Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Mirrors ❯ Shattered Mirrors ( Prologue )

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine… no wait they are! These are my characters so if you want to use them ask! Because they're mine all mine!!!

A/N: I'm posting this because yesterday it was my B-day (4TH DECEMBER) and I had nothing better to do.

Shattered Mirrors

This tale is a tale from days of old,

About a young king who was so bold.

So it happened in the 16th year of Bale,

That the start began to this despairing tale.

The king of Doranth was a very faire ruler,

A dark passing tells a tale much crueler.

For even as he began to really prosper,

Darkness themselves finalized an offer.

And so it was that in the 16th year of Bale,

Doranth's king did in one important area fail.

A child he did not have, for never had he wed,

So when the day came his blood was shed.

Yet as many mourned, a young man journeyed,

To a place where he knew he was in need.

So listen quite closely my mortal kin,

For it is here that our tale does begin…

The Empire was devastated by the death of Doranth's king; many wept, for he was the third corner stone in the alliance of Tolmarsin and without the third pillar surly the alliance would fail. Many whispered that it was the curse of Doranth that had done the king in, for there was a legend about the ancient castle that made it so feared…

So our legend has a legend of it's own,

This eerie legend swirls around the thrown.

Doranth Castle having been built eons ago,

Built, when there were things we did not know.

Lethe was king of the land and he put up a curse,

Thus reason I have begun to recite this verse.

The curse involved the mirror on a wall,

Should the mirror be broken a king would fall.

So in the secret hall of Doranth Castle,

You will find the Mirror of Lethe Deasle.

With Doranth in such an uproar it was decided that until a suitable candidate was found to replace the deceased king, that the kingdom would be lead by the kings nephew and most trusted knight Gabriel. There was a very lengthy debate of whether this was a good idea, for not only was Gabriel young (being only 18 summers old) but he was also at many times greatly feared, for you see Gabriel was rumored to come from Drakelem, the realm of the dragon riders; of course no one believed this until they saw Arganon, Gabriel's 26-foot long green and silver dragon, needless to say after that they believed.

Surprisingly enough Arganon was not only the smallest of the dragon mounts (if you haven't figured it out Gabriel's a Dragon Knight) but also the youngest being all of 520 years old, usually dragon mounts didn't bond (partner up for life) with their Bound (the dragon knight they want to share their life with) until they were 800-1000 years old. Arganon was 26-feet long; he had a slim head and body to enable better maneuverability, his wingspan was twice that of his body (52-feet). As with all dragon mounts he had sky blue eyes that shone with extreme intelligence. His bound Gabriel was also one of the youngest of their order: being all of 18 summers, and having been a Dragon Knight since he was 16. Gabriel was of an average height, 5 feet 10 inches; he had shoulder length auburn hair and large gray eyes.

The debate was a lengthy one, the decision however was cut short when it turned out that both Gabriel and Arganon where nowhere to be found, so the control of the thrown was handed into the hands of the royal adviser until Gabriel came back or a suitable replacement was found. What no one in the empire knew was that Gabriel was on a mission to retrieve the very person that could and he hoped would take the thrown of Doranth before it and the alliance fell.

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The village of Aronova was small… okay that's an understatement; the village was tiny having all of 100 inhabitants, it was a small out of the way place: it had an inn/tavern, a blacksmith, a bakery, and a butchery. So Aronova was a little out of the way town, the biggest thing to happen in the last 50 years had been the visit of the king and the birth of Saren Corenon.

I suppose you might want to know why Saren's birth was such a big event? It happened that 17 summers ago in the time of The Great Sands that King Doranth was traveling back from a neighboring kingdom, however a great sandstorm had forced the king to take refuge in the small village of Aronova. It was in this small village, at the very edge of his lands that King Doranth met Teora Fainlen. Young Teora all of 18 summers old had been working at the inn when the king and his soldiers had been staying there. It was in that very inn that she had fallen in love with the young king; it was also in the same room that the king had stayed that they had consummated their love. When Teora got pregnant everyone knew who the child's father was; when the king found out he had Teora promise to tell their son who his father was, and that if something happened and he never had another child, to make sure their son knew he was to be king. So it was that Saren grew up knowing one day he may or may not become king of Doranth and this is where are tale truly begins.

