She had heard about the Resistance. It was a rebel organization that was formed after Viktor had taken over the throne.
''You know why you were brought here?'', he asked.
''Because of the prophecy, I presume?''.
''Yes. Viktor has already started sending his elites after you. This cave is warded against the Witch's sight. We will protect you at all costs. We want to keep you safe''.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. ''Me or my child?'', she asked, a slight smile curving her lips.
''Both of you'', replied Damien, watching her carefully. ''Viktor grows stronger everyday and you are our only hope''.
''Why do you fight against the Empire?'', questioned Victoria, curiously. She had always thought that Viktor was a good Emperor, until recently.
''Since you are from Argent, I am not sure if you know this, but Viktor is a cold blooded monster. The whole kingdom suffers under his rule, except the capitals. Villages are being pillaged by vampire covens which have started coming south. Children are taken away from their families and turned to join his army. We had no hope until we came to know about the prophecy. Your child is our only hope'', he said looking at her.
''I had no idea'', gasped Victoria, horrified.
She was silent for a while, before she asked, ''Who started the Resistance?''.
''Aries Grissom. He is the founder of the Resistance''.
''But why?''.
''I will have to tell you the whole story'', he said. ''Before Viktor took over the throne, Aria was ruled by a human king, very kind and benevolent. He was a good administrator, but old and frail. The High Council formed an Imperial Guard to protect him, consisting of the strongest warriors from all over Aria. Six members made up the guard, Lucien Ironfang of Argent, Royston Stonearm of the giant sword, the Witch, Zelda Hallowlight, Silver, a hunter from Atlantis, Europa Wynren, an elf warrior from Cerebrene and Carter Dohr of Targantine. They were the original members of the Imperial Guard''.
''At that time, Viktor Grimm was in the High council, on behalf of Orpheus Ironfang, the Vampire King of Argent. In his greed for power he made an unlikely alliance with a fellow council member, none other than the unruly Wolf King of Lycaonia, Hector Talbot. Orpheus was not happy with the alliance, because of his enmity with the Wolf King, but for some reason, even he feared Viktor. Together, they massacred the whole council. They even convinced the Witch, Zelda, of the Imperial Guard to join them, and together they became unstoppable. Even the Imperial Guard failed to keep them in check. Europa Wynren retreated to Cerebrene and Carter Dohr was slaughtered in cold blood''.
''What about the rest of the Guard?''.
''Lucien had no choice, but to join Viktor, as his father, the Vampire King of Argent, had already sworn allegiance to the Emperor. Stonearm surrendered and was given a position in the new Imperial Guard. Silver was the only one who remained a real threat to the Emperor. He escaped from the capital, taking with him, a valued possession of Viktor. Even I do not know what it is, but it was important enough for Viktor to send his most elite troops to hunt him down. But it was too late. Silver had disappeared without a trace. Nobody knew where he was. The Emperor imposed a huge bounty on his head, but no one has had any luck capturing him till now'', said Damien.
''What happened then?'', asked Victoria, her eyes wide with curiosity.
''The military general, Aries Grissom stood his ground against Viktor, but he was no match for the Vampire Lord. After being severely wounded, he fled beyond the northern mountains, along with a handful of men who remained faithful to him, seeking refuge in the city of Crystal Vale. With their help, he formed the Resistance''.
''Viktor Grimm declared himself Emperor over all the kingdoms of Aria, thus ushering in the rule of Grimoire Empire'', he continued. ''Now, he has his eyes on you. The Witch will track you down sooner or later and you might not be safe here. We will help you get to Atlantis. It is the only country free of Viktor's hold''.
Slowly the days turned to weeks. One day, Victoria was sitting by the stream outside the cave, chatting with Bella, when she felt a sharp pain in her tummy. She gasped and was about to collapse, when Bella caught her. She was having a contraction.
Bella escorted her inside and along with two other midwives she took her to an empty room and made her lay down on the bed. One of them went to get the necessary materials for the delivery.
