Just to clear things up for you all. Iv used a lot of Legend of the Seeker characters but this is not the show! I am open for questions about the rather confusing plot. I am sorry the chapters are so long but if you like a good read then i bet you'll like this. I rated this M because it gets pretty graphic latter on and i didn't want to scar the minds of the innocent :D Be warned that it takes a couple chapters for Rahl and asra to get together. I will tell you when the awesomeness is going to happen. As always please be nice this is my first story i've ever shared before. i'm always open for suggestions for new plot twists 3
In the beginning of time, great and beautiful gods lived on the earth. From them came the creatures of the earth. The tall and gorgeous elves, the wild and earth living dwarves, the woods living centaurs, the giants, fairies and the humans formed the races of the earth. From the sky came the phoenixes, dragons and the blinding angles; the races of heaven. From inside the earth came the demons, basilisks and goblins; the races of hell.
The race of man was surrounded by powerful enemies until they joined with the elves and dwarfs, thus forming the Alliance of the Earth. With the elves in their secluded cities high upon mountain tops and the dwarfs residing over their gold mines in their vaulted halls the humans grew and expanded across the earths gentle face. The races lived in peace and when they were threatened they banded together and fought as one.
But as the years passed, the races separated and began to fight in amongst themselves. The dwarfs conquered their own mountains and stayed buried, digging deeper and deeper. The elves split into the forests, canyons, the sea and mountains, claiming natures bounty and becoming one with it. But they humans stayed together and their people flourished. A new line of kings; the Kondarz ruled for centuries. The greatest of the kings was King Alezank dar Kondarz. He ruled his people with majesty and they blossomed and grew. But underneath them they began to feel the earth waking, and growing wrestles. Soon the race of human had all but vanished except for tinny little villages up in caves hidden from view. The grand city of Kondarz was silent. Vines crawled up the once beautiful temple pillars and pulled them down. King Alezank dar Kondarz was silent. The Demon Witch King had awoken from his sleep; deep within the earth's belly. Ezra Necro, the Devastator had crawled from the earth. The once glorious city had been overrun by the races of hell and the once lush earth hardened and froze.
With all the beauty that had once ruled the world people never remembered the darkness that had come before. Before the gods a darker power had claimed the land. The Darkness bour the gods and goddesses. But as they grew they began to feel the dangerous power of their life giver. So they pushed the darkness back, bit by bit until the land was awake. But the darkness never went away. For at night and in the long cold winters the gods were at their least power. A shadow began to grow. Convulsed in pain, images of the dead wreaked its soul.
With each winter and night the forgotten shadow grew, the gods and their pure children, the races of earth heaven and hell named it Necro. In language of the gods Necro meant: death bringer or forgotten soul. Necro grew. Small children that wandered away from the fire circles never returned. Even some of the strongest were taken. The angle king Sansibar, the Basilisk queen Ziske and the human king Zondarz. After a thousand years of growing and strengthening Necro was born, the last child of the darkness and the bringer of the end. He took the form of a demon prince Tyrose Ezra. Those who saw him said he was the most beautiful creature ever seen. Some even thought he surpassed the gods in his beauty. But beneath his beauty was the darkness that bore him and he never forgot it. So when his army was ready he silently took the lives of the people of earth. The elves and dwarves, fairies and centaurs escaped his atack for they were so a part of nature that to find them would be more trouble then worth. But the humans dispersed to the mountians. They lit their fires and went to sleep for they did not want to remember the pain.
Ezra Necro was victorious but their was a flaw in his plan. As his generals advanced through the ranks he would give them each a tiny bit of his magic. Just enough to make them able to rise their dead soldiers. One night a human, a woman was brought to his best friends tent. She was found wandering outside his camp by sentries. Captivated by her beauty the general seduced her and made love to her. He thought that she was safe and because of lust he felt for the human women he let her live. She ran with his seed inside her to the mountains. There a tribe took her in. they were great sorcerers and as her pregnancy advanced they cast powerful magic of love and kindness over her.
