Regaila

First part to a story about an amulet that once belonged to a king and queen but many years later found by a group of orphanes

Many Years ago, there was a king and queen named Charles and Elizabeth. The king had an amulet with four different symbols on it, each representing a different element. The king’s brother was jealous of the power the king held, and he wanted it all for himself. He had the amulet and a kingdom. The brother had a small team sneak into the castle and try to retrieve the necklace while an army attacked the village. The guards rang the alarm causing it to ring loudly through the town.

The queen and King had two children at the time, a son named Arthur and a daughter named Emma. To protect the amulet’s power and their children, the queen broke the amulet into four pieces. Each piece has a different symbol on it reflecting the power each piece held, ice, fire, wind and earth. If all the amulets were put back together, the possessor can use each ability from a single piece of jewelry, By themselves, the amulets held the power shown by the symbol on each amulet.

The children were sent to America with each having a part of the amulet wrapped around their necks. The other two amulets were hidden away from anyone who would abuse the power. They have been living in a foster home with two other kids ever since with no idea of the power that lied over their necks. The brother of the king became known to the kingdom of Regalia as King Christopher.

Emma had the ice amulet. She was two years old at the time of the invasion of her home. Now 16, she has dreams of a kingdom.

A tall man lurked in the background. He had three other soldiers with him. They looked like they were going to take something, but she was not sure what. All around her, alarms rang. They buzzed like an aggravating bee through everyone's ears. She dreamed of a king and queen looking down in a crib. Then she would wake up

Arthur, now 14, holds the fire element. He is a fantasy fanatic. He jumps at the chance to hear a new story about some mythological creature. He once heard a story about a king and queen who held the power of the elements but were killed in an attempt to retrieve it. It was rumored they even had kids but, no one was sure if they escaped.

Emma knew something was off about the necklaces and how her and her brother each had one for as long as they can remember but no one knew where they came from. They kept them on because they assumed it had come from their parents and it was the only indication of who and what they were like. They both felt something each time they touched it but neither one told each other. Emma felt a cold and harsh shiver trickle down her spine while Arthur felt like something inside him was boiling.

The other kids at the foster homes are named Jack and Claire. Jack is the one who can make himself visible whenever he wants to. Or be as sneaky as a snake. Claire is smart and practical but also reserved. She is usually in the library with her head buried in a book. Emma likes to walk through the small village by herself. She would often stop by her favorite neighbor, Mrs. Ida. She would always either be baking something or out with her flowers in her garden. The village of Olden was small enough to where everybody knows everyone but not small enough you can know everything that happens.

The kids prefer to spend most of their time in the home though. Jack likes to go to the basement to try to pick the lock of the old wooden door hidden down there. Arthur likes to go to the library but only in the fiction section while Claire stuck with the books that weighed more than her.

The three of them were in the library when Jack came in trying to find his pocket knife he used to pick locks. Claire walked to back of the library to look for a different book but it would not come off the shelf. She tugged on it but it would not budge. The others followed trying to see what the commotion was about.

Jack pulled on the book confidently, “let me get that for you”, but when he fell onto the ground in a failed attempt.

The others laughed until they heard a creaky sound that sounded like it was coming from the ceiling. Moments later a stack of papers falls from the ceiling onto Jack’s head.

Arthur picked up the stack of papers and tried to decipher it, but he was not successful. It looked as if the author was worried he would not finish writing in time. He could only make out a few words, “You will find the air in the darkness behind the light”.

Claire immediately remembered reading about a cave with a picture of a sun engraved on a rock.

Rocks were cracked like they had been in the same spot for centuries. There was one rock in the corner darker than the others. When The knight got closer, it revealed itself with a picture of a sun engraved on it. The knight followed the sun’s gaze and it led him to a hidden cave.

She did not say anything though because she was not sure if she was ready to go on some big adventure that could have killed someone.

Arthur felt that same boiling feeling but much worse. He stepped out into his bedroom but the moment he shut the door fire escaped from his hands and landed on the curtains. The others were still in the library looking over the line that Arthur made out. They started to smell smoke. Emma rushed in the kitchen and ran into Arthur’s room with a fire extinguisher. There was still fire on Arthur's hands but after she sprayed the fire on his hand there was no burn marks on him. The others came into the room. They stood as if one more step would kill them- and it probably would. They all stood dumbfounded, and they all looked to the stack of papers held tightly in Jack’s hand. Emma and Arthur's hands lingered on their amulets. They wondered if these papers had anything to do with the necklaces they had. They thought that if they had two maybe there was more like it.

