The Crest of Darkness

Up north in a distant castle, hundreds of years ago, a lone king sat upon his throne. His crown of colored stones gave him away as the only man alive who could see the future. The king was awaiting news of the capture of the evil thing that plagued his city. Any moment now, they would come, and after they came, he could finally get some rest. It had been a long time since he had slept through the night because of this dark entity.

Just as expected, several soldiers burst into the hall. The prisoner was sent to the dungeons. A heavy magical guard was set up to keep constant watch. The evil laughter echoed down the hall as he was carried away, but the king knew his spellcasters were more than enough to handle him in prison.

Now for the object in question. The prisoner had made it, but its powers had almost gotten out of control. The king motioned for it to be brought to him, so he could decide the object's fate. A soldier held it in front of him so he could examine it.

The object was attached to a leather band so it could be carried around one's neck. It was a bronze looking circle with ornate designs within it. A line ran down it vertically, flowing out at the top and bottom. Two other curls connected to the flowing bits of the middle line. In the very center, a black bead stared like an eye back at the king. He felt the evil power eminating from this black spot, creating an icy coldness as if it were stealing the warmth right out of the air.

The king sat back in his throne and reached out for the object. As his hand clapsed around the crest, he fell instantly into a vision...

Chapter One

The fog slowed them. Shim brought his horse to the edge of the field, away from the other soldiers. He looked across the moor, taking in his surroundings. The cool breeze made his black hair play across his cheek. The heavy brown and maroon fabric of his clothes kept him warm, while the thin but powerful blade resting at his hip kept him prepared. Shim felt agitated, wanting the army to proceed.

A movement caught his eye, and his hand slipped to the handle of his sword. The thing moved through the reeds like a snake, a large snake. Shim watched carefully, bracing himself for attack or warning.

The serpent leveled up to him just out of reach of his sword. The tan scales of its underbelly glistened and contrasted against the black on its back. It reared its huge head as though preparing to attack. Shim readied his sword.

It opened its mouth and spoke. “Save her from the Darkness. Find the demon boy.”

Shim snarled, undaunted by the display. He raised his sword to attack, but the monster disappeared. He scanned the fog, alert. Somewhat in the distance, he saw a particularly dark spot that didn't feel quite right.

He spurred his horse to action. Shim sped towards the darkness, and the troubling feeling in his gut. When his horse resisted, he knew he was heading for danger, but didn't turn back.

A scream pierced the gloom, a young, feminine scream. Shim became possessed with the need to save her.

Save her from the Darkness...

Until now, he had never believed in signs.

A patch of white, the source of the scream. Shim was only five feet away by the time he saw her clearly. She was running, clutching something to her chest.

“Give me your hand!” Shim shouted, feeling the Darkness on his back, constricting his lungs. The girl glanced back, startled, and tripped because of it. Shim caught her arm as she fell and hauled her onto his horse.

She was shaking; he held her close to protect her and veered from the path of the Darkness. His horse moved faster, finally allowed to get away from the fear. Shim felt the Darkness getting closer... closer...

This blew my mind.

This is just amazing.

Oh my Flippin GOSH!

Oh My God! U R flipping awesome!

:D :D :D :D :D

Oh my gosh, you guys. You have no idea how much this means to me. :D Thank you!!! I guess you want some more?

Chapter One Cont.

The army was in sight. Some of the fog had cleared on that side of the moor, and spectators waved torches, trying to see what was going on. Shim urged his horse faster, the Darkness almost at his heels.

They crossed an invisible threshold to the welcoming light, and the Darkness fell away, dissipated as thought it had never existed.

Panting, Shim let the girl off his horse. She still looked shaken; he couldn't blame her. He felt a cold grip in him, but only an echo of the original Darkness.

“Hasheem!” a voice called from the oncoming crowd. “Son, what happened?”

Shim climbed off his horse as the general appeared. He eyed the girl, but preferred to take care of his horse first. His father's hand landed on Shim's shoulder and forced him to look at him. Out of his peripheral vision, Shim saw a stable-boy herding his horse away.

“What happened?” the general asked again.

Shim, stalling for some answer, pulled the girl closer. “Are you okay?” He could tell his father was angry at him for not listening to him.

“I... I'm not sure...” the girl said. She looked up. Dazzling blue eyes met Shim's “You... you saved me.”

Shim paused. He had never seen such pure, beautiful eyes. He couldn't help feel the need to brush the white hair out of the way.

Something stirred in the girl's gray shirt, drawing thee pairs of eyes. The girl gently pulled a white creature free. Suddenly all her concern was directed toward the baby fox.

Find the demon boy...

“He's hurt,” she said. “I saw him in the road and,” her pleading eyes looked right into Shim's soul, “and then the Darkness came. I had never felt so cold...”

