Prodigy

Prologue
The Great Death


Farah thought for sure that she was inhaling darkness. The air was so thick, it seemed to be strangling her. Her body was completely wet from the skies tears as she walked home from the academy. Thirsty she was, but this wetness was so bitter. So bitter that it hurt to breath. Footsteps rumbled behind her, that put jolts of fear and cold in to her mind and body.

She had to get home. She was not ready for this great an enemy, and she knew it. She could not take this great of challenge by herself. “ Can I make it?” this thought boggled her mind. “ Just pretend you don’t know it is there!” A brief laugh escaped from her mouth. And suddenly, a splitting sound hit her ears, the call of a Sheeph. The air shattering noise froze her step, and before another scream came, she was running.

Running, running, never stopping for air, no time, time only to run. How far behind her could it be? It could be right behind her, nipping at her heels, and she wouldn’t even know. The cloaking of these creatures remains un mastered. Only when the chosen one becomes of age, may it be taken to another. Along with many other talents and skills that remain undiscovered. Coming to the final turn, Farah sees her house, and possible safety.

Candles flickered in the window, spilling waters of gold upon the ground outside. Her father was on the porch. His dark hair soaked as his eyes strained to see the commotion in the nights darkness.

As soon as the figure, rapidly approaching the house, was much closer and visible in the candlelight that illuminated this stormy night, Meph soon realized that it was his daughter, in trouble. He diligently ran inside to get his wife. He was no worker of magic, at that, he had no magic in his blood to consume his spirit at all. However, despite this, he was married to an all magic bloodline, a very powerful one in fact.

White hair seemed to flow through the door, slamming in to Meph before he had a chance to call upon his wife’s services. The scream rode diligently through the air, and hit his wife’s ears before Meph could sit up. “Why tonight?” Lily breathed rushing to her daughters aid. Farah had reached her mother nearly crying, and gasping for air. “ Mom, Mom, it is here, it is following me!!” Farah managed.
“Relax dear, I know. I heard it’s call coming from the front, and now I am out here.”
“What are we going to do? Mom we must do something!”
“Collect yourself child, and we will be alright.”
“But Mom!!-“
Farah was cut off. “Do you have your talisman, and more importantly, your voice?”
“Talisman yes, but voice....” Farah gasped for air as if she were a dog after a hunt, “I don’t know.”
“Well, you are going to have to try to sing with me.”
“I will try.-“
“You must child!!Let your voice be heard to the world!” And so they began to chant. The sharp words sliced through the air as if it were butter, slowing the beast that was hunting them. Ever slowing. Farah gasped for air clutching her talisman that grew comfort around her neck. Struggling to keep up with her mother, she was. Out of breath, and out of words, silence danced across the night floor. “Did we kill it?”
“I believe so child. Just wait, and we will see.” With a swift movement of her hand, Farahs mother finished off what she thought was the beast. A low squeal came from the darkness, and echoed off the house back at them. “What was that?” asked Farah.
“Not that creature, that is for-“ But her mother ever got to finish her sentence. Plummeting through the air, a beast unseen. Farah’s mother fell to the ground, but somehow had her daggers in hand upon contact, and was ready to fight.

Tearing at her stomach, this creature again screamed, only this time, in pain. The cloaking now dimmed, and you could faintly make out the outline of the creature, with it’s dark blue body against the night’s darkness. Her mother screamed and began to cry as the creature collapsed to her chest. Torn nearly
in two, she took her final words. “Farah, use your powers wisely. Always remember that you cannot carve your own path, and that it only unfolds in front of you.”
“No Mom, you can’t leave!!”
“Honey, you must be strong now, and you have to let me go.”
“I can’t, not yet!”
“You have too. Farah, listen, you have more power than you may ever know. Farah, you must use it to cleanse these lands of evil, and rid it of hate. Farah, listen to me! This may not make any sense now, but one day, you will understand.” As her last breath wheezed out of her body, and her now limp hand fell from Farahs, the memories of all Farahs times with her mother sprang through her head. She knew that there would be no more of these, and that she was on her own now. That this was the final list, and rememberance of her mother. “Come Farah, to your alcove.” her father spoke forgivingly. “There is nothing more we can do for her now. She as at the mercy and the will of the gods, may she be at peace.”
“May you find peace and happiness mother. We will be united again.” A tear fell to her mothers face as she turned.





