PROLOGUE–

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border=”0″> “http://www.xenafan.com/fiction/content5/space.gif” width=”20″
border=”0″>Flames. Reaching toward the heavens like outstretched
hands. A thick, black smoke wafted through the air. It carried with
it the smell of death and destruction. Weak, scattered cries of
pain and pleading rose above the stomping of the horses. Various
soldiers barked out orders in a further attempt to wash out the
death knell.

“http://www.xenafan.com/fiction/content5/space.gif” width=”20″
border=”0″>the armor clad soldiers once so eager for battle stood
nearby. They watched as the wildfire claimed the village instead of
them. No one was sure what started the fire only that in the arid
village it quickly consumed everything. Most of the towns people
were too frightened to come out of their huts when they were
attacked. The she-demons army was well known and feared and because
of that fear, most of the towns population perished in the
hellfire. Those that escaped the burning buildings now cowered in
shock. The screams of the injured and dying echoing in their ears
over the crackle of flames.

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border=”0″>Slowly, as if in a dream, a young girl of no more that
ten winters opened her eyes. Glancing around her she was assaulted
by the sight of what was once her home. Everything was burning. The
hut of an old woman who baked treats for the children was now
scorched ashes as was the woman herself. With great effort the girl
turned her head a bit and looked at her own hut. It was little more
than a pile of smoldering wood and mud. The cries of her mother as
their home burned down around them still rang in her ears. Her
younger sister had made it out and safely into the surrounding
woods. She had been right behind her when her mothers cry for help
stopped her.

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border=”0″>A section of the ceiling beam had collapsed on her
mother and the flames engulfed her. The young girl tried to help
her mother, pulling at her and the burning wood on top of her. At
one point her own clothes caught fire but she scarcely noticed and
continued trying to save her mother. Even after her mothers screams
stopped, the child continued pulling on her in an effort to free
her. The girl had been badly burned on her back and arms and was
overcome with the smoke filling the tiny hut. Consciousness was
beginning to fade when suddenly she felt arms about her, pulling
her out of the smoke and flames.

“http://www.xenafan.com/fiction/content5/space.gif” width=”20″
border=”0″>A short time later she found herself lying on the dusty,
sun-baked earth. The pain of her burns were quickly encasing her
and threatened to carry her into darkness. She fought against it,
wanting to see one thing before she was carried away to Tartarus.
She had to see the face of the leader of this soulless army that
had claimed her family and life. Her friends and neighbors had
repeatedly screamed out the Warrior’s name and at last she
got a clear glimpse of the woman as she rode through the burning
wreckage. The Warrior stopped a few yards away surveying the
remains of the once peaceful village and shouted orders at the
soldiers.