Aylana - Ava's legacy E-Book

Helena Saphira Studer

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 536

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

The young elf Aylana, already known to readers from volume 1 "The Dragon Warrior", lives unrecognized among humans on the one hand and in the world of the elves, the Arcandrin, on the other. She continues to fight unwaveringly for the protection of all life and against the greed and imperiousness of humans, which has divided the elven race. And then there are the signs of days gone by. Has the future of the young elves long been predetermined? Once again, Aylana and her friends face enormous challenges that must be overcome. This time it's not just the humans and Shiazul, the renegade elves, who are the antagonists. It is their own past that the characters have to face. Will they succeed in bringing their people and the humans closer together again?

Leseprobe

Aylana

Ava's legacy

"This story is about the Arcandrin, the elves. The Arcandrin are an ancient nation who live in harmony with nature. For centuries, they have tried to enable all living beings on this planet to live together peacefully. The Arcandrin use magical powers and cultivate their ancient rituals, all of which are directly related to the knowledge of the laws of nature. The world of the Arcandrin remains largely hidden from humans, as do the dragons and natural beings that exist there. In the past, the Arcandrin and humans lived together peacefully. However, this symbiosis was destroyed by the greed and selfishness of humans. As a result, the Arcandrin retreated more and more. However, their story was passed on in old legends and tales. According to old tales, the elven people have mastered courageous forms of combat with sword or bow and arrow. An Arcandrin would never resort to modern weapons, as it goes against everything that is sacred to the elves. Using a firearm was a serious offense in the realm of the Arcandrin.

Today, only a few thousand elves still live among the humans, where they continue to try to protect the earth and prevent the self-destructive actions of humans without being recognized. The supreme doctrine of the Arcandrin is the protection and preservation of all life.

But there is also a dark side to the elves. Because over time, a part of the Arcandrin had begun to hate humans. To regard them as inferior and selfish creatures who are not worthy of being allowed to live on earth. The elven community was split and divided into two camps. The renegade elves who rebelled against the supreme doctrine henceforth called themselves Shiazul. They began to claim sole rule over the planet and turned against their own people."

The circle decides

Aylana was once again really in her element. She chased her dragon Ildur so close to the surface of the water that a bow wave formed in the sea like that of a boat. Next to her, just within sight, flew Arian and Salva. The three of them had become a great team since their adventure together on Talabat. They were all still training to become dragon warriors, where they learned how to use a bow and arrow and how to fight with a sword as well as flying a dragon. Their task today was to find a buoy with a lance on it that needed to be captured. There were three teams in total, and whoever captured the lance was the winner.

And as always with these exercises, Aylana was not allowed to use Durandort, her bow, or Xandar, her sword. Much to her displeasure. But she also understood that all Novitae Argo Fura, all aspiring dragon warriors, were to compete against each other with the same training weapons.

On Arcandria, where the three groups had started, they had previously equipped themselves with practice arrows. Although these did not injure those hit, they were quite painful and left clear marks. The rules were clearly defined. Once a part of the body had been hit, it could no longer be used. This applied above all to the arms. If they were hit in the body, they had to retire immediately. If the helmet was hit, you were allowed to continue if you were still able to do so. A direct hit to the helmet could lead to brief unconsciousness. In any case, such an impact resulted in a moment of drowsiness. All in all, such an exercise, even if it took place above the water, was not entirely without danger. Just last summer, there had been an accident in which Arian had fallen into the sea with his Dragon. Aylana had injured her leg during his rescue operation.

They had each started five kilometers apart and had only received vague information about the direction and distance of the finish.

That's why Aylana had fanned out her group to cover as wide an area as possible. The three of them had decided to fly low, even though this meant that their overview had to take a back seat. However, they hoped that this would give them quicker access to the lance and make it harder for their competitors to see them. Suddenly, Aylana saw that Salva, who was flying to her right, was signaling. She pointed to a spot above her on the right. And sure enough, there were three dots in the sky, rapidly approaching from above. Aylana gave Salva the agreed sign and turned left towards Arian. Salva followed her immediately.

When they were all three close enough to each other, Aylana called out:

"Histo fo luda! Three-piece formation vertical."

They would fly as close as possible to each other in order to give the opponent flying in from above the impression that only one dragon was flying below him. Aylana would take the top position, Salva in the middle and Arian at the bottom. Then, when the enemy felt safe, they would swarm out into as tight a circle formation as possible. That way, they could defend themselves from all sides and were difficult to hit themselves. After all, a dragon curves, and the tighter the curve, the better the rider is protected from the outside by the dragon's body. At least that was the thinking of the three of them and today would show whether their plan worked.

Aylana immediately steered Ildur slightly to the right over Salva's dragon. Arian, on the other hand, took up a position slightly to the left under Salva. This made it almost impossible for the opponent to recognize that there was more than one dragon underneath him.

Aylana let the three attackers, who had fanned out in the meantime, come almost within range of her arrows.

"Shira sinas! Bonngo! Turn right! Go!"shouted Aylana and pulled Ildur into a sharp right turn. Salva and Arian followed at some distance, and so the three of them formed an almost isosceles triangle that turned very quickly. The completely surprised team of their opponents now found themselves in an extremely awkward position.

Aylana and her team were now able to shoot arrow after arrow at the others from their protected position behind their dragons. Aylana landed the first hit on the helmet of one of her opponents, who slumped dazed on his saddle. She followed him with her eyes and was relieved to see his dragon turn on its own and flee towards Arcandria. Arian caught the second one with a body blow as it tried to get under her to get a clear shot.

The third tried to escape so that he could continue searching for the lance.

"I'll get him!"shouted Salva, breaking out of the formation to follow the fugitive. He made hooks like a hare with his dragon to shake off his pursuer. Salva tried to anticipate the fugitive's movements, but her arrows still missed the target.

Unnoticed by these two, the third team approached from the east. It was clear that they wanted to exploit the advantage to surprise Salva and the fugitive unnoticed with a quick attack from above.

"SALVA!" Aylana screamed at the top of her lungs. She and Arian had noticed that Salva was being followed. But she was already out of earshot.

