Slayer

Prologue

The elf sat on a boulder, leaning back to allow the sun to warm her face. Though to any watcher she seemed completely relaxed, her hand never left the sword strapped to her belt.

A few had, previously along the road, seen the relaxed face, but not the sword-not until it was too late.

The wind changed. The elf opened her eyes, and stood, frowning.

Something was wrong.

Cautiously she moved forwards until she could look out over the valley, and froze.

Smoke curled into the sky from a small village. The wind brought screams and the scent of burning wood.

She took a step back, then ran forwards, leaping down the rocky slope.

Dorn struggled down the path, determined not to call out to his father to slow down. He clung onto the bundle of firewood in his arms, being careful of the bag of mushrooms he'd picked for his mother.

When Dorn glanced up, his father had stopped. Suddenly, the big man dropped his firewood and ran towards the village, shouting back over his shoulder for his son to go back. Dorn didn't understand why he had to go away, but he turned and headed up the path. There was a high pitched scream, and shouting

He hesitated, looking behind him. A breaking stick gave him a moments warning, and he looked up, then jumped aside, narrowly avoiding the bandit's axe. Dropping his bundles he ran towards the village.

Somehow Dorn avoided the bandit behind him, but the village was worse. It was on fire.

He ran from building to building, looking for his mother, his father, Serbal, anyone he knew. He screamed as a bandit's knife bit deep into his chest, tearing through flesh and muscle down to his stomach. Dorn could see the elf whirling through the fray towards him, and cried out.

"Serbal! Help me!"

The bandit laughed, and died with the smile still on his face. The elf left her sword stuck in the man's body, crouching over the young boy, trying to stop the blood. She felt his heart stop, saw his eyes become blank.

Serbal screamed in fury, wrenched her sword from the dead body, and leapt back towards the remaining bandits, sword swinging.