Flower of Light Preview | Chapter 1
Flower of Light: The Eternal Stones 1 by Allison Wade.

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* * *
MEJ – Fire
* * *
1. The Tenth Spring

The sound of his quick footsteps was covered by the roar of the river. The dark-haired man was running in the night, the little blond girl clinging to his back.
He knew they would be searching for them, and he had to get the child to safety. The bridge was patrolled by guards, he could not risk it.
He descended to the bank, looking for a spot narrow enough to attempt the swim across.
“Now, hold on to me. We need to take a dip. I know it’s cold, but we’ll make it quick.” He couldn’t see the little head nodding, but felt the tiny arms tighten around his neck, little fingers clinging to the fabric of his gambeson.
He took a step into the river, but a wave rose before his eyes. “What…?” he murmured, as the water took shape, molding itself into the body of a woman.
Long, white hair, and turquoise eyes. “Rahul,” she called him in a whisper.
“Yaf?” said the man, astonished.
“I’m here for the child,” replied the water creature.
“How did you know… no, never mind. Can you take her to safety?”
She nodded. “We will protect her. Get away from here, the demon is about to reach you.”
“I’ve noticed,” said Rahul, looking around again, getting more and more nervous. He had been sensing that unpleasant presence for a while now. He kneeled so that the girl could come down. “We have to say goodbye. Go with this nice lady, she will keep you safe.”
The little one looked fearfully at the stranger and returned to cling to the man.
“Don’t be afraid. Yaf is a friend of your mom, you can trust her.” Rahul laid his hands on her tiny shoulders and forced a smile. “I will come back for you; everything will be fine. I just need to take care of a matter, first.”
“You’ll come back?” asked the child, in a faint voice.
“I promise,” he lied.
“Come here, little light,” Yaf called to her, holding out a hand.
The girl moved toward the mysterious woman, drawn by a strange energy. Hesitantly, she grabbed her fingers.
Rahul turned his back to them. With quick steps he walked in the opposite direction, his hand already clasped on the hilt of his sword. His senses on high alert, that overwhelming feeling growing closer.
He ran toward the bridge and went to meet his fate.
* * *
Ten Years Later
* * *
Year 665 of the Bluand Era
Month III, day 12
Winter was giving way to the good season, and the sun shone on the little island that for centuries had been the land of the Fae, filling it with light.
Musical laughter rose from the lake at the foot of the mountains. “Keep trying, Kyra, sooner or later you will succeed,” said Yaf. Her long white hair barely lapped the surface of the waters in which she was immersed to her hips, wearing only a light blue robe. Her delicate face had not aged a day.
Splashes and a resentful snort came in response from the girl, who was struggling to catch a fish. “It slipped away again,” she exclaimed, resurfacing from the lake, her blond hair dripping, a womanly figure drawn through her soaked undergarment.

“You must be one with nature if you want to master it,” explained the Fae, patiently. “You must know how to follow the stream of the things that flow.”
“You’ve told me this a thousand times already, but these damn fish won’t cooperate!”
Yaf’s gaze grew stern. “Where did you learn that word, little girl? Did you go spying on the merchants at the pier again?”
Kyra lowered her head guiltily. “I apologize.”
“Words can be very dangerous, especially in the mouth of someone like you,” the Fae cautioned her. “Always remember that.”
“Yes, Yaf,” she nodded, then tried to deflect the conversation. “By the way… have you had any more visions about my future?”
“You’ve been growing more and more impatient lately,” huffed the Fae.
“I know, but I’ve already turned eighteen…” replied Kyra, with a look so touching that Yaf had to give in.
“So be it. Let’s try water divination. Bring me some twigs,” she pointed to a bush growing on the shore.
Kyra set off with great strokes and then ran, raising splashes and eliciting laughter from the other Fae, who were walking around, busy with the daily chores of the village.
The young woman quickly snatched some leaves and small branches, causing a sparrow to flee, and then returned just as hastily to Yaf, who was waiting in the lake.
