Prologue Of Burning Brightly

Running. For how long I had been, I have long since forgotten. As the darkness swelled behind me, I was nearly enveloped in it like so many people before me. As I ran, I heard the voices that were lost in that eternal darkness. They screamed, echoing in the halls of this wretched place. Then I remembered, this old dark place was home. This aged, damp, dreadful place was where I once ate and slept. The place where I was born and now would die it seemed. Not a second after this thought, I ran into the throne room. It was wrecked and ravaged but still a sight to behold. The crimson draperies torn but the obsidian throne still intact. It was just then that I realized that the darkness had stopped. Now there, in its place, stood a tall skeletal man with dark red orbs for eyes. His pitch black robe seemed to absorb the light around his figure. The screams still echoed in the halls around me but I barely heard them. I was too focused on the shadowy form in front of me.

I was paralyzed for a split second, but then gathered what was left of my senses and made a leap for the closest weapon in the room, a long sword made for my father. But just as I did, the form of the man moved with an ungodly speed and enveloped the sword in darkness. A darkness that seemed to soak up the sword. As he did so he grinned widely showing the sharp teeth in his rugged jaw. As I stared in awe at this terrible creature, it began to whisper something. It started out in a low rasping voice and elevated to a terrifying roar. With each change in volume the creature came closer until his hands reached out and touched my forehead and screamed that cursed word one last time:

REMEMBER!

And so I did.

I was flung back through time, watching memories of long ago. My brother, my mother, my father. They had been gone for an immeasurable amount of time it seemed. A tear rolled down my cheek for I had nearly forgotten their faces. My brother especially. How long had it been since he had gone? Weeks, months, years? Time is lost in this place. I felt a harsh push, and I fell, plummeting into the depths.

Prologue of Clans of War

I was waiting for the right time to strike. I stood my ground as the dark feathered cloud absorbed all the sunlight above and around me. I focused my mind and my breathing as the winged beasts came closer towards me. They were nearly on top of me now, I could feel the air underneath their wings pressing me down.

Now.

Not yet…

NOW!

I let out a roar and slashed my claws all around me and hundreds of the cursed creatures fell to the ground. I could now see through the dwindling cloud of falcons.

Then I saw him. The beast that had caused all this death. He looked surprised at the ferocity of my attacks, but was smiling all the same. As I continued to slice at the cloud falcons, they fell to the ground and lay still. Suddenly all of the birds vanished, and it was only me and the man brandishing a longsword.

“You’ve grown,” he taunted.

I ignored the beast.

“Your parents would be proud,” he said.

I started seeing red, but rage had yet to fill my bones.

Let me attack.

No, not yet.

Let me kill this man!

I gave way to the voice. I rushed the man. He dodged my first blow and the second with an ungodly speed.

“I thought you were stronger than this,” he said.

I felt a claw dig into my left cheek and forehead just around my eye as he countered. Blood streamed from the wound into my eye. I saw him rushing towards me once again. I was able to dodge an attack.

“Come now girl! You were so full of rage a second ago!”

I ignored the excruciating pain on the left side of my face and lunged at him once again slashing one of his arms. I drew blood.

I won’t lose.

We won’t lose.