The Amulet of Kryshar

Prologue

Seeing her stand like that, in the clothes he should be wearing, looking down at him, his heart flooded with rage, pushing back even the pain. He growled and gritted his teeth. In a fluid motion he swept his hand to the side and the cat guard was sent crashing into the book case. It didn't get back up again.

"Even after all this time, you are still as violent as ever, Corius." Janine stepped closer as Corius stood up. "I know what you came for and I am prepared. My sister, her daughter, my child... are gone now because of you."

Corius narrowed his one remaining eye. The other eye socket felt like it was being stabbed repeatedly by a dagger with serrated edges. Blood was still dripping onto his clothes. "You still won't be able to stop me. We both know that I surpass you in strength, that I was actually the one who was supposed to be the Royal Magician. Because I have what it takes. And yet, the king still turned me down. He chose you instead. That old fool doesn't recognize true potential when it is right before his eyes. He is no longer fit to rule Kryshar."

Janine started circling around her opponent, until she was right in front of the marble stand. She sadly glanced over at the fallen guard and looked back at Corius. "Then who is fit to rule? You?" she asked and shook her head. "You would just destroy this world; kill innocent people to make yourself look mighty. And why?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "Because you could. Because you would have all of this power at your disposal. You know I can't allow that to happen."

She was prepared to die to do her duty. Which doesn't mean that she wasn't scared. She was terrified. She knew that eventually Corius would best her. He always focused on making his magic stronger, while she tried to help others with her gift. She wasn't nearly as strong as him, but she had a few tricks up her sleeves. Janine watched Corius tense and she threw up her hands. Just in time. Several blue fireballs battered into her hastily created force shield. Had she not reacted fast enough, she would be very dead. In the form of ashes spread on the floor.

On the other side of the room, Corius smiled full of malice. He was hurling fireball after fireball at Janine's weak shield. It was glowing purple, but he could clearly see the colour fading along with its strength, despite of his other ruined eye. His heart filled with rage at that thought. "You will pay, Janine!"

She shrugged as if she doesn't have a care in the world, even though it is getting harder for her to keep the force shield up while preparing her other spell in the meantime. "I know," she quietly replied. With that she suddenly turned around and slammed her hand down onto the marble stand and shouted some strange words.

Corius thought nothing of it at the time. All he saw was a perfect opportunity to fry his rival with her back turned. One fireball knocked down Janine's fragile shield. He was raising his arm to throw another one when a rumble sounded from the marble stand, followed by a crack. Then the soft golden glow extinguished and the only light source came from the torches hanging at the side of the door. "Nooooo! What have you done?" he screamed and finally hurled the fireball at the Royal Magician. She didn't even have time to defend herself. Janine was flung to the floor and landed in a heap, her clothes ablaze with blue fire. Yet, she didn't do anything to quench the flames, there's nothing she could have done; she was going to die anyway. As she lay there while her body was melting and burning, she glanced over at where she stood a second ago and had only had one thought left in her mind. The spell worked...

Corius screamed as he saw three balls of pure magic rise from the shattered marble pedestal and float into the air. They were starting to take the shape of animals. He didn't know what exactly the Royal Magician activated, but he knew that he had to stop it. He jumped and, using the air around him, lunged towards the magic. He grasped the lowest one in his hand and was about to yell in triumph, when his hand erupted into burning pain. He glanced down and saw that the magic had burned through his thick leather glove and was burrowing itself into his palm. Screeching, he let go and tumbled to the ground. The other two magic animals had long since gone. The final orb hovered out of reach for a second and then floated off, slower than the others, whilst taking on a different shape.

***

Two glowing animals flew across the dark night sky, answering the final command of the Royal Magician. The air shimmered around them and they emerged into a different world. Earth, the mortals here called it. It was night there as well and the two shapes zipped across the skies, unnoticed. Even when a human saw them, they would think that the orbs would just be falling stars and make a wish. But the orbs kept on flying, with their shimmering tails streaking behind them and stopped in front of a window from a still, black car. The headlights were off. The inside of it was completely normal, just what you would see in your average vehicle. Seats, a dashboard filled with trinkets. And three figures. Two small forms were huddled together in the backseat and sound asleep, with a rough woollen blanket wrapped around them to keep them warm. One seemed to be crying in their sleep; a faint sobbing noise could be heard occasionally. Then there was a woman in the driver's seat, her hands clenched so tightly around the steering wheel that her knuckles stood out white. She glanced back every so often at the little figures in the back with a worried expression. Every time she turned around again she would bite her lip and lean her forehead on the wheel. But the orbs weren't focusing on the woman in the front. The magic pieces had found them. They were perfect; both mentally and physically strong. While the woman at the front repeated the routine of leaning her head on the wheel, the orbs phased through the window and each silently hovered over one figure. They plunged down and disappeared into the children just as the woman turned her head again. Immediately, she gasped and stared at the children as they jerked and whined in their sleep. They eventually settled back down again. Tears were streaming down the woman's face as she stared at them helplessly. She knew what the arrival of the orbs meant.

"They are still so young and yet there is nothing I can do to help them," she whispered and covered her face with her hands.