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Dream World Mirau by Josephina Mari
Day Ten of NaNoWriMo

I closed my eyes and held on tight to Karou as we pushed through the grass on Nodin’s back and then suddenly I heard Nodin’s hooves beat against what sounded like stone as he slowed to a walking pace. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around to discover that the tall prairie grass was behind us now and we were walking on what looked like an old stone road leading somewhere. Short blades of green grass were growing over the stones, suggesting that this wasn’t a road traveled on often. “We stay on this path all the way to Aloen. The prairie we just passed through use to be abundant farm land, but one year a sudden frost killed all the crops and the farmers couldn’t grow any new plants there after. The only thing that seemed to survive in that soil is the wild grass you saw. The farmland was moved closer to town so not that many people come out here anymore. We should reach Aloen shortly so prepare yourself. It will look huge after seeing my village. Buildings there are all made of stone and tower up over your head. The first time I came to Aloen with my dad I felt like I was in another world.” Karou said describing a place that sounded a lot like the world I was from. “Maybe there was some connection to Aloen and my world?” I thought to myself as Nodin slowly went down a hill and then I saw a large stone wall that seemed to go on forever both the right and left of the gateway into town. It looked more like a fortress then a city from the outside. As we drew closer to the gate of Aloen I noticed there weren’t any watchmen outside and the city gates were left wide open for anyone to come and go as hey pleased which seemed suspicious to me. Why do they have walls around the place if no one is monitoring who comes in and out?

Karou dismounted off of Nodin and told me to wait for him while he took a look inside to make sure it was safe for us to go in. I nodded to him and then I heard Nodin make a snorting noise as he backed up a few steps from the gates. It was almost like he was afraid to go inside for some reason so I reached down and pet the side of his neck trying to calm him down and then I looked over at Karou curiously as he stood still just inside the gateway. “Karou what’s wrong? Can we go in or should we come back later?” I said to him feeling somewhat annoyed that we made the trip all the way out here and now faced the possibility of being turned away. “Hire elda Mari...All of them are dead.” I heard Karou say and at first I didn’t want to believe him, but from the sound of his voice I could tell he was speaking the truth. I dismounted Nodin and ran to Karou’s side to see the truth for my own eyes. The city was in shambles and small fires were still burning here and there suggesting that whatever happened to the people of Aloen was very recent. “Karou lets look around for survivors. People could be trapped among the rubble. I’m going to go check that area over there. If you find anyone bring them back here and we will try to help them in any way possible.” I said wishing I could do more. If only we had arrived sooner, maybe this could have been prevented. I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks as I began going through the rubble hoping to find someone, anyone that could tell us what happened. This was Aloen, but not the Aloen Karou described to me and something awful happened here. I wanted to find out the truth, but before that I wanted to save whoever I could.

The first pile of rubble I looked through I found a middle-aged man covered in blood with no signs of life left in him. I moved a large stone out of the way and dug through some more debris near by to find a woman not that much older then me also covered in blood and lifeless. It seemed like she was trying to protect a small boy that she had wrapped in her arms, but neither of them survived as the building collapsed around them. I looked to the sky as more tears rushed down my face and then I screamed as loud as I could before I wrapped my arms around myself trying to make my body stop shaking. Then suddenly over the silence I heard Karou call out to me “Mari come quick. I found someone!” and then I wiped the tears from my eyes and cheeks and got to my feet. I ran as fast as I could to where I heard Karou’s voice coming from and then I noticed Karou walking with a blond haired man who appeared to be dressed in magician robes. He was covered in blood like the others but he was still alive and was speaking to Karou in that odd language of theirs. Karou quickly translated for me when I caught up with them. “He said his name is Baer and he is an Alchemist of Aloen. He told me over night the city was destroyed by the Akuen in a sudden raid. They were after some of the Alchemist’s most recent research on a potion that could cure most wounds and fatigue, but the potion was incomplete and didn’t work all of the time. Side effects from one of the herbs of the potion caused several warriors to pass out after drinking it so the Alchemists were put in charge of finding a safe substitute for the potion. All of their research was destroyed in the raid and so many innocent lives were taken for no good reason. He said some of the people were able to make it out in time and fled to the neighboring towns for refuge.” Karou explained as we walked with Baer toward where Nodin was waiting outside the gate for us.

