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| Prologue: The Vision �Come on Salindria! You�re not making this fun for me.� Quickly, the elusive blonde dove behind a tree. A small explosion went off right where she had been standing. She peeked her head around the tree long enough to catch a glimpse of her attacker. A tall, dark man in a black cloak stood about twenty feet away from her. She watched as he raised his hands to his waist. A small sphere of light formed in his opened palms. Glancing almost directly at her, he hurled the ball of light. The girl sprawled on the ground as the sphere demolished the top half of the tree that had been protecting her. �You can�t hide from me forever, Salindria,� the voice taunted her. From on the ground, she took in her surroundings. The once lush, green forest was now half charred and burnt. Her beautiful planet was slowly being destroyed. Her people were being killed. And there was almost nothing she could do to stop it. She couldn�t just sit back and watch as everything she lived for was demolished. Her pride got the better of her and she stood up. �You�re right Vasquez, I can�t hide forever. And I won�t,� she declared. �That�s the spirit. I like a girl who can face her own death,� he smiled crookedly at her. Again he raised his hands, another sphere forming. But before he had a chance to do anything a jet of clear blue sparks sliced through the air, knocking his hands to his sides. For a moment he was paralyzed. The blow she sent him was quite the surprise. After a moment he regained his composure, anger now blazing behind his black eyes. �You foolish, foolish girl. I was prepared to spare you and your measly planet. Pity you had to ruin the only chance your people had,� he sneered. If she was afraid, she didn�t show it. She stood tall and proud. Her eyes glistened with resolution. �My people have nothing to fear,� she said calmly. �You may be able to burn our forests and desecrate our cities, but you will never be able to destroy us. Ours is an ancient race that has thrived since the dawn of time. We were here in the past, we are here now and we will be here in the years to come. Do what you will Vasquez, it will not matter.� He just stared at her, his black eyes as cold as stone. �Brave words for someone who is about to meet her end,� he sneered. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a crystal, light radiating from it. Steadily he started to chant an incantation, but it made no difference. No sooner then he started his chant, a beautiful voice rang out through the forest. It was as sweet as a nightingale and echoed across the land. The crystal in his hands began to vibrate and crack. A panicked look swept over his face. �What are you doing?!� he demanded. Ignoring him, her voice continued to sing out. She watched as the crystal exploded, the burning light inside of it fading out. Slowly the angel song ended, leaving the girl standing there with a triumphant smile. �My planet will not be destroyed. Not while I�m here,� she proclaimed. �Then I will have to remedy that,� he said, pulling out a concealed dagger. Without warning he threw the knife directly at her. It was at the last second she saw the blade. She quickly tried to dodge, but it was too late. The blade sliced through her left arm. She collapsed to the ground, clutching the wound. A small smile formed on his lips. Like a hunter going after its prey, he stalked up to her. She lay cowering below him, the fear now present in her eyes. �Say goodbye to your precious planet, Salindria,� he said. He reached over and pulled the dagger out of a near by tree. Slowly he traced the tip of it across her neck. She lay on the ground, blood now spilling over her arm. The pain in her arm was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Everything that she had lived for was about to come to an end. As she lay there she glanced into his eyes. In them she saw the pain and anguish of a thousand races terminated by his relentless cruelty. The coldness in them sent a chill through her body. �Give my regards to Xylia. Your creator isn�t here to help you now,� he laughed. He raised the dagger high over his head. As he brought it down an image flashed through her head. She saw a young man. He looked like he was one of her people, but she knew he wasn�t. He was in a room with two others. For some reason she felt a strong connection between them. She tried to speak, but it was as if her voice had disappeared. Desperately she tried to get their attention. The young one looked up, shook his head and went back to what he was doing. She suddenly had a strong urge to reach out to them. She tried, but to no avail. Then just as suddenly as the image appeared, it faded out. When her vision came back to her, she was alone. She craned her neck and searched the forest around her, wondering if this was some kind of trick. Seeing nothing she relaxed a little. It was then that the pain in her arm became noticeable. She let out a cry when she looked at the wound. She had lost a lot of blood and needed a doctor soon. Desperately she searched for someone. A soft noise in the distance caught her attention. It became louder as it drew closer. Footsteps. �Someone! Help me!� she cried. A young man came sprinting over to her. He was tall with white-blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Seeing her on the ground, covered in blood he almost panicked. �My lady! Are you alright? What happened? Can you move? Do you want me to fetch a doctor?� his questions spilled from his mouth. She quickly recognized the man as one of her assistants, Corbin. �Tell me, where is he? Where did he go?� �My lady, the connection between the planets was broken. He is gone. They are all gone.� �Xylia was looking out for us then,� she mumbled. �Excuse me, my lady?� �Oh, it�s nothing. Help me up.� Corbin kneeled down and put one arm around her waist and the other held the hand on her uninjured arm. She glanced around at her smoldering planet. We were lucky this time. We may not be so lucky at the next encounter, she thought. Somehow I have to find those people in my vision. I don�t know why, but the salvation of my people will come through them. I have to find them.....and quick. |
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