Salvatores - A short Story

Salvatores

Prologue:

I awoke to see the sunrise. I gazed at the blushing sky whilst the sun’s light blossomed, the rays dancing on the lush green hills of the valley below. As I breathed in the fresh morning air, I felt a sense of excitement, a tingle inside me, as if my life was about to change forever. As if something was going to happen to me which would whisk me away to a different world, a chance to leave my old life behind.

***

“Ellen! Hurry up and turn on the printing machine!”

I nodded.

“Ellen, I thought I told you to quit staring out the window and start working!” My uncle inched closer as if meaning to grab me by the shoulders and shake me until I passed out.

“Yes uncle, I’m coming... just give me a second” I mumbled

“Young lady this is the third and final time I am telling you to come and turn on the machine!” Before he could come any closer, I looked out the window one last time and ran into the printing station. I switched on the printing machine and started embedding the logo of our factory into the various objects on the conveyor belt.

In a very lousy manner I worked through my rough and tiring day. After work I went to my small room for a two hour break before my next shift. I quickly cooked lunch with the limited ingredients provided and ate a little, leaving the rest for my uncle. Then I went and hung the washing, watered the plants and finally polished his shoes.

My life was a nightmare. After my parents’ unprecedented death, I was forced to leave the city and cursed to go and live with my cruel and uncaring uncle. He lived in a small city called ‘Haute’ known for its legends. His name was Edmond Alvarado, meaning ‘grave or protector’. His looks were at the very least unfavorable, he was short and stout with a bald head and a Zappa beard. He was the owner of a factory that produced and sold furniture, clothing and kitchen appliances. Due to his boorish and ungentlemanly nature, he thought of me, not as his niece, but as his slave.

Not far from my uncle’s factory, there was a beautiful valley called ‘Sunshine valley’. It was a majestic place, full of lush green vegetation and colourful bursts of flowers. It was a very biodiverse place, filled with creatures of every size, shape and colour. But the best thing by far about the valley, was the way the hills were set out to create a passageway for the sunlight to escape from, into the homes of many animals who were blessed by freedom, happiness and most importantly, life. Every morning, when the sun would rise, all the animals would sing a tune unlike any other. It was as if the whole valley had come alive.

After I moved to my uncle’s house, my life had become a very laborious one. I was made to do all the housework like washing the dishes and clothes, making all the meals of the day, and cleaning the house. But this was only half of the torture I was exposed to, the other half was fifty times worse. I had to work in the factory day and night for six days a week. On Sundays I was allowed to have a break and do whatever I wanted, only on the condition of providing dinner for the large number of guests my uncle invited over, but I didn’t mind. For years, staring at Sunshine Valley was my only source of happiness. But perhaps that is because my name, Ellen Walker, means “bright shining or beautiful”.

I never realised as time passed by, that my years of childhood and enjoyment were slowly slipping away from me, that soon I would forget what life in the city, what life with fun, was like. I had been living with my uncle for three years now, everyday was predictable and boring, like the one before. It was like I had lost my right to happiness and enjoyment. I could no longer play games or socialise, but what hurt most was that I could no longer be me.

One morning, I happened to wake before dawn. Elated, I got dressed and ran out into the chilly morning. I headed to my favourite spot and settled into the dew-filled cushion of grass, content that I finally got to see the magical sunrise from Sunshine Valley. I gazed at the blushing sky whilst the sun’s light blossomed, the rays dancing on the lush green hills of the valley below. As I breathed in the fresh morning air, I felt a sense of excitement, a tingle inside me, as if my life was about to change forever. As if something was going to happen to me which would whisk me away to a different world, a chance to leave my old life behind.

Later, as I pondered my feelings, I thought that maybe I really would leave behind the factory and travel far far away, but alas! My wretched uncle would never let that happen. Sullen and disappointed, I went about my day without giving any further thought to the notion. Suddenly, completely out of the blue, my uncle announced that he wanted to have a chat with me in his office. “Uh oh... this isn’t going to be good” I thought. I ditched my machine and followed him up the winding staircase to the loft, where his teeny tiny, dirty and scrawny office was located.

