Prologue: Transcendent

The next chapter. Hope you like it, Rids!

--

Snow fell of the city of Sion, capital of the kingdom of Saradush. The castle made a strong, impressive silhouette against the horizon, along with the city skyline and smoke drifting from the chimneys. In the dirt streets, people walked at a leisurely pace through drifts of snow and children played and shrieked, and then were called to bed by mothers and, in some cases, fathers. They would eat their meager food rations for the day and go off to sleep on their hay mattresses, covered by threadbare blankets.

In the castle, life was easier, but still not ideal. Now, however, that was forgotten as the royal court convened and feasted. Bundled up in velvet and cloaks to banish the cold that blew in through the glassless windows, they watched with almost childlike attention as the jester juggled flaming torches with a remarkable grace. In contrast to the audience, his black hair was matted down with sweat from the proximity of the fire. His blue eyes, flicked with falcon gold, watched the torches almost lazily. His brightly colored clothing also contrasted sharply with the nobles around him.

He stood in a large stone room, flanked by two large wooden tables and facing a third. The tables to his right and left hosted nobles from all over the kingdom of Saradush, from the chilly mountains of Noa to the nearby ocean port of Skuran. They, like the peasants, were confined to the food rations passed down by King Sextus, and while they weren't pleased, they understood the importance of being rid of double standards.

At the head table, the king, his son, the Loremaster, and a woman sat. The king was tall and strong, if old, with close-cropped salt and pepper hair and sharp, cold blue eyes. He wore heavy velvet clothing, most of which was embroidered with gold and silver. He watched the jester with only vague interest.

The prince was a handsome young man with think blonde hair and the same sharp blue eyes as his father. He wore somewhat less gaudy clothing, but they were still very fine. He payed the jester no attention and continued eating, but also tried talking with the woman sitting beside him.

The woman was pale and beautiful, with long sable hair and a small smile on her face. Her eyes, though dark in appearance from afar, where actually fey eyes; mismatched emerald green and deep, dusky amethyst. She wore a purple dress lined with gold and jewels, with a filmy, iridescent cover. She had a thick, white fur cloak about her shoulders, and was pointedly ignoring the prince's attempts at conversation, watching the jester's performance with rapt attention.

The Loremaster was a small, decrepit man with slightly pointed ears and long, thin, white hair. He didn't watch the jester with much attention, having seen it all before. He wore long, plain brown robes and a black cloak about his shoulders.

With a flourish, the jester caught all the torches in one hand and bowed. The applause was uproarious, and the jester grinned.

"Yes, yes, well done, Eilert," the king said impatiently. "You may go." Eilert bowed and started towards the door, but instead of going all the way, he stopped and waited at the doorway, listening to what happened, as he often did in such courts. If anyone noticed, they said nothing.

"We welcome you all to our court. We also welcome the ambassador of the Fae," the last word was spoken as if it left a bad taste in his mouth; everyone knew of the king's dislike of anything even remotely connected to magic. "To our court. Lady Veconia." A tall, eerily beautiful woman with green eyes that dominated her face, blond hair and a waif-like figure stood from her seat at a table to the side and bowed respectfully to the king, her filmy dress fluttering around her, apparently heedless to the cold. The court clapped a bit half-heartedly, but she didn't seem to notice, or mind. She simply sat back down. Eilert was the last to stop clapping, and earned himself a few stares. Veconia smiled slightly.

"Now, I've come to an arrangement with the Fae, and-" But before he could say anything more, the door of the hall opened.

Two guards escorted a strange woman that was plainly Fae into the room. Her feet were frostbitten and red, and she looked blue with cold; her only clothing a dress of what looked like vines. Her long hair, blonde to the point of being white, fell lank and straggly about her face.

Leading the guards and the Fae woman was Auren, the captain of the guard of Sion and the castle. She was tall and pretty, though her attractiveness paled in comparison to the nobility, jewels and velvet around her, and the fact that she, unlike those around her, was wearing stiff leather armor and two swords. Her brown hair hung loose to her shoulders, and her deep brown eyes flashed as she walked in. She saw Eilert and winked at him, but he didn't respond. He was too busy glancing questioningly at the Fae. She shrugged in a barely perceptive way and bowed to the king, and the guards threw the Fae none too roughly down onto the ground.

