Prologue
Capri Nulasnam elegantly lifted it up her fine pointed paintbrush and slashed it downward across her canvas adding onto her newest painting. Jeopardy played on a 12X12 inch screen television set in the other room. Sweat beads formed on Capris head as she recreated her old planet from her memory, every rock, tree, and castle. The castle itself could have been any one of Earth’s medieval castles except for a few things. The magic waiting deep inside for the ‘awakening of evil’. Going into the castle and walking down the jungle green carpet then entering the main ballroom with the statue of the Faceless original Cassiopeia, pointing straight out clasping her staff to her. That was the statue that had beckoned her with the scent of lavender and juniper, as a child, to the… Capri sighed and shook her head. She paused and looked up at her painting then over to Leo who was sprawled out on her bed sleeping, his paws twitching as if chasing something in a big dark cloak in his dream. I wonder if he ever catches the boss in his dream… Capri laughed quietly and shed her human form. Leo reminds me of MizunoKierer in a strange sort of way. She hadn’t thought of him in years. When she was young he was one of the lower class species of her planet, of the Namigas. But he was the only person on that planet who was willing to befriend her. The middle-class people hated her for being the King and Queens daughter and the ‘upper-class’ snobs were no fun and because she was different, distanced themselves from her. Her parents were doting idiots and wanted her to grow up to be just like them. They looked down on the common people and ignored the Namigas. They ignored the problems of the country to have endless parties, and when people protested they were beheaded. In an age where women had no place being educated and the upper class were terrified to dirty their hands with work or actual play MizunoKierer had been her refuge. Her mother hated MizunoKierer with a bloody passion for being what he was, which made her love him even more. As a young girl named Caprice she had stood, dirty, her dress torn, an arrogant look that seemed to be etched in stone across her face staring defiantly up at her mother as she stood there lecturing Caprice on how MizunoKierer-
Chapter one
“-is merely a dirty flea-ridden Namiga! I have told you time and time again that I don’t want you seen with him! What do you think the people will think? What about my reputation? I will not have any daughter of mine associating with that kind of- of.. Scum!” Her Mothers face loomed over hers, bright red with anger and embarrassment at her daughter’s then-present condition. “What if you had been hurt out there, beyond the palace ground without a Cassiopeian to help you?”
“MizunoKierer was with me! Besides, you can’t actually say that you really care! You would have been worried about having to make a new heir to the throne then about what your friends would think! I doubt you would even stop to wonder if I was alright anyway!” The little Caprice yelled back at her mother.
The queens jaw dropped and the brown hair on the back of her head seemed to bristle. “Why I’ve NEVER-! I will NOT sit around here and have my own daughter yell such things at me! If you EVER-“
Caprice placed her hands on her hips. “What are you going to do? Behead me like a commoner?” she stared up at her mother indignantly.
The King just frowned and looked disappointed, while leaning on the wall of the main hallway. “Caprice, a girl of twelve should be sweet kind and courteous.”
“What about intelligent? We’re not allowed to think for ourselves? How in the name of Cassiopeia am I supposed to be a good ruler if I know nothing?” She said scathingly.
Both of her parents seemed to be at a loss for words and too angry too speak. Caprice turned and sprinted down the hallway her boot heels clacking on the floor. Her mother yelled out for her to stop and her father chased her down the hall, his heavy boots thudding behind her.
Caprice ran out onto the bridge jumped up on a ledge and jumped just as her father reached her. She felt the air whoosh over her head as he narrowly missed grabbing her by the scruff of the neck.
“MIZUNOKIERE-E-E-E-E-ER!” She yelled as she free-fell, fifty feet in the air. “CATCH MEEEE!!!”
A loud familiar flap of wings was heard somewhere under and behind her as MizunoKierer flew up to her. She landed on his back with a soft thud, and held onto his fur as if for dear life. The wind forced her to half shut her eyes as MizunoKierer began to pick up speed. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her father and saw him still standing on the bridge glaring at her, and her mother by the entrance shaking her head angrily. Caprice stuck her tongue out at them and laughed.
