The World of Karthain : The Beginning

This is a story I've been thinking about for a little while, it is a complete fantasy world that is planting roots for me but I would love some feedback so please leave me any review good or bad. They help me take differant looks at my ideas, thanks.


PROLOGUE

           Carra felt as though she might never find sleep that night. Her thoughts were keeping her in a state of restlessness that nothing could calm. Karthain was hurting more and more with every passing season and Carra felt it heavily. She was getting weaker and if not for her youth and physical strength she would most likely have died already; now she was beginning to wonder just how long her strength could sustain her.


         She sat up and looked over at Marlaine. They slept on straw that they covered up with thick woolen blankets scattered on the floor of their small home. She didn’t care what she slept on really she just wished that she could sleep; with as little strength as she had it made no sense that she felt so awake and restless.

         A slight breeze caused a shiver over her back and she pulled her worn blanket tighter around herself; standing she went to the window to check that it had been latched closed. A slightly stronger breeze met her there and to her surprise she heard a whisper of her name in the air. Carra pushed open the shutter only a crack and searched the dark with her eyes. The cool night air whispered in her ear again and she heard only the word meet. Though she should have been more afraid then ever her heart beat only slightly quickened.

         So it’s time then; that must be what has kept me up. The wind would not waste its strength to tell me anything less.

         The small wooden chest barely made a sound as she opened it and quickly retrieved the last of her belongings from home. A fine cloak of bright red color with the royal symbol; the circle of life, standing out in a bolden gold upon her back. Carra took one last look at her sleeping maid and only friend before slipping out the door and away from the small home.

         She pulled her hood over her head as she made her way toward the open ground near a hill that stood blocking the small village from view of anyone not familiar with the area. Carra covered the hill quickly and stood at the top looking out over a hilly and vast land. She saw little else in the gloom of night but she was certain that soon she would no longer be standing on the hill alone.

         The breeze had all but disappeared when the clouds began to part revealing a full moon that lit up the land in twilight. She saw them then; two riders on the hill opposite her. She stood watching as they ran their horses fast in her direction and when they made it close enough she merely stood and watched them dismount. The man with a bald head and metal rings through his ears pulled his sword and walked with purpose toward her. His name was Miccas, the leader of the four warriors and he had come to kill her. Carra was ready to meet his blade at last.

         Carra, unlike other royal women had learned to use weapons; in fact her teacher had been quite proud of how good she was but she had no intention of fighting Miccas. She was tired; though only 25 she had been forced to leave behind any joy of youth years ago. The weight of her failure was too much to carry any longer and she would not let fear or anything else stop her from doing what needed to be done. She would die so that the next chosen would have a chance to save the world of Karthain.   

         She pulled back the hood of her cloak as the taller man; the one she had known since childhood, met her eyes and she thought that she could see a tear stream down one of his cheeks.

“For Karthain,” She said.

         The cool breeze returned as Miccas came closer, lifting his blade. Carra closed her eyes waiting for the pain she was sure his sword would cause. She was surprised then when the next thing she felt wasn’t from sharp steel but from a gust of wind. The air circled around her faster and faster picking up her cloak and making her feel as if she were floating. She held out her arms and opened her eyes; she was surrounded in a warm glow of light while the wind continued to circle her. Carra smiled as she thought that perhaps she had been somehow spared the pain of Miccas’s sword and allowed to simply die.








CHAPTER ONE


         Carra blinked her eyes several times adjusting them to the light. She lay on the floor on top of a soft fur and looked up at a familiar ceiling. She blinked again and felt disconnected; again she was light but tired; again free.

“Odd that I should still feel so weak after death,” She said.

         There were several loud exhales of breath heard in the room and she pushed herself up on her elbows to find that she was circled by a handful of women. When her eyes landed on one in particular her breath caught in her chest.

“Oh Marlaine not you, oh no, you were not supposed to follow me,” She said while shaking her head in disbelief.

         The women, though all seated on the floor around her still bowed their heads low as she managed to sit up. Marlaine she noticed seemed to glance at the others in a nervous fashion as she did so. Carra knelt down in front of the woman and Marlaine bowed lower; putting both hands on either side of her maids head she forced Marlaine to look at her.

“Your majesty I will leave at once if that is your wish,” The woman said.

“Oh Marlaine, that is not what I wish at all, I am only sorry that you chose to follow me. I would have loved for you to live out a long and beautiful life.” Carra said before embracing the smaller woman.

         Marlaine though caught off guard soon enough returned the hug and the two cried softly, though Carra would soon realize they did so for completely different reasons. The now ruler of Karthain pulled back and squeezed the maids hand while quickly wiping her face dry. She stood up, though somewhat clumsy at first, and noted that each of the other four women were her mother’s maids. She had time to wonder where the fifth of their group was before there was a knock at the door.


“Your majesty is everything alright? I thought I heard a noise;” came a man’s voice from outside the room.

The women all became nervous and looking about themselves, until one took the lead. Marlaine went to Carra and held her shoulders in a firm grip and the others stood up; all their eyes focused on the chosen. Carra was unsure why their behavior seemed so odd but the longer she stood there the less she became sure of anything. A fog seemed to have taken her senses and it seemed everything around her were a dream. She could not remember a time when she had ever felt so free of everything good and bad or ever feeling so empty.

“Your majesty I beg your forgiveness but I cannot wait for your leave, I must speak freely. Do you know where you are?” Marlaine asked her.


Carra’s first thought was that of course she knew where she was, but then she unconsciously looked around as if to confirm this fact and when she did something odd happened. She had been lying on the floor only a minute ago and had been standing there for another and had not even taken in the fact that she was in her own room. Her chamber, the one she had in her real home at the palace.

“She is so pale and thin, what if something went wrong?” A maid asked the room.

“Hush Kattie, give her a minute. We have no idea what she may have been through,” was the woman’s answer.


         The handle on her door began to move and someone pushed it open a crack. A soft yet firm male voice was heard “Your Majesty?”

“There is no more time; sit her down on the bed quickly.” Danissa the eldest of them said.

         The woman moved swiftly to the door to intercept what she was certain to be a concerned guard sent to check on the now unresponsive girl. One came several times each day; sometimes it was the same guard the whole day. She hoped it wouldn’t be him this time because he had proven to be a stubborn man and might not leave without a word from her majesty.


         Danissa made it to the door before the man could poke his head through. She smiled brightly at him though inside she cringed when she saw the one guard she had been most hoping to not see. She did not know his name but once the new queen was better and things settled down she would be sure to suggest him for one of her personal guards, however at the moment she desperately wanted nothing more then for him to leave.

“Excuse the intrusion Ms but I thought I heard something; is her majesty well?” He asked her.

“Actually,” Danissa leaned forward a bit to whisper to the man, “She is a bit tearful this morning. I don’t think she will be up to seeing anyone for awhile; would you please make sure she isn’t disturbed?”

         The maid went to close the door hoping the man would understand but his hand planted firmly on the other side stopped her.