The desert was barred and quiet, the first rays of a new day peaking their way on the horizon. Waves crashing on the shores broke through the silent barrier, the sound of lizards and snakes hissing past the scalding sand.

A black cloak dragged against the floors of the desert, followed by a pair of black boots scuffing their way past the boulders and sculptures. The creatures that bestowed their eyes on her looked away, scurrying back to their little habitats.

The sky seemed to rumble above her, voicing their fear as they seemed peered down at the girl. Even the gods above the heavens and the creatures scrambling across the jagged desert floors knew not to intersect paths with the greatest Mind Siphon and assassin known to Asxairo.

Onyx Ashrevion.

A warm, humid breeze brushed past the rugged siphon, strands of her brown hair blowing past her blood-splattered face as she wobbled her way toward the high dunes.

There was blood on her skin, smeared after a long night's rest in the desert sun and the irritating feeling of sand sliding down the leg of her pants was unbearable. The golden sword was strapped to her hips, the blade hidden under the leather holder.

The sword, one said to be crafted by the strongest leaders of a growing empire, now rested in her deadly grip, sins, and lives intertwined around the crafted blade of the glinting sword.

Letting a sigh escape her lips, Onyx's hands rested upon the golden head of the sword, her feet carrying her as far as the highest dune would take her. Her legs were throbbing and weak as she sank to her feet.

The sand was rising, quickly going up to her knees as she maneuvered her way down the thick path, her black boots kicking the hot sand from the soles of her feet.

A brass gate met her eyes, chained together by a gold lock to keep intruders out. Kicking the sand off her feet, Onyx carefully walked towards the gate, her footsteps as quiet as a whisper.

As soon as her presence was sensed near the gate, the magic running in her blood stopped, momentarily freezing her in place. Another humid breeze grazed past her hot skin, the brass gate groaning as it unwillingly opened.

The golden lock unraveled, allowing Onyx to slip silently through the gate and down the cobblestone path, the first peak of a man-made hut meeting her eyes. A soft aroma met her nose, the wool of her sweater dropping from her shoulders.

The large ground Onyx walked on belonged to Rheynoak's Descendants, a tribe that housed beings with special powers like her. People of all species were welcomed, trained, and provided protection by the one and only Rheynoak, the tribe's leader.

Her soft footsteps echoed among the large grounds, her cloak dragging against the jagged surface. The others were probably asleep, enjoying the last few dangling minutes of the night the early sun rays had to offer.

Hugging her cloak close to her chilly skin, the assassin made her way towards the hut that was built for warmth, protection, and a jagged blade to sharpen her sword. A spicy aroma filled the air, a warm cloud of steam rising from the chimney that sat on top of the hut.

Frowning, she made her way towards the hut, the door slightly opened when she neared the entrance. Pushing the door wide open, she pushed her way inside, letting the door slide close.

The small, cornered space was cozy, the warmth of the fire from the fireplace surrounding her as she let her cloak fall from her shoulders and create a pool around her feet. She stepped over her cloak, towards the wide wooden table.

Curling her hand around her sword, Onyx pulled it out, her eyes immediately darting to the sharpened end of the beautifully crafted sword. A gift wrapped for her since birth, the sword has been her one companion through lonely times.

Ignoring the growling in her stomach and the way her muscles screamed when she moved, she reached over and grabbed the steel rod on the table

Running the blade on the surface, the siphon quietly sharpened her blade in silence. A peaceful silence filled the hut, nothing but the crackling warm fire to keep her company.

The blood covering her clothes and skin was drying, leaving a foul stench. Sighing, Onyx hummed an ancient tune to herself as she continued sharpening her prized possession, her fingers running along the gold designs that lined the head of the blade.

In the distance, a soft snap was heard. Immediately, her ears picked up on the sound, her movements jolting to a stop. Her golden eyes searched around the small hut, finding nothing but a dying fire and a kettle of soup boiling in the corner.

Again, the sound was heard, not so distant but rather close. Curling her fingers around the sword, Onyx raised her guard, the sword held high in her grip as she stalked around the tiny hut.

"Show yourself" she whispered boldly, her steps nearing the door. "Show yourself before your head becomes my next prize" she threatened, her back pressing against the cold wall near the door.

Slowly, the door creaked open, and a halting tall figure stepped in. Her instincts kicked in, the Siphon pushed herself off the wall, her sword raised high to rain down upon her victim's head.

"Well, don't you just send a thrill of fear down my body?" a familiar voice uttered, a lightly-tanned hand reaching to stop Onyx's swing.

A wave of relief washed over the Siphon, her hand falling to her side as she stared at her friend. "You have to stop sneaking like that" Onyx warned, resting her sword on a nearby table.

A snort came from the intruder's lips, her bone-white hair flowing down her back in messy waves. Strings of blood intertwined through her locks. 

 "Oh calm down, assassin. I'll live another day" Venix smirked, her canine teeth glinting underneath the bright shade of the early morning sun.

Rolling her eyes, the Siphon closed the door, letting her sagging body sink to the floor. "Long night I'm guessing," her friend asked, leaning against the wall. A scoff escaped the Siphon's lips, her fingers digging into her hair.

"I would say the same for you. What happened?" she asked, looking over at her friend.

"I broke the gate's magical defense spells and entertained myself in human delicacies throughout the night," Venix said, clicking her sharp talons together. "I must say, their blood was delicious."

"You're a masochist and you have a blood-lust problem" Onyx commented.

"Am not. I was simply replenishing my strength. Would you rather I wither and die?" Venix commented, collapsing against the wall dramatically.

The siphon only huffed and rolled her eyes.

