Sample Chapter from Red String of Fate

 String of Fate

Chapter 1

Our elders broke the world. 

They corrupted the Mandate of a Thousand Songs and in doing so angered the Great Gods and Goddesses. The Great Ones broke the Song into a thousands shards so that thousands of years later, in my time, it would be referred to as the Shard of a Thousand Songs. 

Darkness fell over our world and with it, great monsters, demons, the Children of Yuki-Ona—She Who Brings Chaos— followed, drawn to the fear and suffering the darkness caused.

In desperation, a young woman prayed to the Great Gods for help. She would give anything, do anything to save her family, her people…

Moved by her selflessness, the Great Mother Naui answered her. 

Naui instructed her to choose among her people, 11 of the most loyal and brave. When the young woman had done so, the Great Mother then told them that while she and her siblings could not fix what had been broken, someday, another could. But until then, to keep them safe from the Darkness, she and her siblings would bestow upon the 12 some of their abilities. With these powers, they would rebuild their world, create dome cities that would be able to shield them from the outside world. However, she warned them, the powers weren’t permanent. 

Every 10 cycles, they must choose a new set of 12 to be blessed with the Gods and Goddesses abilities. Failure in doing so would cause their protection against the Darkness to fall. 

With the Goddess warning instilled in their hearts, the original 12 promised to heed them and soon the 1^st Ascending came about and with it, a new age for all the people of Aeganir.

     - Benyamira Song

  Ishtar of the Mahsuma Sept

The Archives, District Zero, Mei’yan, Zhai, Continent of Yaman

Gregori, Prime Pagemaster for District Zero’s archive was finishing up his rounds when he heard the most peculiar sound coming from the records room.

He stifled a sound of annoyance.   

One of the clerks must be scrambling to finish up filing again. 

He shook his head as he made the walk to the records, not happy that he would have to lecture the errant clerk on being non punctual in his tasks.

Sure enough, he saw the light was still on but the clerk must be further inside the room as he didn’t see him or her. 

Gregori stepped into the room of records and began to search for his clerk. He could call out but he didn’t want the clerk to run in order to avoid getting in trouble. No, it was best if he caught him unawares. 

Click. Click. Click. 

Ah, his clerk was in the backroom. It was the only area where records were kept locked up, as they contained the most dangerous information. But why would the clerk be accessing those? 

His eyes narrowing now, as the clerk was definitely in trouble, the Pagemaster quickened his steps and came into view of his unsuspecting target. 

The clerk’s back was to him, and he was muttering to himself as he sifted through the records that Gregori saw with apprehension was of Naui’s Promise. While not altogether dangerous knowledge in itself, it was a knowledge that only the Legion, the 12, were privilege to know in its entirely. 

To the rest of Aeganir’s People, Naui’s Promise was mostly a myth, a legend, created to give hope, something to look forward to, when the future seemed impossible. 

Alarmed, Gregori decided it was time to put a stop to all this. 

In a sharp tone, he spoke out. 

“What are you doing? I don’t recall giving you permission to access records of the old history of Aeganir. Please remove yourself at once.”

The clerk jumped and one of the files he had held, drifted to the floor, near Gregori’s feet.

It read EO1500.

Gregori’s features hardened as he picked up the file. Although to one not familiar to the records and how they were filed, it wouldn’t make sense, to him it only filled him with dread. The numbers were referring to Aeganir and where it was located in the archives. This clerk was after one of the 12 Gates in Aeganir. The only question was why? 

He returned his attention back to the clerk. The young man’s face was unfamiliar to him. He guessed he must be new and normally he would have been given a pass the first time but this…This was too serious a situation for him to allow the clerk to go without punishment.

“What is your name, clerk and what is your interest in the Gates of Aeganir?”  

The clerk remained quiet, his eyes focused on the file Gregori held. 

The Pagemaster snapped, “That wasn’t a question, clerk! You will tell me who you are and why you would want a key to one of the Gates of Aeganir.” 

His gaze pulled reluctantly to Gregori, the clerk said sullenly, “I’m Terry, sir. I’m new here and I’ve always been interested in the older history of Aeganir so I thought I’d do more research. I wasn’t going to hurt anybody...”

Gregori stared at him. While he could sense he was speaking the truth, something felt off. He didn’t like it. 

As if sensing his unease, Terry said hurriedly, “I asked one of the senior clerks to get access to the records and he gave me the key…He was the one who recommended the 12 Gates and Naui’s Promise, sir.”

The Pagemaster let out a curse, startling poor Terry. The boy had been a distraction...

At that moment, a loud shrieking filled the archive. It was the alarm to scare off intruders. Someone was trying to get in and he had the funny feeling it was to get access to Aeganir’s Gates. 

Without another word, he raced out of the record room, bypassing befuddled Runemasters and Alchemists who had heard the alarm and went to investigate. 

