Prelude

By Searon

"This is for you mother," Arria uttered under her breath, pouring more dark powder into the glowing pot. Her voice was sad but it held hope.

Her voice faded inside the steaming room, a voice both calm and gentle. She was gorgeous, far more so than any other elf, her body thin and fragile but able to withstand an immense amount of punishment. Her long black hair hung behind her back as she stared down at the large black pot.

The dark magic swirled to life creating a wonderful glow of black, blue, and white sparkles in Arria's small cabin. The table began to shake followed by the entire room. The amazing glows from the pot shined so brightly now that they tore through the two windows in Arria's cabin.

"Astra elkarr mestril vilett ima anetorr kaztra!" Arria said raising her hands.

A knock at the door startled her; she turned around for a glance. The room shook even more, uncontrollably. A long strand of Arria's perfect black hair turned white and fell into her face. Arria's eyes widened in horror and shock and her mouth collapsed. Her stunning ocean blue eyes turned dark into a light gray. Then her beautiful smooth white skin began to darken.

The door burst open with three elves looking into the glowing cabin with stunned faces. Two male, and one female elf were looking at Arria's changing body. The female took a step forward her blond hair fluttering with the magic.

"Arria, please stop, you don't want to do this," She begged. Her face was shadowed with fear with only an ounce of hope showing. The hope that Arria would stop her spell.

"You don't know what I want! With this power I can save mother," Arria proclaimed. A single tear cascaded down her fading face.

"It is not the way… You will be cast out for this!" She exclaimed. Her voice shook as the words left her mouth.

"It is the only way! Can't you see? Or have the rest of the elves blinded you from the truth, with their fears of the ancient magic? It can be controlled!" Arria promised. She looked into the elf's eyes with hope. Hope that she could convince her.

"You know I want to save mother as much as you do!" She revealed tears falling upon her smooth face, "If you continue, I am forced to take action!"

Arria looked deep into her sister's eyes and then back to the pot of swirling dark magic. "I am sorry sister, it is too late." Then she turned back to the pot and continued to utter words for the spell to be complete. Her hair continued to change white and her skin continued to darken.

The sister strung her bow and pointed it directly at Arria's head. Tears readily streamed down her face as she prepared to release the arrow. She coughed as she released the arrow, or rather gasped from the tears sinking into her flesh. The arrow strayed from Arria's head and sank into her upper back. A loud terrible scream shook the room, causing the three elves to collapse.

Arria fell to the ground with all of her bodily changes complete. Her hair as white as the stars in the sky, and her figure as dark as the rest of the sky at night. The glowing dark magic ceased for a moment, until it exploded tossing everyone from the cabin but Arria.

The dark pot of liquid she was working on spilled onto the ground. The crimson liquid surrounded Arria burning her leather armor until all that lay there was her naked body and the arrow in her back. Everything else burned, her entire cabin caught flame in the moonlight.

Her sister stood in the distance watching Arria's home burn into the night. She looked at Arria's untouched naked body and fell to her knees tears streaming down her face. Gasping for air finding none, she coughed into the ground. The compassionate elven warrior helped her to her feet and hugged her. Her sobs did not diminish, but only grew louder until the entire town was out of their homes looking upon the burnt cabin.

She walked closer to her sister's home and glanced at the ground where Arria's body should be. It had vanished. "Where is she?" she asked the wind.

The elven warrior walked beside her in quilted armor and uttered, "Black magic."

She looked at the last small flame as it went out, and up at the stars, "Arria…"