Avalonna

"Do you honestly think you and your allies have the power to stop the Nitehardts?" a voice echoed through Avalonna's dreams as she slept. The voice was firm, but gentle, and reminded her of her mother. 

"How do you know you have what it takes to succeed?" The voice continued questioning.

 Avalonna's vivid dream began to change until it was just her alone standing in a forest. In front of her lay rubble and smoldering houses, and even some fallen villagers. 

"Where am I?" Avalonna asked, not wanting to let her fear show.

"Don't you recognize this place, child?" The voice said as the wind picked up and started to swirl around her,

"This is what is left of Eversong. How can you hope to face an enemy as ruthless as this? They burn villages without a second thought and even murder their own family." As the voice spoke the wind began to take shape and soon formed together as a whole person. A woman now stood before Avalonna, dressed rather regally. She was older, but there was something familiar about her. 

"Mother?" Avalonna asked confused.

"Not quite, now tell me Avalonna. How will you stand up to the Red King and Queen?" the woman asked, staring into Avalonna's eyes intently. 

"I have my magic, and my family." Avalonna found herself saying. 

"Ah, and what about if Anthena takes that from you?" The woman asked.

"She could never, they are both apart of me and we will defeat her and Leonidas." Avalonna replied, then froze. She felt herself answering these questions without trying, as if she was listening to someone else's voice speak them. She realized although the woman was speaking directly to her, she was being left out of the conversation. 

"Stop!" Avalonna said suddenly and shook her head to wake herself up. Although it cleared her thoughts, she found herself still in her dream.

"You are using magic on me, aren't you? You're a witch, I know that much. Now, explain yourself." Avalonna said and glared at the woman. She slowly rose her hands up to defend herself if needed.

"I am sorry, it is getting harder to control my magic recently, though I did want to learn the truth from you. You cannot go and face the Nitehardts with doubt in your heart. You must first believe you can win." She paused for a moment and slowly walked in a circle around Avalonna.

"Do not worry, I will not hurt you and I do not work for the Nitehartds." She started again after a moment, Avalonna hesitantly lowered her hands.

"I am a witch, but I specialize in specific kinds of magic. For many years I was known as the Oracle, but now I simply wish to be known as Sylene. I helped your brother before Eversong burned and now I wish to help you."

"Why would you want to help us? Why haven't you joined us at the Council instead of meeting me in this dream?" Avalonna interrupted.

"This is no ordinary dream, in fact I may not have much energy left when this is over." Sylene replied.

"I cannot help you in the material world because I am no longer a part of it. However, I wish to help you because Anthena has already taken my daughter from me, I will not let her take my grandchildren." 

'Daughter... grandchildren?' Avalonna thought to herself. 

'Wait...Sylene!' As she thought about the name a flood of memories came back to her. She was very young at the time, so it was hard to keep a hold on the memories, but finding them again she realized they were not forgotten, they were locked away.

"You are my grandmother. I remember now, I remember visiting and you used to do magic tricks for Connor and I when we were very young. Mother did not like it though, and I remember a loud argument...what happened?" 

"Meredith did not wish to expose you two to the magical world, so she was understandably upset when I tried to teach you spells. Minor tricks of course, but nonetheless she used her magic and tried to remove the memories of magic from both of you. This failed and she removed memories of me along with them. After that, it was better that I remained away, so I visited my other daughter."

"Other daughter? My mother had a sister?" Avalonna asked, her voice mixed with confusion and excitement.

"Yes, and she is why I am here, in more ways than one." Sylene replied calmly. 

"My youngest daughter," she continued,

"She is the reason I am no longer a part of the material world. She has become obsessed with power and magic and has now become stronger than ever. I have come to warn you and prepare you for your battles with her, since you will be facing her soon. You must do whatever it takes to defeat my daughter, to defeat Anthena." 

Avalonna almost fell back at the news and her knees shook. She was almost happy to have another relative, but how could it be such a cruel and evil person. Anthena and her husband burned Avalonna's home, killed her grandmother, and crippled their own kingdom at their leisure. 

"This cannot be true, grandmother. Please, she cannot be part of our family." Avalonna pleaded, tears in her eyes.

"I am sorry child, but it is. At times I wish it was not true myself, but you cannot pick your family or who you love. I still do love both my children, and spent many years trying to change Anthena. I thought maybe I had finally gotten through to her, but when she found two new magical beings she couldn't let it go. She was always envious she was born without the gift of true magic, so she swore to rid magic from this world. I fear she now has the power to do that." 

"What do you mean? If she is not a witch, then we have an advantage don't we?" Avalonna asked hopefully.

"Her capacity for magic is very low, but it was possible for her to cast one spell after a period of time. With this spell she stole my powers and reserves of magic and now can do many things. I can't even imagine what Anthena is capable of now..." she said trailing off. 

"How can we stop her then?" Avalonna said, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"You and Connor are capable of many things, use everything you have and any spells you can imagine. Together you are more powerful than one pseudo-witch. I will help you all I can before you awake." 

"Thank you grandmother, I pray it will be enough. Do you have enough energy to teach me a spell?" 

"Yes, but just one. You may not remember all of this dream, but you will be able to use the knowledge when the time comes. I do not wish to do this, but it may be the only way. In order to defeat Anthena and Leonidas, I will have to teach you the same spell she used to defeat me."