“Miss Ellen Walker,” he said “It has come to my attention that you must be educated. Apparently it is a crime here in Haute for a child of 12 to not be educated. So I will have to enroll you in a school. Remember, I am only doing this because the police are going to houses and checking that all law is being followed. Because I already have a case filed against me, if I get caught again, it is jail time for me.” Immediately, my hopes soared and thoughts of escape filled me once more. “Oh Uncle! Is it true that I won’t have to work in this factory anymore?” I cried. He laughed his cruel laugh and said that arrangements had been made that I would go to school every alternate week, meaning that I still had to work at the factory, only for fewer days. He informed me that my school was called ‘Haute Primary School’.

On the first day of school, I woke up at 5:00 am and sneakily took a shower while my uncle was asleep (the only shower is in his bedroom). I got into my school uniform and put on my new school shoes that my uncle had reluctantly bought for me. I looked in my cracked mirror and brushed my hair until there were no knots left and my hair was as shiny and smooth as I could get it. Then I put my hair in two braids and tied them with matching ribbons that a factory worker had generously given me.

By the time my uncle woke up, it was already 7:30 am and I had finished all the chores such as: the dishes, the washing, mopping, watering the plants and polishing my uncle’s shoes. I had also made breakfast which was bacon and eggs with maple syrup. I had found one of my uncle’s old satchels and had packed some fruit for recess and some bacon and eggs for lunch. Finally, I packed my books (my uncle had to get them) and a small pencil case with two small pencils, an eraser, a few coloured pencils, a pen and a sharpener. When my uncle woke up he had his breakfast and growled “Get in the car Ellen! You’re going to school!”

I grabbed my satchel and hurried into my uncle’s old and broken car and tried to imagine what the school would look like. I thought of a big building covered in honeysuckle and colourful corridors filled with pictures and murals of rainbows, flowers and happy little kids. “ We’re here, now go inside or you’ll be late. Remember, I’m not coming to pick you up so hurry up and walk home! You have your night shift today” he hissed, and drove off. The school was nothing like I had imagined. It was a big grey building that looked like it was going to collapse any second. The corridors were wonky and were absolutely colourless. I made my way to the reception, where an old woman with a pointy nose, rimmed spectacles and a foul expression on her face was typing something on a computer.

All of a sudden, I started shaking and all my confidence streamed out of me. I felt so alone and scared. Finally, I thought of the fact that I was even allowed to go to school and I built up the courage to go and ask her where my class was. I slowly walked up to her and spoke shyly “Um… Hi, I’m Ellen Walker and I was wondering where my class is. Slowly she looked up at me and said “Ah, so you’re the new girl

The school was nice, the teachers were kind, and I made a friend. Her name was Charlotte. She was a very nice girl and she was 12 too. We were in Miss Alistair’s class. Today we were studying the Legends of Haute. She began

“Now as we all know the legend of the ‘salvatores’ meaning the saviours, is well renown. It is about the young men and women who once used to keep our country safe from the feared and terrorising “Malumeratus” he roamed the land with no fear and killed many Salvatores. The most recent killed were Nicolas and Valerie. The ‘salvatores’ were people who were chosen by a phoenix to nurture and help keep the land safe. The saviours”

The class ended.

After class, I went straight to a bench and sat down, deep in thought. I didn’t even notice when Charlotte gently came and sat down next to me.

“Ellen! Ellen! Earth to Ellen!”

“Yes! Oh! Sorry, what were you saying?” I stuttered.

“Ellen, what were you thinking? Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yes I am fine, I was just thinking” I replied, still a little dazed.

I decided that it was to confide my thoughts and worries to someone, someone I could trust. I knew Charlotte was the one and only person I trusted. I told her how my life had been different from the start, how my parents had told me stories about the saviours as bedtime stories and how my parents just suddenly disappeared and were found dead inside a cave.

“My parents’ names were Nicolas and Valerie, I think I might be a salvatore” I said, anxious, she would laugh. But instead, she told me she agreed with me. I was so happy I told someone! It felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

That very day, on my way back to the awful factory, I was walking through the Wistful Woods when I noticed a shimmery emerald coloured stone. I went over to it and held it in my hands. It had a smooth but kind of scaly texture and it was actually quite heavy. Instantly, I felt closely attached to it, as if it was made for me or as I was made for it. I felt very confused and didn’t know what to do. In the end I decided to take this spectacular but peculiar stone home with me.

