She tried everything to battle back the thousands of his soldiers; still, he came as though brushing aside a lock of hair. Only one choice now remained; run to the innermost chambers where Rhinne was for safekeeping and escape from their home, the Temple of Time. Ariel called the Oblivion Knights to attention, telling General Lykyra they must hold the line as she ran past the final line of defense.
The red bull nodded, Fire blazed around his hooves and horns, billowing from his snout as he pawed at the marble floor.
"Knights, prepare your weapons!" he growled, his mane of silver fur glowing with flames clinging to the edges and bristling down his back. The air shimmered all around him as adrenaline surged through him, making his shoulders shudder at the thought of battle.
"TO BATTLE!" Lykyra bellowed, his hooves thundering down the hall and meeting the advancing army with a crash of metal. Ariel leaned into her run, knowing in the deepest part of her being that Lykyra or the Oblivion Knights wouldn't survive, but they would give her time enough to escape with Rhinne.
When Ariel burst through the doors, her skin paled and her soul froze: Sloe stood beside her bed, gently brushing his finger across her cheek as she slept. Had the advancing army been a diversion?!
"I'm surprised she's managed to sleep through the sounds of battle," Sloe smirked, turning back to face her.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ariel screamed, holding her hand out as a flame roared to life. Sloe appeared before her, grabbing her wrist and locking eyes with her while angry, malicious whispers infected the air around them.
Chapter 1: Tinge
Many decades ago
Shrieking cries of a woman in labor split the evening air in Margata, minutes dragging as hours. The lights of Carl's home dimmed and flashed with this child's arrival. As the child began to emerge, Adelia's cries came all the higher as the child appeared to pull his way out into Carl's waiting arms. The child was free with another great heave from Adelia, screaming his distaste of the world's cold air. His screams were soon rested as a nearby nurse wrapped him in a warm blanket, and brought him to his exhausted mother and proud father.
"Have you a name for the child?" Carl asked eagerly. Not yet having caught her breath, Adelia looked to her husband, who leaned down to hear her exhausted whispers. Maxus nodded and repeated their chosen name, even before getting married.
"Dane. His name shall be Dane," answered Maxus, cradling Dane in one arm while holding Adelia's hand as she fell asleep. Carl nodded and moved aside, allowing nurses to tend to the mother and child, ensuring no complications would come. After a few days, the new family began a journey to the holy city of Oreyon, a custom in Usoria, where a priest would bless the child in The Order of Minerna in the Grand Cathedral of the Great Mother. It was an honor most considered to come at a high price. Adelia and Maxus were fortunate enough to be among the few who could afford a blessing of Minerna.
Those who didn't have the money would call for a traveling Bishop to bless their child in the name of one of the three deities who were said to rule time, light, or life. Unfortunately, many children lived without a blessing, as there were so few bishops. Those who did exist oversaw massive swaths of territory containing hundreds of thousands of families seeking such a blessing or spiritual aid.
"I wonder what kind of man he will grow up to be," Adelia said as they boarded the Land Ship, which would take them from Margata to Arentia, a larger city in the middle of a sandy sea serving as a trade hub and outpost for traveling merchants, and a central refinery for a gem-like mineral called Lidium.
"Only time will tell, my love. Fate is a funny thing here in Usoria. Many have the power to change it, while it guides others to a destiny we will never understand." He smiled, presented his ticket to the usher, and filed to his seat, helping Adelia settle when the driver's voice filled the cabin.
"Thank you all for coming. This journey should take approximately 9 hours, assuming we don't have any problems. I know there are children aboard, so we have entertainment for them. Also, we will have food and drink. Please remember to stay in your seats, and thank you again for choosing us to be your charter." The pilot announced, returning to the cabin to begin their journey. As Adelia settled, she couldn't help but look up to see an odd man staring at her and Dane. He was pale with a dark cloak covering his head and body. Turning away from the man, she felt pressure on her forehead, but dismissed it as a headache from lack of water.