When the baby was born the mother died. but the girl survived and she was taken in by the leader of the tribe. She grew into a kind girl and it appeared to all that the poison of her father had left her. And with the knowledge that only a tiny flame of Necro's power lived within her, the girl became the leader of her people along side her adoptive father. In honor of the gods she was named Asra, meaning Bringer of Life, Defeater of Death. And with Asra's birth came the throwing of the land, the awakening of trees and the singing of old prophecies.
"Asra, he has arrived" said a small woman who stood with her face covered by a black shawl. The woman turned and left the cave room. The girl at the window slipped her ermine trimmed cape over her shoulders and walked from her room. The hallways of the cave city dripped with water that dribbled into basins that carried the icy water into the heart of the city. The heal of the girls boots clicked on the stones as she passed a flaming torch and into a cold damp room. Lit by ten great iron racks that held whole trees the great hall could be seen for what it was. The cave had been chiseled into carvings of the outside world. Huge stone trees shot up and supported the ceiling. Along the edge of the room ran a river of the purest water. The water glinted in the torch light for gold specks floated in the clear water.
Asra passed over the bridge barely stopping to look at the gold water and walked to the throne. Although the room was magnificent the throne beat it all. Carved to perfection it displayed the back of Ezra Necro for the king to sit on and at his back were the gods and goddesses protecting him. Snakes and demons were the feet. Asra stopped. On the chair sat a man, his face hidden by darkness. Slowly he raised his hand and opened his palm revealing a flame that shook and wavered, he blew on it and the flame grew until it illuminated his face. Asra watch in fascination as the man stood up and walked to her. As he came into the light he shut his hand and the fire died. "you called for me, Asra of the Iron Caverns, what can I do for you?" the man's voice was deep but musical, playful almost. The man bowed low. He rose and pulled his hood back.
Playful green eyes blinked down at Asra. A sharp straight nose jutted out from a handsomely carved face with a square forehead and high cheekbones. The only sign of weariness were bags under his eyes. Casually he brushed a piece of grass from his dark russet hair. He had a sparse goatee and mustache. The man pulled of his cloak and threw it on the throne. Underneath his heavy traveling cloak he wore a black leather vest, padded for protection. He wore a dagger strapped to his thigh, just above a pair of overused leather boots. "Darken Rahl, I am glad to see you again for our last meeting was so brief" she paused, remembering. "for in that short time I have heard much about you" Asra said. She had read up on the man standing before her just yesterday so she knew everything about him. He was the descendant of an fairy and a human child. His mother had passed on her magic and he was relatively good at spells. It was also said that he was the best assassin in the land of the living. Stories told of kings throats being cut in the middle of the night by silent shadows. And he was so handsome. Asra held out her hand for him to kiss and as his lips brushed hers the door behind them banged open.
She spun around to face her old friend. Dripping wet and covered in blood Tyros stood panting before her. As he bowed water dripped from his golden locks that hung across his eyes. His skin shone with sweat. He wore heavy chest and shoulder armor but no other armor. Blood and mud caked his cloths. Asra forgot Rahl and stood her hands on her hips looking up at her friend "I wish you wouldn't go running off like that, nobody knew when you would be back." even with her formal tone she couldn't hide the grin that spread over her rather plain face.
Asra was not a golden haired beauty who possessed seductive charm, in fact she was rather the opposite. She was almost chubby, with curves that always had bothered her and long black hair that framed her too pale face. Her almost white blue eyes glowed from underneath thick long eyelashes. She turned to Rahl and presented Tyrose "this is Tyros Isfargarth. He is a master horsemen and swordsmen. Tyros I do not introduce Rahl do I?"
"no you do not" Tyros laughed. "I must apologize, but I have been tracking you for a few months now" he said to the calm faced man before him. Rahl grinned and bowed. He took no offense, he already knew about being followed but he said nothing, he could sense no danger in the young man. But the knife that was strapped to his thigh began to hum ever so slightly. Without barely moving he touched the warm steel hilt and the humming stopped. Thank you he whispered to his trusty friend. Long ago he had captured the spirit of a dying dragon, one of the last and put it into his dagger. Now the voice of the dragon spoke to him through their minds. Laced with poison the dagger obeyed the will of Rahl before he even knew it himself and the blood of hundreds had stained the edge of the precise weapon.
