[Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters! That pleasure is all for Ms. Cassandra Clare.]

Chapter One: The Great Escape

Song by Patrick Watson

At the sound of yet another one of the palace walls crumbling to ruin, Mayrse quickened the movement of the chalk in her hand. The sketch for the spell was almost finished, but time was running short and she still had yet to say the incantation.

The tortured chorus of cries outside whipped and lashed at Mayrse's heart. Yet, no matter how much the guilt wrecked at her conscience, she had to keep up her work. She needed to remain focused. If she failed to complete the task at hand everything she and her husband had built, the community, the legacy, the love; all would be lost forever. Mayrse saw the futility in fighting the violence and carnage taking place outside, but she would be damned if she didn't do everything in her power to lessen it.

As she drew the last line of the intricate design, a tuft of black at the doorway caught her eye. She looked up to meet a pair of striking blue eyes that resembled her own. They were full of fear and concern.

"Mommy, what's going on?" said the dark haired boy, no older than eight.

"Alexander, I told you not to leave the basement." she said sternly.

"I know, but Mommy you should be there too." His big blue eyes started to tear up.

Mayrse instantly softened. Her son's admirable capacity to always look out for others was unfailing even in the midst of a massacre. She stood from her place on the floor and walked over to him. When Mayrse reached him she instantly wrapped him in a loving embrace, petting the hair at the back of his neck. She held him for a moment certainly longer than would be advised considering the danger they were in. In that moment, Mayrse forgot about everything and simply focused on holding the tiny frame of her son in her arms for what she knew was the last time.

Suddenly, an exasperated voice in her head drew her back to reality.

Mayrse! I can't find Alec! He wandered off while I was trying to calm Max and Isabelle down. The troops are getting closer to palace. We have to f-

Robert, darling, relax. He's with me in the Library. Come and bring Isabelle and Max. The spell is ready.

Her husband paused. The weight of their decision was sinking in.

Alright.

A minute later they whole family was gathered in the grand library of their home. Mayrse was huddled with the children while Robert was positioning himself in the middle of the design Mayrse had drawn on the floor. He began to speak in the native tongue of their tribe, the words stringing together with a beautiful elegance. In the midst of his incantation, a ball of blue light appeared in front of him. Gradually, it grew with each word, forming into a luminous portal of blinding light rivaling the height of the large room's own walls. Inside the portal was a serene village with quaint little houses, green rolling hills, and a cloudless blue sky. It was such a contrast to the chaos taking place in their current location.

Safe. That was the first word that came to Robert's mind. Nothing would harm his children there.

A man stepped out of one of the little, quaint houses and waved to Robert.

"We're ready for them My Lord!" the man yelled from the other side of the portal.

"Thank you Stephen. You will never know how grateful Mayrse and I are for people like you and Amatis."

The King's sincerity and humanness in that statement took Stephen by surprise.

"A-Absolutely, My Lord. Your children will be in the best hands, I assure you."

"There's not a doubt in my mind." Robert smiled tiredly and went over to his family.

Mayrse placed Max carefully into Alec's arms while Isabelle had her arms wrapped tightly around her older brother's waist, eyes wide and drying tear tracks running down her cheeks. When Mayrse felt her husband's hand on her shoulder she reluctantly stepped back.

The scene in front of her was heart breaking. Her three children, all scared out of their minds, vulnerable and confused with no idea as to what was about to happen. Alec, sweet, compassionate Alec whose soul was far older than his young age, feisty Isabelle who was about to turn seven in the next couple of days, and little Max who hadn't even muttered his first word, these children were experiencing first hand that the world sometimes played cruel games with people who inhabited it.

Maryse pulled her huband close so that the children wouldn't hear what she was about to say.

"You placed the enchantment we agreed on onto the portal?" she inquired.

Robert nodded. "Yes, once they walk through, their memories will be wiped clean. For them, today will have never happened."

"They won't remember us or any of their past either." said Mayrse. It wasn't a question, it was a sorrowful thought that she was affirming by speaking aloud.

"It's the sacrifice that we agreed on." Robert wasn't sure if he was trying to convince his wife or himself.

"It's for the best." Mayrse resolved.

The mother fought back her tears. She would not cry. She would not make this any worse for her children. Robert gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze and began to explain the plan to the children. He knelt in front of them, putting one hand on his son and one on his daughter.

"Now, Alec, Izzy, listen carefully to me. When we tell you to, you need to run as fast as you can into that light with the man inside of it, okay?"

Alec and Izzy looked over the portal and nodded.

Robert took a deep breath to in an attempt to control his emotions. He needed to keep his composure for the next words he was about to say.

