IN THE BEGINNING,
THERE WAS A VOID. THE ONLY BEINGS WERE THE ANCIENTS. WHEN THEY
AWOKE, THEY BREATHED LIFE INTO THE EARTH, AND CREATED THE LIVING CREATURES.
THE HUMAN, THE TERVADI, THE LACERTI, THE ELVES, THE FAIRIES,
THE HAITORIN, AND THE TAMIK. THE EMBODIMENT OF GOOD, THE TAMIK LIVED
IN PEACE WITH THE GODS. CONVERSING WITH THEM, LEARNING FROM THEM,
REVERING THEM. AMONG THESE TAMIK WAS A YOUNG ONE NAMED RINI.
ONE OF THE FIRST TAMIK, RINI WAS LOVED AMONG HER PEOPLE AND IN TURN, LOVED
THEM BACK. HER GREATEST LOVE ABOVE ALL OTHERS WAS KARTEE, A HAPPY
TAMIK WHO WAS BETROTHED TO RINI FROM BIRTH. THEY LIVED TOGETHER WITHIN
THE PEACE OF THE WORLD. Rini
and Kartee
AND THEN. . .THE WAR OF THE GODS BROKE
OUT.
A GREAT WAR ROSE
IN THE HEAVENS, AND THE SKY WAS TORN. SHANDA, KEEPER OF THE BLESSED
LIGHT, RISKED ALL TO KEEP AUDRINA AND THE SECRET TAMIK SAFE FROM THE EVIL
THAT WAS COURSING THROUGH THE LAND. IT WAS DURING THIS TEMPESTUOUS
TIME THAT KARTEE AND RINI WERE SEPERATED FROM EACH OTHER. RINI TO
BE SAVED BY SHANDA AND KEPT IN SAFE KEEPING WITH AUDRINA, AND KARTEE TO
BE LEFT OUT IN THE WORLD TO DEPEND ON HIS OWN DEVICES AND HIS OWN WITS
TO DEFEND HIMSELF FROM THE EVIL ONES. AMONG THESE EVIL HORDES WAS
WIRE, ONE OF THE VILE, GODLESS OROK, PUTRID DEMONS CREATED BY THE ANCIENTS
WITH ONE GOAL, TO DESTROY THE MORTALS. AND ABOVE ALL OF THESE WERE THE TAMIK
AND THEIR GODDESS, AUDRINA. The Orok devastate the world.
IT WAS A WOEFUL TIME FOR RINI,
WHO WAS IN HIDING WITH AUDRINA. HER BELOVED WAS LOST TO HER AND HER
HOME HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY THE OROK. SHE LAY IN A DEEP MELANCHOLY
AND DREAMED OF HER KARTEE. ONE NIGHT, AS SHE LAY ALONE, SHE HEARD
A SMALL VOICE OF ONE OF HER FELLOW TAMIK. "RINI.", IT CALLED.
"RINI, KARTEE IS ALIVE." RINI ROSE FROM HER SLEEP AND FOLLOWED THE
VOICE, VENTURING OUTSIDE THE PROTECTIVE BARRIER BETWEEN WORLDS WHERE SHE
SAW HER BELOVED KARTEE SMILING AT HER.
"KARTEE!", SHE SHOUTED.
"YOU'RE SAFE!"
"YES, MY DEAR.",
KARTEE REPLIED. "YOU SHOULD KNOW I WOULD NEVER LEAVE YOU."
"I THOUGHT YOU TO
BE DEAD.", RINI WEPT. "IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I SAW YOU LAST."
"IT HAS BEEN A LONG
TIME.", SAID KARTEE. "BUT THE WAR IS ALMOST OVER, AND I AM WEARY
OF THE PAIN OF THE WORLD. COME WITH ME, AND LET US START OUR LIVES
ANEW, BEGINNING WITH OUR OWN KIN." THIS GREATLY PLEASED RINI, AND
SHE HAPPILY WENT WITH KARTEE. Rini
waits for her beloved.
