Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📖

the Canine Valley with Katherine and Wolf."
Damian was silent for a moment. "Wolf, as in Warrior Wolf himself?"
"Aye, what of it?"
"And Katherine, our own goody-goody cousin Katherine Hawk?"
"Damian!" Sabrina spat.
Damian only laughed. "May I congratulate you on your decision to turn good? It should be quite a farce."
Sabrina was confused. "Farce? What farce? I am turning good, and quite more powerful, thanks to Katherine."
"Than you openly admit to turning against us?" Damian supplied. "Or, are you just faking it to get on their good sides?"
"I do nothing of the sort! Not anymore!" Sabrina cried. "If turning against evil means having my freedoms of thought and action being my own, than aye, I admit it!"
Damian laughed at her. "And the Ancient Mystics?"
"They made me see what I was doing was wrong." Sabrina supplied. "I wish one day, brother, you would see it as well."
On that, Sabrina huffed and disappeared.
"What an interesting conversation, Damian." Shenara whispered.
"Indeed." Damian supplied. "One that gave me the greatest of ideas."
"More about your plan?" Shenara asked, red eyes twinkling with delight.
Damian nodded, and told her what he had in mind.

II

Aluna Morehouse dreamed. One particular time in the Healing Tents haunted her, and she had no idea why.

It was a time of war in the Dream Realm and doing her duty as an Ancient Mystic Healer was rapidly draining her. She even had to use some of the Healer's Magic her sister gave her just to keep up with the demand. Just when she thought she couldn't stand upright anymore, let alone Heal anyone, a strange being with flaming red hair and dark eyes appeared in front of her.
"You look drained, young Ancient Mystic." The male crooned in a rolling accented tone.
The Grand Magus could only nod.
The male reached his mind out to hers and commanded aloud softly. "Sit down. Let me help you."
"Thanks, stranger. I appreciate it." Grand Magus whispered. Her voice barely sounded like her own.
"Call me Firestorm." He supplied, leading her to an empty bed next to a wounded Companion soldier. When she had sat, holding her head, he sat next to her. "I am a Watcher-kin Dweller, Youngling. After I delivered one of the Companion chicks to my kin-sister, I felt you in pain, straining to stay afoot."
Grand Magus nodded.
"If you let me, I can boost your Healing Magic." Firestorm continued.
"I would not advise that, kin-brother." Came the voice of another Dweller Luna knew as Julianna. She was frowning, shaking her head. "She needs nothing from you. What she needs is rest, and time to recharge her Magic."
Firestorm sent the Grand Magus to sleep with a command, but her mind was listening in as the siblings continued.
"I only wish to help her." Firestorm responded. “I can feel the Magic within her. She is amazing, almost as powerful as Bella herself."
"They are both Ancient Mystics." Julianna softened with her older brother as they both stared at her. "Who knows what Lord Guardian would do should we Turn one of his own?"
"I care nothing for him, as you well know." Firestorm supplied. “I only wish to make her see for herself just how amazing she can be."
"Not by Turning her into one of us."
"Why not? What harm would it do?" Firestorm argued.
"Plenty." Julianna replied. “She is still a Youngling, Earthbound and Ancient Mystic. She still needs to learn many things in her life before we can ever butt in without harm."
Firestorm continued to stare at her, longing in a way that made Julianna uneasy.
"Brother, what do you think of?" She asked gently. “Really."
"The Prophesy, and Emerald, who asks in my head the same thing as you." Firestorm pecked his younger sister on the cheek and sighed, saying before leaving. “She calls to me, you know."
Julianna nodded with a grin. Emerald, a Jewel Elder-kin Dweller, was Firestorm's Bondmate who was a Healer. She was also the only one that could keep her fiery older brother in line.
Julianna, on the other hand, continued to stare at the semi-conscious Grand Magus. "I know you're listening, Grand Magus."
Grand Magus took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. “You knew, and didn't tell him?"
Julianna put a finger to her mouth. "Our little secret."
Grand Magus smiled, and then frowned. She pointed to the wounded owlet in the bed next to hers. "Can you help me so I can help her?"
"You don't want my kind of help, Ancient Mystic." Julianna shook her head. "All you need is rest. I can handle the owlet."
"Why wouldn't I want your kind of help?"
Instead of answering, Julianna went over to the owlet and sat on the bed. Grand Magus watched in silence as Julianna used a sharp fingernail to slice a long line in her wrist. She then put the bleeding wrist to the owlet's mouth, which clasped on and drank heavily.
In Grand Magus' mind, Julianna sent the message. This is why. I would have to force you to drink my blood in order for you to use its healing properties.
Julianna turned back to her charge, who took her mouth away to gasp for breath. The Grand Magus could see the extended fangs in the owlet's -- now a human-looking woman's -- mouth.
"How? What?" Grand Magus gasped, sitting up and holding her chest.
Julianna only grinned, nodding. "Meet my Blood-sister Fluorite. She is Jewel Elder-kin, a Dweller."
Her mind overwhelmed, Grand Magus finally fainted into a non-dreaming bliss of sleep.

