Prophecy Revealed--Chapter 1

         It is my belief that every person’s life is interconnected through a series of events.  Those events can never be measured by how small and insignificant they are nor by how large and catastrophic they may be.  Circumstances brought me to this point of no return, but they are convoluted and cannot be explained easily.
         The trials of the past six months begin without warning, triggering a chain of events that bring about the revealing of an age-old prophecy that none alive can decipher.  Darkness is coming.  I can smell it in the air, feel it as it creeps beneath my skin.  Death blows in on the wind, carrying with it the stench of blood and the ashes of chaos and destruction.  The time of the Prophecy has arrived.

Six months earlier……

         Deep, impenetrable night had fallen as I made my way slowly across the student parking lot toward my Dodge Colt station wagon, a birthday present from my parents three months ago.  The car wasn’t the prettiest with its peeling silver paint and rust patches strategically placed, nor was it the most reliable, but it is still a vehicle nonetheless.  I can’t begrudge my parents the gift; I’d been asking for a car since I’d turned sixteen the year prior and received my license.  The standard transmission had taken quite a while to get used to, but my dad had been very proactive in teaching me how to master it.  He’d take me to the steepest hill in the neighborhood, have me stop, and then accelerate forward again.  In the beginning, I’d roll halfway back down the hill before I’d manage to get myself and the car going forward, but with patience and a little bit of determination, I’d make it up.
         I pulled the keys out of my pocket as I approached Gemma—such a classy name I’d picked out for my car.  The parking lot lights cast a dim glow over the spot where she sat, alone and cold in the empty lot.  The overhead glows were sporadically located due to blown out bulbs, and consequently, most of the parking lot was pitch black.
         I suddenly froze in the act of inserting the key into the lock of my driver’s side door when a whisper of a noise disturbed the stillness behind me.  Completely forgetting about the keys in the door, I cocked my head slightly to listen again.  My heart leapt painfully as the distinct scuffle of approaching feet slithered closer.  A shiver raced up my spine and tingled along my scalp. 
         With my heart pounding frantically, I raised my head a fraction.  Fear immobilized me, holding me hostage against facing what was possibly behind me.  Yet, that didn’t stop my thoughts from racing with potential causes.  Being alone, in an empty parking lot, after dark was a nerve wracking combination all on its own; adding the possibility of an attacker only heightened my unease.
         “Well, well, well, what have we here?” hissed a voice like that of a snake.
         The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I cautiously turned my head to the side to see who, or what, it was.  Catching a glimpse of the creature out of the corner of my eye, a new frisson of fear sizzled through me.
         My body slowly turned on its own accord and without realizing it, I discovered myself leaning back against Gemma with my hands braced behind me.  My heart continued its frantic beat as another rush of fear coursed through me.
         “W-w-what?” I stammered through my fear.  As a nasty smile split across the face of the creature, I swallowed hard in panic.
         Now, to call him—it—whatever it was, a creature is a gross understatement.  The thing that stood before me was something that even my darkest dreams couldn’t think up.  This being, much taller than I, stood well above me.  Large red eyes glittering with malicious intent dominated its face, and instead of nose, a long gash slashed across from cheek to cheek.  The grotesque smile he—it—was giving me revealed razor sharp teeth.  His skin was as black as the night surrounding us, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he stood before me beneath a streetlamp, he would have been camouflaged in the darkness.
         “I’ve been searching for you, Lady Warrior.” The creature whispered.
         I stared at him in wide-eyed horror and confusion—he wasn’t making any sense.
         “W-what are you?” I managed out, and his smile became a full-fledged grin.  He took a step toward me, and I shrank back in terror as far as I could go against Gemma, feeling the press of the door handle in my lower back.
         “Afraid?”
         Unable to find my voice to respond to his sarcastic remark, I simply twitched my head noncommittally. He made a noise that sounded like a wheeze, and after a moment, I realized that he was laughing at me.
         “I could easily kill you where you stand, Lady Warrior, before you even had a chance to blink.” He rasped, slithering another inch closer.  With the car pressed firmly against my back, I had nowhere to run.
         In a flash, he closed the short distance between us and, glaring down into my face with his frightening, red eyes, chuckled hoarsely.
