chapter 1: Eve of the Inane
"Ends and beginnings- there are no such things. There only are middles"- from the Tao (Chinese)
-One thousand eight hundred fifty-second cycle eighth rill thirteenth hex late afternoon, the outskirts of Norune village.
It was a hot summer day. The sun had a bright red glow. The clouds in the sky were both small and few. Not many would have expected that
such a peaceful day to end with a massacre. "Lady Julie, commander Feena is requesting your presence," Said a soldier as he stepped into
her wagon. "Very well I'm on my way," Julie replied annoyed. Feena sure is getting restless Thinks Julie. This is the third time today! Julie is
a tall girl with red eyes and blond hair. She has a petite figure though not many can tell due to her bright red mage robe. If one were to check
her ears, he or she would find that she is a Halfling, part human and part elf. The robe looks just like a normal priest's robe except that it has
pentagrams sewn on it. As she walked to the commander's tent, a soldier approached her. "Lady Julie," He said. "Yes what is it?" asked
Julie. "Thank you for healing my wound from the other day." "Oh it was nothing" Julie replied. Hope it is not another fan she thought. They
are just too old for me. The only people my age are still being trained because they are new recruits. Plus they act so afraid of me. "After all it
is just part of my long list of job requirements." She said as she walked off. Peace between the human and the elves only depended on one
thing, trade. If trading was good and the elves had no hardships then everything was fine. As soon as there are problems with trading, as had
occurred due to the last war, there would be a rise in the activities of dark elves. As she arrived at the commander's tent she shouts out
"What can I do for you now Feena? It better be something good this time" "I thought I told you to call me commander!" thundered Feena.
Feena appeared to be an around middle-aged short, broad shouldered woman with silver hair and brown eyes. She was wearing the standard
soldier uniform of her rank, an armor made of an alloy of titanium and silver. She seemed to have an aura around her that stated that she was
smarter than she seems "Yes Feena um I mean commander!" replied Julie shakily. "I need you to Scry those umbra troops again." Why do
you worry so much Thought Julie? They are coming in a modest pace that we will be able to prepare for. Though these were her thoughts, she
did not dare voice her opinion. Hardly anyone can do that to commander Feena without gaining a permanent scar. "Very well," Julie replied
with a sigh as she pulled out a gray stone from her robes. "Sáel" she said. The stone glowed for a moment. "Ok I see the umbra but wait a
minute." Then it dims as Julie lets out a gasp. "What is it? What is wrong?" Feena shouts. "Th-the Um-um-umbra troops will be at eagle's
perch by nightfall." Julie managed to stammer. "But that means that they are moving twice as fast as when you checked this morning!" Feena
exclaims. "There must be something of value to them there." "That or the whips of king dread are behind their backs. Pack up your things we
are heading out to eagles perch as fast as we can." Feena shouted as she stepped out the tent to rally the troops for the grave danger that is
approaching an unsuspecting town.
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-Alley in eagles perch same time
"Hey kid give me my pouch back or else!" a man shouted at a scared around15-year-old boy huddled in the corner of the dead end alley. The
boy had an old yellow faded t-shirt and a pair of dirty black jeans with ragged edges. In his hands was a large pouch of money. "Hey can
somebody please give me a hand?" the boy yelled as he searched for a means to escape. The man noticing this said with a grin, "Tough luck
kid this alley has only one way in and you know the way out. You are trapped like a stinking sewer rat." Yes, he is but rats have a nasty habit
of clawing and biting when they are backed into a corner. They put up a final front to survive said a voice in their minds. "Who is that? Show
yourself!" the man shouted as he looks around feverishly. You can see me in the shadows near you sir the voice said with a dark laugh. "Your
one of them umbra monsters aren't you! Well you can have the boy I'm out of here!" the man yelled as he ran with all his might out of the ally
and into the market place. The man is so scared out of his wits he does not notice the about 15 year old black haired girl sitting in the shade of
the house facing the alley. She was wearing a blood red t-shirt with a short-sleeved black jacket that has a rip on the back. She also has a pair
of black jeans that has red pentagrams sewn on. The girl got up and, making sure no one was looking, walked into the alley and annoyed
shouted Max this is the third time I had to save your rear! "Sorry Milla but these merchants are getting edgy today for some reason." Max
replied with a shrug. Liar! Milla shouts jabbing her finger at him. You have been aiming at the merchants with the biggest pouches! How many
times Tom has to tell you 'the lighter the pouch the easier the steal'? "Come on give me a break." Max said annoyed. "Come on lets go back
to the hideout" Aye let us go so Tom can chew you out. Milla replied as they walk out of the ally and head north to the slums part of the city.
