Well this is my first Old Kingdom fan fic and only my second ever fan fic so I'm a bit nervous because my last one was in a sort of small forgotten section and this section gets lots more traffic. I do hope you like it though.

Disclaimer: I don't own it etc. I only own the bits I made up.

FLAWLESS EVIL

The Awakening

At the base of the Clayre's glacier, where the ice melts into run-off and feeds into the rivers of the old kingdom, a slab of ice split and fell to the ground just as many had before in the natural process of things. From deep inside this slab of ice though, a white glow bean to permeate its substance. Slowly the glow rose until the top of the slab was nothing more than a transparent sliver sealing it shut. Seconds later it melted entirely opening a wide hole in the top of the ice that spread until almost the entire top half of the ice slab had melted away leaving a pool of water and only the slightest rim around the edge to contain it. For a moment there was complete silence, the glow faded and the water remained motionless, as if the world held its breath and waited.

A ripple, and then with infinite slowness a head emerged from the water, followed by shoulders, torso and, as the arms pushed up off the bottom, slowly the rest of the body until standing completely naked in the almost-knee-deep pool of water was a boy of fourteen. In the weak reflected light of the Glacier he seemed almost not to be quite there at all. His hair was a pale, fair blonde, both on his head and in the private places as well. His skin was pale almost to the point of translucency with a mesh of blue veins just barely visible across his skin. Despite this, his body was healthy, slender, perfectly proportioned and breathtakingly beautiful. To look at him would make any girl in Ancelstierre squeal with delight and awe. His eyes though were a cold ice blue and his features, though perfectly formed, were fixed into the faintest smile that was truly sinister.

Slowly he surveyed the area around him carefully, taking in all the details and feeling with his mind. Then he blinked. Ice crackled as it formed around his feet that were still submerged in the water and he stepped into Death. Stepping into the first precinct he summoned his powers and on a wave of pure free magic he swept through death, passing each precinct while reaching out with his powers and his mind, searching for any of his old allies. As he plunged deeper and deeper into Death though, his wave of magic carrying him effortlessly, he found none of his allies, none of the old spirits remained from before. Finally, in the deep darkness of the eighth precinct where the only light came from the small, flickering, smokeless fires, he found someone. The least of his allies in strength but the greatest of his allies in value remained.

The spirit of a boy, thirteen at the age of his death, his image uncorrupted by death by virtue of his nature being true to his form. Comparable in allure to the first boy he sat crouched in the waters of the precinct, huddled away at a point of little current seemingly asleep, though things that are dead do not sleep. Dispersing his wave of magic the pale boy walked lightly towards the spirit, when he reached the spirit he knelt and lifted his hand to brush away the spirits mousy, brown hair. The eyes opened and the deep liquid blue stared back at him with a purity that shocked him. A thousand years or more had passed but still this boy's spirit and form remained true.

He reached out and placed his hand on the spirits shoulder, offering his other hand to be taken. Wordlessly the spirit boy clasped his hand and stood, no words passed between them but after a moment the spirit nodded. Turning the pale boy summoned another wave of free magic and leading the spirit by the hand they swept swiftly back towards Life.

* * *

Sabriel stood at the window of the observatory on the fifth floor of Abhorsen's house and looked out over the waterfall. She was bored. The whole family; herself and Touchstone, Sameth, Ellimere and Lirael as well as Nick and Mogget were at Abhorsen's house for a holiday. Sabriel had insisted the family come to visit for at least a while. With Sameth taking over most of day to day responsibilities of running the Old Kingdom, Touchstone spent less and less time being useful and more time dithering about. With Lirael performing most of the work of the Abhorsen now Sabriel also found herself with less to do.

A blessing in many ways now that she was becoming a more mature woman, having had two children certainly hadn't helped her fitness and riding days in the saddle or hiking through forest after dead creatures was hard work. Her mind was still active and alert though and even if Touchstone was happy to dither around and supervise his son while pursuing random hobbies she was not happy to sit and do nothing. This line of thinking had fouled her mood over the past couple of weeks and so she had insisted the family spend some time together away from it all. The kingdom wasn't going to fall apart in three days.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Mogget came in. Now collarless, Mogget still chose the form of a white cat more from habit than anything else. "The Clayre are here, look out towards the paperwing platform."

Turning to look out the window Sabriel was in time to see the paperwing's final majestic movement as it dropped out of the sky onto the platform. As she watched two figures climbed out, after squinting a little to see in the dying light of evening they became recognisable as the twins Sanar and Ryelle.

"Why are they here Mogget?" said Sabriel as she turned back to the cat. Mogget had vanished though, his soft footpads slipping down the stairs quickly and quietly. After one last quick look out the window Sabriel hurried down the stairs to get the others and meet the Clayre twins. This was certainly an unexpected visit.

So what do you think? I really loved writing this so I really hope you liked reading it because I think it's fairly good.

Mogget: "Well aren't you full of yourself Mr Smartypants"

Me: "Not really, I'm allowed to think it's good aren't I It is my writing after all...."

Mogget trails off mumbling about people with big heads.. 0.o

Anyway... Please R&R I don't much care what you say and I'm completely open for criticism, I'm writing these to get better after all. :D