But the man's glare drew Adelia's sight back to him. His eyes seemed to burrow into her soul, forcing her to remember long-forgotten pain and sadness. The longer she watched, the more intense his red-eyed gaze became, building over her like a billowing storm cloud. Still, the memories plagued her: the death of her first pet, her first break up, the death of her grandmother and grandfather, being rejected by prestigious schools in Margata. All of it came trickling back to her. Shaking her head, she focused her tear-stained attention to the sleeping babe in her arms.
Instead, man's pale face stared back at her. Panicked, she looked back to the man who held his uncomfortable gaze as she felt a presence come near her ear. It was torrid and full of hate, stifling even. The presence drew closer to her ear and whispered with hot breath until the presence seemed to soften, becoming almost familiar.
"This is but the beginning…" The presence disappeared with a sudden move, leaving her suspended above a storming sea with howling winds all around her. A noise jolted through the air, dropping Adelia into the churning waters and waking her. The side of her face was hot from leaning against the window.
"My dear, is everything alright? You're pale," Maxus asked, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. Adelia looked at him, noting that he held Dane, fast asleep.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, brushing the long hair out of her face while glancing at a seat across the aisle where a young boy sat.
"For most of the trip, we're only a few miles outside Arentia. Are you sure that you're alright?" Maxus asked, looking in the direction she had been staring.
"I… I haven't…" But the words she wanted to say weren't coming to her, and the man she saw was nowhere on the sailor.
"You were tossing and turning in your sleep. Did you have a nightmare?" Maxus asked, resituating Dane in one arm and putting the other around Adelia who leaned against him as her pounding heart slowed.
"I wouldn't call it a nightmare so much as it was a very intense dream or vision." She whispered. Maxus smiled and rubbed her arm from around her back.
"Don't worry; nothing can hurt you here so long as I am here, " he said, kissing her head. Still, Adelia couldn't help but wonder if what she had seen was a dream or a vision. She felt a genuine presence standing next to her that was somehow familiar. Her family lineage of prominent Azwan shamans might have played a small part. Within minutes, her mind calmed, and forgot about the dream as they pulled into the bustling city of Arentia.
Adelia couldn't help but notice the periodic beggars and homeless that skirted the market place and station as they made their way to the main ticket booth. Maxus' work as a scientist in Margata often left them with a surplus of money. Most, if not all, would be donated to the traveling Bishops visiting Margata to help people such as these. It was curious that so many beggars lined the streets since Margata and Arentia shared a trade agreement for Lidium, which should make this city much wealthier than it appeared. As Maxus rifled through his pockets for his coin purse, Maxus caught her stare and sighed.
"We've done what we can, my love. The Bishops know how to distribute the money we give them best." He said, trying to quicken his actions to find his coin purse holding their tickets for the next Galleon.
"Why are so many beggars here? Are Margata's Lidium purchases dwindling?" She asked, noting that the air of this station felt unusually heavy.
"No, the demand for it has only grown, but the quality and size of the stones is steadily decreasing. Master Alchemist Han has asked for an explanation, but many unsatisfactory answers don't explain the decline."
"Are our donations doing any good? Are we the only ones helping?"
"We can't make people help; we can only do what we can and hope they will follow suit. Where is that blasted purse?" he said with emphasis. Adelia chuckled and reached into his pocket, pulling out the tickets.
"I have it," she said as they quickly boarded the Galleon, settled into their first-class seats, and ensured Dane was fed and settled as the ship gently pulled out of the dock for Oreyon. Adelia had no more visions, and her feelings from the previous ride had already died away, leaving her hopeful and at peace. As the Galleon glided into dock, two attendants came aboard and sought out the couple, presenting a decorative pendant sporting a sizeable blue gem.
"Bredson of Minerna's Order sent us to escort you to the Grand Cathedral," they explained. Maxus and Adelia nodded in agreement, following them over the cobblestone roads to a building decorated with grand wings on the roof. Inside, intricate gold designs woven into walls and fabrics depicted events and people from all times. At the rear of the building loomed a giant marble statue of a woman. Its arms outstretched to the floor, and her wise eyes smiled down on any below.
Once near the main sanctuary, the attendants directed them where to meet with the Fatri and bid them farewell. They could overhear the grumbling sounds from a side room as they walked through the immense sanctuary and neared the pulpit.