Chapter 1
The Journey


Footsteps of thunder were planted upon the ground the next morning. Farah’s rich brown hair lay rustled in her face as the earth rattling stopped. “So close it seemed to come, I wonder why it stopped?” Farah wondered as she lie awakened by the noise. “And where did it stop?” Suddenly a loud crashing noise came upon the door and its old hinges, Meph quickly rushed to its call. Upon opening the door Meph was staring at a mans chest. Looking up, the man began to speak. “I am looking for Farah, daughter of the great Lily Van Truobcus.” a soldier spoke loudly.
“There is no Farah at this residence, I am afraid you are mistaken.”
“Non sense you fool, I know that she dwells here!” the soldier returned forcing the door open. The ceiling was barely tall enough for him to stand straight. Shifting his head around the house he saw a small table with a cup of water and fresh bread sitting on it. The table had the wooden chairs around it along with a deer pelt beneath it. Lily always thought wolf would be better, but Farah wouldn’t have it. Wolves were her favorite creature, and she wouldn’t have a dead one to walk on. Turning his head more was a doorway with a girl standing in it with three beds behind her. “Ahh...you must be Farah, daughter of Lily.”
“Yes, I am, but what concern of it is yours?” Farah responded.
“I have come to take you to my kingdom.” The king of Astresia stepped in.
“For what matter is my visit?”
“You are now of the age to begin your true training, not with these...beginners that you have been working with here. You see Farah, it is in your future to do great things, things beyond annything that anyone else has accomplished in decades.”
“This must be what my mother was speaking of...great things.” Farah thought briefly.
“Come my child we must hurry, the day is only beginning.” The kings old and hoarse voice spoke out.
“Father, mother told me that I would do great things, things beyond belief, do I have your permission to leave?”
“You have my permission to leave only with the knowledge that I will miss you deeply and that we may never see each other again.”
“Father, may I also leave you with knowledge, that of I will return, and that we will see each other again, may it be in this world or the next.” Farah turned from her father and was amazed by the number of horses with mounted soldiers were ahead of her.


All horses had riders but three, of those three two were black, and one was white. All mounted riders were atop black horses as well. The king was aided to the top of his horse by the soldier that came to the door. Surprisingly he came over to Farah next to help her on, but she had to refuse. “I have never ridden a horse before, and I don’t think that now would be a good time to learn.” The soldier nodded and put her on his horse and tied Faraf’s new horse to his. Then he mounted himself , and they rode off in to the early morning sky.

Farah was thrilled with the wonders beyond her village, tree to every side for as far as you could see. Little rat like things with bushy tails would scurry across the trail when they heard the horses steps approaching. Birds would fly out in every direction to try to get to safety, though the soldiers were not harming them. Farah didn’t understand this, though she dare not ask. The ride to the kingdom so far was very quiet. No one seemed to talk or be friendly at all except for two dirty people who had to walk alongside the horses with there hands bound. They tried to talk, but were silenced.

Even a different smell overwhelmed Farah, the smell of the trees. Trees with little green needles encased the trail giving it an amazing scent. Farah couldn’t seem to breathe fast enough, she wanted more of that smell, that rich smell of the needles. Farah called them needles because she remembered her mother using something that looked like them to patch her clothing when she fell, of to knit a sweater for winter, that is where she saw them before. Of course they were not green, and they didn’t smell good either.

At first the horses footsteps seemed so loud to her, but now the sun was directly over head and she was growing used to the sound. By this time her legs began to chap from the movement of the horse, and her body grew tired of sitting. She began to wiggle and move around a bit. She tried to stretch her arms and back but couldn’t because she lost her balance and nearly fell off the horse but the soldiers arm caught her in time and pulled her back in to position.
The horses walk in perfect pattern down the trail in a very high manner. Two lines of five down the side, and a triangle of three in between them. Her and the soldier on the one horse, the king on another, and another young maiden formed the triangle. Aside from the pattern made, all the horses seemed to step at the same time with either leg. “ It seems unreal” thought Farah “How well these animals are trained.” Farah wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and sat back as the day grew later and later.

