The Midnight Prince and the Raven Mage

Prologue

Year  474, The night of Blaze and Storm
The girl regained consciousness after getting thrown a few feet away from where she stood. She opened her eyes and saw a bright red orange prison and it seemed to her like she was closer to the sun. It took a few seconds for her to process her current situation. She was certain her rib cage was cracked, she had received a powerful blow. She looked around, disoriented. She coughed up blood and her wounds reopen as she reached up a hand to cover her mouth.

Deryneia found herself at the center of the elemental inferno created by the Previous Emperor, the man whose moral beliefs were very much outdated. He stood tall, watching Deryneia from a few meters away, his hand on her mother's throat hoisting her up in the air. He appeared to be speaking to her, but she does not respond, instead she tried desperately to remove his hand. The former Grand Mage of the Empire of Kythreia now desperately gasped for air, helpless without her staff that was far from her grasp.

She tried to speak, but it seemed like her throat was on fire when she did. She looked left and noticed a man who laid lifeless not far from her. She remembered now, it was the Second Prince. She watched in pity as his elemental spirit mourned his death as it slowly faded away. He had only met with her to ask for her help as an elemental mage to take the throne. She wanted no part of it. She only wanted to live peacefully with the days she had left with her mother. But alas, it seemed someone had eyes on them which then led the Previous Emperor to them. Deryneia knew she could not blame the Second Prince, in the end it wasn't his fault. He was just betrayed by those he held dear to him.

She tried uttering a spell and this time, she was able to heal a little bit of her body. It was a weak spell, but she needed to conserve what mana she had left. Her body, still wrecked with burns, lost most of its function already, she can only dare move half of it including her legs without wincing in pain. It was a miracle she was able to put her thoughts together, many would've succumbed to their injuries and lost their minds to shock. But the girl's spirit remain resolute. She called for her mother in distress.

"Mother!" She screamed. Desperation present in her voice as she called out and hopefully distract the Usurper.
She muster what strength she had left to summon her Water Elemental Spirit, Falknyr. The Previous Emperor, the Usurper Rudiger Vyronas noticed this and before she can finish the summoning, he had thrown her mother to the ground and ran towards Deryneia. She somehow finish the spell and successfully summon a mythical spirit with the appearance of a water nymph. Falknyr extinguishes the inferno but his contractor was weak now, making him succeed in only giving her a slight opening to run. She can feel her ribs everytime she took a breath. It was exhausting, she was near her limits. She knows she needed to end this. Or at least get away with her mother.

But she also knew it was futile. She hadn't been a great Elemental mage. Nor was she strong enough to do anything. It was a losing battle, but she still wanted to atleast try to win. The man was old and she did not know if he was able to summon his Elemental spirit Walpurgis, an infernal spirit of Chaos and Fire. He was strong yes, but he was also near his limit, all elementals exhaust their Aura by summoning a great spirit. It was only a matter of time.

She dodged the fireball coming her way and dashed towards her mother, it singed her hair. Her elemental spirit swooped in and battled the Emperor, preventing him from reaching her. Her mother gasped for air as she grabbed the staff and handed it to the woman. Ester Cybillanthe is missing her right eye, her eye socket seeemed like an abyss of blood and darkness. Deryneia's lips quivered as she watched in horror how her mother tried to stand. "Neia, my child. Can you help me please? I have a spell that can work, but it takes a while to prepare." Her mother clutches an item close to her chest. She planned on using it along with the spell.

She nodded in agreement and held her mothers hand. Her mother touched her daughter's cheek. "I will always love you, my child. Be strong. When we meet again I hope we will be able to keep our peace." She kissed Deryneia's forehead and walked further to chant the spell.