I was told the rumors by the locals, but I figured they were just overreacting. A knight in the shadows, lurking in the woods and stealing when the moon rises. Surely, this has to be a joke, right?

“Oh please, Estora, I beg you to find this dark knight,” an elderly woman of the village begged. “We cannot be in constant fear.”

“I will see what I can find, but you know I can’t promise anything.”

The night was cool in the forest. Leaves rustled in the autumn winds as the moon’s soft glow peaked through to the ground. I was glad I had left my hair in a braid; its curls would’ve matted together or blown in my face from the wind. I kept my hand on my sword, but heard nothing aside from leaves, animals, and my own breathing.

Suddenly, I felt someone zip past me, so fast my body hit the ground with a thud. I rolled and unsheathed my sword, the sharp blade clashing against dark metal. I couldn’t make out a face in the darkness, but I could see two long, pointed ears, and hair falling in front of their face.

“Who do you think you are?” The woman snarled.

“And who do you think you are, scaring and stealing from the townspeople?”

She pushed her sword down harder. “I do what I must to live.”

“Sure.” I put all of my strength into my arms, pushing my sword up and knocking her back. 

As I stood, I saw a light come from her direction, and I stepped back when I noticed it was fire magicks. Not just any fire magicks, though. The flames gave off a purple glow, a ball of raging heat in the palm of her hands. It gave enough light that I could see her more clearly, but I was only left with more questions. Her eyes were a vibrant blue, and her hair looked like it had been dyed to match. Her skin was a light shade of purple, too light to be a dark elf, as her ears suggested, but there were no demon horns to signify she was a demon.

I stared, puzzled, long enough she noticed. 

“Whatcha starin’ at, huh?” The woman slowly took a step towards me, which I responded to by stepping back. She seemed aggravated, awaiting my response. 

“Well? Gonna answer me, little miss knight?”

“I’m not a knight.” My grip tightened around the handle of my sword, raising it in front of my body. My gaze never drifted from the flames. A fear had sprung up inside of me. If I made one wrong move, she could light me on fire in a split second. No, I’m not scared. I wasn’t trained to be scared of some fire.

I took a deep breath, my eyes meeting hers. “I don’t want to harm you, but I’m not afraid to if I must.”

“Hmm, a pacifistic warrior?” She straightened her posture. “Not gonna hurt me but gonna throw me in jail.”

“Maybe we could compromise? I’m sure petty theft isn’t a necessity.”

“It is when you get run out of every town you enter. Staying alive is kinda cool, y’know?” She wiggled her fingers, playing with the fire in her hand.

“How about this,” I placed my sword into its sheath and stepped towards her. “I could use an adventuring partner. You come with me, we’ll split earnings, and you’ll have no need to be sneaking around and stealing, hmm?”

“It is enticing.” She followed my lead, putting her sword away. “Got a name?”

“Estora, and you?”

“Rozarth.”

“Well then, Rozarth, I look forward to our adventures together.”