The wind outside rattled the tiny hut, the soft crackling of the fire dimming.

 "I'm guessing from your clothes that you completed yet another uncalled mission" Venix noted, her twilight violet eyes trailing down her friend's tattered clothing.

"Let's just say by the time the Queen of Jeradia wakes up, her husband's head will rot at the bottom of that old gutter I threw it in." 

A pretentious smile crawled its way toward Onyx's lips.

"Classic Onyx." Despite her damp mood, a laugh escaped from the Siphon's lips, her hand reaching for her blade. Slipping the blade in the holder strapped at her hips, she moved towards the warm kettle in the corner, her empty stomach growling for something to fill it.

Outside, a loud haunting sound blew from the horn, signaling a meeting. Letting her hand fall from the kettle, the assassin sighed, rubbing her bare arms. "I swear, I'm going to break the horn at some point" she threatened.

Venix laughed mockingly, her hand resting on the door. "When that day comes, please notify me wicked one," she remarked, throwing her arm around Onyx as they made their way outside.

The desert sun was harsh against their skin as the others came from their shelters. Each being that was a part of Rheynoak's tribe was gifted with a hut to live in, the training grounds at least a mile away from their living space.

The large land also served as the center of meetings, signifying everyone to meet there when the horn was blown. The members of the tribe gathered in a big cluster, alert and dangerous. Some had their hands rested on their weapons, others simply carrying the look of obscure danger.

Onyx and Venix were the last to arrive, weaving their way through the large crowd to the front. Standing in all his handsome glory and cunning smile was Rheynoak, head leader of the tribe.

He was a tall leader, his dark hair slicked back and his complexion tanned from years of working in the sun. He never wore any other color except bleak blacks and greys, the cloak he wore up to his neck.

A chilling spine ran down Onyx's neck, his eyes rising as he surveyed his followers, a frown forming on his lips. "Descendants, there are rumors of others trying to discover our tribe" Rheynoak bellowed, folding his hands behind his back.

The large crowd stood still, listening to their leader's words as he paced. Onyx herself wasn't surprised, knowing how many times the tribe had been close to declaring war on outsiders.

"I am taking this as a very serious threat as you can see. So to make sure these absurd rumors are just that, Lucien and I are taking very serious precautions by locking the gate" Rheynoak announced.

A small gasp erupted from the crowd, wandering eyes searching for others to share their disbelief. Onyx casted a look towards Venix, their eyes clashing with disappointment.

No more midnight snacks and killing sprees.

"Everyone quiet" Rheynoak instructed over the growing murmurs of the crowd. 

The others didn't listen, whispering secrets and lies to their fellow members. Venix leaned over to a fellow witch, whispering something that made the other smirk.

Feeling a growing knot in her stomach, the Siphon watched as the heat flooded to Rheynoak's cheeks, his eyes blazing with impatience. His gaze looked around, landing in the middle of the crowd.

It felt as if time slowed down when the painful sensation of pins and needles shackled Onyx's head, her body paralyzed in place. The pain was unbearable, her fingers digging deep into her scalp as she fell to her knees.

An excruciating groan came from the crowd, others grabbing their head in pain as they too fell to the floor. Through her cloudy vision, Onyx observed Rheynoak as he inflicted them with tormenting pain.

Rheynoak was a Hell Siphon, common among the species of Siphons. Among many other powers his kind possessed, inflicting pain on others was one of them. The growing headache in her head pounded against her skull, her brain two seconds away from bleeding out.

Luckily Rheynoak stopped, releasing all of them from his iron grip. Gasping for air, they all fell to the sandy floor of the desert, the hot sand welcoming them in a painful embrace. Onyx breathed out a sigh of relief, her fingers shaking as they dug into the shallow earth.

"In addition to locking the gate," Rheynoak continued, his eyes trailing to the western mountain over the horizon. "Training hours have been extended to six hours a day. You should all be prepared for the worst."

Across from her, Onyx could hear Venix utter a curse as she struggled to stand up on wobbling legs.

"No one can get in or go out. Now, I expect all of you to meet in the dining hall in ten minutes and get all the energy you can grab. Food resources are a bit low this week" Rheynoak informed just as a figure walked towards him.

"You are all dismissed" Rheynoak finished, shooing them away as his right-hand man Lucien pulled him over into a deep conversation. Onyx growled, pulling herself up and dusting the sand off her clothes.

"He's going to lose his head at some point" Venix growled as she made her way towards Onyx, brushing her fingers through her white hair. 

The Siphon hummed, mustering a smile on her lips.

 "Off that pretty body? Spare him for me at least" she uttered to her wicked friend, her grip finding its way to the head of the sword.

A sarcastic smile came from Venix's lips, her arm going over her friend once again as they made their way towards the dining hall hut, the lingering aromas of fresh meat meeting their senses.

"Venix, Onyx." At the sound of their names, both girls turned around to meet the lingering gaze of Rheynoak and Lucien, a dead stone-cold look buried deep within their eyes.

"You two. Meet me at the conference hall. Now" Rheynoak demanded, not sparing them a second glance as he and Lucien walked away, their silhouettes growing smaller in the vastness of the desert. 

First chapter and there is already a thick air of mystery! *Jumps up and down in mismatched socks*

You already know I'm all about the mismatched socks!

So the four main characters have been introduced. Onyx, Venix, Rheynoak and Lucien. And you already know that there will be some...conflicts along the way with how different they all are

Stay tuned for those conflicts

Tell me what you guys think of this chapter and don't forget to give it a vote if you liked it! Until Next time Lovelies!

With Love, May