The midwives sat at her feet. Victoria screamed again from another contraction. Bella was wiping her forehead with a wet cloth. Moments passed by as they waited for another contraction.
''Its alright, now push'', said the midwife.
Victoria closed her eyes and grimaced in pain as she pushed again.
''Keep going, I can see the head'', said one of the midwives, excitedly.
She pushed with all her might. ''The baby is out'', exclaimed the midwife. She examined the child. ''It's a girl!'', she smiled, as she handed over the baby to her mother.
''She is so cute''. Victoria's eyes filled with tears of joy. Tufts of reddish brown hair covered its tiny head.
''I have decided to name her Scarlett Hope'', Victoria said, looking proudly at her child.
A month had passed since the birth of the child. Victoria was sleeping in her room and her child was lying in a cradle beside her bed, when she was suddenly woken by the loud noises outside her room.
She heard the sound of hooves clattering against the stone floor. She grabbed her sword from the corner and as she walked out, Bella came out of her room and joined her.
''What is going on?'', asked Victoria.
''I don't know, let's find out'', replied Bella.
They saw people running around. The men were riding out through the front in their armor, ready for battle.
The commander was standing at the entrance, fully armored with a sword in his hand. When he saw her, he rushed to her side. ''The Empire's soldiers have already found us. Take the child and run. Take the escape tunnels. We will stall them'', he said.
Suddenly, they heard terrified screams at the entrance of the cave and a few seconds later, something gigantic entered through the doorway. The commander whirled around and cursed. He looked back at them and said, ''Leave, now''.
But the giant was already in front of him. As the commander raised his sword, the giant swatted him aside with the flat of his huge blade. He was thrown back at the wall, where he hit his head and dropped down to the floor, unconscious.
The giant was none other than Royston Stonearm of the Imperial Guard. He was about fifteen feet tall. He wore a heavy armor and carried a huge scimitar, which was almost as big as the giant himself.
As Stonearm turned his cold eyes on them, Victoria froze in terror. Bella stepped in front of her, with a sword in her hand. She was trembling with fear. The giant raised his blade and swung at her. She flinched and averted her eyes.
Suddenly, there was a flash and a loud metallic clang. Both Bella and Victoria were knocked off their feet by the shock wave of the impact.
She looked up and saw a hooded figure standing in front of her, blocking the giant's blade with a huge black sword. The pommel of the sword was shaped like a skull, holding a black stone in its mouth.
The hooded man looked back at them and said, ''Leave, before the rest of them arrive. You are in grave danger. Take the child and run'', he said, pushing against the giant's blade.
Victoria grabbed Bella's hand and started running towards her room. The cave reverberated with metallic clangs as he fought the giant, their blades clashing with deafening sound. As soon as Victoria reached her room, she whispered something in Bella's ears, picked up the baby in the cradle and together they ran towards the escape tunnels.
Victoria ran through the eastern tunnel. Bella had taken the one going west. She ran as fast as she could, cradling the bundle in her arms. After what seemed like hours, she finally reached the exit, which was well hidden among the boulders. She carefully climbed out of the tunnel.
''Going somewhere?'', said a voice
behind her. She whipped her head around and saw a teenage boy leaning against a rock face. He had blue eyes and long shoulder length black hair, that framed a thin face.
''Who are you?'', asked Victoria.
''It does not matter. Give me the child and I will spare your life'', he replied in a cold voice.
''No'', she said, clutching the bundle in her arms. She was about to turn and run when he raised his hand and muttered something. She froze, unable to move. He yanked the bundle out of her arms. As he pulled away the blankets, his face contorted with rage.
''Where is the child?'', he demanded, his hands trembling with anger.
Victoria smiled with triumph. Her plan had worked. Her child was safe with Bella, who was on her way to Atlantis.
''You will never know'', she replied, slowly retrieving a dagger from between the folds of her cloak. As he was about to strike her in rage, she stabbed him in his chest and started to run.
