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Description
Chapter I
June 27, 2809

The air stood still in the skies of Malus, an empire that stretched across vast plains and mountain ridges of earth. It was a time of darkness when demons and shadowy creatures roamed the lands spreading terror in their wake. The handful of humans that were left refused to keep living, never moving from their homes. Even the wind was motionless, frozen in fear. The clouds refused to let rain pour and the plants refused to grow. The sun never shone through the darkness of the sky and shadows crept upon the ground both day and night. The only light was the dim flickering flame of torches. Every person lived in fear, never daring to face the challenges of the darkened world. All except for one, a young girl of fifteen. She had been born after the fall of the human race, but knew of the light before its collapse, a peace that most people doubted would ever return. And, as usual, she disagreed with them.

She was sitting at her window, gazing longingly out onto the fields that she was forbidden to explore. Even with the darkness, running free of this retched home was appealing to her. She had been cooped up in her father’s dark and dank castle for too long. She had never taken a single breath of fresh air unclouded by the stench of mold. Her life had always been tedious. All she ever did was sit by a fading fire and listen to the old tales told by her father. Still, she didn’t want to just live her life listening to tales of adventure, love, and freedom… She wanted to have a life full of adventure, love, and freedom. She wanted nothing more than to run free across the fields. Ah, she could just imagine. The wind blowing her hair out of her face, her arms spread out like an eagle’s wings, her feet flying behind her as she ran, her eyes closed in the simple pleasure of being free, the taste of the fall breeze in her mouth, yes, that was it, but her father wouldn’t allow it. Her father was too scared and even though he was the one who had the power to banish the creatures and horrors of the world, he just would not. He was merely an easily frightened coward. He wanted her to be just like any other girl, to follow his orders and to serve him, to do her chores, to clean, to cook, to bend at his every will. But no, she wouldn’t stand for it. She couldn’t be what he wanted her to be even if he tried to force her.

She was merely Arianna Croisé, the daughter of a ruler to timid to even venture outside. She was the girl who wanted to be free. She was a woman trapped in the body of youth. She was herself and nothing more. Her musings were broken by the loud voice of her father that came from the study, demanding her presence in there or there would be severe punishment. Arianna turned and walked from the window swiftly, her blue cape billowing behind her as she went. Her feet made faint noises as she moved through the stone corridor. Shadows lined her long face and the dim light highlighted her piercing hazel eyes.  She pushed open the heavy wooden door that led into the study. The grain of the wood scratched her fingers roughly. Her father, Harold Croisé, was sitting leisurely at his desk with his pen at the corner of his smirking mouth. His brown hair matched Arianna’s color except for a few graying streaks. His hard eyes looked his daughter over carefully. His gaze made her feel naked as if her true self shone through making him see who she was, not what he wanted her to be. His long stare was very unnerving. She squirmed nervously as he began to speak to her.

“It took you long enough. I expected better of you. When I call you come immediately no matter the circumstances. Do you hear child?” His once soft heart had been turned cold by the endless war and the tragic death of his wife and children besides Arianna. Now he sat there at his chair, heartless and emotionless. He let everything pass by him as if it meant nothing.

“Y-yes, father,” Arianna responded timidly while staring into the eyes of her angered father.

“Go make my dinner,” he barked, picking up a large leather bound book. Arianna swallowed harshly and just stood in one place. She stared down at her feet, guiltily. Her father looked up after a few moments.

“Why haven’t you gone?” He inquired. Arianna swallowed again, looking her father in the eye.

“There’s no more water left, and-“

“No more water?” he interrupted, his eyes on fire, bubbling and boiling with anger. How dare she say there’s no more water! I need the water to survive… where will we get more? That little wench! He thought looking at his daughter in disgust. He set down the book quickly and stood up. He towered over her as she cowered back. She was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond to her enraged father.

“Well… um… we just… ran out… I couldn’t do anything about it,” she stuttered and averted her gaze. She stared at the wall to her right hoping not to be reprimanded by her father. He grinned evilly, almost hysterically and walked slowly towards her, his steps echoing off of the stone walls loudly.

