Ascension - (Alarian Warriors)
Prologue

It was another sunny day on Alarious; Aveyon had gotten up early to go play with the children in a nearby village. She found herself surrounded by the young ones in a small garden on the outskirts of the town. Picking a flower, she showed them how to loop it into a chain slowly creating a flower crown.

One of the children ran up to her and placed a white flower behind her ear, lifting her hand she touched the sweet-scented gift and smiled as the wind swept her long white locks over her shoulder.

Her eyes lifted to the blue sky. The morning sun felt so warm on her pale skin, a smile spread across her face as she enjoyed the company. However, it wasn’t long before the garden's peaceful presence was disturbed without meaning.

They attacked. Without warning or regard for the children. Aveyon cried out as she saw one of the guards backhand a young girl as she tried to help. The girl had only tried to reach for her in the confusion.

“STOP!” Her voice was loud and panicked, but she got everyone’s attention. She placed her hands together extending her wrists to the guard nearest to her. “Take me and leave them, they have done nothing wrong, your brutality is causing unnecessary harm!”

The guards bound her hands while pulling her roughly towards them making her body jolt forward, the children gasped and tried to reach for her again, but she shot them a firm glace, warning them to stay away.

“But Princess...? They shouldn’t.” A small, scared voice injected.

Shaking her head, she smiled down at the children. “It’s just a misunderstanding, don’t worry I’ll be back soon.” Hopefully, she muttered the last part to herself keeping a brave face for the children.

“The king has called for judgment on you Princess. You will be punished for your crimes.”

Her eyes widened. What crime? What was happening? Questions ran through her mind as she was dragged away from the garden, with no real explanation.

They took her to the palace. Looking up at the giant white limestone structure. She could already hear the commotion inside. A sinking feeling entered her gut as her eyes moved over the walls of the ancient building. There were no guards posted outside... something was wrong.

Before she could say anything, she was pushed forward onto the stone steps. They didn’t wait for her to recover. Instead, they continued to drag her up the staircase making her ankles hit each step. She could feel the thin skin wearing as each step impacted, but they didn’t stop, they continued and finally dragged her through the huge double doors at the top of the stairs.

Inside the walls were as bland as always, white pillars lined the hall and opened out into a large gathering place. In the centre was the throne. She was forced to her knees only a few feet away from the limestone chair. Glancing up, she met her father’s cold eyes. His look seemed to piece her down to her soul. A shiver ran down her spine. He was fuming with anger, shaking his head. She opened her mouth to protest, only to be cut off.

“AVEYON!” he boomed, causing her to flinch at the sound of her own name. “You have disgraced me, and your kingdom!”

Her eyes widened in shock. “No Father, I would never. I do not understand. I have not-”

“SILENCE!” He spat at her, shutting her up instantly.

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. When he was like this, he truly scared her. The guards held her in place at her father’s feet. Trying to stand was not an option. She looked around the room noticing all the spectators. They were whispering among themselves. Why wasn’t anyone doing anything? Why were they just standing there?

“For your crime, I banish you!” his voice was like venom, causing her to cringe.

Trying to struggle and push herself up off the ground, she shook her head, not understanding anything.

“WHAT CRIME?!” she screamed.

Her anger getting the better of her, the outburst caused one of the guards to slam her head down to the ground. She was so shocked by the action that she couldn’t speak as her head spun in a daze. She felt the sting of her lip as a warm metallic taste filled her mouth. Her breathing grew panicked as she tried to struggle once again against their hold. This can’t be happening! She thought to herself.

“NO!” She heard a woman scream from the crowd. Aveyon couldn’t lift her head to see who it was, but she didn’t need to.

“Mother!?” A whispered plea for help escaped Aveyon’s lips.

The Queen was a beautiful, kindhearted woman. Her cheeks were wet with tears as she tried her best to break free of her own captures who were desperately trying to restrain her at the front of the crowd.

“Mother? Why?” Aveyon’s voice was shaking now.

