-------Michael-------

A red headed woman, not just any red headed woman, but a healthy, fit, homely woman with stuff in all the right places placed the toddler Michael in her soft wide lap. “No more questions it’s time for sleep. Now which story did you want to hear tonight?” She said, her tone a sweet, soft and sultry thing, like a thin cream.

The boy couldn’t hold back his excitement, he was going to visit his mom’s home. He had never seen it but her stories made the place sound like a fairytale. “I want to hear them all!” He exclaimed as sat up then he jumped up and down on the small bed beside her.

she crossed her arms, “Michael Allens! You know you’ll be way too tired tomorrow if you don’t sleep now and if you don’t pick a story I’ll pick for you.”

“No!” She shouted.

She raised a brow, “is that how we talk in this house?”

he shrunk back in shame, “no… I want pick.”

She smiled, ”you want to pick?”

he nodded, “I want to pick. I pick, the princess and the Hero.”

Her rosy cheeks darkened for a moment before returning to their lighter tan and she smiled once more, ”alright then. One day a wicked family attacked the lands. On Terra the world is filled with much more greenery and more diverse animals and plants. But this family wanted it all. They bound a powerful witch, and she would create a creature that would help them. But instead she created a princess. This princess did not want to help her family. But no one could stop them so she prayed and prayed, even asking the bound witch for help promising to free her. The witch cast a spell and her prayers were answered. A man from another world with views different than her own. A scientist in a world of magic. This man snuck her from their castle facing a dragon. The dragon was big and scary but the hero of a man faced it down and outsmarted the beast getting it to hit its head while chasing him, but before he slayed the beast the princess told him not to, for it does not know why it fights. The man thinking her wise listened and together they ran away. On the run they faced several trials, the first was the trial of friendship, where they learned to pick out liars and posers and make friends on land, sea, and sky. Next was the trial of combat where they faced many battles but eventually they were taking back the land from the family. So the family began to gather their own Allies. Soon even after the trial of war the family would not give up. But the hero had a plan. A son, who was now old enough to fight. Along side his son they destroyed the family and gave birth to a new one. They freed the witch and were hailed as heroes in the land. The hero, the princess, and the son lived together with new her son and daughter peacefully, but the witch wanted her payment for creating her without the evil of the family. For helping convince the gods to send someone. She more than her freedom, she wanted the children. So they faced the witch and despite their power, an unbound witch is a dangerous thing. So the hero made a deal, he’d stay with her instead. She did not like this deal but the princess made a better one. She’d trade herself, if the witch gave her time. The witch said she’d take one now and the other later if she didn’t go. She tricked the witch hiding away her real daughter after animating a doll to be her fake daughter. Then she took her boy and left. The hero’s son forced to take care of her daughter. The hero suggested running away to his world as the gods would never allow her to follow as long as his son stayed. They thought they had fixed it, but they didn’t, and the witch found them.”

his face was warped with confusion as he was already tired but, “thas not the ending? She saves them right?”

His mother shook her head. ”Not this time, we don’t always get happy endings, sometimes they are bitter sweet and we must look to silver linings. Now rest up, you’ll need your strength.”

Michael’s vision was white and orange with light. He tried grasping at the lights. Kaboom! Michael woke up to the sound of an explosion. His window cracked and shattered with the force as his extra small bed was rocked. Being only a few years old he was beyond scared and confused. Anyone would be when the last thing on their mind was if their parents would take him to get ice cream in the morning because it was supposed to be hot his mom had said before telling him the bed time story. He brushed his long coffee-colored hair out of his face before grabbing the strange talisman his mother made him, for as long as he knew her she was very religious. She told him it would always protect him and he believed her. He struggled to open his room door before seeing only flames and smoke in the hall. He was obviously trapped but obvious things are not obvious to a young child. If I just run through it really fast I should be fine, he thought.

Despite the stupid idea when he ran through it, he felt no heat. He reached the steps running down to the large living room. He didn't see anything so he ran around the first floor of the house searching for his parents but the smoke was getting to him, he was coughing and his eyes were burning, he never considered it till he had to run around looking for his parents but his house was huge! he arrived at the kitchen where the flames were strongest and In the center of the flames, he saw his father holding his mother. This image was forever burned into his mind, his father crying, he had never seen that before but it made his blue eyes appear cloudy and his was lovely mother still as sweet-looking as ever but strangely... they were unharmed by the flames. However, his mother seemed to be sleeping soundly. His father made eye contact with him and his gaze sharped as if realizing he still had something to do. "We've gotta go, there is someone I'd like you to meet," he said with a stern voice void of emotion. His father took his mother out of the house to their cold and he followed.

