The first few chapters might be overly descriptive. I'm trying to introduce everyone/thing at the beginning. :)
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Prologue
"Hoo! Hoo..."
The ominous howl of an owl sliced through the damp air, cutting the silence blanketed over its hazy surroundings.
"Hoo! Hoo!" It cried again, more loudly this time as it spread its magnificent, dusk flavored wings, nervously shaking off from the rotten branch of an old diseased olive tree.
The owl's wings repeatedly battered the air, clearing the fog to reveal an old isolated town that looked like it was merged into the forest surrounding it. A large lake, almost as big as the town itself, was stationed at the very north end of the town, reflecting the starry wish-filled sky on its deep, blue-hued body. Small vines crawled throughout the streets, attaching themselves to anything it could, giving the town an ancient feel.
As the owl drifted towards the town with its wings spread wide, one could almost see the letters "ΑΘΕ" on its upper left wing, the crimson dyed letters glistening from the lazy light of the moon.
Suddenly, it threw its wings back, momentarily stalling in the air as it caught glimpse of something to nest on, circling around it to land on its thin, but strong talons. This "nest" was a somewhat large wooden worn-out sign, with faded letters that read, "Welcome to Aytee".
However, before the owl could fully relax, a shrill crying of a newborn burst through the air, disturbing the ritual of silence that hung in the night. The owl spread its wings in surprise and irritation, flapped once, and with no other words to describe it; vanished.
Not a mile away from the mysterious phenomenon, near the north end of the town, there was a worn-down shack that held an aura of poverty in the air. Inside lay a mysterious woman, a man, and a baby. The man, hunched over the woman, had an obvious height of over six feet, and showed strong evidence that he was a fighter or a warrior of some sort.
He had short orangish brown hair, which could be said to represent the color of fall, that was combed down to the right side of his face, almost covering his right eye. His large eyes had a deep brown color, like an ancient well hiding an infinite amount of secrets and knowledge. His well shaved face toned out his chiseled chin, pointing down to his broad chest where he was currently holding the baby gently with his rough and coarse hand.
As he strained forward towards the bed, his muscled legs made it seem like the chair under him could break down at any second. He slowly reached out his open hand towards the woman, and caressed her cheeks with loving eyes. The woman, breathing heavily with closed eyes, was drenched with sweat which made it obvious that she had just given birth.
Covered by blankets, her voluptuous chest rose up and down rhythmically as she reached out for her child with weak, shaking arms. The man gave her a tender smile and slowly passed her their new sleeping son. As she slowly hugged her newborn, he instinctively reached out and grabbed a handful of her platinum white hair and fondly combed it, making her cringe and smile at the same time.
The man, giving a stifled laugh, turned towards the window after hearing an owl not far from their shack. He gave a small, knowing smile and slowly closed his eyes.
"The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk." He whispered.
However, moments after, he suddenly flashed open his eyes, and looked outside directly at the moon. An expression of ancient wisdom passed through his deep eyes, as the knowing smile turned into that of a sad one.
He quietly prophesied to himself while giving his son a pitying look. "Mia symforá genniétai."
Holding back his tears, he took his wife's hands into his own, leaned over, and gave her a long kiss on the lips. After a while, she struggled for air and slightly pushed him away, giggling and blushing slightly. "Not in front of the baby!" She teased in a quiet voice, gently flicking her husband's forehead.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Without replying, he poked her in the cheek while slowly standing up, careful not to disturb the peaceful looking baby. Looking up with an arched brow, she gave him a surprised look as if to say, "that's the first time I've ever seen you not retort back."
The man, still silent, walked over to an old and rusty lamp as a single drop of tear fell onto his clenched fists, which matched the look of determination on his face.
"I'm sorry my precious son.", he said, forced through clenched teeth, more tears threatening to burst. "I will protect you and your mother from what is to come with my own life.."
Gripping the string of the lamp with ever so slightly shaking fingers, he let his hand drop on the only veil that separated the cold and mysterious night from the warmth of civilization. The lamp, after a few weak flickers, finally gave out, allowing the darkness to creep into the room once more. An owl hooted in the distance, signaling for the silent night ritual to begin once more.
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Unknowingly, above the town in the constellated sky, a dimensional crack distorted into view, unseeable to the naked eye. Imitating a black hole, the moon's light, instead of reflecting off of this mirror-like phenomenon, was sucked inside like a black hole, causing the space around it to look like a big illusion. In this realm of everlasting darkness, three divergent voices could be heard.
"Fu fu fu... T-ha mor..t..al sssensed our presssence! In..t..eresting." A shrill feminine voice rang out, a strange hiss that resembled a cross between a snake and a human. It was not an unpleasant sound however, as the scaly voice had a unique charm to it.
"Indeed. He also recited a line of that obnoxious prophecy we're always worrying about." A second feminine voice responded. This time, the voice gave a soothing ring to the ears, a melodic tune that calmed one's mind. It was oddly... Alluring. "Also, can you pronounce your 'T's' right? It's really, really, annoying."
"Wha..Wha..t?" The shrill voice stammered out.
Irritated, the owner of the soothing voice muttered under her breath, "Uncultured snake."
"You... Bitch!"
"There. You said it correctly. Now, try-"
"ENOUGH!!!!!", a third voice finally roared out, unable to contain the annoyance and anger it had accumulated from listening the two's exchange. The dimension slightly flickered, shook by the thundering yell. "Enough of your childish bickering! An unwelcome guest is approaching." The same clear voice reprimanded. Unlike the other two, it was a deep masculine voice with an irresistible lure to it, as if it had the power to corrupt or tempt anyone that heard it.
"Hide your presence! Nobody can be allowed to meddle in our plans. Not when we've come this far..." The voice faded out into nothingness, almost as if there was nothing there from the start.
The other two followed suit, knowing better to follow the deep one's orders than to continue their quarrel. They weren't going to let an almost millennium long scheme to end with a small matter like this... Or so they thought. As the distortion faded away and the night sky was returned to normal after the disappearances of the three voices, a fourth voice was suddenly heard.
This time, it was a seemingly normal masculine voice that echoed throughout the atmosphere. "Ha..ha..haha..! I've finally found you!" The speaker half-heartedly celebrated, laughing at his own accomplishment before chasing after the presences that were present a few moments before.
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