Children of the Prophecy: Prologue

There was a young girl among the branches high in a forest. This girl had a large pointed nose, and piercing dark blue eyes, so dark they were almost black. She was clad in tight fuchsia silk-like pants with a matching silk-like robe on top. The sleeves and back of the robe trailed behind her as she effortlessly glided from one branch to the next. On her head, she had a matching headband keeping her long mane of golden brown hair back. On that headband was a white heart surrounded by the talon marks of an owl. She was only eight summers of age and was off doing her chores. Winter was approaching, and she and her brother needed to gather food for the upcoming months. Attached to her back was a large woven pouch that contained some nuts and fruit. She needed to fill the pouch that day; she was in an area of the forest that she hadn't been before. So she climbed and jumped to the top of the tallest tree, to look around... and found something. The edge of the forest. And something even weirder past the edge. She needed her brother to see this.

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She got back to their home, a hollowed-out tree, and there he was, skinning a freshly killed rabbit. The blood was still wet around his mouth, containing razor-sharp teeth, and on his hands housing equally sharp nails. His outfit never got bloody. His outfit was made out of the same kind of material as his sister's only his was a pale blue with black trim, he also had a headband that had a black wolf paw print on it. He wore a short sleeve tunic that crossed over on a diagonal in the front and shorts. The boy had a long jaw.

"Yethia!" the girl called to her brother as soon as he was in her line of sight. Yethia looked up from his kill to the sky then back at his sister, confused. "Thulia? What are you doing back so soon it's not even close to midday!" he got up and looked in the basket of his little sister. He was only twelve summers of age, and it was up to him to look after Thulia and himself, for there was no one else for him to call upon. It had just been him and his sister; just the two of them alone in the woods.

"That's not important! What's important is what I need to show you!" she took off her basket and started running, leaving Yethia no choice but to follow her.

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Suddenly Thulia stopped. "Ok, Thulia, what I'm I supposed to be seeing?" the boy asked.

"Were not there yet, we need to go up!" she exclaimed. Jumping onto the nearest branch.

"Thulia! Please say this is one of your jokes, you know I like to keep my feet on the ground!"

"Just trust me, you need to see this!" Yethia begrudgingly followed his sister, trying not to look down.

Once he reached the top, clutching the trunk for dear life, he saw Thulia, simply sitting on the branch, robe flowing behind her in the wind. "Look," she said pointing out to the distance, to the edge of the woods and what lies after. Yethia let out a scream as memories resurfaced, memories about those objects and what, no, who was there. He lost conscience.

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It was the middle of the night eight summers ago. The full moon was mostly concealed by clouds. He was at the edge of the forest, scared, tired, and confused.

"Yethia, it's not safe for you and Thulia here anymore," a crying woman MOM! Handing him a fuchsia blanket containing his sister. She wasn't much older than fourteen moons, he was only five summers old himself. A man got down on his knees and placed his hands on my shoulders, DAD! started talking.

"Yethia, I need you to run away from here, run into the forest, take care of your sister, be strong, survive, and remember," he took a long breath, "Rember that yo-" he was cut off by blood-curdling screams coming from behind him THE VILLAGE! "Run! Just Run! You need to leave now!!" he picked up the scared little boy gave him a quick embrace and turned him around, so he was facing the forest "RUN!" the screams from the village behind him grew in volume and quantity. Yethia, with tear blurred vision, ran, and he ran, and he ran. He ran until he could run no longer and then...

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Yethia jolted upright, with audible shock. He was in his sleeping area in their tree home, a hunk of wet moss fell from his head onto his lap, despite the cool night air he was soaked in his own sweat. Thulia was sitting right beside him.

"Yethia! You're alright!" she gave him a hug, "I was really worried about you," she whispered wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry to have worried you," he showed her a smile that didn't meet his eyes, his heart still pounding in his chest. "How long have I been out?"

"All day, it's night time," she answered, "I made stew, it's not as good as yours though, I'm keeping it warm on the fire in the cooking area."

"I'm sure it tastes great, let's go eat," said Yethia as he started to get up only to be stopped by Thulia.

"No you stay, you need to rest from whatever just happened, I'll get us some," without a word she went the latter then back up with two heaping bowls of stew as well as two spoons. She handed her brother one of each and sat down next to him as they both started to eat.

After a few moments of silence and stew, Thulia addressed the elephant in the room, "Yethia, do you know what happened this morning?"

He put down his food and took a deep breath, "I was remembering, remembering a life out of the forest." the concept of life outside of the forest seemed absurd to her, she tilts her head curiously in silence. "It happened when you were so little and I just forgot everything...." his voice trailed off, as he remembered more, like how happy he was living with mom and dad and the rest of the village too... about having people to take care of him.

Thulia tilted her head in curiosity, to her living outside the forest was unthinkable, until that morning she didn't think there was anything but forest.

"Tell me," she asked, "tell me about life outside of the forest."

And he told her about all the people he could barely remember, about the loving embrace of their parents and those close to them... then he told her about that night when it all disappeared... they sat in silence, food put off to the side.

When it was time to sleep, Thulia spoke into the darkness, "Yethia, can we visit this place?"

"Sure, Thulia, sure, we'll go tomorrow."

"Goodnight."

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The next morning the siblings took the trek to the edge of the forest. As they approached, Thulia hid behind her brother, having no memory of anyone besides Yethia, she didn't know what to expect. They saw someone near the forest washing clothing by the stream. "Mom," Yethia whispered, stopping dead in his tracks. Then he ran up to her, Thulia, cautiously following behind.

The woman looked up. "Yethia! Thulia! I can't believe you're ok and here!" tears of joy streaked her cheeks as she ran to embrace her children. Thulia felt awkward being hugged by someone she never met, while Yethia felt safer than he had been in a long long time.

Loud footsteps and chattering started to become audible. Their mom looked nervous, gave her kids a final squeeze before letting go, tears were running down her face.

"You need to leave again it's still not safe here, I don't think it ever will be. Run! Run back into the woods, don't ever come back! "Yethia looked at her confused. "I love you and that's why I need you two leave!" the confused children ran, disappearing back into the foliage. The long trip back to their tree home, was silent, neither knowing what had just happened.

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Author's note:

If you like this story, fear not! there is more on the way! I also have several other works that you can look at. For more information, and when the next chapter will be up, click the link in my bio! Please, heart, tip, and tell your friends!