Prologue

The night was quiet. The wind blew softly, and the moon shined in through the window. A room, made from wood and stone, with a child in bed. Only about eight, he slept there peacefully. His clothes folded in an open drawer, and a chest full of toys was beside it. His hair, short and white. The parents were in the room beside him, sleeping naked beneath the covers, with their clothes tossed carelessly across the room. The candle on the table side beside them had gone out some time ago. A bow and arrow hung above them, and the family name engraved into its grip. The house was small, only having a few rooms. Enough for the family to fit in. Their dog was in the kitchen, sleeping under the table.

All three of them were woken up by a scream. It didn't come from inside the house, or the one next to them. The father sat up and listened closely. The air had turned sour, and smoke could be smelt. He threw the covers off and started getting dressed, only having time to put on pants and a shirt, before grabbing the bow. The woman in his bed sat up and held the blanket covers up over her chest. She looked around, scared and confused. The man explained for her to get the kid and hide somewhere while he investigated. She nodded and quickly tossed on a nightgown she had in the drawer, running to their child's room.

More screams filled the air, and the mar peeked outside his door. The bright red and orange colors of fire and ember shined through the crack. He opened the door wide and looked outside. The houses nearby were burning, the fires reaching high into the sky and leaping from house to house. People ran from their homes as the fire got closer. Quickly, he ran back inside, and grabbed both his wife, and kid, leading them outside and having them run with him. The people of the village where screaming, and running around in a panic. The man looked around, confused as to what was happening, but then he saw it. Down at the far end of the mud-covered street was a ghostly figure. He walked down, carrying a wooden shield in his left arm, and a short sword in his right. His armor was black with gold trimmings on the side and almost seemed transparent. His skin was a mix between the average white color and green. The figure's body was covered in cracks and scars, and from them, a black and green light shined. His eyes were bloodshot red, and his hair, short and black. Behind him was a trail of bodies. Some burned and others cut down. Their blood stained on his steel sword.

The man buried his family and led them down one of the allies between two buildings. Steel could be heard clashing, and final words could be heard spoken. The family was almost to the other end of the ally when a black figure appeared in front of the other end. Robed in complete blackness the figure turned his head to look down the alley, only he had no face. Nothing but a black empty hole. There were no legs to walk on, and instead, it floated. It's steel gauntlets gripped the sword in his hand, as it turned to float down to the family. The father quickly opened the side door to the bar they were next to and pushed his family inside, closing the door behind him. The bar was empty. A few bodies are on the floor, and the stools all knocked over. He spotted the stairway up to the second floor overlooking the first and ordered his family up to it and to hide. They did as told, the mother carrying the child, and putting her hands over his crying eyes. The father then turned to face the door while backing up, having his bow drawn and an arrow at the ready, but nothing came. The door stays shut and there was no hint of movement from the other side.

The man quickly dived behind the bar and searched for anything else he could use. A small dagger was all he could find, so it's what he grabbed. He gripped the handle tight and waited for a sound. Then remembered that the figure didn't walk and would make no sound. He quickly peaked over the bar counter and saw the black figure standing there, looking directly at him. It let out a blood-curdling shriek as it raised its sword and brought it down. The man moved out of the way and crawled out from behind the bar, raising his knife and charging the hooded figure. It once again raised its sword and swung at him. He used the knife to block the blade and slid under it, pulling the knife away and stabbing up into the cloaked figure gut. The fabric of the cloak ripped but nothing happened. There was nothing there to stab. His eyes widened, as he was grabbed by the shirt, and thrown against the wall. He grunted and got up, weakly stumbling to his feet. The figure approached slowly and raised its sword once more, but just before it had its chance to strike it down, the bar doors were kicked open and an arrow flew into the back of the figure. It shrieked and disintegrate into dust before disappearing. The man looked forward and saw another man standing there. He too was hooded, but not like the others. His hair was short and blond, with a green hood and cloak covering him. His arms were bare, and blue mystic tattoos where layering his skin. He wore brown tall boots and rangers attire. He cracked his neck, and the bow he held turned blue and vanished in his hands. The tattoos on his body stopped glowing and he approached the man.

"You alright?"

"Y- Yes... Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter, come on!" He turned to leave, and the man ordered him to wait. He ran up the stairs and found his family, explaining to them that the stranger was trying to help. The four ran out of the bar and onto the burning streets of the village. Fire and ash rained down onto the muddy street, as most of the buildings in the town burned slowly. The ranger motioned for the family to follow him down another ally and they did as he told. Just before they could get to it, however, they where once again cut off by a black hooded figure. The ranger grunted and held his arms out like he was holding a bow. Quickly, his tattoos lit up and a ghostly blue bow formed in his hands, followed by a strung arrow. He released it, and let the arrow fly, hitting the hooded figure and causing it to disappear.

