Queen Niamh, stood at the window of her chamber with a wine glass in her hand, looking at the setting sun. A deep frown lingered on her face. The wine glass was full and looked like she hadn’t even taken a sip. Her deep thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. She reeled back to her senses, put the glass down and said in a soft voice,
“Come in.”
A girl entered, short, a-lined bob reddish brown hair, snow like skin, nails painted black. She bowed and said,
“All ready, my Queen.”
Niamh, smiled and replied, “That’s great Euphenia. You are my most trusted sorceress. I want the culprit found. Otherwise you know how it’s going to affect Illusontis.”
Euphenia, “Be assured. We will get into the bottom of this.”
Niamh, let out a breath of relief, came and hugged her, saying, “What would I do without you sister.”
Euphenia hugged her back warmly, except her gaze turned into a dark one with an evil smirk, unbeknownst to Queen Niamh.
Queen Niamh and Euphenia were half-sisters through their mother, the late Queen Celestine. In Illusontis inheritance passes through the maternal line. Celestine’s marriage to Niamh’s father was arranged during their teenage years. They had a blissful life until Niamh’s father’s death in a sorcery accident. Niamh was only four years old. Celestine was heartbroken going into depression, but found solace in the company of the young royal librarian, as she liked to read books. Their company gradually turned into an affair, which left Celestine pregnant. But the librarian was not ready to become a father so he vanished one day without anyone’s knowledge. The queen gave birth to a second daughter and named her Euphenia. As they grew up Celestine treated both her daughters with equal love and care. Euphenia proved to be a fast learner and more efficient than Niamh but the latter being the legitimate child she was already destined to be next in line of throne. Though the Queen never distinguished between her daughters, people’s opinions differed. Euphenia, being smart understood it all too well. While on the outside she maintained the image of the prefect daughter, sister and princess of Illusontis, on the outside she grew dark and evil filled with deep hatred and malice towards her mother and elder sister. One day suddenly the Queen died of unknown reasons and almost immediately there was an attempt on Niamh’s life on the day of her coronation. It was foiled however and the assailants were caught, but they committed suicide as soon as they were apprehended, so who and why did they attack the heir apparent was never found out.
Years later now, Niamh rules Illusontis with Euphenia and their maternal uncle Lord Cornelius. The royal family comes from a long lineage of sorcerers who were the priestess and keepers of the temple of the sun god Uraos in the ancient times. They were the protectors of the mystic, ancient and powerful bracelet of Uraos. Made of pure gold the bracelet depicts a dragon eating its own tail, which represents the ‘cycle of life’. However the main power of the bracelet came from the blue sapphire stone called the Eye of Life , which held the power of pure force of life, in the eye of the dragon. Uraos projected his power from this bracelet as the supreme creator. But his daughter Serkhet, the goddess of death became evil and wanted the power of Uraos for herself, driven by jealously and envy of her twin sister Iseret, the goddess of life, as she was chosen to rule over earth, after Uraos has withdrawn from his long rule. She gathered followers from both the immortal and living realm and stole the Bracelet to use it to raise an army of undead creatures unleashing mayhem and destruction. The high priest of Uraos betrayed him and helped Serkhet to create blood sucking vicious humanoid creatures, called the Beasts, a process which affected her as well. The evil magic came at a price and Serkhet paid it by becoming the first vampire, living off human blood and vulnerable to sunlight. Soon she raised an army of Beasts and vampires, mortals who were turned by her. She struck her father and sister Iseret to take them down. However Iseret put up a strong resistance and defeated her. She took away the bracelet, destroyed her armies of undead and turned her body into stone imprisoning her in the Forest of Damnation.
