• Prologue
    A Plan Unraveled


    Thunder rolled across the sky, causing the very ground to shake in the capital city of the Valcor empire. The thick stone walls of the castle didn’t even keep out the noise as Agrona sat atop her throne. She listened to a report from one of her newest officers. Her lips slowly twisted into a smile as she continued to listen to how her armies had once again been victorious over the resistance. Her oddly colored, violet eyes nearly danced with joy as the report came to a close and her face, untouched by her many years, plainly showed her delight.

    “I commend you on a job well done, Kyna. I see that I was not wrong in allowing you to join the Elite.” she said approvingly.

    Her officer, the woman called Kyna, gave a slight bow. “Thank you. I did my best to make sure that you wouldn’t regret the decision.”

    “Are you certain that you are only human and not a drop of Valcor blood runs in you?”

    Kyna allowed a small smirk. “Yes, I am certain.”

    “Your actions give me cause to wonder.”

    Agrona ran a hand through her long hair in thought. This woman was something, the likes of which she had never seen before. Humans, Nymphs and the like she had always viewed as being soft. They were so weak and too tender to carry out their duties effectively during a battle. Not this human though, and a woman no less. She was truly the most ruthless human Agrona had ever seen. Perhaps her arrival into the Elite ranking of her army would push her men to work even harder as not to be out-ranked by a human.

    “Consider yourself a pale Valcor. Your skin may not match ours, but at heart you most certainly are one of us.” Agrona stated after her moment of thought.

    Kyna again bowed, her lengthy red hair falling over a shoulder as she did so. “Thank you, Your Majesty, it is an honor.”

    The queen began to say something else, but paused upon noticing the large, ornate doors of the throne room slowly swing open and her most loyal of generals walk through. He carried with him a container. She looked to him inquisitively as he took to one knee and bowed his head.

    “I apologize for the interruption, Your Majesty.”

    “You may stand, Brogan. I trust that you have good reason.”

    Kyna said nothing and stepped aside, allowing the queen’s focus to rest solely on her general. Brogan stood to his full height, and came forward. “We have intercepted a message from Nosalia. I thought that you would want to see for yourself.”

    Agrona’s eyebrows went up. A look into her enemy’s plans? This was certainly something worth seeing. One of her attendants took the message container from Brogan, swiftly carrying it to her and retaking their position at her side. The queen wasted no time in opening the letter, her eyes scanning the words on the page. Slowly, a wicked smile drew its way across her face. This was just too good. Perfect, in fact.

    “So,” she began, her tone pleased, “Nosalia is sending their princess to marry the king of Brinam. Interesting.”

    Interesting indeed. Especially considering the history that the two countries had with each other. They didn’t get along most times and they were on opposite sides of the continent. If they were to truly send their princess to Brinam to make a pact, they would have to get her safely across Valcor territory. Something not very likely. It seemed that Agrona was not the only one to have noticed the fact.

    Kyna scoffed at the news. “Such a desperate move. They’ve only secured our victory once their precious princess has been killed. It would demoralize them for sure.”

    “You sound a little disappointed.” Brogan commented, raising an eyebrow. “We still have their allies to go through; you’ll see the battlefields plenty more.”

    The queen barely heard them. Her excitement at this was too much! Her empire would expand yet again and what a country to add to it. The country that rose against her thousands of years ago, the one that had put a stop to her reign and locked her away in some infernal prison. They would never do it again . . . She would be sure of it.

    “Brogan.”

    “Yes, Your Majesty?”

    “You know what to do.”

    Brogan nodded, beginning to turn and leave. A voice stopped him though, catching Agrona’s attention as well.

    “But what of the Light?” Kyna questioned. Her grey blue eyes rested on the queen, looking for an answer.

    Agrona frowned. The Light. . . The mere mention of it disgusted her. “What of it?” she demanded tersely.

    “My apologies for upsetting you, but this was the country that developed it is it not?”

    “Yes . . .”

    “Do you think that the royal family will know where it is? It would be safer to destroy it.”

    Agrona thought on it a moment. Since her return to this realm, she had noticed that most of the uprising had been forgotten. Records weren’t very well kept and it was almost as though her gray-skinned race had never existed . . . therefore, the Light must have been forgotten too. Stories still existed from the events of the past, but most were so changed from years of being passed down that they barely resembled the truth at all. The only accurate records were in her library and even those held no information as to the whereabouts of this ancient artifact.

    “They don’t even know of it, and its hiding place is as unknown to them as it is to us.” She finally answered, eager to dismiss it and forget it was ever brought up in the first place. “Make no mention of it and no one will think to look.”

    Kyna nodded before bowing her head. “Again, I am sorry for upsetting you.” She said, sounding sincere.

    “It is quite all right. You do your research, not a bad quality. Keep following the path you are now and you will make a wonderful leader. Brogan has taught you well.”

    Her general smiled slightly at the compliment. “Now, shall I continue what I was doing?” he questioned. “My men are about to win this war for you.”