Chapter 1: " The Coming of A Storm"
The season of fall was upon the land of Krynn. Trees were set ablaze by the changing colors of crimson, gold, and tan. Most people were cozy and warm inside their home, sipping mulled drinks. Few travelers were out now, but those who were started wishing for the sight of an inn, with warm food, good drinks, and snug beds. One such person was huffing his way through the Solace Hills. Other strangers would have been clearly weary of him.
The young man had long, spiky hair, which in certain light had a bluish tinge. There was a short ponytail down his neck, and bangs that concealed his right eye. He wore a long cape and a clearly well worn, dark blue scarf, which was wrapped around his neck, and covered his nose and mouth. The rest of the scarf was left to soar behind him. Beneath his cape was well-loved leather armor. Strapped to behind his waist were twin short swords, one hilt tipped by a wolf head, the other tipped by a falcon.
What really got the attention of people (and many a girl, as the young man would love to tell) was the color of his eyes. They would change shift from gray-blue to dark blue, depending on his current state of mind. People that would look into them could see a spark of lightning, and seemed to carry a hint of a caring, fun-loving person, who excelled at being mischievous.
As the adventurer was hiking, he was soon wishing he had decided to take the dirt road, instead of picking his way to find a shortcut.
" What in the world was I thinking when I did this? " He finally exclaimed as he leaped over a log.
' I mean, come on Squall, you must have been expecting to get lost. GEEZE!" He yelled at no one in particular. Squall had been hiking for hours, just hoping for a mere wisp of smoke drifting though the trees, or a hint of Solace. He kept himself going with the thought of the town that had been constructed in the mighty Vallenwood trees. Squall was just thinking of that when he crested the final hill. At first, the young man had thought that unusually large fireflies had infested the great Vallenwoods. Then he noticed that there were fine wisps of smoke trailing through the air.
" Flames and fireflies…. interesting…" He murmured to himself. A few seconds later, it struck him that it made absolutely no sense at all. " Wait a moment, that means…."
Squall, a young traveler looking for adventure, had finally made it to Solace, the city that had been the starting place for the Heroes of the Lance.