Sisters Of Ruin

---

Book excerpt

The story so far

As a young girl Ellie encountered and befriended a race of rabbits gifted with magic. Their one sacred duty; to keep this world safe and spinning through the uncertainty of our universe. Once a year (one turn of the seasons to the rabbits) they were bound to use this magic to keep the world turning. Mankind however had brought these most special rabbits to the brink of extinction through hunting and encroaching upon their lands and the world was in mortal peril. At the request of their leader, Rox, Ellie was transformed into a rabbit by Cast, the rabbit's magic keeper and Rox's father. Visiting the warren and using all of the remaining rabbit's borrowed magic Rox and Ellie journeyed into the past to find the source of their power, a legend only known to them as The White and Grey. On arriving at the birth of our world the two time travellers discovered that their presence in that moment caused two entities to visit this planet and begin its spin through the stars. Furthermore, the entities furnished this world with their own essence to create Rox's descendants. Little did Rox and Ellie know at the time but they also left something else of themselves behind to aid the future of the world. On leaving Rox made several jumps through time in order to assemble enough special rabbits from the past to bring to our time. They were successful and Ellie returned home safely.

Then fate, destiny or pure chance led to a meeting that would forever change Ellie's life and the future of the world itself. Standing next to her parent's house was a derelict building, an old farmhouse. In the cellar she discovered a young male dragon named Cole. Cole told Ellie the history of his race and the disastrous war fought between them and a small group of mankind. The outcome, the destruction and scattering of the dragons, condemning their existence to the dreams and fantasy of mankind's history. Cole and Ellie bonded, allowing the two access to the other's thoughts, emotions and memories. When the ritual was complete she became his rider. Together they set out to find Cole's father as his mother had died birthing him. What they actually found was nothing short of evil. With Cole's parents gone the remaining dragons placed their memories into an innocent named Malachite. The dragons entered a long sleep with Malachite to guard them. Over those many years with nothing but the terrible memories of betrayal, death and loss inflicted by man, Malachite became twisted, a darkness entering his soul that would not be touched by light no matter how bright. A thirst for revenge fuelled his existence and this is who they found.

Malachite released the hibernating dragons who then wished to drain Ellie of her memories to learn of the new world they now found themselves in. Fortunately, Ellie and Cole were saved by the quick actions of Rox and her kin close by. The dragons pursued the pair to Rox's home and set about the destruction of all around them. Ellie concluded they could not win against such fierce opponents. By the grace of fortune Cole's father arrived bearing an object of great power that Celestine, Cole's mother gave her life to create. With this device and the assistance of the world itself, Cole and Ellie, with a captive Malachite, travelled to the land of the dragons in the far reaches of the past. Using Malachite's memories to show what the future held for the dragons and humanity, Ellie convinced the dragons to transform themselves and leave this planet. The strange orb altered them into the beings that would become known as The White and The Grey and they vanished from sight.

Two surprises awaited the two lost souls, Ellie and Cole, in the past. First was Malachite. Bereft of his former personae. Eridan, Cole's father, had requested of Malachite to stay behind and protect the young girl and dragon, and secondly the great power from the orb had been used to grant them a long life.

An age passed by, thousands of years, Ellie kept her distance from humanity not wishing to interfere with what she considered history. But she was drawn back to her kind and it set Ellie's path to helping those who were persecuted for any number of spurious reasons, from witchcraft to skin colour. During this time, it was discovered the orb had become sentient. Its consciousness constructed from those it was closest to for so many years, Ellie, Cole and Malachite. The orb furnished the trio with what Ellie still considered history but what in reality was her future. Using this knowledge Ellie befriended many important figures, the most influential called the 'Father of Europe' King Charles, and more commonly named 'Charlemagne.' Charlemagne granted land to Ellie's cause, in effect planting the seed of what would become a global corporation named the Baiulus Institute, nearly a thousand years in the future.