He dropped the guise he usually wore, for the sake of the clerks as they didn’t need any more excuses not to do their duties and in place of a stern frumpy looking Pagemaster was a tall otherworldly warrior cast in a halo of golden-white light. 

From his back were two gigantic white wings that seemed to take up the entire archive, but it was his eyes that drew the most attention. Two glowing eyes that seemed to swirl in colors fixed on something in the distance and with a bellow, Gregori roared, “BY THE POWER  INVESTED IN ME, GIVEN TO ME BY THE TETRA, I CALL UPON THE ELDRITCH!”  

A wave of power surged out, causing the archive members to cry out, as they were thrown off balance by the onslaught of wild energy. 

Blue-white bolts lashed all around the archive, just barely missing the Runemasters and Alchemists who were carefully picking themselves up off the floor, after the spill they had taken.   

Then, the sound of thunder came but it was brought on by horses, who glowed with every color imaginable. On their backs they bore fierce visions of warrior riders of old and up ahead, massive scent and sighthounds quivered in excitement to catch their prey.

The Eldritch had arrived. 

Gregori rose into the air, hovering over the waves of riders and in a haunting song of pure beauty that was the language of his people, the Elohim, he directed them to find the thief and bring them to him to deal with.  

The Eldritch set off. 

The Pagemaster watched for a moment, before he turned to his fellow archivists. 

“Someone is trying to gain access to Aeganir’s Gates. I don’t know who or why but if you could all inform the Tetra, it would be appreciated. Perhaps they might know something.”

Eliott, the head of the Runemasters, said gravely, “Of course we will. If the Citizens got wind of this…I fear what would happen…This is the last thing we need.”

Gregori grimaced. That cursed riot, in Devil’s Point, Mei’yan’s most prestigious neighborhoods hadn’t been the first but it had been the one most remembered and the most violent of them all, so far. No, it was best for now that the attack in District Zero be kept under wraps at least until they had caught the intruder and questioned him or her.

“On that, we are agreed my friend. Tell the Legion and no one else.”

Eliott bowed his head, followed by the rest of his colleges before he turned on his heel and was off. 

Once he and his people were gone, Gregori took to the air and preceeded to look for his thief. 

He had a hunch he was in the Forge, the lock down section where all the portals were kept. 

Gregori flew over the numerous bookcases, catching sight of members of the Eldritch below him, every so often.

When he reached the Forge, he let loose an oath. 

The vault looked like it been put through World War 2. It had been blown up and was completely decimated. Only ashes scattered on the wood floor, remained of what had once been the Forge.

His thief certainly had come prepared. They had known that magic wouldn’t work on it, as it been made by magic thus was immune to magical influence. So they had turned to human sources and had set off a bomb to blast the vault open.

It was clever, Gregori grudgingly admitted. He’d have been impressed if it hadn’t been his Archive the thief was breaking into. 

In the shadows of an old worn down alcove, two hooded figures met. 

In a soft tone of voice, the first unknown person whispered, “Here. As you requested.”

Hands quickly exchanging a curious looking object, which appeared to be some kind of tube, the first person continued. “It is done, onote. As you had requested, I blew up the Forge as a distraction…No one saw me take what you really wanted. It’s assumed the thieves were after the Key to the North Gate of Aeganir. They don’t know the real purpose, as you wanted.”

Heaving a soft sigh, the second, more slight figure murmured, “Good. If they had known, then HER agents would have too and everything we worked hard on, all the peace granted to us from the Tetra until the true Ishtar arrives and brings eternal Light, would have been lost. Our world would once more belong to the Great Darkness and we cannot allow that to ever happen.”

“Is that why you wanted me to steal the Scroll of Aeganir,” the other person asked curiously.

“Yes and no,” replied the slight figure mysteriously.

“What’s in the Scroll is meant only for the true Ishtar. So it’s partly a way to identify who the true Ishtar is and the reason why I had you steal it. We cannot have any of HER agents find out who the true Ishtar is or they would kill them, to prevent an eternal Golden Age.”

“Then, I’m grateful onote, for having done my part in preserving Aeganir’s peace.”

Bowing deeply to the other person, when the figure straightened, a slight light reflected against the shadowy person, revealing it to be a male. 

His companion nodded, acknowledging the man’s reverence.

“And I thank you, in return for your service, Commander.”

When the Commander’s eyes widen, his companion laughed lightly.

“You forget, who I am, Lord Commander. I make it my business to know everything that goes on in Aeganir. My onote requires it from me and I live to serve her and her alone. But rest assured, I will say nothing of this to her, for both your sakes. The less known of this task, the better.”

Still a bit shaken that his identity had been so easily spotted by this mysterious person but hearing the clear dismissal in the other’s tone, the Lord Commander bowed one final time before quickly departing.

Watching him go for a moment, the slight person then said aloud, “May the Tetra look after you and yours, Lord Commander.”