Author's Notes: First of all, I would like to dedicate this story to my good friends Bea and Faby that for some reason wouldn't get off my back till I wrote it.
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The sun darkened and the blue sky turned grey as a gigantic black cloud covered them. The stillness of the day was interrupted when a dead-waking earthquake shook the land.
Five year old Helen Sio ran to her mothers arms in terror.
"Come sweetheart, let's get inside," her mother said frantically.
"Mama what is that?" she asked.
"I do not know, sweet heart, we shall see."
For the next few hours Helen busied herself with playing with her new blocks her father had built for her while her mother, Saria, paced back and forth in their house, and checked on her new born daughter from time to time. She was lost in thought when her husband, David, returned.
"What is it?" she asked upon noticing his worried face.
"We have a new ruler, yes, Zoray was over thrown, apparently she wasn't as powerful as she appeared," he told her.
"So what of it, she was good and merciful to us," she sighed, "so how is our new master?"
"That's the problem," he was obviously annoyed, "he's nothing but a child!"
"What do you mean 'a child', surely he cannot be that young to be powerful enough to overthrow Zoray, you know that."
"I know, but this one is different," he paused looked around and continued, "you know of the wizard who controls most kingdoms north of here right?"
"Of course, Shery and her family are refuges from that land, apparently he's a blood thirsty tyrant."
"Well...he decided to expand his little empire and we where number one on hit list, don't look at me that way, he isn't our ruler, his son is...I wouldn't put him in his 20's yet, but the power he has could level a mountain range, at least it leveled Zorays' palace."
That can't be good, she thought.
"Mommy?" She looked down to see Helen looking at her wide eyed. "What's going on?"
She looked at her husband in search for words but saw no words in him either.
She stroke her daughter's golden hair softly and smiled. "It's ok sweetie, all will be fine."
"But you just said..."
"Don't worry about that," her father interrupted kindly, "that's is the grownups problem not yours." He kneeled to be at her level and smiled at her. "Guess what," he told her.
"What!" she asked excited forgetting all of her troubles when her fathers tone changed.
"I got you a new story book at the bookshop in town today." Out of his bag he pulled out a large, thick, hard cover book and gave it to her.
"What is it called?" she asked taking it.
"It's called 'The Last of the Witches," her mother said reading her the title.
"Can we start it tonight?" Helen asked, her eyes glowing with excitement at the fact that her parents would let he stay up late and read her the story. Her mother smiled at her glad for the change of subject. "Of course we shall Helen, in fact why don't you go now, take a bath and get ready for super so you can eat, and right after that, we start the story."
"Yay!! Alright mommy I'll do that now." That said she turned and ran to her room, choose her new favorite dress and skipped to the bathroom.
As soon as they made sure that their daughter was out of hearing range and heard the water splashing they continued their talk.
"He's up to no good I bet, but why would he be interested in us?" Saria asked.
"I'm not sure, no one I know is. He have little technology and are a very small town," he smiled, "there aren't even any valuable mineral nor ore deposits any where around us!"
"Yes, nothing," her look changed, "that we know of."
"All of town is to be gathered tomorrow night and have his new 'terms' explained, if you wish we can leave Helen and the little one with Shery since she has no intention of going and you can come with me."
"Sounds fine, I'll talk to her after super," she smiled, "or rather when madam Helen has had her share of story for one day." She looked at the book.
"Funny," she said absentmindedly, " I've never heard nor read this one"
"The man at the store assured me it had just been rediscovered over at the old library and sent to print, he also said it was going to be of Helens liking, said it was nothing but fantasy of fairies and witches, something to rot the mind of a growing girl." He smiled at Saria. "But let a child have her fantasies, I say."
"Yes, our dear Helen, she deserves better that growing up under a tyrant." She shook back her tears as her husband hugged her.
"All in good time my love, all in good time," he told her comfortingly.
After super, they all cuddled up is their favorite reading chairs in front of their fire. Helen was restless and all she was doing was telling her parents to start already.
"Alright child, here we go," her father said.
"I'll read," said Saria picking the book up from their side-table, "In the year when the great fairy queen lost the battle to fates'....ah!" She stopped in mid sentence and dropped the book to the floor.
"Mother what is it?" Helen asked worried. David just stared at the book.
"It...I don't know, it burned my hands!"
"Mommy look!" Helen exclaimed pointing at the book that now glowed red.
"What in....it's burning up!" said David picking up Helen and pulling Saria away. The book continued to change until it was nothing but ash and even that disappeared as if it had never been.
"My book! Mommy my book left!" Helen said and started to cry.
From below them, Earth sighed.