Prologue

Prologue
A small woman of about 5’1” trudged down the dusty road, her bright green eyes looking up at the hill before her. She sighed as she faced the climb. It may as well have been a mountain, though it really wasn't anything for her to climb. Her dusty clothes were red, including her boots, cotton-weave cloak. Her hair, a fox-red, was streaked with white, complimenting her creamy white complexion.
“There it is,” the red clad woman said thankfully upon topping the rise, “I can't wait till I finally get to that inn; I really need a bath, a hot bath. I wonder how they heat the water without setting fire to the trees. It’s amazing how the people here built their homes inside the trees. I wonder if they cut into the trees or if they were hollow to begin with,” she looked up to the sun, then back to the trees and sighed, “I'll have to hurry if I want to make it to the Inn before sundown,” she said as she sped off down the other side of the hill.
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Thunder rolled outside the common room of the Oak Leaf Inn, the floor shaking with its vibrations. The young half-elven ranger with the pale, pale eyes looked up from his meal and glass of sweet cherry wine, looking towards the door, ‘I hope it doesn’t storm too long,’ he thought, ‘Or I might have to spend the night here.’
He glanced over at the stairs as a woman descended. She carried a lute and wore the traditional bardic garb of red silk. She came down and sat before the hearth and began tuning her instrument.
When she thought it ready, she cleared her throat and looked about the common room expectantly. Everyone immediately broke off their conversations and looked to her, knowing they were in for a night of rousing song and epic poetry.
When all was completely silent and you could hear the raindrops on the roof, she spoke. The people had to lean in to hear her for she spoke in such a quiet voice, “You all expect a bout of bar songs or poems of heroes lost. But no, that is not what I am going to give to you this night,” she said, making all the people in the room look at each other curiously, “The night is dark and stormy, a perfect night for tales of horror. For tales of Bogle's and the undead, for tales of Afrite's and Arachnid's. Such horrific tales that you will be afraid to blow out your candles for fear that they will come alive and get you in the dark!”
One of the men in the common room gave a disbelieving snigger, “Don’t believe me?” the bard asked, “Well, let’s just see how you stand up to the Tale of the Caloshta Minotaur!” she said with all confidence, and began her tale of bloodthirsty marauders.
By the time her tales were done all the men were white faced, and many of the women were shuddering with fright, hiding their faces within their husband’s shoulders. It was just a good thing there were no children present that night. Suddenly thunder clapped right when the Afrite’s were closing in on the heroine of her last tale; everyone jumped, including the man who had denied any fear. In fact it was he who cried out with fright and jumped so much his chair fell right over. He immediately jumped up to his feet and looked around sheepishly, straightening his clothes, trying to act normal and failing miserably.
The ranger perked up his slightly pointed ears to hear the rain and thunder still going strong, ‘Well,’ he thought exasperatedly, ‘it looks like I’ll be staying here after all. I guess I’ll go see if there’s a room left or I will have to sleep in the common room with the rest of these pups.’ He gets up and goes over to the drinking bar to see the inn keeper.
“Good evening, Manny,” he called.
“An’ ta you, Moonstone,” the inn keeper replied, “There’ll be bridges ta fix afta this ere storm don’ ya doubt. None of these folks ere’ll be leavin’ fer home anytime soon neitha. Mayhaps that’s what ya’ve come a’ callin’ fer, eh? Lookin’ fer a room?”
“Got it in one guess, so do you have a free room?”
“Ah yes I do, jus’ one lef, an’ it’s a good un. And since it’s you, Moonie, I’ll give it ta ya half charge, jus two gold, eh?”
Moonstone agreed, handed over the gold, and headed up the stairs towards his room, casting one last glance at the red clad woman, before turning the corner to the end of the hall.
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“No, mommy, don’t go!” the young half-elven child cried, falling to his knees and begging the elf maid with terror in his eyes, ‘Please mommy don’t leave me in the dark! Please mommy!”
“Oh baby, dearie. Don’t do this, please, you know I would never leave you if I had a choice, but I’m needed in the lines, our people need me. I must protect the clan, you must understand!” she cried gripping her child’s shoulders, “I must go now, please, please stay here. Your safe here, or at least safer than you would be out there. Stay here ‘till dawn. You must promise me you’ll stay here till dawn or until I or one of the clan come down to get you; you must promise me this, please dear one. Please,” she ended whispering and caressing her child’s hair. The boy whimpered but nodded, “You must be strong, you must be strong for me, strong and brave. Up hold the family honor, do not cry, dear one, be brave and face your fears no matter what they be and conquer them. I know you will not disappoint me.”
The young boy nodded and wiped away his tears, then opened his arms for his mother to bring him into one last quick hug before leaving. Then she stood up and climbed the stairs without looking back, knowing that if she did she would be unable to leave her only child.
Hours later the sounds of fighting came closer, as the child huddled in a dark corner of the room listening to the screams of the dying and the cries of Afrite’s and Bogle’s. He whimpered slightly and hugged his knees tighter about himself, lowering his face into his arms.
Suddenly there was a great thunder, and another. The boy jumped up to his feet, and huddled deeper into the corner as a great red light filtered down into the room; thunderous footsteps came down the stairs, and suddenly a demonic face came into view, evil black eyes, and a fiery face staring with hatred into the small dark room, and suddenly a great thunder came down from above and…… Moonstone fell out of bed in a tumble of blankets as the sound of a clap of thunder resounded in the distance.
He looked around wildly until he got his bearings and realized where he was; he sighed and said, “A dream, Moonstone, just a dream,” he stood up and went to the window, pulled aside the curtains, and opened the crystal panes to let a cool night wind wash over his fevered skin, cooling the sweat upon his brow, ‘At least the storm has passed,’ he thought. He stood there a while, thinking about the cause of his nightmares and what he was going to do about them. Then, all thoughts ceased, for the dawn had begun, as its light slowly appeared upon the sky. The few storm clouds left behind turned from dull gray, to bright silver, then magnificent orange, to brilliant red, and slowly to glorious gold. Such an awe inspiring sight as the dawn is rarely seen elsewhere, and this particular dawn after such a storm transcended quintessence.
Moonstone stood thunderstruck, not daring to blink lest he miss some great beauty of the heavens. But as the sun proceeded to rise above the horizon, the blushing Lady Aurora Eros stepped back and Apollo began his chariot ride across the sky.

Just end of Prlogue will write other chapters