Prologue

A magic circle drawn from blood sprawled in the centre of the room, painting the stone-tiled floor. In the middle of the circle sat a child. He had tightly curled black hair worn in a short Afro, and his chocolate brown skin was offset by bright golden eyes that seemed to shine in the darkness.

An aged man kneeled at the edge of the circle. He wore a plain black cloak and was clean shaven, but had long, white hair. His eyes were red with tears that fell down his pale, deeply wrinkled face.

At his side kneeled a beautiful young woman in a similar black cloak. She had caramel skin, deep black hair, and the same golden eyes as the boy. Her face held a gentle smile as she looked at the child, as if staring at the most precious thing in the world. Blood freely flowed from her palms, drawn out of her and into the circle.

The old man turned the lady and spoke, his voice cracking as he did "A-are you sure about this my lady? It's not too late to stop now."

The lady did not break eye contact with the child "There's no other way Borim, too many have died out of our stubbornness in insisting on staying here." A wistful look overtook her face. "It's a shame, isn't it? So young and yet his eyes are already so bright".

Borim, the old man, choked back a sob "He is blessed, perhaps more so than any of his ancestors."

The lady sighed "how many generations has it been since as Arin was born with the sun's blessing? From birth Borim, eyes as gold as mine from the first time he opened his eyes".

A gruff voice broke through the melancholy in the room. "I can hear them approaching my lady, you must hurry!"

The wooden door at the entrance to the room was glowing blue with a barrier type spell. By the barrier stood a large man, almost as tall as the door itself. His blonde hair was cut short, in one hand he held a long spear, stained with blood, in the other, a large metal shield that was as big as himself, which was dented in spots and charred in others. Next to him lay two other children, barely past toddlerhood, they seemed to be about the same age as the boy that sat in the centre of the room. One child was another boy with hair as blonde as the man by the door, and the other a little red-headed girl. They were huddled together, sleeping.

"Begin Borim!" Came the gentle voice of the lady, her eyes still fixed on the child in the centre of the room. She whispered to him "Be brave Lucian."

The old man placed both hands on the edge of the circle and chanted a rough deluge of words. The veins under his pale skin wriggled, and he began to sweat from the strain. A blue light rose out of the patterns of blood.

Fwooosh!

The light gathered upon itself, forming chains that shot towards the child, coiling around his arms and legs. The child, seemingly calm about the situation, had eyes only for the woman on the edge of circle. She whispered encouraging words the boy, smiling at him as her beauty and youth were drained away, along with her blood.

The chains wrapped around the boy's body, obscuring it completely. The lady pressed her palms down onto the ground and joined the old man in chanting. The glowing blue chains pulsed as she chanted, gaining a purple hue. She lifted her arms from the ground and stopped chanting, placing both palms together she whispered, "Divine Bloodline Seal". The purple chains glowed a deep crimson, then receded, sinking into the boy's skin.

The light died down, revealing that all traces of the magic circle were gone, leaving the boy sitting on a plain stone floor. He was unchanged, apart from his eyes. His bright, golden eyes were now a plain dull brown. He stared at the lady, and she looked back at him.

The lady shuffled forward and held him in her arms. Her skin was wrinkled, and her deep black hair was streaked with grey. She whispered unheard words into his ears and placed a necklace around his neck. A black cord with a dull black ring on it. She then turned to the old man. "Take them and go Borim. You must leave Arinar, nowhere on the continent would be safe for them."

As she spoke, the guard posted at the door stooped down. He looked at the young boy with the blonde hair, then gently took of a necklace he was wearing, and placed it around the child's neck. A similar black cord, but with a silver ring tied to it. From his pocket, he pulled out another necklace, this one with a rose-gold ring and placed it around the sleeping little girl's neck.

Borim turned to the children with eyes still red from tears. He raised both arms and black light spread from them, forming a magic circle. "Darkest night" he called. A shadow grew out of his arms, covering first himself then the young boy, who sat, still silent, staring up at the lady's face. The shadow extended to the other two children. Once the shadow covered the four of them, they vanished. The guard posted at the door looked on, deep pain in his eyes as he watched them disappear.

"We must follow my lady, I'm not sure how long the others can hold them off, and there's no guarantee this barrier will last."

"It won't, they have a mage with them. I felt the first few barriers break." A bitter smile hung on her face.

The guard laughed, a bleak, self-deprecating chuckle. "Then we must at least delay them. Have you made your preparations?"

"Of course" smiled the lady. In front of her, her blood flowed once more, as the beginnings of another circle began to form. "And just in time too" she added.

"It's been an honour serving you Lady Arin". Said the man.

"The honour has been mine Daniel".

BOOOM!

A shattering crash echoed through the room. The barrier crumbled and the door burst into splinters as the walls collapsed. In a large atrium beyond the door, streams of soldiers in bloodied armour poured down a set of stone stairs. They fell into organised ranks, until almost three-hundred men stood, cramped in the atrium. Behind them was a tall lady with pale, ivory like skin and flowing green hair. She wore a sultry black dress and held a silver staff in her hand. Beside her stood a short, stocky man with dark brown skin and a rough moustache. He was wearing armour like the soldiers', but he had a burnished breastplate and a green cloak.

Daniel set his jaw as he faced the soldiers. He stood between them and the Lady he had sworn to protect. Rousing his aura, he braced himself. A detachment of the soldiers sensed his aura and charged forward, a file of about 30 men. Daniel's body glowed with a blue aura, and sparks of electricity ran through his shield.

BANG!

He slammed the shield into the ground and a wall of lightning burst into the approaching soldiers. The group of soldiers at the front were flung back, crashing into the men behind them. He launched himself forward, wielding his spear and making short work of the stunned men, cutting them down in seconds.

Buzzzzz!

He brandished his shield again and the lightning spread to the next row of soldiers.

The mage who had been at the back stepped forward and waved her staff. Green lines of light formed a circle in the air and a gentle wind blew through the room, neutralizing the lightning. She stood imperiously as she gazed at the two inhabitants of the room. She clicked her tongue, not even deigning to speak to the Lady or her guard, as if they were beneath her notice.

She turned to the armoured man and shook her head as she spoke. "Waves of guards and servants thrown away just to make time to set up a teleportation circle and escape on her own. And here I though the Arin's were meant to be honourable".

The commander at her side shook his head in a sagely manner, barely hiding the grin on his face "One can hardly blame her, a dog's life is better than a lion's death after all." He brushed his moustache as he spoke. "Still, it is best to check and make sure. If she can cast a teleportation spell, she may have done something else."

The mage nodded. Spreading her arms, she chanted a short spell and cast her staff forward once more. A complex magic circled was formed at the tip of her staff, and a net of wind blew through the room. She narrowed her eyes, studying the surroundings.

Satisfied, she turned to the commander beside her once more. "No traces of concealment magic or any previous mana activation."

The commander inclined his head. He looked down at the once prideful Lady Arin, laying on the floor, and an ugly smile spread across his face.

The smile gave way to an ugly laugh.

"Hahaha!"

"Finally!" He raised both him arms in a dramatic gesture.

"The Golden sun has set; their era is truly over. This is the last of them!"

His voice boomed as he addressed his soldiers.

"Kill them."

The soldiers charged at Daniel.