Where Darkness Leads

Prologue

Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1653

The air around the village was cold and damp. Small billows of smoke filtered out of a few houses from the warm fires that burned inside. The racing of a horse along the trail flew up mounds of mud and dirt towards the rider. He wore a dark cloak with a hood cowering his head. The consistent pounding of the hoofbeats grew louder as he rode faster till he reached the front of a village.

Soon, some people outside, busy with their daily chores, stopped and ushered their children inside in the presence of those who had arrived.

His fellow colonists once revered and respected him, but now they only feared him. He liked it. Before, he felt he was just a mere person, and now he possessed great powers that no one could imagine. It proved important because he could easily maintain and deceive everyone that he kept his air of respectability while wielding his dark forces.

He stopped in front of a house, slowly getting off his horse. He stepped to the front door, extending his arm as he pushed it open.

"It is time," the hooded man said.

"Please, show mercy on our family," the mother implored. "I beg of you."

She stepped forward, walking towards him, raising her hands in hope.

"I want the girl. She is the chosen."

"No, she is our only child."

"Bring her to me, or I will bring my wrath down upon your entire village."

"We can't let him do that," her husband's solemn voice announced, coming from the side room.

He walked out with his daughter by his side. She pushed aside the black locks from her beautiful clean face to see the hood man standing in the archway.

"Mother," the girl said, rushing into her mother's caring arms.

Her daughter huddled close, cowering in fear of the imposing figure that framed a dark silhouette.

"Be brave, my daughter," she said, holding her tightly.

"I will try."

"Enough," the cloaked man said. "Come with me, child."

He raised his hand as the mother let go of her daughter into his grip.

The two walked back out to his horse, where he mounted her on the back while he sat in front of her. The horse trotted away as the parents looked on in sadness mixed with a semblance of relief at the same time.

Outside the village, he continued riding along the cliffs that overlooked the rocky shores of the cold, endless Atlantic Ocean. He stopped when he came inland to a stone brick building with a wooden thatched roof.

He slid off of his horse, taking the girl with him inside. Once inside in the center of the room stood a stone slab with its' flat and gray smooth weathered surface and underneath were four rock-shaped pillars placed at each corner. Overhead the slab a hole was made letting rays of sunlight beam down.

"On the table," he said, pointing.

Her face was wet and sullen from the despair she felt under his tutelage. His eyes became frozen with fear when she laid herself down. He stepped around her to face the side of the table and lifted the hood from his head.

"Now the spell will be cast," he said satisfyingly to himself.

From inside of his cloak, he pulled out a sword possessing a blade of sliver and the hilt of pure gold.