Chapter 1: A Visionary (Rough Draft)

         'Dear Journal,

         I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't help it! I've lived at the sanctuary for so long... I sometimes wonder what my life would've been like if I hadn't been sent here. What would it be like to go to school with normal people? To study other things other than philosophy and magic? But I guess I can only wonder. The world needs more healers, so I'm proud to accept my role. I just wish there was some way I could get the best of both worlds.'

Zach's mentor, Isaac, stepped into his room, "Zach, it's getting late. You should get to bed. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."
         Zach had been under Isaac's tutorship for about five years now. Zach was a young man of seventeen. His parents sent him to the sanctuary when he was ten for some reason that he did not understand. "It's for the best," his father told him. He discovered when he was twelve that he had the gift of a "healing hand," at least that's what Isaac had called it, when he touched his dead cat, Leo, and brought him back to life. He had beautiful light blonde, semi-long hair that came to about the middle of his ears, his bangs were at about brow length. His skin was a medium color; not too dark or light. He was slim, and had light icey blue eyes.
         "What am I suppose to be doing tomorrow anyway? Where are we going?" Zach asked.
         "Tomorrow you are to go to one of our old sanctuaries that we lived in before we re-located here. We left in a hurry and were forced to leave behind many valuable artifacts. You will be accompanying a troop of our knights to the sanctuary. It shouldn't be dangerous, but it never hurts to be prepared. Good night my son. Sleep well, it's a long trek up the mountain to the sanctuary. You'll need your rest," Isaac replied in his fatherly voice.
         Isaac was an older man, looking to be in his upper fifties, though Zach wasn't entirely sure of how old Isaac really was. He refused to tell him. Zach had asked him once before but he simply laughed in response. Isaac was rather tall, even taller than Zach, though not by much; perhaps an inch or two. He had brown hair and a beard, each with a gray hair here and there. His eyes were a hazel green and his eyebrows were somewhat bushy. He wore sandals on his feet. He wore an amulet around his neck that he kept hidden in his robe; Zach had never seen what the amulet actually looked like nor did he understand why Isaac kept it hidden.
         "Goodnight father. Pray for our safety in tomorrow's journey," Zach replied to Father Isaac as he left the room. He rolled over and blew out his candle and was left with only the light of the moon that was shining through his window.

         "Stop him! We can't let him leave here with the artifact!" Spoke a knight in silver armor. His comrades surrounded him on all sides; wither on the ground slain or injured, or on their feet fending off the horde of zombies pouring into the cathedral from all directions. Above in the balcony over looking the sanctuary stood a black shadowy figure; that before the knight could even see it, vanished into thin air.

         Zach awoke the next morning with a cold sweat. "What was that?" Zach said to himself, contemplating on last night's dream. He looked towards his window to see the sun just beginning to rise. He rose from his bed and walked to the window and looked out across the vast forest of evergreen trees that extended for miles from the sanctuary. "Whatever that was... it wasn't a normal dream." Zach thought. He wondered if perhaps he should talk to Isaac about the dream, perhaps he could interpret it. Was it a warning? A message from the Gods about the danger awaiting them at the sanctuary? Or was it merely his own fear of today's trip disturbing his rest? All these thought flowed through Zach's mind until his chain of thoughts was broken by the sound of his bedroom door opening.
         "Wakey wakey sleepy hea-- oh. You're already up."
         It was his best friend, Priscilla. She had arrived at the sanctuary a few days after he did. She was only about a year younger than he was.
         "Oh, uh, yeah. What are you doing here?"
         "Isaac sent me up to get you, breakfast is ready. He also said that you should begin packing for the trip right after you finish eating." She said as she walked to the window and stood on the opposite side to Zach. "Is something wrong?"
         "No, nothing's wrong. I just, umm, had a bad dream."
         "Oh OK. Sure you're alright?"
         "Yeah, I'll be down in a few minutes for breakfast. I'm starving!"
         "Me too! We're having blue berry oat meal!"
         "Sounds great!"
         Priscilla turned and left the room. She and Zach had been best friends ever since she arrived at the sanctuary. her most prominent feature was her bright red hair. She had green eyes and wore a pink priestess robe with a golden crest of the goddess of love, Amorantha, across the chest.
         Zach went to his closet and retrieved his rucksack and placed it on his bed. He filled it with the numerous necessities and other important items he would need for the trip; his journal, and extra set of clothes, some candles, some healing herbs. He then went downstairs and ate his breakfast. He decided against telling anyone about his dream. They weren't going to postpone this trip any longer and telling them about his dream would do nothing but frighten the knights.
         After breakfast he returned to his room and finished packing. Then proceeded to the front gates of the monastery where the knights were gathering and the high priest and priestess would pray over them and see them off.