Amerial: The History
-by Amerial Nadoola

Part I: The Escape

I opened my eyes as the putrid smell of manure infiltrated my nostrils. Not again, I thought. After sleeping in the old, rickety barn with the horses for the past 18 years, I had come to expect the occasional �surprise� from Tygae, the oldest of the horses, next to my small cot, to wake me up in the mornings. Yet, it still didn�t make the gift much more appreciated.

I stood, quietly, trying not to wake any of the other sleeping animals and tiptoed across the dry and dusty earth that was cracking from the heat. I slipped through a mere opening in the barn doors and stepped out onto the grassy knoll. Though waking up to a nice pile of manure can start one�s day off rough, seeing the picturesque view in front of which I was now standing could cheer one up in a split second.

Before me were trees upon trees upon trees, each one glistening in the morning sun. The hills, leading off into the valley, gave so much promise. Even if I never escape here, I thought, at least I can dream of running over those hills and through the mountains of trees into what, I would hope, would be my parents� outstretched arms. It had been 18 years since I had last felt the warmth of my father�s smile and the love in my mother�s hug. Even though it had only been a year from my birth when I was stolen so ruthlessly from my parents, I could remember the way I felt with them like it was just yesterday. And each day, thinking of this memory, I felt as though today would be the day I would make my leave from this horrid place.

I yawned as I stretched my long, tan arms high above my head. My hands released their stretch as I ran my slender fingers through my silken black hair that fell to my bottom. I may hate living here, I thought to myself, but atleast the meager portions of stale bread and cheese I receive do wonders for my figure. Not to mention the incessant days in the blistering sun adding a certain glow to my already naturally tan skin. Maybe there were a few perks. But, nevertheless, I would see to it that I would one day have my freedom.

�Yer ought be gettin� ta werk, I thinks,� came a growling voice from behind me.

I turned slowly to see a somewhat toothless grin belonging to the older man before me. Even if the man did have all his teeth, he would still be as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside.

�Come on, Korp, can�t a girl have two seconds to wake up? Go ahead, beat me, if that�s what you�d like�I�m taking a stroll in the stream before I lift another hand in those dirty old stables.� I wasn�t sure from where that burst of confidence came, but it scared me nonetheless. I really didn�t want any trouble. As meager as my food was, I still wanted to be given something tonight. Korp, the man who kidnapped me that fateful day, suddenly stopped grinning.

�Wer yer cum off a�speekin� ta me luk dat, yer derty lil� bra�?!�

�I am not starting the days work yet. Look at where the sun is! It�s barely dawn! A whole two hours before I am supposed to start work! I�ve earned a break.�

�Yer ain� gertin nuffin�. Yer be gettin� ta werk now before I��

�Before you what? Put me in my place? You�ve already stripped me of everything. My family, my dignity. I stand here naked before you, there is nothing left here for you to take! You sure as hell will never take my pride.�

At that moment, I knew I had done it. The light in his glossy eyes grew dark and he grabbed my arm so tightly that I willed it to fall off. In 18 years, I had never seen such hatred.

�I be thinkin� o� sumtins I can take, yer lil wretch,� he said as he threw me into the stables from which I had not too long ago emerged. Unable to keep my balance, from the force with which he pushed me, I stumbled and fell, barely missing my cot, into the pile of manure.

He quickly pulled me by the hair and threw me onto my cot.

�Now yer be smellin� li�e the filth yer are,� snapped Korp as I noticed him loosening his belt. The tears started streaming from my eyes as I realized what was about to happen. I had never been more disgusted in my life. And I realized, maybe he could take my pride, after all.

I felt the weight of Korp�s body on top of my own, smelling like a mixture of sweat, dirt and old rum. He started to rip the old dress that I was wearing. I began to wish I had paid more attention to keep it sturdy, as right now Korp was ripping it with ease. I tried repeatedly to knock him off me, each time to no avail.

