Aylana E-Book

Helena Saphira Studer

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

Seitenzahl: 461

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

The ancient elven people of the Arcandrin live in harmony with nature. Their highest commandment is to protect nature and preserve all life. Through laws and magical rituals, they kept the world in peaceful balance for thousands of years. Until everything changed. The greed and lust for power of humans divided the elven people. A dark side formed that began to hate humans for their actions: the Shiazul. The young elf Aylana lives in both worlds – undetected in the world of humans and as a dragon warrior in Arcandria, the home of the elves. She begins to fight unwaveringly for the protection of all life – and thus follows a powerful destiny. But will she manage to unite her people and the humans before it is too late?

Leseprobe

Introduction

"This story is about the Arcandrin, the elves. The Arcandrin are an ancient tribe 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, some of the Arcandrin began 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."

Hide and seek

This time she would not get off so easily. Aylana paused in mid-motion and saw people staring at her. She had caught the heavy steel bar that had slipped out of the hands of a worker building scaffolding with one hand, while with the other she held on to the scaffolding above the group of students on whom the bar would have fallen. The gymnasium at Aylana's school was being renovated and the workers were in the process of erecting the scaffolding. Right next to it was a small patch of grass that the pupils liked to use as a playground. The pupils below her had jumped to the side with a startled cry and were staring up at her with disbelieving eyes and open mouths. Aylana's horror had sent a chill down her spine. What had she been thinking? She held out the pole to the worker who had dropped it from her hand. He was deathly pale and had to hold the pole with both hands so as not to lose it again. Aylana slowly climbed off the scaffolding and would have preferred to make herself invisible.

"That was incredible!"

"How did you do that?"

"I've never seen anything like it!" they heard from all around them. At the top of the scaffolding, the construction worker was still standing motionless with the pole in both hands. Aylana saw the foreman walk over to him and take the pole from his hand. The two spoke to each other and the worker began to gesticulate wildly, pointing at Aylana again and again. Aylana was still surrounded by the students, who were all talking to her in confusion. She knew she had to come up with a good explanation and pushed her way through the group that had gathered around her towards the school building.

"I was just standing nearby watching the workers erecting the scaffolding. And that's when I saw the pole fall down. Anyone would have done that," she replied curtly.

One of her classmates replied: "I've never seen anyone move and climb so quickly. And you caught this thing with one hand. How did you manage that?"

"I happened to be nearby and just acted without thinking. It was just a lot of luck!"

Aylana was relieved to hear the school bell ring at that moment, announcing that lessons were about to start. As she made her way through the crowd, she saw her class teacher, who was supervising the break, looking at her with a thoughtful expression. Aylana's thoughts wandered into the past. How often had she gotten herself into trouble because of her impulsive and carefree nature? It was particularly difficult for her to control herself during sport. She could always run faster, jump higher and throw further than everyone else.

Aylana was very slim and slender, but quite tall for her age. Most of her classmates in the third year of secondary school were smaller. And at 15 years old, she was far ahead of everyone else in terms of her overall development. However, this was not so much because she tried harder. Aylana belonged to the Arcandrin tribe. An ancient tribe who had always inspired the imagination of humans and were commonly referred to as elves. However, the legends and stories surrounding thlegendary tribe had been dismissed by humans as fairy tales and fantasies over time. This development suited the Arcandrin, as they were not keen to be recognized and misused for the wrong purposes. For the Arcandrin tribe possessed the powers of nature and the magic of creation. And they were the guardians of the earth and all living beings. For centuries, they had been trying to maintain the balance of power and counteract the self-destructive behavior of humans. For the Arcandrin, it was incomprehensible that you would pollute the air you breathe, poison the water you drink and destroy the nature that makes life possible in the first place. As far as Aylana knew, there were still a few thousand Arcandrins on Earth, scattered across the globe, living unrecognized among the humans and trying to get into the most influential positions possible in order to fight against the senseless, destructive behaviour of the humans with all their might.

Aylana herself lived with her family near Solothurn, a small town in Switzerland. Her mother Salomee was a healer and guardian of knowledge and her father Sirion was a warrior and mage. Of course, they also had normal middle-class jobs, which they pursued so as not to stand out among the people. Salomee worked as a doctor's assistant in a small village surgery and it took her a lot of effort not to let her special skills as a healer show. With her finely honed senses, she could easily detect the causes of illnesses. And she could also easily influence the course of the various illnesses. But the ancient laws of the Arcandrin only allowed her to help people with her healing powers up to a certain point. Sirion, on the other hand, was in a very good position in politics and was able to use his rhetorical and suggestive skills to have a positive influence on people's decisions. In addition, Aylana's father was a high-ranking member of the magic circle, the highest authority of the Arcandrin. And he was a dragon warrior. The dragon warriors had always been responsible for the fate of the Arcandrin. This meant that Sirion was also responsible for upholding the laws of the Arcandrin. This was precisely the point that made Aylana's stomach ache at the moment. Because one of these laws clearly stated that Arcandrins were never allowed to reveal their special abilities among humans. She had broken this law again today. Last but not least, she thought of Alfias, her younger brother, who had managed to remain relatively inconspicuous until now. In Aylana's opinion, however, this was more due to the fact that he was very clumsy for an Arcandrin when it came to physical agility.

