The Kingdom of Varuna-The Warrior

Chapter Eleven

2010-07-14T11:32:00.001-07:00

The fierce battle between Seth and Vulterian had begun. Angered at being deceived by his Princess, Vulterian’s presence was even more fearsome as he exchanged blows with Seth, who was proving that he deserved the title the Varunian people had given him.

They ended up outside on the castle’s upper walkway, exactly as Seth had seen in his visions. He swung the sword with all his might and newfound courage but he couldn’t yet tell if he had gained any mental edge over Vulterian, the evil being still seemed confident that he would stop the threat of the powerful human.
Down below, Seth faintly heard the others fighting bravely. He tried not to think about whether they were winning, he couldn’t afford any distractions and if he defeated Vulterian, his army would surely surrender. He concentrated all his strength and everything he had at the scary man in front of him who wanted him dead.

Nnenii and Nikolai were fighting the double threat of the two witches; Priya and Shivali, not the simplest of tasks. But the Goddess of Fire was not easily intimidated and she wasn’t holding back on them now that they had a chance to get rid of them for good.

“Do you really think you elemental fairies can defeat us? We have already proven our strength against that so-called ‘Water Goddess’. I wonder when you will learn? You and that turncoat centaur are history!” Shivali sneered, igniting the fiery temper of Nnenii.
Red eyes ablaze with anger and contempt for what they were trying to do to her homeland, Nnenii searched deep within herself, finding the greatest power she possessed, “I think you will find that I am not as calm and gentle as she, and I am not a fairy!” she said, an explosion of fire from the depths of her soul erupting from her hands.
Engulfed in red hot flames, the two witches began to shriek with terror as their dark magic proved no match for the burning fire.
Slowly and painfully, Priya and her sister Shivali burned away into nothing but ash, and were finally a threat, no more.
The massive fire had caught Vulterian’s attention for one brief moment. He could feel it…his witches had met their demise. He suddenly felt that familiar feeling of dread, everything he had planned was slipping away. He looked across the short distance at Seth, who was breathing heavily but he was still standing and indeed looked to be a fierce warrior. Blasted human!

His anger exploding at the shattered dreams of taking over Varuna, Lord Vulterian lunged at Seth, swinging his large, black sword directly at his head.

Seth ducked, barely escaping the swift blade as he swung his sword back around, striking Vulterian in the stomach. He stumbled backwards, teetering close to the castle wall’s edge as he regained his balance. Grabbing his side in agony, he glared those fiery eyes at Seth, “Why won’t you just die!” he yelled, running towards Seth, sword swinging wildly.
He lunged at Seth once again, and as he ducked this time, rolled back his shoulder and plunged the legendary Sword of Varuna into Lord Vulterian’s stomach.

A look of shock on his face, Vulterian staggered backwards until he fell over the edge of the wall, plummeting to the ground far below.
Seth peered over at the lifeless form of the most evil man he had ever met. It was finally over. He watched as Vulterian’s body began to disintegrate into nothing, his small group of followers noticing as well as they dropped their weapons and surrendered to the good people of Varuna.

*-*-*-*

Beaming, Seth found the King and Queen who had been reunited with their lovely daughter at last. He bowed to them and handed the King back the sword, though if he were to admit it, he almost felt like he was handing over a piece of himself with it.

Lavinia held up her hands to quiet the crowd that was gathering to honor their hero. “My fellow Varunians! I give to you a truly brave man, one who came from another land by a force unknown to even us. One who sacrificed everything to save our people from the evil being who was threatening to control us forever and who would have succeeded if this dear human had not been brought to us,” she paused, turning towards Seth, “My parents and I have discussed it and although it is against our law, we would like to offer you a place as our King, as my husband.”
The crowd gasped in shock but cheered loudly for Seth, they were so grateful for what he had done, the offer seemed all right to them even if it was against their laws.
One face in the crowd however, was unhappy at this news. Quelani sank back among the group, fading into the background. If he accepted the Princess’ proposal, he would stay but that would also mean he would not stay with her, he would belong completely to the Princess. She watched his face from afar, searching for his response…even if he said no, she would never see him again anyway, he would return to his home and forget all about her. Heartbroken, she fought her way through the crowd and headed back to the comfort of the Crystal Lake where she could be alone.
Seth waved his hands to quiet the cheering people, he was deeply moved by such a fuss over him that it warmed his heart. But a King? He knew that was something he could never be, not in a million years. There was one thing he wanted, maybe two if he were to be honest. Looking through the crowd, he didn’t notice her…he had wanted to say goodbye and thank her for what she had done for him.
Sadly, he turned towards the Princess, “I am very grateful for such a wonderful offer but your people would surely be better served by keeping their current King. I could never lead a Kingdom and if you’ll forgive me, I just would like to go back home where I belong.”
“Of course, we understand, I think everyone would. We are forever grateful for what you have given us, human Seth. You are most welcome in Varuna anytime you wish,” she gave him a blue jeweled necklace and placed it around his neck, “This stone now possesses my power and it will take you home. And if you ever wish to return to us, all you have to do is think of us and the stone will bring you here.”
“Thank you Princess…Lavinia. I will never forget you either, thank you all for believing in me,” he leaned in to the Princess and spoke barely above a whisper, “Do you know where Quelani went to, I would have liked to say a proper goodbye.”

“I believe she has returned to her home, perhaps it was too sorrowful for her to see you go. I’m sure she knows you are grateful for her help.”
Seth shook his head in agreement, he hoped she knew…he almost wanted to stay, go back to the lake now that it was peaceful again and he no longer had to train. But his thoughts wouldn’t let him as he began to vanish, thinking of his true home.
The people of Varuna waved as their hero returned to the strange place called Earth that he had arrived from.
Quelani was listening to the peaceful waves along the banks of the lake, it had been a long time since the land of Varuna was quiet; no more battles, no more fear, no more threats. Still, she found she wasn’t happy despite the victory.
“He chose to return to Earth,” Nnenii’s voice broke her concentration, “Why did you not stay to say goodbye, he was asking for you.”
Letting it sink in, Quelani sighed heavily, “It does not matter…he is gone, just as I knew he would be,” she stood, walking down slowly into the gentle water.

“I truly am sorry, I wish there was something I could do to help.”

“It is not your problem, it is mine alone. There is only one thing left for me to do,” Quelani said, creating ripples around herself.

“No! You cannot be thinking of that! Can you not bear to live without him? He can come back if he wants…besides, you will not remember anything, you know that!” Nnenii exclaimed, trying to convince her to change her mind.

“I know…but I love him. And this is all I can try to see him again, the water has told me they have seen that he will not return to Varuna despite the Princess’ gift.”
“You would give up your elemental life here for a human? You may never even meet him, Quelani, please reconsider!” Nnenii called but it was too late, Quelani began to vanish before her very eyes.

Seth was back home, happy to be surrounded by the familiar sounds and comforts he had missed. Still, there was a slight sadness in him, he had to admit he would miss the strange creatures he had met during his journey who had helped him achieve so much. He wasn’t 'The Warrior' in this place but it was still his home and he would always have the memory of what he had accomplished in the beautiful place called Varuna.

He went outside to enjoy the warm weather, he hadn’t even called his office since he returned, really he didn’t even know what day it was or how much time had passed since he left and he didn’t care. He was home and for today, that’s all that mattered.
After a swim in his pool that he missed terribly, Seth had decided not to go back to Varuna. They didn’t need him anymore and if they did, he probably would be swept back against his will, so he took off the necklace and placed it in his dresser for safe keeping. Maybe someday he would change his mind, in the meantime, he was enjoying being back where he belonged.
The next day, he was getting ready to go to work when he got the most unusual feeling in the pit of his stomach. He brushed it off and went outside, where he noticed a brunette woman strolling along his sidewalk.
Intrigued, he decided to say hello and approached her, “Hi, I haven’t seen you in the neighborhood before, I’m Seth Rhinehart,” he said, extending his hand. As she got closer to him, that strange feeling returned as he looked into her eyes. They were beautiful…like two blue sapphires.
“Quelani!” he exclaimed, it couldn’t be, she looked like a human! But those eyes…he could never forget them, it must be her!
The woman looked shocked, her mouth nearly fell open, “H-how did you know my name?” she stammered, “I was named after a mythical Water Goddess, but everyone calls me Lani, it sounds less weird. How on Earth did you know?”
Seth was confused…it was her, same eyes, same name even. Why didn’t she recognize him? He smiled, at least she was here with him somehow and at that moment, that’s all that he cared, “Well…you looked like a Goddess to me, I just thought of the one who was the most beautiful of them all.”
Lani smiled back at the interesting stranger, she had to admit he was handsome and had a quick wit too, “Wow, now that’s a good line.”

The End~

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Chapter Ten

2010-06-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

"Go and check on the human, I must return to my dear Princess," Lord Vulterian ordered a centaur he passed in the hall on his way back to the King's chamber. He could not wait to see Lavinia again and continue their previous engagement.

"Yes, my Lord. At once."

*-*-*-*

Lavinia moved swiftly through the castle's corridors, luckily avoiding anymore of Vulterian's guards on the way to the dungeon. Sword in hand, she made it to Seth's cell without any further delays.
She called out to him quietly and as he came forward she was overjoyed, she could see by the glow in his eyes that he had awakened his inner powers. Her people could be saved after all. "You have become The Warrior, at last."

Seth stared at the sword in her hand and to his own surprise, he was not afraid to use it. He had indeed found a strong power within himself that no one would have ever believed he possessed, least of all, him.
The Princess carefully slid the sword between the bars and handed it to Seth, a bright light gleaming from it upon his touch. It was as if it had been meant for him alone to use.
With one swift motion, he swung the sword down against his cell door, breaking the lock free and releasing him from his prison. They stood quietly for a moment, listening for footsteps in the hall but none came, to their relief.
"Do you doubt yourself now, human Seth? Can you feel the sword's power connecting with your own?"

"Yes, I can feel it. It's absolutely incredible, I feel like I can defeat him now. I have to, all of your people are counting on me, I can't let them down now after I've come so far."

