The back of Nicole's head throbbed deeply. She was tired, and weary. After laying

  there, she was trying to recall what just happened. She tries to open her eyes, but

  her vision is blurred. She weakly picks herself up sloppily, as her hand runs across

  the smooth coldness of marble. Shivering, she sits up using her hand to support her

  aching head as she tried to reorientate herself. As her vision cleared, she looked

  around the room. To her left and right stand massive columns, so huge she was

  unable to see the ceiling. How is this possible, she muttered to herself. They lined

  up in a strait row, as her eyes followed the columns forward until her eyes fell upon

  a throne. The throne was decorated awkwardly with heart shaped rubies, she thought

  to herself about how weird and peculiar the throne looked. She felt pity on the owner

  of the throne, it was so peculiar she imagined how funny it would be to see someone

  sit upon it. She just burst out laughing as any childish 11 year old would, giggling

  non-stop. The blood drained quickly from her face, and her giggles died out. The the

  air grew a little lighter and more cheerful, Nicole was still nervous as she felt the

  presence approach. She turned and looked at the woman. The woman looked of a fair

  maiden in her 20s. The lady wore a white thin cloth dress covering fully her body with

  much more to spare upon the ground trailing behind her, the sleeves, with her arms at

  her side, dropped just enough to touch the floor. She had a radiance to her. Some sort

  of magical nobility that drew Nicole towards the woman. Her light blond hair falling inches

  above the lonely marble floor, unable to grasp that which it deeply yearned for.

  The hair was strait and long, the figure standing at about 5'9", pulled the hair that

  was covering her face behind her ears. She noticed that they were pointed like an

  elf. When her hair was pulled down you could see her face. It was round and

  cheerful, with a relaxed carefree expression drawn upon it. She skipped happily

  towards Nicole. Nicole could only stand there stiff and motionless. She was

  dumbfounded at what to do. The woman came closer and closer. Until their faces

  were less than an inch apart. The woman's eyes looked at her. Observing every inch

  and corner of Nicole's face. She could only stand there frozen upon the forever still

  silence looming in the room. Wait was this a room, Nicole was panicking. She realized

  she didn't even know where she was, and she couldn't spot Artemis within the vicinity.

  Nicole stared to grow frantic. That was until the woman's eyes fell upon hers. They

  were deep, very deep, deep enough to spread your soul on a platter and feast upon

  it. The woman did look in her 20s, but her eyes betrayed her. It was as if this woman

  was looking into her soul, judging each action, decision, and choice she made in this

  short still going life. The little child was trying to instinctively shield herself from her,

  but she couldn't move. Like a living statue, she tried to force herself away, but each

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  attempt made Nicole weaker as she was drawn back into the woman's eyes. She

  finally gave up and submitted to this lady with power over her. Suddenly a light

  scratch was felt in the back of her head, steadily growing into a clawing as pain gripped

  Nicole's face. Gasping for relief, her arms raised up as her eyes looking into the

  woman's begging for help. Nicole's arm grasped the side of the woman's dress,

  the woman opened her mouth slightly showing her shock, the shock turned quickly

  into a smile. She was very pleased, as the look on Nicole's face relaxed, the woman

  loosed her grasp upon Nicole's mind. Nicole face dawned with realization as she

  now knew who this woman was and how the woman was probing the very core

  of her mind. The woman was Dilanthra, and Nicole knew that even if she ran

  she would never escape. She succumbed to fate which lied ahead of her.

  The goddess spoke,

  "A child, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Dilanthra and this is my realm,

  Mortui Ex Urbe. Ex Urbe, for short. I see that you have been brought here by Artemis,

  she always seems to find the best apprentices. I am quite pleased to see you are mentally

  fortified well to a degree, and we will train that talent."

  "Where's Artemis?"

  "She returned to the real world. The time and space between our world is distorted as time

  in the mortal real goes faster than it does here."

  "Will I ever go back?"

  "In due time child, due time. For now let us train."

  Nicole yawned and groggily tried to follow.

  "Ahh, it seems we have a change of plans, sorry child it must be hard on you. We will

  continue this tomorrow."

  The goddess with claps and the space around them contorts violently, then gently

  settles them is a bedroom. Nicole acted on instinct and climbed into the bed and

  pulled the covers over her, Nicole's breathing quickly falls into a rhythm, signaling

  that she was asleep. Dilanthra softly whispers,

  "Great things await you child, ascend your throne besides the champion quickly.

  Your destiny awaits you my sweet little child. You shall become the leader of the

  shadow blood, leading them in the shadows of the champion. The brighter the

  light the darker the shadow. Or may the fates have other things in store for you."

  -------------------------------------------------

  Well I'm quite satisfied with the heroine more than the MC. Seems I got long ways to go. We'll I hope that this is better than my crappily whipped up Ch 1. On knees* Please give more comments as to the quality of this chapter and any thoughts in the discussion topic in this forum. Thank you all to those who read. May have many errors, will reread when I can and edit. I try to fix anything wrong by Sunday.