As soon as I arrived home, I ran straight into my room and shut the door behind me. I felt like I was being watched as I quickly and quietly hid the stone under my bed and went downstairs to prepare for dinner.

I slept a disturbed sleep that night, as I kept having nightmares. I mumbled as I slept, tossing and turning on my rock hard mattress. Suddenly, I bolted upright. I thought I heard a sound, a soft moaning sound. So soft that you almost couldn’t hear it but so melodious that you couldn’t stop listening. It was coming from under my bed. Which meant it was coming from the stone.

Hurriedly, I leapt off my bed and took out the stone. It was vibrating so hard that I could feel my whole bed vibrating along with it. My brow was dripping with sweat. I was sitting in a pitch black surrounding with a vibrating stone in my hand. I was absolutely terrified. Suddenly, I heard a very loud ‘CRACK!!’ I quickly got up and fumbled around my room using my fingers for guidance until I found the light switch. Afraid more than ever, I flicked the switch and the light burst on. Sitting on my bed, covered in membrane with little wings and emerald eyes, was a little baby phoenix. What I took to be a stone, wasn’t a stone. It was an egg!

I stared at the strange creature, dumbstruck. What was it doing here? Was it even real? Was I hallucinating? Finally I made the decision to touch it. If I could touch it, it was real, if I couldn’t, I was definitely hallucinating! I edged closer. As soon as I touched it, I felt a wave of excitement and belonging gush into my stomach. I looked at my hand, it was gently brushing against the little creature’s scaly head. It looked up at me with such curious and loving eyes. So beautiful and filled up with wonder. Abruptly I realised what a phoenix hatching in front of me meant. Though I didn’t in the least expect it, I was positive that I was a salvatore. I also had the responsibility of raising a phoenix. I had a bad headache.

By now it was 7:00 in the morning. I had my next factory shift at 7:30, so I had thirty minutes to find a place to hide the phoenix. I thought that maybe I could hide it in the same place I found it. So in five minutes time I was on my way to the Wistful Woods. When I reached, I looked for a suitable place for the phoenix to live. Straightaway I headed towards my favourite tree, it had a big hole in it’s trunk, which in my opinion was the perfect size for the phoenix to stay in for some time. Quickly I cleaned out the hole, put in some soft pillows and hay for comfort, and left some food and water there as well. I looked into the phoenix’s eyes and I whispered

“Please stay here... I will soon be back for you” and I left for the factory.

When I reached the factory, I was informed. The electricity had been cut and all the employees were to have the day off. I was overjoyed! I ran out of the factory before I bumped into my uncle and went straight to the Haute village. I went there because I had heard that there was an ancient storyteller called Sir Bernard who knew everything there was to know about the salvatores. I navigated around the village until I came across a small oak door with the label ‘Sir Bernard the storyteller’ and another that said ‘you are not welcome here’ I started to get a little anxious about even knocking the door. But I did, for the sake of my phoenix.

As I knocked on the door, I thought, ‘what am I getting myself into?’ A few seconds later I heard a hoarse voice

“What business have you here with me?”

“Sir my name is Ellen Walker and I have come here to learn my history”

“What is it exactly that you want to know” he asked

“ I want to learn how the salvatores were taught and how they raised their phoenixes” I replied anxiously.

“The door is open, you may come in” I felt so relieved.

As I walked into the little rustic lodge, I started having second thoughts. The floor was scattered with books, scrolls, quills and all sorts of other stuff. Who was his man? Could he really help me? He was leading me deeper and deeper into the house. So far that I almost couldn’t see the front door! Finally we entered a room somewhat like a living room. We sat down. Before he spoke he lit his pipe and took a big puff, out came the smoke, but in various little shapes. I was flabbergasted.

Sir Bernard started talking.

“So where shall I begin? Ah yes, before the salvatores existed. More than a hundred thousand years ago, there lived many different races of creatures on this land. There were the dwarves, the pixies, the phoenixes and the elves. They all lived in harmony, but not for long. The elves, who were a very invasive race, started to invade and live in territories of other races. Soon enough, it was decided that a team of salvatores would be formed and they would have to pledge that they would become a whole new race and would not support or become allies with a particular race. The phoenixes agreed that they would start breeding the strongest and best race of phoenix and give them to the different races one by one. The baby phoenixes were magical, therefore they would know if the person holding them was capable of becoming a Salvatore, if they were, the phoenix would hatch, and if they weren’t, it wouldn’t.

