The Red Cloak Society

Prologue

 It was an oddly stormy day in Solista, the capital of the Solstice Nations. It was known to many as the nation of the Sun for it's scorching summers and barely noticeable winters, but that didn't stop the storm from raging on. The young boy sat hidden in the crawl space of the barn, the air thick with the musty stench of wet manure. He was scared of the booming thunder and blinding flashes of lightning. He knew he shouldn't have been afraid, but there was something deeply unsettling in the air as he stood up, unwinding his cramped premature limbs. Not long ago had his mother engulfed him in her arms, assuring him everything would be fine and that the storm would soon pass. However, he couldn't stop himself from making his way up the creaky wood boards of the barn and to the dilapidated house across the field that he called home. He creeped up the rickety plywood that they used as stairs to his parents' room. They didn't move an inch as he opened the door, crawling in their bed.

"Mama, Papa" he whispered softly to them. They didn't even stir as he curled in between them, frowning at the dampness of the sheets. He looked at the open window, assuming the storm had come in blowing gusts of wind and water with it. He turned toward his mother, the flash of lightning illuminating her beautiful chestnut skin and her silky soft curls. As the boom of thunder came he shrieked, gripping his father's huge hands; hands that felt unusually cold. The boy ignored it and closed his eyes. It wasn't until the next morning that he noticed the slick dampness in the bed wasn't from the rain but rather from his parent's blood, spilling from clean slices across their throats.