fear let this man become a living once again.” We both chanted. The city pulled away from our vision as we floated through the air. Micktash and I kept chanting. I started slipping from Micktash’s grip falling back toward the ground but Micktash wouldn’t let go. When I couldn’t handle it anymore, I collapsed and the connection for the spell was lost. Micktash and I both fell back to the ground and hit hard. I rolled over and sighed.
    “I’m sorry Lilliana, I shouldn’t have pushed you that far. You haven’t practiced enough and I pushed you past your abilities. I’m sorry Lilliana. We have to kill him.” Micktash said coming over to me. I looked him in the eyes from when I was laying and sighed.
    “Do what’s needed.” I whispered. He took my dagger from where I had tucked it inside my corset and ran to kill my father the undead. I was struggling to breathe and remain conscious. Soon after Micktash ran off I felt the emerald pendent cool down quickly. My father was dead and there was nothing I could do about it. Micktash ran back to me as I fell out of consciousness.
     
    “What did you do to her?” I heard Ari shriek.
    “It’s been a day she should have wakened up by now.”
    “She’ll be fine.”
    “It was probably just the corset.”
    “Please Lilliana don’t leave us now. Stay for Charmer’s sake. If you wake you’ll see him soon.”
    “She’s fine. I promise she’s fine.”
    “It’s been two days. They’re supposed to be reunited in four days.”
    “She’ll be fine.”
    “How long has she been sleeping?”
    “They receive her in two days whether or not she’s awake. It does not matter she has to leave.”
    “Please Lilliana, wake up.”
    I stirred slowly after that. While it was common for the youth to strain their person so much that they could be out for a day or so, I had taken the longest to recover from using all of my energy.
    “She’s fine Ari you have to believe that she’ll be okay.” I heard someone tell my sister as I started to stir from my deep energy based sleep.
    “She’s not wakening yet and she’s so pale. She has to leave today and she’s not well enough to go is my worry.” Ari told whoever it was that was in the room.
    “I only wanted to make the best exit possible.” I whispered barely audible.
    “She’s fine, just like I told you she would be.” Micktash laughed as Ari jumped.
    “You scared the living Khqulida out of me. What in the name of Hades were you thinking?” Ari shouted at me. Micktash smirked as I slowly sat up.
    “Leaving with a bang it would seem. Honestly if I were you I’d blame Micktash for pushing me that far.” I told her.
    “Come the day when you chose to bury your father, the academy should allow you time away.” Micktash told me quietly.
    “I’d rather not be here. It’ll be too difficult.” I told him.
    “They’re to receive you in an hour. We must get you ready for their arrival, and since you hadn’t wakened we haven’t gotten your new items from my shop. I’ll run there now and you’ll get a bath.” Micktash told me.
    “Fine so be it.” I told Micktash and Ari. Micktash turned to leave and Ari helped me up from my bed. I walked into the small room that we would typically take baths in. Ari had already filled the tub planning to take a bath herself. She helped me out of my dress and had me slide into the water carefully. I took a quick bath and was soon ready to go on my way out of the house to the academy. Micktash returned as Ari was helping me lace into my corset. I started to panic as the time got nearer for me to go off and become a member of the highest class in the war against the undead. King’s Guard only saw the battlefield on rare occasions because most were bards or were skilled in something that wasn’t typical sword fighting. We are the users of magic that are able to defeat the undead. We are not supposed to fight on the front lines because it would risk us turning on our side and becoming undead ourselves. The Pendragon’s understood little about magic use, and settled with wizards, bards, and healers, but they refused to allow a druid over the country line without special permission. That’s why many druid families kept to themselves and claimed to be of different origins.
    The church bells rang and I sighed knowing that it was time to go. I didn’t want to leave my sister and Micktash they were a big part of the reason that I always felt safe. Now I’d leave to be with my betrothed Charmer and fight a battle with my people for my kingdom. Ari would be lost without me so the fact that I was leaving her scared me. Micktash and Ari each grabbed some of my things before walking out the doors. I followed slowly.
    “Lilliana Northwood, Tobias Janes, Joy Wirth, Xavier Guess, Harcras Hamade, Yeix Salt, and Hayden Noel you are all expected to report to Rising Phoenix Academy tonight with the King’s Guards escort train. You must come with us weather you’re injured or spent, for it is your civic duty to serve the king.” One of the knights in the square announced.
    I stepped forward along with several of the others and waited until the knights had counted and checked that we were all there before having us saddle horses to ride out of town. The king’s guard knew that few of us had horses of our own and had brought some with them. Horses we would later ride to battle. I had been given a white horse plain as could be, but beautiful for round its neck it wore a golden chain. We rode on for nearly five hours before we were arrived at the academy. When we got to the academy, I looked around and tried to decide how my time here would be.
    “Lilliana,” Someone said running and scooping me up into a hug. The others from our village laughed .
    “Charmer put her down, we’ve been riding for hours, and I’m sure she’d like to stand.” Tobias said. Charmer put me down and kissed me on the cheek.
    “Shall we be expecting a wedding soon?” A man asked exiting the academy doors. I groaned and stepped away from Charmer looking at the man.
    “Perhaps, but that is for the darling to decide. For now, we need to prepare for the beginning of the newest year of training.” Charmer told the man behind him.
    “Quite gladly I hope. Charmer off to train, I must welcome our new students.” The man said. Charmer turned and left as the man stepped forward.
