Tanari fastened his saddle to his horse, preparing for the dangerous ride. As the merchant slipped one rope into another, he prayed for the safety of his caravan.
"We finished loading the potions, sir!" one of his workers rushed forward to notify him. The merchant nodded and sighed, then looked ahead toward the great darkness.
"I miss those days of safety," muttered the merchant, and it seems his words were overheard by their lord who was accompanying them, who happened to be walking over.
"There is no path but forward, dear friend," smiled the young woman who had twin tails. "Those who fail to adapt to the world will be eaten by its darkness."
"I know, young miss," sighed Tanari as he bowed. "I only regret not knowing that this darkness will cut all trade routes. We would have made a tremendous profit in these times if we stored for what was to come."
This is where the story truly begins. I wish that I could have reached this point earlier, but I didn't want to rush things. I wanted Nikolai to work for his powers and for his existence to make a real impact on the world. I could have started with this, but I am happy with what I wrote so far. I hope you are having fun too, dear reader.