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS,
KARTEE AND RINI BECAME COMFORTABLE IN THEIR NEW HOME, AND BEGAN TO YEARN
FOR THEIR OWN OFFSPRING. THE WAR CONTINUED, BUT WITHIN THEIR HOME
THEY WERE AT PEACE, AND SOON, RINI WAS WITH YOUNG.
SOON AFTERWARDS,
KARTEE BECAME MORE MOROSE, DOTING ON RINI ENDLESSLY, AND BECOMING ANGRY
WHEN RINI REFUSED TO CARE FOR HERSELF. SHE BEGAN TO FEAR HIS OUTBURSTS
AND COWERED FROM HIM WHEN HE BECAME ANGRY. HOWEVER, HIS ANGER WOULD
SUBSIDE, AND HE WOULD HOLD HER IN HIS ARMS. "FEAR NOT, MY DEAR, I
JUST WORRY FOR OUR CHILD, WE ARE TAMIK, AND CAN HAVE ONLY ONE CHILD, I
SIMPLY WISH OUR CHILD TO BE HEALTHY AND HAPPY."
RINI TOOK COMFORT
IN THIS, AND CONTINUED TO CARE FOR HER UNBORN CHILD. ONE DAY, WHILE
SHE WAS SITTING IN HER HOME, SHE WAS WRACKED WITH PAIN. DOUBLING
OVER, SHE SCREAMED FOR KARTEE. AS HE RUSHED INTO THE ROOM, RINI LOOKED
UP AND SAW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, TRUE EVIL IN KARTEE'S EYES. "IT IS
TIME.", HE SAID.
WITH BRUTAL MALEVOLENCE,
HE GRABBED RINI AND PINNED HER TO THE FLOOR. THE EXCITEMENT HE FELT
MADE HIM TREMBLE. "IT IS COMING! IT IS FINALLY COMING!"
HIS JOY TERRIFIED RINI MORE THAN HER OWN PAIN, AND SHE SCREAMED AT HIM
TO STOP. HE LOOKED INTO HER EYES AND SHE SAW HIS TRUE NATURE DEEP
WITHIN HIM.
"YOU'RE NOT KARTEE!
WHO ARE YOU?", SHE SHRIEKED. KARTEE CAST HIS HEAD BACK AND LAUGHED.
"I AM THE ONE WHO
HAS BEEN SENT TO CONQUER!", HE SAID, HIS VOICE DEEPENING. "THE ONE
WHO THE ANCIENTS CREATED TO CAUSE THE DOWNFALL OF THE RIGHTEOUS!" RINI
LOOKED IN TERROR AS KARTEE'S FACE DISTORTED, TWISTING INTO A FEARSOME DEMON.
SHE SCREAMED AS HIS BODY EXPLODED, REVEALING A HIDEOUS FORM.
"I AM FEAR.
I AM LOATHING. I AM DARKNESS. I...AM...WIRE!"
Wire: Leader of the Orok.
"I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT FOR YEARS.", HE SAID. "WAITING TO BRING FORTH THE BEING THAT WOULD SPELL CERTAIN DESTRUCTION
FOR ALL THINGS GOOD. A BEING WITH THE POWER OF THE TAMIK, AND A SOUL
AS BLACK AS PITCH! NOW IT IS FINALLY HERE, AND IT WILL TEAR YOU APART
TO FREE ITSELF."
RINI WAS TERRIFIED. AFTER YEARS OF LOVING WHO SHE THOUGHT WAS KARTEE,
HER LIFE WAS IN THE HANDS OF AN OROK! SHE WEPT BITTERLY, NOT ONLY
BECAUSE OF HER PAIN, BUT FOR HER BELOVED KARTEE WHO SHE KNEW WAS LOST,
AND HER UNBORN CHILD WHO WAS TO BE STOLEN FROM HER.