~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~

Metal rang against metal as the elven twins Florian and Dorian exchanged sword blows under the watchful eyes of Saren and Swordmaster Avery. Dorian the taller of the twins had a clear advantage while Florian was able to dodge and parry faster with his smaller body. It was ironic to Saren that although they were twins the two elves hardly looked alike. Dorian was taller than most elves reaching a full 6 feet; he had a very muscular physic and it showed as the muscles in his arms flexed each time he swung his practice blade. He had a tanned well-muscled face, a medium sized nose, almond shaped blue eyes, and straight dark chestnut brown hair. Florian was the complete opposite of his twin he was small for an elf 75 years of age (the equivalent to about 17 to a human) being only 5 feet 5 inches, he was slim with finely chorded muscle covering his body. His pale face boyish was slim with a small pointy nose, large almond shaped green eyes, framed by long silver hair. You could say where Dorian was the night Florian would be the day.

"Alright that's enough you two go get a drink and cool yourselves off, be back here in ten minutes." Avery told them with a dismissing wave.

Saren headed over to where the twins were taking of their practice gear and took both their swords walking over to the sword rack and putting them in their proper place. "Common you two lets go cool off by the stream." He said after he finished putting the swords away properly. They just nodded and followed him after putting their gear away. When they arrived at the stream they took the chance to cool themselves off and get a drink. The pleasant silence that was established gave Saren a chance to think, as he looked at his reflection in the stream Saren wondered if he looked anything like his father; his reflection showed a tall lanky youth with well defined muscles, he had a slim boyish face with a round nose and big hazel eyes all framed by shaggy red hair. His thoughts were interrupted however when a large shadow passed overhead.

"Blessed Mother!!!" Dorian's exclamation and Florian's sudden intake of breath told him that he hadn't been the only one to see something. He looked over at his to friends and saw them looking at the sky. He looked up but saw nothing there; he looked back down at his friends for an explanation. Dorian was the first to notice his questioning look. "There, it was, I we saw." His normally talkative friend seamed at a loss for words. After another moment had passed he finally managed to say what he wanted to. "A dragon just passed and was headed straight for the village." As if on cue they heard screams and saw smoke coming from the village.

Feeling as if his heart had stopped Saren ran towards the village, when he arrived everything was in chaos, buildings were either on fire or already burnt to the ground, burnt corpses of people he knew were lying on the ground it almost seemed as if he's walked in to a different place. He heard another scream this one so familiar that he immediately changed course and began running towards it. He arrived just in time to see his mother get cut down by someone shrouded in black. "MOTHER!!!!!" Without thinking he unsheathed the sword hanging at side and charged at the black clad figure. Before he got even close to the figure a dragon landed between him and his mother's killer. He could only watch in shock as the cloaked figure climbed on to the dragon, whether it was by accident or fate the wind pushed back the hood on the figures cloak and Saren found himself gazing into cobalt blue irises set in a thin youthful face framed by shoulder length black hair.

The spelled was broken as the youth glanced sharply behind Saren, then with a muted command from the youth the black dragon launched into the air and flew off. Saren could only watch paralyzed with fear and something else as the dragon disappeared off into the distance. He was snapped out of his paralysis when Florian put a hand on his shoulder; startled he looked over at his elven friend and saw pity in his emerald green eyes, something in his friend's eyes reminded him that his mother was injured. With a half sob he jerked out of Florian's friendly grip and raced to where his mother lay bleeding. He knelt down next to her and placed her head in his lap. "Mother, don't worry you're going to be alright." He whispered as he ripped up his shirt and put it over her wound in order to stop the blood flow.

Teora smiled sadly at her son as he tried his best to save her. "Saren," she began in a strained voice, "Saren you can't save me." She watched as he shook his head denying her words. "Saren my child, I'm going to rejoin your father don't be mourn me when I'm gone because I will be happy and I'll be watching over you with your father." She saw something in his eyes that made her pause and shake her head in denial. "Hatchling, don't thin of joining us anytime soon there will be a day you may once again join us but that day is long after you claim your father's thrown. Saren my child, my heart, wait for the green dragon to come and then go and claim your rightful place on the thrown of Doranth and stay away from the Crimson Mirror." With those final words she closed her eyes and let out the last of the breath in her body.

As the twins came up behind him and Florian pulled Saren into a loose but comforting embrace Dorian voiced the question they were all thinking out loud. "What are we going to do now?"

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Alantra De'sha'ma'ar queen of all that is dark: laughed with delight as she watched the scene unfold in her scrying mirror. She sensed rather than heard when Nathanial entered the room. "You let yourself be seen." She said as she continued to watch as the three friends began to bury the dead villagers. She turned to look at him with cold violet eyes as he kneeled on the floor. "I specifically ordered that your identity remained a secret, what happened?" she watched as he struggled to come up with an answer.

