Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 21:06:56 -0700
From: Mei Ly R. <silver_rose102@hotmail.com>
Subject: Legends and Heroes: Prologue

Hey all.. I just have to put in a few things, that you might not pick up
on.. in this Prologue. This story takes place in a land called Laren. The
capital of Laren is called Kylara. There are four races in Laren, Human,
Shayani (a warrior/wizard race), Wyr (people of the forest) and the Okira
(people of the water).

DISCLAIMER: I own *NSYNC. Yup. They're in my closet right now, and Lance is
trying on my one dress. No, I'm kidding. This story was not written to
imply the sexuality of any of the members of *NSYNC. Nor to imply that they
actually live in a land called Laren... I have one word for all of you that
believe this is real: F-I-C-T-I-O-N. that said, onto the story!


Legends and Heroes- Prologue


	Orendra brushed a stray strand of blonde hair from her face,
muttering under her breath. Her hands flew across the loom. The courtiers
in the room held their breaths, watching their Seer weave the tapestry that
would tell the life of their new prince.

Silence reigned in the great hall. Suddenly, Orendra began to speak. "I
have seen many, many things. There will be great sorrow in his life, from
an early age. But he will grow from these things, he will learn from
others' mistakes. I have seen the Raven- the symbol for strength, and
release. Intertwined with his destiny is that of another's- a fair-haired
man from a distant land. This man is not Human. He is Shayani. During the
Prince's reign, there will be no drought, or famine. There will be hope, a
new era of love and art and magic. His will be a golden time."

Orendra's green eyes searched the hall, landing on the Queen, and the baby
cradled in her arms. She took a deep breath, and said softly, "There will
be a man, who lives only to destroy what this babe will work so hard to
create. He will send his armies of mages, of demons, of creatures of the
night, to obliterate all traces of the Kingdom of Kylara."

Orendra watched the reaction of the Queen and King before proceeding. "But,
in the end, good will prevail, and the Raven will fly once more."

She beckoned regally- the Queen approached the throne, knelt before her,
offering the child to her as if it were a sacrifice, and she a goddess.
Orendra took the babe gently, cradling the fragile creature in her arms.
|This, this is our heir, this will rule us all one day?| she thought to
herself, looking into the boy's trusting blue eyes. |There are men, men who
will help him through his struggles and his hard times.| She told the Queen
silently. "I name the babe- the Prince of all Kylara- Joshua. Let him reign
with a firm hand and a cool brow." She announced to the waiting hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

	"Christopher!" A voice called imperiously. "Christopher!"

	Christopher inched his way further into the corner he was hidden.
He forced himself to breathe quietly and prayed that she could not find
him.

	The nurse put her hands on her hips, staring around the grounds of
the manor. Where had the little brat got off to? She pursed her lips.
"Christopher! Enough of this game! The family has been called to the Castle
of Kylara, and you MUST go!"

	The five-year-old didn't move a muscle. He didn't care about the
stupid King and Queen and their stupid son. He wanted to play with his
friend in the river and the nurse wasn't going to stop him, not this time.

	"CHRISTOPHER!" The nurse shrieked. Furious, she turned on her heel
and marched back into the manor.

A woman stood in the entrance hall. She raised a dark brow. "Where has my
son gone this time, do you suppose, Alethia?"

"I do not know, Lady. I searched for him, and he was nowhere to be found. I
asked about him, but none had seen him. I called for him, but there was no
reply."

The lady looked pensive. "Thank you, Alethia. I will find him myself. And
if I do not-" The lady sighed. "Well, I will find him."

	Christopher sighed as he watched his mother step out onto the front
step of the Manor. "Christopher Alan!" His mother said coolly. He peeled
himself away from the grey stone wall and walked slowly towards her, head
down. "Christopher." His mother said with relief when she saw him.

"I am sorry, Mother. I was only playing with Nurse."

"And what did I tell you, about playing with Nurse? Come now, Christopher,
this is important to your father! The Prince might have been born already!
Don't you want to meet him?"

Christopher scuffed his leather shoe against the stones. "I suppose,
Mother."

"That will have to do." His mother laughed, then took his hand. "Oh, it
will not be so bad. You'll get to play with many other boys your age! And
you'll get to see all the pretty jewels in the Crown and the Gifts. And
you'll get to meet the Seer, Orendra. I hear she's-" her voice lowered
conspiratorially. "A Shayani."

