Disclaimer: I do not own the Fable universe or Lionhead studios.

A Fable of Heroes From Ages Old and New

Would you believe in a night like this?
A night like this, when visions come true.
Would you believe in a tale like this?
A lay of bliss? We're praising the old lore.
Come to the blazing fire and see me in the shadows…

Songs I will sing of runes and rings,
Just hand me my lute and this night turns into myth.
Nothing seems real you soon will feel,
The World we live in is another bard's dream in the shadows…

Do you believe there is sense in it?
Is it truth or myth? They're one in my rhymes.
Nobody knows the meaning behind Aurora's mind,
Well nobody else but the Archons can,
They see through the blazing fires of time and
All things will proceed as the children of the hallowed,
Will speak to you now as you see me in the shadows…

Songs I will sing of heroes and kings,
The carrion bird and the realm of the slain,
Nothing seems real you soon will feel,
The World we live in is another bard's dream in the shadows…

Tale the First

Of the Tainting of the Hero of Bowerstone, the Return of the Hero of Oakvale, and the Adventures of his Companion, the Bard Roland

Prologue ≈ The New Family †

Rose and her little sister walked down the open hallway, eyes wide and mouth open, shock riddled all over their faces. The hall was bright with the light of the torches and the gleam of the armor lining the walls. To them, this was a true paradise worthy of kings and queens. It was as if it was straight from a wondrous storybook. Castle Fairfax was truly everything they could wish for and more. They only hoped that Lord Lucien was as wonderful as they sometimes imagined. Despite what happened to his wife and daughter.

As they walked down the hall, Lord Lucien's butler, who walked proudly down the hallway, head held high and hands behind his back led them.

"I am truly sorry," Jeeves the butler said. "But I am afraid that I did not have the opportunity to learn your names, madam."

Rose giggled. She was not used to being addressed in such a manner. She could get used to it! Her younger sister was busy looking at the wonderful artifacts around her to notice what Rose and the butler were talking about. Gawking at the armor, she stopped to admire their majesty. She didn't notice Rose and Jeeves walking away.

"My name is Rose, sir," she said shyly, curtsying slightly. "And this is-" She quickly looked around, and saw her younger sister several yards away. Embarrassment flooding her face, she snapped quickly. "Sparrow! Get over here now! We are guests here!"

Sparrow quickly jumped up and nearly ran down the hall. As she did, a man with dark skin walked calmly out from his office, carrying large textbooks and rolled up manuscripts. Sparrow skidded to a halt and stared up at the man. She had never seen someone with…quite his complexion. Seemingly just as surprised as she was, the man looked down at the girl. Abashed, she curtseyed as best she could.

"Sorry, sir," her small voice came out. "Excuse me." She quickly ran past him and towards her sister, taking cover from the embarrassment that followed.

"Ah, Master Garth!" Jeeves called. "Will you be needing anything for dinner?" Garth looked at the two girls and the butler, but said nothing. Instead, he sniffed and walked away without looking back. Jeeves pulled at his collar.

"A…man of few words," he told the two girls. Glancing down, he noticed something…peculiar. Despite how Rose had scolded her younger sister ('Sparrow' she called her) only a second before, once she saw that she was frightened by Garth, Rose instantly shielded her. Clearing his throat, he spoke. "Shall we continue?" He kept on walking, sure that they were still following him.

"So, you were telling me your names?" Jeeves asked again.

"Oh! Well, I'm Rose and this is my younger sister, Sparrow, sir," Rose told him. Sparrow hid behind her sister.

"Sparrow?" Jeeves cocked an eyebrow as Rose blushed.

"Yes, sir," Rose nodded. "You see, our parents died when Sparrow was born. That was 6 years ago and I was only 10 at the time. But she didn't have a name so I decided to call her the first thing I could see when we went outside!"

"A sparrow?" Jeeves asked, intrigued.

"Yes, sir!" Rose said excitedly. "She seemed to love it tremendously, sir!" Sparrow hid her face behind her sister, embarrassed. "Don't be shy, little Sparrow, it's alright!"

Jeeves chuckled to himself. However sad their story was, he could not help but find little Sparrow amusing. As with all children, they were all filled with bliss and yet, were sometimes smarter than most adults. She reminded him of Lady Amelia. The smile faded from his face.

