Charlotte and the Kingdom of Starsha

Prologue

They found us

That was all she could think of at that moment when the first fireball hit. People ran, screaming from their homes. There was nowhere to go because the kingdoms main exit was blocked by them, the army of Orcs. Their leader, dressed in black, was in the front on a black horse.

I thought he was dead. I thought they were all dead.

It was a cold day. Snow was falling and the ground looked like jewels, yet the fire seemed to make the snow look like blood. Ash started to fall along with the snow and the sun was covered by dark clouds of smoke.

Queen Meradissa could not believe her eyes as she watched her kingdom burn. The town was ablaze and she could hear the shouts of men, the cries of women, and the screams of children. The army seem to slaughter her people without so much as a second glance. She watched as her son marched across the bridge towards the Orcs with their strong, yet small army. She wished more troops were here to defend, but they were too busy fighting another war in another land. Her husband was away with them.

The army started to charge. They started to lower their weapons to the Orcs. The queen caught a feeling of hope as she saw the army charge with what seemed like all the courage in the world. But her hope was diminished when she saw how fast the Orcs slaughtered them when they crossed swords. 

The queen saw no alternative, no escape, and no hope. She felt her kingdom fall to the leader in black. The fires rose higher and the smoke grew thicker.

But maybe...

She realized that their was a way. A way to prevent this disaster. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten. Maybe it would work... But if she used it, then she would never be able to summon them again.

After this is over, no one will ever be able to summon them again!

She went to the front of the balcony, looked down at her dying city, then up at the sky and started to sing. It was a strange melody. It told of sadness, happiness, regret, war, all kinds of things. Her voiced soared throughout the kingdom. It was so loud that the leader in black paused for a split second and realized what was happening.

"Faster! We must take the castle now! Kenneth! Get Queen Meridissa!" He screamed at his army.

The Orcs went faster than ever slaying everything in their path and Kenneth started running up pillars and over walls with ease! But Queen Meridissa continued to sing. Her voice spoke for the dead and seemed to give hope for her troops. She saw her son turn towards her and she could have sworn he smiled before he was stabbed. 

She finished the song and closed her eyes...

The wind shifted from the left to the right. She felt coldness, but then warmth. She opened her eyes and turned around. Five figures stood before her. The one at the end was the tallest and their heights decreased as you looked down the line. The average-height man spoke first.

"You know the risks and you know the cost, my queen. You cannot turn back and you cannot change what you have done. We shall deliver and you shall receive without any complaint. Do we have a deal?"

The queen shook her head.

" Very well. Shall we begin?"

They disappeared and the wind shifted back. She turned back around. She had no idea what she had begun, but if it saved her kingdom, so be it. In the distance, she saw a fireball come hurtling at her. It seemed like eternity before she felt the heat on her face.

She was plunged into darkness.