70Well, this is a happy little accident. Originally, this was not slated to be released for at least a month as I didn't have a lot of it written, and just felt like I should take a break from the Ice and Fire Trilogy. Alas, like a politician, I break my previous word, woe is me.
Now, before anyone gets confused, Lelouch and Kallen will be in the next chapter.
This prologue serves a lot more, much of which I cannot get into detail on without giving away almost everything. All I will ask is that you please bear with me, and you will hopefully be suitably rewarded at the end. In Ice and Fire, the pre-chapter quotes revolved around the lives of Lelouch and Kallen. In Game of Shadows, they won't. Whether that makes them any less truthful, well, that's up to you to decide.
But enough of that, let's get to the story.
Prologue
Everything Begins So It Can End
?
Nights didn't come much darker, Lilith brt zwg Geis [1] mused as she stood gazing up at the cloud-choked, stormy sky. There were neither stars nor a moon that shone through those clouds, and although it was summer, there seemed to be a bitter chill in the air that seemed to mock the season itself. It was the sort of weather that no one found comfort in.
Yet, for her, it was the perfect time in which she could escape the duties that ultimately came with her position as the Voice of Geis, duties that had consumed the entirety of her life since she had been identified as the next Voice by her predecessor.
For the last three hundred years, she had been The Voice, the most powerful of the people who could commune with the Aose Sír [2], the collective memory of their race. From the Aose Sír, she could confer with those who had come before, reaching back to the very beginning, gaining wisdom, but also tap into the greatest of their race in order to lead them forward.
It was both an honor and a duty, one that consumed her every moment, as she served as the spiritual and political leader, but also its guardian. And it had been a task that she had served with her heart and essence, sacrificing everything in order to serve as the very mother of her race.
A soft sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, sensing every single person who could commune with the Aose Sír, knowing where they were, and what they may be doing if she so desired, though in the broadest of sense. It brought her a sense of happiness to feel the very life of her people, the energy and effusiveness of it all, an intoxicating feeling that only drove her to serve with even more diligence.
The distant sound of thunder drew her attention, as she turned to look, past the fuchsia and orchid pillar that reached towards the heavens, and to the sight of distance lightning arcing in the clouds.
In a way, the weather reflected the coming storm, a storm that she had yet to solve even through communing with the Aose Sír.
Her people were dying.
When she had ascended to become the Voice, it had been beneath notice, but in the nearly ten generations that had passed in her stewardship, it had become increasingly evident as what had been merely a scientific curiosity had evolved into a societal chasm.
Her people had been given a gift that not only allowed them to commune with the Aose Sír, but were able to use their own inherent energies to shape and manipulate the world around them. This essence, critical for the continuance of their commune with the Aose Sír, also was the lifeblood for their civilization. Without it, they would be set adrift, rudderless, and reduced to scraping by for an existence.
And with each generation that had passed during her period as the voice of her people, those that were bereft of that gift had become something that could no longer be ignored. In fact, it had not been ignored for the last five generations, as it had been decreed then, over her protests, that those who did not have their gift, would be cast out of their society, in the hopes that it would solve the problem.
It had not.
There were times, in the darkest of moments as she had tried to lead her people, and fought against this insidious disease, that she wondered why Lucifer had chosen her as his successor. She had been powerful, yes, but she also had been an outsider looking in, her family serving only a minor role within their society. Even with the wisdom she had gained in her communes, it wasn't enough to deal with something that some were whispering was the 'Will of the Aose Sír", despite her attestations that it wasn't.
"Lady Lilith."
She turned just in time to see the owner of the voice coalesce behind her in a flurry of cherry-blossom-pink energy.
"Desemah," she greeted the young woman. Desemah had been been selected by Idrana to be her successor almost a year ago, the woman reaching the end of her time as one of the twelve members of the very council that ruled over their society.
"Idrana requests your presence," the black and pink haired woman stated, bowing her head in reverence, "immediately."
Her lips curved downward. Idrana requesting anyone's immediate presence was a source of concern, as she rarely did so. But as the aspect of justice, if there was something that required her presence, then it was something that was outside of the purview of her role, or it was...more.
"Thank you, Desemah, I shall be there momentarily."
"Of course, Lady Lilith," with another bow of the head, she merely broke apart again, dispersing into the air as motes of light and faded away.
Lilith noted with approval at the diligence that Desemah performed her duties. Idrana had chosen her successor well. Desemah was young, but she had already acquired a sharp wit and infectious eagerness that reminded of herself when Lucifer had chosen her. It would do her well though to learn a bit of restraint. Perhaps she should offer her some guidance.