It was now near sundown, and the enormous castle was now in sight, but wasn’t very clear. All Farah could see was that it had an enormous wall around it wit a big wooden piece in it. “It must be th bridge” Farah thought. The castle was all grey, and had posts at every corner, Farah counted thirteen. “This castle must have a thousand rooms in it. And many books and chairs and tables too. Unlike our home, with one table and no books.” Farah thought slowly approaching the castle.

The group of soldiers, the king, and Farah were now at the draw bridge, and one of the soldiers shouted “LOWER THE BRIDGE!!” a head poked up over the wall to see who it was, ducked again, and with a loud creaking noise of gears the bridge began its decent. The slowness of it coming down was like a curtain, slowly unveiling parts of what lay behind it. As the bridge collided with the ground, Farah saw the market and the streets of Astresia. People scurried about doing various tasks of baking bread and buying fruit.

Upon entering Farah could hear whispers coming from various places around the crowd. Some would say “There she is” or “She looks just like her mother” and some people didn’t even know who she was, which didn’t surprise her. This because she didn’t know how the people who knew who she was knew her. She had never left her village. The sound of the horses footsteps changed very much when they hit the stone. Loud clunking noises were produced from them. It sounded as if they had metal under their feet.

The streets of the kingdom looked much like her own village, only without the stone. The buildings were made of stone with straw roofs, everything for sale was in small wooden crates or baskets propped up by some more straw. They all had shades to protect from the skies rays of heat during the day. A ways down the street a group of children were playing some game Farah had never heard of. “They will have to teach me.” Farah thought. They were know nearing the end of the road and the soldiers marched ahead and formed a walkway to the doors of the palace.

The soldier got off, helped Farah off, then tended to getting the king off. After he was through with the king, he got the maiden off of her horse and had three men lead their horses away to the stables for water and food. Inside the doors of the kingdom was a long hall way lit by candles on the sides of the walls and beautiful hanging chandeliers of silver on the ceiling. At the end of the hall way was the king’s throne. The gold shown about the room with the luxurious red for cushion. Beside it was another throne only lower than the kings. After the king sat down, the soldier did, only he was no soldier, he was the prince.

“My dear girl” the king spoke “A feast is being prepared for us now. Leaf will show you to your room so that you can change and freshen up for the feast. Go with her.” Leaf came and took Farah by the hand and led her up stone stairs down a hall way and in to her room closing the door behind her. First Leaf took Farah in to a smaller room and ran warm water all over her aching body. “This feels so good, I could get used to this.” Farah thought. Leaf handed her a drying cloth which Farah dried with. Back in to the bedroom, Farah was dressed in a gown so soft. Her hair laid free upon her shoulders untouched.

Entering the room where the feast had been prepared, she found the king and prince already there with others sitting at a long heavy wood table. A red cloth ran from end to end on the table with four candles to hold it in place. A pig had been roasted and was steaming sitting on the table with an apple in its mouth waiting to be eaten. Also there were many loafs of fresh bread and fillets of fish sitting on the table. A golden goblet with red wine was placed at every seat around the table. Farah quickly sat down.

Everyone began to eat all at once and by instinct Farah followed. Picking up her eating utensils she began to gracefully cut the pig that had been put on her plate, and softly buttered her bread. Having a sip of wine every now and then as well. She had never had wine before, but she thought it had an ill taste, but she still drank it. “How does everyone know who I am?” Farah asked.
“ Well, everyone knew who your mother was, and that she had had a daughter. They saw you and immediately knew who you were.” the king replied taking a sip of wine from his goblet with his old and shaking hands.

The king sat there hunched over vigorously eating as if he had been staved for days. His skin was so old it seemed to be falling off of his bones. His grey hair was ruffles up around the crown, and his teeth were a deep yellow. He had brood shoulders, and was quite tall. He was probably once a very hansom man.

Plates clattered and knives sliced for what seemed ages. “How much longer can we be here for?” wondered Farah. Sipping her wine and smiling she was deep in to the night. The king and his guests were talking about random subjects, and were constantly laughing on them. The prince brought up the subject fo a bride, but his father grew angry and would hear nothing of it. His father believed that the kingdom was his and that he would not have a woman sitting beside him in its rule. “Why don’t you want your son to have a wife, my lord. Do you really have such an ill thought and foul tongue of women?” Farah asked.
“Hold your tongue girl, it is not you place to argue my decisions.”
“I was only saying that...”
“Know your place girl, know that it is beneath your king!”
“You are not my king, my village isn’t yours, I am not yours!” Farah bursts back and runs off in to the darkness and back to her room.

