Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (hardest books to read txt) 📕

our behalf?”
“A promise made by the Young Guardian is always a promise fulfilled.” Ariana smiled at Cherokee.

II

It didn’t take long to gather the village together. Once they were ready to go, Braken Joel and Nikita White-Snow led the large group, with her family directly behind her.
Ariana took up the middle, where she caught up with the Moondancers and Wolfton’s family, the Stargazers. She saw Cherokee walking hand-in-hand with a Timber Wolf brother of Wolfton’s he named Toriam. They seemed so happy together. Wolfton, she saw, wasn’t exactly happy with the way he found his family-pack.
“Cheer up, Wolf.” Ariana joked, catching his arm and wrapping her own through it. “I thought you’d be excited to see your family again?”
“I am happy.” He growled softly, so soft, only he and Ariana could hear. “I could not believe how much they have changed. Used to be they would never permit felines to speak with them. Now, they are friends?”
“What about you and Kat?” Ariana countered. “Isn’t your relationship the same thing?”
“Ours is one of love, not necessity.”
“So it was necessary for your parents to befriend their rival species?”
“Ariana...”
“No, hear me out.” Ariana responded. “Don’t you think a hatred that lasted centuries could be eliminated by more than mere necessity?”
Wolf pulled away, shifting his form and racing ahead. Turning to the nearest Companion, she told them to carry her pack while she shifted to race after him. She found him deep within the forest.
“You can’t run away from this forever, Wolf, and you know it.” Ariana howled in wolf-speak.
“I run from nothing.” He responded, stopping only to say it.
“You are or I wouldn’t be chasing after you.” She growled after him. “What are you running from? Telling your parents who you grew to become?”
“I am nothing in their eyes. They left me for dead.” Wolf commented with an angry bark.
“They had no choice.” Now that she had him stopped in his tracks, she shifted form. “I know how it feels to be left on your own, but I don’t let that stop me from being who I am. Regardless of the past, you are who you are.”
Wolf walked up to her. She knelt to embrace him.
“Don’t be afraid of telling them.” Ariana whispered, hugging his neck. “If anything, they’ll be proud of you.”
He looked up at her. “You do not understand. I found them only to find they had changed drastically. My brothers have grown hard, when they used to be playful. My parents hardly speak to each other when they used to love one another as Kat and I do.”
“You’ve said so yourself. War and chaos changes people, even Companions.” She supplied. “They may not be the same now as when you knew them in the Wars, but I ask you this. Are you the same man you were back then?”
Wolf shook his canine head, finally changing form. He began to walk on two legs, with her beside him. “Speak of this episode to no one.”
“Not even Kat?”
“Not even Kat.” He remarked, walking ahead of her.
“Will you tell them about your marriage?”
He stopped again, turning to face her. “Enough!” He stomped away, now angry.
Behind him, Ariana shook her head, worried for the brilliant but troubled mind of her canine Companion friend.

III

Memories bothered her mind as she slept with the Companion camp. She didn’t know where they were coming from, or what they were about. In them, she was holding a dark book. When she opened it, she saw the darkest of spells. The spells, curses, incantations and information she recognized as being those of Dark Mystic Magic.

Why am I thinking of those now? What is this book and why is it in my memories if I’ve never seen it before?
There was another memory; this time of herself sitting at the bedside of another. They were each in different forms; the one laying in bed was half-cobra, half-Immortal female. Ariana found herself in a form unlike her own; a wolf with dragon’s wings. Her mind came up with a name: Dragonwolf.
The cobra-female spoke in a rasped whisper. “Adellandra, Kanata. I need your help.”
Without asking questions, but letting the memories flow, she took the woman’s hand. “Anything for you, my Mutyrna.”
“Before I pass to the Summerlands, I need you to write down every word of Ancient Mystic Magic I speak to you.” The cobra woman made her look into her silver-golden eyes.
“I will do it, Mutyrna Locarra.”
“My time is short, so we must start right away.”
The cobra-woman named Locarra handed her a book and pen.
For days, the two women wrote down all Mystic Magic spells, information, potions, incantations and stories in that book.
Another scene entered Ariana’s mind. It was months later and the Dragon Nations were at war. Ariana as the Dragonwolf was running, carrying the book in her hands. There were tears in her eyes, and an ache in her heart.
Why are you destroying everything in sight? Why is the Vision-Sickness so intense? What’s going on?
She found a small hutch-cave ahead of her and rushed inside, sealing the door with a quick wave of her arms. Looking at the book again, she shook her head and thought aloud to herself. “I cannot let this fall into the wrong hands, but what can I do with it?”
After a moment of rushed thoughts, she clutched the book to her chest and closed her eyes. “Sight within to sight without, I will not fall, I will not fail. Hide this book within my soul, so no others follow evil’s trail.”
With a bright glowing light, Ariana felt the book sink into her body and soul to disappear. When the light faded, so did her sight and she fainted on the spot.

