Chapter 1(Alina's point of view)

Chapter One

"Did you hear about the king?" I asked my father as I gave him his morning beer. The beer was probably twelve years old, topped with a special medicine for his leg problems. A royal guard was outside, I wondered if my father knew, he was the only sign of people from around here. We lived near the border of Litha and Nevarah and he was watching us.

My father laughed dismissively. "I be that looser is going to have another child. He already has about five. But no, what is it?" He paused for a moment before continuing. "You need to clean the house and there is still some work to do outside."

I leaned my head on the cabinet and stared outside. The forest was like a sea of green. When I was younger I always wanted to run outside and not work for once. The trees were tall and thick. Bushes and vines sprung up anywhere where there was dirt. And these woods were beautiful and glistening. It looked like a single fire could kill every hope I've ever felt.

"He died last night. Someone killed him." I said, still gazing out at the trees. Even though I had much work to do I never got tired, I had to admit it was better than what I'd expected. When I was allowed a break I would sit in my room and practice using my sword. My father never knew I had a sword and I was a master at it. I pictured barren sand dunes, sweltering heat, and poisonous snakes. And I would pretend to kill them.

"Really? Is his son going to take his place as king?," my father asked lifting his cup in the air for more beer. Not even bothering to get it himself. I grabbed the jug of beer and field it up again. "I believe so I'm not so sure."

He didn't reply, and after a moment I continued, "He is really young I mean he's twelve and barely knows anything."

My father shook his head and lifted his hand to me for me to stop. "You talk to much. Now go clean the house before you get a beating." He said in a low growl. I looked back out the window and walked out of the small kitchen. The kitchen along with the house was all old wood. A bit of design here and there but nothing special. We were poor and had nothing. I was an only child. My father said I was a mistake child but when my mother was still alive she would care for me. All the woman in Klutha were judged on how they look. I was never judged since my father said I was a mistake child and I didn't need to be judged. He says I am a ugly creature. I didn't know if he was right or not. We had no mirrors or anything we could use as one. I tried my best to impress my father but he never looks at me unless he's talking to me or beating me.

I walked to the living room closet and grabbed a broom. I started to sweep and hum. The air was thin and dusty from the sweeping but I didn't mind everything was perfect. My brown dress was torn and dirty but I didn't mind. I was a servant a slave to my own family and I didn't mind. I watched the broom go back a fourth, back and fourth. " one two three...one two three..." I would say. One for a sweep and two for putting it in the pan and three for throwing it outside. I counted doing this for at least a hour then when I was done sweeping the house I had to make the beds.

My fathers room was the biggest room in the house. The bed was a queen sized bed with a dark red conferrer on it. A desk to the side with papers and letters on it. I made the bed fast, my heart was pounding in the pain I had in my head. I felt that I had a fever. I sat down on the bed and held my head. I brought a small cup of water with me but as soon as I stood up. I fell. I hit my knees on the floor so hard it made me scream as if I broke them.

I heard my father stomping down stairs at the bottom. "What is going on up there!?" He yelled not happy with me disturbing him. At first I laid there silent when I finely said "I fell but I'm fine." We had rules that if a woman lies they will get beaten harshly but even falling was a rule I couldn't brake. My father stomped up the stairs in anger. I stood up ready to face him. My head still bothered me but not as much as what I knew he was going to do to me. He came into the room and grabbed my arm throwing me to the floor. He started kicking me with great force. Every kick I felt so much pain. I was crying, the hot tears stinging my eyes. he did this for at least five minutes until he said I needed to get back to work. "Next time you brake a rule I'm going to punish you with something even worse!" He said and slammed the door shut.

So I slowly, but painfully got off the floor. Blood trickled down my chin and a big bruise was on my chest. My hands were shaking and I could feel myself wobble when I walked. It was part of life here. When I have to go out to shop for food I can't talk to anyone but the person who is selling the food. Women are known for our quiet ways. But not only are we quiet but were very smart. We come up with the best war plans. We also study the stars.

I didn't even show up at the dinner table like how I use to to serve my father that night. I sat on my bed and looked at the stars. The sky was full of millions of them. Some brighter than others. but they still endlessly shown. My room was small and had nothing in it. My mother had to sleep with my father no matter what because it was braking the rules to not sleep with your "owner." I thought she killed herself because of my father. And I saw her do it too. I heard everything my father said to her.