"Good, down that corridor you will find my parents' cell," she motioned around the corner as she spoke, "free them and take them to safety, it will be better if Vulterian cannot use them to his advantage any longer." she patted his shoulder lightly, wishing him good luck, then quickly and quietly started her way back to the King's chamber, leaving Seth alone once again.
But somehow, he wasn't afraid anymore. Thoughts of home and going back to normal left his memory as his adrenaline surged and his pulse pounded in his ears. He could only think of one thing now, bringing Vulterian's reign to an end, before it was too late.
He found the King and Queen quite easily, luckily there were no guards within the dungeon, only at the outer door. He released them from their cell in the same swift way he had broken the lock to his own and he found the more he used the sword, the feeling of that inner power grew deep down inside of him.
"My dear boy, how can we ever thank you," the King began as he noticed the sword, "who are you and how did you get that sword, it is sacred?!"

"Please, there is no time to explain, I must get you outside to safety, I'll try to tell you as much as I can on the way," Seth said, this tiny victory giving him more confidence, something was finally going right for a change.

*-*-*-*

Outside the castle, Seth led the King and Queen into the dim walkways that were still hard to navigate even though dawn was quickly approaching. His eyes gleamed in the dark light and he actually found he could see much like an animal probably could in the night.

He had explained the important bits to the King and Queen on the way but now, he found himself at a loss as to what to do next. He had gotten them out of their cell, but now what? Where was he to take them where they could be safe until the battle was over?
"What is he doing?" the Queen whispered, watching Seth strangely. She was thankful he had rescued them but even she had doubts as to if he could really defeat Vulterian.

"I'm not sure, my love but I think we had better trust him, he's proven that we can so far and Lavinia must have believed in him to give him the sword."

Seth closed his eyes tightly as a faint memory called to him, "If you ever find yourself in need of help, think of my name and I shall send an animal to your aid."

Kumari...
Within seconds, a large, white stallion appeared before them, around a corner. Seth was amazed, it actually worked!

The horse seemed to wait for him to make a move, looking at all of them with a serene patience that only an animal could possess.
Seth approached him cautiously, stroking his neck gently like he would do with any normal horse...but this was no normal horse. "Pardon me Sir, would you mind not doing that, I am not a dog you know," he said, his voice intelligent and proper. Seth should have known, he would have made Mr. Ed hang his head in shame.

"Please forgive me, I should have asked first," Seth said, hiding back a laugh. Some things about this land just tickled him to death, "I wonder if you can help us, I need to find a safe place for your King and Queen to hide until the battle with Vulterian is over."

"Of course, your Majesties," the horse said with a noble bow, "follow me and I shall lead you to where our troops are waiting."

*-*-*-*

Seth was relieved upon entering the castle gardens, a great number of Varunian people were waiting to fight. Although as he neared the group, he noticed one imparticular that made him nervous...a centaur who stood near a woman centaur under a tree, the same one who had tried to capture him at the ancient ruins.
They all watched him approach and looked relieved to see their King and Queen unharmed. And at that moment, any who had doubts in him quickly turned into a believer.
Seth was very happy to see Quelani again and couldn't hide the emotion from his face, he didn't understand why she had left him but knew that it really was her only option considering the circumstances. "I'm glad to see you, I kept thinking about what you told me and wished I could see you again."
She walked up to him, her heart aching even though he was near her once again, she knew it wouldn't last. "You have awakened The Warrior, I see. I knew you would, dear Seth. Our people could not hope for a finer savior," she said quietly, slightly embarrassed their conversation had to be witnessed by so many.

"You're too kind, I just did what I had to do, that's all," he said, her sapphire blue eyes suddenly making him feel a bit weak in the knees, "isn't that centaur back there the one who leads Vulterian's troops?" he asked, changing the subject, her beauty was having a strange effect on him, one he wanted to ignore right now.
She leaned in closer to him, a palpable tension between their bodies that only intensified the closer she came, "Yes, that is Nikolai but he has joined with us to fight against Vulterian, you need not worry about him, deep down he is good," she said, her voice barely audible, "I wanted to tell you something before you go, dear Seth..."
"Yes?" he held his breath as she came within mere inches of him, closing the space between them to nearly nothing. He felt the cool sensation of her lips brushing against his cheek, something that oddly stirred his insides and made his skin tingle.

Her lips now whispering to his ear, he could hear the others whistling and cheering playfully as she said, "I...just wanted to wish you luck," she sighed, backing away from him slowly, the sensation on his cheek making him feel slightly hazy.
"T-thank y-you." he stammered, leaving the King and Queen to the safety of the troops as he turned around and started the journey back to the castle to face his destiny.
Watching him go, Nnenii approached Quelani, a sense of sorrow pulling at her normally fiery, impenetrable heart. "You should have told him," she said, her red nails tapping on her hips.

Quelani sighed, a heavy weight upon her shoulders, "I know...I just couldn't, he doesn't need to think about anything else right now, our future depends on it."

*-*-*-*

Lavinia had made it back to the chamber before Vulterian and had been indulging his ego for an excruciating time. Laying his head in her lap, she stroked his hair lovingly and could barely hide her excitement when a centaur interrupted them.

"My Lord, I have something very important to discuss with you," the centaur said, making Lavinia nervous. Had he found out about Seth?!

Moving swiftly, she stroked Vulterian's arm softly, turning his attention toward her, "Now? Can't it wait, I was just about to tell you the most delicious news."
"Yes my dear, what is it?" Vulterian asked as she leaned in closer to his ear.

"My Lord! It's extremely important!" the centaur exclaimed, annoyed that the Princess had such a pull over him.

"One moment centaur, do not interrupt me again!" he boomed, turning back to Lavinia, "Go ahead, my dear."

With all the guts she could muster, she leaned in closely to him and whispered the words that felt like pure vomit coming out, "My Lord, I am so overcome with joy at your show of mercy towards my parents that I cannot wait for the wedding...I wish to consummate our union as soon as possible, now if you do not object."
Smug satisfaction written all over his face, Vulterian turned toward the centaur, "Get out," he said, a simple, serious order that was not to be taken lightly. He was about to have his Princess and no one would stand in his way.
"But my Lord..." the centaur pleaded angrily, the human had escaped and all he cared about was that Princess!

Vulterian's face twisted into anger as the order was disobeyed, an irritation that he couldn't stand, "I said, get out!"
The Princess watched in horror as Vulterian zapped the centaur with so much force he nearly crumpled to the ground. He left the chamber reluctantly, rubbing the back of his neck but she really didn't care, she had averted the danger and she obviously had Vulterian wrapped around her little finger.
"Whatever was so important, can wait." Vulterian said as he began to kiss her, at this moment nothing was more important to him than this.

*-*-*-*

By the time the sun had risen over the mountains, Seth had made his way through a few of the castle's guards. They fought fearlessly against him but their power was no match for his own combined with the sword and so far, not one had beaten him.

Moving quickly, he found his way to the King's chamber.
"Vulterian!" the voice shocked both the evil Lord and the Princess as he turned away from her, his anger for the human seething deep inside.

"You!" he noticed the luminescent glow in the human's eyes and for one instant he could feel his kingdom slip away.

Seth held the sword out in front of him fiercely, the doubting human a shadow of the past, "Get away from the Princess."

Lavinia smiled and crossed her arms, glad that she could finally drop the act, "Took you long enough."
"Sorry, had a King and Queen to save first," Seth said with a slight smile, "I said, get away from her, Vulterian."

Pulling out the most fearsome sword Seth could have imagined, Vulterian said, "I would love to see you make me, human."

Chapter Nine

2010-05-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Warning for younger readers: This part contains some sensuality and adult references, please read at your own discretion!

Lavinia sat uncomfortably on her father and mother's bed, Lord Vulterian kneeling at her feet. Her insides wretched at his touch on her hand and she tried her hardest not to shy away from the revulsion. She did the best she could under the circumstances, the constant danger of him seeing through her charade a catalyst for her to be a superb actress. So far her plan was working, he seemed to be beguiled by her charms...for now.

"I am so glad you came to your senses, a life of solitary confinement does not befit someone so beautiful," he said, standing up to lean over her and to her horror, he pushed her back gently onto the bed.
The soft bedding offering her no comfort, she looked up into those evil eyes of his and her heart began to pound furiously. His hand had pinned her arm above her head, she was helpless. She needed to let him do whatever he wanted, however, so she could get the sword for Seth, or they would all be doomed.

Slowly she saw his face coming closer to her own, he looked hungry, like he wanted to devour her completely. She felt her stomach churn with disgust and for a moment she thought she would vomit, but somehow she managed to keep a slight smile upon her lips.
Fear and determination driving her on, she let him kiss her, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck to further the effect. She wanted to choke him until every last breath of air was gone from his lungs.
She closed her eyes and wondered how long this would go on and how far he would expect her to go...a man like Vulterian did not like to be told "no" and she had denied him for so long already.

To her surprise, he ended the kiss abruptly, much to her relief. She smiled happily at him, but for another reason than he probably imagined.
Breathing heavily, he looked down at her again. She could tell the kiss had ignited fire inside of him, a brief taste of what he had been desiring for a very long time. "My dear, would you excuse me for a moment, I won't be long but there is something I need to do."

She rejoiced inwardly but maintained her composure as she answered, "Of course my Lord, as you wish. I will be waiting eagerly for your return."

She noticed the excitement cross his face at her stress of the word "eagerly", it nearly made her gag but it also meant that she had convinced him she was serious.
She stood up after he left, anxious to leave her parents bed, the mere thought of it made her sick! Her entire body shook with a deep hatred and repulsion. She wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer, the thought of what he would expect her to do when he returned got her moving.

She swiftly left the chamber and headed down the corridor to relieve the sword from its resting place.
As she expected, an ugly centaur was guarding the legendary sword. He looked at her angrily, a mean snarl across his beastly lips. "What are you doing? You are supposed to be with Lord Vulterian!"

He uncrossed his strong arms and advanced toward her but to his surprise, being freed from her cell had returned some of the immense power she possessed.
She knocked the large centaur off his feet with one swift surge of power from her hands, rendering him unconscious, though only temporarily.
She looked past his now crumpled form on the stone floor to the small room beyond. There it was, in all its magnificence; the legendary Sword of Varuna, untouched for hundreds of years in the fiery altar it had been bound to for safe keeping.

Using her magic, she unbolted the door and removed the sword. The eyes of the guardian lions looked down upon her as she took the sword, it was a high crime to remove it from the sacred resting place but she knew that under the circumstances, she wouldn't be charged. Seth needed the sword to save her people, and that was that.

*-*-*-*

Meanwhile, Nikolai and Athena were alone, while Kellen's army was off gathering allies to join their fight. The land in an uproar of the coming battle seemed to fade away to Nik, he was only concerned that something was troubling his new found love, Athena.

