I hope you all enjoy this story!! Please read and review. I won't post the next chapter until I get 5 reviews.

And now, the story...

Chapter 1

474 H.E

Aunt Kel was laughing loudly. She was in Papa's study one particularly cold winter.

"Why are you laughing??" Father shouted.

The door to the study was closed and locked but I stood outside the door and listened intently.

"I've been waiting for this day a long time," Aunt Kel replied, still chuckling.

"What do you mean you've been waiting for it? You act as if you knew this would happen." Papa's voice rose in anger.

"Oh calm down Meathead. I did know that this would happen. Irnai Saw it the day you left New Hope to marry Yuki." I think it was the look on Papa's face that sent Aunt Kel laughing again.

"Irnai Saw this." Papa paused. "And you didn't bother to tell me?" he was shouting again.

"Neal, you're dramatics are getting away with you again. Relax. She'll be just like me."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Papa mumbled.

I snickered as I continued to listen. "You got something to say, Meathead?" Aunt Kel asked.

He sighed. Papa hated that nickname. "No, no. Nothing at all." There was a moment of silence. I could picture Papa behind the door, massaging his temples. "What am I supposed to do Kel? I don't want my one and only daughter to die."

I could hear Aunt Kel pat Papa's shoulder. "Irnai Saw that too. She…"

I left then. I didn't want to know how I would die. I didn't want to know if I'd be murdered or if I would die peacefully in my sleep. I ran down the hall and poked my head into the kitchen. Mama was there helping the cooks with dinner.

"Hi Mama!" I called.

"Amber!" She put down the dough she was kneading to giving me a hug. "Where are Kel and Dom? Dinner will be ready soon."

I smiled. "Papa is talking with Aunt Kel in his study and Uncle Dom is still trying to convince Dani to be a fighter."

Mama shook her head. Daniel was very much like Papa's friend, Thom. He was a scholar, a mage, and when he was younger he didn't want to be a knight either.

"Well," Mama said, "can you bring everyone to dinner? Everything will be done in five minutes."

I nodded and ran back to Papa's study. The door was still locked but they had moved on to other topics. They were talking about the recent death of Papa's knight master, the famed Lioness, when I knocked on the door.

Aunt Kel opened the door. "Hello Amber." She held the door open and I came inside. She closed the door once more as I sat on Papa's lap.

"Mama said dinner was ready. She wanted me to tell everyone it was time to eat," I said.

Aunt Kel sat down in a seat and Papa sighed. Something wasn't right. I was in trouble.

"We are going to have a talk first, Amber." Papa's voice was worried. "Go take a seat."

I climbed off his lap and found my own seat. When I was settled I waited patiently for Papa to say what he wanted to talk about. When he didn't, I asked in a small voice, "Is something wrong Papa?"

"He's a little worried," Aunt Kel answered. "And quiet frankly, so am I."

"I've been wondering for a while now," Papa started, but he didn't go on. I waited and waited but he didn't finish his sentence.

"Just spit it out Neal. What's taking so long?"

Papa closed his eyes. "I'm trying to imagine the worst so maybe I can feel better that whatever it is isn't as bad as I thought." He sighed and opened his eyes again. "I've been wondering why you've been sneaking out. I didn't notice it until a few years ago, but I assume you've been doing it longer that that?" He said it like a question so I would clarify.

I froze. I straightened up in my chair and put on my 'intelligent noble' face. My memory flicked back to the fateful day six years ago. Griffin had taken me under his wing and had trained me like they trained the Shang warriors. After all, he was the Shang Griffin. He knew I would need all the help I could get when I faced whatever Fate decided I was destined for.

Seeing the change in my attitude, Papa groaned. "It's that bad isn't it?" I opened my mouth to answer but he waved his hand and said, "Never mind. I don't want to know. Let's just go and eat." He started to get out of his chair but I stopped him.

"Dad," I said, "please sit." Aunt Kel looked even more worried now. I never got serious unless it was extremely important. I knew I wouldn't be able to do that when I went to the palace to train so I acted silly as much as I could. "You're right. I've been sneaking out longer than a few years. I noticed when you started sending people to follow me. So I got even stealthier." Papa was about to ask 'how long?' but I cut him off. "It started when I was four." I saw Papa's face turn blue as he stopped breathing. Then it turned red as the shock wore off and the anger settled in. "I can't tell you what I did but I can tell you it wasn't illegal and it wasn't improper. Daniel can vouch for me. He's known since day one. Now, can we please go to dinner? Mama will be angry if we aren't down there."