Lady Veconia stood, pale with outrage. "What is this?" She snapped in a voice that was accented strangely. "Have you had her this whole time, Sextus?" The guards hands moved to their swords as they glowered at the Ambassador, but Auren waved her hand irritably.

"She was found trying to sneak into the castle, Ma'am," she said respectfully. "Normally, I'd take her straight to the dungeons, as is the normal response, but since this is a special circumstance..."

The king nodded. "You did well, Auren." He turned to Lady Veconia, who was staring at the captured Fae. "What is this, Veconia?"

"I don't know, Sextus," she said quietly. "What is your name, Girl?" The captured Fae was silent. "Tell me." The Fae shook her head.

"I have been sent by the Gods, my lady." She said softly. Veconia went pale.

"What does she mean?" The prince asked curiously, turning to the Lore Master.

"The Gods, who are, as they are known to the Fae, The Lord of the Dead, The Knower of Names, The Lady of the Earth and the Dream Giver, are all connected to the Fae," the old man said, watching the Fae woman curiously. "They often give the Fae they are particularly attuned with quests. Such instances are rare, and often foreshadowings of doom."

"The man speaks the truth," Veconia said, eyeing the man with respect. "What is your quest?"

The court, and Eilert, stared at the Fae, who was still on the ground. She took a deep breath, and said, "I can only say to those involved."

"Then go to the dungeon," Sextus snapped. "And tell the guards when you're more talkative!"

"Sextus!" Veconica protested, but the guards dragged the woman out of the court, leaving turmoil behind.

--

Eilert and the Lore Master, his guardian, sat in their quarters. The castle was still whispering about the Fae, and Eilert and the Lore Master weren't an exception.

"Why wouldn't she be able to tell people who she has to talk to?" Eilert asked.

"Perhaps the Gods told her not to," the Lore Master said.

"She looked tired," Eilert said quietly.

"Yes. Quests given by Gods are not easily ignored. The compulsion to fulfill them is often uncontrollable. It twists the mind into believing that fulfilling it is more important than food or rest." Eilert frowned, then got up.

"Do we have any extra food?" He asked. The Lore Master nodded towards a cupboard.
Eilert got a basket and stopped in front of the cupboard. "Fae probably don't eat meat do they?" The Lore Master only smiled slightly. "Yeah, they're probably vegetarians... They eat bread though, right?" The Lore Master chuckled. "Thanks, you've been very helpful." Eilert piled some fruit and bread into the basket and hurried out of the room, leaving a rather amused Lore Master behind.

--

Eilert crept through the dark dungeon halls of the castle. The dungeons were damp and darkness clung to the walls and corners like mold. The light coming from the torches that were perched on the walls did little beyond making the darkness more prominent. He hurried down the halls, feeling seriously uncomfortable. Being underground made him feel ill.

He poked his head around the corner and saw a guard standing in front of the only occupied cell in the castle dungeons. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

The guard slide down the wall and into a slumped sitting position, snoring. Eilert smirked and hurrying over.

"You're a Transcendent?" The Fae's voice came from behind the door as Eilert took the ring of keys from the guard's belt.

"Promise you won't tell?" Eilert joked as he took a key and tried it out. It didn't work.

"I promise," the Fae said seriously. "Why are you here, Boy?"

"I brought you some food," he said, finding the right key and sliding it in. "And my name isn't
"boy". It's Eilert." He opened the door and when he stepped in with the food, a thin claw of a hand came out of the darkness and grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged his face close to the Fae's.

"What did you say your name was?"

"Eilert." Eilert said slowly, shocked. The woman let go of his shirt, staring in shock.

"Eilert. A mageling." The Fae said softly. "Listen to me, mageling. The Gods came to me and showed me a dream; a vision of the time that has yet to come." Eilert swallowed nervously. "The Gods came to me and told me to come to Sion, and give you and the prince a message."

"Me and Rurik?" Eilert asked dumbly.

"You are to go to the Fae Wood, to the Sacred Grove, and speak with the Gods." The Fae said. "You cannot refuse. This is a task given to you by the Gods. You and your prince are bound to this task now." Eilert blinked, then handed her the basket.

"Do you still want the food?"

OOC: I made a few tweaks. Rurik is now blonde, because that's how I picture him.