Rushing through the verdant forest, her hair mangled, decorated with twigs from the earthen floor, her opulent dress caked with mud, her eyes blue glistening with determination, it was only then did she understand the importance of her journey.
Rushing through the verdant forest, her hair mangled, decorated with twigs from the earthen floor, her opulent dress caked with mud, her eyes blue glistening with determination, it was only then did she understand the importance of her journey.
Her pretentious upbringing did not prepare her for this. Nothing did. At the tender age of 15, her body ached and pained with such intensity that she felt she could no longer go on. But her mind stayed focused on the task at hand. Thoughts came flooding through all at once, sapping the strength she once had. She lay down for a few minutes, because it was all she could spare; dreams came easy: her mother on her dying bed, the illustrious and elusive cure she must find to save her entire race from destruction: the elves, yet at the center of her mind was the words the mysterious Wizard spoke to her : "To find this cure, you must first find yourself". What did that mean? She contemplated the phrase endlessly as the dreams kept her ensorcelled.
A twig snapped. Suddenly she awoke in a cold sweat, beads of moisture rolled down her youthful face. She peered through the bushes, which had provided protection the night before. A boy no more than twenty years of age stood right before her. His long, wild hair the colour of mud fluttered in the wind. He wore primitive clothes, and his eyes were a strange red colour. His eyes were ablaze with intensity, fiery cores encircled his pupils as if he had bloodlust. He scowled while circumnavigating the area where she hid, he looked habitually for more evidence of animals, or even worse elves. It was a clear that he was a brutish barbarian, the most hated race in the world of Kraieln. His head twitched with a sudden jerk directing his eyes straight at the lonesome, vulnerable girl. She grimaced in response, and veiled her body with the use of bush. She was trapped. This was the end of her life she thought. His barbaric hands pointed and made alien noises while rushing full-force towards her. She sprinted as fast as she could going the other way often tripping over the undergrowth which littered the forest floor. Her attempts were futile. Who was she kidding? This was not her country, she was an intruder.
The barbaric young man scratched her face with his feral, uncut nails. He pointed at some smoke rising above the treetops. She acquiesced with a gentle nod. He dragged her uncaringly. She was about to be killed she thought. The egotistic, young rich girl, who only cared about herself, ironically was about to die while trying to save others. This was the first time that she realized the people close to her were the things that mattered. Not material things. The whole race of elves depended on her shoulders. Guilt came surging through her body, permeating slowly through ...
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The barbaric young man scratched her face with his feral, uncut nails. He pointed at some smoke rising above the treetops. She acquiesced with a gentle nod. He dragged her uncaringly. She was about to be killed she thought. The egotistic, young rich girl, who only cared about herself, ironically was about to die while trying to save others. This was the first time that she realized the people close to her were the things that mattered. Not material things. The whole race of elves depended on her shoulders. Guilt came surging through her body, permeating slowly through her veins.
She arrived at the camp hungry and tired. Her captor remained steadfast, dropping her to the floor like a worthless piece of meat. The other barbarians at the camp prodded and poked her like a freak. She assumed this was the first time they have seen an elf. The Leader, wearing feathers from more than one animal, stepped out. He asked in a rough voice, "Who are you?". She answered carefully "My name is Ashanly. I am an elf from Relania far in the eastern lands. Who are you? If I may ask."
" I am Tokini of the Piteral tribe. You are trespassing on our lands." He grunted. "Come, eat, you are hungry."
She described her quest; albeit unwillingly. The savages offered no help, and unsurprisingly threw her into a cage like an animal. There, they jeered at her and prodded her with twigs. The endless torture, or what seemed like it, was a motivator. It inspired her that there was more in the world out there other than her narrow minded life at Relania.
She saw what looked like a shaman of their tribe, a perfect opportunity to seize the moment and find the cure she sought after. It was unusual, even at this length from her homeland that the plague did not affect this race. She observed this.
At the crack of dawn, her mind vigilant as ever, she looked for a way out. It seemed that the sentries were non-existent, giving her ample time to escape. The barbarians seemed like an obtuse race, leaving their gates open. Wriggling through the ropes she managed to cut a fine incision to weaken the rope with her once manicured nails. She would have once cringed in vain, but she was on a more important mission now. Jumping like a fish out of water she made her way past half a dozen camps, unscathed. For now. She spotted the Shaman's tent, standing out with it's strange, alien symbols. The aroma of herbs bombarded her as soon as she walked in. The smell was strangely intoxicating, a sickly blend of perfumes resonated throughout the room. It was hard to believe that this was used as medicine. The Shaman, a fat man, was roughly in his fifties. He lay there, snoring, one arm over his money. She snatched every herb she could find from the amphorae that protruded from the cabinets. She grabbed a leather satchel which hung from an elk's horn on the side of the room.
As she ran homeward, satisfied with her accomplishment, the swallows heralded the dawn of the new morning; as if prophetic to the rebirth of a new civilization. She took this as a favourable auspice. Ashanly heard susurrations traveling through the wind from the direction she was once held as a prisoner; the sound a strange, cacophony was distorted at such a distance. It was obvious that they had sounded the alarm. At this point, she was only a few leagues away from the camp, she heaved her cumbersome satchel filled with amphorae. Encumbered, she collapsed.
Hours later, she stirred. Her once laden sack now was empty. She writhed in agony as she saw the rabid bite to her lower calf, she had been affected by the plague she thought. Now, infected, guilty and at the same time tired, she advanced through the bushes to her homeland. She had been unsuccessful in her journey. She had failed. With the burden of guilt upon her, she lopsidedly walked to await her fate.
As Relania was in sight, she could not help reminisce the happy times she shared with her mother, friends, and family. The wise Wizard stood glorious, pure in white. His smile, pleasant yet sinister. Ashanly awaited for the inevitable, for her race to die out and to be conquered by the savage Barbarians. As she approached the wise Wizard for advice, her face glum with disappointment. Her limbs languid, hung lifelessly from her frame. The wise Wizard embraced her. Ashanly felt love for the very last time. The wise Wizard spoke with a voice so gentle it was nearly inaudible, "Child, why are you sad?"
"I failed myself, but most of all my people." She replied, her voice feeble.
"You did not fail, Child, you succeeded. It was not the herbs that could cure the elves, it was you, all along. It took a special kind of person to do a selfless act like you did. The power to cure is in all of us, to unlock it we must first find who we really are, not the facades we keep to hide our insecurities."
Ashanly gasped. "This surely can't be true, O wise one"
The wise Wizard approached her, touched her cheek and whispered "Why do you think you were not affected by the plague?"
Ashanly replied " I have the plague! I'm infected, look at my leg." Peering down at her calf, her skin smooth as ever, she laughed joyfully "It's true. I've had the cure all along." " You're not finished yet, young one, you must teach others that diseases are only your subconscious telling you that you cannot get better. It is only with the discovery of yourself that you may conquer your mind and therefore cure yourself."
