Chapter 6-1

Chapter 6 – Abducted

Jaina waited for her brother patiently in her mother's room. She thought it was very odd that her mother had told her not to move from the room. Usually she could do almost anything she wanted. Her mother must be worried to have ordered her to not move from the room. Jaina lay down in her mother's bed, just vacated, and realized she didn't have anything to do. So she began to do her multiplication tables in her head. One times one is one, two times one is two. She did them at high speed and got to twenty times 46 equals 920. That's when she heard a knock on the door.

Carefully she slid off the bed, and walked to the door. There she knocked twice, paused, and knocked again. Two quick knocks sounded. She opened the door, and let her brother in. “Kyle, what's going on?” She wanted answers.

Kyle shook his head. “I don't know. Mother's gone crazy, if you ask me. I heard them start arguing as I left.”

“Why did you leave? You should have stayed!”

“You're always the troublemaker, aren't you?” Kyle's response brought Jaina into reality. Of course he hadn't stayed. It would have been dangerous to disobey their mother. “I didn't stay, because she ordered me up here.”

“Of course. What do you think is happening?”

“The cook's apprentice always tells me that mother is worried about the government. Maybe that's it?” Kyle's response was a complete guess, Jaina could tell from his voice.

“Maybe. But wouldn't the government come in with the army if we had done something? Or at least sent a diplomat. He didn't look like a diplomat.”

“He was nice, though. Maybe we're being rewarded for something our father did!” Kyle's voice carried hope, hope that something about their father might be revealed.

I'm not dead yet...

I know...I haven't been active. I'm sorry. My life has been tough, missing school is hard, especially when you have to make up the work. I will have more soon...don't worry.

Chapter 5-3

She needed air. Then she again scrambled at her pocket, and found her anti-magic charm. As her vision began to darken she pressed the charm to her throat.

The restriction ended instantly. She fell to the floor, lungs breathing in life giving air.

The man stood over her. “You are lucky, you know that? That is twice your puny charms have thwarted me. You won't stand a third time.”

“I may not have to,” wheezed Elizabeth. “Once you're disposed of...” She moved, standing up and slamming her dagger into the man's chest.

She expected a cry of pain, but instead the man laughed and pulled the dagger out of her chest. “That's the best you can do? Fine...”

He moved, and Elizabeth felt the sensation of pain as the dagger slammed into her back, and she felt herself flying through the air. She hit the wall, and felt nothing.

Her lifeless body fell to the floor. “That's what you get, darling,” the man gloated. “Now for the children.”

“Stop!” said the lead guard. “You are under arrest for murder of the noble family!”

The man made a motion. There was an explosion under the guards feet. “I think I'm not. Anyone else want to think differently?”

No one moved. “Good.”

The man walked calmly to the stairs, and went up to Elizabeth's room.

Chapter 5-2

The man moved faster then she ever imagined. There was a dagger at her throat before she could finish her word. “Call them off!” His voice turned into a snarl.

“Stand down!” she motioned the guards to step away from them.

By this time the main hall was silent. Everyone was moving away from them, giving Elizabeth and the man plenty of room.

“Good,” the man continued. “Now...what were you saying about over your dead body?”

“You won't get my children!” Elizabeth grabbed the lightning bolt charm from her pocket, and threw it into the man's face.

It exploded with a huge “BOOM!!” The man stumbled backwards as the guards began to rush forwards again.

“NO!” The man screamed, and made a motion with his two hands, moving them apart with palms outward. The guards were forced to stop, held by an invisible barrier.

Elizabeth drew her dagger. “Go away from here, and never come back. You and your government can go to hell.”

“Wrong words to say, my dear.” The man's face darkened, and he made two quick motions with his hands. The first was with his right, coming toward him. The second was with his left, clenching it together.

Elizabeth was thrown to her knees, and she felt a restriction on her throat. She couldn't breath, her lungs began to burn. Her hands scrabbled uselessly at her throat, there wasn't anything there to remove. She needed air.

Chapter 5-1

Chapter 5 – Disaster

After the small celebration of the twins sixth birthday, Elizabeth let them run off and play in their new clothes, after warning them to stay close to the castle and to say in sight of their watcher.

