Ch 1.
Only the sound of dripping water and soft footsteps could be heard echoing in the damp cavern like halls of the ancient city. The slight figure barely seen fleeting from deep shadow to deep shadow had about it a tense air like it wasn't supposed to be there. In truth though this person had every right to be there however there were those who would argue that fact.
'I should have stayed home tonight. After all what is this really going to prove? How hated I am? Though my mother did belong to the oldest family here there is much disgrace on her name, they wouldn't consider me for this. But still.' These thoughts and others had been racing along in her mind as she made her stealthy way to the center of town.
Night had fallen and it is the perfect time to do what she needs to for there is no light coming from the few skylights high in the ceiling of the last outpost of the Dark Elves, Necronthir. She found the place she was looking for, the School of the Blood Mages. She stopped as she drew closer to the ancient building she shoved several locks of her bleached bone white hair from her face behind long pointed darkelven ears. Her bloodstone red eyes glittered as she approached the door, anxiety overtook her and she almost lost her nerve, gathering her courage around her like a cloak she strode hesitantly toward the door.
When she was close enough she saw what she was looking for the list of names of the people who had been called to the service of their Lord. She scanned the list for her name and there at the bottom she could clearly see it, 'Nacreth,' scrawled in the same handwriting as all the other names. Nacreth read it a few more times to make sure she hadn't misread or imagined it being there. When she was satisfied that she had indeed been called into the role of a Blood Mage she walked happily back to her meager home eager for the next day to arrive when she would confront her destiny and start her apprenticeship under a learned Mage.
* * *
Nacreth found herself wandering thorough the city as if it was a totally different place, though in all truth it was she had never before dared to walk this part of the city in daylight hours. Even though she knew she was expected at the School she still flitted form the deeper shadows to avoid being seen by most people, a skill developed over many years of not wanting to be seen or found.
Nacreth joined the small group of people she assumed were also those named on the sheet nailed to the door of the School. Those that saw her among them shot her looks of abject hatred and scorn. Nacreth had learned a long time ago not to let that get to her. The doors opened and they were ushered by tall crimson robed darkelves to a small chamber not much bigger than a small dinning hall. In a high backed chair at the opposite side of the room from Nacreth was a darkelven woman in the robes of the Master of the Order of Blood Mages.
She was a diminutive old crone of advanced years even for an immortal darkelf such as she is. She is blind in one eye and that eye is a milky white ill fitted with the deep, burning crimson of the good one. Her old face is craggy, lined and what was once beautiful is now ugly to behold for the years have taken their toll. When she walks it is always with the help of her staff that the other leaders of the Order only used as a symbol of their power. (Some say that she has taken that guise on to fool people into thinking that she is far more frail than she really is, whilst others entertain that she looks like that through no will of her own and that she is far older than the order of which she leads. Those who think thus are wrong but the real reason for this guise, for guise it is, remains known only to the crone lady.)
Once they were all quietly sitting before her the old mage spoke in a grating voice, "In a dark city of a dark land there was created a amulet of incredible power." The old wizened woman looked over the young darkelves before her with milky ancient eyes. "This amulet contained within its silver facets the Stone of Arckarian, created by our Lord and given to the ancestor of my Order." Her gaze rested on the youngest of the youths before her for an instant. "The amulet was given to the direct ancestor of one of you in this room." Her gaze swept the small chamber looking in turn to all the upturned faces. They were all looking at each other wondering who could be the descendent of the receiver of the Stone.
The only one in the room not wondering if it was them was Nacreth the youngest of them all with a past she thought to disgraced to have any honor in it. The old crone chose that moment to reveal to them the descendent and her new apprentice in the arts of the Blood Mages.
"Nacreth was the name of the woman who received the Stone," She looked down at Nacreth "Your ancestor Nacreth received it. Your namesake was the first of our order and you shall be the next to learn of its secrets!" All the young darkelves in the room gasped and turned gazes filled with disdain toward her. Nacreth for her part looked just as astounded as the rest of them. The old mage sensing her mistake laughed and explained her meaning clearer, "You will all be taught the arts of the Blood Mages however only one of you will learn form me and that person will be Nacreth. The rest of you may leave now." Her gaze flew from face to face daring any to question her.
The others recovered slightly form this shock but lost none of their contempt for Nacreth. The crimson robed mages came in and ushered them all out, all that is except for the apprentice of their leader. "You must be asking yourself why you were the one chosen for this honor of being my student aren't you? Well the answer is simple once you understand why you are here in the first place. The screening process we use to find those who would do good to be in the Order is quite simple really. All Blood Mages give off a certain aura, we can detect and see how powerful it is in each person within this city, yours was the strongest here that is why you are here and that is why you are my student.
You will be taught everything I know and here you will be given the chance to escape the disgrace of your past." The old woman looked at her young student appraisingly, "You look tired you should get some sleep for classes start tomorrow. I assume that you don't have much to your name don't worry about that all your needs will be catered for while you are here and ONLY your needs you will have to work for anything else you will receive while here. You will call me Mistress D'altheira good night Nacreth."
Nacreth stared up at her new Mistress and was slightly confused. "When I came in it was bright daylight outside we can't have been here that long." Mistress D'altheria looked down at her new student with laughter in her eye. "We have been here for quite a long time talking you will find it quite late when you leave here good night Nacreth."
The last bit sounded like too much of an order for Nacreth not to jump up and follow the crimson robe that lead her to her chamber in the School. It was sparsely decorated with only a desk, a bookshelf full of books she would most likely need during her apprenticeship, a table with a small candle on it with no signs of any others to replace it when it burnt out and a bed. With a sigh she fell into and was asleep before her head hit the pillows.
