Chapter 1: A Friend in a Shadow

A young girl stared on as helplessness and foreboding came forth as she witnessed her once lively village burned before her very eyes, even those that she knew were now a thing of the past. Now with tears streaming down her face she turned tail and ran as far away as she could knowing danger could still be around the corner. The girl was named Naomi. Naomi had long black hair to her waste, though it appeared to be a mix of black and grey as light as it was. Her eyes the color of coal, yet as innocent as the young girl whom possessed them. She was adorned in a black and grey checkered dress that came to her thighs and around the top of the dress a white silk folded over loosely covering her forearms, yet was still a part of the dress itself. Her feet were covered in white sandals that wrapped around her ankles in a silky lace holding them firmly on her feet. Naomi was a shy and innocent girl at the age of seven and even so was rather small for her age, and just witnessing various men slaughter her village brought upon the burden of sadness and an existing loneliness. After what seemed to be hours of running young Naomi collapsed in the dirt of the vast forest. Without any lasting energy her eyes drooped down and closed from exhaustion.

When young Naomi opened her tired eyes she expected the forest around herself, but saw a roof over her head, yet no one seemed to be around. The young girl stood cautiously yet panicked at what happened to peer out a nearby window. That's when she noticed the dark sky and a small candle light on a stand near the bed she had been on. Though looking to the wall she fell back in panic for a shadow larger than herself had appeared. Before she knew it a voice spoke from within her mind. "Don't fear me", it had said to her. Unable to comprehend much at the time Naomi nodded not wishing to speak. After a few minutes of silence the voice spoke from within her mind again, "I am Tahl, and will bring no harm upon you." Naomi reached out towards the shadow when a dark bracelet as black as the night appeared around her wrist, not only was it dark looking but spiraled around her wrist in a twisting fashion, she could also feel an aura from the trinket, an aura that felt similar to that of a pulse. "What is this?", young Naomi had spoken for the first time to the strange shadow. "That young one, is a connection between us, if you feel endangered I will appear in my human form to protect you during the night, but during the day I shall appear as I am now", Tahl had explained to her. After the two were acquainted young Naomi had fallen asleep with the odd yet comforting sensation of someone stroking her hair.

When morning came Naomi awoke, but could not find Tahl anywhere, so she simply stood from bed and saw a pouch with money and placed it within a small almost unnoticeable pocket on the side of her dress. She then left the hut and realized aside from her new friend it was dull and seemed abandoned, she even pondered if Tahl had made sure it blended and appeared that way. Confident that her friend was with her somehow, she headed towards a town noticeable uphill a ways from where she was currently at. After a little while she had managed to come across a sign saying: "Welcome to Arrington". She walked around spotting the uneasy villagers as she approached. One even whispered to another, "Is she wearing the mark of shadows?", to another. Young Naomi began wondering what they feared and kept on her way. Her stomach grumbled and almost immediately the town froze in fear. Curious the girl approached someone and spoke gently, "Um, excuse me, but…" she got no further as the villager panicked and threw a pouch of money at her yelling to forgive him and bolted from the scene.

Naomi stared at the pouch as a shadow seemed to lift it and place it within her pocket near the other. Curious she asked aloud, "Tahl, what's happening", a shadowy figure appeared within her own shadow and spoke aloud unlike before, "This village fears the shadows as well as myself, it is only natural they fear my mark". Naomi glanced at the bracelet now understanding the 'mark' her friend spoke of, but dared not ask what he had done to instill such fear. Her friends shadow seemed to stretch towards a building and she obeyed noticing a small bar, despite her age she knew she would be fine if Tahl was pointing her there for food. She sat herself down as a bulky man sneered, ignoring this she began to browse the menu. She decided on ordering some chicken and potatoes seeing as she favored those flavors. After she ate, she kindly paid and left a generous tip. Naomi felt odd as she exited the town but could not pinpoint why.