"I am a Fatri of Minerna, not some lowly bishop to be summoned for a child's blessing. You would think the Order would acknowledge that." Maxus and Adelia looked to one another as they waited until the Fatri pushed aside the curtain and exited the room, still adjusting the sash around his shoulders. When he saw them, he squared his shoulders and folded his hands, trying and failing to appear friendly.
"Welcome to the Grand Cathedral of Minerna. I trust the child is healthy?" The priest sighed as he approached them.
"Yes, Fatri; A healthy boy named Dane," Adelia answered. The Fatri held out his hand and turned his head away, waiting there for some time. The two looked at one another in confusion, unsure of what the Fatri wanted from them. When a long while went by without any action, the Fatri opened one of his eyes and looked down, wiggling his hand.
"I'm sorry to ask, but has something changed within the customs of Minerna's Order that I am unaware of?" Maxus asked. The Fatri's shoulders slumped and turned his eyes up into his brow, dropping his hand.
"I am a Fatri of Minerna. You should show your respect in her presence, as I am the voice of the Great Mother herself," he answered with a huff.
"Humble yourself before her by kissing this ring and show you are worthy of her gaze!" He sneered, holding his hand out once more, adjusting his fingers so the ring was prominently displayed. Maxus bowed low and apologized, taking his hand and bowing enough that his forehead touched the ring. The Fatri rolled his eyes and pulled his hand away, holding his hands out to receive the child.
"Dust-bitten rats should be taught better. It's a wonder the order allows such riffraff into the presence of The Great Mother!" He thought, looking over Dane's facial features and serious blue-grey eyes as he took the child. As the Fatri looked him over, the air around them dimmed as power washed over the Fatri. A presence of duality and despair filled with deep-rooted pain as thoughts of his late son came to mind.
"W-what would you like the child blessed with?" he stammered, memories of his son rushing to him. He had performed this very same blessing on his newborn son nearly ten years ago.
"We only wish that he would grow to be a happy and prosperous man someday," Maxus said, putting his arm around Adelia and pulling her close. The priest nodded, turning to the main altar, trying to compose himself. His vision blurred as he recited the words under the intense gaze of the child, making his heart ache.
He and his wife had been trying to have a child for years, and when his son was finally born, they were overjoyed. But a week after the blessing, the child became ill and passed away. The child in his hands seemed to be reaching into his soul and grasping that sadness as if trying to pull it from him. When the Fatri completed the blessing, the priest's voice hitched and wavered as he spoke to the parents.
"May Minerna smile upon you and the days of your child; there is something strong at work with this family. Go in peace." The priest smiled, folding his hands and watching them as they left, cuddling their child and speaking to him in low tones. When they were out of sight, the priest collapsed to his knees and broke down sobbing. After he'd buried his child, his wife came to the Grand Cathedral daily, begging the Great mother for an answer on why she would grant them a child, only to take it away from them.
When no answer came, the grief became too much for his wife, and she threw herself from the topmost tower of Minerna's temple. The pool of her blood still stained the front walk at the entrance to the cathedral. The Fatri buried his pain as deeply as possible, the memory fading as he furiously worked in the service of The Order. Whatever power this child had brought the memory, and all the pain with it back to the forefront of his mind.
"What fate will befall this child that he would have such power?" he asked the winds, asking another priest to take over for him while he dealt with his pain.
Two hours later
Chamber of the Grand Azwan
Adelia walked to the far side of her father's chamber, looking over the railing into Azwan below, a large city carved into the rock below the sand. Its entrance was marked only by a massive black obelisk and palace-like building among the endless waves of sand. Maxus and Dane sat near her father Vusron's desk opposite the railing where scrolls and tomes lay scattered.
"And you're sure that nothing like this had happened before?" Vusron asked, holding his chin as he searched through a scroll before tossing it aside and picking up a nearby tome.
"Yes, I am quite sure," Adelia responded, watching one of the many Shamans and their apprentices walk through the city below. Sighing heavily, Vusron closed the tome and set it aside.
"I don't know what to tell you, Adelia. From what you've told me, you merely had a dream on your way to Oreyon. You might have inherited the gift of sight from..." Vusron stopped himself and looked up to Adelia as she stared longingly at a painting of her mother hanging on the wall. The portrait showed a proud but beautiful woman with cascades of light brown hair. Maxus looked up and noticed the hurt in Adelia's eyes and the distance in Vusron's.