Only the sound of dripping water and soft footsteps could be heard echoing in the damp cavern like halls of the ancient city. The slight figure barely seen fleeting from deep shadow to deep shadow had about it a tense air like it wasn't supposed to be there. In truth though this person had every right to be there however there were those who would argue that fact.
'I should have stayed home tonight. After all what is this really going to prove? How hated I am? Though my mother did belong to the oldest family here there is much disgrace on her name, they wouldn't consider me for this. But still.' These thoughts and others had been racing along in her mind as she made her stealthy way to the center of town.
Night had fallen and it is the perfect time to do what she needs to for there is no light coming from the few skylights high in the ceiling of the last outpost of the Dark Elves, Necronthir. She found the place she was looking for, the School of the Blood Mages. She stopped as she drew closer to the ancient building she shoved several locks of her bleached bone white hair from her face behind long pointed darkelven ears. Her bloodstone red eyes glittered as she approached the door, anxiety overtook her and she almost lost her nerve, gathering her courage around her like a cloak she strode hesitantly toward the door.
When she was close enough she saw what she was looking for the list of names of the people who had been called to the service of their Lord. She scanned the list for her name and there at the bottom she could clearly see it, 'Nacreth,' scrawled in the same handwriting as all the other names. Nacreth read it a few more times to make sure she hadn't misread or imagined it being there. When she was satisfied that she had indeed been called into the role of a Blood Mage she walked happily back to her meager home eager for the next day to arrive when she would confront her destiny and start her apprenticeship under a learned Mage.
* * *
Nacreth found herself wandering thorough the city as if it was a totally different place, though in all truth it was she had never before dared to walk this part of the city in daylight hours. Even though she knew she was expected at the School she still flitted form the deeper shadows to avoid being seen by most people, a skill developed over many years of not wanting to be seen or found.
Nacreth joined the small group of people she assumed were also those named on the sheet nailed to the door of the School. Those that saw her among them shot her looks of abject hatred and scorn. Nacreth had learned a long time ago not to let that get to her. The doors opened and they were ushered by tall crimson robed darkelves to a small chamber not much bigger than a small dinning hall. In a high backed chair at the opposite side of the room from Nacreth was a darkelven woman in the robes of the Master of the Order of Blood Mages.
She was a diminutive old crone of advanced years even for an immortal darkelf such as she is. She is blind in one eye and that eye is a milky white ill fitted with the deep, burning crimson of the good one. Her old face is craggy, lined and what was once beautiful is now ugly to behold for the years have taken their toll. When she walks it is always with the help of her staff that the other leaders of the Order only used as a symbol of their power. (Some say that she has taken that guise on to fool people into thinking that she is far more frail than she really is, whilst others entertain that she looks like that through no will of her own and that she is far older than the order of which she leads. Those who think thus are wrong but the real reason for this guise, for guise it is, remains known only to the crone lady.)
Once they were all quietly sitting before her the old mage spoke in a grating voice, "In a dark city of a dark land there was created a amulet of incredible power." The old wizened woman looked over the young darkelves before her with milky ancient eyes. "This amulet contained within its silver facets the Stone of Arckarian, created by our Lord and given to the ancestor of my Order." Her gaze rested on the youngest of the youths before her for an instant. "The amulet was given to the direct ancestor of one of you in this room." Her gaze swept the small chamber looking in turn to all the upturned faces. They were all looking at each other wondering who could be the descendent of the receiver of the Stone.
The only one in the room not wondering if it was them was Nacreth the youngest of them all with a past she thought to disgraced to have any honor in it. The old crone chose that moment to reveal to them the descendent and her new apprentice in the arts of the Blood Mages.
"Nacreth was the name of the woman who received the Stone," She looked down at Nacreth "Your ancestor Nacreth received it. Your namesake was the first of our order and you shall be the next to learn of its secrets!" All the young darkelves in the room gasped and turned gazes filled with disdain toward her. Nacreth for her part looked just as astounded as the rest of them. The old mage sensing her mistake laughed and explained her meaning clearer, "You will all be taught the arts of the Blood Mages however only one of you will learn form me and that person will be Nacreth. The rest of you may leave now." Her gaze flew from face to face daring any to question her.
The others recovered slightly form this shock but lost none of their contempt for Nacreth. The crimson robed mages came in and ushered them all out, all that is except for the apprentice of their leader. "You must be asking yourself why you were the one chosen for this honor of being my student aren't you? Well the answer is simple once you understand why you are here in the first place. The screening process we use to find those who would do good to be in the Order is quite simple really. All Blood Mages give off a certain aura, we can detect and see how powerful it is in each person within this city, yours was the strongest here that is why you are here and that is why you are my student.
You will be taught everything I know and here you will be given the chance to escape the disgrace of your past." The old woman looked at her young student appraisingly, "You look tired you should get some sleep for classes start tomorrow. I assume that you don't have much to your name don't worry about that all your needs will be catered for while you are here and ONLY your needs you will have to work for anything else you will receive while here. You will call me Mistress D'altheira good night Nacreth."
Nacreth stared up at her new Mistress and was slightly confused. "When I came in it was bright daylight outside we can't have been here that long." Mistress D'altheria looked down at her new student with laughter in her eye. "We have been here for quite a long time talking you will find it quite late when you leave here good night Nacreth."
The last bit sounded like too much of an order for Nacreth not to jump up and follow the crimson robe that lead her to her chamber in the School. It was sparsely decorated with only a desk, a bookshelf full of books she would most likely need during her apprenticeship, a table with a small candle on it with no signs of any others to replace it when it burnt out and a bed. With a sigh she fell into and was asleep before her head hit the pillows.