“Like you couldn't breathe,” Shim supplied.

“Yes, exactly.” The girl nodded.

The general cleared his throat. “Hasheem, can you tell me what's going on?”

Shim blushed. How could he let a girl distract him like that?

“I'm not sure I can, father.” He found he still couldn't meet the general's gaze. “It's... I heard a scream.” He decided to not tell the whole truth. Not yet. “I was simply helping an innocent.”

“Really, he saved my life,” the girl interjected. “I don't know what that was, but it couldn't have been good.”

Let me know if/when you guys read this so I know if/when to update it... =/ If I get no replies, I might just have to stop posting. Won't stop me from writing. *shrug*

Maybe if I put when I updated last in the description? Then will you guys check it out? Hmm... I don't know what to do...

Update, nao.
NAAAAAOOOOO!!!

this is awsome im totaly hooked

Okay fank yu :3

Chapter One Cont.

The general turned his stare on the girl. “And who are you? What were you doing out here alone?”

The girl curtsied, suddenly nervous. “My name's Damia, sir. My village is on the other side of that hill.” She pointed vaguely into the receding fog. “Really, I don't mean any harm...”

“Don't worry,” the general said. “You're safe with my army. My name is General Tsunai, and I will personally make sure you get home without harm.”

“What about the fox?” Damia asked.

“There are no animal healers in my camp, but my son can show you to the medics if you'd like.” He turned to the soldiers around the trio. Only then did Shim remember they weren't alone. “We'll stop here for the night. We can all use a little distraction.”

Damia's eyes widened at the lustful look she was receiving. Shim squeezed her automatically in protection. Then the general left, and the crowd dispersed.

“The medic is this way, Damia,” Shim directed.

“You can call me Daya, Hasheem,” she replied meekly. She stroked the fox as they walked.

“Just Shim will do,” he said. “Only soldiers use my full name.” Then he tried her name. “Die-a...”

“Not quite,” Daya giggled, relaxing. “Die-ee-a. Don't forget the 'y' as you say it.”

“Die-ee-a,” Shim said. He loved the way she laughed at his emphasis.

“It's how my little sister used to say it. She didn't know how to make the 'mm' sound.”

“You have a sister?”

Daya grew quiet. “Had a sister. She died at the start of the war.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Shim said.

“It's fine. I'm the one who brought her up in the first place.

A silence descended.

Around them, soldiers went about setting up camp. They had stopped on a low rise in the field. The forest continued to the south and east, but Shim only knew that from maps; the fog prevented seeing much of the surrounding terrain. Beyond the forest to the south-east was Daya's village. It was a tiny little thing, but quite self-sustaining.

Almost directly on the north, a bog bordered by a muddy river created the fog. The host had been following this river for several miles. Luckily the river changed direction once it hit the forest, leaving the mud behind. Another day's journey would bring the army out of the country and ready for battle.

YOU DID UPDATE FOR ME! 8D

Yup. Want some more?

Chapter One Cont.

“Here he is,” Shim said, nodding to the head medic. Daya jerked her head in that direction as though her mind had been elsewhere.

“This is Doc. Cormac,” Shim said. “Doc, this is Daya and her fox. You... probably saw us coming in.”

A well-groomed man nodded to Daya. “Quite a stir you created, Hasheem.”

Shim snorted a laugh. “Shook me up pretty well.”

“Please, can you help this fox?” Daya asked. Her beautiful, begging eyes turned on the Doc.

“I'll see what I can do,” he said, taking the fox, “but I can't promise anything.”

Daya lit up, but only slightly. “Thank you,” she said and curtsied again.

“Thanks for your help,” Shim said. The men shook hands and then Doc. Cormac left.

“Are you hungry?” Shim asked. Daya nodded meekly and the two went off to find some lunch.

Chapter Two

Fire licked the walls. Smoke billowed out of the broken window where the bomb was thrown through. Screams came from inside and out. Swords drank the blood of hundreds, taking no prisoners from the town.

“Annalisa! Tamara!” The distant voices were almost choked out.

Tami hid under her bed, but her mother's calls made her want to leave the relative safety. She crawled toward her bedroom door. It hung wide open because she didn't like it closed at night. Then her mommy screamed, a terrible, fearful scream that was cut off with a gurgle.

“Tami!” She jumped. Lila was right next to her. “We have to run! They'll get us if we don't!”

“But what about Mommy and Daddy?”

Lila didn't answer. She grabbed Tami by the wrist and ran out the back door. The night was lit by countless fires where their neighbor's homes used to be. Savage war-cries could be heard all around.

“Ahh!”

Tami's father was struck down. Lila wouldn't let them stop. She pulled Tami through the streets, dodging the foreign attackers. Everywhere, they saw bodies of friends, teachers, leaders...

