“Yes, the barrier will do. I must focus if I am to cause the realms to collide this far from the festival. In the meantime, I must divert the Keeper of Magic further away. I only hope she will take the bait...”

Rell

Rell let out a grunt of frustration as sparks floated to the ground below. She stood just outside the house of Celendrin as sunlight peered through the leaves above. She leaned over and glanced at a book resting in the grass beside her, several papers strewn around and some charred ashes scattered about.

“You gotta focus more magic into your hands!” Rune insisted just across from her.

“But I might hurt myself if I make the fire too strong!” Rell complained.

“You’re not making any fire at the moment,” Rune grumbled.

Rell responded with a sigh, trying to keep her frustration at bay as she turned another page in the book. “It says sparks are supposed to happen though. They’re just not becoming flames.”

Rune tilted her head. “Really? Is that how that works?” Rune questioned as she got on her hands and knees to look at the book as well.

“Yes, shouldn’t you know this? You learned it first,” Rell said confused.

“I didn’t read anything about sparks.”

Rell sat up tall again. “Then how do you make flames with such ease?”

Rune appeared taken aback as she sat up as well, looking at her hand. “I just… kinda feel it, I guess. Watch.” Rune narrowed her eyes and took a breath before flexing her fingers, immediately engulfing her hand in flames, just like before.

“Yes, yes I know you can do it, but how? What do you do to make it ignite like that?” Rell questioned as she watched the tongues of flame flicker upwards, one of the loose papers slowly charring and fading away.

“I just… you know, feel it. Like, I kinda focus on the air around my hand and make it… hotter.”

Rell softened her gaze as her sister tried to put her magic into words. “How do you make it hotter?”

“I dunno! I mean, I sorta remember the feeling of heat on my hand from this one time I touched a hot pot of soup…”

“What? Soup?” Rell exclaimed in annoyance.

“It was hot and it burnt! So I guess I use my magic to take that heat I would feel on my hand, and put it around my hand instead,” Rune tried to explain.

Rell slumped a bit as she placed her hands on the ground. “So you remember some heat you felt once before and then just direct it away from you?”

Rune nodded vigorously as the fire fizzled out around her hand. Rell, genuinely confused, looked back at the book. “That’s not in the book at all!”

“Books are boring anyway! I like guessing more!” Rune commented as she stood up.

Rell smirked. “Was it guessing that lead to you setting the petunia’s in the courtyard on fire last week?”

Rune turned red as her face contorted into a glare. “I-I learned from that!”

Rell couldn’t help but chuckle a bit, before pausing and smiling at her sister. “Thanks Rune,” she said.

Rune made a face, perplexed by her older sister. “Uh, you’re welcome.”

Rell closed the book she had been studying and shoved it to the side. “I’m gonna try what you described. Maybe you should go back to studying restoration magic.”

“Oh! Can I use the dust Cael gave us?” Rune replied excitedly.

“No! That stuff is powerful and you don’t know how to use it safely yet!” Rell retorted.

“Aww, but I wanna practice with it! I don’t like carrying these papers around everywhere, and restoration magic takes a lotta reagents!” Rune complained.

“Well it’s a good thing we brought plenty of tomes just for casting magic, huh?” Rell pointed out. “Use them. The dust is in case we run out, okay?”

Rune pouted. “Hmph! Fine, but you better be ready to show me how to use it!”

“Don’t worry, I will…” Rell muttered as Rune turned around, storming off. Rell brushed her hair away from her face and let out a huff as her little sister left her be.

Hmm, push the heat away, huh? Rell began to concentrate again as she took a paper in her hand, before she heard Flain’s voice nearby.

“Agra’neer is undisturbed from what Cael described, but I sensed a shift in magic, telling me something has changed. Cael has no doubt noticed it, and she’ll likely be investigating shortly,” Flain was saying.

Rell immediately broke away from her magic and glanced over towards the entrance into the house just in time to see Flain and Celendrin stepping through the gate towards the door. Agra’neer? The Realm of Magic?