In the Outer Realm, Luna woke up from this haunting dream. A dream that had been plaguing her nightly existence since the War of the Realms officially ended. It was also a dream that made her think of both Dwellers’ words and actions. How did Firestorm know of her growing Magic when he barely knew her? Who was the Ancient Mystic named Bella, and why did no one in the family know of her existence? What Prophesy was he talking about? Why did he want to Turn her into one of them?
Her head hurt just thinking about it.
Not wanting to; and since it was still the middle of the night; she closed her eyes and called the Dream Chant. Maybe she'd find him in the Dragon Nations and ask him herself?
With a final sigh, she was sleeping.

III

Sabrina flew as fast as she could back through the Canine Wood to Stargazer Castle with tears in her eyes. Without anyone seeing her, Sabrina raced to her quarters to hide. When she got to the door, she opened it and closed it behind her. As the door shut, she leaned against it and felt safe enough to cry.
"Sabrina -- what?" She barely heard the male voice ask.
She felt arms take hold of her and Cyrix silently led her to the bed. He held her until her tears subsided and she was calm again. He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead.
"There now, darling." Cyrix supplied, petting her long black hair. "Why do you cry?"
"I am so confused!" Sabrina supplied, and told him about her conversation with Damian and Shenara. "I do not know what to do!"
"Be yourself, and show them who you have become during the War." Cyrix tucked hair from her eyes behind her ear. "A strong, resourceful Ancient Mystic. A good Ancient Mystic. If your brother does not like it, so what? He may need you, but only to use you. You do not need him. You have shown Lord Guardian, Young Guardian and even your cousins you can be good again." He took her chin in his hands and kissed her lips. "Does that help?"
Sabrina nodded. "I know who does not need me." She said. "Sire Wolf and Katherine."
"What do you mean?"
"Katherine is raising twin pup-kits and Wolf is busy with Red Wolf stealing Celine away."
"The Princess is still here." Cyrix announced. "I trained her in magical arts with both her Companion sides."
Sabrina didn't know what to say at that. "They are too busy to deal with the likes of me."
"Katherine is training you, is she not? In the use of Good Ancient Mystic Magic?" Sabrina nodded, so he continued. "When is your next lesson?"
Sabrina gasped. "Oh -- Now! Thank you for reminding me! I must go!"
As she got up to leave, Cyrix caught her arm and pulled her in for a kiss. She was stunned, left staring at him in wonder. "Someday, Sabrina, I hope it is you who does the kissing."
Cyrix the Fire-Demon let go of her arm, and she left in a daze.

Sabrina herself found her cousin Katherine in the Practice Fields with Young Guardian herself. At the sight of them both in their Fighter's Gear, her heart dropped.
She stared extra hard at Young Guardian, who was sparring with Katherine, stopping only to fix her cousin's stance or movements. Seeing them together made her depressed.
I should be used to seeing them together by now. Sabrina said in her mind. They always have stuck together, like true friends should, even against me. Especially against me.
Her sigh caught Katherine's attention. The two of them stopped to greet her.
"Sabrina, what's wrong?" Katherine asked.
Sabrina exchanged a look with Young Guardian, who caught the hidden meaning.
"I bet I know," Young Guardian said. She turned to Katherine. "Do you think I can snatch her away for a while before her lesson?"
Katherine nodded tightly. "Do not be too long, Ariana. She needs her practice."
"She needs this more than practice right now." Young Guardian Ariana remarked sadly. "Follow me."
Young Guardian led her deep into the Canine Wood, where, not too long ago, Sabrina's stepmother Gloriana cast a Dark Mist spell to make those who entered crazy. With Wolf's help, Young Guardian was able to warn others about it before any more Companions could go mad. In the end, Lord Byron of the Ancient Mystic Kingdom made it disappear on the insistence of his older brother Lord Maximaniac of the Grey Area's Shady Kingdom.
In the present, Sabrina could feel Young Guardian's nervousness with her Empathy. When they stopped at a tree stump, Young Guardian sat down and took a deep breath.
"I don't know how to say this cousin, so I'll just say it." She started. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Sabrina asked.
"For destroying your father." Young Guardian was finally able to look up at her. "We-we had to. He was using too many defenseless Dreamers and Companions, and I couldn't take it anymore. It was for the great of good."
Sabrina relaxed and understood. "Too tell the truth, it had gotten to the point where I was afraid of him. It took me a long time to see it for myself just how evil he was."
"You must have loved him in your own strange way." Young