"I also want you to know that no matter what, your mother and I love you more than you will ever know." At this point he, too, was battling his own tears. "And even if you can't always see us, know that we have never left you alone and will always be looking after you. Do you understand?"

Once again they nodded.

"Good. Now come here." He motioned for his wife to join them and brought the five of them together for one last embrace.

Their moment was suddenly interrupted. First, they heard a loud explosion then a hoard of fire erupted into the room followed by a group of soldiers clad in heavy black armor. They carried only small daggers with them which suggested that it wasn't their weaponry that was to be feared.

"GO!" Robert and Mayrse yelled to their children in unison.

Mayrse pushed them in the direction of the portal and urged Alec and Isabelle to run. She refused to look away until she was sure they were safe.

Isabelle tried to pull her older brother back. "Alec, I don't want to leave Mommy and Daddy!" she said through a new stream of tears.

Alec hated more than anything to see her so upset, but he knew if they didn't go now all of their parents efforts would be wasted.

"I know Izzy, but you have to trust them. Remember what they said? They'll always be with us, no matter what."

Isabelle nodded and hugged her big brother before she went into the light.

Before Alec stepped through he looked and back at his mother. Alec was very intuitive for his age. He had understood what his parents were doing and that this was the last time he and his siblings would ever see them.

"I love you Mom." He said one last time.

"I love you too darling, so much." She responded through the sobs she had now let herself release.

There was a sadness in his last statement but no trace of finality. While he knew he may never see his Mother and Father again, Alec knew their previous words were true; they would always be there watching over them. With that hopeful thought he made his way into the portal.

At first, it felt like his stomach was doing somersaults, then he felt like his head was being pulled in a thousand different directions. His head was spinning, sweat was beading on his forehead, then suddenly, it was over, quick as it came. Alec found himself lying face down on the ground. The whole experience had left him exhausted and when someone tried to make him stand, the heaviness of his eyelids won the battle against his ability to move. Upon closing his eyes he instantly fell asleep.

"Oh my, the poor dear! He's all worn out." rang out a woman's voice. She was tall and thin with long blond hair the color of gold. "It looks like you'll have to carry him to bed, Stephen."

Stephen nodded and bent down to pick up the dark haired boy. The man's hair was blond as well, but a much lighter shade than his wife's. The most impressive features of his face were his liquid gold irises.

"Bring him into Jace's room, he can have the bed, I set up a cot for Jace." said his wife.

Stephen laughed at this. "I bet he isn't too thrilled about giving up his bed."

Amatis rolled her eyes and smiled. "Not thrilled at all. This will be good for him though, he's got a bad case of only child syndrome."

Stephen hummed in agreement and made his way up the steps and into the house. When he reached the bedroom he gingerly placed the boy on the bed and put extra care into tucking him in. As he turned to leave he was met with an unhappy looking seven year old glaring at the small mound occupying his bed. The boy was literally a golden child having inherited his mother's hair and his father's eyes.

"Why does he get the bed? He doesn't even live here!" the boy whined, crossing his arms.

Stephen walked over and sat at the end of the cot. Putting a hand on his son's shoulder, he tried to explain. "Actually Jace, he is going to be living with us from now on and I expect you to treat him with nothing but kindness. This boy has had a very hard day and could use a friend."

Jace humphed and reluctantly gave in, leaning into his father's side in tiredness and defeat. "Well, okay, but this cot is super bumpy. It makes my back hurt a whole lot."

"Don't worry we'll get him his own bed tomorrow so you won't have to use this old thing anymore."

"Promise?" he said.

"Promise." His father answered.

"No Daddy, you have to pinky swear!" the blond boy said urgently. He extended his arm and held out his pinky expectantly.

Stephen chuckled at the seriousness in his son's face.

"Pinky swear Daddy!" Jace yelled impatiently.

"Okay, okay!" Stephen smiled and latched his pinky with the smaller one of his son. Then his face went very serious as he said, "I pinky swear that you will not have to sleep in this cot ever again after tonight."

His son's face visibly relaxed after the promise was made. Jace, now fully satisfied with the assurance of his own bed, wriggled down into the mound of blankets on the cot and rested his golden head on to the pillow. As soon as he made contact with the fluffy square, the child was out cold.

Stephen leaned over to kiss Jace's head and got up to leave. Before turning out the light, he glanced back at their newest member of the household. He silently vowed to himself to make sure that Alec and his siblings received nothing but love from his family.

With that thought in mind, he flipped the light switch off and made his way out of the room.


Mayrse felt a wave of relief wash over her as watched them vanished into the blue light. She was pulled out of her reverie as a soldier pulled her by the hair and threw her into her husband's arms.

"Well, well, well, it seems Iyelsia's beloved King and Queen have been bested." Said a snide voice as its owner emerged from the assembly of men.

