• Chapter One
    It’s Christmas in the Knowls household. The snowy cabin up in Flagstaff, Arizona had never seen as much snow as they had that year. You’d expect the house to be buzzing with excited children and the constant barking of a lazy golden retriever, scolding its pups for pattering against the cold wood floor. No, this house was quiet this year. No tree was set up, no lights were hung, and no ornaments hung gallantly from the tree. There wasn’t even a snowman sitting outside.
    This year, Kaitlynn Knowls was all alone. Her parents had gone to Florida, taking their eldest son, Kaitlynn’s little brother, along. She shook as she walked down the wooden stairs and into the bright kitchen. Kaitlynn was tall and very pale. She had short brown hair that went her shoulders in natural curls. Her eyes were a dull green, getting duller as every day passed. She was very skinny, only weighing in at 100 pounds and being five feet and seven inches tall, that was very little weight. She wore a long robe with a pajama set underneath. You could see a bulge in her left pocket from where her cell phone sat. She looked sickly, and rightfully so. Kaitlynn had a very rare disease hardly any doctor had heard of. There had only been one other case, Michael Rivers, who died at the age of nineteen with the same disease. They named the disease after that boy. It is now called the Rivers Disease. This disease was a painful one. It would attack your immune system first, and then make its way to your nervous system. It will sit and tie your nerves into many tiny bunches. It would cause involuntary spasms throughout your body. Soon, it’ll make its way to your brain and attack every last thing it can before you go insane. The scariest part, no one knows how to stop it.
    Kaitlynn coughed violently as she shuffled around the chrome kitchen, looking for painkillers. The dog, who was previously sitting on the couch, was tagging along right behind her, ready to help if she were to fall. The dog carefully watched Kaitlynn’s feet, making sure they appeared to be stable. Kaitlynn stopped suddenly and roared in frustration. “I can’t think straight. Where did I put these damn painkillers?” She cried as she flailed her arms about the cold counters. Her hands were very shaky as she examined the different bottles until she found her sweet medicine. “Finally,” She huffed as she downed three of the pills. The dog kept watching her, especially as she became uneasy on her feet. The dog kept her balanced by putting his head on the back of her legs, the pressure keeping her stable. “Thank you, Dover.” She sighed as she patted his head.
    Kaitlynn began to make the long trek back to her room at the top of the stairs when the door bell rang in a dull roar. Kaitlynn growled as she slowly shuffled her way over to the wooden door. The door bell rang three more times before she made it to the door. She barely cracked the door, barely able to see outside. “Who is it?” She asked, not able to see a face. The person maneuvered around until their face was even with hers at the crack of the door. Kaitlynn’s body froze; she couldn’t tell if it was the fact her meds were kicking in, or the fact that she recognized the boy at the door. “Go away.” Kaitlynn growled, Dover growled lowly at the door as well. The boy was no older than Kaitlynn, seventeen years old at most. “Kate, wait,” the boy pleaded “No!” Kaitlynn screamed and tried to close the door. His hand blocked the door from closing. “You have no right to be here.” Kaitlynn cried. Dover growled louder at the door. “Alright, I get the picture. You really don’t want to see me anymore?” the boy asked. Kaitlynn didn’t respond. That question always bothered her. She knew she should just tell him no. She knew she didn’t need him. Or, did she? Kaitlynn hated thinking too long on things; it caused her more pain than it was worth.
    Dover broke Kaitlynn’s thoughts as he nudged her leg. Kaitlynn sighed and opened the door wider. “Come in, Josh.” She whispered. The door swung open and there stood a very handsome young man. He was six feet plus a couple of inches. His black hair was short and spiked with gel. His blue eyes had a smooth, silky shade to them. His skin was creamy and the muscles underneath it rippled showing he was very athletic.
    He walked into the house with a concerned look on his face. “You’re alone on Christmas?” Josh asked her, hoping he was wrong. “No, Dover’s here.” Kaitlynn tried to laugh. Josh didn’t return a laugh, creating tension in the room. Kaitlynn huffed and shuffled over to a recliner. “So, are you coming back to school?” Josh asked as he lounged on the couch. Kaitlynn shook her head with a frown. “I can’t.” She simply retorted as she sat back in the recliner, closing her eyes. Josh laughed for a few seconds before jumping up off the couch and crawling over to Kaitlynn’s side. “Really, why can’t you?” Josh asked as he rested his head on the arm of the recliner. Kaitlynn opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Josh. “I can hardly walk, Josh. I can’t be going up and down stairs all day.” She tried to explain. “I’ll carry you,” “You have your own classes to get to; I’ll just stick with doing this online.” Kaitlynn explained again. Josh sighed and slummed against the wall. He closed his eyes and started to think.
