“Do you know why we’re here, Eldana?” asked Sinto, the unofficial leader of the group of seven.
“Yes,” Eldana answered.
“Then surrender yourself to the Council so that we can complete the prophecy. Do you understand this?”
“Yes,” Eldana agreed with a whisper.
“Very well, I will come to you now and take the weapon from you.” Sinto made the first kind gesture towards Eldana.
When he took his first step, Eldana lifted the sword slightly into the air and pointed it in Sinto’s direction. There was a twitch of disbelief in the faces of the warriors.
“Stop,” ordered Eldana. Her tone was harsh. Sinto stared at her in disbelief, same as the other warriors, but still stopped on her command. The warriors were able to pull themselves together, but now they hummed softly, a sign of focus. They were getting ready to fight.
“Don’t fool around, child! We only want to help you,” said Sinto, in a slightly alarmed voice.
He raised his hand and gave the other warriors the signal to stop humming. They stopped immediately but kept the grim look on their faces. Eldana stretched her hand forward and whispered three short words to herself. In response, a gust of wind swept through the clearing and transformed into a wall of energy bursting from her outstretched hands. A protective shield now covered the surrounded woman.
But magic was exhausting. Eldana could not believe what had happened in such a short time. The last 10 hours had taken its toll. She had to run through the night, the tunnel of the castle, and the nearby woods, yet was still not safe. Nobody had controlled her chambers, and no guards had been close to her when she had made her escape. How did they find her so fast?
Eldana flicked her hair and dismissed the thought, before digging her boots into the ground, as much for balance as for defiance. She recited the old verses of battle magic, whispering them slowly and quietly at first, then faster and faster as she focused. She knew the verses inside out, thanks to her time with her teachers. Those same teachers surrounded her with just one goal, to bring her home even though that would mean killing her. A tear rolled down her face as she looked in the direction of Sinto and quoted the centuries-old verses. She realized how important this moment in her life was; she was ready to fight to death against the man who was once like a father to her.
Very long ago, Sinto and Eldana had laughed together. He was the first warrior of the Middle Kingdom to train Eldana.
It had not been an easy task, a being of Balance and Chaos was not born every day. The saying went, the more powerful that sacrificed being, the more beautiful the next hundred years would be. Therefore, seven warriors trained this being in becoming the most powerful of all in everything that was there to know.
His first task for her was to learn how to conjure an energy wall.
“Ironic,” Eldana muttered as she stood before the Seven. The magic that these people had taught her might just save her life now. She was a little girl when she had first encountered it and had stumbled into her energy wall several times. She made all the mistakes anyone could make, first conjuring only small energy bubbles, a smaller version of a full protective shield. Sinto could hardly stay composed during training, always in fits of laughter. This memory of him, which once brought tears of mirth to her eyes, only hurt Eldana now. It was as if her entire history was playing out in front of her.
“This will save your life one day!” Sinto had once said with a severe undertone several times in the years of training.
Back then, she looked at him, eyes blazing; it was unclear why he had always been so serious. Although it upset her, she did what he asked anyway. And finally, after months of training, she had created her first protective shield in the form of an energy wall. It was her favourite memory.
Eldana remembered him lifting a stick from the ground and hitting her on the cheek. It was just too quick for her to avoid it. She had been less annoyed by the pain than by his irrational behaviour. He had swung again and again. Her anger multiplied; no one would hit her like that. Sinto was just about to hit her again, but this time she built up an energy wall of protection. It almost failed, but it was enough to counter the strike of the stick. Eldana remembered looking at him with rage. He had smiled then, but today he did not.
Eldana’s protective shield blazed around her. Her eyes were still wet with tears. She had regained her composure. She was tiny compared to the warriors around her, yet there was no trace of doubt or fear in her. She was as determined as them.
“It is time,” she spoke, and her voice was commanding. All of the warriors gripped their swords tighter. She muttered the magic verses again. She stopped one last time for a second and breathed deeply. All the warriors hummed, this time loud and clear. There was no longer any doubt about where this