Karou helped Baer into a sitting position on the stone path outside Aloen’s walls, and then he looked through Nodin’s saddle bags for some food and water to offer Baer. I watched as Baer ate quietly but quickly before he said “Thank you for the help and food. I am sorry to trouble you.” Karou replied with a short “don’t worry about it” before he sat down in the middle of the stone path across from Baer. “What should we do now Karou...training here is out of the question after what has happened here. We should return and tell Angela about this.” I said as I sat down cross-legged near Karou and Baer. “Training you say? Did you coming here to learn Alchemy...I’m sorry, but all of the Master Alchemists fled town when the raid began. Who knows where they could be now. We could try checking in the port city of Coasta Bleu and see if anyone passed through there. I need to pickup some Alchemic supplies anyway. I could probably teach you two some basic Alchemy for helping me out, but the more advanced formulas you will need to speak to one of the Master Alchemists to learn. They keep the advanced spell knowledge in their heads rather then on paper to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. You may have your hands full trying to convince them to teach you though. Some of the Masters are stubborn.” Baer said and then he sighed. His Master was one of those stubborn ones, and Baer had been trying his hardest to prove himself worthy to inherit his Masters advanced magic, but his Master would always tell him to train more to perfect the skills he already knew.

“Let me show you two a spell I learned on my own. I call it Aided Flight. Here we go...” Baer said as he held out one of his hands towards an empty part of the road in front of us. Suddenly three circles of light appeared in the spot he was holding his palm out towards and as they danced around a figure started to slowly appear from within the large circle what was created. A few seconds passed by until the light circles vanished revealing a large white owl with what looked like a ridding saddle on it. Baer then stood up and walked over to the white owl and then he ran his hand through its feathers under its chin a few times before he climbed into the owl’s saddle and said “Coasta Bleu isn’t too far from here. I can lead you there when you two are ready to go. Just follow my owl’s shadow; I’ll try to fly slowly so you can keep up.” Baer said sounding optimistic despite all that he had been through. Baer knew if he found his Master again, things would get better for him. His Master was the only family he had since he was orphaned at a young age after his parents learned he could use magic. They thought he would bring them misfortune so they left him in the care of one of the Master Alchemists of Aloen. Baer looks like his birth father since he also has blond hair, which is tired back into a pony tail and short cut bangs that have a messy quality about them. Baer also has amethyst colored eyes which he got from the magic following within him rather then his parents. His white Alchemist robes covered with blood splotches didn’t suit him though. He planned to by some new clothes when he reached Coasta Bleu in addition to the supplies he would need for his lessons he would give to repay his life debt to Karou and Mari.

“We are ready to go when you are Baer, that is if you are done day dreaming. Are you sure you are okay to fly that bird? We can rest here for awhile if you don’t feel well.” Karou said in that caring sarcastic voice I knew him well for. Baer didn’t seem phased at all by it though as he replied with a very laid back tone of voice “We won’t get any closer to Coasta Bleu by staying here. Let’s get going.” Baer’s owl then spread it’s wings and flapped them a few times stirring the blades of grass around it, then it rose up into the sky about ten feet above Karou and Mari’s heads. “Looks like things just got a little more interesting don’t you think so? I guess it’s time to say good bye to Aloen. May your souls all rest in peace knowing that the ones who did this to you will be brought to justice.” Karou said as he faced the city gates for a moment then he turned his back on them and walked over to Nodin. Karou then held his hand out to me to help me up into Nodin’s saddle as he had done before in the past. One I was in the back of the saddle Karou climbed into his usual place in the front of it and then he grabbed Nodin’s reins and snapped them once to cause him to start running towards where the shadow of Baer’s owl was heading. I wrapped my arms around Karou’s waist again as I laid my head against his back and closed my eyes wondering how long the journey to Coasta Bleu would take. It seemed like we were on a never ending trip across the world of Mirau with our final destination still uncertain.