Sahara Ashdell: Rebirth of Patreek (Book 3)
Chapter 1: Unstable Times

The thick red liquid begins to bubble, and a ladle gently splashes into it, scooping some up. It fills a square-shaped glass, and an evil laugh emerges from the elleth holding the square glass. “It is perfect Master,” she says, handing the glass over to Patreek’s shaking hand. Patreek quickly causes the glass to collide with his lips and desperately gulps the red burning liquid. The glass shatters on the cement flooring when Patreek drops it with a shriek of pain and his skin begins to bubble. “Fear not Master, it will only hurt for a moment.” The elleth says and Sahara suddenly feels panic as she sees the elleth’s face turn toward her.

“Aranel?” Hexaria sounds concerned as she taps Sahara’s nose.

“They have her!” Sahara feels a tear stream down her face as she looks around at the Kingdom of Darkuth. She is standing in a small gazebo on a high hill that overlooks a darkened town that glows with candlelight. “They have her!” Sahara repeats painfully as she falls to the ground.

“Are you alright?” Brystol asks trying to get her to look into his eyes.

Sahara pushes Brystol’s hands away from her face as she raises her voice toward him, “Did you hear me? They have her! We have to do something!”

“What are you talking about?” Brystol asks in annoyance. “You just had like some sort of seizure! Your nose is bleeding.”

“I saw them,” Sahara says painfully holding her head. “They have Bularia.”

“It was a vision,” Hexaria says in concern and surprise. “Do you have them often?”

“My head.” Sahara cries burying her face into Brystol’s chest from the severe pain in her head. She cannot bear the pain and loud buzzing as she is squeezing her head between her hands.

“What is happening?” Brystol asks, overly concerned as he attempts to hold Sahara.

“It is not unusual for visions to develop after an elf’s seventeenth birthday,” Hexaria says as she shuffles through a shelf of glass bottles and hums in excitement as she replaces a large purple jar. She uses her pixie magic to open the bottle and pour some of the thick chunky liquid into a glass that is taller than herself. “Here.” Hexaria clumsily lifts the large glass and slowly walks towards Sahara struggling to not spill the liquid. “This will help with your headache.”

Brystol takes the glass from Hexaria and hands it to Sahara, “I think this might be for you.” He had spent all summer with Sahara in these other kingdoms learning about the different cultures, but he had never been able to ever understand the pixies. Sahara drinks the liquid, but her head suddenly feels worse causing her to drop the cup and scream in more pain.

“Do something!” Brystol begs toward Hexaria, who seems perplexed by what is happening.

“Her magic is growing stronger,” Verdiwild says as he suddenly enters the gazebo and reaches over toward Sahara. “Jresturo.” He says causing a unique-looking metal tool to appear in his hand. He bends down to touch her forehead with the metal tool. Brystol moves her hair out of the way for Verdiwild which exposes her ear which has a small point beginning to show. The metal tool makes a tinging noise as Verdiwild mumbles something in ancient elf language. Sahara feels her headache quickly leave as the cold metal is removed from her forehead. “That should help,” Verdiwild says.

“Thank you Verdiwild,” Sahara says after a few moments pass and she rises back up from the floor and out of Brystol’s arms.

“How long have you been having headaches?” Verdiwild asks sounding normal.

“It isn’t a big deal,” Sahara says trying to sound normal. “I just had a couple.”

“A couple?” Brystol scuffs with a roll of his eyes. “More like a couple a day for about two months now.”

“Here.” Verdiwild motions for her to take the metal tool from him. “Sleep with this under your pillow to counteract headaches.”

“I have never seen an elf have headaches from their powers.” Hexaria buzzes up toward Sahara as she speaks. “Unless…”

Sahara waits for Hexaria to finish but replaces Hexaria’s actions interesting because she glances down at the chain Sahara is wearing around her neck before looking over at Verdiwild. “Unless what?” Sahara asks.

“What is that you have around your neck?” Hexaria asks quietly. “I have never witnessed you without it on.”

“It was a gift from Verdiwild when I arrived two years ago, to protect me,” Sahara says making sure the gem is not visible.

“Ah,” Hexaria says before buzzing backwards with no further comment, but she maintains a continual interest in looking at the chain around Sahara’s neck.

“Is something wrong?” Sahara asks Hexaria feeling uneasy about her interest in the chain.

“No. Not at all.” Hexaria says glancing nervously at Verdiwild before looking back at Sahara.

“The carriages are waiting for you both,” Verdiwild announces as he steps just outside the gazebo the small group is gathered under.

“Carriages?” Brystol asks sounding disappointed. “Why are there more than one?”

“It is dangerous to travel between the kingdoms. You will each be in a different carriage and there will be three empty ones all traveling in different directions to misguide the watchers.” Verdiwild says in a quiet tone.

“Watchers?” Sahara asks trying to avoid the nagging feeling inside her from Hexaria’s peculiar actions.

