Intruder in the Valley

Intruder in the Valley!

         A deep, red glow was cast upon the magical land of Fiery Waters. A bright, pink moon hung over Quiet Storm Castle. It was a full moon, so Scarlet Lake was glowing. Queen Anastasia was looking out her bedroom window, gazing over her land. A small house-elf knocked quietly on her bedroom door. She walked in, carrying a neat pile of clothes in her hands. She laid them on Ana’s chase lounge at the foot of her bed. She bowed, turned and walked out, closing the door behind her.
“Thank you Clover,” whispered Ana softly.
         Suddenly there was a small popping noise at Ana’s side. Her sister, Tiger-Lilly, had appeared next to her, wearing bright pink pyjamas.
         “Ana, what's wrong?” asked a worried Tiger-Lilly.
         “Lilly, I’m so lonely” sighed Ana, “Soon you shall be going back to boarding school, and I shall be left with a seven storey castle and myself.”
         “Sure I have the all the animals and the house-elves, but I'm still so lonely!”
         “Ana, maybe your too young to run a country, your only sixteen remember and what about your friends Kiara and Keesha?”
         “Anyway Lilly,” Ana quickly changing the subject “I think its time for bed, ill call for Bellsy to take you up”
         “Bellsy!” she called loudly
         Ana’s bedroom door opened quietly and in scuttled another little house-elf. Bellsy was her name.
         “Yes misses, what can Bellsy do for you?” squeaked Bellsy.
         “Please escort Lilly up to her room, via portal.” Directed Ana.
         “Yes miss Anastasia!” Bellsy answered “Come along miss Tiger-Lilly!” she continued.
Lilly looked back at her sister.
         “Go to bed Ana!”
         “OK Lilly, I will!”
Lilly followed the house-elf away and they left Ana to her thoughts.

* * * *

         A new morning dawned on Quiet Storm Castle, casting sunlight to every part of the land. Bellsy awoke Queen Anastasia, then bustled out the door and downstairs to awake Tiger-Lilly.
         Anastasia awoke fresh and bright, ready for a good training day. She apparated downstairs for breakfast then greeted the small house-elves.
         “Good morning Miss,” they all squeaked in unison, “How did you sleep?”
         “Very good, my little friends,” she answered. “Where is that sister of mine?” asked Ana.
         “Right here Ana,” Tiger-Lilly said as she entered the room.
         “Good, ready for a good training session, Lilly?” continued Ana.
         “Well I guess I have no choice, do I?” laughed Lilly.
         The house-elves served breakfast at that point in time and Ana and Lilly ate and talked until they were full. When they were finished the both apparated to their bedrooms to get into some training clothes, then met back downstairs in the lobby.
         “I’ve had the house-elves bring down some equipment.” Explained Ana.
         “Ana!” exclaimed Lilly, “you’ve shortened your hair!”
         “Oh, its just a temporary spell, it’ll be back to normal by dinner,” answered Ana. “Now lets get started!”
         The two girls walked off towards Miracle Valley to begin their session.

* * * *

         The sun shined brightly over the luscious, green grass of the valley. The two girls wore comfortable clothes and their hair was tied up, to keep it away from their eyes.
         “We shall start with sorcery only, ok Lilly?”
         “Yes, sure sis!” they called to each other. And the training started. Tiger-Lilly was using her best attack straight up.
         “Nāf ga Tíra Maý!” she yelled, raising her hands above her head, palms forward, and blasting a powerful red light straight at her sister. Ana thought “well, she has been practicing!” but she couldn’t think for long as the red blast was headed straight for her! Lilly had a look of satisfaction on her face. “Like to see her stop that!” she thought. Ana, on the other hand, raised her hands above her head then dropped them at 90° angles from her body, whilst saying “Force field Surround!” The red beam bounced off Ana’s invisible shield and disappeared. Lilly was disappointed and confused. For what Lilly didn’t know was that Ana had been training for some time with her friends, Kiara and Keesha.
Now it was Ana’s turn.
         Ana began to prepare for her most powerful attack. She started to glow an angry red. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they glowed red too. Ana started to float, 1…2…3 metres above the ground. Ana raised her hands and a fireball began to form between the. Red in the centre, then it began to grow lighter at the outer part. Suddenly she screamed “Nāf ga Fíer tā!” It was elfish and when translated, reads, ‘Blinding Fire’. It headed straight for Lilly at top speed. Ana was still glowing. Lilly tried her force field but the fireball was too strong! It went straight through the invisible shield and hit Lilly.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” Lilly screamed in pain.

