I already have the corrections on part one about finished, but I won't post
it until I finish part two. SO, here's a prologue that will hopefully set
things up right nicely for ya.

Darksbane
Prologue
A Painful Lesson

Disclaimer: There will be no disclaimer, because this first bit is totally
original, so nee-ner nee-ner boo boo.

 Aarel Anore Hightower sat down at an old table, his hawk-beak nose casting
a long shadow over his face in the firelight, and his green eyes glinting
beneath his short, wiry black hair. He took a deep breath, smelling the
familiar old wood of his long-desolate cabin, and hearing the crickets begin
their nightly serenade. He was glad to be back.

 "Hey, boy!" Aarel called behind him, half turning from the table.

"What now, old man?" a voice answered tiredly. "I already chopped the
firewood, swept out the cobwebs, fixed the fence, and cooked dinner. Can't I
sleep now?"

 "Grab a piece of paper and a pencil, and get over here. I have something to
show you."

 There was a long-suffering sigh, and some scuffing sounds as the boy moved
closer "Where are the pencils?" came the question after a moment.

"Third drawer on your right."

 The boy trudged into the firelight, yawning and scratching his head. His
stark white, unruly hair flashed from the light of the fireplace.

 They looked at each other a moment. "Sit," Aarel said, motioning to the
chair across the table. The boy glared at him, stumped over to the chair,
and sat down with a slight thump.

 "This had better be good, old man."

 Aarel nodded. "It will be. Now, do what I say.

 "Draw a circle, small and perfectly round."

"Good," the boy replied, drawing. "Anything more complicated and I'd screw
it up for sure. I hate drawing."

Aarel ignored him, continuing as if he hadn't been interrupted. "This circle
is a universe; one endless plane of existence; a single bauble on an
endlessly intertwining necklace of reality. The universe itself is neither
good nor evil, but has elements of both, divided in a delicate balance
outside of the essence of the circle itself."

"Okay, circle is universe, not good or evil. Gotcha."

 "Draw a thick line around the circle." The boy scribbled a moment. "This is
the universe's natural protection against destruction. It can come in the
form of natural barriers, like time and space and Fate, or in more tangible
forms, like say, a hero or heroine. Every universe has these; they could not
exist without them. Where there is no good and greatness, there can be no
life, no true joy, only chaos."

 "Thick line, protection, gotta be there. Confirmed, sir!"

 "Draw sharp, bold lines outside the circle and the thick line, all pointing
toward the center. This is a universe's natural adversity. It comes in the
form of natural barriers, just like the thick line, and can be the
"villains" and opponents we see every day. Every universe has these; they
could not exist without them. Where there is no adversity, there can be no
progress, no tempering of our souls, only mediocrity."

 "EVIL lines! BWA-HAHAHAHAHAA!"

 "Stop fooling and pay attention! Now, most of these sharp, bold lines never
effect the universe itself. They are stopped by the thick line around the
circle. But... every once and a while... a line breaks through, piercing the
center of the circle." Aarel took the pencil and added a line that bisected
the center of the circle. "What happens then, do you think? Is the universe
destroyed? Is there nothing to save it?"

 "Yep, that's about the size of it, I guess," the boy replied, shrugging.
Aarel cuffed him on the back of the head, which bounced off the table top
with a loud smack.

 "Yes, of course it can be saved, boy!" he snapped.

 "Jeez!" the boy retorted, rubbing his head. "That really hurt, old man!"

 "Shut up and listen. As I was saying, YES, it can be saved. It does not
take a being of incredible power, and doesn't take a genius at wizardry or
martial arts or anything else--though any of those help tremendously, if you
can manage it. It just takes a person to make a good judgement in the right
place at the right time, to tip the scales just a little bit to set things
aright. The universes are orderly things, really; once the deed is done,
things will generally sort themselves out."

 The boy looked puzzled. "But who would KNOW all that stuff, and be able to
do something about it?"

 Aarel Hightower grinned down at his young friend, showing too many rows of
teeth. "Who indeed?"

 The boy raised an eyebrow. "And just why are you looking at me like that
for?" Then it hit him. "Oh, HELLS!"


Hmm... yes, well, there it is. Make your guesses as to where it's leading;
sometimes I just don't know.

Much regards,

AJ Andreason


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