Raised in Enchantment

Death Battles:1

“It’s all up to you, Starr.” I looked up at my older twin sisters. We had been orphaned when I was only a little girl, but they had taken good care of me. Fear tinted my baby blue eyes a sickly shade of black. I was only a kid, but I had the luck of a leprechaun with a four-leaf clover. Battling Lord Tasuki was definitely pushing my good fortune, but I was the strongest warrior left who had not been defeated by the menacing grand master.2

“Why me?” I obviously knew the answer, but I had to stall for time. I shifted my gaze to the dirt floor of the arena and clenched my fists to keep from shaking. The match was likely to kill me; both combatants rarely escaped alive, but at least I was going to go out with a bang. 3

“You’re our last hope. If Tasuki remains undefeated, it’s all over.” I still didn’t quite understand it all, but I prepared to defend my sisters. I slipped into a suit of precious, aqua metal and wielded an enchanted staff. The last year of magical training had failed to keep my interest, but I was glad that I’d had it.4

Tentatively, I stepped into the centre of the arena. The whole village, or what was left of it, gathered around the splintering wood fence. The fence didn’t offer them any protection, but it marked the boundaries of the arena. The first magical attack of the fight would trigger an invisible forcefield. Its sole purpose was to keep spells and enchantments in, and amateurs out.5

“I can smell your fear from here.” Lord Tasuki seemed amazingly calm for someone who was about to battle to the death. He was leaning against the far side of the fence, tapping his foot impatiently. I wondered how a man in armour this heavy could possibly be comfortable.6

“Come closer, child,” he muttered with almost a snarl, “the taste of coming victory tickles my taste buds.” His eyes were mere slits through a reddish headpiece. They glared at me menacingly, but his body language beckoned me invitingly. I took a few tiny steps closer to him, hoping and praying for something more comforting to pass through his lips. No sound came.7

Instead, there was a blinding flash and a hot wind seared past my cheek. I was thrown backwards against the forcefield. It shimmered as I crashed into it. I could hear the gasp that rustled through the crowds as I lay in shock in the dirt. How could I have let myself be caught unaware?8

“Dicio resisto.”  It was a very simple, but effective curse. My staff glowed as if to assure me that Lord Tasuki’s power would indeed begin to drain away. I hated that he was advanced enough in magic to cast spells with only his thoughts, but I swore that if I escaped the arena alive, someday I would learn to do it as well.9

I would have to think fast because it didn’t look as if Tasuki would be slowing down any time soon. My curse was slow to work and his eyes were already locked on mine. My head began to swim and I lost focus. Tasuki was even stronger than I thought.10

“Starr, don’t lose sight!” My sister, Holly, was always the encouraging one. It was all I needed to pull through Tasuki’s enchantment that sent me shooting through the filth, headfirst, into the opposite side of the forcefield. I saw stars as the wall glimmered a silvery tint; nevertheless, I was more determined than ever to defeat the grand master of battle magic.11

“Fortitudo supervivo.” The hex came out as more of a mutter than a shout of defiance. The sweat dripped down the back of my neck as my strength returned. I struggled to stand up and glared at Tasuki who was showing his first signs of fatigue. His staff lost some of its luminescence, and I caught my other sister, Bella, nodding triumphantly out of the corner of my eye. She interpreted his panting as a sign of desperation, but I knew better.12

“Specio expetesso!” I forced the words out as quickly as I could. Meanwhile, Lord Tasuki has resorted to using his staff as a crude blade. The deeply stained hardwood crashed into my head. I felt warm blood cascade down my cheek. Tasuki thought I had lost consciousness, but he was blinded by my spell. Any loud noise or sudden movements would break the image, so my final spell had to be a gentle whisper.13

“Vario recessim.” The glowing orb atop Tasuki’s staff shattered into a thousand shards of glass. He snapped out of the daze as a particularly large piece grazed his cheek. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I saw a glint of pity as he cast what should have been the killing curse. As soon as his spell was complete, Tasuki dropped to the floor. The crowd was thunderstruck, not because I had defeated the grand master, but because he was still alive. I hesitated. I do not want to be a murderer, I thought to myself. Bella looked at me harshly as I lay down my staff. I looked directly into Tasuki’s eyes, the confusion over his use of a non-lethal curse swirling inside me.14

