Amethyst

The village was quiet while the dry desert wind blanketed everything in a layer of coarse red dust. No lights were visible anywhere for fear of drawing the attention of the ruler’s henchmen. Everyone knew this night the prophecy was to be fulfilled, but no one knew where or by whom and that had everyone on edge. In the last week the ruler supreme had been rounding up all pregnant women and killing them in front of their families. The cries mixed with blood ran rampant through the land. It didn’t used to be this way in Calla. The land was once rich and fertile with verdant fields and amethyst mines that powered the entire country. Visitors would come from distant lands to trade and experience the utopia that only Calla could provide. That was until the ruler supreme came to power. Once a visitor in the land, he vowed to destroy the peaceful country and replace it with a kingdom of terror unlike the world had ever seen. With his army of evil knights and sorcerers, the supreme ruler overthrew the country and killed the Aura of Calla. He then set out to destroy all of the Amethyst mines and enslaved the people, making them solely dependent on him for everything. He even tried to destroy the Aura’s locket that contained the lifeblood of Calla, but the enchantment was too strong for even his vilest sorcerer’s to break. So, he had the locket encased in a protected display that sat in his throne room as a reminder to all that he was indeed the supreme ruler.

As the years passed, a story began to be told, a prophecy of a new Aura who would one day reclaim Calla and overthrow the supreme ruler, restoring the land and people to their former peaceful existence. No one knows where the prophecy came from, only that the hope it churned in the hearts of the people could not be extinguished no matter how many people the supreme ruler killed or how devastating this new life turned out to be. It is said that on the 13th year and the 5th new moon a babe would be born with the Amethyst eyes that are the symbol of the Aura. This babe would have features opposite those of the yellow haired, blue eyed, dark-complected Callans. In fact, the new Aura was supposed to be spritely, with raven hair, alabaster skin, and have the moon’s mark in their hair. So on this night, all of the Callans were waiting with baited breath, hoping for a miracle. While in the castle, the supreme ruler was gnashing his teeth, snapping and snarling at anyone and anything that moved, determined that all unborn children be killed in the land.

On the outskirts of the village, in a hovel shrouded in darkness deeper than the night, lay a woman in the throws of preterm labor. At 5 months pregnant she had not told a soul fearing the wrath of the supreme ruler. Only the midwife knew having been sent to her by the Seer. The midwife labored to save both mother and child, however the stress and anxiety along with the complications of childbirth proved too much for the mother and she quietly passed on to the next life. However, under the New Moon, the midwife welcomed the child who came in quietly, without a cry or a wail, but with bright amethyst eyes, and raven hair with the moon’s mark running through it. The midwife quickly bundled the small child and ran to the deepest parts of the forest to a cave in which lived the old seer. There the child would be able to grow and flourish outside the eyes of the supreme ruler for the powers of the Seer were great at concealment.

At the time of the birth, in the great hall, the Locket began to glow. It started sending out a pulse of light like a heartbeat breaking out of its cage and driving the supreme ruler and his sorcerers out into the night. No one could stop the Locket or get close to it. For the next 16 years, all the supreme ruler could do was try to erase the Locket’s effects on the land and continue to terrorize the villagers. No matter how hard he battled, he could not stop the power of the Amethyst Locket as it spread throughout the land, restoring Calla to the rich, vibrant country it once was. Dusty desert fields became verdant forests of color while dry deserted rivers became an oasis teeming with life. As the power of the locket grew and restored the land, so too did Ame. Everything she touched became lush and vibrant and the Seer’s cave became filled with Amethyst crystals, enough to power the entire village. On Ame’s 16th birthday, the Locket called to her, beckoning her to come to the castle. With the help of the Seer and under the cover of darkness Ame made the difficult and treacherous journey to the castle, knowing that if caught the supreme ruler would have her executed immediately. Once they finally arrived at the castle in the early morning hours before dawn, the song of the Locket grew louder, deafening the knights and sorcerers allowing for Ame to enter the castle undetected. Once in the throne room the power of the Locket drew Ame forward. As Ame placed the Locket on her neck the power of the Locket flowed through her and she was able to eradicate the supreme ruler and his henchmen. As she sat on the throne, the power of the Locket, joined with the Aura once again restored Calla to the utopia it had once been. The people revered the Aura for her power in overthrowing the supreme ruler, but they loved Ame for her kind nature, love of the people, and ability to restore their beloved land to what it once was.