"What is it my love, are you having regrets?" he asked, watching her shapely form glowing softly in the moonlight. "You know we discussed this before, it was your decision."

She turned around to face him, always the insecure, worrisome male, it was one of his qualities that she adored. "No, no, of course not! It is a little strange having four legs but I'll get used to it," she said softly, her hand brushing his cheek, "it's just that I am frightened to be part of this battle. If Lord Vulterian sees me at all, especially like this, I can't imagine what fury he would unleash upon you or your dear family."

Nik held her in his arms, a feeling he enjoyed even more, now that she was like him. The thought of what she had done solely for him made his blood stir with excitement, she truly was incredible. "Athena, my family knows the danger they face going into this, as do I. Imagine how Lord Vulterian will react when he sees me, who once served him, he will be furious! But it's something we have to endure, he cannot take over this land, we just have to do what we can to stop him."

*-*-*-*

Quelani and Nnenii were patiently waiting for Kellen to return, hopefully with an army of soldiers ready for battle. The fire goddess had sensed something about the calm Quelani that was bothering her and she had decided to confront her about it.

"I can sense it! Do not deny it, you cannot lie to me!" she exclaimed, the water goddess shifting slightly at the volume of her accusation.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down, please!" she said, nudging her further away from prying ears, "You could not possibly understand."
Nnenii shrugged and said quietly this time, "How could you have feelings for a human? It's ridiculous! He will not stay here, you do realize that?" She could tell by Quelani's reaction that she did realize it, she looked extremely sad at the very mention of it.
She sighed, she knew he would leave, he couldn't possibly survive in a world that was not his own. "He shares the same ruling element as I, we are bound together by a force deeper than any other, my very soul aches for him even at this moment while he is far away from me. Now that we have met, I am certain that he is my soul mate and I will love him forever, even when he leaves this world."

Nnenii looked back at her with sympathy, she didn't understand how one encounter could link someone to another for eternity, especially not a human! Nonetheless, she did feel incredibly sorry for Quelani, she wished there was something she could do to help. "I'm so sorry Quelani, truly."

She left the sullen water goddess alone to go wait for Kellen and hoped that she wasn't thinking of doing something irrational in her emotional state.

*-*-*-*

Leaving his Princess had been difficult for Vulterian, but he couldn't wait to break the news to her dear parents, to see the looks on their faces would be worth the brief separation. Besides, she wasn't going anywhere, now was she?

He stood opposite the King and Queen, the steel bars the only thing keeping him in control, if all three members of the royal family were free, he may have a hard time overcoming them. "Well, if it isn't the good King and Queen, looking tired, cold and hungry as ever," he said cruelly, a sinister smile on his lips, "I have some news for you, your Princess has freed herself from this dungeon."

They both regarded him carefully, he didn't seem upset, the news could not mean what they hoped.
"I see you can interpret my little bit of news then, by your reaction. She has indeed promised to marry me and fulfill the role of my wife in every delicious way possible," he said, laughing deliriously at the thought of him with his gorgeous Princess, her mere lips alone had been so delectable.

The Queen gasped, covering her mouth in shock, this could not be true! The King was enraged, his sweet daughter could not have agreed to this but under the circumstances, she may have been thinking that it was the only way to save the kingdom. He growled at Vulterian angrily, "You will not get away with this!"

"Ha! Famous last words! I have already gotten away with it, as you so eloquently put it and I have another small bit of news for you...after we have wed, you will both be executed as the sweet Princess will only marry me if I spare your worthless lives. And spared they are...for now!" Vulterian's laughter filled the dark corridor as he left them alone and helpless.
King Kalev held his wife as she cried, the situation looked completely hopeless. What was going on outside these stone walls? Was there not anyone who could save them now?
Seth rested in his dark, empty cell, the only light coming from the moon outside and the dim candles in the hallway. The sounds coming from the high, barred window made him long for his freedom; crickets chirping, some kind of frog calling out through the night. It also made him homesick, the sounds weren't much different than those of the woods surrounding his home.

Home. The word made him nauseous. He had failed, he hadn't seen the Princess again and he still hadn't found that elusive power that so many said laid deep within him. How could he go home knowing that he had let these people down? Could he even get back home or would he rot in this cell at the mercy of a terrifying evil man?
He shifted to his knee, resting his arms that were feeling very weak and tired. He closed his eyes, his thoughts a jumbled mess.

Through his confusion, a faint sound called to his ears, a sound he knew all too well, the trickle of water. Stunned, he listened closer, letting the sound grow louder and drowning out the thoughts of all that had happened.
It was coming from the courtyard below his cell, a simple fountain. How could he have ignored this until now? It was exactly the sound he needed to concentrate on and forget all the doubt!
He sat quietly and listened. Quelani's words entered his mind, "Listen to the water, dear Seth. Clear your heart, mind and soul and just listen, it will call to you and you will awaken, just have faith."

And he did. All the self doubt and all the worries, he washed them away and felt a strange wave awaken inside of him.

Chapter Eight

2010-05-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Seth's training was improving, he was feeling more comfortable and at home in the water, despite the pouring rain coming down with a vengeance. Quelani was now extremely happy, for how bad things had started they were going that much better. She finally had complete confidence that they would make it in time and Seth would be able to overcome his insecurities.
As he continued to move his arms through the water, he felt that strange hazy feeling come over him that he had known only once before. Another vision was coming to him through a blurry fog. Everything around him seemed to quiet, the only thing he could sense was a battle, the same one he saw himself fighting earlier in the ancient ruins. Only this time, he could see more clearly the evil man he was exchanging blows with.
Through the loud clash of swords, the name came to him and he felt himself shudder inwardly at its very sound. Vulterian.
The vision shifted suddenly and Seth saw himself from an outside perspective. Vulterian had been weakened and it appeared as though Seth would win.

And just as abruptly as the vision came, it vanished.
Quelani noticed the change come over him, the warrior within would soon be awakened. "What have you seen, human Seth?"

"I saw myself battling with Vulterian. It looks like I actually do defeat him, although I can't imagine how, he's quite the scary dude."

"But you have seen yourself do so, surely this will be enough to close that doubt you have within you. Abandon that uncertainty, push it from you and leave it here at the bottom of this lake and believe in the powers which you possess. No adversary will be able to harm you once you have control of your power, in this you must fully trust."
The pummeling rain abruptly subsided and the lesson was cut short as the two witches, Priya and Shivali materialized at the lake, followed by an angry looking group of Vulterian's mutant centaurs.

"We've found him, at last!" Shivali shrieked as she led the soldiers closer to their target.
Priya smiled with satisfaction as she noticed he had not yet awakened his inner powers. This will be easier than we thought. "Ready to surrender, human? That so-called Goddess will not be able to save you from us, now come along like a good boy!"
Quelani stretched her hands out before her, creating a wave of liquid energy floating between them. "You shall see my true power, witches! He is not going anywhere!"

Seth clasped his hands together nervously as he watched the confrontation build, the witches were creating quite an ominous energy between the two of them. Truth be told, he was afraid; it was the first time he wasn't quite sure his Water Goddess could defeat someone.
The two opposing energies collided, creating supernatural sounds as one tried to overcome the other in a deafening roar.

Quelani used as much force as she could but it didn't seem to be enough to delay the witches long enough for her and Seth to escape, much less defeat them. She paused, giving in for the moment to ensure her warrior would not be harmed in the fight as she had already formulated a plan.
"Finally you see things our way, very wise Goddess! Now hand over the human!"

"Know this," Quelani said, her usually gentle voice taking on a menacing tone, "I have not given in and you have not yet won, this man will see to that! Tell Vulterian that his reign is about to come to an end, mark my words!"

She turned around to face Seth, disappointment clearly written on her face. She very much wanted to be there when it happened, if only they had more time. "I must go, believe in what you saw. Listen to the water, dear Seth. Clear your heart, mind and soul and just listen, it will call to you and you will awaken, just have faith."
She floated up high in the sky, out of the water and disappeared through a brilliant flash of blue light, leaving Seth helplessly to the witches.

The loud clank of the dungeon entrance door brought Lavinia to the edge of her cell with curiosity, would Lord Vulterian have another proposition for her?

She waited impatiently as footsteps echoed through the stone hallway, two sets of them. Not Vulterian, he always came to see her alone.
Surprised, she watched as the dungeon guard was bringing in another prisoner. He appeared to be a...human! Impossible!

The centaur threw the man into a cell opposite hers and slammed shut the door, locking it with satisfaction. He returned to his post at the dungeon entrance, leaving Lavinia alone with the new stranger.
She wrapped her arms through the cell bars, the fabric from her dress falling gently between them, "Are you all right?" She asked as she watched him sit down sadly on the cold, hard floor. "Who are you? You are a human, are you not?"
Seth shifted, unable to find a comfortable position on the unyielding surface. "Yes, I am human. My name is Seth." He brought his knee up to his chest and sat quietly, offering up no more information. He felt defeated, he had failed. These people were suffering, would surely die and he was to be the one to rescue them. And now, all was lost. He didn't even realize who he was speaking with until he noticed some kind of jeweled band across her forehead-it was beautiful, fit for royalty.
He sat up on his knees and peered through the iron bars across the short hallway, "Are you the princess?"

She looked back at him, those piercing green eyes staring through the bars. She was very beautiful, in a strange, elfish sort of way, definitely a different type of beauty than he was used to. "Yes, I am the Princess, Lavinia. How did you know that?"

Seth breathed a heavy sigh, where to begin? "Well...let's just say that I arrived here very suddenly, through the water. And ever since I have been trying to make it to the Water Goddess so she can help me awaken my inner powers. I am supposedly the one that will defeat Lord Vulterian and bring peace back to this land."
She listened intently, so he was the legendary one, at last! Then it was not hopeless after all...

"I see...so why is it that I sense you do not believe that you will defeat him? Did you not find the Water Goddess?"

He nearly laughed hysterically at the mention of her, it had all gone so profoundly wrong. "I did find her, yes. However, those two witches found me before I could complete her training and she could not defeat them and then she....disappeared." His voice trailed off sadly at the memory, he was beginning to feel so confident and then, all hope had been shattered in a single moment.

The Princess stood quietly, a look of clear contemplation on her pixie-like face. "Well dear Human Seth, I would not be so certain all is lost...all you need is remember what she taught you, I already can see the strength of water in your eyes," She stood up straighter, placing her hands on her hips confidently, "That and the legendary Sword of Varuna."