    Hours went by and the awkward silence was broken every once in a while with a crazy idea Josh came up with to try and get Kaitlynn to come back to school. Soon, it was nearing nine o’clock at night. Josh got up and saw Kaitlynn had fallen asleep in the recliner. He gave her a brief smile before kissing her forehead and then departing the house. “Merry Christmas, Kate,” He said before walking out the door.
    Kaitlynn didn’t awaken again until late the next morning, around ten. She looked around the room, still sitting in the now uncomfortable recliner. No one was there. She glanced at the couch to see that Josh was no longer there. She felt a sad, but why? She didn’t want to be around Josh anymore. Maybe that’s why she never wanted to be around him; she always never wanted him to leave.
    Kaitlynn grunted in pain as she slowly stood up from her chair. She wobbled over to the kitchen to get her meds, her dog following behind her just like the previous day. Kaitlynn stopped several times to try to catch her balance. She was getting dizzy far too fast; she had a hard time reaching the counter before almost falling. Dover watched her wobble and started to whine in worry. Kaitlynn tried to grip the marble counter, but she failed. Instead she went tumbling down onto Dover, who yelped and jerked by accident, causing him to drop Kaitlynn. She lay on the ground, crying in pain.
    Kaitlynn reached into her robe pocket and dug her phone out. She looked through the contact list and selected one quickly before putting the phone up to her ear. It rang once. Then twice, then three times before the person answered. “Hello?” The deep voice asked. “I need you to come by the house, I just fell, and I can’t get up.” Kaitlynn cried into the phone. The voice called out to someone and then spoke to Kaitlynn again. “I’m on my way; I’ll be there in five minutes.” The voice told her. “Stay on the phone with me until you get here, please, Josh?” Kaitlynn whispered. The voice didn’t speak. “Hello?” Kaitlynn said. “Oh! Don’t worry; I’ll stay on with you.” Josh said. You could hear his car’s engine roar through the phone. His door slammed and tires screeched. Kaitlynn tried to hold back her tears. She didn’t know what she did to herself, but she knew it was bad. She tried to look around the house. Everything was pulsating, even her vision. Dover snuggled by her back and tried to prop her up but with no luck.
    “Hang in there, Kate. I’m almost there.” Josh soothed into the phone. Kaitlynn tried to focus on his words rather than her pain. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to avoid screaming. Her breath quickened as spasms flew through her body. She dropped the phone onto the wood floor and curled up in pain. “Kate, Kate what happened? Are you still there?” Josh’s voice called through the phone, becoming more and more distant. Kate fought to stay awake even though it became harder and harder each second. “Kate, hang in there, I’m almost there!” Josh’s voice was hardly audible now. Kate gripped the floor in agony. She cried and prayed for Josh to be there already. She needed help; she needed to get to the hospital.
    Kaitlynn was now in so deep she couldn’t even hear the roar of the car in front of her house, the sirens of the ambulance, or the dog barking like mad at the now open door. Paramedics rushed in and around Kaitlynn. Josh was told to stand back, so he was still standing on the porch. “Ma’am, can you tell us your name?” one of the paramedics asked Kaitlynn as they put her on the stretcher. She couldn’t hear him. She was barely conscious. “She’s in shock; we need to get her to the hospital immediately.” A voice said which Kaitlynn faintly heard.
    As the paramedics passed Josh they asked him how he knew her. “I’m a really good friend of hers,” He explained. The paramedic asked him to ride in the ambulance with them so they could ask him some questions about Kaitlynn. Josh agreed and they all piled quickly into the back of the ambulance. Josh explained to the paramedic Kaitlynn’s condition, River’s Disease. The two paramedics in the back shared a quick, nervous glance. “How long has she been diagnosed with this disease?” The male paramedic asked Josh. “Since she was born, why?” Josh asked, now in a panic. The male looked at the woman paramedic. Josh looked at the two paramedics. Neither of them spoke.
    Finally, the woman paramedic looked at Josh. “She has a very weak immune system,” she explained to Josh. “I know this, why are you telling me that?” Josh barked. The woman shook her head. “You don’t understand, she has a very weak immune system and nervous system, it’s causing everything else in her body to become weak. That fall could’ve just killed her.” The woman explained to Josh, not breaking eye contact. Josh shook his head and looked at Kaitlynn. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Kate can’t die! She just can’t!” Josh cried as he took Kaitlynn’s hand. The woman went to say something, but the man stopped her. “We’re here,” He said as he pointed out the window.
    There they were, Flagstaff Medical Center. Josh held Kaitlynn’s hand, rubbing it with his thumb. “Its okay, Kate, we’ll get through this.” Josh whispered. He hoped and hoped for a response from her, but the response never came. His heart started sinking more and more as the ambulance reached closer to the hospital. Soon, everyone was jumping out of the ambulance and wheeling Kaitlynn into the hospital and into a room to be examined. Josh was told to wait in the waiting room and to make any necessary calls. Josh nodded and reluctantly let go of Kaitlynn’s hand.
