"There", he whispered. She looked in the direction his hand was pointing, and saw what he saw - a red moon rising bright against the night sky.The doomsday feeling frosting every vein of mine became even stronger, if that were possible. I felt lonelier than ever as we made our way across the deserted roads of Longdale, daunted by the expanse of mountains around us. Escaping our deaths seemed nigh impossible now; the news of our heist had spread like wildfire. Technically, we had taken back what was rightfully ours, for after our fathers death, Queen Astrida had wasted no time in raiding our home. Our father was the most famed alchemist in all of the seven lands, and his death was an invitation for the Court to takeaway his potions, his papers, his work, everything. Our heist felt like the ultimate revenge, but the fear of getting caught took no time to settle in soon after. With the impending war between Northon and Longdale, it was of paramount importance to escape Longdale in these testing times. Also, Ethan had inherited my fathers talent, and I didnt want him to become a pawn in this game of Queens.

Emilie and Ethan versus the world. was what I always said to quell our fears, but this time the words felt hollow. How could a seventeen year old girl and a ten year old boy, armed with nothing except the secrets of alchemy, survive against the most powerful court in all of the seven lands? Well, there was no turning back now. As it was, Ethan and I were completely exhausted.

"Over there. Shelter for the night." Ethan pointed towards a valley, shrouded in a visage of dapper foliage and shrubbery. The aching blisters on the bottom of my feet screamed for relieve, yet we trudged with heavy footfalls towards the towering mountains.The moonlight lit our cobbled path, Ethan's brow hung in the shadows. I worry how the recent trials have changed him. He barely looks up, let alone speak. The valley was eerily silent, save for the chirping of crickets and grasshoppers signalling their mating calls. The bushes and leaves covered in alternating patterns of moonlight. Fireflies lit up the shadows, filling the forest with an ethereal, magical glow.

I collected a fine amount of soft leaves for bedding. We'd be safe here. Our existence privy only to the trees and glowing dots of life.

"Hey, Emilie! Look over here." Ethan's voice wafted softly through the air, barely a whisper. He wasInspecting an engraving carved into the stone cropping. The artistry was incredible. The lettering was beautifully done, with an impressive trim surrounding the prose."What does it mean?" I asked. He stared into silence.

Oh Youth!Guided by the Servant of the Goddess,Unite Earth and SkyAnd bring light to the Land.

I waited for a response. But Ethan continued to stare at the engraving. Ethans wisdom was far beyond his age, and the pondering expression on his face at that moment was akin to a scientist deep in thought. I looked at the words again. Oh Youth....I suddenly got an in explicable feeling that this engraved message was meant for him. Maybe the rightful claim of our fathers pricelessPossessions lay in his hands. Even as a young girl, I always knew that Ethan was special. I remembered father telling him that he was destined for great things. But what on Earth was the rest of the message supposed to mean?

Emilie, I think this message found us, and not the other way around, if you know what I mean, said Ethan suddenly, snapping me out of my reverie. I nodded. Its what I thought, too. I paused for a second. I also think that it was meant for you, I added, observing him carefully.You think? he replied casually. He didnt seem incredulous or surprised in anyway. Maybe the thought had crossed his mind as well. Sometimes, Ethan was a little too wise for anybodys good. He rarely had to be explained anything. I sighed. Where do you think I feature in all this? I asked him.All this? he asked. We just came across this engraving while on the run from the law; we arent even sure that its meant for us or me, and if it is, then I frankly feel Uniting Earth and Sky And bringing light to the Land is kind of a tall order for two kids to accomplish, let alone one. You think you havent a part to play in it? he sounded slightly annoyed. I know what youre thinking, he continued. Sure, father used to tell me that Im destined for great things, but I doubt you know what he once said to me,

I stared at Ethan, bewildered. He said, Ethan, whatever you do in life, never leave your sisters side. You will remain incomplete without her.

I gaped. I hadnt known this. Really? I gasped. I suddenly wondered whether I was the Servant of the Goddess.

He nodded solemnly. Im afraid you and I have a long, tiring journey ahead of us, Emilie, he said. And, he went on, coming to that, I wonder if youve noticed this. He reached out and knocked the last letter of the engraving into place, which I hadnt noticed was slightly lopsided before. To our utter astonishment, a space opened in the old bark and out fell a tiny glass vial.

"Ethan, be careful! I warned as he opened the vial to whiff its contents.

