Prologue
There's an old story among my people, one about Mother Shadow and Father Light. When the world was born, they were all that existed, new and raw in a realm of dust. It was one such day, when Arthenya was anew, that Shadow found Light.
Upon gazing at Light, Shadow became enamored with him. She watched as he birthed the world and the elements. Fire for warmth, water and plant for nourishment, and air for protection against the world beyond Arthenya. Light came up with creatures to inhabit this new world, he made it thriving and beautiful.
Shadow knew she had no place in this world nor did she have a place ever letting the one she loved know she existed. So she hid away, in the farthest corner of Arthenya, and tried for herself to make something as beautiful as Light could.
She made creatures of silver and night, that twinkled like the stars. But no matter what she did, she compared herself to Light, and always fell short.
Life thrived on in both corners of Arthenya, completely and utterly different. Where Light loved and spoiled his children, Shadow constantly wondered why hers weren't ever good enough. Despite this, Shadows children loved her and loved her realm, and it could never fall into a state of disrepair.
But Lights children took him for granted, considering themselves the superior entities of the world, and completely casting aside the beautiful realm of starlight that Shadow had created. They dubbed themselves the Lifebringers, and soon, they had forgotten any of the kindness their father had given them. They grew greedy and selfish, under the guise of doing it for their sacred father.
But one day, they grew too bold. They left their realm of Alluria, and attempted to invade Nyxia, the realm Shadow had carved from her own regrets and mistakes. Shadow saw how rotten and horrid Lights creatures had become, and she realized that Light had become just as rotten. She realized that his creations had lacked the one thing that she had: true, unyielding, miserable love. His creatures were beautiful everywhere except where it truly mattered; inside. Shed believed his children were perfect, but he was flawed, just like her.
The citizens of Nyxia named themselves, too. The Shadowguard, ready to die for their mother and their homeland.
Together, they pushed the Lifebringers back, and they kept their realm safe. Forever.
But that doesn't matter now, because the last of The Shadowguard have just fallen. The Lifebringers have won.
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Chapter 1- Part 1
I push the snow-ridden hair out of my face, a dark ebony speckled with shimmering white. Under the moonlight, the snow looks like its glowing, illuminating my otherwise mundane features.
I'm climbing the last peak of the mountains, gazing up at the shimmering stars. I'm not supposed to be out here, especially not at moonfall. With a soft sigh, I take in my last glimpses of the pale moon, the cold stars, the powdery flakes of snow.
Today begins my training as a member of the Shadowguard, and Ill be moving halfway across the country to get to the prestigious Nyvian Academy.
I turn away, finally pulling up the hood on my shadowed purple cloak; a farewell gift from the few people that cared about me in this town.
To be accepted for Shadowguard training is the highest honor, especially from a village in the middle of nowhere.
I begin the climb back down, where my best friend, Amarissa, is waiting. We were both supposed to leave about an hour ago, but wed found a shortcut through the mountains to the town of Ophelia, where the dragon-riders are waiting.
"You find the way, or were you just stargazing?" Amarissa questions. Amarissa is unique- her bleach blonde hair is a complete contrast to the dark haired residents of Nyxia. Her lilac eyes give another hint that she doesn't belong among the Nyxian people, but more importantly, she's pale skinned, and adept at wielding the kind of magic Nyxians use. Fueled by love, and compassion. I remember the teachings of my grandmother, who had been a veteran of many wars against the Lifebringers, and had protected her home kingdom well.
"Maybe a little bit of both?" I suggest, making my way down the last bit of the slope of the mountain.
"We're late as it is, Duna. We don't have time for this, as much as I wish we did." Amarissa sighed. As much as I loved the stars, the cold nights dusted with snow, Amarissa loved them more.
"Right. Well, it's this way," I reply, clearing my throat. My feet crunch against the freshly fallen snow, leaving the prints of my battered boots behind. Were close to Ophelia, about a fifteen minute walk away. It would've taken us another thirty minutes of time with the main road, especially since we had to go on foot either way.
Its not that the mountains aren't treacherous, they are, but they're like a second home, for the both of us. I remember when we were both little girls, how Amarissa and I would race each other up the peaks, to be closest to the sky, to the moon. We keep up our brisk pace, marching through the chilled night.
Most of Nyxia is more temperate than this, with far less snow, but were in the northernmost mountains, secluded from most of Nyxians, as they prefer the dense forests to the snow-capped mountains. The little town we hail from- Nyssa, is joined only by three others- Ophelia, Halma, and Sekra.
The Nyvian Academy is closest to Ophelia, though still several days away on foot. The Academy itself is secluded, surrounded by mountains that make the ones were hiking seem tame. Jagged and dark, they're known as The Dragons Fangs, and are perhaps the most heavily warded place in all of Nyxia. I cant help all I know about the Academy- I've been studying it ever since I was a little girl.
"What're you thinking about?" Amarissa asks me, fiddling with the hood of her own cloak, a starlit purple a few shades lighter than my own.
"The Academy." I reply immediately. My gaze is on the sky again, the stars calming my nerves instantly.
