Garthia: The Forgotten King

Chapter Four

Hello reader! Good for you for making it this far! This is what I like to think of as the turning point. From here on, the story becomes more interesting. In this chapter is a lot of important information that you will need to know later about the family that founded Garthia and how it was founded in the first place. Also, you will learn about some wars that will also be crucial to know if you plan on continuing the story. I hope you enjoy it!!

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~Chapter Four

"Long ago, in Medieval times, there was a man. His name was Thane Weston. He never really fit in because of his hidden ability: he could levitate objects and move them around.

"One day, a woman caught him moving a rock without touching it physically. She told the villagers, and they tried him for witchcraft and were going to burn him at the stake. Not even his family came to his rescue. They believed he practiced dark magic which was said to be the most evil and fatal magic in existence. But they were wrong. Thane had no evil intentions.

"He managed to get away into the wilderness far away from the village. Luckily, he met a young woman by the name of Gloria as he was resting at a large tree. She led him to a small encampment in the wilderness filled with people just like him. The first wizards. In this place, Thane married Gloria and had two boys: Adam and Zane. He also became the ruler of their encampment. He named it Garthia- a mix of his and his wife's names-and built a city around the tree where he met Gloria.

"After Thane died one thousand years later of old age, his sons fought for the throne. Adam, the kinder and more kingly son, won. His brother, Zane, was banished from the land for eternity. But he did not give up his fight for the throne. He planned many ambushes on the kingdom, but they were all failures. Eventually, he and his brother ended their feud to raise families. Adam's wife-Thalia-gave birth to a boy and a three girls. Zane's wife-Elizabeth-gave birth to a boy and two girls.

"Adam's son-Salem-is the current king of Garthia. His three sisters-Sarah, Savannah, and Sierra-are know as the Three Maidens and they are in charge of the protection of the kingdom. Zane's son-Maleki-has not been heard from after his latest attempt to take the throne, and his sisters-Mary and Karla-have been causing trouble in the mortal world for many years. But all is well in Garthia. The city is prosperous and expanding. Now it is the birthplace and refuge of wizards."

I sit blinking, trying to process everything I just heard. "That was a great history lesson and all, Dad," I say. "But I'm still confused as to what a 'wizard' even is. I read Harry Potter and all of that crap, but this seems nothing like that."

"That's because it isn't." he says a-matter-of-factly.

"Well would you mind explaining it to me?"

"Ok. So you know that everyone has an aura, right?"

"Yeah." I shrug, "I guess so."

"Well wizards have special auras. They're what gives us our abilities. When we're born, our powers lie dormant in them, waiting to be released. A person's abilities depends on their auras. For example, you-" he snaps like he just remembered something. "Oh right! I almost forgot."

"What is it?"

"I need to tell you about the Four-Year War." I prop myself up on the arm of the couch and signal him to go on. He seems to be enjoying this trip down memory lane, so I'll let him have his fun.

"Like I mentioned before, Maleki hasn't been seen after his latest attempt to take over Garthia. Well this wasn't just one battle. It was a war. For four years terror and destruction ravaged Garthia. Blood was practically flowing down the streets. Entire families were slaughtered, no one was spared. The war finally ended when Salem battled Maleki one-on-one. As you can probably guess, Maleki was utterly defeated in the end and banished from Garthia just like his father before him. Maleki was never heard from again, and his name has never been spoken in Garthia after that. Anyone who speaks it is put in prison by order of the king."

"Wow. He really hates his cousin." I observe.

"He doesn't hate him." Dad corrects.

"Really? He banned the mention of his name. That doesn't sound like love to me."

He frowns and rolls his eyes impatiently. "Moving on. There was four heroes of the war: Jeremiah Burnwell; Sierra Weston, Salem's sister; Maxwell Arlington; and Veronica Blakely, your ancestor. For their bravery, they were given special magic bestowed on them by the king. Elemental magic. The Burnwell's received fire, the Weston's received water, The Arlington's received air, and the Blakely's received earth. This magic was to be passed down in their families and is only know to them. You, Hayden, have been the family member to receive this-one of the most powerful magics in the universe."

"M-me?" I stammer.

He smiles. "Yes you." His smile vanishes again. "But you should know that now that this magic has been released, people and creatures alike will try to steal from you."

"Can they even do that?"

"Sadly, yes. Magic can be extracted, no matter how powerful. But it is very difficult and only few people have the power to do it."

"Well that's just great." I throw my hands up and my dad tilts his head back, laughing.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." he assures me, "You've always been a strong girl even without the magic." A loud noise like the beguiling singing of a fairy sounds from the kitchen. Dad's face lights up when he hears it. "They're calling." He jumps to his feet and practically skips to the kitchen. Curious as to what can make my dad skip like a little school girl, I follow.

As I follow him, I notice that there's a white light emitting from behind the refrigerator. Dad pushes it aside with surprising ease to reveal a small screen. The light is coming from the screen.

He beckons me over to him and I obey. When I reach his side, the screen shimmers and the face of a man appears. He has beautiful, golden blond hair that touches his shoulders, and on his head is a elegant jeweled crown. His navy blue eyes are filled with both sorrow and compassion, and his smile is kind, yet his posture and demeanor are regal. I feel like I've seen him before, but that's probably because he looks like the elven king Thranduil.

"Hello, Raymond." he addresses my father in a silky and somewhat familiar voice.

My father bows. "Hello, your majesty."

"So I'm guessing you're Salem." I wonder out loud. I sound like an obnoxious little kid who doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut.

My dad shoots me a look, but the king just laughs heartily. "Yes. I am he."

"Nice to meet you." I do my best to curtsy, picking up the hem of my dress, but I know I look clumsy.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Hayden." Lady Hayden. I could get used to that. "However, I would love to meet you in person. Your father has told you all you need to know about Garthia, I presume?"

"Yes, Lord Salem." Dad interjects.

"Excellent. Then you are welcome to come here if you wish."

"It would be my honor." I try my best to sound polite. Salem smiles. I feel like I've seen that smile before, but it can't be Thranduil. He never smiles. I just can't put my finger on it.

"Then I will be waiting for you." he turns his gaze to my dad. "I trust that you will show her the way."

My dad looks reluctant, but he says, "As you wish."

"Good." The screen switches off and we're left in darkness.