"Do you remember what my old tutor said about power?" Ryden asked while chewing on a piece of rabbit jerky.

His friend and personal guard, Maya, was sitting next to him. Her black hair with streaks of blonde running through it was concealed under a polished iron helm. Only two people knew she was a girl.

Of the two who knew about this secret only one even cared. To everyone else she was known as knight Mike. Though she fought like no knight, but more like a Paladin of the old times.

"I believe so, yes." She suppressed a cough as she sipped some strong whisky.

"Absolute power, absolutely corrupts." Ryden also sipped the whisky, and gagged on it.

They both disliked the taste of whiskey, but the water was much too tainted to drink safely. Maya was slightly more used to this fact than her prince. She had been out in the wilderness with the Paladins enough times to not be pampered by the castle's magical purification spells. He only recently had left its protection. 

"Do you remember the rest of that teaching my prince..." He voice trailed off as a group of old fishermen walked down the stream bank on their far right.

They both scrambled to their feet, ready for an attack. As the fishers passed by, waving, they both smiled and nodded politely back. They stayed alertly tense until they fishers were out of sight.

"...or was that all before you went back to daydreaming?" Maya smirked playfully.

Ryden's face turned a deep crimson red in embarrassment. "I was doing that too."

The great old oak tree they were leaning against groaned as a cool summer breeze pushed against it. It's old, strong, branches swaying ever so slightly. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the shiny green leaves. It made them both forget their woes for the briefest of moments.

"So..." Maya's tenderly soft face showed a mix of concern and confusion. "Where are we going?"

Ryden flipped the hood of his black leather cloak up. It's angle keeping everything from his eye level and up hidden from the outside, yet still allowed him to see easily. It also kept the late afternoon sun out of his eyes.

"To meet my old mentor, and a man named Snake." Ryden's voice betrayed how anxious he was.

Though Maya couldn't see his eyes behind his low hood she could hear his distrust. "This man, Snake, why don't you like him?"

"He's an ex-military turned baker, librarian, smuggler, and an informant. He could just as easily sell us out as he does with others." Ryden stood with his hand firmly wrapped around his dark maple staff.

Maya stared at the mesmerizing staff. Her coffee colored eyes soaking in the slender carvings of fire, and dragons. She remembered when the elves and dragons gave her the package - while she was still the young servant girl - containing an elven book, spices, and the staff as gifts symbolizing peace towards the young prince.

As Maya stood, she lifted her two swords up from where they leaned against the old oak. The sun's rays reflected off of the polished silvery-platinum sheaths. Clipping the sheathed swords into the back of her cloak that she had put on - and covered them with a leather cover that still allowed for easily using them - she too pulled her hood over her head. To the common onlooker, they looked no more than poor peasants journeying the countryside.

"It is time to go." Ryden sighed, as he observed the golden sunset light up the sky.

Together, they moved noiselessly out into the bare plains. The bubbling stream to their right the only audible sound. As the fiery amber sky melded into the star filled the night, even the stream seemed to quiet.

The cool night air propelled them forward to the edge of the plains, where a Great Wall of trees stood. By now the moon had risen to its peak in the sky, and the world behind them glowed with unmatched beauty. The few white flowers from the yucca, white evening star, and poppies - that had recently appeared as they had neared the forest - were fiery bright.

The great evergreens of the forest intermingled with the old oaks, and the cheery white aspens. Underneath their broad canopies was a variety of plants. The most prominent where the giant sage bushes, and wild grape vines with their still developing grapes.

Tensing as the darkness within the forest consumed them as they stepped inside. The beauty only moments earlier no longer seemed to nullify the fear rising from inside. Dark magic seemed to even taint the pure air.

His voice barely audible, Ryden asked, "Do you feel that?"

"Yes, it feels like a powerful magic resides here." Maya drew a small knife from within her right boot.

"We're close to the Convergence." Ryden turned to Maya. "You don't have to go..."

"I'm going!" Maya snapped.

Taken by surprise it took him a second to say anything. "I just figured..."

"Just figured what?! That I may hate this place?! That I couldn't handle going back?! Well, that's not the case, I'm older, stronger, and much more deadly now for that to be a problem!" By this point, she was screaming at him.

Holding his hands up to defuse the situation he snapped back, "Okay, fine I get it. I was only trying to be a gentleman jeez!"

They stood there fuming at each other. Both remembering that day they first met. In the very place, they were now headed.

Ryden sighed he knew it would be pointless to argue about it. He knew from experience that you couldn't stop her when she was determined. So instead he decided to set up camp on the edge of the forest. Even started a small campfire with his magic.

All this time Maya had gone and sat down on a log near the fire. He could see the pain in her eyes as she started to relive those memories. So he just took up the first watch.

➖➖

"Next up is a beautifully young woman in her early twenties. What a fine specimen; perfect for anything needed done around the house, or in the field! But perhaps you're more interested in her for personal reasons." The auctioneer smiled slyly as he saw a good handful of hands go up.

