Opening

The sun crept over the horizon. Gentle sunlight bathed the homes and buildings of the city. The early birds of the city began to leave their homes for their jobs and other morning activities. Shopkeepers opened their stalls on the market streets readying for morning sales of food and goods.

The crowds in the streets thickened gradually as the citizens wound their ways from home, to the market streets, and to their jobs. Along the city walls, the night watch awaited their relief from guard duty. The Shift Commanders performed the changing ceremony and night watch slogged off to their homes for much needed rest.

The day watch was in the process of taking their positions when a watchmen spotted something on the distance.

"What's that?" The Watchman yelled.

The Daywatch Commander pulled a spyglass from her waist and put it to her eye. The color drained from her face as she lowered the spyglass.

"DRAGON INCOMING! SOUND THE ALARM!" She bellowed.

Watchmen scattered across the wall, one reached the gate section and slammed his palm onto a button outside the gate house. All along the wall, alarms began to blare. The citizens collectively froze in place.

"Attention citizens, a dragon has been spotted east of the city. All citizens are advised to seek shelter immediately." The Watch Commander said over the speaker system.

A young man bolted upright in his bed. The alarms wrested him from a very nice dream.

"What the fleck is going on?" He wondered aloud.

"I REPEAT, A DRAGON IS APPROACHING IS CITY." The Daywatch Commander repeated.

"FLECK!" The young man shouted as he flung his covers off.

He hit the floor running. He grabbed his Apprentice robes off the floor and hastily donned them. He burst out of the door of his small house and looked to the sky. He swept his vision across the city walls until he saw the dragon, drawing ever closer.

The Barrier Team, a group of twenty wizards, took their places along the walls.

"Where is Sorgen?" A wizard called out.

"Probably still sleeping." Another replied.

"We can't wait any longer, BEGIN!" The Wizard shouted.

The wizards wove their hands in the air, conjuring mystical symbols. In one swift motion, the wizards clapped and slammed their palms to the ground. A shimmering blue barrier popped into existence, forming a dome over the city.

Old man Cullers just sat in his chair and flipped on his TV. Within seconds, the TV began to spark and the screen blew.

"FLECK! THOSE DAMN WIZARDS AT IT AGAIN!" He shouted.

Old man Cullers door burst open and he stumbled onto his stoop.

"YOU FLECKING WIZARDS KILLED MY TV AGAIN!" He shouted to the sky.

Several houses over a couple were eating breakfast.

"What was that?" The woman asked.

"Old man Cullers TV went out again, we must be under attack."

The woman looked up.

"Then shouldn't you be out there?"

"The Barrier Wizards are deployed, I have time."

"Fergus, get the fleck out there and man the ballistas! What kind of ballistara are you?"

Fergus sighed and tossed his napkin on the table.