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Battle Bard
Chapter 1: Prelude

Chapter 1: Prelude

A cold bitter wind blows through the trees while the sun sets, the smell of blood wafts through the air. The sound of crying carries off into the distance threatening to draw in creatures that wait in the dark. The ruined remains of what was once a carriage stays motionless in the soft blowing snow whilst the bodies of a man and a woman lay there strewn across the ground both bodies bloodied and battered.

A howl is heard close by deep in the unrelenting darkness of the forest. Multiple muffled foot steps can be heard circling around the crying of a child but then...almost suddenly, none can be heard at all. The figure of an old man walks towards the sound of crying, he is not tall nor is he heavily built yet he has an air of strength and confidence around him. The man's footsteps are silent as he steps through the snow as if a ghost walked through the land. the beasts, who now the old man can see as wolves, are now at the tree line watching and waiting for a moment to strike. The attack from the wolves came fast, almost imperceptive but as soon as the pack got close to the old man, time seemed to slow down and a faint humming could be heard...

Hmmmmm mmmHmmm mmhmmmm....

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Waves of air blast out  passing by the wolves as they hang there slowly falling down from their previous leap. Small cuts as if from a thousand little razor blades form on the wolves and their trajectory slowly but surely changes now being forcefully pushed away from the mysterious human walking quietly in the snow.

A lot of the wolves lay there dead on the ground while some, able to move, choose to run to die somewhere else. The faint crying can still be heard as the man goes to investigate, his view is that of a couple who had tried to save their child from an unknown attack. His eyes wander to some linen near the woman's chest where some small movement can be seen and where the origin of the crying can be heard. The man reaches down and picks up the small bundle to reveal a baby boy who seemingly looks healthy and has not yet been taken by the cold. "You have done well to protect this little one" the old man says sorrowfully "It is unfortunate you both are unable to see your child grow into whatever greatness you both had held for him" "But rest easy now, I will take care of your child and raise him to become a fine young man you both will be proud of." A small silver object is drawn from a small pouch of the old man and he clears a small area of the snow so the ground is exposed. "May you find peace now on the other side, and may you watch over your treasure as they walk through life." He taps the silver object against the ground repeatedly keeping a slow but steady cadence, the ground begins to vibrate as the dirt underneath the two bodies begin to shake and transform as if like sand, swallowing both the bodies into the ground.

With this, the man walks away holding the baby, who'd had such an unfortunate beginning, close to chest. "Come now little one, There is a lot of work to be done"

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