The palace was deep in sorrow at the news of their young queen, and the
people in
Cimmura wept endlessly. Only Sephrenia knew of Aphrael's sadness of leaving, and kept
it to herself. She hadn't seen Talen in days, but Khalad informed her that he stayed in his
rooms alone, and when someone talked to him, he was withdrawn, and spoke less, and
was constantly lost in thought, as though lost, and never to be found again. But, as
Aphrael had warned, that Sync surly wasn't going to stop at Arcium. He had left Arcium
in turmoil with his mortal minions, and had found his way to the Elenia's border.
Khalad had dispatched tons of his knights to protect the villager's there, and Talen had
volunteered to go along. With no choice left, that was all they had so far.
Sephrenia gazed up at Sparhawk as he hurried towards her, young Norin next to her.
Looking up at Sparhawk, Sephrenia just watched him.
Norin, Kalten's son, now twelve, sat next to her with his mother's hair, and Kalten's big
blue eyes. Alean, had she been alive, would've been proud of her son, had she not died at
his birth.
"What is it Sparhawk?" The sorceress asked.
"It's Danae." He replied, flushed.
Turning to Norin, she told him to go play outside or ride a pony his size, and the tall boy
ran down the hall in a sprint. Looking back at the retired knight, Sephrenia said, "What is
it?"
"It's impossible-- she's nearing death yet... Yet... how?"
"Sparhawk, you're muttering. What is it?"
Gravely, he turned to the woman who had taught him nearly everything he knew of, and
whispered, "Danae's pregnant."
Sephrenia's eyes widened, "What?"
"I-I know!" Sparhawk exclaimed, bewildered, "How? WHO?"
"How?" Sephrenia said, "You know how a child is given, but who? That is impossible to
know. How is Danae though? Can she talk?"
Sparhawk shook his head. "She's so weak. But the doctor's said she was going to die
about two weeks ago, it's amazing she hung on so long. Now there's a baby growing in
her womb? How could that be Sephrenia? Now, I will not only loose a daughter, I will
loose a grandchild."
Sephrenia saw him trembling, and stood up. "Sit down Sparhawk. Aphrael didn't want to
leave the throne without an heir most likely. I'll be right back."
Sparhawk saw Sephrenia walk away with her composed expression, but inside,
Sephrenia's mind blared with questions, as she thought of the dying Danae who had a life
right under her weak heart, and shivered.
**********************************************************************
Naween screamed.
Her legs were spread wide, and the doctors had placed a white sheet over her naked flesh
as she pushed the child within her womb out. Kalten, waiting outside the room, closed his
eyes, and a tear rolled down his cheek.
Alean.
The love of his life had died four years after their marriage. But in her place, he got
Norin, with the quiet trait of Alean, and her rugged looks that would never leave him. She
was his. And forever will she stay that way, even when he fooled around with other
women in her place.
He knew Norin hated him quietly for that, so he kept Naween and his son apart from each
other.
But at Naween's screams, he feared for her life, afraid of what might happen if she were
to have the same unfortunate fate of Alean.
How long he waited, he didn't know, but when a head splitting scream tore out with
Naween's he knew his second child was born and jumped to his feet, wide eyed. A half
hour later, the doctor came out, holding a very tiny human in his arms.
Smiling, he gave the baby to Kalten, "Congratulations you've got a baby girl." Turned,
and went back into the room to tend to the unconscious Naween.
Looking down at the baby with chocolate brown eyes and curly golden hair, he gave a
soft laugh as tears sprung to his pale eyes and cooed at the baby who made a low pathetic
cry, searching Kalten's chest for her mother's breast for nursing. "Ah," Kalten whispered,
"Welcome Danaphra." He had been thinking hard for the name, and in honor of his best
friends dying daughter and the tiny goddess he loved, he entwined their names together to
come out with Danaphra.