Aylana always said to him: "You are so clumsy for an elf that you can live among humans without any problems."

She meant no offense, but Alfias really was completely untalented in all technical and sporting matters. On the other hand, he was a master of everything to do with flora and fauna and was also a very sensitive listener. His voice exerted a magical fascination on everyone who listened to him. He was very popular and, above all, his ability to deal with animals never ceased to amaze.

Aylana had now arrived in the classroom and sat down in her usual seat in the back row next to the window. She tried not to be distracted by the whispering in the classroom and hoped that no one would pay any attention to the incident. She made it through the double period of civics with more or less concentration and wanted to disappear as quickly and inconspicuously as possible when the bell rang. But her class teacher called her in and wanted to speak to her. Her classmates gave her curious glances as they left the classroom and you could see how much they would have liked to overhear the conversation.

"Sit down, Aylana," said Mr. Gutmann.

"What you did earlier was very brave and simply unbelievable. When I consider that you have a doctor's dispensation from PE lessons because of your supposedly fragile physique, your actions seem all the more incredible to me. None of your classmates would have been able to move so fast and catch such a heavy pole with one hand. How is that possible, Aylana?"

"I don't know, I just acted without thinking and I was standing right next to it. I was probably the only one who saw the workers and was therefore the first to act."

She quickly added: "My arms hurt a lot too. I was probably very lucky that I didn't break anything."

Mr. Gutmann looked at her, frowning, and then said thoughtfully: "Please don't get me wrong. We are all very grateful for what you have done. It just seems so unlikely that a petite girl like you could act so..." he said, searching for words, "so incredibly quickly and unerringly. I couldn't follow your movements at all and if you weren't sitting in front of me like that now, I would swear that no normal person could move like that."

Aylana felt hot and cold at these words and thought of her father, who had so often told her to control herself and not stand out any more than she already did because of her appearance.

"Very well," said her teacher, "Shall I call the school doctor to examine your arms to make sure you haven't been seriously injured?"

"No, thank you. I'll go straight home and my mother will look after me," Aylana replied hastily.

Mr. Gutmann then let her go, not without thanking her again. He was still looking after her thoughtfully as she walked along the corridor.

Aylana hurried home. Her family lived in a pretty detached house on the outskirts of the city right next to the Aare, a river on whose banks she loved to sit for hours. She loved the steady, unwavering flow of the water and it felt as if the softly rippling waves were talking to her. When Aylana arrived home, her mother was sitting in the garden smiling at her. She knew that she couldn't hide anything from her mother and sometimes it seemed as if she could read her like an open book.

Salomee greeted her: "Attawa osu, my darling, how was your day?"

Aylana replied, as was customary among Arcandrin: "Attawa uso. Mom, I have something to tell you."

The Arcandrin language was fluent and melodious, contained many vowels and avoided harsh and guttural sounds. 'Attawa', the word for affection, friendship and love, was emphasized on the first, second or third A, depending on its meaning. The accent on the first A was used in normal greetings, whereas the accent on the last A was a very affectionate and personal form of greeting that expressed the highest respect for the other person. The word 'osu', on the other hand, meant 'to give' and the reverse form 'uso' meant 'to receive'. Aylana knew that she would never tell her mother anything other than the whole truth. Firstly, because she would never lie to her parents, and secondly, because Arcandrin had an unmistakable sense of when people were trying to deceive them. She sat down with Salomee and began to tell her story. Salomee listened patiently and didn't interrupt her once.

"I had no other choice, Mom, I couldn't let anything happen to anyone."

"I understand you very well, Aylana. The only problem is that things like this happen to you all the time and soon we won't know how to explain it."

She stroked Aylana's hair lovingly and looked at her ears.

"And we'll have to treat your ears again too. They're slowly becoming visible again."

Aylana knew what was coming and sighed deeply. They all had to have their ears altered regularly so that the pointed shape didn't stand out. The Arcandrin were usually recognizable by their pointed elven ears and slender, delicate figure. In addition, most of them were very beautiful by human standards and had expressive almond-shaped eyes that usually shone in violet hues.

The conspicuous physical features, such as the eyes and ears, could be adapted to the respective needs by the Arcandrin using shape-shifting spells. After all, it was only necessary to deceive the humans, who were generally very receptive to these suggestions. Aylana hated having to undergo this procedure regularly. Not because it caused her physical pain, but because it was a psychologically painful intrusion into her personality. The spell only worked on humans; among themselves, the Arcandrin saw themselves in their true form. Nevertheless, she hated having to hide her ancestry. The spell had to be performed regularly by the healers among them. Only they could sense when the spell was wearing off.

"We need to talk to Sirion about this. In two weeks, you will celebrate the ceremony of your union with Dana Nala and Dano Luz to find your destiny. We need to focus on that now," Salomee finally said thoughtfully and changed the subject. 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 revealed the future destiny of the young elves 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; the bond that interwove the destinies of all life. During this ritual, an eternal symbol appeared on the right upper arm, revealing the future and identifying the wearer as a rightful member of the respective guild. Aylana's mother wore the symbol of the healer and teacher, a tree in the sign of the sun. This symbol looked like the sun, surrounded by an aura of light. In the center was a tree as a sign of life. Aylana's father bore the sign of the dragon warriors. A dragon clutching a sword. Sirion also bore the sign of a council member of the magic circle, two hands placed openly together with the symbols for the sun, earth and moon in the center. This sign obliged Sirion to stand up for the laws of the Arcandrin with all his strength and his life and to guarantee their observance.

