Magic vs Nature (WIP Title)

My First Original Story

Synopsis: On a planet kept apart from the rest of the realms, a war broke out between the Elemental creatures that reside on the planet and the Faeries who were the self proclaimed rulers of the planet. 200 years later, the princess of the Faeries awakens after her father put her in a protective sleep until the war ended, only to find that she and her Faerie guardian are the only Faeries left. Now they must decide, do they leave the realm forever? Or is there a chance they could bring peace to the unbalanced nature?

Chapter 1: Kaylee slowly opened her eyes as consciousness came back to her. She brought her hand to her head as she tried to refocus and wake up. It took some time, but when she could finally see clearly she looked around the room. She saw a figure laying on a ritual bed in front of her and suddenly all of Kaylee’s memories returned. Kaylee immediately stood and grabbed the knife she kept attached to her hip. She stared at the only entrance to the underground shelter and waited. After several minutes of silence, she realized no one was breaking in. She put the knife back and looked at the figure asleep in the middle of the room. Kaylee was only supposed to wake up if the underground shelter was in danger, but as she used her magic to check the perimeter for anything alive, she couldn’t detect any threats. She was confused but knew she first needed to figure out how long it had been since the princess was put into her protective sleep. Kaylee walked over to a console at the edge of the room. She pressed a button as a screen lit up with a counter counting up the moments she and the princess were asleep. Kaylee nearly fainted as she read the number. It had been a hundred and fifty years since the Faerie King had put the Princess into a protective sleep. She was only supposed to be asleep until the war was over. Which the King had assured her wouldn’t take long. Kaylee dropped her head and took a deep breath. She realized something must have happened. There was no way that the King would’ve let the princess sleep for this long. She looked over to the princess and thought, ‘If I woke up and she’s still asleep… perhaps the magic is just wearing off.’ Kaylee grabbed her knife again and decided to head to the surface to scan the perimeter and figure out if she could find anything. She left the princess briefly to find out what was going on. 

Fifty years went by as Kaylee stayed around the shelter protecting the princess. But one day the princess finally woke up. Carnelia opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times as her eye sight adjusted. When she could see clearly she looked at her surroundings. She could see a dark chamber with absolutely no light coming in. The room was lit only by candles attached to the walls. She had no idea how long she was asleep for, and her memory seemed to be hazy. Suddenly she heard a rough, familiar voice speak, “Carnelia… how are you feeling?” After hearing her name, it all came back to her. She looked to her dear friend and replied with a small gasp of air, “Kaylee… how long have I been asleep?” Carnelia took in the sight before her as Kaylee crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Her best friend hadn’t aged at all, but she looked horrible. Her clothes were worn, her hair was a mess and her wings… Carnelia’s eyes widened as she exclaimed, “Kay! What happened to your wings?!” Knowing that Carnelia would react this way, Kaylee merely sighed, “Not important. I can still fly with them. And to answer your first question, it’s been about two hundred years.” Carnelia immediately sat up, her eyes wide as she processed what Kaylee said. It had been two hundred years since the war began. She looked at Kaylee and barely managed a whisper, “Is anyone still alive?” Kaylee sighed, “I don’t know… I’ve been awake for about fifty years. But to be honest with you, I have no idea why we were asleep for so long. I checked the area around our shelter, but the only thing I found was an old warning notice that said, ‘any Faerie discovered by the Elements will be killed on sight.’” Carnelia looked at her best friend, her mind reeling, “How… would they manage to do that?” Kaylee shook her head and looked away, “I’m not sure… but if anyone is still alive, I can only assume they wouldn’t come looking for us and risk putting you in danger.” Carnelia sighed and rubbed her face trying to comprehend the severity of the situation. Then she took a deep breath and said, “So what do we do now?” Kaylee straightened up, “First we should get you into some sunlight and fresh air. I’m sure your magic is pretty weak after two hundred years without sunlight.” Carnelia nodded, “Can you help me up?”  Kaylee nodded and helped her stand. Then she guided her to the magic elevator in their protective chamber.