And, at last, it was too late. He had taken from me something I had never thought he could. And as he took it, I knew no shame. Through the tears in my eyes, I caught sight of something shiny, sitting against the wall next to the cot.

Aha! I thought to myself. I know how I can get out of this!

But did I have the guts? Did I have the ability to do what I knew I had to do? And as I thought of all the doubts in my mind, I saw them. My parents. Maybe not their faces, but I knew it was them. They were right there in my head, telling me to do it. Telling me they knew what I had to do, and telling me not to worry, that they would protect me.

I snapped back to the moment, having my thoughts interrupted by the grunting coming from Korp�s open mouth. He had his eyes closed, and his body was shaking. I allowed my hand to snake up his back and he opened his eyes. He pinned both my hands down with his own.

�It�s okay,� I said in a sultry voice that was not my own, �I realize now that this is what I want.� Inside I was fighting the urge to throw up. He eased up on my hands as he slowly began grinning and grunting again. I moved him around so that I was on top of him.

�Close your eyes,� I urged, �while I take care of you.�

Korp, lost in his obvious pleasure, obliged. I took the opportunity to use my free hand to reach for the shiny object by the wall. After a few attempts my hand finally enclosed around the handle. Thank you, Banor, for these long fingers and for making the thieves stupid enough to leave their armor in the stable with the horses! I pulled the sword up, my clasped hands in front of my face. At that precise moment, Korp, sensing that something was not right, opened his eyes. I wasted no time, I knew it was now or never. I pierced the sword through Korp�s chest and into his heart. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as deep, crimson blood flowed freely from the wound. I got up quickly. There was blood all over the bottom of my ripped dress, a mix of mine and his. I withdrew the sword and used my dress to wipe it clean. I then rid myself of the dress and clamored into the armor that accompanied the sword. I started out the barn door when another thought came to mind. I walked back in, took the satchel from Korp�s lifeless body, and freed Tygae.

�You�re coming with me,� I said to the horse.

I then hoisted myself onto his back and, together, we galloped into the hills and toward the mountains. I knew with it being as early as it was, none of the others would notice I was gone until it would be too late. They would not find me.

I realized that this was it. Today is the day I made my escape.

What adventures I would face, I did not know. All I knew was that with the love of my parents, and Banor to guide me, I would find my way to my destiny.


Part II: The Dreams

�Look at her, honey, she�s so beautiful!�

�That she is; just like her mother,� he said as he winked at the woman next to him. He placed one hand on the small of the woman�s back as the other one stroked the baby�s sleeping face. The baby gurgled in its sleep, dreaming, apparently, a very sweet dream.

�Can you believe it�s been one year to the day that our little girl was born? It seem as though it were yesterday that we found out we were expecting,� said the mother with a teary mist in her eye, �She grows so fast!�

�In no time, she will be all grown up, a skilled warrior ready to leave us for the thrill of her own life.�

�Stop being so morbid,� the woman scolded the man. �She will become a brave warrior, but she will never forget her roots. Madamoiselle Rosemarie told me so. The cards say she will be strong and beautiful, but will always have a longing for home.�

�Don�t tell me you�ve been back to visit that foolish woman,� accused the man. �You know I do not believe in her kind of magic. Those sorcerers are not to be trusted. They do not know true magic. She will only tell you what you want to hear, and then rob you blind for doing so!�

�Oh, sweetheart, please do not be mad�I only wanted to know our daughter would be okay.�

�You needn�t have gone to that loon; you could have come to me. I can give you all the assurance you need. But please, let us not fight about this now. It is Amerial�s birthday; a day for celebration!�

A sudden rustling in the bushes beside me caused me to rouse from my thoughts. After hours of traveling through the forest atop Tygae, I had droned off into a daydream, remembering the last memory I had of my parents.

I slid off Tygae�s back, quickly, drawing my sword.

�Who�s there?�

I turned a bit, sword still in my hands and repeated it again.