"What? It is odourless. he responded with his nose half buried in the glass.

"We have to be more cautious. I rose up from where I sat and took the glass vial from his hand and slipped it into my belt pocket. Unlike my little brother, I had a keen interest in herbology. And that meant seven extra years of prudence coupled with delicate experimentation when handling unknown substances. Though knowledgeable, Ethan was still a child and often foolhardy. I had to protect him; no one else would help us. I scanned the horizon. Dark clouds were moving in. The moonlight was already getting dimmer and the air had started to get damp.

"What do you think it is?" he inquired.

"I don't know. But why would father or anyone keep it hidden in a place like this is beyond me. ComeEthan, its about to rain we should find better shelter." But just as I finished I was startled by a blood-curdling screech. My fingers clasped around my bow and I looked southwards. There, far beyond a thicket of trees, camouflaged by the shrubbery stood a most terrifying sight. It was covered in wooden splinters and had abnormally long arms. From this distance, I couldn't clearly make out its facial features but a sense of dread overwhelmed me. Without a pause I clutched Ethan's hand and we dashed deeper into the forest. We ran past the ominous trees, beyond the overgrown shrubs and moved deep into the heart of the forest. It was long before I realised that Ethan's arm had become leaden. I stopped to face him. He looked pale and his eyes were fixated on darkness surrounding us. Ethan, he focused his gaze on me. I saw him regain some of his composure. I held his hand tighter and continued along our lost trail. It wasnt long after our initial stop that we found a small cave. It lacked the splendour of our house and carried a gloomy look about it but it was shelter. Exhausted, bruised and hungry, we proceeded to enter the cave. It was warm inside. For a moment I felt as if all my worries had been taken from me. Outside, the wind bellowed. A faint aroma of honey wafted in the damp air inside the cave. My stomach grumbled. Come on, we cant stay this close to the opening. Ethan nudged. I was too exhausted to move but the grisly sight of that terrible creature spurred something inside of me. I obliged. We got up and moved deeper into the cave unaware of who or what awaited us.

It was not dark inside the cave. There was a weird glowing light that seemed to come out of the walls and we could see that the cave extended into a tunnel, the end of which was in shadows. We walked bravely into its depths. It was a winding passage with a rocky floor and I nearly tripped on a stray stone but the smell of honey was growing stronger I could smell something more, warm, fresh bread. I heard a faint rumbling sound but before I could jump to any conclusions, I saw Ethan rub his tummy and I gathered that he was hungry too. It suddenly grew brighter and the flickering light dancing off the walls told us there was a fire. My instincts told me we werent in danger and Ethan seemed to be thinking along the same lines, so we kept moving forward. An inexplicable feeling that we were meant to be here crossed my subconscious. The passage suddenly took a sharp right turn and opened up into a large room.

At first glance, it looked like there was a large pool of chocolate in the centre. There was indeed a large bubbling pool but its contents looked like mud or earth, I thought. Behind it, his back turned to us, was an old man. He was wearing robes and his wispy white hair stood like a cloud around his head. Ethan gave me a significant look and took a tentative step forward. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything, the old man spoke.

Emilie and Ethan, I have been waiting for you. he said in a gravelly voice. I could recall that voice faintly but even then, it was a shock for both of us that this old man, whom we had never met, knew our names. You kids look hunger stricken. There is food in the kitchen over there. Get something to eat. Suspicion began intruding our thoughts but then we heard something. It was our bellies grumbling again. We exchanged looks and proceeded towards the kitchen. I somehow was assured that this place was safe for us.The kitchen was in a corner of the room. It just had enough elbowroom for both of us. As we entered, the sheer warmth of the loaf dragged us towards it. The kitchen was bursting with all kinds of delicacies. We filled our plates as much as we could and came back into the room. The old man was not seated anymore. He was standing in a corner gazing at a picture. Ethan gathered some courage and asked quietly, Sir, though we have never met you, yet you know our names. The old man replied with a sigh Of course we have met, young Ethan, but you might not be able to recall it. Your father and I were very dear friends. I was saddened to hear about his untimely death. You remind me of him. Then he showed us the picture that he was holding in his hand. There was our dad, he held Ethan in his arms, I was standing in the middle and the old man was right beside me. It struck me; this old man was none other than the King Arthur, the king of Longdale. But somehow things did not add up; from what I remember, King Arthur had died 10 years ago and princess Astrida became the queen. But here he was, standing in front of me, showing this picture.