Foreword

  Greetings to whoever picked this manuscript up. I am the Chronicler of Sabaria. Which is a world you have never heard of nor of my existence. I have sent forth my writings to you, mostly to have someone read them. No one I know seems interested in my Chronicles.

  When choosing which story to send forth to you I came to quite a conundrum. I would have sent forth my work on the Planar Composition of the Greater Sabarian Universe. Though I'm sure it would have been tedious reading for all but the most ardent of metaphysical enthusiasts.

  Instead, I chose to send forth some excerpts of my Chronicles. This was a fascinating time of my world’s history, the final decades of the Age of Man. This was a trying time that almost overwhelmed one weary old man and his young protégé who never even wanted the job that was given to her. I hope that you enjoy this work as much as I enjoyed chronicling it.

  Until we meet in person,

  Your Friend,

  The Chronicler

  Prologue

  The Cycle of Seasons began in the “Age of the Gods” when the High Father brought forth the Nine and charged them with the creation of Sabaria. At first, they were in unison, working as one to bring life to this new creation. However, they were still flawed beings, and soon there was strife between them. Where once they were unified under the will of the High Father. As time went on, they began to deviate from his desires, replacing the High Father’s will with their own.

  As the rift grew, so did the conflict between them. Only Lenera, wisest and gentlest of the nine, remained true to the High Father’s wishes. Three became consumed by the power of evil. Three sought to rid themselves of all morality. Two more took goodness to their extremes.

  The strife between the gods destroyed their young world, and the High Father had to step in. The High Father forced them all to sign The Pact, an agreement that they would not directly interfere in the running of the world they had to create from the ashes of the old. They were now llimited to their assigned duties and dominions. T

  After working together to rebuild, it was decided that the Gods could make major adjustments to the world, but it would have to be a majority vote between the nine. However, The Pact said nothing about mortals not being able to bring about their God’s will in the world. The Nine quickly exploited this loophole, turning mortals into their tools to bring about their desired goals. Lenera was driven to despair, once again her siblings were neglecting their duties in the pursuit of personal ambition. The world was once again pushed to the brink of ruin.

  The High Father returned once more, knowing what the Nine had done, and devised a solution to the problem. Using his divine essence, he empowered a mortal creature into the first Guardian. A being of supreme power who would help keep balance in the world. This was done to make sure that none of the Nine would grow in power to the point that they could threaten the world.

  The Guardians would be the champions of the High Father, keeping his children in line and keeping balance in the world. In return, the Nine could petition the Guardian if they believed one of their fellows was stepping out of line. Or to petition him if they believed that the mortals themselves were causing an imbalance in the world, from their divine perspective.

  The Guardian would live for 5000 years before passing the mantle onto his successor. This also marked the end of prehistory and the beginning of contemporary historical recordings. The Age of Serpents led to the Age of Titans, which led to the Age of Aelms, which then led to the Age of Ascension, before leading up to the Age of Man. This age was in its last three decades, the end was at hand.

  While no one was sure of what the next age would be like, all were sure that a time of great trial was upon the world. Could Methuselah, the current Guardian, train his successor, or would all be lost to ruin?

  Methuselah’s Tower, The Great Northern Wastes.

  In a deserted piece of frozen land, far from civilization, three figures descended from the sky to the base of an old and weathered tower. Each deity radiated with immense divine power; any onlooker would have been blinded by the sight.

  First, a middle-aged woman with a kind face, sun kissed-skin, dark hair, and soothing gray eyes. The goddess wore a simple body-length white robe and radiated gentle warmth, smelling of freshly baked pies and meadows after a light shower. When she lightly landed the ground beneath her feet bloomed as if spring had found its way through the permafrost for the first time.

  Next, came a wild-looking woman, tawny-skinned with seafoam green eyes, her dark blue hair long and untamed, roiling like the waves of the ocean. The goddess wore a short blue skirt made of sapphires and a matching top that covered her chest but left the rest of her torso exposed. The figure wore a pair of dice earrings, with a cutlass on one side of her hips, and a jangling bag of coins on the other. This being smelled of the sea, sweat, and thick perfume. When she landed a spring of salt water gushed forth from the snow.

  The third figure was a scholarly man, pale as moonlight, in a long silver robe that covered his body from the neck down. The figure's silver hair was meticulously maintained and neat, and a pair of wide and ornate spectacles sat upon his face in front of his eyes of liquid silver.

  The man's face was cold and stern, utterly devoid of emotion. In his left arm, he cradled an impressive book with an elaborate design of an owl, moth, and wolf, stacked on top of each other, inside of a perfect symmetrical snowflake. In his left hand, he carried an ornate and beautiful silver halberd.

  The being smelled of old parchment, fine wine, and the freshness of fallen snow. When he alighted on the ground, the already frozen wasteland became even colder underneath and around him, with a new sheet of ice expanding around his feet.

  The figures came together at the front door of the tower, and the figure in white knocked upon it. A loud and resounding knock was heard for miles around the tower. The figures waited for a few minutes, but no one came to answer.

  “How agitating, we gave them proper warning that we would be coming to meet with them, and here they are ignoring us.” Said silver robed Robernu in a soft but deep and emotionless voice, it was the voice of a scholar giving a lecture on the dynastic Haelmish power struggles of the 14th millennia.

  “I don’t think so brother, Methuselah isn’t one to ignore any of us when we come to meet with them, they're probably passed out from a night of heavy drinking at the prospect of dealing with us.” Said the blue-haired Ariela, with a cheerful voice.

  “If what you say is true sister, what a fine Guardian we have, we warn them ahead of time and they disgrace themselves by getting drunk and failing to meet us at their door.” Robernu replied with an indignant tone to his voice.

  “There is no need to be so hard on them Robernu, we have no proof that they are drunk. For all we know they could have been up late trying to decide if the world is out of balance and how to correct that imbalance.” Said the soft and motherly voice of the white-robed Lenera.

  “Enough of this, time is wasting, I have things to do.” Robernu raised his halberd, gleaming with power, and used it to burst open the door. Looking around, they saw piles of bottles on the floor, and piles of books on the tables and armchairs. On the walls were many shelves filled with various trinkets and trophies acquired over millennia of service. The three began pushing their way through the sea of liquor bottles towards the staircase.

  “Okay, maybe they have been drinking a little.” Said Lenera to the frowning Robernu.

  Methuselah, oblivious to the divine intrusion, was still asleep. Any lesser being would have been repelled by the wards, but the halberd of Robernu was stronger than any unmaintained barrier the Guardian could put up. Methuselah was at this moment in the throes of a familiar dream, a battle they fought once in their life and many times in their mind.

  They were on top of the Citadel of Oblivion, battling Zekron the God Killer. Around them were the shattered bodies of the great heroes and champions they had brought with them to take down this threat. The only ones left standing were Methuselah, the demigoddess Trianna, Zekron’s two treacherous apprentices, and Zekron himself.

  He was a terrifying vaguely humanoid being, consumed by darkness with eerie green glowing tattoos covering him. Even at their prime, Methuselah had trouble holding their own against the raw might of Zekron, it did not help that Zekron supplemented his power with that of the lesser deities he had consumed.

