Author's note: Sorry this chapter's kinda short... this was all I had -_- anyway... happy reading!
When I was younger, about eight or nine years old, my Aunt Melissa told me tales of savage creatures that lived in the other realms. I have friends in those realms that know the real story. When I tell her what they tell me, she turns up her nose and says "Your friends don't know a thing about these creatures. I, on the other hand, could teach you a thing or two."
You don't know a thing about the other realms, I thought of saying. If you want to find out more, ask my friends; they know more about those legends than you ever will. To tell you the truth, she never leaves her home for more than an hour per day because she 'doesn't feel safe' when she's out in the open. For all I know, she could have agoraphobia, the fear of open spaces. My mother, of course, knew the real stories, as did I. The stories went something like this:
When Maurasia was formed, people and animals started to move in. Some of these creatures, of course, really were savage at first. Those animals started to eat the human inhabitants, because their native food sources were nowhere to be found. However, as time went on, they started to find other sources of food. Somehow, after a short period of time, the humans learned to trust the creatures that had eaten so many of their kind.
That is all I know of the story so far, which is kind of sad if you ask me. When my friends Ayla, Marie, Violet and I go to Meetings, a time when all four Realms come together to share tales and stuff like that, we don't pay much attention to the Old Ones, the oldest and wisest of all Maurasians; about 20 representatives, not counting the Old Ones, from each Realm attend.
Trust is a word that means you have faith in someone; a word which my aunt didn't seem to have as part of her "adult" vocabulary. Sigh. On the other hand, Aunt Melissa does know many other things. Things like sewing, cooking, cleaning, and "a multitude of other tasks you must learn as you mature, Katherine." To say the least, I hate it when she has to have her way, which is, very well every time anyone looks at her. I also hate it when she calls me by my full first name. Katherine. If you ask me, it sounds like a gypsy's curse.
Anyway, that's not the purpose of this story. My friends and I are supposed to go on this journey for "self fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment" in two days. We have to travel through all the Realms. To tell you another truth, I don't feel comfortable in the other Realms, especially not the Water Realm, because I'm at risk of getting drenched every minute I spend there. My reason is this: my body is mainly made of fire (yes, fire) so if I even step into the water, I will vaporize. Unless the Royals plan on giving Violet and I the power to withstand our "conflicting Realms" (for me, the Water Realm; for Violet, my Realm) then I'm not going on this journey.
The next day, I wake up to Aiden, the love of my life, kneeling next to where I lay on our king-size four-poster bed, eyebrows creased with worry about Egan-knows-what. Maybe he's worried about my safety in the other Realms. The moment I open my eyes, he pulls me toward him and hugs me so tight, I think I might pass out from lack of oxygen, which, as we all know, is a necessary ingredient in order for a combustion reaction, or fire, to occur (see Earthling's Chemistry textbooks for reference). I know he means no harm by it. The first thing he says to me is "I miss you already, Katie."
"Aiden, honey, I don't leave until tomorrow."
"I know that, but I don't know when you will be back. There's no telling how long this journey might take."
Feeling sorry for him, I run my fingers through his rough auburn hair, hoping to comfort him. "It's going to be alright" I whisper in his ear. "Don't you worry; I will live through this. I will survive for you, Aiden; for us." Before I know it, I'm singing "Fire on Water", the song that was playing on the radio when I first met Aiden. He bows his head and mumbles "I will miss you. My days shall be darker than Hades without you around." I sigh. "Aiden, you don't always have to be so dramatic. You know I will be safe. None of the Royals, especially King Egan, would let me or any of my friends get hurt or die unintentionally."
He looks at me with a gaze that could kill a thousand Egans in one blow. Aunt Melissa knocks on the bedroom door. "Children; are you decent?" Aiden replies "Decent? What do you mean, decent? Do you mean, in spirit? Or is there something that I should know about?" We didn't invite her in, but Aunt Melissa waltzes in anyway. "Katie? Is something the matter with Aiden? He usually talks to me with a barbed tongue, not a softened one." As she asks me this, Aiden has once again bowed his head, and he is mumbling something inaudible. I place my hand on his shoulder, and say, "He's just worried about... the journey I'm supposed to be taking tomorrow. He's worried for my safety and the possibility that I might not come back at all." And that is the first time she has ever called me by anything either than my full name. Of course, that doesn't come as quite as much of a shockas it should. Aunt Melissa means well; she just needs to learn that people are not going to hurt her and that I highly dislike being called Katherine, that I prefer being called 'Katie'.