On their way, there they pass by an old lady. How are you today Ms.? The old lady screeching said, "Get a way from me you demon! You will
be the death of us all!" Hello to you too, Replied Milla sarcastically. Why does everybody treat me this way Thought Milla? Why do they hate
me so? Sure Telepaths are rare, but they are not evil or anything, so why am I hated so much? The strangest thing is that Milla felt that the
old lady was right somehow. Then Milla ignoring the old lady's ranting catches up to Max and said Luckily we only bumped into her and not
her son, Ralph. "Yea he would have not let this go so easily." Max replied. "I thought that Telepaths were treated like heroes not like a
demon or an umbra." Forget about it Max lets just get to the hideout already. For Milla things were always like this. Because of her abilities,
most people shunned her. From the ones that did not ignore her, she received relentless pain and torment. The only one to show her any
kindness was Max. He met her seven cycles before, when she was eight and he nine. He had come from an orphanage in blue grotto after
hearing rumors that Eagle's Perch was a place were many merchants meet. He had stowed away in the first wagon he could find heading that
way only to find when he arrived there that it was not as glorious as he had hoped. They quickly became the best of friends and then a rill
later discovered the abandoned mill, which became their new home.
-Abandoned mill some time later
The abandoned mill has been uncared for decades. The windows are broken, the wooden beams had almost completely rotted away, and there
are numerous rumors that it is haunted. This is the place where Milla, Max and Tom spend their days. "Three times! You were caught
stealing three times! You are lucky I sent Milla to watch over your hide!" Tom shouted as he angrily brushed his hands through is dirty blond
hair and closed his bright yellow eyes. He was wearing a dirty white t-shirt and faded blue jeans. Tom was tall and18 years old. He was the
leader of the small band of thieves that had the three of them. Norune was a trading location from the bloodlands so many merchants are ripe
for the picking. "Cut me some slack man," Max said annoyed. "At least I got the frigin' money." Milla sitting behind a banister said as she
got up and walked up to Max Lets see how much he go at least. Max then opened a pouch and started counting "ten, fifteen, twenty-five,
fifty, seventy-five, one hundred tiger in this one." We could last the week with this so the other pouches can go into the savings. Milla said as
she kicked the other pouches into a corner. "We will be having a harder time getting cash now that rumors of an umbra creature are flowing
around." Tom said annoyed. "I already said I'm sorry already!" Max shouted angrily as he stomped his foot. "How long are you going to
hang that over my head?" for about…" said Tom as he pretended to think for a moment. "… The rest of you natural life," "Man give me a
break. I am out of here" Max said as he walks out of the hideout. You did not have to be so harsh Tom! Milla shouted. "Sorry my green eyed
comrade but your friend needs to learn or it will be the death of him." Even though you are right, you should at least apologize to Max Said
Milla pleading. "Yeah I should. I will do that when he comes back." Thank you Tom. "Why do you care about him so much?" He is my only
friend. When everybody thought I was a monster or a witch he stood by my side. There is no one like him. " Well tomorrow we got a job of
helping a merchant sell his goods so lets get some sleep. The guy expects us to give nothing but a hundred and ten percent. We will be waking
up at dawn to start working."
-Nightfall, slums of eagle's perch
Night has fallen and an eerie silence looms. No one was outside, not even the homeless, except for Max. He had managed to calm down
enough to not try and kill Tom the next time he sees him so he decided to head back to the hideout. After a bit of walking he heard a noise cut
the silence. "Huh is anybody there?" Max said shakily. No reply was heard. Must be my imagination he thought. Then he heard the sound of
a dog yelping. The sound is soon silenced .Max turned around and gasped at the sight of a monster. It was tall and fairly human in shape, but
its body was completely black. Its arms were positioned like a praying mantis with blood red blades placed where the hands should be. It had
dagger sharp, blood stained teeth and no eyes. Its ears were like a dog's and Max was sure it could hear just as well, if not better. "By
Ipeal's wings your one of them umbra monsters aren't you?" said Max with fear of being right. "Hamans ara sach faals, yappang away whan
thay shaald ba ranang! "It said. Then in one swift movement it cut Max's head clean off. His body falls limp to the floor. Max's blood rains
out all over the dirty street. The umbra monster stepped forward and then the loud noise of it eating was heard. The breaking of bones and
the spraying of blood also play in the symphony of death. Then it yanked up a barely visible white wisp out of the leftovers with its teeth and
then quickly swallowed it whole. "That saal was gaad! A laka tham yaang!" it said laughing as it runs towards the abandoned mill, as the
screams of the citizens of eagle's perch ring. Meanwhile at the abandoned mill, a reign of terror has begun. "Please don't! I'm too young to
die!" a woman screamed. The screams caused Milla and Tom to jolt awake. What the heck is going on? Milla shouted. "Hold on. I'll go take
a look outside" Tom replied as he got up from his makeshift bed. He then ran to the door and opened it, with a bit of effort, to a grinning
umbra. "Oh man this su-"the umbra had then cut off his sentence by slashing his left eye and then it shouted greedily "A faand you my faad!"
Tom fell backwards screaming his left arm over his bleeding eye. Tom! Milla screamed as she ran next to him. "Twa maals sa clasa ta aach
athar ah gaady!" the umbra exclaimed happily. The umbra took three steps forward and then suddenly gasped "A hata yaa sa mach right naw
haman," it screamed as a sword pierced through its chest. The umbra fell as it blood sprayed out its wound. Standing behind its corpse was a
soldier. "Hey you two are you ok?" he said. Then all of a sudden Milla felt woozy. "Hey you don't look so good." Milla then fainted with Tom
by her side and a pool of black blood quickly spreading and seeping into the rotten floorboards as the tortured cries of citizens slowly faded
away
chapter 1 completed.
please review flames appreciated