Aylana would have to stand before this magical circle in order to find her destiny. She had heard a lot about this ritual and she knew that she had to open her mind. For Nala, Dana Aygo, the earth and mother of life, and for Luz, Dano aygo, the sun and father of life. Nala and Luz would sense her innermost being and reveal to her the path for which she was destined. The ritual for which the council and all relatives gathered always took place in Arcandria, the secret island of the Arcandrin. This island belongs to the Oileàin Arann, the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. On this island is Dún Eochla, a stone fort on a hill in the middle of the island. This fort consists of three concentrically arranged, ring-shaped stone walls, in the center of which is the sacred place of the ancestors. The ceremonies and gatherings of the Arcandrin have always taken place on this square . Protected by magically interwoven shielding spells, the Arcandrin were able to perform their rituals unnoticed by humans. In two weeks' time, Aylana would also have to take her exam in this sacred place to find her destiny. She had been longing for this day for years and at the same time was afraid to find out which path her future life would take her on.

After Aylana had spoken to her mother, she felt a little better. Salomee had promised her that she would talk to Sirion first. She went to her room, which actually looked like any teenager's room, except that Aylana didn't have any posters of stars from music, movies or sports on her walls. She had other interests and couldn't share her friends' enthusiasm for such things. She much preferred the old legends and tales of her people and secretly adored the dragon warriors in their gleaming armor. She dreamed of riding a dragon herself one day and becoming a member of this covenant like her father. But she could hardly decorate her room with pictures of dragons and warriors with bows and swords without attracting even more attention than she already did.

Aylana threw herself on the bed and tried to think about the day in peace when her brother came into the room. Alfias, or Alfie, as everyone called him, teased her: "Well, sis, I've already heard about your heroic deed. You did a great job again! I hope you enjoyed being the center of attention again!"

"Oh, leave me alone! You know very well that has nothing to do with it. I just had to help. I don't know why things like this keep happening to me."

Alfie said reassuringly: "All right, I just wanted to give you a bit of a lift. No, seriously, your action was the talk of the school today and everyone who overheard it swears they never thought it was possible. But I explained to them that you've always had a very quick reaction and ..." - he paused artfully - "... have always acted first and thought later. Which was immediately confirmed by everyone nodding in agreement."

His mocking smile could not hide the fact that he also took the matter very seriously.

"No, really, I've played the whole thing down as much as possible. You know I have a certain talent for convincing people."

This statement was the understatement of the century. Alfie had already used his eloquence to convince his teacher that his solution to an exam question was correct, even though his mistake was quite obvious.

"You know, Alfie, there's actually not that much difference between us. We both still need to learn how to use our special abilities more carefully. You don't think very long before you have people dancing to your tune."

She continued to tease: "Why do you think you're so popular with the girls at school? Because you're so waaaaay good looking, or because you're a super sporty guy?"

Alfie threw a pillow at her, pulled an offended face and said, "I certainly don't need Supergirl action to be the center of attention."

Aylana laughed and replied: "That might look good on you. The Supergirl sign on your chest, a hot mini and high boots."

Without responding to this innuendo, Alfie threw himself on top of her and they rolled around on the bed laughing. At that moment, their mother came in the door to see what they were doing.

"What are you two up to again? You're making so much noise, you'd think you had a dragon in your room."

"I wish!" Aylana snorted.

"Then I'd order him to throw Alfie out."

"If there was a dragon here, it would eat out of my hand and throw you out of the room," Alfie replied, completely out of breath.

Salomee smiled in response.

"If there was a dragon here, it would obey me and throw you both out. So, what's going on in this enclosure again?"

Alfie replied with a deadpan face: "Don't ask, dear mom, then you won't get no answer."

Salomee's reaction was prompt. She threw a pillow in his face. In the end, all three of them had a pillow fight in Aylana's room.

Towards evening and when Sirion came home, Salomee was sitting in the garden again, enjoying the last rays of sunshine. Sirion kissed her lovingly and sat down next to her.

"I have to tell you something else..." Salomee began.

"I know, my darling, I've already heard about it. You know how quickly news like that spreads," Sirion interrupted her.

"I'll talk to Aylana about it in a minute. She should know how careful we have to be not to attract attention."

Salomee sighed.

"But you also know how hard it is for Aylana to have to suppress her abilities all the time. She is particularly gifted in all these things, and she only wanted to help. Don't be too hard on her. And..." She smiled at Sirion before continuing. "She takes after her father."

Sirion returned her smile.

"Yes, I know, my darling. I understand her too, but we still need to talk about this. Adalar called me and you know how he feels about relationships with people."

Salomee's gaze became dismissive. Nevertheless, Sirion continued to speak reassuringly: "You're right, but I think we'll have a family council tonight after dinner."

