In the Name of the Emperor

Alright, I'm rewriting this so it's more interesting and not so long for the first chapter. What's posted has been read, but hey, it sounds better and I changed some things. Got LOTS to update so, read and be patient. Please review if you like what you read and want more. (How else am I supposed to know if I should update of not hmm?)

Intro:
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Just outside the reach of the Imperium along with it's rules, regulations, beliefs and it's Golden Emperor, lay a planet named Therra. Therra was a planet going through it's feudal era, for the population had not yet made advances in science or technology. Upon this planet were Kingdoms aplenty and while there was the occasion uprising or threat of war, peace reigned for better. The center most kingdom was by far the largest, it's populous consisting of those from the world far and wide. Ruling over this kingdom, such named Veldin, was a man named Andrus Zevrin. For thirty years he held reign over the Kingdom of Veldin ruling with a kind heart, a strong arm and an intellect only outmatched by two. When another ruler needed advice, they asked Andrus for his opinions. Andrus had one child, a son, named Maricce, whom was to aced the throne at his father's death.

While those of higher stature occasionally sought the ear and thought of King Andrus, King Andrus only sought such from one man. This one man held a King's respect, his brotherly love, and above all, his friendship. The Grand Magus Galrick was three years Andrus' junior but they acted as if there was no such gap between them. Raised together over the years it was common knowledge that while they were the truest of friends, they were also bitter rivals. Their rivalry consisted of mostly pranks but did escalate sometimes to actual fist fighting. While not pulling pranks and keeping tally's, they played chess or had belching contests. However, Galrick was ahead in chess and a couple of startling belches, so to make up for it, Andrus had pulled a few lasting pranks to pull ahead.

Pranks for the two grown men ranged from Andrus switching potions around to Galrick placing itching powder and an alarm spell on the royal chamber pot. How funny it was to see Andrus running around scratching and screaming his chamber pot was possessed by things from another world as it made loud, chiming sounds. Andrus had his revenge however. While trying to heal a case of poison ivy after that day, Galrick drank what he thought was an anti-itching drought...and was turned into a hare for three days. He talked and thought like his usual self, but his packaging had changed. So when it came to pranks, Andrus was definitely ahead.

While Andrus only had one child, Galrick had many and was happily married to a magus of lesser power. Their children were wonderful, but Galrick couldn't help but not be impressed with any of them, bored almost. That was until his youngest child, a girl, had come into the world. The moment she opened her eyes, he knew she would be different. She looked just like him, with her big, swirling, silver eyes and her bright, fire-like red hair. When he picked her up, he knew she would be someone to contend with. How...he wasn't exactly sure. Until she started getting older.

At a year old, she was speaking well enough to get her points across where her elder siblings had been making mostly noises and pointing. Between two and three she had learned to speak fluently and her mind while still childish, was well above her years. She started writing, reading and doing arithmetic. At a staggering four years old, it was her child-like, analytical mind that stopped a siege on Veldin by pointing out an un-obvious opening in the enemies defenses. From that day onward, she was allowed in on meetings that ranged from every day commoner problems, to matters of state and those of war. Jenavive was her name, and she was not just her father's pride and joy; she shared a special place in Andrus' heart. He treated her like she had come from his own loin and on the eve of her fifth birthday, he swore upon her sleeping head that he would protect her with his life.

Being favored of the King left a lot of ill will between Maricce and Jenavive, but when in the presence of their Father's they were under the best behavior. To a point. But being the child of the Grand Magus and favored of the King was not easy. It was most certainly not everything it was cracked up to be. The soldiers of the kingdom found her an unwanted burden they had to bare when she was forced out of the castle. They tended to turn a blind eye to her. The other nobles were scared of her and her mind; her odd colored eyes. She was too wise and looked at each situation from every angle. Jenavive only had a single friend that was her age but for a child who had such a family and those which loved her like family, that was enough. Verrun was lesser in status, but never in Jenavive's heart. Born only minutes apart on the same winter eve, they were neigh inseparable. Wherever one went, the other could usually be found. Unless it was, of course, to a meeting.

Jenavive and Verrun were most well known around the kitchens and could be found running with the kitchen mum hot on their heels for stealing sweets or sticking their small fingers in her pies. When not running and taunting the elderly woman, they could be found outside Veldin's castle nearest the ruins they were forbade to go near. Like now for example.

It was bright and cool this day, and both children had found what Jenavive identified as a rune, and were trying to decipher what it meant. After a moment of looking at it, studying the intricate symbol, Jenavive jumped up and smiled, pointing to it. "I know what it's about! It's about the other side, the faeries!"

"No it's not! it's about-" Verrun stopped and looked at it before standing, taller than his eight year old companion, "it's about me being a great hero! Fighting in the King's army!"

"You won't be a great hero, I will!" Jenavive glared at her friend.

"No, I will!"

"No me!"

"Not going to happen. Boys are soldiers, girls are weak and puny! You can't become a great hero I will!!" His arms crossed over his chest and looked down at her like she was just that, small, weak and puny.

"You aren't as tough as me." She smiled and put her hands on her hips. It became a glaring match between the two before Verrun did the manly thing and pushed Jenavive down to the ground, forcing a cry from her lips and tears welling up.

"See, I am stronger than you. I will be a hero and you will be stuck in your papa's library!" He bent down and stuck out his little tongue at her. Jenavive just leaned over and punched him in the boy bits. Verrun fell over, grasping and gasping and groaned in pain.

"Girls are tougher than boys. We don't have weaknesses on the outside like boys do. I will be a great hero and there's nothing you can do about it!" She stuck out her tongue back. It didn't take Verrun long to recover however and soon enough the two children were engaged in a grappling match. Verrun tried to push Jenavive but she was balanced enough to not fall over, and actually ended up pushing Verrun backwards. He fell against a rock, then fell down five or so feet into a crevice. There was a scream of pain and then he grabbed his arm and started crying. Jenavive ran down to his aid, using the side of the crevice to climb down, all without thought. When she was beside her friend, she looked worriedly at his face, and then at his arm. It took her a moment of fighting with him to get him to move his hand out of the way so she could see what was wrong. Well, the bone sticking out of the skin was a big indication that his arm was broken.

The feelings of immediate fear and sorrow she felt washed over her as she tried to calm her best friend down. But as she shushed him and tried to get him to stop crying, it was almost like she could...see deeper. Like she could see a few grains of dirt at first, then a shadowy movement that could have been a worm. When she looked back at Verrun's arm, she could see through the skin. How it was possible she didn't know, but she could see that his arm was indeed broken. It was as if she watched as the skin and muscle peeled away in layers, revealing a badly broken bone. Jenavive reached out with her hand and simply touched it, and the bone went back into place, healed over and she watched in morbid fascination as the muscle fibers wrapped around the bone and the skin around the muscle.

It lasted only seconds, but it had felt like whole minutes she could see like this. When Jenavive looked back up to Verrun's face, he was looking at her in fear.

"What is it Verrun?" He scrambled to his feet and pointed a finger down at her.

"I-I-I k-knew you were a demon!" And he then ran away as fast as he could.