After the war the world had werewolves, vampires and sorcerers alongside humans and it was chaos until Iseret under the guidance of Uraos helped restore order by separating all into different kingdoms of their own. The Bracelet of Uraos was kept under the protection of the sorcerers of the Uraos’s temple thus it was in Illusontis, until five hundred years ago. Since the Pact was about to be signed due to excessive intermingling of the species, half-breeds had to make quick choices as to which kingdom they will choose to stay. Amidst the commotion, one day it was discovered that the Eye of Life was missing from the Bracelet. Till now there was no sign of the Gem, no matter how much the kingdoms tried. Then one day after about fourty years later, the then Queen of Illusontis, Leora, along with the then Cresian King tracked the Gem to a ninety years old human lady. She lived with her widowed daughter and a grand-daughter. Accidentally, the old lady and her daughter were killed. They both made the granddaughter run to save her from being captured and killed. But she was caught thinking that she was running away with the Gem and mortally injured, and all that was found on her was a white crystal pendant. She was left to die on the streets by the Cresian royal guards. Even the passers-by refused to help her. She later passed away without treatment and excessive blood loss. It was a dead end in the search for the Gem of Aeylet. All the kingdoms gave up its pursuit thinking that the Gem was lost for good, being the most important piece of the bracelet.
With the latest development of the Beasts being created again, Niamh was worried. She knew her ancestry well enough and the secrets they had. But what she was most baffled was that how the Beasts are created without the Bracelet, since it was safely being guarded by the strongest of the sorcerers of Illusontis. She even thought of the re-emergence of the Gem of Aeylet but even then it will require the Bracelet to be used. Also according to the reports of the Nightshaders from Cresia the Beasts were killable with weapons. This wouldn’t be possible if they were made by using the Bracelet. Because according to the legends the Bracelet along with the Gem holds the ultimate power to create and destroy the creatures. No other sorcery or scientific experimentation, till now has been able to achieve that. Niamh thought to herself, that no matter what she has to find out the truth hence she agreed to send her sorcerers to aid the Nightshaders.
Niamh, sat down with Euphenia and offered her with a glass of wine speaking,
“Eu, there is something, I must discuss with you and you only. It is to be only known by you.”
Euphenia, “What is it sister?”
Niamh, “Remember the story our mother told about the Bracelet of Uraos, the supreme Sun God?”
Euphenia, “Yes, it is fabled to give the wearer the ultimate control and power to create and destroy life.But I heard that Eye of Life, the sapphire stone, was destroyed”
Niamh, “It wasn’t destroyed actually. It was a story made up to cover the truth that the Gem is missing.”
Euphenia’s eyes went wide with shock. Till now she has been exhausting out her powers on the Bracelet to work, not knowing that they are missing the ultimate key.
“Missing?” she asked bewildered.
Niamh, “Yes, our great-great grandmother along with King of Cresia tracked it to an old human lady. But upon searching they found nothing.”
Euphenia’s eyes narrowed with the new shocking information she just received. No wonder the Bracelet of Uraos is not in its full potential. But she has to make sure that Niamh doesn’t get the air of the fact that the ‘real’ Bracelet is with her. It has been the long, desire of Euphenia to strike back and take all that was rightfully her. So she acted well to get along with her sister and prove to be the perfect confidant. Sometimes back she stole the real Bracelet and has placed a fake in its place. Being the second Princess and most trusted by Niamh she was free to go in and out of the Keep, the dungeon which hold several magical and powerful artifacts, protected by heavy wards of magic. Only Niamh and Euphenia were free to go in and out of it without supervision.
Euphenia as a child was inclined to forbidden magic and took great interest in the goddess Serkhet and her myths. She started to seek and practice dark magic as her faith in Serkhet grew and one day she was caught by her mother. However, the Queen grew sick and died a few days later and Euphenia continued her practice in secrecy. Since then she has devised her own sinister plan in overthrowing her sister and in the bid to do that she secretly joined leagues with the banished Prince of Vladmore, Rhain, by giving him the bracelet to create the Beasts. But both of them never could figure out as why the Beasts were mortal. With Niamh’s piece of information she now finally understood where they were missing. So she made preparations accordingly and with the fact she will be going to Cresia Euphenia, started to chalk out her next move in finding the sapphire Gem for the Bracelet.
Euphenia returned to her chamber and locked the door putting up a spell so that her activities inside would not be known. With that she magically teleported through her astral projection to Rhain who was hiding out in an abandoned countryside shack in Cresia. She relayed the information about the Gem being last tracked to Cresia four hundred years ago. Rhain listened to it and then spoke,
“It was lost, they say?”
