Suddenly a furious winter wind whipped through the forest kicking up leaves and dirt as it went. The wind slapped Aledai's spell book open and flipped through the pages, landing on one. It was titled Lunar Sacrifice. Aledai hovered over the page for a moment daring a glance at the incantation inscribed on the thick vellum. This was a forbidden spell, a dark magic that had been outlawed long ago.
The text read:
Take the flower, bush and tree,
By the goddess, blessed be.
Set beside the sacrifice,
Beneath the moon's rays, burning bright.
Darkened night and shining moon,
Invoke the age-old elven rune.
Then with the pure-hearted death,
Child of the moon therein is blessed.
Aledai held her breath. The page spelled out a sacrifice to Oscerin, in trade for magic. She felt lightheaded, like the words slithered off the page and coiled around her neck. She knew this was the only way the moon goddess would ever grant her power was by sacrificing something, or someone to her. She knew there was no way she could sacrifice an animal, much less an elf or the like. She didn't know how she'd be able to complete the ritual without a sacrifice pure of heart.
She read further on:
Clear as crystal, one's heart must be
To be sacrificed unto thee.
Not stained with blood nor cracked within,
A perfect jewel must be given.
She thought for a moment. Reading between the lines, Aledai realized the spellbook was speaking of the Lunar Crystal. The multi-colored, multifaceted crystal the dryads used to focus Avarin's beams unto the tree of life. The dryads always believed that Avarin had gifted them with the stunning gem, but perhaps it was the other way around.
Aledai knew exactly where the Lunar Crystal was kept, and it would be fairly easy to retrieve give that she wasn't caught. If she was caught, she'd likely be exiled, or worse, executed by the dryads on the spot. She weighed out her options; on the one hand, she desperately wanted to be like the other elves with their ability to do magic, but on the other hand, what was the point of magic if she couldn't help with the lunar ritual. It wasn't worth it.
But still, she couldn't shake the thought that for once she might actually taste magic. She looked over to the stone dryad statue standing resolute at the other edge of the forest. Beneath the statue sat a silver chest, and within it was the lunar crystal. Now, there weren't any dryads guarding the statue and the crystal, but soon there would be with the Lunar Diamond so close in sight. The dryads who had been sitting in the center of the forest had left with Vithir to gather supplies for the ritual, leaving Aledai alone.
She tore the page with the incantation, right out of the spellbook and stuffed it into the folds of her silken robes. She might not get another chance to take the crystal. She glanced around to make sure there were no silent watchers to witness her crime. She quickly reached the dryad statue only to realize the silver chest was locked. No, she thought, of course it wouldn't be that easy. She looked around again. The key must be somewhere around here. That's when she realized the runes inscribed on the silver chest. She wouldn't be able to open it without casting a spell, and that required magic. She sighed, her one and only chance at magic, gone with the wind.
"Hey, Al," said a voice from behind. Aledai jumped, startled by the voice. It belonged to another elf her age, with long, dark hair and silvery eyes. "What are you up to?" the elf said.
"Talia, uh, I'm just looking at the ancient dryad." she lied.
"Oh, well could you step aside a moment? I am to get the Lunar Diamond for the dryads. They want it polished and ready for the ritual." Talia said.
"Sure," Aledai said, her eyes lighting up. "Is there any way you could let me shine it and prepare it for the ritual. I can't do magic, but I've got to help out somehow." Aledai wasn't sure if she sounded convincing, but she smiled at the other elf with pleading eyes. Talia sighed.
"I suppose that would be alright. I'll let Vithir know you're taking over the task for me." She said, starting off in the direction of the forest where the dryads had been gathering supplies.
"Uh, Talia?" Aledai said, embarrassed with her lack of magic.
"Oh, right." The elf called Talia clasped her hands together in silent prayer and recited the incantation. "An'ar dele'njir, ior noré Avarin." One by one, the runes on the silver chest glowed brilliantly and suddenly the chest clicked, unlocked. Talia lifted the lid back and the Lunar Crystal glittered silently in its silken bedding. Aledai smiled at the other elf who promptly left to practice her magical incantations for the ritual later that night. She picked the crustal up with both hands. It was slightly larger than a melon with hundreds of multicolored facets sparkling beneath Solaris' golden rays. It refracted the sunlight and cast dancing beams against the trees of the forest. Aledai shut the chest and wrapped the large crystal in her robe, disappearing from the forest.
YOU ARE READING
The Crystal Thief
خيال (فانتازيا)Aledai, a half-elf and outcast in Farendale steals the Lunar Crystal in an attempt to escape the cruel world of her upbringing. Now, she's on the run from the dryads who must get it back before nightfall, when their ages-old ritual will begin. The s...