In time, they reached Lord Lucien's study. Standing in front of the door, Jeeves turned to face the guests.

"Now," Jeeves' voice took on a regal tone, filled with formality. "When you enter Lord Lucien's study, speak only when spoken to, and address him as 'my lord,' do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," they both said together.

"And do not mention Lady Fairfax or Amelia," Jeeves warned them.

"Yes, sir," they both said in unison. They both knew it was best not to mention Lord Lucien's dead wife and daughter.

Nodding at this, Jeeves opened the door, entered and bowed deeply.

"My lord," Jeeves announced. "Miss Rose and Miss Sparrow have arrived per your request."

"Send them in," came a hollow voice from within. "Close the door on your way out, will you, Jeeves?" Pursing his lips, he stepped aside and motioned the two sisters to walk in. As they did, Jeeves walked out and closed both doors, leaving the two sisters at the mercy of Lord Lucien.

The study was rather clean, but filled with books and desks covered in papers. The only light came from the window and the light from the flickering candle. But the most amazing thing in the study was a large circular disk lay on the ground. Larger than their own shack in Old Town, a very strange symbol was engraved on it. It looked like the head of two ravens stacked on top of each other. One raven's beak was pointed in one direction and the other raven's beak was pointed in the other direction, but their 'eyes' were gleaming rubies that stared in the same direction. There were two places where they connected: their necks and the back of their heads, which snaked around behind the neck of the ravens.

Lord Lucien Fairfax heard the two walk in respectfully, but didn't look up to see them immediately. He was engrossed with his work. Soon enough, though, he pried himself from his research.

"Children!" he announced and looked up as he walked. As he did, he nearly tripped. He saw their faces. So much like my darling daughter, he thought to himself. She probably would have been a little older than her. A wave of sadness nearly took him off his feet, and he heard the distant cries of…madness, he thought. Composing himself, he went on. He had to.

"It has come to my attention that you have in your possession some sort of…magic box. May I see it?" Lucien asked politely. Rose shifted slightly.

"It vanished, milord!" she said. "We wound it up and then we made a wish and then it started to glow. And then it disappeared!" Sparrow nodded as she spoke. Every word was true. They had purchased the music box from the merchant that afternoon, spending five gold that they could have used for food. That arse of a merchant swindled us! Sparrow thought viciously to herself.

"After you used it?" Lucien asked, looking off in another direction, mind racing.

"Yes, milord!" Rose said, hands close to her chest. "The merchant said it was magic! That if we made a wish, it would be granted."

Magic, my arse, it was! Sparrow thought angrily. I ought to kick that fat bastard's lying cobblers! Made in the Old Kingdom? Bollocks! But she knew the real reason why she was upset. It was because the box disappeared after they made their wish, but didn't take them with it. Sparrow then realized that the conversation was still continuing.

"The box is of no concern to me," Lucien replied. "What's remarkable…is that you two were able to use it!" After a pause, he asked, "What was your wish?"

Rose held her hands behind her and drew a line with her feet, biting her lip and reddening. Sparrow rolled her eyes. Her sister could act like such a ninny sometimes!

"Well, speak up!" Lucien inquired. "What did you wish for?" Rose didn't answer at first, merely turned her head away in embarrassment.

"To live in a castle," Sparrow spoke up meekly. "Like this one…milord."

Lucien smiled warmly, the first one in a long time.

"Well," Lucien chuckled. "Perhaps that could be arranged…" His voice trailed off, leaving Rose and Sparrow to wonder. Could they live here? In this magnificent castle? Before they could dwell on it, Lucien continued. "I'm working to rebuild…well, I'm working on something wonderful, for which I need individuals with particular talents."

Lucien tapped his chin with his finger, thinking to himself.

"Let us find out if you possess them, ," Lucien finally whispered. "Would you kindly stand in the circle?" He gestured towards the disk with the raven symbol on it. Rose looked at it for a moment, as did Sparrow.

"I promise it won't hurt you," Lucien said, noting their hesitation. Slowly, Rose began walking towards the seal. Sparrow however, didn't move. Rose looked towards her.

