Prologue: Araknar

    A cold breeze stole through the cave, whistling through the rocks and almost blowing out Hyra’s candle. She nearly dropped it in surprise. The tall raven-haired woman straightened up in a dignified manner and carried on her way, walking the twisting path that goes deeper and deeper into the cave.
    A few hours later, her candle was wearing down and she replaced it with another one from the seemingly endless amount of pockets in her cloak.
    The cave appeared to go on for forever. She lifted her candle high above her so that she could see more of it, but the path disappeared down, skirting around fallen rocks that had been sitting still for centuries following the creation of the cave. She could see the line that fingers had traced thousands of years ago on the rocks, where the build-up of minerals suddenly stopped and the water rolled off the surface as though it was oil. She checked her gloves again, making sure there were no holes. This way it would be as though she was never here, and she wouldn’t have to worry about grabbing onto the formations to keep her balance.
    As she went deeper it became harder and harder to breathe, and she knew that if she didn’t find her prize soon, she would be deeper than the magic could reach to save her.
    But there was a glitter up ahead, and as Hyra approached it, she knew it for what it was. The ring, the ring she had been searching for!
She jumped in excitement and narrowly avoided hitting her head on a large spike jutting out from the ceiling.
    She carefully made her way to the stone it was placed upon and lifted it up triumphantly.
  “It’s mine!” she screamed to the wind, eyes blazing excitedly. “And now it can never fall into the hands of that stupid wizard Calion. The ring of Araknar shall forever be mine own.”
    She spun on her heel, dark cloak swishing around her dramatically, and began the long climb out of the cave, the ring safely hidden in her sock-pocket.

Meanwhile, across the desert sea, a grey-eyed wizard awoke from a troubled sleep.