Chapter 1

It was a crisp cool spring day in the distant metropolis of Setessa, a place far from the reaches of the other cities, towns and out posts. Surrounded by trees little went on there but Study and Worship of the gods

Alone on a long strip of soft, bright grass hidden from sight by rows and rows of short full trees sat Koraya Niassan; a tall slender girl of about 16 with black hair and eyes that glinted with an amber hew, her skin was light but with a distinct olive tone that shone in the sunlight giving her a beauty rarely matched.

Most people didn't notice the beauty in Koraya, all they saw was the strong headed, intelligent and capable women who knew what she wanted. Many people incriminated her for this saying she was overly bold, brash and unfeeling but these people didn't understand the routes in which her mind worked so she dismissed them with the knowledge that they would end up being unimportant to her.

As she sat she thought of the meeting to come and the inevitable despair of one person or another, she was to announce her departure to her family from Setessa on a journey to Akros and then on to Meletis to complete her training, for she wanted more in life then to be content as a mere mortal living one day after another the same, she wanted to become learned in the powers of magic and well versed in all things combat oriented so that she could become a hero of fabled nature and protect Theros from harm.

As the sun began to wane Koraya stood and walked down the path into the city she knew and loved, as she walked she saw all the familiar things she would soon be missing on her long journey, the pearly stone entrance to the temple of Heloid, the simmering opal gates of the temple of Thassa, the dark but alluring black garnets set into the dark gray slate walls of the temple of Erebos, the bright flash of the ruby studded and bronze gilded doors of the temple of Perphoros and the soft deep glow of the emerald and sliver laden path to the temple of Nylea.

These temples were places to worship each of the gods and Koraya held all in high respect, unlike many who put all their faith in one god Koraya would pray to all for each had a different gift to offer her one day. She knew not what these gifts would be or what form they would take but she knew that all of them would be of great value to her.

Soon she reached her home a small house carved out of the base of a huge white oak stripped of its bark and ornately carved with blessings and chants written by friends and relatives of her family, it was not unlike the other houses in the city except that Koraya had placed a small wreath with the symbol of each god carved in dark cherry wood on the door to bring her family the favor of the gods.

She entered to see a larger gaggle of house wives gossiping loudly and her poor dear brother trying in vain to read in the corner, she sighed to herself knowing her darling older brother Nikol of whom she thought the world would never be able to get these silly women out of his families house, she knew the wives were there to visit her mother but honestly they took advantage of her mothers hospitality. What they called getting together to chat always turned into them making comments about the cheapness of one or another thing in the house or simply gossiping about whatever comes to mind and she knew it made her mother wholly uncomfortable even though her mother thought of them as her friends. Koraya couldn't understand why her mother would want such awful people as friends in the first place but she would never tell her mother that, she loved her far too much and knew her far to well to say a thing.

Instead she just walked over to Nikol and whispered "want me to get rid of 'em "

Nikol nodded quickly in agreement so Koraya set to work.

All she had to do was to let it be known to the women standing in a circle with her mother that she was there and they would all quickly come up with reason to go home and avoid sharing more then a few words with the young women who they all thought disturbingly open and wry.

Hello everyone! Koraya said bursting into the ranks of the circle, already some of the women had began to put on their coats and make their excuses to her mother as Koraya began to speak.

"Why hello Kora it's nice to see you," one woman said in a tone, which was not as inviting as the words she spoke.

"Yeah its pretty great I know! Oh and its Koraya not Kora" Koraya remarked trying to make the woman as uncomfortable as possible.

"Right of course I remember! Well Mayula I had better be off, I have to uhhh make dinner for my family" the woman said addressing Korayas mother.

By that time all the other women had also left not wanting to hold a conversation with the girl they stigmatized as being perfectly awful and the house was empty but for the three of them mother, daughter and son.

"Oh Koraya why do you have to act like that with them" sighed Mayula.

"I act like that because that is how they expect me to act and if I acted normally to them they would be completely let down and then what would they gossip about later," Koraya said trying to make a joke.

Mayula didn't find it funny but decided not pursue the subject with her daughter but instead just go about her business, picking up a piece of cloth she settled in to begin a evening of sewing.

Just then a young girl with golden hair and chestnut eyes about nine years old sprung through the door and shouted "Nik! You will never believe it but I swear to you that I have received a sign from the god Perphoros!"

Nikol looked up in wonder but a hint of knowing lack of belief.

"Really Sarra I never would have guessed, what is the sign that has you so excited" He said his eyes catching Korayas with a hint of laughter, she responded in kind and waited for their younger sister to continue speaking.

"Well on my way home today I was walking past the apple orchards and I saw a huge red apple, so I tried to reach up and grab it…."

As their sister continued to tell her tale of blessing the two older siblings shared a look of many meanings, all at once it meant I have something important to tell you, from Nikol and how am I going to tell mother I am leaving from Koraya and Wait I totally stopped listening to Sarra what was she saying! From both of them

Later that day after everyone had eaten and they were all once again seated in the small living room Koraya told her mother and sister of her plans.

Mayula was saddened to see her go but understood her reasoning, there was no way she would get the training and skill she wanted stuck in Setessa.

Sarra however thought it would be the most amazing thing to have a big sister off in the world training to be a great hero.

"Just think what all my friends will say!" She exclaimed, clamoring to hug her sister.

Even later when her mother and sister had long since fallen asleep Koraya went to see Nikol in the dead of night, she crept across the hall and knocked on her brothers door, he opened it readily and started to speak.

"Good you're here now I can tell you my news, a man stopped me in the temple of Thassa today, and you know what he told me?" Nikol asked earnestly wanting to tell his sister all.

Koraya just shrugged and waited for more.

"He said that he was a philosopher of Thassa and that he had seen me in the temple many times over the last week and that he had watched me read the runes over and over and thought that I would make a great priest of Thassa and one day gain her favor!" Nikol said happily.

"That's wonderful Nik! When do you leave for Meletis, I assume that would be where you would go to study for such a thing," Koraya said in raptures.

"I'll leave in a couple mouths that way mother won't be wholly alone all at once and I will most likely end up arriving a few weeks ahead of you since you plan on staying in Akros for a while" Nikol said

"Oh Nikol it will be so amazing to be in that beautiful city with you! "Said Koraya imagining such a life in her mind, Nikol agreed and with this and the two of them parted ways to get some sleep.