A Light After Endless Darkness

Prolouge

An old man walked into a small town, looking extremely out of place in his tattered, torn-up robes. His eyes, brooding and dark, bore a strikingly similar colour to the circles beneath them. The town was a charming place, if one appreciated that sort of thing, with a few grass huts here and there, and a mismatched marketplace with stands selling many different things, from jewelry, to clothing, to various food items. The kids were running around in circles, chasing one another in a convoluted game of tag. He felt himself tense in annoyance. How dare these brats be so happy when he himself couldn't be? He was a being of Darkness. He had no light in his heart. No love, no happiness.

It only seemed fair that everyone else be the same way.

He stopped when he saw two girls hiding in the shadows. Not playing hide and seek like any other girl their age would be, which was odd. If he'd had to guess, he would've said they were about five years old. The perfect age for a child to waste their time with games and trivialities. Unless, of course, they had been confined to the shadows out of the insistence of their peers.

Outcasts.

Perfect.

His sharp, and sleek double bladed sword appeared and guided him to the two girls. Only when he was close enough to the young girls did he feel their essence. They were gifted, as he was. The one on the left, that one had the powers of a sword warrior, and the other also had weapon warrior magic, but magic like this was unfamiliar to him.

The young girls noticed him. "You have the same powers we do!" The one on the right said blatantly, as excitedly as if declaring her ownership of a puppy. "Darker than mine and my sisters, but still!"

Stupid girl, you have no idea. The old man thought with a malicious smile. "Indeed," he agreed, his voice like a shallow grave.

"We shouldn't be talking to strangers," said the one on the left quietly.

"Most certainly not," he agreed. "So, I shall introduce myself- I am Zarix. Master of Darkness."

"I'm Habe," said the child on the right.

The child on the left curled into herself. "Elizabeth," she muttered into her knees.

"Very well, Habe. Elizabeth," he said, turning to each child in turn. "I could not help but notice that you girls are immensely powerful."

Elizabeth looked up. "Really?"

"Truly. I noticed a feeling of immense strength as I was walking this morning. At first, I mistook it for myself," he chuckled at his own joke. "But you two are pathetically untrained."

"Is that bad?" Asked Habe.

"Not necessarily. But if you would like to do things that only happen in your dreams, I strongly suggest you take me up on the offer I am about to make."

"What is it?" Asked Elizabeth, standing up next to her sister.

"I wish to be your master."

The statement was so bald, so open, that the two five year olds jolted. They had never had an adult speak to them in such a manner. Usually it was just, get out, you little urchins, get out of my shop! Or, don't bother my students! You're dirty! They'll catch diseases! Needless to say, this was a startling change of pace.

Understandably, Elizabeth asked, "What if we refuse?"

"Then I leave, you two stay here in this town, doing whatever it is you do here, forever," he said simply.

"And if we agree?" Pressed Habe.

"Then you two could be one more powerful than you could even begin to imagine."