"If we don't intervene now, she will surely be shot down," shouted Arian. "But on the other hand, we could look for the lance. No one is paying attention to us."

"We won't let her down. Let's try to take advantage of not being discovered yet." Aylana was determined to help Salva. "Sinas Ildur. Bonngo, bonngo. To the right, Ildur. Quickly, quickly."

She spurred her dragon on with extreme haste and Arian immediately followed her. Aylana immediately allowed Ildur to gain height so that she could attack out of the sun.

While Aylana and Arian got into position, Salva had managed to catch up with her opponent, and now she was practically level with him on his right. She drew her bow, but her arrow ricocheted off the dragon's wing, for the attacked man had recognized her intention in time and turned sharply to the left.

Salva immediately followed him and gave a startled cry. For now she was facing the dragon warriors of the third team, who were racing towards her at full speed. Her opponent, whom she had been chasing, was almost torn from the dragon by an arrow that hit him full force in the upper body. That meant one more player was out of the game and it was now just three against three.

Salva knew that she could no longer turn away and pulled her dragon steeply upwards to be covered by his body. However, this daring maneuver threatened to cause her dragon to lose too much speed and she had to get it back into a stable position as quickly as possible. Several arrows whizzed past her left and right, as did two of her attackers a second later, who were unable to slow down quickly enough. Salva brought her dragon back into level flight and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw her third opponent right in front of her. She recognized for a split second that it was Moira, an excellent archer, when she saw the arrow hurtling towards her. She knew she had no chance! The arrow was heading straight for her forehead!

Salva closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact. But then she heard a splintering right in front of her and Aylana's triumphant cry. Salva looked up in amazement and saw Aylana and Arian almost hurtling towards her. Then Salva realized. Aylana had hit Moira's projectile in flight with her arrow, preventing it from being launched. Before Moira could fully grasp the situation, she had already been hit in the upper body by Arian's arrow.

Another opponent down, but the other two had already gained a large lead thanks to their excess speed. Salva let her dragon fly a turn to get level with Aylana and Arian.

"Thank you! That was the last second!" Salva called over to Aylana. "And now what? Are we tracking them?"

"They're flying in the direction where we think the lance is. So let's follow them as fast as we can. However, we should split up again so that we can cover as large an area as possible." Aylana pointed to Arian: "Dras. Arian on the right." And turning to Salva: "Sinas. Salva on the left. I'll take the middle. Bonngo! Bonngo!"

They spurred their dragons on and tried to catch up with their rivals. These two had also split up so that they could search the sea better. They were all heading southwest, which was roughly the direction their instructors had given them. The two ahead of them had a lead of almost a kilometer when Aylana saw that they were veering slightly to the south, in such a way that their flight paths had to meet in about three kilometers. And she knew exactly what that meant.

They had spotted the lance! "Bonngo, Ildur! Bonngo!"

Aylana urged her dragon on with extreme haste and concentrated solely on catching up with her opponents and preventing them from capturing the lance.

Salva and Arian had also realized what was at stake. But their dragons lagged behind Ildur and Aylana knew that she was on her own if she wanted to capture the lance before the other team.

She tried to weigh up her chances. Should she first try to eliminate her opponents or go straight for the lance? Neither seemed one hundred percent promising to her. If she attacked one of the dragon warriors first, the other could try to reach the lance undisturbed.

If she went straight for the lance, she herself was without cover and therefore vulnerable to attack.

Aylana looked back again and saw that she couldn't expect any help from Salva and Arian. These two were already far behind.

Aylana's decision was made. She leaned far forward onto Ildur's neck: "You have to trust me now, Ildur. Things could get a little tight with our plan."

Ildur made a noise that Aylana generously interpreted as approval.

The target was now clearly visible far ahead of them and the warriors of the opposing team both flew directly towards the lance; one to the right and one to the left of Aylana, but both with a head start. They had now noticed Aylana and readied their bows. Aylana saw that they would all arrive at the lance at practically the same time. And her opponents were able to get the drop on her from both sides, and she was almost in range of their arrows.

Aylana saw the two to her left and right draw their bows. It could only be a fraction of a second before she was hit. No dragon warrior, even if they were still in training, could miss such a target.

"CAS M GLUAS, ILDUR," Aylana shouted, "ANIOS! Roll onto your back, Ildur. Now!"

Aylana dared to perform such a breakneck maneuver that Salva and Arian cried out in shock at the same time. Ildur twisted jerkily onto his back in mid-flight. The arrows shot just between Ildur's legs without doing any damage.

Aylana was now hanging upside down in the saddle and was only held up by her leg straps. The water was approaching at breakneck speed, as Ildur could not maintain his height in this supine position. That was the dangerous part. If they came too close to the surface of the water before Ildur could turn again, they would inevitably fall. And dragons were not able to escape from the water. And Aylana could also be dragged down with him.

It was now only about two hundred meters to the lance, and they were approaching the target at breakneck speed. Aylana felt Ildur's body tense up and a low, tense growl escaped his throat.

"Ito 'm mauin, Ildur. Trust me, Ildur."

Aylana stretched as far as she could towards the surface of the water and saw them racing towards the buoy with the lance. One last effort and Aylana just managed to grab the shaft of the lance at the far end.

"CAS! ANIOS! ILDUR! ROLL! NOW!"

Aylana pressed herself as flat as possible against Ildur's neck so as not to offer any more air resistance. Ildur tried to turn as fast as he could, but his left wing was already dipping into the sea and he was in danger of falling. Aylana threw herself to the right with all her strength, and so Ildur managed to free his wing from the water at the last moment and escape the suction of the water with a few powerful wing beats. Aylana stood up triumphantly and swung the lance upwards with a cry of joy. They had won! The blood pounded in her veins and she could feel the Arcandrin's wild, unbridled power permeating her body. In that moment, Aylana was one with Xandria, Ava, Gondrin and all the souls of days long past.

"AYLANA! AYLANA! Are you crazy? AYLANA! What are you doing?"

It took a few seconds for the shouts of Salva and Arian to get through to her. Suddenly Aylana realized that she had released her leg straps and was standing erect on top of Ildur, in furious flight. The lance in her triumphantly outstretched fist with flashing eyes and every muscle in her body tensed.

