im of course not gonna post ALL of it. just like..the prelude and the first two chapters..tell me if you thinks its a sell or a no sell!
imput apreeciated. and grab some snacks..this is gonna be a LONG read!
Prologue
There was so much screaming. I could hear armored feet racing the halls left and right past my bedroom door, shouting and chaos was ensuing outside the safety of my bedcovers. I had awoken to my brother Saine shaking me; he was screaming my name over and over. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I asked what was the matter, but before he could answer me an eardrum shattering blast had shook the entire castle. Picture frames fell to the floor shattering, and toys fell from there perches on shelves. More screams could be heard from my window, blood curdling cries. Fear gripped my heart and my eyes started to well up with tears of fear, I could hear them dying all around me. “Artemis, we need to get out of here; we need to find dad!” he shouted over the explosions and battle cries, I was to frozen in fear to move. My tiny fingers gripped onto his clothing as I huddled up to him, I had no wish to leave the safety of my room. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me off the bed, “We can’t stay here, we need to get out Artemis!” I flailed in protest, tears now rolling down my cheeks; I was terrified.
My brother took me strongly by the hand and led me into the halls; soldiers bustled back and forth with weapons in hand. We were like small mice running around the ankles of cats, the men and women rushing to battle towered over us in there full suits of armor. I saw even the Sleipnier soldiers were being called to arms, they were the best of the best and very powerful; we really WERE at war here.
More blasts rocked the foundation of the castle; it sent me and Saine sprawling to our bellies. I started to cry harder, but he picked himself up and pulled me to my feet; there was no time to dawdle. We ran once more down the maze of halls, our bare feet padding on the stone tiled floors. I had no idea where my other brothers were, and I started to fear for them. I knew that the Eldest Ancalagon would be helping father send out orders to the barracks and higher towers, but as for Niierks and Saine’s other twin brothers Raine I knew not where they were; I silently prayed that they were safely tucked away from this madness.
We came to the study, which is where father always was in times of crisis and sure enough he was there. He stood at the center of the room with three Sleipnier guards, his advisor and the Battle general K’jinnis; who also happened to be a close friend of the family. I stood there silently holding my big brothers hand, we both knew better than to interrupt father when “the adults were talking”. I watched his stern face, it was serious and tense. I had always known him to be a very collected and calm man even in times of distress, I suppose that’s why he was such a respected king; always on top of things. But though he was outwardly calm I could see his mind was racing, behind his intensely shining eyes he was thinking of about a hundred different things at once.
Seeing Father like that made me feel suddenly self conscious, I squeezed Saine’s hand tightly; my other hand empty. I wished that my stuffed doll was in the other, in our rush I hadn’t thought to grab my woofy bear. And hearing the sounds of war and clashing of armor made me yearn for such simple comforts as a doll. Never before had I been so frightened.
My attention snapped back to the moment at hand when I heard father say my name, but when I looked up at him he wasn’t actually addressing me. From what I could see he hadn’t even noticed us in the room yet, and was talking to his Advisor.
“Sir, they have breached the front gates and they will be storming the castle soon if we can’t hold them off. They want the young princess, and they simply aren’t going to take no for an answer. What are your thought sire; action needs to be taken?”
Father looks sternly, “They are going to have to fight all my soldiers down before they can take her for there Temple worshiping; she is a child not a holy relic. And not just a child, she is my Daughter and I won’t stand for it. Whether by popular vote or not, I wont allow them to take her from the only family she has ever known. Send out the Secondary Sleipnier platoon to intercept them coming around the side gates.”
My skin went cold, what was father talking about? It sounded like someone was after her, but…why her? Was this entire ruckus really to get her? Father’s Advisor spotted me and Saine by the door and Father noticed his gaze fall and followed his line of sight, he immediately lunged forward and dropped to his knees and grabbed me up in his arms tightly. “My dear, what are you doing in here? It’s not safe to be about the castle right now.” Despite how wonderful I felt being in fathers strong loving arms I squirmed back, “Daddy, what did you mean by taking me to a temple. What do they want with me?” I looked into his eyes wanting an answer. He paused and looked at me; I could tell he was trying to think of something to say. “Honey, you weren’t supposed to hear of that. I don’t want you worrying, because I won’t be letting it happen either way.” He looks over to my brother. “You should have both stayed in your rooms, I had sent guards to collect up you and your siblings and get you all somewhere safe with your mother. Now I want you both wait here so I can call you and escort to take you to your moth-.” But before he could finish what he was saying there was a deafening explosion that hit the side of the castle wall right above the room we were in causing tons of rubble to fall down on us. The sheer force of the blast sent everyone sprawling to there face.
