Prologue.

On a land that was almost destroyed by the wicked hands of time and circumstance, the inhabitants could only pray and hope that one day their prayers would be answered. Yet as years went by it seemed like the heavens would never open up to them, and the land plunged deeper and deeper into a complete wasteland.

     What they only prayed for now was some kind of miracle to put them out of their misery, until one night, when the moon shone brighter than ever before.

     All the people, along with their children, swiftly left their homes and workplaces to gather in the meadow. It was the only place still considered pure, and untainted by the evil scourging the whole place.

     The villagers all circled around the meadow, waiting for the moon. Some even shed soundless tears at the thought of finally being delivered. Everybody was expected to be happy this night.

     All, except a strange, woman in the shadows, who stood between trees quietly observing.

     Two heavenly figures began to descend from a bright light in the sky. As soon as their feet touched the ground, all the villagers bowed to show reverence.

     Alarei, a beautiful goddess, with long light blue hair and silver eyes, gestured for them to rise, then with a flick of her wrist, two wolves and a chariot appeared in a white, foggy mist.

     One had jet black fur, and the other had pure white and both had striking blue eyes. They took their positions in front of the chariot and waited.

     Crazdor, the stunningly handsome god with a huge physique, dark amethyst eyes with even darker hair, stood beside the goddess as she spoke.

"People of Eraliria, for years you have suffered under the siege of darkness brought by the sorceress, however, we guarantee that from now on, you're safety has become one of our top priorities, as well as seeing to the end of the sorceress."

     The woman in the shadows dragged her razor sharp nails along the tree bark as she inched closer to the crowd as the goddess continued, "And so we have decided that since we cannot be here physically all of the time, we offer you our own protectors." She gestured towards the wolves who proudly stood. "In your time of need, you are to pray to us to summon them. They will be the guardians of the land under sun and moon. One will be ready to guide you through the troubles of the day, the other, to watch over you at night."

     A thunderous applause echoed throughout the meadow. The dark god waited for them to settle down.

"This chariot was crafted by myself. It is a sacred item. Take it, and lock it away in a place where only a Keeper will know it's attributes. Anyone who is not a Keeper will be cursed on the spot once touched by a non-keeper." He warned sternly.

     The eerie woman readjusted her hooded cape to cover her head better.

     A redheaded girl came forward to raise a hand.

"Excuse me... what if-"

"Arabella no! Come here child." Her mother whispered and rushed forward to claim her child, but Alarei held up her hand to show that no offence was taken from her action as she urged the young girl to come closer.

     With hesitant hands, the mother let her go. The girl came very close to the goddess and looked up with fearful eyes, but Alarei quickly calmed her down with an ethereal smile. She squatted down to the child's height and took her small hands in her own.

     Nothing could describe the complete sense of euphoria the child felt the moment her hand made contact with the goddess's own. Her heart swelled and she suddenly felt so light-headed that she could almost feel herself about to float away.

"What is it my dear?" Alarei's question brought the girl back to reality. She felt the blood now rushed to her cheeks as she tried to find the past confidence to speak.

"I... I wanted to ask, what if... what if someone like the sorceress wishes to touch it? Who will look after the chariot, and who will live with the secret of it's location? And... how are we going to protect it if... we can't even protect ourselves... I don't want to lose my home." A single tear escaped as she whispered the last part. She looked down and tried to wipe it away with her other hand.

     Successfully hidden in all aspects now, the hooded woman made her way between the villagers closer to the front.

     The goddess paused to think. She already had someone in mind to serve as a Keeper, but another idea came to mind.

"What is your name my dear?"

     The girl sniffled before answering. "Arabella... Arabella Pythe"

"Arabella... A wonderful name. Look around. What do you see?"

     She did as commanded. "My home."

"You consider this land, and every single person here, your home?"

"Yes..." She answered without missing a beat.

     Alarei thought over her idea again before continuing. "And...if given the opportunity, you would want to preserve the peace of this land? This home?"

     Her eyes didn't waver for a second before answering, "I would."

     Alarei peered into the honey coloured eyes of the girl, and sensed only good things.

It was decided.

     As previously thought over, the first Keeper chosen by the gods was to be of pure heart and soul, however, they didn't expect a child to present herself as a worthy candidate.

     Alarei looked to her partner for approval. He studied Arabella one more time before nodding. "Go and bring your parents." He commanded.

     If someone had decided to peek under the hood of the eerie figure staying fairly hidden, they would see the maddening look in her red eyes, and that she was on the brink of laughter.

     Arabella went back and emerged from the crowd with a woman who had a similar, yet less vibrant shade of red hair. The goddess stopped her mid-bow.

"Where is your husband?"

     The woman looked away before answering. "He left. Three years ago."