RINI SCREAMED AGAIN AS THE CREATURE INSIDE OF HER BODY GROWLED, CLAWING
ITS WAY OUT OF HER. WIRE MOANED IN EXCITEMENT AS RINI'S BODY CONTORTED,
THE THING INSIDE OF HER FORCING ITS WAY INTO THE WORLD. HER SURROUNDINGS
FADED TO SHADES OF GRAY AS THE PAIN OVERWHELMED HER FRAGILE BODY.
"NO!", WIRE SCREAMED. "YOU'LL NOT LEAVE YET. I WANT YOU TO
KNOW WHAT YOUR STUPIDITY HAS DONE. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT WAS
MY SEED THAT YOU WILL BRING FORTH. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU AND
ONLY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF ALL THINGS PURE."-
WITH A PIERCING SHRIEK, THE CREATURE WITHIN RINI BURST FORTH. A PULSATING,
BLACK TUMOR FORCED IT'S WAY OUT OF HER BODY AND ONTO THE GROUND.
WIRE PICKED UP THE SQUEALING MASS AND CRADLED IT IN HIS CLAWED HAND.
"MY CHILD.", HE SAID. "MY SEED, YOU WILL DO GREAT THINGS FOR THE OROK."
"YOU CAN'T!", RINI CRIED. "PLEASE, YOU CAN'T. MY CHILD WILL
NEVER FOLLOW YOU!"
WIRE LAUGHED. "OH, HE WILL. I WILL RAISE HIM TO ABHOR ALL THINGS
GOOD. HE WILL SERVE THE OROK AS I HAVE, WITH HIS LIFE AND HIS VERY SOUL.
HE WILL BE PURE EVIL, AND WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD THAT YOU
HAVE EVER LOVED."
"MY SOUL IS IN HIM AS WELL, WIRE.", RINI SAID. "HE WILL HAVE A PART
OF MY SPIRIT WITHIN HIM, AND ONE DAY HE WILL TURN ON YOU AND TURN HIS BACK
ON EVIL."
WIRE TIGHTENED HIS GRIP ON RINI'S THROAT. "THEN WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE
SURE YOUR SPIRIT WON'T SURVIVE." HE GRINNED, BARING HIS WHITE TEETH,
AND BURIED HIS CLAWS INTO RINI'S NECK. SHE GRASPED HER THROAT, TRYING
TO RELEASE WIRE'S VICE-LIKE GRIP, BUT HE DUG DEEPER, CRUSHING THE LIFE
OUT OF HER. HE LAUGHED AS SHE WRITHED IN AGONY, GAGGING AND CHOKING,
HER STRUGGLES WEAKENING WITH EACH PASSING SECOND.
RINI'S BODY WEAKENED, AND SHE FINALLY STOPPED MOVING. WIRE KNELT
DOWN AND SNIFFED AROUND HER, PICKING UP THE SCENT OF FRESH DEATH.
HE LOOKED DOWN AT HIS CHILD, THE SLUDGE OOZING DOWN HIS HAND. "YOU,
MY LITTLE ONE.", HE SAID. "YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED." WIRE RAISED
HIMSELF UP TO HIS FULL HEIGHT, HIS GREAT HORNS TOWERING ABOVE RINI'S CRUSHED
BODY, AND SCREAMED INTO THE NIGHT. "I CLAIM YOUR SOUL FOR THE OROK! I SACRIFICE MY CHILD
TO THE POWERS OF DARKNESS!" HIS BODY BURST INTO COUNTLESS RAVENS, AND THE DARK
COMMANDER DISAPPEARRED INTO THE NIGHT. Wire
Leaves Rini.
RINI'S LIFELESS BODY LAY ON THE GROUND AMONG THE CRUSHED LEAVES OF THE
FOREST FLOOR AS A LIGHT RAIN STARTED. AS THE RAIN POURED DOWN, THE
LAST STIRRING OF LIFE EMPTIED OUT OF HER, AND DEEP FROM WITHIN THE FOREST,
WIRE'S LAUGH ECHOED THROUGH THE TREES.
Rini
and Kartee
The Orok devastate the world.
Rini
waits for her beloved.
Wire: Leader of the Orok.
Wire
Leaves Rini.