*Insert 'you're amazing' here*

Hmmm... I'm going to let you stew for a while. Bwahahahaha! While you wait for the next update, I'll give you a challenge: get at least three other people to start discussions with about my story. :P

I won't post until... Tuesday? Wednesday? I'm not sure yet.

Ima update nao. :3
Arik, you are going to hate the end of chapter three. ^^

Chapter Two Cont

“Time for school!”

Tami jerked awake. Mandy, her adoptive mom, knocked on the door and walked in without waiting for an answer.

“Come on, Tami. You—Oh! Are you okay?” Mandy's voice softened when she saw the distressed look on Tami's face.

“Just a bad dream,” Tami replied. “I'm fine, thank you.”

Mandy's brown eyes were clearly worried. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Tami said. “I'm fine, really.”

“Okay...” Mandy closed the door as she left.

Tami sighed. There it was again, the memory of that terrible night. It had been years, but that wasn't something you just let go of in the blink of an eye. Her whole village, gone in one night. And for what? Tami never learned what happened after that night, since she had stepped through a portal to Earth.

That's something Tami actually came to terms with. It's almost as though leaving her destroyed home world made things easier. She had a good life here, a good family... and sometimes she could convince herself it was all a dream.

Of course, Mandy wouldn't let her forget her heritage. Tami wasn't the first lost soul from Jiren she had helped, and she wouldn't be the last. It's as though the fantasy world had chosen her to help its residents adjust to Earth life, though why there were portals in the first place, she had no idea. She also didn't know if they worked both ways.

Tami hoped so. Every day she wished she could return to Jiren, if only for one person: Lila. Going through a portal was a one person thing. Lila couldn't have gone with her if she had tried. Tami often wondered if things could have gone differently...

“Hey, Tami, hurry up,” came her adoptive brother's voice. “I promised Paze I'd give him a ride, remember?”

“Yeah, coming,” Tami replied. She smiled as she prepared for school. At least she made some good friends almost right off the bat.

Ten minutes later, Tami bolted down the stairs, backpack flying behind her. With a smirk, she realized Zorn was still getting ready up in his room. She sat down at the table to get some cereal in before they left. She glanced at the clock; they should be fine on time.

Aubry joined Tami at breakfast. She was two grades above Zorn, Tami, and Paze. This was her last year at Gregory West High School, and she was close to acceptance at several out-of-state universities.

more pleaseeee D:!!!! i love this!!

Why thank you! Hm... I haven't updated in a long time. Probably because I haven't been on in a long time. Now, I have a bit of a dilemma. (wow that's a weird word lol) I wrote a prologue (that's pretty darn cool if I say so myself), but I want it to be at the beginning, where it belongs. I'm thinking of inserting it into the first post and sliding all subsequent parts down as needed. Any opinions?

While I wait, here's a long overdue update of The Crest of Darkness!

Edit: Oh noes! I can't find Mink's pic! I don't think it was saved... *dies*
Edit2: Well, I found the original pic. Mink is on the left, and Tori is on the right.

Chapter Two Cont

“I like your hair blond,” Tami said.

“Thanks,” Aubry replied. “Better than the brown?”

“Mmm, yeah. Just a little. Speaking of hair...” Zorn walked into the kitchen. Tami smiled. Ever since the “accident” that resulted in his blue hair, he always had some sort of blue in his hair. Today his hair was back to completely blue. If it weren't for dress codes, Tami was sure he would keep his hair blue all the time.

“Drop those smirks,” Zorn said. “This is for Halloween.”

Tami and Aubry giggled.

“You ready to go?” he asked his sisters.

“Yup,” Tami said.

“You two go without me,” Aubry said. “There's no way I want to be seen in the same car as the blue-haired freak.” She shared another laugh with Tami.

“You sure Mom will let you have the car?”

“Yeah, I already talked to her about it.”

“Okay, see you later. Tami, let's go.”

Tami got up to leave and waved to Aubry. “See ya.”

“Bye, guys.”

Chapter Three

“Do you think it's possible? Could she have stepped through one of these portals?”

Mink's deep purple hair bounced as he nodded with enthusiasm. “It sure adds up. One minute she's there, the next she's not. She was in the middle of a sentence when she disappeared. I think we finally found our lead.”

He smiled, showing more surety than he felt. So maybe Lith's sister went through this phenomena. What did it matter? They weren't any closer to getting her back.

Stop, Mink told himself. If it makes Lith feel better, it's worth it. He stared across the room at his raven-haired friend. No, by now he had to admit to himself. He loved her. It wasn't the same as it was with his sister. Mink looked after Tori, he protected her, her safety was priority. It was the same with Lith, but there was something more. Eventually Tori would move on, grow up. Mink was learning he couldn't live without Lith.

