The Riddle of Love

The names are tentative, tentative I repeat...

The Melody



Steel gleamed in the noonday sun. The sun baked ground warm to the touch. The battle raging around revitalized the ruined city. The clangor of steel against steel echoed all around the ruined city. All around, the battle raged, yet in one dark corner, a woman lay unconscious. Slowly she regained consciousness, slowly, she looked around her. At her feet lay a piece of shattered glass. She took it and gazed into her own reflection. Her eyes, her deep blue eyes, even though she was young, gleamed with a deeper understanding of the world around her. Her midnight black hair and her pale complexion. She realized how much change the events of the previous week had upon her, mentally and physically. The previous week was almost the same as what had happened when temporal fluctuations ripped apart the fabric of space and time, releasing magyk into the world. Her now all too elvish features and beauty stunned her for a moment. As she realized where she was, she slowly stood up and drew her sword, just in time to parry a blow from her immediate right. She looked at her attacker; she knew that childish face, green eyes and golden-brown hair all too well. This time however, as she gazed into his eyes she found her self irrevocably in love. Through some unbidden consent, the young man stirred, as though freed from a trance. “Angel, what am I doing here?” the young man piped up “Worry not Joshua, you’re safe” replied Lady Angel as soon as she remembered that Angel was her name. Two weeks ago, she had left, with a small contingent of soldiers, to lay siege upon the rebellion’s headquarters. The rebellion was caused by an uprising against the Arzen throne that split the empire in half. Their small army also had the task of buying Lord Gabriel and his wife Lady Genevieve time to seize the throne. Joshua attacked Angel because of the black magyk used by the rebellion to control minds. “Let us proceed to the Citadel in the middle of this city” ordered Lady Angel. Once there they made easy work of the guardians, when they reached the throne room of the rebel leader, they found three of the black magyk users summoning a shadow behemoth. Lady Angel used her newfound magyk to stop the three. At that instance, the whole group felt a debilitating mental presence in the room, only Lady Angel was able to stop its advances and step toward the rebel leader. Now powerless to stop her because of the mental war, the leader was only able to throw his hands up before she stabbed him in the heart.



Meanwhile…



At the Capital City, the battle raged on. Lady Genevieve, of a normal stature, brown eyes and long black hair fought with the rage of magyk. Lord Gabriel, of a normal stature, blue eyes and short black hair fought with a nimble blade. With each stroke, the two killed dozens. It was child’s play to them. Soon they made their way to the palace where they disposed of the guards and the puppet king. Gabriel and Genevieve stepped up to the dais where the throne was located. Upon the throne sat a tiara and a crown. They took the two and once they held them in their hands, they started to glow faintly. This recognized them as the rightful heirs to the throne. As they marveled at this, Gabriel saw Genevieve faint beside him, trying to guard against an unseen attacker, he looked around the room. When he saw no one he stepped backward, when he turned around, he found himself face to face with a towering black figure. As he looked up, the whole world went black.

A young battlemage, of a normal height, black eyes and short brown hair burst through the palace doors at the moment that Gabriel fainted. Realizing his folly he cast a masking spell on himself, making him impervious to the sight of the cloaked figure. As though with black magyk the cloaked figure lifted the two nobles and carried them to the dungeon. The young man followed the figure but was stopped in his tracks by a hissing blue wall of lightning blocking the path to the dungeon. He stepped back and threw a fireball right at the wall of lightning.



An explosion from above awoke Gabriel. He saw himself in a dungeon cell, to the side he saw Genevieve slumped. “My love, wake up!” shouted Gabriel and Genevieve opened her eyes. Just then a portion of the dungeon wall beside their cell exploded. It sent a great amount of rocks and debris flying through the air. When the dust cleared someone had opened their cell, when Gabriel noticed who it was, he exclaimed “John, my friend, thank you for saving us, again.” “It is no problem my king.” replied their savior. Just then they saw the cloaked figure across the corridor. When it realized what happened, an inhuman screech escaped its lips. Genevieve and John threw a lance of pure light at the attacker. Before it died, it said “Your end is near… The pro…h…cy w…ll be fu…fi…ed” and it blew up in a cloud of black smoke. Genevieve and Gabriel did not hear the creature’s last words, but John heard it clearly. John knew exactly what the beast meant, but he decided not to tell the newly anointed monarchs.



