Amira

We arrived on the northern ridge over looking the monastery at dusk. Elias swung himself down from his horse as did I and we tethered the horses a short distance off from us and took off our saddle packs. I hadn't spoke to Elias most of the day and the silence as well as fogging my thoughts from him had left me exhausted.

"Why don't you grab a few hours rest while you can?" he asked gently touching my shoulder. "You need to be at your peak performance tonight."

I held my whetstone in my hand feeling the weight of what we were going to do that night already weighing on my shoulders. Why couldn't I just trust and follow our warlord and father as blindly as Elias?

"Alright," I said with a small yawn.

I unstrapped my knife sheaths from both my legs and arms and placed them in Elias's outstretched hands along with my whetstone before grabbing my bedroll. We wouldn't be eating as lighting a fire could give away our position.

"Amira?" he asked gently.

"Aye?" I answered scooting deeper into my blankets.

"Everything will go without flaw; you'll see," he said. "You've gotten the masking spell down to perfection or our father wouldn't have sent you on this mission."

I wish I had his confidence in my magic.

*****

There was a storm rumbling outside followed a few seconds later by a loud crack of lightning drowning out the heavy fall of rain. Usually such sounds didn't keep me up. I loved the sound of rain, but tonight, for whatever reason I was restless.

Reports of one of the warlords was spreading wildly lately- one that had even our head priestess showing fear. Andre Makar. He was slowly but surely killing or making other warlords join him. His goal? Unite us under one rule. It wasn't his end goal that was bad- it was how he was going about it. The bloodshed. He was power hungry and lately there were rumors that he wasn't above entering temples and taking priestesses or priests. And today? We had heard he was within riding distance.

Another clap of thunder had me sitting up in my bed. I was the only one of my sisters that could use rune stones. I wasn't good, but I had the ability. Had he somehow heard of me? My parent's had brought me here for my own protection because of my two different colored eyes and my magic as a means of protecting me from someone like him using me for his own gain. Warlords loved using ones gifted like me.

There was suddenly a knock on my door.

"Amira?" asked one of the sisters.

"Come in. I'm awake."

"You need to come to the main hall immediately."

I swung my legs off the edge of my bed and got up without question. The fear in her voice confirmed what my gut had already told me. He was here. I grabbed my pouch that held the few rune stones I had made and said a quick prayer to Talon before following my sister to the main hall.

He stood beside the High Priestess- the man of my nightmares. The man I would eventually call father. Andre Makar. He had silk white hair cut short. He was taller than her with a large muscular build. There was a boy- maybe two or three years older than me that stood to his right dressed in all black.

"I'm sure you've all heard of me," he said his cold gaze sweeping the room. "I'm Andre Makar. I'm here looking for one of you to join me as my daughter to help me make our shambled country whole again. Our time is near. The country of Rylom's king goes older every year and doesn't keep as close of an eye on us thinking we are weak."

No one said anything.

"No one wishes to rise in glory willingly?" he asked after a few moments.

The boy drew his sword on his side. This is how it always went. Would my sisters rather die than have one of us join him?

"I…I will," I said standing up.

I wouldn't watch their blood be spilled.

"Amira!" hissed the head priestess.

His eyes fell on me and he put his hand in front of the boy as a sign to put away his sword before striding towards me. He towered over me with silver blue eyes full of curiosity.

"And what magic are you blessed with?" he asked.

"Runes," I said.

"Amira!" hissed the head priestess in warning again.

The spark that lit up in his eyes was terrifying. It was like he saw all the ways I could be used. A small smile played on his lips.

"Old magic," he mused. "Explains the unusual eyes as well… I heard rumors of you. You're from the south aren't you?"

"Amira, it's time," came Elias voice as he gently touched my shoulder