“Yes. The elves are watching you for Patreek.” Verdiwild explains. “Now come along.”

Sahara starts to say goodbye to Hexaria but just as Verdiwild turns his back toward them, Hexaria motions to Sahara pointing to her neck. “What?” Sahara asks in confusion.

Hexaria quickly shakes her head as she holds her finger up over her lips to hush Sahara. “Goodbye, my love,” Hexaria says sounding normal, but Sahara is confused as to why Hexaria is acting odd since neither Brystol nor Verdiwild can speak nor understand the Pixie language.

“Bye,” Sahara says feeling weird about the situation.

“Protection is not always one-sided,” Hexaria says in a whisper as she hugs Sahara’s large neck quickly. Before Sahara can question the meaning of her words, Hexaria buzzes off quickly toward the gazebo exit past Verdiwild. Sahara feels confused as she repeats the words Hexaria said in her head.

“Everything alright?” Brystol asks Sahara, breaking her from her thoughts.

“Um...” Sahara looks back toward the gazebo exit realizing Hexaria is no longer there. “Fine.”

“I guess we should say bye now.” Brystol says, “Since we will not be traveling together.”

“Bye.” She says to Brystol as she squeezes his hand. The two of them had become much closer over the summer and their feelings for each other had grown deeper. She didn’t want to ride separately but she understood why they were required to. Besides, Sahara was set to travel to the Kingdom of Yetya alone for the last week of summer to meet with Threvoyn to complete her mystical combat training. While Brystol was set to travel back to Holestroy to spend time with his family before school started.

Brystol leans in and kisses Sahara’s lips before he wraps his arms around her head lovingly, squeezing her tight. “I will see you next week.” He says as Sahara hugs him back feeling her insides already starting to ache from the anticipation of missing him.

“In you go, Aranel,” Verdiwild says to Sahara causing her and Brystol’s hug to end. She dutifully follows Verdiwild’s instructions and climbs into the darkened carriage alone.

Sahara thinks about teleporting to the Kingdom of Yetya, but she knows she shouldn’t as she plays with the large bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet prevented her from telepathy and from teleporting to the human world. It was repaired after her battle with Raglen a few months back because the elders had received a tip from an anonymous elf that her bracelet had been damaged. Just a few more months and she will be free of the nuisance. She feels anger bubble in her stomach from the thought of her not being able to use teleportation when her visions of Bularia and the attack on Malorsty come to pass.

The ride to Yetya only takes about thirty minutes and Sahara feels excited as she looks down at the quickly approaching kingdom. The centars were running in a field herding the flock of Slewbos. Sahara had found Slewbos to be one of the most beautiful creatures she had met in the elven world. The long neck of the creature reminded her of a giraffe and their pure white glittery bodies reminded her of a horse. They had long curly purple and blue hair that ran down their necks like horsehair and spouted out of their tails. She smiles as the creatures’ faces become clearer as she gets closer to them. Their eyelashes of purple and blue are as long as her hand and they blink over their enormous bright multicolored eyes. Their eyes take up the majority of their faces while their horse-like nose and mouth take up about one-fourth of their faces. Threvoyn had promised her the opportunity to ride a Slewbo when she returned this time, and she was not going to let him forget.

Sahara excitedly races over toward Threvoyn who has hold of the leash of a Slewbo. He bows to her as she giggles excitedly“Is she for me to ride?”

“A gift, Aranel, from your loyal subjects of Yetya,” Threvoyn says as he hands over the reign of the Slewbo to Sahara.

“You mean,” Sahara gasps in excitement, “I get to keep her?”

“Only if you name her,” Threvoyn replied.

“She doesn’t already have a name?” Sahara asks looking up at the tall creature that is almost twice her height.

“She is only two months old,” Threvoyn says petting the creature’s back. “She is not tame yet but the one that tames her names her.” He says with a smirk toward Sahara.

“Tame her?” Sahara says nervously, just before the Slewbo begins to jump around wildly.

“She has not completely become used to wearing reins.” He says as he pats the young Slewbo and shushes trying to calm her. “And you must train her if you want to ride her.”

“I can do that!” Sahara says excitedly. She had always loved horses in the human world and was fascinated by how people had trained wild horses. She never dreamed she would have the opportunity to train an animal and be able to ride one.

“Best to get at it then,” Threvoyn says taking the Slewbo by the reins and motioning Sahara to follow him.

They spent the next few hours training with the Slewbo and getting the creature used to Sahara’s touch. Sahara realized training an animal was easier said than done as she stands up rubbing her butt from falling for what seemed like the hundredth time. “Are you alright Arenal?” Isla, one of the centars that is the Slewbo trainer, asks as she moves closer toward Sahara.

“Yes. Fine.” Sahara says with a huff and squints toward the Slewbo in annoyance. “She is a stubborn thing.”

“Perhaps we should call it a day,” Isla says in concern, but Sahara is not sure if it is out of concern for her or the Slewbo.