After they were gone, she went to her bed and laid down. Holding a celebration, even a small one, for her children drained her. It took her less then two minutes to fall asleep.

A jerking woke her up. She sat bolt upright. “What is it? I was having a nap!”

It was Jaina. “Mommy, there are scary men outside. They were looking at us, and asking for you.”

Without hearing descriptions Elizabeth knew her fears where finally coming true. “Did you let them see you?”

If Jaina thought it was an odd question, she knew by now it was better not to ask questions about her mother's odd questions. “Yes. They asked us if they could see you.”

“Where's Kyle?” Elizabeth got out of bed and stretched.

“He's outside, waiting for you with the men.”

Elizabeth cursed inwardly. “Alright. I want you to stay here. After I've left, lock the door and don't let anyone in except your brother until I come back.” While she was giving instructions to Jaina, Elizabeth was going around the room, collecting her emergency supplies: a protective charm, an enchanted dagger, a thunderbolt charm, and a few other handy things. “Stay here.”

She strode out the door, and walked calmly down to the main hall, where her visitors and son were waiting. As soon as they were in earshot she started talking to Kyle. “Kyle! You were supposed to stay with your sister! Go find her!”

Kyle hung his head. “I'm sorry mother.” He strode off.

“You really shouldn't treat your children like that. You have realized they are special, no?” The man's voice was friendly, but Elizabeth detected something else underneath it.

“I'm not giving them to you,” Elizabeth had no time for politeness. She was ticked off now. “You and your government can go off and leave us alone.”

“What if I don't feel like it?” The man mocked her, goading her.

“I don't care. You will leave here now. The only way you can get my children is over my dead body.”

“Very well.” The man smiled. “If that's your decision...”

“Yes...guards!”

The man moved faster then she ever imagined. There was a dagger at her throat before she could finish her word. “Call them off!”

Chapter 4

Part 2

Chapter 4 – Observations of a widow

Elizabeth Gray was devastated by her husbands death. She withdrew into herself, and became a shell of who she had been. The only thing that kept her going was her children, and the hope that someday they might turn out to be something special. They grew normally, and developed a close bond that not many sibling, even twins, had. She never heard them argue or fight.

In the first four years of their lives, Elizabeth could tell that her twins where extremely smart. The first day they were given to have a tutor they came back doing long division, when they should have only been starting colors. After a few weeks of tutoring, both twins were marching through algebra. By the time they had reached five years of age there wasn't much more they could be taught without leaving the castle, and Elizabeth couldn't allow them to do that. She would respect Chard's dying wish, to keep their kids from the government.

She also kept them near the castle because when Jaina was around three years of age she found a passion for playing with fire. Kyle found a liking of watching and enjoying the way water moved, but he refused to enter the water. That was the second odd happening at the castle. The swimming tutor had turned into a statue, and for the next day Kyle was really tired.

On the twins sixth birthday Elizabeth had a surprise for the twins. She got them matching sets of clothes in their favorite colors, blue for Kyle and red for Jaina. Both twins were overjoyed. They seemed to be much older then six. Elizabeth had no intention of letting them get taken by the government, so she was glad the twins liked the clothes. She had paid quite a bit of gold for the best mage in the county to come and put strong defensive magic into the shirts of each outfit. She hoped it would be enough when the government finally came.

Elizabeth had no idea that they would come so soon.

:This is subject to change. This is a real draft:

Chapter 3-5

X led the duke to the nearest prophesier table. A man with an immensely long grey beard was sitting there. The beard was wrapped around his waist and draped to the floor. His eyes were twinkling. “My lord.”

The duke nodded. “Good evening, Everst. What have you found now?”

“One of our prophecies has come true, right here in Alger! Here it is,” he handed over a short piece of parchment that on it was scribbled:

On the shortest night of the year the multicolored one will be born

This all powerful will come to save the world, or destroy it.

They will be fit for ruling, but you will not know their allegiance until it is too late.

Choose wisely, but do not strike them down.

Only when it is too late will true colors show.

