Be as critical and open as possible.
The sky is a raging inferno, burning debris raining from distant catapults, falling onto buildings, huts, fields, and the streets. The city is alive with shadowy figures, rich and poor alike, all running-desperately- for shelter. Shelter the city of Era could no longer provide.
A woman hugs her child close, as though she could block out the violence, death, and war. She is in her early twenties, and has dark eyes and hair to match trailing down her shoulders. Her breath comes in gasps.
The baby is less than a year old, his hair lighter but eyes, like his mother’s, dark. He begins to cry.
In the distance, catapults rain burning debris onto the quickly collapsing city. Houses, businesses, and walls are falling. The siege is over. The invasion has begun.
The woman bumps into a stranger. He peers at her face, and recognition sparks in his eyes.
“Samira!”
“Not now!”
“The city is falling!”
“I realized, she said dryly. “Is Venom to blame?”
“Isn’t she always?”
“Where’s Nightfire?”
“Dunno. Probably dead, now.”
Samira bares her teeth. “Don’t tell me that!”
“If he had any sense, he’d leave. Too late.”
“It’s never too late.
He flinches as a dust cloud kicks up nearby. “Save yourself. The Resistance is through.”
“After all we’ve achieved?”
“It’s too late,” the man repeated.
“Starwanderer,” she pleads.
“Look.” He drops his voice. “There’s a stream just outside the walls. Save yourself. Save Arc. Even if we don’t survive, you have to. Someone has to end this.”
More screams fill the air. Starwanderer pushes past Samira and begins to run. Samira makes a dash for the city wall.
The outskirts are full of derelict, earthen huts for the poor. Most of these have already fallen prey to looting soldiers dressed in crimson.
Samira dashes to a hole in the wall and climbs through. Only a week ago, there had been peace. Now, the world was ending.
The forest was only a few yards from the city. Samira shushes baby Arc and looks into darkness. It is likely that the woods are crawling with soldiers.
A single tear is illuminated in an eerie red glow on Samira’s face. She has lost everything, in just one night.
A narrow stream cuts across her path. Desperately, she wades into the water, shivering slightly. The banks soon rise above her head in a low, narrow gorge, creating a false sense of safety.
“Samira, I must admit, I didn’t picture you as the type to run.” Samira screams as a dark shape materialized above her. Jag is notorious for brutality. His sword is dripping muck and blood into the stream. He stands absolutely still as Samira kisses small Arc one last time. He knows she is too proud to plead her life.
“Samira!” A voice cries. Samira puts her child on the riverbank behind her.
The child cries and turns his head away.
There is fire, darkness, pain, and fear.
And Venom’s War begins.
The sky is a raging inferno, burning debris raining from distant catapults, falling onto buildings, huts, fields, and the streets. The city is alive with shadowy figures, rich and poor alike, all running-desperately- for shelter. Shelter the city of Era could no longer provide.
A woman hugs her child close, as though she could block out the violence, death, and war. She is in her early twenties, and has dark eyes and hair to match trailing down her shoulders. Her breath comes in gasps.
The baby is less than a year old, his hair lighter but eyes, like his mother’s, dark. He begins to cry.
In the distance, catapults rain burning debris onto the quickly collapsing city. Houses, businesses, and walls are falling. The siege is over. The invasion has begun.
The woman bumps into a stranger. He peers at her face, and recognition sparks in his eyes.
“Samira!”
“Not now!”
“The city is falling!”
“I realized, she said dryly. “Is Venom to blame?”
“Isn’t she always?”
“Where’s Nightfire?”
“Dunno. Probably dead, now.”
Samira bares her teeth. “Don’t tell me that!”
“If he had any sense, he’d leave. Too late.”
“It’s never too late.
He flinches as a dust cloud kicks up nearby. “Save yourself. The Resistance is through.”
“After all we’ve achieved?”
“It’s too late,” the man repeated.
“Starwanderer,” she pleads.
“Look.” He drops his voice. “There’s a stream just outside the walls. Save yourself. Save Arc. Even if we don’t survive, you have to. Someone has to end this.”
More screams fill the air. Starwanderer pushes past Samira and begins to run. Samira makes a dash for the city wall.
The outskirts are full of derelict, earthen huts for the poor. Most of these have already fallen prey to looting soldiers dressed in crimson.
Samira dashes to a hole in the wall and climbs through. Only a week ago, there had been peace. Now, the world was ending.
The forest was only a few yards from the city. Samira shushes baby Arc and looks into darkness. It is likely that the woods are crawling with soldiers.
A single tear is illuminated in an eerie red glow on Samira’s face. She has lost everything, in just one night.
A narrow stream cuts across her path. Desperately, she wades into the water, shivering slightly. The banks soon rise above her head in a low, narrow gorge, creating a false sense of safety.
“Samira, I must admit, I didn’t picture you as the type to run.” Samira screams as a dark shape materialized above her. Jag is notorious for brutality. His sword is dripping muck and blood into the stream. He stands absolutely still as Samira kisses small Arc one last time. He knows she is too proud to plead her life.
“Samira!” A voice cries. Samira puts her child on the riverbank behind her.
The child cries and turns his head away.
There is fire, darkness, pain, and fear.
And Venom’s War begins.
