A Single Act of Defiance-Chapter 1

                                       Prologue

         Far into the future the world is much different. Things aren't quite what everyone imagined, but technology has made many advances. In the early twenty third century, the government perfected interplanetary travel and they discovered the universe to be bigger than they first thought. A few hundred new planets were found and many came complete with people. Now it was long before proven that there was life outside Earth and the discovery of a few new races wasn't anything big. Earth accepted the new people and they accepted the Earth. But the one thing the Earth and its people refused to accept was the one thing they needed the most. When there is something you have and it's all you know, you think that's all there is. Well, they refused to believe the Earth wasn't the center of the universe. Even the Earthlings who left home and moved to Elanon didn't believe they had come to the most powerful planet in the universe. They looked at the simplicity and the assumed naiveté of the people of this world and placed them in the past. Even seeing their magic and discovering the amazing people who lived here, Earthlings still wouldn't believe. The people of Elanon had no cars, no electricity, no running water, none of the things Earth people used daily and took for granted. Yet Elanon wasn't of the past, but of the future. Most of the diverse races on Elanon had some kind of natural magic; a power that came from the planet itself, a power no one had ever seen before because it could be found no where else. And yet, this power was dwindling and the center of the universe was in trouble of disappearing forever. The wielders of the most concentrated power of Elanon were dying, and the planet with them.
         Then out of the darkness came a new power and new life. Would it be enough to save the entire universe?




  Corapera Rhiannon Dianellos. She had practiced writing her name many times as a child. And with a name like that, Cora had always known she was different. But she didn't know how. Her parents and everyone in her family were normal, her friends were normal, except for her best friend Kodo, who learned to control fire at an early age; and no one had ever looked at her or treated her differently, but she always had a feeling. A feeling that told her she was special.
         Even at age 21 Cora still got that same feeling and it's what kept her going strong. She knew that some day she would figure out what it was that made her different; she just didn't think that when she finally figured it out, it would change her life so drastically.

