1 Prologue

Sweet darkness engulfed her in a peaceful slumber. The constant pounding of the rain against the small cottage she called home had lulled her into the kind of bliss that had her feeling like she was on top of a gigantic version of the softest feather, sweetly drifting. The rhythmatic tink-tink of rain drops landing in the tin pail in the corner of her room from the ever worsening leak in the roof, which usually had her shivering in the colder months, now gave her a chill breeze and she snuggled deeper into the blanket cocooned around her. 

Kaaa-BOOOOOOOM

The loud sound seemed to crack open the sky in a show of vicious light followed by a BOOM that shook the very air. Startled awake Ria looked around her little bedroom. Dazed she searched for answers in the sparsely lit space surrounding her. The tingly sensation spreading over her body was unnerving and set her senses on high alert, though she saw nothing amiss. Another burst of thunder had her burrowed under the too thin covers.

Trying to calm herself, Ria thought about her herbology lessons, though she was only seven summers her mother being a librarian had access to all kinds of learning resources, some of which are off limits to any but the most wealthy. She enjoyed all her mom's lessons most of the time, that consists of learning about the different abilities, properties, potions, history, magical artifacts, creature lessons, and so on. Herbology, however, was particularly interesting to her at the moment. Her mom has definitely shared her love of learning with Ria, the possibilities are endless and there is so much to learn. It's marvelous how so many topics are connected. It is so easy to be reading about the uses for willow roots one minute and two short hours later be learning how architecture has changed over an era and all because you came across a book that told how the willow root in the right dosage, and in combination with poppy petals, could reverse certain kinds of sleeping spells. This then lead to the high increase of willow trees being planted and the willow forest being forged. Only problem is that there were a fair few who would try to magically to grow the trees, the vast amount of trees and different magic mixed together caused the trees to expand and become animated. They were taking over the nearby villages and their roots would cause such destruction that the towns folk had to vacate. The decisions abd actions are the result of how the underground civilizations developed their structures and evolved over time. 

Ria smiled at her train of thought and was relieved for the distraction as it had worked to calm some of the eeriness in the air. Her breathing became deeper as she returned to listening to the pounding rain and tink-tink of landing drops in the bucket. As she started feeling the drowsy pull of sleep on her mind Ria noticed very faint voices nearby. Mom? She thought. What is she doing up right now? Just then an exceptionally ferocious rumble of thunder that shook the ground sent Ria bolting out the door to find her.

As the voices grew louder Ria remembered thinking it was strange to hear her mom up at this hour but it hadn't crossed her mind that she was talking to somebody. They hardly had visitors and not to mention that the dark stormy sky outside had likely been responsible for pushing the thought from her mind.

There was one candle, it only just illuminated the little cottage from where it sat on the dining table. She slowed down when she saw mom in her night dress with her back mostly facing Ria, she could just see that mom was clutching the necklace she normally wore as she spoke to a stranger in a frighteningly hostile way that Ria had never heard her use before. And if that hadn't already stopped her in her tracks then when her eyes beheld this mystery visitor she definitely would have froze, for she was currently petrified with fear at the sight of this man before her. He was the absolute largest person she could ever imagine. Looking like some kind of giant from nightmares far too frightening to go back to sleep afterwards. He had at least one digit missing from his hand, scars everywhere some that looked like claw marks, down his neck disappearing beneath the shirt he wore, others with patches of disoriented skin that looked like burns, on his face and both arms. It was painful to look at him, 'how was he even alive?', she thought.

In the back of her mind she vaguely heard her mother's voice. Ria didn't recognize what she was saying. Chanting? She tried to focus on the sound. When the thunder boomed this time, however, she didn't even hear it, her mouth dried and her heart dropped to her stomach because the flash of lightning that followed further illuminated the features of the stranger before her, clear enough to see the intentions written there, death. One of his eyes was a shade of blackness that seemed endless and the other eye was completely missing with only a screw in its place and both of them were locked on her. 

A split second. That's how long it took to happen. A split second he noticed her, then he smiled. Promising a fate worse than death. A split second she saw her mom turn, the necklace clutched in her hand glowing from the light of the candle.The look of unfiltered terror on her face amplifying her own. Then Ria felt this electrocharged pressure making every hair on her body stand on end, splated in every direction as though trying to fill the room. Tears streamed her face from fear or the pain of not being able to breathe she didn't know. The awful sensation threatening to squeeze her until she was pudding. A split second, a blinding flash, a crash, the room shook, a scream, the most intense pain Ria had ever felt coursing through her body. Then nothing. Darkness. 

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Did mom light more candles? Ria wondered as her eyes began to take in her surroundings.

Drip.

Feeling the wetness plop on her face Ria looked up and gasped at the gaping hole taking up almost a quarter of their cottage. There was wood and debris all over the living room, the beam of moonlight streaming through allowed her to get a good look at all the destruction. The pain that had overwhelmed her not a moment ago was just a memory now, but what was that, did she get hit by lightlighing? Sure felt like it but then again probably not she wouldn't be alive if she had, would she? Wait- the scary man that was in their home was gone now too. Maybe he was the one struck by lightning? And where's mom?? She panicked now leaping into action shifting through the litter of boards and leaves searching for the pale yellow of her mom's night dress or the warm chestnut color of her hair- anything!