Nathanial looked up at her his cobalt blue eyes flashing with momentary fear "I-I, my Queen it was, forgive me my lady it shall not happen again." He bowed his head in a submissive gesture, his shoulder length black hair falling forward to cover his slim face.

Alantra brought a hand up to push a strand of her own midnight black hair behind one finely pointed ear and gave Nathaniel a chilling smile. "Don't worry my pet I'm not mad just disappointed, however I will still have to administer some form of punishment." As she thought she put one hind on his head and started stroking it as if he were some animal to be petted. "Nathanial, you shall be confined to your room for the remainder of the month however you will attend your regular classes as well as an extra class with the master mage." She smiled that chilling smile again as she saw him shudder minutely. "Have no fear my pet it will only be for two candle marks each night, surely Master Morgath doesn't frighten you that much?" She felt him shake his head, then with a final pat on his head sent him off to his `room'. After he was gone she turned back to watch as Saren and his friends stood over the grave of Teora Fainlen paying their last respects. "Soon child of Doranth you shall be dead and then my beloved pet shall take your place."

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Saren smiled sadly as he watched the sun rise over the eastern horizon bathing everything in an orange-gold glow, the smile however disappeared as he saw something swiftly approaching from the east. He stood up abruptly and began to run towards where his friends were sleeping when the form revealed itself to be that of a dragon. He reached the area where they had slept the night before and quickly shook Florian and then Dorian awake. "Come on Dorian wake up, there's a dragon headed straight for us!" he shouted as Dorian refused to wake up.

Florian motioned for him to stop as he knelt beside his twin, when Saren was about to say something he made a shushing motion and leaned over his brother a strand of his long silver hair in hand and gently traced the end of it over Dorian's arm in a zigzag motion. Saren was about to ask him what he was doing when Florian began to make a hissing sound, suddenly it dawned on Saren exactly what Florian was up to. It was a common fact that elves could impersonate animal sounds excellently; it was known to only Florian and Saren that Dorian was afraid of snakes, add that to the hissing sound and the zigzag motion of the strand of hair and you get…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" …One very awake and very angry Dorian. Both Saren and Florian began to laugh at the look on Dorian's face, the both sobered up however when they realized that it wasn't them but something that was behind them that had Dorian so frightened. They both turned around at the same time and found themselves looking into the bright blue eyes of a green dragon.

As if sensing their discomfort the dragon pulled it's head back and looked down at them as if it couldn't figure out why they were afraid of it. They where pulled out of their fear like trance one a voice from beside the dragon hailed them. "Merry meet my friends! Know ye where can be found the village of Aronova? I be in need of finding it." The knight in the silver-green armor, which looked almost like the dragons scales, asked them.

Saren looked at the knight closely trying to decide whether he could be trusted or not, he was so caught up in his studying that it caught him by surprise when Florian's soft voice spoke from behind him. "It depends on who it is asking?"

The knight nodded his head as if expecting that question, "Ayah I be called Gabriel Drakelem, first knight of Doranth and nephew of the deceased King Doranth Corenon. I have come all this way in search of Saren Corenon king' only son. Do ye know him?" Gabriel looked at them through them hope shining in his expressive gray eyes.

Saren nodded stepping closer to the knight and holding out his hand in greeting when Gabriel grasped his hand and shook it he answered. "You will not find the village of Aronova for it was burnt down by a black dragon." He noticed a glint of hatred in both the knight and the green dragon's eyes at the mention of the Black. "However Saren Corenon stands before you, for I am he."

Gabriel immediately dropped down to one knee in front of him. "My lord I have come to take you to Doranth so that you may claim your father's thrown. Allow me and my Bound Arganon to fly you there swiftly." At this the dragon nodded its head.

~My Gabriel, we must fly swiftly for even now the darkness closes in from the north.~ A loud male voice said in Saren and everyone else's head. ~I can carry you, the Boy-King, and the two Sidhe but we must move swiftly or we will be attacked.~

Gabriel nodded and motioned for Arganon to kneel closer to the ground, he then pulled some packs from the dragons back and proceeded to empty them on the ground. "Ye heard Arganon we must hurry or I fear we may have to fight." He said as he went through the items on the ground and put certain things pack in the bags, so that when he was done there were two bags instead of six. "Hurry an mount, we have not much time." Gabriel helped each of them mount on to Arganon's back before preparing to mount himself. Just before he mounted he stopped and cocked his head to the side as if he were listening to something, he then prepared to mount. His hesitation however cost him, faster than anyone could see and arrow came out of the forest and struck Gabriel in the side.

