The Amulet of Tenebrae

"....." he got one of the red apples and took a bite out of it, "yeah i like them all." he said with a mouthful of apple. "Well.....You need to learn about your family a bit, especially with the storm coming and BEFORE more troubles comes....also we need to plan about your school routine." he said with a sigh.

Kendra was happy to see Rassler accepted her olive branch so to speak. "Yeah. I planned on going to my uncles study and looking through his research and books to get a better understanding of things. Would you mind helping me?" She asked him.

"Yeah, its best I come with you. I know what to look for." he said, "PLUS I need to get you learning at least a couple defensive spells." he said with sigh, he got an arm around her waist all of a sudden and the vanished, then appeared in the study.

"You mean I can use magic?" He suddenly grabbed her by the waist and held her close to him. She was surprised at just how rock hard his body really was, but he was so warm too. They suddenly vanished and reappeared in the study.

"Wow...that was interesting." She was a little unsteady on her feet as she tried to walk away from him. She fell back in his arms feeling a bit dizzy from the sudden transportation magic. "Sorry...I guess I got dizzy for a bit there." She stood up straight moving away from him a bit. "Anyway...where should we start first?" She said going over to her uncles messy desk.

"Not much, but if you can tap the SMALLEST amount you can used a spell or two." he said, not worried about her being dizzy from the sudden reappearing, but he then did when he caught her again, "I didm it without thinking. You alright?" he asked.

he sighed and placed the basket on the clear part of the desk and he looked around and snapped his fingers, then all the papers and books got moving around the place and back to their original spots.

"Y-yeah I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy is all. I'll eat an apple and be good as new." She grabbed a shiny red apple from the bottom of the basket and bit into it. When she reached for it, the note she had left in there but forgot about fell at Rassler's feet. Kendra was too mesmerized by the papers and books moving about to notice.

The note read: To: Rassler From: The Scrawny Squirrel

He noticed it and got hold to it, looking at it, he glanced at her, but decided to not mention it to her and he folded it, slipping it into his vest.

Once everything was tidied up and neat again, he sighed in relief, "Tidy at last...that lazy fucker." he said. "....Tenebrae." he called out and a couple of books and papers levitated off the bookshelves, "Vorkalth." a couple more books floated on out.

Kendra caught on to what he was doing. All the books and documents related to each subject he said came floating down and gathered in neat piles on the desk. She chuckled at his comment about her uncle. "My mother told me that my uncle was a very dedicated man. Once he got started on a project, he became completely engulfed in it. That explains the messes he left all over the place."

"THAT is an understatement." he said, "ALL he would do is test, study and research.....but he always told himself he was doing to save you......and he died for it." he said, grabbing the biggest book.

"Oh before I forget. Igven." he said to the book and a LARGE book came out. "You need to know more about your family line to understand more." he said.

Kendra's eyes went wide when she saw the HUGE book about her family. "Wow...just this whole book is about my family?" She touched the old book that was thicker than a dictionary. She opened it and started with the first chapter. She was immediately surprised by a fact that she never knew. "My early ancestors were witches and warlocks?! Wow...more surprises." At this point nothing surprised her really. "So technically I am a witch?" She asked him.

"Yes, This manor has seen MANY of your family live and die here." he said.

"You were not raised as one, so technically you're not, but you've got magic in your blood live and its powerful.....which was why the fucker was keen for your ancestor all that time ago." he said.

Kendra flipped through the book some more until she stopped at a section that had pictures. She looked at them closely and was stunned when she saw a woman on one page that looked EXACTLY like her. "This woman...who is she?" The woman wore old fashioned clothes and you could easily tell that she was a witch. Below her picture the name read Emily Igven. There were very few women in the family line she noticed which was outlined by a family tree on the adjacent page.

Rassler came over and looked, his whole body stiffened and his eyes blanked a little, "................." when she spoked her name, "DON'T....read it aloud." he said. "It...brings nothing but misery." he said, turning the page to a man with the same hair colour but a long beard and serious face, "This is the man where the curse began.....Ivan Igven...a MASTER of magic and a Wizard of healing and spells."