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He placed her body in the backseat and had little Michael jump in the front seat, he wasn't sure how to feel because he was excited to sit in the front seat without a car seat but, "What are we gonna do about the house and is mommy okay?" he said, his worry clear in his voice.

His father took a ragged deep breath "No, she's not but she will be it all will be. I've been running from something for too long, soon this house won't matter." his words were choppy but determined as if on the verge of crying again. After 30 minutes of silence, they arrived somewhere in the woods, it was a strange building, and inside was a well. "I'm going to take you somewhere where I have a friend... I guess you could consider him your brother, his name is Sorrin."

"okay... is he going to help mommy?"

"No, he might not even like what I'm going to have to do but he owes me."

"Okay."

"I need that talisman." he kneeled down to Michael and took the talisman from around his neck without waiting for a response. he then dropped it in the well and it flashed as many lights came from the well. He gently placed Michael's mom in the well before he picked up Michael cradling him like the child he was and jumped into the well and they arrived at a small castle. Michael began drooling as all his focus was absorbed by the structure, it was like in the stories his mom and dad would tell him. At the door they saw a man who looked like he could be his dad's brother, Michael always wondered what having a sibling was like, he tilted his head before looking away as the man looked down on him.

"Stephen? figured it would be you when I felt that disturbance. What do you want?" he shouted.

"She's dead!" he said with a finality Michael had never experienced.

Michael turned his head up to his father, "What?" Everything began to get hazy from that point as Michael didn't understand, "What do you mean? How?" the concept was new to him so he never really considered his parents could die. "She's gonna come back right?"

Sorin looked the boy over before looking at Stephen, "This must be the famous Michael Albens... not as quick on the uptake as I thought he'd be." he said almost to himself as an offhanded comment.

Stephen raised his voice in frustration "Sorin he is 3 and he just lost his mother who I will bring back, would you cut him some slack!" he turned to Michael, "She will come back... this might be hard to explain but I'm somewhat of a necromancer, its someone who can manipulate, and interact with the dead."

Sorin cut him off, "No, absolutely not. we're not going to do that to her that would ruin her image against her will. You shouldn’t even be here your mere presence muddies things, you haven’t even kept up with the politics of gods. It’s best you leave.”

Stephen sighed, "I’m not leaving, I know... this is dangerous, it’s perverse and grotesque but I will find a way to bring her back whole. Till then I've got to grow more powerful, I need to experiment, and there is no better partner than you. The Arcanes can come back so why can't she."

Sorin crossed his arms, "The Arcanes are long dead after the war Stephen, and if they weren't no Arcane would tell you anything." he said almost annoyed.

"Like I said... I'm a necromancer."

The information sent Michael's head spinning, it was a lot for any three-year-old to comprehend. This was almost 15 years ago, and it was the last time Michael had a shred of a normal life.

----Unknown----

A young caramel brown-haired girl with worry and fear in her eyes was being chased by a massive shadowy creature. She darts through the puddles and pools of swampy water, but the creature only seems to be getting closer. It roars out, in its booming voice shaking the very earth beneath her feet. She tripped falling into one of the puddles getting a glimpse of her bruised, scratched-up, dirty, face before turning to see the cloud of shadow dissipate to reveal a red-haired girl not much older than herself. The girl who was once a shadow looked down on the girl "You won't escape me this time. I can't let you get to him. The boss won't allow it." The other girl's eyes darted back and forth between a mirror off in the distance and the red-headed girl. "You think you can take him from me, don't you? I won't let you lay a finger on him."

The other girl's face didn't change at all, she stared back blankly. Then all of sudden she wasn't there on the floor, she was already running several paces from where she once was. "You should learn to see through illusions faster." She yelled out in a monotone voice. They both rushed, and then suddenly the redheaded girl seemed to conjure a shadowy creature bigger than the shadow she once was. It roared out as it easily caught up and barreled into her. She combat-rolled away from the creature. A red light began to collect around her fingertips, she smirked "Sol Solis Incindia!" She shouted. The brightened before flashing like a bright crimson light.

------Michael-------

"Aghh." He shot upright, clutching his chest as he fell out of bed. His eyes darted left to right as he searched to understand where he was. I'm still in bed. What was that dream? Where's my dream journal? I need to write this down. His phone started violently vibrating and ringing as if to disrupt his thoughts. I'm gonna be late for school.