• Prologue:

    Travers walked down a foreboding country lane. It was a cool, crisp night and the leaves crunched under his feet. He was a boy no older than fourteen, yet a slim dagger hung at his side. It was thin enough to hide under one’s cloak, yet strong enough to survive the brutal conflicts that went on inside these woods. He warily eye the lane before him, fingering the dagger save he should need it. Suddenly, a tall figure in a white cloak walked from the side of the lane, right in front of Travers.
    “Your late.” A warm and cheery voice said from under the hood. Travers slipped down his hood, revealing the boy’s face. He had a white complexion, as if he had not spent much time in the sun lately. He had a messy mop of dark brown hair, and his almond shaped eyes had the color to match. His lips were thin, almost invisible. He opened his mouth to speak, but the hooded man was walking already, motioning him to follow. They walked for a time before they stopped. “Are you sure we weren’t followed?” The cloaked figure asked.
    “I’m sure of it.” Travers said, his cold, steely voice filling the empty woods. The stranger lowered his hood and met Travers gaze. The stranger was a tall man, as white as Travers in complexion. He had a thin wispy mustache and a small beard to match. His hair was already a steel gray, though he was only in his thirties. His eyes were a deep blue, so pure that they could have resembled sapphires. You could see the dent the sword made in his cloak; it was necessary to carry a weapon on you at all times in these woods. They looked around, looking at the clearing they had stopped at. There were a few big rocks that could provide cover in case of attack, but not much else. They sky was starless, though there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The only light came from the moon and the lightning bugs around them. Suddenly a twig snapped at the edge of the clearing. The companions grasped their weapons, sensing danger in the air. The night was tense, everything stood still. Then, in just a few short minutes, the ground was covered in blood, and two lay dead.