Adalar was also a council member of the magic circle and was known for his uncompromising views on humans. He was expressly against any connection between elves and humans. Unfortunately, there was not always unanimity among the council members. Since the effects of human pollution were becoming more and more obvious and noticeable, Adalar had already influenced some of the council members with his arguments. Salomee could not understand his attitude, however, because as a healer and teacher she was convinced that only a common path for all life could lead to success.

After dinner, the family gathered in the living room and made themselves comfortable around the fireplace, where Sirion had lit a cozy fire. Aylana felt a little sick to her stomach, as she could already guess what her parents had to talk to her about.

Sirion opened the conversation: "I would like to discuss a few points with you that concern us all and, of course, especially Aylana's big day in two weeks' time, when you," he said, looking at her proudly, "will find your destiny and be able to start your training. Adalar called me and ..."

"What does this fur troll want again?" Alfie interrupted him.

"Please don't keep interrupting me," Sirion said sternly before turning back to Aylana: "As I said, Adalar wanted to know what today's events were all about and is now, of course, trying to use this incident to his advantage."

Salomee asked: "What does that have to do with Adalar's dislike of humans?"

"Well," said Sirion, "he assumes that things like this couldn't happen if we didn't deal with humans in this way. You know that he wants to avoid contact with humans as much as possible and that he even denies them their right to exist."

Aylana replied: "I'm sorry, Pop, but I think differently in this respect. Like all of us here. I had no other choice if I didn't want to see people get hurt."

"No one blames you, Aylana," said Salomee.

"On the contrary. You acted correctly and courageously. But I think what Sirion also wanted to talk about is your friendship with Davy."

Davy de Bakker was a boy in Aylana's class with whom she spent a lot of time. Experience had shown that relationships between Arcandrins and humans led to problems, because Arcandrins could not maintain their shapeshifting in deeper relationships and connections between Arcandrins and humans had always resulted in individuals who abused their special abilities for their personal lust for power. There were plenty of examples in history, such as Caesar, Alexander, Genghis Kahn, Napoleon and many more. Aylana defended herself against these statements and disagreed: "Davy is a very good friend to me and I like being with him. That's all there is to it, you don't need to worry."

Alfie then said mockingly: "I've definitely seen you holding hands. Remember, you're not yet 16 years old."

"Are you crazy?" Aylana said indignantly and Salomee also rebuked Alfie: "What silly thoughts you're having again. Shame on you, Alfias."

Alfie defended himself cockily: "That's not so far-fetched, a person of my level of knowledge and sophistication knows exactly what she's talking about. Although..." he said, now addressing Aylana directly before continuing: "You know, sexual activity is overrated and climaxes are nothing more than biomechanical misfires that make any logical thinking impossible."

While Salomee struggled for breath, Sirion tried in vain to hide his face behind a pillow so as not to laugh out loud. Salomee gave him an indignant look and said to Alfie in a mischievous undertone: "Then let me just remind you that you, too, are the result of such a misfire."

Sirion's self-control was finally broken. He laughed until he was in tears and the others joined in his laughter. It took some time for everyone to calm down again. Then Sirion said: "Let's get serious again. Aylana, I just want you to be sure that no one, especially not Davy, finds out about us. We all know how dangerous that could be for us."

"Yes, Pop, you don't have to worry. I know exactly what I'm doing. And Alfie, with his special gifts, has made sure that there's no more fuss about this."

Salomee scoffed: "So you can see that even 'misfires' can be useful."

Everyone burst out laughing again until Sirion finally turned the conversation to Aylana's upcoming big event: "Aylana, we have taught you since birth to develop and sharpen all your senses. To honor and respect your environment, to obey and defend the laws of our tribe. Now you will find your place and receive your destiny. Try to keep your mind and soul pure and untouched. In this way, Dana Nala, Dano Aygo and the common consciousness of all life will be able to help you find the right path. Are you ready for this step? Have we given you everything you need, or do you still have questions or requests for us?"

"No, Pop," said Aylana.

"You and Mam have shown and taught me everything, I feel ready for this ceremony and I know that I should enter into this union light-heartedly and without demands. Thank you, Dana and Dano, for all the love and trust you have given me."

Aylana knew that she should not have a wish list for this ritual and yet she wanted nothing more than to end up wearing the symbol of a dragon rider on her upper arm, like her father. And she hoped with all her heart that she possessed all the necessary qualities.

Aylana's destiny

At Oileàin Arann in the fortress of Dún Eochla, everything was prepared for Aylana's ceremony. Her mother and other members of the healers and magicians had woven a spell over the fortress that was impenetrable to humans, allowing them to perform the ancient and sacred rituals undisturbed. At least ten members of the elven coven had to be present at all times to witness the observance of the rules of the ritual, as well as the parents and relatives of the novitae aygo, the aspirant of life.

The ten dragon knights had set up their magnificently bridled dragons around the outer stone circle. The mighty, magnificent beasts, with their brightly colored scales, had spread their wings wide and formed an impenetrable protective wall around the fortress. The dragon knights themselves formed the second circle around the inner stone wall. Their circle was completed by several fires that illuminated the surroundings with their flickering and warming light. They all wore their traditional armor with the respective insignia of the clans. In Sirion's case, it was the symbol of the sun dragons, which had always distinguished all members of his family. They were all armed with their swords and bows, which were as individual as their bearers. The individual weapons had the special feature that they could only be wielded by their owners.

