Soldier's Heart

Prologue: The Bleakness of Triumph

"Tiber, no! Spare my daughter, please!" begged the Zjin queen as she desperately backed up against the edge of a cliff with her newborn daughter, Zeirthra, whimpering between her legs.

Not so long ago, the mortal enemy of the Zjin queen's family-and all Zjins, for that matter-had just killed her husband and the rest of her family. That cruel Wolarbearf Tiber had left only her and her barely-born daughter alive, and it didn't look as if he would be as merciful to them, either.

"Be sensible, Zjara! I'm giving you a chance to live. If you only knew the reason that I wanted her, then you'd agree, I'm sure. Come; give her up and save your pathetic hide. Trust me," smiled the beastly creature, showing his dagger-like yellow teeth. His rippling white fur blew in the cold night wind, and his ice-blue eyes narrowed as he slowly stalked closer to the pleading mother and the young princess.

Zjara looked left, then right. She almost hated to do it and wasn't even sure if it was possible, but it was the only choice that Tiber had left her. Grabbing her squeaking daughter under the arms, she launched herself into the night sky. She strained to keep aloft as Zeirthra's weight slowed her down. She was hoping to find a safe place to spend the night, but at this rate, she might not even make it to see the next dawn.

After struggling in the air for a few minutes, her strength suddenly gave out on her, and she started to plummet. Zjara let out a bone-chilling shriek as she and Zeirthra plunged towards the unforgiving ground below. Tiber simply smiled and sat back on his haunches as he enjoyed the sweet taste of victory.

Once he was sure that the mother and the daughter were dead, he slowly climbed down the cliff and into the small, rocky valley that the two female Zjin had fallen into. With a murderous glow in his maleficent eyes, he leaned over the princess' body and whispered words that seemed as dark and ancient as the beginning of time. A few moments later, a strange swirling green wind picked up the body of Zeirthra and whisked her away. Tiber remained silent for a few moments; waiting to see if the mother would wake up. When Zjara didn't move, he tiptoed towards her and ripped into her flesh. Blood dripped down his chin, and he let out a blood-curdling laugh as he savagely devoured the mother's body.

At that moment, all the light seemed to have left the windy landscape. Even the rocks themselves seemed to shiver as the light of the moon went dim and everything faded into inescapable blackness.