I stood and left the room not wanting to catch Papa's anger if he decided to unleash it. I hadn't known that I would ever get a chance to be my 'playful' self ever again. That 'me' was gone forever, replaced by my true self.

I called in Daniel and Uncle Dom and led the way to the dining room. I think Daniel noticed something was different with me but if he did he didn't mention it.

Mama, Papa, and Aunt Kel were already sitting at the table when I entered with Uncle Dom and Daniel. We all sat and dinner was served.

The dinner talk was mostly news about the family and about our cousins Raoul and Alex. Eventually, Lady Alanna's death was brought up and the need for King Rauld to choose a new champion. As talked turned to the palace, Papa kept glancing up at me. He had been scared witless when I asked him if I could go to the palace and get my shield. It was the whole reason he had invited Aunt Kel to our home in Queenscove.

"Dad, have you decided whether or not Amber will be allowed to go earn her shield?" Daniel asked.

All conversation stopped and all eyes turned to Papa. He glared briefly at Daniel for bringing up the topic prematurely. "Well," he finally said, "I have been thinking about it but something is keeping me from giving a definitive 'yes'. You, my dear son, are part of that 'something'."

I gulped. "Dad, I told you what I could. Now would you just drop the whole thing?"

Daniel looked from Papa to me and back again. He knew what this was about. "If it makes you feel any better, she didn't tell me a thing either."

Mama and Uncle Dom followed this part of the conversation, not know what we were all talking about. Papa tried to stare me down but there was no way I could tell him what I'd been doing all those years. He wouldn't believe me anyway.

In the end, he gave in. he blinked and looked away. Mama frowned because she was so confused, Dom whispered in Kel's ear asking what was going on, Kel shook her head. Daniel kept looking from Papa to me to see what would happen next.

"Oh all right!" Papa threw his hands in the air. "You can go to the palace to get your shield!" He crossed his arms over the chest. I smiled and continued eating my meal. It confused Papa when I didn't shout, jump out of my chair and give him a hug.

"Thank you, dad." Another spoonful of vegetables went into my mouth as, slowly, the conversation picked back up again. For the rest of the meal, neither Papa nor Daniel took their eyes off of me.

Lights out had already been called. I sat on the island in the kitchen and thought about what the next few years for me would be like. I wondered what type of people I would meet and I even thought about what destiny Fate had chosen for me. I wasn't expecting anyone to awake this late so when Papa came into the kitchen, he startled me.

"Wow," he said, catching my arm. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you. You gave me quiet a scare is all."

He said nothing for a moment. "Are you going out again?" his voice was solemn, almost as if he'd accepted my late night excursions.

I smiled sheepishly. "You caught me. I won't be able to…" I paused, not knowing what to say. I settled with, "do this again once I leave. I have to go as much as I can until I'm gone."

He frowned slightly but then smiled. "Just, don't do anything stupid. And be safe." He kissed my forehead and left.

I sighed and jumped off the island.

"Oh, one more thing." I spun around and faced Papa again. "I was just wondering why you haven't been acting like yourself. You've been different ever since I brought this whole thing up. Why is that?"

I smiled. I figured that might be it. "You know how intelligent I am, Papa. I love to joke and be silly and act like a child but it's not who I am. I acted childish for years knowing that someday that façade would have to go and I'd have to face the real me. When you asked about this sneaking out business, it made me realize that if I don't face the real me now who knows what would happen if I faced it later." I smiled. "I'm still that same daughter you know. I'll still play tricks and I still have your wit. I just won't be childish anymore." I gave him a hug then. "I love you, Papa."

He let me go and I left the house to go meet Rae, my training partner.

I saw him as I approached 'The Helm and Angel', a popular tavern in Queenscove. He waved and ran to meet me.

"Late again, Amber?" he teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him like I did when I was four. "My dad stopped me. He wanted to talk to me," I answered seriously as we entered the bar. I cast a spell on Rae and myself so we wouldn't be recognized as we sat at a bad table and ordered some lemonade.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" he whispered hotly.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course not. Do you still think that little of me? He let me come.

Rae wasn't expecting that. "He let you come?"

I nodded as I surveyed the room. "He let me come." I spotted Griffin in his favorite hiding spot and waved him over. He was still cursing as he approached the table.

"I've trained ye too well," he grumbled. "Ye can see me now even in my best hidin' spots."

I giggled and Rae smiled. "I have some news," I announced. "Come fall, I'll be leaving." Griffin smiled while Rae frowned. "I'm going to the palace and I'll be getting my shield."

