CHAPTER 1 - THE DORNISH

PROLOGUE

She walked in the passageway full of doors, the solid floor was damp with shallow water everywhere. It was very quiet, only the sound of her feet splashing echoed as she walked slowly ahead. 

The passage’s lights died one by one behind her as she kept on walking. Diego showed no sign of fear of the place she was in because she had been here before. The sound of singing caught her attention and made her pause. She decided to follow the melody until she came upon a purple light that looked like it was steaming from somewhere, in the shape of a glowing mist. Diego followed the purple mist which led her to a room with no door, the singing had now grown stronger.

When Diego walked in the room, the lights that lit the passageway had completely died out. 

The room was dark except for the purple mist that poured out from the Black Spirit. 

“Why have you come?” the Spirit demanded in a mocking tone.

Diego replied calmly “Your singing…is distracting me from thinking.” 

The Spirit chuckled, “Thinking?” 

Diego took a few more steps. She found the Black Spirit on the wet floor sitting with its head facing down. Diego couldn’t see her clearly because of the darkness, but she knew who that was...

The Spirit was a female with powdered blue skin, long red hair and wore no clothes. Her naked body had stains of purple-black substances that covered her left leg, her right arm and her right eye which made her look even scarier. The Spirit was in shackles from its neck down to its ankles.

“What thinking would you be busy with when your life is going to end in a couple of hours?” the Spirit laughed.

She looked at Diego with her red eyes. Her black lips stretched into a smile. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of escaping, child…”

“What else would I be thinking about?” Diego replied in a disrespectful manner.

“The design of your coffin?” the Spirit mocked.

“I cannot just sit around and help that mad king plan to kill me” Diego said.

“Well look at it this way, he’s basically freeing me from all this,” she lifts her shackles for 

Diego to see, “and freeing me from you.”

“Don’t be stupid, you won’t be free. The only reason he wants to extract you from me is to absorb you in his own being. That’s just another prison for you,” Diego explained.

The Spirit giggled “I know. But he and you differ in ways that are beneficial to me. Unlike you, he will be easier to control, and he looks like fun. He wants to see this world burn, and well, so do I. Once he overuses my power, which he will, his body will be mine completely.”

Diego said nothing, she knew that to be the truth for a fact. Diego had unwillingly used the Black Spirits powers maybe once or twice before. She hated that power because it made her feel like a monster. The Spirit used Diego’s rampages as a window to control her and cause destruction.

“So, do us both a favour and sit down and be humble” the Spirit said happily. “Your death is my key out of this pathetic body of yours.”

“I thought you despised men?” Diego said calmly as she looked down at the Spirit. “True,” she agreed, “Sometimes men can be so stupid that you end up liking them.” Diego thought of King Dorian Sande.

“Face it child, there is nothing you can do. You are leagues away from Theronia, far from Zikhali Reed and trapped in Dorne in the custody of the Dornish. You are finished and you are left with no one.”

“I’m left with you.”

The Spirit laughed aloud “You’re funnier than Lexii. Not much help I will be to you though” Diego was desperate.

“You have some nerve asking me for help,” the Spirit hissed at her. “Lemme get this straight: you want my help to escape so that I can be imprisoned inside you forever? Is it me or does that sound dumb?”

Diego could find no words to respond.

“I’m sorry my dear, but this is a once in a lifetime window for me. We never liked each other anyway,” the Spirit said with contempt in her voice. “Now be gone! You’re ruining my victory song.”

“I’ll just kill myself then,” Diego declared with newly found confidence.

“Dorian already volunteered,” the Spirit responded.

“My death will take us the same way,”

“Are you that desperate?” the Spirit’s smile faded. 

“Hmph…are you scared?” Diego asked, feeling she had gotten through to her.

The Black Spirit showed no sign of fear. She called Diego’s bluffs, “You’re not nearly that stupid to take your own life.”

“You don’t know how crazy I can become,” Diego snapped back.