�Who�s there? Reveal yourself, or I shall do it for you!�

My heart began to race. Had they found Korp? Had they already caught up with me? What will I do? I can not take on the whole band of those dirty smugglers!

I heard it again, rustle�rustle.

Becoming impatient, I flung my sword across the bushes, cutting most of the leaves away. There, timidly, stood a small rabbit. Feeling ashamed of my behavior, I lowered my head.

Going crazy won�t help you find your parents, I thought to myself.

I climbed back onto Tygae and signaled him to continue onward. A quarter of a mile later, I began to reminisce once more.

The man came back inside after having gone to tend to the sheep. With him he was carrying a rolled up newspaper, held together by a leather twine.

�I can�t believe it!�

�What?� asked the woman with concern.

�Another city razed by that pack of thieves that call themselves �The Rum Runners.� You would think the King would have his men all over these scum by now!�

The woman looked down at her feet. Concern was obvious upon her brow.

�Do you think they will come here?,� she asked when looked back up to her husband.

�To Nadoola? Of course not!� The woman seemed pleased by her husband�s answer. She walked toward the small crib and scooped up her now waking daughter.

�Good,� she said, as she stroked her baby�s face, �I wouldn�t know what to do if we had to leave this life behind. I wouldn�t know what to do if we had to flee.�

�Thank Banor you�ll never have to know.�

I woke with a start again upon hearing laughter far in the distance. I peered through hazy eyes at the sight before. A small village loomed in the distance.

A mile more and we would be there. It felt like I had been riding for days. And by the rumble in my stomach, it thought so, too.

Once there, I eased off of Tygae and onto the ground. I saw many houses around me, but one large castle-type building in the center.

This must be the inn, I thought, as I approached the doorway where two handsome men stood.

�Excuse me, sirs, but is this an inn? You see, I have been traveling for, I don't know how long, but I need a place to rest.�

The one man grinned at me, while the other wore an expression of nothing but concern.

The grinning man replied, �Nae, this is not an inn...despite how many guests we have each night. This is the Castle of the White Dragon; it is the home of the Darkreaver Nation. And, sweetheart, my name is Kinison.� He bowed as if I were royalty, which I of course, was not.

Confused, all I could say was, �Where am I?�

The other man stepped forward, �Please, Miss, my name is Bmulley and you are on the isle of Cormaya...I would say you ventured here through the underwater cave. None of us Tibians have been through there before, but I know it is there. No offense, but you look like hell! Why don't you come in and rest tonight, we'll figure the rest out tomorrow morn. Let's go find Altonia, she can get you some new clothes and find you a bed.�

I only heard half of what this man, Bmulley, said. All I knew was that I was in love.

Part III: The Introduction

I walked into the castle�s foyer, only to be met with a 1,000 eyes staring at my ragged appearance. The woman Bmulley had called for, Altonia, approached me with a warm smile upon her face. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and I knew that it must have been her personality shining through, for after speaking with her, I felt so comfortable, as if I were almost home.

�Follow me, dear, I will find you a place to rest,� said Altonia soothingly, �What was your name again?�

�I am Amerial�Amerial�N�Nadoola.�

At the last moment I had decided to take my hometown as my last name. I never wanted to forget my roots. Nadoola was a part of me, as were the events that happened in that small town.

�Nadoola? Well, then, right this way, Noodley girl!�

Altonia led me into a room in the basement and handed me a fresh set of robes. Her being a mage, robes were all she had to offer me. I was not picky, as I was grateful for all the help I had already received. They had not even asked me to pay any gold in exchange for the overnight stay.

Altonia left me to bathe in a tub of warmed water with a hint of lavender. When I was done, I slipped into the fresh robes and into the comfy bed that Altonia had fixed up for me. Upon my head hitting the pillow, I fell instantly to sleep.