“And you believe it is coming from Muurin through Agra’neer? I understand she is the very Keeper of Magic, yet even she may find herself overwhelmed by such raw magic,” Celendrin responded.

“There is no other clear path to the other realm. Besides, Cael’s capabilities are far greater than what most have seen. Her potential far exceeds that of any of the other Keepers.”

Rell stood up and approached them as they opened the door. “Excuse me! What are you talking about?”

Celendrin glanced in the young princess’s direction. “Your ma- ah,” He caught himself and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Your majesty, we are discussing the Keepers’ plan of action in response to Tuulin.”

Rell’s eyes widened. “What about Madia?”

“We were just about to discuss her situation when we got inside. Would you like to join us?” Flain invited.

“Yes please. I want to help her.”

Celendrin smiled a bit and nodded. “Your heart exceeds your very soul, much like the Keeper of Mind. Come, let us speak.”

The village elder opened the door and waved his hand to motion the other two in ahead of him. Rell stepped in and sat down at the table just ahead and to the right, where an empty fireplace awaited a little further. Flain and Celendrin joined her as she swung her legs eagerly.

“So, Mr. Nullan, I’m sure you’ve guessed that hiding the princesses isn’t my only reason for coming here,” Flain began.

“Aye, you seek to awaken Madia, is that correct?” Celendrin replied.

“Correct, although the air of mystery surrounding her capabilities is what gives us the greatest concern. She has never been particularly talented at describing to us how her magic works,” Flain explained.

“Ah, well unfortunately I cannot tell you much. The scale at which Madia comprehends the mind far exceeds the rest of our clan.” Celendrin leaned back as he gave Flain his answer. “However I can explain to you how her powers worked prior to becoming a Keeper.”

Rell listened intently as Flain stared at the other man. “Do tell.”

Celendrin nodded. “Madia’s magic primarily seemed to revolve around her dreams and imagination. While she possessed some peculiar passive strengths, such as her uncanny perception and mind-reading, most were otherwise limited to her dreams…”

“So she excelled in the ‘dreamwalker’ sensory form?” Flain questioned.

“She was far beyond any other dreamwalker we had recorded in our history. Her connection to Dafra’neer was unbelievably close.”

“Dafra’neer?” Rell spoke up as she looked between the men at the table. “Who’s Dafra’neer…?”

“Not who, young princess, what. Dafra’neer is the magician's term for the Realm of Dreams, of which my people have studied for era’s,” Celendrin said.

Rell widened her eyes. “Oh! Does it look like an ocean?” she asked.

Flain sighed a bit as Celendrin glanced in his direction, before returning his gaze to Rell. “Why yes, from what we have gathered it is like an ocean, as another name for Dafra’neer is the Sea of Dreams. It is where all dreams are born, and ultimately die when their dreamers awaken.”

“It is also where Madia holds dominion. She controls and protects the realm, and thus maintains balance between our realm of Alarulin and the realm of Dafra’neer,” Flain told her. “Have you truly not learned of the interactions the two realms share?”

Rell shook her head. “No sir. Is it a part of history class?”

“No, although perhaps it is beyond most curriculum at your age,” Flain muttered. “All realms circle around Agra’neer, including Dafra’neer. This ‘Realm of Dreams,’ as some call it, moves faster than Alarulin, meaning there are times when it is far from us, and times when it is close to us.”

Celendrin cleared his throat. “That aside, Madia had a great connection to the Realm of Dreams that inspired both awe and fear. While it rarely came into play, there were times when the young mistress was capable of blending dreams and reality together.”

“Together?” Flain narrowed his eyes. “Something similar happened while Mennic was in power. Dreams and reality began to mix in some places during our movement to take Elra back from him.” For once the young Keeper of Law sounded nervous.

“Aye, but as she grew older she came to control it, and as such we never saw such a dangerous mix once she aged beyond fifteen,” Celendrin raised a hand, signaling Flain to be at ease.

Flain didn’t seem quite convinced, however. “Celendrin, refresh me. What is the Festival of Dreams a celebration of?”

