The Prince's Intro
Short Story / Written 11/20/05 / Rated PG

Ainad discovers the new tie between Aire and Drev just before another danger befalls their family. The arrival of someone they had never expected to ever see...

Where is she...? Drev wondered as he cautiously approached Ainad's woodland cottage. He usually tried to avoid this part of the Clan, but he had brought something for Aire and he was so eager to give it to her that he was willing to risk coming here... Besides, she usually found him and he was gone before Ainad even knew he was there.

Inside the house, Ainad was cleaning dishes in the kitchen, humming to herself while she waited from Aire to get back from visiting a friend. She was so caught up in cleaning, that she didn't even sense someone in the perimeter... at least at first.

It hit her like a wave of cold water, someone was there. And she knew exactly who it was. But why was he here when he had avoided her for so long? What was he up to!? And, even worse, what if he was still out there when Aire got home?

Her fingers trembled as she reached for the golden brace she had inherited. She hated using it and she hated using magic... but she wouldn't allow for her daughter to be in danger. Drev knew he wasn't allowed in her forest...

She winced as it snapped on over her left forearm. She hadn't worn it for months... in fact, it had almost been a year since she last put it on. But the strange artifact helped to intensify her magic powers - and she'd need them if she wanted to chase Drev off. Without magic, she'd never stand a chance against him but with it, he'd never stand a chance against her.

Feeling empowered, she stormed from the house and pointed her left hand in Drev's direction. Drev had barely even realized that she had noticed him before he was hit with a powerful force and was sent hurtling in Ainad's direction as though he were being sucked towards a magnet. He cursed and tried to break the pull but he was powerless against it and, before he knew it, he was left standing in front of Ainad. The magic seemed to have bound him and he froze, unable to do anything but move from the neck up.

"I told you never to come back here." Ainad said. Drev had never seen her like this before and was actually kind of shocked. He knew he was no match for her when her powers were like this...

"I know." he said quietly in hopes to calm her down, "Listen, I just want to see Aire for a minute, then I'll leave, I promise."

"I KNEW IT!" she said as she clenched her fist at her side and Drev choked, it felt as though her fist were clenched around his neck. "Tired of trying to get at me so you're going for my daughter, is that it? I don't care who you are, Drev, if you touch my children, I swear I'll..."

"Mom!?" Aire said as she landed in the meadow and looked back and forth between Drev and Ainad, "What are you doing to him!?"

"Oh Aire..." Ainad said as she released her grip and ran over to hug Aire. "I'm so glad I caught him in time... I was afraid he was here for you."

Aire frowned and pushed Ainad away, "Well let him go!"

"What!?"

"He probably was here to see me, mom! Don't jump to conclusions like that! Just because you hate Drev doesn't mean I have to."

"Aire, he's dangerous!"

"No more dangerous than you are..." Aire retorted.

Ainad looked shocked, Aire had never spoken like this to her before. What was wrong with her? She frowned and waved a hand, causing Drev to collapse and gasp for breath. "What's going on, Aire, what's wrong?"

"Mom, I'm tired of all the fighting in between you two! What happened to your promise to Naya? I thought you loved Drev!"

"I do love Drev." Ainad said with an exasperated sigh, "But I don't love him when he threatens my family or puts you in danger."

"He never has." Aire said. "Drev's never done a single thing to me! So why are you so worried!? Don't forget, Drev's part of my family too."

"I didn't know you felt that way..." Ainad said sadly, "Why didn't you tell me? I just want to make sure you're safe..."

"I can look out for myself." Aire said stubbornly before she stopped and her expression changed completely. "Um... there's someone there..."

Both Ainad and Drev turned to see where she was looking and were shocked to see a dark, shadowy form just on the edge of the forest. "Oh my!" Ainad said quietly, "I... I didn't even sense anyone coming... did you?"

"No..." Drev said and she saw his hand move towards the hilt of the sword at his side.

"Um..." she called out, "Can I help you?"

"After all this time..." a chilling voice said just loudly enough just for them to hear. "I've finally found you... you were here all along..."

Aire and Drev both looked incredulously at Ainad who shrugged.

The figure took a step forward and his face was caught by the sun in the meadow. His skin was black, though it appeared to be transparent, and they could see his skeleton clearly beneath the surface of his skin. Ainad screamed and fell to the ground holding her head. Aire was shocked by his appearance but didn't think it was so bad to merit such a reaction from her mother. "Geez, mom... have some manners for a visitor..." she whispered before she realized that Drev had fallen to the ground too, both of them looked terrified.

"What's going on!?" she asked.

