A/N: This is something that I had been thinking about writing for ages, and now I’ve finally got around to it. But please, bear with me, because you don’t meet the main character until the third chapter.

Prologue

The six year old boy flashed a grin at his twin sister. He had blonde slightly curly hair that went past his ears. He had eyes that were almost grey, but held tinges of blue in them. At the moment, they shone with a mischievous glow. He was dressed simply like most of the people of the Calkainian Mountains. The boy lived on the north coast of Calkain in the mountains that were on either side of the Calkain/Jakton border.

"That was naughty Yilana," he said, imitating his mother's voice.

The girl laughed, tossing her head back as her blue eyes lit up. "Gary," she complained.

Gary raised his eyebrows. "What?" he asked.

Now it was Yilana's turn to imitate their mother. "You do not 'what?' me Gareth of Yars," she said primly.

Gary grinned, and punched her playfully in the shoulder.

There was the cry of a baby.

Gary sighed. It was his younger brother Daeth, and his twin sister Karla. They were only two years old.

"Come Gary," Yilana said tugging on his arm. "We'd better find out what they want."

"No way," he said, remembering the last time he had tried to sort out his younger brother. He had been swept away in a torrent of water. Daeth had a very strong Elemental Favour, and he seemed to like playing with one certain element, water. It would have been okay, Gary supposed, if he had a Favour, but he didn't. It seemed the Gods didn't like him enough to give him one. That was how you got magic. It was given as a favour to you by the Gods, which was how it got the name Favour.

"Please?" Yilana asked, knowing that he wouldn't come.

Gary shook his head. "No Yilana. You can see to them. You have a Favour, you can protect yourself, and I can't."

Yilana sighed at her brother's stubbornness, and walked away to find the twins.

Gary pulled out his dagger, and started to sharpen it on a rock.

Suddenly he heard a scream.

Wide-eyed, he crept forwards to a large rock that he could hide behind, and saw his mother, father, Yilana, Daeth and Karla being threatened by a man. Gary could only see his back, but that was enough to know that he held a weapon, because, slung over his back was an empty sword sheath. The man had short black hair, and was fairly tall. Biting his lip to stop himself crying out, Gary inched forwards until he could see his father's face.

His father stiffened slightly, and his blue eyes darted to where Gary was hiding. When he saw who it was, his eyes bulged.

"Run," he mouthed when he was sure that the man wasn't looking. "Go."

Gary moved back swiftly to a large rock which he crawled behind. He had no intention of leaving, it would be dishonourable to leave his family in this situation. Carefully, he took out the axe that he had attached to his belt for cutting wood. Today, he vowed silently to himself, it will cut down more than wood.

As the black haired man stepped forwards, nearer to his family, Gary tensed, if that man thought that he was going to attack his family, he had better think again. The man stooped down, and picked up Daeth and Karla. He placed Karla on a nearby rock, and sat down, still pointing his sword at Gary's family. He placed Daeth on his knee, and pulled at something around Daeth's neck.

"So it is true," he said. His voice had a foreign accent to it.

Gary closed his eyes, and tried to work out what accent it was.

"A powerful mage has been born, one with the capabilities to destroy whatever they want."

Gary stiffened as he recognised the accent. It was a Jaktonian accent. The man came from the other side of the border. Maybe, Gary thought, maybe he doesn't know that it is wrong to threaten people. After all, Jakton is in a state of anarchy, so he probably wouldn't know that it was wrong. Still, Gary thought, he shouldn't do this, whether or not he thinks it is wrong or not.  Anger flared up inside Gary as he realised what it was that the man had ripped off of Daeth's neck. It was his Favour symbol. You weren't meant to touch anyone else's Favour symbol. Gary didn't know why, but it just wasn't done. Only the maker and the wearer could touch it. Gary had made Daeth's Favour symbol for him, so he was allowed to touch it, but he didn't. He didn't feel comfortable doing it. Daeth's favour symbol was a thin silver chain, with a water droplet crafted out of bluish metal attached to it. It was beautiful. Each Favour symbol was completely unique, no two people had the same design.

"Jahno," he called, standing up.

A young woman stepped out from behind a rock. She had ginger hair and piercing black eyes. Those eyes darted around, not staying still.

"Jahno, these are the children. The ones that we have been looking for, for a long time. Finally, we have got them," the man said, holding out Karla to the woman, who took it.

Myragom, are you sure? You said that about the last three children we found. And it wasn't them, we had to kill them," the woman asked sharply.

