The Clockwork Princess

An Ancient Magic

Morning came sooner than she had liked and, after eating a nice fulfilling breakfast with Ves and his father, Amara was almost ready to set off once again.

She sat with them as the morning sun cast its golden rays upon their settlement, a lighthouse in the midst of a dark and dangerous sea. Lakolos' gaze fell upon the shimmering pendant that hung around her neck.

With a curious tilt of his head, he asked, "Forgive me but I must ask, where did you get that pendant? It seems almost familiar to me somehow."

Instinctively, Amara's fingers traced the edges of the blue crystal as she thought back to the strange being that had visited her in her dreams and gifted it to her, saving her from the illusions that threatened to erase everything she knew to be true.

"It was gifted to me by an ancient creature of the forest to guide me and protect my mind from the illusions that tried trick me."

Lakolos' eyes gleamed with recognition as he lifted his own pendant from around his neck, holding the jewellery with great delicacy as he held it out to show her. "Sylvaine gifted it to you then, just as they gifted our people this gemstone thousands of years ago."

Her eyes widened as she reached out to touch the gemstone that sat within a case of polished wood. It buzzed with a familiar warmth and shone brighter the closer she drew.

"These pendants," he continued, "are a gift of ancient magic, channelling the essence of the forest itself, granting protection and guidance to those who bear them. Ours is the only reason our home still stands. We use its magic in our rituals to keep the darkness at bay."

"Why did Sylvaine give me something so precious?" Amara could not help but ask. She was just an adventurer and although she was grateful for the help, she couldn't understand why a being so ancient and wise would entrust something so powerful to her.

Ves smiled as he spoke, "Because you have a good heart, Amara. You have pure intentions and seek to rid this forest of darkness."

"The only thing I seek is the clockwork heart. I didn't come here to save the forest; I came for my home — for Eldoria." She frowned and retracted her hand, wrapping her fingers around her own pendant once again.

The younger centaur chuckled, "That is as noble a pursuit as any, small one. You may think you are only here to save your princess and people but that does not mean you will not save more along the way."

For a moment, Amara's frown only deepened. She didn't quite understand what it was he was saying. How was she supposed to banish the darkness from Veilstorm when she had no magic of her own to combat it? But she pushed that thought aside and focused on what mattered. Sylvaine had provided her with aid and now the centaurs had too. Things were finally looking up.

"You may not realise it now," the centaur leader spoke again, "but your journey is entwined with the fate of Veilstorm itself. Your destiny lies with the darkness that plagues this land — a darkness that threatens your dear Eldoria and has done since long before your beloved princess was even born."

Amara listened intently; her brow still furrowed in confusion. She had never truly seen herself as a hero, as much as she desired to be one. She was an adventurer and wanted to prove herself as such, but she was no saviour of the forest or champion of realms. All she wanted was to fulfil her duty and make her parents proud by finding a way to save her home from further ruin.

"Ves will keep our pendant. It would be yours after I'm gone but I entrust it to you now, my son. With it, you shall be able to watch over our friend and offer her guidance when she needs it most."

The young centaur's eyes widened in surprise as he accepted the pendant, holding it like something precious before gracefully hanging it around his neck. "Thank you, father. I will protect it with my life."