"Fasten your seatbelt immediately! AYLANA! You're going to crash!" Salva shouted again desperately.

Slowly, Aylana realized what she was doing. It was as if she was returning from another world. She let herself sink back onto Ildur and fastened the straps.

She saw Salva and Arian staring at her in shock, and the two other dragon warriors also looked at her in disbelief. There was even something like fear in their eyes.

"It's all right!" Aylana called out to them. "I was probably just a bit overconfident. But look!" She held out the lance to them. "We have won! We have conquered the lance."

"Yeah, sure. But what were you thinking? That was breakneck and extremely risky!" Salva shook her head reproachfully. Arian added:

"I've never seen anything like it. How did you teach Ildur that? What was wrong with you? And then to undo all the straps and stand up during this flight!" Arian grabbed his forehead. "Then you let out a scream that almost made my blood run cold. Even our dragons flinched and tried to escape."

"Yes, and there was a glow in your eyes that scared me." Salva was now flying close to her. "Are you all right?"

She looked at Aylana inquiringly. "Well, you seem to be back to normal now."

Arian flew at their other side and pointed in the direction of the two dragon warriors, who had already turned and were flying back towards Arcandria.

"Come on, come on now. We should get back too. I'm sure our instructors are looking forward to the results."

Aylana shook her head in amazement at her friends' reactions. But the longer she thought about it, the more she began to wonder. What had gotten into her? She was already aware that she always acted very impulsively. But what had happened here went far beyond that.

What had happened? This intoxicating feeling of unlimited freedom and power. As if nothing in this world could stop her. And despite all this, she had also felt deep sadness. The burden of responsibility of an Amada Aygo. Like Xandria had felt long before her.

Siutei, who had been watching the training, circled far above the small group. He had worry lines on his face and muttered thoughtfully to himself:

"Can it really be?Cumat m'amras ; the power of the ancestors. Even Xandria was once doomed by it. I must speak to Sirion immediately. The Circle must be informed."

He urged his dragon to hurry and followed the budding dragon warriors to Arcandria.

"Ai, Ti, Fo, Tia, Madi, Na, Ito, Lami, Ta, Gor.Do you know that it's only Fo-Gora Tia days until my Novitae Aygo?" Auria looked at her foster mother with shining eyes.

"All I know is that you haven't talked about anything else for weeks, Auria." Lotte raised her hands in resignation. "If you did your normal schoolwork with half as much effort aslearning Arcandrin , you'd be top of your class by far. So, how much longer will it take?"

"Thirty-four days. Fo is three, Gora ten and Tia four. So three times ten plus four," Auria explained instructively.

Every member of the Arcandrin was consecrated on their sixteenth birthday and connected to the power of Mother Earth and Father Sun through an ancient sacred ritual. This ritual also revealed their future destiny and the associated training to fulfill this destiny.

The life of every Arcandrin was closely interwoven with the destinies of all living creatures and plants. This gave rise to the magical power, but also the inseparable connection; this bond with which the fates of all life were and still are interwoven.

During this ritual, Auria would receive an indelible mark on her upper right arm. This mark will show her the way and legitimize her as a rightful member of the Arandrin.

The two of them sat in the garden and enjoyed the first warming rays of the spring sun. Almost half a year had passed since the exciting events on Talabat. Auria had spent a lot of time with Aylana getting to know the customs and traditions of the Arcandrin. The language in particular was extremely important to her.

Alfias, her friend and Aylana's brother, on the other hand, had told her a lot about the history of the Arcandrin. He had taught her to trust her senses and use them correctly. She was now able to sense moods and intentions and even influence them a little.

"Do you even know that you are the first humans to be allowed to take part in such an Arcandrin ceremony? For over a thousand years, Alfie told me."

She looked at Lotte questioningly and put her notes to one side.

"Yes, I know, my darling. I just don't know if I should be happy about it. Don't you think we'll be a bit out of place?" Lotte pursed her lips. "I've heard that it's all full of dragons," she continued apprehensively.

Auria laughed out loud and put her hand on her arm.

"Mom, that's really the last thing you need to worry about. After all, the dragons are there to protect us. You'll see, they're wonderful creatures." She smiled reassuringly at Lotte.

"Well, not everyone shares your enthusiasm for these huge, dangerous-looking dragons. Just thinking about how Davy and Finn looked after Aylana showed them Ildur," she tilted her head thoughtfully. "Those two were like, well ... Like..."

"Like remote-controlled nightgowns?" Auria and Lotte both had to laugh.

"Okay, you could call it that. In any case, they both had a pretty stupid look on their faces." Lotte grinned at Auria. "Too bad no one took a picture."

Last summer, Aylana had received permission from the elven coven to initiate Auria's family. As proof, Aylana had passed through a portal with Finn and Davy and shown them Ildur, her dragon. Finn, Lotte's husband, and their son Davy had been quite shaken to the foundations of their world view afterwards.

"Hello you two! What are you laughing about?" Davy and Finn had just stepped out of the house and into the garden. That Sunday afternoon, Finn had been watching Davy's karate test and the two of them had just returned.

"We were just talking about you," Auria grinned.

"And that's a reason to laugh?" Davy said indignantly. "I really must ask! After all," he posed, "you're looking at a newly qualified fourth kyu holder!"

"Uh, what kind of carrier did you just bake?" Lotte looked at her son uncomprehendingly, while Finn tried desperately to remain serious.

"What?" Mom, please. I am now a purple belt holder." He took the belt out of his pocket and held it up triumphantly.

"But Davy. You go to training twice a week for that? I could have sewn you something like that myself in no time." Lotte shook her head.

Now Finn and Auria were beside themselves. They both burst out laughing.

Davy stood there frozen with his mouth open and slowly lowered his hand with the belt.

"Don't you realize she's just pulling your leg, Davy?" laughed Auria. "Of course we know what that means and we congratulate you on passing your exam!"

She stood up and hugged Davy. "Super job! "

Lotte had also stood up and hugged her son warmly: "Just kidding. I'm proud of you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Come and sit with us and tell us about it."

