Adventures in Moonlit Valley: Book One--The Protector of the Realm

Prologue

They were running. Running through the woods that gave them temporary cover. Rain came pouring over and everywhere around them. They stop to catch their breath. After a moment or two they began to run again. As they're running an arrow finds its way through the darkness and pierces the ankle of one of the men that were running. The man falls to the ground screaming in pain.

"Go!" He yells to them as a woman goes to his aid.

"We won't leave without you." The woman said.

"You have a job to do, now go!" Another man grabs her arm and drags her on.

The people running are Sleain and Dasha Minore, Brock and Glor Firus and the man who has fallen is Mourne Kristoforas. They are known as the Guardians, an ancient group of protectors that guarded Moonlit Valley for thousands of years, but they are all that's left.

King Klawr, an evil king wishes to conquer Moonlit Valley because of the fact that it's the monolith of all the magic and energy that flows through all the dimensions and realms. Klawr has sent his army of Realmlings, monsters from an unknown dimension that have claws sharp enough to cut through most armor, teeth as sharp as daggers and armor and weapons made from the bones from the people they killed, to capture and kill the remaining Guardians.

Mourne used all of his strength to stand up despite the pain shooting up through his body. He hears the arrow as it whistles through the air and deflects it with his sword. Then there was silence. Silence, nothing but his own heavy breathing and the rain pouring on everything around him.

The rain added extra weight to Mourne's Red Guardian cloak that had white stripes, making it harder for him to block the oncoming arrows.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" He yelled into the darkness.

Then an arrow struck his shoulder, throwing him hard to the ground. Two feet then appeared before him and picked him up from off the ground.

"Stupid Guardian." An evil deep voice bellowed. "Just give them up and you'll live the life of a king."

Mourne spat in the face of the Chief Realmling. The Chieftan grabbed the arrow stuck in Mourne's shoulder and twisted it. Mourne yelled in pain.

"You'll never find them in time." He muffled through his cries.

"Oh we'll find them, and I'll take my time killing each and every one of them." The Chieftan smiled.

"Incinerate!" Mourne yelled and fire burst from his palms engulfing the Chieftan's face in flames.

Mourne broke free from the Chieftan's grasp and ran away into the night. The Realmlings were about to attack when the Chieftan stopped them.

"A lone Guardian can't do anything, but we have to find the others and kill them."

The Guardians found a cave and took refuge around a small fire they created.

"What are we to do?" Sleain asked

"What our plan was to do all along." Replied Brock.

"How can you say that?" Sleain asked.

"Because it's only a matter of time before Klawr finds us and even if he doesn't I wouldn't want to live a life where our kids and I would have to look over our shoulder every five minutes." Brock stood up angrily.

"So we just send our kids to another realm? How do we know it would work?"

"We don't." Dasha (his wife) said revealing an infant all bundled up. "But I'm willing to take that chance."

Tears flooded Sleain's eyes. "You know that when the ritual is done our position is compromised."

"We know." Gloria (Brock's wife) said holding her infant boy.

"And that we'll pretty much be dead."

"We know."

They all gathered together around the fire and recited an old chant that was so ancient that only three were recorded and only one succeeded.

"Through dark times in our ancient land, we go to the gods to seek their helpful hand,
To send the ones we love to save their life,
So they can return here and end this strife."

The swords on the hilts of Sleain and Brock turned gold and banished along with the two infants within a bright light, brighter than light itself that burst from the cave and covered all of Moonlit Valley.

"Where do you think they went?" Sleain asked.

"I don't know, but I know my son Haragold and your daughter Star are somewhere safe. Gloria replied.

The ground began to shake as they all turned to the entrance of the cave.

"They know we're here." Dasha said.

"I know." Sleain said as he pulled out a dagger.

"Where are you going Sleain." Brock asked tiredly.

"To run out there and go out like a man."

Brock got up and held out his hand. "Sometimes going out like a man is just staring death in the face with your friends and family."

Sleain then looked outside and saw the light from the Realmling torches fly over the trees. Tears again swelled up in his eyes and he took Brock's hand.

They all shared a few tears before all joining hands and walking out into the dark night that showed no light except the Realmling torches and the moonlight itself. The last of the Guardians hear the pulling back of strings and then the light was blocked out by the Realmling arrows that then rained down on them.