**********************************************************************
Vamiya, Berit's bride, had cut her long hair a little, and hardly left the house, concerned
her famous pale skin might get tanned. Berit, of course, didn't mind, since he wanted her
to stay away from the other young men who gazed at her in hunger. He was one of the
'unfortunates' to stay in Cimmura while their brothers fought at the border, so he walked
around everywhere, hardly sitting, and always moving. It wasn't long when word came
that the other Church Knight's in the other countries were going to Arcium and Tamuli to
stop the up roar, and a few were heading to Elenia to stop their growing trouble with the
'Zemoches'.
It was two weeks after the news of Danae's pregnancy had been discovered, and three
weeks since the Pandion Knights of Cimmura had left to defend their land when Berit
heard the thrilling pipes of the Child-Goddess. He was lying in bed with Vamiya who
was fast asleep when he jumped out of bed and followed the pipe whistles to his window.
Looking out, he saw her.
In the moonlight, Aphrael walked.
She no longer was that child he had seen so long ago.
She had grown. Clinging upon her ripe body, she wore a white robe that glowed brighter
then the moon in the night sky, and she neither stopped, nor glanced his way. Softly, her
bare feet touched the earth below her as she gracefully walked toward the palace. Her
pipes were nowhere to be seen, and her lips were softly pursed, and as Berit looked, he
saw a crystallized tear, that shined like stars, roll softly down her marble white cheek.
Shining with tears, she raised her large dark eyes up at the massive palace and finally, she
seemed to turn to mist, then vanished into the night, the light of her gown flying apart by
the night wind.
Berit stared.
So sad. And so much pain.
Why was Aphrael in sorrow? And why did she show herself to him in her grown form?
**********************************************************************
Sync gazed into Aphrael's eyes as her image came to him in front of his as the knights
slaughtered his followers, and smiled. "Aphie!" He said, as though suprised and glad to
see her.
"Oh," She sighed, "What are you doing, Sync?"
"What does it look like?" He sneered, his red eyes blazing as his gray- black hair fell into
his eyes and shadowed his handsome face, "Are you blind?"
Aphrael raised an eyebrow, "Do I look blind?"
Sync snatched at her, but his hand went right through the image of the goddess and gave
a mad chuckle, "Scared, little girl?" He taunted.
"Scared?" The goddess said with a laugh, "YOU should be scared. All of us will come for
you Sync!"
"REALLY?" He roared with laughter, "The other's are afraid to come into this mortal
world, afraid they'll grow old, or look it. Look at me--- and yourself! You've grown from
a child here, and me? I have gray hair and wrinkles!"
"Why are you hurting mortals?" She asked, suddenly sad, and her eyes, in all the years he
had ever seen her, all the weight of the years appeared in her eyes, the pain, and wisdom
she had received. But that was none of his fault, he didn't care.
"I will kill the New Spirit." He said.
"New Spirit?" She asked, bewildered.
He smiled, "Your child, Aphie. You think I didn't know you mated with MORTAL? Now
that thing in your womb is a halfling, and it's destiny is known to all. You knew it, yet
you mated with one of your non-believers!" He laughed.
Protectively, her hand went to her stomach and her eyes narrowed.
"You knew it! If a God had a halfling, you knew that child will become a Slayer, with no
love for mortals or immortals, and not just that-- the Slayer will have godly powers!" He
glared at her in anger.
"That isn't true, Sync. You're mad, and you don't know what you are saying! The child
will have godly powers but will be mortal like it's mortal father." Aphrael's eyes watered
at the mention of father, but her face-hardened.
"Ah," Sync said quietly. "I see you still love this mortal?" An insane smile spread across
his face, "We'll see how his life ends now-- wont we?"
Aphrael's anger blazed, "You touch him-- or if he gets even a SCRATCH, I'll- --"
"You'll what?" He interrupted, "You can't leave the Immortal Realm to save him, only
your untouchable image can come here, Aphie, because of your choice. You're choice set
his fate, you know that?" With his red eyes burning, he sneered again at her.
Before she could say anything, he dismissed her image. It wavered, and an angry scream
erupted from her throat, and the scream cried for Talen whose fate was coming.