Farah had a single candle burning in the room, flickering from the night breeze. She lay in her bed crying staring at the stars and wishing she was home. “Why did I leave? Why did my father let me go? I want to be back at home with my mother and father, not here in this bed I don’t own, with this king I do not know. I know it is what mother would have wished for me to do, but it is just so hard. I just want to go home.”

“Father how could you, she is just a girl!” the prince stood up.
“A foul girl who needs no position to argue my thoughts and beliefs. A girl who will turn in to another foul woman. Can’t you see my son...”
“I see nothing but your hate towards women and how cruel you are!” The prince left the feast and went to find Farah.

He found her still crying in her room. “ Farah, I am sorry, but you must excuse my father. You are very brave to speak back to him, no other has in a long time. Being Lilies daughter must give you strength. If it helps, I do not share the same feelings of women he does. I think them ill and un human. I hope you understand.”
“Understand, understand! If your father hates women so much, why did he bring me here. Why did he have to make me live through this! Why?”
“You have strength, strength enough to save our world, cleanse it of evil, and free all people from evils. He brought you here to begin your training, training you must have to reach your full potential in your magic. The world needs you.”
“What evils would I rid, there will always be evil. Hate, injustice, and death! How can I stop all that from happening!”
“I do not know, but it is written you can. It has been done before, but the aging from the years has weakened it and it is up to you to make it strong again, you must do it.”
“Let me sleep now.” The prince respected her wishes and blew out the candle on his way out.








Chapter 2
The Kingdom

The sun beat on Farah’s eyelids from the open window as the birds sang the song of awakening. She Slowly opened her eyes and everything was blurry. She blinked a few times, and then could see again. “Where am I?” Farah wondered, “I don’t remember a thing, how did I end up here?” Slowly everything came back to her as she thought on the subject. She remembered the horse ride, her mother dying, and...the fight with the king.

She looked around the room and saw many things. Such as a shelf with pottery and drying clothes on it. She saw a wooden stand with an opened top box on it with various pieces of jewelry in it. They sparkled in the sun light and hurt her eyes, that were now very sensitive. Most importantly to her, she saw breakfast, eggs and bread. They lie on a tray with a beautiful gold on top, along with a white cloth along side.

After Farah had finished eating, Leaf came in to dress her for the day. She wasn’t dressed in a dress or anything fancy, however. She was dressed in baggy purple pants with a white top. The colors were not faded at all, they seemed new. Newly died, newly sewed, and newly worn. Leaf informed her that this was what she would wear on days when she did not have training. Then she showed her the training outfit.

“The colors are so magnificent. The design, swirls of purples and gold and blues. It is hooded too. And A WOLF! A wolf surrounded by the magnificence of everything else.” Farah examined.
“Do you like it?” asked Leaf.
“It is absolutely the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. That isn’t actually mine is it?” Farah asked.
“Of course it is silly. Why would it be in here if it wasn’t?” Leaf replied. “Today, you have nothing to do. So do what you like, wonder the kingdom, go to the streets, do what pleases you.” Leaf stated as she exited the room. And Farah took Leafs advice.

“It feels good to walk again” Farah thought. “I am so stiff from that horse ride from yesterday.” Farah walked through the long hallway that her room was in, down the stairs, through another larger hallway, past the room she had had the feast In last night, and in to the throne room. Surprisingly she saw that the throne was empty. “Where could the king be?” Farah wondered. “Could he possibly still be sleeping this far in to the day. Perhaps he could be, after all he is royalty.” As she walked out the massive doors she was nearly ran over by a large horse pulled cart carrying fruit and vegetables. Some were dirty, and some were clean, some looked very old, and some looked freshly picked.

“It is probably all for the kingdom too. That selfish king lets his people starve as he feasts on luxuries others will never live to know. Royalty.” Farah spoke to herself with an ill tongue. As Farah stood up, she began to look in what direction she would begin her new adventure. In front she saw where the market must be. To the left was the homes and the right was little shops for everything you would possibly need. Farah began to walk forward and look around. She saw many small alleyways to either side of her. The carts of the market were just ahead of her when suddenly a young boy came rushing out of one of the alleyways. He had a few apples in his hand and a couple of carrots. Two more boys followed behind the first.