"Well you have done well in raising your daughter on your own. There is nothing to be ashamed of." The woman felt less tense at the praise from the goddess, who now turned back to the patient crowd. "Listen well Eraliria, indeed I hadn't fathomed a child as a Keeper for you. But I tell you I haven't seen a purer heart other than this girl's own tonight."

     She took both the girl's hands in her own, looking at her from full height.

"I see no reason why she cannot be a Keeper." A small leather back book appeared between them, floating in the air, before coming to rest in Arabella's palms.

"Arabella Pythe, you are now the protector of not only this godly artifact, but of all secrets of wisdom and divine knowledge. And until a new Keeper is chosen by you, or the gods, you are now the Keeper."

     A small insignia of an encircled locked chest was etched painlessly onto the back of her left hand. Both her and her mother stared at it in awe. Arabella brought it ever so gently to her face, as if afraid that too much movement would make it disappear.

     She turned to face the crowd, who had been silent for a while. They stared at the both of them, mostly at her. She already had tears pricking at her eyes at the thought of not being accepted as a Keeper by her fellow humans, until someone yelled, "Three cheers for Arabella!"

"Hurray! Hurray!! Hurray!!!"

     She squealed when she felt her feet leave the floor to be hoisted onto someone's shoulders, but smiled once she looked down and saw her mother's face smiling back.

     In the moment of celebration and happiness, only one person was filled with rage. Her eyes turned an even darker red as she looked on at the scene before her

     She found the whole situation utterly ridiculous, outrageous and sickening at the same time. She had tormented the land for almost eleven decades. She'd killed countless souls that weren't even enough to satisfy her. She had cut ties between so many loved ones by bewitchment or simply murder.

     She looked over at Arabella and her mother. Three years ago? She could vaguely remember a man with the same colour of eyes as Arabella begging for his life back then. They were just so many.

     Now all because a god and goddess had come down from the heavens to give them two beasts and a fancy cart they thought they were saved?

What a joke.

     She scoffed, and for just one second, her malicious presence spilled out and was suppressed again.

But one second was all Alarei needed.

     The goddess stilled and the smile that seemed to be plastered on her face quickly fell. The entire atmosphere went tense as she called out, "Fayne." And turned to face where she stood amongst the crowd.

     The guardians bared their teeth and their fur stood on end as they assumed battle stance beside their masters.

     The villagers were forced to be still. Only the wind that whistled eerily throughout the meadow was heard. Nobody dared to make a move as a two way stare off between three people took place.

     Crazdor tightened his hold on one of the swords hanging from his belt.

     White mist formed around Alarei's fingers.

     After what felt like an eternity, the woman pulled her hood back, raised her head to reveal her hypnotising beauty.

"At your service." She took a courtesy, her braided black hair scrapping the ground. As she rose, she met Alarei's determined gaze with her challenging one, red sparks igniting lightly around her eyes.

     Panic flowed within the people as they realised they were about to be caught in the middle of what would be a treacherous battle. Alarei was torn between ensuring the safety of her people or ending her adversary right there and then.

     She released a shaky breath, calming herself down. In a flash a force of air pushed the villagers a safe distance, and a transparent dome was cast over the trio of immortals and the guardians.

     She faced the sorceress again. "Your presence isn't welcome here."

     Fayne scoffed again. "I go wherever I please. You're the ones in my territory."

"You lost the right to call anywhere your territory when you left Lothaun." Crazdor shot back. He moved to Alarei's side, his sword handle still gripped cautiously. "You're a fool Fayne."

"That place is a lost cause and you're all just spineless cowards who refused to look down here until you realised your own mistakes."

"And you think that coming down here to waste away makes you what, some sort of missionary?"

     A coy smile formed on her lips. "Maybe," She shrugged, letting her hooded cape fall to the floor. "Maybe not. And who said anything about wasting away? I look just as alluring as I did aeons ago, if not better."

"What did you-"

"And I know for a fact it makes me better than the rest of you up there. I'm one of a kind. I came down here to make this land my own. I became someone."

     She made her way round the inner rim of the dome. "I have a legion of warriors under my command only." She stopped and turned to throw a menacing look the villagers beyond the dome. "I have these 'beings of free will' bending to every crook of my fingers." She laughed to herself.

"What sort of achievement is that Fayne?" Alarei calmly asked. The silver mist still stirred at her fingers.

     Fayne's smile dropped immediately, her eyes took on a faraway look as she mindlessly traced patterns on the barrier. "I suppose it's nothing to you... You're a goddess. It wouldn't be remotely possible for you to understand from the perspective of a simple witch."

"You are more than this Fayne. Come home to us." Alarei pleaded softly. The mist was barely visible on her hands now.

     Fayne chuckled as she played with her fingers, red sparks dancing erratically with every friction. "Oh enough with this. You know I've never been one to listen. Words and their simplicity..." The sparks formed into a ball with black tracing around it.