In the center of the fortress was the Sola arva aygo, the sacred tree of life. A mighty, widely branched tree, thousands of years old, which symbolized the union of Dana Nala and Dano Aygo with its roots and leaves. It was rooted in Mother Earth, its branches and leaves growing towards the sun. Aylana was gathered around this tree with Salomee, Alfias and all her family members. She wore the simple, unadorned garb of the novitae aygo. A white dress with long trumpet sleeves, held together around her waist with a purple cord and a long hood that half covered her face.

The dragon knights opened the ritual with the prescribed words of the Arcandrin: "Sola Luz, Dano Aygo, Attawa uso. Sola Nala, Dana Aygo, Attawa uso."

After a few minutes, the rest of those present joined in the chanting. Sirion left the circle of dragon knights and came to the center of the fortress. He and Salomee led Aylana to the sacred tree and Aylana leaned her back against the mighty trunk. She cleared her mind of all clutter and tried to concentrate only on the voices, which grew louder and more insistent. Aylana suddenly felt herself being embraced by the branches and tendrils of the tree. The tree lovingly enveloped Aylana and gradually covered her whole body. Aylana could only hear the voices in the background and it was as if the whole universe opened up to her consciousness. She felt completely at one with all being and life and felt a deep, holy peace that could only come to an immaculate, pure soul.

She felt Sola arva aygo speaking to her and knew that her innermost being, her most secret thoughts, were revealed before the Tree of Life and creation. All her wishes and dreams lay open and the consciousness of the sacred tree, which had united with the energy of all life, took her into this union, this symbiosis of all forms of life. Aylana felt safe, but also sensed the responsibility she had taken on with this union. After what seemed like an infinitely long time, she felt the tendrils slowly pulling away from her and releasing her again. Aylana opened her eyes and her normal senses became aware of her surroundings again.

The voices had fallen silent and not a sound could be heard. Even the dragons stood absolutely motionless, watching the center of the circle with their shimmering violet eyes. Sirion and Salomee stood in front of Aylana and she knew that now was the moment of decision. Had Sola arva aygo revealed her destiny to her? Was Aylana now a true Arcandrin?

Sirion stepped up to her and gently pushed up her right sleeve. Aylana felt her own heartbeat muffled like a distant echo. She heard the rush of her own blood. And she felt the eyes of the elves around her all focused on her, and the symbol of the Dragon Knights appeared on her upper arm before their eyes. At that moment, all the dragons threw their heads upwards and let out a triumphant, deep rumble. Aylana was almost giddy with happiness and Sirion and Salomee embraced their daughter with pride. Sirion was just about to speak when something strange happened. The flames of the fires flared up brightly and all the dragons bent their forelegs and lowered their heads to the ground as if they were bowing. It was as if the world held its breath for minutes. Not a sound could be heard. Even the crackling of the flames seemed to have stopped when Dorkon, one of the dragon knights, stepped up to Aylana and her parents.

"Sirion, you know what that means," he said quietly.

"The prophecy has been fulfilled!"

With these words, he pushed up Aylana's left sleeve. A glowing symbol was emblazoned on her upper arm, showing a sword with 'Amada aygo', 'Guardian of Life', written on it in shimmering purple runes. Sirion and Salomee froze and looked at Aylana in disbelief. The other dragon knights also approached to see the symbol with their own eyes. Adalar, who was also one of them, turned to Sirion: "She must go to the chamber. Now! If she is, this test will confirm the prophecy."

"What kind of test is this, Adalar?" asked Salomee anxiously.

In his place, Sirion replied gloomily: "Below us lies the Chamber of Probation, where only the truly chosen can survive. Many have tried, but no one has ever returned."

Aylana listened with growing confusion and asked: "What does it all mean? What's going on here and what does this sign mean?"

Sirion took her by the shoulders and looked her in the face with a serious expression: "There is a legend among our people that says that a pure soul is reborn who can bring peace back to the peoples of the earth."

"And that we will recognize her by this symbol." He pointed to her left upper arm.

"You must enter the Chamber of Probation. Only then can the prophecy be fulfilled. No one knows what awaits you there, my daughter. I will not be able to help you."

Salomee approached them: "Sirion, she is still so young. Does this really have to happen now? Isn't it perhaps all just a mistake?"

She took Aylana in her arms to protect her, but Adalar replied with a stony face: "She bears the mark! It is meant to be. She must enter the chamber. You know Sirion, we have all sworn an oath to uphold and defend the laws of the Arcandrin. She must enter the chamber. Now!"

"Can someone finally explain to me what all this means?" Aylana interrupted. "Where is this chamber and what awaits me there? Dana, Dano, what's going on here?"

"We want to have a quick word with Aylana. She needs to know what to expect when she enters the chamber." Sirion turned to Adalar and the Council of the Circle of Elves with determination.

Dorkon replied sympathetically: "Dawa. Yes, Sirion, that is granted to you. But you know what the scriptures demand. She must enter the chamber this very night."