Celendrin tilted his head for a moment at the abrupt topic shift, before his half-blind eyes widened. “It is the time at which Dafra’neer is closest to Alarulin,” he said slowly.

“Wait, what does that mean?” Rell asked.

“It means that if ever there was a time for dreams to mix with reality, it would be on that day,” Flain said quietly.

“Morning… the early morning of the festival when the moon is at its highest. That is when the realms are closest,” Celendrin corrected.

“Is that a fact? The position of the moon is surely not always consistent with the Realm of Dreams,” Flain retorted.

“It is what the scholars say, but you have nothing to fear, Madia is now nineteen years old and has surely learned to harness her powers as Keeper of Mind. She has done well keeping the realms in balance since she ascended,” Celendrin reasoned.

“She cannot perform her job if she is dreaming herself.”

Silence fell over the room as the two stared each other down. Rell could feel the anxiety in the air and gulped as Celendrin leaned forward concerned. “She is the Keeper of Mind. If she is dreaming she is right where she needs to be in order to balance the realms.”

“If Tuulin is responsible for putting Madia to sleep, then he would not have been so daft as to do so without preventing her from performing her duties. I believe that Madia isn’t even aware she is dreaming,” Flain responded nervously.

“But how could she not?” Rell raised her voice a bit. “She always knows when she’s dreaming!”

“Not necessarily, my lady,” Celendrin began. “In our study of dreams, we have something called a ‘false awakening,’ in which a dreamer believes they have woken up from a dream, despite still being asleep. It’s likely you may have experienced this yourself in the past; it is most common immediately after a nightmare, or during one.”

Rell let out a breath as he described the phenomena. “Then she thinks she’s awake, but she’s actually still dreaming?”

Celendrin’s sightless gaze fell on Flain. “Most likely, yes.”

“But wouldn’t she just immediately notice she’s dreaming?” Rell questioned.

Flain placed a hand to his chin. “The child has a point. Madia has always been the sort to catch on to her dreams quickly from the few times I walked with her in them.”

“Hmm, mayhap her false awakening was simply that convincing,” Celendrin muttered.

“Or she is simply not questioning the reality around her,” Flain suggested. “Madia once described to me how she knows if she’s dreaming. Usually she presses two fingers into her palm and wills her fingers to slip through like a ghost. She calls it a reality check. If her fingers go through then she knows she is sleeping, since she can’t do that in the waking realm.”

“Fascinating... then could it be the reality check failed, and thus she believes she’s awake?” Celendrin wondered.

“Actually, I don’t believe Madia has even performed a reality check since becoming the Keeper of Mind,” Flain tapped his fingers on the table anxiously.

Rell looked at him confused. “What makes you say that?”

“Think, your majesty. Have you ever see her do what I just described?” Flain asked.

Rell blinked and thought back, before realizing he was right; she couldn’t recall a time in which she had seen Madia perform such an action.

“Furthermore, the last time I remember her doing it was back in her trial, where she earned her right as the element’s Keeper. It was ultimately what allowed us to pass the trial,” Flain went on.

“The young mistress has grown confident then if she no longer checks her reality,” Celendrin thought aloud.

Flain suddenly took in a breath and clenched his teeth. “Confident, and comfortable.” Moments after, he stood up, his chair being pushed away behind him.

“Whatever do you mean, Master Flain?” Celendrin raised his voice a bit as the Keeper turned for the door.

“The night before she fell into this slumber, I visited her. She had loosened her grip on the Realm of Dreams. I know this because she had been allowing Rell to visit her there, and I expended little to no energy accessing it myself. I was right to fear for her; we’ve dropped our guard,” he raised his voice a bit as he stormed out of the house.

“Flain! Wait! Where are you going?” Rell called after him as she jumped off her chair and followed him out the door.

“Get Rune, we’re headed back to Elra. Tuulin is no doubt seeking to exploit our deepest vulnerabilities, chief among them our confidence – or overconfidence – in our ability to control the situation,” he responded over his shoulder.

