Underworld

Chapter 1: A world in a Grain of Sand

"See a world in a grain of Sand

A Heaven in a wild flower

Hold fate in the palm of your hand

Touch infinity's power

See the world as never before

Where no-one ceases to fight

In using the inner strength of your core

Dark will be banished by light.

See a world in a grain of sand

A heaven in a wild flower

Hold love in the palm of your hand

Feel it grow by the hour

Open your heart, release anger and hate

Allow others to see into you

Follow your path, guided by fate

Speak nothing you know is not true.

If you were given this world

What would you do with the power?

Would you see a world in a grain of sand?

Would you let love grow by the hour?

If you see a world in a grain of sand

You'll see a new side too life

Walk together, outstretch a hand

End this world's suffering and strife."

The young eyes of many children were gazing intently up at the slender woman who recited The Laws of The Underworld. Her voice spoke the words with passion, not for the children, but for the Laws themselves, for she wrote them. Many thousands of years ago, when the Underworld first formed into being, she had sat and thought up the Laws that had bound the citizens of The Underworld into being. Even though many citizens resisted the Laws…and formed rebel groups, The Underworld prevailed and, all in all, survived.

As the woman stood up from the chair she had recited from, long black hair cascaded down to her waist, the jet blackness reflecting in her all seeing, all knowing irises, that surrounded a pair of blood red pupils.

These pupils were barely darker than her soft lips that formed the words she was speaking, aided by the voice box contained in her slender neck.

A thin strapped, black, tank top clung from her shoulders, falling down to her navel, low cut at the top. From her shoulders, down past her elbows and down to the tip of her fingers, long, black, gloves covered both arms, made from the same material that protruded above the knee-high heeled, also black, boots, and rose up to her thighs, where it met her skirt, the loose, black, material that hung from her hips to half way down her thighs.

Ultima Asteroid Valenheart

Immortally sixteen for eternity and more, Ultima was Ruler of The Underworld and Sorceress of The Damned, the most powerful female in existence.

She kneeled down in front of the children of three up to five years of age, such a young age for one to have to learn the laws and ways of the world that they live in.

"Any questions?" she asked the children, upon seeing no hands raised, possibly from intimidation, she got to her feet once more.

"Alright then, follow me please!"

He watched her. Framed by a shadowed doorway. He watched her. Everytime she moved, her actions were suspended in his emerald green eyes, occasionally concealed by a spike of his electric blue hair. Still, he watched her, as she spoke the laws of The Underworld; "…Walk together…"

How he'd love to walk with her, as more than friends, exchanging promises of everlasting love...pure love, deeper love than the love a mother feels for a child.

"…Outstretch a hand…"

How he'd love to stretch out his own hand towards her, touch her pale skin, cradle her lithe form in his tanned, muscular arms then—but she was too good for him…to high in society…too high out of his reach.

As Ultima knelt down towards the children, he leaned against the doorjamb, his body thrown into the light of the small room.

From the top of his head blue spikes of shockingly electric blue hair hung downwards, almost as if they were icicles hanging from a ledge. The eyes that his hair partially concealed were emerald green and shone almost as brightly as real emeralds glittered among a pile of rubies and diamonds.

A red, sleeveless shirt fell down to his waist, revealing a six-pack and a tanned chest that the non-existent buttons failed to conceal. The two sides of his shirt were held across his chest by two lengths of red material, in the form of a X-shaped cross.

His shorts were black and fell down to his knees, another X-shaped cross, but this time black, joining the legs of the shorts together at the front and at the back. On his feet he wore black shoes with blue lighting bolt designs, and blue laces, black socks just penetrating above the top of his trainers, and strapped to his back was a triple barrelled, silver gun.

His name was Richard Matthieu O'Connor, a mortal boy of seventeen, saved from the destruction occurring in his, once colourful but now desolate, hometown.

As Ultima stood up, he saw her walk towards him, followed by about fifteen small children, all heading towards a room in her mansion where she'd give a special lesson to all younglings and newcomers to The Underworld.

As Ultima and the children drew closer to Richard, he pulled away from the door to give her a clear path through into the main hall. She moved as gracefully as a young bird in perfect flight, and as she greeted him her voice sounded like sweet birdsong that rang out and stunned everyone who listened.

As she passed any mortal, she gave them a brief view of paradise, she was beautiful for everyone, a perfect sight to lay eyes upon, a perfect bride for any Prince, but she neither wanted or needed marriage, and it was rumoured that the only love in her heart went to one unknown stranger that had never witnessed the light of day outside the mansion.

"Good morning, Richard." She said as she drew level with him, her melodic voice ringing in his ears.

"Morning Ms. Valenheart." Came his reply, and he bowed, as did anyone who saw her walking his or her way.

"Don't call me Ms. Valenheart, Richard, my name is Ultima." She said, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear with her right hand. "I don't call you Mr. O'Connor, do I?"

"No ma'am, you don't, I just find it more polite to address you in that way."

Ultima laughed and allowed her eyes to meet his, and saw a mixture of adoration and intimidation hidden within them to all that didn't know how to read the signs embedded in the stares of a mortal.