“Come quick, they are after us!! We mustn’t waste time, we must hurry.” The first boy said.
“Quick, we can hide over there.” another said. Quickly all four of them ducked behind a broken cart that was up against a pottery shop. Guards came rushing out of the alleyway the boys came from and began to look around. They went up toward the castle, they thought they were chasing the boys. “That was a close one.” one of the boys breathed.
“There you are we have you now!” a deep booming voice came from behind.
“ QUICK RUN!!!” All four jumped to their feet and took off at a full sprint trying to escape the guards clutches. They quick turned down an alleyway, dropping most of the fruit, and saw another turn that they could take. They quick took it and ran in to another guard. They turned and ran. Through one turn and another. After one turn they ran in to some maids carrying water to the kingdom . They quick apologies and ran off. “Did we lose them?” Farah asked after another turn.
“I am not sure”
“I hope so, I am almost out of breath” another boy stated.
“Really?” Farah asked. The quick saw a shop and turned in to it. They began faking to look like they were looking for something, when suddenly they realized it was a smoke shop that they had entered. They quick ran out and began walking down the street like ordinary people. “Why were those guards chasing you?” Farah asked.
“Because, we had stolen some food from a cart.” The first boy replied. “ My name is Darrow. That is my brother Darren. That is my friend Phron. And you are?”
“I am Farah, some people would find it a surprise you don’t know me. And of course others wouldn’t.” Farah replied.
“I saw that you came from the kingdom.” Darrow stated.
“Yes,” Farah replied, “I am here to begin my advanced training in my chantings.”
“You are a chanter. I have heard of chanters, but never thought I would meet one face to face.” Darrow replied eagerly.
“Can you show us some chantment” Phron asked.
“Sure, here is one of the first tricks I learned.” Farah began chanting. Slowly a small whirlwind began to form. Dust swirled through the growing and growing as Farah chanted louder and louder. Words came like a rushing stream of water across her lips as the now very large swirl spun about. Slowly she began to chant slower and slower until she was barely over a whisper, and the swirl stopped. It was silent for a moment as the boys sat open mouthed and mesmerized. “That was amazing!” exclaimed Darrow.
“You know, everyone can be chanter, as long as you have a teacher.” Farah stated. “I could teach you some things every day after my training, if you would like.”
Darrow leaned over and spoke in to Farah’s ear, “I actually already know some chantment, I have taught myself a few things from books I have read.”
“Ahhh, ok I see.” farah replied. “We can meet down in the fields just outside the castle every afternoon for your training. And come alone, there can be no disturbances.” Farah nodded to Darrow.
“Ok, I will be there, every afternoon in the fields.”
“As will I.” Farah concluded on the matter. Farah heard footsteps coming from the alleyway, and told the boys. She went off one way , back toward the castle, and the boys went off in another direction. Farah ran back to the market, and lost herself in the crowd.

This was unlike anything she had ever experienced. People would push through others, trying to get over to another cart. There were apples, oranges, grapes, cabbage, lettuce, and some things Farah had never seen before. “I wonder what this could be?” Farah thought. “It is ruby red, and it gleamed from the sun. It had a green leaf at the top, that folded out all across it form a single stem. It is amazing!” Farah thought as she stared at it. She was broken from this trance by an older woman shoving her aside. The woman went right to the strange food and started looking over them with such eagerness. “It has been many moons since I have had one of these.” the old woman spoke to herself.

She had black hair that was put in to braids and laid down on either side of her head, and went almost all the way down her back. Her clothing was made of skin, could have been deer, and was lightly tanned from the sun. the skin looked very new, or it was hardly worn. “She must be one with the woods.” Farah thought. “ She must sleep under more skin, on the hard night floor. But why would she be here? Don’t they grow their own food?” Farah wondered, so she asked the old lady. “Ma’m, why is it that you are here?”
“Child, I have wasted too much time in my days, I shall not waste anymore explaining this to you.” The old woman replied as she payed for the food and walked toward the king dom’s gates.