Tales of Aridia

Life

Soon we reached an opening, an opening which I dreamt I would never have to stand at. It was the opening to Aridia's graveyard. Millions of gravestones, and more to come. With the war becoming more prominent, workers started to cut down trees in the far right of the graveyard, to make room for the dead.

The coffin lay on the ground, by the edge of the cliff. It was getting late and a few candles were lit around creating a path for the royals to walk down. I grew impatient, I wanted to leave,  I wanted the ceremony to be over. Deep down I knew half the people here did not come out of sorrow for Sparrow but because of how their reputation would look if they did not attend. I looked at my mother and father for assistance, but they stared straight at the ground.

A guard walked over to the coffin and lifted up the latch. Gently the door lifted, exposing the body inside. However, that was the problem- there was no body Inside.

A cacophony of noise broke out. My mother lifted her veil, showing her puffy eyes and red cheeks. I ran over to the coffin, it was empty. I had to check myself, I didn't seem to believe it. The crowds roared and shouted, I didn't know what to do.

The unexpected happened. The ground began to shake, like an earthquake. We rocked back and fourth on our feet, I held onto the coffin for stability. Parents held their children close to them and those with no one to find began fleeing the funeral. The ground shook more violently, as did the coffin.

The cliff edge cracked and broke, small pieces of rock tumbling down the edge and into the graveyard. Soon the coffin plummeted down, smashing into a million pieces of wood and splinters. I watched in agony, my brothers funeral turn to hellfire.

I picked up the skirt of my dress and ran away from the crumbling cliff. I stopped in my tracks. A loud bang sounded out across aridia, I could feel the vibrations shake through my body. Turning around I was blinded by a white light, the centre of the graveyard had been blown up, we were being attacked. The chances that the attack came from Abraxas were overwhelming. People screamed and ran, dashing for safety however I could not move, my feet were nailed to the floor in pure fear.

Another bang went off. The people were scattered everywhere, hiding and finding shelter. Most of which had been destroyed. A voice called out to me. "Robyn!" Jayden shouted. He was holding his hand out, he begged and pleaded for me to go with him but I stood in silence. I could either run off into the forest and find my own safety, or let Jayden, the boy who killed my brother, carry me away.

Smoke filled the air and the fiery blaze grew closer, I had to make a decision fast. Guards filed out of the palace with guns and swords, a few stood at the back with no weapons. I presumed they were the ones who specialised in magic.

My heart was throbbing, it was possible that I would never see Jayden again, but I couldn't forgive him, I didn't have it in me, no matter how much I loved him. With the swish of my dress I broke into the forest and raced through the trees.

Running faster and faster I did not stop, I didn't dare look behind at Jayden, In fear that my heart would lead me back to him. I stumbled on the seam of my dress but I persevered. My legs grew weary and I was losing breath, I had to slow down. The sky was lit with fire and sparks, some looked like shooting stars. It was beautiful in a way.

Foolishly, I stopped to stare at the sky, mesmerised by the lights. I did not notice the man creeping silently up behind me. A branch broke and I shuddered. The leaves ruffled and I whipped my head around, only to be facing one of my guards. For one peaceful moment I thought I was going to be okay, that I was protected. How wrong I was.

The guard must have been mistaken when he saw me rush off into the woods, assuming I was someone else because as soon as my eyes met his, the tip of his sword pierced my flesh and dug deep into my body. When he realised what he had done he was paralysed in fear, his eyes glazed over and all he could do was grip onto the sword. Not knowing whether to pull it out or not.

The pain was excruciating, my legs buckled and my eyes rolled to the back of my head. Swiftly the sword was drawn out of my aching body. The guard ran off into the forest, disappearing into the darkness. My weak and feeble body collapsed to the floor with a thud, and I painfully rolled over onto my back. The trees surrounded me in a circle, and the wind stopped roaring. Everything was still. It was as if nature was letting me die in peace, and comfort of the night sky. I gazed up at the stars, each one glimmered individually.

The pain got worse with every breath I took. In the dark of the night a few burning embers settled down to the ground, swaying left and right. The embers sizzled out into the pool of blood that was resting on my stomach. The heat seared into my skin. I spluttered on the blood, it seeped out of the edges of my mouth and trickled down my face.

I was surrounded in darkness and shadow, swimming in my blood. I was left alone and cold with no one to hold in my final breaths. I shut my eyes, taking one final glance at the world. In the end, I had accepted my death.

The wind whispered to me, something was calling out. "Robyn..." it said. My eyes fluttered open. Two hands grasped me and I was lifted onto somebody's lap. "Please don't go," the whisper said. Their hands stroked my cheek and wiped away the tears that escaped. I knew who it was, I would recognise that voice anywhere. "I love you Robyn," the voice cried. "I love you too Jayden," I replied grabbing his hand with the little strength I had left. A girl was stood above me, but my eyesight was so blurred I could not make out who it was. Her white dress danced in the wind and she knelt down to my ear. "I'm going to save you Robyn," she said.

"I can bring you back to life but we have to let you die first. When you wake up you will only know yourself as Robyn Jones, you will forget about this place and your life here. You will start a new one, with new friends... and a new love." She explained. I managed to understand what she was saying, I let out a quiet "no" and a weak shake of the head. More tears erupted from me.

"You will find your way back here Robyn, and when you do you will be the one to save us all." The girl said calmly.

I looked up again at the stars, I didn't want to let go. Jayden kissed me on the forehead and released his hand from the wound, letting the blood pour out to make my death quicker. My cries of pain were drowned out by Jayden's tears. Finally, it was time to go. Slowly the energy drained away and my eyes gently shut, my hand slipped out of Jayden's grasp and I was left cold and lifeless.

And that - was in the beginning.