The Seven

Prologue

The battle cries of the clans rang through Mania, forests burning down slowly in a mass of blazing flames, rivers running like blood veins of a bleeding body in this piece of ruined land.

From above, a young woman stepped back from her balcony viewing the Earth. Every part of her conscience screamed at her to stop this. To float down on to Mania, with one flick of her finger to let the clans all drop their weapons and kneel before her.

But what would her mother say?

"Never meddle with humans, their affair is not our affair. Nor is ours is theirs." her mother would say disapprovingly, but she was the queen now. Not her mother.

Actually, she was going to be the queen. In two months, or something.Two months... How many more people could die in two months?

Hundreds, the young woman thought. Possibly even more.

An image of bodies dropping to the ground like flies creeped into her mind. She immediately shivered.

She was free to do as she wished... Right? After all, she's still the princess.

"Roland!" She called.A person popped instantly from out of nowhere. The princess jumped in surprise.

"Did I scare you, miss?" the ginger haired servant bowed deeply. "I apologize."

Of course you didn't. People popping out of thin air within seconds is definitely, perfectly normal. The princess thought grumpily to herself.

"Oh of course not, Roland." she said brightly to the boy. "Can you get me Raider?"The ginger servant frowned. He looked too young to be frowning. He looked no younger than the princess herself.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid he ain't here."

How is he suppose to know without even checking?!

"Did you check?"

"Uh, miss...."

"Mom's behind this, isn't she?"

"Yes! I-I-I mean no. O-Of course not."The princess wasn't amused, unlike how she usually was when she persuaded -  more of threatened - Roland to tell the truth, lately news about her father, and where's Mom's current location of the castle.

Argh, She thought. Just tell me already! But he didn't slip more and she rolled her eyes, then walked off. She'll have to do this without him then.

The princess ran - as fast as she could really run with the high heels anyway - through the corridors, her shoes echoing down the hallways, marble tiles sparkling from the constant cleaning.

Soon enough, she saw the crystal gates of the castle. Yes... the princess ran even faster, pants coming out as shagged breaths, uneven and strange.Three minutes later, she's back in her room. There's too many guards outside to not get suspicious. And after knowing what the princess was up to, Roland called her mother.

"Where do you think you're going," she went. "Young lady?"

The princess stopped trying. What will she say? -"I was trying to save the world, mama. Until you came along and ruined it."

The princess was born royal, but she'd learned sarcasm on her own in order to survive it. It was boring. Living the 'royal life', stuck in this boring castle somewhere over the rainbow in the clouds.

So.Want to save the world?

Forget it.

<><><>

The princess was sitting by her mirror, lost in thought as she stared at her reflection. One month and a half until she's the queen.

She'd took her anger out into the conversation Raider had with her. Kicking walls, breaking high heels and yelling in frustration. He gets all too much that she don't want to wait another month to be queen anymore - but he don't know why.

The princess couldn't bear to tell him. What if the only person who understands her, doesn't? Would he think of her the way her mother did if she tell him him her true reason?

How she was fed up with trying to be blind of what's happening below them? Being blind of people dying out like sparks in a flame?

A loud, abrupt noise shook her out of her daydream, and she looked towards the door, where the noise was coming from. Somebody was knocking - more of banging - the door outside.

"Princess!" the voice called frantically. She frowned, recognising the voice. Instead of Roland, her personal servant that had served her from a kid to now, it was one of her mother's 'faithful' servants, Horen.

"Princess Victoria! Are you there?"She sighed and walked towards the door, opening it calmly. A man in a black suit was sweating profusely, his eyes wide. "Princess!"

Victoria shot an impatient look at him. "What is it, Horen?"

"Your mother is..." he cut himself off, unable to say what came next. Her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth.

"She's-" she started. "She's dead?"

"Murdered," the man corrected. "and we still don't know who was behind it."

"Call for Roland immediately," she ordered, but was puzzled by the strange look on Horen's face."Roland is... also..." he said slowly and quietly, and the princess's eyes grew even wider.

"He too?!" she asked, shocked, and Horen nodded sadly. His expression, however, changed almost immediately. "How about Raider?" Panic leaked into her voice and her throat tighten.

Horen simply didn't answer, to the princess's dismay."Princess, your coronation ceremony date has been forwarded to in a week's time, due the to dreadful incident," he informed, and the Princess nodded. "Be prepared to become the queen."

<><><>

From miles away, a shadowy figure smiled. "Ah, the princess," he murmured, and waved his hand. His shape dissipated, and appeared next to the sleeping princess, tucked into her bed. "I've sped everything up, just for you. And the prophecy. Of course. As well as the weapons."

His smile grew wider. "You will know who the eight are. It's all too obvious."

"Seven people shall unlock the spells,

And free each power from their cells.

Find them all before he wakes,

Before the evil takes the bait.

One shall turn and betray,

And they must part to different ways.

One shall save the blackened heart.

Destroying evil from the start.

Yet one will perish by the pearl,

And soul shall part for the fallen girl."

He whispered the last line before disappearing, leaving the large chest and the precious scroll waiting in the corner of Victoria's room.

The princess tossed in her sleep. She'd just visited her mother for the last time. She'd looked so peaceful, all the wrinkles and stern-looks far away from her face. They say her throat was slit. So was Roland's, the princess couldn't help but grieve for him too - a servant that had served her well all her life.

The troubling thing was - they couldn't seem to find Raider's body.There's a bloody mess in his room of the castle, and everyone had assumed that the murderer had gone for the kill too, but dragged his body off somewhere far from Mania.

It was certainly a tiring, gruesome day for the everyone in Mania, as the princess continued to toss in her restless sleep. She'd wished she'd spend one more moment with her mother, or just command Roland one more time. She wish that nothing had ever happened in this boring castle of her's. She wish not to remember what had happened.

But it was destined.

As all prophecies are.