The queen managed to fling the guards off of herself and ran to her daughter. Her hand rose and with a wave, a burst of air erupted from her fingertips, heading straight for the guards restraining Aveyon.

They were instantly slammed into the palace walls by the invisible force. At the same time, a massive gust of wind blew through the palace halls, silencing the crowd. She tenderly pulled Aveyon to her to her feet. The warm embrace that followed brought tears to their eyes. Aveyon sobbed as her mother spoke.

“The kingdom is in great danger. The goddess does not answer. The king believes you killed her to steal her powers and that you plan to overthrow his rule.” Her mother hurriedly whispered the words to her.

The fear showed clearly on Aveyon’s face. Her father had been acting rather strange lately, but this!? Everyone in the kingdom knew that she was a ‘miracle child’. The ‘white-haired maiden’ was what they called her; born to resemble their treasured goddess. Had their thoughts really turned that twisted towards her?

The king eyed the two women as they embraced, his teeth grinding together in fury. “So, you would side with the abomination? Very well... You can join her.”

Nodding to the guard, they followed his silent command. They reached for the queen, throwing her to the ground before the King’s feet, just as they previously had done with Aveyon.

She tried to reach out to her mother, but the guards held her firm having recovered from the Queens assault. They made sure to bind her mother’s hands together, preventing her from using any more essence to overpower them.

Her mother began to cry, directing her words towards her daughter. “My child, I am so sorry. This is my fault. You do not deserve this. But I was too selfish. I simply would have done anything for a child.”

Aveyon didn’t quite understand her mother’s ramblings. What was her fault? Does this have something to do with her birth? To make things worse the one person she held dearest in her heart suddenly came bursting through the crowd. He was the Princess’s personal guard. She saw him like a brother, a trusted part of the family. He was always there when she needed him the most, so it didn’t surprise her that he was here now.

“My Lordship you cannot do this!” He protested. “She has done nothing wrong! And the Queen! Sire, she is your wife!”

The King turned towards the boy, “Anzel, your oath to the Princess has been broken. Leave now, and do not show your face in my palace again!”

Anzel was shocked. “No! I will not allow it.”

He ran for the Princess, but the king was faster, far stronger, and simply too powerful. Anzel’s brown eyes opened wide as the King grabbed the queen before he could reach either of the girls, pulling her to her feet. She was unable to fight back with her hands bound and his fist disappeared into her abdomen.

Her mother screamed in agony. Aveyon couldn’t tell whose screams were louder; her own, or that of her mother’s. The sounds as the King twisted and pulled something from the queen’s body were gut-wrenching.

Blood burst from the wound spraying the King and seeped onto the floor. The Queen coughed blood, mustering what little strength could, she spat at the king, “Curse you...you and... the rest of your family... c-curse all that...d-dare to have the Alarian blood.” The queen smiled as her strength faded. “She is ... not yours anyw-.”

Aveyon cried out, trying again to reach for her mother, but the guards held her in place. Tears began to fall as she watched her mother fall into a pool of her own blood. The light had already faded from her eyes.

The King smiled as he looked down at his hands, holding what looked like a small ball of light. It flickered as if in protest from being separated from its host. He watched it curiously as the light grew brighter.

Everyone in the hall had to shield their eyes as it exploded in the King’s hands, spreading a blinding white light through the palace. The King was blasted with thousands of tiny sharp glass-like shards, as were the onlookers. Many Alarians screamed as their skin became riddled with glass shards. Many collapsed then and there unable to withstand the impact, the others all ran scared of the ringing truth to the last words of the queen, afraid they had been cursed.

“Cowards!” Aveyon snarled at the fleeing bystanders.

She looked between her mother’s blood-soaked body and her father’s smiling face, he picked out a glass shard from his cheek and flicked it to the floor. The King had just murdered his own wife, and for what!? How could he smile like that? Had he ever actually loved her? Aveyon couldn’t figure it out. No one ran to her aid, rather they had ran away. No one dared stand against the king. They all seemed as though they feared him. Anzel seemed the only exception, though he was now restrained by the guards that had not fled, much like herself.

