Chapter one behind the cut
So you guys All know I have been working on. Well here is most of the first chapter enjoy
Chapter 1: Beginnings.
Aleria had existed at a nominal state of peace for 40 years. Since the guilds last attempted siege of the Crestfallens node of wind Majika. That is when the Pearl Dragons and there riders flew to Toscali. Bringing devastated to the Guilds Empire. They had far stronger wind Majika then any one had expected and broke through the empires guard grid. They reeked havoc over the continent burning civilians and military alike in a solid wave of wind and destruction. Trees were leveled crops razed. Millions were left homeless other parentless. The aftermath left Toscali crippled. She was just now beginning to recover.
After the attack the Crestfallen returned to there island nation and had been heard little from since. Except for there opening their country up for trade with the outside world through one of there island satellites known as Freeport. Only allowing there gifted and women to trade and communicate with the outside. They also apologized to the Toscali for the wanton destruction and sent sizable gold and silver as well as rare jewels to help with the children who had lost their parents in the aftermath. How ever they maintained their statement that their node would remain free of outsiders its majika only for the natives of Crestfallen.
Chapter 1: Beginnings.
Aleria had existed at a nominal state of peace for 40 years. Since the guilds last attempted siege of the Crestfallens node of wind Majika. That is when the Pearl Dragons and there riders flew to Toscali. Bringing devastated to the Guilds Empire. They had far stronger wind Majika then any one had expected and broke through the empires guard grid. They reeked havoc over the continent burning civilians and military alike in a solid wave of wind and destruction. Trees were leveled crops razed. Millions were left homeless other parentless. The aftermath left Toscali crippled. She was just now beginning to recover.
After the attack the Crestfallen returned to there island nation and had been heard little from since. Except for there opening their country up for trade with the outside world through one of there island satellites known as Freeport. Only allowing there gifted and women to trade and communicate with the outside. They also apologized to the Toscali for the wanton destruction and sent sizable gold and silver as well as rare jewels to help with the children who had lost their parents in the aftermath. How ever they maintained their statement that their node would remain free of outsiders its majika only for the natives of Crestfallen.
The only fighting in years had been with the Skrinn that would emerge periodically from the nodes. The Toscali were now starting to tap into nodes as an unlimited supply of ready energy. This technology having been designed by the technology guild of the Toscali and implemented on all the nodes in there nation. A few others had expressed interest in the technology and in the past 100 years since it’s beginning large urban areas started to emerge on Aleria. Both trade and travel were easily acquired through the Tran’ Tak slip ships. The world seemed to in a relative golden age but as with all things even gold can be tarnished.
The chilly night sky and frost were banished in a flash. The iridescent Skrinn worm rose high into the night sky. It spewed fire from its mouth as well as nodes on its ribbed body. This Skrinn was 4 times larger then the greatest sky whale of Aleria. It constricted its body and lowered its head to the ground just before it began to thrash. Twining and rolling it spewed fire crushing and immolating all in its path. Suddenly down at the beach a huge wave rose from the sea guided by the high priest of the Ishareans water shamans. The wave washed the dead and burnt Ishareans to the side as it bore down on the Skrinn. It struck with a deafening thunderclap followed by a low hissing noise burying the creature in it’s deluge. As the high priest that had summoned the wave looked around him he saw his brothers and sisters moaning and crying. Tears entered his eyes just as the steam washed over him fallowed by flame, his own screams lost in the night.
The slip ship skimmed onto the shoreline as the water shamans were trying to contain as much of the flame as they could. The cold and darkness were receding as the Skrinn disgorged flames at a frail old woman. The flames bore down on the women as the old women started a slow dance with her hands and split the flames to either side of herself. The fire formed two pillars over her hands illuminating the night. With a cry she brought down both pillars onto the Skrinn. The flames lapsed onto the skin of the Skrinn and were just as suddenly consumed back into the night. The old woman then collapsed to the ground exhausted as Vail vaulted the railings of the slip ship followed swiftly by his javelin crew. With one hand on the ground he raised his eyes to see the target. He smelled the burnt flesh and wood. He had to feel all of the night to be able to scry the possibilities. He began to stand and embrace the Hymonia, the third art of Aleria. With this embrace a change came over him. An iridescent wave washing over him turning skin midnight blue with light blue spots starting at the side of the eyes; now a golden yellow and flowing all the way down his back and across his chest. His hair now a royal purple glowed with the energies he now held. He then sifted through the possible futures and all the weaves that he could create. There was a pulling at his consciousness as if reality was a dream and the possibilities the only true reality. He pushed further past the euphoria and what he saw was grim. The fleet arriving on the island and then a massacre. Half the fleet wiped out by the beast. As he saw all the carnage he felt a flow just bellow this one. An underling possibility. He thrust his consciousness into the flow stream and saw it. The possibility stream was thinning as the greater of possibilities picked up more strength he needed to act now.