"You are nothing but a ugly slut you who knows nothing more than what a pigs butt looks like!" My father said, "really? Okay so your saying all I look at is a pigs butt just because I'm always working on the farm?" She asked. My father nodded and she went on. "Okay I would love to see you work around the house just for once! I hate this kingdom! Woman should have rights, not this!" She turned to walk away but my father said "fine if you hate life so much how about you kill yourself!" My mom stopped and turned back to face him her green dress gripped in her hands tight. "I am not going to do that because I have a daughter who needs me." And right before she could go my father said, "I will kill her if you don't kill yourself." and right at that moment she said "you better not touch her!" And then out of no where she takes a knife from the cabinet and ends her life quickly.

My father shockingly was very sad and hated me so much for being born. Blaming her death on me. I wonder why he hated her so much that he actually loved her. I think it's because I look like her. Because sometimes he would call me by her name.

I felt alone

"How could he do this to me?"

I sat down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. My mouth was not bleeding anymore but my chest and my head still hurt. I knew I was coming down with a fever but my father would still make me work.

Within a few minutes, the sky was full of cosmic color. Millions of stars burned bright and true. It was like a never ending mystery of beauty from out my window.

The house was two stories tall and probably a hundred years old, surrounded by a neatly cut lawn, pruned trees, and planted flowers. It looked like a very healthy house but it's not all that good. All this place was missing was ivy on the wooden walls outside, but that was hard to grow here.

We weren't rich so the house was old and run down. But it was cozy and comfy. I would spend most of my free time making up a good story to write about. I was planning on making something to show people in the future about how strange my life is at eighteen.

My father yelled up the stairs that he was finished, so I got up from my bed and walked down the stairs comply and carefully. I turned the corner toward the kitchen and still saw the guard outside. "Father do you know who that is?" I said pointing out the window at the guard. My father looked and turned back at me. "One, I don't know who he is but he's a guard so I can't tell him to leave. And two, call me sir it sounds better. I don't like to be reminded that I'm a dad of a thing like you."

I didn't say anything I just looked down at my feet and nodded.

"Alina go up stairs I don't want to see your face till tomorrow." he said after I put down the dishes. Not that I really wanted to talk with him anymore, but I had kind of expected him to say the only good thing he ever says to me. Good night.

"Yes sir," I said with frown. "I have to go shopping tomorrow." I picked up my broom from my seat and brought it up stairs. As I placed it down I laid back down again, but this time I was thinking of how many more days I had till my father picked someone for me to marry. But what I knew was be didn't want me to marry anyone.

My legs were sore from the long day and I stretched. It was cold, and I was glad I was going to bed, even though I knew it was early.

"Hey! Who are you!," the guard said from outside.

I looked back out my window to see a boy who looked about my age wearing a black shirt and black pants.

"And who are you? My mother?" The boy said, grabbing the guard and nocking him out.

"Have fun," he said. "I think you'll do very well on the ground."

I looked at the boy who was walking up to the front of my house. I wondered what he wanted and who he was. He had dark brown hair that lit up lighter as he stood under the torch next to the front door. He looked up at my window and I could see he had red eyes. I pulled away immediately, and I watched him nock on the door. As usual, I would be going down the stairs to answer but my father opened it before I could head out of my room.

I ran down the stairs but stopped and noticed my father pointing for me to head back up. I had no choice but to go back up or I would get beaten. I walked up back to my room and leaned my head ageist the door so I could hear them talking. "Can I see your daughter?" Asked the boy. I could hear my father laugh and I knew he was shaking his head. "I don't have a daughter. My wife died before we could have children." He sounded so serious. I heard the door close and I thought the boy left but then I heard. "I know you have a daughter I saw her in her room, and I need to talk to her so if you don't mind I am going to go up stairs. And here doesn't the woman answer the door?" The boy said and started up the stairs. I pulled away from the door and went back to my bed sining like I always do before I sleep. "She's sining so she's getting ready for bed so you should come back some other time." My father said standing right outside my door. The air smelled different now...I don't know whether it was the dusty air or the trees or just that I was about to meet a boy my age. The boy opened the door and I could hear him walk inside. "May I talk to you?" He said looking back at my father who was very mad at this point. I turned to look at him. He was really cute. But I could tell he wasn't all nice, he had weapons that were strong and well made. He had the look of a solider. "Yes you may." I said standing up. My father was furious now his hands in a fist. "I forbid you to talk to this man! You do and you will get the beating of a life time!" I held my breath and looked at the boy. He was wearing a brown and black outfit that looked rich so I knew he was not from around here. The boy nodded for me to talk. "Don't listen to him your not staying here anymore I need to take you somewhere."

