"The Second DarkWar" by Michael Tresca

Two men were situated on opposing stools in a dimly lit room. Both were dressed in fine garb, with silk shirts and leather pants. They were hunched over a table, a list of figures drawn out before them.

The smaller of the two, raven-haired with blue eyes, spoke first. "Trouble's coming."

The taller, stockier, dusty-haired man leaned back against his chair and laughed. "Trouble is nothing when you've got money, Jaric. Money is the key to eliminating ALL your trouble." He gestured to their general surroundings. "For instance, this room: it's a mess. Why don't you hire someone to--"

"I do!" his comrade snapped. "Kevlin, don't blame me for your slovenly surroundings just because you're too damn lazy to do anything yourself! You don't like it? YOU clean it." He pounded the table with his fist. "The servants can only do so much."

Kelvin laughed a hearty laugh. "Since when does Lord Jaric defend his servants?" He leaned forward. "My friend, you are getting soft. Do you remember the good old days?" He looked out the window slit.

Jaric nodded, his dark forelocks bouncing up and down. "Yes, I do. And there wasn't one good thing about them." He rose quickly, agitated. "But we're stuck in the present. Look at those numbers!" he pointed at the figures. "It's a plague, I tell you, a plague! We have displeased Athena."

Kelvin smirked, patting the scroll. "Plague indeed. What have we done to provoke our mighty patroness?"

Jarc sat down again, rubbing his forehead. "It's what we haven't done. I'm telling you, all hell is about to break lose, and it will open up on Athenor if we don't do something soon."

Just then the door burst open. A stout young man strode up to Jaric and bowed quickly, excited.

"M'lord, there are foreigners at the front gate."

Jaric raised an eyebrow. "Foreigners?"

"Yes, m'lord," the man breathed, "they're dressed in the oddest armor! Some of them aren't even human..."

That was all Jaric and Kelvin needed to hear. Kelvin jumped up from his seat and ordered the servant to fetch their armor and weapons. They would see precisely who these "foreigners" were.

Before Jaric could exit the chamber, the servant added. "They fell right out of the sky!"

Jaric and Kelvin exchanged worried looks as they ran down the hallway.