The four of them sat down together and Finn and Davy talked about the exam.

"So, now I want to know what you were laughing about earlier," said Finn after a while.

"Oh, yes, that was the look on your face after you saw Aylana's dragon," explained Lotte.

"Well, the look on your face when we appeared out of nowhere wasn't particularly witty either," Davy grumbled. "And besides, we're all going to have the pleasure soon. "

"Where's Aylana anyway?" Lotte suddenly asked. "I thought she was coming to your exam too."

"Yes, I thought so too, but she probably had more important things to do," Davy replied sullenly.

"You know very well that Aylana has an important test of her own and that's why she had to go to Arcandria," Auria defended her friend. "It's very important for her on her way to becoming a dragon warrior. "

"Yeah, I know. Lately it's all about elves, dragons, regulations and all that stuff anyway. You, Alfie and Aylana don't talk about anything else." Davys grimaced in disgust. "I'll be glad when all this fuss is over."

He turned around and went into the house, slamming the door rather noisily behind him.

"What's wrong with him? Since when has he been so sensitive?" Auria shook her head. "He should consider himself lucky to have a friend like Aylana."

"Oh, he feels a bit excluded from you. You really don't talk about much other than your ritual. You, your Alfie and Aylana when you're together. And then you speak Arcandrin a lot, which no one understands." Lotte looked Auria in the eye. "So it's understandable if Davy feels like a fifth wheel."

She leaned against Auria and gripped her shoulder. "Of course we know how important this day is to you, my darling. But also think a little about how Davy must feel. After all, he's the only one of the four of you who doesn't have elven blood in his veins."

Auria made a thoughtful face and said: "You're probably right, Mom, I hadn't thought about it like that. I'll talk to Alfie and Aylana about it."

"Speaking of Alfie. Where's your dragon tamer today?" Finn changed the subject. "You're usually so inseparable."

"Uh, Alfie has to do chores at home. Salomee made him do it." Auria seemed less than thrilled.

"Why is that?" asked Finn in astonishment, while Lotte was already struggling to control herself from laughing out loud.

"Well, you know our French teacher, Mr. Lörtscher. He's a bit older ... and ..." "Yes, yes," Finn interrupted her halting speech. "And what does your teacher's age have to do with Alfie's punishment?"

Lotte had already turned away, shrugging her shoulders and clasping her hands over her mouth. Finn looked at her in astonishment:

"Now come out with it, Auria!"

"Well, this teacher had eaten an apple while we were taking a test and choked on it ... and Alfie ... you know how helpful he is ... helped him immediately, of course ... Um..."

"If you don't come right out with it now ..." Finn raised his finger threateningly, while half-choked sounds could be heard from Lotte.

"Well, Alfias helped him by patting him on the back ... and not only the piece of apple, but also Mr. Lörtscher's teeth ..."

She was abruptly interrupted by Lotte, who could no longer contain herself and laughed until tears ran down her cheeks. Finn joined in the laughter and dropped into the chair next to Lotte. Lotte tried to calm down a little.

"And the glasses ... fell off his head too." She burst out laughing again.

"But why punish Alfie? He only meant well." Finn also tried to control himself.

"Well, Alfie politely asked him if he had any other spare parts that were loose." Auria had just managed to finish the sentence before she too burst out laughing.

"And what's more, the Lörtscher claimed that Alfie had hit him on the back of the head and not on the back." Auria was slow to recover from her fit of laughter.

"But that's not true, is it?" Finn asked with a laugh.

"Well, you know, Dad, a year ago I would have said it was one of Alfie's usual mishaps. But now," she raised her arms meaningfully, "I'm not so sure. What's more, Alfie has often had disagreements with this teacher." Auria took a deep breath: "When in doubt, give the accused the benefit of the doubt. But you can imagine the reactions of the rest of the class. Lessons were out of the question. For the rest of the day, everyone tried desperately to control themselves, but the slightest grimace and everyone roared with laughter again. In the end, the principal had to intervene. In any case, Alfie now has punishment work."

"Then you could use the time to learn something for school. All you do is stick your nose into those elf scrolls." Lotte exchanged a glance with Finn. "Your grades used to be better, too."

"Oh, I think our daughter already knows what she's doing," said Finn, which earned him a grateful look from Auria. "And," he smiled at Lotte, "it's very special to have an elf for a daughter. There. I'll go and check on Davy."

He stood up, winked at them both and went into the house.

"He's just afraid of arguing with you," Auria said to Lotte with a grin.

"I think we're all a little afraid of arguing with you," Lotte replied quietly.

"Yeah, sure. I'm so dangerous and violent," sneered Auria. "Look at these huge muscles here. " She pointed to her slim, slender upper arms.

"That's not what I mean." Lotte looked Auria seriously in the eye.

And at that moment, Auria sensed that something was really bothering Lotte.

"What's wrong with you, mom? You seem so thoughtful."

"Oh Auria, my darling. It's difficult to explain to you. You obviously haven't even noticed it yourself. But you've changed a lot in the last few months. In such a short time, you've become much ... oh, how can I put it ... more grown-up, more mature and more determined."

"But that's what you always wanted, mom. That I should be more responsible and grow up," protested Auria. "You should be happy about that."

"Yes, that's true. But there's something else, Auria. Something that scares us all a little." Lotte shifted nervously in her chair.

"Mom, I'm not going to hurt a fly. What are you talking about? I don't understand a word you're saying." The look on Auria's face revealed that she really had no idea what Lotte was talking about.

"Auria, haven't you noticed lately that you can actually always get your way in all ... well, let's say differences of opinion." Lotte was visibly uncomfortable talking about this topic.

"But mom, I'm just giving my opinion and..."

"No, not just that." Lotte gave herself a jolt: "You don't just give your opinion, ... you ... you radiate such a power of persuasion that we all can't help but agree with you. Haven't you ever wondered why we all agreed to come with you to Arcandria for your test without any objections?"

Now the words just gushed out of Lotte:

"And that I ... we let you go so easily, even though I'm so terrified of losing you. And anyway, this whole new world that's opened up scares me. You're learning it all so quickly and you're moving around in this Arcandrin world as if you've known nothing else all your life." She had stood up and placed her hands on Auria's shoulders.