Ruckus was barely able to hear Vail as he shouted "Ruckus I need a sustained level 6 bass blast below that thing." As soon as Ruckus turned to the Skrinn an iridescent wave rolled over him as well. Skin turning the color of the sea accented with tigra patterns of yellow starting in his jaw and visible all the way down his back under his leather armor. His Hair was now black with stripes of vibrant blue and eyes the color of star sapphire glowing from within. He felt the vibrations of the Skrinn twisting on the ground and the noise of destruction all around him. He closed his eyes and absorbed all the noise into him. He felt the sound as an active chaos he could shape within himself. In the blink of an eye he turned the discord into sweet harmony and let it out with his voice. There was a rending of stone below the Skrinn as Ruckus released the sonic battering ram into the stone catapulting it into the air. As the Skrinn was tossed into the air for one brief second Vail shouted over to Majestika " Majestika, Suspend it. " With that a halo formed around her head in a pail violet along with a glow surrounding her arms. Then the Skrinn was suspended in midair as her brother Radiance said "I see where you are going Vail; I’ll take it from here."
Radiance felt the world around him so many things air, water, earth, light, sound, all the natural elements as a white crown of light formed over his brow. He drew them all into himself feeling his form strengthen and increase in density. He wove three mystica together as one increasing his mass, strength, and size. This was a trick only used by the very skilled and gifted. His tutor had never let him do this in training sessions. As the prince apparent it was too much of a risk. The only male heir to the Arcadian thrown could not risk himself so recklessly. His internal laugh at what his tutor would think of what he was doing now was all he could hear as he lunged at the Skrinn now half as big as it was. All of a sudden there was a flash of green energy around Vail and the Skrinn as he cast a hex altering reality for a moment. The flames sputtered out for a second revealing a flame red jewel glowing in the torso of the beast. Radiance’s hand closed around it as he ripped it from the Skrinn’s body. A brilliant flare of light burst forth from the Skrinn as the jewel was separated, then the body fell to the ground a Smokey quartz color, lifeless. As Radiance released his accrued mass the lifeless husk instantly began decomposing to crystalline dust.
Radiance walked up to Vail and handed him the soul stone. His hair auburn curls now laden with sweat. He smiled at Vail " nice job perfect timing as well; you need to teach me how to read the fates so that I can win more fights." Vail burst into laughter " to be honest Radiance, I don’t think there is enough places to hide from your father in the world should I teach you anything else that will help you fight. As it is he is likely to put a bounty on my head for getting both you and your sister in a fight with the largest Skrinn in recorded Aleria. Why don’t you go check on your sister and make sure she is all right?" As Radiance walked over to his older sister Ruckus released his hold of Majika and joined Vail. " So Vail what do you think about all this?" " Nine Skrinn attacks in just the last year. The Toscali say that it has nothing to do with the tapping of the nodes but the attack on the Outlandu node was almost as big as this one last month and now this. Something is wrong with the planet. I can’t wait to get back to my Buba and ask him what is going on." Vail released his grasp on the Harmonia he was holding and his hair turned back to it’s dark brown color as well as his eyes going back to there natural gray. " I don’t know, the head of the Sat’a Heas don’t think it has to do with the tapping of the nodes. There are far more powerful fate watchers then me in the school and, the death watchers would know if anything truly major were going to happen." " That may be true. How ever if it was then why didn’t they know about this attack till after it happened. I respect you Vail but I don’t think that the heads of your school know as much as they say they do." Before Vail could respond Radiance and Majestika were returning with an old women who’s wrinkled skin was dark as Ruckus’s tanned leather armor. As she arrived in front of Vail and Ruckus she straitened her body and her red hair crowned her like a mane of fire." Well met Son of the moon, thank you for your help in conquering this evil devil. Truly I have never seen one half it’s size." " Nor have I Mother Pasha. I mourn for your loss. I wish we could have been here sooner." With that the old women broke into laughter " A Sat'a’ Heas who admits he wasn’t where he wanted to be at exactly the moment he wanted to be there. Now these old bones have truly heard all things." As she looked around she coolly added " these eyes have also already seen to much as well perhaps the mother will call me back to her womb of fire soon. What do you think speaker of fates and futures?" Vail blushed " I’m afraid I’m not a death watcher dear mother, merely a gifted fate watcher." She nodded her head and meet his eyes once more with the green daggers of her own. " Truly you are a marvel and gifted even among the children if you could define the way to defeat a beast so great. In any event I thank you greatly and offer you repast in my hut if you will care to join me. Mourn not for the dead the mother and father have welcomed them back to their harts. Their souls will be born back to us again tempered by battle and stronger then they were in this life." With that she bowed and led the group away from the beach.
While they walked back to the village a large fleet of Tran Tak slip ships were descending to the main island of the Isharen archipelago. The largest fleet assembled since the war of the White Death. The name the Toscali had given to there battle with Crestfallen. The Toscali knew that there must have been some grave incident on the main islands for the Ishareans to call for help. They were a proud people and rightfully so. The fire dancers and water shamans were considered two of the most powerful majika and mystica users in Aleria. Two thousand years ago they had turned the Toscali empire around and prevented them from concurring the Western Hemisphere of Aleria. There for the largest fleet of warriors they could muster was gathered, mercenaries, and gifted were for the assault. Fallowing the advice of the guild of communicators. Who had already established that there was an extremely large Skrinn on the main island.
