By Jasmine Monica

chapter one of three

This is a prequel to the Prophet and replaces the first chapter. I am not sure what to do with it

“Please, Serrenina, will you consider being there tomorrow morning to wave Pattenia off. Please? Be there tonight for her?”

Serrenina was really getting tired of all of this. She ground her teeth and glared at Aanya. “There's no way I will be there. Unless you all decide to physically force me to be there and if you do that, I won't support her. I guarantee you will get a very ugly scene. I can't support that bitch, and I refuse to be there when they march off to war. I will be in the library where I always am.”

“Please try to be civil. I know you are hurting, but Pattenia is still your sister. You two need to support each other, don't let your resentment make you this bitter. I also need you there.”

Serrenina glared at her mother with the most profound look of hate. “You have no right to ask anything of me, Aanya. You lost that right when you all turned on me and did this. You lost your son Serren. You didn't have any daughter named Serrenina. NO girl came out of you after Pattenia. You lost the right to have any say in my life when you decided your son was a sacrifice to build progress on. Maybe legally, the lords and king will, but in my eyes, you have no right to have any say in my life. I am nothing to you, and you are nothing to me. You may go because your presence is just pissing me off.”

Then Serrenina added, “If you really love your son, you can easily prove it, and I’m ready right now.” Serren spread her arms. “Restore my masculinity right now. I am ready.”

She shook her head in despair. “You know I cant. Pattenia would not approve. You have to give it time.”

“Why does she get to dictate my entire life to me, you can restore me if you want to.,” Serren replied. “but I figured you wouldn't. You just proved you never loved Serren at all. I had enough of your nonsense. Just leave me alone.”

Aanya wept as she slowly walked out. Her son had let his bitterness consume him.

Pattenia rode out on her horse and gave a great speech. Aanya was standing there all alone. Pattenia sat on her horse with her gleaming armor on her chest. The crown on her head shimmered in the sunlight. Pattenia wore her crown proudly. She had a vicious scar that ran from her right eye down her face thats he earned in one of her first campaign. She wore it proudly. She looked every bit the hardened warrior now. She gave a great speech to her troops about riding off to war and the duties of the great houses. Serrenina could not bare to see it. Seeing this would only hurt Serrenina more and show her what she lost. Serrenina was unable to bear the pain anymore, so she sat at the library reading and studying. She was hoping that she would get his revenge someday. That's the only thing she wanted any more was Revenge.

Princess Serrenina has sat at a dusty table reading a very worn leather book long into the night. She had a stack of other books beside her reading using only the candlelight. The room was locked and forbidden to everyone but the highest level of the hekatin. Serrenina didn't care. She considered the title of the princess to be high enough to enter anywhere she pleased. She hoped no one would come in and challenge her interpretation of the word forbidden. Serrenina figured no one was awake at this time would decide to enter into the forbidden part of the girl's conservatory to see if anyone was in there. The door remained locked and bolted. The door looked exactly as it looked before, so she figured she was safe to continue her studies.

She was furiously reading into the fourth hour, and she had achieved nothing. These books didn't go back far enough in time to be of any help. But Serrenina felt she was getting close to what she wanted. The book she was reading right now went so far back in time that it was telling her about the establishment of the first queen's reign. When Danis began to establish her rule over the Kingdom. This was somewhere around two thousand years ago. She wanted to go farther than that.

Serrenina had heard about a queen before that. There was a goddess of such enormous power that her speech made the entire world tremble. She spoke with such force, her words shook the world. Even Danis feared her power. The Hekatin was so afraid the first queen that they refuse to talk about her. Only a few even know her name, and her name was forbidden. That only helped Serrenina. Serrenina needed to learn more about this. Sense the Hekatin did not care for her, and they simply want to use her as a voiceless pawn in their power play. No one cared how this horror affected her life. Serrenina had devoted herself to learning more about this mysterious dark ruler they all fear. Perhaps Serrenina can make them fear her.

These books she is reading now were so ancient they weren't even written in the language of the great Isles. They were not written in any language spoke these days.

She found better books about an hour later. This book was written in the language of the Goddess Danis, and it was written during her reign on the planet. Serrenina had learned a little so far. But what she learned was not what she wanted at all.

