CHAPTER 4: DAUGHTER OF VIENNA

Alicia and Cassandra walked towards the shuttle that would take them to Seledon. Its golden paint job mixed with the beaming sun upon blinded Alicia for a moment. As she looked away from the shuttle, she saw her mother following close behind her. She wondered what words of wisdom she would bestow on her before her departure. Also, the thought of what her mother wouldn't say that she really did want to say, but always chose not to. Alicia knew her mother constantly wanted to tell her something, something that she knew always weighed upon her. Though she never did say what it was, she would only give of the slightest indication that there was something she wanted to say.

She stopped walking and let Cassandra go aboard the shuttle as she felt her mother's presence directly behind her. She quickly turned around to face her catching a hint of sadness in her eyes. The decision to have her go to Seledon must've been a difficult one. Alicia didn't realize it till now just how much pain her mother was in, she had to send off her only child to a kingdom controlled by the Collective and hope that she remained safe. She noticed Farah and another handmaiden walk up and stand behind her mother. She looked over to Farah who simply nodded and looked away. She watched her mother's hands cup the sides of face as they locked gazes.

"Remember my beautiful daughter, everything that I do is done for you. I love you my angel." Viennashal said as she wrapped her arms around Alicia tightly.

For the first time in a long time Alicia felt a strong need to hug her mother. She too held on tightly and then it happened, she could hear her mother speaking to her. Her mother had created a telepathic link between them. Alicia smiled on the inside as she realized that in some form her mother would always be with her.

"I love you too mother. I just don't want things to change, I shouldn't have to go."

Viennashal spoke softly in her ear.

"This is for you my angel. You the fire, the key, the reason I fight so hard. A day is coming when the God's will look upon you in envy because one day you will oppose their tyranny and bring an age of harmony to realms."

Alicia shook her head slowly. "How could I ever possess such power that even the God's will envy me?"

"In time my angel, all will become clear. You have a destiny of greatness, I felt it the moment you were born. Just know, the greater the destiny the greater the tribulations you will encounter to reach it. Be strong and don't look back at what once was, look ahead at what will be. "

Alicia nodded as she tried to wrap her mind around her mother's words. She turned around and walked to the shuttle slowly. She glanced at Cassandra who seemed to be in another place entirely. She sat next to her as she felt a tear run down the side of her face. It had been sometime since her mother had spoken words so powerful to her. All she wanted was to remain in Galaxia and maybe finally establish a relationship with her. But as she was just told, her destiny was ahead of her and if she didn't feel it before she felt it now.

*****

Farah stood silent as Viennashal turned to face her and Delah her lieutenant.

"Her security as well as Cassandra's is the utmost importance to me. Keep her safe. Keep her strong, her training will not be easy and Urlecit will do his best to break her. You keep her balanced Farah."

"My queen, I was told that young Kalastra was there to support her?"

Viennashal glanced over at the shuttle entrance and saw Cassandra looking at her with the same neutral look in her eyes that she always did. She nodded at her and Cassandra nodded back in confidence and confirmation. Only they knew what the nod was for and only she and Salastra knew what Cassandra's true purpose was for accompanying her daughter.

"She has been given a task to complete and only she can complete it. She will journey somewhere only she can go and you must not interfere with her task. Do you understand?"

Farah nodded.

"I have enlisted the protection of more handmaidens while you are away. You have no need to worry about me, keep your eyes on Alicia."

*****

She found herself in the throne room of Urlecit. She had heard stories of the hooded pale faced God, stories that she didn't wish to make queries about. The throne room was a lavish one, vines full of leaves and different sorts of vegetation. They stretched across the silver coated walls where burning Amber's within massive black skulls that held sparkling crystals in place of the eyes. She shuddered for a brief moment as she looked to the steps which led to Urlecit's throne. On each side of the first step stood two guards and white robes and golden armor. They wore masks with faces of various beasts of legends, beasts that once walked the Seven Kingdoms. Alicia looked up at Urlecit and then over at Cassandra who stood silent and unhinged at the decor of the room or the guards with their masks. Urlecit stood and slowly began to walk down the steps.

