What if someone were to unweave the Charter, unravel the world into what it once was--a world where the idea of mercy is obsolete, a place where Free Magic beasts and dangerous magic-users exist without law, often shackled to the will of those with more power?

One man thinks he can be the one with that power, and he works to undo the work of the Seven. He must be stopped.

The tangled threads of Fate bring Kagael, the daughter of Lirael Goldenhand and the demonic son of Hedge together. But little do they know of the significant roles they'll fulfill in the tumultuous battle of the divinities, and the Fate of the world...

-PROLOGUE-

"What is it?"

"Jorbert reporting, Sergeant Merill, sir! Clayr paperwing spotted approaching over South Wall, sir!"

"What the hell, Jorbert, no one told me we had Clayr coming!" Merill was a large man, well over forty. His bristling, graying mustache twitched as he got up and turned to face the guard.

"Begging your pardon, sir! But I just did, sir!"

"Aw, shaddap!" the Sergeant growled as he buckled a swordbelt on over his considerable girth. "Have the Elders been informed?"

"Yessir! Guardsman-Lieutenant Egelbirg went himself, sir!"

"On your way then, Jorbert. Round up some men and get 'em down to the docking platform." The sergeant straightened the collar of his stiff coat and harrumphed disapprovingly. "Ruddy Clayr...don't tell ye a thing afore droppin' in on ye...Well! Ye can't give 'em a proper welcome on short notice." Still muttering, Sergeant Merill went out of his office following his subordinate.

Shortly thereafter, a number of hastily assembled Royal Guards of the village Navis were gathered a short distance from the paperwing platform. The Sergeant stood at the head of the throng, puffing disparagingly in the chill morning air.

The paperwing was very close now, and the Clayr insignia of stars was visible against the blue and black.

Despondent eyes watched the aircraft glide to a landing. A silvery head could be seen in the cockpit, and as the hatch slid back, the pilot lifted his...her...? Sergeant Merill could not tell. At any rate, the pilot's head lifted and Merill blinked against the bright sunlight bouncing off a circlet of iridescent moonstones.

The pilot vaulted out of the cockpit and landed on the platform with some unsettling clacking sounds. The cause of this was soon revealed to be a suit of black leather armor reinforced by plates of red-enameled metal at neck, shoulders, wrists, and every other joint. The long boots were of the same loud material, and there was the long, black scabbard of a rapier at the pilot's hip.

"We the Royal Guards of the Old Kingdom welcome ye to the village Navis, esteemed emissary of the Clayr," Sergeant Merill said in as pompous a tone as he could manage with the strange nagging feeling that had started at the back of his head. "Erm, please forgive the...inapt welcome. Y'see, we were on rather short notice of your arrival, ahaha..." His laugh trailed off miserably at the withering glance the pilot was giving him. The pilot's eyes were a bloody garnet, like a cobra's.

"A sorry welcome indeed," the pilot spoke. His voice was that of a pubescent male. His smooth, almost pretty face was marred by the way his lips curled in disgust. "Pathetic place, this. I only came for the ocean view."

It certainly sounded like an attempt at sarcasm, so a few of the younger members of the guard attempted half-hearted chuckles.

"The Clayr that gave this to me was a great deal more interesting," the pilot continued with a nasty sneer, fingering the tiara of moonstones across his brow. "I threw her out of the wing when we were flying over some nastily sharp-looking glaciers. She screamed all the way down." The young man cackled.

Sergeant Merill lost his patience. "This isn't funny, lad! What manner of herald are ye and why are ye telling such hideous fibs?"

The large claret eyes blinked at him. "What, you think I'm fibbing? This isn't the first time I've hijacked a wing, you know. As for a herald...you may call me the Harbinger of Doom!" He once against lapsed into giggles.

"Harbinger of Doom," Merill growled, ten times as ticked off as he'd been earlier on. "This is more than enough of yore ludicrous behavior. Jean, Renward, take him inside for questioning. Jorbert, send a messagehawk to the Clayr and report this nuisance immediately."

"That won't do," the silver-haired young man smiled. "I'm afraid Orkaire has your pathetic chickencoop—Navis was it?—surrounded to the last man. As for questioning, I'll gladly tell you everything you want to ask, right here."

The soldiers Jean and Renward already had hold of the mad pilot's arms, but the madman was grinning away as though this was all a game. And it probably was, Merill thought irately, some stupid hoax set up by some bored and rebellious teenage Clayr. "What's yer name, then?" the sergeant barked.

"Gwidhe," the young man replied, sounding almost giddy with eagerness. "Gwidhe Ulseil, son of Hedge Ulseil."

Something sounded familiar, but it didn't quite click. Obviously, Gwidhe saw that from the expression on the sergeant's face and was enraged.

"I am Gwidhe Ulseil," he snarled, "Wing Commander of Orkaire, Son of Hedge the Sorcerer!"

The first part was blather, and the second, well...

"But o' course yore the son o' Hedge the Sorcerer!" Merill chortled, "Why, I'm the Prime Minister of Ancelstierre myself!"

The young man was not in a good mood now; it was quite obvious from the way his face was contorting. He muttered something.

"Come again?" Merill inquired.

"Nincompoops...bastards..." Gwidhe was growling. "That's what you all are! Idiots! You killed my father and now I'll kill you!" His voice became an unearthly shriek with the last words. Jean and Renward winced, and suddenly they were wreathed in golden flames of Charter fire.

Sergeant Merill's eyes bulged at the scene before him. But only for a moment. He soon regained his composure and began belting out orders. "The man's a mage! Beware! Send for the Scouts! Scouts! Now!"

Gwidhe laughed insanely as he bore down on the group, flailing with his flame-wreathed Charter sword. "That's right!" he shouted after the soldiers breaking away to get Scouts. "Send for your pet mages, you sniveling incompetents!"

Merill drew his broadsword and swept it up to meet Gwidhe's blade in one rapid motion. What a mistake to make! The young man's moonstone tiara hid a Charter mark underneath, a mark redolent with Free Magic and corruption. Flames engulfed the sergeant's sword and he cried out as his hand was scorched, but clung gamely on. Gwidhe was forcing his sword back with a strength that was insane. Merill choked and jerked aside with all his might, backing awkwardly from his attacker.

The Scouts had been found! Cries of Anet! Calew! Ferhan! sliced the air along with the silvery Charter knives. Gwidhe broke away from Merill and blocked every last blade with his flaming sword. Then, he drew strange marks into the air with rapid motions of his left hand and an explosion of light ensued.

Merill nearly fell over with shock. The young man had disappeared! The sergeant leaned on his sword, breathing hard. He had just recovered his breath and was about to rally the troops when an echoing flash of light atop Navis' tallest watchtower drew everyone's eyes.

Gwidhe stood there, the naked blade of his Charter sword resting against his red-armored shoulder. "Fools!" he roared. His voice was magically magnified, and doors and windows flew open across the village. "The Charter burn you all for fools! Ulseil will win! Ulseil. Always. Wins!" His garnet eyes were wide, dancing like living flame.

And then Navis erupted in fire.

Something in the sky darkened the flaming settlement below. Two Charter sendings were lowered onto the watchtower. They retrieved an unconscious Wing Commander of Orkaire, then whatever had brought them here took them back up. Suddenly, the sky had cleared. Or rather, gone was the dark shadow from the skies above Navis, replaced by the writhing throes of smoke, flame, and the screams of innocent people.

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Author's Note: Well! That was insane! Please review after you read... I will have Chapter One up as soon as I'm done writing it!