Rell skidded to a halt, her heart filling with fear as Flain seemed to be in a state of panic. Rell looked around frantically for her sister as Flain prepared the horses. Where could she have gone in this little town?

“Your majesty, she’s gone north!” Celendrin said as he began to head into the forest towards the boundary, the ashes of a paper scattering the ground as he ran and closed a book. “With me!”

Rell ran after him, quickly pulling ahead as he carefully evaded the roots and bushes on the naturally trodden path. Before long they came out into the clearing where Rell had first encountered the boundary, to find Rune holding her hand out to it.

“Rune!” Rell shouted.

Rune didn’t even flinch as she lowered her hand and turned around. “Huh?”

“We’re leaving. Flain says we have to go back to the castle!” Rell explained.

“But we just got here!”

Suddenly Celendrin gasped and stepped back as he looked up at the barrier. “The boundary…”

Rell narrowed her eyes before looking up and seeing something she had never witnessed before. A strange, shimmering white mist floated around the upper levels of the barrier and seemed to slowly stretch out from it. “That mist… what sort of magic is this?”

He said nothing in response, only slowly backing up and dropping his book, his mouth hanging open in terror.

“R-Rune, get back here…” Rell said to her sister as Celendrin’s response to the mist struck her with fear.

“But-”

As Rune said that, the air was filled with a deep, echoing crack, like enormous chunks of ice breaking and splitting apart, getting lower as the sound echoed across the forested landscape.

Flain’s voice suddenly rang out. “GET DOWN, NOW!”

Rell hardly even processed a thought as she dove to the ground away from the barrier. She briefly saw Flain leap past her and skid to a halt, kicking dirt and leaves up as he did so, before grabbing Rune and throwing her back towards Celendrin and Rell. She screamed as she tumbled to the ground, before Rell felt an enormous pulse of magic erupt from the Keeper.

Suddenly, with what sounded like shattering glass, the mist engulfed nearly the entire barrier and with a resounding boom, the barrier shattered, and shards of magic began striking the earth around them. The children screamed in horror as they covered their heads, while Flain raised his hands to the sky. Rell managed to turn around as she backed up on the ground, her eyes wider than she thought they could go as the boundary crumbled above. Rell could barely make out a strange wave in the air above them, much like waves of heat rising from a hot surface as Flain radiated powerful magic. Rell now noticed shards of the barrier floated just a little above as Flain placed one foot behind him and his hands high in the air.

“Get out of here! Go!” Flain shouted angrily.

He didn’t need to tell them twice, as immediately the three of them scrambled to their feet. “Come on, quickly!” Celendrin said as he led the way back to the village. As they ran, the sound of thunder seemed to pop and explode in the sky as the boundary broke apart, great rings of fire erupting from where the barrier once was.

“W-What’s happening??” Rune cried out as she ran beside her sister.

“The boundary has been destroyed-! A mist that shimmers like the sea in the moonlight… it’s a nightmare becoming real!” Celendrin responded at the top of his lungs as pieces of the magical wall crashed and shook the earth around them, trees bursting into flame as an overwhelming wave of heat washed over Rell.

“W-What about Flain?” Rune sobbed.

“He’ll be alright! Just keep going!” Celendrin replied as they ran out into the village, where homes were already burning as tongues of fire spewed from where the barrier had once been. Celendrin skidded to a halt, speechless for a moment before he clenched his teeth together and began running towards his house, beckoning for the princesses to follow. “Quickly! We must get you out of here!”

Flain and Rell’s horses were still tied to the fence, trapped as they bucked and whinnied in terror, trying to rip free of their binds. Celendrin stopped in front of them and tried to calm them down. “Shh! Easy there-” As he attempted to relax the horses, but one of them whirled around and bucked into him, sending him to the ground with a painful cough.

“Celendrin!” Rell squealed as she ran to his side. Rune joined her almost immediately, undoing the pouch of dust hanging from her belt.

“W-wait! Lemme do this! I can do this… I can do this!” Rune started chanting to herself as she reached her hands out.