The Fae carefully selected the best pieces from the girl’s hands. She held them for a while between her palms, bringing them near her face and closing her eyes. She blew gently, whispering ancient words in the language of Water, and then threw the fragments into the lake, where they scattered and remained floating, taking precise shapes.
“What does it say?” asked Kyra, impatient.
“Don’t move or you’ll mess everything up.” Yaf focused on the twigs swaying on the surface of the water as if she were seeing something more behind those shapes. She shifted her gaze to the small waterfall that cascaded down from the mountains into the lake. “The waterfall protects you,” she said seraphically.
“I know, our home is safe…”
But Yaf continued. “Two warriors will meet your path. Brown as earth, fair as light. I see the fire shining again after ten springs.”
Although it was not the first time she witnessed Yaf’s divinations, Kyra was always amazed. “The tenth spring is this year.”
The Fae nodded. “The equinox is close. We’ll know when…” she paused and picked up one of the twigs to observe it better. “Blood?”
“Oh, yes, it’s nothing,” Kyra replied, showing her index finger. “I got cut ripping the branch, it’s just a scratch…”
“Kyra!” From a little house came the voice of an earth Fae. “Never mind the fish in the lake, I prepared soup of roots and berries. Come and get it while it’s hot.”
The girl didn’t appear very enthusiastic about it, but, obediently, she moved toward the shore.
“Kyra,” Yaf called to her one last time. “We saw some lizards wandering along the south coast, don’t stray too far from the village.”
Kyra looked at her, puzzled, and shrugged her shoulders. “As you wish.”
* * *
Month III, day 13
All night long, she had done nothing but toss and turn in her modest bed. Long gone were the days when she had slept between fine sheets, surrounded by luxury.
Now, there was only the quiet of the island, the simple life of the Fae, who had chosen to remain apart from the world of men, their vices, their intrigues, and sufferings that were unknown to creatures as magical and long-lived as themselves.
But at that moment, darkness reigned around her.
It was a dream, Kyra was certain. For in the dream, she saw her mother who had died ten years before.
It’s just a dream, she kept telling herself, as she looked at that still young face. The red star shining on her pale cheek, her blond hair loose along her shoulders like that night.
“Now it’s your turn,” her mother said, before the flames engulfed her.
Kyra could feel the heat of the fire. It was inside her. It was warming her almost to the point of suffocation. She had to find a way to get it out. If only she could remember the words.
“I don’t know how, mother!” she cried out in despair, as she saw her fade into darkness, as everything disappeared, plunging her back into the black.
She jolted awake; her body shaken by a rush of energy she had never felt before. She tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. She looked around in the half-light, illuminated only by the last embers languishing in the brazier.
The room was still the same, there were no flames or smoke. Her mother was not there.
The sheets had uncomfortably stuck to her body. She threw them away and stood up, making sure not to wake Yaf in the other room.
She opened the shutters, letting in a glimmer of dawn light.
The peace of the early morning was disturbed only by the continuous roar of the waterfall. Kyra had become so accustomed to that sound that she no longer paid attention to it. It was the sound that constantly reminded her of her fate.
She let out a sigh. It was still early, but she no longer felt like sleeping. The spring equinox was just around the corner, and she knew that soon, everything would change.
She had to find a way to release that excess of energy.
Silently, she dressed, fastened a short sword to her belt, and grabbed her hunting bow and quiver.
She tiptoed to the exit, slipping away before Yaf or the other Fae could notice, and took the path into the woods.
The air was still cool and crisp, the pale sky changing color to fade into the deep blue of her eyes.
The people of Sohwl were the people of the Sky, Yaf always said that, when she told her about her roots, although Kyra had never fully understood the meaning of it all. There was still so much she had to learn about the world, and the idea that, sooner or later, she would have to leave the little island always made her stomach tie itself in knots.
She dismissed that thought and concentrated on the hunt, moving silently as she had learned from the earth Fae who knew nature and animals well.
