Authors note: and now out of the prologue and into the first act. And before we begin I know I should have said this previously, but as this is a twenty year time jump there will be many important OC's. But I'm sure you knew this. Now onto the firth chapter, and our 2 most important OC's!

ACT 1 - Chapter 1

The Gates of History open

The wind blew gently, causing the grassland brush to sway and swing as two girls crept through the brush, keeping their presences concealed completely. The two girls were the same height, but could not be more alike, or more different. The first girl had pale skin the same as her parents and held in both hands identical curved blades that were a deep black from the pommel to tip. She shook her head, causing her short cut deep blue, almost black hair to reposition itself away from her face. The second girl was only a bare inch taller than the first, her long green hair flowing vibrantly on the breeze above her dark brown skin. She held a simple metal staff and knelt down in front of a wall of grass, higher than she was tall as she waited for the blue haired girl.

Noticing the blue haired girl step up beside her the green haired girl leaned over till her head was a mere half foot away from the other girls. "If I'm not wrong, once we leave these grasses we have a clear shot to the River Nile. How do you want to do this Emelia?"

Emelia gently placed down one of her two curved blades and rubbed her neck with her free hand, her arm accenting her average, but well-shaped chest. "I'd like to say we take it carefully, but if there's no cover of any kind, what else can we do but make a dash for the Foliage by the river? Any ideas Clarity?"

Clarity nodded as she leaned back and sat down upon the dirt, keeping her left hands grip firmly on her staff as she did. "I run out and you keep watch, covering me in case we encounter anything."

Emelia shook her head angrily. "If I had a Rotary Rifle sure, but all I have is my Shardshot, and it's hardly useful for covering fire." Emelia explained as she pulled out a large black pistol with her spare hand and shook it around frantically before putting it back in its holster.

"Then what do you suggest?" Clarity asked as she leaned back toward Emelia, having had leaned away when she was swinging her pistol around.

Emelia was quiet for many moments before forcing her boots into the soft earth and gripping her sheathed blade's handle with her free hand. "We both take a break for it and run to the river's edge. The Nile has lots of foliage to hide in so even if something sees us we can hide."

"And what if they have flintlocks, or magic?"

"Flintlocks only have one shot, and their easy enough to deflect. It its magi I'm sure we can do something about them, it'll be fine."

Clarity shook her head in exasperation. "Forward as ever huh, just once can we take this carefully?"

Emelia looked at her for a moment before sneering. "But that's no fun."

"Fun or not your mum would be upset if we didn't take this seriously"

Emelia reeled backwards. "Urk, you're right. Fine then we'll do it your way this time Clarity."

"Okay good, so we'll-"

"But you'll be covering me!" Emelia suddenly stated as she gripped her blades by the handles and leapt out of the grass.

Ignoring her half second of shock, Clarity quickly pulled out her own Shardshot and stood up in the grass, allowing just her head to break above it allowing her to see around them. Between them and the river was a herd of Aurochs, a herd that ignored Emelia almost completely as she ran around, over and under them. In less than a minute she was across the expanse of short grass and in the bushes that ran parallel the river Nile. A minute later Emelia's hand poked out from the grass and waved signalling that it was clear. Shaking her head Clarity walked out of the grass, through the pack of grazing Aurochs, and into the grass by the river.

After a few moments of pushing grass and shrub aside Clarity came out of the grass and onto the banks of the River Nile. Along the banks many small lizards and birds frolicked and gathered at the pristine clear blue waters. Deep In the water she could see dozens of fish and water mammals swimming around pleasantly, and all around the river and green trees, shrubs and grasses grew, attracting small insects and rodents. Looking around for a few moments more she spotted Emelia kneeling down at the water's edge, gazing into it intently. Walking over Clarity stood behind Emelia for a few moments before speaking up. "You know standing by the river's edge will attract crocodiles."

"I doubt it." Emelia replied without turning her gaze from the waters before her.

". . . What are you doing anyway?"

"Looking at my reflection."

"Why?"

Hearing this Emelia stood straight up and turned to clarity, throwing her arms to the side as if showing off her black leather pants and jacket covering a simple black shirt. "Look at us!"

Clarity looked at Emelia for a moment and nodded. "Your clothing looks fine."

"That's not what I mean. It's just basic attire, the normal regulation equipment for female Crystalists In the field. . . . . . We're the daughters of inner circle members and yet all we have is basic stuff, we can't even alter out equipment or uniforms!"

