“Because it's mine. It's complicated as to why but it is. Can I walk you home?” Asked the boy.

  Ghara notice just how well built the boy was. He looked nothing like the boys in her village. He was muscular and rather tall.

  “Sure” They began walking back.

  “So where you from?” Asked Ghara.

  “I was born in the sky city of Lorinax. How about you?”

  “I'll show you” Said Ghara.

  The strange boy seemed oddly calm.

  “I know this is rude but can I ask about your eyes?”

  “Sure, what about them?” he seemed all too happy to talk to her.

  “Well, they aren't red, or gold so...”

  “It's because I'm a warlock and a descendant of the created.” Said the boy.

  “Do you have a title?” Asked Ghara.

  “Yeah, a few actually but just call me Albion” Said the blue eyed boy.

  As they walked he noticed the cuts across her arms and legs.

  “How did that happen?” Asked Albion.

  “Well, the guards got mad at me and hurt me.”

  “Oh, well they won't anymore. I can't have anyone hurting my to be beloved.” Said Albion.

  Albion walked into a thorn bush. The thorns cut deep into his arms and he seemed not to notice.

  “Your arm!” Ghara held the bird in one hand and reached for him with the other.

  “You care if I get hurt?” Asked Albion.

  “Of course I do!” Ghara grabbed her shirt and ripped a large piece off.

  She wrapped it around his wounds. His eyes looked over her mystified by this action. Ghara looked up at him and felt his hand hold the side of her face.

  “I truly love you” His blue eyes flashed a light blue as he said this.

  She felt like she could be weak around him. She felt as if he was making himself weak and defenseless. She smiled and continued to walk with her.

  “Would you mind if I held your hand?” Asked Albion.

  Ghara simply grabbed his hand and smiled. They arrived at her home and he tilted his head. They walked up to Koano and Albion shrugged.

  “Who is he?” Koano seemed to disprove of Albion.

  “My title is Albion, The Siege, Darkest night, Murder, Lios, Kilnas, or Lost Dawn whatever you feel like. Nice to meet you.”

  “Yeah” Koano turned away and got back to making a new bow. She could tell he didn't believe any of his titles.

  “Hello, I'm Ghana's father. Hanro” He reached out and shook Albion's hand.

  “What's that you got?” Asked Hanro.

  “It's a bird, I think it might a gemmo but it seems a little pale.”

  “Well, I'm gonna get back to the grubs.” He walked off.

  Her father walked back to the pit and started feeding them tree bark.

  “So, do you want to sit and talk with me?” Asked Ghara.

  “That would be wonderful!” They both sat on the floor and Ghara placed the bird in the middle.

  “I have a few questions if you don't mind” Said Albion.

  “Sure, and just to be fair I have a few for you” Ghara had a smile on her light pink lips.

  “Why did the people hurt you?”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Because I didn't tell them where my brother and father went. They would have taken them away.”

  “What is wrong with them. Don't they know you care for them” Albion had his hands in fists.

  “It's not that bad they keep monsters from attacking us”

  “They are monsters. No good person would hurt someone as lovely and kind as yourself.” Albion looked down at the bird and sighed.

  He reached into his pocket and handed the bird some mush.

  “Now a question for you” Ghara knew this was the perfect question.

  “Can you teach me Voterian Arts?”

  “You know the Ark title of Magic?” Replied Albion.

  “That's not the question” Said Ghara with a smirk.

  “Only if you are willing to sacrifice something more valuable than life itself” His eyes held an intense rage.

  Ghara felt fear and anxiety wondering what sacrifice must be made to know the sacred Ark art of Magic.

  “Whatever it takes I'm ready to do it” Ghara didn't want to be helpless anymore. If he could help her become stronger she would give her very soul.

  “You have to know this is absolute. Once you take the first step it's life, death or consumption of the void”

  “I understand”

  “Preki” Said Albion. He was blushing.

  Of all the things a warlock, a masters of the great order born from a legacy of legendary warriors that bordered on myth could blush about he blushed about a kiss.

  “You're adorable you know that” She didn't know she was blushing just as much.

