Ascendancy

Chapter 1

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, the soft forest ground crunching beneath. Their was no doubt of how powerful she was, yet she ran to save those who were chasing her from her own wrath. She knew if she fought them, none would live and killing was something that she couldn't even dream of doing in her wildest dreams after everything that she had been through. They were no match against her. She could take them all with a flick of her hand even though she was outnumbered by seven to one. But Alas she knew that in doing so more than one life will be taken by her hand. Her hands were bloodied enough by her sins, she didn't wish to add more. But she knew she couldn't let them take it away from her. In wrong hands, Feather of Destiny would bring nothing but catastrophe. The feather rightfully belonged to her, for she wasn't just any witch. She was Nikephoros Wharncliffis. A witch along with being born with the mark. The mark that her father Abelardo Wharncliffis was so  proud of. The mark of a true hunter. She was born as a marked hunter. The mark had chosen her, for it had considered her worthy. She was born to protect. She was born to win. The Feather of Destiny truly belonged only to a marked. And she was one. Nikephoros knew that she had to protect it with her life, which meant that it was necessary for her to be alive.

When Nikephoros was born with the mark, the whole kingdom was in chaos. Not only because a Marked Hunter was born but also because it had chosen a girl worthy of its bearing. Her mother Calanthe Wharncliffis had called renowned Seers and Sorcerers from all over the world. Calanthe was sure that their had occurred some mistake for her daughter,her baby girl could not be born with a responsibility like that. She was a girl after all. How could a lady be born with the mark? Obviously no Seer or Sorcerer could point out any mistake because there was none. Nature plays its own game and never has it ever played wrong. Abelardo knew it but he let Calanthe have her wish because he knew it was necessary for the woman to be satisfied.

Calanthe had refused to accept the truth for the first four year. She was under the belief that with time the mark would vanish but to her utter dismay the mark only darkened with time, finally having Calanthe to accept her defeat. Abelardo knew that Nikephoros had to be trained for her to be able to live up to the expectations and her responsibilities towards the society and nature that came to her with the mark. And hence as soon as she had turned seven, her training had begun. By the age of twelve she had fought her very first battle. Abelardo was aware of the fact that it was too early for her baby girl to be sent on her very first battle, but he had to be strong. This is how boys were trained and hence this is how Nikephoros would be trained. To have a marked hunter born in his family was a fortune enough. He had to keep up with his responsibility. He couldn't let his emotions come in between. He had called the famous and strongest warlocks, swordsman and archer from all over the world for his daughter's training. She had to be an all-rounder. That was what was expected from the mark bearer.

Nikephoros's twelfth birthday was celebrated along with her first victory on the battlefield. The entire kingdom was decorated and had welcomed her with admiration and respect. Her mother was wailing on her daughter's arrival. And why wouldn't they. She had never once ever complained of the responsibilities and obligations that were shouldered upon her. She had accepted them warmly and had never cowered or feared from them. She knew she had to live up to her father's expectations and so she did. By the time she was sixteen she had fought countless battles, had procured countless and valuable artifacts, all after paying for their fair price. Whether it was by money or by sweat and blood. She was hardly a lady, and how could she even be.

Her mother Calanthe had stopped giving her daughter ladylike lectures a long time ago. Because Nikephoros was hardly ever home and when she was her mother couldn't lecture her about things like that, when their was always a fear that she may not be able to see her daughter the next time. Don't get Calanthe wrong. She had absolutely no doubt of her daughter's bravely and her skills but she was her mother after all. And who can understand what goes in a mother's heart other than her own self. Calanthe would often brag about her daughter's valour at the royal balls but she couldn't deny the sadness she would feel when she would see other's daughters wearing pretty ball gowns to the ball, accompanied by their husbands or would-be-husbands. Calanthe knew that that was something her daughter would be deprived off for the rest of her life. She would wonder why her eldest son Theodosios Wharncliffis couldn't be born with the mark. It would have been more appropriate. But she knew of the different personalities of her kids and in her hearts of hearts she knew that Nikephoros would have been a likely candidate had she been asked to choose. Of course she loved Theodosios equally but their was no match of Nikephoros. She truly was one of her kind.

The forest was gradually becoming dense. Even though it was mid-day, there was hardly any light that the sun could provide. The thick branches of trees blocking any ray of sunlight. Nikephoros never understood how the other girls were ever comfortable with gowns. She absolutely loathed them. Her mother would often ask her to wear in one of the royal balls that she would organise. Nikephoros knew that her mother would purposely organise them during her visit. And she did not have the heart to refuse her mother's wish. After all she knew how disheartened her mother was when Calanthe had found her daughter was marked. This was the least she could do to make her happy and be ladylike. However she knew that only the dress could make her seem like a lady, everything else about her was far from ladylike.

"You know you cannot outrun us. And we know you wouldn't harm us. Give up already." Bandits. Foul filths, Nikephoros thought. Theft was one of the few things that she absolutely hated. 'What was not ours should not be claimed without fair price' her father had taught her. And she did well to remember it. She knew she was being tracked but she was unaware that it was at such a large scale. The seven bandits chasing her weren't the only ones. She knew it. She had caught there thoughts. They were leading her to a trap and she had to think fast. Nikephoros never had to use legilimency on anyone. She could easy read people and catch there thoughts. Perks of being a Marked Hunter. Disgrace to the name of wizards bandits were. They shouldn't be entitled to magic, she thought. But again nobody is born good or bad, it is our choices that makes us who we are today.

She had to think of something, but she didn't know what. She had always been good in coming up with strategies. That's how she had won every battle that she had fought. But now, she could think of nothing. Blank. Well everyone has there first time, she thought.

As if on cue, she could see the light becoming more bright up ahead. The trees were becoming less denser. She sprinted towards the area as fast as she could, giving in every ounce of strength that she had left. But to her utter dismay, the brightness only brought bad news to her. She barely was able to come at a stop. Right in front of her was a deep cliff. So deep that she could see nothing but fog. And in the midst of all this the small Gold box carved with strange engraving and symbols where lay The Feather of Destiny, slipped out of her hand, a foot way from her reach. But the bandits didn't seem to notice it of course. Slimy git they are, she thought.

"Ahh the chase finally comes to an end." One of the bandit crackled, the leader supposedly.

"Not so soon you imbecile." And with that said she waved her wand and a gust of wind, leaves and dust surrounded them, blocking there views. Nikephoros quickly ducked for the box, her wand still up in the air controlling the thrashing wind surrounding her and jumped of the cliff. There was always fun in doing things without thinking. Element of surprise. She kept falling backwards for she knew what she would do once she neared the ground. Well at least she thought she would do it. Her plan was obviously to use the cushioning charm but the nature had new games to play. Ahh how much it loved to do it. Nature, so unpredictable.

To her utter shock, Nikephoros was being sucked into a white bright light. The feeling of being compressed from all sides was overwhelming. She lost count of how many minutes or perhaps hours had she been falling for. She was too busy to guess what was happening and scrutinising the white bright light. She wanted to reach the light. It was pulling her towards it, not only physically but mentally as well. And all of a sudden the feeling was gone. She fell on the soft forest ground with a loud thud.

"You have got to be kidding me." She muttered under her breath.