Ræmona jumped out of bed, her eyes wildly darting from window to window. Outside, it still seemed like a calm, peaceful morning, but the smell of smoke and the frenzied sounds of the animals in the forest gave away the truth.
Something was very wrong.
The princess quickly dressed and left her cabin after grabbing her kitchen knife, the closest thing to a weapon she owned. Looking east toward the Napalasian-Festian border, she could see the dark gray smoke slowly crawling toward her direction. Frightened by the sight of ash falling gently into the creek near her cottage, Ræmona backed away a few steps, then turned and started running toward the only structure she could see, Applewater Castle, the fortress her father defended.
As she ran, the princess heard an unfamiliar sound that seemed to come from some distance behind. She looked back, slowing her pace. In the shade of a large oak tree stood a tall figure wrapped in dark furs, long white hair flowing down wide shoulders. He drew his left arm across his body and touched his shoulder, causing a flash of white light that blinded the young girl for a moment.
Startled, Princess Ræmona gave a yelp, simultaneously tripping over an overgrown root. By the time she glanced back again, the figure was gone. To be continued...
Today is Tuesday, January 31, 2012, and Ray took a day off from school to rest. Go Raymond!
