Nothing moved in the silence of the night. The abundant trees shifted uneasily in the dry August wind. In a nearby pond small fish gazed calmly at the strange land above the wavering boundary of their world.
Beneath of the the trees lay a huddled form, curled up like a small child in a crib. Upon one of the delicate hands of the figure was an ornate ring that glowed faintly, like the last flickering from a pile of dying embers. The swirling opal stone and intricate, runic design on the ring were the same as the ones on the amulet lying on the figure's chest, which rose and fell deeply and evenly. The sleeping figure was a girl, her long amber hair lay gracefully about her shoulders. Her face held a calm, placid look that enhanced the beauty of her delicate features.
Suddenly, it's form shimmering like a mist, a stooped figure appeared about two yards behind the tree under which the girl rested. All that could be see in the darkness was a large, bulky silhouette and two glowing pinpoints of light that pierced the darkness where the eyes should have been. The forest around it seemed to cringe away imperceptibly.
Almost at the same instant the creature appeared, the ring on the girl's hand flared up in warning. The young woman stirred, awaked by the effects of the ring. The creature could sense that she was regaining consciousness and began shifting through the night-mist toward her. She groggily sat up and immediately touched her ring to her amulet.
Suddenly, light burst from the connection and enveloped the girl in an aura of tingly light. The dark servant paused, considering this new development, then continued to approach her. The girl rose silently and turned toward the source of the ring's warning. It eyed her viciously, as a trained dog would a cornered fox. The girl's face showed obvious worry beneath the effervescent glow. Long, muscular arms separated themselves from the rest of the shadowy body, ending in sharp, wicked, raven-like claws.
The young woman made a swirling motion with her hands, and a wave of light flew from her aura and slammed into the dark demon like an ocean breaker. The creature merely flinched slightly at the ineffectual blow, then attacked. Twin bolts of neon-like flame shot forth from its blazing eyes. The flame burst all around the girl, throwing her unmercifully to the ground. Her protective light winked out.
The demon pounced on her the instant it saw her fall. Its movements were quick and sure, like a black whirlwind. She instantly rolled away from the imminent danger and then sprang to her feet, her hair whirling smoothly in the motion. She made another complex series of gestures with her hands, then completed the spell by extending her fingers toward the black thing. Strange, fluid lightening erupted from her fingertips and engulfed the demon in a fantastic shower of light.
A few seconds later the glow faded away and uncovered the demon once more. It laughed piercingly, flashing its long white teeth.
"Gods preserve me! Does even my strongest spell prove ineffectual to that thing?" she thought, her mouth agape with wonder. The creature made its own series of complex motions with its claws, then disappeared, as if the darkness around it had devoured one of its own.
The girl spun about, searching for the unseen demon. Suddenly, without a sound, it appeared directly behind her. Before she could even move, it wrapped one arm about her waist, pinning her arms to her sides and clamped the other claw over her small mouth. She struggled furiously, but it was as if she had been wrapped in immovable stone. The black demon laughed again as they both disappeared.