Lunaria

Written by Patricia Go

Prologue

Liefell vi Euferis was a somewhat quiet person, but only because she felt she understood the definition of thoughtful silence and being logical. As she grew up, the world was her adventure and she found wonder in every little thing. It started when she was just a little girl; no older than four.

She would spend her days in her grandfather’s manor; turning rocks, hiding in shelves, and slaying a monstrous dragon (though, it was really just her grandfather’s Border collie, Crown); but as she grew older she began questioning what she and the people around her did, and what the point was of what they’re doing; “Why are you asking if you know the answer?” “Why would I care to know that?” “Why do you say it will work when it obviously won’t?” Often times she despised people for saying things only to make themselves look better than others. “What idiots!” She would say. A few years later, she simply grew out of playing pretend. “I’m just growing up.” She would find herself saying to the mirror more and more often.

However, she never did grow out of her love of reading stories. In fact, when she received a blue laptop for her eleventh birthday, she quickly tried to write her own story book (experiencing her first writers block not long after). She also opted to write short stories at one point (with the occasional one-shot). She started to blog and write forms online to see how people would like her ideas.

Liefell had actually gotten her love of the written art from her grandfather, Sven vi Euferis. Whenever she visited his manor (which was to say, a lot) he would spoil her rotten with tales of his adventures as a sea man (though she insisted he was a pirate). When she came over, he would spout stories of sirens and sea monsters wreaking havoc to his ship and crew before dragging the men down to their cold death beds below the surface and of him and his shipmates achieving great deals of heroism and saving the day, not that any of it were real but the elder was not below twisting his words to please his granddaughter; and for that, she loved him.

Some people would look at Liefell and her grandfather’s relationship and say to them that it seemed she loved the sea-dog more than her own father. To that, she would bluntly deny their claims before going back to listening to Sven with wide, wonder-filled amethyst eyes.

No matter how old she had been, she loved to visit her grandfather. The girl never grew out of it, even when the man passed away when she was twelve years of age she would hold up the silvery-blue key-like necklace she received from Sven at age four and rub the diamond shaped emblem on its grip with a look of reminiscence. And even as the world turned and time marched on, she remembered the days full of wonder and hope that she spent with her beloved grandfather. She would never have guessed what else Sven had left for her.

End Prologue

“Liefell! Come downstairs, dear!” came a call from the bottom floor, “There’s someone here to see you.” Liefell took her headphones off and set them down on the table next to her angel fish that swam happily in its tank and she looked at the door, tucking a few strands of slightly curled caramel blond hair behind her ear.

“Coming, Mum! Just give me a minute!” She picked up a blue and white rubber brush and ran it over her silky locks, flattening the stray strands before putting it back down and heading out of her room and going downstairs slowly. ‘Might as well look presentable if I’m meeting someone.’

She trudged down the stairs and came to a stop in front of a man in a dark over coat. “Hello, Miss Liefell. My name is James. I was your grandfather’s lawyer.”

The amethyst eyed teen swerved to avoid a large bump in the forest lined road as she sped down the deserted path on her Harley. Nature flew by; bird in the trees, tall looming pines, and even the occasional forest deer, but that did not catch her eye. What did was the large manor standing proudly in the distance.

She smiled fondly as she came closer. On her way, she thought back to what had transpired at her home and her brows furrowed in thought as she remembered what she had been told.

“Your grandfather was a good man.”

“Yeah, he was.” Liefell swallowed the lump in her throat and eased the sudden dryness, “I wish he were still here, or that I at least had something to remember him by.”

The sixteen year old looked away from James’ eyes and instead looked down into her blue cup of warm tea. ‘Earl Grey, my favourite.’ She thought as James pursed his lips into a thin line.

“Well, actually that’s what I came here to talk to you about; your grandfather, Sven, he left something for you.”

Bright violet eyes widened as Liefell promptly did a spit-take. James blinked, dumbfounded, “Ah, yes. He told me to give this letter to you when you come of age. He said to open it at his manor. We were to give it to you during your sixteenth birthday a few months back,” Liefell gingerly took the letter into her own hands and stared at its yellowed envelope. “We ran into a bit of trouble locating you because you moved an-“ Anything else he said was lost to all but the wind as the caramel haired girl stood and ran out the door. Not even stopping as she grabbed her helmet.

By the time she came out of her thoughts Euferis Manor loomed over her, but not threateningly so. She took a step toward the front door as she pulled a silver key out of her back pocket and unlocked the door before opening it. Standing as she stared at the familiar interior, “I’m home,” she said jokingly.

She took a step inside, taking out the letter from her front hoodie pocket. The envelope was worn and yellow. The sides were folded and the paper it was made of had been crumpled a bit. Some small indents embroidered the flap, making it look unsavoury, and yet the Euferis seal adjourned the said flap, pressed into cool wax.

It was a bird, a pied-tail swallow to be exact. Its wings were spread out and it’s long black-rimmed tail curved into a glorious arc. ‘Still beautiful,’ she thought, ‘like always.’ Gently, she popped the wax seal open.



My dearest Liefell,

How are you child? I hope you are well. If you are receiving this letter, then I must have passed away; I will no longer be there to tell you the thrills of adventure or watch you grow to be a fine woman. But I do not wish to hold you back.

You love adventure and great mysteries and I believe you will have your own stories to tell someday, but I wanted to die knowing what your first would be and knowing that it will be the best it can be, and for that reason I left you a gift.

Within my study there’s a gorgeous piece; it is for you to find. You’ll know what it is when you see it. I love you with all my heat and I am certain that you will care for it, so I do not fear and neither should you. Just remember you are the one who holds the key.

Your loving Grandfather,

Sven vi Euferis.

Liefell wiped away a stray tear and whispered “I love you too.” She shut the door and placed the letter back in its envelope and pocketed it.