Euphenia, “Yes, the woman they thought had it, as per her mother and grandmother, did not have it on her when they checked her.”
Rhain, frowned and asked, “Perhaps they got the wrong information.”
Euphenia, “It was tracked by our great-great grandmother through magic, there was no mistake in that.”
Rhain, after pausing for a few seconds, asked, “What happened to the woman they caught?”
Euphenia, “She was bled to death. These Cresian soldiers left her to die after injuring her mortally.”
Rhain, “When did this incident happened?”
Euphenia, “About nearly four hundred years ago, I guess. Why?”
Rhain somehow felt uneasy with what he just heard and did not answer Euphenia’s question. They made some detailed plans according to what they came to know. Rhain will continue to look into the family of the killed family five hundred years ago and see if any link to the lost Gem can be found. Euphenia will work closely with the Nightshaders and proceed with the plan.
After Euphenia ended her astral connection with Rhain, she laid down on her bed, deep in thought. The expression on Rhain’s face after he asked about that human family four hundred years ago. Rhain has always been mysterious, thus Euphenia sometimes found it hard to trust him. But till now he has never sabotaged her plans and their partnership was in a manner still steady. She, however, could shake off the bizarre story of the human family. Their family of sorceresses was known for their impeccable magical prowess. It cannot be that Queen Leora made a mistake or was misguided. It is in their blood to feel the Gem and no matter how long it took they were able to track it. But after that incident, it was said the sorceresses could not feel its presence hence, they kind of concluded that the Gem might be lost or destroyed for good. Nevertheless, Euphenia could not bring herself to accept it and something about the human family kept bugging her, especially the granddaughter. Deep, in thinking Euphenia, muttered to herself,
“Who are you exactly?”
At the same time, the door of the interrogation room at the royal palace of Cresia opened. The apprehended werewolf, injured and strapped with silver chains looked up. Two electric, icy blue eyes glistened in the dark as someone stepped inside through it. As the lights came on, he looked at the vampire princess of Vladmore and his eyes were filled with terror as she approached him slowly.
King Zachaeus, looked gloomy, staring at the night sky from his high-rise balcony. A gold-plated box clutched in his palms. His expression was sternly dark, as flashes of scenes played in his mind. Screams of women, chasing footsteps, a bloody hand clung onto the hem of his clothes; the person on the brink of death uttered a request which he reluctantly fulfilled. The dying person’s eyes showed no signs of despair or fear, rather they were filled with hatred and a strange aura of strength, followed by an ear-splitting scream.Zachaeus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then proceeded to open the box. The insides of it were covered in red velvet and in it, there was a white round crystal, shattered into pieces. He took out the biggest shard which still has the shape of its initial form and looked at it, before putting it back, and closing the lid. He then went up to a locker that was concealed within a phoenix statue in his room and put it back. Soon his phone rang; the screen
“I am not sleepy!”, the little girl grumpily said.Her father was trying to put her to sleep with a lullaby, yet failing at the same time. He let out a sigh and said,“ Zeru, you have to sleep, it is late and you have lessons early in the morning.”Zeru, “But father, I am not sleepy. How about you tell me a story instead, please.”Father, “You little troublemaker! Do you know your way out huh?! Okay, but promise you will sleep after the story and no excuse.”Girl, “I promise!” Father, “Alright. Once upon a time, there was a god who was the supreme creator of all lives. He had two twin daughters. He entrusted them with the task of life and death. For him, life and death are a circle that keeps rolling like a wheel. The elder of the sisters was entrusted with life while the younger with death. But the younger one grew envious of her sister as she considered that
