Blaze (Book)/Prologue

Prologue
The stars shown bleakly above the mountain, casting it and the valleys surrounding it in shadow. Night used to be beautiful, bright and enough to make any Mortal caught near the mountain to gasp and gape in awe, but not now. Something was amiss- the hooting of the owls in the ash trees had died down, and several dark grey clouds covered majority of the stars, leaving only the moon to light up the mountain. It seemed as if nothing lived there, as if the mountain had never been touched by mankind, but it was not so. Unknown to the world, that one bleak night there were humans living there. Humans who were seeking revenge.

Inside one of the giant towers located in the shadow of the mountain, a women sat watching the bleak moon as it fell to give way to dawn. Warmed by the flickering candles she kept in her tower, the agitated women sighed as coldness filled her soul. Just as she was about to rise, another being entered the shadowy room. Her smoky black hair that had strands of orange in it moved in the breeze, as if fire had once existed in her hair. The taller women stirred, her eyes leaving the dull moon and focusing them on the newcomer. "Do you have any news?" She murmured, her blue eyes narrowed in both a mixture of exhaustion and anger. The younger sighed and shakily pulled out a scroll. "We buried Justice by the Shadow Pond. Thorn couldn't revive her." The women sighed and turned her eyes back to the moon. "Just as I feared. We can't lose any more Immortals. There are strange forces threatening us, and this is the third death we have had in less then 10 years." The messenger walked forward tentatively, careful not to stir her leader's fury. "My Queen, my news is not complete yet." The Queen narrowed her blue eyes, fear mixing with her anger at the situation she was placed into."What is it, Blaze." Blaze briefly looked at her feet and then at the dying moon, which was sinking below the horizon. "I think I found another." The Queen's blue eyes widened, her interest killing her anger and annoyance she had earlier. "Where? Who?" Blaze flipped her black hair, which was now slowly starting to turn red. "She is somewhere located in Europe, I believe. She possesses the ability to communicate with animals, and I witnessed with my very own eyes her changing into a cat. I think she is the bearer of metamorphic powers we have been searching for." The Queen sighed and walked towards Blaze, her blonde hair now flowing in the breeze that had entered the tower. As the breeze entered, the candles blew out, leaving the two women in complete darkness. The only light that was provided was Blaze's now bright red and orange hair, that was now giving off sparks as it crackled and danced with flame. "It is good that you found that, Blaze. Hopefully they will be a turning point against the tide of death that has began to plague us. How can we train new Immortals when the current Immortals are mysteriously dying?" Blaze nodded, her brown eyes softly glowing with sympathy. "I understand. Maybe she knows the answer to our-" The Queen cut her off with a harsh laugh. "Are you suggesting that Mortals could be killing us? We are Immortals! I could destroy a whole country of Mortals with a snap of my fingers!" Blaze rolled her eyes. "I'm not implying that the Mortals are our problem. I'm saying what if this Mortal figures out why our long lifespans are being cut short." The Queen nodded, the serious look returning to her eyes. "I believe you, Blaze. You always have had good intentions." Blaze smiled weakly, not completely knowing where her queen was going with her statement. "I know I wasn't trained as an Immortal, but I do my best." The Queen smiled, her blue eyes brimming with respect. "I understand. The darkness draws nearer, my old friend. I need you to do something for me." Blaze gazed into the Queen's eyes, her own interest now sparked. "Blaze, I want you to bring the Mortal to me. Maybe she is the answer to these deaths after all."

Dawn quickly overtook the mountain, throwing it into harsh warm light. Birds stirred from their slumber, the rays of the sun danced and flickering across the land. The clouds slowly pranced across the sky, every once in a while a cloud would pass in front of the rising sun and send the valleys and cliffs back into deep shadow. Towards the bottom of the mountain stood another woman, her short brown hair interlaced with flowers, that brought out her warm and thoughtful brown eyes. However, the ceremony she was performing wasn't bright and cheerful. She turned her head to look back up at the mountain, where several towers were hidden in it's shadow among the valleys. The woman sighed and turned back to the grave she was digging for her fallen friend, who was laying a few feet away from her. As she began to dig once more, a short figure rushed out of the tallest tower, heading for her direction. She stopped digging and turned her head, her brown eyes narrowed upon sight of the figure running towards her. "Blaze." She said coolly, her eyes dull with grief and exhaustion. "What brings you here? Are you here to help bury the dead?" Blaze blinked her brown eyes, and ran a hand through her beautiful and fiery hair. "Although I want to pay my respects to Justice, that is not the reason I have sought you out, Thorn." Thorn chuckled, her light voice echoing around the cavern. "Talk and work then, Blaze. Helios left to raise the sun, leaving me to finish the burial rights." Blaze sighed and turned away. "I would love to help you Thorn, but I can't right now. Queen Fierce is sending me on a mission to recruit a Mortal." Thorn grunted as she threw the shovel on the ground, the hole now deep enough for her standards. "If it's so secret, then why aren't you on your way?" Blaze rolled her eyes, trying to hide her annoyance towards her comrade. "I want you to make sure she doesn't suspect anything...Suspicious." Thorn laughed as she walked over to start dragging Justice's body into the grave she had built. "So basically we can't let her figure out that we all are in danger?" Blaze nodded, her eyes starting to glow against the light that was flooding the horizon. Thorn looked back at her as she lowered Justice into the hole with some vines she had conjured. "Very well. I'll help Queen FIerce make the Immortals seem perfect. On one condition." Blaze gulped as she met her gaze. Two brown pairs of eyes gazed at each other, both united towards a common goal- the mysterious Mortal. "I can't keep wasting my energy reviving people. If she dies or fails before the next full moon, she will remain dead forever." Blaze nodded, joy filling her that she had convinced Thorn to help her convince the Mortal to stay, yet fear gripped her heart. Chilled thoughts raced through her head as she walked towards the rising sun. ''What if she did die before the full moon? What if she dies and she truly was the answer to our problems? Would my promise to Thorn result in our doom?''