         Unconsciously, my nose wrinkled at the foul stench of his breath, and my stomach heaved in revulsion.  He reached a claw-like hand toward me and gently scraped his long, yellow nails down my cheek.  I turned my face to the side in a desperate attempt to get away from his hand, and the sound of another soft rasp reached my ears.
         Please, please go away, I silently prayed.
         “You have such flawless skin.  I’ve never tasted the pleasure of a human woman.” He hissed. “I wonder if you would taste as good as you look.”
         I let out a soft moan of distress and hot tears of intense panic leaked out between my tightly closed eyes.  Inhaling shakily, terror consumed me and I trembled convulsively.  My brain had seemed to shut down from all thought but the desperate desire to flee.
         “Open your eyes and look at me, Lady Warrior.” The creature instructed, and against my will, I slowly obeyed his order.
         “Such a pretty little thing.” He taunted, his glowing eyes burning into mine with cruel delight.
         Before he could utter another word or touch me again, a blade of the brightest blue I’d ever seen materialized through his chest mere inches from my face.
         The creature’s scream rent the air in an ear-piercing octave, and I instinctively covered my ears.  I kept my eyes glued on the dying creature and the blue sword protruding from its upper body, too terrified to look away.  My chest heaved with silent sobs and overexerted lungs that were trying to compensate for my erratic heart rate.
         Slowly, the creature slid forward off the end of the sword, and as his body crumbled, a cloaked and hooded figure was revealed behind him.  My eyes quickly travelled over the warrior and came to rest on the blue sword hanging by his side.
         “You should learn to never turn your back.” He growled to the fallen creature, and a tremor raced up my spine at the sound of his voice. 
         “Ah, Caleb.” It breathed. “Such a befitting death for me, don’t you think?”
         “Your days have been numbered since you passed through the portal, creature.” The man responded, his voice dangerously low.
         It gave a wheezy laugh and closed its eyes. “There’s a war coming, young warrior; one that you are not prepared for.”
         The young man’s head raised a fraction in response, as if this revelation was unknown to him until now.
         “What?” He demanded kneeling down beside it. “How many are coming?”
         His only response was a final gasping laugh.  Before he could do anything, the creature vanished into a smoky mist.  Standing quickly and taking a step away from the vapor as if it were poisonous, he covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve and turned his head slightly to the right.
         The moment it was gone, quiet settled over the parking lot.  An overwhelming feeling of security filled me, and I gazed at the young man in confusion.
         I find being safe an odd feeling to have considering the events of the past twenty minutes; yet, standing before this cloaked man, I can’t help but feel as if every day during my young life had been a disaster waiting to happen; as if my life had been on the verge of constantly being extinguished, and only his presence now brought that fact to light.
         The streetlamps lit his bowed head and settled on the sword hanging from his hand.  The intensity of the blade slowly began to fade until the light went completely out, becoming an iridescent blue, the only indication of the light that had once illuminated it.
         The young man before me slowly raised his head, and the lights briefly reflected off his eyes, giving him a momentary possessed appearance.
         “You should not be out this late.” He said quietly, displeasure evident in his remark.
         “I’m sorry?” I mumbled in confusion.
         The shock and terror were beginning to fade and in their place, confusion welled quickly.  I had so many questions about what that thing was, what just happened, and who he was, but the unfamiliarity of the situation kept my mouth sealed.  Instead, his curt words riled me and the chaotic fear that was simmering beneath the surface.
         “You need to go home, Anna.  Now.”
         “How do you know my name?” I gasped, a mix of astonishment and fear sweeping through me.
         With a shaky hand, I hastily pushed my glasses back up my nose to settle in their proper place.  The attack and then the confusing conversation afterwards had distracted me from the fact that they were sliding down my nose.
         The cloaked warrior slowly raised his arms and pushed the hood back from his face.  My heart fluttered at what was revealed. 
         He was one of the most attractive guys I’d ever seen.  Piercing green eyes stared back at me from a face framed by unruly black hair.  The hair fell nearly to his shoulders and across his forehead, instantly reminding me of one of those guys in that boy band my best friend was always gawking over.  He couldn’t have been much older than me, perhaps a year or two, and yet the hard lines around his mouth belied his age.
