The Legacy Forgotten: Prologue/Chapter 1

The Legacy Forgotten

[Prolouge]
Malta Dreadan wasn't normal...or, at least, she wasn't like the other girls at Cremia Academy. She was loud, and cocky, and talked too much. She got in trouble with her teachers, and was often in fights with other kids. Her older siblings didn't know what to do with her.

"She's free-spirited!", was Jothan's verdict.

"She needs discipline.", was Lutalie's opinion.

Whatever the case, Malta's unruly nature didn't keep her from making friends. With freckles that shone in the summer sun, and crooked teeth that formed a bedazzled smile, she was really impossible to stay mad at. Except when it came to Sikke.

Sikke was the start of it all. Malta's arch-rival since childhood, the two never resisted a chance to jab at each other. That's precisely what caused the events of that fateful day. The day that would always be remembered by the Dreadan family, and Sikke himself.

[Chapter First]
Malta sighed as she stared across the clearing. As beautiful as the schoolgrounds were, she itched to see what laid beyond that little stretch of land, in the forest. In all of her 12 years, she had never ventured into the Arcande Forest. She wasn't allowed. It was said that evil creatures lived within the darkness of the forest. Creatures that surpassed all level of comprehension.

Cremia Academy was located in the middle of a clearing cut out of the edge of the forest, near the road that lead to Kulda, the nearby town. The school, built by Malta's great-uncle, had been her home for as long as she could remember...but she was tired of it. She longed for something....different...

"Malta!", yelled her twin brother, Troian, from below. "There you are! I was looking for you."

Scrambling up the tree, Troian grinned at her, "What're you doing, freckles?"

True, she was the only one of the Dreadan kids to inherit her mother's freckles, but he didn't have to tease her about it! Malta frowned at him, but only half-serious.

To answer his question, she simply said, "Thinking."

Troian laughed, a deep rich laugh for his age, "So that's what that grinding noise was!" He ducked his head quickly to avoid her fist.

Turning towards her, he smiled, "What're you thinking about?"

"Just...a lot of stuff. The school, our family, these...", she indicated the two items in her lap. The first was a sword, made by the most gifted weaponsmith of the Elven race, her great-uncle Saldarin. A lime green stone was set in the pommel, setting it off beautifully. The other item was a golden yew-wood bow, with arrows fletched with the feathers of Orum, the golden griffon.

Troian nodded, understanding. As her twin, he knew her better than anyone else. He tilted his head, "You're not really thinking about those. You're thinking about the Stones, as well, aren't you?

Blinking, she nodded as she put a hand to her necklace. Crafted from the purest silver in the Tulmet mountains, it was a twisting chain that faded into the image of two hawks holding a shining green stone between them. Not a true gem, it looked like a green sphere of marble. The Earth Stone, another heirloom from her grandmother, as were the sword and longbow.

She glanced at Troian's hand at the ring he wore. Wrought from shining white gold, it had a stone the color of the mid-day sun-as vibrant yellow as you could wish. The Light Stone, passed down from their great-grandfather.

Troian frowned, "Talking about the Stones always makes you seem gloomy. Let's go do something fun.", he grinned. She loved his grin. It lighted up his golden eyes like stars, shelted beneath his thick white mane of hair.

Before she could reply to his statement, they heard it. The voice of a boy was heard from just below them. "Malta! Are you up there?", Sikke's voice was lilting-no, taunting. Sikke was so caught up in the pranks of childhood, he had little time for anything but torturing his enemies, or, enemy.

Malta leaned over, "What do you want, Sikke?"

"I bet you can't beat my team at kick-the-ball!", he taunted.

Malta never passed up a challenge. She was determined to wipe that smirk from the older boy's roguish face, if it was the last thing she did.

Attacking the game with a vengeance, Malta seemed to forget that it was a mere game. Sikke did the same, kicking the ball as hard as he could. Both teams watched their captain's in slight horror. Finally, malta kicked the ball so fiercely that it hit Sikke in the head. He charged at her and the fell to the ground in a volley of fists and feet and dust.

"Malta! Sikke!", Jothan was mad, as always. He grabbed Sikke by the arms, jerking him back roughly as Troian went after Malta.

The disgruntled girl ran a hand gingerly over a gash above her eye as she glared at Sikke. He glared back through a rapidly swelling eye.

"Listen you two, I've had about enough of this! You need to stop acting like toddlers, and learn to get along...otherwise, I'm make sure you guys are stuck scrubbing down the stables everyday for the rest of your lives!", Jothan's voice was deadly serious.

Troian carefully lead Malta back to her room to cool off. Lutalie wasn't very thrilled about the event either. "That's it Malta, you're not to leave your room for the rest of the day, and no dinner."

Malta glared, "Lutalie, you're not mother, so stop acting like it!"

She waited for a while, until Lutalie finally left, then she quickly scrambled down the tree outside her window.

"What're you doing?", Sikke's voice came from directly behind her.

Spinning quickly, Malta glared, "None of your business, Sikke."

Suddenly, a scream rent the air. A scream so bone-chilling, it'd freeze the blood in your veins. Both youths spun to see Malta's younger sister, Terana, standing barely 3 feet from a creature whose countenance was beyond Malta's comprehension. With mottled skin the color of seaweed and eyes as red as blood, it was a hideous sight to behold. The creature was a Fari, the closest cousin to the hob-goblin. Bowed legs propelled the creature forward, straight at the seven-year-old girl.

"Skinatta! Stop!!", screeched Malta in Faruse. As the creature turned to her, she thought how glad she was that she'd taken such an interest in her language classes.

Sikke grabbed her hand, "Malta, I'll dodge to the right, you go the left. We have to distract it from the younger children." He waited for Malta's nod, then darted away.

Dodging one way, then another, Malta and Sikke kept the creature's attention. Relief filled them as Jothan spotted them and ran for the weaponry instuctors, Sir Raldin and Mistress Catlana.

Sikke and Malta fell in a breathless heap as the Fari dissapeared into the forest, pursued for a moment by the too armed teachers. Malta glanced at Sikke, "Can you believe that?"

"No...not really. I've never seen a Fari in real life before.", Sikke smiled at the her for the first time ever, "You run pretty fast...must be cause you were so scared." His smile was replaced with a scowl, "You really are a coward, you know that?"

Malta's eyes widened at his sudden changed in attitude, "Well, you're a jerk, Sikke Brigdchild!" Her feet flew as she fled to her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The daylight faded away as Malta laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep for all the thoughts swirling in her head. The Fari attack...her fight with Sikke....those last cruel words. Her hand went to her necklace as she tossed and turned long into the night.

Finally, Malta slide from her bed quietly and retrieved her sword and bow. With a glance back at her sisters, she slipped out of the room, hugging a cloak around her.

Out in the courtyard, she stopped to think over her choice one last time. Glancing back and forth from the forest, to the school building, she jumped visibly as she heard Troian's voice from behind her, "Malta, what are you doing?"

Malta stared long and hard at her twin, "I...I...", she caught sight of Sikke standing behind him. With that she quickly said, "Good-bye, Troian.", and dissapeared into the forest, her long black hair merging with the leafy foliage.

Shock filled both boys as the realization hit them. Malta had run away. The forest was dangerous, she was gone...and that was the start of it all.