“How long does it usually take to train a Slewbo?” Sahara says with her hands on her hips trying to decide if she should give up or not.

“Usually a week,” Isla replies.

Sahara looks up at the darkening sky and wipes sweat from her brow. “Can I come at first light?”

“Yes. That is usually when we feed them so your Highness could help us if she likes?” Isla says kindly.

“I would love that,” Sahara says nodding her head.

“We shall see you then,” Isla says as she leads the Slewbo out of the dirty arena they have been working in.

“Good night, Isla, and thank you for your help today,” Sahara says leaving the arena. It doesn’t take long for Sahara to fall asleep after dinner.

“Please? Don’t!” Brystol is crying out in pain as a tall dark ellon approaches him with a red hot pointed rod. “I can’t take any more,” Brystol says hopelessly.

Brystol is hanging from a metal chain that wraps around his wrists with no shirt on. His bare toes barely touch the ground. The ellon touches the hot rod to Brystol’s side causing smoke to rise from his skin and Brystol to scream out in agony.

“No!” Sahara yells feeling terrified at the sight of Brystol’s pain.

The ellon quickly turns toward Sahara looking confused. “Now, what or who should I say was that?” The ellon asks looking puzzled around the room. Sahara realizes the ellon can’t see her before her head begins to throb.

Sahara realizes she is in bed and must just be dreaming as she sits up with a terrible headache. She feels something running out of her nose and wipes off the liquid. She looks at the red blood on her fingertips and sighs realizing she forgot to put the metal charm Verdiwild had given her under her pillow like he said to do. Just as she gets the charm under her pillow and lies back down the double doors to her room fly open.

“Have you done something with him?” A thundering voice entering her room startles her.

“What?” Sahara tries to rub the sleep from her eyes as she sits up in bed. “Aran Rayterbay?”

“Brystol’s carriage arrived empty. Have you two plotted something? Is he here somewhere?” The aran sounds demanding and angry.

“How would we have plotted something? I can’t teleport him.” Sahara says waving her bracelet in the air toward the aran. The aran’s face turns cold as he looks at Sahara and it causes Sahara’s heart rate to increase. “Wait. He is missing? How long has he been missing?”

After a moment of silence, the Aran shakes his head as if he is telling himself no. “At first we thought that he was perhaps put in the wrong carriage but after checking the other four carriages and replaceing them empty as well, we thought...er...hoped he was with you.”

Sahara feeling concerned, rises from her bed and moves over to the aran. “What if…?” She shutters at the thought of Patreek possibly having Brystol. What if what she just saw in her dream was real?

“Back to bed child.” The Aran says coldly turning to leave.

“Are you serious?” Sahara says in an angered tone. “You just wake me up and tell me Brystol is missing and expect me to just go back to bed?”

“And what would you suggest you do?” He points towards her bracelet. “You are of no help to us.”

Sahara feels annoyed by the truth he speaks. “I can help you search because I love him too.”

“Which is the main problem.” The Aran scolds her. “The enemy knows of your feelings for him and has most likely captured Brystol to lure you out. It was a simple betrothal, a contract. Feelings should have been left out of it. But Brystol with his disdain for me was so determined to…” The aran huffs in agitation and Sahara feels guilt creep up inside her soul as she realizes her feelings may have put Brystol in harm’s way. “Just stay out of this.” He says pointing towards two guards standing just outside her door. “Assure she does not leave.”

“I can teleport myself to him though!” Sahara says realizing that may not be as helpful as she thought.

“And do what?” The Aran laughed angrily.

“I don’t know,” Sahara says feeling ashamed because she knows there would most likely be a trap waiting for her if she did teleport to him.

“If you could ever just follow the rules, we would not be in this mess.” The aran says sounding disappointed in her before he sighs sounding less angry. “I will let you know when he returns safely.” The aran then disappears from the room.

Sahara hits her bracelet against the bedpost in anger. She hates the bulky annoying material that is holding her back. If she had not gotten wrapped up in her feelings last year and kept going back to the human world, she would never have gotten this bracelet. She remembers Hexaria’s words from earlier about how her powers were getting stronger. She wonders if she could teleport Brystol to her, at least she thinks it is worth a try. She closes her eyes and tries to teleport Brystol to her room, but nothing happens. She tries again and again, but still nothing. She sighs in defeat after a few more tries and falls to her bed. The aran was right. She was useless, and she knows he is right about her putting Brystol in danger too. If he had not been her deeto for the past few months, which she is sure has been spread around the kingdoms, and gotten back to Patreek, Brystol would probably be home safe right now. Sahara suddenly pops up straight in bed. What if this was the time that he gets killed and this is the moment that determines the future she saw from the declure the first time? What if what she thought was a dream was actually what was happening and was a vision like Hexaria said? Her nose had bled when she had her earlier vision and now it has bled again.

In a sudden panic, Sahara realizes it must have been a vision and Brystol must be in true danger. She knows what she must do. She could save him, but only if she did something crazy.