What seemed like an eternity of dreamless sleep later, I woke with a start at the sense of someone watching me. Upon opening my eyes, I instantly fell into a state of confusion, wondering where I was. It was then I remembered the kind people who had taken me in. My eyes wandered to the figure that was approaching my bed.

�Who are you? Show yourself!� I said with a hint of fright in my voice.

The figure stepped into the light and was carrying a bottle and two goblets.

�Kinison?� I asked, not remembering if that was his name or not.

�Yes, it is I, Kinison! You seemed in need of some company and�erm...,� he looked at the contents in his hands, �some relaxation! So, I brought you some wine! Care to have a drink with me?�

Being the trusting person I was, I instantly accepted his offer without suspicion and pulled my knees to my chest to allow him room to sit on the edge of my bed. He took a seat and began pouring the wine into the goblets.

�You do like red wine, do you not?�

�Actually, I�ve never had wine before. Nor have I had beer. Where I came from, they never really shared those types of delicacies.� I said.

�Well, then, here�s a toast to a night of firsts!�

We raised our goblets and drank to the night.

Three hours and 5 glasses of wine later, I was feeling pretty good, not even remembering what I had run from.

�Shall I take you on a tour of the castle, Miss Amerial,� asked Kinison, in a friendly voice.

�You shall! I would -hic- love to shee the castshle!� I was not only tripping on my words, but my feet, as well. As soon as I stood up, Kinison had to steady me with his firm grip.

We walked (well, he walked and I stumbled) around the basement and then the lower level of the castle and then finally reached the top floor. I �oo�-ed and �aw�-ed at each and every room. Each was filled with treasures mine eyes had never before seen. The marble floors sparkled and glowed as the moonlight seeping through the windows hit them. I saw burgundy tapestries on the walls, sewn and lined with golden thread and cloth. My mind was still reeling from the splendor of this place when Kinison spoke again.

�Well, Amerial, this brings me to the end of the tour. This last room houses my sleeping quarters. If you�d like we can continue our nightcap in here. I would say it�s much more comfortable than the dark rooms in the basement.�

With my eyes barely open, I agreed. We entered his room and had a few more glasses of wine, at which point I stopped remembering anything. The next thing I remembered was waking up in his bed. Not only do I remember waking up in his bed, but waking up in his arms, as well.

Alarmed at what had inevitably happened, I jumped out of his bed, into my robes and slipped out of his room without waking him. Tiptoeing down the stairs, I ran into the person I least expected to ever see, literally.

Bmulley. I thought to myself. My heart instantly skipped a beat as he caught me in his arms after falling from the impact of the run-in. Looking dreamily at me, he spoke, �You should be more careful, Amerial. I would hate for anything to happen to such a pretty girl.�

My heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. If only he knew what already had happened to this pretty girl.

�Let me walk you back to the basement. I don�t want you running into anymore strange men,� he said as he smiled genuinely.

Walking back down each of the stairwells into the basement, Bmulley and I began talking. He was so animated when he spoke, as if he was passionate about every word he uttered. After 10 minutes of walking through the corridors, I was smitten.

We arrived in the basement and I turned to thank him for walking me back to my bed. He had a small smile playing upon his lips. I looked at him as confusion set in my eyes and asked, �What are you smiling about?�

He smiled even broader now and replied, �I don�t know you, Noodley girl, but I think I�m going to like you.� With this, he placed a small kiss upon my cheek and turned and walked out of the basement.

I fell asleep with the lingering sensation of his kiss on my cheek and in my dreams.


Part IV: Ameroola

Several weeks later, I began to feel as though the Darkreaver family was my own. I looked to Altonia as the mother I had never known. Bmulley and I became the closest of friends. I spent my days hunting and my evenings training to build up my strength and agility. My nights were spent trying to find the parents I had lost so many years before.

On this particular morning, I was sitting outside the castle on a bench, reading a lovely book from the Darkreaver library. The wind was blowing softly against my long, black hair. A few stray strands tickled my bare neck and sent goose bumps across my skin. The sun was glowing ever brightly, causing the dew drops upon the flowers to sparkle as if touched with pieces of gold.