  “I’ll make you a deal. Teach me everyday for the next month and it's yours.”

  “Let's start today” He began to write down something.

  “Now as you can see…”

  “I can't read” Said Ghara.

  He seemed confused and looked at her.

  “What?”

  “I can't read what you have written. That on the paper”

  “Well, if you don't know I'll have to teach you” Said Albion.

  Ghara spent the day learning how to read. She placed the bird on her table. When night came Albion asked “Can I spend this night with you”

  “Absolutely but you're taking my bed. I'll be sleeping nearby” Ghara woke the next day and wondered what time it was.

  She looked out the door and could see it was still dark. She looked through the house and found a lantern. As the dim light washed over the home she found that Albion was missing from his bed.

  A bloody cry for mercy rang out and cut through the darkness. The sound of heavy armor attacked her very will to live. They were back.

  “What's going on?” Said Koano.

  “The guards are here!” Said Ghara.

  It was too late to run. Too late to hide. Only enough time to say goodbye. She could see the lanterns of the guards like the eyes of a wild beast. She looked at her father and brother. She looked back and could see Albion standing in front of the guards.

  He stood just within reach of the light of the lanterns. He seemed completely unphased by the presence of the guards.

  “I don't like the way you treated my future wife Ghara. If you apologize I might go easy on you” Albion dawned his blade.

  Before Ghara could scream that someone was already behind him. The spear left him standing in place. He clasped at it, he kept attempting to pull it out.

  “I'll kill you!” Said the boy as blood flooded his lungs. The guard walk around to stand before him.

  “Maybe you will. But it won't be in this life.” She forced a second blade through his heart.

  His body went limp. She placed her weapon in its place and ripped the spear from his spine. The guard walked towards Ghara.

  “Was that thing yours. You seemed pretty upset when I killed it” Said the guard.

  One of the guards slammed her blade through him once more and lead on it. She smiled as she looked into Ghara’s eyes. The sound of grinding bone filled her ears. Ghara was frozen in fear as Albion stood once again. His arm shot up backwards and locked around the arm of the guards.

  Albion crushed her arm and smiled as his own blood saturated the ground. The guard screamed and he tossed her into the darkness. Something unholy reached down from the heavens and crushed her lower half. Hundreds of beasts were birthed from the darkness. They began to tear her apart. She was still screaming when it dragged her into the sky.

  The guards seemed to be angry but more afraid of this beast. He pulled the blade from his destroyed form. He began to laugh and slit his own throat.

  “Nothing can kill me” Wings made of jet black feathers sprang from his back. A sound like massive sales of a ship preparing for its final odyssey.

  The sky split showing the clouds were not what they seemed. Crows in the tens of billions. They swooped down crashing together forming a massive abomination. They formed what looked like a dragon. It's body was a mass of black flesh and bone.

  “I don't care anymore” Albion lifted his right hand and clasped the air. An explosion of godly force had crushed one of the guards.

  Ghara didn't know what to think of this warlock. His heart filled with rage and hate. His eyes full of loss. His body fell apart becoming crows. They flew into the darkness. One of the guards ran at Ghara.

  Her hope was if the could reach Ghara she could force this forgotten god to surrender. Ghara looked at the most primal fear in the face of the guard.

  Something had clasped her skull in its hand. It began to squeeze and her screaming began. Its hand began to slowly crush her head. The armor she had to protect her slowly cut into her skull. Her body shot into the air. Her screaming slowly faded into the dark but burned into her memory. Whatever remained of the guards was dragged off into his endless form.

  “Albion?” Said Ghara with fear and an overwhelming sense of dread.

  “Sorry about all that. I just lost my temper” He swayed his hand and his crows began to fly away. A rift in the sky open letting some light in.

  Ghara didn't notice this but they had other places to be.

  “What just happened?” Ghara was afraid of this mad God. His eyes seemed afraid when she saw them.

  “Please, I don't want to be alone anymore” Said this strange boy.

  “I'm not afraid” Ghara took a step forward. She walked to face the lonely god. She placed her hands on either side of his face and held him.

  “You don't have to be alone anymore”