She awoke from those strange memory-like dreams clutching a black book with writing on it. It was in another language, perhaps Draconian? She was able to read it, which confused her. It said: DemonsBane.
Ariana stood and took DemonsBane with her as she walked around the camp. Something was drawing her to the edge of it, where three dragonlet children were sleeping.
She sensed something familiar in them. The black Spirit-dragonlet’s mind and heart called out to hers. The young dragon hadn’t named himself was protective over his two sisters. Ariana used her empathy and found he had an ache in his heart and soul for his family. His soul revealed he was far from the evil of what his kind were known for around the Realms.
“How innocent you are, young dragonlet?” She told him in a whisper, kneeling down quietly beside him. He was asleep with his wings wrapped around the two identical younger dragonlet sisters beside him.
Something in the back of her mind told her she would once again see these three, one day soon. Until then, she had to retain her duties as Young Guardian and not be tormented by the memories and the book of DemonsBane.
She reached one arm out, barely touching him as she closed her eyes. That’s when she got another, stranger vision.

The three dragonlets in front of her huddled in her own dragon’s wings, and were happy. They called her “Mutyr,” and loved one another very much.
As a surprise, a large dragon they’d called “Dratyr” scooped them all in his own wingspan and kissed each of their cheeks before kissing her lips.
Ariana found herself purring in the form she’d found herself liking from the start: the Dragonwolf. Only one thought came to her mind: “Familia.”

Ariana shook out of the vision and stared at the dragonlet for a moment before setting the task of doing the same to him as she’d seen herself do in her memory. She was going to hide the book of DemonsBane within this strong, innocent dragonlet male’s heart and soul.
It would lay dormant and unused, away from evil forces that were about to come forth and threaten to destroy them all.
When she finished, she felt woozy and returned to her bedding, knowing full well what lay ahead for them would be another war, and they would fight in it.

IV

At the edge of the Ancient Mystic’s Province, Braken Joel Hawk called for a stop. Ariana rushed from her place to stand beside him.
“What are we going to do with them?” Braken Joel asked. “Most of their homes were destroyed.”
“I’ve an idea.” Ariana remarked. She turned to the massive group. “A lot has changed since the Wars and Crusades ended. The Ancient Mystic Palace is bright with magic, your Lord Guardian living there with the Mistress Enchantra. The Ancient Mystic Kingdom Castle stands tall once again, the Kingdom itself led by Lord Byron and Mistress Challandra. The Dominion, you’ll be happy to hear, is gone. Dominionites no longer bother innocent Companion souls. Instead, those who wish rehabilitation are under Lord Maximaniac’s command in what is known as the Grey Area. His bride used to be the Master Orthos’, Jezebel. She has since changed her ways and lives happily with him in the Shady Kingdom.”
“Good for her, but where will we live?” Echoed a minx Companion who had called himself Bram.
The entire group chorused. “Aye.”
“Leave that up to Lord Guardian.” Came an unfamiliar female voice from behind Ariana and Braken Joel.
When Ariana turned, she saw a white feline, tall and beautiful. Around her neck, she saw the symbol of the Dream Realm, five jewels spotting a tiny globe encased in a dream catcher’s webbing. Her eyes were the same as Ariana’s own, silver-blue, but they were cat-shaped.
“Laurynne, I did not see you there.” Braken Joel announced. He turned to Ariana. “Young Guardian, this is perhaps the first Elder Companion born in the Dream Realm. May I introduce to you my sister, Laurynne Silver-Hawk.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Laurynne.”
“Pleasure is all mine,” Laurynne announced softly, bowing to Ariana’s feet.
“Does Father happen to be in?” Braken Joel asked as Laurynne stood.
She surveyed the crowd of Elder Companions, smiling and waving when she saw someone she recognized. Laurynne turned back to her brother and nodded. “Follow me. Companions young and Elder, please, feel free to roam the Province until Lord Guardian calls upon you.”
With that, the Companions from the Underground began to set up camp.
“Sorry, but I have to leave.” Braken Joel replied, winking. “I am taking Nikita home with me.”
“Fare thee well, Joel.” Ariana smiled. She turned to the older of Wolf’s brothers, asking in wonder. “This is a Companion matter. Do I have to stay?”
“Laurynne will take care of the rest.” Strath answered with a slight blush. “She is good at that.”
“You know her?” Ariana teased with a smile.
“We all do.” Strath supplied. “We were childhood sweethearts.” He sighed. “I wonder if she still cares about me?”
Ariana giggled. “I’m sure she does. I saw her staring at you. Go talk to her, Strath.”
With that, she disappeared. Somehow, one more thing was holding her here, and she was about to find out.
Something told her it wasn’t time to go home quite yet. The more she thought about it, the more tiring it seemed. Would she ever go home to the Outer Realm?
Story: #3:
Lord Maximaniac’s Decree

Ariana reappeared in the Grey Area, shaking off a chill. She stood in front of the Shady Kingdom’s Castle, wondering why she was brought there. Shrugging, she marched up to the gates, meeting a young woman at the doors.
“Who goes there?”