  Methuselah and Zekron were in the middle of a battle of magical wills, any sign of weakness from either one and the loser would be decided.

  “Trianna, I cannot defeat him on my own, both Natasha and Eon are drained you’re the only one whose strength I can rely on right now. This is our only chance, if we don’t finish him off here and now, he will come back.” Methuselah’s voice was filled with desperation, seeking the aid of their friend.

  “If I join my power with yours, you may live but I will be destroyed along with Zekron.” There was fear in Trianna’s voice.

  “It’s the only way, we need to end his menace once and for all, we knew going in that there would be a loss, does the sacrifices of our comrades mean nothing to you?”

  “I can’t do this; I don’t want to die.” Trianna turned her back on the battle and ran from it, right as Methuselah broke through Zekron’s barrier and blasted him with all their might, enough to destroy his body, but not his spirit.

  A cold and harsh laugh came from the figure shrouded in darkness. “Guardian you may destroy this body, but mark my words, I will return, and when I do, this world will be consumed by my fury.” After he finished, what was left of his body crumbled to dust. An exhausted Methuselah collapsed on top of the tower, knowing that this was only a temporary respite, and the threat of Zekron would return one day.

  A few moments later Methuselah awoke from their dream and found three deities standing around his bed. At this moment, Methuselah appeared to be an olive-skinned human male in their late fifties to early sixties with gray hair, a well-kept beard, and many well earned wrinkles.

  “Deities, you should know, it’s rude to enter someone’s home without permission.” There was annoyance in Methuselah’s voice.

  “You know it’s rude to not be ready to greet guests when you’ve been forewarned of their arrival.” Robernu was as annoyed as Methuselah.

  “Is it midweek already, I hadn’t realized it.”

  “Because you’ve been slacking off in your duties.” Said Robernu.

  “Now understand, things have been peaceful and stable for about five years, I am just taking a vacation before the world loses its balance once again. Or until one of you disrupts the balance with some wild scheme to undo the free will of mortals.” Methuselah looked at Robernu; the silver-robed god just stared impassively back at them, not dignifying that accusation with an answer.

  “Well, your vacation is over, it is time for you to fulfill your final duty and train your successor.” Said Robernu.

  “Really, who, what, and where is my successor, and why am I training them so urgently?”

  “The girl's name is Elizabeth, she’s a sixteen-year-old human female in the Kingdom of Lions, and that entire region is about to be invaded by the reawakened lich Zarathustra.” Said Robernu.

  This piqued Methuselah’s interest. “Zarathustra is up and about? Haven’t seen him for a thousand years, not since Artie kicked his ass.”

  “Perhaps you should take your job more seriously, this way you would know these things without having us tell you.” Robernu was quite agitated with Methuselah.

  “And let me guess, you want me to grab her before the Kingdom of Lions collapses?”

  “Yes, whether the Kingdom survives or not is irrelevant, the girl is the only one that matters, and you must begin training her.” Said Robernu.

  “Why wouldn’t he want to save the Kingdom of Lions as well?” Asked Lenera.

  “That little experiment of mine has run its course, and it’s time to bring it to an end. If Zarathustra hadn’t shown up, I would have shattered it myself. The Kingdom was founded a thousand years ago, by a man I supported in the hope that he would provide a haven for humanity in the wake of the Great Collapse. It didn’t work out in the long run, but it was enough of a success for its time.”

  “Weren’t you the one who created the Great Collapse in the first place?” Ariela asked.

  “All I did was unleash a plague upon a stagnated world, where one nation forced its will on all others. It was using it’s oppressive might to maintain an unsustainable and exploitive status quo upon its fellows in the name of peace and prosperity.”

  “And is your Kingdom of Lions any better?” Ariela asked with a smug tone.

  “I don’t agree with Arthur’s manipulation of the truth or the rampant xenophobia of his predecessors, but the Kingdom of Lions has been a bastion of order and stability in the western hemisphere for a millennium. I do not regret its creation, nor will I mourn its passing. It has done its job, but now it is old and corrupt. I know Zarathustra very well, whatever reign he gets will not last long, he’s a revolutionary at heart, not an administrator. Someone will come along and overthrow him, and a new nation will build up on the ashes of the old, such is the way of our world. The death of the old gives birth to the new, such is the cycle of nations. That’s one lesson I’ll have to teach the girl, that and how to deal with you meddlers.”

  “I take severe offense at your insinuations and accusation that we, meddle, in the world.” Said Robernu in a dry and flat manner, betraying none of his true feelings or intentions.

  “Don’t piss on my head and tell me it’s raining. The past five millennia has been me putting out your fires, nonstop. And it is not just you nine, but every deity and divine servant who gets it in their head that they know better than the High Father. And do not try to deny that the Scholatologists weren’t connected with you Robernu, only you could come up with something as crazy as that nonsense.” Methuselah let out a loud sigh. “This poor girl has no idea what she is getting into.”

  “Impudence aside, you better retrieve her as soon as possible, Zarathustra will be hitting the southern provinces within the week. Archduke Yuri Baikov might be a formidable man, but he and the Bear Duchies won’t be able to hold off the horde for long.” Said Robernu.

  “Well then, I better put on some clothes and grab her, shouldn’t I?”

  Chapter 1: Rumblings

  The Dark Wastes, fifty leagues from the nearest Zarakova outpost

  In the barren landscape known as the Dark Wastes, the forces of Zarathustra were making their move, though not unnoticed. Captain Anya Zarakova and her elite squad of scouts were out and about searching for any sign of hostiles. Things had been quiet around Wall Visalia these past few weeks, and that always seemed suspicious.

  Clad in brown and gray camouflage, the scouts traveled through the wasteland. If the Captain’s hunch proved correct, then they were looking for a warband, the likes of which had not been seen for 600 years. Over the past couple of weeks, a strange dark greenish storm cloud had developed over the Dark Wastes, with all the signs pointing to it being supernatural. The fact that it coincided with an inexplicable cessation of hostility from the monsters that lived here made her even more suspicious.

  Captain Anya and her squad moved through the petrified forest, using the trees for cover. They had to be careful, if they gave away their position, things would not end well for them. Fortunately, they were the elite of the elite, scouts whose skills were unmatched in House Zarakova’s forces.

  Exiting the forest, they came upon a ridge, with enormous clouds of dust coming from behind it. Moving with stealth, they began crawling up behind the ridge to see the origin of the dust. When they gazed over the edge, they beheld a sight that filled them with horror.

  Before their eyes was a great host of monstrosities and abominations. Amid the army, teams of Ormags, eight-foot-tall gray-skinned lumbering brutes with bulging muscles and massive eternally ravenous bellies, were pulling impressive war machines, giant and fearsome catapults.

  The payload of these weapons would shake the very foundations of the earth itself. Even worse, what they beheld appeared to only be a faction of the host, as the waves seemed to stretch on in front of them and behind them. The scouts could not even see the end of it. It seemed almost every foul creature in the Dark Wastes had been assembled into one massive horde.

