Prologue
The Other Side
The Alysian Palace was dark and quiet, and not even the maids or servants were up. Yet a lone figure walked silently through the halls, passing in and out of shadows as they traversed the palace with a purpose. The moon had long since vanished from the sky, and now the sun was only hours away from rising and bathing the kingdom in a warm life sustaining glow; but it mattered little to the young woman who walked the halls in silence. There were far more important things that needed her attention that night, and it felt like things were finally going to be set in motion.
After many turns, up and down more than a few staircases, and stopping off in a random room twice just to make sure that she wasn't being followed, the woman finally made it to her destination. She now stood outside a large set of double doors, a tiny trickle of light peeking out from the crack near the floor and the sound of a roaring fire burning safely in a fireplace inside. It was late, and only a few people were actually awake, but the woman did not announce herself or knock on the door when she entered. She was expected, and she knew that the one who had called for her would be wide awake as well.
Walking into the large and comfortable looking room, she found a young woman standing by the large and bright fire place. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back and she was faced away from the door, but upon the sound of someone entering she turned and fixed the taller and older woman with wary eyes. It was a sight she had become used to seeing though, and she knew that this girl trusted very few people these days.
“Daiya, I am sorry to have woken you,” the younger girl said, and motioned gently for Daiya to enter the room more.
“It's fine; as long as what you said in your message is true, Reiea.”
“It's true,” Reiea said and now stepped away from the fireplace, her long nightgown billowing out behind her as she moved. “My attendant found it an hour ago.”
The younger girl now moved to a large table that sat between two very luxurious looking couches and pointed to a small wooden box placed on the surface. Daiya, with her heart in her throat, picked the small box up in her hands and held it for a moment, letting the magic in her body seek out and feel what was inside it. What she felt was something that sent a shiver down her spine and she then quickly opened the box, finding a small gold coin sitting in it.
The coin looked old, with the profile of a long dead monarch etched onto the scratched and dented surface. It wasn't the appearance that had Daiya excited though, rather the immense amount of power washing off of the item like a wave. It was an ancient and mysterious magic that the world had not seen in thousands of years, and it was just the thing that she and Reiea had been looking for.
“It's amazing,” she whispered and clutched the small coin in her hand, letting the power inside it wash over her. “Two months you had been searching for this, and now you've finally found it. This is really happening, isn't it?”
“It is,” Reiea answered and now sat down on one of the couches, her eyes lingering on the coin Daiya held with jealousy. “There is no time to waste, so I must ask you a question: are you ready to leave now?”