I heard the castle doors open beside me and quickly peered over my shoulder to have a look at the person immerging from inside. To my pleasant surprise, I saw Willam, Altonia�s son. Unwillingly, my heart skipped a beat. He also had become one of my best friends during my stay at the castle and was working as hard as I was to help me find my parents. It seemed as though I had become better friends with the men of the castle than the women. Willam, Bmulley, Zojexi, Grammothy and Kinison were probably my best friends. Altonia, though a good friend, was more like a mother than anything.

�Mind if I join you,� I heard Willam ask as he took the seat next to me.

I smiled as I look over to him, �Of course not, Willam. You are always welcome to join me!�

�Well, there was something I wanted to talk to you about,� he said cautiously, as though he wasn�t sure if I wanted to hear what he had to say.

�What is it?�

�I think I narrowed down a couple of places where your parents might be located.�

My eyes lit up at the sound of this. There was nothing I wanted to hear more except the sound of my parents� voices. I turned to him and asked, �Where? I mean, how? When did you find this out, and where are they�and how did�?�

He cut me off and replied, �I have been spending a lot of time trying to find them. I have talked to merchants in the neighbor cities, some of the kingdom guards. And there are a few cities where these people think they have seen people who meet the description of your parents. They might be in Edron, just across the river, or in one of the desert cities, or in the capital city of Thais. If you want, I will go with you to see these families, and maybe one of them will be whom you seek.�

By now I had tears streaming down my face. All I could do was stare blankly at this wonderful man in front of me. He smiled slightly and wiped away my tears with his thumb. His hands were rough from being a warrior, but the contrast against my skin was tantalizing. Before I knew what was happening, he was leaning in toward me. My eyes fluttered, as did the butterflies in my stomach.

He�s going to kiss me, I thought to myself, and Banor knows I won�t stop him!

Just before our lips touched, we heard the castle doors open once more causing us to quickly part. Bmulley walked out of the castle, carrying a bouquet of blue roses that I later found out were hand-picked from the gardens of Ab�Dendriel. He handed me the roses after placing a kiss upon my cheek.

�For you, my lovely Amerial,� he said cheerfully. We had been spending all of our time together, so it was assumed we were �together.� Not that I denied the assumptions; it was nice to be loved for once.

My cheeks burned red as I looked at Willam. His face had fallen and the look of disappointment was apparent. How was it that I could have so many different feelings for so many different people?

I smiled weakly at Bmulley�s gesture just before darting off to the side of the cliff to throw up. The two men followed behind me, both uttering words of concern. I could not even look at them as I continued heaving.

Ignoring Bmulley�s protests, Willam scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the castle to my living quarters. He grabbed a wet washcloth and placed it upon my forehead as I reached for the rubbage bin as I succumbed to another wave of nausea. Just then Altonia stormed into the room and ordered both Willam and Bmulley out of the room as she tended to me.

A few hours later, Altonia left me with the news of the cause of my sickness. I was pregnant. I asked for Altonia to deliver the news to the father, Kinison, as I was too weak to handle this situation. Shortly after, Kinison shyly entered the room.

�I just heard the n�news,� he said almost inaudibly, �is it true?�

I could manage nothing but a nod.

�Well, then I guess we should be arranging a wedding then? You know, before the baby comes along.�

I quickly sat up at this comment, �What?�

�You know, since we don�t want the baby to be born before we get married, right?�

�No, no, Kinison. We aren�t going to get married. There is no sense in marrying someone just because of a baby. I mean, we aren�t in love!�

�We a�aren�t?�

�Wait; are you in love with me, Kinison?�

�We�well, that�s wh�why I came to y�you that night, y�you know�I really felt drawn to y�you!�

�Oh dear, I am sorry, Kini, but I don�t feel that way toward you. We can raise the child together, but not together. You know I am in love with Wil�Bmulley. I�m not going to let us having a child keep me from being with him!�

�Right, then I should go. I need to think.�

Kinison silently and sadly left the room, as my mind reeled at what would inevitably happen to our friendship because of this situation. I walked out of my room and ran into Bmulley who looked heartbroken. Willam was standing not too far behind him, avoiding looking at me.

