A/N This is my fourth attempt in writing. I scrapped the previous at 84 chapters and the one before that at 57 chapters. This is final. Please R&R as it will influence my writing. I have not written in a while and I -need- inspiration! This story centers around a small group of people across the entire world of Erathai. The world is coin shaped (so flat but round, thin, but with two sides! I'll explain it all in detail in the chapters I promise. :) As the opening states, this contains graphic depictions of violence, as well as multiple gods, homosexuality, and use of magic. If any of this offends you, run. It will not hit "MA" for a while, but I will just start it off that way. There will be NO graphic sex scenes, though I may make it steamy sometimes. One final thing, if any names you read you recognise PLEASE tell me -immediately-. I have originated every single name in the book myself, however I have no idea how I came up with some. I'd feel rather stupid to be caught using an old name. Enough talk from me! Read on :)

Trembling fiercely, the young girl pressed her weight against the heavy oak door to force her way inside. The door gave way, slowly opening to reveal a dark hall with lush red carpeting and the nearly overpowering scent of sweat and blood.
Looking around timidly, the girl stepped inside and slowly closed the door behind her, shutting out the blinding sun and cold wind driven snow. Squinting to adjust her eyes in the dark hall lit only by a few candels, she strode forward with a shakey confidence, trying to mask her obvious fear of the place.
It was pleasantly warm in the building, a strange but welcome atmosphere in comparison to the blistering cold outside. It was mid-winter, though that only meant it to be colder than other times. It was cold here all year round, leaving barron snow as far as the eye could see in all directions.
Watching her steps so that she'd not trip on the soft carpeting, the girl straightened her dress, trying to push the dirt and snow from the soft black material.
Other children in her town wore bright colors as a symbol of their youth and joy, often only wearing black only to special occasions or funerals. She however, wore nothing but black. From her black leather worked boots, to her black wool cloak, everything she wore was as black as night. Her fine slightly tan skin in stark contrast to the black fabric, never darkened or burned from the suns rays. It also failed to pale in the abscence of them when times held her without sunlight for months.
Ignoring the other doors, she finally reached the end of the hall and a large dark wooden door with a polished golden handle. As she reached out for the handle the door slowly opened on its own accord. As she stepped forward into the room, she saw a large man sitting behind a desk of black marble.
As he stood, she saw how truly large this man was. He appeared to be almost one and a half times the size of her largest neighbor. His head was shaven, revealing black tatoos from his temples, over his ears then down to the back of his neck where they disappeared behind a black leather collar. Over his chest were two large black leather straps crisscrossing his muscular torso. The man had the neck of a bull muscles to make an ogre shake. His skin was darker than any man she had seen, but his size and attire alone told her he was from another land. His dark eyes matched his dark skin, though despite his size, carried a fierce intelligence.
Black cotton pants covered his legs, held up with a wide black belt and gold clasp. Even his boots were black with gold markings on each side. Across both his massive arms and over his chest, more of the black tatoo snaked over his muscles.
Pressing herself back against the door, both in fear of the man, and the situation, the girl sucked her lower lip between her teeth and bit down, doing her best not to let loose the scream that was building in her throat.
The man crouched down, looking her square in the eyes then surprised her with a warm smile. He offered her a hand, so as to lead her to the other room. Each hand held a gold ring on the third finger, and he smelled not of booze, sweat, or blood as she had expected, but a spiced scent, almost like cinnamon.
Timidly, she took his hand and he smiled again without looking forced or respectful as she was used to, but a genuine smile of welcoming.
Beyond the second door a man sat in a chair beside a vacant, smaller chair with arm and leg straps. He wore a plastic smile of yellowed teeth behind a white beart with spots of black. His brown shirt and pants had stains on them from inks and blood and his glasses looked too small for his face.
She broke into a cold as she was led to the chair, seated, and the straps pulled snug. Closing her eyes, she heard the two men talking in a language she didn't understand, she knew only that they were very solemn and that the large darker man didn't seem happy about the situation.