“Funny, we are one being. You are crazy, and I’m outa my mind,” the Spirit laughed. “Be gone, Diego!”  

The spirit, hanging her head, continued her singing.

Diego was powerless, her hand clenched into fist which she soon let go. She decided to take her leave, the Spirit made it clear that she wasn’t going to be of any help to Diego. She walked out the room disappointed.

“One last thing,” the Spirit halted Diego as she left.

Diego turned and looked at her. 

The Spirit winked, “Your life sucked anyway.” Diego just walked away. 

DIEGO

The Dornish maidens brushed her hair lightly as she gazed at herself in the mirror. It was probably the last time she’d ever see that reflection, she thought to herself. The maidens were sitting around her, making her look beautiful for the ritual for some reason. She looked more like a depressed ward than a prisoner in the castle.

The Dornish maids left her room once they were finished with her. Once she was alone in the room with her reflection, she started contemplating. The woman inside her was no help at all. 

All she cared about was escaping from her body.

Diego Reed stared deep at her reflection like she’d never seen herself before. Her long charcoal hair was brushed down to her back. Her eyes were as clear as a cloudless blue sky shaped in a sharp oval shape with dark linings. She had a small nose, an oval face, and a lazy, expressionless look. She was dressed in a white gown and slippers.

Tonight, the ritual begins, Diego contemplated anxiously. She was scared to death; she did not know what was going to happen nor what to expect. From the mirror she walked to the balcony and stared at the Sea of Dorne as its waters waved endlessly. The wind blew through her long black hair then she let out a sigh.

It’s been two months since her abduction from Theronia. Nobody saw it coming not even her father the king of Theronia.All Diego could remember was seeing a female knight dressed in black robes and with a concealed face. The female knight had somehow infiltrated the kingdom of Theronia with a few mages at her side. That night they just appeared in her room and cast a sleeping spell on her then they took her. Security in Theronia was as heavy as any ordinary kingdom and while the intruders were spotted escaping with the princess, they successfully escaped with Diego using a teleportation move.

It was obvious to her the Dornish prince was present anoungst her captors because of his signature move, the teleportation technique. What confused Diego was the presence of a female knight that night that led the Dornish men through the maze kingdom she lived in and how she knew where her room was

It was all blurry back then, but it all made sense to Diego now: the reason for her abduction and who her kidnappers really were. The Dornish.

Up until this day, there had not been any sign of men from the Order that come looking for her. It had been two months since she had disappeared. She was probably assumed dead. Her father King Zikhali Reed must have been devastated. 

The Black Spirit was right, she mulled over this depressing realization. Diego was alone and stranded. 

Now that she was in the hands of the Dornishmen, she knew of their plan to end her life by sucking the Black Spirit out of her being and transferring it to King Dorian’s own being. Diego knew that once the Spirit was extracted from her, she’d die on the spot. Apparently, the experience was like having your soul sucked out of your body. 

The story of the Black Spirit imprisoned inside Diego Reed went way back before she was even born. The first Black Spirit host in Theronia, known as a Pnevma, was her grandmother, Lady Mord Kross, who could control that unstable Dark Energy. Legend had it that said she had lived years as a happy Pnevma because she was gifted. When her body became weak due to old age, the Black Spirit forced its way out of her and that’s how she passed away. Back then, Mord’s daughter Aaliyah was expecting a baby with the king.  The spirit roamed the cities of Theronia for weeks causing destruction until Queen Aaliyah Reed and King Zikhali Reed battled the monster and sealed it within the Queen.   

A few days after the victory, the sealing of the Spirit caused the premature birth of Princess 

Diego and the death of the Queen. Ironically, when the Queen had performed the sealing on the Spirit into herself, the Spirit, for unknown reasons, was sealed into the unborn child, Diego. Zikhali took that as just a coincidence.

As she grew up, Princess Diego Reed’s father hid the fact that she was a Pnevma from her. That is, until recently, when she had found out unexpectedly. Just as Diego was trying to accept this realisation she was kidnapped and there she was, about to die.