"I'm sorry, I didn't…"
"I know, Father," Adelia replied, folding her arms and hugging herself.
"Your mother was a powerful Shamaness, even more so than I and loved by all. Perhaps some of that power has rubbed off on you." Vusron said, walking over to Adelia and touching her shoulder while speaking low.
"Whatever happens, you and Maxus are always welcome here in Azwan. Remember always that your heritage doesn't bind you." Vusron comforted, hugging each other before the small family left through the main gate, escorted by two large guards to a Sand Sailor. As they started moving, Maxus heard one of the guards scoff loudly.
"Finally, I wondered when that traitor's daughter would leave." Maxus looked at Adelia, wondering if she had heard only to see that she bowed her head, trying to keep a single tear from falling.
"Why would you let them talk to you like that? You're practically royalty in this city," Maxus pressed once they had been seated and were well on their way.
"It has to do with my mother, but it's not something I like to talk about," Adelia replied sharply, pulling Dane into her lap.
"I saw your and your father's face when you looked at that painting. What happened?"
"Just leave it alone."
"Adelia, the most I know about your mother is that she died, but I can see something more happened. Please, tell me. What happened to your mother?" Maxus pressed. Adelia curled her lips inward, trying to keep her tears from falling. Looking up to the ceiling, she fought with herself over whether or not she should tell him. She reached through the collar of her shirt and pulled the necklace she always wore, running her thumb over the detailed engraving of Azwan's royal seal.
"My mother was a powerful Grand Shameness, nearly a Master. One year, the Master Shaman found that a mana surge would be welling up from Usoria. If we didn't do something, it would destabilize the power of the Great Obelisk."
"What is the Great Obelisk?" Maxus asked, looking back at the tall monument as if faded into the distance.
"It is a focus and source of power for all Shamans of Azwan, carved from an ancient Black Emerald at the city's founding, containing vast amounts of power. When the surge came, despite the preparations, it was more powerful than predicted, and the obelisk was about to release all its power. If it did, the blast would destroy everything within 50 miles. My mother decided to try absorbing some of the obelisk's power to stabilize it, and in doing so, helped the other Shaman to regain control. But she couldn't regulate how much power she absorbed, and it flooded into my mother making her lose herself, dying in my father's arms once the surge had passed. Despite protests from the other shaman who helped, the people of Azwan brought charges of treason against my mother and father. They argued that she tried to absorb the power to overthrow the king and Master Shamen, using the Mana Surge as a cover for her schemes.
"My Father and I would have been banished from Azwan had he and my uncle not fought the accusations as hard as they could. Eventually, my uncle convinced the king and the council that my mother reacted to a dire situation, allowing us to remain in Azwan. Later, my father discovered someone had spread rumors of my mother's hunger for power, but they never found this person. Legally, we are pardoned. But the people and Shaman still shame her any chance they get." Adelia looked down at Dane, noticing his almost comforting gaze, reaching out of his blanket for her. Maxus put his arms around her tightly while kissing her head, saying nothing as they rode the coach back into Margata.
Once home, Adelia settled into her life as a mother while Maxus returned to his work as one of the lead researchers within Margata alongside their brightest mind, Dr. Mathias Long. Known as a significant alchemical hub within Usoria, Margata was home to dangerous experiments between two cooperating factions. The Acaldos were a group specializing in mechanical and bio-mechanical alchemy led by Madae Sung. The Zumiste Society, as they called themselves, dedicated their work to 'True Alchemy', led by a wise man named Carl Jameson. This wing used nothing more than raw materials to create what they needed. Both factions had been researching the possibility of transferring a human mind into a mechanical body, spearheaded by their rising star, Dr. Mathias Long.
"How's Felicia and Keni?" Maxus called when he came into the sterilized facility.
"Maxus, Welcome back. Yes, they are doing well." Dr. Long smiled, reaching into his pocket, and pulled out a locket, opening the cover to show Maxus a new photo he'd taken of his wife and daughter.