“A life for a life.” The arena crashed down around us. I had defied a fight to the death, but the customs were not to be changed. When I regained consciousness, I was no longer in the arena; I was not in my village at all in fact, and I was alone.15

Peasants and Kings:16

“Starr, help me out here.” The boyish voice seemed to come out of thin air. I looked up, startled.17

“Come on, sis, please?” I have a brother? Where am I, and what happened? I was still disoriented from the fall. My precious armour was gone and tattered fabrics had taken its place. The young man called out to me again as he realized that he had not yet caught my attention.18

“What’s wrong today, Starr? It’s your brother, Will; don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already!” Will stepped around the corner of a small and shabby building and winked as if to tease me. Raven strands of hair tumbled messily around his face. I sighed in relief that he had let on his name, and I slowly began to relax under the watchful eye of my grinning brother.19

“Don’t worry, I remember everything. What did you need help with?” In all honesty, I still had no idea where I was, but I hoped that my feigned confidence would spark some information.20

“You know my artistic skills. I was hoping you could help me draw a map.”21

“Sure thing, Will, but let’s go inside.” I had begun to shiver with only a ripped t-shirt and thin skirt to protect me from the gusting wind. He took my hand and led me inside and upstairs to a dimly lit bedroom. A roll of parchment was held down on a rickety table by a small pot of ink. An old quill sat in the black pool as if Will had known that I would want to come inside. We sat at the table side by side, and I hesitantly picked up the quill. 22

“I guess I have to tell you what we’re mapping,” Will said as he raised his gaze to meet mine. 23

“My friends need a guide around the Enchanted Wastelands, but none of us are as handy with a quill as you are.”24

“I guess I’ll know my way around there too, after this.”25

“No!” Will’s voice was loud, and I jumped at his obvious fear. 26

“Promise me that you won’t go there alone. Please, Starr.” His forest green eyes glimmered with genuine worry. He put a hand on my shoulder affectionately. Will’s protective nature warmed me inside.27

“I promise.” Will visibly relaxed and began to relate to me the layout of the Wastelands. He tried to make the forbidden glades sound frightening, but to me, the dark mystery was beautiful. I listened intently as Will proceeded to describe an abandoned church, a cursed maze, a demon in a volcano, and the River of Fire. Slowly, the magic of the Enchanted Wastelands began to take shape upon the parchment.28

“I’ll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell Mom and Dad.” Will’s eyes shone with excitement. I nodded intently.29

“My friends and I have been dragon hunting up there. The last sighting was a hundred years ago, but you know what they say about dragons being immortal to natural age.” I put on a childish grin, just for show, but inside my heart was breaking. I could barely contain my brimming tears. How could my own brother wish to destroy such a magnificent creature?30

“How are you going to catch it?” I had finished the map and was tracing the path of the River of Fire with my index finger. I looked up at my brother for a moment with overwhelming curiosity.31

“We hope to bring it down with magic, but the rest of the gang doesn’t know how to cast magic. We’re warriors, not wizards, and Mom and Dad can’t afford to send me to the magic academy like they’ve always wanted to. The gang isn’t much better off.” I smiled with renewed confidence.32

“I just so happen to have a few tricks up my sleeve.” I remembered every spell I had used to defeat Tasuki as clearly as if I had been casting them at that exact moment. Will’s eyes lit up to the shade of freshly polished emeralds. He jumped up, grabbed my hand, and practically flew down the stairs with me in tow.33

“Would you really help?” he asked excitedly. He began to ask me again when I gave him a blank stare, but stopped mid-sentence when he ran straight into another young man around his age. A younger boy had stepped back just in time. I had no idea who either of them were. When I saw the two women behind the boys, my jaw dropped.34

“We were afraid we’d never find you, Starr.” Bella gazed at me with concern, but it was Holly who’d spoken.35

“I’m glad you made it.” I recognized Lord Tasuki’s voice instantaneously. I had not recognized him at first because I had never seen him without his suit of armour. His words of compassion were unexpected from a trained killer as himself.36

“Why didn’t you try to kill me?” I hoped there was an explanation. I wished and prayed that they had an answer as to what happened. Tasuki’s strong arm, protective, around my shoulders, was no comfort.37

“I was tired of keeping up my reputation as the grand master. I hoped you would take my life and end the madness of the death battles.” I knew there was something else. Will tugged my sleeve, questioning their very existence.38

