DAR FOREST

Chirp....Chirp...A small golden bird flashed deep in the night and went westward.

The night was usually silent around the forest of Dar. The land was already waiting for the spring to come but the weather was not in any one's control. The darkness seemed more than happy to remain silent but the forest was a lot livelier today.

A woman as beautiful as a fairy was standing beneath a huge birch tree. A bundle was bound upon her shoulder which seemed to be squirming. A chubby face poked out from the bundle. It was a very adorable girl who seemed to have just woken up from her sleep. She didn't even seemed to be six months old but instead of crying like normal kids, she was carefully watching her surrounding like a scared doe.

The woman who was facing westward turned around and smiled at her little daughter. The little girl seemed surprised to see her mother smiling and burst in a little giggle. She was a child after all and very happy to see her ever serious mother smiling.

"I wish you will always laugh like this, but your path will be more dangerous if I failed. Remember your mother will always love you."

The women solemnly declared to the little girl. Though she said it with a smile and the little girl was laughing, if someone present saw the woman they will be surprised as the white robes of the women was drenched with blood in the back while front was pristine. The woman once again saw her daughter and kissed her forehead while her hand released a white mist. The little girl simply fell asleep again when the white mist touched her forehead.

The snow on the forest floor crunched and a boot appeared. A man wrapped in shadows and mist came and stood before the woman and the sleeping girl. His face was in shadows but the woman bowed very quickly and spoke in a firm manner.

"I have come to surrender."

The man simply stood in shadows and didn't said a word.

After a few moments he spoke in a voice like bell without any joy or sorrow, he spoke - "Though i don't understand what happened but I am ordered to remind you that it has been proclaimed that you are no longer guilty. I have been ..."

The woman's face contorted in pain after hearing herself not guilty, it was as the world around her has collapsed. She started panicking as if she wanted to be proclaimed guilty. The man saw it and spoke quickly but now the voice was full of compassion.

"Don't be in a hurry, please let me finish. I was told to remind you that unlike others you will be given a chance to return."

The woman's facial expression changed faster than heartbeat and a smile bloomed on her panicked face. But then she thought of something and her smile froze.

'Come.'

"My children..."

Before the woman could finish speaking the man put a mist wrapped hand on the woman and the woman vanished. A bundle wrapped in white clothes was left behind in jungle with a sleeping baby.

The man saw the bundle and proceeded towards it. He saw the sleeping child and unconsciously smiled. He took his hand forward to touch the child but suddenly retracted it a few meters away from the child as if it burned, but instead of pain his face was full of wonder.

"How exciting! It looks like I can't influence your destiny but I will protect you till the person interested in you came, or else I....."

The man shuddered as if he was afraid, then he touched the floor around the sleeping babygirl in a circle with his hand and vanished.

As soon as the man vanished, an ancient python more than hundred meters long and five meters wide suddenly came out from the circle formed by the man and started circling the girl. But surprisingly he was not even thinking about the girl as he didn't even saw towards the girl once. It was as if he was ordered to guard the girl and he was making sure that he didn't failed at it.

And between the monstrous python and beneath the mysterious forest, the little smiling girl slept.

ARASTZAK KINGDOM: ROYAL PALACE

Two shadows were lingering around a hidden door in the royal palace as if they were apart of shadows.

"It has been confirmed."

One of the shadows seemed to be more vigorous while the other shadow was calmer.

"Good. Return and await further instructions."

The other shadow still lingered as if wanting to say something..

"What happened? Why aren't you returning?"

"Apart from a half dead guy, every one on this job died. Their guild is demanding more compensation."

"These money minded fools,what do they think of me, who am i....." suddenly the shadow stopped its tirade and sighed... "... .. very well ,they will be paid...Wait, kill that half dead guy too. Better to remove all traces."

"As you command."

Without talking any further, both the shadows merged in the darkness and went as they have never met.

KHARASVARK CITY : CAPITAL OF EASTERN PROVINCE OF ARASTZAK KINGDOM

In a small cottage outside the city a frail hand of a six year old boy came out from beneath the corpse of a heavy man.He seemed to be covered in blood but not seriously injured. The boy finally got up after pushing the corpse aside and turned to see the scene around him. If anyone saw this scene, they will be shocked because more than a hundred men were lying around dead but the boy didn't even blinked as it was nothing new to him. He simply saw the scene and left, but no one was left alive to see that the boy's eyes were burning in rage as if he wants to burn the whole world.

Some Distance Away...inside the city, a man was meditating in a simple room with his eyes closed. A single white crystal was placed in front of him. If anyone saw this man then they will be surprised because the room was empty except for the man and the crystal, there was nothing else in the spacious room.

The man sitting there was the son of current lord commander of Kharasvark, the fierce warlord of east, Ahaan Drawzhi.

He was sitting in a calm manner in a simple room as if he was waiting for something. Suddenly the crystal started glowing with a red light. The man slowly opened his eyes.

He watched the glowing crystal till the light dimmed and the crystal shattered in dust as if it was no longer present in the room. The warlord prince got up from his meditation and went towards the door.

"So it begins....."

His voice was heavy and there was a sigh present in his voice but he can't hide the wild excitement surging in his eyes.