unknown prologue

A pale moon shone over the forest, bathing the tops of the trees in its sweet luminescence. The tall pines greedily drank all of the light, leaving the forest floor cast in a dark shadow. A small winding trail of packed down dirt and leaves ran through the forest, and upon it walked five people. They were alone in the darkness, as the animals of the forest were nowhere to be found tonight. A foul wind blew from the south, bringing with it a deep fog that blanketed the ground. It wound around the travelers feet, seeming to grope at their legs in an attempt to pull them down into its sickly embrace. One of the travelers stiffened suddenly, and whirled around to look behind them.
“Something is coming,” he said slowly, a look of fear upon his blanched face. He was a sturdily built man whose face was just beginning to show the lines of age. He had startling green eyes, and shoulder length hair that shone as black as the darkness around him. He bore the silvery gloves and colored headband that marked him as a mage of the second charter, the only one present in the group. Black robes swirled about the rest of his body, hiding the lean muscles underneath. A dagger hilt poked out from the folds of his robe. The three other men wore chain hauberks and carried shortswords at their sides. A shield enameled with the image of a white dragon hung on each of their backs. Looks of hardened determination adorned their faces, belayed by the fear that shone in their eyes.
The mage and three warriors walked in close formation around the last of their group, a woman garbed in simple hunting leathers. Her unadorned clothing did nothing to diminish her beauty, which seemed to entrance the men around her as well as terrify them. Her golden hair fell across her face like rippling waves, and her eyes were a brilliant icy blue. She had an aura of raw, untamed power about her that only the mage could sense, and if he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, her outline would waver and shine, as if she was not completely with this world.
“What sort of thing?” One of the warriors asked, glancing around nervously.
“I am not sure. An elemental of the sixth or seventh order, perhaps a Ne-“ At that instant, a screeching, inhuman howl erupted from somewhere behind them. As it echoed through the forest, all manner of animals and birds burst out of their burrows and flew screeching from their nests, fleeing the horrible noise. The sound grated painfully against the ears like the screeching of metal on metal, and all the soldiers stood rooted to the spot, hands clapped to their ears.
“Definitely a Necruor” said the mage grimly.
“What is a Necruor?” a voice sounded behind him. A voice that trilled like a songbird, but at the same time strong and commanding. The mage turned around in amazement to stare at the woman with golden hair. She had not spoken the entire journey, always answering questions with a shake or nod of the head.
"Jarvis, what is a Necruor?" she asked again, startling him with her knowledge of his name. He was sure he had never told her.
"An elemental of the cruelest magic, wrought from fire, steel, and the blood of a mage sacrificed upon the altar." He spoke in hushed tones now, as not to alert the elemental to their whereabouts. "We must move quickly. Forces more powerful than I imagined are arrayed against us if we are pursued by a Necruor." He motioned for the soldiers to continue walking down the forest path, and the five proceeded deeper into the forest. Dim shadows grew longer as the moon sank towards the horizon, and the fog at their feet swirled ever thicker. The trees themselves seemed menacing, looming over the travelers as though resenting their intrusion.
Hours passed without sight nor sound of the Necruor, though all five remained uneasy as they tread through the forest. At last, the trees started to thin, and the edge of the forest was visible. Glancing between the trees, Jarvis could catch occasional glimpses of a wide open plain, across a swiftly flowing river.
He leaned towards one of the soldiers, a lieutenant, and whispered "You must take her swiftly across the river and deliver her to Sil'Athrim, I fear that our foes grow closer by the moment."
The lieutenant nodded. "What of you sir? Will you accompany us to the temple?"
"Do not worry about me. This girl is the epitome of centuries of effort, the realization of a dream of peace for this land. She must not fall into enemy hands. Protect her with your life." The soldier nodded, and directed his men to increase their pace. They jogged towards the river now, hurrying the golden haired woman along between them. The roar of the river filled the five's ears with a thunderous crashing. Evidently a waterfall was nearby. When they reached the bank, the lieutenant cursed under his breath. Hardly visible underneath the dense fog. the river ran deep and swift, easily half a league across. There was no visible means of crossing it. Jarvis stepped up to the bank of the river and held extended both hands in front of him, as if to embrace the river. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The men watched in fascination as green light suffused his gloves, and then spilled into the river. Tendrils of the strange power extended out over the river, forming a tansluscent bridge of green light, barely wide enough for two people to stand abreast. Sweat beaded up on Jarvis's forehead, his face set in a painful grimace.
"Get her across, now! Necruor fear water!" The men needed no second bidding. Chain hauberk clinking, the lieutenant stepped tentatively on the bridge of light, and, finding it solid, swiftly ushered the others across. Two of the soldiers went first, followed by the woman, and then the lieutenant, shielding her front and rear from attack. As the last soldier stepped onto the bridge, an angry howl burst from the trees they had so recently left. The necruor was upon them. Gasping with exertion, Jarvis watched as the four made their way across the river. They were going painstaikingly slow, afraid to fall into the river's watery clutches. Glancing back at the forest, Jarvis gasped in surprise. The Necruor was standing at the edge of the trees.
Vaguely human-shaped, the necruor was entirely made of metal, had an impossibly thin waist and long glistening blades for hands. It's metallic skin had a slightly red sheen to it, and reflected flames glanced along its surface. It had empty sockets for eyes, and no mouth. Standing at least eight feet tall, it towered over Jarvis. The mage glanced desperately to his companions, who were almost to the other side of the river, and then back at the necruor. It was moving slowly towards him, pacing back and forth like a stalking cat. Sightless eyes glanced it's prey escaping across the river, and then and Jarvis. With a metallic hiss, the Necruor lunged at the defenseless mage.
With a savage snarl, Jarvis severed his connection with the magic sustaining the bridge, praying that the others had gotten across safely. He sent two bursts of flame flying from his gloved hands into the creature, and then dived to the side to avoid its savage leap. The necruor screeched again. The flames had merely glanced off of its glittering hide. The fog was swirling around it now, fueling it, as the two foul magics recognized one another. Summoning all of the energy at his disposal, Jarvis unleashed a dazzling bolt of green lightning towards the necruor. It was thrown back, but landed nimbly on its feet and came charging at him again, blade hands swinging like scythes. Completely exhausted by the sheer volume of energy that just passed through his body, Jarvis could only lie on the ground and watch his death approach. Glancing across the river, he saw the three soldiers and the strange woman standing on the bank. The golden haired woman, the one who would be their savior and their curse. Jarvis looked back at the creature, all traces of fear gone from his face. He had fulfilled his purpose. Time seemed to move in slow motion. The necruor charged, the river roared, and four terrified spectators watched from the other bank. With the last dredges of his strength, Jarvis shakily stood up. Glaring defiantly at the creature, he leaped into the river with a resounding splash. The angry, screeching cries of the Necruor echoed over the waterfall as the small, bobbing form of Jarvis was swiftly taken by the current.