Chapter 36: Chapter 36
Prologue
"Come closer to me my child," a lowly voice slowly said. At a corner of the dark hut, a young female child barely 5 stood up from where she sat and went to meet her mother, getting close to her she put her little ear close to her mother's mouth, somehow she knew that whatever her mother want to say will be the last word she would hear from her.
"I am here mama".
"Listen and listen very carefully to what I am about to say. We are not like the others, we are different".
"We are different? How are we different mama?" the little girl asked her mother.
"You are too young to understand my child...." A cough stops her from continuing and the little girl rushes to get her mother water to drink. After she had made sure her mother had drank the water she then sat very close to her again.
"Grace, there are a lot of things that are out there which you don't know about. I don't have much time, but, I am going to tell you something important".
"I am all ears mama". Grace told her.
"A day is coming when I will no longer be by your side, when that day comes I want you to be very strong for me. This world we are in is so full of evil do not be a victim. Grace there will be two path you will be asked to choose in future, one paths leads to your destiny and the other part to your doom, be wise to pick the right path. I want you to look around Grace, what do you see?"
Little Grace looked around their poorly hut, at one corner of the hut was a family mouse hole that has been her friend, and finally her gaze fell on her mother. "It is not much in here mama but it is what we call home, where we lay our head to sleep when the day has finally gone to sleep". Grace replied her mother after a while. Her mother smiled a little.
"Then no matter what will happen in the future, do not forget where you came from. Always remember you are also your mother's child. Come and place your head on my chest, I want to sing you a song. May you always remember it in your darkest days".
"Okay mama". Grace said then placed her head on her mother's chest. "Mama, why do I have this strange feelings that this is a goodbye?" Grace asked.
"Grace my beloved daughter, it has to be so for the prophecy to come to pass and for you to choose the path you will follow. When it's time they shall come for you".
"They? Who are they?"
"When it's time, you shall know them. Now you have to listen to the song".
Walk proud, walk strong
When the world starts to string
Remember where home is
Never forget your ways
Walk proud, walk strong
When the pain is too much
Remember who your family is
Never forget your ways
Walk proud, walk strong
I will be gone one day
But fear not
For there you will always have someone
When your love comes
That's where your line begins
Never forget your ways
Walk proud, walk strong
My sweet young child
He is there waiting for you
He waits for you alone
The time will come to be with him
And so your line will begin
Remember where your home is
Remember who your family is
When the world starts to string
When the pain is too much
Go home to him
My sweet young child
I will be gone
But not my soul
My sweet young child
Be strong my child.....
Grace felt within her that something was wrong when she began hearing her mother's voice faintly, she tried her possible best to open her eyes, but couldn't. After a while of battling with her eyes it gave way and she opened her eyes.
When Grace opened her eyes she noticed that she was no longer in her hut with her mother but in an open field with other children of her age. They were being chained in their necks and hands and were being lead to an unknown destination. Grace looked around her trying to find her mother, but she didn't see her mother, she started crying calling out. "Mama where are you? Mama".
A solider on a horse rode to her side and flogged her with the whip in his hands and shouted down at her. "Shut up, and don't let me hear any word from your mouth. Now start moving you dirty thing", the solider barked at her.
Grace slowly stood up from where she had fallen when he had hit her with the horse whip and started walking with the kids in lines. Silent tears were running down her cheeks. She turned to look back at her village and she saw her little village on fire, every hut on the village was on fire she wondered if her mother will be in one of the huts being roasted alive, again she wondered how she had gotten outside and being chained and being lead to an unknown destination, one minute ago she was with her mother who was singing to her and now she was been tried up like an animal. She cried and turned to face the other prisoners and wondered where they were taking them to.
The prophecy has just begun.
15 years later
"Grace! Grace!!"
Lily shouted searching and looking everywhere for Grace, and finally, she saw her at the back of the castle, stroking a deer that lay it's head on Grace lap.
"Grace there you are, I knew I would find you here.... again".
Lily said as she approached Grace. The deer suddenly stood up, spun and ran as fast as it's legs could, into the shadow of the forest that was at the back of the castle. Lily sighed.
"Why do they, the animals, always run away whenever they saw me? Uh Grace?" Lily asked as she stood in front of Grace.
Grace shrugged her shoulder a little bit. "I don't know why they always do that Lily".
"How did you mean you don't know? Don't you know that animals are never scared of you? Don't you see it? I still don't get what they see in you to make them like you. Tell me Grace are you in anyway hiding something from me?" Lily asked Grace who had a smile on her face.
"No, I am not in anyway hiding anything from you Lily, and besides I don't really know why the animals are never afraid of me all my life, but I still think it is a gift......"
"Any way". Lily said cutting Grace off from what ever she had wanted to say. "Least I forget, I came here to remind you that Princess Mary is celebrating her birthday today, and you know what that means, don't you?".