"The what?" Seth asked incredulously. He had heard of no such weapon before now but it sounded as if it had tremendous power, perhaps he could really do this after all?

"The Sword is kept here in the castle and I have a plan to help you acquire it." She called for the centaur who was guarding the dungeon.
"What is it your highness?" He growled, clearly angry to be disturbed from his duty.

"Tell Lord Vulterian that I wish to speak with him immediately...I would like to discuss his previous offer of marriage." She said with much bravado, enough that it was truly believable to any who witnessed it.
She can't be serious! What is she up to? Seth thought as he watched the guard disappear down the hallway. He waited to comment, watching the Princess intently. There had to be some reasonable explanation...the Sword? Perhaps Vulterian would let her out of the cell and she would be free to get it for him? If that were the case, he had some serious concentrating to do, time was ticking against him, he had wasted so much already.
He heard the loud creak of the dungeon door a few moments later, followed by ominous footsteps. Lord Vulterian, no doubt. Seth crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the harsh stone wall of his cell, he couldn't show his fear or he would lose what sliver of edge he ever had.

Vulterian regarded the human threat through the cell bars, a smile crossing his evil face. "So, I see no aura of power in your eyes, you have not become the warrior...and I have won, you cannot possibly stop me now!" He laughed cruelly as he turned fevereshly towards the Princess. Finally, you come to your senses!
He looked at her almost sweetly, very pleased that she had changed her mind so suddenly. "Is it true then, do you wish to free yourself from this prison and be my Queen?"

"Yes my Lord, I do. I cannot bear the thought of losing my beloved parents, I will marry you if you spare them."

So, not entirely out of desperate longing then. "And if I spare these two worthless creatures, you will marry me and," He leaned in closely to the cell door, mere inches separating his lips from hers, "Will you also perform all proper duties of a wife?" He said quietly, those flaming eyes nearly burning into her soul.

She lowered her eyelids seductively, the look on his face telling her that the act was a success. "Why, of course, my Lord. I would be honored to lay with such a powerful man as my husband."
His desire and ego taking over, Vulterian unlocked her cell and opened the door. Stroking her face gently, much more gently than she could ever have imagined possible for such an evil man, he said, "Come my dear Lavinia, we have much to do."

Chapter Seven

2010-03-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

The extremely cold and damp dungeon was taking its toll on King Kalev and his Queen Eudora. They had been locked in a small cell down a corridor from their daughter Lavinia, for countless days since Lord Vulterian took over their castle and struck fear into the peaceful land of Varuna.
"My dear King, I do not know how much longer I can go on down here, the cold is so unbearable!" Eudora exclaimed, holding onto her husband tightly, trying to conserve as much body heat as possible.

"I know, but we mustn't lose hope, there are many creatures in this land who will not bow down to him, I know they will fight." He stroked her cheek gently as she lay down in his lap, exhausted. He felt anger rise inside of him as she trembled slightly from the cold.

Someone, please help us.
"But will they be strong enough to defeat him?" Eudora asked, her eyelids fluttering as she drifted into an involuntary sleep, her body weak and drained of energy.

The King looked down at his wife and pulled her closer to him. He had failed her, allowed their Kingdom to be taken by the most wicked of adversaries, their beloved daughter a target for his desire and here they were behind a locked door, helpless.

The witches' rain came down on the land with more force and fury, an attempt to make Seth's journey all the more difficult.

Meanwhile, Nikolai and Athena were traveling to the west, in hopes of joining Kellen's army in the fight against Vulterian.
"Are you sure this is the way?" Athena asked loudly over the rain, as she shifted uncomfortably on Nik's back. She had never been on a horse before and was having a hard time maintaining her balance. Of course that could have been due to the fact that it was partly a man she was riding, one that she cared for if she were to be honest. Yes, she was enjoying the closeness between them, since they had been away from Vulterian, she had seen quite a soft, gentle side to Nik, something that she never would have imagined he possessed.
"Of course I know the way, it used to be my home. And would you stop fidgeting already?" Nik was getting aggravated with her, he liked her company and she wasn't heavy to carry but her constant shifting was making it difficult for him to get his footing.

"Well...what if they don't like me? I was his servant for a very long time, I'm sure they won't trust me." She said, biting her lower lip nervously.

"Believe me, if there's anyone they won't like, it will be me."
And he was right. Through the woods, upon a small hill was a group of creatures in the middle of what looked to be a place of worship. One of them, a centaur like Nikolai, held up his hands angrily as they approached. "Halt!" He yelled, his voice booming over the pummeling rain.

They did as he commanded and Athena slid down off Nik's back, a small thing he was grateful for. She stood somewhat behind him, shaking in fear. These creatures did not appear friendly at all.
A pixie-like voice pulled their attention to the tops of the tall pillars. Seated upon them was a cute fairy in a bright yellow dress. "Well, well...look who it is. You certainly know how to get attention, don't you Nik?"
Many voices started to whisper at the mention of his name, they all studied him carefully, not knowing what to think about his return. And of course, why he had someone accompanying him. Either way, no one looked very happy about it.
His brother Kellen stared angrily at him from the back of the area. "Why have you come back here? And you dare to bring an outsider?!" He demanded, standing with his arms across his chest.

Nikolai braved the hostile crowd and walked slowly further into the place that he used to call home. Athena followed behind him closely, watching the rest of the creatures carefully.
"Kellen, please listen! I have brought her here with me to join your army once again brother, she no longer wants to serve Vulterian, and neither do I. You have to believe me, I now know that you were right, I want you to forgive me!" Nik pleaded, the tongues around him whispering and hissing in disapproval.

"Forgive you? You betrayed our people, Nikolai. You led those mutant centaurs and deserted your family, all in the name of power. Tell me brother, would you have killed me when we would have fought against Vulterian? I cannot believe otherwise."
Nik listened as Kellen continued, he had disgraced his very family, all for the promise of a little glory. "I truly am sorry...I do not know how else to make you believe me, I was wrong and I want to come back to my family. Can you find it in your heart...my brother?"
"I do not know. I tried to reason with you once before but I knew it was too late to change your mind. And now you stand before me, telling me the very thing I always wanted to hear. If this is some kind of trap, Nikolai..."
Nik smiled at his brother through the dripping rain. He was lucky to have such a family. "No, dear brother, it's no trap." He said, approaching Kellen with his arms open.

Athena breathed a sigh of relief as the crowd around them relaxed a bit. It seemed they were going to be accepted after all.
"Nikolai...my brother." Kellen grinned as he hugged him warmly.
"Welcome home."

The rain pounded more furiously as the winds picked up, the witches were creating quite the storm and it only intensified as they got closer to their destination. It didn't seem to affect Quelani however, she was riding Seth hard, leaving him no room for failure.

"Stop complaining and try it again!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. He was quite a frustrating student.
Seth let out an exasperated sigh as he knelt down in water again. "Are you sure I'm not going to get electrocuted or anything, what about lightning?"

Quelani groaned and gave him an annoyed look that made Seth smirk. That was the most human-like thing he had seen in days. "Okay, okay. Enough wise-cracks, I know." He said, waving his hand through the water. He still couldn't quite grasp what she had been saying.
"Are you positive I can do this? I mean, we don't have weeks or anything and I'm not really getting it."
Quelani smiled at him, "Of course you can. Believe in yourself, quiet your thoughts and become one with the water. Feel it, hear it calling to you. Let it's power take over your mind and enter into your body."

Listening to her voice, he almost believed that anything was possible, even becoming some great and mighty warrior. And she was so beautiful when she was in the water and she took on that soft, radiant glow.
"That's right, slowly...don't force it. Listen to the sounds around you, what do you hear?"

He focused as his hand swayed through the water. "Rain, pounding rain. A fish jumping...a splash. A rumble of thunder. A...swirl, a swish?"

"Yes, that's it, focus on the swirling. Not just the water but it's movement, the way it flows freely."

"Hey, I think I almost got it!" He exclaimed, his hand jerking out of the water quickly, creating a loud splash.
Quelani looked up to the skies, shaking her head. If this is some kind of cosmic joke...

Nnenii appeared in the western woods, in hopes of gathering as many as she could for battle. The time was growing short and every able creature in Varuna needed to come together if they were to have a chance.

She made the short walk through the trees to Kellen's army and was instantly angered by what she saw.
"Nikolai?! So, here to turn more good creatures into worthless, turncoat scum like you?!" She roared, igniting the most intense fire around herself, despite the rain.
"Nnenii, please wait. Nik has come back to our side. He will fight with us against Vulterian." Kellen said, holding his hand up to stop her outburst.
She looked at Nik suspiciously as the flames subsided. "If this is some kind of trick...don't worry about Vulterian, I'll kill you myself!" She pointed one long finger at him, her red nails adding to her the intimidating effect. "Kellen, come...we have much to discuss."

Chapter Six

2009-12-19T12:14:00.000-08:00

Seth struggled to breathe as his body was carried along a strange wave of energy, almost like swimming underwater quickly without the benefit of any scuba gear. He felt like he had been frozen, microwaved, frozen and then microwaved again, unlike anything he could have ever imagined. He suddenly felt the empty space of air beneath him and knew he was going to fall. His eyes quickly looked below him to see a large body of water.

Here we go again.

He quickly swam upwards, seeing colorful fish swim by him nonchalantly, as if he were one of them. He finally reached the surface, his lungs and body grateful for the reprieve from the nearly unbearable mode of transportation.

He floated for a moment and was enjoying the calm, warm water when a strange feeling came over him, almost like a foggy haze when one tries to recall a dream. A beautiful voice echoed within his mind, "You are finally here, at last."

Was he imagining things? Surely he is confused, the voice must have come from somewhere...that's when he saw her, it was like he had been told, he simply knew she was the one he was to meet. She was glowing softly, the aura and energy around her gentle and serene, it was like he had been searching for her his entire life. It all came to him at once, what his life had been missing.

She smiled at him as she sat effortlessly in the water, almost floating on top of it. "I have been waiting for you Seth, I am Quelani, the one whom you seek," she stood or suspended herself rather, in the water with ease as she raised her arms above her head, "Come, we have much to do, let us not waste a moment."

Seth felt a rumble of waves beneath him as he was pushed towards the bank of the lake. Grabbing the soft earth, he pulled himself out of the water, dumbfounded.