Claire went out to the forest. It is where she always goes when she is frustrated or confused about something. The others spent the rest of the day in their own thoughts and ways to explain what had happened. Arthur stayed in the library hunched over the papers. He was excited to go on an adventure. Emma was nervous but also curious. She wasn't sure if she wanted to find out what the paper said because that would mean she would go and explore. She might not be ready for what she might find out. Claire was uncomfortable around anything that might involve her stepping out of her bubble but a small part of her was a little curious and everyone knew that too.

Arthur wanted to go and find out where the power from his amulet comes from, but he did not want to bring anyone else. He thought it would be easier for one person to sneak in and out. He went into the library to take the papers without anybody else seeing him.

“I'm going. I need to find out more about this amulet”, He declared

Emma looked around the room. Not sure what to say. She wanted to go but she was worried.

“I'm not going to stop you but I will come with”

Emma and Arthur were studying the pages for more clues. They knew Claire did not approve of the quest, by the way she avoided the conversation every time it came up, so when she entered the room, they rushed to hide it with books. Claire did not say anything. She knew they would not succeed without her. No one had her knowledge of book She just walked to the back of the library and pulled out maps from all over the world and sat at the table. Emma and Arthur did not know how to respond, so they just kept on reviewing the pages.

Jack came in only because someone ate his leftovers, and he wanted to find out who it was. He saw everyone at the table with the same pages he read from yesterday and sat down with them only because he did not want to be left out.

Claire told them about her idea about the sun engraved on the rock in front of a cave. The only problem it was in a town in England called Regalia. The name sounded familiar to Emma, but she could not remember why. Jack said he knew how to get us on the train to a nearby town but everyone except for Arthur was weary of the idea of chasing down something they don’t know in a place they been never. For Arthur, it is just exciting.

They told their foster parents they were going to visit a friend a few towns over and left for the road. On the way to Regalia they managed to make out a few more words. They read, “water will quench the thirst of the sand”. They arrived in Regalia and their attention immediately went to the palace. It was then Emma realized her dreams were not dreams, but memories. That would mean that the stories of her evil uncle were now true. He was the king in a place they had just arrived in. She told the others, and they decide they will stay low and not draw any attention to themselves. They didn't know that King Christopher never stopped looking to combine the amulet back into one.

They followed the map to a field of rocks. They looked as if they had been there for centuries. They started looking for a picture of a sun on the rocks, but they could not find it on any of the rocks. Emma was sweating from how hot she was. She was desperate for something to cool her off. Icy water spurred from her hands. Some fell onto a rock and revealed a stem of something. She willed herself to pour more on the rock and sure enough some did and revealed a sun. As if it was real, sunlight erupted from it and landed on a rock. It started to burn the rock revealing a cave. Out of nowhere soldiers came out of the shadows and took the children.

He woke up in what seemed to be a dungeon. A shadow appeared in the room.

“I don’t know if you remember me, but I am your uncle. You found the other amulet. Too bad I am taking it from you”

Emma fell silent. He still doesn't have the earth amulet Emma thought. Emma and Arthur checked their necks and sure enough the necklaces were gone. He put them together, but he still needed the other part for it to work. He jeered at them as he slowly walked away taunting them with the amulet.

Later that night, two figures snuck into the dungeon while the guards were asleep but Jack had already managed to free himself from his clutches. They seem familiar to Emma but she cannot remember them. They recognized Emma and Arthur as if they had known them all their lives. They look old like they have been on the run for a long time. The woman had a necklace with the earth symbol on it.

The children looked at each other with disbelief- all except for Jack. He looked calm as he took the keys and freed the rest of us. Arthur grabbed the rest of the amulet and followed the rest as they made their way out of the town.

“I am your grandmother”, said the old women to Emma and Arthur, “and this is your grandfather”.

They did not know how to take this new information. The old couple explained the power of the amulets and how they have to say hidden from the rest of the world and from people like their uncle. Their grandparents gave each of the children one piece. They felt they could keep them safe. Jack got the earth, Claire got the air, Emma got the ice and Arthur has the fire.

“I never found out who ate my leftovers”

Word count- 2125