She leaned against the wall heavily for support, her entire body shook as she held the knife defensively in front of herself. Little Jaylan Griffith looked around at the three men surrounding her. Tears started to slip silently down her cheeks. The gash on her left leg burned like crazy.

"Look, the little demon is crying," the man in the middle sneered. He was the one who had left the wound on her leg, using the broken bottle he was swinging around. The man on the right threw a rock which hit her square on the cheek. She swung her head around and bared her fangs. There was an alleyway five paces to her right. It was big enough for her to fit but too small for the men to follow. If only she could get past that man.

She was so focused on the alley that she didn't notice the man on the left coming up behind her. He caught her by the collar of her shirt, lifting her up in the air. The knife clattered as it dropped onto the cobblestone street below her. Jaylan squirmed and kicked desperately, but she was no match for the three men who were over twice her size. She managed to sink her fangs deep into the arm of the man holding her. He dropped her out of surprise. She collapsed to the ground, her injured leg unable to support her.

"You stupid brat!"

She felt a sense of satisfaction as she watched the blood drip down his arm onto the ground in front of her.

"What are you waiting for? Get her!" The three men rushed at her. That's when she saw her opening. Just barely managing to dodge their blows, she squeezed through the small alley between the two buildings.

Once she knew she was out of danger, she slid down the wall. "Dammit." Her leg stung horribly. She needed to start the healing process before it got infected. She procured a pitch-black blade seemingly out of thin air. Using gathered shadows from the alley, she created a dense black shadow. It slipped into the wound, cleaning and disinfecting. The next step was always the most painful. She grimaced as the shadow began to stitch the wound closed. A long pink line still remained, but she could let that heal naturally. None of the other injuries drew blood so she could leave them be for now.

Jaylan threw the hood of her cloak over her head to hide the horns. The tail she had been using to keep her balance was once again wrapped tightly around her torso. Finally, she slipped the mask up to mostly cover the mysterious markings that covered most of her body and crept up onto her cheek. They had been there as long as she could remember, and she had no idea where they came from. Markings and symbols that she did not recognize and runes from a language long forgotten.

She quickly made her way home through the back allies of Talama. Trying as best she could to keep quiet, she closed the door and walked over to the barrel that stored the water they had collected from the last rainfall. Dipping a small piece of cloth in it, she started dabbing at her bruises. A warm hand touched hers.

"Give it here Jaylan," Ithriel said in her hoarse but calming voice.

"Oh, sis. did I wake you?" Ithriel had always had poor health. They had been raised like sisters by her mother. Two years ago, when Jaylan was six, their mother passed away from the same illness Ithriel currently suffered from.

"No, I was already awake." Together they sat down on her Ithriel's cot. Ithriel took the cloth from her and started to wipe the dirt from her face. When Ithriel was finished Jaylan walked over to the cloak she had left on a hook by the front door. From an inside pocket that was sewed in to conceal small objects, she pulled out a glass bottle.

"Oh, you got it," Ithriel said before breaking into a coughing fit. Jaylan brought the bottle over and helped her drink it. The medicine it contained would dim the symptoms of the disease, but it would not cure her.

Elves, like Ithriel are usually immortal. They cannot die of old age, and the sap from the Tree of Life, located in the center of the Elven Kingdom, can cure almost any illness or injury. If a disease that needs medical attention to be cured is not treated with either conventional medical attention or the sap, they can die from it. The sap is so rare that you could never find it on the market. If you wanted any you would have to be extremely wealthy, or you could go to the Elven Kingdom yourself. It is located in the Aowi Peaks of the northern continent. From the port city of Talama, it is a week-long boat trip, and no one has ever made it into the Kingdom without an invite from a high ranking elven official. If you tried to travel there alone, you would probably die.

After Ithriel fell asleep, Jaylan threw on the cloak and mask and headed down to the port. Talama is the biggest port city in the entire southeastern continent. The city is always filled with life, and the trade and fishing industries both flourished. On the surface, Talama seems like a pretty cheerful place, but the brighter the light is the darker the shadows are. Everything in Talama is run by an organization called Aztah. They practice dark magic that was originally created by the Aztien people. Under the direct control of the king, the Aztah were feared by all. They have oppressed and killed people for generations, but no one knows their true objective.

When Jaylan reached the port, she passed by the boat she had been examining for months. In two hours, it would depart for the Northern Continent. It went to the port that was closest to the Elven Kingdom. From there, well, she would get in somehow. She slid into an alley to wait. A hand suddenly covered her mouth preventing her from making any noise. Her captor dragged her through the alleyways until they reached one that was completely deserted. Her captor dropped her and she stumbled back to find herself facing two men. They were both big and strong. If she was caught, she was done for. They parted to reveal a boy. He couldn't be much older than herself.

"Hello, Jaylan." His voice was soft but authoritative.

"How do you know my name?"

"I did my research on you. I'm here to propose a deal."He smiled slightly. His amber eyes were piercing, but she held his gaze steadily.

"I'm listening."

"Your adoptive sister Ithriel. I can cure her."

Her eyes widened as she processed what he had said. He could cure Ithriel.

He cocked his head slightly. "But only if you come work for us."

She thought about this for a moment. She would most likely never see Ithriel again.

"Deal." She would do anything for the only family she had.

Elaina looked around the small room the king had brought her too. It was dimly lit. Two guards stood on either side of the door. A table and two chairs sat in the middle of the room, otherwise it was completely bare. It had been eighteen years since she had been locked up by the king. It happened as soon as she developed magic. She had the unique ability of fortune-telling and clairvoyance. After he locked her up, he had used her as his personal prophet. Her clairvoyance was used to monitor his kingdom. Her white silk dress billowing around her she sat gracefully in a chair. The king sat across from her.

"So, what do you need from me this time?" she asked.

"There are rumors of a group of rebels in the city. I want you to check it out for me."

She sighed. Another paranoid visit about rebels. She closed her eyes. Immediately she was looking at an aerial view of the city. She was about to start searching when her vision went black. When it reappeared a second later, she was looking at two kids. The boy had amber eyes, marking him as a mage. He was an adorable child. What was truly stunning was the girl standing across from him. She had silver hair the color of moonlight that stood out against her tan skin. Her eyes had a core of silver surrounded by a demonic red with a black rim. With her mask pulled down Elaina could see a tattoo. It told the story of the five realms. The gentle elves, the magical mages, the adaptable humans, the powerful demons, and the mysterious gods. It was written in the ancient language from when the gods and demons were all that there was before they abandoned the mortal realm. She cut off the vision and opened her eyes. The king sat before her.

"So, what did you find?"

A sense of peace filled her. She would die today. "It has begun."

"What, what's begun?"

She sighed. "Your downfall. The child of demons and moonlight will come to bring balance. In thirteen years she will be 21. That is when your reign will come to an end."

The king jumped out of his chair."Men, kill her."

Right before the blade hit, she said, "Goodbye father. Tell Raymond I love him."