WRITTEN IN THE ASHES
Chapter 1: Master and Apprentice
Deep within the heart of the forest, a dark fierce energy was being unleashed, but whether it was strong enough to bring down the beast the girl did not know. Unaware that she was being watched, the girl shot a blaze of red energy towards the beast, wounding the animal, and watching slowly as it sunk to the ground with a painful cry. The girl glided over to the beast and took a stopwatch from her pocket. Excellent, she thought, a new personal best. Now I'll be ready for my pathetic little sister, when she comes out of hiding, I'll be ready. The mysterious girl soared up into the branches of a thick oak tree, and sat on a branch where she surveyed the forest.
From that position, the watcher could have a clear view of the girl from where he crouched in the bushes. The girl, he noticed, had a mass of curly flame red hair and equally vibrant eyes that seemed to be filled with hatred, but was not. Despite this she had a pretty smile that seemed to spread from her yellow vest right down to her jeans and scruffy orange combat boots. Her overall appearance seemed to be very fierce and intimidating, but this however did not dampen the spirits and intentions of the admirer. The man shifted to get a better view; he gazed up at the girl, but in doing so caught her eye contact.
As quick as a flash the girl jumped from the tree and in haste had the watcher held by his neck against a tree. The girl purposely lifted him so his feet no longer touched the earth and looked him dead in the eye. "Yes?" she inquired fiercely, loosening her grip so the man could speak.
"You are Blaze, yes?" the man stammered. "The one in search of destroying her sister?"
"Correct", Blaze answered, lowering the man to the floor where he gasped for breath, for even though Blaze was merely just a teenager she was incredibly strong. "Why to you ask?"
"My master, says he can help you to locate your sister"
"Hmm" Blaze mused, turning the idea over in her mind, for it had been so long since her previous encounter with her wretched sister.
"And all my master asks in return is simple"
"And what would that be"
"To join him as his apprentice and to eliminate the Teen Titans"
Blaze considered the proposal, because she did so dearly want to rid the world of her sister, and well, the Teen Titans are just part of the bargain I suppose, she thought wickedly.
"I'll do it" she said, a hint of malice quivering in her voice. "and who is this, master?"
"Vorex", said a deep and eerie voice said from behind her.
Blaze spun around, and looked into the eyes of all that was wrong and evil, her master. Vorex was a tall man, or thing, for Blaze couldn't tell him from human to another species entirely. Vorex was a shady figure, shrouded from head to toe in a black cloak, with eerie glowing eyes, the colour of aqua, peering out from under the hood. Vorex deftly drew back his hood to reveal a mop of sea blue hair and (once his eyes had stopped glowing) crystal blue eyes. Blaze took Vorex, her new master, in from this angle, thinking that he didn't look so menacing with out his cloak. Blaze studied his face, looking for a hint towards what his power(s) might be, but a dark blue wound, slowly turning to a scar stared back at her from his left cheek. It looked like it was from a recent battle, possibly a duel from this very day?
"So, it's true", Vorex said, sweeping her hair aside to take in her shoulders. Where plain smooth skin should have been, Blaze's torso was covered with strange markings in a deep red. Odd swirls and lines covered her arms, her back and part of her chest, but even though Blaze knew what it was for, she could never hate it.
"What's true?" Blaze replies, curious to what he could possibly know about her.
"Why, what it says in the archive of Veer, of course" her new master replied, "merely the prophecy, and other things to do with this", he traced a stray swirl across her shoulder.
"Oh, that", Blaze retorted, a hint of anger and remorse in her voice, which startled even her.
"You must hate her very much," her master questioned snidely.
"You of all people should know my answer", the girl retorted. "But, I have my own ways to deal with emotions such as hatred", a sharp searing pain shot through her markings, Blaze stood in front of her master defiantly. "I will break this, this curse", she almost yelled, but rather raised her voice as trickles of tears escaped from her eyes.
"Don't you worry, my apprentice", Vorex commented soothingly, taking her hand. "All will be taken care of, I assure you". The dark lord snapped his fingers, and a bolt of blue light wound it's self around their hands. Blaze opened her eyes, wide with shock, fear and excitement all at the same time.
"Decorum Flayter Verte Enterinison!" Vorex declared, as the blue beam seemed to fill Blaze's entire body, bonding her with her dark lord. The light faded, but it was still inside of the girl, burning fiercely, giving her even more certainty that she will prevail against her sister.