"That was incredible! I guess they don't call you the Water Goddess for nothing!" he gasped, catching his breath as he knelt on the ground before her. He looked up in awe at her and she politely smiled back at him, she had been watching him since he arrived and was still trying to get accustomed to his human sense of humor.

"Hey, why aren't you glowing anymore?" he asked.

She laughed, he truly was an interesting human, like none she had encountered before, "That is how I am when my body is surrounded by the water. It is my ruling element, as it is yours and if you become the warrior I know you can be, it will happen to you as well." she explained, as if glowing auras were commonplace.

"No way! That's...awesome! Tell me the truth, do you really believe that I can save your people from this evil lord? I mean, I'm ready to help but look at me, I'm no Conan or anything."

A puzzled look crossed her face, he didn't sound as if it were meant to be humorous, "Who?"

"You know, the Barbarian? Oh, nevermind."

"Seth, you do not have to be barbaric to defeat Lord Vulterian. I will teach you how to reach that warrior that lay dormant inside you, do not worry." she said sweetly, her blue eyes shining like two sapphires.

"Sorry, it was just a little joke, you know, humor to lighten the situation and all that. I do believe that you can help me, I can...feel it." he said, shifting slightly, rubbing his hands together that were suddenly cold, "Do you think I'll ever get back home?"

"I am not sure, I cannot see the future, only what is."

***

"My lord, please! We did try to get there in time, the Ice Goddess sent him through the water, we never dreamed he would have agreed, for a human it is unbearably cold!" Shivali pleaded, both the witches had failed to bring Seth back to the castle and were shaking with fear as Lord Vulterian did not look pleased.

He uncrossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees, obviously frustrated with his minions. "Well, apparently you two fools have underestimated this human." he said quietly, almost too quietly, his icy tone enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

"It's not our fault! Nikolai and his troops lost him, those elemental goddesses are interfering, helping him every step of the way!" Priya exclaimed, grasping for any amount of understanding from the cruel man.

"And now he has reached the water goddess...brilliant. If she helps him awaken the warrior," he said, standing up from his chair as he turned to face the two sisters, "I will kill you myself!" he boomed as electricity surged from his hands towards them.

"Bring the human to me, or else!"

***

Nikolai was walking amongst the courtyards of Castle Kalev. He was supposed to be out helping the witches search for that human but something had changed inside him, he wasn't so sure he had made the right decision in joining forces with Vulterian. His brother Kellen was still fighting against him, he had been adamant from the beginning that Vulterian would never take over Varuna as long as there was someone to stand together and fight.

Nik began to wonder if he was right, at first he was persuaded by Vulterian, a promise of endless power if he served him, ruled over his troops of mongrel centaurs. Nik wasn't thrilled with the idea, he himself was a pure centaur while they were some kind of mutation, turned into wild beasts by Vulterian's magic. However, in the end, Nik made a decision and picked a side, a decision he was soon beginning to regret.

The belly dancer, Athena, was relaxing in the gardens, listening to the calm water of the koi pond, the bright fish swimming contently. It was peaceful here, the only place in the castle that didn't seem tainted by Lord Vulterian's dark magic. She came here whenever he was cruel to her and threw her out of his chamber, which was happening more and more frequently, something she knew was caused by his frustrating obsession with the Princess.

She barely heard Nikolai approach and looked up at him sleepily, "What do you want?"

He sighed as he looked down at her, she was certainly beautiful, he never understood why she endured Vulterian's wrath. "Named after a goddess and yet, you allow yourself to be treated like a slave, why Athena?"

"You know nothing about me, Nikolai. What choice do I have?"

"What if I told you that you have a very good choice indeed. One I'm sure a smart girl like you would not let pass her by."

She regarded him thoughtfully, stood up and made her way over to him, stroking the tip of his shoulder.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" she whispered into his ear, teasing the soft skin of his shoulder.

He turned his head towards hers, leaning in so closely that she could feel his warm breath on her ear.

"Come away with me," he whispered softly, "And you shall be free, Vulterian's reign is about to come to an end and if I were you, I'd pick the winning side."

***

Nnenii appeared at the Crystal Lake, engulfed in flames as usual. She looked around for a moment and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Seth standing talking to Quelani, she had made it in time.

A fawn scurried away from her as the flames extinguished and Seth noticed her from the other side of the lake. Making their way over, Quelani seemed annoyed at her presence. "You nearly set my woods on fire again, Nnenii, scaring the animals half to death."

"Hey, we can't all be peaceful, quiet goddesses like you, now can we? Besides, I don't have time to care, I have come to warn you that the two witches know you are here Seth and they are coming to capture you as we speak."

Seth figeted nervously as he noticed Quelani studying one of her hands as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Aren't you worried, we don't have a lot of time!" Seth exclaimed, unnerved by her carefree attitude.

"Of course not, I believe in you and so do the rest of our people." she replied, her confidence in him palpable.

A light rain began to fall, causing Nnenii to become even more angry. "I must go and alert our people for battle, they have begun their journey here, this is a created rain, one I'm sure the witches hope will delay your training. We have so little time, please hurry!"

Seth crossed his arms as she vanished in a fiery blaze, "How in the world can I make it in time?"

"Fear not, I work best in the rain. Come Seth, I have much to teach you."

Chapter Five

2009-11-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

"Impossible, no human is going to save Varuna from Lord Vulterian. Especially not one so weak, you are not a warrior, I sense no power coming from you." Fenia said to Seth, a suspicious gleam in her eye.

Seth was incredibly nervous standing before the icy goddess, great power and strength emanating from her very being. It seemed that with one glance, she could turn him into an ice cube.

"Please, you have to help me. I don't believe it either, that's why I have to find the water goddess, she's supposed to awaken the warrior in me. I have witches and half-horse men chasing me, and I'm scared to death!" he exclaimed, placing his hands together to emphasize his pleading.

She regarded him most angrily, furrowing her brows. His pleading did not seem the best route to have taken with this stern creature.

"You see? You are a weak human, all this begging! It is not becoming for one whom is to be our savior! You truly do have much to learn if you are the chosen one!" she boomed, her voice taking on such an octave, Seth swore the tree branches shook with fear.

Her words spun around in his mind, she was right, he was being cowardly, a whiny baby at best. He had to stop acting like some poor, piteous misfit and make a decision, these people needed to be saved. Was he in, or out?

He crossed his arms, and decided to meet her head on. "I apologize, please forgive me. It is just so difficult to believe in myself when I am regarded as so little where I come from. Not much of a hero," he scoffed at himself, "I suppose you Varunians inherit self confidence as babies then?"

"You could say that," she said, her lips curving into a slight smile. "However, one can only be born with so much, determination is left up to the individual." Her elusive smile was gone as quickly as it had come, "How did you come to find my frozen woods, human Seth?"

He turned away from her, shivering against the cold snow as he noticed a small stream that looked even more dreadfully cold. "The fire goddess, Nnenii told me you could help me, I met her at the ancient ruins to the south."

"I see...very well then, if Nnenii was adamant in sending you here, I should help you reach Quelani." she sighed.

Fenia folded her hands together quietly, looking down at the crisp, white snow. "You do realize what you will have to endure?"

Seth rubbed the back of his neck. He knew. He was scared to death, they don't call a man "evil" for nothing. "I have some idea, yes," he replied softly, staring into the calm water below.

If only we had more time.

"Vulterian must be stopped, or our land is doomed. If he unites with the Princess, he will have more power than all of us combined. He is a powerful man already but he needs the Princess' magic to fully dominate. You have to hurry to overcome this doubt in yourself, time grows short for all of us." Fenia said, seething at the thought of Vulterian taking over her homeland.

She approached Seth, who remained quiet looking at the water. "Are you all right?" she asked softly, grasping his arm gently.

Even though her tone had warmed towards him, her touch was still icy cold, his arm nearly felt like it was going numb, even through his coat. "I'm...just overwhelmed, I suppose. I know a lot is counting on me, I just hope this water goddess can really help me."

"She will, fear not. But I'm afraid the time for talk is over, we must waste no more time. You do not have enough days left to travel to her by foot, you must go through the water." she said, making Seth even more nervous, not this again!

"T-tell me m-more about this traveling through water stuff, Nnenii said she could do that too." he stammered, his eyes growing wider as the thought of how he came here entered his mind. If this was anything like that, he'd rather not go through it again.

"Well, Nnenii's magic differs from my own. She heats the water through her fire, I have to freeze it to send you through. It will be terribly cold but if you trust in me and my powers, you shall be fine." she said, matter-of-factly.

Seth finally worked up enough courage to step down into the small creek. What tests would the water goddess put him through if all that has happened is just getting to her? He'd nearly drowned, been knocked out, almost set on fire and now this? If he thought the snow and ice were cold, this had to be extremely worse.

He stood waist deep in the frigid water, holding himself steady against the bitter cold.

"Now, close your eyes and hold completely still. Empty your mind, clear your thoughts. Listen to the sound of my voice and the calmness of the water." Fenia said from above, her voice soft and soothing, almost like a mother's to her child.

Seth did as she instructed, it was very difficult but he found himself ignoring the biting cold and focusing on the sounds around him instead. Soon, he heard her voice again, loud and clear, ringing through the trees and up to the open sky.

"Ascoltare il suono, sentire la mia voce..."

"...andare a lei, Quelani, uno che si imposterà libera!"

"Volare sulle ali rapidamente al tuo destino!"

~*~*~*~

Night had fallen and the two witches Priya and Shivali wasted no time resuming their search for Seth. They traveled to the ancient ruins where Nikolai and his troop had him cornered and let him get away.

Nnenii was relaxing in the cool night air, listening to the distant waves crashing on the beach, the chirp of crickets from the forests to the east, when she suddenly heard the banshee-like screams of the witches.

Anger igniting inside her, she narrowed her eyes against the dark, searching the stone path far below her for any activity.

She finally saw them and debated whether to set them on fire or just watch quietly. She wasn't afraid of the witches but she knew they could defend themselves and she was outnumbered...she chose to wait and listen.

She watched them far below, anger rising as they talked about catching Seth and turning him over to Vulterian.

Shivali cast a spell in the water to find Seth's whereabouts, if he was near water, which she knew he would be, it would show her where. She groaned angrily at the ripples before her as they swirled into an image.

"Curses! He has already reached Fenia! We must hurry before he reaches the water goddess or there will be no stopping him!" she shrieked, piercing the night air.