Finally, she found something. The passage of the book speaks of another language that is totally unknown today. The passage said the evil queen's followers spoke a language that shook the world. These people are immune to the power of Danis. And there was a war to destroy the armies of the evil queen and their followers.

Then in the middle of the page, Serrenina saw several entire paragraphs of these ancient symbols. The following passages spoke of this spell and what it did. Serrenina learned that Danis sent some of her priestesses to learn this language and this powerful spell. Then she cast the curse on the evil queen's army. It was a spell to curse the entire nation and their army to disaster. Serrenina carefully studied this spell and wrote it all down on a piece of parchment. There were a few more symbols on other pages and more about the war against the evil queen.

She went through the other books until near the last ancient book she picked up had some ancient spells on them. They were spells that few of the hekatin ever had. One was a transportation spell. The spell will take you anywhere you want to go as long as you have these unique ruby crystals. She had a few of those, but they had to be enchanted with the transportation power. That was easy enough, and she copied those down.

And by now, the celebration was long over, and the sun was going to rise at any time, and her handmaidens would be arriving very soon. Serrenina may as well try the transportation spell now instead of trying to sneak back. Of course, that was easy enough with the cloaking spells she knew that made her appear as a shadow to anyone looking. But why not try transportation for once.

Serrenina enchanted the rubies she held and transported herself back into her bedroom.

She sat in her desk and stared at the new symbols she copied. They were totally incomprehensible. But there was something about them that they did look totally evil. The symbols looked like they were pulsing with evil dark energy. Serrenina smiled wickedly. This was how she would reclaim her life. She still knew how to pronounce them, but she was going to have to learn more about them. How ever, Serrenina began practicing the new language and the curse. She could feel the power building up within her as she practices the spell.

She had lived this hell for over a year now. It was clear the Hekatin never intended to restore her manhood. She would remain a voiceless, powerless princess for the rest of her life. And this was unacceptable. The other women may be liberated by this move. But, she didn't like being a sacrifice for the progress she was unable to share in. So this was a horrible deal. And it made her very angry.

Serrenina had practiced the phrase enough and decided to try to speak parts of it together. So she spoke, “Agsh Natch Rugth nazgth.”

The room seemed to tremble, the floor shook. It was as if the very air around her trembled with the force of those words.

She practiced other parts of the phrases for the next few hours. She felt she was confident enough now to actually to cast the spell. She just needed the right time to do it. The army was going to be doomed.

Then the door opened, and her favorite person Stone came through smiling and telling her it was time to get ready. Serrenina muttered a few words from the Goddess, and the pages she wrote vanished from sight.

Serrenina smiled and muttered. “I am getting closer everyday sister. Enjoy your reign, it will end. And I will destroy you.”

Then Serrenina smiled darkly to Stone and asked, “Have you considered what you will do if I become the queen.”

Stone said, very confidently. “That isn't likely to happen as long as your sister is here.”

“Sure it is!” Serrenina said sinisterly. “I was the chosen heir, and she seized it from me. I could seize it back, but I think she will end up giving it to me by her own free will.” A wicked evil smile spread across her face.”

Stone swore she would have to have a talk with Pattenia when she returned from her campaign. Serrenina would have to be put back in her place. The bitch was getting way too arrogant, and it frightened her.

Serrenina said nothing else as she was tightly cossetted, and a bulky flowing gown draped over her. Stone left silently. Serrenina muttered the language, and the corset loosened.

Then Serrenina, tired of the corset all together decided to remove it. Serrenina muttered in the ancient language that made it all fall off. She put her gown back on and then decided to make an appearance at the celebration this morning.

Serrenina found the grand celebration and stood by her mother and a few other girls waiting. Loud trumpets blared at the King Pattenia, and her captains marched past in their shining armor followed by endless columns of armored knights and pikemen behind them. The main army was waiting outside of the gates. She waved to her people as she rode past in her gleaming armor that seemed to have its own soft glow.

Aanya groaned as she figured this was not good news in the least. She sensed that Serrenina had a plan to make a scene. And she was right.

Serrenina stepped forward in front of the King's horse. It was one of the greatest signs of disrespect. She muttered a spell that caused the horse to stop in fright.

Serrenina looked up at his sister wearing her gleaming armor across her chest and her metal gauntletes that glinted in the sun. She looked enveious at the crown she proudly wore on her head and she really hated that scar that ran down from her eye. Her eyes burnt with pure poisonous hate and she was really going to enjoy this.

