{Ω} Serafina was born with the Gift, it’s power extending generations beyond her ken. And any knowledge or training about the art was restricted to her family, a tradition that started when those closest to the family took to stealing their secrets.
Now the girl's abilities were not typical of her bloodline, they were more primal in nature, coming out only when she was enraged or in pain. Some feared her powers for this and many other reasons, but most mocked her, since she had so little control of these abilities.
She was eleven when the army came to her city. At the time the attack seemed to come out of nowhere, the little girl knowing nothing of the Tyrant off in his mountain kingdom, and his insane decree that the Aeluns were to bow to him and his God, forsaking their own. Naturally her people fought back, but they were outnumbered three to one. Needless to say their city fell in days, but the soldiers sent by the Tyrant did not leave, they pillaged and raped, letting chaos run rampant through the streets. These cowards stayed until the women were begging for death, and every man was crucified before their tear stained faces. The children on the other hand were spared these sights, they received the only mercy the soldiers seemed capable of, their deaths quick; young throats oh-so tender to a blades edge.
Sera's home was on the outskirts of the city, nearest The Wild Wood; a forest burgeoning with magic. Her parents forced her to flee when the battle began, while they in turn stayed to defend their home and their people. It would be the last she saw of them, or any of her people, for many years. You see when that little girl fled, she lost not only her family, but herself as well.
It would take a few years, and a voracious curiosity, before Sera emerged in the world again. Now she did what most do, she acclimated, blended in even. It was very easy to find her trade; one which allowed her to move from city to city, unhampered by emotional or physical ties. After all, Psychics were all the rage no matter where you went or how long you stayed. She drew her customers in with visions of wealth and power, and they plied her with copper, silver, gold, jewels, or whatever they could give her for that glimmer of hope in a life of misery. This was how she came to Kados, with its majestic marble pillars and self proclaimed siege proof walls. Many flocked to its Markets alone for the exotic spices, silks, or books of magic. Few knew that the 18th day of the 6th month would be the cities last, and those that did know of the coming maelstrom, well, they would go down in history as The Betrayers.
That fateful morning Kados's denizens were awakened by cannon fire and chaos. Sera herself was surprised at the events that began at dawn and lasted days. For the girl had not seen any hint of this event, not even an inkling of the danger lurking just around the corner and this scared her more than she cared to admit. So much so that she listened to her instincts as they screamed for her to flee the city, escaping not only the danger to her physical form but also her mental state. It was like she was reliving her past all over again, trapped in the mind of a horrified nine year old; just like before there were bodies in the streets, pain filled screams of hopelessness and despair Sera couldn’t think beyond her own survival, a trait she would come to regret later.
It wasn't until the Ryhden forest surrounded her, and the sounds of battle faded, that she broke free from the spell her memories had cast. It helped that a blinding flash of pain brought her to knees just after crossing the tree line. So intense was this vision that she could not breathe as the images started flooding her mind… A man stood amidst the rubble, his barbaric sword thrust up towards the sky. There the evil beast rode the winds, its dark serpentine body obscuring the Sun as its rider mocked the champion below.
Instinct urged her to run and not stop until there was a continent between her and Kados. But Sera went against her better judgment, against the odds, and she returned to the city to aid this foolish champion. And there they made their stand, with a handful of others, against the evil beast and it’s Master.
It was a bloody battle that cost them many lives and turned the city to rubble. At its end Sera was left dragging the unconscious body of the champion whom she fondly called, "Agi", from the wreckage while the invaders retreated back to their mountain kingdom and their power hungry lord.
Somehow Sera found a horse to carry both her and her bloody comrade to the nearby city of Kaethrii. There she tended Agi's wounds while keeping them hidden amongst the Dregs, unsure of who, or what, would come looking for them. She knew that her best defense was the man who collapsed in her arms after she saved his life.
The last memory Sera has is one of intense attraction, vivid images of Agi's face etched in masculine need while he held the point of his blade to her heart. They had been talking about his wounds, she thought he needed more time to heal, he thought himself impervious to the pain. Both entered an argument so heated that he threatened her with his blade should she try and stop his leaving. But something changed when she wrapped her fingers around the metal, all thoughts of beating the man into submission fled on a wave of carnal desire, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw the same need there.
And then the world went dark..
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