Dark Colors

Prologue

Prologue

They all lay in silence, waiting for the humans to approach.  Darzur glanced at the monsters that surrounded him.  A grunt came from one of the beasts nearby him.  He glared at it, daring it to make another noise and ruin his plans.  It didn’t.

The wind flapped at his robes wildly and the cold pierced the air.  One of the guards crouched beside him.  “The enemy is coming closer, sire.  There appears to be five to ten of them that survived the previous battle.  They will be here in approximately two minutes, sire.”  Darzur gripped his sleeve tightly.  “Are they wounded?”  “Yes, sire.  The summoner has a-” the soldier was cut off by Darzur’s harsh whisper.  “The girl, you fool!  Is the girl wounded?”  Darzur stared into the mans fearful eyes.  “S-sir, we have not yet received any information regarding the girl… I don’t…” he stammered.  “You fool!” Darzur bellowed with rage.  He stood and shot a blood red smoke shot into the air.  “Attack!” Darzur screamed as the humans came into view.  He watched as the beasts lumbered toward the group of humans.  He grinned, but that grin was quickly replaced by a snarl as he turned back towards the frightened soldier.

“Y-your orders...sire?” he asked.  Darzurs grin returned as his mad, wicked self came back and ideas entered his evil mind.  “Well, you may have failed, but I am a good person, am I not?  I will give you another task… Hmm…  It must be an important one, boy.”  The soldier nervously smiled.  “What, uh, what might that be, sire?”  “You,” Darzur began, “Ah, yes.  You shall wait in the afterlife, and wait for our… guests to arrive.”  He gestured towards the group of humans that struggled to hold their ground against the ferocious beasts.  It began to dawn on the soldier what Darzur meant.  “ No… No… No!”  the soldier stumbled backwards and tripped on a gnarled root that protruded from the dry soil.  “Please,” Darzurs smile was now murderous, “Give them a very warm welcome when they, too, arrive in the afterlife.”  Darzur stepped closer and grabbed the soldiers head, Darzurs thumbs pushing against the man's temple.  The soldiers scream never even escaped his lips, no.  Instead his eyes lolled up, his skin grew pale, and his heart stipped beating.

Darzur stood.  “Now,” he turned toward the battle.  “Let us ensure that this scum receive a very safe and glorious trip to their destination.”  Darzur muttered a spell under his breath.  Beside him a skeleton rose from the ground, a ghoul flew down from the starry night, and a stilthos appeared from thin air.  Darzur laughed, “Meet your end, humans!  You never belonged in this world anyway…”  He unhooked his staff from his belt and jumped into the fray, death doing it’s job.