"Let us not waste another minute, come, we'll get him yet!" Priya exclaimed as the ripples faded and the water returned to normal.

Not if I can help it.

Nnenii ignited the fire that constantly burned inside her, the flames danced around her wings and then she vanished. She had to reach Seth before the witches or they would all be doomed.

"Did you hear something sister?" Priya said quietly, looking up towards the decaying stone wall.

"Like what, an owl?"

Priya shrugged, "No...like fire."

Chapter Four

2009-07-31T15:11:00.001-07:00

Seth watched anxiously as Nnenii created a fire once again from her hands. "A-are you s-sure about this, I mean is it really safe? You've done this with a human before, right?" he asked, wringing his hands together.

"Well, not exactly but the risk is nothing compared to what Vulterian will do to our people if he succeeds. You must have faith and all will be fine, trust in me and yourself." she replied, as the fire around her intensified.

Seth swallowed hard, terrified of the consequences of this bizarre way of travel. He watched her hands motion towards the water and heard a loud rumble behind them. He turned around slowly to see a group of horses galloping towards them. As they got closer, he could see that they were half man, half horse - centaurs.
"You've got to be kidding me! Who are these guys?" Seth asked frantically, they did not seem like they fought on the side of good, their appearance menacing and imposing. They were lead by the most fearsome looking one, a group of arrows in a sling around his shoulders. He would have been considered a very handsome man, had he been just a man. They ran towards Seth and Nnenii, and stopped a short distance away.
"Surrender the human and we will allow you to live," the human-like one said, his voice like a low rumble of thunder. "Lord Vulterian wishes to have a...meeting with him."

Nnenii crossed her brows angrily and created another fire, waving it in front of her fiercely. "Lord Vulterian should have sent a mightier warrier than you, Nikolai. If you want him, come and get him." she threatened, the fire from her hands increasing every second.

Nikolai watched her carefully, unsure of whether she was bluffing, he knew she possessed great power but he held his own talents in high regard, his arrogance an unyielding fault.

Taking advantage of his hesitation, Nnenii turned to Seth and said, "I cannot send you through or they will be able to follow. Go to the waterfall and look for a trap door, follow the passage you will find below. Continue to the North and you shall find Fenia, the Ice Goddess. She has a temper but she will help you. I will hold them here, now go!"

Seth did as she instructed, he found a dark passage beneath the waterfall, a narrow walkway between pools of water. The candles on the wall ignited upon his arrival.

"What's next?" he said aloud, wincing at the sounds he could hear above him. The roar of fire and the beast-like howls of the centaurs. He turned around, fearful they would be able to follow him but he was indeed alone.

Vulterian isn't wasting any time. Hurry Seth, please hurry. "It will take more than that to stop him, Nikolai! You had better reconsider your allegiances while there is still time!" she yelled over the blazing fire and then, she vanished.

-***-

Nikolai and his soldiers returned to the castle Kalev with the bad news. "I'm afraid we lost him, my Lord, the Fire Goddess got in the way but I know we will find him, do not worry."

Lord Vulterian crossed his arms, annoyed at such incompetence. "Got in the way? Nikolai, you should know that is unacceptable." he growled, turning on the centaur, his anger out of control.

Seething, he grasped Nikolai's chest and a bolt of electricity surged through his entire body. "Get out of my sight and do not come back without the human!" he yelled as Nikolai's feet fell back on the hard concrete.

He staggered on his legs, weak from such a blast and Vulterian turned away in disgust. "Yes my Lord, at once." he bowed and exited the chamber, his vision still slightly blurry, his hands and legs shaking.
Pondering the words from Nnenii, he left the castle, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Kellen, I'm so sorry. Perhaps you were right after all, my brother.

-***-

Enraged by the failure of his troops, Vulterian went to the castle's dungeon where the rightful royal family was now being held captive in their own home. He stormed through the hallway, dismissing the guard on duty. He wanted to be alone with her.
Lavinia. Creature of such grace and beauty, oh how I desire thee and yet you torment me so. "Thinking of me?" he whispered, admiring the curve of her back, imagining her delicate form underneath him, begging him to love her.

She turned around, a look of pure hatred turning her feminine features into harsh weapons.
"If I was thinking of you, it would be of your death, for that is the only thought in which you would bring me joy." she said coldly, approaching the barred door without caution or fear.

He moved swiftly, placing his face only inches from hers. "Why must you despise me so? I could be your King, Lavinia. We could rule together, what good is a King without a Queen?" he said quietly, reaching his hand through the bars to touch her face. She turned around, making his fingers catch her hair instead.
Her sapphire ring began to glow brightly with the little magic she had left, as she felt the soft touch of his finger in her hair. "You mean, I would be your slave. You don't want a Queen, you want me to indulge your every whim and desire." she whispered as she slipped out of his reach. She turned to face him, her chin raised defiantly. "Know this, you will never have me. You can promise what you wish but I know the truth. You are evil and I will loathe you until I die and I will never, ever be your Queen."
Her words angering him further, his frustration with her at it's end, he said at nearly a growl, "One way or another Princess, you will be mine. I advise you to come willingly to lessen my wrath upon you and your useless family. If you want to see the light of day again, you will agree to marry me. I can wed you, use you for my own pleasure and then cast you back in this cell every night. Is that what you wish? It makes no difference to me, you have two days time to decide."

He turned to leave abruptly and faced her cold cell once more, "You will learn that I am to be feared, do not make me do things to you that I do not wish. This cell is your home of your own choosing, Lavinia. You may accompany me in my chamber at any time. Share my bed, call me your King, I beg of you."

She sat down on the hard concrete floor and said, "I would rather die."

He shrugged his shoulders and turned away. "As you wish then. Maybe mother would take me for her King." he laughed cruelly as he left the corridor, the sound echoing in the stone.

-***-

"What are you doing here?" Vulterian said angrily as he entered the chamber he had stolen from the rightful king. On the bed was a young girl, an exotic dancer who pleasured him on many occasions.
"My Lord, you are usually so pleased to see me. Whatever is the matter?" she asked innocently, he had yet to be cruel to her as he always enjoyed the company of a beautiful woman. If they did as they were told, that is.

"I am not in the mood, leave and do not bother me again."
The girl stared incredulously back at him. She got off the bed and sauntered over to him, lowering her eyelids seductively.
Reaching her hand to his face, she stroked his cheek with her thumb affectionately. "My Lord, I am sure I can release some of that tension I am sensing. What would you like me to do?"

He looked back at her, angry, annoyed and frustrated with the rejection by the Princess. He wanted her...if she wouldn't come willingly, that was her misfortune.

The girl gasped as her feet left the floor, his hand nearly crushing her throat as he lifted her upwards. "I told you to get out!" he yelled, throwing her down to the ground roughly.

She coughed, shocked at his cruel actions. "Y-yes, my Lord." she stammered as she ran out the door, terrified.
In a fit of rage, Vulterian's fist crushed into the bricks, leaving a small dent in the wall.

-***-

Seth walked for the longest time, he was certain he was going the right direction when he came upon a forest covered with snow. The wind and cold biting into his neck, he shivered as he wondered how much longer he could survive in this strange land.

He heard a low growl behind him and froze as he saw a baby polar bear. A little scared and yet intrigued, Seth let the bear sniff his coat. He reached down to pet it when he saw a blue flash of light above him and the bear began to growl again.
"Halt!" A strange woman yelled from behind the blue light, it was she who was creating it.

"I-I'm S-seth, I'm looking for F-fen...Fen..."
"Fenia?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Who are you, human?" she asked, eying him suspiciously.

Chapter Three

2009-06-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

"Are you all right?"

Seth looked up to find the voice coming from above him. "I'm not sure...who are you?" he asked, trying his best to stand up. His legs failed him and instead, he sat down on the hard wood flooring of the small tree house he was in.

"My name is Urmai, and you shouldn't try to stand up yet, my magic has not quite worn off."

Magic? "Lady, what the heck have you done to me?" he asked, his head throbbing with great pain. He felt like he had just gone the distance with the world's most dangerous heavyweight boxer.

He watched her floating up above his head, magic?

Either that, or I hit my head and am dreaming within a dream. "Okay Urmai, why did you come flying at my head and where am I?"

"You are in my home. I felt you enter my forest and I heard the witches screaming in the distance. They are after you, human. So, I figured I would put you to sleep. If the witches want you it cannot be good and they cannot track someone who is sleeping, so I cast a spell on you and brought you here. Do not fear though, they have since retreated back to the castle for the night."

"Witches?" Seth's head began to ache again. He tried once more to get up, this time although his legs were a bit wobbly, he managed to stand. "How do you know all this stuff? I mean, you feel me come into your forest and you know they are after me just by hearing a scream? This is ridiculous."

She stopped floating, her green toes landing softly, effortlessly on the wood.

"Is it? I am a fairy of the land, my senses are quite tuned into an aura such as your own, you exude the calmness of the water, one of the elements. And as for the witches, well what you heard is part of our language, they were warning all Varunians of your presence here."

"Wait a second, you're a fairy and the purple lady isn't? What about your wings? I don't get these rules!"

She looked at him with confusion. "Am I supposed to have wings? And you must mean Kumari, why would you think she's a fairy?"

Seth just looked back at her incredulously. These Varunians were turning out to be quite odd indeed. "I don't know, on Earth, the tales of fairies usually describe them as having wings, you people are just bizarre here! Anyway, why are these witches after me and now the entire land knows about me? That's just great."

She turned away from him, her face growing serious as she paced the small room. "Do not worry, all the land of Varuna is fearful of the witches but we do not bow to them. If they want you, they will have to find you themselves, the creatures here will help you avoid them at all costs."

"Oh, well that's comforting. Not."

Urmai smiled and floated up to the banister, perching herself on a post and crossed her legs. "Are you always so devoid of self confidence, human?"

"My name is Seth and I have plenty of confidence, where normal circumstances are concerned, that is. Hand me a scalpel and I can make you gorgeous but throw me into a crazy world like this and I have no idea what to do."

"I see. You are just afraid and unaware of the power that lies dormant inside you. Your aura is strong however, I feel that you will be able to awaken them, Seth."

"What makes you so sure? I'm terrible in a confrontation. One time this kid bullied me at school for my lunch money, he socked me in the nose and I fell down and cried."

Urmai smiled and placed a finger to her mouth thoughtfully as she looked deep into his eyes.

"Your eyes, they are filled with the truth. Strength and power, enough to move mountains."

