Coraline Bowman, or Cora as her friends call her, was sitting in history class daydreaming of sword fights and magic spells, blissfully ignorant to what the future had in store for her.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWWQOi5pvW
"The Blood King was the most ruthless king Thesonia has ever seen. He killed thousands, he took no prisoners, and he conquered everyone who stood in his way," Ms. McIntire said dramatically, pacing back and forth across the front of the classroom. "If our brave hero Galen Rivero didn't slay him, it's safe to say the he could have taken over all of Europe and possibly the world!"
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk6sG1sjWc
Cora found it hard to believe that just one man that lived thousands of years ago was capable of taking over all of Europe, much less the world. Cora always believed her history teachers had a tendency to stretch the truth, but none of her classmates seem to question it so neither would she.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RKcqqpO6l
Cora's thoughts drifted off until the bell rang.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCzGRr5TY3
She immediately jumped up out of her seat before any of her classmates had time to respond and bolted out the door.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWCQP9D00H
Finally, high school was over. She was free. It was a wonderful feeling she felt as she skipped through the halls waving her arms around like a lunatic, which caught a lot of stares from teachers scattered throughout the halls. Nothing could dampen her mood today.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV52ku3L05
As she stepped outside she was welcomed by the rays of the sun smiling down on her.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hpfyWGaH0
Shortly after, her father came to pick her up. She greeted him with a warm embrace like she always did, being carful not to crush his injured spine.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43U0yQs2kV
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart! I never thought I'd see the day Coraline 'I'm too cool for school' Bowman actually finished high school," he teased.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCqOqnsqBX
Cora was slightly annoyed but, in her mind nothing could ruin this day.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TZ5lHTqT4
In the backseat of the car she found cupcakes that spelled out "Congratulations Cora!" Undoubtedly her grandmother's doing.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySdJvbUC69
As was Thessionian tradition, today Cora was officially considered an adult. Cora's father brought her to the resting grounds, which are a Thessonian cemetery of sorts. Thanks to Thessoinian crystals, the bodies of loved ones can be preserved for several millennia.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboeFmbe0Op
As Cora and her father entered the resting grounds, Cora spotted a familiar face.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPRQ9b8OeZ
"Dimitri!" She squealed and ran up to the young man, nearly tackling him.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxnJOY06EP
"Cora!" he says with huge smile on his face. "Guess what I got today?" he asked, running his fingers through his tight, black curls.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyZfwypTA4
Cora placed a hand on her chin pondering his question.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8rVbUVe4q
"This!" He pulled a sword out of his sheath.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmUMKrwOdb
The sword truly is breathtaking. It's made of black steel and decorated with amethysts. It matched perfectly with his dark leather pants and belt and his dark purple trench coat he always wore.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQN1wdlbyPN
Cora couldn't help but be envious of her best friend. They had known each other for as long as she could remember. Their fathers were warriors in the same guild, they fought side by side until her father's injury. Their entire lives, Cora and Dimitri had wanted to be warriors just like them.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OaehZXgU1
"Do you like it?" Dimitri asked.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkxAZC57Uk
"It's the most beautiful sword I've ever seen!"
She exclaimed.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhmPV8kMWE
"Dimitri, lets go!" His twin sister Scarlet called out. Even in this heat her dark bronze skin and wavy hair look as flawless as ever.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCRQ8PsR2y
Cora and Dimitri split up and visited their respective relatives.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XKx8uxBWB
Cora kneeled beside the lifeless bodies of her ancestors. She came from a long line of warriors on her fathers side.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3kj9sYDPU
"I will make you proud." she whispered before leaving.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXNbzijXCs
She arrived at home to find her mother preparing dinner.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNeDmCpST9
"How was your last day of school?" Mother asked.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmvC2V8AIA
"Same old." Cora responded. "I saw Dimitri at the resting grounds today and he had the coolest sword!"
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4syJ2qxreb
"Don't tell me you're still pursuing this warrior dream of yours," her mother interrupted not looking up from the counter.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiVXQrMGNC
"As a matter of fact I am, Mom, I've been practicing all the time," the young girl argued
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZMQH6T4wi
"So did your father, and look where it got him!" Her mother exclaimed angrily.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdqsOXjfxU
"Let the girl dream, Karen," her grandmother said looking up from her book.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1JFwfOfL4
"I'm gonna go," Coraline said as she exited the room.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYBUdhOj8T
Later that night, while the rest of her family was asleep, young Cora was about to do something that was going to alter the course of her life.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvjZFZ4fS4
My whole family were warriors, she thought to her self. If mom won't let me have my own sword I'm sure no one would mind if a I borrowed one. They're all dead anyways, she thought.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxO4Lznmc7
She searched through her grandmother's study. She had never really been in here before.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDsbBPteM8
The room was so dark, it was nearly impossible to see anything. She felt along the wall for a light switch. As she felt near the fireplace she felt a small lever and out of pure curiosity she pulled it down.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiUm8pcxhy
All of a sudden the fireplace, disappeared and a passage way opened up. All she could see way a red glowing light at the end of the passage.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoT0eM60mx0
It's felt like she was in a trance, all she knew how to do was keep walking towards the light like a moth to a flame.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eqGsDCjDf
When she reached the end she was shocked by what she saw.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMthadmpir7
A boy not much older the her completely frozen in crystal just like the dead in the resting grounds, but instead of looking peaceful he looked like he was in anguish desperate to escape this prison. The boy had black hair, that went down to his knees. He wore a red cape the color of blood. His clothes were as black as his hair all except for one leg that appeared to be made of metal.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwMM7p3rRC
The look in his red eyes made her shiver. "Who is he?" She asked herself. She didn't want to know.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtrY6pYC1e
"I need to get out of here," she said to herself.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGh24QLMqL
Then as she turned towards the exit something glimmering caught her eye. The blade was black as night and the diamonds and rubies encrusted in it sparkled like the stars. No, it put the stars to shame. It was right within her grasp and she grabbed it.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojyf4aE3Fx
It was stuck. She pulled harder and harder again and again until it finally broke free.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qGXV6WliI
She took the sword and ran out of the passage, carefully shutting it after she left.
504Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiEgMOXbPK
What she didn't notice was that the crystal prison holding the young man began to crumble away.
ns3.15.234.89da2