Cimmura wept endlessly. Only Sephrenia knew of Aphrael's sadness of leaving, and kept
it to herself. She hadn't seen Talen in days, but Khalad informed her that he stayed in his
rooms alone, and when someone talked to him, he was withdrawn, and spoke less, and
was constantly lost in thought, as though lost, and never to be found again. But, as
Aphrael had warned, that Sync surly wasn't going to stop at Arcium. He had left Arcium
in turmoil with his mortal minions, and had found his way to the Elenia's border.
Khalad had dispatched tons of his knights to protect the villager's there, and Talen had
volunteered to go along. With no choice left, that was all they had so far.
Sephrenia gazed up at Sparhawk as he hurried towards her, young Norin next to her.
Looking up at Sparhawk, Sephrenia just watched him.
Norin, Kalten's son, now twelve, sat next to her with his mother's hair, and Kalten's big
blue eyes. Alean, had she been alive, would've been proud of her son, had she not died at
his birth.
"What is it Sparhawk?" The sorceress asked.
"It's Danae." He replied, flushed.
Turning to Norin, she told him to go play outside or ride a pony his size, and the tall boy
ran down the hall in a sprint. Looking back at the retired knight, Sephrenia said, "What is
it?"
"It's impossible-- she's nearing death yet... Yet... how?"
"Sparhawk, you're muttering. What is it?"
Gravely, he turned to the woman who had taught him nearly everything he knew of, and
whispered, "Danae's pregnant."
Sephrenia's eyes widened, "What?"
"I-I know!" Sparhawk exclaimed, bewildered, "How? WHO?"
"How?" Sephrenia said, "You know how a child is given, but who? That is impossible to
know. How is Danae though? Can she talk?"
Sparhawk shook his head. "She's so weak. But the doctor's said she was going to die
about two weeks ago, it's amazing she hung on so long. Now there's a baby growing in
her womb? How could that be Sephrenia? Now, I will not only loose a daughter, I will
loose a grandchild."
Sephrenia saw him trembling, and stood up. "Sit down Sparhawk. Aphrael didn't want to
leave the throne without an heir most likely. I'll be right back."
Sparhawk saw Sephrenia walk away with her composed expression, but inside,
Sephrenia's mind blared with questions, as she thought of the dying Danae who had a life
right under her weak heart, and shivered.
**********************************************************************
Naween screamed.
Her legs were spread wide, and the doctors had placed a white sheet over her naked flesh
as she pushed the child within her womb out. Kalten, waiting outside the room, closed his
eyes, and a tear rolled down his cheek.
Alean.
The love of his life had died four years after their marriage. But in her place, he got
Norin, with the quiet trait of Alean, and her rugged looks that would never leave him. She
was his. And forever will she stay that way, even when he fooled around with other
women in her place.
He knew Norin hated him quietly for that, so he kept Naween and his son apart from each
other.
But at Naween's screams, he feared for her life, afraid of what might happen if she were
to have the same unfortunate fate of Alean.
How long he waited, he didn't know, but when a head splitting scream tore out with
Naween's he knew his second child was born and jumped to his feet, wide eyed. A half
hour later, the doctor came out, holding a very tiny human in his arms.
Smiling, he gave the baby to Kalten, "Congratulations you've got a baby girl." Turned,
and went back into the room to tend to the unconscious Naween.
Looking down at the baby with chocolate brown eyes and curly golden hair, he gave a
soft laugh as tears sprung to his pale eyes and cooed at the baby who made a low pathetic
cry, searching Kalten's chest for her mother's breast for nursing. "Ah," Kalten whispered,
"Welcome Danaphra." He had been thinking hard for the name, and in honor of his best
friends dying daughter and the tiny goddess he loved, he entwined their names together to
come out with Danaphra.
