Oga glared at the evil queen who caused her sister to murder her mother in cold blood. There wasn’t just a look of sadism on Queen Ayne’s face but one of knowledge too. Oga knew Ayne had seen many things in her long existence, but the Queen’s sheer smugness infuriated her to no end.

”Stop smiling like that,” Oga growled. “If you really know something about my mom, you better spit it out.”

“Oh,” the Queen responded with a sudden jump in her deep voice. “I know not only what happened to your mother, but numerous generations before her. Each matron of the Aquan royalty ended up the same exact way: a soulless void where a proud elven woman once stood.”

Oga let her sorrow hide behind her eyes. She knew she had to retain a brave face for the sake of her friends even if the loss of her mother tore at her very being.

“Do you wish to know why you are the way you are and what you will eventually become?” The queen asked in a breathy voice.

“It’s not like I have a choice,” Oga muttered and crossed her arms. “Show me so then I can tear those ears out of your head.”

“Very well,” the queen laughed and waved her hand.

Oga gasped as the air shimmered. Her friends and the dark castle washed away like a watercolor painting. She found herself standing in Silver Waters with Queen Ayne beside her. The city was draped in shade from the towering mystical trees and the mist cloaked the village, hovering on the ground as always. The palace Oga had resided in her whole life stood proudly in large blocks of cerulean and aquamarine but one thing was missing- the statues of Oga’s stuffy elven ancestors.

“What’s going on?” Oga asked. “Where are the statues?”

“We’ve returned to the Golden Age of Elves,” Ayne responded. “Back when the accursed blight of humans was still in its infancy.”

Oga watched as a proud-looking human prince stood before her. He was clad in silver chain mail emblazoned with a white wolfhound. Messy and youthful bright blond hair covered his head and his eyes shone sky blue against his pale white face. A silver circlet encircled his head designating his rank. Oga felt a familarity from this young man and observed him in silence. His metal pointed shoes clattered lightly onto the stone steps, flanked by his knights.

Oga gasped as she saw who he approached. An elven man with shoulder length wine colored hair and brilliant blue robes held an elven woman who was the spitting image of Oga’s mother. She had the same brunette and silver bob, the same long but elegantly curved nose and the same gentle kindness behind her lapis blue eyes. Her outfit was modest- a sleeveless white gown that displayed the beautiful ink black tattoos around her arms. A pregnant belly curved out through her white dress. Oga’s throat clenched itself in sadness from seeing this woman. It was like seeing her mom again.

The elven man raised his hand and spoke in a deep, resonating voice. “Why has a human entered our domain?”

The young blond prince bowed to the elven king and queen and spoke in a humbling voice. “Prince Coates at your service. Our young kingdom of Aristillus is in dire need of help. We are facing a drought that has killed thousands already.”

The king and queen looked at each other as the young man continued to talk. “It is said that all our water flows from the land of the Aquans…”

The young prince quickly got on his knees. “I am begging you on behalf of my people to be merciful, oh great elven people.”

The elven king gave a stern frown. “Our divine practices forbid us from communing with humans. I’d prefer if you left us.”

The elven queen with gentle eyes looked at the man on the ground. Oga noticed how he was shaking, and the queen spoke for the first time. “Can we really condone the suffering of other living beings?” She asked with an equally powerful voice. “Perhaps we can ask the spirit of the water this one thing?”

The elven man looked at his wife. Oga noticed how her determination and kindness made his own face soften. “Velouria,” he said. “Your kindness to these lesser beings is why I love you so much.”

Oga gagged. Elves were snooty even when they were expressing their love.

“We will take them to our sanctuary and ask why the Spirit of Water no longer blesses them.”

Oga felt her vision blur like ripples in a pond and she found herself standing in the Water Sanctuary. She loathed the deep blue tint and how it felt like being submerged in the ocean. Most of all, she hated how it was the place her mother always prayed and where she would have to pray after her coming of age.

The elven king and queen stood with the prince and his guards at the foot of the sanctuary where the sacred silver water flowed. Velouria bowed and prayed to the water:

“Ancient spirit, we summon you

Your sacred waters run deeper

Than the vastest ocean

Your soul purifies us

Like a blessed oasis

Rise great spirit of Silver Water

And may your waters flow for eternity.”

Slowly the water began to ripple up and down unnaturally. Oga had never seen this happen before. They were always still when her mother prayed. The waters thrashed in waves as a figure rose from them. Benign features carved itself into the water, forming the face of woman with pupil-less eyes but full warm lips. She bore a pointed headdress made entirely out of water. It formed around her head like a three point star. Her liquid body draped down, forming a large rippling gown of white water.

“The water, sire…” One of the human guards stammered. “It’s alive…”

“Velouria,” the watery spirit asked as her voice rippled and wavered like a pool of pure water. “Why do you call upon me?”

Velouria bowed gently. “Great spirit, please aid these humans. They suffer greatly from droughts.”

