Between Two Worlds

Prologue

"The northern shadow grows as the Dark Queen rises from the ashes of the Lost Princess. The silver legacy forever binds two to The Seven. Constant war brews as two worlds forever collide, double the suffering and pain. From the shadow of the last queen, the horseman will rise."

The prophecy, spoken by the powerful seer Jeff, had long troubled Finn, the demon king, and his loyal council. It had often unsettled upper and lower demons alike for centuries. Despite Jeff's processing no recollection of speaking them, the prophecy sparked a deep sense of confusion. It was spoken during a time of peace between humanity and demons, a time when demons had walked the earth freely as friends rather than the vicious tormentors they were known as today. The mystery of these words, spoken in a time of peace, was a source of deep confusion for all who heard them, leaving them with a burning desire to unravel its enigma.

For years, anyone who heard the prophecy assumed it would come to fruition in the small settlement they'd once called home, Hollow Peak. Even the mundanes who settled there believed it, so much so that the words Jeff had spoken that day had become mythical, passed down from one generation to the next until they became a story until the original words were lost and forgotten.

Nobody, however, thought the northern shadow could mean another kingdom, so peaceful that many missed it. Untouched by war and time, the people there seemed ignorant of the world around them and the dangers of war. This peaceful ignorance only heightened the sense of impending danger and the need for immediate action, instilling a sense of urgency in all who were aware of the prophecy.

Umbara was the peaceful kingdom's name. It was hidden in the far north, across the great ocean, in the shadows of an ancient forest and tall mountain peaks. As blind to war as the people could be, they instead served as allies to the hunted magic folk, so much so many had come to believe they, too, were decent of magic.

In the underworld, Aleister, a king's trusted circle member, sat on the carved stone steps of the throne room near the fire torches. He held the scroll with the mysterious prophecy scribbled upon it, ravaged by time, torn and dusty, unkempt, and long forgotten. He carefully read over it, tracing the scribbled words as if to memorize them again.

"Devitt," whispered Aleister, tanges of an old Dutch ascent. "Our queen rises again," he uttered, remembering her in previous incarnations, always fierce, powerful and beautiful. She was always a friend to those who needed and earned it, but always a formidable leader when required and expected of her.

"Things will be different this time," came the commanding voice of The Undertaker, one of the two powerful seers among the demonic ranks. "Our queen will be different than expected, and the past kings will test Balor far crueler than before," he whispered. Concern was etched across his features, fear even sparkling in his pale eyes as many images blurred through his mind, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the impending threat.

"Does he know?" questioned Aleister, rising from his previous seated position. Still, he gripped the old prophecy scroll, determined to protect it. However, he was a loyal companion to Balor, a friend and inner circle member. He, like many, still desired to see the queen return once more, even if that meant uncertainty and unknown trials ahead of them all.

"Indeed he does," voiced Taker, recalling Jeff's warning to the king that caution must be taken to prevent the fall of fourteen. "Beautiful she remains," he commented, seeing the sweet lady destined to become Devitt. So vivid were his visions of her. It was as if she stood before him.

"Will she recognize us?" asked Damian, his voice deep and rumbling but with a sense of gentleness, even care. Although he'd not been present when Devitt had last reigned, he knew of her, the memories others so fondly spoke of, the visions those with the ability cast in remembrance and hope of her eventual return.