Child of the Rift

Prologue

A powerful gust of wind entered through the window of the old cabin, rattling the windows with great force as the storm brewed outside. Roof tiles shook violently and fell from their places, crashing to the ground as the young woman tossed and turned in her sleep. Beads of sweat caressed her tanned forehead, soaking her midnight hair as she muttered words that made little sense for within the haunting nightmare, she bore witness to great cruelties yet to come.

The beautiful kingdom of Calia overwhelmed by pitch black smoke, extinguishing the light and life that was at the heart of its most mighty city. Agonised screams echoed in the darkness of night, falling on deaf ears as fires blazed through the once beautiful buildings. Within the centre walked a man with a mighty sword, his eyes burning with the fires only hell could hold, his gaze set upon the magnificent castle built of obsidian stone.

Her heart pounding violently in her chest as her muscles tensed, making it difficult to breath as the wind forced open the rickety windows. A shiver ran down her spine as the icy air touched her bare skin whilst she slept and with each moment that passed, her dream grew more haunting.

With ease, the man with eyes of fire approached the old oak doors to the castle and forced them open where he was met by the King whom held his sword firmly, determined to protect his family. But he could do little as the man lifted his hand and the skin of the King began to melt from his bones, turning to ash as it met the ground, his veins burned a bright ember as the heat within his body increased and an agonised scream escapes his lips before he became little more than a pile of ash upon the ground.

He continued his journey up the glorious wooden stairs and towards a room where a woman screamed in anguish before forcing open the door to be greeted by a young girl with long fiery red hair, upon her head she wore the crown of a princess. Her pale, translucent, almost ghost-like body lifted her hand as her eyes burned with a light so pure that it had never been thought possible. Wings of blue fire appeared behind her as the light grew, emanating from a mark upon her hand and wrist and engulfing the man in flames and trapping the darkness before the child vanished into nothingness, leaving the man to see the corpse of the queen who appeared to have just given birth and her son, heir to the throne, missing.

Within the dream, a light came from the queen's womb as if to tell the young sorceress a dire message that she was uncertain as to whether she understood but she hoped that she did.

Her eyes opened wide as she desperately gasped for breath, her heart pounding so vigorously against her chest that it felt as though it were about to burst within her. The wind rattled against the old wood of the cabin, violently ripping at the old splinters whilst the fire roared angrily as it mysteriously set ablaze and threatened to escape the fireplace and burn all that stood in its path.

Without waiting for the storm to pass, she hurried to her horse with only one destination in mind, one focus forcing her onwards without caution. Rain poured mercilessly from the sky and lightning struck the trees that surrounded her as she rode, setting them ablaze and causing them to fall.

Holding no fear in her heart, she continued onwards, the horse leaping over the fire ridden tree as the winds grew fierce with an unnatural power. Something hung heavily in the air as an impossible magic swirled, growing stronger the closer she gained to the kingdom she'd witnessed fall.

The gates opened, allowing her passage to the obsidian castle as she entered with one thought in mind, she had to warn the royals of the great peril that approached.

"Magic shall be your destruction but magic shall also be your saviour," the voices of the wind whispered as she entered the great walls of the kingdom that had stood for over a thousand years.

She approached the guard as whispers among the soldiers spoke of the spirit of vengeance that had become all too familiar to hear. All feared her though no one was certain as to whether or not believe the stories that were told.

"I must speak with the King, it is of an urgent matter" she said, her voice remaining firm and emotionless as she gazed upon the knight who clearly believed the same as the rest of his men, that the storm had been created by the Queen of Vengeance.

***

The words that had been spoken to the King that night, rang heavily in the air after the Queen had announced her pregnancy a few weeks later. "Magic shall be your destruction but magic shall also be your saviour"

The people of the kingdom grew with anxiety and fear as the Queen's due date grew closer whilst sorcerers were taught the ways of battle magic. The King hoped that by doing this, it would provide a better chance for his children to escape as he continued to listen to the counsel of the woman who had spoken of the prophecy, Ana.

"Her name shall be Dawn and she will bring with her power from beyond the veil but with the veil shall come great perils," she'd said each day as the weeks passed until the day came and just as Ana had prophesied, a great darkness swept over the lands. An unnatural army under the control of one man.

The Queen screamed as her contractions grew more and more prominent whilst Ana tried to talk her through it. The darkness surrounding the castle as it grew closer.

"How much longer?" The King asked anxiously whilst his son and heir sat beside the Queen, fear clear in his eyes.

"Not much longer,"

"Your grace, he has almost breached the gate. He will be in the castle in minutes," warned a guard as he entered.

"I understand," he murmured as he grabbed his sword and left the room, leaving the three of them alone.

"Arthur, would you please grab me some towels?" she asked and quickly, the young boy no older than five, did as he was told. His blond hair shining in the candle light as the darkness cast over the outside, blocking all forms of natural light just as the Queen gave one final push. Quickly, she moved to wrap the screaming child with an unusual colour hair, mixes of blond, white and a dark red. As she wiped away the blood upon the baby whilst her mother took her final breath, she saw the fires within her eyes and knew that what she'd witnessed within her dream had been true.

"Dawn, the child with the power of that beyond the veil. Child of the Rift," she whispered as she glanced at the darkness that had escaped the veil, the unnatural force being beyond that any other sorcerer or sorceress could ever dream of holding.

"Mustn't we go Lady Ana?" Arthur asked as he tugged at her clothes.

"Yes," she muttered with a sorrowful smile, "we must," she continued as the two fled through the secret passageway that had been built for the day. Briefly she paused as she gazed back at her sister, "I love you Maria, I shall do all in my power to ensure Dawn knows of your love and does you proud," she muttered before closing the passageway behind her and running alongside her nephew, "keep going Arthur, don't look back, don't be afraid. You must keep going," she comforted as best she could as the three fled the castle, the place that should have been the home to the children she now cared for.