''Ilia fucime'', he cursed, raising a trembling hand. Victoria gasped as she felt an invisible hand closing around her heart. Together, they collapsed to the ground, sinking into unconsciousness.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
1. At the Arma
I looked over my shoulder as I ran through the dark corridor. A number of slit like windows lined the right side of the wall. Suddenly, I heard a blood chilling howl behind me.
The creature was huge, with blood red eyes and pitch black fur. A number of dagger like fangs showed as it opened its jaws and snarled. It dropped on all fours, bounding down the corridor after me.
I turned and started running. The corridor started curving to the left. I ran as hard as I could, not even daring to catch my breath. I could hear its heavy footfalls, as the creature gained on me.
Suddenly, the corridor opened into a broad hallway, but there was no door on the other side. It was a dead end. I stood there, frozen with fear, as the monster advanced. Suddenly I heard a voice calling my name...
''Scarlett! Scarlett! SCARLETT!...
I woke up with a start, breathing heavily. Someone had been calling my name. My mind was still hazy from the horrifying nightmare when my eyes fell upon a dark figure leaning over me.
''AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH !''.
''Scar, it's me! Are you trying to wake up the whole dormitory?''.
I relaxed when I heard the familiar voice. It was just Alice. She went over to the window and threw back the curtains. Faint moonlight filtered through the glass, dimly illuminating the room.
''What were you doing?! You almost scared me to death''.
''I was just trying to wake you up. You were tossing around and muttering in your sleep'', she said, in an anxious tone. ''Are you alright?''.
''I think so. Just a bad nightmare'', I sighed, slumping back on my pillow.
She gave me a suspicious look before returning to her bed. I felt a shiver crawl through my spine as I remembered the nightmare. It had felt so real.
I glanced around the room nervously. It was same as how it was when I had first arrived here, with two beds and two lockers and a table in the corner with two chairs.
My sword, Shadowfang, faintly gleamed on the table. It was a strange sword, with its black blade and the two stones on its pommel. My mother had given it to me during the selection. She had told me that it was my father's sword. A family heirloom. That was the only time she had ever talked about my father. I often wondered who he was. I sighed, leaning back on my pillow. After a few seconds, I slowly drifted back into sleep.
My eyes fluttered open as I felt a cold, tickling sensation on my face. I swore in anger when I saw Alice standing on my bed with a watering can. I picked up my pillow and hurled it at her, but she was too fast. She ducked and stuck out her tongue at me. I looked at the window. The dawn was just beginning to break.
''Why are you up so early?'', I scowled, wiping my face with the blanket.
''You know what day it is, don't you?'', she smirked.
''The test'', I groaned.
I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom, where I filled the tub with warm water. I undressed and slipped into the tub. The water was steaming hot, just like I preferred. I leaned back and sighed as it soothed and relaxed my muscles.
After I had soaped, I toweled myself and pulled on a fresh set of clothes. As I looked into the mirror, my blue eyes stared back at me. I let my hair dry for a few minutes, before pulling it back in a ponytail.
Today was a big day at the Arma. It was the day of the final test. The day which would determine whether I was worthy to be a fully fledged hunter.
The Arma was a training academy for hunters and mages. It was located on the outskirts of Poseidonia, the capital of Atlantis. It was the best training academy in all of Atlantis.
Children from all over Atlantis were sent to the academy at the age of five to undergo basic survival training. The humans underwent hard physical and battle training, while the mages were trained to control their magic.
After undergoing five years of basic training, ten strongest and worthy students, five humans and five mages were selected each year to undergo advanced training for the next five years, at the end of which a test was held.
Two pupils, one human and one mage, with the maximum points were awarded the Hunter's mark, acknowledging them as fully fledged hunters. The tests were never the same. I was excited, as I had been waiting for this day for the last five years.
When I walked out of the bath, Alice had already finished wearing her armor. Her dark hair was tied up in a bun, with a few strands hanging loose. Her blood red armor perfectly complimented her pale skin.