"So, this slender, young uninitiated child who has come to my halls dressed in all black with a cowl drawn over her raven-haired head is the 'Daughter of Vienna'." Urlecit said with a slight chuckle as he stroked his dark brown beard.

Alicia felt as if the mighty being in front of her had taken a sword and chopped her legs off. Suddenly she felt smaller and less powerful than she did upon entering the throne room. Urlecit was now standing less than ten feet in front of her silently sizing her up. She wasn't sure if she should speak and if she did what would she say. She had been sheltered in Galaxia for so long she never knew how to properly address a God.

"Why are you here?" Urlecit asked in a low tone.

Alicia stumbled upon her words towards trying to come up with a response. Before she could Urlecit interrupted her.

"Why are you here? Did your mother not tell you why she sent you here?"

Alicia slowly shook her head. She didn't know why her mother sent her here. She was told it was to learn. She'd been taught combat from Farah and Delah for ages.

"Your here to be trained in the ways of the Collective. To learn our power and how to truly use the power you were born with. So, one day you can prove yourself worthy of walking among us."

Alicia nodded. "My mother's handmaidens trained me for years. I'm capable of wielding a sword, your grace." she said as she glanced over at Farah who stood against the far wall to the left of her.

Urlecit nodded. "Indeed, but can you fight without one? Can wield power that comes from within?"

Alicia stood there unsure of what to say. She wasn't trained to fight without a sword. She was told stories of how the Goddesses could use telekinesis and shoot kinetic energy from their hands. She didn't know that she too possessed such power or the potential to do so. She looked to her right at Cassandra who didn't say a word.

"You think she is your ally, what if she was to attack you right now? How will you defend against her? You have no sword, no way to shield yourself from death claws. Your mother and her handmaidens did you more disservice than good during your time in Galaxia."

"Your grace, my mother does everything for my betterment." Alicia said trying to remain loyal to her mother's words.

Urlecit laughed as he stretched out his hand. She stood defenseless and unafraid. As she stood, she watched as two red bolts of energy sped at her. She didn't have time to move and she found herself flying back into a wall. Her chest ached and felt as if it would collapse in on itself. Her heart beat sped up and anger filled her. Instinctively, she reached out with her mind and felt around the room. She felt the air as it filled her lungs. She felt the emotions of the guards, she heard their thoughts and feelings of amusement. Finally, she felt Urlecit, but strangely she couldn't hear him or feel any emotion from him. This confused her, normally she could hear thoughts and feel emotion with little hesitation from the host.

She reached out again this time instinctively raising her arm with an outstretched hand. Without thinking of what she was doing he called two swords to her grasp. She jumped into the air catching them and quickly running towards Urlecit with a speed at which she never knew she had. His four guards assumed a line formation and stood ready as they ran at her. She screamed loudly as she engaged them. She kicked at the shield of the first guard with enough force to push him away. He stumbled away as the next came and their swords met. She swung towards his mid-section, but he was already backing away as he grabbed at his belt. He threw a knife at her which she instantly caught with her mind and sent it back at him with more ferocity than which he had thrown it. He brought his shield up and blocked the knife as it came. She proceeded to strike at him high with one sword and cut across with the other.

She smiled as he had taken the bait. Her high strike met his sword, with her foot she kicked his arm that held his shield. It flew away and she twirled her second sword until the blade was angled so the blade scraped against the floor. Sparks flew into the guards' face as he attempted to shield his eyes. She seized the moment and plunged her blade into his shield arm cutting it off. His arm fell to the floor with a thud as he dropped to his knees. She swung with both swords coming to meet each other. In between them was the man's neck or at least it once was. In a blinding move she had cut the man's neck clean off his head flying in one direction and his beast mask in another. She watched the other three guards rush her trying to catch her off guard. Farah trained her well, she was always ready for a blitz attack from multiple opponents.

