• ~Intro~

    “My name is Brooklyn Fay,” she muttered emotionlessly to the small group of soldiers that surrounded her, “The Leon Empire stole someone very important away from me.”
    The train rattled as it passed over its tracks. The men watched her silently.
    “Who?” asked one of the younger recruits.
    “My sister, Terra,” her voice almost echoed in the condensed cabin, “She saved me from the invading Alphas. She was sixteen, I was eight.
    “I’m going to avenge her and end this ten year war.”

















    ~Chapter 1~

    Terra mixed some herbs in a wooden cup, and then smashed them with a stick. She was the Fairma’s medic even she was only sixteen. People from the neighboring towns would come for medicine or to see her perform magic.

    Brooklyn was only eight then, but already her sister’s apprentice. Though she practiced and practiced, she could never get the potion right or the spells to be casted.

    Their parents were also medics. They were “White Mages”. Those are people who cast spells that help others, like defensive magic.

    They died two years ago, no one really knows why. Terra took care of the family business and her sister since then.

    “Brooke! Time for dinner!”

    That’s basically how the days went. Brooke would just play with a slingshot, in her favorite place, the branch on an old oak tree. There, no one would be able to see here, but she could see them.


    Brooke was shooting old cans off a neighboring branch, when she heard a voice, “Hello?”

    She poked her head through the thick leaves.

    The boy was tall, probably ten. He had dark brown hair and light brown skin. His big chocolate eyes stared up aimlessly for the source of the sounds.

    “Hello?” he called again.

    She fired a nut from her bag hanging from her leg, her ammunition.
    “Hey!”

    She shot another next to his foot, “What do u want?”

    The boy put his hand over his eyes to protect from the sun, “Who’s up there?”

    Brooke jumped down, landing perfectly on her feet, “What?” She said coolly.

    “Oh! Aren’t you Terra’s sister? I can tell by your eyes!” He explained. Which was true, Brooke and Terra had their mother’s eyes, whose were gray and big.

    She tapped her foot and crossed her arms.

    The boy blushed, “My name is Jordan. I just moved here from the capital. My dad is a soldier and got stationed here. Your name is Brooklyn right?”

    Brooke nodded, “I know who you are, I know who everyone is in the whole wide world just by watching from up there!” She pointed towards her branch.

    It was sort of true, she could see a lot in her tree, but only knew the people who visited Terra, which was most of Fairma village and the neighboring towns. And since she was a curious girl, she developed the skill to read lips.

    Jordan just happens to be a subject when his look-alike mother comes around.

    “Cool!” Jordan laughed.

    Brooke started to climb her tree again.

    “Wait!”

    “What?” She stopped at the lowest branch.

    “Can you teach me how to climb?” he asked shyly.

    Everyday since then Brooke showed him the best placed to grab and rest his feet on her tree. She showed him the fastest way to climb all the other trees, and slowly there learned more and more about each other.

    He came with her to potion making with Terra.

    “Oh, hi, Jordan.”

    “Hey Terra.”

    “Okay, Brooke, you ready for today’s lesson?”

    “Sure,” she muttered.

    Terra handed them a list of materials they needed to gather.

    “Okay, we need… Two tails of a rat.”

    “Perfect! My mom needs me to get rid of a couple rats in my basement.”

    Jordan looked up from the list to see Brooke’s face full of disgust.

    “Did I mention they were there before I moved in?”

    “No, you didn’t,” She took the list, rolled it up, and hit him playfully behind his head.

    She giggled and ran towards the other side of the village.

    Jordan lived on the rich side of town. The house was three stories high with beautiful white fencing. Brooke’s house looked like a dollhouse compared to it.

    He showed her the basement where there were several mounts housing elegant swords.

    “My dad says that once I’m old enough all these blades would be mine. But I really want this one.”

    The sword had its own wall and lights shining off its blade.
    Diamonds were encrusted in its golden hilt,” It looks like a two-handed sword, but it’s a heavy one handed sword. Once I get strong enough, It will be mine.”

    The two rats ran across Brooke’s foot. She wanted to scream, but resisted it.

    Jordan lifted his light weight training sword.

    He put his sword in front of them and his foot on the pink tails.
    “See? That wasn’t so bad…,” he said. He looked over to Brooke whose hands and knees were shaking violently, while she bit her lip, “You okay?”

    She shook her head slowly as Jordan cut off the two tails.

    A small rat had crawled up her shirt, ran up her neck, and on to the top of her head.

    She groaned.

    “Don’t move,” he whispered, “It might have rabies.”

    Don’t say that! She thought.

    He took the rat off her head and smiled, “You okay now?”

    She nodded.

    “Okay, on to the next item!” Jordan started towards the stairs.

    As he reached the railing, she had him in a tight hug from behind, “Thank you.”



    The next few items were easy to receive. The last were the petals of a rose.

    “Where’re the roses?”

    Brooke grinned, “On Fairma Hill.”

    The hike was easy for the ten and eight year old. Jordan cleared off most of the vines in the way of the trail.

    Several different flowers grew here, but the roses sparkled red, so much red. They were the namesake for Fairma Hill and the village.

    This was the first time both Jordan and Brooke saw them with their own little eyes.

    “Would it be okay if we took one?” Brooke asked, “They say if you take one something will happen… I don’t remember. “

    “I know about that legend. They say when a couple sees the flowers together, they will always be together,” Jordan looked over to her and smiled, “Or something like that.” He took her hand over to the smallest rosebush.

