Dark Paths

Chapter One: Crossing Deception

The rain was pouring down softly upon the city of Prontera, and settled over it like a dreamy silk veil upon the vaste cityscape. Children were idly playing in their rooms, as the venders made haste to the many surounding pubs and shops in order to avoid the rain. There were few people standing outside by now, except for a curious number of people who stood gathered at the water fountain in central Prontera. Each one of their cloaks decorated in golden runes with the material a deep velvet black. The large drooping hoods covering over their entire face to conceal it from the world around them. Of course, no one gave a single thought towards their sort. In these past days a number of odd figures came passing through the capital, and most commonly a great deal of them were from guilds. This definatly wasn't unusual for a time when the king lay ill and his daughter was all to impressionable and persuaded from one side to the next.

It was said, that the king had fallen ill thanks to his old age, and the waxing and waning weather of the all too damp spring time. His daughter was the only isbling worthy of the throne, and the guilds knew if they could get their man to impress her to marriage they would have control over Rune Midgard. There were catches and trap falls to the matter and the rise in guild warring was steady despite these events after some new guild swept over and claimed a number of territories. The guild castles were consumed literally by one guild now.

The population of Rune Midgard barely could care about such things as they went about their lives like anyother. It was a natural thing, afterall. Kings died and new ones came to power with some guild in their liking. Rune Midgard was a nation of adventurers and that's what they cared about the most: Adventure and the profit it brought to them. Outside of Prontera there was one of those many individuals leaping and sprinting across the Prontera fields.

"I'll be the greatest!" She shouted as she spun about, swining that sword about in that fast spiral. "I'll become a great knight and show that Caleb that I don't need some guy to watch after me like all those other helpless little damsels!" That growl running acorss her voice as she slashed upwards through the air with a one-eighty twirl. "And I'll make my father Lord Knight Alexander proud of me!" Dreams of grandeur being laughed at as she came upon the beginning of the bridge walkway into Izlude. Clutching a fist and raising it the air, the little novice gave out her loudest shout. "I, Sparrow Knight, shall show you all! Just wat-" Her words were cut off adruptly when the arrow went through herh air on the right side of her face. Those features immediatly freezing in shock as she looked up to see a guard standing there.

"Turn around now." The guard said sternly. "Under order of Baron Nikolai I have authorization to shoot anyone who dares pass into this area."

"What?!" She pointed at him then with that sword resting upon her shoulder then. "You think you can just stop me like that? You aren't goign to be the one to stop me rom reaching my dream. Now step down before I hurt you."

Another arrow was let loose from that archer's bow, and Sparrow hit the ground getting lucky when the arrow blew right over her head. Those sharp green eyes looking straight upwards then at him. Feet shifted just the right way to balance her weight out before sprinting forward towards the guard. Her dash falling short when a slipper rock wound up right in the middle of her runway. That soft soled shoe hitting the stone and she went flying forward sliding across the pebble strewn walkway with a painful scream coming from her as she toppled end over end until she laid back flat against the ground.

"Ow."

"Get up and leave. I don't have time to waste on hot shot novices." The man said before turning around to leave off in the other direction putting his bow to rest at his side. His blonde pony tail waving side to side as he walked away.

Sparrow moved to sit up on her knees. The rain falling and stinging each of her scrapes and bruises as she rubbed her hand into her damp red locks. Her green eyes glaring still at the back of the archer as he vanished through the slowly closing Izlude gates. A small growl coming up from her throat as she moved to stand up with a wince replacing her glare.

"I'll come back and show you a thing or two. Just you watch!" But her words were only tough for so long before she turned around and sulked in defeat. A hand reaching into her pack and pulling out that butterfly wing. "Take me back to Prontera please." She said softly to it and it glew softly taking her back to Prontera where she collapsed back to her knees and sat there crying with the rain pouring down heavy upon her. The novice uniform soaked through and through stuck to her form, and her skin and hair was drenched by now. Her sword laid out across the roadway at her side. "I'm such a failure."