“No more water, eh? Couldn’t do anything about it… It’s all rubbish… You’re going to get beaten for this you know… or do you not really care. You will make sure there is always water when I demand it. I own you and there is nothing you can do about it,” tears began to form in Arianna’s ashamed eyes, “No, don’t cry. Never show emotion. Emotions are worthless and you will never shed one tear or smile a single smile while I am in charge of this household. Now go!” He yelled in his thick English accent. His voice was becoming louder and louder making her ears hurt. She shook her head vainly in disagreement.

“No… It wasn’t my fault. I am sure of it and I will not go. You don’t own me,” she retorted boldly. His face began to redden and he turned around. Arianna winced in preparation as he flew back around, his deep brown hair flying everywhere. She felt a smack against the side her face. She brought her hand up to her face. A red handprint was appearing slowly on her cheek.

“It was your fault and you know it. Now go!” he told her as she backed away, but then stood erect. She gathered up her courage to talk back to her overbearing father.

“You don’t own me, and it wasn’t my fault. You used be kind and loving when Mother was alive… you were always there for me! But now all I see in you is a cold-hearted git. You are but a shell of a human. What’s left of you is nothing. You don’t have a heart, nor do you really have a mind. You are the worst person ever to walk upon the face of the earth!”

“Get out, then,” he yelled at her in a strangled voice, pointing for her to leave, “Just go, if you really want to!” She closed her eyes and sighed at her father. This was too much… How could he just throw her out after all she had done for him? He was just about to disown his only living daughter into a land of darkness and despair, had he gone mad?

“But there is nowhere to go…” her voice trailed off as her father went back to his book. She turned around and walked out of the study defeated. Tears burned her eyes as she ran blindly through the winding corridors of the castle to her room.  She opened up the heavy wooden door and collapsed onto her bed without opening her eyes. No tears fell, but her body was racked by dry sobs. Soon her sobs subsided as she fell into a peaceful slumber. After a while Arianna woke up and sat on her deep midnight blue bed. It had a large silken canopy and black silk sheets. Her walls were painted a dark blue and her ceiling was dotted by hand painted stars that seemed to twinkle back at her. The carpet was a deep royal purple and it was soft as velvet to the touch. There was one window in her room, but it was covered by a heavy drape.

She sighed heavily as she walked over to her dresser. She had always felt safe in this room.  It was her own little sanctuary away from father. She picked up a silver necklace.  At the end, a fang with a single gem embedded into it was tied. The gem was clear, but deep blood red liquid shimmered and swirled inside of it like a miniature ocean lapping onto the shore. Her father had found it in the wreckage near to where the rest of her family had been   burned alive. She opened the silver clasp and put it around her neck. It dangled slightly. She looked around her room for the last time and put on her leather boots that had resided in the corner of her bedroom. She walked down the stairs quietly. Soon she arrived at the kitchen doors. They creaked loudly as she opened them slowly. She slipped inside to get a bit of food. The kitchen was perfectly clean and everything in its rightful place. The pans and canned foods were in the large wooden cabinets her father had made for mother. They had been there for as long as she could remember. They were the only things that reminded her of mother. She opened them, relishing the smooth feel of the wood on her fingers.

Arianna picked out a few tin cans of vegetables and a small loaf of bread and put them in the leather sack that sat on the countertops. She turned around and walked out of the kitchen leaving the cabinet doors open for her father to find. She glanced on last time at the door that led to her father’s study. She sighed heavily and walked to the main doors. She picked up her deep emerald green cloak and swung it over her shoulders along with the leather sack. Finally, she picked up a long wooden stick, lit a match, and let the top of the stick burn. The flames seemed brighter than any other light she had ever seen… almost as if it were magic. The torch lit up the whole entire corridor making the shadows longer and darker. She opened the doors unhurriedly and walked out onto the simple stone path that faded off about one hundred feet ahead and became a narrow dirt pathway. She could see towering desolate mountains in the distance. Even, they too, looked dead and dry, no green of plants or small stirrings of animals. The sweet coldness of the air flooded her nose sending her into a numb bliss. She glanced about. Miles upon miles of bare land were to the left and right of her, only dotted by a few patches of dried grass and bramble. It felt as if no creatures had ever inhabited the bare wastelands. In front of her was a dead forest. The trees were like little sticks poking up through the dry soil. It looked as if they could be snapped with one swift move, almost as if they were about to fall at any second. Arianna sighed once more and looked back at the massive castle. She shed one last crystal clear tear as she began to walk. Where she was going… she didn’t know. She was going nowhere…