         “Who-who are you?” I whispered in very unwelcome awe.
         I wasn’t usually tongue-tied around boys my age.  They didn’t seem to be attracted to me, and because of their utter lack of interest, I’d built a protective shield around my heart to keep myself from getting hurt.  The teen years were passing, and I had yet to be asked out on a date—or even experience my first kiss.
         “That’s not important.  What’s important is that you need to go home.” He replied.  The adrenaline from earlier was finally gone, and now all I felt was tired.  Extremely tired.
         I turned toward Gemma and hesitated, but when I turned back, he was gone.
         Frantically searching the darkness for him, alarm and curiosity filled me.
         Where did he go, I wondered.
         With a final sweep of the deserted parking lot, I sighed heavily, and turned back to my car.  It’d been nearly thirty minutes since I’d originally stuck the keys in the lock of the door, and I finally managed to get the door unlocked and open.
         I glanced quickly over my shoulder into the darkness of the night, afraid of something else sneaking up on me.  When nothing slithered out of the darkness, I slid into my seat and slammed the door shut.
         After a second of consideration, I pushed the lock down into place, locking myself in the car.  Or perhaps, it was to keep whatever it was, out.

         After a dazed and exhausted drive home, I pulled into the drive-way of my blue, two-story, split-level house.  The light was on in the kitchen letting me know that my parents were still up waiting for me.
         I climbed wearily from the car, shut the door behind me, and headed for the front door.  By habit, I slid my glasses back up my nose.
         Before I could turn the knob of the door, it was pulled opened to reveal my dad with a very unpleased expression.
         “You’re home very late, Anna.” He said sternly.
         I shook my head and stepped past him. “I know, I’m sorry.  Orchestra rehearsal ran a bit later tonight.”
         He shut the door behind me and walked toward the stairs that led up into the kitchen.
         I quickly hung my jacket up on the coat rack and followed him.  Mom sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee, which wasn’t something out of the ordinary; however, the well-dressed man sitting across the table from her was definitely a bit of a different occurrence.
He stood as I walked into the kitchen and swept his eyes from the top of my head to the tips of my sneakers, assessing me.  I glanced at him and then looked at my mom.
         “Is everything all right?” I asked.
         Dad sat down next to his wife and looked up at me.
         “Why don’t you get something to eat and we’ll talk afterwards.” He responded calmly.
         “Your dinner is in the oven, sweetheart.  Please be sure to turn it off after you remove your plate.” My mom advised.
         With one last quick glance at the unfamiliar man, I headed to the oven and removed my plate—meatloaf, green beans, and a roll.
I turned the oven off and after grabbing a fork, moved to the table and sat down.
         I’d taken several bites of my dinner before I realized that no one was speaking and all eyes were glued to me.  The strange man’s sharp blue eyes observed me with what seemed to be curiosity and pride, but I’m sure the latter was just my imagination.
         I slowly set my fork down and stared back at him curiously.  A smile twitched at the corners of his wide, expressive mouth and an eyebrow shot up.
         “Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked, glancing around the table at the three adults, expecting someone to begin talking.
         My parents wouldn’t meet my eye but the visitor continued to gaze at me seriously.
         Finally, after what seemed like an hour of silence, dad spoke,
         “For seventeen years we’ve been caring for you at the request of the Order.” He began.
         “The Order?  What Order?” I interrupted, immediately confused. “Are you saying you’re not my parents?”
         “No, honey, we’re still your parents.” mom hastily interjected. “We may not have given birth to you, but we have still raised you, cared for you, and loved you.”
         I looked over at her at a loss for words. “What?”
         Dad glanced at the unfamiliar man, silently pleading with him to help out.  The man cleared his throat before lacing his fingers together and setting them on the table.
         “To begin explaining to you the events of the past seventeen years, I must first go back nearly a millennium.” His explained, his deep voice reverberating around the kitchen. “In a time when legends and magic ruled mankind, there was written an ancient prophecy.  For a thousand years, the Order has been the guardians and protectors of the only documented record of a predestined war.  Very few know of the prophecy as it is only revealed to the highest ranking members by means of a precaution to avoid chaos.” He paused and took a sip of water.
