Echoes of the Past

Chapter One - Part One

Chapter One: Guardians Of The Sansa'laa - Part One

Children's laughter cut through the serene afternoon air.

A flock of small birds flew across the field, chirping their happy songs. They wound around a great fellowbrook tree before cresting a low hill, towards the pointed tips of the Obbiwood. Watching their energetic flight, their collective mass changing shape against the clear cream sky, Evan Goodheart tilted his head towards the warm sun, smiling. He knew this calm moment would not last long, and neither did he really want it to. After all, there was more to this sunny afternoon than the lull of solitude. He had honour to win.

Ahead, Nat and Reisa chased a playful spira spark. The brightly coloured bug fluttered away from their pursuit, its stubby transparent wings unable to carry it too fast. How long had they been playing in the field for now? Several hours? Time seemed to have frozen out here.

Evan would be the one to catch the rare bug, he was sure of it. It had shown itself today for him alone. He would keep it in his blessed jar and wait for the Sky Father to favour the bug and turn it into a Wind Stalker, bringing good fortune to his household for a hundred years. His mother and father would be so pleased with him. Everyone would be.

Farther up the field, alongside the gleaming waters of Lake Maeda, walked King and Queen Goodheart, enjoying one of their rare strolls beyond the castle grounds. A Serenity Guard followed the proper ten paces behind the King and Queen. It pleased Evan to see his parents out in the real world, like normal people. Away from the pressures of the castle. It made him feel normal, too, even if several other Serenity Guards were stationed around the field, along with the invisible protective ward that was supposedly over them at that moment.

Evan broke into a run, heading for his friends and the flustered bug.

"His Highness joins the fray," Nat called out heartily. "But the King of Summer looks favourably on the House of Aiylnas this day; mark my words!"

The overly competitive Nat would surely dive for the bug as soon as he was close enough, even if it meant colliding with Evan. He was one of the few children that did not care about roughing with the Prince–and his competitiveness meant he would especially want to win the spark with Reisa present. He would look for any excuse to best Evan.

Nat launched into the air, spreading his large arms out wide for effect. Evan cared not for such displays and aimed lower. The bug evaded Nat's grasp and dove downwards, towards Evan's reaching hands. The glittery wings of the spark tickled Evan's palms just as Nat crashed into him, flattening him to the ground. Reisa's hands joined the pile as she fell with them, grasping Evan's fingers in a tight lock.

With Nat piled on top of him, Evan locked eyes with Reisa–her beautiful, heavy-lidded eyes–and his heart momentarily stopped.

The joy of holding hands with Reisa was replaced by a horrifying fear as a thought struck him. Both their hands were clasped together with the spark somewhere within, and Evan was sure they had crushed it. The thought almost made him cry. How would he tell his parents what they had done? Evan was meant to show them what a blessed future king he was.

Nat guffawed in his over-excited, snorty way as he climbed off Evan's back, playfully pushing his weight down before rising.

The motion caused a stir within Evan's hand. Something moved. Reisa's head shot up also, her eyes widening. Evan was sure he felt a flutter. The spira spark was alive!

"So who won?" Nat asked. He wiped blades of grass from his long shorts and vest, and bent down to study the scene.

"One way to find out," Evan said.