AN: hello world! i told you i'd have this out fast. this is just the prologue, so it's more meant to shed some light on the back story than anything else. you're going to be a bit confused but that's all part of the plan! :]
Terrence knelt at the foot of the Great Dais, awaiting his turn to appear before Lord Armand. Finally, his name was called, and he moved up the stairs slowly, dreading his encounter with the King's favorite and most vicious advisor. He fell to his knees when he reached the topmost stair, touching his forehead in respect. "You may rise." Cautiously, he approached the ornate black marble throne. Darkness swirled around him, and he let it envelop him, relishing in its strength. "You commanded my appearance, Lord?"
Lord Armand coughed and glared at Terrence. "Obviously. I hear that you are most skilled in taking down the Ah'lyah, yes?" Terrence nodded. "I have several kills. Almost ten." Lord Armand's eyebrows shot up, but he quickly masked his surprise with indifference. Strange that one so young could be so talented. "Very good, I'm sure. In that case, I have an assignment for you." Terrence leaned forward, entranced. An assignment? From Lord Armand himself? This must be an honor indeed. "There is a member of the Ah'lyah who has been giving us quite a bit of trouble. You've noticed the faint light appearing over the city, I'm sure?"
Terrence nodded and waited impatiently for him to continue. "Well, that is the work of one Arabelle, Aralée's lovely Princess. She's been in the old world for some time now, but now she's orchestrated something truly horrendous. Someone has to stop her before the light cuts through and kills us all." Terrence gasped. "It's that bad?" Grimly, Lord Armand nodded. "We're trusting you to find her and bring her back here to be killed. Remember, she's royalty. Her defenses are many. And her Companion, Ihvon, is an absolute beast. Killed forty of our best men single handedly, no weapons. And of course, you can't just kill him, not without letting her escape. You know about the bond, of course. But I'm just reminding you."
Terrence felt a wicked grin spread across his face. "So basically, I'm to capture the Princess, leave her Companion behind, and take her to the Altar?" Lord Armand nodded, and Terrence cackled. "I can do it. But I need a team of two hundred skilled but disposable soldiers. I've studied on Ah'lyah royalty- they're extremely powerful. The mission won't succeed without large casualties." Lord Armand scowled at Terrence but nodded. "It will be done." Terrence bowed, touching his forehead again. "May I leave your presence, Lord? There is much work to be done before I can depart and little time in which to do it." Lord Armand gave a curt nod and waved Terrence away.
Terrence backed off the Great Dais and then ran towards the bar he basically lived in. Most of his regular hires would be there, and he could tell them he had a new assignment. Not that he had any intention of telling them what it entailed; they just served for the money. His soldiers weren't planning on dying for him. So he wasn't going to give them a choice. Sniggering, he appreciated his own particular brand of humor as he ran across town.
The bar was a dilapidated old building, the door rotted around the edges and the windows boarded up. It wasn't out of place, though; most buildings in Ter'sed matched its ramshackle appearance. One of the downsides of living in Ter'sed was that the darkness ate away at everything, ruining anything it touched. There could be no beauty or art in such a place. Even the residents, if they didn't travel to the old world enough, lost their dark splendor and began to decay themselves. The darkness would kill its own almost as quickly as it would those who belonged to the light.
Terrence paused with his hand on the doorknob. Something was wrong; no shouts and screams were leaking through the drafty walls, and he didn't see the frightful shadows that typically filled the atmosphere. Cautiously, he pushed the door open to find… light. It was filling the room, illuminating even the most forsaken corners and darkest edges. Terrence cried out, covering his burning eyes from the light. As quickly as he could, he slammed the door shut, then took off running back in the direction of the Great Dais. He didn't have time to prepare for his task; it had to be carried out immediately, before this kind of wholesale slaughter became the norm.
In what had once been a bar, a tree burst through the floor, its boughs already heavy with golden apples. A silvery-blue bird darted out of a cabinet, chirping merrily. Foliage swiftly covered the walls and floor, flowers popping up everywhere in a rainbow of colors. A delicate pond began to form in one corner, shimmer-scaled fish appearing in it as if by magic. Butterflies materialized in the air, their wings bright with color, and a soft wind that led to nowhere gently nudged the grasses and flowers. Faint images of people, much different from the ones who had formerly inhabited the bar, began to flicker in the air, as if seen through a great amount of water. The muffled sounds of their voices filled the room with music, entrancing the creatures.
From far away, a Princess laughed joyously, her tinkling laughter saturating the air with the sound of bells.
AN: so what did you think? review and let me know! and thank you for reading. please, read the first chapter before you make a decision about the story- and yes, this really is twilight fanfic. you just have to read ch.1 to see what's going on! :]
Pronunciation Guide: Armand (AR mahn)
Ah'lyah (ah lee ah)
Arabelle (AIR uh bell)
Aralée (AIR uh lay)
Ihvon (EYE vuhn)
Ter'sed (tair sed)
no, i don't know how to do it dictionary style. i just sounded it out and put what looked right. ;]