"But we here, your family, we can't keep up. You're moving away from us and I can no longer follow you."

She had tears in her eyes: "I'm afraid of losing you, Auria."

Auria remained silent for a long time, thoughtful and introverted. Lotte still stood in front of her and waited to see the effect of her words. Finally, Auria stood up and took Lotte's hands:

"I didn't know that, mom." She looked seriously startled. "I always thought you were happy for me and that you'd love to come to my Novitae aygo. I never urged you to come with me..."

"Auria, don't you realize for yourself what a force ... I don't know what to call it ... What an aura of power you exude when you want to get your way. Oh, I can't explain it. It must be connected to your background and the things Alfie teaches you. And that aura is getting stronger and stronger."

"But I never wanted to impose my will on anyone ..."

"I know that, my darling. I think you do it unconsciously and somehow it just happens," Lotte interrupted her. "But you should become aware of your abilities and learn to control them. Please talk to Aylana and Alfie about it. Or maybe better with Salomee. We could go there together. I'll call her now and ask her"

"But mom, it's Sunday. Do you really think it's that urgent?" Auria looked at Lotte doubtfully. "When Aylana and Sirion are away, Salomee will surely enjoy..."

"Yes, it's urgent. Please don't try to change my mind now." Lotte got up conspicuously quickly and disappeared into the house.

Auria looked after her in amazement and realized that Lotte was afraid of being influenced by her.

Sweating and swearing quietly to himself, Alfias stood in the garden and removed his dirty gloves. He had been busy for hours clearing weeds from the entire plot around the house, cleaning out the gaps between the stone slabs and trimming the hedge.

"Gorana Furas! Ito'm ni fedir.Ohhhh m Gluas. A thousand dragons! I can't take any more. My back."

He flung his gloves far away from him and strode resolutely towards the house. In his opinion, he had definitely done enough punishment work. And all because of something so trivial!

"ALFIAS! Ca foil to? Where are you?" Alfia's mother Salomee came through the garden door at that moment and kept an eye out for him.

"Ito taga, Dana. I'm coming, mother." Alfias walked towards his mother.

"That's enough for today. I hope you've had enough time to think about your behavior. Now come in and clean yourself up." Of course, Salomee didn't fall for Alfia's excuses about mishap and coincidence for a second.

"Auria and Lotte are coming over for a visit. Lotte wants to discuss something with us. She mentioned something about Auria's new abilities." She looked at Alfias questioningly: "Do you know what she means?"

Alfias had a hunch, but avoided saying a word about it as much as possible.

"I don't know, Dana. There are probably a lot of hidden talents in Auria," he said with an innocent expression.

Salomee looked inquiringly into his face, but said nothing more. Alfias scurried past her with a quick, "Go and have a shower," and disappeared into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, the two were sitting on the cozy garden terrace with the visitors who had arrived in the meantime.

Auria and Alfie had made themselves comfortable in the swing and Salomee and Lotte had taken a seat at the table in front of it. Salomee had provided drinks and cake and was now looking encouragingly at Auria and Lotte in turn:

"So, what did you find out? Or to put it another way: what did you do?" She looked at Auria with a mischievous smile.

"Nothing I would have done deliberately or consciously," Auria protested.

"And that's the problem," Lotte interjected: "You're doing it without even realizing it."

"Stop, stop," Salomee smiled, "It would be helpful to know what exactly Auria is doing that she isn't aware of. Why don't you tell us from the beginning?"

"Mom thinks that I influence them all and impose my opinion on everyone. She thinks it has to do with my background and my education. As if I could influence the thoughts of others!" Auria had spoken in Lotte's place and she didn't seem to be taking the whole thing too seriously. She turned to Alfie: "Come on, mas Lapa. Go on, sweet rabbit. Hop over there and start grazing. I command you!" She looked Alfie straight in the eye and he promptly burst out laughing.

"You know exactly what I mean," Lotte interrupted the interlude: "Every discussion ends with you getting your way in the end. Even if we disagreed beforehand. You radiate such persuasiveness ... I ... I can try as hard as I like to disagree with you ... it just doesn't work. I don't understand it."

Salomee seemed to be thinking hard: "Auria's parents were warriors of light. Some of them had this special talent. It could be that Auria is also endowed with these abilities. And through the training with Aylana and Alfias..." She glanced jerkily in Alfie's direction: "Did you know about that? Did you notice anything like that?"

Alfie winced guiltily and stammered: "Yes, how can I put it ... because of Auria's ancestry, it is of course possible that, taking all aspects into consideration, such latent Auria emanations cannot be completely ruled out. However, it must also be taken into account who ..."

"So she can, and you knew it!" Salomee clarified succinctly. "Why, by Ava, didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't sure if and how the whole thing would develop. And I didn't want to worry Auria. It was impossible to predict how quickly it would develop." Alfie was visibly uncomfortable in his own skin: "But now that this ability is obviously already developing..."

"What skill, please?" Auria interjected.

"That was irresponsible of you, Alfias. You should have reacted at the first sign." Salomee ignored Auria's question and looked at Alfias, shaking her head.

"But Dana, you also know that it usually takes years to ..."

"WHAT ABILITY?!" Auria interrupted Alfie again, but this time she shook him by the arm: "Could it be that you're talking about me? Would you please let me in on it too?"

"Oh, excuse me," Salomee looked alternately at Auria and Lotte, "It's just that this gift is relatively rare. Even for descendants of the Warriors of Light. We call this power Ralai Samoin, which translated into your language means something like mind control. It is, if not used responsibly, a ...", she searched for the right words, "... yes, a powerful weapon. That's why Arcandrins who are endowed with this gift must be trained with particular ... shall we say caution and care. And that is why it is also very important, especially at a young age, to ensure that these Arcandrin learn to handle this immense responsibility with care."

Auria had turned pale: "So I've influenced all your decisions lately? I've made you do things you didn't want to do? Sola Luz! What have I done?"

She jumped up and went to Lotte: "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't know that. And I didn't mean to."