"Oh my, I have forgotten that Princess Mary will be turning twenty thrice today and that also means she will be holding a ball. Thank you Lily for reminding me".
Grace left Lily and rushed into the castle she did not want to be dealt with by the princess if she arrives late. With that thought, she ran as fast as she could passing her fellow servants that were going about their daily works. As soon as she got to the Princess door, she stop and turn to face the mirror the princess placed on her door. She wanted to check if her clothes were in their right places, thank the gods, her clothes were. Her eyes were of two colors, one was Gold and the other Black. Grace had always wondered why she has two different pair of color eyes. She was always ignored by her fellow servants simply because they see her as a cursed child, because to them no normal human being would have different color eyes, so they ignored her and said hurtful things to her. She could have committed suicide has it not been for Lily's intervention. Lily then talked sensed into her after she had saved her from committing suicide, telling Grace that ending her life isn't the best option that the best way for her to live her life is to ignore whatever the other servant's tells her. And since then Grace took the advice of Lily and truly things had really changed.
She sighed as she took a last look at her hair, her hair was so long that it nearly touched the ground but she had it braided. Feeling she is now presentable to be in Princess Mary's room she knocked on the door.
"Come in". A beautiful lady voice was heard behind the close door as Grace opened the door and entered the room.
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Three young sisters, who looked alike, sat down beside each other on a wooden stool facing one another, a fourth stood that was empty was also beside them forming a circle, their eyes were closed and meditating. The sisters were triplet and they were born blind, it came as a shock to their mother who was a seer, that are daughters will work for the Dark Goddess in years to come. she tried all she could to prevent her daughters fate. but it was too late, they had sold their bodies and hearts to the Dark Goddess. Their hearts were filled with darkness. And they have been working for the Dark Goddess for thousands of years, till they were assigned to the Prince of Darkness. In their middle stood a fountain of crystal water, that never runs dry. The the door to their cave opened and someone who they were expecting entered and sat down on the fourth empty stool in the cave. "Well, I am here".
The three young sisters opened their eyes at the same time, their eye balls were white. "We have send for you Darken, it is time for you to strike". They said together.
"You mean to say, if I eventually attack the kingdom of Eleanor, I shall come out victorious?" Darken asked to be sure.
"Yes, you shall conquer Eleanor, but, there is one thing you have to make sure it's being carried out".
"And which is?" Darken asked.
"You have to make sure that everyone in Eleanor is killed". They answered him.
"Why is that, if I may ask?"
"The one born to end you is in Eleanor, you have to clear off that person from the surface of the earth". They told him.
"But that's impossible, Selena's daughter died by my sword, I killed her by my own sword in my hands which makes the prophecy not coming to pass, so that can't be true". Darken said confused.
"You were deceived that day. The child you had killed wasn't Selena's daughter. What you didn't know was on that night when Selena gave birth to her daughter a servant girl also gave birth to a baby girl. In other for her to let her daughter live she exchanged her daughter with the servant girl own child, who then took the baby and ran away never to be seen again. So you had killed the wrong child".
"So Selena betrayed me? But what can I do wise ones?" Darken asked.
"You and your armies will march to Eleanor and kill every soul living in it, make sure no one escape from the kingdom. Remember if she eventually escapes from you this time, then she will be the one to end you. Isn't that what the Great Book Of Omen says, that the one to end you shall be your destiny and your doom".
"But how would I know Selena's daughter when I see her, I need to know so that I will be sure I have kill the right person. i don't want to make the same mistake again" Darken said.
"Not everything is revealed to us, she is been hidden from us by that which we must not mention. You had better hurry up with your plans Darken, before her gifts reached its peak and you know what that means to you. The prophecy do not lie. You are the king of the underworld and you have the powers to change the prophecy. We are with you in spirit, do not forget that Darken". They told him and closed their eyes at the same time, a few minutes later they turned into a statue.
Darken stood up from the stool and then walk up to the door and stop. "You are always right Malarias. I am Darken, the King of all Kings, the King of Darkness, the Prince of Hades. I will not be scared of a little girl the prophecy spoke about. I will make sure I have the whole world to myself and I will kill whosoever that will stand in my way and also destroy the other ones which we must not mention. As long as I have the Malarias and the Dark Goddess to myself, I am unbeatable. Selena where ever that you are, know this, I shall kill your daughter then find you and kill you myself even though you are the Goddess of the Old Region".
Darken came out of the cave and disappeared into the shadow of the night.
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The door to a throne room opened and General Groh walked in closing the door. "You send for me your Lordship".
"Yes I did. Selena's daughter is alive and somehow she is in Eleanor, prepare your armies we are going to visit the kingdom of Eleanor", Darken said, he was standing and facing the window, he turned to look at General Groh who bowed.
"Yes your Lordship, I shall go now and prepare the immortal beast armies to get ready", General Groh said as he straightened up to his full height and went out of the throne room to do as he was told leaving Darken to his thoughts.
"Run little angel, run as far as you can. I am coming".