The woman broke down crying as she saw how many men had raised their signs. She knew that her exposed body would draw many to bid on her. This was the way he sold these female slaves. They both knew that many of the men wouldn't care who was up there as long as they got what they wanted.

"Sold! To the older gentleman in the back!" She heard the man say.

As she was shoved like an animal towards the man she saw her daughter being pushed up onto the stage. "No! No, not my baby!"

She tried to break free and grab her daughter from this evil. Though it was futile she couldn't save her, the men shoving her were much stronger than she was. She hung her head as she watched as the bidding was about to start.

"Hello," she looked up to see a young boy no older than five staring into her eyes. "I'm Ryden, what's yours?"

She studied him quizzically; this was no place for boys his age. "C... Cyd. What are you doing here?"

"Get lost brat. Go back to kiddy section." A guard growled.

Before he could react the guard was chewing dirt, and the little boy was on top of him. The boys eyes had a white glow to them, and his ears were oddly pointed. It was a comical sight to behold.

Whispering just loud enough for the guard to hear he said, "Is that any way to treat a prince."

"No," the man pushed up and threw the little boy into a pillar next to him. "That's how."

The impact alone would've killed a grown man, yet the Ryden just stood back up. He didn't even have a scratch on him. Instead of being scared, the boy looked furious.

"He's..." the guard never got to finish the sentence as he was consumed by a white flame.

The boy innocently shrugged as he walked back over to them. By now the auction had stopped due to the commotion. Every eye was on him.

Before she could be silenced she did the unthinkable. "Could you save my little girl. She's the one up there on the stage."

He looked at where the woman was pointing. "What about you?"

"It's too late for me, but not for her. Not for my Maya." The other guards came to their senses and started to drag the woman away again. "Please save her!"

Everyone turned back around as the auctioneer started the bidding again.

The woman didn't know what he would do, but she smiled. Somehow she knew her daughter would be safe with that little boy. He wasn't just a little boy, and she hoped that'd be enough for her little girl.

Ryden shoved his way to the front as he heard the auctioneer said, "Going once. Going twice..."

"I bid three hundred gold coins!" Everyone turned to see where the person who had said that came from, all they found was a young boy.

Laughter erupted from the crowd. There was no way a young boy could have that kind of money! Only the king had that kind of money.

Seeing he wasn't being taken seriously a pillar of white flames erupted through his hands, and over his head while he magically increased how far his voice would reach. "I said three hundred gold! Or are you all deaf?!"

The auctioneer wiped at his brow. He knew if the boy didn't have the money that he would have to keep the girl until the next auction. Yet he was sure if he didn't give the boy what he wanted he could, and most likely would, scare his clients away.

Slamming his hammer down he exclaimed, "Sold to the boy!"

To the auctioneers surprise, the boy gave him exactly three hundred gold as he walked up to get the girl. The boy looked close in age to the girl as he bent down to talk to her He watched in disbelief as the young boy had pants, and a shirt appear on her. He even watched in utter horror as the boy whispered something to the lock on the girls chains, and they just fell off.

"Come on Maya, I want to show you your new home."

➖➖

Maya shuddered as she relived that memory. She hadn't seen her mother since that day, nor had she ever been treated like a slave. That is until recently before they ran away to start this quest.

Before Ryden's father became corrupted she had been paid. She was free to leave whenever and wherever she wanted. She was even allowed to join the Paladins after she aced the requirements.

She blinked as the smoke from the dead fire blew into her eyes. She looked over to where Ryden laid still sleeping from where he had vigilantly taken watch. She couldn't stop herself from walking over and hugging him.

Looking a little concerned waking up he held her in his gaze. "What was that for?"

"For saving me." She pushed him to the side. "Now move I've got watch while you pack up."

Laughing he let her take watch. He packed up everything quickly after making a quick breakfast of quail eggs. He made sure everything looked the way it did the night before.

Smiling he shook his head as she stood ready to go. The bright afternoon sun brought just enough light for them to easily pick their way through the forest. By evening they had reached the Convergence.

--

A/N

Finally, chapter 1 is done! You wouldn't believe how hard it was for me to get this first chapter out! Next update should be on July 24, and will be updated every two weeks on Fridays until I finish TMC, as that takes priority.

The picture attached to this chapter is of the evening star flower.

Now for the questions, yay! What do you think of Maya's background? How about this quest? Or what about this man named Snake, do you think he will sell them out or not?

That's about all I can think of right now as I'm also trying to write TMC, and do ambassador stuff. Also speaking of Ambassador stuff I just found out WP HQ has fixed the bug in the clubs! (As of 7/10/15) 

Also, if you liked the chapter then please vote. If not tell me why either through Private messages, or here in this book. Thanks and have a wonderful day!