“Who are you and what are you not telling us?” Will demanded his question rather than asking it. I was amazed that he too detected the missing information.39

“We come from another world. These are Starr’s sisters, Bella and Holly. I am the great sorcerer, Lord Tasuki, and this is Blade, my apprentice. I don’t expect you to understand, but your charity in adopting Starr in infancy is to be greatly rewarded. Starr, when you spared my life, all tradition of the enchanted arena was destroyed. A time portal opened and transported the village here, but even here, our wishes remain the same. Starr, you are to be crowned queen.” Will and I simply stared in disbelief. We didn’t even notice our parents join us outside to call us for dinner.40

“Mr. and Mrs. …” Tasuki trailed off.41

“Charly and John, please. All of you are welcome to join us for dinner, though we cannot offer much.” I had failed to notice the gowns and robes our visitors wore.42

“Thank you for your gracious offer, but we really must be on our way. We hope that Starr will join our village and take her place as queen when she is of age.” Tasuki’s eyes glistened with sadness. He truly did not want to leave me in poverty, but it was for the best.43

The Underground:44

I opened my eyes, expecting the bedroom to be awash with sunlight. Instead, I was surrounded by inky darkness. It had been a couple of years since my old family’s visit, but I thought of them constantly; the secret map plagued my imagination as well. I drew the warm quilt over my head and tried to go back to sleep, but the loud rustling noises that had disturbed me in the first place continued.45

“What’s going on, bro?” I asked sleepily. Will crept up to my bedside and sat on the corner.46

“I’m sorry for waking you. I wanted to do our chores early so that Mom and Dad will let you come to a party tonight.”47

“What party? Why can’t I do my chores in the morning?” 48

“I know how they tire you out. Sleep in today. I can’t tell you anything about the party, but you’re going to need your energy.” I gave in and took his advice. When I awoke again, it was late afternoon. I wandered downstairs in only my flannel pajamas to find Will with our parents having tea. I yawned and beckoned to Will, but he didn’t move.49

“It’s ok, Starr. Mom and Dad know about the party. Actually, they know a lot more than you do, but the pieces will come together in time. If you are not enjoying yourself tonight, I will take you home at any time, but know that you can never come back.” I nodded in understanding. The sweet scent of tea and biscuits drew me toward the table and I sat next to my brother for a makeshift breakfast.50

“What time is the party?”51

“Nightfall, but we leave in an hour. We have a long walk ahead of us.” I shivered. I had never been allowed out after dark in the past, not with Will, nor with Bella and Holly. Will followed me as I climbed the stairs with growing excitement.52

“Skirt or dress?” I held up my only formal one of each and twirled in the mirror.”53

“Pants, and tie your hair back.” Will threw some warmer clothes onto my bed and pulled my long, golden-brown tresses back with a simple ribbon. My confused expression must not have caught Will’s gaze because he hurried to get us ready as if the Apocalypse were on its way in case we missed the beginning of the party. I wasn’t even sure about the nature of Will’s party any longer, but I took a deep breath and changed for his sake.54

55

“Why are we walking if it’s such a long way?” We’d been trampling through back alleys and dirt pathways, cluttered with foliage, for nearly an hour. Long blades of grass tickled my ankles through my worn pants and socks.56

“We couldn’t follow the road. What if somebody followed us? No one can know where we’re going, not even Mom and Dad.”57

“Who are your friends anyway? Some secret society?” My words were caught by the bitter wind that had just begun to pick up, and were carried through a door, hanging at an odd angle. A dark figure stood in the doorway of the seemingly abandoned castle. He looked at me, almost surprised, but certainly angry. Will hurried to my defense.58

“My little sister is ready to join the order. She assisted me in drawing the map of the Enchanted Wastelands and is willing to help us capture a dragon.” I had never actually agreed to assist with the barbaric deed, but the beads of sweat on my chilled forehead told me it would be smartest to stay silent.59

“We’ve never initiated a girl before. Why should we start now?” I was offended by his ignorance. I raised my fists to take him on right then and there, but the young man had bigger plans. He ushered Will and me upstairs where several boys Will’s age lounged around in the darkness.60

“Boys! I have a treat for you tonight. Sub and Thug, suit up. Benz, prepare the arena. Sarge, make sure he doesn’t mess anything up. Tonight, we fight!” Violent images flashed through my mind. I grew warm all over. The memories of the death battles hit me like an avalanche, and I fell as if run over by the rush of snow.61