"It's alright, little Sparrow," Rose told her, smiling. "Don't be afraid!" Sparrow hesitantly looked at her, then nodded. Walking forward, the young six year old girl took Rose's hand and together they stepped onto the seal.

At first, nothing happened. Lucien stared in anticipation.

They have to be the ones, Lucien thought. They could use an artifact from the Old Kingdom. They have to be! Nevertheless, nothing happened for a while.

And then the seal began to glow softly. A pale blue light rose from the seal, like blue snow rising from the ground. Rose and Sparrow stared in awe at the sight unfolding before them.

"It's warm!" Rose exclaimed. Sparrow giggled. Lucien watched in awe, a small smile forming on his lips.

"I knew it," he whispered. "You really are…heroes!"

"Heroes?" Rose asked. "Like in the stories!"

"Sort of," Lucien replied. He walked forward slowly, feeling the warmth of the light filling him. He slowly reached out towards it and-

Pain shot through his arm and he recoiled from the light. The light then turned from it's pale blue to a deep red and the rising snowflakes sped up, as if excited from something. Rose and Sparrow looked on in wonder and confusion.

"What are you?!" Lucien hissed, holding his arm. He quickly ran towards his desk and immediately poured over his notes and research material. Looking at one page and then the next, he searched eagerly for the answer. Somewhere…it was in these notes somewhere.

"My lord, what happened?" Rose asked tentatively.

"Be quiet!" Lucien snapped. Looking over his notes, his thoughts raced: What happened? I was sure that one of them was one of the heroes…but wait a minute…there is mention of a fourth…so you are not one of the three…no, one of you is the fourth." His thoughts slowly found its way to words that left his mouth with almost no cohesion. Rose and Sparrow looked at each other, confusion on their faces.

The fourth hero will have the power to defeat me, Lucien nearly mumbled. Having the combined powers of all the other heroes and heart that will naturally force this hero to want to destroy the Spire. No…I won't let them.

Lucien reached for his flintlock pistol, turning towards the girls, mad gleam in his eyes and-

The two girls stared back expectantly, full of worry and confusion.

Lucien's hand began to quiver as it tried to reach the pistol.

Amelia…

He could see her, staring back at him through both of their eyes.

The two girls stepped from the seal and the light faded away.

Amelia

His hand slowly and almost unwillingly released the weapon.

Rubbing his temples, sweat nearly pouring from his face, his thoughts were for once silent. Now, he merely spoke to them.

"I apologize," he whispered. "I…was rude. I am truly sorry." Rose and Sparrow looked at each other, confused.

"It…it is all right, milord," Rose said quietly. Sparrow shuffled her feet, looking at the ground.

"No, it isn't," Lucien, answered, hand still rubbing his temples and concealing his face. "I asked you to come here as my guests and I nearly shouted at you. I am truly sorry." He removed his hand and smiled warmly. The children could almost see the man he used to be, the man he once was in that smile.

"I have a proposition for you," Lucien told them. "Why don't you two live here, in Castle Fairfax, with me?"

Rose and Sparrow nearly started at the offer.

"Wh-wh-what?!" Rose exclaimed. "Live here wi-wi-with you? Bu-bu-bu-" she stuttered, trying to find the right words. Sparrow's mouth was agape.

"I can provide clean clothing, a warm bed, warm food," Lucien told them, smiling softly. "Anything you wish to have, it's yours."

Rose and Sparrow stared at each other; hardly believe what they were hearing. Live in a castle? It was a dream come true! Maybe this was the magic of the music box.

"If you have your answer," Lucien said. "Then please speak now." Lucien didn't show it, but he was getting slightly impatient.

Rose and Sparrow looked at each other one more time, but their answer was written all over their faces. They didn't need a second thought.

"Of course, milord!" Rose exclaimed. "Our answer is yes, we would love to!" Rose could barely contain the tears from her eyes. Life was finally looking up. They could no longer sleep in a shack with the fear of death floating over them. Sparrow merely covered her face.

"Excellent!" Lucien exclaimed. "I shall have Jeeves make the necessary preparations!"

"Could we have a dog?" Rose asked tentatively. "We have one waiting for us at our home. Could we bring him with us?"