Lotte took her in her arms: "We know that, my darling. Don't blame yourself now. The most important thing is that we now know what happened," and she added with a smile: "And that you don't do it again. Unless ... it's about Davy tidying his room ... then I'll ask you to."

But Auria wasn't in the mood for jokes at the moment. She seemed to be on the verge of despair.

"Then you didn't really want to agree to come to my Novitae aygo. Then I forced all this on you and ... you ... AVA, help me!"

She couldn't speak any more and slapped her hands over her face.

"Of course we're coming to your big day! Perhaps not quite as full of anticipation as you are. After all, an island full of dragons isn't everyone's cup of tea. But we wouldn't miss this day for the world!" Lotte stroked her hair tenderly: "But please let us decide for ourselves again in future, my darling."

"Yes, if only I knew how! How can I control something that I didn't even know was inside me?" She turned angrily to Alfie and stepped in front of him threateningly:

"To'm ate arlas! Bio to'm ni 'm hair?!You knew it! Why didn't you tell me?!" She had automatically spoken Arcandrin in her excitement and waved her small fist threateningly in front of Alfie's nose.

The latter had crawled as deep as possible into the cushions and looked over at Salomee for help. "Please calm down, Auria. It really isn't very easy for us Arcandrin to recognize this. For although we ourselves sense your strong will, we cannot be influenced by it. It is therefore all the more difficult to detect Ralai Samoin in someone." Salomee looked from Auria to Alfias: "Nevertheless, you should have come to me immediately at the slightest sign!"

"I really haven't known for long. I didn't want to burden Auria with it so shortly before her ... our novitae aygo." Alfias looked Auria in the eye: "It's clear that Sola Arwa Aygo and Ava won't keep any of this secret. And they will also decide how to proceed."

"But how can I be sure that I won't continue to use it?" Auria asked urgently.

"Alfias and I will teach you how to get this under control. I agree with Alfias that the final decision on how to continue your training will be made on Arcandria. But..." Salomee nodded resolutely, "it is important that we begin immediately to show you how to proceed to ensure that you do not use Ralai Samoin."

"Yes, please. I'd be very happy if I could get a grip on it and no one has to worry about me influencing decisions anymore." Auria looked at Salomee seriously: "I hope I can control it!"

"You'll learn that very quickly," said Alfias: "If you agree, Lotte, we can start right away."

Lotte looked at Salomee questioningly: "If you don't mind. I can pick her up later."

"But you can stay here, Lotte," Salomee smiled, "I imagine you still have a few questions about your visit to Arcandria."

"Ohh, that would be great," sighed Lotte, "I'm already pretty nervous."

"She's afraid of dragons." Auria grimaced and continued: "They are such wonderful creatures, Mom."

"Yes, and you just have to remember one thing Lotte," Alfias had stepped up to her, "you have a much more dangerous and unpredictable creature around you very often!"

"Excuse me?!" Lotte was perplexed.

"Well," said Alfie and moved out of Auria and Salomee's reach as a precaution: "Aylana is Davy's girlfriend."

Aylana, Salva and Arian had taken care of their dragons on their return and were waiting with the other trainee dragon warriors for the usual debriefing of the exercise with their instructors. The training center was in the underground caves near the stone fort Dun Eochla. The teams stood together in loose groups and discussed the outcome of this mission.

Moira came over to Aylana and nodded approvingly at her:

"What a shot! The way you shot my arrow was fantastic! But as Golat and Artin have just told me, you risked even more incredible maneuvers afterwards."

Golat and Artin were the two who had witnessed Aylana's daring actions and now curiously joined them.

"We're used to a lot from you," Golat grinned at her and nodded approvingly, "but what you did today ... with Ava! Arcandria has never seen anything like it!"

"Never mind, it's no big deal," Aylana tried to deflect: "We were all good and completed the task."

"You flew on your back and even got up afterwards without being sure..."

"Oh, let's leave it now," Artin was brusquely interrupted by Aylana, "look, here come our instructors. Please let's not say another word about this now."

She had the feeling that the last word had not yet been spoken on the matter. And her suspicions were reinforced when she saw Sirion, her father, approaching her alongside Siutei, Zulam and Dorkon.

She knew that Sirion was in Arcandria because the Circle had to discuss what would happen to Talabat today. But why was he here now? She felt her pulse quicken.

Dorkon, the weapons master, called them all together and opened the meeting:

"Novitae Argo ad Furo. Aspiring dragon warriors. Actually, the exercise has already been a success when I see you all gathered here again, with nothing to complain about apart from a few bruises. Admittedly; painful bruises!"

A few quiet laughs and murmurs could be heard and Dorkon continued with a grin:

"But after all, we're training to be dragon warriors here. A few bruises are the purest of caresses. Aren't they?"

"Well, then I was really loved today," Moira interjected with a laugh. "Wasn't I, Arian?" She pointed to the large bloodshot mark on her shoulder.

The group laughed cautiously as Arian shifted sheepishly from one foot to the other. It was an open secret that Arian felt a special affection for Moira.

Arian was therefore relieved that Dorkon continued immediately: "Well, to the point. You have all completed your task well and have shown that you have mastered your dragons and weapons. The details of each individual action will be discussed in detail with each team separately this time."

The dragon warriors looked at each other in astonishment, because until now every debriefing had always taken place as a whole group so that everyone could benefit from the explanations of the individual events. Only those who had been directly involved in Aylana's actions suspected the reason and gave each other significant looks.

Aylana herself felt her father's eyes on her. To her astonishment, however, his eyes were rather full of concern and not, as she would have expected, with a reproachful expression.

Dorkon distributed the teams to the instructors and he himself beckoned Aylana, Salva and Arian to join him. They were joined by Sirion.

"Attawa osu. I've already heard from Siutei what great maneuvers you three have practiced. You did a good job!" However, he couldn't quite hide his worried expression.

Aylana began to suspect that her behavior during the exercise was bothering him greatly. They followed Dorkon into one of the sinuses of the underground fortress used for training purposes and sat down at one of the large round tables.

Sirion sat down next to Dorkon and the three Novitae Argo took a seat opposite.

