Alina Nivar: The Moonstone

VI: A Legacy

"Are you sure about this?"

Arien nodded.

"I got two more, I won't miss it," he said, handing the dagger to Alina. "Besides, I've found it pretty useful to have one of these with you. C'mon, grab it."

Alina did so. She held it closer to examine it. The hilt was made of red leather, making it more comfortable to hold it. The blade was made of a metal Alina wasn't really able to recognize, since she knew little about the matter, but it was light and even she could realize it was a very good piece of handwork. It had runes and vines carved in it, and the girl couldn't help but to admire it. Arien handed her its sheath.

"Attach it to your belt like this," he told her while showing her how to do it with his own.

Alina did as he said. A couple days ago Arien had gone into the house to look for clothes for her, since in the cave there were only male clothes. She was now wearing her purple cape, a white cotton shirt, a high-waisted purple skirt, black leggins, and boots. Arien, on the other hand, was dressed with black leather pants, a blue linum t-shirt and the same props that he was wearing the first day they met.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Not really," Alina said. She was trying to play it off, but she wasn't ready at all. What would happen when she goes back to the castle? Would she be fired? Would people considerate the fact that her father had dissapeared and let her keep her place in the kitchen? Would she even go back?

She shook her head to get those thoughts out of her mind. It was pointless. She would be going either way. She'd had a dream a few nights before. In this dream, Rina was now under the appeareance of a little girl of around 9 years old, but she was wearing the same feather cape and her sliver eyes shone with the same strange light. She told her that one of the "men in the shadow" had captured her father, and he was now out to get her "legacy".

It was the fact that one of those "men" was responsible for her father's dissapeareance what filled Alina with determination. If she reached that "legacy" before them, maybe she could be able to get her father back. The nine kingdoms could go to heck, but no one was hurting her father. He was the only family she had left.

"It's gonna be okay, okay?" Arien said, dragging her back to reality.

"Yeah... Yeah, I know. Sorry for spacing out."

"Don't worry. It happens to the very best."

"It's just... The only thing we know for certain is that we need to go to the silver mountain. And then what? If only we knew what exactly we're looking for..."

"Still no idea about what that legacy could be?"

"No, I..." Alina gasped, eyes wide open. "How could I be so stupid!"

She grabbed her book and started turning the pages quickly, looking for something she'd just remembered.

"I know you're not that smart, but don't underestimate yourself," Arien said with a grin.

Alina didn't even have time to get mad at him and his dumb jokes.

Stupid... Stupid, stupid, stupid!

She quickly found what she was looking for and showed it to the boy.

The page showed an image of a mountain with a circule of six statues. It was just a drawing, but the perspective made it obvious that they were huge. In the middle there was a rock, like a pedestal, and on top of it was a small stone. The same stone was drawn more clearly in a second image. Arien looked at it confusely.

"And this is supposed to be...?"

Alina swore under her breath.

"Of course you wouldn't understand it. It's runes."

"Wait. Hold on. Stop right there. It's runes? And you can read them?"

"Yes-- That's no the point!" The girl sighed. "The title here says 'Moonstone'. It's the power symbol of Rina, and the most powerful amulet that lays in the nine kingdoms. She created it to give magic to the mankind. She legated it, Arien. This is what we're looking for! Her legacy, it's the Moonstone!