By JKolasch
It was snowing. Those nice big, fluffy snowflakes that make the world suddenly seem so peaceful. Xanthiilus was walking in a park, the fresh snow crunching softly under his boots. He glanced around, his silver eyes taking in as many details as they could. He was almost completely alone. There was a jogger ahead of him, and a couple sitting on a bench farther along. It was a fairly open park, with trees spread sparsely around the walkway. The playground was quiet, and had collected a fair amount of snow. Even though he was in love with a dryad and had lived for thousands of years, nature never ceased to amaze Xan. It had just started snowing a few hours ago, and already there was a good five inches on the ground. He stopped in the middle of the path, and listened to the silence. He reached into his cloak, and grabbed his pack of cigarettes. He smiled, looking into it. He had picked up a fresh pack on his way to the park. He pulled one out and put it in his mouth while he searched his cloak for a lighter. A frown crossed his face. He couldn’t find his lighter. With a sigh, he glanced around the park. The jogger was far gone now, and the couple looked like they best not be interrupted.
“Wish I had a light.” Xan reached for the unlit cigarette, just as the tip burst into flame. He barely had time to react. In one fluid movement, he drew his sword and dove off the path, feeling the heat from the blazing fireball as it roared past. He looked up just in time to see a tree explode into flame.
Continue reading “Rise, Rise – Chapter Five”