"Explain. Oi. You're supposed to be the smart one, but I suppose it can't be helped! You aren't a royal like me. So, peasant, I guess I shall have to educate you on the heroes and their forsaken ways of destruction... I quoted my sis on that last part." Eyes flicking to the door, the girl shoved her hands into her pits at the sound of a gentle knock. "Stupid sissy, she's trying to steal you from me..." Lani pouted.
Like Lani, Lorraine didn't even wait to be welcomed in. Although, to Lani's surprise, it wasn't the sister she suspected. "Ohhh~ It's Rainy!" she spoke in the tune and rhythm of a song bird. "Rainy, Rainy! You are just in time to tell Eli-Weely the story of the stupid heroes."
"Am I now?" Lorraine said with a smirk and an almost matter-of-fact chide.
Twisting her arms and whirling them around as if they were a toy, she battered her way into the prettiest princess of them all. "PLEASE! You have to."
"Very well..." slid out of her mouth like the hissing sound of a snake's tongue.
Glancing over at Eli, who she was not really all that fond of, Lorraine slipped her dainty body over to the nearby patted chair. It was really quiet the ugly chair, but Lorraine knew better than to nit-pick the man's home. After all, it wasn't like he was royalty... yet.
Once she was seated as comfortably as she could, Lorraine pointed her slender, pale fingers toward the book that rested beside Lani's round face. "Bring that here," she breathed in her soft-spoken voice, "I would like to make sure I don't stray off the beaten path for I know all too well what happens to those that start rumors and lies."
Lani's chubby little fingers wormed there way around the binding of the book. With her innocence vanishing by the second, the once baby-faced princess started to look more and more like her demonic sibling. Both were out for blood and both hated the heroes with no end.
"Make it bloody," the little piped in before handing the book off.
That ghastly smirk that she worn before came sliding back onto her face. Like Lani, Lorraine's face lost its beauty and became jaded with wrath and sin. Despite her outer beauty, Lorraine was as ugly as the rest on the inside. All machine and cold. Not an ounce of justice or concern for the lives of those that dared betray their crown.
"More than seven hundred years ago, the world was at chaos. Peace was impossible due to the opinions of those that refused to be governed. They fought - tooth and nail - to destroy and even overthrow the rulers of the time. Sickened by the sinful nature of mankind, the son of the king poisoned his father. He did it because he knew the world needed to be shown what would happen if people lied, cheated, and fought the crown."
"Although chaos followed for a great many years, it eventually vanished -- and not because people lived in fear. No, no. It vanished because the people knew what would happen if disorder were allowed to wreck havoc over the world. All vowed to stomp out traitors. Those that opposed the crown... they faced the most gruesome of deaths."
"It was then when two foolish humans cried out to the gods and begged to have man sin. One offered her life to Balance. The other offered his life to Void. It was because of these two that the world was purged and civilization was forced to restart."
"A hundred years had passed and all seemed to be okay, but there were whispered rumors that darkness was creeping in. The night of darkness was thwarted when a strong, brave, and valiant young woman took control of the land. She, with her own two hands, tried the broken nations back together under one rule. It was she who was able to save mankind from their sinister nature. It was she who brought unity and hope to the people."
"But Balance and Void refused to let her live with a bit of happiness. They both took the lives of her children. All but one, that is. He, the one left alive was our great, great grandfather."
Looking from Eli to Lani, who was acting out the various scenes between her gawking and squeeing, Lorraine rolled her lip up in disgust. "Which now brings us to the Prophecy of the Balance and the Curse of Void."
Without hesitation or respect for the book, Lorraine peeled the ancient-looking book open. "Before the la'Ronk ever came to power, the six gods spoke of seven heroes and a forgotten priest. The forgotten priest was said to be the knot between the string of the heroes."
"I'm jumping ahead," Lorraine moaned. "Let me step back."
"It was the gods that originally spoke of the heroes. They said that when Balance and Void were not strong enough to save the planet and seven heroes would rise from the ashes of those oppressed by the doers of evil. The doers of evil, though I refuse to believe it, are the la'Ronk."
"Needless to say, the gods each crafted a hero's affinity. The Goddess of Life created the Hero of Light. The Goddess of Death was to craft the Hero of Darkness. The God of Earth took control of the Hero of Earth. The God of Wind was given the Hero of Lightning. The God of Water begged to have the Hero of Water. And the God of Fire reigned over the Hero of Fire. It was then when the heroes realized that one was missing - the Hero of Ice. Why was he missing? Well, he wasn't. They just needed a seventh member to tip the scale should the heroes not agree on something. And thus, the Hero of Ice was born."
"With the heroes conceived in the hearts and souls of the gods, the gods have had to wait a lifetime to give deserving humans the chance to be infused with their godly powers. Now, I should mention that the gods and goddesses got to hand pick who they wanted to entrust with their powers. And I should also mention that by giving mortals their power, the gods are rumored to have lost their elemental affinities. But, being gods and all, it's impossible to slay them. That and it is unwise for the la'Ronk would never want to destroy a god as it is the gods that watch over their ruling."
"It was not until recently that Void and Balance came to the High Temple and told the priests that the heroes were being born. They are believed to be anywhere from sixteen to twenty-six years old, as they fall within the timeline." Lorraine just wanted to add that part on for she knew Lani was going to ask if she could marry one. Of course, within seconds, the girl pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Anyway, the Prophecy of Balance says that...
'Upon the dawn of the bloody sky, the heroes will cast away the hatred of those with too much pride.'
...very cryptic if you ask me. There's not etched in stone date or time, so we can't even be certain it will even happen in this lifetime. And then, the Curse of Void was sent to us in our dreams. It went like this...
'Blood you seek and blood you shall pay.
When the curse of justice reaches the gates of hell,
All the land will be freed from your rule.
Try as you might and fight as you will,
You shant not win this duel.
Blinded by hate and guided by sin,
You will be defeated from within.'
...again, it's very mysterious."
Lorraine sighed before her eyes flicked over to the clock on the wall. "Oh, shit! I need to go. I was to meet Lauren minutes ago," and just like that, the woman was gone.
"Well that's lame. She didn't even finish the story. Oh well, maybe next time?" Lani plopped herself on Eli's lap and purred a bit before jumping up from him. With a devious look in her eyes, the young princess plowed her way into the slender male - arms flailing and head moving. "Fear the wrath of the mighty Lani!" she shouted with the utmost amount of glee.