This fleet was lead by Lance Master Whiteside and Senator Ruffian Storm, head of the technician’s guild. Ruffian primary interested was in the Soul stone of the Skrinn. Soul stones were needed to power the Majika, Mystica and, Harmonia generators. He had wanted also to get a closer look at the nodes of the Isharens. All knew that they could draw on more energy then any other workers of the arts and he wondered weather that was due to them or the nodes they drew from. This was exactly the moment he had been waiting for. He looked over to Sca’ Cerulean his advisor for a while now. Sca’ Cerulean had told him about the Skrinn incursion to Ishara before even the guild had received the distress call. One day Ruffian would have to find out where he received his information. As Ruffian stood there on the bow of the ship with his auburn curly hair waving in the cold sea spray mist. Looking at the horizon with his brown eyes he plotted, none of this mattered till after the task was done. Ruffian had always been in conquering the task not worrying about what to accomplish next. That was why he kept Sca’ Cerulean around let him keep tract of all the goals. Ruffian only had two goals defeat the next person in his way and to become Emperor of the Toscali empire.
The ships began to hit the beach and javelin after javelin began to group. When they were done he counted several hundred lances of men, thousands of javelin crews in ready. He pervade the men as they prepared themselves for the fight of there lives. One third of them in total had been proscribed troupes from other lands. All of these would be fighting for the technicians guild. All there for the chance they may be the ones to get the soul stone and there for the million trake bounty for it. As Ruffian was thinking this all over a communication guild member walked over to him. " Sir, our projection scouts can no longer find the Skrinn." " All we see are several dead water shamans and fire dancers as well as wreckage and sign of the battle." Danm it the Ishareans may have killed the Skrinn before they had arrived. He looked over to Sca’ Cerulean who now wore a frown over his face. As Sca’ Cerulean looked over to Ruffian and there eyes meet. " Sir, I do not believe the Ishareans were responsible for the defeat of the Skrinn. It seems....... extremely against the odds as I saw them. I feel there may be an outside hand in this." Sca’ Cerulean’s hair was held in a single pleat down his back. His face was very pail and his pupils were wedged shaped leading down too two triangle shaped birth marks that ran from the base of the eyes to the cheeks. The one time Ruffian had asked about them Sca’ Cerulean had merely said he was born like that like all in his family. Ruffian felt it might have had more to do with his ability to garner information before any one else. Perhaps he was a wielder of some sort, those who could work the arts before node bonding. None of that mattered though he did not go through the change when using his art and so was still human not gifted and so he could be trusted for the most part
. Now Ruffian had to get back on track with what to do next. " Sca’ Cerulean do you believe it might have been the brothers of fate or the sisters of truth that did all this.". There was a shake of Sca’ Cerulean’s head. "No Sire, I believe that even with the close relationship of the sisters and the fire dancers that there is no way that they had the man power to pull this off. There are a few sisters of extreme power but I would sense them from here, as it is I do not. I feel we will have to look else where. Ruffian thought this over. Who had the power to take on a Skrinn of this magnitude? Certainly the Crestfallen but they had no interest in either the soul stone nor helping any one other then themselves. The cult of the Hand possibly , however they hated the Ishareans because of what they felt was a corrupt belief that the arts where not evil. Plus they would just as likely start killing the Ishareans as the Skrinn. Certainly not the Arcadians. Though they were strong partners with the Ishareans and had recently been getting more involved in World politics since there Prince and Princess had be designated the blessed. They would have had to hire a large amount of Tran Tak slip ships to get here and Ruffian was fairly sure that there was not enough left out side of this fleet to do that. Certainly not any rouge Javelin crew, one it could be a crime to engage a Skrinn with out a bounty in a foreign land. Second all the crews of any skill were part of this attack fleet. Ruffian shock his head as he walked down the plank to the beach. This was going to be another obstacle he was going to have to think through. Not as much fun as fighting but then what was. At least he could investigate the nodes so this wasn’t a total lost. As a another thought entered his head a slow smile came over his face. If it was a rouge Javelin crew he could easily claim bounty and take the stone any how and not have to pay for any of the transcribed troupes or death benefits. Yes this could work out just fine but then Ruffian had always been gifted at seeing the silver lining in things. It was like when he turned thirteen and his father had died. Most children would have cried at the loss of a father. Ruffian saw it as a chance to get rid of his annoying step mothers and siblings allowing him to take control of his family’s guild. Sca’ Cerulean had helped with that as well and proven himself as well. Yes the bright side of things. Now to find the soul stone and investigate the nodes.
They had been walking the winding path over the sand dunes for quit some time when the old women lit a small flame in her hand. She stood at the trail just before a heavily wooded tropical forest. " Young ones we are almost home. I must warn you of a few things. One men are only to speak when you are spoken too. Two the women will be in mourning for there sisters lost in battle. So it will also be required for me to leave the men outside of the village till you are announced. Now please wait here while me and Majestika go to my hut. it may be some time till we return please be patient. Vail eyed Ruckus and shook his head knowing already that his hot headed friend was about to object. Ruckus closed his mouth and sat on a stone looking like a young boy who had been told to wait till after dinner before eating Juelly berries.