"Siutei, who was assigned to observe you, has already told me how you proceeded. But now I would like to hear a detailed report from you. From each of you. And pay particular attention to what you could have done better or what you consider important. Don't leave anything out. Every detail is important to us!" Dorkon pointed to Salva first: "First from your point of view, Salva."

She talked about her approach, how they had used the tactics they had rehearsed as a team and how Aylana had finally conquered the lance with her daring move.

"We were really carried away by Aylana's strength and enthusiasm. Until she then ..."

Salva looked over at Aylana and interrupted herself.

Sirion and Dorkon looked at each other meaningfully: "Until what, Salva? Every detail is important. And you're not doing anyone any favors by not telling the whole truth."

Aylana sat in her chair, lost in thought, trying to fathom what had happened. She nodded encouragingly to Salva: "Tell me everything, Salva. I'm not sure myself what exactly happened. It was as if I had been transformed. Please tell me all the details!"

"Aylana did..." she turned her head to Aylana, "You radiated an aura of power and strength that completely overwhelmed me. There was a glow in your eyes ... and the way you stood up on Ildur ... it was as if Xandria had risen ... and then your scream! I was almost afraid of you."

Salva said the last sentence in an almost inaudible, quiet voice and bowed her head.

Dorkon looked at Arian: "Can you confirm Salva's words? Did you feel that aura too, Arian?"

"Yes, and it was as if we were swept away by this ... this incredible feeling of boundless power. I can't describe it."

"What happened to me, Dano?" Aylana looked her father in the eye. "What did I do wrong?"

Dorkon nodded to Sirion, who took a deep breath: "First of all, Aylana, you have done nothing wrong! No one among us could have resisted this power. And there are only a few among us who have received it for thousands of years. You felt the Cumat m'amras and ..."

"Cumat m'amras," Salva whispered in shock, "I thought this was a legend of our people."

Arian was also startled and looked at Aylana with wide eyes.

"Yes, Cumat m'amras!" Dorkon confirmed and continued: "No Arcandrin and no living being has ever left us completely and set out on a journey without leaving something behind in Dana Nala's soul. Everything is connected and nothing ever leaves us completely. Only very rarely does it happen that this can manifest in someone who is particularly receptive to these energies. But these forces are almost impossible to control."

Dorkon looked meaningfully at Aylana.

"And how many cases are known among the Arcandrin?" Aylana asked in a brittle voice.

"Xandria, Ava ... and now you!" Sirion looked her firmly in the eye: "That's why I'm here m'Aion. My daughter. We must report this matter to the Council. This is too important and must be brought before the Circle. But still, I need not emphasize that this is to be treated with the utmost secrecy!" Sirion looked at them all in turn.

"And what does that mean for me now?" Aylana asked quietly, "Will I now be excluded from the training and ... and locked away?"

"No, no. That would certainly be the wrong approach," Dorkon replied to her great relief: "But we will discuss the appropriate measures in the Council. It's about being able to direct and control these energies."

"I'm sure you remember what I told you about Durandort and Xandar when we started your training, Aylana," Sirion interjected. "You must master the weapons, not the weapons you. It must be the same with Cumat m'amras. I'm not trying to fool you. This will be a difficult endeavor, but I'm sure we'll find a way." Sirion smiled encouragingly at her.

"Very well. That says everything for now," Dorkon summarized. "You can go now. You, Aylana, stand ready to go before the council. We will send for you!" With these words, Dorkon ended the meeting and the three friends left the room.

Salva looked at her friend shyly and said: "Please don't be angry with us, Aylana. But we had to tell the truth. And I wasn't just afraid for myself, but especially for you! You gave us a good scare!"

Arian nodded his head in confirmation of her words.

"No, no. You did absolutely the right thing. I ... I don't really know what happened yet and it's very important to me that you tell me everything. What did you feel at that moment?" Aylana had stopped and grabbed her friends' hands: "Please tell me exactly how ... or rather, what happened to you?"

Arian looked her straight in the eye: "I would have followed you blindly at that moment. Into any fight. Even to death. Without hesitation. You radiated something ... I was completely overwhelmed!"

"Yes, that's exactly how it was. As if we were unconditionally subject to your will," Salva added. "Well, whatever. We'll meet up with the others again soon. We should come up with a good excuse for your behavior. I think Moira and her team have noticed something."

"Well," Arian smiled conspiratorially at Aylana, "it's not that rare for you to do something like that. I don't think there'll be too much to talk about. You were just being a bit cocky again."

In the meantime, Dorkon and Sirion had made their way to the Council Hall.

Due to the increased activity of the Shiazul, the circle had decided to hold the meeting in the caves of Dun Eochla.

Guards were once again posted in front of the entrance to the council hall and the keepers of the scrolls had already taken up their positions. Their task was to record the council's decisions and then store the scrolls in the vault.

The two entered and took their places under the insignia of their clan. Sirion's place was marked with the symbol of the sun dragon. Dorkon, as the Circle's weapons master, took the seat marked with the symbol of the bow and the sword.

After all the members of the council had taken their seats, the Guardians of the Scriptures were the last to enter and closed the entrance.

Giolmar, the chairman of the council, opened the meeting with the traditional words: "Attawa osu. Ito m Giolmar. Ito m Arcandrin." He stood up and performed the gestures of greeting. "The meeting of the Circle is open." He sat down again and the council meeting began.

"Argo Fura ad Luz. Bailos ad Comha.Dragon warriors of the sun. Members of the Council." Giolmar got straight to the point: "The events on Talabat and the latest reports from our Athir, our observers, from all regions of Dana Nala have prompted me to gather you here. We have the following to discuss today:

First: the motion on the reconstruction of Talabat, put forward by Dorkon, Sirion and Siutei.

Secondly, the reports of the disappearance without trace of influential figures from the economy and politics of the humans, and thirdly..." Ee looked around meaningfully: "There are signs that Cumat m'amras has appeared in our midst!"

The council members, who had not yet been informed, looked at each other in astonishment. None of them were unaware of the events surrounding Xandria, Ava and the significance of Giolmar's announcement.

"Furthermore, a year has passed, and the Chairman of the Council and the Master-at-Arms are to be newly elected. As always, this election will take place at the end of our meeting. Now we want our Master-at-Arms and Sirion to give us a first-hand account of the events on Talabat. Dorkon, Sirion, Siutei, please give your report."