  “How did we not gain word of movement like this?” Captain Anya asked her squad, with shock and horror on her face.

  “Because we butchered every scout and sentry we came across, bosses’ orders, he wants this to be a surprise.” The squad turned around to see where the obnoxiously cheerful and raspy voice had come from, but all they saw was a young female Grib cheerfully smiling at them.

  Gribs were about three feet in height, with long arms for their size, claws on their hands and feet, rubbery green skin, wide floppy ears that extended from their oversized heads. Their mouths were filled with razor-sharp teeth, and they had piercing yellow eyes. Female Grib's hair was long and black while men grew mohawks which they loved to dye various colors.

  “Hurry, kill her before she informs the rest of her horde.” Captain Anya ordered her squad.

  “Oh, not to downplay my abilities, but I am the least of your worries right now.” The squad heard a mighty roar as a savage Chren-Zul, a hulking, orange-skinned humanoid with the build of a six-foot bipedal gorilla and a tusked mouth. He came rushing at them from their right side, a savage bloodlust in his eyes as his red warpaint glowed and he waved his stone maul about. From their left side, they heard a bone-chilling howl. A stern-looking Ma-Grib, a human-sized and proportioned, red-skinned and muscular cousin of a Grib came charging at them astride his Morag steed. Both seemed to be surrounded by fell energy.

  As their attention was taken away from the Grib girl, the Grib drew two knives she had hidden in her sleeves and jumped on the face of the Lieutenant. She plunged her knives into his eyes while singing a sick little ditty. “Patty stab, patty stab, shanker’s man, make me a shank as fast as you can.”

  The Chren-Zul had reached the squad and had splattered through three of the scouts with one swing of his maul. Meanwhile the Ma-Grib had run down two of the Halmen and had plunged his Morag deep into the midst of the scouts, who only now had drawn their weapons and taken up defensive positions. The elite scouts were taken out in short order by the rampaging Chren-Zul, psychotic Grib, and brutal yet efficient Ma-Grib.

  Only Captain Anya and the Halmen Corporal Ivana escaped back to the Petrified Forest. Unfortunately, they did not make it far, as the mounted Ma-Grib, with the Grib now riding behind him, caught up with them. The Grib jumped off and tackled Ivana to the ground while the Ma-Grib’s dire wolf knocked the wind out of Anya, placing its paw upon her back, and pinning her down.

  “Leave the Halmen alive Mari, the master will want to speak with these two.” Said the Ma-Grib. With an accent that was thicker than hers.

  “And when he is done with them, do I get to keep the Halmen, Bordek? The Halmen seems like she would be a lot of fun to play with.”

  “Only if master lets you, you little whelp.” Said the looming Chren-zul who had walked on over to join his comrades, he was now calm. “I would prefer to just kill them both and send their bodies to the mobile larders.”

  “We will have to take it up with our master Ghul-Zar.” Bordek was annoyed at Ghul-Zar. “You lost too much control back there; you nearly took my head off in your fury.”

  “Next time stay out of my way. I unleash my fury when and where I want.”

  “Mother, father, please stop fighting.” There was a childlike tone to Mari’s voice.

  Ghul-Zar had an appearance of confusion on his face. “So, am I mother or father?” Bordek just let out a loud sigh and led his companions with their prisoners back to their master.

  A little while later they were at the center of the massive horde, at what appeared to be a mobile, dark, and foreboding castle being propelled above the ground by some strange magic. Anya and Ivana were brought into the macabre structure, dragged through the hallways covered in filth to the throne room where they came upon a curious sight.

  Before the throne were what appeared to be two humans. One was a woman in black with bones stitched into her clothes, gazing at some knucklebones on the floor and mumbling to herself. The woman was beautiful, but frail-looking, with mismatched eyes, one green and one blue, and ghostly white hair.

  Across from her stood a man at a table with various vials and chemicals. The man was covered in enveloping robes, and what was not covered up by the robes was covered in bandages. The only bits visible were his mouth and eyes. The man looked up from his work and a smile emerged on his face as he realized that they had guests.

  “Did you have a happy hunting session Bordek?” The man asked the Ma-Grib.

  “Happy enough Ludwig, we caught a group of Zarakovan scouts spying on us, this is all that’s left of the squad.”

  At that moment, a realization hit Anya. “You are Ludwig Von Schwarzwald, son of Count Otto Von Schwarzwald, the heretical alchemist, and she must be Cornelia Penelope, the treacherous bastard daughter of Baron Dorian Penelope.” Cornelia looked up at Anya with a vicious glint in her eye, while Ludwig just appeared to be amused.

  “You seem to know a lot about us.”

  “The Baikov family provides the Zarakova family with a full list of nobles banished to the Dark Wastes, along with descriptions and the lists of your crimes. The last we checked you two were doing mercenary work for the feuding Ma-Grib tribes.”

  “Well, as you can see the days of mercenary work are over, as we have made the discovery of the millennia, and now we will have our revenge on the Kingdom of Lions.” Ludwig had a smug tone to his voice.

  “What type of discovery? There is nothing worth discovering in this wasteland.”

  Ludwig just smiled. “There is more to this so-called wasteland than you could ever imagine. Underneath the wastes lie ancient secrets thousands of years old.”

  “We both know that’s a lie, this world is only a thousand years old.” Captain Anya was filled with indignation at Ludwig’s heretical blabbering.

  “It’s that type of narrow-minded thinking that served as a contributing factor to my banishment. That line of thought has blinded the Kingdom of Lions to the truth, our world is far older than we were taught, and it is filled with far greater powers than we ever imagined. It was during my years of mercenary work that I was able to stumble upon one such power. The tomb of an ancient undead Arcanos, who faced the King of Lions in combat, and was one of seven foes who opposed the Unification.”

  “The King of Lions was a divine being sent by his father, the Golden King, to drive away all the false races and corrupted humans who infested his promised land. The King of Lions then took the virtuous Humans and Halmens under his protection in the creation of the one true nation in the world.” For those who do not know what a Halmen is, they’re half-sized humans, about three feet tall, who possess human-proportioned bodies except for their thick and insulated furry feet. The thick and insulated feet came about as a natural evolution to cope with the fact that they often found themselves in a subservient role to humans. In many past cultures their ancestors were denied shoes as a sign of servitude.

  “Arthur Galdwin was nothing more than a fearsome Oathsworn from across the ocean, his heavenly saints were his band of mercenaries who rallied to his banner. There is nothing divine about him, his followers, his descendants, or the noble families of the Kingdom of Lions. The nobles are just descendants of successful conquerors who took advantage of a chaotic situation to set up their playground.”

  “Lies, stop spewing your lies.” Anya shouted with every fiber of her being. “The creation of the Kingdom of Lions was a divine action, the King of Lions is a living god, and his followers were heavenly saints sent to bring order to a chaotic world in desperate need of guidance. This is the truth you filthy ninth damned heretic.” Captain Anya stopped when she felt an unearthly presence behind her that forced her hair to stand on end.