A rustling in the dense trees alerted her.
Kyra pressed herself against a trunk, trying to make as little noise as possible.
A hare had come into the open and was sticking its snout through the grass, looking for something to munch on.
The girl cautiously drew an arrow from her quiver and nocked it. She took a half-stride to get a better aim and stepped on a twig that broke with a snap.
The hare pricked up its ears and leaped, running away.
Kyra tried her best and shot, but the arrow went astray through the bushes.
She shook her head resignedly and set off to retrieve it, hoping it wasn’t damaged, but another noise caught her attention. A hissing breath, the rustle of something large moving through the trees.
Kyra stopped, her heartbeat quickening, and sought shelter behind a trunk, readying another arrow.
She caught sight of a dark silhouette coming in her direction.
The girl looked around for an escape route as the beast came out into the open, clearly entering her field of vision. A reptilian face, scaly gray skin, an elongated muzzle, devoid of nose or hair, and sharp teeth sprouting from almost nonexistent lips. A Hagwiz. A lizard man.
They lived on an island nearby, but occasionally some of them would venture out to sea in search of food or mercenary work. Perhaps he had been hired to poke his nose into the land of the Fae?
Taking a few steps, the lizard raised his head, dilating the holes he had for nostrils, as if he smelled something.
Kyra realized it was time to leave, and quickly. As far as she knew, when they were hungry, those beasts didn’t distinguish between human and animal.
She tried to back away cautiously, stepping lightly and keeping out of sight. The village was not that far away.
But the lizard bent down on his muscular legs, and suddenly leaped forward, right in her direction.
Now that he had discovered her, there was no point in trying to be quiet anymore. Kyra turned on her heels and began to run as fast as she could.
“Woman!” hissed the lizard man, following her and gaining ground quickly. He was too fast for Kyra to lose him.

At that point, the bow was just a hindrance. She dropped it and brought her hand closer to the hilt of her short sword, never slowing her pace.
She was not yet out of the woods when the beast reached her, grabbing her wrist with his sharp claws.
Kyra turned around fast, drawing her blade and slashing at his arm.
The big lizard let out a furious wail as Kyra escaped his grasp, trying to run away. But the beast ducked and leaped toward her, grabbing her legs, making her trip and fall.
The impact with the ground was painful, and for a moment, left her breathless. The lizard crawled over her until he grabbed both of her arms, pinning them to the ground and causing her to lose her grip on the sword handle.
The monstrous snout close to her face, fetid, nauseating breath, drool dripping from an impressive number of sharp teeth.
Kyra let out a cry, clinging to the hope that someone would hear her and come to her rescue.
Trapped in the reptile’s grasp, its teeth ready to sink into her flesh, she was unable to resist with her strength alone. Her body was invaded by fear and anger, but also by a strange energy. An energy that was becoming more and more familiar every day. It reminded her of her dream.
She knew she was ready to explode, she just had to find the way, she just had to find the words. It was now or never.
If she couldn’t, she would be doomed. Hurt. Killed. The end of everything, just when it was all about to begin. But that was not her fate, her fate was…
“Geyrah!” she shouted with all the breath in her lungs. And it felt like a pressure release. The energy that had been bottled up within her exploded, as devastating as an erupting volcano, and everything was engulfed in fire. The flames enveloped the lizard’s body, forcing him to leave her and retreat, emitting inhuman sounds.
Kyra, sitting on the ground, out of breath, watched as the body fell, writhing in pain, and continued to burn, raising smoke and a sickening smell. She brought a hand to her mouth. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it was coming out of her chest. She felt drained, exhausted, and stupefied by what had just happened.
Then the rain came.
A drizzle fell on the body of the now inert reptile, extinguishing the flames.
Kyra looked up, there were no clouds in the sky. The answer to the rain’s presence came when she heard the voice of Yaf, the water Fae. “Are you hurt, little light?”
