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Chapter 1: The Wood

Hey. I’m Aelleavar Reykas. I don’t like being that extravagant, so we’ll keep this simple. You know that one kid who nearly destroyed the planet through war?  Yeah. That’s me. This is the wondrous tale of how I shoved my friends into war. Enjoy.

I stood as still as I could as I watched a doe nibble at the grass. Her antlers, which curled around the back of her head, glittered with pinks and oranges. The blessing of Flaen, the Wild Element. I thought of arrows I could make, all the powers they could have. I reached behind slowly, brushing my hand over the opening of my quiver, feeling the different textures of the fletching felt against my finger. Ah. I grabbed an arrow with bright red fletching, one that would give the doe a quick death, but still retain the magic inside. I nocked my arrow, took a sharp inhale of breath, and let loose. The doe screeched in pain, rearing her head back and collapsing on the forest floor. My heart twisted as I jumped down from the tree and knelt in front of the doe. Big black eyes looked at me as the doe inhaled slowly. I whispered carefully to the doe, soothing words, just enough to calm it, and muttered, “Flaen forgive me,” as I drove a knife into the deer’s gut. Well, at least I knew Flaen wasn’t going to pick me.

Every year, eight students from throughout my home are picked to be claimed by the Elements, where they’re thrust into the wild to fend for themselves, while the deities watch. I had finally been picked, something I’d been itching to happen for almost ten years. And nothing was going to get into my way.

I grabbed the doe and dragged her back to my base, watching the bushes for signs of any creature.

Flaen doesn’t like it much when people kill his beloved creatures, and legend has it that he’ll order the woods to strangle you, in the slow and painful that.

That’s just superstition, of course. But I wasn’t taking any chances.

I glanced at my shoulder for a brief second, and the giant tooth sticking out of my shoulder, from the wolf I had encountered earlier. Never trust a wolf. A lesson I had learned the hard way. I pulled my cloak over my bad shoulder, letting none see my weakness.

I traveled along the forest floor, tracing the slashed symbols on the trees to trace my way back to my hideout. I pushed past a bush and gazed out at the glorious shelter I found in front of me.

A magnificent tree, towering tall above the forest, with its dark trunk the width of a house, multiple discs serving as floors, and branches with bright golden leaves on them, shot through with red and orange veins, glimmering brighter than lanterns at night. This was Sol’s landmark, where the Sun’s light first touched. I grazed my hand over the tree, my breath hitched with wonder. I pressed my forehead against the dark wood, and smiled, before letting my hand travel over the tree once more.

I closed my eyes, searching for…there. A sudden dip, launching deep into the bark. I tapped it five times, and stepped back, watching the tree moan before part of the tree crumbled away, revealing my base, my home for now.

I stepped inside, with the carcass of the doe I killed, and a pouch of seashells I collected earlier that day. I put down my stuff and tried to start a fire when I heard the snap of a twig, whispers, and banging on the roof.

I froze, listening for another sound, unsheathing my sword. My blade unfolded with three satisfying clicks. My sweaty hand somehow managed to grip the scythe, and off in the distance, I heard a sequence of howls. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Wolves.