The Last Faerie in Zantala

Prologue

Prologue

"Everything's going to be okay Ariella, I promise." The woman hushed her child as she held her closer to her chest.

"Can you get any word out at all, Alex?" The older male whispered to his younger counterpart.

"No Father, they shut off the magic," The boy hissed back, disintegrating the crystal in his hand until it was nothing but purple powder. "I knew we shouldn't have left Nympharum."

"I am not going to keep explaining the importance of our trip here, nor is this the right time." The older male hissed back, standing up and going over to the door of the bedroom, his stance tense as if readying himself for a fight. "If we had known that this...this sordid persecution of our kind was occurring, do you think I would have let you come, let alone without the army?"

A loud bang shook the floor of the room, making the little girl – so different from the rest of her family – immediately begin to cry harder.

Everyone looked down at her, sorrow in their shared green eyes as the mother cuddled her child closer to her.

"She'll survive, but we won't," The teenager – Alex – whispered to his father who in turn glanced at the still crying little girl and his wife, before nodding gravely at his son.

Alex walked over to his mother and sister, whispering in his mother's ear and causing tears to run down her face too.

"I guess we have no choice," She whispered back, before looking back at her little girl. "Ariella, we have to go, okay? But I want you to stay here."

The girl immediately clutched at her mother, looking up fearfully at her father and brother, who both looked anywhere but at her, pain evident on their faces.

"Take care of yourself munchkin, and I want you to promise me that no matter how afraid you are, you'll never show it and you'll always fight back." Alex crouched down and kissed his sister's forehead, the bangs and sounds of explosions came closer, and he didn't move away until Ariella nodded.

"I love you my beautiful baby, and no matter what anyone tells you, you are special, understand?" Her father said to her, tears now brimming in his green eyes as he looked into his daughter's big blue ones.

"I love you too daddy, but why can't I go with you?" Ariella whispered her voice hoarse from crying.

The father and brother looked at the mother, who nodded and kissed both of them goodbye and they left the room.

"Mommy you're shaking, and why are the noises getting louder?" Ariella whispered looking up at her mother, who smiled sadly down at her.

"I have to go now, but I want you to promise something for me, okay?" Ariella nodded, clutching even tighter to her mother. "If we don't come back...I want you not to tell them you're a faerie, okay? No matter what happens baby, they can't know that, okay?"

Ariella opened her mouth, as if to ask why, when two male screams suddenly pierced through the already violent air.

Sobs threatened to break out of the woman's mouth, but she steeled herself and held her child's face in her hands. "When they come in, they'll ask who you are and who you belong to, and you tell them your grandmother's name, Priscilla Blackwood. You do not mention me, your father or Alex; we have to be a secret from them alright? Promise me."

Ariella nodded, immediately obeying her mother's stern voice as she had been conditioned to.

"I love you, stay strong my special little girl." She kissed her daughter one more time, tears now running faster down her face, and she quickly ripped herself away, straightened her shoulders and sped out of the door.

Ariella huddled into herself, shuffling backwards so that her back was to the wall. She didn't understand what was happening. Where did her family go, and why couldn't she go with them? Why did she have to hide being a Fae? She was proud to be one, and her parents had always told her to never be ashamed of it.

Another scream suddenly pierced the air and the loud bangs stopped. The pain-rippled outcry had been female this time, and Ariella could name that sound anywhere.

She no longer cared for hiding, for being afraid or that there were monsters in the house out to get her. That was her mother's scream, and she now knew that none of them would be coming back for her.

Loud footsteps sounded in the hallway outside of her bedroom but she was too tired, scared and little to understand that she should hide. The door opened and men wrapped in head-to-toe black leather stormed in, glowing machetes pointed toward the six year old huddled before them. Ariella tried not to squirm away from the knives with the painful green glowing magic or show her fear like her brother had told her. She attempted to calm her sobs and get up, but her body was paralysed in terror and wouldn't let her.

The men neared her, and the pain from the green magic that emitted from the machetes, intensified. She went to scream, but was saved from breaking her promise when a female, dressed in the same uniform as the men, stormed into the room.

"No leave her; she's not one of them." She commanded taking off her mask and smiling down at the child.

"What do you mean she's not one of them? She was in the same house as the vermin," The largest man in the room, and the one closest to Ariella, hissed.

"Then they must have kidnapped her for ransom or something, because this shows that she has witch blood in her." The woman said, showing them a hand-held device, and once the large man saw it, he lowered his weapon, the other men following suit, showing that he must be the leader.

"Pick her up; we'll take her back to her kind." The leader gave the command to the woman, who put away the devise and smiled reassuringly at Ariella as she went closer to her.

Ariella, remembering the promise she made to her mother, didn't say anything and allowed her to be held by the woman but she could no longer hold in her sobs.

"Don't worry child, you're safe and those vermin are dead." The leader told her, his eyes red and his smile looked menacing.

But it was his words that made her howl; her young heart breaking as her fears were confirmed.

Her family was dead and she was being comforted and escorted out by their murderers...all without being able to say anything in return to defend them or having the power to avenge them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So here is the winner of the competition's entry! I hope you do like where I take this story, and stick around for the long ride. Next part should be up soon.

Love xxxx :D