She ran at them and gracefully dropped to her knees sliding underneath two of their shields. She jumped to her fight stabbing one in the back. In shock at seeing her display and battle prowess they slowly began to circle her. Alicia was a patient fighter and had enough stamina to allow this fight to continue on, but these guards weren't her target. She threw her sword at the guard in front of her. The blade traveled straight into the guard's breastplate and he fell. Counting to herself she got to four crouching to the floor. She could hear the speed of the final guards boots against the floor and instinctively summoned power from some unknown place. With that power she lifted herself off the floor performing a high backflip and after landing behind the guard grabbed him and slit his throat. He fell straight and she summoned his sword so once again she had two and walked towards Urlecit.

He grabbed at a gold handle behind him that she hadn't noticed until now. From his back he pulled out a sword that glowed with a red aura around it. He proceeded towards her grinning slightly as he came closer to her. As she walked closer, she felt something rise up in her. It started out faint, but as she welcomed it presence within her it grew. She began to feel different somehow. She felt an energy that she had never felt before. It traveled through her, from her head down to her feet. Her mind felt free of doubt and boundaries as she could feel power at her fingertips. She didn't question what was happening to her, she simply allowed herself to open up and let this energy flow through her. As Urlecit came ever closer she began to sprint and after she made it to where she was about fifty feet from the hooded God she flew into the air. She allowed herself to drop down and clash swords with him.

As their swords met, she looked into his eyes and that was when it finally happened. Somehow Urlecit let the veil which was once guarding his mind to be removed. She reached out and began to see the shock of her recent killing spree in his mind. Could he be so taken aback by her display of power and skill that he unknowingly let his mental guard down? Alicia wasn't sure if he had, but judging from his stance he was surprised by her. She used his shock against him as she began to strategically strike at him where she could see weakness. His stance didn't outwardly suggest where his weakness was, but Alicia wasn't using her physical eyes to see any of this. She had closed her eyes and found that she could see him. His aura was one of darkness, around him was nothing but light. It was as if her sight while her eyes were closed was stronger than if she had them opened. Everything shined with a silver and grey hue. Every soul within the room glowed either black or white save for Cassandra. Her aura was neither black or white, it was a mix of the two. She shook her away the many questions that started to fill her mind and swung at Urlecit's chest.

He backed up one step and kicked her in the face sending her backwards. Catching herself she aimed her body sword first towards the floor and landed fiercely with a bang that could break the speed of sound. She sped towards him as she uttered a command at the knife that was thrown at her earlier. It quickly flew at Urlecit and he knocked it away with a wave of his hand. She felt the veil that was once removed in his mind now back down. Alicia didn't care, the damage had already been done. She knew where he was weakest. Once they clashed swords, but Alicia didn't stop there. One offensive strike after another, she kept attacking, each strike she made was faster and hard then the one before. Within minutes they were fighting up the steps to the throne. She didn't stop to think that maybe Urlecit may have a back plan or some sort of trick up his sleeve. She let out a scream as one of her swords hit flesh instead of blade.

Urlecit looked down at where the blade had struck him. Alicia too stared at the cut she'd just given him. If she had taken the time to assess things, she would have noticed that Urlecit had one hand stretched out at her chest. She looked down and for a moment she didn't feel anything, then in an instant a mind shattering pain made its way into her legs. She dropped to her knees, on her way down she slammed her swords into the floor causing a blind flash to occur. Alicia knew that the flash would throw Urlecit off guard for a moment, a moment she could use to gather herself. She did just that and no longer felt pain anymore. Instead she reached within her body and pulled it away from her and sent the same energy back at him.

Urlecit threw up his hand to block her causing them both to be knocked away. He flew into the throne as the sword fell away. Alicia fell away landing at the bottom of the steps. Urlecit stood sending blast after blast of kinetic energy at Alicia. Part of her expected him to do that. She caught each blast and sent them at the walls. She walked back up the steps with each blast she deflected. He angrily started ripping out the skull emplacements that were in the wall at her. She stopped suddenly, focusing on holding multiple skulls suspended in the air. After he had sent six after her she sent all six of them at him. He lifted his hands as he went airborne hovering over his throne. He waved his hands sending the skulls back at her. She ran up three steps and jumped in the air spinning, each skull hit a blade causing it to shatter in thousands of pieces.