"Mom?" Ria whispered. No, no, no. No. Yes. There! Over against the far wall between the table and kitchen. She lie there unmoving. She wasn't moving! "Mom." Ria breathed. It all happened so fast she had a whirl of emotions bubbling up. Fearing the worst Ria reached for her mom, praying for a reaction. A dry weeze startled Ria just before she could touch mom's shoulder, gulping in air her mom was regaining consciousness. New tears fell freely joining the moisture already on Ria's cheeks. The relief she felt had Ria shaking and seemed to bring her out of shock somewhat because suddenly Ria could feel just how cold she was. Shivering from being soaking wet in the exposed thunder storm and the brisk Spring air that showed no mercy as it wafted in through the new hole in their home. 

Ria sat next to her mom as she continued coaxing her to consciousness. She felt warmer and safer next to mom even though she was still so frightened and confused. Turning towards her mom Ria noticed the necklace she always wore was gone, not just because of how at odds it was to see her without the vibrant blue of the pendent but because the string normally tied to it looked frayed at the ends, burnt off. How strange. 'Actually, there is a lot of strange things that I don't understand happening tonight', Ria mused. And almost as if on cue, the darkness from outside, just beyond the opening of where the cottage wall used to be, was leaking across the rubble, through the hole, and now oozed inside the cottage! The darkness then began to puddle, shiver, grow and impossibly morph into the haunting silhouette of a man. Then, as if he sprang off a sheet of paper into the living world Ria found herself once again looking at the frightening stranger from earlier. 

"Ria," her mom spoke with urgency as the man approached. She jumped a little at unexpectedly hearing her mom the rest of the way awake, which seems to have made the man speed up. "I need you to run. Up the mountain there is a village, run to the cottage with the candle in the window. You can't miss it. Now!"

"Come with me!" Ria cried.

"I'm behind you. Go. Run!" With determination in her voice Ria's mother yanked Ria to her feet then nearly threw her toward the door. Stopping just through the door frame the two embraced tightly before her mom arched backward as something stuck her. As mom turned her face away from Ria she gave her hand a quick squeeze, urging her on, and stepped toward the scary giant who destroyed their home.

Hesitating only a second before sprinting for the mountain Ria prayed she was fast enough to help her mom. With the instructions in mind she set off. She tried to stay up right as the mud was slippery and simultaneously threatened to suction her feet in place. The different sized rocks made finding her footing easy but the continuous downpour made seeing and gripping the rocks near impossible, not too mention it soaked her so thoroughly she feared losing her balance from all the shivering she was doing. 

Wearing only her drenched nightdress made the already cool air unbearable, Ria felt like she was being frozen to the core. She felt herself slowing down more and more and she wasn't even half way up the mountain yet. What if she didn't make it what would happen to mom? Ria was shaking now from overwhelming fear and cold. Tears slowly mixed with rain water on her face.

Step after step Ria kept going. Only the shrill piercing scream behind her had her running again. She hoped she wasn't too late. Slipping and tumbling, grasping and grunting, panting and tripping she went up, up, up. This next patch of rocks should get her over the mountain. She was going to get help. 

She was relieved and dead tired, she shook so bad that the big boulder before her looked like it was moving. Knowing she had to keep going she lifted herself onto the next rock, fitting her foot into the nook between two little rocks and hoisted herself to the next highest one. Continuing the pattern until she couldn't ignore the fact the those rocks were definitely moving.

Without further thought the entire side of the mountain caved in leaving Ria scrambling for something to hold onto. 

Her head rung from the impact and her leg scraped and bleeding from the fall. She was so close though. So tired, so scared, and freezing, she was ready to be done, just a little farther. She had to hurry because the now disfigured rocks where the cave in happened were still moving. No, not a cave in, she realized, but the stone had magically changed into the slight impression of stairs and there she could see the intimidating figure she feared most in the world strolling toward her once again. 

She couldn't do it. He found her. She wasn't going to escape. She wished her mom was here, Ria hoped she was okay, she just wanted to go home. Silent tears leaked as Ria watched the giant get closer. Thinking back on what she had seen Ria found herself wondering what sort of abilities he had.He might be a celestial, someone of the night the way he turned into liquid darkness, but that didn't explain what happened with the rocks. Maybe he was an elemental, but she had never heard of one being able to manipulate more than one element. She hoped there was nobody else here helping him. 

  She knew folk with abilities, of course, but none felt like this. Ria herself didn't have abilities per say but senses, she could feel another's powers, not what they could do but how strong they were mostly. While everybody else got their abilities by chance, not knowing what they might be able to do, Ria's was hereditary and mom explained things as they came, saying that it is rare for folk like them and some of the things she will be able to do in time have been known to do draw unwanted attention. 

Ria could see that there was a scorched patch of his shirt and a good amount of blood on his face now. His 'eyes' never left her as he approached, the missing eye with the screw in its place made Ria think maybe he had indeed been struck by lightning the way light zapped around on it. If only Ria could make it to that village surely she'd be safe. She tore her gaze away from the giant just long enough to perk up and peek over the boulder she'd fallen in front of. She was at the top of the mountain now and she could see the plain on the other side but no cottages, she searched but could see that there was no village on the other side of the mountain. 

There truly was no hope. She had no idea what happened to her mother, her home was destroyed, this awful thunderstorm just wouldn't give her a break, and the village isn't there. Only feet from her now the giant seemed to read the terrified look of hopelessness on her face because he showed her a gruesum toothy smile that had her trying to burrow into the boulder behind her. He stopped a foot before her, he really was a monstrous sight to behold. His great hight forced Ria to look up as though she were star gazing.

"'Ello little gal. I've been looking for the likes of you."