Sirion took his family aside and began to speak quietly and urgently to Aylana. "As you know, the Council of the Magic Circle and the Dragon Knights also guard the Scrolls of Arcandrin, in which all the events and knowledge of our people have been recorded since the beginning of time. These scrolls also contain a prophecy. It says that an elf will be born, whom we will recognize by her sign. On the day of the Novitae aygo. You, my daughter, have received these signs. The prophecy also says that this elf will protect our people and lead them into a time when all creatures can live in harmony."

"Dano, I've just turned sixteen. I'm just a normal Arcandrin. There's nothing special about me," Aylana interrupted him.

"You're special." Salomee took her in her arms.

"Since you were born, we have always felt that there is something hidden within you that even I could never fully sense. Trust in yourself. Sola arva aygo has sensed your innermost being and honored you with this symbol. You can enter this chamber without fear. The sacred tree of life cannot deceive itself. Trust it too. We will be here waiting for you."

At that moment, Adalar called after them: "The gate has opened. It's time!"

Sirion led Aylana to a gap in the stone wall that she had not seen before. From there, a stone staircase led down, of which Aylana could just make out the top steps in the glow of the fires. Sirion said: "Do not be afraid my daughter, you are protected and Sola arva aygo will guide you."

After a moment's hesitation, Aylana stepped onto the stairs and carefully felt her way down into the darkness. After a few steps, a scraping sound was heard above her and the stone slid back over the opening. She was now trapped in impenetrable darkness. There was no more sound from outside. Aylana felt lonely and helpless. She plucked up all her courage and felt her way down deeper and deeper along the wall. After a while, she thought she could make out a glimmer of light. After a few more steps, she recognized a large, round vault above her. The light seemed to radiate directly from the walls, as if from thousands of crystals. Aylana's eyes adjusted to the soft light and she realized that she was under the Tree of Life, whose mighty roots formed the ceiling and walls of the vault. In the middle of the hall, the roots formed an intricate column. In the center was a magnificent, glittering black, round crystal that seemed to grow directly out of the ground. It was about one meter high and had a diameter of at least two meters. All along the walls of the room were niches and small caves containing thousands of scrolls and books. On one side, Aylana discovered a massive door on which was written in golden letters and in the language of the Arcandrin: "Only the deep root can reach the sky."

Aylana no longer felt fear. She had the same feeling as when she had been embraced by Sola arwa aygo. She walked curiously along the walls and carefully reached for a scroll when a voice rang out: "I have waited a long time for you, daughter of the sun and the earth. Many thousands of years."

Aylana turned around jerkily and tried to find the source of the voice. However, the words seemed to sound directly in her head. Only now did Aylana notice that the crystal inside the pillar was shrouded in a shimmering ball of light. Aylana slowly stepped closer to it. She stopped in front of the twisted roots of the tree of life and asked: "Who are you? Your voice seems so familiar to me and yet I don't know you. I am so confused. What is happening to me?"

The ball of light slowly changed its appearance and formed a shape.

"I am Ava, daughter of Sola arwa aygo. I will answer all your questions, as far as I am allowed."

With these words, she emerged from inside the intertwined roots of the tree of life. Aylana was struck by lightning at the sight of her and burst out: "Ava! I know that name. My mother often told me about you. All the children of the Arcandrin have heard the legends about Ava, the daughter of the Tree of Life."

"Attawa osu, Aylana," Ava said, placing her right hand on her heart. She then stretched out her arm, opened her fingers and placed her palm on Aylana. This meant that Ava was taking love from her heart and giving it to Aylana.

"Attawa uso," replied Aylana, also stretching out her open hand, closing it and guiding it to her heart, where she opened her fingers again. With that, she received the love and guided it to her heart.

Ava was a reallly beautiful elf. The special thing about her were her mighty wings, which even when folded up reached to her feet and extended over her head. The wings were a brilliant white that slowly faded into an intense purple at the edges. Her long, falling hair and eyes also shimmered in dark, violet tones. She was dressed in a simple, white dress with long, wide sleeves. Around her hips was a ribbon set with the same black crystals as the inside of the column. Aylana was stunned by the sight of the beautiful figure and almost couldn't believe that Ava was really standing in front of her.

"Aylana, my daughter, now is the time to enlighten you about your destiny and tell you all about our people. However, you must know that you can leave at any time if you wish. Should you take your destined place, it will involve many inner and outer struggles and you will have to endure many hardships. But you can lead the Arcandrin people into a future in which we can exist in peace and freedom with all living beings and nature. You know how things are on our Dana Nala, our Mother Earth. Unfortunately, there are many forces that put their own lust for power and interests before the protection of nature and the peaceful coexistence of all living beings. There are even renegades of our own people who oppose us. Only a few of us are aware of this threat, the Arcandrin, who call themselves the only true legitimate rulers of the Earth. They call themselves 'Shiazul' and strive for sole dominion over the world. And they have turned their backs on our ideals and our history. But more of that later, Aylana." She paused for a moment before saying, "Ask your questions first. Come."