                                            Chapter 1

         Cora tied her horse's reins to the fence post and knocked on the door of the small house. The door opened and Cora grinned upon seeing her best friend Kodo. He didn’t immediately return the smile, he was irritated at her for being late.
"Morning.” she said. “Ready to go?"
"Waiting on you. Where were you?" he demanded.
"Zan brought his new girlfriend to meet my parents." she explained.
"Your brother falls in love with a new girl every week doesn't he?"
"More like every day. Let's go already; we were supposed to be there by now."
         Cora rode her horse Artemis over to the barn where they met up with Kodo and his horse Apollo. They turned towards the forest and took off. Cora urged her horse into a gallop, leaving Kodo on the other side of the clearing in back of his house. She slowed down to a trot and turned around.
"Hurry up Kodo," she called. “We have to get to Arina's party before it's over."
"Oh, go jump in the lake. We'll get there in time."
         Kodo smiled at her impatience, she was not a force to reckon with when she was in a hurry. He stared after her as she walked her horse slowly into the forest.
The sunlight shown brightly on her dark brown hair and it made her blue eyes the color of the Depterran Sea. She stood up in the saddle, showing more impatience and he surveyed her from head to toe. She was quite a beautiful young woman; although anyone who ever told her that got nothing but a disbelieving stare. She was an obvious mixture of both her parents, having gotten her mother's hair and her father's naturally dark skin. She also got Paige's determination and Taree's fiery attitude, which was an interesting combination.
         Cora waited until Kodo caught up with her then they took off running through the forest. It only took them a few minutes to get to Arina's house on the other side of town, but Cora still felt as though she was late. She wanted to be the first at the party to show her support for her friend. She and Arina Sepriani had been friends for only a few years, but Cora considered her family. And when she told Cora she was getting married, Cora jumped at the chance to take part in something other than her mother’s daily sessions of weapons and combat training.
         Cora and Kodo went into the house and spotted Arina and her betrothed Zachary kissing in the corner of the room. Cora nodded hello to some of the other guests and went over to her friend.
"Pardon the interruption."
         Arina turned around and grinned when she saw Cora.
"Finally. I thought you weren't coming."
"I would never miss your engagement party. And Kodo is around here somewhere."
Cora turned to Zachary. "Hey, Zachary. Good to see you again."
"And you as well." he smiled. "Did your brother make it?"
"No. He brought his new girlfriend over to have breakfast with my parents."
"Zanatos has another new girlfriend? But he just broke it off with Diana last week."
"I know. He's in love with Sara this week. Well, I will leave you two to your lip locking and I'll help myself to a drink."
         Cora went over to the table and poured herself a glass of ale. She found Kodo chatting with a pretty young blonde he just met, so she went and chatted with some of the people she casually knew through Arina. The house was packed and many little kids were running around, so the next time Cora got to talk to Arina was after everyone had gone home and they were cleaning up the house. Cora and Kodo were picking up trash while Arina swept the floor and Zachary took his baby son up to bed.
"So Arina, how does it feel to be someone's mother?" Cora asked.
"Well," she started, "I wasn't really sure how things would work out since he's not really my son, but he likes me and things are good now."
"That's great. Are you nervous about the wedding?"
"Totally. I'm even more nervous that I was with my first engagement."
"Speaking of which, have you heard from Jacob?"
"No. And it's good because Zachary wouldn't put up with him. But let's not talk about me; do you have anybody special these days?" Arina asked.
"Nobody but Kodo." Cora joked. "And he doesn't really count."
         Kodo threw a dish towel at her. "Hey! So much for you being my best friend Cora."
"Kidding.” She said with a grin in his direction. “Anyway, we need to get home. My parents are going to start to worry."
"Tell Zachary we said goodbye." Kodo called back on his way out.
         Cora hugged Arina but suddenly had a strange feeling in the back of her mind and pulled away. Arina noticed the wrinkle of her friend‘s brow. "What?"
"Nothing.” Cora shook the confusion away quickly. “Um, I'll see you later."
         Cora and Kodo got on their horses and rode in silence all the way to Kodo's house. Cora's head was spinning with thoughts and she barely heard Kodo say goodnight. She slowed her horse to a walk on the road to her house to get her mind clear. Her thoughts were still in a jumble after that strange feeling she had. When she hugged Arina, a weird sensation came over her and it was as if she could read Arina's mind. She saw her friend’s thoughts like words on a page in her head. That was when she realized something.
“Arina is pregnant. And she’s the only one who knows.” Cora put Artemis in the barn and went into the house where her parents Taree and Paige were sitting in the kitchen.
"Hi Cora, how was the party?" her mother asked.
"Fine, but something really strange happened."
Taree tried to judge her daughter‘s expression. "Do you want to talk about it?"
         Cora sat down at the kitchen table.
"You can't tell this to anyone but, Arina is pregnant."
"Really? Well, that's great!" her mother exclaimed, and then she was confused. "But why can't we tell anyone?"
"Because she didn't tell me. I just know."
         Taree looked at her husband, both thinking the same thing.
"I gave her a hug and when I touched her, I got this feeling and then I knew. But no one else knows. And all of a sudden my head is filled with all these things I don't understand."
         She paused and sighed.
"What kind of things?" her mother wanted to know.
"I keep seeing flashes. Images of war and death. Destruction and pestilence, and then I see myself and I'm the only one who can stop it all."
         Cora propped her elbows on the table and hid her face in her hands.
"Why am I seeing these things? What is happening to me?"
         Taree got up and tried to comfort her daughter.
"I don't know sweetie, but you'll probably feel better in the morning. Go to bed."
"You're right. Goodnight."
         Cora pushed her chair back and went up to her room. Taree sat back down at the table, a worried look coming over her face.
"Is what I think that is happening, really happening?" Paige asked his wife, anger seeping in at the edges of his voice.
         Taree nodded. "She's developing powers, and from what she described, they're really strong and coming on really fast."
"Damn it Taree!" he was upset but had to try to keep his voice down. "I thought you said this wouldn't happen."
"I didn't think it would. I thought maybe because you didn't have powers, the kids would take after you. But I guess my magic was stronger." Taree sighed.
"What do we do now?"
"We could let it go and hope it passes, but it probably won't. The magic will get stronger and stronger and if she doesn't learn to harness it soon, it will kill her."
"Like I said, what do we do now?" Paige was getting impatient.
"Nothing. We wait, for now. If she experiences any more of these spells, then we'll get her some professional help."
"Fine. I'm going to bed."
         Paige kissed Taree's forehead and went upstairs. Taree sighed, Paige was upset and she knew it. But she couldn't blame him. She had prayed that her children wouldn't have the magic she had been born with. But it seemed that praying wasn't enough. Taree blew out all the candles and went to bed.