Dawn of Arcane Destiny

Chapter Eighty-Nine

One year and three months ago

"Kesdan, it's kind of creepy out here." Lillia said as Kesdan led her deeper into the forest.

"Nonsense." He said squeezing her hand in a gesture of reassurance. "I've been feeling nostalgic lately. Now that Calder has passed all we have are memories of better times. I want to show you a place we used to visit as boys."

Something was nagging at Lillia. Kesdan didn't sound sad, or insane. At this point in time he was either one or the other, but not jovial like he was now. "How far away is it?" She asked as she avoided snagging her dress on a bush.

"Not far now." He said. "Just up there we turn right off the path."

"Off the path?" Lillia asked panic bubbling up inside of her. "Kesdan, do you know how easily we could get lost?"

The prince laughed. "We won't get lost. I know this route like I know the castle. Plus, it's the middle of the day. There's no way we'll get caught here after dark."

They stepped off the path and continued through the thick trees and foliage. It was so dense that she quickly lost track of their location. Was the path behind the them or off to the left? Part of Lillia felt that Kesdan had told her about this place before, but she couldn't recall what or where this place was.

Eventually they stepped into a clearing. It would have been completely round and void of anything but short grass if it weren't for the three arcane trees in the middle. The thick trunks stood stalwart and straight as if nothing could disturb them. The trees' positions created the three points of a triangle.

In the center of this triangle was a rock that looked like it had been there as long as the trees. Kesdan stepped forward and brushed some dirt and moss off of the center of the stone. There carved on the rock was a Moon Glyph. Lillia's heart began to race. She couldn't place exactly what the glyph meant but she knew without a doubt that they were not supposed to be there.

"Kesdan get away from there!" She exclaimed, right before her vision went black.

***

Lillia sat up straight in bed. A cold sweat beading on her forehead. She reached her hand over her racing heart.

Bright light filtered through the drapes indicating it was late morning. Drayce was no where to be seen. He had probably gotten up hours ago. She normally wasn't one to be so lethargic in the mornings. This pregnancy was starting to take an extra toll on her physical health.

She slid out of bed and rang for D'Hara.

After she was dressed and ready for day she wandered into her sitting room. Next to the fireplace, there was a tall bookshelf that Drayce had filled with her favorite books. She ran her hands over the smooth spines. Some of them were books that he had read to her when she was recovering from the burns on her legs.

Suddenly the bookshelf shook slightly. She wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been touching the books. A book on the top self was jarred from its spot. Lillia rose on her toes and was barely tall enough to hit the book enough for it to fall. She barely caught it by pinning it against the wood of the shelf.

Lillia ran her fingers over the dusty cover, wiping enough of it to make out the title. She screwed up her eyebrows in confusion. It was in a language she had never seen before. She couldn't even identify what language it was. Why was it on her shelf?

She opened the book and started flipping through the pages. It appeared to be a journal of sorts. The last third of the book she stopped on a page. What she saw made her blood turn to ice. It was a rough sketch, but there was no doubt in Lillia's mind.