The Spirit of the Water gazed at Prince Coates and his men. She observed them for a long time before turning her head back to Velouria. At last she said, “I cannot help them.”

Velouria’s eyes widened. “But spirit? I’ve never heard you refuse anyone before…”

The Spirit responded calmly, “They have murdered each other and let their dirty blood flow through my sacred river…I have punished them for their wickedness…”

“That isn’t fair,” the young prince threw his head forward. “You don’t know the full circumstances. You don’t know why we’ve killed…”

“Silence human,” the king shouted. “Do not dishonor our goddess.”

“Please!” The prince shouted. “I did it all for the good of our kingdom. So the people of Aristillus can live in peace…”

“That matters not to me,” the Spirit responded. “You are brash and young. It’s clear to me that not you do not understand the balance of life, and I will humor your words no longer.”

The Spirit began to sink into the water before the prince cried out, “Dweller of the Underworld! I call upon your powers.”

The wicked black staff Ayne clutched appeared in the Prince’s hand. He let out a scream and aimed it directly at the spirit. Dark energies enraptured the Spirit, binding it in place.

“Stop!” Velouria shouted and drew water out of the spring to aim at the prince.

“I wouldn’t if I were you…” the prince growled.

Velouria turned aside to see two men holding daggers at her husband’s throat.

“Now,” the prince said boldly holding out the dark staff. “With the power of the Dark Realm, transfer the powers of this Spirit into a new vessel!”

Oga screamed as she saw the powerful white water spirit being dragged towards the elven woman. With a powerful black vortex, the wicked staff sucked the spirit right into Velouria’s chest. She let out a painful scream that tormented Oga’s ears. It sounded like the screams her mother made after she was locked up. Velouria fell to her knees as Prince Coates stood above her. “Now, you have the power of the Spirit. I want you to restore the blessed waters back to our land or else…”

Velouria looked up with terrified eyes as she tried desperately to catch her breath. “Or your husband’s blood will stain this sanctuary.”

Tears rushed down Velouria’s face as she hyperventilated and dropped to her knees.

“Silver waters…” she whimpered. “From one source all things depend…flow once more…”

Velouria screamed painfully again as the water glowed and flashed bright white.

At first there was silence, but slowly the ground shook and a rock wall deep within the spring moved aside, allowing water to flow through it once more. Velouria collapsed onto the ground. She looked up with squinted eyes at the young prince.

“That will do,” he laughed. “Men, I want to you to secure the perimeter of this palace. We’re going to make sure this drought never happens again…”

“What about him?” The guard holding the king asked.

“They won’t need him anymore,” the prince responded, and he ran his finger across his throat.

With a scream, Velouria watched as her husband dropped to the ground. Her body shivered and her eyes twitched, no longer in sync with each other. Slowly the water flowed up around her body ready to engulf the prince, but he quickly responded, “If you want the rest of your people to die, I would keep praying…each and every day.”

The prince’s cruel words echoed around Oga’s head…”Each and every day…Each and every day…” and soon, Oga was enveloped in darkness. Oga opened her eyes and found herself back in the castle again. She felt a clammy hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Queen Ayne, not with a cruel look, but one of consolation.

“Prince Coates…” Oga said softly. “He…”

“That human prince,” Ayne said “Fused the great spirit of the water with the lineage of Queen Velouria. ”

Oga trembled as she looked at her hands. “The lineage of…”

“That’s right,” Ayne said. “You are the inheritor of the Spirit of Water from your mother...”

“But what happened to Queen Velouria,” Oga asked.

“Slowly, she lost her mind from the intense grief and the spirit draining her vitality every day. And when she finally passed the spirit onto her child, her mind gave up and she was locked away.”

Oga put her hand to her face. “I can’t believe that...Is that why?”

“Yes,” Queen Ayne said with her hands folded. “Every inheritor of the spirit slowly loses part of their soul. The Spirit feeds on the soul in order to sustain. It will happen to you too, young Aya.”

Oga felt her body begin to shake. Fear, dread and the loss of her mother which would soon become the loss of herself overtook her. She slumped to her knees.

“Fear not, child,” Ayne said, putting a chalk white finger on her face. “You do not have to worry. Just allow me to transfer the Spirit from you to myself. Unlike you, I have the power of the bloodstone and can handle such a powerful entity eating at my body.”

Oga looked up at Ayne with tears in her eyes.

“Allow me to have the spirit,” Ayne said, “because with it, I will make everything right again for elf kind. You have seen what the humans have done to not only Velouria, but your mother and even you. They will not stop until they have conquered the world and eliminated us. I will eliminate them first.”

Oga could hear the cries of her human allies behind the force field, but they seemed inconsequential. The only thing she could focus on were Ayne’s words and the truth she had seen right before her eyes. Her mind raced to draw a conclusion but it only met with dead ends. She didn’t know what to do.