Prolouge

Prologue

In the shadows of the fading sunlight, a figure sat upon an airborne winged creature. The animal resembled a combination of a fanged serpent and one of those dragons you only hear about in myths. It was a beast the color of night, complete with razor-sharp claws, a thick hide, and large wings that barely flapped when they flew. The way it flew seemed like an eagle, the king of the birds, the way it silently patrolled the sky- and you didn’t know it was there until it struck you. The mysterious rider urged the creature on like it was a horse, and they sped past the gloomy acres of forests below on an even faster pace. Obviously, he was perfectly at home in this strange territory. As he flew on, it became clear that this wasn’t a whole piece of land. Indeed, strangely, it was an island, hovering- just hovering- in empty space. If you examined the creature further- if you dared- you would find that there was a cage in the animal’s claws. This cage had large, thick iron bars that seemed to be big enough to hold a person. What was in the cage, if there was anything at all, was a mystery, as it was completely covered with a black cloth.  

After several long moments, the mysterious trio, creature, man, and cage, reached a four-story stone castle, with a tower rising on each corner. There was a drawbridge across the moat that started to unwind. They stopped in front of the drawbridge, with the dragon landing beside the cage he had released from his grasp. The man slipped off the dragon and tossed back the covers of the cage. Inside was a chilling sight: a young blond woman dressed in an elegant green robe. She was injured badly, with a large gash on her forehead and a grotesquely twisted leg that was swollen.

“Hello, Poppy.” He whispered in a sinister tone. “Welcome to the Shadow Realms.” Then, he held out his hands, the reason unknown to us, until black fire flowed from his hands and gradually encased his hands. He directed the fire to circle the cage, surrounding it. He smiled cruelly as the cage drifted up, suspended by the strange substance. As he walked into the castle gateway across the drawbridge and moat, his boots echoed eerily along the stone path. The cage followed obediently, still floating in the air and crackling with the black fire.

“Greetings, Tom.” A man suddenly appeared at the giant double doors leading to the interior of the castle. He was roughly the same age as Tom, although slightly taller. He wore hard, leathery, clothing, with matching tough-looking boots. He also carried an old-fashioned broadsword, that strapped to his belt, as well as a quiver of arrows and a deadly-looking bow, slung over his back. “You got her?”

“Yes, Tim,” Tom said. “It couldn’t have been easier to lure her in. No one from her city, let alone her country, can resist seeing such a helpless person and not offer any assistance. So pathetic!” he spat the last word at the woman who was now lying between them.

“Do you think the plan will work then?” There was a hint of uncertainty there that had not been expressed before in both his voice and in his face. The mask of certainty that had once shielded his face had dissolved.

“Yes. Sun-City is weaker than ever, with Gem gone,” he smirked. “Where is she, do you think?”

“I’m not really sure, but what does it matter? It won't affect our plans in the slightest,” Tim retorted. “She’s nowhere near where she should be, if she wants to stop us. We just need to wait until they find out what's happening. But when that time comes, Poppy will be long gone. The truth regarding her capture shall never be known! Uncertainty creates fear, fear in Sun-City means a battle, and those going into battle without a real purpose means victory for us!”

Tom nodded. “You are a good general, but with one flaw.”

“And that is...?” Tim let the question hang in the air.

“You do not judge time correctly. You see, before that happens, the rest of our plans will have already been carried out, which will ensure our permanent rule over the Moonstone Galaxy!” Tom threw his head back into the darkening sky, and laughed, his voice celebrating the idea and the promise, of absolute power, over the ones he loathed and detested the most. For him, nothing was better than dear, sweet revenge. What he had longed for, for too many years to count, was about to arrive at last.