It was something she would meditate upon, but for now...her eyes closed as she sought out the unique link that was Idrana, finding her with a start.
Why was she out there?
Now she knew why Idrana had requested her presence, as she transport herself to where Idrana was, appearing in what appeared to be a moderately furnished abode. It was better than some of the hovels she knew existed for those that did not have their gift.
Her attention then fell to Idrana, who was furiously pacing back and forth in front of a man who was on his knees in front of her, his hands bound behind his back and head bowed.
"Idrana," she greeted cautiously, taking in the scene before her, "you have requested my presence?"
"My apologies, Brt Zwg Geis," she bowed her head in deference as she used the proper title for Lilith, only increasing her worry, "normally I would not require your presence, but the matter is complicated."
She nodded her head, the only reason that Idrana would venture out into the wilderness was in the event a haelfdrêyor [3] had been discovered. It seemed it was more complicated considering the man who was bound before her was one who had the gift, and she recognized as the scion of a merchant house.
Saying nothing, she instead strode forward and placed her hand upon his head, before jerking away with a gasp after only a moment, electric pink eyes radiating rage and energy as her expression turned feral.
"Viermunste [4]," she hissed, her hand raising up as she summoned a pike from one of Idrana's guards and proceeded to run him through with it, channeling her rage and disgust into the attack, and the man only had a few moments to scream before his body disappeared into motes of light.
She stood there, face contorted in rage for only a moment, before she slowly recomposed herself, brushing a stray lock from her eyes while she braced herself up with the shaft of the pike.
"My apologies, Idrana," she finally stated, her voice shaking just a slight bit at what she had seen, and subsequently done, "I have overstepped my duties."
The deferential nod in reply was all that was needed between the two of them. What she had seen…
The man, Zayon, had been violating the law for fraternising with those without the gift for years, to the point that he had created a game where he would hunt female ungifted, sexually torment them, then kill them. Because the ungifted could not commune with Aose Sir, there was no way she would have known, even as they died, unless she knew they had existed. Without a name, she did not have power, and the link was critical to learn that name.
However, it seemed that Zayon had been sloppy, leaving one alive, and it hadn't been until recently that he had discovered this his victim had not only survived...
She let out a shuddering breath, banishing the pike back to the disarmed guard, as she strode strode through the home, coming to another door and stopped. What laid beyond was the reason why Idrana had summoned her, instead of merely carried through her with duty.
Inhaling through her nose, and reaching out to the Aose Sír for calm and clarity, she opened the door, and stepped inside, her gaze coming to rest upon a young teenager who sat upon what passed for a bed. His hands were cuffed behind him, and he was slouched over, head bowed.
By all rights, and by the law, this boy should be killed. No haelfdrêyor should be left alive once encountered, for the fear that they would be able to rejoin society and spread the disease, or worse, becoming a threat to their civilization and rally those without the gift.
And yet, she allowed her senses to spread, reaching out, and touch-
She reared back, her eyes widening in shock.
This! No, it wasn't possible, she thought, before calming herself at the thought. No, she corrected herself with a sense of clarity, it was merely unheard of. But for this young haelfdrêyor…
The law was the law, however, in this case…
A haelfdrêyor may have more success than we have had in the last hundred years, especially one so gifted. He could be the bridge if we are not able to cure the disease.
The choice was hers, there was only one way she could save this boy, and that was only if she chose to train him as her successor. Yet she knew that if she did, the boy's path would be one of adversity, as his status would leave him vulnerable.
And if she chose to kill him, as the law dictated, would that doom them all? It was only a matter of one or two generations, before the tipping point would be reached, could she afford to destroy this opportunity?
Even the Aose Sír is silent, she observed, the collective memory providing no guidance for such a pivotal decision. A person with this powerful of a gift was not seen since… her.
"What is your name, boy?"
The boy looked up, light shining off streaks of lime in hair the color of raven feathers, golden orbs staring her down fearlessly, only adding to her confidence that she was about to make the right decision.
"Aedan."
Prologue Annotations:
[1] Lilith brt zwg Geis: Lilith, Wife of Geis
[2] Aose Sir: The Origin
[3] Haelfdrêyor: Literally, Half-Blood
[4] Viermunste: Vermin or Monster
For those of you who may have missed it in the last chapter of Ice and Fire, there is a Discord page that I have opened that I usually haunt at all waking hours with some of the others who help me on this like Magery and dw77, so if you want to chat, or just hang around and meet some new people, you can join us at discord . gg / 7w9BnYH.
Until the next chapter, which I promise, will not be for a little while, as I have a little surprise I'm cooking.