  “My dear deluded child, you are mistaken. But, before you die, please allow me to free you from your ignorance.” This came from a deep but calm, almost comforting voice behind her. Captain Anya turned her head around to see a skeletal figure hovering above the ground, covered in what appeared to be ancient and tattered robes, with two green orbs in the place where his eyes should be.

  “My name is Zarathustra, and I faced your “god” on the field of battle. I can tell you this much, there are many gods in this world, but he is not one of them. No mortal has ascended to godhood since the Age of Ascension, the Nine put a stop to that after the disastrous Godstorm.”

  “What are you?” Captain Anya asked horrified.

  “The technical definition for myself would be a Lich, an Arcanos who has used magic to extend his life into undeath. I am 1500 years old, I was born during a great era of cultural, magical, economic, and technological advancement. That age lasted half a millennia before a combination of climate change, mass population displacement, global strife, and the Red Reaper plague brought about the Collapse. Arthur Galdwin and I were just two of many people who took advantage of the chaos to forge our kingdoms, it just so happened that I lost to him. The King of Lions was a man worthy of great respect, I must give him that much, but now his line is weak and degenerate. Any honor and nobility they may have had is long gone. The nobles of the Kingdom of Lions spend more time squabbling with themselves, instead of pushing their nation forward. The Kingdom of Lions has stagnated, honestly, I will be doing the world a favor by disposing of this unchanging relic. The twilight of your false gods is upon your land, though I doubt you’ll be around to see it.” Zarathustra had the tone of a tenured professor who loved to humiliate his students to prove how educated he was.

  “You won’t get away with this?” Captain Anya’s voice was defiant.

  “No one will stop me, you people do not have the strength to oppose me, the line of Galdwin has reached its end. The Kingdom of Lions has alienated any possible allies with its staunch isolationism, and the one person who has the power to defeat me, won’t interfere. They understand, even more than I do, that all kingdoms must eventually die. Now, if you do not mind, I need your companion, bring the Halmen to me.” Ghul-Zar brought the whimpering Halmen over to Zarathustra, who lifted her. “I am going to need to infiltrate Wall Visalia and have the commander killed, this Halmen will prove instrumental in that plan.”

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  “I will never aid you or your evil schemes.” Said Ivana, terrified but defiant.

  “I don’t need you, just your skin.” The Halmen Ivana went limp with a visage of horror on her face as her body was consumed by a purple glow. There was a blinding purple flash and all that was left of Ivana was her skin still in the grip of Zarathustra, the uniform had fallen to the ground. Zarathustra threw the skin to Mari who took it with glee.

  Mari then proceeded to put the skin on, there was a slit in the back for her to fit into. Mari managed to slip it on, though it was apparent that it was an ill fit, her large head stretched it and it hung limply from the rest of her body. This was only a temporary problem, as the slit in the back sealed up and the magic once again began to work.

  Inside the skin suit, Mari’s body spread out into Ivana’s body, filling it out. Mari’s eyes even changed from yellow to Ivana’s blue. By the time the process was done, it appeared that Mari was gone, and Ivana was back. Mari, in Ivana’s body, put the uniform back on.

  “This body feels weird, having a head not so bulbous will take some getting used to. Now what is it you want me to do Zarathustra?” It was Ivana’s voice, but Anya knew it was the Grib Mari speaking.

  “I intend for you to infiltrate the defenses of Wall Visalia, spread false information, and kill the commander of that wall.”

  “Sounds easy enough, do you plan for me to walk there or are you going to help out with that?”

  “While my power is increased tenfold by this castle, the magical defenses built into the wall by the Arcanos Annabelle Stanfeld and the Arc-Blood Anastasia Ortoff prevent me from working any magic within two miles of the walls. I’ll only be able to transport you to the edge of that area, you’ll be on your own from there.”

  “If this is such a problem, then won’t we have trouble with your castle? It’s powered by your magic, so once it gets within range it will collapse.” Mari sounded a bit worried, while Zarathustra just grinned to the best of his abilities.

  “I took that into account, which is why I have put the alchemical skills of young Ludwig to good use.” Zarathustra looked over at Ludwig to see him smiling.

  “For the past couple of years, I have been working on an alchemic dissolvent, something that will tear a hole through the magically augmented walls once it hits. As soon as we get a hole in the wall, we will have a hole in the magical barrier that prevents Zarathustra from working his magic. The horde will be able to get through that way.”

  “Now if you don’t mind, you need to get going.” Zarathustra snapped his fingers and a purple circle appeared around Mari. Bending over he placed his skeletal hands upon the circle, and in a brilliant purple flash, Mari disappeared.

  “Hold on, how can you cast magic without uttering a word?” Despite everything that had happened to her, Zarathustra could defy the laws of magic that puzzled Captain Anya the most.

  “I have reached a level of power where I do not need verbal citations or even hand gestures to cast my spells. My magic is far more magnificent than almost any being alive today. Being in this castle does give me a power boost, but that is nothing compared to the power I will wield when I storm the Lion Castle and retrieve what was stolen from me by Arthur Galdwin, the Jewel of Morgaine.”

  “You mean you claim one of the seven royal gems as your own?”

  “The Jewel of Morgaine is mine; your king took it from me during one of our battles. I can only assume that the other six gems you are talking about are trophies of war he won from the other warlords he clashed with. I guess I’ll have to claim those as well, after I extinguish the Galdwin bloodline once and for all.”

  “Someone will stop you; you will not be allowed to succeed.” Despite everything, Captain Anya Zarakova made her bloodline proud by being defiant in this dark situation.

  “Boss, can I take her to the chefs, I’m in the mood for mincemeat pie tonight.” Ghul-Zar looked at Anya with menace. “So, what do you say, human, you ready to be a pie?”

  Bordek had a look of disgust on his face. “Ghul-Zar you are such a base creature, do you think of anything else besides eating, fighting, and fornicating.”

  “For a Ma-Grib, you’re pretty uppity, maybe I need to put you in your place.” Ghul-Zar picked up his maul and stared with hatred at Bordek who pulled out his mace, which became wreathed in dark energy.

  “Enough bickering you two, Ghul-Zar, I have other plans for this woman, you will still be able to have fun, just not in the way you expected.” Zarathustra stared at Anya, as Anya felt her body begin to tingle. Captain Anya started gaining in mass and expanding outward, her feet and hands were replaced with claws, dark fur sprouted all over her body, and her face transformed into an ursine maw.

  Before everyone was a black bear was now sitting in the remains of Captain Anya’s uniform looking around confused. “There used to be a primitive little practice known as bear baiting, where they chained up a bear and tortured it to death for sport and amusement. This woman will serve well in that capacity. The bear is an animal sacred to House Baikov and its vassals, baiting a bear in front of her would be torture enough. But having her be the bear that is baited, the scenario has is made more horrific. Now head back to your chambers, the bear baiting will be later this evening.” With a wave of his hand, the still disoriented Anya was whisked away to a cell in the castle’s dungeons. “Consider this night of entertainment one last respite before our plan gets underway. Because once we hit that wall, there will be no time for merriment.”