She pointed to the crystal she had come from and Aylana hesitantly followed her into the heart of the Tree of Life. They sat down on the crystal and it seemed to Aylana as if they had plunged into a world that seemed unspeakably new and yet familiar. Ava and Sola Arva aygo knew her questions before she could utter them and their answers rang directly in Aylana's head. She saw the history of her people in her mind's eye and learned why the Arcandrin had withdrawn from the humans and why they hid their true form. She also learned that many Arcandrin had once possessed wings. However, for fear of persecution by the humans, many abilities and characteristics had been lost from generation to generation. The diverse ways of life of the elven children were also increasingly forgotten due to their withdrawal from humans. Today, only a few races of gnomes, dwarves and trolls still exist. Aylana learned that even today there are still people who have retained the knowledge of nature beings and can sense their presence. Ava and the Tree of Life created thousands of images in Aylana's mind and she learned so much about the fate of the earth and its creatures that she slowly developed an understanding of the course of history and the consequences of the thousands of ramified events.

Suddenly, Aylana realized how much time must have passed and that Salomee and Sirion must have been worried about her long absence. Ava also recognized Aylana's thoughts and reassured her: "Sola Arva aygo has already spoken to the dragon knights. You will now leave this vault and begin your normal training, which will make you a dragon rider. In two years' time, when you have completed your exams, I will see you here again."

Ava led her out of the pillar, pointed to the portal that Aylana had noticed earlier and said: "In two years, this portal will also be open to you and I will initiate you into the last secrets of our people. But this vault is always open to you and you can make use of all the knowledge here."

She looked Aylana seriously in the eye and then asked solemnly: "Now you know what awaits you if you want to accept your destiny. We give you the choice. Never before has an Arcandrin been forced to accept this burden of responsibility. You could finish your training as a dragon rider and continue your life as before. So Aylana, we ask you now. Do you want to fulfill your destiny?"

It almost seemed to Aylana as if Ava's eyes were begging her not to do it. But Aylana said firmly: "I will accept my destiny and dedicate my life to the well-being and freedom of all the creatures of Dana Nala and Dano Luz."

Ava nodded and said: "We will always be there for you. You now have the gift of silent speech and you will be able to feel your connection with all the children of the earth and the sun. Now, Aylana, it is customary for the Novitae Aygo to be invested with the insignia of their membership of the guild once the ceremony is complete. As an aspirant of the Dragon Knights, you are entitled to a bow and a sword. These awards are normally presented by the members of the elven coven, but Sola arwa aygo and I have prepared this for you."

She pointed to a crystal that had risen from the ground and on which a sword and a bow were visible. Aylana recognized the weapons immediately and everything began to spin before her eyes. She turned to Ava and said in a choking voice, "Every child of the Arcandrin has heard of these weapons that once belonged to the legendary Queen of the Arcandrin. Everyone knows the stories of Xandria and how she once led our people to freedom. I can't... Ava, how can I live up to that?"

Ava interrupted her and pointed to the Tree of Life: "Sola Arva aygo has chosen you and the Tree of Life possesses the accumulated wisdom since the beginning of time. Trust in yourself."

Ava stepped over to the crystal on which the weapons lay and picked up the bow.

"This is Durandort, Shira Fura ad Luz, the dragon bow of the sun. Only you will be able to draw it." She placed Durandort back on the crystal and grabbed the sword.

"And this is Xandar, Sia Cristia ad Zul, the crystal sword of the moon. Only you will be able to wield Xandar." She also placed Xandar back on the crystal and told Aylana to put on the weapons. Aylana approached reverently and looked at the impressive weapons. She knew the stories and knew that Durandort was made from the wood of the tree of life and that the string was made from the tail hair of a unicorn. The bow gleamed darkly and its inside seemed to sparkle with thousands of black crystals. They were the same ones that were visible everywhere in the vault. Xandar had been forged entirely from the black crystal, its handle inlaid with dragon scales that shimmered in all colors of light. When Aylana picked up the weapons, it seemed as if they were living parts of her body and she could feel the energy hidden within them.

"Now come on, Aylana." Ava pointed to the stairs.

"The entrance is open and your family and the dragon knights are waiting for you. One more important thing ... you can now open and use the elven portals yourself at any time. But only use these abilities for the good of us all, never selfishly."

Ava led her to the stairs as Aylana heard Sola Arva aygo's voice in her mind again: "Take good care of yourself, my daughter. The Shiazul will soon learn of today's events and will seek to use them to their advantage. For now, complete your training as a dragon rider and hide your knowledge deep within you. And ...", said the Tree of Life and paused, "your most dangerous enemies are not those who confront you openly, but rather those who you will only recognize at second glance. Learn to listen to your feelings and trust the voice of your heart."

"Attawa osu, Aylana."

"Attawa uso," Aylana replied and received the love by placing her hand on her heart.

Ava took her in her arms and embraced her tightly with her wings. She kissed Aylana on the forehead and repeated again: "This place should offer you protection and help at all times. Go now, Amada aygo, your parents can't wait to embrace you too."

With those words, Ava turned and walked back to the center of the pillar, where she reunited with Sola arva aygo. Aylana straightened her shoulders, fastened Xandar to her back and took Durandort in her hand. She then walked slowly up the stairs. When Aylana reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw that dawn was already breaking. But the fires were still blazing brightly and the dragon knights and her family were waiting for her in the innermost stone circle and gathered around the Tree of Life. Their dragons formed a protective wall around the outer circle and raised their heads at Aylana's appearance.