Asra and Tyrose were talking about something that Rahl found less than intressting and interrupted them with a flashing, seductive smile. Where was everyone he asked. Asra turned to him and he could see the flicker of wanting come across her eyes before she looked him in the eyes. They would show when the time was right she answered haughtily trying to make up for her loss of self control. But whenever Asra looked upon the assassin her heart fluttered. One night at the winter solstice celebrations a years ago he had shown up. They had ended up kissing, when her friend had found her much to both girls humiliation. Asra had forgotten that night until today. Rahl had not.
"I heard you were given entry." Asra nodded. Entry was when a woman turned sixteen and wished to enter a sect of their clan they had to undergo a ritual wear their destiny was shown to the elders. The girl would never learn it but would be given Entry to her new life.
"I wish I could see what the elders saw" Tyrose said wistfully. "their expressions were of amazement but even though we begged their lips were sealed."
"I am happy not knowing. What do they do in your tribe Assassin?"
Rahl sighed, he was brought up in a group of men who used to serve kings; the Shamia. They were mercenaries. Every last one of them even the women had killed for their beer and bread. They were considered gypsies though now. Once they had stood up to rules and the kings were ok with it because if they made their assassins angry they would be killed in the black of night. Now the Shamia rolled across the plains and deserts, mountains and valleys working for the demons and few humans and earthly creatures they found. Their caravans jingled with goods and the cry of children angry of the bumpy roads filled the air surrounding their processions. Rahl had always felt particularly ashamed of his tribe. They had been great he thought to himself every night, but they had fallen along with the kings of Men. So as Rahl began to speak he told of his mother's tribe.
"the fairies are not as small as you would think, in fact they are as tall as elves, and skinny. My mother was a member of Mancra a small group of fairies that lived on the darkness. They practiced the powers of magic and dealt mostly with the demons. Though they can not raise the dead as Ezra Neco" at this Tyrose spit on the ground, Rahl rolled his eyes and continued "although they cannot raise the dead they are mastifull at speaking to them from across the darkness."
Suddenly he felt eyes glued to him. Asra was staring at him, her pale eyes sharp and interested from her pale face. "can you talk to the dead Rahl?" she asked. He grinned and walked around her, where he stepped fire rose from the rock. Do you want me to talk through the darkness my lady? he whispered. He stood behind her with his lips hovering from her ear. Her hair smelled wonderful, he almost groaned aloud as she put a hand on his hip. Slowly she moved it down till it was grasping the handle of the dagger. She tried to pull it free but his hand was on it first and suddenly the fire was gone, the room was completely dark. Rahl had Asra held a knife point, her body pressed against him with his other hand. Tyrose had his sword out but looked too confused to use it. How had the braziers gone out? He kept asking himself. Why was it so dark.
Slowly a light began to glow from the dagger and Tyrose could see Asras slightly shaken face lit up by the blade held to her neck. A thin line of blood dribbled across her perfect alabaster neck. Tyrose wanted to do something, he did not trust the man who held a sword to his lady but he wasn't about to start a fight with his new traveling companion. But his opinions quickly changed as Rahl bent down and licked the blood from Asras neck. Stop! he cried disgusted. But the most disgusting part was that Asra stood perfectly still, her eyes closed. Suddenly it was too much for him and he ran forward. "stop, what are you doing. If you do not release her I will personally see you killed. What are you doing?"
"Shamias and Mancras do not waste the blood of those they kill. Shamias lick their blades clean, they do not clean them with the grass as most do. And Mancras drain the blood from their victims. Because of their birth from the darkness they have little blood. The blood of the ones they kill serves as food, they must feast once a week at least." the voice came from the doorway, beautiful and turned to see a figure, he could not tell if it was a woman or a man. The creature moved forward, draped in loose cloths of silver and dark green. It swept towards Asra and he was shocked to see that the back of the creature was hollow and mossy, like a rotting tree trunk. He even saw a beatle crawl down it's shoulder.