Kaylee held her hand to the door and activated it with her magic. It began lifting the girls up to the surface, and as they rose up from their Faerie chamber, Kaylee prepared herself for a potential battle. She stretched and made sure her knife was secure. Carnelia watched and began to ponder if that would be necessary. When Kaylee felt ready she turned to Carnelia and said, “Whatever happens… I want you to stay close. If the Elements won the war, it isn’t going to be safe.” Carnelia sighed, “Kaylee… What if we find Elements that want peace as much as we do?” Kaylee turned away from Carnelia, “Just stay close alright?” They kept quiet the rest of the way as they rose higher to the surface. Finally, when they reached the surface, a door opened above them to reveal a lush forest. Kaylee flew up first to see if it was safe. Kaylee signaled to Carnelia that it was safe as she too rose out of the chamber. Kaylee took a deep breath but remained cautious, “Alright… first thing is we need to get you something to eat and drink. The more energy you regain, the faster you’ll recover. From what I could tell when I came up here last, the foliage has stayed the same. So it shouldn’t be hard to find you something to eat.” Carnelia looked at Kaylee with an inquisitive look, “And what are we supposed to do after that?” Kaylee replied without looking at Carnelia, “My plan is to go back to the Faerie kingdom to gather any supplies and documents that we can find… and then we’ll find an airship that will take us to another realm.” Carnelia scoffed and crossed her arms, “Kay I can’t just leave! I’m the princess of the Faeries. This is my home.” Kaylee sighed and grabbed her gently by the shoulders, looking Carnelia in the eyes, “Carnelia… it’s likely that we’re the only Faeries left… and if that’s the case it’s my responsibility to get you to the High Beings. It’s safer if we leave.” Carnelia was about to argue when there was a loud crash in the distance. Far enough away that the Faeries couldn’t be detected but close enough that Kaylee instantly crouched in defense, “We need to find a place to hide.” Carnelia groaned, “What about our original plan? We can bring peace. You at least have to let me try.” Before Kaylee could reply, Carnelia flew off to investigate the crash. Kaylee immediately followed, attempting to at least keep them both hidden.

Carnelia came to a clearing and hid behind the closest tree. The sight before her gave her a nervous feeling. Four men, each one of the four Elements, stood in a clearing of the forest. The crash that the Faeries had heard was the men clearing trees, creating an area for them to fight. They stood in the clearing forming a large circle. Carnelia took the opportunity while they were distracted, to quietly fly around their circle, hidden behind the trees. She wanted to get a better look at the four Elements, and she wanted to get a better idea of their emotions. She used her abilities to look into the Element’s hearts to see what they were feeling as they squared up for a fight. She moved to the next tree as she got a better view of the air Element. He was the shortest of the four and was very thin. He was wearing the traditional Air Element clothing. White robes that were loose and airy, but tight enough to his body that he could fly quickly. His hair was white and its length was long and straight. He had it pulled into a low ponytail and she noticed that it gently flowed in the wind. His eyes were bright and whiter than snow, and he held an impish smile on his face. A smile he was using to mask his true feelings. Carnelia looked into his emotions and felt his fear with the imminent fight. She could tell that he was only squaring up to fight because he felt he absolutely had to. She could feel his anxiety at the prospect of fighting the other Elements. 

Carnelia quietly moved to the next tree to look at the water Element. He was also rather thin like the air Element, but he was much taller. He was wearing the water Element’s traditional clothing. A tight blue material that was made for swimming in water. The tight material was matched with a cape made to work like a fish’s fins. He could adjust it to make himself swim faster. His hair was a light blue like blue sky reflecting off of clear water, and the length was much shorter than the air Element’s. It cascaded down the back of his head and flowed to just above his shoulders. The way it flowed almost looked like waves to Carnelia. She moved her gaze to observe his facial features. He had a very handsome, angled face and his eyes were by far the most fetching feature about him. His eyes were a deep blue like the ocean, but as Carnelia quietly moved to the next tree, his eyes seemed to change color. Now they were a deep blue green color, as if she were looking into a lake. As she looked into his eyes, she could feel his emotions. He was much more confident than the air Element, but she could tell he was also more calculated. He was very wise and thoughtful, but the same feelings of fear and anxiety flashed into her mind. He, too, didn’t want to fight. 

Carnelia moved to the next tree and looked to observe the earth Element. She was intimidated by his size. He was the largest of all four of the Elements. Both in size and bulk, he was extremely muscular and tall. He reminded her of a large, strong tree. His hair was a deep brown like bark and it was very short; almost as if it had been shaved. He wore the traditional earth Element robes, loose brown material that reminded her of desert traders from the land of the High Beings. His eyes were a beautiful shade of green. Green like the grass in a meadow. She looked into his eyes and saw that although he was staring down the other Elements with a stern expression, beyond that, he was actually very sweet and gentle. He, like the other two, didn’t want to fight. 

