The shadow almost flew across the land, searching for a good kill. Most of the population had been wiped out by him, and he still smelled of blood and rotting bodies. As he glided over the forest floor, he let his toes drag the ground, killing the small animals he came into contact with. Extending his arms, he let his fingertips touch the trunks of trees, and laughed as they withered away and the branches, not able to hold much weight, cracked under the pressure of bird nests. Stopping, he let himself stand in the forest flatfooted on a hill. Staring out into the distance, his cold, red eyes could be seen clearly in the darkness of the forest. He tilted his head as he watched the chaos below him. The bodies rotted, the living screamed, the buildings burned, and he did it. All across the land, utter destruction has occured, and it was all thanks to him. His long black hair brushed against his chin, and he smiled at the scent of the innocent blood being spilled. His long, bony, white fingers, lay at his side, and his fingernails dripped with blood, sweat, and tears. This was the most vile creature imaginable, and he had been unleashed upon the world. Powerful, strong, agile, and lethal. Yet all it would take, would be one group of unlikely persons. That's all it would take, and not even he was aware of this.
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Solstice advanced through the forest. He had made it to the edge, and was glad to see civilation of some sort. Along the way, he had picked up a large stick that he used as a walking stick, but dropped it here. It would be of no use to him any more. The sticks and leaves crunched under the weight of his boots, and pushed branches away from him as he made his way forward. Stepping past the last tree of the forest, he stood on a hill. He felt a cold chill run down his back, and could see his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. Amongst all the natural beauty of the forest, there were two, ice cold, blood red eyes, and they were watching him. Scared to the point that he couldn't move, Solstice just watched the creature, whatever it was, in the trees. A loud, high-pitched screech, and hiss, and the eyes grew. Solstice soon found out that they weren't growing, but they were getting closer. Covering his face, Solstice awaited for an impact.
Solstice awoke in a sweat in the room he had rented for the night at a local inn. Swinging his legs over the bed, he rested his head in his palms, placing his elbows on his knees. He was shaking, and he was scared. He had been having dreams like this a lot lately. Very vivd dreams in fact. Opening his eyes, Solstice watched a drop of sweat fall from a strand of his hair, and sighed. Getting to his feet, he left a tip of one silver coin on the bedside table, picked up his belongings, and walked out the door.
Stepping out of the inn, it was very different than his dream. Instead of a bright sun, and the world full of life and joy, the sun was hidden, and the world wasn't quite alive. The cold air was still there, and it hurt his chest to breath. Pulling his cloak tight around his chest, he stepped forward, this time the leaves and sticks were frozen as they cracked under his boots, and he could feel the cold no matter how hard he tried to bunlde up and keep warm. If only had stayed at his village.
((Sorry for the length. They won't all be this long.))