"Kahlen I am glad to see you so well" Asra said to the creature. Kahlen turned her head to Tyrose. She smiled.
"I can sense that you do not know what or who I am young one" she said, for he was sure it was a woman. Kahlen brushed a thick white, green tinted braid from her face. "I am an elf, we live for hundreds of years as you must know. I was sent from my seclusion in the Blood mountains. I am a priestess of the earth,a confessor. I am from the Keft Zarshra Mak or as you may know as Sisters of the Blood." Tyrose knew what she was talking of. Stories had been brought to them of the sisters of the blood. With one touch they could control the minds of their prisoners. But behind their warrior ways was a calling to nature and the medicine that earth had given them.
Kahlen we meet again, Rahl spoke into her mind so that none could hear them. Last time I say you you were trying to take my dastardly soul. I am thankful you did not. Kahlen nodded curtly. Asra saw the nodded. She could hear their conversation but said nothing, some things she lived to keep to herself. Grimly she smiled. She was tired of being young, of having secrets kept from her. But she could hear everything. She could see everything. She could feel every emotion, every thought that happened if she tried. Asra bit her lip, she was done reading people she was ready to plan.
"we are complete then, there are four of us" Tyrose said. He went to the back of the room and pushed a stone, the wall slid away. Asra took the lead and led everyone into the great, glowing room. A huge map of the world was carved from the stone and mountains rose to peaks. Streams and oceans were filled with water.
Kahlen gasped. "I have heard of this great map she said". Asra grinned, she loved the map with its forests of stone. There were four chairs at each corner of the map and everyone took their seat. Braziers illuminated their faces, flickering and glowing.
"we are gathered in the time of Iron and Stone to defend our homes" a man said behind them. He materialized form the shadows, shriveled and old. But his voice sounded young, alive. "I am the elder Sfan, I was the first to raise the map. And I was the first to defy the gods. It was I who remembered the darkness, for every time I looked into gods eyes I saw lies. When I remembered it was too late, for everyone. Necro had come." murmurs of recognition and remembrance filled the room. Kahlen had been alive during the dark times, she remembered vividly when her sisters had torn apart whole armies, their knives flying endlessly, the screams of the dying filling the air. She shivered, she lived so long that remembering was dangerous.
The man continued "we have seen the fate of the world if we do not stop the darknesses spawn Necro, or as some call him Richard Ezar the demon prince the darknesses host. You four have been gathered to take the soul of Necro and destroy it. We do not care if you harm the demon he resides in. Tomorrow at first light four horses will be waiting. Supplies will be packed but do not tell anyone of this. No one must see you leave. We are changing fate and if we are disturbed the magic will be broken. At midnight the elders will rise and together form the circle of knowledge..." and Sfan told them of their plans. Then just as silently as he came he disappeared into the stones. Asra stared at the spot where the man was last standing. Slowly she came to her senses. "Let us plan" she said. Everyone agreed but a tenseness was in the air, humming.
Rahl spoke up first "were is Donte?"
"he is coming, he will meet us at Crossings Ford." Asra did not like telling such information but she could not refuse the ploying gaze from across the room. "he is there now" Asra whispered she could see him, sitting a fire blazing. A sword stuck in the dirt, always ready. She focused. A man was with him, sitting beside him a tankard in his hand. Not a man, she corrected herself, a fairy. "Lors 'Lander son of Morgose the fairy queen, Rahl you will be happy to be with your kin again." he nodded.
From across the room the priestess spoke up. "what if people with our destinies are not found, and do not know what is happening?"