Her life had taken a big turn, probably the last turn she’d ever witness. Before the ritual of her death commenced, there was a tournament that was to take place at the large amphitheatre close to the Sea of Dorne. Men and women from across the world were invited to either spectate or perform in the tourney. The winner would be granted one wish from the King.

She walked to the edge of the balcony and looked at the courtyard below her.  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought about jumping to end it all, but as she readied herself for the act, she was caught by one of the knights of Dorne.

“The King awaits you” he said,” the tournament is about to begin.”

Suicide attempt failed; the Spirit laughed. 

DORIAN

The king of Dorne sat next to his son, Prince Daerason, who was sipping wine.

The crowd roared wildly waiting for the tournament to start. They were all gathered in an amphitheatre in the castle near the Sea of Dorne.

Dorian scanned the crowd silently and smiled. He wore a golden crown over his aging face, long curly black hair tied in a ponytail fell on his back. Dorian’s face was getting bony, he had a beard over his mouth and chin.

Daerason looked like Dorian in his younger days. 

"You probably can’t wait for nightfall," Daerason commented.

"Nothing comes without patience," the king replied.

"Hmmm" Daerason sighed.

"I shall change this world."

Daerason giggled, "Please do father.”

Daerason was tall, slim and despised almost everything. He had short black hair and a mocking expression. 

"Where is the girl?" Daerason asked

"I sent Sir Ruth to go get her," said the king. A few moments later, Ruth came back escorting Princess Diego Reed.

"Speak of the devil," smiled the Prince.

As soon as everyone was seated and had calmed down, a host appeared in the ring and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen I am Gilberto. Rules of the tourney are simple. This is a fight to the death unless you quit. Any victor is granted anything they desire from our King." The crowd roared with excitement. 

"Let the tournament begin!” Gilberto blew a horn.

Diego Reed was the only one who did not look excited.

Two warriors emerged from the amphitheatre gateways and bowed their heads then faced each other ready to fight.

"An Earth Tribe." Dorian could identify where one of the fighters was from because of their clothing.  The fighters poured fists at each other; the Earth Triber knocked his opponent away who wore an iron helmet that concealed his face. The man with a helm blew a strong gust of wind from his mouth that sent  the Earth Triber flying toward the sky uncontrollably. 

"Hmmm?" Dorian thought out loud. "Wind Nature? Interesting."

The battle was intense but in the end the Wind Nature user emerged victorious. 

The winner bowed his head for the king. "State your name," Dorian commanded.

The warrior exclaimed, "I am Benson the Bold." "Benson the Bold?" Daerason wanted to laugh.

"I am from the Free cities. I have travelled far to fight and prove my worth to the Dornish," Benson declared.

"Indeed, you have proven your worth," said the king. "What is it that you desire?"

"Money." Benson answered." My family is suffering, and I need to take care of them."

"I see." the king said with indifference.

Gilberto came with a bag full of golden coins. The warrior was pleased and left.

Many more fights followed. Some warriors emerged victorious and others lost. Watching the fighters was always exciting because warriors came from afar to display their unique fighting natures.

After the tenth match, the captain of the Dornishmen appeared in full grey-and- blue armour and a cape. 

"Theo Alexand, the Black knight," Daerason whistled. "I guess he just wants to test his strength. What a bully."

Apparently, Theo Alexand had not seen defeat in any of his battles, his might insured that he was feared. 

"Who shall face me?" Barked the knight. No one dared to come out. Everyone feared the big, black knight.

"Seriously no one is foolish enough to take him on," laughed the Prince.

"You over exaggerated Theo's strength. He can still bleed. That makes him man," the king said calmly.

After a silence in the crowd, a boy with purple hair walked into the arena holding one of his boots, pouring out sand from it. Then he struggled putting it on.

"I’ll be honoured to face you, big guy," the boy said with confidence. "Right after I get into these boots!"