The Amulet: Prolouge.

CADE:

Cade sidestepped a large boulder, careful not to snap any twigs or branches; it was definitely not the right time to attract attention. He surveyed the scene in front of him. He’d stepped out of a dense wood, into a small clearing. The tall trees surrounding the area stood out eerily against the now visible sky, their silhouettes creating gapping spaces in the thick sheet of stars. Starting from where he was standing, the forest floor dropped steeply, littered with a thickening of forest trees that disappeared into complete darkness. The furthest thing that he could make out was a small but bright light in the valley below him.

Suddenly the atmosphere seemed to thicken, as though a blanket was smothering him: forbidding him to see much, or hear more than a few feet in front of him. From the moment he’d left home his body had been acting up. He leaned against a tree for momentary support as he quickly became dizzy. Without the ancient magic of the forest to support the complexity of his being, his power was too much for him to control. The further south he traveled, the worse it became. There would be instances of intense headaches, cramps and sometimes he’d black-out. It generally happened during instances of intense emotion, but sometimes was very random.

Cade shook his head vigorously, droplets of sweat and dew were cast from his long, ragged, dark hair. Then he closed his eyes. After several deep breaths the world stopped spinning and came into focus, at least for now. He threw another glance at the light in the distance, inhaled, and stepped forwards. His bare feet made no sound on the leaves as he merged downhill into the darkness again. The light in the distance quickly disappeared, hidden behind the wood. Slowly, he made his way, frequently stopping and checking the sky for direction.

Soon the ground leveled out. Sounds began to drift through the air, muffled voices and music. The strange noises against the silence gave his already pounding head another ache. He shouldn’t be here. Not when it made him so sick. For a moment he wished he had a way of declining the mission. But that wasn’t an option, and he was so close.

Eventually, light started to shine through the trees. He came to a large stone wall, surrounding the source of light. The auras he detected from within it were those of some thirty to forty beings, not all of them human. Cade made his movements quieter, slowing his breath until it was almost stopped. There was an ancient oak directly outside the wall. The stones were old and weathered, the oak had grown into and around them, it’s thick branches stretched across and over the wall, making do with the room they had. He made his way over, then swung himself into the tree, climbing higher until he could see down over the wall.

The lack of oxygen to his brain made quick movements difficult, so he crawled slowly out onto a thick branch that hung over the wall. The rough bark bit at the palm of his hand where he grasped. Once in place, his body froze, more still than the tree itself. As he looked out at the scene only his eyes moved. They glowed in a greenish light, reflecting everything he saw with inhumane intelligence. Cade took careful note of the placement of every object between the four walls. At the far end of the confinement stood a small grey-stone building with a simply thatched roof. The windows glowed with light from fire. A small stable stood beneath Cade, but that was it. As of now, no one occupied the courtyard, and though he could hear many people from inside the stone building, Cade was focused on a presence he could detect from within the stable. It was just as he was told it would be. Now Cade had been told to wait, and wait he would do.

He didn’t have to wait long. A few minutes later a man walked out of the building, slipping through the door. He looked swiftly around and made his way towards the stable. His attire was abnormal for these parts; he was bald, and wore a long white robe tied with a thick black belt.

Just then a figure emerged from the shadows of the stable as Cade had predicted they would. This stranger’s dress was exceptional for this area. His tunic and breeches were black, as was his long cloak; and a sword hung at his belt. He had large black boots, with two moonstone knives strapped to them. His rough black hair reached mid-back. Cade absorbed every detail and movement.

The man met the stranger and held out his hand, the stranger ignored the gesture and the man lowered his hand, confused. Then the stranger held out a small money bag. The bald man nodded and fumbled with something within the folds of his robe, Cade could tell he was nervous. He retrieved a small, tightly wrapped, item and handed it to the stranger; grabbing the money bag in return. Without saying a single word the stranger turned down the dirt road, and left through the gates.

Cade looked after the stranger and grinned slyly, it was exactly as he was told it would be. He waited until the white robed man had entered the stone building again, then he began to breathe properly again, waiting a moment so as not to create a rush of blood to his brain. Then he stood, jumped to the ground and landed on his feet. He ran off soundlessly after the stranger, this time, prepared to kill.