“Starr! What is it?” Will had caught me when I fell, but he sounded far away as I regained consciousness.62

“Don’t push her. She’s younger than my kid brother and you let him off easy. What do you say Flex?” I smiled at his concern, but I was determined to fight.63

“Not a chance, Scotty.” Flex was closer to my train of thought. It wasn’t home; the fight didn’t have to end in death.64

“I can handle myself,” I said confidently, brushing myself off. I watched as the two muscular men helped each other into leather outfits that probably served as a pathetic excuse for armour. The youthful Benz was eager to help, but it was Sarge who ended up doing most of the work. Between the two of them, they finally got the lights working and Thug and Sub stepped into the centre of the arena. It was my turn to slouch indifferently at the edge with the calming knowledge that the odds, if not the spectators, were in my favour.65

I had never cast a spell without a staff before, but I figured that it was as good a time as ever to try. Memories of the death battles were still racing through my mind and I mouthed curses as they came to me. Sub and Thug, limited to traditional combat tactics, were all but useless. The gang looked on in amazement, mouths and eyes wide open.66

Something that sounded like obrigesco passed through my lips. I didn’t even know where I had learnt the curse, but it was efficient. Thug stopped mid-swing with the wooden plank he had picked up off the ground. Sub followed through with a powerful axe kick combination, but he was the one who ended up motionless on the floor. I only ended up with a bruised shoulder.67

“What did you do to them?” Will’s voice was strained with trepidation.68

“Temporary paralysis; they’ll be fine. I trust this nonsense is over now?” I had already buried myself in Will’s arms, but my question was directed to Flex. I caught a hesitant nod from every member of the gang. Flex looked directly into my eyes, his face cast mysteriously in shadow.69

“Welcome to the Nightblades.”70

One Dream, One Prayer:71

There was a knock at the door; a hollow thud hat pounded in my tired ears. Nightblades meetings had kept me busy with plans for future dragon hunts. I was grateful for Will’s quick jog down the stairs.72

“Hey, Scotty! What are you doing here?” My brother’s paroxysm of excitement was loud over the squeak of the door. I may have been flirting with Flex for quite some time, but it was Benz’s older brother who I’d had my eye on since the night of my initiation. I slowly descended the stairs to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous face, framed by a sandy-blond mop, before it left with my brother in tow.73

“Starr, just the girl I wanted to see.” He produced a single red rose from behind his back, and my cheeks flushed to mimic its bright colour.74

“Would you like to join me on a little excursion? It will be, shall we say, enchanting.”75

“You bring her home in one piece!” Will and I laughed at our Dad’s unexpected input.76

“Not a problem, John.” Will tied my hair back with the rose attached, and I left him with a hug. I was glad to see the map I had drawn tucked carefully into Scotty’s shirt pocket. When Scotty enclosed my hand in his, I felt just as safe as I ever had with Will’s brotherly reassurance.77

78

“I can’t believe Will’s letting me inside the Enchanted Wastelands at all, but where exactly are we going?”79

“Just a little place I like to call home.” Scotty’s hair shone golden in the sunlight as we took the long walk north to the ancient cursed glades I had mapped out so many years ago. Not even the fading light as the trees gradually grew closer together could phase the warmth that encased my heart.80

A pool at the end of the River of Fire marked the actual border of the Wastelands. I reached my hand out above the thick, red liquid to feel the hot steam curl around my fingertips.81

“Is it liquid fire?” I had never seen anything like it. My fascination encouraged me to take a closer look, but Scotty held me far back from the river that licked blackened banks.82

“It’s lava; you’re pretty close though. They say that a demon, at least ten feet tall, wanders the floor of the volcano at its source.” A pinprick of fear stabbed at my heart, but my belief that it was simply an urban legend allowed me to keep the excited smile plastered across my face.83

“We’re almost there. Close your eyes.” I nervously let him guide me by the hand inside a cool building. Even behind closed eyelids, I could tell it was brighter. Scotty whispered that I should open my eyes. We stood at the centre of a beautiful sanctuary. Stained glass windows caught just enough light to cast their colourful patterns upon the dirt floor. The altar was equally enchanting. A deep maple box, clothed in a blanket of the purest white, was at the far wall. A pair of gold candlesticks graced opposite back corners. It was a scene out of a dream; a misplaced image among its haunting surroundings.84

