Double's writing thread.

So, I never really had one of these before because I usually stick to writing poetry. However, I have decided it might be fun to try to post stuff here and (Hopefully) improve my writing abilities.
Also, I always appreciate constructive criticism, so if you have a some , feel free to post it.

So then, the first thing I want to post is the first part of a story I started writing. It's pretty short, but I've been thinking of the world it takes place in for a while before starting the story itself, and it's become quite detailed (One of my favorite parts of writing is thinking of settings). Anyways, here it is.

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By this time tomorrow, Wintergreen palace will not exist. A dark smile crossed the mouth of the shadowy figure looking upon the palace. He had been waiting long enough, now was finally the time to strike. He made a sinister inhuman noise, like a hiss or a whisper. Within moments a group of ten or fifteen more shadow creatures gathered around him. The full moon was covered by a cloud, leaving them all in complete darkness. Perfect, all was going as planned. He pointed at the palace, and uttered another whisper. His forces understood and moved impossibly quickly and silently towards the palace. Then the flames appeared.

The palace, large and extravagant as it was, caught fire. Blue flames began to spread in front of the palace. The blaze, slow at first, began to spread to the palace itself, and was spreading quickly. watchmen began pouring out of the building, no doubt looking to find the source of the flames. They thought they could stand up to his force? Pathetic really. He raised a hand, enveloped in the same blue flame that threatened to devour the palace, and aimed. The ball of fire shot through the air faster and smoother than any arrow, and devoured a guard. He screamed a moment, then dropped. All that remained was a pile of ash.

More men began to pour out the palace doors, this time professionally trained soldiers rather than lowly night watchmen. The shadowy figure whispered again, and then all hell broke loose. Flames flew left and right, as the soldiers tried to fight back. But how can you fight what you don’t know? Flames flew and explosions began in the soldiers lines as well. At this point, the palace was mostly up in flames, and anyone still there trapped. Bedlam continued as more soldiers rushed to the palace from the nearby city of Wintergreen. As much as he’d like to stay and prey on the weak soldiers, The shadow had to go. They had accomplished their goals, and now it was time to go. A final hiss came from within the creature, and the shadows withdrew, as fast and silently as they came.

The roofs of the upper tower began to fall in on the palace. Once a symbol of prestige and power for the kingdom, the palace now burned, and the royal family with it. The soldiers, in a last separate effort, gathered water in an attempt to put out the flames. The flames however did nothing, if anything even becoming stronger with the water. And it would devour everything in its path.

Like I said, it's really short. I'll definitely add to it in the near future, but for now here's a sort of sample of my writing.

Also, I just did this in an hour, so I didn't exactly put a ton of work into it. This part will get better and longer in the next couple weeks.