The darkness muted the colors in the forest, and the smell of pine lingered in the air. A wizard and an elf wandered down the rocky trail through the wood, keeping a constant vigil against the shadows of the night. Figures seemed to shift in the inky darkness between the trees. Then one slowly began to resolve into something real, something living. The pair stopped short. A man with dull red hair and a square face stood in front of them, leading a gray dappled horse.
"What are you two doing on my land?" he growled.
In a voice that was both kindly and firm, the wizard replied, "Let us pass, and no harm will come to you."
Of course, the man refused. A quick flash of steel came from the elf. Before the poor man could react, he was dead. The two climbed onto the snorting draft, and with a quick slap on the rump from the wizard, the powerful horse began to gallop along the path. The night air buffeting their faces distracted them, for a moment, from their near-hopeless plight.
Only a few minutes later, they burst out of the trees and into a small clearing, surrounded on all sides by pines. Another path led out of it, stretching to a deep chasm traversed by a stone bridge. Five men stood waiting for them. One dark-haired figure appeared frightened, but the other four men's expressions were unreadable. They were in a perfectly straight line, in exactly the same clothing: black pants, black tunics, and black cloaks. Mist swirled in ominous shapes around them. The wizard strode over to them, but the elf lingered at the edge of the trees, his face in shadow.
A dull thud resounded as the wizard thumped the ground with his staff. To the five men, he said, "The time is growing near. You must not fail me now. Go!" With that, they scattered into the dark forest. When they could no longer be heard, the wizard beckoned to the elf, and they made for the City in the Stone.
***Author's Note: This story was actually partially inspired by a dream. Needless to say, the dream itself was quite strange, lol. Another thing: suggestions or critiques are always welcome! I don't bite, I promise. See you in the first chapter!***
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Dragonfire
Fantasy**This is a temporary title, because I don't even have the whole plot for this story. I decided to go ahead and post some because I think it will make it easier for me to edit. Enjoy!
