The great river split a land in two. In the beginning of times, the two villages were living happy together. But then something changed. The two villages separated from each other and became each others greatest enemies.

Now there was a girl, she lived on the east side of the great river. She had long red wavy hear, she loved music and played it very well. She played on a little whistle and she could also play the harp. She sung all the time and writhed her own songs. She loved to walk in the woods and loved to play with kids. She herself was an only child and when her parents had died, she had to take over the farm. She lived on top of a hill. Near the cathedral of the town. Her garden had the most excellent tasting fruits in the town. They all wondered how they were that good, nobody knew…

‘Flora? Could I buy some of that tasty fruit? My son won’t eat any other fruit..’ It was a woman from the waterside.
’Of course. Here.. You don’t need to give me something you know. You can’t buy things that aren’t yours to sell.’
The woman looked strange at Flora. Flora was a sweet but very funny girl. She was strange. But still a helpful hand sometimes.
’Thank you Flora.’ The woman turned round and left back home. Flora went inside and was cleaning up when somebody knocked on her door. She opened the door.
’Yes?’ Flora asked.
’I need your help…’ It was another woman from town. She had had a baby, a little baby girl, but her husband had died and now she was all alone for the care of the child.
’Come in Juno.’
The woman smiled. ‘Thank you Flora. I need your help. I don’t know what to do..’
’What’s wrong?’ Flora looked concerned.
’The whole town thinks that Aura is a demon.’
’Why would they think that this little sweet thingy is a demon.’ Flora looked at the little baby sleeping in the arms of her mother.
’Because Migard was killed when I was pregnant with her.’
’You don’t believe it right?’ Flora asked.
‘Of course not! This is our child, the only thing that I have left in this world, and they want to take it away from me..’ Juno began to cry.
’No need to worry. I’ll help you. You have to get away from this town. I know a safe place in the woods on the other side of the river. They will never search there.’
’It’s to dangerous for Aura.’
’She will stay with me till you have found a safe place.’
’But won’t they find her here?’
’I know some trick so that they don’t know that Aura is here. You have to wait until tonight, when it’s dark. Only take some food with you nothing more.’
’I will. Keep her safe.’ She gave Aura to Flora.
Juno turned around and stepped to the door. She looked back and saw Aura. A tear rolled over her cheek, than she went out of the door.

Aura moved in her arms. ‘You know that your mammy is gone? Don’t worry, she’ll be alright and she’ll come back for you. Or I will come to her.’
Aura opened her big blue eyes and looked at Flora. ‘It’s almost noon. I’ll make your some milk.’ Flora left the little girl in a cradle and went to get some milk. When she came back, she saw that Aura was wide awake. ‘Are you hungry little one?’ Flora asked.
Aura answered with a little crying sound. ‘Here you go..’ Flora took her in her arms and gave her the milk. When Aura was finished Flora sang a song to her.