For a while I couldn’t tell what was up and what was down, my head was pounding and sounds were reduced to faint echoes. The only thing I could see was the back of my eyelids, I struggled to open them. My entire body was pinned under something, I couldn’t move. Time seemed to stand still as my mind slowly pieced together what had just happened. Finally, my eyes began to open. Sounds slowly became clearer to me, comprehensible noises. When the dust cleared I could see Saine straining, struggling to pry me out from under what turned out to be father, he was pinned hard by stones. And the sounds that I couldn’t hear at first were now my name being cried over and over. When everything started to make sense I looked around to see what had happened.
Someone had fired an energy blast into the side to make an entry point for the flying soldiers trying to get it, and the blast had killed our soldiers in the room, and wounded father. Saine and I were the only ones that were able to stand, if just barely. A coughing sound drew my attention behind me to father, blood was drizzling from his lips down his chin. I drew in a sharp breath, this couldn’t be happening; it was just a bad dream, it had to be. Father took my hand in his firmly, and looked hard at us both. “Saine, I can’t move. You need to take your sister and get out of here now! You need to take her to the main kitchen and run. Run through the secret passage I’ve shown you behind the furnaces and don’t look back no matter what, don’t stop for anything or anyone. It will take you to the forests behind the castle and keep running straight till you find a river; there is a safe house right across there that only one with Noble blood of the Zuurenkai can see. Get in there and stay till I come get you both…now GO!” he shoved me off to him.
“Daddy, what about you?!” I cried out, tears flowing free once more. I grabbed his arm and tried with all my might to pull him out, but my weak little arms couldn’t budge him.
“No, you need to go now. Ill be fine, go NOW!.” He shouts at me. I fell to my knees despite saine tugging me upwards. My fathers face softened a tad. He said in a slower less frightened tone “Artemis, I need you to trust me please...I love you both, now please go.”
It wasn’t good enough for me, but Saine hoisted me up to my wobbly legs and pulled at me. “Sis, we need to go. Dad is right, he will be fine.” We started heading for the door when my foot slipped out from under me and I hit the ground again hard; I had tripped over a boulder.
“Saine, I don’t think I can…get up” I sniffle; my ankle throbbed in my hands. I knew I was being such a baby about this whole thing, but at this point I didn’t really care. Everything I loved was crashing down around me; I was too scared to be brave. He stoops down to my side and crouches in front of me.
“Here, hop on my back and ill carry you” he looks over his shoulder at me. I slowly climb on and wrap my arms around his neck to hang on, he is immediately back up and running out the door that was now hanging on its hinges.
I can hear people screaming; the castles workers had now gone into a frenzy and were rushing through the halls in a confused panic. I was afraid that we were going to be trampled underfoot by them all, but not once did Saine waiver. He ran with purpose down the halls and around the corridors, I bounced up and down on his back as he moved. I was afraid he was going to drop me as we moved down the flights of stairs, but he kept a firm hold on me as he descended.
He kept running and running until finally we were at the main kitchen. We cut past the dishwashing stations and through the supply shelving’s and went directly to the furnaces. I was set down gently for a moment as Saine investigated the wall’s looking for some sort of nook in the bricking; I leaned around the side to see what he was doing. I saw him brush away dust and soot off the wall to reveal a stain, but it wasn’t a stain at all; it was a rune. Saine pressed the palm of his hand to the symbol and commanded “Open!” He stepped back and sure enough bricks started to part way to reveal a dark tunnel just big enough for us. He spins around on his heels and picks me back up and starts running down the tunnel, it’s dark and hard to see but we were purebloods. I was a Lunar spirit and he was a Silver Spirit, and darkness wasn’t too much of an issue for us. Spirits with weaker bloods would have been knocking about the walls here but it was simple enough for me and him to find the way. Though as we got deeper there was no light at all, it was pitch dark. Saine had already run, flown and was carrying me on his back; I had to help with something. I summon up the energies inside me and cast a small glowing orb that followed us as we moved; it was little but more than illuminated the way. So long as there was some light we would be able to see.