"We're gonna both fit right in." Amarissa smiles an award-winning smile, touching my shoulder gently.
"I know," I return the smile, even if mine is rather weak and unconvincing.
"Don't forget, being recruited to be a member of The Shadowguard is a prestigious honor only few will ever have the chance of obtaining." Amarissa says in a mockingly monotone voice, trying to ease my nerves. It works slightly, and I crack a genuine smile. Amarissa always knows how to cheer me up, as I know how to make her smile.
"Prestigious indeed," I whisper softly. I wonder if my grandmother is out there, watching us. Would she be proud of me? It's been three years since she passed away...three years since I decided I'd do anything to get accepted into the Academy, to follow in her footsteps. I always look at the stars, hoping to see a glimpse of her up there, even if that's a foolish thought. We clamber up the last mountain, overlooking the almost mystical town of Ophelia.
Ophelia is full of shamans and healers, and it shows. The town is very small, a cluster of six houses so close together they're almost touching. The Elder's house is the biggest; but its still a stretch calling it such. It looks like it's barely enough to fit five people, room only for a bed and a tiny kitchen. Behind the cluster of houses- I see them. Three sleek dragons, all grace and muscle and power.
Their scales are as dark as the night sky, two of them shades of blue and purple and swirling black shadows. The third dragon- its something else entirely. Its scales are darker than black, an inky shade that looks like its consuming all the light around it. Ripples of silver scales dot the darkness, shining and shimmering, as if this dragon had challenged the stars itself- and won. It seemed fierce and untameable, with a fire burning so bright inside it, it was a wonder how it was sitting there, fairly docile. And its eyes- I could've sworn those fierce, blazingly colorless eyes stared right at me, right through me. As if, with one glance, it, he, knew everything; about me, about who I was. It was unsettling, I could feel ripples of electricity going through me.
"Duna?" Amarissa fills my vision, her pale purple eyes meeting my own twilight-colored eyes, speckled with silver.
"Huh?" I ask, finally pulling my attention away from the dragon.
"The dragon-riders." Amarissa reminds me, nudging me gently towards their direction.
"What took so long?" One of them, seemingly the leader, asks. His voice was as gruff as his appearance, though he couldn't be any more than thirty. His red eyes pierce through me, glaring, judging.
"We were running late. If we had taken the main road, we would've been here a whole lot later." I reply, meeting his gaze almost rebelliously. Within a second, he turns his gaze off of me, as if dismissing me. I find myself clenching my fists- and then unclenching them just as quickly. Amarissa puts her arm around me, standing by me in silent support.
"Cut them some slack, Tynan. Like you werent late for your first day at Nyvian." A second male voice sounds, the joking to Tynan's serious. His voice isn't the only thing different from Tynan; he's nearly the complete opposite. Clean shaven and handsome, his cobalt eyes glimmer with mischief.
"Oh, we're all late," The third rider agrees. There's something about her...she's like a fire; wild and untameable, but warm and safe at the same time. Her hair is a frizzy black, her smart eyes a burnt auburn shade. "The name's Adara. That loverboy over there is Tristan, and you know Tynan already. You must be...Duna? And Amarissa?"
"That'd be us." Amarissa agrees.
"They weren't kidding about knowing which was which right away," Adara comments jokingly, her eyes holding nothing but a warmth I am very grateful for.
"Whatever," Tynan huffs. "One of you is with Adara, the other is with Tristan. Figure it out quickly; because of a certain couple of people we're late."
"Why did you bring three people when there's two of us?" I wonder aloud, realizing that I'd spoken only after the words had poured out. Tynan gives me another huff of annoyance, as if I'm a small child that keeps bothering him.
"Tynan isn't technically here with us. The academy doesn't like him picking up new recruits because of his...social skills." Tristan explains carefully.
"The dragon Tynan's riding right now..it isn't his." Adara continues, not picking up on Tristan's and Tynan's warning glances. "Hes been causing trouble for a couple of towns, specifically Halma and Sekra. I'm surprised you haven't seen him in Nyssa."
"It's like he's been searching for something. Tynan agrees gruffly. "He's been thrashing and fighting against us all day. He only calmed down...around the time you got here." I find myself meeting the eyes of this odd dragon again, surprised by the blazing intensity held within. A thought surfaces in my head, one that I can't help wondering about. What if he was looking for me?
"Duna? You're doing it again." Amarissa snaps me back to reality, waving her hand in my face.
"Is she always this spacey?" Tynan asks, his annoyance once more thickly coating his words.
"Not usually." Amarissa comments, looking at me worriedly. "Are you alright Duna?"
"Huh? Y-Yeah, I'm fine." I say, shaking the thoughts out of my head. How crazy could I be? A dragon looking for me, of all people? It was a rare kind of thing, but some dragons formed bonds with humans...they say it's an instant kind of thing, something assigned since birth- there I was doing it again. I need to stop imagining things.
"Alright then. I'm tired of this. Adara, take the blonde one. Tristan, take the annoying one."
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