Wake Up

Chapter One

Seven years later

Ethan had a growing headache, the hot summers heat was getting to be unbearable. The papers Infront of him on his desk no longer made any sense. The words were starting to blur, his vision was starting to sway. Slowly and drunkenly he gets up to go to the water station. Only to find it has no water left in it. Not even a drop.

His frustration climbs the frail ladder in his mind and makes his vision worse. Suddenly he can see again. "Thank me later, young boy." Confusion swirls around his mind, and soon fear joins it. The water station was full.

After filling a cup he heads back to his desk, and hums a slow tune while finishing off his paperwork. Soon he hears a knock at the door. "Come in." The door opens to show a very flustered maid.

Poor old Elaine Cobant. She had once been Queen Martha the thirds maid of honour. But after the Princesses visit the Queen went off the rails. She started insisting she did everything herself, she started leaving the safety of the castle to go on trips, or voyages, for longer and longer. Until one day, she left for a voyage headed to the recently found land of Zealsands and never came back.

The royal guard left for the small group of islands, but their ship was found drifting in the middle of the Susanic ocean, with all of the Royal Guard either dead on board or missing. Finally returning his attention to the old Maid and he greets her.

"Elaine, good morning." Something flickers across her face.
"Commander Ethan, she's coming, prepare for war!" And with that Elaine fell to the floor, the light left her eyes and pain slices through his chest.  She'd been like a mother to him. Trusting her word he rushes out of his office and down the many flights of stairs.

Once he teachers the soldiers dorm rooms he yells at the top of his voice. "ATTENTION!" The small amount of noise that had once been in the room immediately left. Dead silence was all that was left behind.

"Everyone, close the gates, arm the men, prepare to attack!" Ethan commands. The rush of anxiety and confusion swirls around him as all of the soldiers suddenly prepare to protect their kingdom with their lives.

A loud horn is heard from outside of the gates, followed by yells of anger and the sound of hoofbeats. "ATTACK MEN, ATTACK!" Arrows fly and horses rise up from the grounds.

Commander Ethan Burt watched in horror as one after another his men go down, without even touching the intruders.

But soon time is frozen, and a woman rises up and drifts towards him. She looks slightly familiar, but he can't quite remember where from. She's beautiful, with her jet black hair, her bluey violet eyes and her tan skin. But there's something dangerous around her. He instinctively looks down, but she lifts his chin. "Pathetic, honestly, not even teaching them how to use their gifts."

It's Cathryn, of course. With a wink she disappears along with her thousand strong army. All trace she leaves is the hundreds of dead soldiers.

Later that day once the sun has dropped behind the horizon Ethan paces around his office. So it has been her the whole time. But why didn't she kill him? How come he didn't freeze like the rest of them? What made her like this?

The last time he had seen her he'd been only fifteen. Such a young little chappie. But even back then there'd been something about her, a fire in her eyes that told him not to take her for granted. But he'd ignored the feeling, laying it to the side, playing it off as his attraction to her.

But he should have listened to the feeling, he should have payed attention. "Take this as a warning young boy."
"Be kind to everyone, it'll hurt more when they stab you in your back, but a good reputation gets you further." Ethan mutters.
"What was that Sir?" His assistant James Lawson asks.
"James, search through the castle for any files of a woman named Cathryn, Princess Cathryn."

Once in bed Ethan let's the tears fall. His parents had passed when he was a young boy, no one knows how or why, but he was brought to the castle, and Elaine took him in. She'd taught him everything he needed to know, but he'd been a troublesome child. It wasn't until Cathryn had warned him about actually using his knowledge has he put his many teachings to use.

He owed his whole life to both of them. But now, one was dead and the other gone crazy. With one last sad sign he drifts off to sleep.

A sharp knock stirs him from his sleep. "Who is knocking at this ungodly hour?"

"Sir, I found the files." James's voice reaches him, it sounds tired, and Ethan can't help but wonder why he didn't leave it till the next day.

"Slide them under the door." He goes to roll over and go back to sleep, but what happens next shocks him to the bone. "Your files, Sir." He looks up in shock to see Cathryn standing over him. Ethan sits bolt upright, and almost hits his head on Cathryn's.

"What did you want them for?" Cathryns even yet, terrifying voice prys the answer from him.
"I wanted to know your history, and how old you are, stuff like that."
"I am 22, my birthday is the 12th of July 1857." Cathryn recites.

"Last time I saw you you called me young boy. We're the same age."
"Ah, that's the difference, here on land things are quite different, you age much slower, and stay with your Ma and Pa much longer," a smile creeps it's way onto her face.

"A Siren like you should have been raised in the sea, but your parents passed, and you were left on land, everyone saw you and thought you weren't capable, whereas in reality, you had just been taking a walk with your family when they were killed." With that she disappears. "See you soon young boy."
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Thank you so much for reading!!

Bella