As the Mother pasha and Majestika continued down the path to the village the old women spoke once more "Majestika some thing you should know there is another visitor far from home she is young and finds our ways difficult. I’m sure she will be happy to meet other people from away. She is an twin like yourself so I am sure you two will have much to talk about. Her name is Faith please be kind to her."
After another Fifteen minute walk down the forest path they saw a clearing opening up. Majestika looked into a large bon fire now blazing. She could here voices shrilling in cries of battle as well as mourning. The old women now walked forward in front of Majestika. She raised here hands and the flames split. All eyes turned to her. " Daughters, sisters!" it was more of a command then a calling. " My blood daughter has passed. She passed with no blood daughter of her own. I call council. Who here is strongest in the goddess and has not already joined her. Prove yourself now take from me these flames." There was a silence over the crowd. Then twenty women stepped forward as the rest of the women walked too there huts and came out with drums and flutes. The twenty women ranging in age from what appeared to be a young cocoa skinned red headed girl of about thirteen to a women who looked to be even older then the Mother Pasha. They formed a circle around the massive bon fire between it and the women who were now surrounding them with instruments.
Drums started in a slow pace as the Mother Pasha walked forward hips swaying with the beat of small little black stones around here neck, wrist, and outfit tapping away. Past the circle of drummers and the twenty now clapping her hands and humming with the beat. She kept walking till she stood between the two standing pillars of flames. With a sound of millions of trees crackling in a forest fire the two pillars poured onto the old women. Majestika gasped in horror thinking that this meant the immolation of the old women. Then the Flames wavered and started lashing out at the twenty thrashing like a wild beast made of pure flame. At it’s base she could see the mother through the flames. Each time a flame lashed out and almost touched a women the mother would extend her arm up and pull the tendril of flame back down too here. The drum beat began to follow the flow of the mother swaying hips and the clapping of her hands. Majestika slowly began to hear the flutes start as two of the twenty women who the tendrils had not yet lashed out at had walked out of the circle of twenty. When they joined the instrumentalist they began to sing in honest. Now the remaining eighteen began to walk around the flames. The tendrils still lashed out at them as they began the procession. Majestika marveled at what she was witnessing. She had heard tales of the Fire dancers of Ishara it was part of her royal training of the Arcadian court to know the customs of foreign nations even more so since her and her brother Radiance had been accepted as the Blessed. The Blessed was the only unifying mythology of Aleria and possibly the only custom held and respected by all nations. They walked forward two steps then a clapped there hands and skipped once with the left leg, then with there right. Again they would take two steps forward and repeat the pattern again all with the beat of the drums. The combination of the voices with the clacking of the stones the beat of the drums and shrill of flutes was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard or seen. Now the mother spun in the middle of the Fire and all the tendrils lifted into a burning spire of fire. At this Majestika noticed a girl on the far end of the flames with the whitest skin she had ever seen. Even in the fire light here eyes shone the blue of sapphire and hair as white as the snow in Outlandu. There was a look of awe over her face as she looked on. Majestika started walking around the outside of the drummers over to see the girl just as the spire of flame bore down in one strong lash.
At the edge of the wood Ruckus was pacing the way he always did when he was inpatient. "Ruckus, come play stones with me and Radiance." " I don’t want to play stones I want to know what is happening. I can see flames leaping over the woods what if a Skrinn is attacking again? What then and we wait out here while the Ishareans get killed?" Vail began to laugh. " Ruckus you have to be the most voyeuristic creature in all or Aleria. You would use an excuse of a Skrinn attack to justify watching something we are clearly not invited to see." Only now did Radiance speak " Ruckus, listen we are on the main island of Ishara it’s matriarchal. meaning it’s run by women. When I was training at the palace I learnt that all the rituals of the fire dancers can only be viewed by women. It’s part of there religion. Even the Great Priest of the water shamans is not allowed to witness what these women are doing right now. I know enough of the mythology to know that if any man witnesses the great rights of the Fire Dancers he must be killed. Now I advise you sit down and relax and let me take your money." he said with a sly gin. "Ha! you couldn’t beet me at stones if you could see the future as well as Vail." With that he joined his two friends playing stones and pulled out a pipe from a pouch on his belt and began to stuff it with what he clamed was the best smoke leaf in all of Zerobi.
After about 30 minutes and loosing most of the gold in his pouch to Radiance Ruckus began to look agitated even having smoked a good amount of leaf. " Vail, how can you be certain that there is no trouble over there. Maybe you should scry to be certain. Vail looked up from the bones for a second. " I don’t think it’s worth it. If and I mean if there was any trouble Majestika would let Radiance know through there psychic link given too them by the sisters of truth. How ever I have been feeling some weird movements in the Majika Give me a second." Radiance stood up and a light blue wave formed over his head. He faced the direction of the village and then turned around three hundred and sixty degrees. Stopping for a moment facing the way they had come.
