Smoke and Shadows

Chapter I

~ V i s i o n s ~

~ L i a n a  R a v e n ~

In the darkness, in the deep violet folds of night, images flashed through her head all at once. Liana Raven could see a masked figure of the Dark lord at the edge of a cliff watching the war and the world below him boil in the sustained fire of his legion, his dark army was winning and he seemed to be satisfied with it, holding the Scepter of the Storm Heights, which holds an abysmal amount of dark energy. The a blanket of dark nether mists shrouding the land's surface, blocking the sunlight entirely, he raised his scepter to unleash its full power and corrupted the whole place.

She could hear the terrified screams inside her head as if she were actually there, the shattering of glasses, the sound of steel swords of brave men trying to defend their homeland and those whom they love. But it all ended tragically in a gruesome bloodbath. While thousands of helpless little voices crying out in pain, pleading for mercy. The horrifying laughter of evil did not even show pity as the blanket of death came to swallow them.

The image changed. Behind the mysterious Dark Lord, stood a valiant knight, a woman in her full armor, holding her iron sword. Her face was almost angelic, hair was golden yellow like the Sun and her eyes were shining blue like the ocean skies. Liana recognized the woman. She couldn't remember her name but she was certain she had seen her before.

"This has to stop Mirage." The lady knight said as she was about to strike the Dark Lord and end this war.

Dark Lord Mirage, the most powerful human sorcerer of all time, the overseer of the Hellfire's Legion, the conqueror, the destroyer. The Dark Lord was many things yet no one really knew him, no one has ever saw his face, he kept it concealed in his dark mask. It covered his whole face frilled with silver layers that resembled a wings, it was etched with mysterious symbols and figures only known to the Dark Lord himself. The mask of Lord Mirage has been a symbol of horror for the people of Therasia.  He keeps the mystical knowledge of the Arcane and necromancy just as how he keeps his own identity. Everyone feared the Dark Lord even if no one really knew who he was. Somehow, she could sense its familiarity. Like she have been there before. Then, the image disappeared but the cries of millions echoed in her mind. Liana Raven's thoughts distracted her when the clash of swords and roars went louder and louder and with a sudden jolt, her eyes fluttered open, covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

Where am I?What am I doing here? She wondered. She tried as hard as she could to think about it but she couldn't find any answers.

Her whole body ached, she tried to move and instantly she felt an excruciating pain below her abdomen. She wondered where she got this injury from. She looked at her surroundings which made her confused, the whole room was moving.

She momentarily closed her eyes, taking a brief moment and when they opened once again, this time, everything was clear.

"Glad you are awake, Soldier." Suddenly, from the tent covers a six footed muscular man with noticeable grey hair appeared. He was in full warrior armor wearing black vests and dark brown trousers, a headgear and a pair of swords hanging on his sides.

"W-wait? Who are you?" Liana asked in confusion as he did not recognize the man. She felt conscious even though she's wrapped with all the bandages around her body, still, there's a man in her presence and she was only wearing her underwear. But she felt that there are more important things that she should be worried about. Like the fact that she could hear a furious war going on not faraway from the tent that she was in.