     Crazdor stood in front of Alarei, baring his sword in a wary battle stance.

"I'm more a woman of action." She aimed at the barrier, and right outside in line of aim, Arabella looked back with fear  swimming in her eyes.

     In that moment, Crazdor and his wolf lunged forward towards her. She swiftly dodged his sword while barely avoiding the wolf's claws which grazed an iron bracelet on her wrist. Turning her body mid-air, she slammed the ball into the ground. It reverberated through the earth, into the shield, changing it's colour to a deep red before cracking and shattering. Alarei turned to her wolf. "Go."

     The white wolf ran between the villagers alerting them to follow it to safer ground.

     Meanwhile Fayne fought the duo of dark warriors simultaneously. She turned to see the retreating villagers and scoffed.

"Sending them home already? Wouldn't want them to get too curious?"

     She dodged another slash from the sword and delivered a kick to Crazdor's mid section, sending him back a few feet. She leaped into the air, and landed between the villagers pandemonium, right in front of Arabella and her mother.

     The young girl was wrapped in a protective hold by her mother as they trembled before the witch. Fayne smiled at the sight.

"A human as a Keeper. How delicious."

     Fayne reached for the book Arabella held tightly against her chest.

"Don't worry darling. I only need that-"

     She hissed in pain and drew back as smoke billowed from her hand. "What?!"

     Confusion and anger was all over her face, as Arabella's mother used that moment to push her daughter behind her.

"You can't touch the book Fayne." Alarei's stated, now standing close to the humans, and watched as Fayne nursed her burnt hand. "I chose a human for a reason. No being of magic, born or bred is allowed to touch the book."

     Fayne stared right into the goddess's sky blue eyes to detect a lie. When she didn't find any, her expression turned sour. "If you're the one who made that rule, you and the rest of Lothaun are bigger fools than I thought."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

     As Fayne opened her mouth to protest, both wolves jumped in front of her, teeth bared and slowly inching towards her. Still, she kept her eyes on Alarei and Crazdor. "Ha. Your mongrels don't scare me."

     The black wolf snarled at her remark.

"Bite me." She hissed, baring her own fanged teeth.

     In a flash, mist appeared around Fayne's wrists and ankles which bound her and made her fall to the ground. A few sparks sprung forth from her hands before dissipating into nothing.

     The book in Arabella's hands flew into the air and flipped to it's first empty page, awaiting her command, but still scared and confused, she took a few steps back.

"Don't be scared Arabella. It is time for her to be sealed away forever. Envision it, and the book shall heed your wish." Alarei gestured to the insignia on her hand.

     Arabella took a deep breath, closed her eyes and stretched her arm before her. The book flew to Fayne and began emanating white light. Alarei suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder and she opened her eyes, waiting for what she would say.

     For a moment-a very brief moment-panic ran across Fayne's face before it was replaced by a toothy grin. "Go ahead, seal me away, but I'll be back." She looked at the child in front of her. "That's the flaw with you humans. Your curiosity is always your demise, and one day, I'll be back, all powerful and glorious as if none of this ever happened. And you," She turned to the pair of immortals, glaring at Alarei. "You're a weak excuse for a goddess and a queen. All these centuries, and you still don't have the guts to fight me directly. You need your precious lover to do that for you. Hiding behind your peaceful facade will bring you nothing Alarei. Absolutely nothing."

     Alarei refused to meet the witch's glare and turned her head to the side, resting lightly on Crazdor's shoulders. Softness flashed through his eyes before reverting back to their natural cold state as he pointed his sword towards Fayne who had begun to fade. "Begone witch."

"Or do you still need Aidan to remind you of that fact?"

     He swung his sword, but missed as Fayne finally faded away. Arabella opened the book once it settled back into her hands, and saw the life-like sketch of the witch on the blank page. She felt her mother's warm embrace around her small figure and fell right into it. The energy now drained from her body left her barely conscious.

     The Lothian pair now watched mother and daughter as they headed off to the village, and the guardians leaped into the cover of night. Both were quiet in the aftermath of the evening's events.

"The chariot needs to be locked away." Crazdor spoke gruffly.

"But the guardians-"

"Will protect the land and everyone in it." He nudged her head a bit to look her straight in the eyes. "You need to be the one to do so. The humans have the Pythes as a lineage of Keepers. They have the guardians as well. We have to go."

     She sighed and nodded, then walked to the glorious chariot in the middle of the meadow. A gentle touch and the chariot became a wisp that flew up into the clouds. The dark god made his way to her side as they began to ascend.

"You're an excellent queen."

     Alarei almost laughed at how quickly he said it but decided to remain quiet. She looked to the moon that lit up the darkness below, and something caught her eye.

     A bit past the radiant moon was a star that she had never seen before. It's shine was barely visible and it was ever so small, she almost didn't see it.

How odd.