Sven vi Euferis was a ‘neat freak’. He kept everything clean and in its place; his study was no exception. As Liefell looked around, she noted that nothing seemed out of place if not a bit dusty. She spent a good half hour searching before finding an old book under the dresser. It was a weathered leather bound book that would not have been worth much no matter where you tried to sell it; however, it was the clean silver lock that bared the Euferis seal that let her know it was the piece that she was looking for.

She looked down at the cool metal around her neck and tugged it clean off before gently inserting it into the lock hole. She frowned when it did nothing, not even make a clicking sound to signify it’s unlocking. Suddenly, it flew open and she backed away, dropping it on the floor as she did. The pages began to turn as unexplainable winds blew around the room. Then, she blacked out.


When Liefell awoke, she stared into the vast bright blue of the sky as it blinked back at her. ‘Wait… blink?’

“Hello!!!” The caramel haired girl fell back and sat up quickly, causing a heads on collision with the blue eyed blond in front of her. “Ow!” She cried and fell back on her bottom, “Why’d you do that? My poor tail!”

It was only then that Liefell took notice of the girl’s platinum blond tail and fuzzy pointed dog ears. The blond rubbed on the former with a disgruntled look on her face.

The look did not last long and the dog eared girl was up on her feet and bouncing as Liefell looked on in confusion. “Eero!” She said. Liefell assumed this was a hello. Amethyst eyes blinked as Liefell gave the blond a look. “My name is Coco! I was named after a plant! I really like you’re wings!”

Liefell stared with wide eyes, “Wh-WHAT!? Wings!” She swiftly reached behind her and felt the unfamiliar fluff of feathers. She jumped up and gently pushed Coco to the side as she ran to the river a few feet away and looked in. Liefell let out a high squeak in surprise and panic.

A familiar pair of amethyst eyes and caramel blond hair stared back, but on her back was a pair of seven foot white wings tipped with black folded elegantly. She consciously twitched one and unfurled it a bit.

“Wha-wh- What’s going on!?” she screeched at the water as Coco walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder, “Don’t worry Liefell. I’ll explain everything.” She kneeled down beside her. “Your grandfather, Sven, he made this place. It’s for you.”

Liefell looked at her, “That book.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot like a fairy tale; it can be anything you imagine.” Coco said. She pulled her tail onto her lap and pushed her hair back. “He said that you seemed to have lost your sense of adventure and wanted to give you something to regain it. He wanted to give it to you pretty badly and this is the outcome.” She paused, petting her tail, “It’s a long story on how he made it but I can tell you that he thought of you when he made it.”

Liefell was in a state of panic. “I don’t want adventure. I want out!” She cried. Coco frowned.

“And you will be. This place, this fantasy world will bring you back in a few hours, but until then, let’s have an adventure!” Liefell’s frown started to disappear. Coco stood up.

“So, what do you say? Care to go on an adventure with this lovely lupine lady?” She reached a hand down to the now winged girl. “It’s what your grandfather would have wanted.”

Liefell simply stared before grinning. She reached out her own hand and clasped it before she suddenly used her newly found wings and leaped into their air, still holding the canine eared girl as she floated around wobbly, ‘Meh, I’ll get used to it.’ She thought while Coco screamed in joy.

“Haha! Let’s go have some fun! To Eden falls!” She shouted pointing to the large mountain of streaming water in the distance. And so, they set off. “To Lunaria!”



Liefell spent the next few hours having the greatest time of her life in the magical land of Lunaria. She eventually did get the hang of flying with her wings, and with her new ability, she met many new faces and visited places she once found unmanageable. ‘Only grandfather could have thought these places up.’ She thought.

She pondered on her great day and the wonderful time she spent with Coco (her new Best friend). ‘Why did I ever stop loving these?’

She sat down next to Coco as they watched the sun set over the horizon. In Lunaria, it was a glorious sight; the planet had two moons: one that glowed brightly in the night, and one that came out in the day, timed so well that it barely brushed the crown of the sun as it set. It would reflect light and cause a shower of color to fly throughout the sky.

Liefell and Coco told jokes while Liefell groomed her new wings and Coco somehow adjourned them with delphinium and camellia flowers. Suddenly, the caramel haired girl began to glow, “What’s happening!?” cried Liefell. She tried to brush off the light. Coco just smiled.

‘”Don’t worry! Your time here is just over, for now anyway. You can visit us again anytime. You have the key don’t you?” Liefell gripped her necklace and nodded, “Then don’t worry, like I said. I’ll see you soon. Come back soon, okay?” Liefell smiled, her amethyst eyes twinkling in mirth, “See you soon!”

And she was gone.



“Li-l-! Li-f-l! Wake- u-!” Liefell felt her shoulder being shaken roughly and groaned. “Liefell! Liefell!” The teen opened her eyes and they locked onto her mother’s worried green eyes. “Thank goodness! I came here as soon as I could. Are you hurt?”

Liefell shook her head, caramel blond hair flying everywhere, “No, I’m fine. Her mother sighed. “That’s good. You were gone for a good four hours; I got worried. Did you get the thing Grandpa Sven gave you?” Liefell’s amethyst eyes shifted to the book in her hand. She knew it was worth much more than it looked. She smiled. “Yeah, I did, her mother nodded in affirmation.

“That’s good. Now come on; I already put your motorcycle in the car. Ugh, I swear, someday you’ll give me a heart attack! I can’t believe you’d scare me like that!” Liefell followed her mother out, clutching the book in her arms to her chest, smiling all the way as her mother ranted on.



But the book had changed; the once plain leather cover had golden words embedded in bold fancy script. “Lunaria.” Liefell mumbled as she shut the door of the Euferis Manor behind her. She let out a small giggle, “I’ll see you soon!”