  The Town of Barrington

  The town of Barrington was overseen by one of the many splinter families of House Remington, the Sword of House Galdwin. The Remington’s who reigned over Barrington held their seat at Castle Greenfield, the residence of Count Oswald Remington, second child of Lord Count Chester Remington of Ironhill. Barrington was the county seat of Greenfield County, with the various Viscountess, Baronies, Earldoms, and Lordships also held by lesser families bearing the Remington name. Barrington itself was a modest community, the largest town of the Tri-County region overseen by Lord Count Chester. And it was here, that Methuselah’s replacement resided.

  Young Elizabeth woke up with a shock, after one of the strangest nightmares she had ever had in her life. “That’s the last time I eat spicy peppers before bed” " she said to herself. From outside her door, she heard her mother knock. “Lizzie, get up, today is the day of your Coming of Age and I want you prepared. Craig and Kayla are downstairs preparing you a filling breakfast.”

  Elizabeth got out of bed, washed her face, and dressed in her best clothes. Common folk were only allowed to wear certain colors, so she put on her best brown student’s dress. While commoners were forbidden from wearing their lords’ colors as a full outfit, they were allowed certain items to declare their allegiance.

  In Elizabeth’s case, it was a light red sash and apron with gold thread trim and a white head scarf that she used to cover up her dishwater blonde hair that she had pulled back into a bun. The final piece she put on was her Leneran Heart Badge.

  In the Kingdom of Lions, one’s religious faith was proclaimed by the Heart Badge they wore over their hearts. Until their coming of age, all children fell under the protection of the goddess Lenera. After she got done with her final day of school, she would dedicate herself to her mother’s goddess Ariela. Ariela was the patron of sailors, merchants, gamblers, bankers, and all those who provided services to the wider populace, such as tavern owners and innkeepers.

  Elizabeth was looking forward to leaving her education behind to begin her apprenticeship and live as an adult. With no school in her way, she would work alongside her mother full-time, and one day even inherit ownership of the Goodhearth Inn. Not that she had anything against getting an education, just that she did not believe further schooling was right for her. Elizabeth could learn anything she wanted from working at the inn and learning from her mother how to manage an inn.

  Elizabeth had no intention of studying any other trades, becoming a soldier, learning magic, or taking religious vows, let alone becoming a freelance mercenary. Elizabeth was content to live the rest of her life here in Barrington, helping her mother with the running of the Goodhearth Inn and hopefully taking it over one day. That is what she wanted out of life, no crazy adventures, or spectacular journeys.

  Fully dressed, she left the room and began heading downstairs. Elizabeth noticed that the other tenants who had rented rooms were awake, except for the senile old Arcanos, George. Elizabeth knocked on his door, wanting to be helpful. The door flew open, and she was hit full-on by a magical blast. In the place of Elizabeth stood a confused-looking young man. This lasted only for a few moments before Elizabeth reverted to normal.

  “Disturb my private study time and next time the change won’t be temporary.” Old Arcanos George was always grouchy, but today he seemed even more cantankerous than usual.

  “Just trying to help.” A miffed Elizabeth responded before going downstairs, while she did not like the old wizard, the man always paid in full and on time. Elizabeth got to the bottom of the stairs to find her mother chasing her young brother Lucas around with a broom. From the appearance of it, he had wandered outside during the night on an adventure and had come back with his clothes all muddy. Smiling, Elizabeth entered the kitchen for her breakfast. Elizabeth was greeted by the inn’s two Halmen cooks, who were scurrying around on the scaffolding that connected them to all their stations.

  “Good morning, Lizzie, Kayla and I made your favorite breakfast today, sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, sausage, and a bowl of porridge.” Craig appeared to be excited this morning. Elizabeth sat down at the table where her food was and began to eat.

  “So, Lizzie, do you have any plans after you graduate today? Any academies or crafts you might want to get involved with?” Kayla asked her as she moved from the scaffolding over to the crib that held her young daughter Emma. She already knew the answer, but she still liked to make small talk.

  “Nope, once I graduate, I plan to begin my apprenticeship in full here at the inn.”

  “Don’t you have to take an apprenticeship under someone other than your mother?” Craig asked her.

  A fourth voice joins their conversation. “Normally that would be the case, but as the head of the Entertainment and Hospitality Guild of Barrington, I am willing to make an exception. Elizabeth won’t need much of an apprenticeship, she’s been learning from her mother ever since she took her first steps.” Everyone turned around to see the middle-aged Mistress Alice, Guildmaster of the Entertainment and Hospitality Guild of Barrington, and owner of the Crimson Lover, a favored and reputable brothel in town. “I’ll be at your school today, Lizzie, once we get your aptitude tests out of the way I’ll have the papers ready for you to sign, giving you formal membership into the guild, with all the rights and protections you are owed.”

  “I should have been admitted to the guild four years ago.”

  “I know, but your mother insisted that you get a full education. Believe me, some of what you have learned at school will come in handy with your work. Now, if I were you, I would hurry with your meal, the sooner you do your recitations and get your aptitude tests out of the way, the sooner we can get you to work. Also, happy 16th birthday Elizabeth, I am not supposed to tell you this, but your mom is planning a surprise party for you when you get back.” The two Halmen’s gave her a disapproving look while she smiled and walked away. Elizabeth finished her meal and hurried out the door through the town that was waking up. As she ran through the familiar crowd, she noticed an older man in a brown cloak eyeing her, this sent a shiver down her spine. Elizabeth rushed off toward her school while the man in the cloak talked to himself.

  “So, that is my replacement, she does not seem like much, but then again neither did I when I was her age. I’ll find out what she’s made of later.” Methuselah said to himself.

  The Barrington Primary Education Academy

  The Kingdom of Lions had long believed that a good education created a good citizen, and thus it was expected of nobles to put forth a portion of the taxes they collected for the maintenance of public academies for their lowborn communities. Here children learned how to read, write, do arithmetic, and learn about history, culture, and their place in society.

  Most children went to the age of twelve before leaving to take up their apprenticeships. Some stayed until the age of sixteen, at which point the education ceased to be free. That was often an irrelevant point as the student was scouted out by organizations of higher learning that may have been willing to help the students with the finances necessary to attend their academies and universities.

  Most rural communities opted out of the program, believing that their children were better off learning from their parents as they did their chores to help their families survive. While each academy may have had its traditions for graduation, the one constant was the recitation of the Citizen’s Creed, the one infallible dogma that all must adhere to when it came to understanding this world.

  “Please, begin your recitation of the Citizens Creed.” Elizabeth’s teacher, Master Richard signaled Elizabeth to begin.

