Shadow of the Night (An original novel)

Shadow of the Night (Prolouge)

Naevys ran through the forest, clutching Arayshi to her chest.

They will not kill my baby

The words echoed through her head, acting as a motivational speech while the elf sprinted. Naevys spun and pressed her back against a tree, thanking the gods that Arayshi had quieted her cries.

The soldiers ran past her, yelling out things she didn't understand. She bit down hard on her lip. Abbadon would have protected her.
The damned General had killed him, and was now was after his wife and daughter.

Once the sound of boots hitting the ground no longer reached her ears she started to run again. Arayshi cried out again, making Naevys cringe.

"There!"

Naevys pushed herself harder, trying to calm her baby down all the while.

She tripped over a branch. Beginning to beg as someone grabbed her arm.

"Miss! I'm not going to hurt you. What are you running from?" A man asked her. She looked over her shoulder "Demons. They-They want Arayshi"

The man grabbed her shoulder "Do you have any where to hide?"

She tried to answer, only to falter as an arrow was shot into her back. The man pulled her and the child up, running in a cave as the demonic soldiers ran by again.

He watched in horror as the womans face began to become overrun with black veins, the poison spreading through her body.

"Is there a way to fix this?"

Naevys shook her head "Please. You must take her"

"What?"

"Take her and run. Her name is Arayshi Abbadon. You must never tell her of this. Raise her as if she were a normal child." She paused, gasping for breath "My necklace. Her father gave it to me. Give-Give...

She used to the last of her strength to reach up and touch her daughters face before she took her last breath.

The man, Casno, looked around, holding the crying baby against him tightly. He took the necklace the woman had mentioned and stood up, sticking it in his pocket. 

He jumped as a pitch-black owl landed on his shoulder, red eyes staring at Arayshi and cooing at her. She seemed to calm down, settling against Casnos chest.

He raised his eyebrows at the owl "A friend?" The owl ruffled its feathers, and he assumed that meant yes

"I'm calling you Sax. That's good?"

The owl, Sax, ruffled again "Alright. Come on then"

He walked back to his home, Sax still resting on his shoulder and wondering if things could get any stranger. He was an assassin, an if he raised this girl, she would be to. But who was he to leave a child out to die?

Assassin didn't mean monster, and he'd took the child from the mothers arms as she died. Any sane man would raise her.

He looked at the baby, gasping as she opened her eyes, revealing one pale green eye, while the other red, and almost seemed to glow when the light hit it  correctly.

She babbled at him, pulling at his beard. He laughed quietly

"Well, Arayshi, lets hope those hands will keep their strength...