King Xavier, was gearing up to welcome the convoy of from Illusontis as per Queen Niamh’s promise to lend help towards the monster problem. The security has been beefed up around the royal palace following the unexpected scene caused by the captured werewolf. Things were naturally on Nezeira since it happened under her watch. But, she went and explained what exactly happened. The King and Queen were embarrassed to death to hear Nezeira. Yet she withheld the other shenanigans of the prince out of sheer respect for them, as they are visibly troubled by this rowdy son of theirs.While in conversation the king informed Nezeira about the sorceresses from Illusontis who will be sent here to help them. Nezeira, bowed and took note of it and promised to comply. After coming out of the palace she received a call from Yihan.“Yes, tell me,” she answered.Yihan, “Mr. Malcolm is on a business trip to another province and will return after two days. I am afraid you gotta wait till then.”Nezeira,
Euphenia was reeling under the encounter last night. Her head felt occupied by the handsome prince of Cresia pushing away the determination and focus she came here. But she shook off the distraction and concentrated on the real purpose of her visit. She dressed and headed out to meet the princess of Vladmore. The woman she was keen to meet for a long time. It intrigued her to finally see Rhain's obsession with her. Suddenly something struck her. Rhain showed her a picture of the princess once; exquisite looking with extraordinary blue eyes. But yesterday when she saw her she didn't have blue eyes and looked pretty normal for a vampire. With all these thoughts in her mind, Euphenia didn't notice Nezeira came standing by her side. "Princess!", Nezeira spoke which startled Euphenia a little and she turned around. Letting out a smile she said, "My apologies I didn't notice you come. Shall we discuss the situation here?" Nezeira, " Yes, of course. We can speak at the guest house if that
Nezeira came out of the ball and walked towards the open terrace facing the sea. The stars were twinkling in the night sky with the sound of sea waves crashing on the rocky shores. The silence of the night and the rumbling of the sea was more soothing to her than the music and people's endless talking inside. Her eyes glowed in the semi-dark terrace as she for some reason sharpened her vision through the darkness of the night. She looked directly at the sea, and saw every minute detail underneath of waves; the sand whirling with dead shells in them, and other organisms. She also spotted bioluminescence as well. The joy of watching such fascinating details didn't show on her face but it definitely made her heart content with it. Her expression turned serene. The Nezeira four hundred years ago would have had a lovely smile on her face watching the waves but the present one is so embittered with her past that she hardly lets out the locked emotions inside her and now it has become natural
The cries of a woman echoed through the walls of the Temple of Uraos, as she was in labor. Few men stood outside the birth chamber of the temple and waited. One of them briskly walked to and fro with a worried expression. Seeing him stressed, one of the men called out,“Elyx, do not worry. All will be fine. Remember today is the auspicious day of Uraos. Look, the red star has risen and shining brightly. It is a sign that this child will be special.”Elyx looked up to the night sky and saw the bright reddish star glowing in full vigor. He looked at it and whispered, “The auspicious star, Nezeira,” and smiled. At that moment loud cries of a baby replaced the screams of her mother. Then a midwife came out and said with a big smile,“It is a girl sire!”Congratulations poured in for Elyx. He was elated but restless to meet his newborn daughter. After a while, the midwives came out and invited Elyx into the birthing chamber. His wife Fayah looked exhausted yet gleaming with happiness with
Euphenia slowly crept out of the bed without waking Yihan up. She felt soreness all over her body yet her mind was at peace. She slowly reached for the night robe and wore it. Taking her bracelet and slowly came out onto the balcony. She touched it and made a connection with Rhain. As soon as the connection was established as Euphenia saw that Rhain is a somewhere desolate place, weak and struggling to keep up. His clothes were blood-soaked with a severe bite wound on his left neck. Euphenia aghast at Rhain’s condition asked,“What the hell happened to you?”Rhain, panting with a quivering voice spoke, “Help me. Please. I will die at this rate. I need blood.”Euphenia, “ Now?! Alright, where are you?”Before Rhain could answer her, he collapsed due to blood loss, and the connection was swapped abruptly. The bracelet connection works through the energy of one’s consciousness and life force as it was made by binding their blood. So when Rhain collapsed as his life force was withering aw