* * *

Arianna walked for about what seemed like four hours across a barren landscape heading towards the East. The dry, dead grass crackled and crunched under the weight of her feet as she walked. The dirt path that she had followed before had disappeared longer ago than she could remember. Her mind was befuddled with tiredness and hunger. Her stomach growled loudly and she mentally shouted at it to be quiet as she was trying to clear her mind. She wanted to know where she was going, but there was no one to ask. She sighed heavily and dropped her leather sack on the ground. Her shoulders ached horribly from carrying it for so long. She brought her hand up to her neck kneading the ball of tension out of it. She pulled her hand leisurely through the chestnut waves of hair that cascaded down her back.

Arianna felt closed in even though she was out in the open… it was something about the clouds and the heaviness of the air that seeped through her thin clothes and chilled her skin. Her torchlight began to dim and fade slowly as she fumbled with the strings on her bag. She ran her hands blindly through the contents of the bag and pulled out a small chunk of stale bread. Good enough, she thought sleepily, stuffing it in her mouth. Without even chewing, she swallowed it whole, hoping the hunger would go away faster with the small ration of food. With her stomach still aching, she lay down and curled up into a ball, her knees hugged up to her chest. Her eyes drooped sleepily as her mind slipped away into a deep, peaceful slumber that she wouldn’t have been able to achieve if she knew what was lurking nearby in the shadows…

Description
Chapter I
June 27, 2809

The air stood still in the skies of Malus, an empire that stretched across vast plains and mountain ridges of earth. It was a time of darkness when demons and shadowy creatures roamed the lands spreading terror in their wake. The handful of humans that were left refused to keep living, never moving from their homes. Even the wind was motionless, frozen in fear. The clouds refused to let rain pour and the plants refused to grow. The sun never shone through the darkness of the sky and shadows crept upon the ground both day and night. The only light was the dim flickering flame of torches. Every person lived in fear, never daring to face the challenges of the darkened world. All except for one, a young girl of fifteen. She had been born after the fall of the human race, but knew of the light before its collapse, a peace that most people doubted would ever return. And, as usual, she disagreed with them.

She was sitting at her window, gazing longingly out onto the fields that she was forbidden to explore. Even with the darkness, running free of this retched home was appealing to her. She had been cooped up in her father’s dark and dank castle for too long. She had never taken a single breath of fresh air unclouded by the stench of mold. Her life had always been tedious. All she ever did was sit by a fading fire and listen to the old tales told by her father. Still, she didn’t want to just live her life listening to tales of adventure, love, and freedom… She wanted to have a life full of adventure, love, and freedom. She wanted nothing more than to run free across the fields. Ah, she could just imagine. The wind blowing her hair out of her face, her arms spread out like an eagle’s wings, her feet flying behind her as she ran, her eyes closed in the simple pleasure of being free, the taste of the fall breeze in her mouth, yes, that was it, but her father wouldn’t allow it. Her father was too scared and even though he was the one who had the power to banish the creatures and horrors of the world, he just would not. He was merely an easily frightened coward. He wanted her to be just like any other girl, to follow his orders and to serve him, to do her chores, to clean, to cook, to bend at his every will. But no, she wouldn’t stand for it. She couldn’t be what he wanted her to be even if he tried to force her.