Slowly but surely, the team of salvatores started to take shape. They were trained and taught by the best teachers on the land. They were taught to do magic, fight and meditate. Their phoenixes were put on special diets, taught about their abilities and most importantly they were shown that the Salvatore and their phoenix could communicate in their minds no matter how far they were from each other. Amongst those very salvatores, flourished a young man called Malumeratus. He was the best at everything, the strongest student of them all. But alas, Malumeratus grew to be the same villain we all fear now. He killed all the other Salvatores and their phoenixes. Well I hope I have said enough for now, you have a phoenix to get back to!”

Already completely dazed, I said “ Wait, how do you know?”

“ I know many things that you don’t.” He smiled a crooked smile.

As I walked back to the Wistful Woods to see my phoenix, I was deep in thought about what I would name it. When I arrived at the tree, I saw it sitting inside the little treehouse staring at the horizon. As I stared at the horizon, I realised that my life had really changed forever, I would find a way out of here. I sat down next to the phoenix and whispered into her soft scales

“What should I call you? Sapphira, Emerald, Emerelda, Em-” it was nodding its head so frantically, I thought something had happened to it. Suddenly I felt it’s presence in my mind, as if it could talk to me without even moving. It’s voice was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

“ Emeralda” she sang.

“That’s it! Your name will be Emerelda!” I felt a chill go through my back as I said so.

Weeks flew by and Emerelda grew bigger every day, soon it would be impossible for her to not be seen. Something had to be done. I went to sir Bernard’s place immediately. I was a common visitor now, and we were quite well acquainted already. He was always willing to help me with anything about Emerelda. When I spilled my worries to him, a frown took over that cheery and joyful face.

“ Is there anything that can be done?” I asked.

“There is one solution, and it is to leave.” He sighed

“Leave! You mean leave this place forever?” I had mixed feelings about this.

“Yes, we will be leaving at dawn tomorrow, so pack your bags and tell Emerelda that she will have to fly.”

“Wait a minute, we? Who are we? You don’t mean to say that you are coming too, right!” I recoiled.

“Indeed I do... You won’t be able to survive a day in the wild without me.” He said sharply.

That was the end of the discussion, we were leaving and never coming back. In a way it was my wish granted but in some way I knew I would feel a little nostalgic about this old factory, and perhaps even my uncle.

The next morning I crept out of my room with a small duffel bag. It had all my clothes, some food and drink, a tent that I had stolen from my uncle, and a few boxes of matchsticks. I passed the factory and ran to the woods where Emerelda waited for me eagerly. Our bond had become very strong and I had been practicing talking to and instructing her from afar. She was a very good hunter and had promised to give up a portion of her prey so that we could eat. Then we headed towards Sir Bernard’s home where he was ready to go as well. He had even gone to the local stables and got us two of the strongest horses. I was impressed.

Soon we were on our way to the City Of Lilies. Where the elves lived. Every day Sir Bernard would teach me something new, whether it be magic or meditation. He taught me simple spells like “Musca Volant” a spell to make things fly. Occasionally we would stop at a city or town to top up our supplies of food and drink. Emerelda would always fly ahead of us, hidden from sight. We would communicate via our minds. She would find the place where we would stay and camp for the night.

Soon we reached a dark dense forest. The trees were greener, and there seemed to be magic in the air.

“We have arrived into the territory of the elves, a little further we shall see the Great Wall of Protection.”

Soon enough, we saw a huge wall with elves guarding it. Immediately they stopped us and said that they knew I was Salvatore but they didn’t know if I was evil or not. So I would have to swear the oath of loyalty and purity. If I was evil I would die. If I didn’t, I would be taken into training as a Salvatore and would be exposed to ancient secrets.

I knew the time had come to fulfil my destiny and to change my life forever. I swore the oath. Which I had memorised fully and sincerely.

“I, Ellen Walker, pledge my whole life and all my thoughts to becoming a Salvatore, and I promise to stay by Emerelda’s side till death do us part.

My journey had begun.

By: Aashini Rastogi