Clarity shook her head and heaved a sigh. "This again? If you want to modify your gear why not just ask your mom. And why would we need different equipment when what we have works for us perfectly fine?"

" . . . . . .Sorry. I must be tired."

"Yeah, you blew that completely out of proportion. You must be tired."

". . . yeah . . . I haven't been sleeping well as of late and-"

"Get down!" Clarity suddenly yelled as she tackled Emelia down into a large bush that was behind her.

Before Emelia could say a word Clarity put a hand on her mouth and began making gestures with her free hand, pointing toward the other side of the river. Understanding what she was trying to be told Emelia nodded, causing Clarity to carefully, and silently get off of her. Working fast the two girls reorganized themselves and slowly, but carefully, peered through the bush.

Standing on the Upper bank of the river were a dozen humanoids covered in deep black fur and wearing the absolute barest amount of clothing. Their canine like heads turned and glanced around at their surroundings, scanning it for anything of interest as their humanlike hands gripped various vicious looking black stone weapons. One of the creatures literally began barking orders to the others, its yells sounding like a cross between Halkeginian and a strange growl, and within a minute they were spread across the opposite shore as if looking for something.

Emelia pulled her head back into the bush, and act that Clarity also did a moment after, and looked worried as she spoke. "I don't know what those things are, but do you think they're what we're looking for?"

Clarity shrugged "could be. We haven't seen anything else that could be described as a 'strange creature'."

Emelia nodded and looked away for a moment before turning her gaze back to Clarity. "Um, what do we do now?"

Clarity glanced to both sides of her, her eyes betraying her unsurety. "I don't know. We were to investigate the claim of odd creatures, but beyond that your mum didn't say anything. We have confirmed it, so we could just return to Nexus with our report.

"But . . . . . . . that kind of feels like, running away from them."

Clarity looked to Emelia and sighed. "I know you want to fight whatever they are, but we don't know their capabilities. We'll wait until they leave and then head back to our buggy and to nexus. Okay?"

"Fine" Emelia said as she looked away and began pouting slightly at the loss of combat as Clarity peered through the grass again to watch the strange creatures as they waited for them to leave.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

By the time the sun was scarring the horizon and the skies were turning brilliant orange the creatures had not left the opposite bank and had instead spread themselves out even more, all of them occasionally sniffing at the air. Clarity could only scowl and turn to Emelia who was obviously still itching for a fight. "They don't seem to be leaving; they may know we're here. We'll have to make a break for the river bank and hope they can't catch up to us."

Emelia smiled viciously. "Or we just kill them and be done with it. We could even take a corpse or two back with us for your dad to look at."

Clarity looked to Emelia with a slight glare. "Fine, we'll rush to the bank to get out of here, but if they catch up we'll turn and fight them then, deal?"

Emelia nodded with a grin and gripped her two sheathed blades, ready to draw them at a moment's notice.

Bursting out of the brush and sprinting right to the bank, Clarity looked back to see the strange creatures running right through the river toward them at a terrifying speed. They would be on them before they could climb the bank completely. Seeing this she poked Emelia in the back and the two of them turned around and readied their weapons.

The creatures surrounded and looked at them, as if gauging their danger, with their weapons ready. As they seemed to be ready to strike, one of the creatures stepped forward brandishing a large ax in its left hand. It looked at the two girls for a moment before letting out a growl. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Clarity and Emelia looked at each other in shock at the creature being able to speak before clarity nodded slightly and stepped forward. "What is it to you creature, I should be asking you that question!"

The creature's lips sneered up its snout." You walk on Iskval lands; you are not welcome here so you must answer our questions."

"Iskval? And by who's command is this land yours?" Clarity asked angrily, upset that the creature believed the lands theirs.

"The pointed eared hairless old ones gave us this land." The creature responded with smile. "But they gave us no knowledge of other hairless creatures. Leave these lands, they are ours!"

Emelia stepped up beside Clarity and leaned over to her ear. "I think its talking about the elves."

"I think your right. And if they are allies of the elves we can't let the information that we exist get back to them." Clarity said quietly in response causing Emelia's face to light up with a grin.

"This land is ours, not yours leave and speak nothing of us or die!" Emelia commanded as she brandished her two curved blades as Clarity spun her staff around a dozen times before holding it beside herself.

The creature stepped back and brandished its axe in both hands. "Only the pointed old ones can guarantee our land, it is not yours, but ours, kill them!"