Flora looked at Aura. She had fallen asleep in her arms. She smiled at the peaceful sleeping baby. She putted Aura in the cradle. Then she heard something outside. She ran to the sound and looked around. There he was, a man; not much older then her; looking at her. Flora ran to him and stopped him from escaping.
’What were you doing here?’
’Nothing…’ The man said. Flora was now standing really close to the man and she had to look up to see in his eyes.
’Were you spying on me?’ Flora felt angry. Why was he here. He didn’t even tell his name.
’No I wasn’t spying. I walked by and heard you singing.’
’You aren’t from this town. You weren’t just passing by now were you.’
’Ok.. I wasn’t. I’m from the other village, I needed to get some fruits of your land… And why am I telling this all to you?’
'Where you thinking of lying?' Flora asked.
'Yes... I was.' The man looked confused 'You can sing really pretty.' He said.
'Thank you. Besides, if you wanted to have some fruits you could have asked for some. You didn't need to steal.'
'That would be really nice, but I'm not going to do that..'
'Why not?'
'Because...' he was searching for words 'I can't do that to you. You are to nice and I like you.' He turned red and stared at the ground.
Flora giggled. 'You do? hmmm.. Why don't you come in?'
Flora went inside and when he was inside, she closed the window. No need for other people to see her and Aura.
They talked about the differences in the two lands and why they had grown apart. Then after a few hours of talking, laughing and talking some more, Aura started to cry.
'Is it your baby?' Eimear, the man of the other village, asked.
'No, I'm taking care of her, she's from a friend of mine.' Flora took Aura in her arms and comforted her till she stopped crying.
'Where is the mother?'
'I hope that she has found a good hiding place. She is running from the people of this town.'
Eimear looked strange at Flora. 'You wonder why?' she asked 'They think that Aura, this little girl, killed her father.'
'No... How could a baby kill her own father?'
'Not. That's just it. They belief she's a demon or some sort.' Eimear started to laugh.
'What a silly idea..'
'Yes.. But now the mother has to run for her safety.'
'But if she isn't safe here, why is she here?'
'You can't travel and run with a baby. That is why I'm taking care of her now till her mother has found a place.'
'Oh. I see. That's good then.'
'Yes, I hope they don't find her.. And you? Are you willing to go home? You haven't found any good fruits and you aren't going to take some of me.'
'Yes.. I don't know what I'm going to do now. I think I'm going to ...'
'Flora?' A voice asked and a banging on the door followed. 'Open the door now!' It was a man from the town and he was about to enter the room where Flora was sitting with a man from the other town and a demon-baby.
'Here take Aura and hide!' Flora whispered. She pushed Aura in the hands of Eimear. He wanted to say something but changed his mind and left the room.
'Where is she?!'
'Who do you mean?' Flora tried to be as calm as she could be. All sorts of emotions were running through her head, but she had to think of Aura. She was the one who needed to be protected.
'I mean that baby of Satan. She killed her father and will not rest until she has killed every-one from this town!'
He started to look for the baby. He cleaned out all the closets and entered other rooms. It was like a tornado entered the room and leaved everything in a mess. 'Would you please think of what you are doing?' Flora tried to calm the man. It didn't work, he didn't even listen to her. Flora ran after the man. She stopped. A thought had entered her mind, what if Eimear had kidnapped the baby? What if he wasn't that nice as he made her believe? She could hit herself.
'STOP!' she yelled. She had had enough. 'There is here no demon child here and if you would like to go away!' She startled herself. She had never been this mad at someone. The man didn't know what to do and, like he was afraid, he turned around and ran out of the house. When Flora was sure that the man wasn't going to return, she started to look herself for the baby. 'Eimear? Where are you?'
She was looking everywhere when he came out of a closet. 'Here I am.' She noticed that he was pale. Then she remembered that the man had almost opened the door for that closet. 'Are you alright?' She took the baby in her arms and looked at her. 'She's fine. Don't worry.'
'We need to get away.. It isn't safe anymore..'  She looked around and hoped to find an answer. She didn't find any.
'We will leave tonight. When it's dark. We are going to follow your mother... You can come with us if you like.' Flora looked at Eimear.
'Yes, of course. I'll help you'

