Prologue
Under cover of darkness, monsters stalk their prey, easily hidden from the weakened senses of the lesser creatures. It’s a small town, just on the outskirts of Queen Emari’s Kingdom. These creatures stalk around the small hut homes, listening for the soft breathing of sleeping farmers. Their master watches from the distance with an emotionless face as it raises its hand and a small blue light emits from its palm.
The creatures themselves started to glow in a corporeal blue light, slipping through the walls of the huts, ready to sink their teeth into the sleeping victims' throats. Screams started to fill the night’s air as blood began to splash the dirt homes. The watcher in the distance that started this slaughter began to walk through the town streets, listening to the killing and cringed when they heard the cries of children. That was what they actually felt some sense of remorse about. Children shouldn’t be used for political gain, but alas orders were orders, kill everyone.
The watcher shook their head to try and get back on task. They needed to burn the largest barn into a Rose. The signal that is going to start the wars to come. Soon it wouldn’t be night hunts to scar the people, destroying merchant caravans before they can reach their destination. This watcher was not happy about their part to play, but this is what they were created for. Finally, the barn came into view, a sinking feeling radiated from their stomach, with this last task there is no going back.
“In the dark of night, let the light shine.” The voice said clearly even with the screams continuing to fill the world around them. Vibrant blue flames started to form in front of the watcher, it swirled, arching in the air until it finally finished creating a giant blue flaming rose in the air. Again the watcher lifted their hand and moved it outward like it was pushing an opponent backwards. The flaming rose moved until it touched the wooden structure of the barn.
Within the seconds of the flames touching the wood, scents of ash and oak began to fill the air, a rose began to form on the side of the building. The Watcher sighed heavily, their part was done, and now they had to wait for the beasts under their control to finish their tasks. Screams were slowly dying down. Townspeople that had not been targeted started to file out of their homes with torches and pitchforks looking for the attachers. Only to find a hooded figure with beasts starting to circle around it. The beasts with their startling blue glow began to shiver like illusions before they turned into blue smoke and vanished under the cloak of the figure.
Screams were no longer death screams but howls of rage as men started to run towards the unknown figure. As they got closer, stunning eyes held them in place as before their eyes the figure went up in burning blue flames and vanished before their eyes. Behind the men, women started to cry out and gagging could be heard from different homes as they found the massacre that had happened that night. For them, nothing was going to be the same. They lost loved ones, friends from childhood, children that would keep generations moving. For most though, it started hatred for the Rose. The organization had once been noble, but now it was starting a war with the three kingdoms. One man got on a horse and rode towards his Queen’s castle. Ready to tell her what had happened on this night.
Far from the slaughter, the Watcher appeared in a dimly lit room. The cold grey eyes scanned the room looking for its master. “Did you complete your task?” A voice spoke out from the darkness. The Watcher stood straighter before bowing towards the voice. “Yes, Master.” A low guttural laugh came from the darkness. The Watcher couldn’t help but flinch at the sound as it filled the room. What they had done this night was not a laughing matter, but still, their master continued.
“Everything is going according to plan then. Soon this country will be ours.” His sickening laugh deepened, and the Watcher felt the growing need to run fill their system, but there was nothing they could do. Listening to the sounds of laughter and remembering the screams of children, the Watcher quaked silently and ducked away into the shadows to stay hidden awaiting their next mission.
