This is Chapter One of my fantasty story. It is an edited version from the City of Eagles story that was previously put on here so please read and tell me your thoughts...
THE CITY OF EAGLES
Rowan furiously marched through the growing swamps of Galaswan, questioning whether to turn back or continue on his quest. Murky waters splashed his knees as he shuffled his feet forward, deeper into the swamp. He peered from side to side, watching the dreary waters for signs of movement.
Flashbacks struck him, putting him under a cold sweat as he tried to blank them, knowing they were filled with horrors. He could hear the sounds of grown men screaming in terror and picture the women and children running for their lives but they soon left, leaving him in silence.
A crow suddenly shrieked from its perch on a nearby branch, only an arms distance from where he stood. It watched his every move with its piercing black eyes. He shot round as a branch snapped behind him but by the time he had looked back, the peculiar bird had gone.
Out of nowhere came a whisper in the wind.
“You look lost” it said in a soft voice. Rowan's heart skipped a beat as he threw himself round to see who was there but as before, he remained alone. He chose to ignore it and assumed it was a voice in his head then continued marching through the murky waters. Once again the voice spoke, “you look lost”. The voice had moved. Rowan paused in his tracks.
“Who are you?” he shouted, breaking the silence as his voice echoed through the trees. There was no answer. The crescent moon was hidden behind a thin cloud. Its silvery glow outlined the cloud but its absence left the swamp in a chilling darkness. The sound of a hundred bats flapping their wings darted over the trees as they scowled through the forest, hunting their prey.
The crow that had shrieked just moments before flew down and landed on another branch, beginning to clean its wings and not seeming to be at all frightened. It had the darkest feathers that were placed perfectly across its wings and although its beak was a dark shade of grey, it seemed to shine in the moonlight as though it were glowing. Rowan stood for a minute, scrunching his eyes in confusion. The crow looked back with its marble eyes, tilted its head and laughed mockingly. He was bewildered by the sight of this unusual crow laughing at him. the bird’s eyes glazed over and a mist came over the marshland that surrounded him in a cloud of mist.
“Do you need a guide?” sounded the voice once again. This was beginning to irritate him, yet in a strange way made him more curious at every silence that passed.
“Where are you?” asked Rowan in a calm questioning tone as he tried to keep still, not wanting to scare off the mysterious crow which still hadn’t moved from the rotted branch.
“The real question, is where are you?” the voice replied. His eyes focused on the crow as he now stared at it feeling extremely self concious of his whereabouts. Suddenly a man stepped out from the mist that surrounded him. Feeling shocked and frightened, Rowan took a step backwards and paused.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you” said the stranger. “The names Felton” he paused “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s a young man like yourself doing in the middle of a lifeless swamp such as this?”
Felton was a man of tall stature not older than his fifties. Under his torn cloak, he wore a tattered dark green waste coat and underneath was a shirt that was either stained green or naturally light green in colour. The shirt had both sleeves rolled up to just above his bony elbows and was tucked into a filthy pair of trousers that were rolled up to above his knees where the water rippled.
Felton repeated himself as Rowan stumbled over a tree root hidden under the water, “I d-don’t know” he stuttered. “I think I’m lost.” The crow took into the air and landed perched on Felton’s shoulder.
“You think you’re lost? Sorry, I don’t quite understand.” Felton looked on in confusion. Rowan had been walking in circles for so long he had began to feel lost and confused as he looked around, noticing that everything looked the same.
“I don’t know where I am.” answered Rowan.
“Well you’re headed the wrong way for a start, the city’s a good few miles that way” replied Felton as he pointed in the opposite direction and smiled, stroking the crow. Felton looked away, briefly looked back and then began walking further into the swamp.
“Well come on then” insisted Felton, turning his head ever so slightly.
All of a sudden he abruptly raised his arm and stopped, “shhh” he hissed. Rowan automatically began to glance around.
“What? What’s wrong?” he asked in a brief whisper.
“They’re coming!” cried Felton as a distant hum appeared to grow louder. Felton pressed himself against the trunk of the nearest tree as Rowan followed by example, pressing himself hard into the foundations of a similar tree as they looked into the sky. As the humming grew louder, he noticed some dots on the horizon that soon developed into four black dragons flying overhead.
Rowan had seen these dragons before, but only in his dreams.
“The four servants of Kane” whispered Felton as his eyes stayed fixed on the dragons. “One for each keystone that’s yet to be found.” It was little under a minute before the dragons disappeared out of sight as the two quivering men peeled themselves from the trees they were pinned to.
Felton tightened his grip over his cloak as the first drop of rain hit the trees before breaking into a light shower that bounced gently of the flooded swamp.
“What keystones?” asked Rowan, curiously following his new friends every word.
“Their more of a myth actually” looking rather surprised that Rowan hadn't heard of them already. The dragons soon disappeared leaving a path of grey smoke leading into the horizon.
The swamp grew darker introducing a whole new ambience as the animals of the night started their hunt. An orchestra of insects reunited as they played their music in harmony with the swamp as the bullfrog took the stage.
It must have been at least an hour since the four dragons were spotted yet Felton still appeared nervous as he repeatedly scanned the skies. Rowan had questioned Felton repeatedly on the keystones, never getting any further yet growing more and more curios each time he asked. Wondering why Felton refused to talk about the keystones, he began to think if walking in silence would easier.
Suddenly Rowan spotted a tower through a gap in the trees. Its pointed tip pierced the clouds as it disappeared behind the top of a gigantic wall that stood in the darkness as the trees hid any kind of detail it may possess. As the two men got closer, Felton paused releasing a sigh of a relief.
“Were here!” Still whispering but in an excited tone.
Some detail on the wall became visible as a large emblem glowed in their presence. It grew brighter at every step they took, almost as though it sensed them approaching. Eventually the light had grown so bright it had revealed a large marble doorway that showed no way of entry. The emblem had writing surrounding it, carved in great detail. It read ‘Outsiders to undergo trial before right of entry.’