Flora looked for some food, milk for Aura and some blankets. She knew that it was going to be hard, but she had promised that Aura was going to be safe. She had no other choice.
'It's getting darker...'
'Yes.. I  know. Get ready to leave..'  
They were both still, preparing on there own way to leave. Flora had to leave everything that her parents had build. It was hard, but she knew that she was making the right choice.
'I'm ready.' Eimear said.
'Yes. Me too.' She looked once more to the house and then outside. Then she noticed that the whole town had gathered in front of her house and that they were planning to break in.
All those faces, angry and willing to kill. Some of them were still children, Other were holding torches and weapons.
Flora took a step back. She looked at Eimear. He was going to go outside. She needed to stop him.
She dropped everything and ran to Eimear. She could stop him just in time. 'The whole town is out there... We can't leave out there.' She whispered. She could see that he was scared, and relieved that he hadn't went out of that door.
'How are we going to get outside?'
'There is one way. I hope that they haven't found that one yet.'
Flora took Eimear to the other side of the house and there through a small door they went out. Through the fields and past the crowd.
'I think that we are safe.'
'Ssst, let's just get going.' They went on. When Flora looked back, she saw the little flames now far from them. They entered the woods. The woods were dark in the night and they didn't know where they were going to. When they looked right, they saw woods. But if they looked the other way they saw the town and the little flames. They had to go further in the woods. And they needed to find Juno.
'I will take Aura if you want.' Eimear was worried.
Flora felt tired. She had been carrying the baby for a long time now 'Be careful...'  Flora gave Aura to Eimear.
'It's strange that she can still sleep..' He said to her. She smiled. He would be a great father for her.
'Let's go on..'
They walked and walked, there wasn't going to be an end of the forest soon. Then they saw something right in front of them. It was strange. There were lights and an open space in the woods.
'Should we go to there?' Eimear asked.
'Yes. But be careful.' They sneaked to the light and then they saw something strange. Fairies were dancing on some sort of song. Flora loved the song, her mom sang it for her when she was still a little child. Without thinking, she entered the circle of light and started to sing with the song. Fairies stopped dancing and looked at her. When Flora stopped singing, she noticed that everybody was looking at her. She looked back. Then she wanted to say something, but they all ran away. 'Wait....' But it was to late. Eimear entered the circle
'Who said that he needed to be careful?'
'You needed to be careful for the baby..' Flora looked around and then she noticed a small house in the woods. She walked in there and then she saw a mirror. It stood there between the stone trees of the house. She touched the trees. The stone felt cold. then she looked to the mirror. She didn't saw her own reflection. It was Juno. 'Juno! Where are you?'
Juno didn't seem to hear her. The picture in the mirror changed into dragons. Large and colourful in the sky. She loved the sight of those dragons. But they started to fade away.. She touched the mirror, it wasn't made of glass. She could feel something pulling her hand, her arm, ... She was sucked into the mirror. She couldn't feel scared, because she fainted.

She felt that she was falling. Then she landed on something hard. She had hurtled her back. She sat up and looked around. She wasn't in the woods anymore. She was in an open space somewhere, she didn't know where.
'Aura?' She yelled. Where was she? Where was Eimear?
Her head hurtled of the fall. She looked around and found a cave. She stood up and started to walk to it. Then she heard a scream. She turned around and saw out of nothing Eimear falling.
'Eimear?!' Flora ran to him and she saw that he had Aura. 'Aura...' Flora felt relieved. 'Where were you?'
'I could ask you the same question. Where did you ran off to?'
'I touched the mirror and then I was here.'
'I followed you a bit later.'
'I'm just glad that you two are safe and that I wasn't lying there anymore.' 'I saw Juno, Aura's mother...'
'Maybe she's there.'
'Let's go then.' She took Aura and they both left to the cave.

When they arrived, they saw a lot of people running from one cave to another. There was something there...
'I want to see what's in it.' Eimear said.
'First we have to find Juno.' Flora answered. She was also willing to find out what there was, but Aura was more important. They looked and looked and then someone asked what they were doing there.
'We are looking for Juno.. Have you seen her?' Flora asked
'I think we have... Follow me.'
Flora was glad that nothing had happened with Juno. When they saw Juno, Juno ran to Aura. 'I missed you! Thank you!'
'Your welcome..' Flora and Eimear said. They smiled.
They were all happy. 'Where ....'
'The hatching!!! It's time!! Don't just stand there, go inside and stand in front of an egg!!'
They couldn't say anything. They were pushed in the cave where they wanted to explore. When they entered the cave, they saw eggs and a dragon. Flora felt strange. They walked on the hot sands and they all took place next to the other persons standing there and they looked at the eggs, wobbling.

All the other candidates including Juno and Eimear had all impressed. She was the last to stand in the hot sands, with only one egg in front of her. Flora didn't fear she wouldn't impress, although the thought had crossed her mind. But all her thoughts and fears disappeared when the egg burst open. The eggshells literally flew through the whole cave.
'Why did you wait so long Derastall?' Flora asked
'Whell... I am a water opal dragon.. Rare in my kind...'
'I see...' Flora smiled and hugged Derastall. 

*Original image was lost

Juno - Flora - Eimear

Flora impressed at Gem dragon