The last rays of the sun fought their way through atmosphere and clouds, alighting on a few of the elegant buildings of Mersam Navem, drenching them in red, and leaving the rest to be swallowed up by the shadows. The citizens of the wealthy city began to make their way home, exhausted from a full day's worth of work, and a half day's worth of pay. Boats pulled into the harbor for the night. Among them, was a boat with unique, red, triangular sails, that could be seen from the higest room in the King's castle.
Isabella put down her quill. Picking up the wax and emblem, she sealed the two enchanted letters together, one within the other. Then, elegantly stringing her bow, she knocked the black-feathered, onyx-tipped arrows, used only by the shadow demons that lived in the southern marshes. Pulling it back, Isabella aimed, and let it fly. Not checking to see the arrow hit her mark, Isabella turned to look out of her crimson sunlit room at the quickly growing shadows. Soon, the entire city would be consumed. It was almost time.
Recalling the spell she had worked on for months, she began to string together the arcane words, agily forming symbols with her hands. A few minutes later, the casting began to take its toll. She breathed deeply, and for a moment she wished she could speed up her training. But, only for a moment. With the trap in place, time was of the essence.
Sweeping over to the window, Isabella placed her cloak over her shoulders, pulling the hood over her head, concealing her face, and leaped over the window sill. With a twist mid-air, she grasped silently to the vines that inhabited her wall.