As Carnelia made her way to the next tree, she could feel Kaylee’s presence behind her. Her magic was keeping Carnelia hidden from sight. She was grateful for the cover as she observed the Elements and their standoff, but Carnelia noticed as she made it to the next tree that Kaylee’s magic was extremely weak. She pondered on that for a bit before observing the last Element. Kaylee’s magic was the strongest of all the Faeries so to have her magic be that weak was alarming to Carnelia. ‘It has to be because she protected the chamber for so long.’ Carnelia thought to herself as she refocused on the Elements. Carnelia felt herself freeze as she observed the fire Element. He was tall and muscular, but not as much so as the earth Element. He was the same height as the water Element, but much bulkier. His hair was red with tints of orange on the end and the spiked nature of his hair gave it the illusion that it was burning like fire. He, like the others, was wearing traditional clothes worn by the fire Elements. Baggy black pants that went down to his shoes. A light black and red tank top barely covered his muscles. She was most interested as she looked into his deep red eyes at the conflict inside of him. He held strong passion in his eyes, but also much anger and hate. He was the only one of the four Elements that wanted to fight, but also at the same time didn’t. Carnelia searched his feelings and found that he was fighting because he truly believed it was his nature. But that didn’t mean he necessarily wanted to. Carnelia felt herself become more fascinated with the fire Element as he was not only passionate, but incredibly brave and smart. The wheels turned in her head as she realized that the four Elements before her would make great protectors. She just had to convince Kaylee of their intentions. She knew that swaying the Elements would be the easy part as she felt Kaylee approach. 

The standoff between the Elements ended as they began an intense battle. There was no point to their battle. They were fighting for the sake of fighting. They yelled profanities to one another as they each launched attacks in all different directions. Kaylee came next to Carnelia and whispered, “We have to leave. They might destroy the forest.” Carnelia turned her head, “Kay, no, these four don’t want to fight. Can’t you see it in their eyes? They’re only fighting because they feel they have to.” Kaylee rolled her eyes, “Not the fire Element. He’s out for blood.” Carnelia smiled at the observation, “Only because he has a lot of passion and nowhere to channel it. Please, you have to stop them. I can calm them down. We can ask them to help us on our quest.” Kaylee looked at the monarch, bewildered, “Quest?! What quest?! We are not recruiting Elements to help us get to the Faerie Kingdom!” Carnelia turned her head once more, “Please. We have to try. How else am I going to bring peace? Besides, I know you can take them down if they refuse.” Kaylee released a frustrated grunt. She knew if she didn’t do this Carnelia’s way then she would never agree to move on. Carnelia was right about one thing though, even in her weak state, Kaylee could take them all down if they tried to attack. She tried to come up with an argument but after a few moments she sighed and turned toward the Elements. 

Meanwhile, the battle didn’t seem to be going anywhere. All four of the men were matched in their abilities and not one of them was coming out victorious. The fire Element was extremely strong and his fire power was incredible, but his strength was matched with the earth Element’s. The earth Element had the advantage of defense, however, as his size and strength protected him from the other’s attacks. The water Element was cunning and agile. His attacks were well thought out and he was skilled at protecting himself. Last, there was the air Element whose speed was incomparable. He wasn’t as strong as the other Elements, and his powers were rather weak, but he was so swift that he was able to avoid every attack aimed at him. The four Elements were so similar in their ability to fight that the battle could go on for hours, but as they were in the heat of the battle, they all suddenly froze unable to move. They looked at each other for a moment, trying to process what was happening. Then they began yelling at one another. “What’s going on?!” The water Element exclaimed. The fire Element shouted at the water Element, “What did you do to us?!” The water Element sneered, “I’m stuck too you moron! It obviously wasn’t me!” The fire Element bore his teeth preparing another remark when suddenly a brunette Faerie flew down from above and landed in the middle of their circle. Her arms were stretched out as her magic held them in place. Her appearance was rough and her clothes were torn. She was wearing dark green skin tight pants that had holes in the knees, and a tight light green top that had two strands hanging off her shoulders. She wore brown knee high boots, and attached to her hip was a belt that had a knife in the holster. Her hair was long and cascaded down her back. Her eyes were a deep brown and they held an angry expression. The Faerie gave a light grunt of annoyance and said, “I froze you in your place.” All but the water Element began shouting and demanding an explanation. The water Element’s look of shock and confusion was all he could muster as he looked upon a creature that was supposed to be extinct. 

Suddenly another voice spoke above the shouting from among the trees, “I told her to stop your fighting!” All heads turned toward the voice as a beautiful blonde Faerie appeared from behind the trees. She gently glided their way, dressed in a pink dress that resembled a flower and pink flat shoes that gave her a regal stature. Her flowing blonde hair was held back in a low ponytail with two strands hanging on either side of her face. Her expression was gentle and she held herself with grace and elegance. All bickering stopped immediately as the fire Element in particular became speechless. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and the gentle nature he could feel coming from her smile was enough to stop him from even thinking of an attack. 

Carnelia allowed the men to take in the sight in front of them, knowing they were confused. After a few moments, the water Element broke the silence with a simple question, “How is this possible?” Carnelia smiled brightly as she replied, “Please allow me to explain… but you must promise not to fight or hurt us.” The fire Element replied almost immediately, “We promise.” The others looked skeptical, but as they realized that the other Faerie had made them powerless in a matter of seconds, they knew there wasn’t another option. Once all four had agreed, Carnelia brought her attention to her fellow Faerie, “Kaylee you can release them.” Kaylee looked Carnelia dead in the eyes and threatened, “Just be aware… if one of them so much as moves to attack, I will kill them all.” The four Elements’ eyes widened as they realized how serious she was. Carnelia rolled her eyes but nodded, and in a split second as Kaylee dropped her arms the Elements could move once again.