The giant oak tree stood at the edge of the meadow. Two children; a girl and a boy, were playing under its cool shadow. The boy had scar marks on his wrists and ankles. The marks are like of being chained up. The little girl curiously asked him,“Are you hurt?”The boy, “Not really. These help me not to hurt anyone.”The girl, “You hurt anyone then?”The boy remained silent and did not answer. He has overgrown hairs all over his body. It looked more like fur. For a seven-year-old kid having this unusual appearance was something challenging. Every other child in that village gets irked by his unusualness and avoids him, except this little girl. The boy’s loneliness disappeared the day this little girl arrived in the village. Being a half-werewolf comes with its own setbacks. Especially for a kid. The werewolf traits are unstable and fickle. It can get triggered at any moment with the slightest emotional nudge during the full moon days of the month. It starts from a week before the full
King Zachaeus sat by the study desk of his grand chambers. A book was open on the table and he flicked through its pages. His mind was in deep thought. A knock on the door of his chambers zapped him back into the present. He quickly closed the book and adjusted his clothes and said, “Come in!” His secretary entered and bowed. “Your Majesty!” Zachaeus said, “Ulfred, Tell me.” Secretary Ulfred, humbly replied, “Your Highness, the princess has been officially declared as the most wanted in the four kingdoms. Will you really not do anything to help her?” Zachaeus, “My hands are tied Ulfred. I cannot go against the monarchs. And also, many of our cabinet members are against it as well.” Ulfred, concerned asked, “But Your Highness……she is your daughter. You, might not share the same blood but the bond between you two is no less than a real…...” Zachaeus, raised his hands cutting Ulfred mid-way. “Before her father, I am a king. There are obligations I have to fulfill as one.” Ulfred
“Maya!” A vampire woman called out. She has been out in the forest hunting with her daughter who is approaching her adolescence. Being a dhampir she has to struggle during her growing years fighting the powerful thirst for human blood. But as she crossed the threshold of adolescence her thirst gradually came into control and her mother started taking her out to hunt animals. As a child, she was monitored strictly from not going feral and gorging on human blood. The vampire woman suddenly heard a snarling noise from a distance and the next moment her vampiric senses became alert, especially her olfactory sense. Her red eyes constricted and fixed in a certain direction. the next moment the snarling noise started to become more and more fierce and along with it there was a sound similar to a scuffle. The vampire woman dashed in her supersonic speed towards the commotion following the sound. The scene in which she finally arrived shocked her to the core. Maya was snarling with her fang
An elderly councilman sprinted through the magnificent halls of the royal palace of Illusontis. The royal palace boasts of dreamy architecture, an amalgamation of various styles, from deco to nouveau. The entire palace was wrapped in a natural effect with trees and small animals roaming here and there. It is as if an enchanted forest has been transformed into a palace. Magic was everywhere.Queen Niamh was busy with her council in the throne room. The councilman came running and stopped in front of the grand table. Niamh understood the urgency and ordered,“Everyone! Leave us!”Everyone left. Queen Niamh eagerly asked,“What is it?”The councilman, “Disturbing news Your Majesty!”Queen Niamh, “And Rosaline?”The councilman spoke, “She is managing to hold up.”“Tell me everything you know”, Queen Niamh ordered.The councilman relayed the entire ordeal. Right from Lunaveria’s theft to Nezeira being branded as a fugitive.Niamh listened to it with extreme distress. The councilman sharin
The secretary hurriedly ran through the corridor of the floor building, before pushing the door of the practice hall open. Yihan was rehearsing choreography for his upcoming performance at a music event with his dance crew. The secretary approached him and whispered something in Yihan’s ears. He instantly stopped with a shocked look on his face. “All projects are postponed until further notice”, he turned around and announced. The group had frustrated looks on their face but they didn’t dare speak anything against him. Yihan grabbed his jacket and ran with his secretary tailing behind him. Reaching his office he picked up his bag and was about to leave when his secretary spoke, “Sir you didn’t change. You are in your gym suit.” Yihan cast an angry look at him and spoke gritting his teeth, “Call, Emmet, and tell him about me.” The secretary cowered in fear and replied, “Yes, sir at once.” Yihan, “Give me the car keys. You wrap things up in the office and go home. Wait for my call.