“Say a prayer and blow out the candles. Don’t tell anyone what you asked for until it comes true.”85

“Like making a wish?” Scotty nodded. I locked the sight of his smiling face in my mind and gently blew out each candle.86

“It really is amazing here, but how about we go for a walk? I want to see everything.” Next thing I knew, we were running through the trees. Forget watching where we were going; we were like two little kids with plenty of money to spend in a toy store.87

“Starr! Watch out!” It was too late. I slid on a patch of rocky soil and tumbled headfirst into a dank cavern. A huge, red, gnarly hand grabbed me around the waist and dragged me into a black passageway. I could see nothing but a pair of glowing, yellow eyes. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming.88

“Who dares disturb the fires of Chrondell?” hissed a deep, throaty voice. I didn’t dare say a word. Not even the final death battle could compare with the fear that flooded through my veins.89

Scotty was plenty busy above. All I heard was the clash of metal on metal. My magic would not hurt a demon, but it would stop a soldier in his tracks. I prayed that he would be okay.90

“Cell, think we should kill him?”91

“No Orb, we cannot have innocent blood on our hands.”92

“Maybe I should freeze him.”93

“Very funny, Ice.”94

“Ice, Rifle, stop fighting. Boy, what gang are you from?”95

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out!” I assumed Orb’s weapon drew blood as Scotty lunged sideways and jumped into the volcano. I winced at his soft cry of pain.96

“The Blacknights will forever be after you!” I heard the threat clearly, as well as the large drops of blood that slid down Scotty’s neck and dripped into a crimson puddle on the floor. I guess that the Blacknights knew of the demon, because it would otherwise be surprising that they did not follow their victim down, into the darkness.97

Chrondell must have smelled the blood because he eventually dropped me in search of the new toy. I landed lightly on the floor and ran in the direction that I had been dragged from, right into Scotty. He showed me the soiled rosebud that had been trampled on the ground with an almost helpless expression. I could hear Chrondell grunting in the far passageways.98

“We have to go, now.” I wrapped an arm around Scotty’s waist and followed as he took off down a long hall. I could only hope that he knew how to get out of there. 99

We ran for several minutes before the scenery changed. I was breathing hard and my hair was plastered to my neck. I couldn’t remember when I’d lost the ribbon, but all that mattered was that there really was a light at the end of the tunnel.100

“You can’t tell anyone that I know the way out, alright? No one can know how simple it is, or else people will be down there all the time. The demon is dangerous; although, he seems to be somewhat gentler with beautiful girls.” I promised to keep silent. I had never thought that I would ever be so relieved to see a tree.101

“Can we go home now?” It was sincerely all I wanted.102

“I thought you’d never ask.”103

Royal Surprise:104

Both of my families had been waiting when Scotty and I had finally made it home. My demonic encounter had delayed us longer than we had expected. My parents hadn’t really liked my hanging out with the Nightblades, but Scotty earned their trust with our modified tale. That was why he was invited to my coronation.105

It had taken a long time, but Tasuki had found our old palace home. It was an ancient castle that had been left to my sisters and I by our parents before they died. It took a lot of convincing for Charly and John to leave their cozy house, but it was impossible to fit us all, especially since they had adopted Bella and Holly as their own. Tasuki and Blade moved into the guards quarter, and Will began to understand that I could never hurt such a peaceful and magnificent creature as a dragon, so began to pester my bodyguards instead. 106

The celebration was much closer to what I expected from a party. An orchestra played and there were drinks and dancing. 107

“Hey, Starr, I wanted to ask you something.” Scotty had appeared from behind the staircase and gently took my hand.108

“Starr! If I had known you were interested in older men, I would have introduced you to Dave and Zanar, members of the Stoics, long ago!” I froze in surprise, but took a moment to study the two nice men from my parents’ secret society. Zanar was cute, but I was glad to have chosen Scotty who looked pleadingly at my Mom.109

“I hope that’s alright, Charly, because I’ve been hoping that your wonderful daughter would give me her hand in marriage.” I didn’t hesitate that time, despite my utter disbelief. I pulled Scotty into my arms and kissed him with all of the love I held in my heart.110

“Scotty, remember when I asked that prayer at the altar? Well, you just made it come true.”111