Chapter One
Fog surrounded the city. The dark of night obliterated everything from human sight. Even the stars weren't visible. Clouds obscured the sky and wisps of fog drifted about the city. Citadels, schools, ancient homes, they were all there. It was totally quiet and the only sounds were the occasional barks of a feral dog or the whinny of a horse. Morning seemed to be years away as the city continued to stay in the eternal mist of night.
But, quite suddenly, a light began to shine in the sea. Then two, three, four, and it kept going till over twenty lights were lit up. The lights showed a ship. It was beautiful in its own way. A mermaid poised at the bow, her arms stretched out to welcome the salty waves that swept up against her. The sails were long and stained with age and salt, but useful and strong, nonetheless. The lights were held by a dirty crew. Crappy bandanas, scarves, eyepatches, and other dirty garments covered a virtually dirty crew. Pirates! Holding daggers, swords, scrimitars, cutlasses, and axes were waved as the crew poured into the city. Screaming awoke the city's outer limits as the pirates pillaged, murdered, stole, and kidnapped villianously.
In a small house, not far from the forest that surrounded the side of the city, not covered by the sea, a young women darted about packing wildly. Into a bag, she piled a large, gold-covered book, some hard food, a canteen, and...a stone? She wrapped a leather belt around her and stuck two sharp daggers in the two loop holes to the right. These weren't your pirate sticker weapons. This was a real weapon. Perfectly clean, serrated, polished blade, gold handles, yep, this weren't just any blades. Then she reached carefully into a chest and pulled out a sword sheath. Inside was a master of blades. A glowing purple blade, a silver handle with rubber that fit to her hand perfectly. A ruby was placed in the center of the handle.
The young women then turned and ran into her room, barely flinching at the loud booms of cannon fire and clashing of swords. She ducked into a closet and pulled out a bundle of cloth. She darte back into the room with the chest, yanked her pack onto her back and headed for the back door. She was met there by an older man, who was bleeding in his leg, chest, and arm. She cried out and held him up.
"Run, Charali. They- might- g-get it." His head lolled back limply. Charali stared at him in horror and pain.
"What am I going to do?" She whispered. A loud shout rang out behind her and she whirled around to see three pirates running towards her. She laid the main down gently and whipped out her sword. In a ring of wild metal, she slayed the first pirate. The second pirate lunged after her, swinging his sword around like a stick. Charali swung her sword in a smaller circle inside of his and rapped him on his hand. He yelped and dropped his sword. She knocked him out flat with a single blow to the head. The third pirate circled her, looking wary. She had already taken care of his two companions.
He stalked in and whipped his scrimitar at her. Charali ducked the blow and came up under his blow. Obviously the pirate had been taught that trick. Instead of trying to block the blow, he brought his scrimitar against her sword nearly jarring it out of her grip. Charali was beginning to worry. She needed to get rid of him, because more pirates were coming. out of desperation, she flung herself away and rounded the corner. When he came after her, he was surprised by a fury of blows that killed him. Charali scrambled back to her pack and bundle picked it up and scrambled away as fast as her legs could carry her. Fires rose high in the village, screams continued to roar.
Charali reached a small hill and turned around to look at her former home. Tears filled in her blue eyes and then she turned and ran as though demons followed her.
So, how'd you like the first chapter? R'n'R!!!!