Leaning close to her, the stained man turned her head side to side then nodded and smiled softly at her before he spoke.
"Young lass, I understand you be afraid, and I am terribly sorry that the fates have picked you for this cause, but it not be up to us to decide what is to come"
He took a deep breath and nodded to the other man, who stepped out of the room. "I am going to mark ya now, with a needle and ink. I will not lie to ya lassy, this is going to hurt a great deal, but pain is something that you are quite used to I believe. You must be absolutely still, if ya move you will ruin the pattern and before the full moon rises to mark your sixteenth year on tomorrow's night, you will die"
The cold finality of his voice brought a chill down her spine. She swallowed hard, gathering her courage before she finally nodded that she understood.
He smiled again, almost as how one smiles as they bid farewell to a loved one never to see them again, a sad but kind smile.
Reaching behind him he pulled up a piece of a belt, though only the length of a spread hand and held it before her. "Place this between your teeth, it be better than accidently biting your own tongue off"
As she complied, he reached back and brought forth a small jar of black liquid and a few needles. "Now hang tight lassy, and make teethmarks in that leather for me"
Gripping the chair tightly, the pain of the needle pressing into her flesh took her breath away. She clamped down hard on the leather to mute the screams building in her throat as the man worked methodically without pause to mark her.
After what felt like an eternity later, the man was finished and patting her face gently with a damp cloth, telling her not to open her eyes or it would hurt greatly.
She nodded her understanding and opened her mouth, letting him take the leather piece and toss it into the rubbish as he undid the straps on the chair and helped her to her feet.
She swayed a bit, the pain leaving her dizzy and disorientated, and without sight it was only worse. Her face ached terribly from the needles work. The origin of pain was under her eyes and to her cheekbone, then again above them to just over her eyebrows.
Hearing the door open, the faint scent of cinnamon hit her again and she knew the other large man had entered the room.
A soft touch across her cheek startled her, but she recognized it as the dark traveler and didn't flinch. He whispered to her in a language she didn't understand, but knew it was an apology for the pain she had endured simply by the manner in which he spoke. His voice had a softness to it, as his touch did, though she was quite sure that as with his touch, his voice could become harsh should the need arise.
He took her hand and placed it on his chest and whispered to her in a thick accent, "Egan." It was all he said, though after a moment she realized he was introducing himself to her.
Smiling softly, ignoring the pain it caused to ignite across her torn flesh, she placed her hand to the center of her own chest and replied with her own soft accent, "Zeuberlich"
He laughed softly, it was a pleasant sound to hear from such a large and imposing man. Taking her hand gently, he shook it with a soft, however firm grip, then stood and turned back to the other man, speaking again in a foreign tongue.
Not wanting to become a bother, Zeuberlich turned and felt her way over to a cushion propped against a wall and sat down on it, leaning back and listening to the strange language between the two men.
After a short time, the strange man who had marked her crouched before her. "You may open your eyes now lassy"
Slowly, so as not to aggrivate the skin further than it had already been, she opened her eyes, looking around the room and squinting at the sudden brightness.
Egan leaned down next to her and offered a warm smile and a cup of water which she eagerly accepted. In his other hand he held a piece of reflective glass, to allow her to see the finished work.
Gathering her courage she set the glass down and looked into the mirror.
Her long raven black hair framed her face ending at her shoulders and she ran a hand up, gently touching her cheek at what she saw before her on the glass.
Black marks outlined her dark sapphire eyes. At the center of each eyebrow, a short black mark went up halfway to her hairline. It closely resembled a black scar, as if sliced by a blade of pure darkness. Underneath each eye however, looked like a bolt of lightning. The first line cut straight down a finger-width long, then cut back towards her ear ever so slightly, then down again ending aligned with the corners of her mouth. The marking in total crept from halfway to her hairline to halfway to her lips.
The look was as beautiful as it was frightening. It was the mark of an outcast to her people. It was the mark of one tied with destiny. It was the mark unseen for hundreds of years.
It was the mark of a sorceress.