**********************************************************************
Vamiya, Berit's bride, had cut her long hair a little, and hardly left the house, concerned
her famous pale skin might get tanned. Berit, of course, didn't mind, since he wanted her
to stay away from the other young men who gazed at her in hunger. He was one of the
'unfortunates' to stay in Cimmura while their brothers fought at the border, so he walked
around everywhere, hardly sitting, and always moving. It wasn't long when word came
that the other Church Knight's in the other countries were going to Arcium and Tamuli to
stop the up roar, and a few were heading to Elenia to stop their growing trouble with the
'Zemoches'.
It was two weeks after the news of Danae's pregnancy had been discovered, and three
weeks since the Pandion Knights of Cimmura had left to defend their land when Berit
heard the thrilling pipes of the Child-Goddess. He was lying in bed with Vamiya who
was fast asleep when he jumped out of bed and followed the pipe whistles to his window.
Looking out, he saw her.
In the moonlight, Aphrael walked.
She no longer was that child he had seen so long ago.
She had grown. Clinging upon her ripe body, she wore a white robe that glowed brighter
then the moon in the night sky, and she neither stopped, nor glanced his way. Softly, her
bare feet touched the earth below her as she gracefully walked toward the palace. Her
pipes were nowhere to be seen, and her lips were softly pursed, and as Berit looked, he
saw a crystallized tear, that shined like stars, roll softly down her marble white cheek.
Shining with tears, she raised her large dark eyes up at the massive palace and finally, she
seemed to turn to mist, then vanished into the night, the light of her gown flying apart by
the night wind.
Berit stared.
So sad. And so much pain.
Why was Aphrael in sorrow? And why did she show herself to him in her grown form?
**********************************************************************
Sync gazed into Aphrael's eyes as her image came to him in front of his as the knights
slaughtered his followers, and smiled. "Aphie!" He said, as though suprised and glad to
see her.
"Oh," She sighed, "What are you doing, Sync?"
"What does it look like?" He sneered, his red eyes blazing as his gray- black hair fell into
his eyes and shadowed his handsome face, "Are you blind?"
Aphrael raised an eyebrow, "Do I look blind?"
Sync snatched at her, but his hand went right through the image of the goddess and gave
a mad chuckle, "Scared, little girl?" He taunted.
"Scared?" The goddess said with a laugh, "YOU should be scared. All of us will come for
you Sync!"
"REALLY?" He roared with laughter, "The other's are afraid to come into this mortal
world, afraid they'll grow old, or look it. Look at me--- and yourself! You've grown from
a child here, and me? I have gray hair and wrinkles!"
"Why are you hurting mortals?" She asked, suddenly sad, and her eyes, in all the years he
had ever seen her, all the weight of the years appeared in her eyes, the pain, and wisdom
she had received. But that was none of his fault, he didn't care.
"I will kill the New Spirit." He said.
"New Spirit?" She asked, bewildered.
He smiled, "Your child, Aphie. You think I didn't know you mated with MORTAL? Now
that thing in your womb is a halfling, and it's destiny is known to all. You knew it, yet
you mated with one of your non-believers!" He laughed.
Protectively, her hand went to her stomach and her eyes narrowed.
"You knew it! If a God had a halfling, you knew that child will become a Slayer, with no
love for mortals or immortals, and not just that-- the Slayer will have godly powers!" He
glared at her in anger.
"That isn't true, Sync. You're mad, and you don't know what you are saying! The child
will have godly powers but will be mortal like it's mortal father." Aphrael's eyes watered
at the mention of father, but her face-hardened.
"Ah," Sync said quietly. "I see you still love this mortal?" An insane smile spread across
his face, "We'll see how his life ends now-- wont we?"
Aphrael's anger blazed, "You touch him-- or if he gets even a SCRATCH, I'll- --"
"You'll what?" He interrupted, "You can't leave the Immortal Realm to save him, only
your untouchable image can come here, Aphie, because of your choice. You're choice set
his fate, you know that?" With his red eyes burning, he sneered again at her.
Before she could say anything, he dismissed her image. It wavered, and an angry scream
erupted from her throat, and the scream cried for Talen whose fate was coming.