Lith was smiling now. Her blue eyes were unfocused, probably thinking of the possibilities. Mink glanced at his sister. Her hand was on Lith's. They were like sisters themselves. He wondered if Lith said anything about him to Tori...

“So...” Lith said, brining Mink back to reality with a snap. “If she's on Earth... what does it mean? Everyone's heard of the myths of the place, but that she might actually be there... How could she survive?”

+mouth drops open+ three words: a-maz-ing

Thanks so much! <3 I think Friday is a good day to update. This part's intense. *evil smile*

Chapter Three Cont.

“Don't worry.” Mink was making stuff up now. “I'm sure she found a family over there. There's no way she was left on her own. I'm sure of it.”

“Can we talk about Dad?” Tori said suddenly.

The other bit of news they had gotten in town that day was about Mink and Tori's father. The man was always a big question mark in Mink's life. He had seen him only once, right before Tori was born. Because their mother had died in childbirth, he couldn't help think he lived up to his demonic name.

It seemed like he was pillaging nearby towns. It was the first thing they had learned about him, so Mink felt his thoughts were justified.

“What if he comes home?” Tori asked. She was hiding her fear, Mink knew that.

“If he does, he'll have to deal with me,” Mink assured her.

“And me,” Lith said.

“No, you have to keep Tori safe,” he said. “Just in case...”

“Nothing will happen.” It was her turn to be brave. “He probably won't even come here. But if he does, I'm just a good a fighter as you are.”

“No, I have demon magic in me, remember? Besides, that's all the more reason for you to protect Tori.”

“Why do I need protecting in the first place?”

The door opened with a crash. There, in the flesh, was the demon father they were talking about. His red eyes flashed dangerously as he surveyed the room. He obviously recognized his children, since they both had his hair and eyes. Then his gaze rested on Lith.

“What are you doing here?” Mink asked. He sprung to his feet. Tori was behind him in an instant, Lith beside him.

“Where's my mate?” The demon's voice boomed. The sound didn't fit his frame, and Mink suddenly felt very small.

“She's dead,” he answered. “She might not be if you were here to be a proper husband.”

The demon turned to his son, his presence filling the room with a choking darkness.

“You dare defy me? I should kill you where you stand. No matter.” He looked back at Lith. Was he... smiling? “Come to bed with me.”

Lith looked appalled. “Are you kidding? Get away from here, freak!”

Mink's heart skipped a beat. His father's face darkened with anger.

“I'll kill you, too. After.” He moved for her, but Mink pushed her and his sister away.

RLLLY GOOD

"But Friday, I'm in love."

I didn't miss this week's update. What are you talking about? *shifty eyes*

Chapter Three Cont.

“Get safe!” he said to them.

“Whelp.”

The demon raised his hand in attack. The girls fled out the back. Mink threw his own power in defense. His father laughed.

“You think you're better than me? You're hardly half of what I am!” A wave of pure demonic energy blasted Mink off his feet. He crashed into a chair, the armrest jabbing into his back. Stars swam through his vision as he tried to regain his senses. Too soon, his father's hand wrapped around his throat and raised him off his feet. His father sneered at him. The hand pressed his wind pipe closed. Blackness crept around his vision.

Then he was flying. His back hit glass, and shards of the front window scattered around him in the dirt. Mink tried to hold on to reality. He gulped down air. His whole body ached. He couldn't see or hear anything.

A face, heavily distorted. Echoes of words, his name. A hand on his cheek.

Mink coughed and sat up. The world spun around him, but at least he could see and hear. The townsfolk had rushed to their aid. Mink felt bitter; most of them just wanted to put an end to the demon.

“Mink, are you okay?” It was a girl. He recognized her, but couldn't place her name. Maybe the mayor's daughter?

“Where's Lith and Tori?” he rasped. He wondered if glass got in his throat. He hoped not.

“I... I don't know,” she said. She screeched. Mink looked back at his house to see it on fire. On fire.

“I'm s-so sorry!” the girl sobbed, like it was her fault.

“Doesn't matter,” he said. He wobbled to his feet. The girl tried to help him, but he shoved her away. His throat hurt, but he didn't taste blood. At least, not as much as would result from his throat being cut up. He winced as he felt his ribs crack, but ignored it. He had to make sure they were safe.

“Please, let me help—”

“I'm fine.”

Mink didn't look back. He limped around the fire that was his house. It wasn't long before he found his sister, but Lith was nowhere in sight. Tori was crying.

“Where's Lith?” he asked.

“She's gone! One minute she was there, and the next, she just disappeared!”

....woa....awesome cliff hanger....

Bwahahahaha!

*cough* I mean.

Thank you. :3