When the dragon knights recognized the weapons in Aylana's hands, the fortress fell dead silent and everyone stared at them in disbelief. Gondrin, the Dragon Knights' weapons master, was the first to break the silence: "Xandar and Durandort. The weapons of Xandria. The prophecy is being fulfilled."

Dorkon stepped towards her and put his hand on Aylana's shoulder.

"The Tree of Life has spoken to us. You will be accepted into the circle of dragon knights as an aspirant and your father will take over your training. You will..." Adalar interrupted him by stepping towards Aylana, taking the bow from her hand and saying with a sneer: "Legend has it that only the rightful successors of Xandria can wield these weapons. Now then, let's see if this legend proves true."

He tried to draw the bow, but no matter how hard he tried, the bow in his hand resisted all his strength. Angrily, he put the bow back in Aylana's hand and mocked: "Let's see if you can do what even I can't."

Aylana looked uncertainly at Sirion, but he nodded reassuringly at her. Aylana took the bow in her left hand, inserted an arrow and drew the bow effortlessly. The arrow shot quickly from the string and split a stone from the wall in half. Adalar then became even angrier, took Xandar from Aylana's back holster and tried to swing the sword. But again, the weapon resisted and it looked as if Adalar was trying to swing a thick rope. The blade resisted his every move until, exhausted, he gave up and hurled Xandar towards Aylana. The sword slid into Aylana's hand as if of its own accord and it looked as if she herself was the most surprised.

Aylana's family had tensely watched Adalar's fruitless attempts and his unruly demeanor. But Gondrin said: "Swing the sword, Aylana, and show us that Xandar has chosen his rightful owner."

Of course, Aylana had played with wooden swords and bows and arrows since she was a child, but this was something completely different. She picked up Xandar and began to swing the sword, which felt like a part of herself. It looked as if Aylana was surrounded by a glowing sphere as she let the sword whirl around her. She sensed that it was actually Xandar who was guiding her hand and not the other way around.

Turning to Adalar, Gondrin said: "All doubts have been dispelled. Is there anyone else who has any objections?"

He looked at each of the dragon knights in turn, but all except Adalar nodded in agreement.

"Good, then it stays that way. Sirion will take over Aylana's training and in two years' time, when Aylana has reached maga fura, dragon maturity, we will meet here again. Sola arva Aygo will decide her fate," he turned to Aylana.

"Until then, everything will be the same as before. Apart from your training as a dragon rider, nothing will change. You will continue to live your life as before. You will go to school and avoid actions that could draw attention to you. This is what the Tree of Life and Ava have told us to do. Attawa osu to you all. The ceremony is now over."

Sirion replied: "Please take Raga, my dragon, with you. I will open a portal to return home with my family."

After these words, Gondrin dissolved the meeting. The warriors mounted their dragons and flew away under the protection of the shadow spell. Aylana and her family, however, used one of the elven portals to return home. Elven portals can only be opened by members of the elven coven. Many who had attempted to do so without possessing the appropriate talent and magic had disappeared into space and time without being found. Sirion, however, had the relevant knowledge. With the help of ancient magical formulas, he opened a portal and soon nothing in Oileàin Arann in the fortress of Dún Eochla indicated the presence of the Arcandrin.

The training

The day after the ceremony, Aylana sat with her family over dinner in the comfortably furnished kitchen and they talked about the previous night. Alfie complained: "Not one of those weird, flying, scaly turtles really breathed fire. Ha! And thats meant to be a dragon!"

Aylana replied mockingly: "But Alfie, you know that fire-breathing dragons only exist in human fairy tales. How is the fire supposed to be lit?"

"I recently saw a program on TV where it was proven that a fart burns. So why ..."

Alfie was brusquely interrupted by Salomee, who interjected, "Alfias, how many times have I told you that I don't tolerate such language at the table?"

Alfias muttered in offense, "I think that was 'Jackass' or something like that."

Sirion said with a laugh: "Alfie, I think we need to have a chat about your choice of program. But seriously, we should all try really hard to behave like a normal family with two adolescent teenagers. That shouldn't be too difficult."

"If Your Exalted Highness, that is, my funny sister and I, may continue to argue as usual ..."

Alfie didn't get any further, because Aylana had thrown a potato into his half-open mouth with the accuracy and speed of an elf, and Alfie almost choked on it.

Salomee gave Aylana a reproachful look and stood up to pat Alfias on the back. Sirion laughed too, but then said with a serious face: "Alfie, no more stupid innuendos. We'll all try to behave normally now and adapt to human customs as much as possible. And not another word about last night. You will go to school and keep in touch with your friends as before. Only for you, my daughter, there will be a lot of extra time when you start your training. We still need to think about what you can tell your friends to explain your limited free time. I will discuss this with your mother. And now enough of this, let's finally eat."

Alfie replied: "Finally, I thought you weren't going to stop talking at all. Push the salt over, oldie."

Now Sirion, for his part, was struggling with a morsel stuck in his throat and while he was blushing, Alfie just said nonchalantly, "What's wrong? I'm just acting like a normal teenager."

And while Salomee took care of Sirion, Aylana dived silently behind the edge of the table.

"Are you even listening to me?" Davy shook Aylana by the shoulder.