  “A thousand years ago, there was only formless chaos, and from this chaos, the Nine Great Gods forged a world. And in this world, they are populated with many forms of life, each one unique but lacking in some fundamental way. At last, they created their masterwork, humanity, the most perfect being to ever set foot upon the world. But the other races proved jealous of humanity and sought to ruin and corrupt them. Many were deceived and led astray by the non-humans. Only the humble Halmen’s remained loyal to humanity, innately understanding the superiority of humans. As the Nine risked the loss of humanity, they enacted a plan to save at least a fraction of their favored creation. Led by the Golden King, they created the living god, Arthur Galdwin, the King of Lions, and his saints, who descended from the heavens to secure a nation of true and virtuous humans, undeceived by the lies of the world. Rallying as many humans to their banner as possible, they secured their domain from all invaders. Each saint was given a region to govern, alongside their most devout followers.”

  “Each region would be named after an animal that was held sacred by the saint. Thus, the Bear, Mustang, Viper, Peacock, Wolf, Moth, Owl, and Albatross duchies were created, all swearing allegiance to the King of Lions, Arthur Galdwin, and the noble families he took as his vassals. The good times did not last forever, and Arthur Galdwin and his saints had to shed their mortal coils and return to the heavens, leaving their lands in the care of their descendants. To this day, only the nobles can venerate them, as the peasantry, not being chosen for greatness by the King of Lions or his saints, are unworthy.”

  “Very good Elizabeth, the first recitation was perfect, now tell me about the Nine.”

  “The Nine Gods are the supreme beings of this world, surpassing even the King of Lions and his Saints. First is Lord Alnardun, the Golden King, god of honor, chivalry, nobility, courage, justice, and patron of the King of Lions and his saints. Next is Gentle Lenera, the goddess of family, light, hope, and life. Fickle Ariela is the goddess of the seas, freedom, economics, and exploration. Hardworking Terra is the goddess of crafts, industry, science, and mathematics, while Narta is the goddess of nature and weather, the enemy of our civilization. The Mad God Baleris is the god of music, arts, and magic, whose chaotic nature must always be kept at bay. The Silver Tyrant Robernu is a god of scholarship, literature, administration, and uncompromising order and stability. The Cruel Queen of Darkness Neca-Ra is a goddess of plague, death, despair, and oblivion, who seeks to destroy all life. Finally, there is the Flaming Temptress Flareous, a goddess of corruption, decadence, and uncontrolled desires, who ruins all she influences.” Master Richard nodded with approval, indicating that she was finished. Relieved Elizabeth looked out the window to see the creepy man she saw earlier standing on the sidewalk staring right at her. Elizabeth could not focus on him right now; she had to go through her aptitude testing.

  In the Kingdom of Lions, all children were tested three times in their young lives for their magical and spiritual aptitude. The first test was at age six, the second test was at age twelve, and the final test was at age sixteen for any possible late bloomers.

  While they were under no obligation to pursue magic or become clergy members, it was a matter of national security to keep track of everyone who could develop their powers later, possibly for personal gain. It was for this reason that whenever a region suffered a strange supernatural mishap, all those who had been registered in the archives were the first to be investigated.

  The test itself consists of holding up two orbs. One measured their innate talent for the manipulation of arcane magic, and the other measured their spiritual resonance, or how their bodies could serve as vessels of divine energy.

  Individuals whose bodies had high spiritual resonance became Divine Callers, and while not all clergy members were Divine Callers, the Divine Callers were held in high regard for having a far greater personal connection to the deities.

  “Now that that’s out of the way, we need to get your aptitudes done.” Sister Clara and Headmaster Winston came up to her, each holding a black orb. Sister Clara, garbed in white, was a cleric with the Leneran faith and Headmaster Winston was the head instructor at the local Arcanos academy, wearing dark purple robes with orange trim and a wide-brimmed and floppy hat on his head, a colorful luxury afforded to him by his status as a high ranking independent Arcanos.

  “Now my dear, would you be so kind as to grab onto the orbs, depending on how clear they get will determine your skill in either divine or arcane magic.” Headmaster Winston instructed her as she grabbed the orbs in either hand. Elizabeth had done this before, but she didn’t want to take away the headmaster's fun by interrupting his explanation. The two previous times there was no reaction whatsoever, so of course there would not be any reaction this time.

  Almost immediately both orbs lit up, becoming clear, then they shattered apart in her hands. Both Sister Clara and Headmaster Winston looked on in shock. “My dear, I have never seen a reaction like that, I can’t even imagine the type of power you would possess if you chose to take up either a divine calling or the pursuit of the arcane. Would you be interested in enrolling? With power like yours, I can promise you a free ride.” Said Headmaster Winston, eager to have a pupil with such raw power.

  “Don’t be ridiculous Headmaster, this young woman is drawn on a more spiritual path. My dear, my order would be happy to have one like you. And if Lenera is not your fit I can introduce you to some of the other Divine Callers in town.” Sister Clara stepped in, trying to draw Elizabeth away from Headmaster Winston.

  “While I appreciate both of your offers, I don’t want to go down either path, I want to begin my apprenticeship in my mother’s tavern.” Elizabeth turned to face Mistress Alice, who had been patiently waiting in the corner. “Mistress Alice, do you have the papers to begin my apprenticeship?”

  “Yes, I do,” she reached into her satchel and pulled out the contract, an ink jar, and a feather pin “Just sign and initial in all the appropriate places, and it will be official.” Elizabeth signed the contracts and she and Mistress Alice left the academy. Elizabeth would see Mistress Alice later at the party, but right now she had one more place to visit. Now was the time to dedicate her heart to the goddess Ariela.

  Temple of Ariela

  When lowborn boys and girls came of age at 16, they had to choose to dedicate themselves to one of the Nine, as the protection Lenera gave children ceased at the age of sixteen. In the Kingdom of Lions, only worship of seven of the nine was acceptable. And even then, some deities were held in higher regard than others.

  The Arielan faith, was popular amongst bankers, accountants, merchants, sailors, business owners, and those in the business of hospitality. This was frowned upon by the nobility of the Kingdom of Lions, with the sole exception of the mercantile families of the Albatross Duchies. It was because Ariela and her faith tended to buck tradition and the proper order of things. It threw aside honor and protocol for the pursuit of wealth and the pursuit of what they considered to be freedom.

  Ariela was no friend of the rural peasantry or craftsmen either. Both groups believed that Ariela encouraged their children to shun off good and honest hard work for the perilous pursuit of money. Though sailors whom she watched over would disagree with this opinion. Because of this Ariela held an odd position in the Kingdom of Lions. She was accepted because of the influence of her followers and her non-malevolent nature. But she was held in suspicion by those who valued their system and those who preferred the toil of the field and forge over counting coins. But for a young woman like Elizabeth, Ariela was a perfect fit.

  Elizabeth's mother had always been a firm devotee of the goddess and attributed the success of their business to the blessing the goddess bestowed on their family. Elizabeth had always been drawn to Ariela, she swore that one time the statue of Ariela in the Barrington temple had even winked at her. Elizabeth had studied the Arielan holy texts her entire life, even when others tried to introduce her to other deities for the sake of curiosity. Elizabeth knew that Ariela was her goddess, and no one would tell her otherwise.