         After replacing his glass on the table, he continued,
         “Throughout the centuries, we have watched and prepared for the first sign of the coming war.  Then, a little over seventeen years ago, dark magic caused a rift to appear in our world.  We don’t know where the dark magic came from or who wielded it; however, we believe that it was used by a former member named McNare who defected from the Order roughly two years before the rift appeared.
         “Now, the rift is a portal that links this world with a darker one—Belasin.  Belasin is home to some of the most evil and deadly creatures ever imagined.  Their magic can rival the best of our magicians, and they fight just as well as our best trained warriors.  They are commanded by a powerful dark magician; the same one who summoned the magic to open the doorway.  Over the past seventeen years, very few have ventured through the gateway, and the ones who have, have not survived long.” He stopped speaking and I met his eyes.
         The image of the creature that had attacked me tonight surfaced in my thoughts and a shiver raced up my spine, spreading goose bumps across my arms.
         He took another drink. “The prophecy speaks of darkness and light being born on the same evening.  At the exact moment the split occurred,” he continued, “a child was born—a girl child.”
         I stared at him with alarm, understanding beginning to dawn at the implications of his story.
         “Shortly after the portal opened, and it was determined that the prophecy was indeed coming to pass, the child was handed into the care of two Order members to raise as their own.  For all intents and purposes, she was to be hidden from McNare and the Belasini.  The only way to protect her and the future she would bring was to keep her concealed until her seventeenth birthday.  At that time, her magic would begin to emerge and the Belasini wouldn’t stand a chance against her and the power she was destined to possess.” He stopped speaking and stared at me.
         Not possible! I drew in a deep, steadying breath and attempted to calm my galloping heart.
         “So…you’re saying that I’m this child?” I asked with a hint of skepticism, my brain in frantic denial.
         He nodded once, and I chuckled nervously at the absurdity of his tale.  Looking over at my parents to gauge their reactions to his story, my laughter and smile vanished all together.
         I pushed my glasses back up my nose in distraction. “It’s not that I didn’t like your story, but believing it is something different.  It’s too absurd to be real!”
         The stranger glanced at my father, who nodded quickly, and then looked back at me.
         All of a sudden, a flame burst in the palm of his hand.
         I shrieked and leapt up from the table, knocking my chair over which hit the hardwood floor with a resounding whack!
         “H—how did you do that?” I squeaked.  A smile tugged at the corners of the man’s mouth at my reaction.
         “It’s called magic, Anna.  The same that flows through your veins.” He replied simply.
         “That’s impossible.” I breathed, but the flame in his hand was most definitely real.  I reached a tentative hand out to touch it, but he grabbed my wrist with his free hand just before I could.
         “It’s a real fire, and it will burn you if you touch it.” He said.  I snapped my hand back and rested it against my pounding heart.
         “Holy moly!” I gasped.
         I carefully picked up my chair with shaky hands, set it before the table again, and slowly sat back down, keeping my wide eyes on the stranger and his burning hand.  He closed his fist around the flame and it disappeared just as quickly as it’d appeared.
         “I can do that?” Much to my dismay, curiosity was getting the best of me.
         “With practice, yes.” He answered.  I looked over at my parents and noticed that they were watching our exchange calmly, as if they weren’t surprised with the guest’s revelations.
         Things like this only happen in the movies and in books, I silently denied, feeling overwhelmed and confused with tonight’s events.
         I suddenly needed some time to myself to process everything that had happened so far.  Filled with an overwhelming desire to run, I pushed myself up from the table, whirled around, and hurried from the kitchen.
         My name, quietly spoke, halted me halfway down the hall, and I turned around, slowly meeting the stranger’s eyes.
         “As much as you don’t wish to believe it, it is the truth.  You need to embrace the destiny that fate decided for you long before your birth.” He said.
         We simply stared at each other after his quietly spoken statement.
         “Anna, honey, please come sit back down.  There is more we need to discuss.” mom encouraged.
         I broke our staring match and considered her.  She had tears in her eyes, and she was gently patting the table near where I’d been sitting.