"Of course!" Lucien told them. "Whatever you want, just ask, and I shall give it to you! But for now, we need to bring you two to bed!"

Rose and Sparrow nearly cheered as they hugged each other, and giving their thanks to Lord Lucien. Lucien nodded and left the room to their own thoughts and wonder. As he walked down the hall, he couldn't help but smile. It was not the kind smile he had before, but a smile of triumph.

If I cannot kill them, Lucien thought to himself. Then I shall make them my own. I shall train them and raise them as my own. They shall then become my protégés and they shall help me make this world burn!

Lucien stopped dead in his tracks.

Why did I think that just now? Lucien thought, concerned. He wiped his forehead. I must be more tired than I thought.

He didn't notice for a brief second, his eyes flickered a pale black and gold. It was there for moment, and then as soon as it appeared, it was gone. It would reveal itself in time, but not now. It was too soon.

In the study, Rose and Sparrow looked at each other. Then they squealed as they leapt into each other's arms, jumping with joy and elation. Their wish had come true! It had come true! Their lives would be forever changed for the better! They could hardly wait!

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Walking down the empty streets through the snow, Theresa, with her blind omniscient eyes, knew what happened before Rose and Sparrow made their choice.

They have blindly joined him, Theresa thought wearily. They may have doomed Albion to oblivion.

She was surprised that Lucien, instead of killing them, had instead offered to raise them as his own.

Out of all the possible paths he could have tread, that path was the least likely, Theresa pondered. And in my arrogance, I ignored it. Now, he has the girls and I do not know my next step.

Theresa walked out of the winter filled town of Bowerstone. It had changed so much in 500 years that Theresa sometimes wondered if it was the same town. But some things never changed. That was one thing that Theresa learned from her years.

This world will still need a hero, Theresa surmised. And I believe that my only choice is to bring one back.

Theresa walked across the bridge, her milky-white eyes seeing the path before her. As she walked through the gates, she had made her decision. It was a risky path, but during times of great peril, sometimes the riskiest decisions were the best.

This world needs a hero. And this world shall have one, even if I have to drag his confounded body from the Void itself, Theresa pondered to herself. I wonder how he will react when he wakes up?

She thought back to the Raid of Oakvale. The fires, the blood, the brutality, and the knife that cut her eyes. It was the night a certain Hero had been changed forever, the night that set him on his path towards greatness. People today revered him with a multitude of names such as the Liberator, the Pilgrim, and the Paladin were among them. They also feared him with names such as the Maleficious, the Reaper, and the Deathbringer. But across the land of Albion, he was known as the Hero of Oakvale, as the Archon, as the Gladiator, and foremost above all, the Jack-Slayer.

To Theresa, however, he was her brother. Alexander the Chicken Chaser. Alexander the Arseface. And Alexander the Piemaster. Theresa chuckled at the thought.

She had made her decision. She would bring back her brother, Alexander, the Hero of Oakvale, the Archon, the Jack-Slayer and the Chicken Chaser back from the Void of Death. And she knew that he would gladly help her destroy this evil. No matter how long it took, he would win and he would vanquish Lucien.

Theresa was saddened by the fact, but if Sparrow got in Alexander's way, he would crush her as well. But they made their choice and she made hers.

This world was filled with choices and they all had to make their own.

Theresa made her choice as she walked through the snow near Bower Lake.

She would bring Alexander back from the dead and save Albion from the hands of Lord Lucien.


This is a new story mixing elements of Fable: The Lost Chapters with Fable 2. Probably be rated Teen because I can't see how it'll be rated M at this point in time. But this may change; as I have said before, I can have a fu…'messed' up imagination (close one).

Tell me what you think.

EDIT: I first started this story I didn't think much of it. It was just something I could do when I was taking a break from Mass Effect. However, as the story grew, I found myself more and more intrigued by the setting. Soon, I had written out an entire 1000-year history of Albion, I had begun thinking of different twists and turns and soon, the story became a trilogy in my mind. So, I went back to this chapter and edited it to accommodate this. I'm liking it very much.

The beginning song is from Blind Guardian's 2006 album A Twist in the Myth. It is a reworked and edited version of the song 'Skalds and Shadows.' It seemed to fit very well. You will also see this first part has an extremely long title, like the olden days.