She was merely Arianna Croisé, the daughter of a ruler to timid to even venture outside. She was the girl who wanted to be free. She was a woman trapped in the body of youth. She was herself and nothing more. Her musings were broken by the loud voice of her father that came from the study, demanding her presence in there or there would be severe punishment. Arianna turned and walked from the window swiftly, her blue cape billowing behind her as she went. Her feet made faint noises as she moved through the stone corridor. Shadows lined her long face and the dim light highlighted her piercing hazel eyes.  She pushed open the heavy wooden door that led into the study. The grain of the wood scratched her fingers roughly. Her father, Harold Croisé, was sitting leisurely at his desk with his pen at the corner of his smirking mouth. His brown hair matched Arianna’s color except for a few graying streaks. His hard eyes looked his daughter over carefully. His gaze made her feel naked as if her true self shone through making him see who she was, not what he wanted her to be. His long stare was very unnerving. She squirmed nervously as he began to speak to her.

“It took you long enough. I expected better of you. When I call you come immediately no matter the circumstances. Do you hear child?” His once soft heart had been turned cold by the endless war and the tragic death of his wife and children besides Arianna. Now he sat there at his chair, heartless and emotionless. He let everything pass by him as if it meant nothing.

“Y-yes, father,” Arianna responded timidly while staring into the eyes of her angered father.

“Go make my dinner,” he barked, picking up a large leather bound book. Arianna swallowed harshly and just stood in one place. She stared down at her feet, guiltily. Her father looked up after a few moments.

“Why haven’t you gone?” He inquired. Arianna swallowed again, looking her father in the eye.

“There’s no more water left, and-“

“No more water?” he interrupted, his eyes on fire, bubbling and boiling with anger. How dare she say there’s no more water! I need the water to survive… where will we get more? That little wench! He thought looking at his daughter in disgust. He set down the book quickly and stood up. He towered over her as she cowered back. She was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond to her enraged father.

“Well… um… we just… ran out… I couldn’t do anything about it,” she stuttered and averted her gaze. She stared at the wall to her right hoping not to be reprimanded by her father. He grinned evilly, almost hysterically and walked slowly towards her, his steps echoing off of the stone walls loudly.

“No more water, eh? Couldn’t do anything about it… It’s all rubbish… You’re going to get beaten for this you know… or do you not really care. You will make sure there is always water when I demand it. I own you and there is nothing you can do about it,” tears began to form in Arianna’s ashamed eyes, “No, don’t cry. Never show emotion. Emotions are worthless and you will never shed one tear or smile a single smile while I am in charge of this household. Now go!” He yelled in his thick English accent. His voice was becoming louder and louder making her ears hurt. She shook her head vainly in disagreement.

“No… It wasn’t my fault. I am sure of it and I will not go. You don’t own me,” she retorted boldly. His face began to redden and he turned around. Arianna winced in preparation as he flew back around, his deep brown hair flying everywhere. She felt a smack against the side her face. She brought her hand up to her face. A red handprint was appearing slowly on her cheek.

“It was your fault and you know it. Now go!” he told her as she backed away, but then stood erect. She gathered up her courage to talk back to her overbearing father.

“You don’t own me, and it wasn’t my fault. You used be kind and loving when Mother was alive… you were always there for me! But now all I see in you is a cold-hearted git. You are but a shell of a human. What’s left of you is nothing. You don’t have a heart, nor do you really have a mind. You are the worst person ever to walk upon the face of the earth!”

“Get out, then,” he yelled at her in a strangled voice, pointing for her to leave, “Just go, if you really want to!” She closed her eyes and sighed at her father. This was too much… How could he just throw her out after all she had done for him? He was just about to disown his only living daughter into a land of darkness and despair, had he gone mad?

“But there is nowhere to go…” her voice trailed off as her father went back to his book. She turned around and walked out of the study defeated. Tears burned her eyes as she ran blindly through the winding corridors of the castle to her room.  She opened up the heavy wooden door and collapsed onto her bed without opening her eyes. No tears fell, but her body was racked by dry sobs. Soon her sobs subsided as she fell into a peaceful slumber. After a while Arianna woke up and sat on her deep midnight blue bed. It had a large silken canopy and black silk sheets. Her walls were painted a dark blue and her ceiling was dotted by hand painted stars that seemed to twinkle back at her. The carpet was a deep royal purple and it was soft as velvet to the touch. There was one window in her room, but it was covered by a heavy drape.

