NaNoWriMo 2015

Chapter One -- Day 1

I turned my head as soon as I heard his voice. I could feel my heart in my throat as the figure appeared in the dim light of the moon.

"Princess Eria." His voice was barely above a whisper.

I swallowed hard before speaking. "It's just Eria out here." I hesitated before asking. "Do you have what I asked for?"

The hooded figure nodded his head and stepped closer.

"I do, but you understand this must be kept secret."

I nodded once. "I understand." I held out my hand. "Show me, please?"

The figure pulled his hand out of his cloak. "Just take my hand, it's better that I go with you. It's very... disturbing."

I nod again and slip my hand into his.

I feel his hand squeezing my own and then sunlight burns my eyes.

Turning my head, I look out at what once was the darkness of the forest is my kingdom.

What I thought was sunlight burning my eyes was actually the bright flames of fire engulfing the city.

"No!" I shouted out in horror. "My Kingdom... how is this... what happened."

The boy stood quietly beside me, gently pulling me back to his side when I tried to run towards it. I had to do something!

"The Queen, your mother, will go missing. She'll be gone for eight years. A couple of months after she goes missing, a curse will overtake the Kingdom... leaving it frozen."

I let out a weak laugh; he had to be lying, right? "This doesn't look like ice to me. It looks like fire."

"That's how your story will end, Eria."

I frown deeply and look towards my burning Kingdom again. "It can't end like that." I say. "It has to end better than that."

"I'm sorry."

I turn to face him, noticing that when I do the burning vision disappears.

"What can I do to change it? There has to be some way to change my fate."

The hooded figure shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there is no way to change it. The day your kingdom goes up in flames is the day you'll perish with it."

I look back towards the vision took place, all I can see now are trees, darkened by the night. My heart is racing in my chest just by knowing this knowledge. In eight years time I was going to be dead.

"Is my mother found at least?" Surely there's some way she can stop this. If I can prevent her from going missing I can prevent all of this, the curse and eventually my own death.

The hooded figure shakes his head again. "I can't see that yet, All I know is that she'll be in a lot of pain."

"Pain, you can't feel pain if you're dead. That means she'll still be alive eight years from now."

I reached over and wrapped my arms around the figure, hugging him tightly.

"That means there's still a chance that this won't happen."

"It's not a good idea to tamper with this, Eria." The figure said.

I shake my head. "I refuse to die with my Kingdom like that. If I die that leaves no heir to the throne. I won't leave the Kingdom." I grit my teeth.

The figure's shoulders lift and then drop as if sighing. "Fine, but you're going to need some help then. Some strangers from another world will be coming into your life soon. You won't know who they are, but they will help you."