Kendra turned her head to look at Rassler and saw for a quick second the pain in his eyes. "Sure..." She said and watched him turn the page to a man that she assumed was Emily's father. "Does it say anything about why the cursed was placed on him?" She scanned the page with her eyes and followed with her finger hoping to find more on the curse. The paragraphs mostly talked about his life and his accomplishments.

"..............The King desired his only daughter. Ivan defied him and told him no. The king was not thrilled by this and warned him that he was going to TAKE his daughter whether he allowed it or not.... it all went down hill from there and the daughter-......" he was trying not to choke up.

Kendra listened as he was explaining. "She killed herself to escape the king's wrath..." She finished the sentence for him as she read it in the book. She covered her mouth in shock for a few moments and continued reading, "The king was so enraged that he placed a curse on him and his future ancestors. The next first born female would be his to claim as payment for her betrayal." Kendra was shocked and her heart felt heavy. "Rassler...did you know her?" She said turning around to see his still pained face.

He looked away from her, "............I can't talk about it." he said, "I got pulled into this on that same day......forced to protect this family.....and there's STILL no other way to break this fucking curse!!" he said growling.

"Mhm, I understand." She dropped it at that and continued to read. She would probably figure it out on her own one way or another. "You mean there is NO other way besides the demon king claiming me as his when I turn eighteen to break this curse? There has to be another way. That can't be the only way out of this." She said and turned her attention to the family line. There really were no females born as far back as the book would go. The most recent record was for her great great grandfather and his family which was comprised of 2 boys and one girl which was the youngest of the three.

"This is what Terrance was spending his last years trying to solve......he wanted to protect you. But he knew he was running out of time until he was stopped." he said, "And Unfortunately....he was.....And I couldn't help him." he leaned his hands on the other side of the desk, looking at her, "The girl HAS to be the first out of the children....because Ivan's daughter was in the order of birth." he said.

"And I am the first born daughter since Ivan't daughter which was centuries ago..." She went to the next stack and opened up the next book looking for more information on the Demon King, Vorkalth. "So, what is there to know about this guy?" She asked opening to the section about him. Apparently he was well known across the world. There were different pictures, drawings, and paintings of him in the book. "He is more well known that I thought." She said reading over the many descriptions about him.

"Vorkalth would have been watching for the whole time. When he has a grudge, he will not leave it or forget it." he said

"He's been ruling for many millennia. He's known by many names and has many forms. He's a demon through and through. When he's angry he'll warn you once, then if you don't heed it, he'll either kill you or harm you to the point of death." he said.

Listening to Rass's explanation of Vorkalth sent shivers down her spine. "I can't believe such a vile beast got so close to me..." She said thinking back to his advances the night she set him free. "We have to take him down. There is no way I am becoming that freaks bride. NO. WAY." She shook her head vigorously. "Is he back in the demon realm right now?" She asked looking at an artists drawing of the realm he ruled over.

"He's got charm like a snake. He shows the smooth words and acts like so, but make the wrong move and he'll strike out and with venom in many ways." he said. "He can be taken down but a minor means like other demons.....takes a lot of power to kill him. But once this curse is lifted,l not even he will be able to try and claim you or your line again." he said.

"This is only from a guess and a description. I KNOW what it really looks like." he said.

Kendra nodded in agreement, "Yes he is. He tricked me into thinking I was hearing my uncles voice and seeing his shadows around. What a jerk." She said cursing his name under her breath.

"Is this drawing pretty close to what his kingdom looks like?" She asked turning to the back page to see the other half of the drawing.

"We demon use trickery on humans on the constant." he said, "Oldest trick in the book."

"Its too pretty." he said, "Its more......desert like with rocky mountains out to the north of the Royal city of Demora." he said, "......the palace made of black stone, which was fortified in the fire of souls...in other words the souls of humans made his palace." he described the Palace.