Denora
Searching her mind wasn't giving me the direct answers I need. I have to confront her, get her to tell me the truth. It felt like she was concealing it from me. Almost like I wasn't allowed to know.
"I know how you're feeling Aunt Ruth, but please tell me. What did you see?" I asked concerned now more than ever. A tear rolled down her cheeks.
"I can't believe they're real Denora. I had only read about them when I was still living in Esmien. All this while I tried to connect and find out what was behind the disappearance of the realm, but I never got a clue, not until today." She said to me lifting her arms up as she used her powers to radiate a shield all over the house.
I was feeling a bit worried now, Aunt Ruth wasn't talking. Simon came back into the room holding her golden staff and the rune box. She took them from him.
"Come with me. This shield will only hold for so long." She signaled to us. I grabbed my bag; Simon grabbed his too and followed. Aunt Ruth led us to the basement. I could sense the dark energy getting stronger. It came with so much anger.
"What's going on mom, why are we hiding?" Simon asked reading her gesture and noticing the change in atmosphere.
"There's no time to explain. I have to fulfil my part and get you both out of here." Aunt Ruth said to us, coming to a stop at the inner wall of the house basement.
"What do you mean Aunt Ruth? Are you not helping us connect to Esmien? We need all the help we can get." I protested wondering why she made such a statement. Simon was as confused too. None of us understood what was really going on.
"You are the only one who can connect to Esmien again. You are the realm's protector Denora, I trust that you can do it." The house began to shake violently, it felt like something heavy landed on the roof. Since we were at the basement we felt the shake even more.
Aunt Ruth opened the rune box and handed me my rune stick. She took hers out of the box as well. Simon was half magic summoner, half wolf but his wolf had not manifested yet. His powers as a summoner were also not as intense cause his wolf side overshadowed it.
"Denora, I need you to remember every rune I taught you; they will be very useful. Simon, I put you in charge of protecting her till you are both able to leave this realm" she said to us both, lifting her staff to hold unto the shield she had placed over the house.
I had been learning how to draw runes these past few years of staying with aunt Ruth. Each rune had different purposes, some of them were used for summoning portals that led to various places.
"This isn't how I expected this night to go." Simon said to me, with feelings of fear and worry emitting from his being.
"Why is this happening Aunt Ruth? Why today? Isn't this a bad sign?" I said to her, trying my best to activate my dormant powers of flight and invisibility. but they were of no use. I wanted to see what was happening outside.
"They are trying to stop you Denora, so you don't even try. Simon, activate your shield and put Denora in it. Draw a portal rune to take you to the realm of gates. Hurry." She commanded, but Simon and I were hesitant. We couldn't leave her here with an unknown danger.
"Why don't you join us in the shield mom? We can't leave you here." The dark presence was getting stronger as Simon Spoke. Aunt Ruth lifted her staff, waiting for what she could sense was about to happen. The roof above us came tumbling down into the basement.
The same dark shadowy figure I saw on a horse with a ball of energy in its hands came to sight. It looked even taller in person. The moon was out and full.
"Simon! Create the shield now!" Aunt Ruth yelled as Simon lifted his hands in the air and circled them a few times till a ball of glowing blue energy surrounded him and I.
The creature launched an attack towards me with its dark ball of energy but Aunt Ruth used her staff to neutralize the ball, while Simon used his shield to protect us.
But this wasn't enough. I knew the only way we could survive was to escape. We couldn't leave without aunt Ruth.
The creature launched more attacks towards us, trying so hard to get the shield to break. I tuned into its mind. I could feel the agony and pain it was going through, almost like it was once human.
It was hesitant with the attacks, but I knew it had no choice but to obey the influence of control. Aunt Ruth was getting worn out from the fight. I tried my powers again, using them to draw her into the shield. It worked, but she resisted me. I looked at Simon, a tear was already streaming down his cheek.
The creature used the claws in its free hands to slash her back. Her dress tore, revealing sharp wounds flowing with blood. This caused her to lose the grip of her staff. It went across the room. She screamed in pain as she fell to the floor, crawling away from the creature.
"Mom please, join us!" Simon yelled, with so much urgency. No matter how hard we tried to convince her, I knew she wasn't coming with us.
Silently, I began to use the rune stick to create a rune image from my mind.
Aunt Ruth's powers came alive, lifting her staff as she got a grip of it. The creature aimed for Simon and I again. She blocked it, moving it to the other side of the room. She chanted some words, which caused plants to emerge from the ground under us to tie and hold it down.
The rune came to life as I used the stick to activate it and a portal emerged in the shield.
Aunt Ruth regained her balance and turned towards our direction Despite the agony she was in, her lips curved slightly into a smile as she stared at us.
"I can't come with you." She said to us, radiating feelings of hope and love towards us. She parted her lips to speak, for what felt like the last time.
"This is the beginning of a new journey." She echoed into our minds. She made a mind link so we could hear her thoughts simultaneously.
"I love you, Simon." He was feeling even worse after she said that.
"Denora, you have a lot ahead of you. Remember how strong you are." She said to me, waves of anxiety began building in me.
The creature made disturbing sounds, breaking free from the plants. Without hesitation, she pushed us into the portal I created, drifting out of sight. Was this the End for Aunt Ruth?