Keyaera


She ran though the forest, blindly, breathlessly. She just needed to get away. She was tiring quickly and ‘They’ were gaining on her. She should have told her Queen of the danger but there was no time. ‘They’ were going to catch her. Then suddenly she fell. It took only a few seconds but to her it felt like much longer until she hit the bottom.

“Keyaera, are you all right?” a voice whispered out of the darkness.
After a moment Keyaera answered, “Yes, I think so. Who are you?”
“You will find out in time, but right now we must get you out of here,” the mysterious voice replied.

“They will catch me if I stay here!” shouted Keyaera.

“ ‘They’ will not catch you because this is a secret place but we must get you away from here for there is a chance that ‘They’ will find it and ‘They’ are inexorable,” said the voice.

After a moment Keyaera replied, “ You have persuaded me to go with you. Do you
have a leader?”

“Yes I do,” was the reply.

“Then you must promise me that you will take me to your leader when we get to your place of living,” ordered Keyaera quietly.

“Fine,” the unseen voice said, “For you too know her as your Queen, but I will put you into an unconscious state so that you do not remember the way here until it is called upon you.”

“Do as you wish for you have saved my life and I owe it to you,” Keyaera said to her, meaning it truly.

When Keyaera finally awoke, she realized that she was in a soft, clean bed with clean clothes beside it. She got out of the bed and got dressed, her long red hair falling over the soft satin of the flowing green gown.

Just as she finished lacing up the back of the dress, a kind faced woman came through the door and asked her if she needed anything. Keyaera shook her head and realized that the voice of the woman was

The voice she had heard the night before. The woman introduced herself as Solera, the leader of the women of the village, wife to the leader of all the men. Solera told Keyaera that the Queen had requested to see her and Keyaera readily agreed.

As Keyaera and Solera entered the throne room, Solera introduced Keyaera to the
Queen. The Queen then dismissed Solera, so that she may have a bit of privacy with Keyaera. Solera left, looking somewhat downcast. She was looking forward to hearing what the young girl had to say. But there was nothing she could do. So she left without complaining for she knew the Queen would call for her when she was needed.

“Welcome Keyaera. I believe that you have much to tell me,” stated the Queen.

“Your Majesty…” Keyaera started before she was cut off.

“Please call me Mangola. Your Majesty is much too formal,” the Queen interjected.

“Mangola..., ‘They’ are coming! I think that ‘They’ want me. Perhaps I should leave?” began Keyaera, flustered.

The Queen then asked, “Nonsense! But first, who are ‘They’?”

“ ‘They’ are the Black Guard!” shouted Keyaera.

“Oh. It is not you that ‘They’ want but the power that you possess. The power of the wind,” the Queen told Keyaera.

“But why?” Keyaera asked.

“Because Keyaera, that it the only power that ‘They’ don’t have in ‘Their’ grasp,” the Queen replied.

And soon after this horrible conclusion they both went to ponder their own thoughts.

Solera went into the village with a message that the Queen was setting up an army to fight the Black Guard. She knew that many would sign up, for they all wanted a chance to help the Queen. What she didn’t know is that Keyaera also had plans of joining.

Unfortunately for Keyaera, the Queen knew that she would want to do this and so gave her the most important job of all. Being heir to the throne. She had no daughters of her

own and desperately neededa heir. Keyaera hesitantly accepted. Then began learning all of the etiquette that she needed to know should the Queen die in the battle.

The thing that the Queen overlooked though, is that this responsibility gave Keyaera the right to go into the battle. Within the next week the army moved out, trying to find the Black Guard. They did not have to search very long though because both armies met in the same forest and same spot as the first time Keyaera had had to run from them.


The battle was long and weary for those involved. Many were injured and also killed. If they won there would be celebration and mourning. And finally the cries of victory were heard. Even the village people could hear it. Everyone anticipated the return of loved ones. Many of great importance were lost in the battle but none as great as the beloved Queen Mangola.

There was no celebration that day as the Queen was buried and only the odd hushed voice could be heard.

The next day there would be a celebration as Keyaera was named Queen. But on the other side of the forest, Mordir, the leader of the Black Guard was fuming at the loss because of the unprepared members of the Black Guard. Those that
returned would be severely punished and would regret that they ever joined the black guard and returned to him.