~My Gabriel!!!~ Arganon shouted half in anger and half in fear, as Gabriel slumped over his back. In his anger the dragon turned to where the arrow had come from and blew. Fire flowed from his mouth and burned everything in its path trees, grass, and whoever had shot Gabriel. Arganon didn't stop his assault until everything close to them was turned to ash.

"A-Arganon, stop please I'm okay just… just a little winded." Gabriel said to the dragon in a weak voice laced with pain. He quickly sat up and wincing took the arrow shaft and snapped it so that it wouldn't hinder his movements. Saren wondered why he simply didn't just take it out as if sensing his thoughts Gabriel tuned and offered him a sardonic smile. "Barbed" was all he said and that's all that was needed.

Arganon turned his head and studied Gabriel with his intelligent blue eyes. ~Are you sure you are all right Bound? You are injured and thus may be unable to ride.~ Arganon bent his head close to Gabriel as if he smelled something on him. ~You have a strong blood sent around you, we must hurry to leave or they will return.~ With that the dragon spread his wings and flew in the general direction of Doranth.

Saren heard Dorian shouting something over his shoulder at Arganon. "What do you mean they will return? Didn't you like totally scorch whatever was out there?" Saren nodded his head also wanting to know the answer, however his gaze never left the wound in Gabriel's side that was steadily poring out blood.

~My Gabriel's attacker was not human but a denizen from the Outer Realms, we think they were sent to kill you Boy-King. Denizens such as those are not destroyed so easily Sidhe, we will and are being followed.~ Arganon made a low rumbling sounded that sounded like a chuckle and looked at Dorian. ~Worry not my immortal kin; they dare not approach us now else they may be killed.~

Arganon was right the two days they spent flying they were not attacked once. When they finally reached Doranth however a few problems arose; the people in charge of the castle wanted proof that Saren really was King Doranth's son and of course the only person with proof was unconscious from an arrow wound.

<Flashback>

"We should be reaching Arganon within the candle mark." Gabriel told them, after Dorian had asked yet again when they would be arriving. "If you look toward the east you will see the great Fearnain Plains where it is said that Dorthain the Great rested after coming all the way from Neurjair.

They felt a rumble under them as Arganon `chuckled.' ~It is also the place where My Gabriel and I landed when we first came to Doranth.~ Arganon chuckled again as Gabriel grinned and slapped the dragon. ~We made a most interesting spectacle to the people there.~

Saren couldn't help but laugh at the image Arganon sent them of hundreds of people dropping everything they were doing and running like mad. "You must have made a real entrance." They laughed for a few minutes when Dorian suddenly shouted in alarm and pointed over their shoulder.

Everyone turned to look at where he was pointing. Behind them only about 1000 meters was a group of monsters. There were only a dozen but that was enough to intimidate the small group. They instantly felt it when Arganon began to speed up in order to lose their pursuers.

"No!!! Arganon don't lead them towards the kingdom, it would only mean disaster. Circle back around and I'll try to fight them off with my bow and the little magic that I have." Gabriel said as he reached into one of the few remaining bags on Arganon's back. Turning to look at Saren and the brothers he nodded grimly. "I assume you can all use a bow?" When they nodded he handed them all bows. "Good, aim for the wings eyes and throat, fire at anything else and you'll only be wasting arrows." With that he notched an arrow and fired, his arrow hitting the wing of the for most creature.

It took them over an hour to kill or decapitate all the monsters but when they finally did everyone was exhausted. After that they arrived in Doranth in minutes, when the towns people had stopped gawking the royal adviser came forward to greet Gabriel. The greeting didn't last more than to minutes when suddenly Gabriel passed out from his wounds.~

After a week at the castle, Saren hadn't been told what he would have to do when they reached the castle, only what Gabriel had been able to tell him which was not much. Saren shook his head and continued to walk toward Gabriel's room to check up on the young man. When he reached Gabriel's room he found it empty, he almost called for help when he heard Arganon's voice in his head.

~Greetings Boy-King, I trust you are looking for my bound?~ Arganon's humor tinged voice filled his head. ~I believe you will find him in the King's study looking for the papers King Doranth gave him to show proof that you are heir to the thrown, that's why he gave Gabriel temporary control of the thrown. Now off with you go to my Bound and then go claim your right as king.~

Gabriel did eventually find the papers that held the proof of Saren's position as royal heir. The people rejoiced and celebrated with a huge banquet in his honor. A month later was the coronation; the day Saren officially became king of Doranth. On his way back from the banquet Saren passed a shattered Crimson Mirror.

The End

A/N: Craptacular no? Well if you liked it please review! If you didn't well then what do I care? I wrote this for a grade 10 English assignment.