Then Serrenina shouted loudly, “Pattenina, my sister, who Stole my birthright by an act of sinister betrayal and destroyed an innocent boy. By your act of cruelty, you showed you care not for your family and are disloyal. Thereby you are declared unworthy by me. I demand you surrender your crown to me now, or face the consequences.”

Pattenia was enraged that her sister dare make such a humiliating and infuriating scene. “I have proven I am very worthy, You will need to get used to the fact that I am King. Now step aside, or I will have you removed.”

“Pattenia, you bring this on yourself.” Then she gathered her energy and shouted as loud as possible in the ancient language of the evil queen. “Ashgth Nazgthu Zruthg Asght Nazrth Urmuzth Nazth Riquightzzth Ash Nazthz. Zurtm”

As she spoke the powerful language, the ground seemed to rumble beneath their feet, and angry storm clouds roiled overhead. The soldiers nearly fell as the ground trembled violently beneath their feet. They covered their heads at deafening thunder-roared overhead. and lightning struck closeby. The very air seemed to tremble around them from the force of Serrenina's speech. The atmosphere darkened, and the shaking got worse.

Then Serrenina was finished. Then it sounded like an explosion that sent a powerful shockwave radiating outwards from Serrenina that shot out. It seemed to have an effect on everyone. Everyone was terrorfied

Serrenina shouted, “You have brought this on yourself with your treason and cruelty. I have cursed your reign, your army, and the entire nation. Your crops will fail this year. Your army will be defeated. Your Kingdom is doomed, and the only way to save it is to step down and hand me the crown. You will return with much more than that scare now.

Pattenia and the rest of the shoulders were horrified beyond measure. They had little doubt Serrenina had done exactly what she said. They felt the power of that curse and its shockwave it sent across the Kingdom. Pattenia said, stunned, “Serrenina, oh my god, what have you done to us? You would curse our army, and our entire country, kill thousands only a silly feud with me, just to make me fail? How could you be so selfish? You prove once again, you are totally unworthy.”

“I was worthy. You are the one that turned on your own family, not me. I loved you. I was the chosen successor, not you. You destroyed my very life and took everything. It isn't me who's selfish, it's you who sacrificed thousands just to stop a marriage. One I would have saved you from anyway. It was Aanya who suggested that I keep the contract on. Talk to her.”

Pattenia glared at Aanya feeling for the first time that she may have been used. “Mother?” She said with a tone of betrayal. Then her look twisted into a sinister glare and said through her teeth, “We will talk much more on this when we return, Mother. You can be sure of that.” She spat hatefully and then turned to look at Serrenina.

She always felt like her relationship with her brother was a competition which he usually always won at. In battling for their parens affection or the things they liked. Everything seemed to be a competition and she refused to let him win. Pattenia swore “I won't let you stop this campaign. We will march on to victory.”

serrenina then said, “It will be very short. And disastrous. I hope you don't return alive. I will make sure there's a place for you in fathers crypt.” Serrenina smiled evilly and bared her teeth as Pattenia marched on.

Serrenina watched the army march on, and then she decided to continue her studies. She decided to cast a cloaking spell around herself and snuck back into the girl's conservatory.

Serrenina entered the conservatory and walked right past the girls who never noticed she was there. She avoided the more experienced teachers that may have seen though her shadow spell.

She went into the back and walked right through the locked doors and went into the back. Serrenina went passed the library and made it into the older section of the school. Serrenina read every book there was that mattered to her. Then Serrenina decided to look into the storage area.

That area has some older spells that she already knew. She looked through some of the ancient items.

Serrenina guessed that few had been in this area for years. There was another room in the back.

Serrenina faced a solid was that it was designed to make it look like this was the end of the school. Serrenina saw through the illusion and approached. She muttered a spell, but nothing happened. Then she saw a symbol on the wall. It was one of the ancient symbols she recognized. Serrenina prepared herself and finally spoke. “Agsh Nazth Rusgth.”

The words came out with such force that the ground trembled. The entire school rattled on its foundation. The clouds gathered overhead and thundered at the power of Serrenina’s words, and the wall separated for her. She walked through, and the wall shut. Serrenina smiled.

