Saviors: Prologue

By Rowan, Grade 7

“Aliah, Aliah, Aliah hlopu!” The lost tribe chanted. Amlisa, age eight, climbed out of her hammock and started walking to the safe house with the other children. The other children, their eyes as big as grapefruits, followed the guardians. Six of them burst into tears, and the guardians rushed to put a hand over their mouths. Joliah, age three, sat down on the ground and started to have a tantrum. “I’s not leaving! I’s staying wight here!” This was her time, Amlisa knew. She looked around, then broke into a sprint. She was the fastest in the tribe, and she was also the chief's daughter. She knew her father’s most trusted assistant was not trustworthy. She would not let him guide the tribe’s future savior into the dark path, with no flame to light the way. Amlisa approached the chanting, being careful to not be seen or heard.

She was hiding behind a tent. It would be a while before the guardians noticed she was missing. Every single child there had a problem or a question to be answered, which gave Amlisa time. Only when they reached the safe house, they would count heads. It was going to be a long walk, plus there were all the people who were tired and crying. It might take a while to get everyone calmed down. The chanting increased. In only a matter of seconds, the flame would whisk her father’s advisor’s soul away, leaving the tribe in doom that everyone would soon know. The flame reveals your soul, and cuts your soul from your body, so you can be the guide to the tribe savior. Amlisa looked down at her hands. She flexed her fingers. This was the last time her hands were going to be solid.

Now it was time. Amlisa took a deep breath. She sent a silent prayer to the goddess of her tribe, and dropped to a crouch. She held her breath, and started to crawl. Under the legs of her mother, just to the side of her older sister, right underneath her baby brother. He saw her, and his cute little face broke into a grin. “Awamisa!” he called, giggling and burbling. She would miss him most of all. He pointed to her, and while her mother shushed him, her sister followed his finger to the spot where Amlisa had crouched. She was already gone. Now she was in the front row, concealed by the darkness. She was wise beyond her years, her family said. Now it was time to prove them right. She steadied her heart, tensed her legs, and just as the flame surged up, she jumped.

She saw her past life flash by, and her destiny approach. She even saw the advisor’s soul, in all the madness. It was almost black, with a surge of red. It’s eyes were green endless holes and it’s mouth spewed with fangs and teeth. But the thing she saw most of the time was orange. Red hot orange, the color of the flames dancing around her, and the pain going through her body. She would do anything to save her tribe. Even launching herself into a roaring fire, complete with a dark soul in it. The pain was unbearable. She screamed, the shrill voice of an eight-year-old mixing with the scream of the advisor. When she jumped, she had pushed him into the outside of the fire. She was in the center, therefore making sure she would go to Wrynaise, instead of the advisor. He would lurke in the shadows, and when the time was right, reveal himself. This was fate, she knew, deep within her bones. He was part of it, but now, so was she.