A Continuation.

I'm planning on just writing and posting. This means that only parts of my chapters will be posted at a time. Also, this is the first time I'm writing blind, so if it gets confusing, boring, dumb, or any combination of the three, I'm sorry. Another side note, I had an idea for this story, but after much thought, I completely erased it, adding only small details.


Chapter 1

A Midnight Escape


Quickly, I jump and roll into an abandoned hallway across from where I was hidden. I try to keep all sound to a minumum, but when carrying a bag full of empty explosives across your back, it's hard to stop them from clanging together. I pause. No sounds come, so I continue on and find a handhold in the wall. Halfway up the wall the sound of voices creep up to me. I look up, noticing a five foot gap between me and the lip of the roof. Too far away to pull a fast scramble. Instead I settle against the wall, hoping that I won't be spotted against the rock wall.

"....is still unknown. We've done all we can after having many of our men injured by the attack." The end of the sentence catches my attention. Someone attacked the castle?

The responding voice is higher in tone, but still masculine, "Have you searched the inner workings of the castle?" I supress a shiver from crawling through my body. That voice could only belong to one person. The general viceroy. German.

"Yes. He synged the creases of the vents together to keep us out, but we were able to pry one open. The entire thing had been collapsed in."

A click of distaste. "Of course. Nothing less is expected of our dear Prince." Sarcasm hung thick on his last words.

I felt a spark of interest ignite within me. Why would he speak of the prince like that? As far as I knew, everyone loved him.

I barely managed to stop a sound of repulsion from bubbling up from my throat. Anyone who spent their lives bottled up in a castle, kept safe from the dangers of the world and pampered until the day they died, had no idea of the trouble the world outside presented. Ever since the day I was born, our country had been at war with Adeila. Because of their close proximety, agricultural imports and clean water pumping were extremely hard to get through to the main city. A small majority of the people received enough pay to survive, but the rest had to scrounge through trash filled cans and beg from the charity lacking nobles. Our prince, Silvermist of Ebraiya, has never been seen outside the walls of the castle. As far as his people knew, he spent all his days stuffing his face and seducing women. How people still loved him was beyond me.

I shook my head clear of thoughts and focused on keeping my hands from cramping up/ Hopefully, the men below would move or else I'd be forced to use desperate measures to remain unseen. I risked looking down to see that they'd stopped at the door right across from my hiding spot, their backs turned to me. Now was as good a chance as any. I looked to my left and spotted a row of flag poles jutting out from the wall a couple feet away. Cautiously, I positioned my feet and flung myself parallel from the wall. Timing myself, I grasped the pole and used the momentum from my push to swing myself to the next pole. Distance was the key right now. I had to get as far away as I could before risking climbing to the upper levels to escape. After coming to the last pole, I stopped swinging, pulled myself up, and crouched atop the pole. I closed my eyes and focused on any sounds of pursuit. My ears barely picked up the voices of the two men I'd left behind, but other than that, I appeared to be alone. I opened my eyes and began climbing up the wall again.

It was easy to find purchases in the rock where my hands and feet fit perfectly. In no time I made it to the top and slowly peeked over. A guard stood a meter away, angled slightly in my direction, pausing me in my escape. Looking the other way I saw the door that led outside. If I could make it there it would only be a matter of scaling down the outside of the building and sneaking away. When I looked, the guard still stood in the exact same position. I looked around for other options to get up and spotted an outcropping positioned in the guards blind spot. I made my way over to it, watching the guard for any sudden movements, and climbed carefully up. Still crouching, I walked silently towards the door, always facing the guard. Reaching out blindly behind me, I felt the hard wood of the door and began searching for the knob. At that moment, the guard moved.

I froze, telling myself that staying completely still was my best bet for hiding out in the open. The guards eyes lazily swept the area around him. His eyes fell upon me and stopped. Squinting, he tried to make out my silohette against the rocks and wood. Then he blinked, and his eyes turned a glowing dark copper. Before recognition could shine in his eyes, I ran towards him, sliding a hidden knife from my sleeveband, and stabbed him in the heart.

As he died, I carefully laid him down, looting anything I could use off his now dead body.

"Luca de Heivun." I whispered, closing his eyes, "May your soul find refuge elsewhere."

With that, I turned my attention back towards the door and ran to safety.

Introduction to Shai

I've had this idea for a long time now. I think since 8th grade. Anyway, enjoy it. If you have questions, just ask. Thanks.

Preface

A Prince’s Fate


The room was crowded. People sat in rows of chairs, each straining to catch a glimpse of the chained prisoner. A young man with long silver hair stood on a raised pedestal, surrounded by half a dozen guards wearing full sets of armor, looking out over the congregation. His face was blank, giving away nothing. Silver eyes watched the council, all seated around a long, square table, harsh and determined. A few members squirmed under his gaze, but didn't dare turn around in fear of meeting his eyes. Some were brave and chanced a glance, only to shy away with a shiver running down their spine.

