Shadow Hunt: Prologue and Chapter One

Tim Jackson walked down a street, trying to find a renegade Sorcerer he had been finding for days. He was a Shadow Knight, a warrior of justice, but he works in the shadows. They were invented in Kaldaris, a feudal land of samurai. His Katana of mage-slaying was tied to his belt tight. he found the five-story building in downtown Dalmaria, capitol of what would be the Kal'Irun version of the US. there was a seemingly homeless person sitting at the door. he knew it was a magic-user of some sort. He thrust Mana-Eater (the katana) into the person. the sword glowed as it ate away the magic. "Necromancy magic, my lord." said Mana-Eater. "Good, one less necromancer to exist." replied Tim. he placed his hand on the door, commanding the shadows beyond to tell him what was inside. However, the shadows were weak, from light. Too much light. The shadows were not thick enough for him to commence a shadow jaunt, which should make the shadows on his side of the door hurl him into the room. He kicked open the door. A Necromancer was waiting, Tim blocked a shadow bolt with his katana. a SHADOW bolt, he sued the shadow bolt's own energy to hurl him to the necromancer. he decapitated the necromancer. Tim walked up some stairs. no shadows. there was the sorcerer he was looking for. he threw his katana at the sorcerer. but the sorcerer had a shield on. mana-eater returned to Tim. Tim rolled under a death ray, and kicked the sorcerer, interrupting a death ray the would have killed him. he stabbed the sorcerer, only an apprentice. Sad. Tim noticed a book titled Necrominicon. Tim's eyes widened. Obviously the Sorcerer was trying to unlock the book.... if he had unlocked the book, then the entire city would be doomed beyond measure. "Looks like this was no ordinary sorcerer, master, we helped the city and the Shadow Knights more than anyone else would have dared if the book had been opened, all Shadow Knights would have to be called." pointed out Mana-Eater. "I understand, this could be a staging of a greater threat."

Chapter One:

The Shadow Knight's building's first floor was fake, some stairs would lead up to the second floor, but intruders would find the stairs have been blown out. The Shadow Knights kept the stairs dark, so some Knights could jaunt up the stairs. Whereas the first floor looks like a place where the city condemned the structure, removed all interior walls and furnishings, and left it to rot, the second, third and fourth floors are a different story. They looked like a five-star resort, with carpets, sofas, a high-def TV, wonderful cell-phone service, internet, ect. No one knows what goes on, because the Shadow Knights boarded up the windows to prevent anyone from entering the place. Tim was only on the first floor. Tim walked through damp place, and saw the black graffiti on the wall shaped like cryptic runes. That was the mark of the Shadow Knights. Tim saw a homeless person sitting by the rusted metal door to the stairway. "Shadows creep, making brave men weep, we feed on fear, ever near to our prey." recited Tim. "You may pass." said the man. Tim opened the door. He stepped into the shadows on the wall and on to the other side of the stairs. He walked up the stairs., and through the mildew and rust-covered door and into a room that was like a palace, carpets, antiques on tables, and swords, axes, shields, spears, bows, daggers, and all sorts of armaments decorating the wall. Tim was not here to exhibit at the amazing array of all sorts of things. Tim walked up more stairs, and into a room filled with pictures of the founding members of the Shadow Knights. Tim saw no Shadow Knight's yet. where are the rest? he opened a walk-in closet. there was a dead shadow knight, surrounded by dozens of dead Darkmen. Tim kicked one of the dead bodies closest to the dead Shadow Knight. there was a slash going from the creature's collarbone towards the belly, the cut was deep enough to hit two of the creature's hearts, and the shadow core. but the cut pivoted and went across the body in an irregular line, getting less deep farther along, which meant the dead Shadow Knight went too deep interrupted the cut, and tried to hit something else. "Perhaps we should check the dead body." advised mana-eater. "Good plan" replied Tim. Tim checked the corpse. there was a superficial cut on the side, below the shoulder, not enough to kill, but enough to hurt. That must have been when the Knight pivoted and tried to hit the thing that attacked him, but a Darkman stabbed him in the side of the belly, striking a mortal wound, there was also a shallow cut across the back, and a hole in the back as well where he was stabbed. Tim investigated near the dead Knight, and found blood of the deepest black. A Dread Shadow had attacked the Shadow Knight's Stronghold!

Tim ran out of the closet, then it hit him, why was the sentry still alive? Tim heard footsteps behind him. Tim spun around. A Darkman. Tim drew Mana-Eater. The darkman's hands transformed into jagged, curved blades. The Darkman charged Tim. Tim blocked the first two attacks, and thrust mana-eater at the creature. the Darkman parried the thrust. Tim ducked, and slashed at the legs. The Darkmen, fell to the ground. Tim stood up, and preformed a Coup De Grace against the horror. "So that's why the sentry was alive." said mana-eater. "He's not alive anymore." Replied Tim.

Tim walked up to the third floor. There was definite signs of a fight. Dead Shadow Knights and dead Darkmen. Tables were upturned, There was a dead Shadow Knight near a table, a smashed up lamp on him, and a the phone on the wall was hanging down, like the Knight had tried to call someone. Tim saw a walk-in closet broken open. He walked in. Here were signs of a siege, a bed was pushed up against the door. Tim stepped over the bed, and into the room, there were some dead Shadow Knights, and a few dead Darkmen. After quickly checking the dead bodies. mane-eater said: "They were obviously overwhelmed."

Tim went to the fourth floor, which did not serve as a dorm, or a lounge, this was the mission control room, where missions were assigned. Tim took the mission detail card, and swiped it on the "mission complete" scanner. There was a table, with a map of town. Black tacks were punched into the map, representing buildings where the Shadow Knights had outposts, red Tacks for training structures, yellow for safe houses, grey for where allies were, white for where enemies were, and grey for HQ, where Tim was. Tim found a mission dispensing machine, which printed cards that resembled credit cards, but on the back were the mission details. Tim pulled the latest mission card, and checked the back, the details were:

Mission: Surrender to the Dread Shadows

Details: Complete Surrender is required, and all Shadow Knights will become slaves to the Dread Shadows.

Location: Shadow Knights HQ.

Recommended Agent: All the Shadow Knights, especially the Grandmaster.

The Grandmaster! Tim hurried to the room where the Grandmaster had his office, The door was locked, perhaps the Grandmaster was still alive after all. Tim took mana-eater so he could thrust it through the door. "No, I don't like being shoved through non-magical objects, I especially hate doors lined with gold!" "Sorry, eater." replied Tim, the door was lined with gold leaf, which was close enough to gold for magical things. For some reason, sentient magic items hated gold. Tim thrust mana-eater through the door, all the while mana-eater was gibbering. It was hard, but mana-eater finally made it through the door. Tim kicked open the door. and there was no one in there. Just to be sure, Tim made a Shadow Clone Walk in. A rapier Came from around the corner at the Shadow Clone. The sword hit the shadow clone, and it evaporated. A man jumped the corner. "Tim!" "It's you!" Tim Jackson bowed. "Yes master."

Who enticed the Dread Shadows to attack the Shadow Knights headquarters? Why did the apprentice sorcerer go renegade? How did he come across the Necrominicon?