The Princess, The Warrior, The Mage

Chapter 1: Emory

The trees seemed to reach out for me, with long withered hands and tooth like nails that scratched my arm as I ran as fast I could through the dark night. My arms itched from where the branches scratched me and I almost wanted to stop and check and make sure a Manibush hadn't touched me. The wind howled behind me, but it was no wind, I knew it wasn't. It was him, he wanted me to give up, to submit my will to him. I looked behind for a moment, stopping in an open clearing, a good distance away from the trees as I looked at their branches, realizing that it wasn't just a ploy of my imagination but that they were actually reaching for me. These weren't Manibushes though, these were mortal trees being controlled and contorted by magic.

I saw the wind, green not with leaves, but with his magic. Twisting, and whirling as it got closer to me. I stepped back, as the wind got closer, a sudden chill crept down my spine as I felt the shadows of the night tighten around me. Trying to suffocate me. The shadows started to come together, forming a man of green magic and darkness.

I didn't stay long enough to see him fully form, but I saw his smirk and his eyes, piercing into me, and then I saw bright lights and buildings lighting up the night and the disappearance of the man that kept chasing me.

I was no longer in Hazrith, with this, I knew I was on Earth now. A world similar to my own, but also very different with their own complex magic that made light run through small little black or multi-colored cords and water come out of metal faucets inside buildings.

My first time here was when I was only 5 or so. I had gone here a few more times, usually on accident, but a few I tried. As a child I thought I had hallucinated every little thing, but as I grew older I realized that it was no hallucination... I had the gift, a gift that only a few rare people have had over the past years.

I remember it almost as if it was yesterday, I was out playing in the gardens with a Lords son, Hammond was his name, Ham for short as I called him. He was a childhood friend I had for a while until he had been sent away to school when he had turned 12.

It was in the middle of summer just when the Storm Lilies were in full bloom. I had wandered off from Ham, towards the forest. As I stepped towards one of the trees that towered over me, I tripped over a rock and fell flat on the ground onto my face.

I started to cry a bit, as I stood, wiping the dirt and tears from my face, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was still crying when an older and unknown girl came towards me. "Are you okay sweetie? Did you fall?" I didn't say anything as I kept looking at her. She had on strange garments, her hair was colored a shade of blue that I could only describe as some brighter shade of blue which I was not familiar with. She kneeled next to me, helping to wipe the dirt off my face with a wet cloth which appeared from a small wet container. "Where's your mother honey? Is she somewhere around here?" She looked around the area, I followed her gaze, seeing not Hammond, the gardens, or the forest that was there only moments ago.

But instead I saw an open area dotted with trees, people, a lake, and other strange structures. Just nearby I saw strange metal contraptions on wheels parked in an area made of what looked like a black rug. I saw some people get into one and it moved, I could only ponder how such a thing worked without horses. They made strange noises and right near them I saw a big sign. I couldn't read it, but there were big, gold letters. It also amazed me yet again that someone could afford so much gold to make such a thing. My next question besides what all these things were and how they had come to be was, where had the garden gone, or better yet, where had I gone?

"Do you see your mother sweetie?" the girl asked again and looked down at me as I shook my head. I still hadn't spoken yet and she looked worried. She stood up now, wiping the dirt from her pants, and then from the palms of her hands. She held her hand out to me, waiting for me to take it.