"You can see all that? I wish I could."

"You will, in time."

"That reminds me, I'm supposed to be looking for the water goddess. Where do I find her? And what the heck does she look like, I don't want to offend her and call her a fairy."

"You will find her in the North, past the frozen woods. It is many days journey from here, I'm afraid. You will have to travel on foot until you find someone who can travel by water, I was not given that power. And you will know her when you see her, she will be the most beautiful of creatures in your eyes. The water has always beckoned your attention, she will do the same."

"Travel through water?" Seth sighed and took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. His brain was a jumbled mess trying to absorb all the odd things that went on in this strange land.

He turned toward the river that was behind him and placed his hands on the banister, leaning against it. Suddenly he was aware of how tired he was, she may have put him to sleep but he needed much, much more. "Is that where the evil dude is holding your Princess?" he asked, motioning to the castle he could see in the far distance across the river.

Urmai laughed softly at his human slang. "Yes, and his name is Lord Vulterian. You seem tired Seth, perhaps you would like to retire for the evening?"

"Retire? You all are so proper here, you drive me nuts," he said, earning a strange look from Urmai.

He laughed and then continued, "Yes, I would like to retire, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day if I don't wake up in my cozy little bed at home."

She began to wave her hand about, much like Kumari had and then she began chanting in the same odd language of clicks and sounds. A wave of light surrounded the small hut and Seth watched in amazement as a blanket, pillows and a tray with a decanter and glasses materialized in front of him.

"Wow, that was amazing! What else can you fairies do that I don't know about?"

Urmai giggled again softly, she was finding this human to be rather humorous. "Will this do Seth?"

"Of course, this is wonderful!"

Seth had to admit that the longer he stayed here, the more the place was growing on him. Everyone he had met could conjure whatever their heart desired with the swish of a finger. How awesome was that?

"Well, I shall leave you to sleep now. Please be on your way in the morning, the witches had tracked you close to this area and will most likely resume their search for you here. Well, goodnight Seth."

"Goodnight, Urmai." At least some things were the same, a simple phrase to end a most complex day.

As Urmai left the hut, Seth sat on the plush rug and listened to the ambience of the night around him. It sounded very similar to the woods around his home; crickets, a bullfrog, an owl hooting every now and then. He didn't feel at home, however, and the growing doubt of what he was doing here was weighing down on him.

Why did these people continue to believe that he was the one to save their land from this evil being? Surely they could see how ordinary and feeble he was. He had never considered himself to be powerful where physical strength was required, he was always that kid in gym class that couldn't even do one pull up and was constantly tripping over his shoe laces on the running track.

The warrior within? These guys are crazy, I'm just a regular, boring, hum drum kind of guy. I can't save those people.

Seth opened his eyes slightly, squinting against the morning sun rays. He groaned as he rolled over, his back aching like he had slept on a hard floor all night. He yawned and looked up towards the ceiling, something looked different...

Then it hit him. The call of an exotic bird pierced through the air. Some kind of parrot, one that's not found in the woods around his home. He slammed his head back against the pillow angrily. He was still in la-la land. Varuna. Call it whatever you want, he was still stuck here.

After countless hours of walking in the warm sun, Seth happened upon what appeared to be some ancient ruins. An archway of crumbling stones harbored a pathway in between the high walls, where water could be heard swishing calmly from the other side. Seth surveyed the area carefully, it was giving him a strange feeling inside, one that couldn't be described with words.

He walked along the strange platform and wondered the purpose of this place as the stone walkway ended at an enormous waterfall. He stood in front of the pooling water, listening to it's melody as it splashed gently on the rocks below.

The sounds and sensations of water all around him, Seth began to feel a haze drift over him. His eyesight began to blur, an odd feeling arose in his chest. He blinked his eyes as a vision flashed before him.

The image was accompanied by the sound of swords clashing and an overwhelming feeling of adrenaline inside him. He could see himself clearly, a large sword in hand and he was swinging it at someone he could not make out. The man he was fighting was fearsome, that was all he could sense. Malicious and...evil.

The vision vanished suddenly and Seth heard a loud crackle behind him. Upon turning, he was taken back by a woman alive with vibrant red color, surrounded with fire. He stared at her in shock as the flames danced around her hair and dress.

"Do not be afraid Seth, my fire will not harm you. I am Nnenii, the Goddess of Fire and I have been trying to locate you for some time."

Seth stood in front of her, mouth open, trying not to be afraid. She was generating fire from her hands, after all. "W-why is that?" he stammered, unable to think of anything else to ask.

"You seek the Water Goddess, Quelani, do you not?"

Seth sighed, "That I do, Yoda."

Nnenii looked back at him blankly and seemed annoyed. She didn't understand his sarcasm but she was able to sense it, nonetheless. "Why must you be difficult at a time like this, you do not have an infinite amount of time to release the powers inside you, our people need your help and instead of trying, you make humorous remarks?"

"Look, I'm just so tired of how you people talk here, it isn't normal where I'm from. And speaking of which, I'd like to get back there if you don't mind, I have a rhinoplasty on Monday for crying out loud and I'm stuck in the stinking Twilight Zone with no apparent way to get out! And will you stop with the powers stuff? I am Seth Rhinehart, plastic surgeon, normal, average, corn ball. I am not a hero, lady. Get it?"

Nnenii smiled warmly, her red eyes sparkling and becoming more intense as she regarded Seth. "All you need is to believe in yourself, nothing else is needed."

Seth turned away, facing the small pool of water. "I wish it were that simple. No one here seems to understand the kind of guy who is born to be a hero, it definitely is not me. I'm afraid you all are mistaken, I can't defeat any evil Lord, that stuff is for some bodybuilder hunk in a Hollywood movie."

"What do they teach you humans?" she said, placing her hand on his arm. It was warm, even through the fabric of his coat he could feel what was left of the fire she had created. She used her other hand animatedly, waving it towards the water as she spoke, "Quelani will help you, fear not. She is tied to your soul, you both share the bond of the water. Listen to it, feel it, the water is inside you, a part of you both."

"But I've traveled so far already, I know she is further still. I'm not sure I have the strength to make it to her in time, aren't there only a few days left before that evil guy Vul...Vulterian, makes good on his threats?"

"Yes, this is true but I must tell you that there is a faster way to travel, but you must trust me completely."

"Why, is it dangerous?"

She pointed toward the water and said, "For a human, yes it is most dangerous. I must set the water on fire and send you through to the Crystal Lake, where you shall find Quelani."

Chapter Two

2009-04-16T01:33:00.000-07:00

Seth woke up to the warm sunshine on his back. He couldn't be sure how long he had been asleep and half expected to wake up in his bed at home. He most definitely was not at home and apparently, this was no dream. He looked around at the empty beach and up to the sky. Dark clouds were rolling in above his head, threatening to spill over with rain.

Or maybe pixie dust, in this place who knows?

"This just keeps getting better and better." he muttered, his knees sinking into the wet sand as he started to stand up.

Seth heard a low growl behind him, above the pounding rain, he wasn't lucky enough for pixie dust. He turned around and was frozen with fear as he came face to face with a large, black wolf.

It sniffed the air around him and it's face turned into a nasty snarl. "Where did you come from, human?" the wolf growled at him.

Frightened and flabbergasted, Seth's mouth dropped open, he couldn't believe it, the wolf had spoken to him! He must be dreaming!

Too astonished to speak, he gaped at the wolf as it continued to growl and snarl at him when suddenly, a bright flash of light nearly blinded him.

Seth strained his eyes to see through the blinding light. He could make out the figure of a woman that had what looked to be wings. And was she...purple?

This has got to be a dream.

Seth observed the scene with astonishment. She was scolding the wolf in some kind of language he had never heard and couldn't have imagined existed; clicks and noises, like something out of Star Wars.

The wolf looked back at Seth and regarded him with what seemed to be respect and then, it turned away from him and ran off towards the nearby mountains.

He stared at the...purple woman...fairy, whatever she was and noticed that the rain had subsided upon her arrival.

"What...are you, where is this?" Seth stammered, completely taken in by the mystic beauty of her appearance.

Her entire being was magnificent, her wings glimmered in the sunlight like someone had sprinkled glitter all over her and the pink hue of her hair was so rich with color, Seth began to wonder if he had drowned in his pool and was really dead. He had never seen colors so vivid in all his life, she made his Blu-Ray movies look like black and white.

She walked over to him and stared deeply into his eyes with an intensity that nearly scared him. He looked back into her face and was speechless-even her eyes were a purple hue!

"Do not worry, Balthus will not harm you, he was merely lashing out at you from fear. There has not been a human in Varuna for nearly three thousand years and the last one was not so kind to the animals here. I told him not to be afraid, I sense the calmness of water in you, I can see it in your eyes. You are a kind human, are you not?" she asked, her voice calm and serene, almost like hearing a beautiful violin chord.

Wake up Seth, you are either dreaming or going crazy!

"Varuna? Just where is that, I've never heard of it. I must be insane, I'm talking to a purple fairy!" he said, rubbing his eyes. He realized that his brain must have been affected by swallowing all that sea water. But just how had he gotten in the sea in the first place?

"Varuna is a vast land that is in a parallel dimension to what you humans call Earth. Very few of you have actually traveled here to our land and when they have, it has always been for a reason. And I am not a fairy. I am Kumari, the Animal Protector."

"Oh, okay, then why do you have wings if you aren't a fairy?"

She sighed as if everyone knew that not only fairies were allowed to have wings. "Human, would you like to change out of those...what are they called?" she asked, avoiding his question as she motioned to his swimming trunks.

He looked down and wondered if they were inappropriate; after all, her dress was quite revealing. "They're swimming trunks. You know, for swimming in." he said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes in response. He watched her bring her hand up towards his body and flinched away, afraid of what she might do.

He watched her carefully as she swirled her fingers around in a circle, while she said something in that odd language again.

Another burst of blinding yellow light flashed around him as he felt another strange sensation. He felt his body being pulled upwards off the ground and then, a soft, warm feeling of some kind of fabric touched his skin.

The light subsided and he looked down at his body that was now clothed in a long, fur coat, pants and even boots on his feet!

"Incredible! How did you do that? And I'm Seth by the way, we humans have names too."

She sighed again, she hadn't sensed that he was such a sarcastic human. His manners certainly needed some work.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Seth. Now, you have been brought here for a reason, no other human has just happened to arrive in Varuna. And I daresay that you will be the one to bring peace back to our beautiful land."

