Chapter One

The storm was raging as captain Maoriven stepped out onto the deck of the Seaqueen. As he surveyed the ship his forehead creased in concern. All around him there where scenes of panic and destruction. In his eyes there was a glint of pride but most of that was banished by the fear that had replaced it. "Captain, sir, the mainsail can't hold out much longer!" Damarius, his first mate shouted above the roaring winds.

"Pull it down or we're all gonna die!!!" He shouted in reply.

"SIR, YES, sir….. Um I think we have a slight problem with that…."Damarius remarked as they watched the mainsail swinging around loosely. "DAMN!!!" Maoriven exclaimed "Everyone move! The mainsail is going to come down!!" He shouted above the storm, or at least tried to. His words where blown away and he and Damarius only just had time to jump off the ship before it split in two and burst into flames. Maoriven watched it with sad eyes, he had been on countless voyages with it and now it was to lie on the ocean floor in uncharted waters he would never be able to find again. Suddenly the ocean was all around him and so was the cold. Maoriven lost all track of time in those dark waters when he remembered his lover standing on the shore on his day of departure. I don't want you to go. She had said. What if this voyage is to be your last? He remembered what he had said in reply. I will never leave you, as long as there is blood in my veins, I will fight my way back to you. Now that could never be unless….. With renewed energy he began fighting his way to the white capped surface. On his way, he hit something in the water, it was Damarius. With the last of his strength, he reached out and grabbed his second in command and friend and before long they where at the surface sucking in the air. There was a deep mist veiling everything. "How the hell are we gonna get out of this one?" Damarius roared. But the captain already knew. "We are gonna hitch a ride on that ship!"

The ship was huge, dark and intimidating. It had the look of something that demons would ride on. At the bow was one lone figure of a woman. Because of the storm, her dress was fluttering in the wind. "Help…..Help, please help!!" They both shouted. But the ship kept moving through the black waters. Maoriven felt hot tears stinging his face. It was over, they where dead. He stopped treading water and let the dark waters swallow him up, and he knew no more.

The first thing Maoriven saw when he woke up was darkness. "Are you OK?" he heard someone ask.

"Hello…?" He asked. Usually he was brave but too much had happened in the past few hours and he was finding it difficult to take in. "your friend is still asleep, he isn't as strong as swimmer as you"

"Who are you?" Maoriven asked bewildered.

"Forgive me, I was rude, my name? My name is Dianusy Lenarseata and yours would be?"

"Maoriven Shadowslayer Danuronst" Was all he could manage. Suddenly the darkness shrunk and Maoriven realized that he was staring into somebody's eyes. Now that he could see the full person he realized that she was the figure from the ship! He watched her for a moment, she seemed to be struggling with something. After a while she looked him straight in the eye. "You'd better come to my cabin, there you will be safe from the others" Something in the way she said the last word sent shivers down his spine. But he allowed himself to be pulled into her cabin.

The sun was high in the sky when Maoriven woke. On the desk beside his makeshift bed was a bowl filled with clear liquid, beside that there was a note that read…….

Dear Maoriven

Drink this, it is called Nasiglen, It is good for gaining strength and will. I pray it will help you. There are some clothes in the dresser, take what you want. My man is long gone. Please do not venture outside this cabin, I beg you. This is purely for your safety. If you need help, only go out in bright sunlight, when there is no mist or clouds in the sky. One other thing, Do not open the curtain! I say this will absolute importance! If you open it, you will regret it for the rest of your life.

I know we barely know each other. I look forward to learning more about your life.

Yours truthfully

Dianusy Norvert

Maoriven frowned, what could be so important that he could not open he curtain? His frown deepened as he looked at the liquid in the bowl. He was extremely hungry and thirsty but could she be trusted? In the end he decided that dying of whatever was in the bowl was defiantly better than dying slowly of thirst. The liquid was cool and strangely refreshing as he put it to his lips. A few minutes past, nothing bad happened. Throwing all caution aside he skulled the rest and opened the dresser. Inside was a pile of clothes, he selected a ruffled shirt and a pair of breaches, over the top he wore a jacket made of leather.He had just finished brushing his unruly hair with a brush he had found on the cabinet when Dianusy walked in. "You look a lot better now your out of those ratty clothes!" She exclaimed when she saw him in her husband's clothes. Maoriven had to try really hard not to blush as she sat down on her bed. She sighed when she saw his attempt at a bed that he had slept in that morning. "I'm sorry you had to put up with such discomfort, you can sleep in MY bed tonight…." She said with indignation

"Uh…. Um …….ok?" He stammered. By now he was blushing furiously and was finding it hard to breathe. "So adventurer…. Tell me more about yourself" Dianusy asked

"Um……well….I have...Had a ship….um well it sorta blew up and um…." Maoriven was finding it increasingly difficult not to stare at her perfect figure. "So you enjoy danger…?" she asked licking her lips, she lent closer. "Want to find out about me?" she whispered and pulled him closer