"Congratulations. I'm proud of ye. But, we still got work ahead of us t'night. Let's go back t' the cave."

The three of us stood and walked down back alleys until we arrived at our hideout. It was an old rusted warehouse where we practiced.

"Well, start yer warm ups," Griffin ordered.

Rae and I stretched our arms, backs, stomachs and our legs. When we finished warm-ups we transitioned smoothly into practice punches. We started slow, punching high, middle, then low. Eventually we sped up until each punch blurred into the other. As we finished with punches we slowed and shifted into kicks doing the same thing as we did with the punches: high, middle, low, slowly getting faster and faster. After that, we combined the kicks and punches into a complex pattern dance. Into the pattern dance we mixed in some spinning jump kicks that helped us with flexibility. We did similar exercises with all of our common weapons: swords, spears, axes, maces, daggers, and even glaives. Ever since her Aunt Kel made them popular they were used frequently, especially by the ladies.

Griffin had us practice longer than he usually did. When he finally called for us to stop both Rae and I were soaked to the bone with sweat. We sat cross-legged before our Master and waited patiently for what he would say.

He started off with a heavy sigh. "Ye'd think I'd be used t' this by now," he said with a forced chuckled added at the end. "It's no' ever'day a Master lets go of his students ye know." I could feel my heart sinking as Griffin spoke. "This'll be the last night that ye two ever step foot here. Tomorrow it'll be burned down and I'll have moved on."

"What?" Rae's well-known anger flared. "Why are you doing this? Why are you leaving us?"

Griffin waited for Rae to calm down so he could finish speaking. "Within a set amount of time I have taugh' ye ever'thing I could. The Shang train fer about six t' eight years. If ye went t' them now, they prob'ly couldn't teach ye any be'er than I taugh' ye. 'Sides, Amber here is leavin' and you have someone t' make of yerself. I can do no more here. All I can tell ye is to practice. Practice ever'day so ye don' lose yer skills."

Griffin was about to stand and dismiss both Rae and me but he sat back down and said, "I fergot t' mention I also have the power of prophecy."

Rae and I were speechless. Griffin smiled at that. "'Cause I trained ye an' I put ye in this situation I'm gonna tell ye some things about th' future. Now, would either of ye prefer that I don' read yer future?" Both Rae and I were silent. "Alright. Any of ye prefer that I don' read yer future out loud?" I glanced at Rae who kept his hand by his side. I figured if he would let me hear his future then I would let him here mine.

"Well then. Who would like to go first?"

Rae pointed deliberately to me. "Ladies first," he blurted.

I laughed before saying, "I think Rae really wants to go. After all he spoke first."

Griffin nodded and grabbed Rae's hand. He mumbled some intelligible words and silver fire spilled from his fingertips and enveloped both his body and Rae's

When Griffin spoke his voice was not the light tenor with common slang I had known. His voiced was deep, raspy, and spoke with authority and perfect grammar. "Azrael, your future has already been laid at your feet. Follow that path and she will lead you to where you must go. Protect your future and you may have one. Leave it and you will perish. Also, learn to love. Let your rage go and embrace other feelings. Your past is gone. Take it from your mind and leave it behind."

The silver aura dissipated. Rae opened his mouth to ask a million questions. Griffin cuffed him on the head and said, "I told ye what I know an' I can't tell ye anythin' else.

"Amber, it's yer turn." He grabbed my hand and the silver fire washed over our bodies. His voice deepened and he made his prophecy. "Beware! Speed and stealth will hurt you deeply! He will sneak up on you and devastate your being. He is a Monster who will betray you. Seer's visions will come to you in sleep. Watch them carefully and see all that you can see. Trust the power you have. Trust your shadow for he will be helpful. Choose your friends wisely for they will help you through the worst of things when your shadow isn't there. Fly south! It is there that destiny awaits you. Before it gets better it will get worse. You must wait and at the same time you must be quick. Save the kingdom!"

When the silver fire faded, Griffin looked ten years older. Sweat glistened on his forehead and his breath came quick and shallow. His face was drawn and he looked very tired. "That's all I can give ye. Goodbye my students. May your destiny be as great as I See."

It was as much of a dismissal as we were going to get and sadly, it would be our last.

well I hoped you like the first chapter. I'm still in the process of writing the second one but it is almost done. Even if I do finish it, I won't post until I have 5 reviews. I don't like depriving the readers but I'm trying to convince myself to get my own website where I can publish my own personal stuff and the way to do that is to see if people like my stories enough. So review and the next chapter will be posted soon!! XD