I noticed for the first time that this boy came here I could have real freedom. I could be a normal person and not wait on anyone. "You are not taking her anywhere!" My father said with tears starting to run down his cheeks. "Why? All you do to me is beat me. You never stop!" I said almost crying. my father was crying now. "I...I really did love your mother and I just drink to much and...and you remind me of her. Her family came from a different kingdom I'm not sure where but she married me because I loved her. I never drank till you were born because I was scared. But I just never stopped." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Then why did you say what you said when she killed herself? You said you would kill me." I sat down on my bed again looking out the window at the sky.

"Because I was drunk and I was mad and I...I never meant to say that." I looked back at him. He really was sorry. The boy finely said "okay well it's nice that you guys are friends now but we need to go. The gods want to see you." I looked confused. I knew about the gods because I've read about them. My head was bothering me again, I held my hand to it and closed my eyes. I saw a Key. It was a golden key with a red diamond incrusted on the handle. A little girl was holding it and I tall man was standing In front of her. I couldn't see his face but I could hear him. "Alina I'm coming for you. I'm coming for you." As he said as he was getting closer and scarier. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't. I screamed and my eyes opened. The boy was sitting next to me. I realized I was on the ground my wrist was bleeding. It was the Key.

"What the hell happened?!" My father yelled, handing me a glass of water. The boy said softly, "I never told you my name, it's Bane. I live in Nevarah and the gods sent me to a cave. I found a boy Arthur, he was reading the same prophecy as I was reading. I realized that it wasn't just us that were apart of this, it was you and four others. One from every kingdom. I went after you while Arthur went after one of the others. I looked at his eyes, they were bright red and his smile was warm. "What just happened to me though?" I asked, staring at him. "You had a vision. What did you see?" He asked. I cleared my throat and said barely a whisper "I saw a key and a little girl holding it. The key looked like something I saw when I was little, then I saw a guy he said he was coming for me an he knew who I was." Bane went pale, he knew who I saw and he was scared.

"We need to leave now!," he said fast. Before I could even open my mouth he was gone, running out the door. I turned to my father he nodded for me to leave. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for him but I couldn't I couldn't say anything. I had pain in my mouth. I didn't know what to do, so I ran out the door after Bane. Nothing was going to be the same I knew it and I knew I had something to do with a war.

We ran for about five minutes straight and stopped for a minute to catch our breath. Ahead I could see a small cave like what Bane said, I couldn't believe it was so close to my house. We walked to the pointing as we stopped at the opening. A boy with blond hair and blue eyes watched us as we got closer. "I see you got her." He said looking at me. My dress had blood stains on it from all the times I got hit or kicked. My dress was torn and the thin half of my sleeve on my left shoulder was ripped and my wrist was still bleeding.

"Hey Arthur I got the two girls you told me to get. But why couldn't you get off your ass to go get them!" another boy said. He had long, reddish brown hair that was in a braid. His braid went down his left shoulder. He looked over with his startling grey eyes to see me and Bane standing there, watching them. Arthur stepped toward the boy and said "Gilbert if you want to start another war then bring it on but we both know who will win." Arthur looked up at me and I saw him smile a little. Gilbert walked into the cave and took out some daggers and a sword along with a small brown bag. He started to sharpen them and for a second I saw him look at me and then at the other girls.

"Who's this thing?" One of the girls said looking at me, she had light brown hair and deep blue eyes. She was dressed in a royal nightgown so I knew she was a princess. I said nothing and looked at Bane. He was figuring out what the plan was. Every few minutes I'd see him look up at me then when I noticed he would look away. The princess would not stop staring at me. I knew she was looking at my dress. I mean I would too if I were her but she just kept staring at me.

Finely I said something. "Will you stop staring at me?!" She frowned and said, snapping "I would love to stop looking at you because you are an ugly thing but I will stare at you because I am wondering why you the prophecy would want a girl like you from Klutha! You are all made to be slaves! I bet your father beaten you everyday because of how you act! All of you woman there are all meant to be beaten. You especially!"

