Guardian's Amulet: Tanwen's End✓

Prologue✓

The night was dark. The strong winds were shaking the walls. A beam of light from the attic window shined on 16-year-old Ayla through her opened door. She mumbles to herself and walks up the steps to the attic. Pulling her grandmother's dusty curtains closed as she enters the attic.

She was about to walk down the hall and go back to sleep when she felt a strange warmth on her back. It felt like someone had wrapped their hands around her waist and she almost jumped out of her skin.

When she spun around there was nothing there except the light from the attic window. The light shined brighter than before and engulfed her in a dazzling blue glow that blinded her as it drew her in.

She opened her eyes to find herself standing on a rocky beach. Flowers as tall as skyscrapers, and trees surrounded her like a jungle. It was like this place was never seen by any human before. Ayla began to realize this wasn't a dream and she was lost.

"Ayla. . . Ayla . . . Ayla," A soft yet eerie voice whispered. Ayla whipped around.

"Hello!? Is anyone there!?" She yelled. Seeing that no one was there she moved away from the plants.

"Ayla. . . Ayla . . . Ayla," The voice continued whispering. Ayla started running as fast as she could, thinking the beach was haunted.

"Ayla, why is it that you run from me?" The voice continued.

Unfortunately, she was pulled back into the plants, by an invisible force. But now was being dragged back even more than before.

"HELP, SOMEONE, HELP!" She yelled. But no response was heard. She was now inside a forest and had no way back to the beach. It was like the forest was moving on its own, closing her in and blocking the path and light

Whatever was pulling her back stopped, knocking Ayla into a tall tree. Dizzy and in pain Ayla was blinded by another ray of light, She crawled away from the tree.

She looked up trying to focus her eyes on the tree, a necklace? The necklace that was engraved in the heart of the tree, was now floating toward Ayla. Ayla was scared and confused, she backed away each time the necklace got closer to her.

The forest started moving on its own again, she was caught in vines tying her down. Ayla was unable to move as the amulet got closer to her face. Ayla closed her eyes tight and was engulfed in a dazzling blue glow again.

Once the light cleared off, the necklace was now on her neck. "What is going on!?" Ayla yelled.

"What do you mean what is going on?" The voice replied.

Ayla pulled on the necklace, trying her best to get rid of it. "Who's there?" Ayla asked, stammering.

"Dear Ayla, you don't know who I am?" the voice remarked.

"No, I don't know who you are or what you are but stay away from me," Ayla explained, getting up from the forest floor.

"Do you want to know who I am?" The voice remarked in a sly tone.

"No," Ayla answered, backing away from the tree. The voice sighed.

"Look down," the voice convinced. Ayla looked down only to see the necklace on her chest.

"You're the necklace?" Ayla asked.

"What a wild guess, I am the 'amulet' but I would rather be called Talila," Talila retorted.

"Well, Talila, I would love you to get me back home. To my soft, comfortable, queen-sized bed," Ayla demanded, getting annoyed by Talila.

"Can't," Talila immediately uttered.

"What do you mean 'can't'," Ayla retorted.

"I can't get you back home . . . well not yet at least," Talila confessed as she quieted down at each word.

"WHAT!" Ayla yelled as she started pacing back and forth, pulling her hair.

"I brought you here because the island needs your help. The people on the island turned to ash in seconds," Talila explained.

"So not only am I going insane talking to a necklace. I am going to be stuck on this island for god knows how long, and DIE as well!?" Ayla was frustrated at this point.

"Oi, stop yelling. It's Amulet, not a necklace, am-u-let," Talila yelled and stressed each letter in the word amulet to Ayla. Ayla calmed down and sat on the forest floor.

"Now as I was saying, the only way to stop this and get you back home is the West Element Temple," Talila continued.

"West Element Temple?" Ayla asked.

"It's our only way of fixing this problem. Kola's followers have brought Tanwen, the ruler of destruction to the surface once again. Somehow and without the powers of the amulet. Not learning their lesson the first time. Now we are all in grave danger because he is now looking for the amulet and even without it he's causing chaos. You're the next destined guardian," Talila explained.

"Wow, that changes many things," Ayla spouted with a shocked face.

"Yes, indeed it does," Talila answered.

"And I have a lot of questions," Ayla stated.

"Go on," Talila answered.

"What–" Ayla asked but before she could finish her question.

"Hey you, what are you doing here!?" Someone yelled. Ayla whipped her head away from the tree. A girl with black hair was standing atop another tree with a bow and arrow pointing in her direction.

"Ayla, run!" Talila whispered.