"Wow, Keni's grown a lot, and as pretty as her mother," Maxus noted. Dr. Long grinned sadly and put the locket back in his pocket.
"I know. But with this, I won't have to miss anything." Maxus walked to a table supporting a massive schematic, following the lines on the plans before picking up a fine-tipped tool and began helping to align a thread-like conduit for a Lidium reactor in front of Dr. Long.
"Were you able to complete the tests for your daughter?" Maxus asked, pulling over a nearby magnifying glass to better see where he was working.
"I did, and by all accounts she's as healthy as possible. It's a miracle since most half fairies are usually weak and plagued by sicknesses."
"If this body works, are you sure you and your wife won't outlive your daughter? She is, as you said, a half-fairy." Maxus asked, reaching for a capsule of glue and attaching the conduit. Dr. Long sighed and sat back in his chair, setting down his tools and rubbing his tired eyes.
"Falicia has assured me that Keni's fairy heritage will supersede her human half, giving her a shorter lifespan than a fairy, but incomprehensibly longer than any human. I don't want to miss any of it," he smiled, going over to the schematic and reaching for a nearby plate of food, munching on a slice of stale bread while looking over the large sheet of paper. Maxus smiled as he understood what Dr. Long meant. He wouldn't want to give up his family, not for all the money in Usoria.
Months turned into years as Dr. Long and his team performed experiments for various body parts before adding them to the growing android. Maxus would sometimes bring Dane to the lab where he watched in awe as chemicals would mix, elements merged, or a piece of machinery would come to life.
The alchemic masters within Margata instructed Dane thoroughly, his mind absorbing everything he read and excelling in every subject. His ability to learn complicated matters quickly would isolate him from people as he became despised and idolized for his intelligence and snow-white hair, a point of swarm attraction among young women, especially.
Retreating to his room once the day had ended, Dane would pour over tomes on any subject, safe and alone. He also developed a habit of addressing his parents by their first names. At first, Adelia and Maxus thought it odd that he would treat them as such. However, as time passed, it became apparent that it was not out of disrespect or a feeling of superiority, but rather a quirk of his personality.
Once he finished with the Margata schools at the tender age of 13, he set his sights on the Usoria schools, focusing his study on the art of magic. Again, his learning and understanding of magic were so unparalleled that he outpaced his masters within a short time. Some of his masters even angrily threw him out of their schools.
Through this study, he began to understand what he had felt all his life: a dark and unsettling tinge. Something was wrong with the world. It was faint, but it was there: the world was warped. After studying abroad for nearly three years, he spent days locked in his room, reading history books and magic tomes to find the answer to his feeling.
"I'm worried about him, Maxus," Adelia said one day, watching Dane pour over one of his books. Maxus looked past her to Dane, furrowing his brow.
"I've tried getting him to come to the labs and help with the experiments, but he always just comes back here. I don't know what will get him out of the house." Maxus replied with a long sigh. Adelia was about to respond to him when a knock came at the door. Carl and Madae had come with a small folder and hopeful expressions.
"Are both of you free? We would like to discuss something with you," Carl asked, motioning for Maxus and Adelia to come outside.
"Yes? What's the matter?" Adelia asked, grabbing her cloak as she and Maxus stepped out into the cooling night. Being Master of Liquid Melding, she and Maxus, the master of metallurgy, had been granted a seat on the Alchemic Council of Margata.
"Madae and I are pleased with your son's progress in his studies under us and within his undertakings. With careful consideration, we would like to nominate him for the position of Master Alchemist." Carl presented when Madae snorted, turning to Carl with disdain in his eyes.
"Carl, here, is the one that thinks that the boy could be considered. While he shows much promise, I still think it is too early for such a responsibility to be laid before him." Madae bellowed, turning to face the older man when Maxus stepped between them and held up his hands.
"Brothers, brothers, there is no need to bicker. I agree with Madae that such a responsibility is normally a tremendous responsibility to set on anyone, let alone such a young person. But Dane is no ordinary boy, as I'm sure that you have seen."
"Then you agree that his nomination would be a great thing?" Carl asked eagerly. Maxus looked to Adelia for an answer, feeling she would be best able to provide one.
