In a place nigh unto the northwest of the Land of the Dead, a radiant thing, like unto a shooting star, did fall upon the earth. The blast of its descent caused a great hollow where it landed and did scorch the sands about it. In the midst of the hollow, a man of middle years lay upon his back. The signs of burning were marked upon his raiment and his very flesh. Lucian had survived by a wondrous happenstance and had been carried to the Land of Death. No one did know why or how, but the only thing that could be said for certain was that this was a miracle…
From the very first moment of his descent, Lucian began to hear a whisper within his mind. A whisper that bade him to live on until the promised day should arrive…
Lucian did rise and began to look upon his surroundings. He remembered naught, naught at all. As he did survey the place, he began to walk. He saw nothing but the sand and dust around him. His eyes were half-open and he could not see well. He knew not where he was. He knew not if it was day or night. And most importantly, he knew not how he had come to this place and yet lived. The only thing he knew was that he must follow that whisper.
Let us return to the ocean, where Maera on her vessel was nearing the western shores of the Land of Death. Along the way, she passed by a dark and tall tower. That tower was the dwelling of the Librarian of the five realms, Anath.
Anath never left her tower. In truth, the Sacred Library was housed within that tower, and Anath was its guardian. None but her father, her mother, and Anath herself did know the contents of this library. Not even the "Firstborn."
After the vessel carrying Maera did pass by the tower, Anath was aware of a strange feeling within her. "A familiar and ancient feeling… I do not recall what feeling this is. But I can say that it is an ill omen, as if darkness has set foot upon this land. First, that meteor, and now this feeling… I hope that no dire and ill events shall befall us. This land has already witnessed two great wars…"
The four horsemen had come to visit Nebula. A matter of great import had drawn them there. After their secret council was concluded, the four horsemen mounted their steeds to depart. They had a fearsome visage. Tall and noble of stature, with voices like the grunt of a hog, and long robes the color of the midnight sky. Their steeds, too, were of a rare breed, frightful creatures with manes the same color as their rider's robes and as soft as a flower. The trembling of the ground beneath their hooves was a sign of darkness; no good thing would come after that sound was heard, only death…
Nebula walked toward the small garden of her palace. The matter of the meeting was so important that she had used the safest room in the palace, the Star Room, for its holding. As she walked toward the blossoms of the garden, she sought to connect the events and tidings of this day. Events that, to her mind, could not be unrelated to one another. The horsemen had brought news that had but one meaning: war. "Why did this news come to me on the same day I heard that whisper? Why not on another day?" As these thoughts consumed her mind, she sensed the presence of a black bird. She knew well why that bird was there. After sensing the bird's presence, she summoned one of her servants to deliver an urgent message. The servant came to her and heard his mistress's command: "Hasten, send a message to Dante and summon him, the matter is of great import…"
The vessel carrying Maera came to the Sand Harbor. A deathly silence held sway there. The ship docked, and Maera disembarked, setting foot upon the Land of Death. From the first moments of her arrival, fear seized her soul. The air of that land was beyond compare with any place in the world of mortals. Its feeling was as if the seeds of sin had been scattered upon the wind. The first sign of the curse was this very thing, a feeling of guilt and a tormenting conscience. Maera looked about her with dread, fear, and trembling eyes. She looked behind her; the ship and its servant had vanished, as if they had drowned within the water.
The guardian of the entry gate, whose name was Janus, did suddenly appear from the sky. His visage was like that of a man of fifty years. He was of a rather short stature. His hair and beard were long and gray. In his right hand, he carried a long spear. He cast a look down upon Maera from on high. A dry and grim look that made the bones of the wretched woman feel cold. Maera did not speak a word; in truth, she could not say anything, as if she had forgotten the power of speech. Since it was the first time she had seen a Nephilim, this was a natural occurrence. The old man raised his spear toward the heavens and slammed its end into the ground. The shackles upon Maera's hands suddenly turned to sand, and she was now free, but what freedom was this compared to the freedom in the world of men… Maera, with her head bowed, passed by Janus and went through the great gate. What she saw beyond the gate she could not believe. The sky was split in two; in one half, the moonlight was shining, and in the other half, the sun was showing itself. To see the moon and the sun at the same time in the sky was the first of a thousand wonders in the Land of Death for Maera. After seeing this sight, she took a step forward and began to walk.
The new chapter of her life had just begun, a chapter that held naught but endless pain and suffering for her…
End of Chapter 01