A novice showing up in the midst of the street just a ways off from the company of black cloaked men was quick to be noticed by their leader. The attention of this one wizard turning that way as he pulled back his hooded cloak to look towards the girl. A face, delicate yet strong showed in it's magely prowess. The face was perfectly delicate, and the ears were pointed like that of an elf's from the old legends. His short brown hair was shaggy, and rather unkempt to a degree, but clean none the less. His name was Aoth, and he was the leader of these men who stood there now with him. Those wise, yet soft eyes looked over at the girl then before widening. Aoth's hand immediatly moving to grab hold of his companion's shoulder.

"Hey! That girl almost fits that description giving by that mad priest." Aoth stated looking atthe girl more closely and using his sight to take in the aura of the girl. It was sparking with energy, but dampened by sorrow.

"You're getting old, and your eyes are playing tricks on you." The other wizard stated then before adjusting his cloak with a motion of his hand. "Aoth, you seriously shouldn't believe the words of the drunk priests at the pub back at Geffen."

"Rand! Seriously now look at that aura!"

"Aoth, it's just a silly, crying novice. She's probably whining over some poring that beat her. "

"Damnit just look for crying out loud."

"I honestly think you need to lay off that scotch." Rand said with a roll of his eyes beforel ooking back towards the Novice. "But just to humor you, I'll check anyways." Using the simple methods he knew he too looked at that aura then looked to Rand. "So, she has a magister's and knights aura coupled into one."

"It's not only that, her aura is touched. Maybe you're not skilled enough to see it like I can. Maybe it is those shnopps I had last night working on the senses, but I swear it seems like she has a mark upon her. I want to say a mark of some angel." Aoth stated before walking over in the direction of that girl. His cloak swaying idly side to side, dragging itself through the puddles of water as his hair now became wet with the rain water. Those brown eyes keeping upon that girl, and when he was only a few feet away he stopped right there and then. "Excuse me, miss."

That novice gave one last little sniffle before turning to look up at him. Her green eyes dampened with tears that were unseeable thanks to the pouring rain. Those strands of red hair sticking to her face accenting the chilidish cuteness to it despite her most obvious age of sixteen or seventeen. There was something in the way she looked up at him so helplessly that made him want to help her in whatever possible way he could. He just moved to hold a hand to her. The look on her face instantly turned to a prideful one as she moved to get up on her own and took a step back.

"I dont need some guy's help!" She snapped looking at him with a new sort of fierceness in her eyes. "Why don't you just go away you pervert and find some other girl to hit on."

"I think you misunderstood."

"I don't think I'm misunderstanding in the slightest." She moved forward swinging her hand in the air to slap him aside the face, but he moved a hand fast to catch hold of her wrist. The two of them just glaring into one another's eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Aoth gave that little growl in annoyance before moving to raise a hand in the air and moved to put that hand only an inch from her face. That palm glowing a moment, and he just looked at her a mment with a rather soft expression. "Sorry about this," He stated "But it's necessary." The light flashed in one powerful burst and the girl went flying backwards, and skidded across the brick road way. Her form moving a moment before falling still into that unconcious state. His attention turning to his guildmates then. "We must get her to our place in Geffen."

Rand nodded and the others moved to help the one accompanying knight get her onto his shoulder. Aoth moving closely behind them as they got the warp from the nearby Kafra worker to Geffen. The lot of them hurrying off through the crowd of people to the building that just lay beyond the thick of merchants and shoppers in the sunny streets of Geffen.

The Princess Olivia sat there in the bed with her lace pajamas hanging on her form. Hands on the bed covers held her upper form up as her legs were spread open with knees bent slightly. The Baron Nikolai sitting over her with his lean form all to close to her own. That litle welve year-old princess could hear his breathing perfectly as she soon began to giggle helplessly. The plan was going to work along perfectly, and both of them were going to have Rune Midgard to their own.

"It's perfect." Nikolai said heavily, and huskily his mouth coming down upon the side of her neck. "All of Rune Midgard in both of our hands to steer Houe Illusen to to the top. It is the most perfect plan ever."

"Yes," The princess said with a giggle, and a sly little smile. "It's the perfect plan. All that has to happen is the death of my father and everything is in our hands."

"But what of the tradition?"

"My dear assassin, and Baron Nikolai do you think any man within the realm of Rune Midgard can defeat the likes of you? You are the master of the greatest guild to come upon the face of this nation, and the most powerful of assassins within the realm. There is nothing you need to fear."