The girl turned toward Yaf; eyes wide-open. “No, I… I think I…” she stammered, not knowing what to say.
Yaf approached and held out a hand. “Come, let’s go back to the village. There might be more Hagwiz around here.”
The girl nodded and stood up, staggering for a moment before regaining her balance.
“So, your power has awakened,” Yaf smiled.
Kyra stared back at her, still in disbelief. “My mother’s power…” she replied, bringing a hand to her cheek.
The Fae nodded, “It has begun. The Flower is active again.”
* * *
In the light of the waning moon, Yaf sat on the shore of the lake. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting her mind wander in the darkness.
Soon, the roar of the waterfall faded away, plunging her into a dimension made of nothingness.
Only a voice was able to rip through that silence. “At the dawn of the tenth Spring, what was shattered will return whole.”
Yaf was confronted by two ancient gray eyes, even older than she was, a delicate face framed by long brown hair. “Eterna.”
The woman bowed her head. “I’m glad to see you again, Yaf.”
The hint of a smile crossed the Fae’s face. “What are ten years in the sea of eternity? You know why I’m looking for you.”
“The Fire has awakened,” replied Eterna.
“It’s time for little Kyra to face her destiny, even though I worry for her.”
“Do not fear fate, let it take its course. Bring her to my house, so that she may read the books and find her way.”
Yaf nodded. “We will leave as soon as possible. I hope I will meet you again,” she concluded, before fading into nothingness.
Eterna closed her eyes. She could already hear the sound of the bolt being removed, the door creaking open.
She lifted her eyelids and there she was again, on the damp floor of her underground cell.
A lantern lit her face, the flame reflected in those gray eyes that had seen the passage of centuries.
A man’s voice broke the silence. “Is the Flower active again?”
Eterna looked up at him. “The new circle has opened.”
A sinister smile emerged from the half-light. “Very well. I will have my subordinates leave for the North. Tell the Fae not to play tricks and lead them straight to the stones.”
“She knows what she must do, fear not.”
The man seemed to falter for a moment, intimidated by that immortal gaze. “If all goes as planned, I will release you from this prison and you will be able to return to your home in the mountains.”
“It doesn’t matter where my body lies, what matters is that I witness the events.”
He turned his back to her and walked toward the threshold. “You will write in your books how I saved the Empire while you stayed down here to witness and rot.” He gave a dreary laugh, before closing the door and plunging her back into the darkness.
“For eternity, I will stand by, watching,” she whispered back, “because Eterna is my name. Knowing all of time is my duty until the end of days, and until the light bathes this world. I will die only after hope, when the last page will be written, and you won’t be but a breath of wind.”
But by then, he was too far away to hear those words, which were lost in the dark like all important words are.
* * *
Month III, day 24
Kyra sat on the wooden bench in the small boat docked at the pier. Staring down, she fiddled nervously with the seams of her travel bag. She had crafted it herself from the skins she had hunted, as the Fae had taught her. Inside, there was only a change of clothes and a few supplies. All the things she had collected over the years – the colored stones, the straw dolls, and dried flowers, the objects that witnessed her life on the island – everything remained in the little house by the lake.
She had nothing when she had arrived there ten years earlier, and once again, she was leaving everything behind. Without knowing what she would find out there on the rest of the continent.
She had greeted and hugged all the Fae one by one, thanking them for taking care of her, promising that one day she would return, even though her heart was full of doubts.
“Are you worried, little light?” asked Yaf, withdrawing the oars, which she didn’t need.
Kyra shook her head. “I’m ready.”
Yaf gave her a half smile, then unfurled the sail. “Let’s get going.” She moved her arms, and the water answered her. A wave rose, dragging the boat forward. “There is a village at the foot of the mountains, south of the Imperial Island. We will make a stop there before we reach Eterna’s home.”
“What will happen after that?” asked the girl, looking at the sea. “How will I find the others?”
“Just think about reaching the Temple and getting your stone,” Yaf tried to reassure her. “Everything else will follow.”
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