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Chapter 1

Lietuenant Elderson moved around the rubble, trying to make out the charred structures. He was puzzled, the entire colony was dead, they couldn't find a single survivor. But what killed them? What burnt every building to the ground? How do you wipe out an entire colony in one night, and leave without a trace? These were the questions the Lieutenant was asking himself as he inspected another victim, this one lie in bed, clutching his heart, eyes open, staring at nothing, yet still in terror. There were no physical wounds on this corpse either, there were many like this one. But then there were others whose organs were all over a twenty foot radius. His thinking was interupted by a noise, coming from a little bit in front of him. Curious, he inspected the sounds. Screaming for help he dashed to the scene, a man lie in the ash, barely living, but living still. His legs were molded to the chared remenants of the building he lay on, he stared into nothing, blood coming out his mouth. Lieutenant Elderson put his arm to the man's shoulder, and then everything changed. The sun left the sky and the buildings were there again, he stood in the middle of a road, a tavern to his left, and houses all around. It was the colony, before it was destroyed. A small patrol of three guards walked past him, not even casting a glance at him, they could not see him. There were some noises in the gatehouse a few hundred feet ahead of him. The ground shudered, just faintly, but then the gate was destroyed, splinteres of wood and shrapnel of steel flung over the city. Some guards tried to run, but they met the same fate as the gate they guarded. A figure clad in darkness walked towards the Lieutenant, he however, looked directly at him. Torches were lit and guards began to rally from their beds. The figure was indeed a man, or at least male. His skin was stretched over his face so that his vains were seen clearly, vains that sat idle for many years, not needed, for the heart they once fed was long gone. This man was not of the living, his cheeks were beyond gaunt, his eyes lifeless, yet still moving, taking in everything. He moved forward and drew his sword. A group of guards ran towards him, blades drawn. The being laughed, and the laughter was enough to stop the guards in their tracks and tremble, some fled, others knew it was to late. The scene changed, the Lieutenant was in another part of the city, and it must have been later, for the buildings were all burning, fire poured from the skies. How had no one seen this? he wondered. People were running for their lives, children cried for their mothers who were already dead, for the fathers who would never live again. And then he was looking into the eyes of a dead man, back in the charred city, the sun was up, and his men were looking at him, puzzled. "Lieutenant? Are you ok?" one of his men asked him. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, he could still feel the fire, hear the screams. "Y-yes, I'm fine... this man appears to be dead. You boys hurry up here, I'm going to look around some more..." the dead man's eyes were locked on him, he pushed him away and went on with his report of the attack. He did however, leave out the vision he had only moments before. After finishing his report, he boarded the wagon and left to the castle, to hand it personally to the Council.