Chapter 1: Beginnings.
Aleria had existed at a nominal state of peace for 40 years. Since the guilds last attempted siege of the Crestfallens node of wind Majika. That is when the Pearl Dragons and there riders flew to Toscali. Bringing devastated to the Guilds Empire. They had far stronger wind Majika then any one had expected and broke through the empires guard grid. They reeked havoc over the continent burning civilians and military alike in a solid wave of wind and destruction. Trees were leveled crops razed. Millions were left homeless other parentless. The aftermath left Toscali crippled. She was just now beginning to recover.
After the attack the Crestfallen returned to there island nation and had been heard little from since. Except for there opening their country up for trade with the outside world through one of there island satellites known as Freeport. Only allowing there gifted and women to trade and communicate with the outside. They also apologized to the Toscali for the wanton destruction and sent sizable gold and silver as well as rare jewels to help with the children who had lost their parents in the aftermath. How ever they maintained their statement that their node would remain free of outsiders its majika only for the natives of Crestfallen.
Chapter 1: Beginnings.
Aleria had existed at a nominal state of peace for 40 years. Since the guilds last attempted siege of the Crestfallens node of wind Majika. That is when the Pearl Dragons and there riders flew to Toscali. Bringing devastated to the Guilds Empire. They had far stronger wind Majika then any one had expected and broke through the empires guard grid. They reeked havoc over the continent burning civilians and military alike in a solid wave of wind and destruction. Trees were leveled crops razed. Millions were left homeless other parentless. The aftermath left Toscali crippled. She was just now beginning to recover.
After the attack the Crestfallen returned to there island nation and had been heard little from since. Except for there opening their country up for trade with the outside world through one of there island satellites known as Freeport. Only allowing there gifted and women to trade and communicate with the outside. They also apologized to the Toscali for the wanton destruction and sent sizable gold and silver as well as rare jewels to help with the children who had lost their parents in the aftermath. How ever they maintained their statement that their node would remain free of outsiders its majika only for the natives of Crestfallen.
The only fighting in years had been with the Skrinn that would emerge periodically from the nodes. The Toscali were now starting to tap into nodes as an unlimited supply of ready energy. This technology having been designed by the technology guild of the Toscali and implemented on all the nodes in there nation. A few others had expressed interest in the technology and in the past 100 years since it’s beginning large urban areas started to emerge on Aleria. Both trade and travel were easily acquired through the Tran’ Tak slip ships. The world seemed to in a relative golden age but as with all things even gold can be tarnished.
The chilly night sky and frost were banished in a flash. The iridescent Skrinn worm rose high into the night sky. It spewed fire from its mouth as well as nodes on its ribbed body. This Skrinn was 4 times larger then the greatest sky whale of Aleria. It constricted its body and lowered its head to the ground just before it began to thrash. Twining and rolling it spewed fire crushing and immolating all in its path. Suddenly down at the beach a huge wave rose from the sea guided by the high priest of the Ishareans water shamans. The wave washed the dead and burnt Ishareans to the side as it bore down on the Skrinn. It struck with a deafening thunderclap followed by a low hissing noise burying the creature in it’s deluge. As the high priest that had summoned the wave looked around him he saw his brothers and sisters moaning and crying. Tears entered his eyes just as the steam washed over him fallowed by flame, his own screams lost in the night.
The slip ship skimmed onto the shoreline as the water shamans were trying to contain as much of the flame as they could. The cold and darkness were receding as the Skrinn disgorged flames at a frail old woman. The flames bore down on the women as the old women started a slow dance with her hands and split the flames to either side of herself. The fire formed two pillars over her hands illuminating the night. With a cry she brought down both pillars onto the Skrinn. The flames lapsed onto the skin of the Skrinn and were just as suddenly consumed back into the night. The old woman then collapsed to the ground exhausted as Vail vaulted the railings of the slip ship followed swiftly by his javelin crew. With one hand on the ground he raised his eyes to see the target. He smelled the burnt flesh and wood. He had to feel all of the night to be able to scry the possibilities. He began to stand and embrace the Hymonia, the third art of Aleria. With this embrace a change came over him. An iridescent wave washing over him turning skin midnight blue with light blue spots starting at the side of the eyes; now a golden yellow and flowing all the way down his back and across his chest. His hair now a royal purple glowed with the energies he now held. He then sifted through the possible futures and all the weaves that he could create. There was a pulling at his consciousness as if reality was a dream and the possibilities the only true reality. He pushed further past the euphoria and what he saw was grim. The fleet arriving on the island and then a massacre. Half the fleet wiped out by the beast. As he saw all the carnage he felt a flow just bellow this one. An underling possibility. He thrust his consciousness into the flow stream and saw it. The possibility stream was thinning as the greater of possibilities picked up more strength he needed to act now.