  Elizabeth headed up the temple steps and made her way toward the temple’s center. The temple itself was a modest affair, well-built but subdued. Elizabeth had been told that the major temples on the coast were quite extravagant, made of the finest marble and inlaid with precious minerals and gems, with ornate saltwater fountains. They were even larger than Count Oswald Remington’s castle that oversaw the town of Barrington. This temple was made of simple wood and stone, in the style of an open-air market. Around the center of the temple were stalls where the priests would sell their wares and services to those willing to pay for them. In the center open-air portion, stood the stone statue of Ariela and a raised circular platform that the high priestess would give her sermons. Around the statue and platform were rows of benches that formed a circle around the center. Today an Arielan roulette wheel and plate filled with gold coins had been brought forth and set in front of the statue with the high priestess watching over it, waiting for her. Before she could make it to her, she was waylaid by a familiar face.

  “Elizabeth my dear, how good to see you. I heard today was your Coming of Age, so I decided to attend your dedication, because alas, I will not make it to your party.” This came from a middle-aged dark-haired woman Elizabeth knew very well. It was Ms. Keeli, a wealthy merchant who ran a profitable caravan company. Ms. Keeli was a frequent visitor to both the Goodhearth Inn and the Barrington temple of Ariela.

  “Ms. Keeli, I’m glad you could make it to my dedication, though I’m surprised you could make it, this is your busiest time of the year.

  “My top journeyman is out overseeing my caravans; I must stay in town and get my finances in order. One of my old managers was stealing from me, so I had to let him go, and I have been unable to find a suitable replacement. Do you think that you will win the jackpot?” Ms. Keeli asked.

  “If the goddess wills it.” With that Elizabeth went down to where the high priestess was waiting while Ms. Keeli moved to one of the more comfortable benches. The jackpot, referred to the tray of coins next to the roulette wheel. Every time someone dedicated themselves to the goddess, they would place a coin in the tray and spin the roulette wheel that had a hundred slots on it. If the ball fell into the slot the supplicant named, they got to keep half of the tray, with the other half being given to the temple. Elizabeth got down on her knees before the high priestess and began to pray while the temple began to fill with those who wished to witness the dedication. Though quite a clamor began to occur Elizabeth could still pick up the sound of her mother scolding her brother for some new rambunctious action that was causing her mother grief. After a while, the crowd began to quiet down, with the high priestess placing her hand on Elizabeth’s shoulders indicating it was time to start. Elizabeth lifted her head to meet the eyes of the high priestess.

  “Elizabeth, daughter of Cheryl, today you leave childhood behind and dedicate yourself to the bountiful Ariela, lover of freedom and fortune. This is a serious matter and if you do not wish to go through with it you may leave now, and no one will think less of you because of it.” Said the high priestess.

  “I have been waiting my whole life to dedicate myself to Ariela, she is the only goddess for me.” Elizabeth looked up at the statue of the goddess, she appeared as a young woman, scantily clad with a trident in one hand and a bag of coins in the other. The statue had a wry smile on her face.

  “I take it you know the vow then?” The High Priestess asks.

  “Of course,”, said Elizabeth, getting ready to dedicate herself, “I Elizabeth, daughter of Cheryl, hereby leave behind my childhood and the protection of Lenera.” The high priestess removed the Leneran Heart Badge from her chest and placed it in a tray that the High Priestess held out. “I choose to dedicate myself to the Goddess Ariela, in her aspect as a patron of merchants and managers, of entrepreneurs and visionaries. I will dedicate myself to the pursuit of wealth so that not only I, but others may benefit from my bounty. I dedicate myself to the freedom of one whose waves can never be tamed. I dedicate myself to the bringer of storms, fortune, and prosperity, to the goddess Ariela. If she finds me wanting, may she judge me accordingly, and may I suffer my just fate.”

  Once she had finished the high priestess pulled out a blue gourd she had concealed in her robes. The high priestess poured it over Elizabeth’s head, revealing it to be sanctified salt water that filled her body with a tingling sensation. The high priestess then attached the Arielan Heart Badge to Elizabeth’s chest. A simple iron badge in the shape of a coin with a trident in the middle. The High Priestess lifted her to the cheers of all those present. In the crowd, she could see the pride in her mother’s eyes. The high priestess led her over to the roulette wheel.

  “What number do you wish to choose, Elizabeth, daughter of Cheryl?” The High Priestess asked.

  “I choose sixty-six, High Priestess.” Elizabeth places a gold coin her mother gave her on the plate with the others.

  “Very well, you may spin the wheel.” So, Elizabeth spun the wheel as the high priestess tossed the ball into it. Much to everyone’s shock, the ball did land on sixty-six. A cheer then went up amongst the crowd as they rushed down to congratulate her. As the crowd swarmed her, she looked up at the statue of Ariela, who appeared to wink at her once again. However, Elizabeth’s good mood was ruined, by the same mysterious man who had been following her around all day, waiting in the shadows, away from the crowd.

  The Goodhearth Inn

  Later, at the inn, the party was underway. Everyone she knew was there, giving her the customary present for this occasion, coins so that she could get her life started. Since she would continue living at home it would not matter too much, but it never hurt to invest your extra coin. The only thing that bothered her was that the same mysterious man who was stalking her earlier was in the tavern. This was a strange-looking man; possessing a swarthy complexion and a short but well-kept grey beard and gray hair. The man had a perpetual smug look to his face and piercing brown eyes. The man's entire wardrobe was brown but with nothing on him indicating which house he swore fealty to. Fortunately, it appeared he was too enraptured with the barmaids to pay any attention to her. Two of them, Angie and Martha, seemed to be entranced by him and his stories, to the point where they were neglecting their duties. Elizabeth wanted to tell her mom about him but did not want to ruin the mood of the party.

  Cheryl walked over to her and kissed her cheek. “I hope you are enjoying the party, remember this is your night, so have fun.”

  “I am having fun mom, I’m just worried that we may be losing money tonight. Please tell me that this isn’t an open bar?”

  Cheryl just smiled at her. “Sweetie don’t be silly, most of the food here was brought in by everyone else, and of course were still charging for drinks. Just because this is a celebration doesn’t mean we won’t be turning a tidy profit.”

  “Everyone out of the way, we have the birthday cake.” Craig and Kayla exited the kitchen, deftly pushing out a cart taller than them with the cake on it. It was a multi-layered monstrosity, as big as one of the bar tables, covered in icing. On the cake was a simple message, “Happy Coming of Age.”

  “The cake looks magnificent, thank you so much.”

  “Hey, today is your big day, tomorrow you begin your apprenticeship, and in a short amount of time I believe we’ll have to call your boss, Lizzie.” Said Kayla

  “That won’t be for a few more years, I still have so many things to learn and I doubt my mother is retiring any time soon.”

  “I intend to keep on working till the day I die.” Elizabeth’s mother chimed in. “And I expect the same work ethic out of you Lizzie.”

  “Mom, I’m so excited about starting tomorrow, I doubt that I’ll get any sleep tonight.”

  “Enough babbling, hurry and cut the cake.” The old Arcanos George, with two of Alice’s courtesans around his arms, was eager to get to the cake.

