Chapter 1

     Endermon Dracu came from a long, prominent line of fairies. Her father wanted an heir (meaning a son) to take over the kingdom when he was old enough. But when she was born he waited until the ceremony to announce her name. There were murmurs of dissent, but he was the king, so there was to be no public opposition. So therefore she was raised as a prince, as much as the king could get away with. The queen however, wanted her more balanced and had her do her princessly duties. This caused Endermon emotional unrest, and she struck out on her own. It helped that she discovered she had earth magic. Basically, she could communicate with plants and animals.

     She was packing stuff in a bag she could carry on her shoulders. Not wanting to announce that she was a princess, at least not right away, she got a set of clothes from one of the servants. She was doing this at night, because she knew her parents would stop her. So she changed and put a couple outfits in the bag. She put in some potions and raided the pantry for food. By this point her bag was getting heavy and she could only put a few more things in it. So she grabbed a pouch and quickly went to her father's study and grabbed some money. She went back to her room and strapped on her sword. She was a peaceful person, but could defend herself if necessary.

     With her full bag, she set off to leave, but quickly realized that the bag would be too heavy to continue on foot. So she went to the stables. There she saddled up her horse, a chestnut brown mare that she'd had from a colt. She put the saddle on quick and efficiently. She secured her bag, and with a touch of her magic, sent a flower to her mother. With one last look at the castle, she took off at a gallop. With her hair pulled back she looked like a stable hand so she could blend in better when she got to a town.

     Shiloh Archeron lived on the edge of town in a small brick house. She had a large garden filled with flowers and fruit trees. She had a beautiful stone fence surrounding her property. Her house was warm and comfortable, soft chairs and a fluffy couch. Jars of shells, wicker baskets filled with throw pillows and blankets. Soft enough to keep the chill out. Her kitchen was blue, dark blue like the midnight sky. It was always smelling like a fresh baked pie, but no pie for her. She couldn't recall the last time she ate..... anything at all. She had a powerful thirst, but only for the sweet nectar of life.  

     The sun begins to set. She begins to wake up thinking of the days ahead and the adventure she's going on to find jewels and treasure. There were factors to be considered, such as daylight sleeping and transportation. She had selected a carriage for that purpose. It was long enough for a coffin for sleeping. There was clothes and supplies. The driver was her personal servant. He was loyal to a fault, and would give his life should it come to that. But most importantly, he would protect her while she was asleep and vulnerable during the day.

     She began packing for the journey. A satin ballgown with a diamond choker, earrings, and bracelet to match. She picked a brocade overcoat with a blood red liner. Some of her various leather pants with satin blouses, and several pairs of boots. It took a while, but finally the carriage was loaded. Her clothes were in the back in a couple of trunks. Her coffin was off to one side. A modest table with a couple of matching chairs sat in the corner, and there was a smallish chest with some non-perishable food and wine on the other side by the door for easy access.

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     Four monstrous, jet-black stallions were harnessed expertly and she took her place in the driver's seat, and gently urged them into action. They trotted through the dark streets of her town into the black of the unknown.

     Growing up, Dresden Faewin was a scrawny kid and had energy for days, and was always in some kind of trouble. Disrupting classes, flyaway arrows or off the mark bullets. One thing no one could deny was that he was exceptional at hunting. He stayed that way until the coming of age where he grew into the man you see today. One thing he didn't expect, was to be able to change his form. This allowed him to be able to hunt better than ever. Not to mention it gave him a better chance with the ladies. Well, some ladies anyway. So that gave him a chance to act like he'd done more than he actually had.

     After a whole, he got bored and was itching for adventure outside his hometown. Securing all his weapons around his waist, he started out. Sure that he wouldn't need to actually work, he only carried a small pouch of coins. Confident that he could con his way into a bed, or cheat suckers out of money, he strode confidently into the forest to begin his journey. Quickly finding out that no one in his town could be convinced to take him further than the woods, he realized with dismay, that unless he had wheels, he wouldn't get far in one day. So he got a ride back to his home and started making plans.

     He stole a cart that would hold his stuff, and spent the better part of the day tracking down a horse. Most of the townspeople wanted nothing to do with him, but there were a few that thought he was the best thing ever, and managed to get him a horse that wasn't too terrible. Understandably, the horse was nervous around him, so he had to find a less skittish animal. He settled on an ox. The ox didn't care as long as it had food. So after stealing some food, he fed the ox and hooked it up to the cart. He walked beside it, because he felt that riding in the cart was beneath him.

     Rutus Skarmout was the result of a drunken hook up between a dwarf and a human woman. So even though she was an adult, she was still mistaken as a child, or at least a teenager due to her height, or lack thereof. But with a click of her folding axe, the condescension turns to wariness. She had her friends, but she was tired of the mountains. She wanted to go see the world. Her short stature and fiery red hair set her apart from the rest. She had made her armor from watching the blacksmiths. Yes it was made out of scrap metal and leather, but it fit like a glove and protected her from when someone too the ax for a threat instead of protection.

     When she had one too many close calls, her mother begged her not to be so confrontational. Feeling like she'd been slapped in the face with a blackberry bush, she rushed out of the house to avoid crying. Didn't her mother understand she was standing up for herself? She threw a bunch of stuff in a bag, made sure her armor was in place, and snapped her ax to her side. She made sure no one was watching, and sneaked away. She was certain no one would miss her, and started down the mountains by way of hidden or no trails at all.

     Hoping for a better life, she glanced back sadly. Then with resolution, she carefully, but forcefully disappeared into the trees, her mind made up that anywhere was better than where she was. She would figure out food and shelter later on down the line, but for now, she had to get away.