The End Of An Age

Chapter 1

Storm Clouds covered the sky, yet lightning was absent and rain did not fall. Instead there was a heat; heat that made you want to tear off your clothes and leap into a cool river. Yet there would be no cooling off here today, for the kingdom of Athras was nearing its final days.

The streets ran red with blood. Under the purple and red lights coming from the clouds, people fought and died, screaming in horror as their loved ones were cut down before their eyes. Whoever could grab a weapon fought for their survival no longer, but to take as much enemies as they could take to the grave with them. Though given the option to surrender, a majority refused to give up. Yet no matter how much they fought back and what powers they utilized, they had been caught unawares by an unforeseen betrayal and now all hope seemed lost.

As the battle raged on for the inner city, survivors of the initial attack and small groups of resistant citizens were either struggling to escape or fighting in pocket areas. Soldiers patrolled much of the streets in an ordered manner and avoided areas where strange mists had suddenly appeared, from which various lights trickled like slow moving smoke. There were rumors of people on both sides being embraced by the mists or surrounded by the lights. Most would vanish while others would be changed. There was order to this invasion and if any soldier acted chaotically or attempted to break rules for personal reasons, they were either executed or taken away as had happened before, not being seen till many months later, changed and more obedient.

Inside a hidden room, in an area where most of the fighting had died down a young boy and girl lay hidden. Their blue eyes seemed to shine in the darkness of the room and their slim bodies shivered with sweat. The boys right hand was drenched in blood and he kept gesturing towards the door, while the girl kept shaking her head and turning away from the door. "Roain, what will mama and papa think if we leave the house? They built it to pass on to us. I wanna wait till they come back. Then we'll leave together."

Turning to his sister, the boy shut his mouth and wiped his cheeks. Sighing deeply, he took a deep breath; "Anna, Anna mom and dad are dead. Have you forgotten? Don't you remember me holding them and carrying them to lay by each other?" Reaching forward he touched her forehead and quickly pulled his hand back.

Wiping away Roain's tears, the young girl whispered back, "What?" Her laughter resounded in the room. "Stop.....Wait." Closing her eye's, she breathed deeply. Looking at her brother, her eyes red as blood, she smiled slightly. "Its' the fits again, isn't it? Oh damn it all, then we're going to have to leave. Stay by my side, won't you Roain." Moving to his side she grabbed his left hand and shouldered a small pack with her free hand. Taking a deep breath, Roain nodded his head and moved to the door. There he released her hand and knelt in front of two long knives stuck into the ground. Their handles were circular with deep inlaid grooves, while the blade seemed to be made up of a central blade with four smaller blades attached to the sides. "We will never forget." He slowly pulled the knives out and turned to his sister; "Are you sure? Then, it's time."

Handing one of the knives to Annalise, he raised his right hand and slowly cut a line through his palm. As he did so a thin stream of blue energy seemed to flow from both the blue blade and his hand, connecting to form a thicker line. Turning to his sister, who held up her left hand, he performed the same shallow cut. With blood dripping from their hands, they touched their fingers together and drew out a blue web of energy. Moving towards the massive gray door, the web pulsed in tune to their heartbeats, with Annalise's side alternating between a slow and a quick rate. They placed their hands into similar sized imprints on the door, causing the blue web to encase it in a complex pattern and as the door opened, with tears rolling down Roain's face, the brother and sister stepped out into their former room.