  “Don’t worry Professor, we’ll get to the cake soon.” Cheryl began looking around, quite frantic. “Now where did your brother run off to Lizzie?”

  “Lucas with the old man in the cloak Cheryl.” Alice pointed out the missing boy, who was pestering the cloaked stranger with a ton of questions.

  “Lucas, you stop pestering that man right now.”

  “But Mom, he was telling me some interesting stories, he’s an old veteran, he fought down at Wall Visalia against the hordes of the Dark Wastes.”

  “The boy is no bother mam, it’s refreshing to see such a curious young person, most people find the presence of an old war hero like me unnerving.” The man had a deep tone and a slight accent that Elizabeth couldn’t place, to his voice.

  Lucas walked on over bringing the cloaked figure with him. “Mr. Methuselah has seen and done a lot, when I grow up, I want to be just like him.”

  “Perhaps you will one day, you never know what the future holds until you take the first step out of the door and into the wider world. There is more to our kingdom than just one sleepy little town.” Methuselah informed him.

  “Methuselah, that is an odd name, where are you from exactly?” Lizzie asked, annoyed at the man for filling her brother’s head with flights of fancy when he should be focusing on becoming a productive member of society.

  “Elizabeth, that’s no way to treat our guests.” Cheryl was annoyed at her daughter’s rudeness.

  “Mam, I take no offense at this line of inquiry. If you must know, I am originally from the Owl Duchies, I left the land early on as a young man to become a mercenary down south, I hope that satisfies your curiosity.”

  Elizabeth kept getting a strange vibe from this man, something about him seemed familiar though she had never met him before.

  “By the way young lady, congratulations on your Coming of Age, this is a very important time in your life when your very future can be impacted by the decisions you make, so I hope you’ve made the right ones.”

  “I am quite happy with my decisions, thank you very much.” Elizabeth did not like the patronizing tone of this stranger.

  “I am sure you are, though, this is just a friendly warning, be wary and open to change, things seldom go the way we want them to go. If I had a golden lion for every hope and dream, I had to give up because fate got in the way, I would be rich enough to buy out the entire kingdom.”

  “Well, perhaps we can now move on to the cutting of the cake.” Elizabeth’s mother tried to diffuse the tension between the two of them, which was felt in the room. Many of the guests could have sworn that they smelt ozone in the air.

  “Oh, cake sounds wonderful, let’s do that.” Methuselah also wanted to get away from this conversation. Elizabeth began to cut the cake while her mother plated the pieces and passed them around. The party went on for a few more hours, with the crowd heading home or heading up to their rooms in the inn. Elizabeth, her mother, and the rest of the staff began cleaning up the inn.

  “Did you enjoy your party sweetie?” Cheryl asked her.

  “Yes, I did, thank you so much for throwing the party for me Mom.”

  “You’re welcome, I hope you are ready to begin your apprenticeship tomorrow.”

  “Of course, I am, this is what I’ve been looking forward to my whole life.” Elizabeth and her mother nearly tripped over the prone form of her young brother, who was passed out on the bar room floor, face covered in icing. Cheryl sighed as she picked him up.

  “Lizzie, can you take the trash to the rubbish heap in the alley while I take care of your brother?”

  “Of course, mom.” Elizabeth picked up the sacks of rubbish and took them out, lantern in hand for the dark alley. Elizabeth threw them into the pile and turned around to head back into the house, only to be given a shock as she found Methuselah standing between her and the door. “Mr. Methuselah, what are you doing out here and why do you keep stalking me, if that is your real name?” It was at this point that she pulled out a knife she had concealed on herself, having been put on edge after dealing with her stalker all day.

  Methuselah seemed confused for a moment before he finally realized why she had drawn a weapon on him. “I suppose that’s fair; I haven’t been subtle, have I? Well, my name is Methuselah, but I am, in fact, not an Owl, either the animal or a resident of the named Duchy. In fact, I wasn’t born anywhere near the Kingdom of Lions at all.”

  “Then who are you, where do you come from, and what do you want.”

  “Like I said, my name is Methuselah, I come from a family of poor peasants. The land I came from ceased to exist 4500 years ago.” Methuselah looked a bit melancholic after bringing that up. “I am a 5000-year-old being known as the Guardian, and my tenure is almost up. Fate has chosen you to be my replacement, which is why I have come for you, it is time for you to begin your training, congratulations, now grab my hand and let us get going.”

  Elizabeth had a look of shock and disbelief on her face. “You know I find that hard to believe. Even if I was willing to accept such blatant lies as the truth, I am not going with you, my life and my future is here.”

  “You know, fate doesn’t give a damn about our wishes and desires.” There was a very bitter tone in Methuselah’s voice. “Consider yourself lucky, when I took up the mantle of Guardian, I didn’t have anyone to teach me. Child, you get to learn about my mistakes, without suffering through them yourself. Now hurry and take my hand, I want to get you out of this Kingdom before it is burned to the ground.”

  “What, are you telling me that this Kingdom is going to be destroyed.”

  “Most likely, there is a massive army led by an extremely dangerous lich headed to wall Visalia, the Wastelanders will be streaming into the Kingdom by the end of the week.”

  “Well, if you are some kind of Guardian, why aren’t you working to stop it?”

  “Listen, child, the job of the Guardian is to keep the world in balance, and that includes letting old kingdoms die so that new ones can take their place. It’s a natural cycle of the world, interfering with it would be counterproductive to my job.”

  “But if what you say is true, many innocent people are going to die, including my family.”

  “People are going to die, why I have never seen death before in my life, it is a phenomenon that most definitely does not occur every day.” There was a strong tone of sarcasm in Methuselah’s voice.

  “How can you be so callous about something so horrible?”

  “Because death is not shocking to me, it’s just another part of the world’s cycle. You’re going to have to engage in some large-scale killing yourself, so I strongly suggest that you get used to the idea.”

  “I will not, and I am not coming with you.”

  “Listen, girl, you don’t have a say in the matter. My final duty is to train you and train you I shall.” Methuselah reached for her, planning to take her with him by force. Elizabeth felt a swell of power within her that she had never felt before. Elizabeth's eyes began to glow golden as she slapped Methuselah away and sent him flying into the wall. Completely by instinct, she teleported away from him and her home in a bright flash of golden light.

  Methuselah got up, shook the dirt off himself, and looked around disappointed. “Note to self, don’t underestimate my replacement.” Methuselah snapped his fingers and disappeared in his own flash of golden light.

  Elizabeth’s mother came out of the alley door to see what the commotion was about. Much to her shock, she could not find her daughter. Cheryl was gripped by fear as she began walking around crying out Elizabeth’s name.

  Chronicler’s Notes

  Undoubtedly, Methuselah could have gone about this more tactfully, though, in the end, it may have worked out for the best. The people Elizabeth would meet would come to have important roles in their own lives, and hers. Fate often behaves in a strange manner that we do not always understand at first. For instance, I never knew as a child that I would have the fate of being chosen by the High Father to serve as the Chronicler of the world, but I am here now. In the end, we are the only things in our lives we can control, and we must make the most of the hands that were dealt with.