Serrenina cast a light spell to see around her. It looked like an ancient vault. Serrenina had trouble seeing in the black darkened room. The musk smell invaded her nostrils and made her want to sneeze. She forced her way passed thick layers of cobwebs that got tangled in her long hair. Serrenina guessed no one entered here in more than four thousand years.

The items here were amazing. She found a full page of parchment with many of those ancient symbols on them. She had no idea what they meant. She rolled up the parchment and put it in her dress. There were some clay tablets with other symbols on them.

Then Serrenina found a gold bracelet that was covered in the same symbols she had been reading about. She slipped the bracelet up her wrist. A sudden awareness filled her mind as she found that she could now read these ancient symbols.

There were many books lined on the walls written in the ancient language of the first queen. She took a few of them down and put them in her bag. She looked at the cover, and to her amazement, she could totally read it. The cover spoke to her mind in dawning comprehension. It was Lilith. She was the first queen. The bracelet she had on was Liliths. She found a necklace that seemed to have a powerful amulet with some other powerful symbols on it.

And finally, in the very back, she found two heavy gauntlets that were adorned with some sort of rubies. She put those in her bag and decided it was time to go.

Serrenina activated her spell and transported herself back to her bedroom.

And she laid out one of the books that appeared to be the most important. And with her bracelet and the amulet, she could read it. The realization was stunning. The meanings of those ancient symbols and runs that filled the pages seemed to speak to her mind. Comprehension was immediate, and she memories every bit of it all. Every symbol had a meaning. This language was the language of real power. This seemed much greater than the power of the Goddess Danis. They didn't stand a chance here.

It seemed that the Goddess Lilith was the queen. She was the first woman of creation. Her power was much greater than Danis, and in any fair contest, she would win hands down. But, there was a conspiracy against her, and some of her own priests gave Danis the curse spell that cursed her army. Her armies were defeated, and Lilith fell. Danis rose in her place.

Serrenina also found the locations of some of the major ancient temples spread across the isles. The followers of Danis destroyed many of them and built her temples on top of Liliths. One of the major repositories of her knowledge is within the ancient temple of Gutherland up in the north. That is presently where the vast library is that Actonia found the spell that turned him a year ago. Under their temple is Liliths locked away. That should be easy to get too.

And within that temple is a great repository of knowledge of Liliths other temples across the great Isles. Serrenina can also find the location of many of her great cities and fortresses. She also wanted to find the site of her great main temple on a hidden isle that can not be found.

She spent the rest of the time learning the meaning of each of the symbols. Serrenina also found where it all came from. This was the language of Edon.

She put on one of the ruby gauntlets, and it activated a dark power within him. It connected with his pendant on her neck, and the result was amazing.

She could actually make those runes himself now.

One of the Runes was for strength. Serrenina made that rune and placed it on her chest to give her added strength. The result was enormous, and she felt she could easily overpower anyone now. Another Rune was for Speed and agility. There was another one for insight. There was a rune for almost everything. Every single one was in her mind. And, she had the speech. She now needed the tools.

The door opened, and Stone came through with a few guards, and they demanded that Serrenina follow them. She wasn't quite ready to meet falconette yet, and Serrenina said firmly, “No, I don't feel like it yet. Go tell her I refuse. Now you can go.”

That was unacceptable, but it was going to have to be acceptable. It wasn't, and one of the larger guards approached Serrenina to take her by force. Serrenina simply ripped herself from the guard's grip and threw the man hard against the wall. The man went flying, and he crashed hard into the wall.

Stone and the other man were stunned. Then Serrenina spoke. The words came out with such a deafening force. The sky thundered, they all held their ears as the sound was a massive roar. The entire palace trembled.

Stone felt fear and pain.

Then the roar ceased, and the sky lit up. Serrenina spoke her language. “You have stolen my entire life, beaten me, you are a true sadist, Stone. My sister is a monster. And this would have been acceptable without the force, if all of you had allowed me to live as a girl my way, without the humiliation. If I had been assured that I would be loved and respected. Perhaps even given a position of power beside my sister. But that was unacceptable. The freedom all of you received was not for me. And I cant accept that. I didn't get to enjoy any of the liberation. I was oppressed and humiliated and beaten. So sorry. So you go tell my sadistic Sister that I will be seeing her very soon. And I will expect the crown, or I will destroy this entire Kingdom.”

Now, Stone had little doubt that the threat was real. Serrenina suddenly vanished from sight.