Gary shivered inwardly at the tone of her voice. It had an icy and evil quality to it.

"I am certain. He has the Favour symbol around his neck. And the Seer said he would have a twin, well, there she is," Myragom said, and he handed Daeth to Jahno.

Jahno looked down at Karla who was asleep in her arms, completely oblivious to everything that was happening around her. "Remind me again why we want this one. She has no Favour."

"Remember what the Seer said," Myragom snapped. "One will have the power to destroy what they want with magic. The other shall have the ability to destroy whatever they want with weapons. That girl shall grow up to be a master of fighting weapons. That shall be very helpful."

Jahno nodded. "Shall I take them?" she asked.

"Yes. I shall catch up with you later, once I've finished with this lot," Myragom said, pointing his sword at Gary's family.

Gary saw his father tense and his hand start to edge towards his dagger. In a fluid movement, he pulled it out of his belt, and leapt at Myragom.

"Velak, no!" Gary's mother yelled.

"I must," Velak, Gary's father, replied. He dodged Myragom's sword. "They want to take Daeth and Karla. I can't let them do that."

"Jahno! Go!" Myragom yelled, and slashed furiously at Velak.

Gary knew that he should jump out of his hiding place and help his father. But he couldn't. His brain was telling him to move, to help, but his body wouldn't obey.

Gary saw Yilana jump into the battle with a loud war cry. In her hand she held an axe, similar to the one he had for chopping down wood. She joined her father in the battle. Gary looked to his mother, and saw her hunting around for something to fight with. Finding nothing, she leapt Myragom’s back, her hands flailing around her.

In a fierce movement, Myragom spun around, and ran his sword through her neck.

Gary looked away in horror, not believing what he was seeing. I couldn't be seeing this, he told himself, I'll wake up, and it'll all be a dream. He punched his arm in a desperate attempt to wake up. It didn't work. This wasn't a dream, it was a living nightmare. Gary heard a gasp, and turned to see his fathers head rolling towards him, his father’s body lay motionless on the floor at Myragom’s feet.

Yilana and Myragom were the only ones left. Gary could see the coldness in the Yilana's eyes, it was look he hoped he didn't have to see ever again. It was horrific.

"You Jaktonian barbarian! You'll pay for that," Yilana growled. She rushed at Myragom and thrust her axe at his chest. Myragom ducked, and narrowly missed dying on the six year olds axe. Myragom raised his sword, and stood up swiftly. His sword shot up into Yilana's chin, piercing the skin.

There was a look of shock on her face, as she collapsed on the floor, blood pouring out of her head. Myragom brought his sword up and held it with both hands. With force, he brought his sword down onto her neck, separating her head from her body.

"Done," Myragom said, wiping his hands free of blood. He held up the sword. "I can't take this with me. What happens if we meet a border patrol?" He threw it on the ground, along with the sheath. With a backward glance, he walked briskly off in the direction that Jahno had gone.

Gary crawled cautiously out from his hiding place. He couldn't believe what he had seen. They couldn't be dead. They were his family, always there for him. They couldn't go. The hovering form over their bodies confirmed his worse fears. It was the God of Death. He guarded the gates to the Realms of the Dead, and collected the dead souls. Gary shrank back in fear. The God of Death was one of the most feared gods, and he had an appearance to match that. His face wasn't visible under the huge black cloak that he was wearing. It billowed out around him, and a sword hung loosely from his waist. Slowly he drifted off, and Gary crawled over to where his family lay. He sat there in silence for a long time, not having taken in what had happened yet. Suddenly it sank in, and tears came streaming from his eyes, he pulled his knees up to his chin, and sat rocking backwards and forwards.

He was still sitting there at dusk when the cry of a bird made him realise that he needed to find somewhere to sleep that night. Sighing, he pulled himself to his feet, and looked around him. Only a few feet from him lay Myragom's sword. Slowly, Gary reached out to get it, and the sheath that it belonged in. He stood, staring at the sword for a long time, until he realised what he was going to do. He would keep that sword, and when he found Myragom, he would kill him slowly and painfully with his own sword to avenge his family.

"And so that I don't forget what I have to do," Gary said to himself. "I shall call the sword Myragom."

He wandered around the area, looking for a cave to spend the night in.

"Myragom shall pay," he said softly.

***

A/N: Well? What do you think? I know it’s short, but it’s only the prologue. Let me know what you think, please. Pretty please?

The Child of the Potted Plant (Hannah)