Sophie Artic

What am I doing?

I can’t do anything even if I want to.

I…I. Can’t.

B-But everyone is in danger. Risking their lives.

For what? Me! No why would they throw away their lives for me?

I-I didn’t run for nothing there was a reason of course, but even with that reason they can’t just try to get me back.

I can’t do anything.

My magic.

I can’t attack with my magic.

I can only help them with it.

But Matthew is losing while Aspen isn’t even using her magic yet.

But Arora and Orvar. They have talent, they still have an opportunity to survive.

I don’t want to go back, nor do I want Matt to be taken by the Forest shadow.

I don’t want to remember anything of it.

I just want to disappear into thin air.

While wishing that my family could just disappear with me.

I don’t know what to do.

I want to do something but I don’t know what.

“Sophie! Snap out of it!” I heard Matt scream to me; he is still fighting Aspen.

Why? Why? Why is he making sure when I’m okay while he is losing his fight?

I don’t understand.

We love each other, but do I deserve this?

Why did I get to love him.

He always made sure I was okay even when I was okay.

Maybe just maybe is it only because he saved me that day.

26 years ago: I was 12

“I’m so happy that I will get my own magic soon, mom!” I can’t hold in my excitement.

My mother pats me on my head. “I understand your feelings, I was just like you when I was your age.” She chuckles a little bit.

She looks up and sighs. “I remember it like it was yesterday.” She had a big smile on her face.

“For which kind if magic did you choose again mom?” I am so excited that I want to jump around.

She bend down her knees so that she is on my height. “Sophie remember, your magic will be chosen by the tree. The tree has the power to give us magic so we will let it choose our magic as a compensation.”

She walks over to the table and gestured me to sit down.

I walked over to the table and sit across from my mother.

“I think it is time to tell you about the tree, so listen good.”

I made sure that I was sitting good before nodding to my mother so that she can start with her story.

She begins to talk. “The tree is the centre of our village you know that. You also know that the tree is important for us because it gives us our food, water and makes our lives possible. Our tribe has not been existence for long.”

Her voice begins to become serious.

“The existence of our tribe began with four elders who all where from the different kingdoms, so it was basically a friend group but they were all four from a different race. Three of them made a trip too Lórien to see there elven friend. When they arrived at Lórien they couldn’t find there elven friend.” She paused for a moment.

“We don’t know their names, but do you understand it so far?

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I nodded staying silent so that she could continue.

My mother nodded back and continued.

“So they asked around if someone had seen him, but they couldn’t find anything. They were on the point of giving up when their faun friend asked an old man. Apparently the old man had seen him go to the Woods of life, ‘Where we now live’. They decided to go to the Woods of life, so they travelled to the Woods and when they arrived. There was a man standing a man that they all seem to recognize.”

“That man looked like the missing friend and he was the missing friend too but, looked and acted different than normal. He changed. That man leaded the other three friends into the Woods to show them something. Not even a single one of them trusted him at that moment but they all still followed him.”

“After some time of carful walking the elven friend showed them the tree. It was the tree that is giving us everything for the past fifty years. The three friends carefully investigated the tree, no one of them knew what the tree could do. One of the friends dared to touch the tree and when they did, he got so much mana imbued into him that he died directly. Desperately the elven friend wanted to give the rest also some mana, so he ran at the faun jumping over the dead body of the dwarf. He grabbed the faun; the faun did his best to break free from the elf but nothing seemed to work. He looked at the human friend and said a short last sentence.”

“He said ‘remember me…please.’ The faun managed to plea before pushing himself and the elf into the tree. When they both hit the tree the faun and the elf where also dead, just only leaving there clothes behind.”

She finished.

I asked her something. “Why did that human friend then make a tribe where his friends died?”

“Good question.” My mother said. “That is because, he and the tree are now one.”

I thought for a moment. “So you are saying that that man is now the tree?”

“That is right, he is now the tree and makes living here possible.” She said slow. “He didn’t want to leave the place where his friends died.”