Ruckus was barely able to hear Vail as he shouted "Ruckus I need a sustained level 6 bass blast below that thing." As soon as Ruckus turned to the Skrinn an iridescent wave rolled over him as well. Skin turning the color of the sea accented with tigra patterns of yellow starting in his jaw and visible all the way down his back under his leather armor. His Hair was now black with stripes of vibrant blue and eyes the color of star sapphire glowing from within. He felt the vibrations of the Skrinn twisting on the ground and the noise of destruction all around him. He closed his eyes and absorbed all the noise into him. He felt the sound as an active chaos he could shape within himself. In the blink of an eye he turned the discord into sweet harmony and let it out with his voice. There was a rending of stone below the Skrinn as Ruckus released the sonic battering ram into the stone catapulting it into the air. As the Skrinn was tossed into the air for one brief second Vail shouted over to Majestika " Majestika, Suspend it. " With that a halo formed around her head in a pail violet along with a glow surrounding her arms. Then the Skrinn was suspended in midair as her brother Radiance said "I see where you are going Vail; I’ll take it from here."
Radiance felt the world around him so many things air, water, earth, light, sound, all the natural elements as a white crown of light formed over his brow. He drew them all into himself feeling his form strengthen and increase in density. He wove three mystica together as one increasing his mass, strength, and size. This was a trick only used by the very skilled and gifted. His tutor had never let him do this in training sessions. As the prince apparent it was too much of a risk. The only male heir to the Arcadian thrown could not risk himself so recklessly. His internal laugh at what his tutor would think of what he was doing now was all he could hear as he lunged at the Skrinn now half as big as it was. All of a sudden there was a flash of green energy around Vail and the Skrinn as he cast a hex altering reality for a moment. The flames sputtered out for a second revealing a flame red jewel glowing in the torso of the beast. Radiance’s hand closed around it as he ripped it from the Skrinn’s body. A brilliant flare of light burst forth from the Skrinn as the jewel was separated, then the body fell to the ground a Smokey quartz color, lifeless. As Radiance released his accrued mass the lifeless husk instantly began decomposing to crystalline dust.
Radiance walked up to Vail and handed him the soul stone. His hair auburn curls now laden with sweat. He smiled at Vail " nice job perfect timing as well; you need to teach me how to read the fates so that I can win more fights." Vail burst into laughter " to be honest Radiance, I don’t think there is enough places to hide from your father in the world should I teach you anything else that will help you fight. As it is he is likely to put a bounty on my head for getting both you and your sister in a fight with the largest Skrinn in recorded Aleria. Why don’t you go check on your sister and make sure she is all right?" As Radiance walked over to his older sister Ruckus released his hold of Majika and joined Vail. " So Vail what do you think about all this?" " Nine Skrinn attacks in just the last year. The Toscali say that it has nothing to do with the tapping of the nodes but the attack on the Outlandu node was almost as big as this one last month and now this. Something is wrong with the planet. I can’t wait to get back to my Buba and ask him what is going on." Vail released his grasp on the Harmonia he was holding and his hair turned back to it’s dark brown color as well as his eyes going back to there natural gray. " I don’t know, the head of the Sat’a Heas don’t think it has to do with the tapping of the nodes. There are far more powerful fate watchers then me in the school and, the death watchers would know if anything truly major were going to happen." " That may be true. How ever if it was then why didn’t they know about this attack till after it happened. I respect you Vail but I don’t think that the heads of your school know as much as they say they do." Before Vail could respond Radiance and Majestika were returning with an old women who’s wrinkled skin was dark as Ruckus’s tanned leather armor. As she arrived in front of Vail and Ruckus she straitened her body and her red hair crowned her like a mane of fire." Well met Son of the moon, thank you for your help in conquering this evil devil. Truly I have never seen one half it’s size." " Nor have I Mother Pasha. I mourn for your loss. I wish we could have been here sooner." With that the old women broke into laughter " A Sat'a’ Heas who admits he wasn’t where he wanted to be at exactly the moment he wanted to be there. Now these old bones have truly heard all things." As she looked around she coolly added " these eyes have also already seen to much as well perhaps the mother will call me back to her womb of fire soon. What do you think speaker of fates and futures?" Vail blushed " I’m afraid I’m not a death watcher dear mother, merely a gifted fate watcher." She nodded her head and meet his eyes once more with the green daggers of her own. " Truly you are a marvel and gifted even among the children if you could define the way to defeat a beast so great. In any event I thank you greatly and offer you repast in my hut if you will care to join me. Mourn not for the dead the mother and father have welcomed them back to their harts. Their souls will be born back to us again tempered by battle and stronger then they were in this life." With that she bowed and led the group away from the beach.
While they walked back to the village a large fleet of Tran Tak slip ships were descending to the main island of the Isharen archipelago. The largest fleet assembled since the war of the White Death. The name the Toscali had given to there battle with Crestfallen. The Toscali knew that there must have been some grave incident on the main islands for the Ishareans to call for help. They were a proud people and rightfully so. The fire dancers and water shamans were considered two of the most powerful majika and mystica users in Aleria. Two thousand years ago they had turned the Toscali empire around and prevented them from concurring the Western Hemisphere of Aleria. There for the largest fleet of warriors they could muster was gathered, mercenaries, and gifted were for the assault. Fallowing the advice of the guild of communicators. Who had already established that there was an extremely large Skrinn on the main island.
