11By: Elemental Gal
Prologue: The End and the Beginning
She was tired, so tired. The battle might have been won, but it was only temporary. They would rise again once more, he and his minions, this she knew full well, and yet, here she was, without any strength to fight. But when they do rise, the Two would force them back, destroy them and all they had ever done.
Long silvery hair whipped across her face, as piercing grey eyes raked the smoldering black landscape, the aftermath of the battle, as though looking for something. Beautiful she was, though pain, hunger and exhaustion had drawn her skin tight over her cheekbones. Her white robes whipped around her in the brisk wind, her hands resting on the pommel of her sword which stood point-first into the ground before her.
Suddenly, someone stepped up from the shadows onto the cliff behind her. "Caos," she said without turning.
"Cria," came the reply. "They have all gone. None can be found in a ten mile radius." Then, he noticed his sister’s tiredness. "Cria, what’s wrong?"
What came in reply was a litany:
"When the shadows rise from their dead lands,
As numerous as the desert sand,
They shall be slain at the Two’s hands,
Forever driven from people’s lands.
"Chaos and order,
Moon and sun,
One shall be dark as night,
The other shall be fair and bright.
"Powerful shall the dark one be,
Child of chaos, guardian of the moon,
A slayer, by whose side the snow leopard walks,
She shall be the Huntress, queen of the night.
"The one of light shall be equally great in might,
Not in war, but in lore long forgotten,
Of order she shall be, kissed by the sun,
She shall be the Oracle, understander of life.
"Brother of the Lady shall find the queen of night,
Who in turn shall seek the sister of light.
Chaos and order, moon and sun, together the Two,
Shall defeat the Shadow Lord and his sons."
"I thought it was nothing but a child's nursery rhyme," was all he could say after a long silence.
"No, a nursery rhyme it is not. It is the beginning of the Prophecy of what is to come, the rest of it is long forgotten, but will be revealed in good time. It has been recited since the days of the old until its meaning was lost and it became as common as a child’s nursery rhyme."
"My power has been exhausted in this battle, I have no more left to fight. Until the final battle, I shall hide and rest, and no one, not even you, will find my place of refuge. Rule in my place as my regent well, and seek and guide the Huntress, for she is our last hope, and together with the Oracle, the Two would be our last line of defence against the Dark Lord."
"But why me? And how do I find the Huntress?"
"You are the only one I dare to trust. And as for finding her, remember this, she walks with the snow leopard, her spirit familiar. It is your job to train and guide her. Rule well in my place, Brother."
With that she disappeared, leaving nothing but trails of mist in the place where she last stood.
+~+~+~+
1 Many centuries later . . .
"No! Mother! Father! Don't die! You can’t leave me! Please, just open your eyes!" A young girl of eleven years old, with long raven hair and startling blue eyes threw herself at the two dead bodies sprawled on the ground. Tears streamed down her cheeks. A snow leopard paced by her side, fur standing, teeth bared, back arched and tail lashing, as though sharing her grief.
"Would revenge not be better than crying?" A deep voice sounded from the shadows. Both girl and snow leopard turned sharply, to find, standing in the corner, a tall man swathed in a black cloak. Dark blond hair framed an aristocratic face as green eyes framed studied both girl and snow leopard with interest. No, blue eyes, no, red, no . . . With a chill she realized that the man’s eyes constantly changed colour, and, with their slit-like pupils, strongly resembled the eyes of a cat.
"If you come with me," the voice continued, soft, persuasive. "I'll teach all you would need to know to seek your revenge and more. Only if you come with me."
To her surprise, the girl found herself standing, wiping away her tears, nodding, answering. "I will come. I am Mira, Mira Tempestada." Then, gesturing at the snow leopard, said, "he is Saki."
“I am Caos,â€