In the dimly lit corner of his bedroom, a mystical looking dog sat regally in an ornate wooden chair. It was speaking. “Today, another day of boring nothingness. Goddess, I hate being ignored. I hate being alone in a room full of people.”

“Why can’t he see me? Why can’t he hear me? Why must I be stuck in this wretched place?”

Intricate glowing runes floated around it, adding to its magical aura. A hint of ethereal mist swirled at its paws, amplifying its enchanted presence.

Raziel groaned and rolled over. The stupid monotone voice broke through his dream. “For all that is holy in Nexus please stop talking.”

The voice paused. “Wait, you can hear me?” a hint of emotion entered the voice.

Raziel sighed and he sat up. He rubbed his forehead. “Yes, I can hear you. Wait, I am awake, and I can hear you.” Raziel sat up in bed and his head snapped to his right.

Its fur shimmered with otherworldly colors, casting a mesmerizing glow that danced across the room.

His annoyance turned to awe. In the corner of his room sat a funny-looking dog. It had a single tail that split and became two, like a Y.

Its large eyes stared at him. The emerald orbs were dull at first. As it realized he was studying it, the tail began to wag. It opened its mouth and let its tongue hang out.

Raziel cocked his head to the side. Fear slightly tainted his tone. “What are you?” he whispered; his curiosity piqued by the magical creature that had unexpectedly appeared in his room.

“Me? I know what I am but what are you?”

Despite the initial fear that tinged his voice, Raziel couldn’t help but be captivated by the mystical being before him.

It hopped down off the chair and shook, its fur fluffed out. The creature walked toward Raziel who screamed in fear as it jumped up onto his bed.

The young boy pulled his legs tight under him and forced his back against the wall. “Am I still dreaming? Are you a dog? Where the hell did you come from?” He screamed again and his door opened.

The dog looked afraid “Shhhh, do not tell that nasty man about me! He will have me killed!” It jumped under his bed and hid.

“Raziel?! Are you ok? I heard you scream.” Issac looked around his son’s room.

“I…I just had a bad dream dad. I will be ok.” Raziel smiled. He settled back down in his bed. “It was a really bad dream.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Issac’s expression softened. He sat down next to his boy on the bed.

“I… Was in a really weird place dad, like the trees were not trees they were organic life forms that could speak! There was a strange creature’s dad, I mean like strange! They had weird colors of fur, and strange eyes. Oh, and there was floating islands with long vines that hung down.” Raziel shook his head.

“Oh? Do you think if you saw pictures of it you would remember it?” Issac looked at his son with a hint of malice.

“Maybe? I mean the part that scared me dad, was this huge shadow monster. It called my name and beckoned me to the shadows where it lives. It told me things, frightening things.”

“Interesting, what did it tell you?” Issac inquired.

“It…It told me that I would become an agent of death, and that I would lose my heart in the shadows of the brimstone in the belly of the abyss.”

Issac furrowed his brow, “It did?”

“I know it’s crazy, it was just a dream though right?” Raziel eyed his dad with caution.

“Yeah sure, I mean how could it be anything else?” Issac forced a smile.

“Dad? It said its name was Aether.” Raziel frowned.

Issac slowly turned his gaze to fix upon his son’s. “Are you telling me Aether spoke to you?”

“Yeah I guess.”

Issac smirked, “It is time to get ready to go into town. I want to get you some new travel clothes. We are going to go on a road trip, ok?”

“Really!? You have never let me leave the cottage or the forest!?”

“Yes Really, now get ready.” Issac kissed his son’s forehead and smiled. He stood and walked out of his room.

Raziel smiled and jumped out of bed, he rushed to his wardrobe. He pulled out a set of black cotton pants and a white tunic. He threw them on and grabbed his overshirt black with gold runes on it.

He grabbed his satchel, got dressed. Raziel opened his drawer and then looked at the door. He looked back to the two things laying there. He picked up the map and the letter he found. He shoved them in his satchel and headed down the stairs.

Issac smiled as he held out a flatbread sandwich with some chicken and seasonings in it.  Raziel took it with a smile. “I am so excited dad!”

Issac laughed. “I see that. Come on let us go.”

Raziel opened the door and rushed outside. Issac already had their horse attached to a cart. He ran over and pet the old black mare. “We get to go into town!”

“Yes, we do.” Its eyes held his with an intelligence he had never noticed in the horse before.

Raziel froze. He stared at the horse. It held the same type of expression as the cougar did. He shook his head. “I must be dreaming, cause Dad I could swear that Isabell just spoke to me.”

Issac raised a brow, “the horse spoke to you?”

Raziel shook his head, the horse just snorted. “um, maybe not, let’s just go.”

Issac snickered. “Yeah, let’s do that. I have someone waiting for us in town.”

“Sweet, let’s go!” Raziel jumped up into the carriage.

Issac only smirked, as he climbed up into the cart and took the reins. They traveled in silence. Raziel watched as the trees faded and farmlands became all that could be seen. They were sparse though.

Raziel frowned. “Dad, why do their farmlands look so sick?”