Bmulley was the first to speak. �So, I guess that�s it for us, huh?�

I looked at him, and it took me a moment to register what he had said. �What? No! Of course it�s not over. Just because I am pregnant does not mean I am going to leave you.� I hugged him and looked over his shoulder at Willam. Willam shoulders sagged as he looked at me quickly then left.

The thoughts of finding my parents were pushed to the side as the thoughts becoming a parent myself dominated. I now spent my time between preparing for the baby and working on a relationship with Bmulley. Willam and I remained best friends, though it was growing continually harder to hide the feelings for him that I had inside.

One day, when I was about eight and a half months into my pregnancy, I was walking through the castle, carrying a load of robes from the wash to fold. As I was getting ready to head for the stairwell, a hand pulled me into a nearby closet.

�What the�,� I spoke loudly, only to have my mouth covered by a very familiar rough hand.

�Willam?�

�Yes, it�s me. I need to talk to you and I don�t want anyone else to interrupt.�

�What is going on, Willam?�

�I love you.�

I remained silent, not knowing what to say.

�Amerial, please, say something. Look, you have to have known I loved you; I�ve made it quite obvious. I�ve loved you from the moment we met. And I think we have something. There�s this bond between us that is undeniable. Just forget about Bmulley. He doesn�t love you. Why else hasn�t he tried to marry you yet? He�s just enjoying playing house. Come on, you know we could make a good family together; we could raise your child together. And you know I will always love you!� He sighed heavily as he finished his speech.

�Will, I don�t know what to say. I mean, I�I just don�t know. Bmulley says he loves me. And it would break his heart if I leave him. I can�t hurt him like that! I know what it feels like to be abandoned!�

�Well, then answer me one thing.�

�What�s that?�

�Do you love me?�

�Yes.� At the sound of my own voice I had to do a double take. I loved Willam? Willam looked at me with a fire in his eyes that I had never seen before. He grabbed me gently and kissed me. He kissed me with more passion than I had ever experienced. I melted into his arms and could do nothing but return the embrace. We kissed for what seemed like a lifetime but merely seconds at the same time.

�So does this mean we can be together,� Willam asked.

�I�I have to think about this. I mean I have so much to think about�there�s Bmulley, Kinison and this baby to think about, too. Not just me and you. Can you give me some time?�

Willam looked defeated once more.

�Yes, I can give that to you.�

I placed a kiss upon his cheek. We began to exit the closet when I suddenly dropped the load I was carrying and doubled over in pain.

�Amerial! Are you okay?� Willam caught me as I almost fell and laid me onto the floor.

�Wil�Willam! Oh Banor! Please, get Altonia. I think it�s time!� My face scrunched in pain as once more the pain shot through my abdomen. Willam left and soon returned with Altonia and together they carried me to my bedroom.

Thirteen hours and twenty two minutes later, Ameroola, the most beautiful girl in the world, was born. Kinison, of course, was no where to be found. He�d left for the local tavern and had not yet returned. Willam and Altonia were the only ones here to witness this wonderful, heaven-sent, miracle. Willam held the crying baby in his arms as he looked to me and smiled.

I cried. I cried tears of joy at this beautiful baby, but also tears of sadness that no matter what I did, one of the men I loved would be hurt.

I took my child from Willam and cuddled her close.

Nothing matters anymore, I thought to myself, it�s just me and you, baby girl, and no matter what, we�ll stick together. I will not abandon you. You will never have to search for me, I will always be by your side.

Baby Ameroola gurgled and smiled as though she could hear my thoughts. And at this precise moment, I was content.