Forsaken Path

Chapter One

(Disclaimer: I do not own any of the art that will be featured in this book)

"At least sit still for more than two minutes please, Maz."

Mazdeline shot a look of contempt at her father, who sat on her right side at the Elven King's personal feasting table. Zerath stared back at her with an exasperated expression, the both of them keeping eye contact for several minutes until at last, Mazdeline caved in. With a huff, she straightened her posture and fought to keep from fidgeting or tapping her foot. She despised attending the feasts that usually followed after the King's personal meetings, the meetings that her father had to attend as the Archmage that lead and commanded all of the Elven warrior legions of their kingdom. She would much rather be exploring the castle ruins in the forest near her home village, or having sparring matches with her younger sister Mayzra, who was much more composed than she at such feasts. With a sigh, Mazdeline stabbed her portion of cooked meat with her fork, preparing herself to suffer through a very long, and very boring evening.

Several minutes passed, in which Zerath spent chattering with the Elven lord beside him. And Mayzra, seated on Mazdeline's left, often nudged Mazdeline to point out something she found amusing about another Elf at the table. The table itself was very long, meant to accommodate at least 100 beings. The dining room was rather large, with an area for entertainment, pillars that ran along the walls and windows. So many windows. Mazdeline yearned to gaze out of them and daydream the evening away, but she sat too far from the nearest window, so sadly enough that was not an option.

A flash of blue in the corner of her eye drew her attention towards the king. It was a royal guard, dressed in the colours of the Storen kingdom, murmuring something to the king. The king listened intently, his eyes narrowed with what seemed to be concern, and he cleared his throat, drawing all eyes towards him.

"I am afraid to announce that an important matter has come up, which must be discussed with my council immediately. The dinner has ended, everyone but those who are a member of my council may leave." With that, the king, her father, and a few other beings at the table rose up.

"Please watch after your sister." Mazdeline's father murmured to her with a smile before following the king out of the dining room. Servant's started coming in, clearing the plates and the remaining food off the table as everyone else rose to leave. There was an odd silence amongst them, which she wasn't surprised about. It was rare for a royal meal to be interrupted, and two meetings in a row within a few hours was also rare. It had to be serious, and not knowing what it was made everyone a tad anxious.

Nonetheless, she was grateful that the meal was finally over, and she could go do some much more amusing activities.

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"You're slower than I last remember!!"

The clang of two thin blades meeting echoed through out the forest. Mayzra and Mazdeline fell back, both panting heavily with twin blades in each of their hands.

"I'm still getting over that leg injury!" Mayzra stated indignantly. She seated herself on a log at the edge of the forest clearing with a heavy sigh, reaching beside it to grab a water bottle and take a long drink.

"Well next time, have your laces tied when climbing trees" Mazdeline retorted, in which her sister only replied with a hmph. She joined Mayzra on the log, both sitting silently for a few minutes listening to the wind in the trees. After taking one last sip, Mazdeline turned towards her younger sister.

"I'm worried about what that interruption of the dinner was about." She admitted. Mayzra nodded her head in agreement, a look of contemplation on her face.

"I've been thinking..." Mayzra started, taking a short pause before she continued. "You know that kingdom from another planet n the next galaxy, that's been threatening our king with war?" Mazdeline paused, thinking. Sh had heard it mentioned before, but never thought much of it because of her busy schedule. But now it hit her in the face. There's a possibility of war. There hasn't been a war in over a thousand years. How could there be one now?

"Their planet has been taken over by some human king," Mayzra continued "who, by the rumours that I've heard, has somehow found a way to achieve immortality. But he's missing an ingredient. That our planet has but his doesn't."

Mazdeline stared at her sister, feeling as though her eyes were the size of saucers. How did her sister know so much?  Mayzra noted her look, and shrugged it off, not bothering to give an explanation. Mazdeline decided it was probably best if she didn't know. Then again, the human king finding immortality was just a rumour. And she hoped it stayed that way. Humans were already greedy enough.

They sat there for a long hour, watching the sun set over the trees and the stars appear in the sky. Mayzra grabbed her sister's hand and led her to lay in the grass. They gazed up at the stars, and Mazdeline let out a long sigh.

"I hope mother is happy up there." She said quietly, watching the first moon rise over the trees. Mayzra took Mazdeline's hand in her own, squeezing it slightly.

"I''m sure she is.." Mayzra said softly, a tear leaking out of her eye and falling on the grass beneath them. "It's only been two years since she died... but it feels as though it's been a thousand years."

Mazdeline nodded, feeling her throat tightening. "Time does seem to move slower since she's been gone.." The second moon rose into the sky, just beneath the first moon. It cast a silver light on the tree tops, making them look silver as the wind danced between the leaves. The two sisters laid there for a while, before Mazdeline got to her feet, and her sister followed suit.

"I think it's time we head home" She said "Father would be worried if we stay out any longer." Mayzra nodded, and followed her out of the clearing onto the forest path that lead towards their cabin.