She continued. “And from that moment on, he is waiting until the night of the souls.”

“What is that?” I asked a bit confused.

My mother chuckled. “That is a night where the souls of the dead come back to Infinita to see what happened with their bodies and family. After they have seen everything the souls move on to their next life. The human friend of the tale is still waiting for the moment to pass on along with his friends.”

I nodded. “When will that be?”

“No one knows. They say it only happens once in a million years.” She looks outside.

“You should eat and get ready for tonight.” She turned back around to me. “Save your mana, you will need it, because otherwise it will be very dangerous.”

“Okay I will save my mana and eat something before I go.” I answer her with a smile.

“And Sophie.” My mother called out.

I turned around to my mother. “Yes? Is something wrong?”

She walked to me. “Nothing is wrong, I just want to say that I love you.” She hugs me.

I hug her back. We stay in silence for a good few minutes before my mother breaks the silence.

“Your father would have loved to see you tonight getting your magic, so wear his bracelet as a symbol of pride.” She whispers breaking the silence.

“I will, mom”

I broke free from the hug and went to my room to get ready for tonight.

I took what I needed from my room, It was just the standard things. A dagger, mask, cloak and then the bracelet of my father.

After I got that I went back down stairs.

When I got back down stairs I saw my mother waiting for me.

Her long grey hair was tied up now so I could see a wrinkle on her forehead.

She stood against the table with a plate of food.

“Here you go.” She said while putting down the plate of food.

I walked over to the table and sat down where the plate is.

On the plate was a piece of meat with some vegetables.

“Thank you, mom.”

She smiled while she looked at me eating. “You’re welcome.”

When I’m done with eating I still needed to wait for fifteen minutes before I could go.

We can’t go outside the day before the ritual starts, we can come out one hour before the ritual starts.

That is because of the people that live further away than the most people.

“There won’t be a big group tonight right?” I asked my mother while waiting before I could go.

She shakes her head. “No, this year there aren’t many kids who are getting their magic.”

“But Sophie for which class are you going to choose?”

“I am not sure yet why do you ask.”

She shrugged. “I am just curious.”

“I think I’m going for the support class. I don’t really want to fight and all.”

My mother nodded at my reaction. “Okay, there isn’t something good or bad about your choice, but I just want to let you know that your magic also depends on your class.”

I nod back at her. “I know that my magic depends on which class I will get, and I also know that the kinds of magic to get the supporting class are very rare.”

My mother nods. “You’re right about that.”

She looks at the clock. “good luck.”

I also look at the clock and then I realize I can already go.

So I jumped up and ran to the door being stopped by my mother.

“You’re forgetting something.” She said.

I turned back and placed my plate on the counter.

“Then I will go now.”

“Good luck.” She waved me goodbye before I went outside.

I closed the door behind me and looked around at all the lights that are placed between the trees.

Everyone came out of there tree’s to look at the lights.

“It is beautiful.” I murmured under my breath.

I remembered that I needed to go, so I begin to walk over the bridges what are our streets.

After a bit of walking I arrived at the tree.

I saw already some people sitting there, and of course every participant is wearing the ritual clothes that was given for this moment.

The clothes for the boys and for the girls where different.

The boys where all wearing grey pants with a white shirt and a brown jacket.

The girls are wearing a long grey skirt with a brown hat, including me.

I sat down on one of the seats next to my friend Aspen.

“Are you ready to get your magic, Aspen?” I asked her.

She looked at me exited. “Of course I’m excited to get my own magic. I also already know to what class I want to go.”

“Ooh yea? To what class do you want to go then?” I asked her.

“I want to join the assassin group. I love the idea of going around when no knows if you’re there. What about you Sophie which class do you want to join?”

“Me? I want to join the support class. I don’t really like the fighting, so I want to support people.” I answered.

“Then we can become a great duo, Sophie” She nudged me with her arm while winking.

A man came up and coughed to get all the attention. “The ritual is about to begin.”