Legend of Jaluga

Prologue

A young female ran through the woods, trying to give her daughter a free life. Her strange hair, that started out a dark purple, went to ocean blue, sky blue, then seafoam green at the tips, whipped at her face. It momentarily blocked her eyes, gold with flecks of silver, causing her fear to rise even more.

In her arms was her three-year-old child, who was holding in her cries of terror. She covered her daughter's identical hair with a green wig and hat, to hide her identity.

The Nagra, vicious dog-like creatures, barked in the distance. The Badure were closer than they were an hour ago. The young mother was losing her strength but refused to give up, if only for her daughter's safety. She could hear the Badure males shouting, growing ever closer by the second. She dared a glance back and tripped over a tree branch, causing her and the young child to receive a few scratches. She quickly got up and continued running, the sound of the river finally reaching her ears.

They were almost safe.

She crashed through the treeline, her brother and the wooden raft in sight. Their salvation close in hand.

"Hurry, Juna!" her brother cried out as loud as he dared.

She rushed to the boat just as the Nagra joined them on the river bank. The hideous black creatures snarled at them but Juna refused to stop running. She handed her brother the child just as one of the creatures bit her leg. She cried out in pain and fell down to the ground, the creature dragging her back toward the forest.

Juna grabbed a branch and rammed it into the creatures eye. It let go, crying out in pain and gave away their location. Her brother jumped off the raft, and began dragging his sister over to their salvation.

She looked down at the sand and saw the bloody trail she was leaving. They would find them for sure if she went with them.

Her brother had just climbed onto the raft when she realized what she would have to do, what she would sacrifice.

"Durkin, you need to go," Juna commanded him.

"I can't leave you."

She kissed the top of his head. "Take good care of my daughter."

She did not give him time to argue as she shoved the boat off the bank, the water carrying it away swiftly. To swiftly for the young male to swim back to shore.

"Juna, NO!"

The little girl began crying, reaching for her mother for she knew, even at her young age, that she would never get to see her again.

Juna smiled, tears in her eyes, and stated, "I love you with all my heart, Adeline. I look forward to the day we meet again."

Juna blew her daughter a kiss and limped back into the forest, shouting and screaming the entire time. Just a few seconds after the female cried out, she was captured. Durkin silently cried for he knew she would die. He watched his poor niece, who also knew her mother was doomed, as she cried uncontrollably.

"Momma!" she cried out repeatedly.

Durkin pulled her against his chest and she sobbed. He knew she needed to be quiet but, more importantly, the little one needed to grieve. He stroked her hair as she cried, and cried, and cried.

"It's alright Adeline. Everything is going to be alright," he lied as she sniffled.

"I want mommy."

He knew how she felt. So he held her in his arms, even after she cried herself to sleep. Soon after, he himself fell asleep.