This fleet was lead by Lance Master Whiteside and Senator Ruffian Storm, head of the technician’s guild. Ruffian primary interested was in the Soul stone of the Skrinn. Soul stones were needed to power the Majika, Mystica and, Harmonia generators. He had wanted also to get a closer look at the nodes of the Isharens. All knew that they could draw on more energy then any other workers of the arts and he wondered weather that was due to them or the nodes they drew from. This was exactly the moment he had been waiting for. He looked over to Sca’ Cerulean his advisor for a while now. Sca’ Cerulean had told him about the Skrinn incursion to Ishara before even the guild had received the distress call. One day Ruffian would have to find out where he received his information. As Ruffian stood there on the bow of the ship with his auburn curly hair waving in the cold sea spray mist. Looking at the horizon with his brown eyes he plotted, none of this mattered till after the task was done. Ruffian had always been in conquering the task not worrying about what to accomplish next. That was why he kept Sca’ Cerulean around let him keep tract of all the goals. Ruffian only had two goals defeat the next person in his way and to become Emperor of the Toscali empire.
The ships began to hit the beach and javelin after javelin began to group. When they were done he counted several hundred lances of men, thousands of javelin crews in ready. He pervade the men as they prepared themselves for the fight of there lives. One third of them in total had been proscribed troupes from other lands. All of these would be fighting for the technicians guild. All there for the chance they may be the ones to get the soul stone and there for the million trake bounty for it. As Ruffian was thinking this all over a communication guild member walked over to him. " Sir, our projection scouts can no longer find the Skrinn." " All we see are several dead water shamans and fire dancers as well as wreckage and sign of the battle." Danm it the Ishareans may have killed the Skrinn before they had arrived. He looked over to Sca’ Cerulean who now wore a frown over his face. As Sca’ Cerulean looked over to Ruffian and there eyes meet. " Sir, I do not believe the Ishareans were responsible for the defeat of the Skrinn. It seems....... extremely against the odds as I saw them. I feel there may be an outside hand in this." Sca’ Cerulean’s hair was held in a single pleat down his back. His face was very pail and his pupils were wedged shaped leading down too two triangle shaped birth marks that ran from the base of the eyes to the cheeks. The one time Ruffian had asked about them Sca’ Cerulean had merely said he was born like that like all in his family. Ruffian felt it might have had more to do with his ability to garner information before any one else. Perhaps he was a wielder of some sort, those who could work the arts before node bonding. None of that mattered though he did not go through the change when using his art and so was still human not gifted and so he could be trusted for the most part
. Now Ruffian had to get back on track with what to do next. " Sca’ Cerulean do you believe it might have been the brothers of fate or the sisters of truth that did all this.". There was a shake of Sca’ Cerulean’s head. "No Sire, I believe that even with the close relationship of the sisters and the fire dancers that there is no way that they had the man power to pull this off. There are a few sisters of extreme power but I would sense them from here, as it is I do not. I feel we will have to look else where. Ruffian thought this over. Who had the power to take on a Skrinn of this magnitude? Certainly the Crestfallen but they had no interest in either the soul stone nor helping any one other then themselves. The cult of the Hand possibly , however they hated the Ishareans because of what they felt was a corrupt belief that the arts where not evil. Plus they would just as likely start killing the Ishareans as the Skrinn. Certainly not the Arcadians. Though they were strong partners with the Ishareans and had recently been getting more involved in World politics since there Prince and Princess had be designated the blessed. They would have had to hire a large amount of Tran Tak slip ships to get here and Ruffian was fairly sure that there was not enough left out side of this fleet to do that. Certainly not any rouge Javelin crew, one it could be a crime to engage a Skrinn with out a bounty in a foreign land. Second all the crews of any skill were part of this attack fleet. Ruffian shock his head as he walked down the plank to the beach. This was going to be another obstacle he was going to have to think through. Not as much fun as fighting but then what was. At least he could investigate the nodes so this wasn’t a total lost. As a another thought entered his head a slow smile came over his face. If it was a rouge Javelin crew he could easily claim bounty and take the stone any how and not have to pay for any of the transcribed troupes or death benefits. Yes this could work out just fine but then Ruffian had always been gifted at seeing the silver lining in things. It was like when he turned thirteen and his father had died. Most children would have cried at the loss of a father. Ruffian saw it as a chance to get rid of his annoying step mothers and siblings allowing him to take control of his family’s guild. Sca’ Cerulean had helped with that as well and proven himself as well. Yes the bright side of things. Now to find the soul stone and investigate the nodes.
They had been walking the winding path over the sand dunes for quit some time when the old women lit a small flame in her hand. She stood at the trail just before a heavily wooded tropical forest. " Young ones we are almost home. I must warn you of a few things. One men are only to speak when you are spoken too. Two the women will be in mourning for there sisters lost in battle. So it will also be required for me to leave the men outside of the village till you are announced. Now please wait here while me and Majestika go to my hut. it may be some time till we return please be patient. Vail eyed Ruckus and shook his head knowing already that his hot headed friend was about to object. Ruckus closed his mouth and sat on a stone looking like a young boy who had been told to wait till after dinner before eating Juelly berries.