    `“My name is Moak. I am one of your teachers here, I will show you the school, and come dinner you will meet the rest of the students and teachers. You all came from the same village, but that doth not mean that you will be training together or working with each other.” Moak told us. There were supposedly five stages of training and we hadn’t even started stage one yet. Moak must have spoken again because everyone starting moving forward into the building. I fell into the line of my old friends and hopped that none of them would ever figure out the truth about me.
    “To start I’ll show you to your chambers, girls will be sharing chambers with each other, and boys will be sharing with each other until through this first round of training when we can assign new chambers.” Moak told us leading us up some stairs.
    “From here, girls will be on the right at the end of the hall, and boys will be on the left through the third door on the right. Those are the two largest rooms on the campus besides the training room and the dining hall. After this first stage, you will be assigned a room dependent on your family. Families are lead by different instructors. You’ve been selected to be in two of four families and you have to choose your favorite family of the two we’ve assigned to you.” Moak told us. He took us up another stair case and we stood around wondering what we were doing.
    “Beyond these doors the families are meeting to bond and learn how to assist each other when in battle. These rooms you can only access after you’ve chosen your family.” Moak told us. I looked around and noticed that outside every door there were portraits of a bunch of different people. Moak’s portrait seemed to be on one of the closest doors to where I stood. I didn’t say anything though. I knew better than to risk it. Moak started leading us up one more flight of stairs.
    “Be careful entering this room, we practice magic and weaponry in here and stuff goes flying all the time.” Moak told us leading us up into a new room.
    The stairway entered directly into the room and we got to see our first look at our new training room. There were dart boards and dummies throughout the room. There were men and women alike throwing knives and sparing with swords. There we’re arrows flying down from the ceiling and I noticed several people hanging upside down shooting bows and arrows down at targets.
    “We train you so that you can handle any and all situations. Often times when we’re on the battle field we have to face a lot of strange situations. Our students are trained to adapt and adjust as needed to allow them all the best chance of survival. Therefore you may notice that we have students working on learning to control their magic, several learning to use our weapons in places you typically wouldn’t expect to see them, and students trying new things. When it comes down to it, many of our students are ruthless killers who are expected to do what is needed when it is needed without hesitation.” Moak told us as we all looked around. There were a lot of weapons in the room that I had never seen nor heard of. Everyone spread out and started looking at different things when Moak called for us again.
    “Come on, I still have a few more places to show you.” He told us going back down the staircase. We all slowly followed fairly distracted by the training room. Moak lead us down the stairs and outside past a barn.
    “Back here is where we more practice our magic than weapons, but it too is a practice area. Don’t spook the horses if you ever work out here.” Moak told us showing us a clearing at the edge of the woods that had targets and dummies set up. We looked around for a few minutes before Moak cleared his throat and lead us away. Back inside the school Moak showed us around a few more places such as a ballroom, library, and the dining hall. By the time we got into the dining hall, all the other students were already inside and sitting down. Moak showed us in and told us to sit anywhere. Charmer saw me and waved me over as Moak went to the head table. I sat by Charmer and Tobias and Joy followed.
    “What do you think so far?” Charmer asked as we sat down.
    “The sooner we’re through the first two stages the better I’ll feel. I’m terrified right now.” I sighed. Charmer grabbed my hand and looked at me.
    “You’ll be fine. Darling think about it, you’ve grown to be a great woman and someone who’s not afraid of fighting. They never have to know if you’re careful.” Charmer whispered.
    “I’m super excited to learn something new about magic. You know how boring it is to just use spells we already know.” Joy said.
    “I don’t know why I was chosen. Sure I have a few secret tricks, but I learned those on my own. I don’t know how to control it either so it’s whatever I guess.” Tobias sighed.
    “Guys, when it comes to choosing your family choose the Vix. That’s the family that I’m in, and it would allow the rooming to be easier.” Charmer told us.
    “What if we are not chosen by Vix? We were told that we had to be chosen by the family to join the family.” Joy said. Charmer sighed and shook his head as food was placed on the table for us to eat. We didn’t hear Charmer’s response because there was a mad dash for food and his response was lost in the sound around us. For our first meal at the academy it was perfect.
    Dinner finished shortly and we were dismissed to our bed chambers for the night. Joy and I went into what was an empty chamber that had fit ten people’s beds. Given where we came from it was weird to be in a place where they had the money to make such extravagant choices within their homes.
    “You noticed the portraits too right?” Joy asked me.
    “How could one not notice those, they stood out because of the detailing and the colors. Like it makes sense that the King and Queen wear purple but that Moak guy?” I replied choosing one of the empty beds.
    “Maybe he’s of royal blood and no one is aware of that. Of maybe it’s just because he has a high standing in the army.” Joy sighed choosing another bed.
    “Doubtful. The color was too rich and purple is hard to come by even for the royal family. Moak came from a small village in Freska. The king and Moak are of a similar size so it’s possible that the people in Freska had him try on the king’s garments while they were making them. It’s a reasonable explanation but it may be wrong.” I told her.
    “So what do you think of the Shadow boy who was hanging out with Charmer?” Joy asked excitedly.
    “He seems kind but first impressions can be wrong. I think he comes from Duner.” I told her.
    “Duner is in Kovek’s kingdom isn’t it?” She questioned. I nodded and walked over to her to help her untie her corset. She untied mine and we both decided to crawl into our beds.
    “Good night Lilliana, and may our training not kill us in the morning.” Joy said.