Tyrose spoke for the first time in a while, his voice rebounding off the stone walls "those without our fate are the only ones to matter. Everyone will be asleep while those like us are able to move about and leave their lives. We have to be erased from their memories. The other people have been found and are far enough away that no damage will be done." no one had expected the young man to answer. He seemed a simpleton in comparison to each of their great talents. No one was quite sure why he had their destiny and not the same as everyone else. The destiny to destroy the darkness instead of waiting. Tyrose was a simpleton in reality. He had learned to speak at the age of ten and sometimes he forgot words. He had never been able to think about complicated subjects and had never been required schooling. He just lived. But what no one but Asra knew was that one day something had changed. it was a subtle change. But the elders had seen it. Tyrose could see in the dark. He could hear like a bat. His senses had awoken.
The room was silent while everyone took in each other. The braziers were growing low and only Tyrose could see clearly. His sweet angelic face seeing every twitch of a muscle, every intake of breath. Kahlen was pulling one one of her braids, winding it around her fingers. She was looking into the fire her mind somewhere else. Next to her the assassin sat. Tyrose decided he did not trust the man that started so hungrily at his friend. It was a hunger he had never felt and so was afraid of it. Rahl's high cheek bones clenched and unclenched his mind was also wandering to a year ago. Then to Tyrose's great amazement the dagger at the mans hip began to shiver very slightly, its movement sending waves of energy across the room. It is alive, he said to himself. He would remember that.
Asra sat her eyes one the brazier next to Rahl. Sometimes she would look up and meet the mans eyes but mostly she watched the flickering coals. Is hell like this? She thought. Is hell burning and hot like the ancestors say it is? She did not think so, how could such a beautiful creature come from such an ugly place? She did not know the answer to her question. Asra had seen a painting of the demon a month ago when a hunter gatherer clan had happened upon them. They had recently escaped the prison camps run by the armies of Ezra Necro. She had stared at the picture for hours by the fire, letting the light play along his features. He was like a god, a fallen god and embarrassingly it took effort to find hatred for him. He is not the darknesses spawn Necro, she told herself. He is the host RIchard, nothing more. It is not his fault what has happened. But then she remembered her mother and her father, the suffering of her mother for nine months with the knowledge that she held a demon child. The anger came back and she had grabbed a knife from the table and slashed the carefully painted cowhide. His perfect lips and large eyes meant nothing to her. He was the enemy.
Tyrose watched with a slight twinge of envy as his friend looked up into the older mans eyes. He was a trained warrior. Smart, cunning, passionate, everything he was not. But then he forgot as Asra turned her big blue eyes to him and smiled. She never opened her mouth when she smiled, only when she was laughing. Barely whispering Tyrose heard what she asked "what do you need?" it stung, the annoyance in her barely spoken words. The fact that she thought he always needed her. She was wrong, just today he had gone out and killed a demon patrol, all four of them. She had sat inside reading and training with her cousins. He was the warrior, she was the girl. Tyrose smacked himself, how could he say such things about her? How could he? He loved her and adored the very shoes she walked in. she was the warrior princess of the Iron Caverns. She was going to lead them to victory. She had to didn't she? He shuddered, it was too scary to think of what life would be like if they did not succeed.
A bell tolled somewhere in the heart of the iron hills, it was time to sleep. Tyrose rose and opened the door following Kahlen out. Asra rose slowly from her chair, she was to young to be hurting. But she had been praying all night and her knees hurt. Her cloak fell from her shoulders and as she bent to pick it up she bumped heads with the assassin. He grinned and took the cloak from her hand and examined the soft ermine fur before placing it on her shoulders. As Asra began to walk away, her face flaming red a hand on her back stopped her. She turned seeing Rahl almost for the first time and was shocked by how much older he was then her. He stared at her, his eyes hauntingly nonhuman. In the dark the grey circles around his pupils shone. "do you remember?"
"yes" she whispered aware that her voice was hoarse. Asra's cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. But the worst that between her thighs a warmth was spreading.
"why don't we finished what we started?"
"I was drunk, leave me be Rahl, you do not know me, I have grown up." Asra turned on her heels and pushed the door open. But as it shut his voice came to her disembodied and low, seductive.
"Do not lie to me princess. You know what I like to do to bad girls."