Egrariand Chronicles Book 1: The Curse of the Black Stone

Land of the Gorttaurs

Ava found herself in a wild plot of moss-covered grass framed by luscious bushes and different varieties of blooming flower beds that were eye-catching in their own right. Grass and plants work together almost harmoniously. She looked around and saw a fountain standing in the middle of the garden, offering an aquatic element of tranquility, enjoyed by birds.

"Where am I?... Blaine?"

She walked around looking for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Blaine!

She kept on walking and walking until she saw a female figure in a black silk dress.

"Y-You!" said Ava with hatred and confusion. "W-Why are you doing this to us? All we did was to help you! Why?"

Amara walked toward her with guilt and bitterness in her eyes. "I will not expect you to forgive me, Ava. There are no words that could suffice the betrayal and deceit I did to all of you, but that's not what I'm here for. I don't have enough time to tell you everything. I need to get back before She finds out."

"What do you want?!" she snapped. "I don't know if I want to listen to you anymore or believe you. You betrayed us! Especially Lucas. You're everything to him! And Steve, you will break his heart the moment he finds out!"

A tear fell from Amara's eye.

"You can't deceive me anymore," said Ava in a cold voice.

"Hate me all you want Ava. I'll accept it. But they need you... Blaine, Lucas, and Steve. They need you. Help them. Please."

Ava froze. "W-What d-do y-you mean?"... "Was this about the vision, the Fossigrim showed me?"

"Deianira, the goddess of Death. There's no way of stopping her going back to power. She planned it all from the very beginning. Drawing Lucas, Steve, and Blaine to the Sacred Spring. She needs them to be her sacrifice for her to gain her power and status back."

"What?!"

"Help them, Ava. Only you can help them."

"H-How? How can I help them?" asked Ava, but before Amara could answer, she vanished in thin air.

"Amara! Amaraaaa! Tell me!"

—O—

"Amara!"

Ava opened her eyes and found herself in the same room she and Blaine spent the night. She looked around, she was alone.

"Blaine?" she called but he didn't respond. She hastily rose up from the bed and searched around the house calling his name. He was nowhere to be found.

She looked for his horse at the stable, and it was gone as well.

She felt a sudden twist in her heart. No! Realization struck her, Blaine and the others might have gone to the Sacred Spring already. She tried to warn Blaine that night, but when she was about to tell him, she was drowned in deep darkness as if someone pulled her down.

Now that she finally woke up, she couldn't even do anything.

"Please, tell me, Amara! What should I do??" she said out loud, she begged on her knees hoping Amara would speak to her.

She was in despair.

There was no way she would allow them to die. She needed to do something!

But what?

She was in panic.

'She needs to sacrifice them for her to gain her power and status back,' Amara's words echoed, repeatedly in her mind.