    Josh paced around the front of the hospital as he waited for Kaitlynn’s mother to answer her cell phone. “Hello?” A young, feminine voice spoke into the phone. “Mrs. Knowls?” Josh verified. He hadn’t heard her voice in a long time; it wasn’t familiar to him anymore. “Yes, this is she.” She said in a cheery, calm tone. Josh sighed before he began to explain to her. “This is Josh, Kaitlynn’s friend from school.” He began. “Oh, hi there, it’s been a while since we’ve gotten to speak, hasn’t it?” She started to ramble excitedly. “Uh, ma’am, Kaitlynn’s been hurt.” Josh explained, cutting her off. Josh heard nothing for a few seconds, and then a deep sigh. “What do you mean she’s hurt?” She asked him impatiently. “She fell in the kitchen this morning, she couldn’t get up, and so she called me. I called 911 on my way; she’s in the hospital right now.” Josh explained, trying not to upset the woman.
    “What has the doctor said?” Mrs. Knowls asked. Josh sighed and shrugged, then realized she couldn’t see his body language. “The doctor hasn’t come out and said how she’s doing. The paramedic’s seemed worried when I told them she has River’s Disease.”
    The woman sighed on the other end. "I'll get on the first flight out there." The woman said as if it were a hassle to see her daughter. Before Josh could say another word, the woman had hung up. Josh shook his head as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and walked back inside the hospital. He sat there for hours. He sat in the uncomfortable plastic waiting room chairs and waited for a doctor to come report on Kaitlynn's health. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to know she was okay.
    What if she was wasn’t okay? Josh couldn’t just sit there and wait. He needed to know what was going on that moment. He started pacing around the room, coincidentally matching another man’s pace. The man opposite of Josh wore peculiar clothing. He had an elegant purple robe on. He had curly toed shoes that were purple with gold trims. He had long gray hair with a wispy beard.
    Josh heard plenty of other names while he was observing the man, but none of the doctors ever uttered the name “Kaitlynn Knowles”.
    Hours upon hours had passed. Josh’s pace never slowed, and neither did the man opposing him. Finally, a doctor made his way into the now fairly empty waiting room. “For Kaitlynn,” The doctor murmured through a mask. The doctor looked up from his clipboard to see two men staring at him. “Oh, uh, for Kaitlynn Knowles,” He clarified with an apologetic look upon his young face. Both of the men kept staring at him, waiting to know what was to be known.
    “Oh, okay then,” The doctor said as he flipped through some of the papers on the clipboard. He was a new doctor and he seemed very nervous. “She is in ICU right now. She doesn’t look too good right now,” The doctor stated. “Well, I mean, medically she doesn’t look good. She has a chance on surviving, although it is small.” The doctor finished and looked at both of the men. Josh couldn’t form any words; his mind was in a whirl. “May we go see her?” The older man asked with a very soft, yet firm tone. The doctor stammered around his words.
    “I guess you can, but only for a little while. She needs to rest.” The doctor tried to sound firm, but instead let out a girlish squeal in anxiety. The two men were led down a narrow hallway that was filled with odds and ends of different carts and chatting doctors. Josh looked over at the old man. He looked far too graceful for his age. When he walked, he almost looked as if he were floating. The doctor finally stopped walking. “This is her room. Please don’t get too excited, she really needs to rest.” The doctor whispered. The two men slowly walked into the cold, awaiting room.
    There she was. Kaitlynn was resting in an uncomfortable hospital bed all in white. She was even paler than she usually was. She opened her eyes as soon as she felt Josh’s warm hand touch her cold palm. She looked into his eyes and a tear surfaced, but she quickly batted it away. She looked over at the old man that was sitting in the cornered chair. “How are you, Kaitlynn?” The old man asked firmly. “Uh,” Kaitlynn stammered. “I’m getting there, I guess.” She stated. The man nodded and rose from his chair. He was so tall! His presence bothered Kaitlynn, but she didn’t know why. He pressed his bony index finger against his thin lips as he walked closer to the bed. “I have important information for you.” He whispered as he crouched down to her level.
    Kaitlynn said nothing and did nothing except for staring into the old man’s deep eyes. “I know how you can get better.” The man whispered in an almost psychotic tone. Josh jumped and Kaitlynn squeezed his hand with all the strength she could manage, which wasn’t much. “And how could you know that?” Kaitlynn asked slowly, pacing herself as to not get too lightheaded. “First, let me introduce myself.” The old man said as he slowly rose and walked towards the door.