Christopher's head jerked up. "A Shayani? Oh, mother! When do we leave?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

	Duke Joseph Fatone of Antoine looked up as the study door was
thrown open.

"Your wife, Your Grace." Timothy said stiffly.

The Duke waved the man away and nodded in greeting as his wife entered the
room, cradling their son against her chest.

"The Prince is born." His wife said softly.

The Duke looked up in surprise. "So soon after young Joseph's birth? That
must mean something. Orendra should be consulted on such matters."

"She is gone, Joseph."

Joseph frowned. "Gone? Where to?"

"She has returned to the Land of the Shayani, Joseph. Her nephew is being
born."

"We did not return to the Land of the Wyr, when your brother was born. Did
we?"

"No, Joseph. But she is the sister of Oren."

Joseph was silent. Then, he said, thoughtfully, "Oren is the King of the
Shayani. He is a Mage, is he not? Fair-haired, and green-eyed, as all
Shayani are. Yes, I remember him. He came once, nine months ago, it must
have been, to congratulate the Queen, for being with child. Also, his wife
came- what was her name?"

"Tamara."

"Yes, Tamara came with him. She, too, must have been with child. Do you
remember, Linnea?"

"Yes. She was quite nice. Small, though, and timid. And beautiful. Almost
as beautiful as the Queen." Linnea smiled. "That caused quite a war between
the squires, if I remember correctly."

Joseph laughed. "Yes. So. A Prince is born in the land of the Shayani, is
he? That must be at the lips of all the courtiers."

"Perhaps he will be the fair-haired man Orendra spoke of. She prophesized
that the Prince's destiny was intertwined with a fair-haired Shayani."

Joseph smiled. "The Prince will be right to surround himself with at least
one being of each Race. For the Wyr, will he not have young Joseph as his
advisor? He will, and Joseph is a Wyr." He rubbed his chin. "For the Okira,
it is not so certain. They keep to themselves, happy in their cities
underwater." He shook his head. "I fear strife between Humans and the
Okira."

"But what of the beautiful Okira princesses? Might he marry one of them?"

The Duke shook his head. "Unless Orendra spoke of a princess, he won't. Of
what person did she speak of, for his Consort?"

Linnea shook her head. "She spoke of none."

Joseph frowned. "That is odd. But come, let us go, we must go congratulate
the Queen and King."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

	A loud wail rent the still air of the Shayani village.

A whisper spread through-out the castle, hurried whispers passed in
hallways.

The Prince was born.

Orendra appeared in the birth room, took a wet rag, wiped at her sister's
forehead. "Sleep, my sister." Orendra murmured. "It is a hard task, to
birth a child." The beautiful face calmed, green eyes fluttered closed.

Orendra breathed a sigh of relief and took the child from the nurse's
arms. She would not weave his tapestry now, not in this room with the scent
of blood and death still heavy in the air.

"The Queen is dead." Orendra murmured softly. She turned to face her
brother's grief-stricken eyes. "I am sorry."

Oren took a deep breath. "As am I, sister." He looked around the room. "You
will not weave in this room?"

Orendra shook her head. "I am sorry." She repeated. Tamara would have
wanted to see her son's tapestry woven, but the recent death would
interrupt the flow of

Magic.

He nodded. "The Throne Room, then." He gestured. The surrounding room
blended, shifted. The small group that had been transported stood in the
middle of the other-wise empty Throne Room. A loom and a stool stood to the
left of the group.

Orendra sat on the stool, looking at the array of bright thread. She chose,
for her first color, a brilliant, emerald green. As she wove, she began to
speak.

"The Shayani that has just been born is one of great power. He will be
known as one of the greatest magicians in all the history of Laren. Born on
the same day as the future ruler of all Laren, he and the Prince of Kylara
herald an age of unity between all four races." Orendra looked at the child
that Oren now held. "He will have a great love in his life, he will find
knife-friends and a sword-mate." She frowned as an image appeared in her
mind, but then spoke as the power flowed through her. "He will be the one
to betray his love and rip apart all of Laren. Through him, a dark force
will seek to destroy Kylara. Only by remembering his love will he be able
to resist the dark magic." Orendra pursed her lips, and was silent for some
time, continuing to weave the tapestry. Finally, she said, "Only with his
death will he heal the land, and find his sword-mate once more."

She gestured, as she had only hours before, and the King approached, laying
her nephew before her. "I name this babe Lance. Let him know hope, and
peace, and love."

(c) Mei Ly R.