NOELLE’S POV,
The next morning I walk towards Donna her cottage as soon as the sun comes up. I figured out a believable reason for me to leave so abruptly. So I decided not to waste any time and go as soon as possible. Donna is already waiting for me outside her cottage but she immediately notices that today is different. She opens up the door and softly says, “Come in, I see we have to talk first by the look on your face.”
I nod and walk inside to sit at the table close to the fireplace. Donna boils some water and gives me a cup of tea before sitting down. “So tell me what happened?” she asks.
I just want to open my mouth when the fire starts to make a lot of noise. Donna looks at the fireplace confused but then the fire explodes and the whole room is on fire. In a second I notice that the fire isn’t real but an illusion. A dark voice I recognize immediately echoes through the cottage, “SERVANTS, DEMONS, DARK HUMANS, THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME TO TAKE BACK WHAT IS OURS. COME AND ASSEMBLE AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE UNDER REALM. IF YOU ARE MISSING YOU WILL BE PUNISHED SEVERELY. I WILL SEE YOU ALL TOMORROW AT DAWN. TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE SURE THE REALMS WILL BURN.”
Then the fire slowly fades until it is back to its normal form again. My heart is beating loudly in my chest and all I can think is that Hades will attack tomorrow. How do I warn everybody on time? Donna looks at me with big eyes of fear. “You don’t have to go,” I tell her.
She gives me a sad smile, “You heard him, he will notice any of the dark humans missing. There is no doubt in my mind he will actually notice. I have to go.”
Her eyes get a flicker of hope in them, “But I could sneak to the other side during the battle and fight with you.”
“That could actually work, just be careful in the meantime you don’t give yourself away, ” I answer.
A deviant smile lights up her face, “Don’t worry I have a talent for fooling people.”
She walks to her bed and takes out a little box from under it, “Do you remember the amulet you told me about? Do you still have it?”
I immediately feel a sting in my stomach thinking about the amulet. The only thing I have left of my parents and I had to leave it at the orphanage when the guards dragged me out of my room. “No I lost it,” I say with a sad voice.
She takes something from the box, “Is this it? When I was at Hades his palace I snooped around and saw this. The woman inside actually reminded me of you so I decided to take it.”
I take the amulet from her hands and my eyes fill with tears when I open the locket and look at the portrait of my mom and dad inside. On the other side is engraved, “to our special girl, we love you always and forever.”
Donna softly takes the amulet from my hands and puts it around my neck. She says, “I think our paths were meant to cross Noelle. It cannot be a coincidence that you helped me and I then find your lost locket and meet you again in a secluded village.”
I hug her tight and feel very grateful that I found her. I couldn’t have wished for a better teacher from the Under Realm. She hugs me back and then quickly takes her bag and walks to the door. “Go try and warn your friends. My best guess would be that we first attack at Dandion because it is closest to the Under Realm.”
She looks into my eyes intensely and says, “We will meet again Noelle. I will see you on the battlefield. Fighting next to you side by side.”
Before I can answer she is gone. I quickly walk back to my room and also get my stuff. I sit down for a moment and quickly write 2 letters. If I learned mind magic a day later we would have been fucked but now it could be the difference between survival and extinction. I take one letter and teleport it with my mind to Liberum and the other one to Dandion. I make sure to slow down time so that the letters will have already arrived 2 days ago. Slowing down time is useful with small objects like a letter but cannot be used for people. If you would accidentally cross paths with yourself you will definitely go mad.
Knowing that I only have a day left before the final battle I decide I can take another risk. I send a message through my mind connection and then leave the Inn. I sit down outside the village and close my eyes for a second. There is one more person I have to find before going to Dandion. I open up my mind connection and search for my friend with her blond hair and freckles. I smile when I finally find her buried with her nose in books. I am happy to see that she looks good and I know where to go now. There was no doubt in my mind that if anyone would be able to find a hidden library it would be Faith.
I open my eyes and the sky goes dark when a large animal appears in the sky. People in the village start to scream and point at the enormous beast approaching. He lands on the ground with a lot of impact which makes the ground shake. My heart fills with pure joy when I run towards the massive beast covered in golden scales. Thorn immediately puts his big head in my arms and I stroke his beautiful scales. “Ow, how I have missed you,” I sigh.
Thorn purrs inside my head, “I have missed you too mistress. Thought about you every day. I mean, of course, I had Dagahra but I can’t be happy when you are beyond my reach. And also if you thought getting a dragon girlfriend was difficult wait till you hear how difficult it is to keep them happy.”
I laugh looking at Thorn his big eyes searching for pity. I kiss his nose and say mockingly, “No one said married life would only be sunshine and roses. But I would love to hear more about your dragon relationship problems on the way.”
I climb on his back and feel happy and safe now that I am back with my dearest companion. I try to stay happy in the moment and not think too much about my other soulmate. Pain immediately fills me up inside if I think that I might not have time to see my husband in time. Luckily Thorn disturbs my thoughts by jumping in the air and opening his wings to take us above the clouds in no time. As I look down at the village I wonder if it will still be there in a few days’ time. If we lose tomorrow the world as we know it will be unrecognizable.