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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNGksDng37
"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!"
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSapkSLHnD
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOmf1CstSr
Cora's thoughts drifted off until the bell rang.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHtLeEsQxi
She immediately jumped up out of her seat before any of her classmates had time to respond and bolted out the door.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bTiJqORyZ
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovTVu54MJ8
As she stepped outside she was welcomed by the rays of the sun smiling down on her.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQH9BI5LYd
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxcpqwqEIy
"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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOu0GbEgtja
Cora was slightly annoyed but, in her mind nothing could ruin this day.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpge7igeTuL
In the backseat of the car she found cupcakes that spelled out "Congratulations Cora!" Undoubtedly her grandmother's doing.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdxfWMuSWp
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAa70spauK
As Cora and her father entered the resting grounds, Cora spotted a familiar face.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBcOgEFr9h
"Dimitri!" She squealed and ran up to the young man, nearly tackling him.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1RRlD9wKR
"Cora!" he says with huge smile on his face. "Guess what I got today?" he asked, running his fingers through his tight, black curls.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiM8Y67rTY
Cora placed a hand on her chin pondering his question.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6hsISpGFe
"This!" He pulled a sword out of his sheath.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jKsfeeWGU
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxZfylwy9s
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmQtPHDkUN
"Do you like it?" Dimitri asked.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWA1kwjExhr
"It's the most beautiful sword I've ever seen!"
She exclaimed.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhATG8CnNA
"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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGN167l5NC
Cora and Dimitri split up and visited their respective relatives.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFUtoSZtpS
Cora kneeled beside the lifeless bodies of her ancestors. She came from a long line of warriors on her fathers side.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMj2SYo3wSR
"I will make you proud." she whispered before leaving.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqA8IRO92q
She arrived at home to find her mother preparing dinner.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdYWjSDQgy
"How was your last day of school?" Mother asked.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRXlACuQhF
"Same old." Cora responded. "I saw Dimitri at the resting grounds today and he had the coolest sword!"
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbw6Koa2wa7
"Don't tell me you're still pursuing this warrior dream of yours," her mother interrupted not looking up from the counter.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWOVymInl1
"As a matter of fact I am, Mom, I've been practicing all the time," the young girl argued
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡus1d6qhKFj
"So did your father, and look where it got him!" Her mother exclaimed angrily.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4grd6v9eT
"Let the girl dream, Karen," her grandmother said looking up from her book.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9epBszDQU
"I'm gonna go," Coraline said as she exited the room.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkSq0DddrD
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0uKUsI5ma
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1BfW7Lhxv
She searched through her grandmother's study. She had never really been in here before.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPyeM4daPI
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9RwesIehZ
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnhFMlggmo
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIjDTQRHG5
When she reached the end she was shocked by what she saw.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mYASxwWmN
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTUMNExAZ2
The look in his red eyes made her shiver. "Who is he?" She asked herself. She didn't want to know.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZNpbvAYAD
"I need to get out of here," she said to herself.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMXx43QGiv
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.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ld4kVv1XG
It was stuck. She pulled harder and harder again and again until it finally broke free.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjCVyNADGs
She took the sword and ran out of the passage, carefully shutting it after she left.
596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKe4wyBCfp
What she didn't notice was that the crystal prison holding the young man began to crumble away.
ns216.73.216.197da2
