The earth shook; the city burned. Houses crumbled, and screams of terror went up all around her in the falling kingdom of Elkwood, yet the girl kept on running. For all it was worth, she had to. Dodging a burning chunk of stone, the girl clutched her newfound treasure even tighter. I can't lose this, she thought. It's my only way of a new life. To start over. She took a deep breath and plunged back into the chaos that used to be her home. Where is it? He said it was near here... The girl turned and desperately tried to locate her destination in the midst of all the destruction, but it was almost impossible to see anything through the immense cloud of dust. NO! I have to find this! Where can it be?! She ransacked her brain, trying to remember any trace of the place that had been described to her, with no success. I-I've been through this city thousands of times! It's as if it popped up just yesterday! Rhyannon, as that was the girl's name, again tried to remember where the place her "employer" described to her. She remembered the encounter clearly. He had called her out by name, which was strange considering that she was merely a street urchin; incapable of doing or being anything more than a pickpocket, beggar or perhaps a petty servant. As Rhyannon remembered, he had been dressed rather strangely, in a bright, multicolored robe that went down to his feet, and he also possessed a very strange accent. Regardless, she had answered and run over as the city was evacuating. After all, who cared what a little poor girl did with her unimportant time? The city was being blasted to bits. "Rhyannon of Elkwood" he had rumbled. "I-er-just call me Rhy," she replied hastily. He had merely grunted. The man then turned his head and examined the city, and looked back at Rhy. "I have waited very long for someone like you, Rhyannon." As he saw her puzzled expression, he sighed and continued. "To make this simple, you have been chosen, as others have been years and years before you, and I do hope it continues years and years after this. However, only some of The Chosen actually use their powers for good, or for anything, really. They waste away their magic to live a life of wealth, riches, and pleasure. Still, we try to find all those who have the gift, and give them the opportunity of following their destinies." The man finished and looked down at her expectantly. Rhy, however, was already slowly backing away from him, wide-eyed. That would explain his clothes and accent! "M-magic was outlawed years ago…", she stuttered, fear apparent in every aspect of her face. "Anyone who does it gets-," She gulped. "Beheaded," the man finished, still staring down at her, with a calm expression. "I know the rules, thank you very much. But some things, however illegal, must be done for the good of the people. Without The Chosen, the world would be in a very different state than it is today. And, besides giving you the opportunity to be powerful," The man said the word as if this were a very tempting prospect indeed. But by this time, Rhyannon had been nothing more than a simple cloud of dust where she had been a moment before. With this, the man muttered something inaudible and a ball of golden light zoomed out of his cupped hands, following Rhy's trail. Why she can't accept her destiny is beyond me. She will have the power of one hundred well-trained sorcerers; if only she will let me teach her, he thought bitterly. The man started walking away slowly, silently willing his piece of magic to come back with the special girl; the girl who would, if she were willing, be the most powerful person in all the Realms.
Run, a voice in her head had said. Run! Run! RUN! YOU COULD BE KILLED FOR THIS! CONVERSING WITH A WIZARD?! WHAT WERE
YOU THINKING?! The other voice in her head, though, had other
opinions. Why are you running away? Did you not just hear the entire conversation that just occurred? You have magic! You have since you were
born! Are you just going to throw it away like rubbish? Rhy turned into an
alley and sped to a stop and plopped down on a nearby discarded wine barrel to think. Finally, she replied to the second voice. Yes. I am going to
'throw it all away' if there was anything to throw away in the first place
other than empty words. I just want to be normal, like all the other people in Elkwood. I'm sorry. But before the voice had time to answer,
something crashed into her; knocking her off the barrel and to the other side of
the alley. "Oof!," she exclaimed as she hit the wall with a thud, and the last thing Rhyannon saw before she blacked out was a bright ball of light
coming closer and closer until everything went dark.