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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgo0xN2MefH
"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!"
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFystKR51L
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMiMtHNAZL
Cora's thoughts drifted off until the bell rang.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvsZxw66Yg
She immediately jumped up out of her seat before any of her classmates had time to respond and bolted out the door.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG2gFDML6c
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHR1PkoUed
As she stepped outside she was welcomed by the rays of the sun smiling down on her.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ElQP8Ww9o
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD7h5havN1
"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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9njK5S1gF
Cora was slightly annoyed but, in her mind nothing could ruin this day.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjl0EXoqQMo
In the backseat of the car she found cupcakes that spelled out "Congratulations Cora!" Undoubtedly her grandmother's doing.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMD1bPRvARS
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyToG6dtNDg
As Cora and her father entered the resting grounds, Cora spotted a familiar face.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6aUgxP0pr
"Dimitri!" She squealed and ran up to the young man, nearly tackling him.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHGikYYmCX
"Cora!" he says with huge smile on his face. "Guess what I got today?" he asked, running his fingers through his tight, black curls.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvTbufwVnJ
Cora placed a hand on her chin pondering his question.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujaBY7adpL
"This!" He pulled a sword out of his sheath.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifsqlvLKjr
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4KQjwCFpX
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarxFmczbHy
"Do you like it?" Dimitri asked.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpMnpgxsDV
"It's the most beautiful sword I've ever seen!"
She exclaimed.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnFVpVhQR7
"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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfseBM6yMH
Cora and Dimitri split up and visited their respective relatives.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjuiVo3s3w
Cora kneeled beside the lifeless bodies of her ancestors. She came from a long line of warriors on her fathers side.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfQ5R4TEIl
"I will make you proud." she whispered before leaving.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT4QBeHdhD
She arrived at home to find her mother preparing dinner.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKm3YQljz3C
"How was your last day of school?" Mother asked.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0xWpY5a0x
"Same old." Cora responded. "I saw Dimitri at the resting grounds today and he had the coolest sword!"
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbav3ZhZwNm
"Don't tell me you're still pursuing this warrior dream of yours," her mother interrupted not looking up from the counter.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7kfDdtbxb
"As a matter of fact I am, Mom, I've been practicing all the time," the young girl argued
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoDJ8NhkW2
"So did your father, and look where it got him!" Her mother exclaimed angrily.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLei2L7JVq
"Let the girl dream, Karen," her grandmother said looking up from her book.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDU3whawBf5
"I'm gonna go," Coraline said as she exited the room.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtpKe3WbjL
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrv82Th9ido
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeS6FW5QE99
She searched through her grandmother's study. She had never really been in here before.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKRGfX3wls
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkIYqUwk6U
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsQr0lk0R8
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRymoYmx0Jw
When she reached the end she was shocked by what she saw.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQK2ZLzGGhR
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboxTOlog2J
The look in his red eyes made her shiver. "Who is he?" She asked herself. She didn't want to know.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRY3XuKuY9x
"I need to get out of here," she said to herself.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAqVWYW7c0
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.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuD38jNAr2
It was stuck. She pulled harder and harder again and again until it finally broke free.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX57ATLzGZk
She took the sword and ran out of the passage, carefully shutting it after she left.
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNecMf31aMn
What she didn't notice was that the crystal prison holding the young man began to crumble away.
ns3.143.7.73da2