I wanted to cry. All these years of pain and torture and now I was stuck with a princess who had nothing good to say about me but that I was meant to be beaten. I stood up from my seat. The air was cool and the breeze was thick and I could feel a mix of rage and sadness take over me. "You don't know my life! You think you know me but you don't! My mother killed herself to save me! My father really did love me. But he hated that I reminded him of her. Everyday I would get beaten because of how ugly I looked. But when he said I looked just like her well I've seen my mother and I know for a fact she is a oh HELL LOT PRETTIER THEN YOU!"

Everyone was staring at me but I didn't care. I looked around me. Gilbert's mouth was open wide with sadness in his eyes. Bane didn't even look at me. He had his head in his hands as he looked at the ground. Arthur was staring right at me, I could tell he felt bad. But I didn't want them to. I just wanted them to leave me alone. But as I turned to the other girl. She was quiet and mysterious. She had black hair and dark green eyes. She was crying. I walked away into the woods the last thing I saw before leaving was the princess sitting down. pleased with what I had confessed.

I walked around a little bit. The air was cool and the breeze was nice and calm.

I had to put my hands out in front of me to watch where I was going. After a minute of walking around I found a log near a pond. I sat down and looked at the water. The water was shining and warm. I heard someone behind me, walking up to me. I stared at the water. The person sat down next to me. It was the girl who was crying. We sat there saying nothing for about two minutes then she said "I had abusive parents. I know how you feel. They say they did it to make me stronger, and well it worked. But it made me weak knowing they weren't afraid to hurt me. When Gilbert and Felise came they took me away from that hell but now I can sense there's something about you. Something special."

She looked down and saw the scar and said. "That scar is not to haunt you, it's to protect you. Whoever you saw in that vision was someone who was trying to protect you." I looked at her "the guy said he was coming after me, I don't think he wants to protect me I think he wants to kill me. And he wants me to find this key and give it to him and all I can think of is the world becoming black." She smiled at me. I looked at her confused on why she was smiling. "You know what the vision means. That's good all you need to know now is to protect yourself from dying of it."

I turned to face her. "What do you mean?" I asked looking at my wrist. "I am from the kingdom of death Rascan. I can read your visions. Control them before they control you." The girl got up and left. I sat there alone and confused. A moment latter I heard someone again. This time I turned around and saw Arthur standing in front of me. He steeped toward me and said "I want to show you something." He took my hand and walked me to the top of the cave. On top I could see the pond, a lake near my house and a few mountains. It was beautiful.

"Why am I so important? Like why am I in the prophecy?" I asked Arthur. He looked at me and sat down. I sat down next to him still looking at the view. "Because of the visions and your ability." He said looking back at the mountains. "My ability?" I asked, he smiled, "you are really special you should know that Alina." I looked at him, I never told him my name but he knew it. "Yes I know your name, I believe you wouldn't remember a young boy that would come by when your mother was still alive. You would leave the house and come to the back and we would talk about our ability?"

My eyes went wide and I fell back the last thing I heard was Arthur say, "it will be okay." I closed my eyes and I saw him. A young boy and me, we were holding hands and closing our eyes. We were saying something but I couldn't make it out. Then we opened our eyes and smile at each other. I heard myself say "we should try to find that key." Arthur nodded and we wandered around in the front of the house. I wandered off near the edge of the forest and walked a few feet maybe 20. Then I stopped somehow knowing it was in front of me. I dug for a few minutes when Arthur found me and helped me dig. We found a old box and when I opened it the key was there. I picked it up out of the box and then nothing. I opened my eyes and stared at Arthur. "Why do I not remember you? What happened? How did we meet?"

Arthur didn't look at me he just stared off into the distance. "Did you see any weird people around lately?" He asked, I closed my eyes and said "yes a royal guard was watching me and my father today, Bane nocked him out before I met him." He looked at me and then said "that asshole. Why did he not tell me? God!" My head started hurting me but this time it was really bad. I all of a sudden I felt so dizzy. My eye sight started fading and then. Nothing.

I fell. I didn't know where but it was hard, I could hear Arthur calling for help and then I saw him. The man who was saying he was coming after me. "Your dying everyday Alina. You can't escape me." He had black long hair and a black and silver armor. He had a devil grin on his face and then he said "good bye." And I was out. I couldn't hear anyone or see anyone. I was dying.