Kaylee searched and found a spot at the bottom of a cliff to shelter the group from prying eyes. Kaylee sat on a large boulder at the base of the cliff so she could see any oncoming danger. Meanwhile, the four Elements aided in making a fire and gathering food that the group could share. Once they were all cozied up by the fire, Carnelia began introductions, “I am princess Carnelia of the Faerie kingdom, and that is my protector and former Captain of the royal guard, Kaylee.” The four Elements introduced themselves beginning with the fire Element, “My name is Novar of the Fire Kingdom.” “I am Aquaris of the Water Kingdom” “I’m Terran of the Earth Kingdom.” “And I am Imperos of the Air Kingdom.” Carnelia gave a proud smile and replied, “It’s an honor to meet you all! I must say I’m pleased to meet peaceful Elements.” Aquaris gave a puzzled look, “About that… How is it possible that you Faeries are still alive? As far as I know, they have all been extinct since the time of our great kings almost two hundred years ago.” Carnelia gave a sad sigh as she focused on the fire, “As far as Kaylee and I are aware, we are two of however many Faeries that survived the war. At the beginning of the war, my father feared for my safety, as it is extremely challenging for Faeries to reproduce. He needed to protect his succession. So he put me into a protective sleep in an underground temple until the fighting was over. Then he also put Kaylee under a magic sleep in order to protect the chamber.” The four listened intently with confusion and amazement as Carnelia continued, “When the war began, my father was very prideful and wanted me to take over and rule the realm when he won the war… however I do not wish to rule in that way. My father was unaware that I had made plans before the war began to bring peace among the kingdoms. I have no idea why I was asleep for so long though… and we are completely unaware of what happened during the war.” The Elements took the information in as they all sat in silence. They too didn’t really know what happened with the war as it was generations ago. They only knew what they had been taught by their elders. Aquaris looked up at the Faerie sitting atop the boulder. He observed her ragged appearance and wondered what had happened to her to put into such a state. She looked exhausted. 

Novar looked to the princess and said, “The story we were all told was that the Elements and the Faeries began fighting because the Faeries were beginning to utilize their immortality to take control of the Element kingdoms. When the fighting began, the only advantage that the Element kingdoms had was that they greatly outnumbered the Faerie kingdom.” The other three nodded as Aquaris continued the story, “Legend has it the Fire Kingdom teamed up with the Earth Kingdom to create a mineral that could cut off the Faerie’s magic thus making it possible to kill the Faeries by destroying their ability to keep themselves from aging and healing.” Carnelia’s eyes widened as her hand covered her mouth as she processed what was said. Kaylee even looked down to the group with an expression of shock. Carnelia said quietly, “Did they succeed?” Aquaris nodded and continued, “Legend has it, they succeeded and managed to kill off the entire Faerie race. Though, the Fire King proclaimed that any Faerie who showed their face would be killed on sight, so no one really knows for sure if they were completely eradicated.” Carnelia bit her thumb and said as she watched the fire, “This may be harder than I thought…” Novar took note of her instant fear and said as he brought her attention away from the fire, “What was your plan to bring peace?” Carnelia looked him in the eyes and said, “I was going to speak to the kings of the four Kingdoms and come to an agreement of a peaceful democracy. One where no one controls another and we build a chosen government including all four of the kingdoms to create rules for all citizens.” The four Elements looked at each other, skeptical of the plan. Novar replied as all four seemed to be thinking the same thing, “Well… seeing as how the four Kingdoms themselves are near war with each other right now, that isn’t such a terrible plan… however it won’t be easy… I think we should start by finding out what happened to the Faeries.” Aquaris nodded and spoke up, “He’s right. And seeing as we’re not too far from the ruins of the Faerie kingdom, we should travel there and see what we can find!” Carnelia smiled as Kaylee looked at the group in bewilderment. “So you’re saying you’ll join us?” The four nodded as Imperos spoke up, “None of us really wanted to fight… but it’s sort of taboo not to fight the other Element races.” Carnelia seemed to perk up at the declaration of peace. She brought her hands together, “Then we shall end the fighting! We all have our own strengths and abilities and no race is better than another. My friends… I would be so honored to have you join us to bring peace to this world.” The four nodded in agreement as Kaylee cringed slightly at the thought. Fighting alongside Elements was not what she had in mind for protection. But as she brought forth her strength to search the forest for danger, her lack of energy told her that it seemed she had no choice. She would have to allow the four Elements to aid in protecting Carnelia, however she would be extremely cautious.