         Filled with a fierce determination to get some answers, I slowly returned to my chair.
         “What is the Order?” I asked, leaning my arms on the table and glancing around.  Mom smiled warmly at me and looked across the table at the man who I assumed to be one of its members.
         “The Order of Gambaltin.” He responded. “It was founded in 1020 B.C. with the express purpose to be the guardians of the prophecy.”
         I nodded to show I was listening and leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. 
         He continued, “The Order focuses on the well-being and safety of mankind as well as the silent eradication off all legendary immortals throughout the centuries.  I’m sure you’ve heard the tales of vampires, werewolves, and all other creatures that come from myths.” He paused and cocked an eyebrow.  When I continued to stare at him without comment, he sighed. “Where do you think the stories come from?”
         “I don’t know.  I always figured they were the product of someone’s imagination.” I muttered.
         He shook his head in response and glanced across the table at my dad with a secretive smile.  I watched him silently for a moment, familiarizing myself with the features of his face.
         In my estimation, he was definitely handsome with his perfectly styled, brown hair, penetrating blue eyes that seemed to see right through me, and a firm mouth that made me feel as if he could flay me alive with a few choice words.  His dangerous and commanding presence sent uncomfortable chills up my spine, and I knew unequivocally that he was not a man to cross.
         “How does the Order protect the people?” I asked, drawing his attention back to me. “What type of methods do they use?”
         “The Order consists of all manner of warriors skilled in their particular specialties. There are those who wield swords and those who produce magic.  There are also expert archers who never miss a target and trained warriors skilled in covert hand-to-hand combat.  No specialty is considered insignificant as all members are equal.” He scratched his upper lip with a callused and rough finger.  It was bent at an odd angle, and I assumed it’d been broken a few times.
         “If the Order is as important as you claim it to be, why haven’t I heard about it?  If I know of the Knights Templar, why haven’t I heard of you?” There was once more skepticism in my voice.
         “It is quite simple, Anna.  The Order of Gambaltin is so guarded that any and all affiliation is sworn to absolute secrecy.  Its membership is selective, choosing to accept only those within families who have supported and served the Order for generations.”  He paused and took another drink.
         Lowering his glass slightly, he asked, “Do you remember last year the disappearance of the Maryland senator?” I frowned a little in thought and then nodded as the memory of the news broadcast surfaced.
         It had been a major story for nearly three months, consuming the media.  Washington had used all of their resources to try and find him, but his body was never recovered. 
         He set his glass back down and folded his hands together. “He was a Belasini, controlled by the dark magician and disguised as the Senator.  The creature’s goal at taking over the Senator’s body was to use his influence to locate you.  As soon as the Order realized who he was, we moved in and removed him quickly.” 
         “And the creature that attacked me tonight?  That was a Belasini, right?”
         He nodded. “That particular one has been tracking you since your birthday.  We knew of his entrance through the portal and have been pursuing him ever since.  That is how Caleb was able to kill him tonight.”
         “What I don’t understand is how he—it—found me.  If I’m so well hidden then how did he track me down to this tiny town in Vermont?”
         “We don’t understand that either.” Dad answered.
         “The only thing we can surmise is that they discovered your whereabouts through either federal records or Facebook.” Mom guessed.  I glanced at my parents, momentarily stunned; they were answering my questions as if they were in regular communication with the stranger and knew exactly what was happening within the Order.
         “But how would a Belasini know how to use a computer?  Assuming the dark magician doesn’t know, wouldn’t our technology be a complete mystery to them?” I asked, glancing around the table.  I was even more confused than I was earlier. 
         “The only other option we are considering—which is something we really don’t want to contemplate—is that they had help tracking you down.” The stranger said.
         My eyes snapped to his. “You mean like a traitor?”
         He nodded again and looked at my dad.  Something unspoken passed between them, almost as if they were making a silent decision of some kind.
         As I sat there watching different emotions play across their faces, I realized that I had yet to ask the most important question.
         “Now, who are you?” I demanded.  He turned back, and I self-consciously closed into myself at his direct and assessing gaze.
         He eventually smiled. “I’m Benedict Sinclair, the leader of the Order.  And your father.”