Uh huh, me, Seth, the hero. Talking wolves, purple fairy ladies, magical clothes. Wake up man.

"What do you mean, Ku-Ku...What is it again?"

"Kumari."

"Kumari. Sorry, that's a strange name. So what do you mean, bring peace back to your land? What's so bad about it, it looks peaceful enough to me." he said, looking around at the vast beach.

He had vacationed in some of the most private, secluded beaches in the world and not one compared to this. It was so clean and the air was so crisp, it was almost easy to believe that he had left Earth and was in some magical...dimension.

"All is not as it would appear, Human Seth. Our world is falling apart, at the mercy of an evil being who has captured our Royal Family and wants to rule over Varuna and make us all his slaves."

"What? That's horrible! How did this 'being' do all of this to you, is he more powerful or something?"

Kumari turned towards the mountains in the direction the wolf had gone and a sad expression crossed her pixie-like face.

"Beyond those mountains, many a days travel, is our great Castle Kalev, named for our King. The most evil Lord Vulterian used witchcraft to capture the King, Queen and most importantly, the Princess. Her magic is far greater than his own but only after the 'chosen one' defeats him, can her full powers be restored."

Seth listened intently as she continued the tale, waving her arms about, becoming more animated as the story intensified.

"There is a legend in the great Book of Varuna that says the 'chosen one' must defeat Lord Vulterian in order to protect our world from his domination. If he weds the Princess, her magic will disappear and he will have complete control over us. I have the feeling that you are that one, Human Seth. You have found your way here at the right time and I sense that you have a great power lying within you."

She waved her hands about and a ball of energy materialized in her hand.

"Our time grows short, I see that the Princess is considering marrying the Lord to spare her family his wrath. She knows that her magic is not greater than his while she is captured within the castle. He is an evil being, one that must not rule this land, we would all be in great danger as he may not allow all of us to continue to live."

With another wave of her hand, the ball disappeared and she turned serious eyes towards Seth.

"Look, I understand that your land is in trouble, but I'm just a normal guy, what can I possibly do? And you think I'm the chosen one? That's ridiculous, I'm nobody, lady. And I certainly don't have hidden powers or incredible strength to defeat this guy."

She stared into his eyes again and smiled softly. "It is you, you only need be shown. Seek out the Water Goddess, Quelani, she will help you to awaken the warrior that lies within. Our people depend on it, we need you to save us, there is no one else. If you ever find yourself in need of help, think of my name and I shall send an animal to your aid."

The bright, yellow light appeared around her again and Seth knew she was leaving him.

"W-wait! I-I'm not a hero, you must be wrong!"

She continued to disappear and Seth heard her whisper, "Find the Water Goddess...she will show you the way..."

He shielded his eyes against the intense light and when he opened them again, she was gone.

Seth sighed. He was confused, tired and now in serious need of seeing a psychiatrist. He looked out at the calm, blue water and almost wanted to dive back in and see if he could get home by drowning himself.

Against his better judgement, he felt something inside pulling him in the direction Kumari had said the castle was in. He turned away from the comfort of the familiar water and headed for the mountains, anxious to see what other creatures inhabited this strange land.

"I sense something disturbing, sister." Shivali said quietly as she stirred the hot liquid in her cauldron.

"I sense it too, an upset in the equilibrium. Someone has entered."

Shivali stared into the liquid with crossed brows as an image became clear.

"Someone, indeed. Look, Priya." she said as her sister leaned over to look in the cauldron.

Priya gasped as she felt the man's aura eminate from the pot. "We must tell his Lordship of this, right away."

"Of course, You remain here and read The Book for guidance. I cannot be sure he is 'the one' but his aura is filled with a dangerous power. After all, he managed to arrive here from Earth, he is not to be handled lightly."

Shivali disappeared from their Witches Chamber, in the only fashion that was possible, no one who could not teleport could enter as there were no doorways.

Priya opened the Book of Varuna and began to search for the legend of the one who could defeat the evil Lord Vulterian and stop his plot to rule the Kingdom.

"You had better have a good reason for entering my chamber in such a way, Shivali. You know how it angers me when I am thinking to be interrupted."

She bowed and Lord Vulterian continued to sit in his chair, arms folded, an angry expression on his face.

"Of course, my Lord. I'm afraid I have bad news. It appears that a human has entered Varuna." she said, clinging her hands together nervously, her long, pointy fingers intertwining together.

"And? What of this human, why should I fear a weak human?"

"I sense the power of water in him, my Lord. He could be the one."

Vulterian looked past her into the empty chamber.

So, it has happened after all.

"I take it you know what you need to do then, Shivali?" he growled, his fiery eyes stirring with anger as they threatened to burn right through her.

"My Lord?"

"Fool. Take your sister and find him. Prevent him from reaching Quelani at all costs, is that understood?"

"Yes, my Lord. At once." she replied, vanishing from his chamber.

Vulterian slowly rose from his chair, a chair that rightfully belonged to King Kalev. He approached the mirror in the chamber and would have set it on fire, if it would not have bounced back to him.

You will not reach her, human. No one will take what will be mine. I will see to that if those witches fail.

Seth wandered through the mountains for hours, finding the rest of the land of Varuna to be quite boring. He had not encountered another strange being; only natural, beautiful forests and woods. The sky was turning dark as he came upon another forest.

At least they have night time here, I'm getting very tired.

He ventured into the thick cover of the trees as the sun disappeared behind a tall mountain.

He came upon a small clearing where a large waterfall was spilling over into a pool.

"Oh, hello there." he said to a group of meerkats that scurried away from him upon his approach.Smiling at the cute, shy animals, he walked down to the pool for a refreshing drink of water when he heard the scariest, non-human noise he had ever heard. To call it a scream wouldn't even come close, it was almost a war cry from some kind of unimaginable beast on the hunt. He turned around, expecting to see a vicious creature, but there was nothing, only trees.

Turning back to the pool, he splashed some water on his face and enjoyed the taste of the crisp, clean water. He then climbed back up the hill to find a place to rest for the night.

Chapter One

2009-03-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Seth Rhinehart basked in the warm sun's rays as he drove home in his quite expensive Mercedes AMG class convertible. He was barely twenty five but already a well respected plastic surgeon who made enough money to squander over an entire lifetime.

As he pulled the Mercedes into his driveway, his cell phone rang. So much for taking the day off. He thought to himself as he stepped out of the car and answered the phone hastily.

"Dr. Rhinehart." He said into the phone. "I thought I made it clear Irene, I am not seeing any clients today. Tell Mrs. Brady that I will have to do her rhinoplasty on Monday, her nose isn't going to look any worse by then." He said as he punched the red button, ending the call. Grumbling to himself as he looked up at the warm summer sun, he started up the stairs to his large, modern bachelor pad.

The house really was impressive to the passer by; large and imposing square angles and an eye catching design. It had cost him a pretty penny but to Seth, it had been worth it at the time. Lately however, it seemed big, cold and empty to him.

He stepped inside the quiet house and sank into his sofa, clicking on the television that most men would have drooled over. The sales clerk that sold it to him nearly fainted when he purchased it for the bargain price of around $10,000.

Despite the price, it made Seth no happier than anything else did these days. He spent too much time wearing a surgical mask and way too little doing what he really loved.

As he watched the football game, he realized that he didn't even know what made him happy anymore. He used to love money and the fact that the work he did supplied him with a lot of it. Just one glance around his house and anyone would understand that he appreciated the finer things in life. Every square foot of the house was built with great attention to detail and had been decorated as carefully, including many rare works of art.

Aggravated, he turned off the T.V. and stood looking at his rear patio. That pool had been his best investment by far, for some reason the water calmed him like nothing else. He had always been drawn to water since he was a child, the bathtub, rivers, lakes, it didn't matter. Contemplating a swim, his stomach growled and he remembered that he hadn't eaten lunch today.

He sat in his kitchen, barely touching a leftover piece of bruschetta he had warmed up. He put his hand to his temple and leaned on the counter, wondering when everything had gone so wrong. He used to be happy, a little of a workaholic but happy nonetheless. He watched the water in the pool sway gently in the warm breeze outside and decided to go for a swim to clear his head. He threw away the bruschetta and went upstairs to change.

Upstairs, Seth had changed into his swimming trunks and was watching the fish in the tank in his bedroom with envy. How simple and uncomplicated their lives were. How lucky to be engulfed in the calm water everyday and not have anything at all to worry about. Except being eaten by a bigger fish.

Stepping out onto his patio, the warm sunlight hit his skin and lifted his spirit almost instantly. It was indeed too nice of a day to think about such depressing things. He lowered himself into the pool, climbing carefully down the ladder and felt the cool water on his legs. The sensation calmed his soul and warmed his heart immediately.

Wading through the water, Seth felt himself slipping away to that place that always came to him when he swam. A place of utter peace, where all his thoughts would cease to exist and there was just him and the calm sound of the water around him.

Allowing himself to float on top of the water, he looked up at the beautiful summer sky. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was dotted with large, fluffy white clouds. He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a liberating sigh. He deduced these feelings he was having were just stress and nothing more. He needed a break from the knife and scalpel and the ever annoying witches that demanded perfection from him.

Relieved and feeling better, Seth opened his eyes and looked back up at the sun. He noticed that the sky had turned an intense shade of blue, one that wasn't really earthly possible. He looked around further and noticed it was everything around him, not just the sky. Everything surrounding him was a dark, vivid, intense shade of blue. The sun's rays shone down in his eyes and it appeared that this phenomena was coming from the sun.

Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled up from the water, into the ray of light. He saw a flash of white around his body and let out a yell as a most odd sensation came over him.

The water settled in the pool and Seth Rhinehart was gone.He opened his eyes to a blurry haze and tried to breathe but he couldn't. As he gasped for air, he realized he was under water! He swam with all his might upward towards the surface of the pool.As his head emerged from the water and the air flooded his lungs, he looked around him, he wasn't in his pool. He was surrounded by crystal clear blue water and there was land in front of him. The ocean?He floated for a moment, trying to make sense of what he was seeing but his lungs and body were tired and he was finding it hard to stay awake. He noticed a wave and followed it's course, turning around to see a beach behind him.

I must be dreaming. He thought as he swam for the shore.His body collapsed on the warm, wet sand. He couldn't move he was so exhausted but where was he and if this was a dream, why did it feel so real? He let the water cascade over his skin as he drifted into a deep sleep.