“Rune you can’t-”

As she said that, there was a glow of magic from Rune’s hand, who gasped in return as her magic crackled and spat. Celendrin cried in agony before falling limp and Rell felt her heart sink. “R-Rune what did you do-?”

Rune had no response for a moment as she stared wide-eyed at the man. “I-I… I was trying to heal him-!”

Rell let out a shout of frustration. “Rune, you can’t do that yet! C-Come on, Celendrin, get up!”

“Rell… Rell he’s unconscious!” Rune whimpered as she lowered her hands a bit, staring at them in shock. Rell locked eyes with her little sister, who was in tears now as she realized she had made the situation worse. Rell tried to return a gentler gaze to calm the younger princess down, but suddenly felt another burst of heat from nearby.

There was a deep growl from behind and Rell froze. She slowly turned around as she stood up, before her gaze landed on flames that floated above the ground, with nothing to burn as it gathered and built up on the ground, before materializing into a vicious wolf of pure fire, glaring and baring its teeth at her. Rell grabbed her sister and pulled her to her feet as the animal of fire approached. Rune however tried to remain in front of Rell, raising her hands. “S-Stay back!” she screeched.

The monster didn’t seem to care, as it now began sprinting towards them in bounds and leaps. The princesses let out another scream as they quickly turned around and ran past the horses, leaving Celendrin behind as they flung open the door to his house and slammed it hard behind them, moments later embers and coals exploding against the door, causing it to lurch forward as they held it shut with their backs. The door rapidly grew hot as tongues of fire began to engulf it. Rell and Rune jumped away simultaneously and backed up towards the fire pit.

“R-Rell… Rell, what do we do?” Rune stammered as she wrapped her arms around her older sister. “We’re trapped-!”

The door suddenly burst open, sparks and smoke flying out from it as the two princesses gripped each other desperately. The wolf slowly stepped in, its growl mixed with the crackling of the fire that made up its body. It slowed to a stop before opening its mouth.

“You… you are the children of Alaria and Enorian,” it barked. “The tyrants who locked us away where our flames could not burn!”

Rell gulped as it stared them down and took another few steps forward, the building beginning to catch fire while it snarled. “Your kind are the reason we were left with trees that do not burn! We starved because of YOU!”

“R-Rell… Rell we’re gonna die, w-we’re gonna die…” Rune began muttering through tears and sobs.

“You- you are a Malnix-! Y-your kind are supposed to be extinct!” Rell cried.

“We are returned to engulf all in our flames, for as long as the red north burns, we shall arise from the fires across the realm.”

Rell winced as she leaned back against the wall beside the fireplace with her sister. Wait, fire!

Rell took a few deep breaths as she locked eyes with her little sister. Rell suddenly let go of Rune and stepped forward, holding her hands out.

“Does the tall one wish to burn first? I will take pleasure in charring the flesh descended of the Queen!” the Malnix howled as it jumped at Rell.

However, the young princess did not move as the flames launched towards her. She closed her eyes as she panted rapidly, concentrating hard on the heat ahead as she recalled the pouch of dust hanging from her belt. Heat cannot harm me, heat cannot harm me… heat is mine to control, heat is mine to bend-! The princess opened her eyes and placed one foot behind her, before lowering her hands to her side clenched in a fist, staring the monster in the face as it approached, before its flames engulfed her.

Rune let out a sound that was a mix between a sob and a scream as fire wrapped around Rell. But as it did so, a burst of energy surged through her. Rell felt no change in the temperature around her as fire circled and climbed up around her body, her hair and clothes waving in the hot air produced by the vicious flames. Take the heat in my body, push it out… and move it! She swung her hand and the flames around her shifted as the wolf let out another howl before all the heat surrounding her was sent spewing from her hand like a pillar of fire. The wolf rematerialized where she had swung her hand, it's glowing expression now one of fear as it arched its back, leaning away from the princess.

“She is no mere child of the phoenix!” the creature screeched. “She is the phoenix reborn!” Immediately the monster dashed away and out the door, tail between its legs in terror.