Hearing the creature say this both Emelia and Clarity leapt into action, quickly jumping away from each other so as to not impede the others movements. Clarity launched herself over half of the creature using her staff as a spring and quickly twirled it around, blocking the first blow sent towards her. Without giving her attacker a second chance she channelled her magic through the staff, and grew large green Blades of Tiberium out of either end of her staff, and with two quick swings sliced the arms off of one of the creatures causing it to howl in pain before falling to the ground unable to stand. Seeing their companion fall the others near it charged at Clarity, raising their weapons high into the sky. Like the first she blocked their strikes easily, and then countered them, her Tiberium topped staff quickly making large holes and cuts in their flesh. After the first five to face her fell to the ground dead or dying, only one remained, and this one was different than the others. Standing before her, the last creature stood almost two head taller than the others and its muscles were plainly visible beneath its thick black fur. It let out a single huff and pulled out large wooden spear, its tip made of some kind of black stone or steel. Lunging forward the creature swung its spear in a wide horizontal arc, forcing Clarity to block it with her own staff. As the spear struck her staff however the creature pulled out a short sword and swung at her with its free hand. Leaping back she looked up to see the creature ready itself to strike again. Clarity smiled to herself, this would be fun!

Emelia smiled as she landed and some of the creatures surrounded her, she had been hoping for a good chance to test her mettle, and now she had one. All the creatures rushed forward to her, all of them brandishing large wood and black stone (or steel) weaponry. With many quick swings of her blades Emelia knocked their strikes away, and after a minute of trying, the creatures stepped back, evidently now worried about her skills. Not one to let her enemies get away, or have chance to change their tactics, Emelia twirled her blades in hand and forced her magic through them, lighting them with vibrant deep red flames and green flecked. The creatures stepped back away from her, their eyes widening with fear, and Emelia liked when that happened. Rushing forward Emelia leapt into the center of their group and swung her blades around herself gracefully, making sure the blades themselves missed her opponents weapons and dug deep into their flesh, cauterizing it as it flew through. By the time the creatures understood what was happening three of them lay in the sand motionless, their fur smoldering silently as Emelia flipped her blades around once more and turned to the remaining three. The three remaining looked at each other with fear before turning their gazes back to Emelia and letting out angry howls, rushing forward as they did. In merely three quick and fluid movements Emelia disarmed and killed the first creature, sending it head way from its shoulders, and with five motions did the same to the second creature. The third creature began pacing around her, as if it was still the predator, and flipped around its two sickle like weapons, as if trying to intimidate her. The creature let out howl and leapt forward bring both of its weapons up in an obvious attempt to make her block, Emelia feigned interest until the lack second and sidestepped the creature a moment before its blades would have struck her, forcing them to strike the sand instead. Not allowing the creature to continue she rushed behind it and swing both of her blades upward, catching the creature's armpits, and forcing its arms to leave its body. The creature howled in pain as it dropped to its knees defeated but Emelia, as if adding insult to injury, walked around the creature and swung her leg at its chest, sending the beaten and broken creature into the river where it would likely drown or be eaten.

Shaking her head to shake the sweat from her hair Emelia looked over to see Clarity fighting the last creature, the one who had actually talked. Walking over as quietly as she could she then leapt forward as its attack was blocked by Clarity, and sunk her blades beep into the creature's shoulder blades. Ripping the blades backwards the creatures shoulder blades cracked and broke away from its skeleton, leaving it howling in pain just before clarity silenced it by impaling its head on the Tiberium spike protruding from her spear. The creature's body slumped and fell to the ground as Clarity pulled her staff from its head. "Is that all of them?"

Emelia smiled. "Of course, the only one alive is armless and currently floating down the river. It'll be eaten by an alligator within the hour I wager!"

Clarity nodded and then shook her head, causing sweat to fly off onto the sand as she spoke. "do you think we should do way with the bodies? They seemed awfully shocked by our skills and my Tiberium staff."

"Yeah, they seemed shocked when i lit my blades on fire." Emelia agreed as she doused the fire coating her blades and sheathed them. "We should probably dump the bodies down the river then?"

"Yeah, we don't want them finding Tiberium here, in case more come."

"Alright, help me then Emelia said as she knelt down and grabbed a creature by the ankles. "These thing may have went down easily but they seem to be mostly muscle, heavy muscle!"

"Alright, let's deal with their bodies and head back to Nexus" Clarity agreed as the two of them went about the deed. Half an hour later the climbed the river bank, and were on their way, unaware of the seriousness of the creatures bodies being put in the river.