Two days later, the coronation was held. This helped boost the morale of the citizens. The newly anointed king, Gabriel said to his people “I stand here, not only as your king, but as one of you. This kingdom has endured this trial and it can weather what is ahead. Half of the city may be destroyed, and mourning is all around us. But we have a reason to celebrate. This kingdom now stands united, and with our newfound unity we can weather the worst that fate can throw at us. The rebels are dead! Those that are left are now scattered on the countryside! This is a new era of peace for this kingdom all thanks to the man who saved us from a beast from the shadows. Without him, I would not be here before you. And I therefore dub him Lord John!” after Gabriel’s speech the entire city rang with cheering and applause from the crowd. That night a great feast was held, but celebration did not go on for long. In the time of their recovery, many problems arose. Small fights broke out among all households. Even in the royal family. But of all these, the most memorable was the fight between Lord John and Queen Genevieve herself.



It all began one day as a small dispute over who the best magyk user was in the entire city. King Gabriel insisted that it was Queen Genevieve, while the symphonia, a group of magyk users who learned how to sing magyk, insisted that it was John. The two did not involve themselves in the dispute. However, when things started to escalate, the two decided to join in. It was not long before the two held a contest to decide who was better. Due to the imminent danger, the two decided to hold the contest as far away from the city as possible. Then, one hot afternoon, the battle began. John took the first strike and threw fireballs with great speed and accuracy at Genevieve. Genevieve retaliated with well-aimed lightning bolts. Soon, the two were hurling mountains of sand at each other, Genevieve even summoned a horde of tornados. They threw their best at each other however, seeing that nothing was working out to defeat the opponent, the two decided to use the power of the aether regions. Tendrils of magyk emanated from the two, and when they decided to release enormous power, two dragons made from magyk appeared and crashed into each other at the middle of the battlefield. This caused an explosion that made the land around them an arid desert, devoid of life, causing utter devastation to the environment around them. When the dust cleared, Genevieve’s dragon still stood, proving her to be the best magyk user in the entire city. John was enraged at his defeat and decided to do what he must to get more power and wisdom.



One day, as it was raining, the entire royal family stood at the gate of the castle, tears streaming down their eyes. John was leaving for the elves; he wanted to seek their guidance and training in magyk. So, as everyone said their final goodbye, John rode down through the rolling plains. As he disappeared over the horizon, the heavens split open. And light illuminated his path, after this, the light shone on Lady Angel and Sir Joshua. From the heavens a sweet melody filled the air and two feathers alighted upon the open palms of Angel and Joshua, marking them for their uncertain destiny. And realizing the folly of their battle, Genevieve relinquished her power to the heavenly host, vowing that never again will such damage be caused. This marked the beginning of a new era of peace and prosperity. However, soon after John left, Genevieve went missing. This did not destroy the kingdom’s newfound peace and prosperity, but it did dampen the people’s morale. Such peace and unity went on for what seemed an eternity for the people of Arzen. Each night there were celebrations and feasts, each man living and giving for the sake of others. This was what they had always wished for. And this was to be their everlasting fate, or so they thought. For after three years, this peace and revelry was about to be shattered…

here's a downloadable copy:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ynquj532jow/The Melody.doc

nice
thats all I have to say
just... nice

thanks

Chapter 2:

An Awkward
Beginning





One day, three years later, Lady
Angel sat in her room at the Rain
Mansion. She was talking
to her new maid, Rikki. “Is he the one for me? Will he hate me if I tell him
that I love him? Does he love me back?” asked the lady. “m’lady, be patient,
don’t give up hope… things like this should be taken slowly and without haste
and I’m pretty sure that he likes you back” the maid replied. “You’re just
saying that to cheer me up, while in fact he hates me” said Lady Angel. “You
can never be sure of that m’lady, not until it comes from his very lips and
when he says it truly” consoled Rikki. “Well, you do have a point but, what if…
just what if he really does hate me? I know he’ll never love someone like me…
Besides, he always goes to war, can I love someone who can die at any moment?”
sighed Lady Angel. “You must have faith in your destiny, and the mere fact that
both of you are branded with a feather on your palm may say something about
your future. Remember, the Divine Providence will help you; He will never give
you anything that you can’t handle. You just need to have faith, confidence and
courage” said Rikki, trying to console Lady Angel as much as she could “Thank
you Rikki, I don’t know what I’d do without you” replied Angel to Rikki’s kind
words. “M’lady, it is nothing… I have to tell you something…” what she was
about to say was cut off when someone shouted “Lord John is back!!” the entire
mansion buzzed like a beehive. Lady Angel and Rikki made their way to the
entrance hall. “Is it true? Is it really him? Why return now?” came from the
small crowd that had gathered there. When John entered, he was surrounded by
the servants and little children. All were asking him about his travels.
Throughout the turmoil John was gazing at Lady Angel, and when Angel caught his
eye she saw the all too familiar we-have-to-talk-after-this look on his face.
Angel almost didn’t recognize him, aside from the eyes, he was pretty much
changed. And now, Angel sensed the magyk in his blood to be ever stronger than
before. The proceedings went on until mid-morning, and Angel laughed when she
saw John, looking like he wanted to leave yet again. John was the kind of
person that did not like lengthy and all too formal introductions. It was
already late afternoon when John was able to talk to Angel.





“Ahh… Lady Angel, as beautiful as
when I last saw you. How has life been in the kingdom since I left?” asked
John. “Everything is flourishing, trade has been increasing a lot and our
military has been getting stronger. King Gabriel enlisted the Invokers and the
Symphonia in the army” replied Angel. “Good to hear that, I hear you’ve taken a
liking to my old apprentice Joshua” said John “Why are you looking at me like
that?!” said Angel indignantly. John, doubled over in laughter managed to say
“Angel, your face just turned as red as a ripe tomato” Angel felt the blood
rush to her face. “Well, I must go now; I’m going to train a couple of rascals
in using a sword. I expect you’ll come to watch them?” said John “I would be delighted,
I’ll see you later” replied Angel. When John had left for the training ground
Angel asked Rikki “Was my face really that red?” “He spoke true m’lady” replied
Rikki. “Oh” was all that Angel managed to say. “Shall we go m’lady?” asked
Rikki “Yes that would be lovely” replied Angel, managing to get some of her
composure back.





At the training field, John showed
little children some sword techniques. Already, a small crowd had gathered.
Lady Angel and Rikki, arrived just in time to see John decapitate the training
dummy. The two found seats just outside the picket fence surrounding the
training field. Just then, an unexpected breeze threw up a choking cloud of
dust. When the dust cleared a young man in a cloak stood in the middle of the
field. Angel sensed an aura of fierce defiance and strength emanating from the
man. “I challenge you, John, to a battle!” declared the young man. A gasp came
from the crowd as John accepted. Angel knew she had heard the man’s voice
somewhere, but she couldn’t put a name to it. “I accept your challenge, and if
you are going to disguise yourself, I suggest you do a better job next time,
Joshua!” declared John. Another gasp came from the crowd and Angel felt the
blood rush to her face again. Rikki couldn’t help but laugh. She knew all too
well what would happen next. The young man let his cloak fall to the ground and
said “How did you know?” “I learned much from the elves, you should have known
better, apprentice” said John. “Apprentice eh? I find it quite awkward to be
fighting my old master” retaliated Joshua “Cut short the talking and let’s
begin the battle” answered John defiantly. The young man drew his sword first
and attacked John even when the other hadn’t even had the chance to draw his
own sword. However just as Joshua swung his blade at John, steel flashed before
Joshua’s eyes at blinding speed and the clash of steel against steel was heard.
The momentum of John’s blade threw them apart. Joshua attacked with the
ferocity of a lion and at a blinding speed. John however, was simply parrying
the attacks with ease and one arm behind his back in a very lord-like manner.
All through the battle Angel stared at Joshua, face glowing like a live coal.
Through the night the battle continued, until John saw Joshua falter in his steps
and attacked, knocking the young man’s sword out of his hands which embedded
itself in a nearby tree. Enraged at this, Joshua resorted to use magyk and
called a ball of flames from the heavens. John was alerted to this, and he did
not invoke a spell, but rather, just raised one hand and the ball of fire
dissipated. “How did you learn magyk?!” asked John angrily. “Santiago taught me after you left” replied
the boy calmly. “Do you know what can happen if you use magyk in battle?” asked
John angrily “no…” replied Joshua. “Come with me tomorrow and I’ll show you
what can happen…” said John reluctantly.