Nikolai chuckled at her words and lowered her back agaisnt the bed, pressing his hips down against her own. Fingers threading themsvels through her hair as he looked down t her. His breathing hevy and husky as he leaned in to kiss her deeo upon her mouth. The princess's small hands clutching to the cloth of the robes he wore falsely to show himself a priest to get into the castle from the captured Izlude. His scent was so consuming, and Olivia was so lost within it.

"Beauty, cunning, and decietfulness, you have it all Princess Olivia and that shall make us both powerful."

"That it will my Nikolai."

The darkness was so sweet, and she wanted to fall further into it. The further she sank into it, the further she was from the pains and regrets in the world she had felt. There was a softness across her skin also, and it was that of the soft white fabric that was wrapped about her form. The legnths floating all around her in this dark void as she slowly fell head first through this endless void. She even could make out the feathers that floated throug hthe air along with soft pink petals that also fell into oblivion along with her.

This darkness is so sweet. I feel like I can fall forever.

Her strands of red hair danced past her face reaching up for the light above her as if trying to draw her back to paradise as she seemed to be falling towards hell instead of heaven. A hand softly weaving through the darknes to reach up that way. Sparrow's green eyes resting half closed as that spaced out look kept gazing now towards that light. Was she dead? Had that wierdo on the streets killed her with that move he had pulled? She just let her eyes slide close as she felt cold waters wrap around her. Was she going to drown in this darkness? No that was impossible, she couldn't die right now not here.

Somebody help me.

Ripples caste across the water's surface above her, and she spun about to sit there floating in the midst of the great ocean facing upwards towards the surface that loomed overhead. Her hands reaching upwards as one hand seemed to reach through the black ocean to take her hand and pull her from the watery prison she found herself within. The moment she found herself above the water large white wings unfolded from her back as if appearing from no where and she floated there above the water's surface where flower petals, and feathers floated. Her eyes looking up to see a boy angel there looking down upon her with the sleeves of his robs dripping with moisture. Those eyes a pristine blue that was more pure then even the most innocent child's soul.

"I am Sopheriel, and have come to give you this." He said and he let go of a small pebble sized gem that floated down to her. The little gem resting within her hand as she took ahold of it and rested it against her chest where it vanished. That understanding flooding into her mind all at once as she looked up towards him. "This is a gift from the gods. You are being summoned Rune Sayer to once more save the world from itself. Evil is slowly unbalancing itself from the good so you must see to restoring it otherwise the entire world shall destroy itself."

"Rune...Sayer?"

"You'll understand in time, Sparrow Knight." The angel boy said with a small smile. "lets just hope it's sooner rather then later, yes?"

Sparrow shot upright in that bed in he small room. Her gazed arting this way and the that realizing she was alone, and no longer soaked through with rain water. The blankets themselves were a bit scratchy against her skin and she shoved them off to look at the garment that was laid out for her. It was rather unique in it's make, and was mostl ikely one of those fashions from Comodo. Grabbing them up she went to the duty of pulling them on and was shocked at the slutness of it all. The shear fabric piece that was the top wrapped around her shoulders, and over her breasts, but barely covered her back and didn't cover a bit of skin below the bust line. The skirt was a school girl style almost and was about three inches below her buttocks where it cut off.

"I am going to kill whoever chose this outfit." She grumbled as she pulled on the droopy arm pieces and tied them tight. "And I'll personally show them how many ways a blade to slash a body before it hits the ground." Grumbling with every little complaint as she slipped into the little bare of sandals that went with it. "Probably some sick pervert." With that she stepped out the door to run right straight into the wizard guy from the streets. "Hey! Watch where the hell you are going!"

"I see that..." He drifted off the moment he looked at her, just staring. Immediatly his gawking getting rid of whatever wise look he had to him.

"You pervert! I should have guessed you were the one who picked this out. What do you do? Get your kicks out of knocking defenseless girls unconcious on the street and dragging them home to play dress up for your own sick little games?"

"Actual-"

"I don't want to hear a word of it!" She snapped and spun about not realizing it pretty much showed off the tie up panties she was left to wear making the rather sick minded wizard to nearly hit the ground.

All smarts, and deep down all he is, is some pervert!