"Dane has been spending a lot of time pouring over books; much more than I think is healthy. Do not misunderstand me; I am proud of him for soaking up so much knowledge from our libraries and beyond. However, I believe that his obsession with researching whatever has his attention is bordering on the outrageous. Being Master Alchemist, I believe, would break his endless cycle, allowing him to interact with others and further the advancement of alchemy here in Margata." With her agreement for Dane's nomination, Carl and Madae left to prepare the paperwork and the eventual vote for all of Margata.
When the day came, the votes unequivocally appointed Dane Master Alchemist. However, when his parents presented him with the town's results, Dane refused to accept his nomination.
"Dane, why don't you take this opportunity? It would suit you well." Adelia urged as Dane brushed back his hair, which had become long enough to reach his knees.
"Adelia, there are things in this world I don't think you or anyone here in Margata wouldn't understand, and I mean that with no offense in the strongest way possible. This world is warped, and being the leader of Margata would only hinder my finding why." Maxus narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. New and challenging things to understand always interested him, even if he didn't understand them in the first place.
"What do you mean 'warped'?" Dane rested his head on three fingers and looked up at Maxus from under his platinum locks.
"It cannot be solved by simply applying science, Maxus. What I pursue goes beyond simple transmutations, mathematical equations, and algorithms. Darkness has saturated this world and is only becoming worse. I am going to find a way to stop it." Dane stated. Maxus' interest deepened; he had to know what his son had stumbled upon.
"I don't think this is something you could help me with. Maxus. Mine is a path that leads to some very dark places." Dane stated, pulling a book from his sleeve and setting it on the table.
"This is a journal of an ancient mage I found in the Knowledge Depository. In it, he chronicles his travels to study all magic, alchemy, and history, among other things. During one of his outings, he came upon what he calls the truest of all evils." Dane opened the journal, reading from a bookmarked page.
"It has no form yet it fills the world; it has no substance yet it taints even the purest of hearts; it has no will, yet all who see it succumb to it." Dane turned the page to reveal one wholly colored with black ink.
"This mage sought a way to balance this darkness and found that something he called 'the ultimate light' must temper it." Maxus approached the book and looked over the previous pages, trying to understand what he saw in the scrawled notes.
"If this is so terrible, why are you seriously pursuing this? And what would it be doing in the Knowledge Depository?" Maxus asked. There was always a way for science to explain something, but this; as Dane said, was something beyond mere science. Dane chuckled under his breath and took the book back, covering his eyes with his hand.
"I asked the lead librarian about the same thing, but they could find no record of someone turning in the journal. When I inquired about taking the journal, she requested that I copy it and bring it back as another addition to the Depository." Adelia asked for the journal, flipping through pages and reading excerpts randomly.
"How did you find it? If something like this was in the Depository, someone may be trying to hide it."
"If that were the case, I believe such a journal would have been much better hidden. It fell from a shelf near where I was gathering tomes." Adelia kept flipping through pages, trying to understand what she read before closing it and handing it back to Dane.
"From the little I did read, this 'Darkness' sounds as if it could be dangerous. Please, be careful."
"I am taking caution and reading through the journal thoroughly as I proceed, Adelia. I do not plan to fail where this mage did." Maxus became even more intrigued: could these concepts be applied to alchemy to make them more powerful?
"What is this darkness the mage speaks of?" Maxus asked. Dane lowered his brow, looking away and pondering the question sincerely.
"I don't know, but it is something that I intend to discover. With the Council's permission, I would like to start my research here in Margata, specifically with Dr. Long's experiment of human thought transfer into his android body." Maxus looked to Adelia, sighing heavily; only time would tell where his son's research would take him. However, as the leaders of this great city had made it clear, questions left unanswered became possibilities undiscovered.
"I will talk to them. In the meantime, I would like you to come and tell the people of Margata of your refusal." Maxus urged. Dane chuckled under his breath, looking at Adelia as he stood and exited his room.
Wherever this road you are deciding to take goes, just know that you have a home here," Adelia said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I will keep that in mind, Adelia." Dane smiled, walking through the front door, standing before the throng that had gathered to hear his reply.
"Good people of Margata, I must decline your vote. Don't worry, I will explain my reasoning."