    Brooke reached for the one of the flowers, “Ouch!”

    “What happened?” he panicked.

    She showed her finger to him, “I think the thorns got me.”

    He took her hand. Blood trickled down her index finger to her palm.

    “Don’t ask way, but I feel like I need to do this,” he said, his eyes mesmerized, thinking.

    He placed his left hand the rosebush. He tightened his face when the thorns stabbed his finger.

    He held her right hand and smiled.

    Brooke smiled kindly, but truthfully she didn’t know how to react.

    A soft breeze blew their hair. The roses shimmered. The blood red petals floating in a wind around them, like a sparkling red tornado.

    Faster and faster, Brooke’s hair flew all over the place, “Jordan?”

    He held a blank smile, no blinking.

    She felt herself being lifted off the ground, and she shrieked in surprise.

    Jordan pulled his hand away from hers. The blood spiraled, and she could feel it. It felt like a snake coiling under her skin.

    The rose tornado slowed and they landed softly black one the ground. The light that radiated from the flowers fade, and both the children passed out.



    “Brooke! Brooke! Brooklyn!” Jordan’s voice rang in her head, “Wake up!”

    She opened her eyes. She wasn’t lying on the white brick road like she expected. She was lying on top of him, hands entangled.

    It was night now. They were one most of the list hours ago.

    Jordan reached for a rose and held it towards her face, “For you?” he smiled.

    “We need to take it back to Terra,” she said. Her faced was almost as red as the petals.


    They raced down Fairma Hill back to the village.

    Normally you would see warm little houses lit by a fireplace. You would smell freshly baked bread or apple pie or the sweet breeze from the roses.

    Tonight, the town was engulfed in fire. Brooke could hear screams.

    The fire caused an explosion near where her family house should
    be, “Terra!” she cried.

    She started to run again, faster.

    Jordan managed to catch up and tugged at her arm back towards the hill, “Brooke! We can’t go back! It’s the Alphas!”

    She used both hands to get free and sprinted back home.


    Brooke used her sleeve to protect her from inhaling the deadly back smoke. She could see all the bodies of her neighbors on the streets. Their heads were smashed into bits, or limbs were missing, causing them to bleed to death.

    Out of the fires, Terra’s and Brooke’s small cottage had the highest and brightest of the flames.

    “Terra!” she cried as she crawled through her engulfed house, “Terra!” she coughed.

    Terra was sitting on her bed, which was surrounded by a clear force field, “Brooke! Come here!”

    Brooke held her breath and ran across and into the bubble. She inhaled the fresh smoke-free air.

    “I saw the fire from the hill. What’s going on Terra?” She cried into her sister’s shoulder.

    “The Alphas are attacking. They are creatures from the northern Leon Empire. They are the ones responsible for our parents’ deaths,” she whispered quickly, “They killed them.”

    “What are Alphas?”

    “They are monsters who are much stronger than we are. They’re divided into different ranks depending on their strength. Betas are normally females, Alphas are normally males, and then there are the Omegas, who are the strongest.”

    Terra hugged her sister tight, “You need to go to the capital of Bellamary.

    “The roses will guide you,” she traced the tribal-like tattoo in Brooke’s hand.

    “You’re coming too?” Brooke asked.

    Terra shook her head.

    The bubble expanded and put out the fire around the house, “Go now!”

    Brooke left though the front door, and ran into what felt to her as a brick wall. She fell back onto her butt.

    “Look! It’s her!” someone said.

    “No! She’s too small.”

    The thing picked her up by her hair, “Must be Fay’s sister.”

    The thing was brawny. It looked like it was covered in rock, sort of like a shell, all over its body. It had two horns that curved upward like a bulls but wider and sharper.

    A smaller creature came closer. The horns on her head curved downwards unlike her counterpart, and her body shell wasn’t as blocky as the males.

    “Where’s the sister, girl?” The beta asked.

    Brooke wanted to scream for help or the pain of her hair being pulled.

    The Alpha took a weapon in his hand, it resembled an axe, but half of the shaft had a heavy drum, like a hammer, “She’s going to tell us. Should we just smash her head in right now?

    The Beta shrugged, “Do as you wish.”

    He raised his hammer.

    “Put her down!”

    The Alpha put down the hammer.

    They both smiled, both their faces reminded Brooke of bulls.

    Brooke was put down, and the Beta ran towards Terra with her stumps of legs pounding against the concrete.

    Terra avoided her and sent her flying into Brooke’s tree, which was on fire. She picked her up and whispered a spell into Brooke’s ear.

    Brooke’s feet started to glow and sparkle and slowly disappear.
    Terra just kept running towards Fairma Hill.

    “You’re being transported to the capital. There is a man named Cyrus I want you to talk to. Take his classes. Even if her refuses, tell him it was my wish. Don’t ever come back here, Brooklyn, you understand me?” she said urgently.

    Brooke nodded, now her chest was vanishing.

    The creature quickly found them, “Come back, beautiful!”

    Terra cursed under her breath.

    “Goodbye forever, sister,” she whispered.

    Just when Brooke’s eye just beginning to vanish, she started to cry.

    The Alpha stabbed Terra in the back, blood spurted out and all over the place, including onto Brooke’s face.

    She fell.

    Dead.

    Smiling.