Prologue

Diego walked silently through Carma, watching everyone going about their business. His plan was working perfectly. The idiot villagers had fallen for his ploy and allowed him entry. Now he just needed to find an innocent to sacrifice. He wanted to be immortal before he challenged the Ruler of the World and changed the fate of Celestia. He smiled evilly as he came to a stop near the gates of the village. Not even five feet away from him stood a man holding an infant in his arms, while he pointed out things and told the babe what they were. Diego turned and wobbled away, making sure no one realized his injuries were false. Tonight was the night of the full moon; now that he found an innocent, he had things to prepare for. Lots of things, before the moon rose. That babe would die tonight and he would become immortal before the Winter Solstice.

Fires burned throughout the village. Women and children screamed when a lone figure in a dark robe passed them by, carrying a crying infant in his arms. The moment he was a foot away, they burst into flames themselves, as their husbands and fathers fought to reach their sides. Diego could not help but smile as he made his way through the village; this was more fun than he had believed it initially would be. It did not matter how fiercely the men struggled, they would not break his spell on them. They would never reach their families, nor would Diego allow them death themselves. They were all to suffer and suffer greatly by his hands.

Diego’s smile grew brighter as he slowly, methodically approached the infant’s father. The man had fire, Diego would give him that. Of course, he probably would not be as entertaining, if his son was not being held hostage. Diego stopped when he stood barely a foot away from the man. He wanted him to watch as he slaughtered the infant. To struggle, to fight, to know he could not save the child’s life. Raising his head to the sky, Diego watched as the clouds parted to reveal the bright orange, full moon. Smiling more, he lowered his gaze to the man before him. Triumph flowed through him as he watched the emotions play across the man’s face when he ran his dagger’s tip across the throat of the infant.

It had been barely a week since Diego had conducted the ritual, which was not enough time for the affects to take effect yet, causing Diego to scream and curse as his one time Coven forced him into the courtyard of the Seventh Kingdom for his trial. He struggled and fought against the Dark Mages, knowing he only needed a little more time for his plan to succeed. Another month was all he needed, just one more month. He cursed again as they forced him to his knees before his judge.

Her name was Lady Lynnanna Tellick and she was the heir of this Kingdom. Because she had offered up her home to those of the Dark Mages, they used her as their impartial judge. She was young, just barely ten, but this was not her first time to judge a case for them. Though Diego highly doubted Lynnanna had to judge a murderer before now. The Dark Mages cast a spell of silence on him, when he refused to shut up, before stating his crimes to the heir. One by one, until all were heard. Diego had not realized they knew everything he had done, but really wasn’t surprised they had. He smiled as the heir’s face paled and she looked ill. ‘That should teach the little bitch why she should not mess with me.’

Lady Lynnanna, despite appearing quite ill by the charges, raised her head in authority as she confronted him. “Diego Ress, after hearing all charges brought against you, how is it you plead?” She nodded to the Mages surrounding him.

The instant the silence spell was lifted, Diego stated quite calmly: “You shall die slowly, painfully, Lady Lynnanna. And with your death, this world shall fall. All shall mourn, while I dance happily upon your cold, dead body.” The male Mage to Diego's right backhanded him hard. Diego laughed as he tasted his own blood.

Lady Lynnanna stood defiant as she stared down at him. “Diego Ress, for your heinous crimes against the villages and people you have destroyed, you shall be killed by the hands of your ex-Coven’s people. For every person you have killed, for every village you have burnt to the ground, you shall endure an hour’s worth of torture.” She then turned to the Mages that were now approaching him. “He is not to be killed straight away; he will suffer just as the people of the villages he burnt down suffered by his hands. You may bury him in a place of your choosing once his sentence is complete.”

Diego cursed vehemently as the Dark Mages grabbed him and forced him to his feet. “This is not over, Lynnanna! You will rue this day for the rest of your pathetically short life!” The silence spell was placed once more upon him, as the Mages dragged his struggling form back out of the Kingdom and to their Coven.