The next day, John came through with
his promise to Joshua. He took Angel along too. For two hours, they rode across
the countryside, until they reached a certain place. John dismounted from his
steed and waved his hand in front of him. Angel gasped and Joshua paled at what
was revealed. A smell of rotting meat came from the blackened earth. The little
vegetation that thrived there rotting as it grew. Noxious fumes came from
cracks in the ground. The heat that came from it was unbearable. “What horror
is this?” asked Joshua and Angel in unison. “Four years ago, this was a lush
oasis. Then came the day, three years ago when Genevieve and I fought in this
very ground. Our magyk tore the environment asunder. And the area was turned
into desert. But slowly, over the years, the corrupting influence of the dark
magyk created by our battle corrupted the land. Turning the desert to blight,
here you see what magyk can do when used in battle” replied John. “I never
knew…” was all that Joshua can say. “What can we do here today?” asked Angel.
“We shall try to restore this place. But I can only do it with the help of
those marked by the heavens or so the elves said” replied John. “Marked by the
heavens? The day you left, Joshua and I were marked with feathers on our palms”
said Angel. “Then we must work together to restore this once beautiful sanctum”
said John. “Hold your palms up and point them at the heavens” he continued.
Slowly, John began to sing. He sang of the beauty of nature, of the majestic
mountains, of the powerful rivers and of the mighty forests. He wove magyk into
his song. The feathers began to glow and a beam of light shot from them and hit
the clouds. Then, a mist enveloped the blight. From the heavens rain poured
upon the blighted area a rain not only of water but also of light. Wherever the
rain dropped, nature was restored and pretty soon the land was once again
fertile. John continued his song and from the ground, grass grew and trees grew
back. Flowers soon filled the field and an underground spring filled a
depression in the ground with crystal clear water. The group stayed there for
the rest of the day, marveling at its beauty, but, soon they had to return to
the mansion.





The next day John awoke, he had
sensed a disturbance in the equilibrium of the kingdom. He took a shallow bowl
and filled it with water, after mentioning a small incantation the water
started to swirl and it became still. It was now a looking glass he could use
to see what was happening in the kingdom. As he searched the kingdom he saw
that nothing had changed, not until he saw the borders. There was a huge army
amassed at around three million. Judging from their crest John saw that they
belonged to the Razshan Empire which covered two thirds of the continent.
Quickly he dressed and hurried down the flight of stairs. He told Angel what he
had seen and that he had to leave for the capital city at once. Angel took care
of everything he needed while John saddled his horse. “It is a pity that I must
leave again so soon Angel, but circumstances demand it” said John and with all
his horse’s speed he rode to the capital city. It was midmorning when he saw
the Veronican Towers. They were the tallest in the
city. As he approached the gate, the watchmen recognized him and sounded a
bugle to signify his return. The city was thrown into uproar as he entered the
gate, and the roar of the cheering crowd was deafening. He made his way to the
palace where he was greeted by King Gabriel himself. “Your majesty, I bring
dire news!” said John. “My old friend it is wonderful seeing you return, but I
had hoped you would return under better circumstances” said the king “Your
majesty, the razshan army is amassing at our borders, they number to three
million. They intend to invade in two month’s time” said John hurriedly.
“What?” Said the king in utter disbelief “Come inside, let us discuss this in
the throne room” he continued. Once inside, “My king, I must know, where is
Genevieve? I must still discuss something of utmost importance with her” said
John earnestly. “Well, if you must know…” he was cut off when all of a sudden a
flash of light filled the throne room. And a woman’s voice was heard “Fear not,
I have returned.” Just then, John realized that Genevieve had also gone missing
at around the same time that he had…

This is great, one of the most intersting storys i've ever read.

I'm actually gonna leave a cliffhanger on the end of this one, because I'm turning this into a book,
and the cliffhanger is neccessary

Interesting Choice.

I'm not giving away any spoilers

Me wants spolarz. Moar spolarz!!!