Ellie's new path led her to Arianne and her young daughter, Isabelle. Both mother and daughter were magically gifted which brought about their being outcast from their home. Both would aid the three friends from the future as many others would but Arianne became a victim to the righteous mob that would push her daughter into murderous revenge. She slaughtered those responsible, injured Cole severely and stole the orb from Ellie.

Isabelle took everything Ellie and her two companions had stood for and turned it against them and the world, though she did this under the guise of oppressing the magically talented.

More years passed by and Cole suffered terribly. Ellie learnt that the newly named 'Baiulus Institute' could provide a liquid, essential to her dragon's survival. Ellie became an employee and worked her way to become their Chief of Operations. She used this position to 'capture' Cole and have him placed in suspended animation within this liquid. Ellie's own thoughts turned towards revenge but she also took it upon herself to protect the younger version of her, moving close by and keeping watch. Little did Ellie know that 'Isabelle' was in the village and set about her revenge on the younger version of Ellie. Punishing her for the past and the death of her mother. That day was the catalyst for Baiulus to move. Teams were sent to investigate the magical occurrences within the village and capture all inhabitants of Rox's warren. They tracked down Ellie but Malachite intervened in her capture and took her to the warren. From there, with only a few survivors including Rox and her son Flare, they came to the older version of Ellie for safety and both Ellie's were introduced to one another, the older version was promptly named 'Eleanor' to distinguish between the two.

Ellie had retrieved the orb during her encounter with Isabelle and Eleanor now knew it was time to free Cole and as many of the captured talented as possible. Eleanor went into the lion's den itself, the Institute's main facility in the city while Ellie and Malachite travelled to China to awaken the Terracotta Army to use as their soldiers. They were successful but Malachite paid for this success with his life.

In the meantime, the orb had convinced the Chief of Operations of Baiulus, Sloan, at the very least to assist Eleanor in healing Cole and allow Eleanor to leave. Little did either know that at the same time Ellie discovered the Isabelle she encountered in her home village was a clone, not in body, but in mind. It was revealed that Isabelle had brainwashed all those talented she'd dedicated herself to protecting and forced her mind onto theirs. Isabelle, the true Isabelle then revealed herself to Eleanor as she set Cole free. Isabelle initiated her final plan, to take over every government, military and judicial power in the world.

Ellie, now magically gifted thanks to her merging with the fake Isabelle, successfully moved the army to Rox's location and she was able to free all the rabbits, the only casualty being Rox's mother Storm. Isabelle now threatened to destroy the city and Eleanor ordered Cole to leave with the orb. Her threat was a ruse to separate Eleanor from Cole and the orb as she released all those brainwashed talents into the world.

Eleanor was taken to see Isabelle but unknown to her Ellie had taken the orb's power and with Cole restored to full health punched a hole through a magically constructed barrier of Isabelle's creation. Isabelle then brought forth a corruption of Cole's DNA. A malformed and hate filled white dragon. With Cole, Eleanor defeated it but in doing so left Ellie alone to confront Isabelle. Isabelle appeared to have defeated Ellie and absorbed all the orb's power from Ellie and make it her own. Eleanor was unaware that Ellie, with the orb, had orchestrated this and that at that very instance the orb was invading Isabelle's body and mind. Eleanor and Ellie then joined with Isabelle to create a bond and gave her a choice, let go of the hate and live or die in despair, alone. Isabelle chose life. But the damage was done. 'Baiulus' was online. Isabelle's talented had begun seizing control around the globe and nothing could be done to stop it.

The orb, or at least its consciousness, departed this world and plans were made to go into hiding. As Ellie and Eleanor were leaving the talented discovered them all and Eleanor was forced to surrender herself to Baiulus for everyone's safety.

Ellie, Cole and her family escaped but Rox was not so lucky. While leading her warren to safety they were attacked and Rox severely injured.

Baiulus was online and the world now belonged to the talented.