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The wind had picked up immensely since Nora had finished talking with the master a few hours back. She was now in her secret place. Atop the jagged mountain behind the village, the face could only be climbed by the most skilled at rock climbing. Nora’s father had taught her a little when she was little, after Aldred took her in; he continued to teach her more strenuous methods, advancing her skills within the mountains as well as survival in the forests.

Nora stood up after resting her sore arms from the climb up. Gazing over the land that could be seen from this incredible height. The mountains seemed like a rippling ocean in the distance, the tree’s like water droplets. The wind pulled the mist along the distant mountains acting like waves of mystery engulfing all that it touched.

This was her favourite spot that she has found. High above the world, she could see everything for miles and miles around her. She felt free here. She unraveled her arms from around her and stretched out, opening herself to the powerful breeze and the world before her. Fenrik stepped up beside her and let out a long echoing howl as the two stood there in harmony.

“Look at the world, Fenrik. How could this not make you want to see what lies beyond.” Her eyes twinkled as the wind pulled a tear from her cheek.

“I see it human cub, but I do not see what lies within it. I do want to go with you child but I fear what may happen to you, I fear the both of us splitting up, I fear you being taken away from me.” Fenrik unlocked eyes with Nora and stared back at the world.

“Come on Fenrik; let’s not riddle ourselves with this negative thinking. We are high up atop the world like kings. Let us train! There are many things that Kael had helped me with the ‘special training’.” Nora raced to the center of the mountain-top which was laced with vines and moss. Fenrik was always curious about the strange symbols that lie beneath them carved into the stone. He had spotted those years back when they had come to this place for the first time.

Catching up to Nora he saw the excitement on her face and his intrigue grew. “Okay you have me interested, let’s see what you have learned.” The wolf sat on the stone ground and watched her intently.

“Okay, here it goes” She had her palms curved and angled to each other as if she was holding an invisible sphere. Closing her eyes silence became them both. She was focusing on reaching deep into her inner being to find her true conscience. Kael had told her that every being has their ‘true self’. The part of someone where their true will, emotions and judgement lies; covered up over time by outer influence and corruption.

“Nora!” Echoed a soft voice in her head. She opened her eyes to see Fenrik looking at her in amazement. Looking down she saw the thin layer of blue flame caress around her forearms.

The flame was dim and moved so slow it was as if time broke off from its course. Looking up and realizing time was moving fine, she closed her eyes once again and meditated stationary. There in the blackness of her mind she could feel her real emotions start to flow like a waterfall over her body. How she always loved the idea of adventure, seeing her father return from his expeditions and giving him the warmest of greetings, the want to be held by a man while looking into each others eyes and feeling true love, as well as playing with her older broth…

“NORA!!!” An echoing cry seemed to come from all around her. As she opened her eyes she saw nothing but darkness. Whipping herself around, nothing changed. She was trapped in a world of blackness.

“I know you can hear me Nora, I have been watching you and now you have finally accepted me.” The voice continued to echo in sync from all directions. She felt a hot spur of air at the back of her neck and whipped blindly around to face it.

In front of her projected four enormous eyes, two rows of vertically parallel red eyes stared her down. She had felt utterly insane as she launched herself backwards and landed on nothingness staring hopelessly at the figure before her. “Won’t you let me play?” An enormous grin fed across the blackness showing dozens of jagged teeth.

Nora knew what this was that projected in front of her. Kael had said that there was also darkness inside every being that manifested their weaknesses, their fears, pain and haunted memories. He had told her that it was the ‘darkness’ that was the true enemy of nen. Nen is the energy that connects everything together, as well as the darkness itself. Wherever there is light, darkness will try to grow inside of it and attempt to consume it.

“Your memories are filled with pain and tragedy princess, let me play! I can eat all of it away and make us a new past.” The voice echoed once again. The eyes and grin enlarged as an enormous tongue unfolded from the jagged abyss licking its lips.

“I know what you are darkness! And I know what you are trying to do. Try all you want you will not be able to make me insane. I have haunted memories, I know, but they have not made me weak. I have accepted my past and will move on to the great adventures of the future.” Nora paused at a phase that the voice used.

“Why did you call me princess?” She hoped there was more meaning behind this than just a phrase, hoping it was connected to her destiny somehow.

The eyes suddenly glared furiously at her, closed, and when they opened again there were thousands surrounding her from all around. “I am not darkness princess, I AM PUPPET! And Puppet is YOUR DARKNESS!” The mouth in the blackness opened wide and let out a screech so loud and terrifying it shook her bones from the inside.

“I call you PRINCESS! Because I am your KING! You are my predecessor and when I am through with you, you shall be PUPPET!” The enormous mouth opened again showing its saw blade teeth and wide tongue. Reaching forward, it bellowed ferociously and swallowed Nora whole.

Nora instantly shot her eyes open to see that the flame she had created before had engulfed her whole body and flowed across the stone beneath her. The flame was now bright blue and at the stage of a roaring inferno. Panicking she glanced around and saw Fenrik in the middle of her blaze.

“What is going on Nora? What kind of flame is this? He raised his paws and saw that no harm was coming upon him from this flurry.

“I… I don’t know Fenrik, I just had a dream that…” Nora suddenly felt as if she was going to collapse, catching herself off balance she fell to the stone. She law there for only a second as she left herself beginning to rise.

She was levitating above the stone, still in the middle of an enormous bright blue flurry of flames licking the air and the stone. Looking down at her arms again, she noticed that the flames were eating away the vines that were below her. “Fenrik look!” She pointed and gazed in amazement as the ashes of the vines blew away, revealing a magical seal carved in the stone below her. She was floating right above its center. The circle began to light up, neon blue light crept along the ring until it was all completely lit.
As the entire seal was lit; the diameter of the circle exploded upwards with blue light encasing Nora in its center, the blue energy shot straight up into the sky as far as the stars.

All Nora could see around her was bright blue light as she felt overpowered with tremendous energy. The feeling of a god, as if she was able to move continents by just looking them down. Thoughts of greatness and fear mixed together she had no idea what to do: she could not even move her limbs.

“Nora.” A voice so familiar and calming grasped her soul, she felt much more relaxed and at peace to hear a voice that was so long forgotten. It has been so long that she had forgotten what her brother’s voice sounded like. It made her extremely happy to hear it again… even if it was just a memory.

“Nora, can you hear me?” Nora jumped when she heard it a second time, much more clear this time. Whipping around with her tired head she could see nothing but blue buzzing around her head.

“Vern…” Nora questioned softly. And then everything went black.