Dragon Guardian
Cosmos of the Sun
Prologue, Part 1:
Mercenary
Have to run faster mustn't get caught! That was his only though as he speed through the over grown forest as fast as his legs could carry him. But no matter how fast he ran, or how he weaved though the large tree trunks, the still slowly gained on him. They moved like the lengthening evening shadows through the thick foliage. Trees lush with leaves shivered in the wind that followed him as he ran. The forest was an old one, one that had seen battles that painted its ground red with thick hot blood. The forest still stood after all those battles with trees that had grown to embrace the now empty sky. Thick roots from these trees winded though the path though the forest and in some places they made the ground seem like a living stepladder.
His mind cheered when a hidden gale rose up to meet him as he darted up the now beaten path. As he shot through the last of the trees it seemed like they tried to block his passage with thick torn coated branches but with the gale so close that it was impossible. Darting into the gale he relaxed, this was a sacred place and only those who knew, or heard, of its power could enter. The gale wasn't very large but the Ordon tree that was planted in the middle was. A trunk so thick that no one could ever have their arms rap around it with out fear of dislocating both their shoulders. Huge branches covered the top of the gale like a green glass ceiling blocking out the vision of the clear starry heavens from sight. But the most impressive thing about the tree was its height. It seemed as if the moon rested on one of the lower branches like a giant glowing fruit.
As the light of the moon filtered in through the green leaves above the runner's features were finally visible. Ebony black hair with one pure white bang, which came from his right temple, protruded in a messy mane from his head. His hair went nicely with his blood red eyes giving him the look of a dark creature. Wearing a long dark green tunic belated with an amber colored belt that matched his legging if he sat absolutely still he could blend in to the woods, but the thing that drew the eye was the sword strapped to his back. At the moment all that could be seen of it was a long two handed handle wrapped in black leather with a sliver streak in it. Laying back against the tallest tree that stood in the center of the clearing he let his mind wander. It drifted back and forth across his memories as his fatigue caught up. He settled into a light dose, one that would tell him if others were coming and he slowly relaxed against the base of the tall tree.
The fire
The beautiful fire
The fire it whipped through his hair, it embraced him held him close and covered him. It rolled through his veins like liquid, went down into his lungs and gave him more life than any air could. But he must leave it behind leave the warmth that embraced him and held him close, must go to the cold not just cold but back to life was he willing to leave all that he had gained behind? No. As the word rolled through his head he was wrenched from the warmth into the cold. It choked his senses. Froze his blood and held him close squeezing the warmth out of him.
The cold called for his death.
He jerked awake ignoring the strong urge to reputedly bang his head against the bark of the tree. The same damned dream again! Night after night it stalked his subconscious mind waiting for him to sink deeply into sleep. It wouldn't have been a surprise if he eventually went insane from it. But the dream never finished. That means something woke him up. Now on high alert he scored the woods with his eyes and ears looking for the offending creature or noise. Nothing could be seen which but him on edge because something must have woken him, and if he couldn't identify it immediately then it could actually cause him to have some problems. His hand gripped the sword handle in till his fingers turned an ivory white. There it was again! Slowly ever so slowly he pulled out the sword from the sheath. The double-edged blade glittered like a blood moon and with the engraved runes, which ran up its sides, it seemed to be made to kill impure things.
He stood poised and waiting for his opponent to show himself, when something darted out of the shadows of the trees outside of the clearing and headed strait toward him. He only had time to raise his sword in a blocking move before it struck. With a snarl of rage it backed off for a moment and before he could get a good look at it he was attacked again. He twisted out of the way a brought his sword down in a slash. He was reworded with the sound of breaking bones and the feel of hot sticky blood as it covered his legs as the thing stumbled to a stop next to him. The creature screamed in pain and as its last act it sank its fangs into his leg. With another swing he removed the head from the beast and kicked the body away with his other leg.
He dropped to one knee and quickly pried the fangs out of his leg hoping that it wasn't poisonous. Bronze feathers coated the crown of the head, which tapered off to a muzzle at the end, that was covered with course dark brown fur. He tossed the head with a flick of his wrists after checking to see if its fangs were dripping any liquid other then his own blood. Thankful when he saw that there was no poison he turned to check the body of the creature to see if he could identify it, but it had already turned to ash. Deciding that he could no longer stay in the clearing because the creature had been able to get, which meet that someone had given it instructions, he stood after quickly wrapping his leg. Wiping his sword on the ground and picking up the pack he had left at the base of the Ordon tree and slowly limped his way to the edge of the clearing before disappearing into the forest.