The man stood with air of superiority in the front of the troop. He had a shock of white blond hair and cold, condescending, power hungry eyes colored an unfeeling color of blue.

"Valentine! This was your doing?" said Robert eyes wide with shock and horror.

"Don't be so surprised Robert. I have disagreed and complained about how this tribe is run for years now. I finally decided it was time to take action and do something about it. Now, would one of you idiots quit standing around and bind them?" He barked.

The troops forcefully separated the two of them and bound their wrists before pushing them to their knees.

"Kneel before your new leader!" said a soldier gruffly.

Mayrse struggled in her bonds.

"These people will never respect a murderer!" she yelled.

"You know, your absolutely right Mayrse. That's why I had my men kill anyone and everyone who tried to put up a fight. And I'm not stopping at Iyelsia, oh no, in my travels I noticed that the status of many other nations need my enlightening as well. They are allowing just anyone to bind themselves to the Sacred Powers. That privilege should be reserved solely for the greater race of men born into each tribe. What use do the common folk scum have of them except for the purpose of amusement? It's a waste and an injustice. I thought to my self, if I were their leader, I would be sure to bestow those gifts only to the ones I saw fit and if anyone were to try to disobey, they would see the harsh hand of my own justice. Then, the brilliant thought struck me: an entire country ruled under my power and mine alone. Now dear, if you know anything about me you know that once I get it in my head that I want something, I will do everything in my power to attain it, and that's exactly what I intend to do. "

Mayrse shook her head in disbelief. "You're a monster." she spat.

Valentine chuckled and strode over to her. He stroked his hand down the smooth line of her jaw and grabbed her chin. He only gripped harder when she tried to recoil away. Bringing his face close to hers he began to speak.

"Oh, Mayrse, it really is such a shame that a beauty such as yourself will meet such an untimely end."

"Get away from her!" Robert screamed in rage.

"Oh don't worry Robert I'm leaving. Before I go, I'll have to hold true to what I said earlier. Those who fight will die."

Valentine turned away and began to walk towards the hole his men had created with their fire. He turned back around, lifted his arms above his head and in one swift motion brought them down releasing a fatal cascade of fire towards his captives. Their screams of agony made his veins sing with adrenaline. With a smirk, he turned to walk out of the fallen castle. Valentine made his way towards his troops outside.

"Well men, it looks like our work is done here. An easy victory if I may say." he said pleased.

A soldier kneeled, bowed his head and grunted a reply, "Yes, My Lord, your plan worked flawlessly."

"Yes, flawlessly." he said with a sickening smile. "Now, rally up the rest of the men and m-"

Midsentence, Valentine was thrown off of his feet, along with the rest of his fleet, by a huge surge of water. As he hit the ground, the water around him began to solidify. Before he could even scream, he was incased in a prison of ice.

"We got him!" a tall man clad in white and blue armor stepped out from the wreckage of the town. "Quickly, unfreeze him, knock him out, and restrain him so we can bring him back to the Lernaevians." he ordered a group of soldiers in the same gear as his own.

"Yes sir!" they said in unison and started on their task.

The commander took a moment to look at the burning remains that the once gleaming, beautiful city had been reduced to.

The Ronisks, that's who had carried out this unforgivable deed. The fire tribe had once been regarded as one of the greater of the five Sacred tribes. Now, its name would be stained with infamy and disgrace. What made the circumstance all the more tragic was that the Ronisk's leader had been one of Iyelsia's own royal advisors: Valentine. The evil man had led the fire tribe with his beliefs of supremacy and promises of power.

The commander saved the image of the fallen tribe in his head to serve as a reminder of how terrible things could get and why he and his men needed to make sure nothing like it happened ever again.

One of his soldiers running up to him brought him out of his out thoughts.

"Commander, I have a report regarding the casualties."

"And?" he asked.

"No survivors." The soldier's voice was heavy with regret and sorrow.

The commander tensed.

"By the Angel, what ever this tribe did to deserve such a horrible fate, I'll never understand."

After a pause he added, "Maybe it's for the best that no one survived. To have to go on living with the memory of the end of your people branded onto your mind is a heavy burden that no one should have to bear."

"Agreed Sir, agreed." The soldier replied.


There's chapter one! This was more of a background, prologue type of deal. The next chapter will be ten years later. And soon (not sure how soon) Magnus will come in! You have to bear with me though, I'm going for the whole gradual development of their relationship. Also, the rest of the tribes will be explained in the next chapter.

Just a note, each of the chapter titles will be a song that I think fits the scene and that I hear in my head when I write it. (: I'm going to try to post a new chapter every week at the latest.

Please review! Keep in mind though that this is my first story, it's not going to be perfect, but constructive criticism is appreciated.