A bell chimed; long and low, filling the room with its vibrations. No one moved as the wooden door creaked open from the back of the room. All voices died until a baby's cry could be heard, leaving the mother frantic as she tried to quiet the child. For a split moment, the doorway remained empty, and then a man entered. Tall and proud, he was dressed in an all white uniform resembling a nobleman’s suit coat. His dress shirt was covered by a bright sapphire cumberbun, lined with white pinstripes. The coat fell until it swept across the floor, lightly dusting the ground as he walked. A gold medallion hung around his neck, depicting a seven-sided star; it glinted in the sunlight that shone through the windows lining top to bottom along the dungeon walls. A single ring, garneted with a lone ruby, glinted on his left thumb.

The councilmen stood in unison, bowing their heads to the man. He continued forward, ignoring them, until he stood face-to-face with the prisoner. His face screamed conceit and his eyes glittered with loathing.

“How does it feel,” his voice was low and sultry, “to be hated by the very people who once worshiped you?”

The prisoner smirked, an evil and mocking gesture, “How does it feel knowing that you'll never receive such worship, German?”

German's eyes gleaned with anger, but only for a moment before they settled back down to a calm blue, “You can still avoid your changed fate. All you need to do is renounce your birthright to me and all will be well.”
  
“And give you everything you desire?” A sharp laugh filled with genuine amusement escaped his lips, “You must think me idiotic.”
  
“Very well, then accept your fate.” German hissed as he spun around on his heel and approached the chair at the top of the council table. He did not sit down, but inclined his head for the councilmen to take a seat. The congregation all sat perfectly still, watching and waiting for what was to come.

“People of Shai,” German yelled, his voice filled with the power of authority, “it has been determined by the King of Ebraiya that his son, Prince Silvermist, shall take upon his birth name and be banished to the Outskirts. His hair will be trimmed and his magic stripped, locked away and never to be returned to him. The crime he is being charged with is failure to acknowledge his Fate that was given to him by the Sapients.”
  
A hushed gasp spread through the assembly as German continued, ignoring the brief interruption, “If any are to be seen harboring or aiding Prince Silvermist after his banishment has taken place, they will be put into the Pits of Kainbriage for twenty-five years.”
  
German's voice echoed until the entire congregation had heard the fate bestowed to their young prince. Many stood and began to pronounce words of objection while many simply settled down in grief, tears staining their cheeks as they crouched in misery. The cries were lost on German's ears as he turned and viewed the prince, a smile plastered on his lips. He took in Silvermist's closed eyes, head tilted up at the sunlight shining down through the spherical skylight above. He took a deep breath and clenched the muscles in his arms. German's eyes widened in recognition just as the prince opened his eyes, a wicked red gleaming over the silver, and he opened his mouth emitting a yell that silenced the room. All eyes were on him as German screamed at the soldiers to grab hold of the prince. A few did, grasping his arms tightly, only to shrink away in pain, holding their hands and screaming as they fell back. The prisoner's guards all backed away; the only thing keeping them from running from the scene being the discipline drilled into them at the military academy.
  
A line of thick, red flames began to permeate around the prince, his yell shaking the foundation of the building. The people panicked, running for the exit as quickly as they could, shoving each other and knocking the elderly out of the way. German raced forward, sword flying from the scabbard around his waist, and stabbed Silvermist in the back. The force of the blade continued forward until the tip burst through the prince's chest. His yell stopped short, and he fell, clutching his hands uselessly in front of him. The flames around him died down and went still. With a satisfied smirk, German approached the prince and kicked him onto his side. Silver-red eyes stared defiantly up at him. With a yell of panic, German backed away, but was caught when the prince's hand shot up and grasped his ankle, knocking the man down. The gurgled yell continued from the prince's throat, the sword sliding out of his body and clattering to the ground. Blood seeped down from the wound, staining already dirtied clothes. The flames around him doubled, shooting up as high as the ceiling. He pointed his hand at the wall to his left, and with the sound of a shotgun going off, a ball of red fire flew from his outstretched hand and struck the wall. An explosion erupted, the entire wall crashing to the ground. Large chunks of glass and stone fell down around the people still left in the building. Smoke filled the room, covering every square inch with a poison that made everyone cough and push the person in from of them to get out faster.
  
German, dazed and confused, located his sword from the ground and stood. He shook his head and faced the spot where the prince stood. Only he was no where to be seen. The only proof of his presence being a dark charred mark imprinted on the ground.