Crystal Sky

CRYSTAL SKY

The nightly wind swept over the long dirt road, stripping away the layers of dust and pulling them into the thick air.  The debris lifted through the barren branches of the dying trees, the leaves falling from the tributaries and allowing themselves to be lifted in the gale.  The black sky howled, echoing within the ominous cover of nightfall.  The gust soon followed, continuing to pull with it anything willing enough to allow such a force to overpower.
         The dark clouds masked any indication of stars, threatening the land with rain and storm, but not acting upon such a threat.  Thunder roared across the atmosphere, but was accompanied by no lightning.  The sounds of the wind and thunder danced above the Barren, graceful and intimidating; a beautiful union to be feared.
         Only one stood amongst the threats and desolateness, his statuesque frame reeling in the powerful wind.  His loose cloak fluttered around him as he struggled to keep his hood from revealing his dark face.  Long ears, almost ebony in color, stuck from each side of Draewrynn’s head.  Slick white hair, a complete contrast against his dark skin, fell from beneath the hood.  The long locks twisted in the rough wind, floating around him as his cloak did, dancing around his face and neck, covering him in web-like strands.
         His garments were worn and old, enshrouded in dull battlements; an indication that he had been in, or was expecting, war.  Two long, but blunt daggers rested on his hips.  They swung in the wind, clinging to his leather belt as they rung loud against the chain mail surrounding his outer thighs.
         Resting his long, slender fingers on each hilt of his weapons, Draewrynn struggled forward.  His steps were heavy as he stopped between each, ensuring that his nimble feet were firmly rested against the dry road before trekking forward.
         The night obscured even Draewrynn’s keen Elfish vision as he struggled to see the potholes and curves in the trail before him.  Any light would have been a refuge to the young elf, but he was surrounded in nothing but shadows.  Eyes cast downwards, Draewrynn walked heavily, his already pessimistic nature not enlightened by the growing depression that the atmosphere presented.
         The Wood seemed to topple in around him, tree limbs reaching from their perches to pull Draewrynn into the abyss.  He kept a weary eye on his surroundings, minding every branch that swayed with the growing breeze.  Mist gathered about his nose and mouth as his breathing quickened, dispersing into the cool air as it drifted away with the wind.  Every sound sent shivers along Draewrynn's spine, and any movement made him jump
with anticipation.  His fingers were wrapped tightly around his daggers as his knuckles ached from the pressure.
         He took another step forward, and yet another; still no light illuminated his face.  Through Draewrynn’s eyes, his future looked grim.  He had left his safe haven of Montgáicha to travel through the forbidden White Wood on his journey to the small fishery village of Vocabacov.  It was from there that word had traveled of the legendary Crystal Sky, a sanctuary where only the greatest kings and rulers were invited to seek the guidance of the Gods.  Draewrynn’s mission was, in theory, a simple one: locate the Crystal Sky and keep record of its wonders.  On the contrary, no mortal man, nor any other creature, had ever laid eyes upon the Sky for its entrance was kept in utmost secrecy and even a whisper of the Sky would result in death. 
                He let a soft sigh slip from between his thin lips, mixing with the cool air to create a small cloud of mist.  As he walked on, dispersing the mist across his face, Draewrynn looked up, a sudden flash of white light filling in the darkness around him.  He brought an arm up to shield his eyes, the new light revealing the sharp features on his face: his jagged jaw line ran up to his protruding cheekbones, his hypnotizing eyes were big ovals colored in with violet as white eyebrows sat above them.  His complexion was that of perfection, a beautiful hue- a mixture of beige and ebony.  However, a dark scar, running from his right temple around his eye to the right corner of his thin lips, tainted his features.  His hair fell into his face as he turned away, the heat of the light burning his fragile eyes. 
                Despite the sudden luminosity, Draewrynn continued forward, his vision stolen from him once again as he stumbled over the bumps and rocks that littered the trail.  The warmth, however, was inviting and Draewrynn’s stride strengthened as he hurried towards it.  Sweat dripped from his forehead as he felt the temperature rise once again, his eyes burning in their sockets as his feet desperately searched for stable footholds.
                An unexpected chasm that separated the darkness of the Wood from the light caused Draewrynn's quickened pace to falter as his heavy boot situated itself between the two ditch's walls.  He fell suddenly, throwing his arms forward to catch himself as his knees took the brunt of the collapse.  Draewrynn gasped as he hurried to catch his breath which was stolen from him in the excitement, the new sun illuminating his quivering body.   
                The red sun grew vibrant as it rose above the alpine horizon, shedding its light across the picturesque panorama.  Draewrynn slowly looked forward, squinting his eyes as he gazed down the rolling hill on which he was situated.  A stream ran along side where he sat, cascading down the side of the hill until it arrived at a minute, blue pond.  The small village of Vocabacov rested only five miles from where Draewrynn sat, situated amongst soft ferns and Maple trees.
Green grass covered the ground, and soft Willow trees inhabited most the the wetland.  Draewrynn found himself in awe at how welcomed this sight was to him, and he sat back on his heels to admire it's beauty.  He let his aching fingers graze the soft grass,  as the aroma faded within his nostrils.  Letting out a short sigh of relief, he stood, pushing back his hood as his eyes faded to a light blue, reflecting the yellow sun as it's rays penetrated Draewrynn's skin.     
         He looked back over his shoulder, yet saw nothing but the needles of Evergreen trees.  There was no indication of a trail nor any sign that one could squeeze through any holes within the Wood's defense.  With a smile cursing his pursed lips, Draewrynn turned back to the amazing sight that lay before him and began his journey down the hill. 

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Cold sweat fell from throbbing temples as Jayce was pulled away from his slumber.  His lungs ached as he reached for the candle that sat on his makeshift bed table.  His fingers searched for the cool, smooth sensation of the candle, but instead found a hot pool of recently melted wax.
         Jayce hissed, pulling his hand away as hot wax flew across the room.  Throwing his covers back, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the floor cool against his bare feet.  He wrapped his arms around his torso, the cold night air chilling his skin as he shuffled over to the open window.  Reaching up to close it, a bright red sparkle caught Jayce's attention as he froze, his eyes transfixed on the horizon just as the sun began to protrude from the darkness. 
             A smile forced it's way onto Jayce's lips as he marveled at the array of reds, oranges, and yellows which lit the darkness.  He felt strangely settled, as if he were in some sort of sanctuary.  The cold and darkness seemed to fade away, replaced by a feeling of warmth and light.  Jayce saw sun and rivers and a blue sky tainted by not one cloud.
         This place was foreign to him, a new sensation which he had never felt before.  The colors were bright, but the lines which separated them seemed to meld together as if Jayce was standing within an oil painting left to sit in the sun too long.
         A figure, it seemed, dressed in black rolled along the melting hills, growing larger as it neared Jayce.  Frozen in place, he watched as the black figure reached the base of the hill on which he stood.  Looking quickly over his shoulder, Jayce could make out the outlines of small houses, grey smoke rising from brown chimneys.