A Clash of Power (Prologue)

                                                           Prologue  Lakes

“Impudent boy!” Kay heard his master exclaim. Opening his eyes, Kay Fronter was met with the sight of a severely annoyed middle aged graying man standing over him, arms folded on his chest.

         “Awake, finally.” The master said, not a hint of relief in his voice. There even seemed to be some impatience showing in the tall graying man. A passing breeze blew a twig by the face of the man whom Kay had been apprenticed to for the last ten years, ever since he had graduated from the basic school of sorcerery at the average age of eight.

         The last few minutes were a little foggy in Kay's memory. But he knew that he was the one responsible for the throbbing in his head. There was the smell of smoke in the air, along with a patch of burnt ground in front of him, the scent and the sight caused the memories to come rushing back to him. Kay had been tasked by his master to summon a water nymph. Wanting to impress his master, possibly even receive a rare bit of praise, Kay had elected to summon a more powerful imp. The resulting explosion had sent him flying about  six feet away from the casting point.

         “And what gave you the impression that you could control that imp, apprentice?” The master asked in a voice that indicated he did not expect an answer. The man was insufferable most of the time. Kay was often being punished for some minor infraction in his masters’ rules. For an old man who spent most of his time complaining about Kay, he was inventive with his punishments. Kay was indebted to the man though, and viewed him with the utmost respect, even if he wanted to string him up by his ankles most of the time.

         “I'm sorry Master Haywood.” Kay apologized, he meant it too. Kay knew that he had a tendency to try and go beyond his limits to try and prove himself.

         Master Haywood reached down to the earth and picked up what appeared to be an ordinary ebony wooden cane but Kay knew just too well what that cane could do. When it was pointed directly at Kay, he cringed expecting the usual zap that followed some sort of failure. Instead he heard a loud crack, and when he turned his head he saw a small water nymph frolicking next the sparkling clear lake where they had been practicing.

         “A water nymph” his master began, “is one of the weakest types of summons, but that does not mean that it is useless.” Kay was too entranced by the water nymph, now poking at a annoyed mole, to listen to his master speak. Kay knew what his master would say anyway. Master Haywood would go on to repeat the textbook instructions on how to summon a creature of magic, about how magical energy was used to bait creature from the other world, and how the more energy used the more powerful creature was summoned.

         “Well?” Master Haywood asked. Kay panicked, he had not heard his master ask a question. Relying on luck Kay stammered out an answer.

         “Ummm Yes.” This time it was a shock that came from the magical cane. Kay shook his body to get rid of the highly unpleasant feeling of electricity from himself. He turned just in time to see Master Haywood sigh with resignation, he hated that even more than he hated being called apprentice and not because it insulted him.

         Master Haywood shook his head with disappointment then slashed the air with his magical cane, a tear appeared. With a casual motion of his hand the master opened the tear to create a gateway large enough for the pair comfortably walk through. The gateway was a mass of swirling colors, no images could be deciphered from it but. Entrance gateways could be summoned anywhere, but people could only exit wherever there was a gateway insignia etched on the ground. Wordlessly Haywood walked towards the gateway motioning for Kay to follow. Kay did what was instructed, not wanting to be stranded by this lake, it would not be the first time he was left behind by his master. Kay stepped in front of the swirling vortex of colors, he hated these things, they looked so menacing, like they would swallow him up and he would never be heard from again. Taking a deep breath Kay walked straight into the gateway. As the gateway closed behind the pair, the water nymph, still harassing the mole, disappeared in an instant.



                                                                     …



         King let out a scream as his head broke the water for the first time in many years. When he opened his eyes he felt a tinge of anger, everything was blurred, like trying to read through a tank of water. Then he remembered that he hadn't used his eyes in the last thousand years, they would adjust. He was strong enough without them anyway. King put his hands on the waters surface and pulled himself up so he was standing in the center of lake in the middle of a huge underground cavern.

         King immediately knew what his plans were, he was going to continue what he had started all those years ago, reshape the world to his will, what it should have been since the beginning. He was still weak, one did not sleep for a thousand years and not wake up unaffected. He needed information, waving his hand in the air his eyes and ears appeared. Thousands of ravens filled the cavern, with a flick of his wrist King sent them in all directions. King could see everything they saw, and hear everything they heard. Soon he would know everything there was to know about this new world, until then he would plan. He doubted that magic had left the world completely, and he was not strong enough yet to challenge the sorcerers of today. That would soon change everything would be changing soon.

         The sound of a step on stone caused King to turn his head around to one of the entrances to the cavern. He had not seen or heard anyone enter the cave from any of his many eyes or ears.

         “It is you.” King looked up as he heard someone gasp. He immediately reached out toward the intruder and bound him in an invisible chain. The man, as he could now tell it was, went rigid, arms at his sides and could only breath shallowly.

         “And who are you?” It were the first words king has spoken since waking up and they were filled with killing intent. If this man answers wrong, thought King, he might just the first sacrifice to pave the way to a new world.

         “My name” stammered the intruder “is Colden Thayer I have guarding your resting place by command of my masters.”

         When King heard this he lessened the constriction of the invisible chains but did not release it completely.

         “The descendants of those who served me long ago?” King stated.

         “We are not as powerful as we once were, but there are still us devoted to your cause my liege.” Colden choked through the chains.

         King smiled inwardly, if the Order of Ravens still existed then he would not have to start from nothing this time. Colden seemed skilled enough, enough at least to be able to enter undetected by his ravens, yes things would work out nicely this time. Plans began to form in Kings head he would take the world for darkness this time, and erase anyone who attempted to get in his way.