It seemed like he had been carrying me for over an hour when finally we came to the end, he put me down and once more repeated the steps he took to open the tunnel. When it opened it was almost dawn and there was an eerie glow about, the tunnel exited a hillside under a giant tree. Wearily he bent down to me to pick me up.
“Brother…your tired, rest now. I’m sure there far from here.” I assured him. He shook his head at me. “No, father told us to run and to stop for nothing. We need to keep going, I’m fine sis.” With a huff he hoisted me on once more and slowly at first but gaining speed, he ran straight from the caves exit like father told us.
No more than ten minutes from that point we could hear shouting from the forest behind us, they had found us.
“Saine, I’m scared. There coming!” I burry my face into his back, it was just me and him with none of our guards or parents to protect us.
“I’m not going to let them get you Artemis, I won’t” he ran faster, I could hear his heart pounding wildly through his chest. I wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come; I had already spent up all my tears. As fast as he was running, I could still hear people approaching; they were gaining on us. Then the worst possible thing happened, we were approaching a field.
“Saine, daddy said we had to run straight. What do we do?” I grip his night shirt in my hands, He tenses up. “Were gonna have to really run sis, hang on. I’m gonna give us some speed.” I adjust myself on his back and as I did an explosion of feathers burst about me. Saine was a good bit older than me, so he had his full wings grown in unlike me. Mine were still rather gimpy and unfit for any sort of flight, his however were large enough to support himself in air, but with me on his back it only provided a strong forward thrust as he ran. I silently wish there was a way I could help but at this moment I was totally helpless and just had to trust my brother.
We break out of the forest and were now in the plain view of the field, we had to move faster or we were never going to clear it. Both our hearts pound in unison as we move forward, his wings flapped hard and fast. With greater urgency now he ran, if they caught us out in the open like this we were done for. Though in what seemed like seconds we were almost halfway across.
Then I spot him…
I look in the distance, and I don’t think saine has seen him; but in the tree at the field edge is a man…
And he had a bow trained on our position.
So many things went through my head in that split moment, but one thought screamed out above them all.
They were going to kill Saine.
I simply couldn’t live with myself if he died trying to protect me from these people. Like father, he wasn’t going to let them take me away, but it looked like it didn’t matter…they were going to get me one way or the other, even if it meant killing my brother. So I did the only thing I could do.
The man let loose the arrow.
I let go of his neck and with both hands I push downward on his wings, then as if in slow motion Saine pitches forward from the weight shifted and I see the arrow. I see its flight rocketing towards us, no. I see it flying towards me.
Pain…I feel pain spider through my chest.
I’m on the ground; it’s hard and cold on my back. I’m staring up at the dimly lit sky silently. I can feel my skin going cold as I laid there.
Warm hands grab me up, for a moment I thought it was the people but no.
It was saine.
“WHY DID YOU DO IT ARTEMIS? WHY!” Saine shouted at me, tears welling up in his eyes. I look dumbly down to see the arrow that was meant for him jutting from my chest, I looked at my flesh around the arrow and saw it was a greenish yellow. It was poisoned, and I could easily assume the poison was meant to kill.
“I couldn’t…let you die for me…” I simply said, and it was the truth. I would have rather died myself than live with the pain and guilt of being responsible for his murder. My body was limp in his arms, I was slowly loosing feeling. He hugged my near lifeless body to his tightly sobbing. I hated to see him so sad.
“Artemis, you can’t leave me...”
I had rarely ever seen him cry, Saine was the hard one of the family. Such a trouble maker he was, and if he wasn’t in trouble with mom and dad or the teachers; he was plotting things that would get him there. So of course he was often moody, being such a difficult child; but he always had a spot for me. He wouldn’t let anyone bully me, or make me cry. He was my hero, even if sometimes it just meant saving me the last pastry off the snack tray. I knew that this one time, it was my time to be his hero.
“You can’t die on me, I love you. Not here, not now not EVER!” the tears flowed freely down his face now. There was nothing he could do this time to protect his little sister, and I could see knowing that was just killing him.
I weakly reached up and held his face to condole him; I could feel a gentle quiver. He took my other hand in his, and squeezed it tightly.
“I love you too big brother….that’s….why I couldn’t let them kill you.”
His lips pressed against my forehead, a tear falls on my face.
He whispers to me. “Artemis….don’t leave me.”
comments? imput?
Post Merge: February 08, 2011, 06:07:39 AM
after someone posts, ill submit chapter 1..cause it wont let me post again till someone else does..>>;