The three of them informed the council members fully about the events on Talabat and then officially submitted the application for a reconstruction and a new start for the training of elves and humans together on the island.

"The idea of sharing our knowledge and traditions with this immature and selfish people fills me with disgust." Adalar uttered these words with hatred! "It's like helping the Arcandrin to commit suicide. Do you really want to be responsible for imparting even more knowledge to the greatest pest on Dana Nala, which will then only be used for personal gain and to destroy the environment anyway? You can't be serious!"

Gesticulating wildly, he had stood up and looked around the group in a challenging manner.

"Adalar, moderate your tone!" Giolmar gave Adalar a sharp look: "We will listen to and weigh every voice in this council. But with a cool head and a calm heart. Or do you, of all people, want a situation like the British House of Commons?"

This rebuke served its purpose immediately and Adalar sat down again with a red head. Deliberation was then held on this point and it became apparent that several members of the circle agreed with Adalar on some, though not all, of the points. After some time of intense deliberation, Giolmar interrupted the circle by standing up and raising his hand, "There are certainly many aspects to consider in this decision and we will not be able to work out all the details during our deliberation today. I therefore propose that we vote for the first time on the proposal itself to resurrect Talabat." He looked around the group promptly and most of the council members nodded in agreement.

"Varnion," Giolmar called to the Keepers of the Scriptures, "supervise and authenticate the vote."

Varnion stepped forward with his men and unrolled the prepared writings:

"We are ready, Giolmar. What is the circle's first request?"

Giolmar determined the question with the right of the Chairman of the Council:

"Should Talabat be rebuilt? With the aim of joint training of humans and elves. You are to write this down and the vote will now decide."

Varnion wrote this in the document and Giolmar confirmed the accuracy of the writing with his seal. The Keepers of the Scriptures then presented the document to each of the twenty council members, who also made and certified their decisions with their seal.

After the Keepers of the Scriptures had counted the decision and also declared it valid with their seals, they handed the document back to Giolmar.

He stood up and declared in a loud voice:

"Talabat will be rebuilt and returned to its original purpose. The implementation of this decision will be placed in the hands of Sirion." He nodded to Sirion: "We expect you to submit your proposals within one Shira ad Zul, the orbit of one moon." Giolmar sat down again and wanted to move on to the next point of the consultation.

"You'll see what you get out of it. I have warned you! These people are not to be trusted. Never before have these connections contributed to the well-being of the Arcandrin and Dana Nalas. You are giving the enemy the means to destroy even more and faster. This people is not worth preserving. Are you blind?"

Adalar could no longer remain in his seat and became more agitated with every word.

"Adalar!" Giolmar thundered again. "Your word has been heard and the vote has been held according to the rules of our people. The decision has been made. Or do you want to go against the decisions of the council?"

The reprimanded man sat down again with a stubborn expression on his face. But not without giving Sirion a secret, hate-filled look.

Sirion pretended not to notice and turned his attention back to Giolmar, who nodded to another member of the council, "Tyron, let us now move on to the second point of our deliberation. Please, your report."

Tyron stood up and looked around:

"We are receiving reports from several parts of Dana Nala about incidents that invariably involve people who are also under our observation. They are suspected of being responsible for crimes against the protection and preservation of all life."

"So politicians, business leaders and unscrupulous scientists," interjected Tondar, who was no particular friend of humans either.

"Even if that's the way it should be, Tondar, let's let our members speak out in this council," Giolmar rebuked, "Please continue. Tyron."

"Influential people or their relatives are disappearing without a trace and the human authorities are completely in the dark. In my estimation, there are forces at work that go far beyond the capabilities of humans." Tyron explained a few more cases in detail and also presented the council with some reports from human newspapers and magazines.

"CEO of Henderson Chemicals disappeared without a trace during a board meeting - President Kohlmann of Bioforma abducted in front of cameras during a press conference - Vice President of Diamond Miners and her family abducted from a guarded hotel - Scientist from secret chemical weapons laboratory cannot be found."

Tyron continued:

"There have been several reports like this one, and recently these incidents have been increasing."

"Basically, these ... well, whoever is behind this ... is acting in the interests of the doctrine. All that's happened is that a few criminals against nature have disappeared," said Tondar, looking around the council with a look of encouragement. Adalar and some of the council members nodded in agreement.

"You know very well that our doctrine, to which we have all committed ourselves, includes the protection of all life," Siutei replied. "And the worrying thing is not just the fact that these people are disappearing, but rather that all these cases are under our watch. It almost seems as if we, the members of the Circle, are not the only ones who know who to pay special attention to."

"Are you implying that information from this council has fallen into unauthorized hands, Siutei?" Giolmar's tone of voice urged prudence.

"I'm just pointing out, Giolmar, that all these people are being watched by us so that we can intervene in an emergency. These decisions were made by all of us here in the council, as you all know. Only our means would be those of persuasion and only in an emergency with the gift of silent speech and suggestive influence. Arcandrin do not endanger lives!"

"Siutei is right." Sirion had stood up. "Arcandrin would never resort to such means, but since these are undoubtedly incidents involving the abilities of our people, we must assume that the Shiazul have something to do with it."

Dorkon nodded in agreement:

"Everything points to that. For the time being, however, I would not like to assume that information has leaked out of this council in the interest of us all. This would be an offense that has never been committed since the elven circle was founded! The Shiazul must have obtained this information in some other way."

"I agree with you, Dorkon. However, it is our duty as guardians of the doctrine and protectors of all life to get to the bottom of these incidents," Sirion said firmly.

"It has not yet been proven that the Shiazul have anything to do with this," Adalar shouted. "It can't be the Arcandrin's job to investigate every disappearance, especially if they are criminals against Dana Nala. If the humans are destroying each other, that's fine by us. We should help those, if any, who are also fighting to preserve life. Unfortunately, there are far too few of them. But no, you still want to take care of those who threaten the existence of us all."

There were quite a few council members who nodded in agreement with Adalar's words. His statements were unfortunately true in some essential points.