Issac just smiled softly. “Because there has not been much rain, son. There is strange magic that seems to divert the water from the farms, it is something that I am looking into. It is not normal. They seem to get enough rain to just barely give enough fruit for the town to ration food.”

Raziel frowned. He focused on the farmlands, “Well Dad, I really wish that they would get enough water to be able to grow. So that there was plenty of food for everyone.”

Issac only nodded and their conversation died. Raziel just watched rows and rows of plants starving to live. The more he focused the more he became frustrated.

“Raziel?” Issac called.

The boy’s focus was broken, he turned to his father. “Yes?”

The city, can you see it now?” Issac pointed. Raziel looked.

He squealed. “YES! I can Father!!”

Issac’s gaze narrowed at his arm as he felt drops of water fall upon it. He looked up to see storm clouds above the farmlands.

Raziel’s sole focus now is on the city. Issac, however, was watching as the storm clouds dissipated and turned back to blue sky. He turned his gaze to his son. Shaking his head he smiled to see his boy so happy.

Raziel’s excitement only glowed brighter as they rolled through the middle of the bazaar. People tried to sell their wares with zeal.

“Scarves, Scarves! Get your scarves!” Raziel watched an eccentric man with strange attire. He had a long yellow coat with tails. His hands were covered in black gloves. But the strange part was the eye patch over his left eye and the cane he carried had a skull on it.

The man stopped shouting when his gaze met Raziel’s. A wicked expression seemed to fill the man’s facial features.

Issac leaned in close. “Do not trust that one.”

Raziel just smiled. Then a thought occurred to him. “Dad, I don’t have any money.”

“That is ok, I got you.” He brought the carriage to a stop by a barn. They dismounted the cart. Issac walked over to a stable hand. “Here, take her and put her up in your barn.” Issac offered the reins and two gold.

“Of course, Sir.” The barn hand took the money and the reins to the horse.

Issac handed Raziel twenty gold pieces. “Go have some fun and explore. Meet me back here after a bit and we will stay at the inn tonight.”

Raziel’s eyes shimmered with excitement. “Really!??!”

“Of course, go, have fun.” Issac let a wicked light dance in his eyes.

Raziel turned, the sparkle of excitement started to die as he realized he was alone in the middle of a busy bazaar. His heart began to pound in his chest. He took a deep breath as his excitement turned to anxiety.

He put the money his dad gave him in his pocket. He turned and looked at all the busy vendors. He took a deep breath and forced himself to walk through the crowd. He did not get far when he heard someone holler “Hey boy!”

He stopped and turned. “Hey, how much do you want for your bow?”

Raziel frowned. “I don’t have a bow with me?”

The man gave him a quizzical look. “The one on your back?”

Raziel turned once in a circle, then stopped. He looked down at his chest and sure enough the bow string was there across his shoulder down to his waist.

A wicked expression crossed his face. He had an idea. “I will sell it to you for forty gold pieces.”

“Really? SOLD.” The man seemed super excited. Raziel handed him the bow and the man gave him his gold.

Raziel pocketed the gold in his satchel and walked through the bazaar. Once he was out of sight of the vendor. A wicked expression came across his face as he felt the weight of it on his back once more. I should return the man’s money, he thought to himself. Instead, he turned and kept walking.

Raziel had a feeling he was being watched. He turned and saw an elf leaning against the edge of a tall building. His silver eyes locked on Raziel. His gaze seemed hard but harmless. The man had silver hair. Black and gold robes hung from his shoulders

Raziel let his eyes lock with the man’s for a moment before he turned and kept walking. He glanced back but the man was gone.

So many vendors, he felt overwhelmed. He stopped because a man stepped out in front of him. “Hello boy. How are you? What is your name?”

Raziel eyed him, there was something strange about him. He had long black hair, down to his shoulders. Sapphire glowing eyes felt like they burned into his soul. He did not seem to be dangerous, but his countenance seemed off. The man wore light blue robes trimmed in silver.

“My name is Raziel, you are?”

He bowed deeply, “Mine is Grandolian.”

“Nice to meet you, can I go now?”

“Almost, This bow of yours. I want it.”

His expression darkened and sent a shiver of fear down his back. Raziel frowned, “You cannot have it. It is mine.”

“You do not deserve a bow with that type of countenance.” He grabbed the shaft of the recurve and quickly retracted his hand. The man frowned. His expression turned to fear as he looked over at the scarf vendor shaking his head.

The man shut up and stepped to the side. He let Raziel walk past him. The young boy watched with hesitation.

The weapon on his back began to hum with energy as he walked away from the strange man. He stopped a few feet away. Then he took a step forward. The energy got stronger.

The young boy furrowed his eyes. Today is definitely weird, he thought. He continued to walk past a dark alley. The energy from the bow was intensifying, but as soon as he passed the hauntingly dark passage it went quiet.

Raziel stopped, and he turned around. He looked down into the dark space. A ripple of fear swam through his veins as the energy from the bow picked back up.

“HELP, HELP! They are trying to take me!” A young female yelled.