To Sivandell

Chapter 51
Jora sent someone to call the alpha. “He must know,” she toldNalani. “That Goddess Medeina’s representation this time will be different from before.”

“What’s different?”

“I cannot perform the blessing ritual alone, for I have only one Element. We must invite a fae from Sivandell to assist with the ritual.”

Nalani was getting interested. “Why, Jora?”

“Because only their race has all five elements within. Other Than them, any human race chosen as a representative of Goddess Medeina usually only has one or two elements, nothing more.” Now Jora observed her sharply. “Are you sure you're not a fae, child?”

Nalani shook her head. “My race is witch. I am a Mirean who was not born with magic. My mother, Casia and my father, Elfed. My grandmother was Zaria. You must have heard of her. Zaria was Morvena’s most prominent witch before the Inverno clan invasion.”

“I see,” Jora said. “Then you are something rare among humans.”

The tent door opened and Karyan stepped inside. “What's Going on?” he asked. “Have you figured out her element yet, Jora? Or is she giving you a hard time? Because she was afraid to sit at the altar.”

Nalani glared. What a snitch, she grumbled to herself. “You know I’m fine now,” Nalani said. “I never meant to trouble anyone.”

Nalani saw the corner of Karyan’s lips twitch. Then she realized Karyan had managed to tease her by making her grumble.

“He didn’t trouble me at all, Alpha,” she agreed. “I invited you to my tent to tell you the elements of Nalani. I didn’t want to tell you in public.”

Karyan, who was quick to respond, was now getting serious. “Is there something wrong?”

“Something wrong? Oh, I guess it’s not something to worry about if you look at it from the positive side.” Jora sighed for a moment. “Nalani has five elements at once, Alpha. That's Very unusual for humans, regardless of race. Because only elves have all the elements.”

Karyan frowned and turned to Nalani. Then turned back to the elder. “Five elements? That means....”

“We must invite a fae from Sivandell to assist with the ritual,” Jora continued.
“And that is your job.”

It was amusing for Nalani to see Karyan's confused face.“Why me, Jora?” he asked.

“To be honest, I’ve never done that. I don’t know anyone in Sivandell, although my great-grandmother was from there.”

Jora gave Karyan an annoyed look, Nalani admired the old woman's courage.

An alpha should be treated with the utmost respect because he was the supreme leader of the entire pack. But Jora was staring at Karyan like she was staring at a naughty child.

She later learned that Jora was the cousin of Kahn, Karyan’sfather.

“I will help you, Alpha,” Nalani said. “Sivandell is not a forbidden world. If they are open to visits then we will find a way."

“Their lands may indeed be visited, child. But it is very difficult to find a way into Sivandell,” said Jora. “I’ve never even been there, mainly because there has never been a representation of the five-element Goddess Medeina.”

“I will look for it.”

“You can’t leave, child,” Jora said. “You have to take care of yourself so you don’t get hurt.”

“I promise I’ll be careful,” she said stubbornly.

“No, no.” Jora shook her head firmly. “If you insist, I'll Suggest to the alpha to lock you up.”

“What?” Nalani jumped. Her face was bright red with annoyance. “I don’t want to be locked up!”

“Then you must obey Jora,” Karyan said. “Because everyone listens to the advice of the elders.”

Jora nodded in confirmation. Her face was now as flat as stone. “Then, you should go back to your room now. The fact that you have five elements makes you even more important.”

Karyan extended his hand to Nalani and led her out of thetent.

“It’s not like we never had a relationship with Sivandell,” Karyan told Nalani. He escorted Nalani back to her room, while Mita followed a little further behind. “My father was good friends with King Urvandell, he often visited him in Sivandell.”

“Then you should have instructions on how to go there, which our father taught you.”

“Nalani, he was killed by Deegon when I was a child. He didn’t have time to prepare me to be an alpha.”

“Did your mother never tell you about the land of her ancestors either?”

Karyan shook his head. He looked regretful. “Since marrying Deegon, my mother has become busier. I think she was working to help Deegon who was incapable of leading the pack. It turns out....”

“She’s busy investigating Deegon’s crimes?”

“Yes. And she sacrificed her life for it.”
***
Everyone in the human world knows that the entrance to Sivandell is not easy. Only certain people are notified, but the access is personal. Everyone spoke of Sivandell with curiosity. So did Zaria back then.

“Their entrance is a free entrance for anyone who finds it,” her grandmother used to say. At that time, a year before theInverno wolf attack. “Sivandell did not deliberately keep it a secret. They only screen their guests.”

“Why is that, Granny?”

“Because the fae world is too beautiful and marvelous. A human who enters it must be sensitive, empathetic and love nature. That’s what Sivandell is all about.”
“How do you know? Have you ever been there?”

Her grandmother chuckled. “Do I sound like a bragging old granny?” Zaria patted her cheek. “My father told me all about it. He was the one who went there.”

"And Great Grandpa didn't tell you about the entrance?"

Zaria smiled. "Because it's useless, dear. That entrance is personal, isn't it?"

"Do you want to go there, Granny?"

Zaria nodded. "I'd love to. But even a high witch like me might not be able to find it."

"Oh, if you can't find it, then neither can I."

"But my father once told me, honey. The entrance cannot be sought with the eyes, but with the heart."
.....
The conversation came up in Nalani’s dream, waking her up.

Her memories came flooding back. About the fae world, about the entrance to Sivandell, about her great-grandfather's adventures, and the pictures of the fae races from hergrandmother’s book. She missed that book. The book that contained many things, which disappeared after the attack.

“Seek the entrance with your heart,” she whispered softly. Sitting alone on her bed, her desire to find the entrance to Sivandell felt urgent. It was as if something was calling her.

“It would be wonderful to write to Kabar that I found the entrance. Even if I’m the only one who can enter. Kabar will surely be very upset.” Nalani smiled at the thought.

“Why are you smiling alone there?”

Karyan’s heavy voice made Nalani turn her head in surprise. The alpha stood between the connecting doors.

“I woke up because of a dream. And why aren’t you sleeping?”

Karyan shrugged. “I was just hunting. Are you hungry? I set aside the most delicious part of the venison for you. The cook will make whatever food you want.”

“That sounds like bribery, Alpha.”

Karyan grinned. “I’m bribing the forest goddess to give me blessings.”

“Speaking of the forest. I have a feeling that there’s an entrance in there.”

“Oh, you’re influenced by the legend of the fallen tree trunk, Nalani.”

Nalani shook her head. “That’s not what I meant, Alpha. You said your father was a frequent visitor to Sivandell. Have you ever thought that the way it might be in that forest?”

“I’ve often thought about it.” Karyan admitted. “But it only belongs to my father. It’s useless if we look for it, Nalani. We can’t get in.”

“But, if there is one entrance formed there, it is not impossible that there are other entrances around it. Have you ever thought about it?”

Karyan shook his head. “There can’t be so many entrances so close together.”

“Why not? Remember those Eirore trees in the middle of the forest?”

Karyan nodded. “Yea.”

“It was said that those trees are from the fae world. Their Seeds were carried by the shoes of the fairies who went to the human world. Do you remember that?”
Karyan’s eyes widened. Now he understood. “The entrance is there?”
Nalani shrugged. “I guess.”

***