"We need to hurry." He exclaimed, running fast with the family down the alley and out the other side onto another street. They turned the corner and were once again faced with a hooded figure. He lifted his sword into the air, and stuck on the other end was a poor unfortunate woman. She bled down the steel of the blade and went limp as she breathed her last breath. The hooded figure lowered the sword and allowed the woman's body to slide off. The ranger once again formed a weapon in his hands, choosing for a sword to appear instead of a bow. He swung the blade upwards and cut the hooded figure in half. Just as he did, he felt an arrow fly by. He turned and saw the leader of the group standing them.

"Valhalla." He said quietly, turning to face him. Valhalla grinned and tossed his sword towards the ranger, only to purposefully miss and strike the woman beside him. The wide felt the blade sink into her chest and cut straight through her, cutting her in half, partway up the breast. The went limp and fell dropping the child in her disembodied arms. The father screamed as he grabbed his child, only to meet a similar fate. Another blade flew at him, and pinned him to the wall, forcing him to drop the child. He yelled at his kid to run, and the child did, crying. Elias went after the child but was stopped by Valhalla. Another word flew in front of him and finished the man off, cutting through his lower torso, allowing his insides to spill out onto the ground.

The ranger growled and turned to look at Valhalla, forming a two-handed sword into his hands, and running at Valhalla. He stood there and when the ranger got close enough, he too formed a blade in his hands. The two strikes each others weapon, causing a loud crash of steel to ring out above the sound of fire. The ranger swung viciously and Valhalla parried him. The two were locked in a constant state of swinging and blocking. The ranger soon made his weapon disappear and formed a smaller one-handed sword instead, now striking much faster than normal. Valhalla took the opportunity to grip his hand, causing a bright flash of light to blind the ranger and stumble back. The ring on Valhalla's finger began to dim as he struck the ranger. He grunted and fell to the mud, a gash across his back.

Valhalla chuckled and went to finish the range, only to get flashed by a bright light from the ranger. Valhalla stumbled back as well and looked around for the ranger. He had disappeared.

"No matter. He proves no problem." Valhalla mumbled to himself. His black-cloaked servants approached him.

"Was that everyone."

"Almost." Whispered the hooded figure. Their voices long, and drawn out. They echoed in the wind.

"Round the rest of them up and bring them to me."

The ghostly figures nodded and flew off, searching the town for the remaining survivors. Valhalla stood there, staring at the ground where his appointment was once.

"Been a problem in my side for a while now. Stay away ranger." He yelled out, looking for some hint as to where he went. There was a scurry and a door closing quickly nearby. Valhalla turned and saw where the sound came from. A stable, not yet caught aflame. He approached it and pushed the door open, looking around at all the horses neighing in panic and flailing around. Slowly, Valhalla walked down the middle of the stable, looking everywhere for the ranger. He sighed and felt a sharp kick in the back. He stumbled forward and turned to see the ranger jump on horseback, and ride off.

Valhalla ran outside after him and watched as the ranger retreated from the burning village. The other horses ran from the stable and around Valhalla, yet he continued to stand there in anger. Once the horses had gone, he turned and saw his ghostly servants approaching with the remaining townsfolk. An old man, a few women, and the father's child. He turned to look at them, then towards one of his black servants.

"Is that all?"

The servant only let out a ghostly moan and a nod in response. Valhalla nodded and looked out at the remaining townsfolk.

"Is there any word from the spies?" He asked, carefully examining the survivors.

"Yes, my lord. They have informed us, that the ones who interfered with your work, are on their way to Brozegrad. They seek the dwarven relic, and wish to return it to the rightful king." The servant bowed. Valhalla frowned and nodded.

"Let them take it."

"My lord?" It raised its head.

"Let them take it. We will simply attack Brozegrad once they return it." He grinned slightly and looked back at his black servants. "Find some bounty hunters. Bandits, Vampire hunters, anyone. Put a price on their heads."

"I do not wish to disagree, but that would only slow them down." The servant said.

"That's the idea," Valhalla mumbled, bending over to examine a young girl. She had short black hair, and a long knight dress on. He stared at her and examined her appearance and physical build. The black-hooded figure bowed and nodded his head.

"I will send the others in search of those to slow them down then, my lord." With that, the black servant disappeared into a black form of smoke, and flew off, leaving a trail behind. Valhalla nodded and looked up at the other black servants, and the people they had captive.

"Take them all to the island. Put them to work like the others." He ordered. The black servants nodded, and forced all the people to the ground, casting spells on them to paralyze their body's and prevent any attempts to escape. A couple of men, a few women and a child. The black servants grabbed each of them, and turned into smoke once more, carrying the people with them. Valhalla watched as they flew southeast, and turned to look back out to where the ranger ran off. He scoffed and walked back into the village, and through the flaming buildings. The bar's the house's shops. They were all burning bright, by the heat of the fire. The Husband and wife laid side by side, cut in half, their insides poured out onto the grass. Valhalla looked at them and moved on. He sheathed his sword, and turned into a cloud of green and black smoke, and took off after his black servants, towards Avonduff Island.

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