FIRESTORM:CAMPAIGN

The sky is blue and clear. It is the kind of blue that makes you think it could rain and the drops themselves would be blue. Not on this day however. The air is crisp and cool to the touch. The frost is light but gives off that clean white look. It takes you back to your childhood when your mother used to hang the bed sheets on the line to dry.

There is a lot of action going on in the forest this morning. The brownies are looking for food and the faeries are flying around gathering the dew that is forming from the early morning sun. The brownies' ears perk up when they hear the buzzing of wings. It's a dragon, a little red one that is humming along to himself as he flies along. "Hellooo Twit!" one of the brownies yells, but he is not heard. Twit flies from one tree to the next looking for something. "AH! There it is," as the little dragon flies over to yet another tree with a hole in the trunk. He climbs in, grunting the whole time. "I have you! Look it! A sparkly, mine, mine, all mine!"

There is a noise in the woods just up ahead. All of the birds take flight and the other animals all run from the area. In a moment a figure comes through the woods. The person is dressed in all black, carrying something. From his hole, Twit begins to turn a deep red and his stinger comes up over his head. It drips some of the poison on the wood, sizzling where it lands. "What is she doing here? I thought that she was dead. I'll take that rose from her dead hand."

Before he can move far, there is a shimmer of light just in front of her and three people appear, all dressed in robes with hoods covering their heads. "So, are you going to take care of him for us?" one of the robed figures asks. "No, I will not. I will do most anything, I have even come close to killing him before, but what you ask is not possible. He is not alone, he travels with a knight that is great and a girl that has powers that not even you can control. No, that is one thing I will not do for you." the female repiles. One of the robed figures steps forward. In a flash of light, the female draws two swords. "Easy there my lady, he is just giving you the money you asked for." one of the other robed figures quickly says, startled by the females movement.

"Good. Drop it on the ground and step back. I don't trust you." The first figure drops it on the ground and backs up. She reaches down with her sword and flicks it up in the air, catching it with her other hand.

The figure that dropped the money speaks again. "I guess we are done here then. Goodbye Rose." The magic begins to shimmer and then the figures are gone.

Rose feels the weight of the pouch and turns to leave. The gasp of air can be heard through the whole forest, as a broad sword goes through her body. "I told you once before that what you and the others did to me would cost you!" An eerily familiar voice rasps. "Know this before you die! That the Ancient one will be dead before the next full moon!" Rose's eyes are wide, for she cannot believe that her life is leaving her body. What's even more, she cannot believe who it is that has done this. It is a face that has no face that she stares at. It has no eyes, no skin, no flesh. It does have one thing that cannot be mistaken. It is in black armor that has the emblem of a dragon on it. The same as the one that the great knight she just spoke of has on his. She falls to the ground.

He wipes his blade over her prone body. "I also promise one more thing. That the elf called Ryloth will know that it is I, Zarbor, that kills his daughter." There is a flash of light and Zarbor is gone.

Twit comes flying out from his hole to Rose. She looks up at him. "Help him Twit! Tell him what is going to happen. The wizards want Aegis dead. Don't let them stop the line Twit! It is all that we have left. Aegis, Tegra, her daughter and the name. The name of...." She dies before she can finish her sentence. Twit immediately begins racing off through the woods. With a strange grimace on his small dragon face, he finishes for her. "The name, Rose, is Firestorm."