    The old man locked the door and turned back towards the two teenagers. “My name is Kaljim. Call me, Kal; it’s easier to say, is it not?” The old man asked as he paced around the room. Kaitlynn nodded slowly. Josh was still slightly angered. “Alright, maybe I should tell you about who you really are.” “What do you mean ‘who you really are’?” Kaitlynn asked, followed by a strong cough. Kal smiled. “I was hoping you’d ask that. Your name is still Kaitlynn, you’re still seventeen, but everything else has been a lie.” Kal said now in his normal, firm tone. Kaitlynn shook her head. “I don’t understand, are you saying my family isn’t really my family?” “Well, they are Kaitlynn Knowles’ family, but it isn’t your family. You are Kaitlynn Shawln.” Kal started to explain.
    “You see, your real parents, Harold and Karoline Shawln, are royalty. They, as the king and queen, look, or should I say looked, over the kingdom called Hatherwell.” Kal was interrupted by a question. “What do you mean ‘looked’? Are they not king and queen anymore?” Kaitlynn asked, suddenly worried for her newly found parents. “That is correct. You see, this evil, vile woman named Eya took over the throne. She started a rumor that your parents had feigned their royalty and they were to be banished, which they were. As the rule in Hatherwell, the royalty’s children must be taken away and given to mortals.” Kal explained.
    “Are you crazy, old man?” Josh asked, standing up. Kal shook his head. “Sit, boy. This isn’t about you, not yet.” The man’s voice boomed and shook the room. “As I was saying, the rule is that the royalty’s children must be taken away and given to mortals, as you children were.” “Wait, ‘children’. That means I have siblings?” Kaitlynn verified. Kal sighed and nodded. “My, we have a fast one on our hands!” He laughed sarcastically. “Eya made sure that you and your siblings never met, and so far, you haven’t. You had two brothers, Tylen and Aven.” Kal could see this interested Kaitlynn and answered her question before she could ask. “Yes, I said ‘had’. Aven disappeared; we haven’t a clue if he is dead or alive.” Kal sighed as he gazed out the window. “You know the mountain towards the more barren side of the state?” Kal asked. “Which one do you mean? There are so many.” Kaitlynn sighed in frustration. “The mountain that looks like a boy sleeping, that is the one I am meaning. That mountain is the portal to our world. Anyone can go through the portal, but mortals would never see the difference as we would.” Kal explained. Kaitlynn was incredibly lost, but Kal seemed to realize this.
    “Things will make more sense as our adventure continues. You must listen closely to this part, however.” Kal warned. He closed the window and pulled the curtain closed. He made sure the door was locked and stooped closer to Kaitlynn. “You and your brother, Tylen, must find Aven. You cannot defeat Eya without him.” Kal whispered. “What if Aven died?” Kaitlynn asked impatiently. She started to believe what the man was saying, but, was it real? “We shall figure what to do when the time comes.” Kal explained as he walked over to Josh.
    “You, my boy, you are to help Kaitlynn.” Kal said as he laid his hands on Josh’s shoulders. Josh shrugged him off. “Gee, couldn’t figure that one out myself. What else?” Josh sneered. Kaitlynn squeezed his hand and pulled him closer so he wouldn’t jump up. “My, you’re feisty. Well, Josh, it seems that you don’t have any magic. But, I could give you a sword.” Kal said with a devious smile. “A sword, that’s the best you got?” Josh rolled his eyes. Kal laughed.
    “You don’t understand, this sword can give you more powers than any normal sword would. It has magical powers, you see. It’ll take a bit of getting used to, but once you’ve mastered it, you’ll do many magnificent things.” Kal finished with a short bow as he pulled the sword from his robe. It was crested with rubies on the hilt and had an ominous shimmer upon it. Kal laid it in Josh’s hands. The sword burned with a warm, almost fiery, temperature. Josh felt a weird feeling inside him, almost as if the warm magic from the blade was controlling him. Kal took the sword back and put it back in his robe. “You will receive this when you start your journey. First, we need to get Kaitlynn trained. Are you ready?” Kal asked her.
    Kaitlynn looked at Josh, and then Kal. “I can’t train in my condition.” Kaitlynn sighed. Kal smiled and jumped up real fast. “I forgot to tell you the important part!” Kal was now dancing around the room, his robes flailing about. Kaitlynn tried to suppress her laughs but it was very difficult. The old man pounced closer to Kaitlynn’s bed and whispered very low. “The reason you’re sick…it’s because of your magic! You haven’t chosen light or dark yet, nor have you trained you magic. All it is doing is sitting there, stirring in your blood. The magic gets irritable because it has no idea what to do, so it attacks your body. I can help you. If you train, your disease will go away. It will be hard at first, but you’ll notice a difference almost immediately. Now, since you have had this disease since you were born, it might be harder to get rid of. We might not even fully get rid of it. But that’s okay; you’ll see a great improvement.” Kal explained. Kaitlynn’s heart started to pound as fast as a getaway train as Kal explained. No more River’s Disease? She could live with that. “I’m in.”