The Prologue

The small girl wept as she ran. Her heart pounded so hard she was sure that it heard her. This fear only caused her to run faster. Gore dripped down from the dead trees that surrounded her. Remnants of the creature's last meals. Remnants of her family and friends. A reminder of what awaited her if she stopped running.

She could hear it running behind her. Dangerous as it was, the beast wasn't very quiet. It was sure to catch up any second now.

Her legs gave out. She let out a scream, one she assumed would be the last sound she would ever make. And then everything went silent. She opened her eyes, thinking herself dead. But... she wasn't. A dome had formed around her. The beast clawed at it, not leaving as much as a scratch.

"Hello, young one." A deep yet soft voice spoke from behind her. "You must be Riley."

She quickly turned to face the figure. She stared in awe at the legend who stood there. The Guardian. An eight foot tall man with two sets of horns and the tail of a devil. He had long black hair brought neatly into a braid. Four bright red eyes gazed sympathetically at the small girl. The legends say he was a demon that clawed his way up from hell just to prove the Gods wrong. He collected lost souls and guided them to the light. Riley could not say anything in the face of such greatness. She could only stare with wide eyes.

The angel scooped her up, cradling her as though she were a baby again. "You no longer need to worry, child. You are safe once more."