Rell let out a gasp as she quickly turned around to Rune, who was frozen in shock as Rell, unharmed by fire, grabbed her sister by the hand and pulled her towards the door. “Come on Rune, we have to get out of here!”

As they made their way forward, fire was engulfing the floor. Rell reapplied her focus and the fire immediately vanished and parted for them to quickly dart across as she held one hand forward, the other dragging her sister along.

They ran out into the open clearing, where the trees and branches above popped and sputtered as they burned, some of them collapsing into the village below where people ran and fled as more Malnix pranced around the field, some taking the shape of fiery orbs and others the shape of various animals. Rell glared before dashing forward and swiping at one of them, immediately sending its fires into the sky, where they dissipated into sparks above.

“Rune! Protect Celendrin!” Rell commanded her sister as they stopped at the fence.

“B-But I’ll only make things worse!” Rune whimpered.

“Listen, Rune.” Rell gripped her sister by the shoulder. “Your magic is stronger than mine! If I can control fire like this after only just learning it then you can too, okay?”

Rune, wide-eyed, nodded rapidly as she wiped tears from her face. “Y-yes, sister-!”

Rell smiled before letting go of her sister and running back towards where she had left Flain behind, ripping the pouch of dust off her belt and opening it up to look inside. Still plenty of dust. She tucked it back into her robe before directing her focus back on magic in case she needed to react quickly.

As she ran through the burning woods, charred branches and leaves all around her, she caught glimpses of the shards of the boundary slowly dissipating into the sky like smoke.

There was a pulse of magic from up ahead as a shockwave rippled through the air. She gasped as it rippled through her, nearly causing her to stumble back as she looked up into the sky. As she did so, she could make out what appeared to be a part of the barrier that had been destroyed only moments ago. Like an enormous piece of glass, it was slowly expanding and connecting to other parts of it as it steadily rose into the sky. Rell smiled with glee as she began running forward. “Yes! Come on, Flain, you can do it!”

She burst into the clearing with a mighty bound as her smile suddenly faded upon finding Flain hunched forward, hands held up as he visibly panted and heaved.

“F-Flain-!”

“Rell? What did I tell you- get going!” Flain looked over his shoulder and Rell stifled a gasp as she noticed his hair had turned a much greyer blonde as opposed to the usual golden it was, and his face was contorted in pain as his legs shook below.

“Flain, let me help!”

“NO! You’ll die!” Flain shouted at her angrily. “I can do this!” he gasped before parting his hands beside him swiftly with a desperate yell. Immediately, another shockwave erupted from him, this time knocking Rell over with a squeal as she hit the ground. With that shockwave, the fires around her immediately were blown away, sending sparks into the air as a screech echoed into the sky. The mighty boundary was sealed as it wavered one last time before returning to its normal hum. Flain gasped and wheezed rapidly as he tried to catch his breath, holding his position as some of the colour returned to his face and his hair. The only sounds that were audible now was their breathing, the barrier, and the cries of panic coming from the village behind them, which now also seemed to be quieting down.

“H-hah… hah… gah!” Flain spat as he collapsed to his knees.

Rell rushed forward to his side. “Flain! Hold on, you’re gonna be okay!”

“Yes… I am.” he whispered as his head hung down in front of him, eyes closed as he recovered. “Although p-probably missing a few years off my life… damn.”

Rell blinked as she sized him up a bit, discovering that he did indeed appear a little older. His hair had become longer, and several strands were left greyed as they hung down in front of his face.

“Th-the first barrier took both of your parents… and over a hundred magicians to create over the course of an hour,” Flain coughed. “Nearly passed out casting that… a-ah… in fact…” Flain gasped before falling forward. Rell yelped before quickly reaching forward to soften his collapse. She pulled her arms away and looked back and forth between the Keeper of Law and the wall he had just created purely on his own.

Even if it took that many people, Flain is the Keeper of Law… him and the other Keepers have magic stronger than anyone that’s ever lived! Rell grimaced as she realized what this meant. If he was hurt this much just to create the barrier, just what are the limits of the Keepers?

END OF PART 1