Urlecit raised an eyebrow at her. "Enough, you've learned much today. Indeed, you truly the Lord of Chaos' Daughter. Viennashal Iminz's power doss indeed flow through your veins, but you fight with anger. Every attack is designed to kill."

Alicia threw away her swords. "Why should I allow my enemies to live. If they dare to face me and fail, they don't deserve to breathe."

Urlecit smiled but only for a moment. "With a mindset like that you should have been a male so you could be a lord. Too bad your mother willed it that you were a female."

Alicia cocked her head to the side. "I'm not sure I understand. How can a Goddess will something such as the birth of her child?"

"You really don't know your lineage, do you young one?"

Alicia knew that her mother was a Goddess that was bestowed that title after the Goddesses imbued her with their powers. Unfortunately, she never met her father, she'd only heard stories from others. Those stories caused her to be afraid of the who he might be. All the times he had come to the palace she had had made it a point to be with Cassandra, hence where the stories came from.

"No, your grace. I only know that I'm the first of my kind. Though I don't know what that means."

Urlecit stared at her for a long time as he saw the same innocent heart that her mother once had. Apparently Asjuntar's daughter didn't even know who she was or where she came from. Perhaps with the right amount of time she could be trained to fight among the Collective. Maybe, she could fashion to become a Demi Goddess if she was willing to open her mind. The least he could do was try and see if she could be swayed.

"Your mother was once a human; the Goddesses used their power on her and transformed her into a Celestial giving her the powers of Goddess. Which means you are part human. Your father, my brother is a Lord of Collective and the Lord of Chaos. This means you have the power of a God within you."

Alicia stood there in the middle of the stairs to throne amused and betrayed. At one hand she just learned that her father was a Lord and that she was partially a human. That meant that she was indeed a hybrid, the first of her kind. None of this had been told to her by her mother and it made her feel like she had been betrayed. Her mother made her think that her father was a Lord who simply was just that. Now she knew the truth, he was a Lord and a member of the God Collective. Anger swelled within her, anger that she now held toward her mother. She had sent her off to come here and be given knowledge that she could have told her herself, instead she had to hear it from Urlecit. She slowly turned around and began to walk down the steps. As she went, she heard a voice in her head speak to her.

"Be mindful my angel, he will train you and he will attempt to do seduce you. Be strong my dear, I have cautioned you of the God's and their ways. Now you must decide for yourself, whether to heed my wisdom or be trained to wage war against me."

Alicia suddenly looked around trying to find her mother. She had never been this far away from her before, but being here in this place made her wonder. Did the link they now shared meant that her mother could communicate with her even at such a distance as this? Maybe so, she looked back at Urlecit as she made it to the floor.

"Indeed, I have learned much today. I learned my lineage, and I also have learned much about you. You won't sway me to do something that could tear apart my family. I Accept your training, but don't think I will be made a pawn for the Collective."

Urlecit held Alicia's gaze with a neutral expression. Inside he burned with rage. How did she know what he was trying to do before he even made a move to do it? Viennashal was still at work somehow, using her power to influence her daughter. He knew Alicia would never admit it, but she was somehow able to communicate with her mother. The Collective would have to move quickly, if Viennashal was not dealt with then her daughter would indeed be used as a weapon against them. Her power was great and somehow here in his kingdom she had awakened to its calling. She entered into his presence as child, but emerged the victor in the duel proving she was no stranger to any of this. Not to mention how she killed his guards with such strategic effort it sickened him. Though the part that drove him mad the most was how she'd been able to get inside his head, placing doubts and deception concerning his own prowess. He looked up at her as he attempted to calm his mind. She held his gaze; earlier she had been unhinged and without balance. Now as he looked upon her his saw a growing confidence and raw power. Her training wouldn't be long as the power of the Realm itself was at work within, guiding her.

"You may leave, meet me in courtyards tomorrow at sunrise. There we will see the knowledge you possess."

Alicia turned to leave with Farah, Cassandra andthe handmaidens behind. Even if she passed his training, she knew in her heartthe Collective was the true enemy and she would need to be mindful. Her mothermay have kept truths from her, but Urlecit was hiding a deadlier truth and shevowed not to leave his kingdom until she learned all his secrets.

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