The Commander Trilogy #1 Shadow and Gold

Prologue

In the shimmering light of purple dawn, the rabbits came regularly, making themselves a hearty meal for hunters and starving warriors. The small, furry, creature thumped the ground once, then leaped into the air, it's tail flashing in the purple sunlight as it lashed out with its hind legs, breaking and grinding into the bones of the unfortunate human, who's life wasn't spared from the battle. ''Mutants living in peace with humans? Never could become a reality.'' She pit the rabbit she'd just captured, into the cage, closing the door securely as her brown, earth colored ones, found the biddy, small, black ones, of the poor rabbit she intended for rabbit stew. Rabbit stew or sheep's head both made pretty tasty soups, enough to last the week, and supplement everyone's diets. After making sure the small rabbit was secured inside the cage, she followed the greenish path along the forest grounds, back to the orange torches of fire. The warmth immediately thawed the frost from her bones, as she crossed her legs underneath herself, sitting with her front directed towards the small bone fire, in front of her. She exhaled a small breath she didn't know she was holding, letting a gust of cold wind, to escape past her lips. She was tired, her bones ached, and the ends of her ears drooled with cold, clammy, sweat. She'd been out in the forest for hours, or so it felt like hours. She'd promised the everyone back at camp, she wouldn't return without something more to add to the previous pot of boiling water, and spicy chilly powder. The meal wasn't much, but at least it kept their throats from getting to dry, the result of the bland, boring, chilly flavored soup, was keeping them standing longer, then if the pot had been empty, and she was thankful for that at most. Harsh days were ahead of them since the down grade of population since the mutants, only known to her and the teens she'd managed to rescue, as ''Arrows'' Each with a sharper ingredients and skills able to pay the bills.

If she wasn't so exhausted and out of breath, she would have found that to be hilarious. Lately, her own thoughts were the only things able to produce a laugh, or small giggle. Since the murder of her parents, two years old, she and a few others, have had to fend for themselves. For starters, building a base, protective and secured enough to fight off the Arrows, if they ever decided to come a knocking. Her lips quivered, mysteriously, as the flames, cooled the coolness from under her ashy, dirt, covered cheeks. How she missed the feeling of warm water against her skin during bath time, lately, she'd been to late to be able to have any warm water at all, so most nights, she'd return to her open tent, cold, and questioning why she continued to keep moving. But the question that kept her up, most nights, was why hadn't the Arrows stayed just a little longer, when they slaughtered the innocents living in her village? A little bit longer and she might have been granted a chance to join her Mom and Dad in the afterlife, though who would take care of her young cousin, Elmon? No one she figured. No one would lead, or command as she could.

A small gust of stronger winds, brushed past the tears, trailing lines down her skin, as earth colored locks, moved in stiff waves, through the smoke. The sparkle had faded from the waves years ago, leaving it dull, reflecting how she felt inside from the gruesome events of her village, parents, and the outcome of the last two years, pretending to be grown up, pretending to be older than she truly was. Coming into everything as a fifteen year old girl, to a seventeen year old, stuck in the body of a thirty - year old. But she knew sacrifices had to be made, they had to be, if she wanted to keep everyone alive. Two year anniversary, of the day her family was slaughtered, while the surviving children were forced to become orphans, always left with the question of why, why did the Arrows kill everyone? Most importantly, how did they come to be? Who ever created them, deserved the hilt of her dagger, through their skulls. How she desired the blood of the responsible. And how she desired the blood coursing through the murderous of the human-like creatures, with differences unlike any human being. The Arrows may look normal, you might even say they share the faces of the many human beings, before they were murdered? The only difference being the shinny, altering color of the stones, each one of them carries, embedded into the foreheads of each man and woman. The stones grant them amazing elemental powers, each color representing one of the many elements. Each with their own set of skills, each more dangerous.

Blue and red are the most common, and can be found pretty easily, if you know where to look. Most of these Arrows are fire and water based, meaning their hot temperatures. In other words, this means they attack first, ask questions later, and think of peace after the battles over. This makes them a better target, usually a dagger, or sharp object can put them down rather easily, if you've been careful not to let their strength overpower you. Rule one, never face them alone, without a plan. As for the water Arrows, the Arrows with the blue stones, they're usually calm, relaxed, and most times have their strategies planned, and they are very organized. Rather you fight and get yourself messed up, then have themselves becoming a dirt animal, same as you. This makes it the easiest to overpower and kill them. Again, a dagger or any sharp weapon can be used to kill them, they carry powers, but they carry everything a human does. Blood, in need of oxygen, and the need for fresh water and food. This means they die the same as we do.

The desire to kill each and every singe one of them, was the fuel to her fire, since the destitution of everything so dear, and fragile.