Fall 19, 513 A.V.
Nightfall in The Colbalt Mountains
Nightfall in The Colbalt Mountains
A hunter sat on a log in front of an open flame, his body was tired from yet another unsuccessful hunt in the wilds. The stressed man frowned at his situation, as light from the dancing flames was captured by his dull green eyes in the dark. Bill “The hunter” was this young man’s name—being simple and easy to remember. Bill was an outdoors type of man, he lived by the wild and cooked the animals he killed but lately, he hasn’t been able to hunt like he used to. A moth flusters pass his face, its small wing touches his nose and causes him to sneeze, snapping the poor man out of his lonesome daze.
Bill looks up towards the sky and grins at the sparkling jewels that vacated this black cosmos. Yes, these were the same stars he gazed upon twenty years ago—unchanging, forever beautiful diamonds in the sky. He lowers his head and looks to his left and sees his trusty crossbow leaning against his broadsword then he looks to his right, where an old horse saddle remained. Bill places his right hand onto the saddle and a sudden tear falls from his eye. The outdoors man’s pride was overtaken by his emotions—this saddle belonged to an age old friend: a lost and long gone companion.
“I’m so sorry girl. I should have taken you with me that day. ”
Bill wipes the tears from his eyes but they continued to flow. These tiny droplets filled with sadness and regret, fall to the earth and soak his boots like shattered pieces of a soul. The man cries softly in the dark, he knows not to cry loudly in the woods, as wild predators lurked around these parts and looked for signs of weakness in likely prey. A cold wind brushes against the sad man’s skin and Bill reaches inside his bag, takes out a fur blanket and wraps it around him. The warmth of the fur blanket soothed the cold on the outside but could not sooth the icy hold of despair on the inside. Bill was at his wits end, he could not take this cold anymore.
“I’ll be meeting you soon Lhex.”
Bill obscured by his hurt and woe could not see the darkness thickening around him. The starlight overhead seemed to dim and rays of the moon were being obscure by the shadows. The air held the freezing touch of winter and the atmosphere became heavy as though had turned against the environment. Bill exhaled and noticed his breath in the air that’s when he notices the unnatural change in the environment, it sets him on edge and he carefully reaches for his broadsword. A pocket of this darkness swirls and gathers on the opposite side of the fire; black tendrils of soulmist collected and swayed like flames until it all took on a human appearance.
Bill stands to his feet, allowing his blanket to fall onto the ground as he prepares himself for the beast capable of causing this abnormality. He turns around and notices a cloaked figure sitting on a log on the opposite side of the fire. Bill could feel the difference between the cloaked figure and him—Bill was reluctant to move or speak. The cloaked figured looks upwards and stares into Bills dull-green eyes with its dark-crimson serpent-like eyes. The hunter could not understand what he was observing, was this being human?
“ Do not be alarmed, human. ”
The spirit said with a calm tone of voice.
