Chapter 1 : The Chase

The air was cool and crisp on this moonlit autumn night in the deep woods of Dark Moon Grove, a territory in central Aldora and home to the infamous druids enclave. The leafs slowly fell from the trees, covered in a mesh of deep browns and sharp yellows. They fell to the ground twirling and tail spinning as they made the soft descent to the forest floor below. There were dry branches of dying trees scattered on the ground below suddenly finding themselves being stomped on by the heavy boot of a man running for his life. He ran full speed swatting away at anything in his way. Every so often a crunch and a crinkle would echo through the deep wood. In the distance hounds barked and snarled hot on the man’s musky scent. After a moment passed a shouting could be heard as pursuers on the hunt began to close the distance between them and their prey.

“Come on men! Pick up the pace we’re getting closer, the bastard won’t slip us this time.” The voice was of a man who sounded gritty and battle hardened.

Two more voices murmured in the distance after hearing the rallying cry to press on. Out of breath and panting in exhaustion the fleeing man inhaled sharply and launched himself forward digging down deeply trying as much as he could to find every last drop of endurance left in his body. His mind was on getting away nothing else mattered, he could not allow himself to fall into the hands of the inquisition. He was the most wanted man in all of Aldora, half the country wanted him dead the other half would do anything to keep him alive.

The man picked up speed feeling a divine second wind overcome him. He though about his friends, his country, but most of all he though about her. He thought about the the recent coup, the Queen, and all he had sacrificed to try and protect her. He thought about all the time spent with her and how what had happened in the last few months he could never have imagined happening. He knew he had to make things right. His friends had been executed, his country in despair, crying out for help and his beautiful Queen gone, usurped from her throne never to be seen again. Not a soul knew if she was dead or alive or where she might be.

“Run Ryker run.” Is all he could say in his head as he continued to keep pushing forward.