She was fifteen years old, a few months older than me. She was an orphan and had no family. One of the masters had found her abandoned on the streets and brought her to the academy when she was just four years of age. We had been best friends since our first year at the academy. She was like an elder sister I never had.
''Get ready slowpoke, we are supposed to assemble in one hour'', she said.
''Give me a few minutes''.
Alice helped me with my armor. I strapped on the bracers on my forearms, before belting on Shadowfang round my waist. I grabbed my helm and together, we went to the mess.
We piled our platters with some meat, bread and steaming mushrooms, before making our way to an empty table at the corner. Students kept streaming in, and after a few minutes, the whole mess was bustling with people.
After we had eaten our fill, we walked out into the grounds, where all the pupils had gathered. We joined one of the lines.
The Arma was surrounded by the dark forest to the east and a small lake to the south. The forest was out of bounds for the students and was surrounded by a magical fence. We were required to stay at the academy till the end of our training.
The head of staff at the academy, Kaiser Hale, was a member of the Atlantian council. He was standing on a dais in front of the huge crowd of students. He raised his hand for silence, before he started speaking.
''Some of you have already completed your training and are waiting to get out into the world. The time has come to test your skills. Only two of you will be leaving the academy with the Hunter's mark. This year, the test is going to be more dangerous than before. It will take all the skills you have gained here, to come out of this alive'', he said.
''It has been rumored that one of the five ancient magical swords, lies in the fallen castle, hidden within its walls, in the middle of the cursed forest. The task of the participants is to find the sword and bring it back. You will be divided into pairs, one mage and one human. The first pair to return with the sword will be awarded the Hunter's mark. As you all know, the forest is a dangerous place, even for hunters and mages. You are free to withdraw, if you so wish''.
''A rumor?'', grumbled Alice. ''We are supposed to find an imaginary sword?''.
''It might be real. He is just playing with our heads. Maybe he wants to see how many of us will give up at the beginning itself'', I whispered to Alice.
I remembered the stories about the cursed forest that the master had told us during the history lessons. ''A long time ago, before the great forest was born, there was a beautiful city named Avantis, ruled by the Witch Queen, Asteria. She was blessed with both beauty and power, but she craved for more. She wanted eternal life. Her greed drove her to do terrible things. She used forbidden sacrificial magic. But there is always a price for using forbidden magic. As a punishment for her crimes, her life force was bound to the castle, forever cursed to haunt its halls, and her followers were doomed to serve her for eternity. Before long the city was forgotten along with its queen, buried within the green leafy depths of the forest'', he had said, but I had not believed him then. I shivered at the thought of going into the Witch Queen's castle.
One of the masters came forward and started reciting the names of the participants from a scroll. ''The participants are, Vance Crypt with Belinda Vexx, Alice Black with Damon Crowe, Oliver Fenwick with Nicole Gilbert, Jessika Payne with Fendrell Godfrey, Scarlett Hope with Alexander Thorne'', he concluded.
At least I was paired with a familiar face. Alec was my second best friend after Alice. The four of us including Damon had been friends since we had started at the academy. Alec was half a year older than me. He had black hair and green eyes. He waved at me and gave me a thumbs up.
The Head master continued. ''Now you will be given half a day to prepare. You are allowed to carry weapons of your choice. It will take days to complete the task, so make sure to pack the necessary rations. All participants are required to assemble at the arena at sundown''.
I went back to my room and stuffed the necessary items into my backpack. Alice returned after some time and started packing.
''Be careful not to bump into me in the forest, Scar. I might not be so gentle'', she said, winking at me.
''As if you can beat me'', I replied, mockingly.
''Yeah, right! We will see about that'', she replied, a mischievous smile curving her lips. ''Be careful though. I do not trust that Godfrey kid. He is one evil character''.
Atlantis: The Beginning (The Atlantis Saga Book 1) Page 2
