Prologue
Darkness was spreading, and it was only a matter of time before it would reach them. The world that Ellie had ever known was changing- power was shifting. The ways of the old were being forgotten, and Ellie knew it was on its way for them. Evil lurked silently in the shadows; hiding in the depths of the forests, down in the deepest of caves, and lost in the vastness of the seas. Lord of Darkness had waited patiently for his time to prevail, and now, he had begun. Ellie was well aware that this was only the start of what was to come.
Light of the Goddess could never extend its reach far enough to extinguish the darkness, instead, it had produced shadows; gateways to the darkness, coexisting together in some kind of balance few ever understood. Evil had been around longer than mankind, seeping its way into the heart of all who were not strong enough to resist; those that were unwary of what was kept hidden in the shades of grey. It had whispered its way into the cracks of their minds, contaminating their thoughts. Spoke lies of deception and mistrust, fueling their desire for power and wealth.
"Ellie, did the spirits say anything?" Her father looked at her, his eyes wrinkled from worry. "Are they coming for us?"
Before Ellie could respond the ground beneath her begun to shake. A warning: the quake before the storm of death. Her eyes narrowed as the rocks moved on the ground. She knew her people depended on her, being the one who commune with the spirits- the spirit walker.
"They're here! They're here!" a shout sounded and quickly rose in volume as others joined in the chorus.
The light of the spirits left her eyes when she looked up, focusing on the hills. Her hands trembled as she took in the sea before her. Men in dark armor strode upon horses and blocked out the view of the setting sun.
"It's the new Courts," her father spoke under his breath. "All twelve of them."
"Goddess of Light, have mercy on us," Ellie murmured while a tear slid down her face.
She watched with pride as the warriors gathered in the front, not willing to die without a fight. They were a strong race and were not willing to revoke their God or their ways.
As the soldiers approached closer, she let loose her magic along with the others, striking those who've come to rip apart her home and killing the ones she love. But it wasn't enough, there were too many for their magic to really make a difference.
They descended upon them like the plague, steel rang on steel as cries of death filled the air. Ellie wasted no time in picking up her own sword, wielding it like it was an expansion of her body. She moved through the swarm, aiding those she could as the ground began to crowd with the bodies of the dead. Many of the soldiers had fallen, but there was just too many of them, too many who had fallen to the dark.
"Ellie!"
Ellie turned her head in the direction of the scream only to see the woman who uttered it be killed, the woman's daughter stood behind her, had tears mingled with blood running down her cheeks and fear clearly written on her face. She gritted her teeth and quickly threw her sword at the man who was about to strike at the girl, using the last of her energy to help the sword kill the soldier. The sword, covered in silver strays of magic, killed its intended target in no time.
However, in that second that she took her attention away, she felt herself be taken over. With no sword to fight and her magic gone, she was brought down as piercing pain went through her middle. Ellie felt rough hands grip her while they tore clothing and slice away with their sword while she lay on the ground
Everywhere she looked she saw the same fate for her kindred, and noticed her father not too far off. His blood was draining into the river that ran along beside him, mingling with blood of others who had been killed. He left unshed tears glistering in his eyes as he watched what was happening to her before he finally gurgled his last breath.
Ellie looked away, unable to stare at his lifeless body anymore, and searched for the little girl she had tried to save but couldn't find her. She hoped the girl ran away. To become a slave to the Courts would be worst than death for the girl. They ruled without their hearts, their soul blackened by the God of Darkness. Ellie knew she would be sold into the sex slave system where her owner would hope to break her spirit.
Looking up at the sky, Ellie noticed the silence of the crying babies, and with no tears left to shed, she waited for her own death.
And in the time Ellie took her last breath of life, the Goddess of Light echoed it with a scream of her own, giving birth to the light that was inside her. A beautiful baby girl wailed in her arms, the Goddess's last ray of hope for the world below. With the beliefs of the gods and goddesses dying so too were the deities, watching their followers downfall and helpless to help while they faded into none existence.
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