As the Mother pasha and Majestika continued down the path to the village the old women spoke once more "Majestika some thing you should know there is another visitor far from home she is young and finds our ways difficult. I’m sure she will be happy to meet other people from away. She is an twin like yourself so I am sure you two will have much to talk about. Her name is Faith please be kind to her."
After another Fifteen minute walk down the forest path they saw a clearing opening up. Majestika looked into a large bon fire now blazing. She could here voices shrilling in cries of battle as well as mourning. The old women now walked forward in front of Majestika. She raised here hands and the flames split. All eyes turned to her. " Daughters, sisters!" it was more of a command then a calling. " My blood daughter has passed. She passed with no blood daughter of her own. I call council. Who here is strongest in the goddess and has not already joined her. Prove yourself now take from me these flames." There was a silence over the crowd. Then twenty women stepped forward as the rest of the women walked too there huts and came out with drums and flutes. The twenty women ranging in age from what appeared to be a young cocoa skinned red headed girl of about thirteen to a women who looked to be even older then the Mother Pasha. They formed a circle around the massive bon fire between it and the women who were now surrounding them with instruments.
Drums started in a slow pace as the Mother Pasha walked forward hips swaying with the beat of small little black stones around here neck, wrist, and outfit tapping away. Past the circle of drummers and the twenty now clapping her hands and humming with the beat. She kept walking till she stood between the two standing pillars of flames. With a sound of millions of trees crackling in a forest fire the two pillars poured onto the old women. Majestika gasped in horror thinking that this meant the immolation of the old women. Then the Flames wavered and started lashing out at the twenty thrashing like a wild beast made of pure flame. At it’s base she could see the mother through the flames. Each time a flame lashed out and almost touched a women the mother would extend her arm up and pull the tendril of flame back down too here. The drum beat began to follow the flow of the mother swaying hips and the clapping of her hands. Majestika slowly began to hear the flutes start as two of the twenty women who the tendrils had not yet lashed out at had walked out of the circle of twenty. When they joined the instrumentalist they began to sing in honest. Now the remaining eighteen began to walk around the flames. The tendrils still lashed out at them as they began the procession. Majestika marveled at what she was witnessing. She had heard tales of the Fire dancers of Ishara it was part of her royal training of the Arcadian court to know the customs of foreign nations even more so since her and her brother Radiance had been accepted as the Blessed. The Blessed was the only unifying mythology of Aleria and possibly the only custom held and respected by all nations. They walked forward two steps then a clapped there hands and skipped once with the left leg, then with there right. Again they would take two steps forward and repeat the pattern again all with the beat of the drums. The combination of the voices with the clacking of the stones the beat of the drums and shrill of flutes was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard or seen. Now the mother spun in the middle of the Fire and all the tendrils lifted into a burning spire of fire. At this Majestika noticed a girl on the far end of the flames with the whitest skin she had ever seen. Even in the fire light here eyes shone the blue of sapphire and hair as white as the snow in Outlandu. There was a look of awe over her face as she looked on. Majestika started walking around the outside of the drummers over to see the girl just as the spire of flame bore down in one strong lash.
At the edge of the wood Ruckus was pacing the way he always did when he was inpatient. "Ruckus, come play stones with me and Radiance." " I don’t want to play stones I want to know what is happening. I can see flames leaping over the woods what if a Skrinn is attacking again? What then and we wait out here while the Ishareans get killed?" Vail began to laugh. " Ruckus you have to be the most voyeuristic creature in all or Aleria. You would use an excuse of a Skrinn attack to justify watching something we are clearly not invited to see." Only now did Radiance speak " Ruckus, listen we are on the main island of Ishara it’s matriarchal. meaning it’s run by women. When I was training at the palace I learnt that all the rituals of the fire dancers can only be viewed by women. It’s part of there religion. Even the Great Priest of the water shamans is not allowed to witness what these women are doing right now. I know enough of the mythology to know that if any man witnesses the great rights of the Fire Dancers he must be killed. Now I advise you sit down and relax and let me take your money." he said with a sly gin. "Ha! you couldn’t beet me at stones if you could see the future as well as Vail." With that he joined his two friends playing stones and pulled out a pipe from a pouch on his belt and began to stuff it with what he clamed was the best smoke leaf in all of Zerobi.
After about 30 minutes and loosing most of the gold in his pouch to Radiance Ruckus began to look agitated even having smoked a good amount of leaf. " Vail, how can you be certain that there is no trouble over there. Maybe you should scry to be certain. Vail looked up from the bones for a second. " I don’t think it’s worth it. If and I mean if there was any trouble Majestika would let Radiance know through there psychic link given too them by the sisters of truth. How ever I have been feeling some weird movements in the Majika Give me a second." Radiance stood up and a light blue wave formed over his head. He faced the direction of the village and then turned around three hundred and sixty degrees. Stopping for a moment facing the way they had come.