“Careful Princess, remember the lesson you learned last time you flew with your mouth open.” He gently chided her.
“I know, I know. Bugs taste bad.” She recited. She thought about her future and grew quiet. MizunoKierer circled the ‘Majestic Falls’ looking for a safe place to land.
As he landed Caprice whispered into his ear. “MizunoKierer?”
“Yes princess?” He replied turning his head and looking at her with one eye.
She hesitated for a moment before getting angry at herself and blurting out: “Do you think I’m smart?!”
“Y-yes. Of course you’re intelligent. You paint with the skill of an elder Namiga, you have the sharpest memory of any Cassiopeian I know of, and you can cook. Once you are queen you will have the full support of the Namiga behind you which is more than you can say for the present foolish King and Queen."
A small smile crept over her face as he called her parents fools. “I don’t think that women should be kept ignorant. They expect me to be able and ready to rule when they die but they refuse to teach me anything about this kingdom. I don’t even know the legend behind the Cassiopeian people!” She finished angrily.
He thought on this for a moment.
“The legend behind the Cassiopeian people? Cassiopeia?” He smiled respectfully but condescendingly. “Why dear child I could have told you that.”
“Yeah yeah yeah.,. rub it in why don’t you…” She grumbled.
“Would you like me to tell you the legend or no?” He raised his eyebrow.
She sprang up and stared at him. “Really?! You’ll tell me?”
“Why not?” He replied nonchalantly. “Be seated.”
She folded her torn dress under her and plopped down next to the waterfall, the spray barely touching her dress. She listened intently as he began.
“The Originator… The original Cassiopeia… An evil that took many of the lives around her on a whim if she so wished. Queen Cassiopeia, of old, was a vain petty evil creature who tortured anyone who went against her way. She murdered people left and right, loyal subjects, who she thought had a chance of becoming more beautiful than her. She was said to rule over several stars and have undreamt of power that only she was able to use. This here,” He took a moment to pat the ground. “Was her base planet. She stayed here because the other stars planets could not contain life supposedly. She was a terrible and evil person who always had her way with everything. She erected statues of herself all over this kingdom. Only one today remains, but without a face. Cassiopeia began to dream of ruling over all of the stars in the kingdom, her ambitions grew too large for even herself. The planet began a civil war against her, the Namigas fighting alongside the people. Millions of lives were lost. She would stand on top of the castle with her staff and merely emanate power which would kill the warriors around her, and then she would begin to laugh.” She shut his eyes as if trying to block-out pain. “Then one who was clad in gold came down from the stars to put an end to the war. She faced off against Cassiopeia and miraculously won. Cassiopeias first source of power was taken away and forever sealed away by the twelve strongest mages in the history of this planet. Then Cassiopeias star seed was removed. All should have been saved but then something went wrong. As the one clad in gold tried to retrieve the star-seed the Vile creature uttered a prophesy: ‘Death among our kind is not truly forever. At a time when evil is beginning to rise into power once again across the galaxy I shall come again! I will rule above all!’ and then at that last word, with the last of her strength, she lifted her accursed staff into the air and there was a giant explosion. All that remained was her Staff and Crystal. Cassiopeia and her star seed where never seen or sensed again.”
The one who was clad in gold left it up to the people of this planet to do as we wish with the staff and crystal. The Namigas were placed in charge of the crystal and staff, and had it warded several times. It is in a sacred spot that only an Elder Namiga would know of. I know where it is because I have just recently been granted the status as an elder. Only Cassiopeia would know where her original source of power is though. All of the Mages died out hundreds of years ago. But they say that the spirits of the twelve are merely in waiting for the tide of evil to rise again, waiting among the dead…. But of course this was all several hundreds of years ago when I was still a boy.”
Chapter Two
Back into the Closet