A/n: First off, I must say that this is a first for me, so we'll see how it goes. Characters used in the Tamora Pierce's novels belong to Tamora Pierce. However, my own characters are my property and therefore I feel the need to note you need permission from me to use them. I'm usually rather generous as long as your intensions are well enough. Wish me luck, and please, be kind enough to leave an honest review. I need all the help I can get.

Prologue

. The Beginning .

Carthak. The kingdom most feared for beginnings of the Immortal Wars, the wars that scared most if not the entire realm of Tortall. Their mages were among the top prior to the sickening campaign that showed every land that partook the brutal limits the Kingdom of Carthak would stretch to. All of this brutality was just to prove a power. A greedy and vile power that would consume even the one who produced it. In the end, it did just that. The magic of the Emperor Mage, Orzone, ultimately destroyed him. This, and a Wild Mage titled Veralidaine Sarrasri.

The small child tossed through most of the night; cold sweat pouring from those delicate features. A maid tending the petite adolescent immediately rushed through the dark corridors of the family home, arriving at a large bolted door. Nervously as ever the young maid raised a shaking hand formed to a fist and rapped lightly upon the oaken door.

"L.. Lord Kartok?"

The grumbling from behind the door came as a sudden jolt to the young woman, who stood frozen for fear of her employer's temper.

" Can a man never have peace? If it's not one thing, it's most definitely another."

A thick accent from the opposite side of the door was enough to make the young maid shake with fight. Though her family had been working for the Kartok families for generations, and she grew up with the husky voice, it still sent shivers through every limb in her body.

" It's Master Torin.. he.. he's having more nightmares my Lord."

A sudden slamming of feet upon the hardwood floors was heard through out the small castle. Servants, guests, anyone taking resident in the Kartok home was awoken from silent slumber, there were the occasional few who carried on with their actions, however most paused to right their thoughts. The entire household knew Master Torin was dreaming once again.

Faces. Flashing everywhere. All these people screaming at him, the pain intensified seeing as he couldn't help any of them. They all wanted help, every single person wanted his attention to fix some problem in their life.

" I can't help you!" screaming through tears the young boy tried to reach out towards a crying woman. The gaze on the woman's face was enough to twist even the most mortified heart into pieces; it looked like she was passing through the hands of the Black God. Emerald eyes come upon his arms and palms; they were covered in a jade fire. Green irises blink rapidly, attempting to shut the image of the emerald fire burning his hands, but his limbs remained covered in burning flames. A look of pure terror spread upon the boy's features eyes suddenly finding the crying woman once again, she too was surrounded in an emerald blaze; but she was no longer sobbing into the wind. The once weeping woman was now thanking him; her smile was enough to shed light into any dark and dusty corner.

"Torin.." The voice was far off, as if calling him forward out of this boggling nightmare.

"Torin, wake up."

Husky. It was familiar, he knew that.. distinct voice from somewhere. As if by force the green flames were shoved through his body, making him cry aloud and jolt upright into his fathers opened arms. Cold sweat drenched everything, the young maid quickly entered with extra linens, not even taking a glance at her shaking young master, just setting the pearly sheets next to the pair.

"Father.. I.." words fell out of the young boy's lips as if in a mere trance.

"Shh.. Torin relax. It's over."

Eventually the child returned to his slumber, awaking only once more in the dead of night. These nightmares, these visions, whatever they were, they were becoming too much. Lord Kartok had been assuming his son had been stricken with some sickness; never did it once occur that the young lad was different. Healers came from the valleys and mountains of Carthak, but none could explain to the Lord what was happening. They only made excuses to buy the child time; they all presumed he was passing his life off early. The past was eventually soaking through the barriers placed on the youngling's mind; soon everything would be escaping into the true horror that was the lad's true destiny.

Nights passed and the dreams continued; Kartok's younger maid eventually was going insane by the sound of the child's screams. Though Kartok knew too well that things were unwinding. If only the boy's mother had remained living, but his son's birth was to much to for the woman and her life collapsed with the beginning of a new one. Devastation passed over the Kartok manor, sleep was something people could only day dream about. Servants were hard to keep, each went mad with the young master's screams in the heat of night. Things were unwinding at the worst time, and this was only the beginning.

A/n: thanks for taking the time to read this.. if you have read I beg you to please tell me what you think. I need to know if it's worth anyone's time to read this. I myself am compelled to find out about young Torin. Please review.. Keep Singing.. Rhapsody