Frightened tears started to leak out of the corner of Ainad's eyes and she began to tremble, "I... I thought you were all dead! She said you were all dead!"

"With your help, most of them are dead." the creature said sourly as it took a step closer and nodded towards the brace on her wrist. "I've only seen one of those once before... but my mother told me never to speak of it again."

Aire looked shocked, "Your mother!?"

"I've been searching a long time to find you..." the creature said, "It is time for you to pay for killing my mother."

"Killing your..." Aire said, "My mom's never killed anyone!!"

"What a disgrace," the Draik spat as he stepped even closer. "for my mother to be killed by your sort. You don't even understand... how could you do that to her!? She never deserved your death wish."

"Now hold on..." Drev said, speaking as though he were in incredible pain. "Ainad's made a lot of dumb decisions before, but I'll be damned if she ever killed anyone."

Ainad sobbed and looked terrified as she glanced back and forth between Drev and the stranger.

"I'd even go so far to say you are the cause of every misfortune I have experienced..." the creature snarled as he began walking closer to where he was almost towering over Ainad. "I've spent many long years searching for you in hopes that I could finally set things right."

With a flash of green light, Drev had drawn his sword and was holding it directly under the Draik's neck, "I think that's close enough."

Ainad sniffled and covered her eyes as the brace on her arm slipped off and landed in the grass beside her.

"You dare threaten me?" the Draik asked Drev, "Do you seriously think you can scare me?"

"That's no way to talk to a man with a sword..." Drev warned.

The stranger smiled a haunting smile before reaching out and grabbing Drev's hand on the sword's handle. Before Drev realized what was happening, the other Draik had used Drev's sword to slit his own throat.

"AUGH!" Drev cried as he dropped the sword and stumbled backwards. Aire screamed and Ainad sobbed while they all watched the wound on his neck heal and disappear as quickly as it had come.

"What...?" Drev choked, looking sick, "What are you!?"

"She knows." the stranger said as he pointed a claw towards Ainad. "My name is Almorion, former prince of the Scythanian race."

"Wait..." Drev said as he realized something, "Former prince? But then you must be... or could you be... but I didn't know she..."

"She must have." Ainad said, frightened tears streaming down her cheeks, "We never knew Daya had a son..."

"Would that have stopped you from killing her?" the Almorion sneered. "Knowing her son would have to grow up without a mother?"

"I didn't kill her." Ainad said, "Your father did! I saw him... with her body! He killed her and then took over her race - once he had broken their spirits it was easy for him."

"I don't believe you." he said. "You killed her because you were jealous, jealous of her happy life with my father, jealous of her new culture."

"I never knew your mother!" Ainad shrieked, "I knew her sister, I've seen her through her sister's memories!"

"Her oldest sister, correct? She was the one who escaped... my father told me. If you are not her, then you must be able to tell me where she is..."

"She's gone." Drev said sternly. "Unfortunately, so are the rest of them. So you'd be best off just leaving this..."

"Then what is that?" Almorion interrupted as he pointed to the wrist brace by Ainad's side. "It has some tie to my mother's race and to her sisters... what does it do?"

"That's none of your business." Drev said, growing more and more irritated. "Look, whatever you want, you can't get it through us. So you'd be best off just..."

"Then what is your tie?" Almorion interrupted. "How did you know her sister... and why does she have that?"

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" Drev roared and everyone was quiet for several minutes before Almorion spoke again.

"I can see that you won't be answering me while he is here." he said to Ainad as he nodded his head in Drev's direction and turned to leave. "Perhaps I should pay you a visit some other time when it is more convenient."

Ainad looked horrified as the skeleton Draik bade his farewell and disappeared into the forest as quickly as he had come. "He's bad news..." she squeaked, "I just know it!"

Drev looked very thoughtful for a minute before he turned around to leave, "Wait!" Ainad called after him, "Thanks for standing up for me, Drev... I just don't know what came over me..."

"Forget it." he said before spreading his wings and flying off, not even pausing to look behind him.

Ainad and Aire were both left speechless in the meadow while Drev landed in the forest to gather his thoughts. He wasn't quite sure what exactly had happened back there, but whatever happened to Ainad seemed to happen to him, too. All he could remember were horrible visions flashing through his mind - and it felt like his head would split open. He couldn't remember what any of the images were, but he wondered if Ainad had seen them more clearly. And maybe that's why she had been so defenseless against the stranger.

Like I care... he snarled to himself as he sat on a nearby boulder. Ainad can look out for herself. I don't care what happens to her.


The End



Copyright © 2006-2010 RoseSagae.com. All rights reserved.