Anger leads to darkness, Light is the way.

The duke read it twice. It was your usual prophecy: cryptic and mysterious. “Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“Absolutely sure,” responded Everst. “There is only one woman who is ready to have a child tonight, and tonight is midwinter. It has to be.”

For the first time that night Duke Alfred felt tired. “Excellent. Keep an eye on whoever it is. Bring them in for training when they're old enough.”

Everst hesitated. “It'll be a few years sire. We can't bring them in till they're six.”

The duke nodded. “I can wait. I've waited for 40 years, I can wait six more. Now excuse me, but I'm going to bed.” He nodded again to Everst, then to X. He turned, and strode out of the ministry.

Therefore, despite all of Chard's attempts to keep his children away from the government, the government learns about his children.

Chapter 3-4 *UPDATED 10-16

It was to this door that X led the duke to. Over the door a shabby sign read, “Ministry of Resources, Prophecies, and Other Junk like that. Donations Accepted.” It had been edited by an unknown source over the years, so it had the feeling of graffiti. Beyond the door was a dark hallway. During the day it caught the light of the sun at all times, so it was bright. But no one ever managed to light the torch in the hall, so at night it was pitch black. The hallway extended on for about 20 meters, coming to an end in a large square marble atrium. It was about 40 meters in each direction from the door, 80 meters from end to end. If you walked 20 meters toward the opposite end from the door there was a large counter stretching the whole length of the room. No one knew what happened behind this counter expect those who worked there, and they only told it on a need to know basis.* On the door-side wall there was tables ever meter or two, all with people sitting at them. The tables were covered in scrolls. They were the prophesiers, those who made all the prophecies, or prophesied where the rest of the ministry could find some. The atrium was very well lit, with torches every few feet.

*Need to know- You absolutely must know for some reason. They can then tell you, but then they have to kill you. Need to know basis is not highly used.

Chapter 3-3

“Follow me,” said X, and he opened the door, slipping out into the dark corridor. “No light is necessary. We're just going to the ministry of resources.” He knew the way well, as he had been leading the duke to the ministry once every couple days for the last year or two now, ever since the duke became obsessed with finding an heir.

The Duke checked the room one last time and followed X out into the corridor, grabbing a dagger on the way out.

They made their way through the dark corridors, and went down a stairwell that was illuminated by a single torch in a metal bracket. They went down to the bottom level, and they stepped out into the main hall of the castle. The large oaken main double doors, open during the day, were closed and bolted shut. There were no guards stationed there at night. The watch would be in the guard room off to the right of the door. The ceiling was high with beams going from one side of the hall to the other. There were colorful banners hung from these, the duke's sign as well as the flag of Alger. At the back of the hall a gigantic suit of armor stood. It was about 8 feet tall, and 3 feet wide. It had supposedly been used by some famous knight long ago, but no one believed that myth anymore. Along either side at frequent intervals there were doors that would lead to chambers off the side. In between the doors were white marble statues of famous people. Over all the statues were torches that were constantly lit, even during the day. They were fueled by magic, so they had to be replaced once a month, instead of every day. These were surrounded by vases of flowers. All of the doors in the hall were closed save one, all the way at the back end of the hall.

Chapter 3-2

“More than news,” said the figure outside, stepping in. He was wearing all black, and had a hood over his head. If the duke hadn't known he was there he wouldn't have noticed he was there. “I have proof from the ministry of resources.” The mans low voice carried a bit of disgust.

“What now? Have they found another heir, and they must tell me now?” The duke's voice now had some disgust in it. People knew he wasn't sleeping well, but to send anything during the middle of the night, just for another failed heir.

“No, it has to do with a prophecy. They say....”

The duke interrupted. “Say no more. They say they have cracked another prophecy, and the person was just born. The person will then come to save the world from a great evil.” His voice was playing with sarcasm, not something that the duke could really say he did a lot.

“No,” X's voice was flat and serious. “They've actually found something this time. They have proof.”

Duke Alfred had to see this. “Show me.” He grabbed his robe and put it on over his night clothes.

“Follow me,” said X, and he opened the door, slipping out into the dark corridor.