"Do you fear me Richard?" she inquired curiously.

"Yes." He said, breaking eye contact and looking down to the ground, then "Ultima? Why did you save me after the rest of my people were mercilessly slaughtered?"

"Let's just say I arrived in time" she replied, starting to walk into the main hall, followed by the eager children, "Aren't you coming?" she said, turning to face him over the heads of the younglings. "You need to learn and understand this as well, if you wish to be accepted in The Underworld."

The Main Hall of Ultima's mansion was huge. Upon entering from the main house entrance, the visitor would always let out a gasp, not just at its immense size, but also at the huge crystals that hung from the ceiling in a multitude of colours. At the end opposite the hall there was a door, and swooping upwards on either side of this door were staircases of marble that spiralled away to the floor above. Around the edges of the main hall many doors lead to cupboards and anti-chambers where un-needed objects were often stored.

It was from one of these doors, on the left hand side of the hall, that Ultima emerged, followed by the small children, and Richard, who trailed someway behind the group as they made their way towards the large blue door opposite the entrance.

Upon reaching the door, Ultima put one black-gloved hand onto the handle and spoke a chant in the language of the Underworld.

"Trahnelav amitlu, dnas fo niarg." She muttered softly, and a latched clicked, allowing them to enter the room, that was as black as the night sky when the volcanic stars stopped burning.

As they entered, a green light beam travelled down each of their bodies, semi-illuminating the small room, which appeared to be empty except for a small pedestal in the centre of the room.

As Richard was scanned, the beam hovered around his chest area, time seeming to stand still for Richard, paralysing every thought that drifted through his brain, before a wild klaxon sounded, echoing through the room, making the children panic, whereas Ultima merely smiled.

"Gun, Richard." She said simply, concealing the laugh that was pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Oh."

It was the only word he could manage as he fumbled at the leather straps holding the gun in its holster on his back. Once of his back, he handed his silver gun to Ultima, who vanished it with her magic. Causing a scandalized look to leap onto Richard's face, narrowing his eyes.

"You'll get it back." She assured him before walking into the centre of the room, over to the concrete pedestal.

"Sand." She said to the room at large, placing her hand on the smooth top, blue light erupting from the pedestal and filling the room.

The nervous, but eager, group of children all sat down on the floor, close to Ultima and the pedestal, whereas Richard stood at the back of the room, his back against the wall, the blue light giving his emerald eyes a supernatural glow.

Watched by sixteen faces, Ultima pressed the pedestal again and a single grain of sand rose up out of it, barely visible as more than a tiny black pinprick in the half-light. Slowly the grain rotated and grew, until it was the size of a human head, and the onlookers were able to view holes and grooves all over the surface.

"To be able to understand The Underworld, and the way it works," Ultima said, indicating the enlarged grain with her hand, "you must first understand that there are worlds within our worlds. A flower may give someone a glimpse of Heaven and paradise, whereas there is another world entirely, inside one grain of sand. If I were to enlarge this grain further, you would see microorganisms moving, working, living and defending.

"There will come a time when you will be trained to fight and defend The Underworld, everyone from the age of seventeen upwards is able to lift a sword, or perform magic, able to do his or her bit to protect the world, and when they grow to old and weak to protect The Underworld, they are cast out of The Warrior Cities, to live on the plains…"

"But why?" Richard interrupted, causing Ultima's eyes to glow with frustration, this was her world, and no one ever dared to question her ways or interrupt her.

"What use is someone who can't lift a sword, or use magic, in a Warrior City, Richard? Why keep them when they can't defend us?" she asked, politely.

"Knowledge." He replied simply, "Love, happiness. What of the grieving families?"

"Everyone dies." She said, a slight smile curling her lips, "It is nature's way, no one lives for ever…"

"Except you, and your chosen Immortals." It was Richard's turn to smile at her ridiculous way of things, her ridiculous views of life and death. "Why is it for you to chose who lives forever…and who can stay in the cities, aren't you older than everyone else?"

The children all gasped, and turned to stare at Richard, this boy clearly didn't yet understand the way things worked, and who was in charge.

"I am older because I created this world, my Immortals are people…"

"Who can fight?" Richard finished for her.

"Richard," she said plainly, "I think you're finding it hard to grasp the ways that The Underworld works, and also who rescued you from the inferno that was to be your doom."

"I think I understand The Underworld all too well already," Richard said; moving away from the wall, back towards the door. "Everything centres around survival and power, and if this is the world I was rescued to live in, I'd rather I died in that inferno!" he concluded, wrenching the door open, striding out of it, and slamming it shut behind him.

As he began to walk towards the stairs, he found his gun returned to his hands, but was it worth keeping, all he'd be used for would be the defence system of The Underworld, and when he grew to old and weak to squeeze the trigger, he'd be sent away to die somewhere that had no protection. Or would he be sent to the so-called Soul Prison? Where he could be looked upon and examined at will…or his soul could be, his body would be gone.

Richard refused to be used, he'd find his way out, back up to the surface world, he'd rather die free and alone than die working for a purpose he did not believe in.