“Well, looks like she was just too old. She couldn’t survive without her aura.” The King's voice snapped Aveyon out of her trance, her eyes narrowing on him, she spat at his feet. Disgusted and outraged that her own father would do such a thing, at that moment she vowed that she would kill the man before her if it was the last thing she ever did.

“You will pay for this; mark my words I will come for you! Your head will be mine!” Aveyon hissed.

Managing to free herself from her captors’ hold. She stood with her head held high challenging him. Where she found the confidence, she didn’t know, nor did she know how to fight. And there was no point in running, where would she go?

The King took a step toward her, but Anzel managed to get free of the guards for only a moment and grab hold of his arm.

“I will not let you hurt her!” His voice was stern and threatening.

The King backhanded the boy, surprising Anzel and causing him to stumble a few steps backwards. The guards were back on him in an instant, restraining him and forcing him to the ground, it took three fulling grown men to hold the warrior down.

“You have no say in the matter, you are nothing but a pest! You will get what’s coming to you soon enough boy!” The King spoke while not letting his eyes leave his daughter.

Aveyon didn’t try to get away, she didn’t try to move as he once again advanced towards her. Each footstep echoed through her mind. At that moment she vowed that this would not be her death, she would survive this. She decided to face it head-on, and embrace it. If anything for her mother.

“Present her!” He barked at the guards, who followed suit.

Aveyon arms were forced wide like the guards were making an offering to the King, the main course; her. Still, she did not falter. She couldn’t help but think if she’d had more training and knew how to use her abilities, then maybe she might have been able to stop this.

However, she had been forbidden to learn any form of essence-wielding. It was rumoured to be something to do with others not wanting her to overpower any Alarians, given the fact that she was said to be a half-breed it was more than possible.

She stared at the man before her. She couldn’t believe she had once loved him and cared for him dearly. Everything she had ever felt for him was dead turning to numbness inside her now, the love being swallowed up by a feeling of hate and anger, there was no room for anything else. This man was pure evil, this man was not her father, not anymore.

He smiled, his hand reached for her face, his fingers traced a line down her cheek. She sharply turned her head away, not wanting to feel his touch. The gentle stroke of his fingers was a lie, he didn’t care for her. Had he secretly always thought of her as an abomination?

With her head turned she didn’t see his strike, the sharp pain caused her body to stiffen, immobilizing her. Slowly looking up at him, she could see his smile turn into a wicked grin. She bit down on her bottom lip, focusing on the sting from the small cut her teeth made, she had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

But someone else screamed. The sound was so filled with anguish and pain that she couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. Aveyon’s eyes began to feel heavy, the pain felt like lighting coursing through her veins. She could feel his hand inside her, searching, moving, and twisting. It nauseated her.

She heard a cackling sound coming from him. He twisted his hand again, causing her to mouth gape open in a silent scream. She was replaceing it hard to breathe as blood invaded her lungs, forcing her to choke on every breath she tried to take.

“Aveyon! I will replace you again, I promise!” It had been Anzel screaming before it seemed, she smiled as she heard his voice. Find her? Was he mad? He can’t be serious; the King surely wouldn’t let him live after this.

“Thank you... for trying.” she breathlessly replied.

She saw a swirling ball of light being pulled from within her. Her mind was replaceing it hard to focus. The pain was beyond anything she had ever felt before. The guards let go of her and she fell to the ground unable to hold herself up. Her hands clenched around her torso; thought she knew it was futile to try to stop the bleeding. She could feel the warm liquid seeping out, it didn’t take long to comprehend that the red puddle she was lying in was of her own blood.

“Strip her and send her through the fissure!”

Her father’s last words were heard only as a muffled command. She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. They fluttered shut and she lost consciousness, collapsing limply onto the cold marbled floor of the palace she had once called home.