Nezeira lay unconscious among the rocks and bushes alongside the mountain road. It was dark around the break of dawn. She has sustained serious injuries all over her body which a slowly healing up; the perks of being a vampire. The explosion was rather a powerful one magnified with magic perhaps to enhance the damaging prowess. The explosion made Nezeira fly several feet into the air before throwing her off violently into the wilderness. Nezeira came back to her senses as thin steaks of sunlight hit her eyes at the break of the dawn. As she tried to move she felt the pain in her limbs with patches of blood here and there. Somehow she managed to sit up. Her right temple had dried blood indicating it was injured as well and now all healed up. She sat for a few minutes in silence before gathering her superhuman senses to figure out where she was. Her ear twitched and caught up with all sorts of sounds of the forest; animals, chirping birds, insects, and even the rustling of the trees. S
King Treznor woke up in the middle of the night as his squire knocked on his bedroom chamber door. He put on his robes and ordered, “Come in.” Squire, “Your Majesty! Something bad happened.” Treznor, “Tell me what is it.” Squire, “The Chamber of the Ancients has been breached. The guards are dead. The Book is missing.” Treznor was shocked, “How is that even possible?! It was secured for centuries.” He at once left for with his squire. The Chambers of the Ancients is located deep within the mountains of Luneveria, about a couple of miles away from the royal palaces. A deep forest separates the royal palace and the mountains. King Treznor, his squire, and a few royal guards drove across it toward the mountain area. As they reached the mountain hold the scene was chaotic. Royal personnel was scattered all over. Medics were called to treat the wounded. Several werewolves were lying dead. Treznor, “Who could have done this?!” Squire, “ The vampires, Your Majesty?” At that moment th
The heavenly realm erupted in days-long celebrations. The supreme god Uraos had conceived twin daughters. For a long time, he had desired for an heir to take over the responsibility of the Heavenly Realm. For that, he came down from his heavenly abode and spent years in mediation and cultivation to conceive his divine child on a secluded mysterious island on earth. As the supreme divinity, he coalesced his virtues and powers into one entity. He wanted his successor to have no vices or weaknesses. So he poured all his divinity into it to make sure there was no negativity or evilness in it. The energy pool condensed into a physical culmination and took the form of a baby girl. The baby had perfect delicate features and the surroundings glowed in a powerful aura. But, within a few seconds of her birth, an unknown energy surge happened just where she lay, in the color of black smoke. The energy then condensed into another physical form of a baby girl just like the first one. As soon as the
The giant oak tree stood at the edge of the meadow. Two children; a girl and a boy, were playing under its cool shadow. The boy had scar marks on his wrists and ankles. The marks are like of being chained up. The little girl curiously asked him,“Are you hurt?”The boy, “Not really. These help me not to hurt anyone.”The girl, “You hurt anyone then?”The boy remained silent and did not answer. He has overgrown hairs all over his body. It looked more like fur. For a seven-year-old kid having this unusual appearance was something challenging. Every other child in that village gets irked by his unusualness and avoids him, except this little girl. The boy’s loneliness disappeared the day this little girl arrived in the village. Being a half-werewolf comes with its own setbacks. Especially for a kid. The werewolf traits are unstable and fickle. It can get triggered at any moment with the slightest emotional nudge during the full moon days of the month. It starts from a week before the full
Euphenia slowly crept out of the bed without waking Yihan up. She felt soreness all over her body yet her mind was at peace. She slowly reached for the night robe and wore it. Taking her bracelet and slowly came out onto the balcony. She touched it and made a connection with Rhain. As soon as the connection was established as Euphenia saw that Rhain is a somewhere desolate place, weak and struggling to keep up. His clothes were blood-soaked with a severe bite wound on his left neck. Euphenia aghast at Rhain’s condition asked,“What the hell happened to you?”Rhain, panting with a quivering voice spoke, “Help me. Please. I will die at this rate. I need blood.”Euphenia, “ Now?! Alright, where are you?”Before Rhain could answer her, he collapsed due to blood loss, and the connection was swapped abruptly. The bracelet connection works through the energy of one’s consciousness and life force as it was made by binding their blood. So when Rhain collapsed as his life force was withering aw