         By this time Ana had stopped glowing and had lightly descended from the sky. Lilly got up gasping with pain.
         “You’ve become stronger, Ana, much stronger!” Lilly wheezed, “Would you mind helping me?”
         “I’m sorry Lilly,” Ana sighed as she apparated at Lilly’s side.
         Ana placed her hands on Lilly’s wound and mumbled some ancient elfish, which Lilly couldn’t understand. Lilly was surrounded by a blinding white light, a light of healing. Lilly was immediately healed thanks to Ana. Ana suddenly turned towards the top of the valley. She could hear something or someone. She whispered, “I’ll be back in a minute Lilly, OK? You stay here!” Ana disapparated from Lilly’s side and hovered above the intruder. It was a young man, in his late teens. He had dark brown hair and he had mystical green eyes. He wore what looked to be, elfish clothing. Pinned on his side was a bow and strapped onto his back was a quiver of arrows. Ana raised her hands in front of her and formed a pure blue fireball. It grew to an enormous size. Then, she fired it. The fireball raced towards the intruder at a rapid rate. Then it hit him, straight in the back! He cried out in pain and turned to where the fireball had come from. Then he saw her. He stood up, and Ana floated down to the solid ground.
         “What do you want, Elf?” she asked rather rudely.
         “Are you the Queen of Fiery Waters, Sorceress Anastasia?” he answered.
         “Depends, who’s asking?” Ana replied
         “I am Darien, son of Afarien the Great.”
         “Well Darien” Ana replied sarcastically “What do you want with me for I am Queen Anastasia, ultimate sorceress of these lands!”
         “I have traveled many lands and many days, and I am very tired and need to rest. Would you mind if I stayed a few days here, in your wonderful land?” Darien asked rather timidly.
         “Well no of course not, but you must first prove yourself worthy.” replied Ana, her attitude changing rapidly.
         “What must I do?”
         “Darien, Son of Afarien, you must challenge me to a battle. If you seem worthy then I will let you stay. If you do not seem worthy then I shall send you off in the direction of my friends land, Enchanted Valley. Does this seem fair?”
         “Extremely fair, my dear Queen” Darien answered smugly.
         “Good” Ana advised “follow me!”
         Ana flew softly down to where her fallen sister was.
“Lilly?” she asked softly “the intruder and I are going to battle. I’m going to send you back to the castle, the house-elves will look after you.”
         “OK Ana, but be careful.” Lilly mumbled.
         “I always am” laughed Ana. “Nātírā mín,” Ana said. This transported Lilly back to the castle at swift rate. Now Ana was free to battle Darien.
         “Are you ready Darien?” Ana called
         “Whenever you are!” Darien replied
         “I’ll let you start first,” shouted Ana.
         “OK!” Darien yelled in return.
         And the battle began. Darien was a fairly good fighter; he hit Ana a few times with some advanced elfish sorcery. She even hit him a few times. Then nearing the end of the battle, an arrow was flung towards Ana. She didn’t see or sense it until the last minute. She was helpless! The arrow struck her in her arm. Ana sank to the ground in pain. She tried to use her telepathy to contact Kiara or Keesha, but she was too weak, the message would most likely be lost. Darien, seeing what he had done, rushed to the fallen Queen’s side. He yanked out his arrow from her arm. He tried his healing power, but it was not strong enough, he had been weakened from the battle. Ana’s only hope was either Kiara or Keesha. Hopefully one had heard her cry for help. She opened her eyes and saw Darien. He was kneeling beside her, head in his hands. Just then, Kiara appeared, looking for Ana. When she saw her on the ground she immediately sank to her knees.
         “Ana” she whispered, “What’s wrong?”
         “Kiara, you came” Ana mumbled, “Can you heal me please?”
         “Sure!” Kiara beamed. A blinding white light surrounded Kiara and Ana as Kiara placed her hands gently on the wound. She mumbled in an ancient tongue, then she suddenly stopped glowing. Ana sat up.
         “Thanks Kiara”
         “Not a problem,” Kiara replied, “Now if your OK Ana” she glanced at Darien then continued “ I must go!”
         “Sure thing Kiara, thanks once again!”
         Kiara disappeared with a faint pop and Ana and Darien were left alone.
         “You have proved yourself, my elven friend,” she said as she stood up. “You surprised me and you shall be welcome here whenever you choose to come.”
         “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Darien said as he bowed. “Now let me transport us back to the castle”
         “OK,” Ana answered weakly.
         Darien placed his hand on Ana’s shoulder and instantly they were standing in the middle of the Lobby next to Ana’s sister Tiger-Lilly.
         “Ana!” exclaimed Lilly “are you OK?”
         “Yes, yes, now Lilly meet our newest visitor, Darien, Son of Afarien the Great.”
         “Very pleased to meet you, Princess Tiger-Lilly.” Darien continued as he bowed.
         “Nice to meet you too, Darien,” answered Tiger-Lilly, then to Ana she whispered, “You look a lot happier!”
         “I am!” Ana replied as her cheeks turned dark red.