Passion (Book 1 of "The Fantasy of Life" Series)

Chapter 51

York

Valen sat in front of me with his head down and his hands on the back of his head. Kel was impatiently playing with a stick to my left and Cullen was staring at us bored as I told Valen everything that had happened since he'd been unconscious.

"Oh." Valen answered. A tear ran down his cheek. "I hope 'Naya's okay. Wherever she is."

I heard Cullen sniffle beside me. "Yeah."

"So, what do we do now?" Kel asked.

"I-" Valen started to speak but he stopped to think. "I don't know. Maybe we should go back to the Evenura. Maybe if we tell them they... killed, 'Naya, and took Marhara then they'd help us. We'd have an entire army to attack them with."

"It's worth a shot, any idea where we need to go?" Cullen said.

"I recognise these woods, we're about 10 miles from the wood nymph haslan I was at when you guys first found me." I looked around and locked my eyes on the north. I stood and began walking to the north. "This way." I started to walk toward the north.

We walked for hours on end until finally I saw light in the distance.

"That must be it. Home." Valen said from my side. "Do you think it'd be okay to stay for a night?"

I looked at him, he stared at the lights ahead of us longingly. I understood how he was feeling. I never had my own home, I never got homesick, but I've seen Ashanaya, Marhara, and even Kel get homesick. Each time the feeling became more and more real for me, it reminded me of the look Malia had when they'd taken me away from her, like she was losing the last bit of home she had left. She'd cried, screamed, kicked, scratched, she tried so hard to keep me there with he in the water, but it was for nothing. I thought maybe Valen could keep that feeling of home.

I smiled and nodded. "I'm sure one night would be fine."

He smiled back. "After what we've done maybe I can finally be considered an adult among the clan."

"I'm sure they will. But remember to keep those enchantments under wraps." I walked closer to him and he put his arm around me.

"Are we gonna go to the camp or not." Kel complained behind us.

"Yeah." Valen said, smiling contently.

We began walking forward, everything seemed okay for the first time in a while, a few days that felt like an eternity.

We started to get over the hill, I could feel Valen take a deep breath at my side, but just as we made it over the hill, we saw nothing but ash.

Valen froze, he looked around frantically trying to look for something in tact but nothing was, everything was gone, turned to ash.

I'd only ever seen the Evenura once, years ago, around when I first moved to the wood nymph haslan in the forest nearby, it was very pretty with colourful tents, a mix of a nature and civilization in it's make and the huge and beautiful oak tree in the centre of the camp with it purple leaves.

Ash was heaped up where the tents originally were, the oak tree was just a burnt stump. The fire must've been intense and burned the entire camp in one quick sweep because embers were still glowing very brightly and some parts of the camp were still on fire, which I suppose explains the light we saw.

Valen steppedd forward. "What..." His voice was weak.

"Valen.." I started to step toward him but he turned around quickly.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" He screamed, tears running down his face quickly, they fell off his face and hit the ground, making a low sizzling noise when they did. His eyes searched over my face for an answer, but I didn't have one. He turned back around and ran forward a little then stopped and scanned over the camp. "There has to be something, or someone. There's no way there's just nothing left." He turned back around, his eyes pleading. "Help me, please."

I nodded and I ran forward with him. He broke off and we looked in different places, Kel and Cullen doing the same after a moments hesitation.

I dug through the ashes, and gagged as I saw the charred, black bones of the elves of the Evenura.

"What is it?" Valen asked and he came to my side quickly and looked. Quickly his expression turned even more grim, even Delphine was quiet, she was still and sitting on my shoulder.

Valen moved more of the ash, and beside the bones was a long wooden staff that somehow hadn't burned. He gasped.

"What?" I asked and I put my hand on his shoulder. He put his hand over mine as if to steady himself.

"It's.. the Shaman." His voice shook. "He practically raised me until Ashanaya's mother, Velianna, took me in." He picked the staff up carefully, his hands shaking violently. He handed it to me.

"Keep it safe for me, will you?" His eyes were almost pleading. "I can't do magic and I can't think of anyone else I'd want to have it."

I nodded and I took it, strapping it to my back replacing the shortsword I never used. He quickly leaned forward hugging me, making the ash around us puff up and forcing Delphine to fly up off of my shoulder. He didn't say anything, just kept his arms wrapped tightly around me, I couldn't tell if he was crying, or just glad I was alive, he wasn't moving so I didn't think he was crying.

"Valen-" He leaned back at the sound of his name and looked me in the eye. I continued, a little more nervous than before. "Valen, I love you."

He sniffled. "Really? You don't care about the spring anymore?"

"It'll always be at the back of my mind, but I think you care about me, and that's enough." I sighed.

He tried to smile but it didn't really work. I put my hand against his cheek and reassured him. "I love you, too."

He leaned back in and hugged me again. "Valen, I promise, I won't give up until we've killed every Ashen that's ever existed."

He held me tighter. I heard footsteps as Cullen and Kel came back up to us. Kel dropped by my side, putting a hand on my shoulder. We all sat there in silence for a while, as if respecting those that had died in this camp.