She sighed heavily as she walked over to her dresser. She had always felt safe in this room.  It was her own little sanctuary away from father. She picked up a silver necklace.  At the end, a fang with a single gem embedded into it was tied. The gem was clear, but deep blood red liquid shimmered and swirled inside of it like a miniature ocean lapping onto the shore. Her father had found it in the wreckage near to where the rest of her family had been   burned alive. She opened the silver clasp and put it around her neck. It dangled slightly. She looked around her room for the last time and put on her leather boots that had resided in the corner of her bedroom. She walked down the stairs quietly. Soon she arrived at the kitchen doors. They creaked loudly as she opened them slowly. She slipped inside to get a bit of food. The kitchen was perfectly clean and everything in its rightful place. The pans and canned foods were in the large wooden cabinets her father had made for mother. They had been there for as long as she could remember. They were the only things that reminded her of mother. She opened them, relishing the smooth feel of the wood on her fingers.

Arianna picked out a few tin cans of vegetables and a small loaf of bread and put them in the leather sack that sat on the countertops. She turned around and walked out of the kitchen leaving the cabinet doors open for her father to find. She glanced on last time at the door that led to her father’s study. She sighed heavily and walked to the main doors. She picked up her deep emerald green cloak and swung it over her shoulders along with the leather sack. Finally, she picked up a long wooden stick, lit a match, and let the top of the stick burn. The flames seemed brighter than any other light she had ever seen… almost as if it were magic. The torch lit up the whole entire corridor making the shadows longer and darker. She opened the doors unhurriedly and walked out onto the simple stone path that faded off about one hundred feet ahead and became a narrow dirt pathway. She could see towering desolate mountains in the distance. Even, they too, looked dead and dry, no green of plants or small stirrings of animals. The sweet coldness of the air flooded her nose sending her into a numb bliss. She glanced about. Miles upon miles of bare land were to the left and right of her, only dotted by a few patches of dried grass and bramble. It felt as if no creatures had ever inhabited the bare wastelands. In front of her was a dead forest. The trees were like little sticks poking up through the dry soil. It looked as if they could be snapped with one swift move, almost as if they were about to fall at any second. Arianna sighed once more and looked back at the massive castle. She shed one last crystal clear tear as she began to walk. Where she was going… she didn’t know. She was going nowhere…

* * *

Arianna walked for about what seemed like four hours across a barren landscape heading towards the East. The dry, dead grass crackled and crunched under the weight of her feet as she walked. The dirt path that she had followed before had disappeared longer ago than she could remember. Her mind was befuddled with tiredness and hunger. Her stomach growled loudly and she mentally shouted at it to be quiet as she was trying to clear her mind. She wanted to know where she was going, but there was no one to ask. She sighed heavily and dropped her leather sack on the ground. Her shoulders ached horribly from carrying it for so long. She brought her hand up to her neck kneading the ball of tension out of it. She pulled her hand leisurely through the chestnut waves of hair that cascaded down her back.

Arianna felt closed in even though she was out in the open… it was something about the clouds and the heaviness of the air that seeped through her thin clothes and chilled her skin. Her torchlight began to dim and fade slowly as she fumbled with the strings on her bag. She ran her hands blindly through the contents of the bag and pulled out a small chunk of stale bread. Good enough, she thought sleepily, stuffing it in her mouth. Without even chewing, she swallowed it whole, hoping the hunger would go away faster with the small ration of food. With her stomach still aching, she lay down and curled up into a ball, her knees hugged up to her chest. Her eyes drooped sleepily as her mind slipped away into a deep, peaceful slumber that she wouldn’t have been able to achieve if she knew what was lurking nearby in the shadows…