2nd of Obritnaum, 1253 of the First Age.
“Eadwald, go fetch your brother!” His mother’s voice reverberated through the spacious homestead their family were gifted with after the retirement of his great-grandfather.
“Yes mother!” He replied while separating his palms from the lock as he prayed to the little shrine of the previous Emperor, Julianis. A draevhen with sharp features, a long, but neatly trimmed beard that scraped way down to the stacked rock it stood on. Hair similarly long, tangled into an impossible high knot. Eyes elongated, crafted with a sharp gaze carved carefully into the obsidian.
Eadwald’s golden eyes returned the stare before he wiped off the dirt covering his soft, fair complexion. He grabbed a pair of slim, short ropes, using them to tie his ruffled dark mane to the back before he left his room. Walking towards the door leading outside, the cold of early season of remembrance and journey hit him. He reached out towards the right where the furred coats hanged slightly above his head. Slowly tucked himself into it, then finally stepped through the boundaries of their home.
“He and Azugh’s group went towards the forest.” As his feet buried deep into the thick layer of mud and snow, a gently soft voice informed him from the right. There on a weak wooden bench sat her little sister, Amiriniel. While he showed signs of his aevhen blood, an ear with a slightly sharper tip, sharp cheeks, his sister enjoyed the full benefits of her own aevhen heritage.
A triangular face blessed with perfect proportions, straight small nose, symmetrical lips already possessing an ethereal luster and high, sharp cheekbones. Perfectly smooth, fair skin, soft almond shaped azure eyes. Long ever-moist like hair cascading down to her frail shoulders in perfect straightness, with a deep raven black hue.
“Great. Won’t you help?” He asked while his mana flowed into his palms. Inscriptions formed in his arkhaine point – a very rudimentary one – that spread a gentle heat into his hands as the two cuddled each other in the cold.
“I fetched him yesterday. Now it is your turn.” She said while her gaze remained focused on the old book.
“Please Ami. I will fetch some new books next time the caravan comes.” He sat beside her then gently poked her sides with his elbow.
“You are old enough brother to not be afraid of that forest anymore.” Her words landed like sharp, cold daggers that dug into his body. “But fine. Also I expect more than the books in payment.” She added while closing the book filled with arkhaine runes.
The Vesgeriath Woodland spreads for hundreds if not thousands of kilometers not far from the southern range of Mount Dhaugruz. The nekrotic energies seeping from the mountain downwards like a river tainted the forest ever since the last great battle against the Host of Dusk seven hundred years ago.
Many of the local fauna had been mutated into deathly monstrosities, the dead rise up as revenants hungering for the vitae and flesh of the living, and even Umvraoths found their way into this world from the Shadows of the World Tree.
Autharsovath in the same way to other villages in the region has originally started out as a fortress to serve as a first line of defense against the remnants of the Grimm Monarchs’ host prowling the North.
But the building of the fortress was impeded by the constant raids from the remnants, the wandering revenants and as time passed the Host of the Dusk that migrated through the myriad and vast tunnels of the mountains. So in the end, only the walls reached full completion, while instead of a fort, smaller huts and homesteads had been built by the settlers, who were the brave legionaries and their families.
“Why does he always venture into that forest. We should really tell mother and father about this.” Eadwald said while keeping his voice low as they passed by the other villagers and the patrolling guards. Each guard wore the shiny armor their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers wore centuries ago.
“The same reason we all did. The boundaries of the village get boring rather fast.” Amiriniel stated coldly while her eyes focused on the road ahead.
A simple haellonic style cuirass with a metallic pristine white surface that blended in with the snow blanketed surroundings beyond the village. The contours followed a faint outline of a muscled abdomen while at the center of the chest, a roaring dragon head gazed into the distance.
On the head, an open face aurinthian helmet sat, shoulders hidden under large segmented plates that only reached the elbow, the forearm protected by a simple vambrace on each, the legs wrapped in tight clothing of red hues clad in hoplitir overlapping greaves. And each of them had their round, large aspil shield engraved with the crest of the empire, an ouroboros bathed in the light of the red sun.
The two changed their direction and walked into small, barely alley area’s between two homestead nearest to the wall as the two members of the village watch passed by them. Eadwald looked back one last time to the back of the two as they slowly descended down the stairs the two of them came from.
“You know, that wasn’t necessary.” Eadwald said as he followed after his little sister. Unaware yet on her intentions to get them out from the village’s high walls.
“Sorry.” She apologized to Old Muriel who was sitting in her small garden. Amiriniel started running gracefully towards the north-eastern section of the wall, jumping from fence to fence. For a few moments he watched her baffled then quickly started picking up the pace and slowed down when he passed her as she struggled a little with leaping over fences.
While the sun was still in its state of bathing the world in warm light, the hour of dusk was approaching quickly. Usually the gates closed an hour before the darkness blanketed the land, meaning that the enchantments woven into the walls activated, not letting a soul in or out.
“You can’t be serious right? We should at least tell uncle Gna.” Eadwald said as he swiftly regained his breath amidst panting. Cold sweat flowed down his spine under his thick kyrtill.
“Shh. If we can fetch Sigi before they notice, I think that is a better outcome. Or do you want to condone him to decades of being trapped behind these walls?” She shushed him while her eyes closed, and she took deep breaths to calm her body.
For a moment the cruel cold assaulted her senses, then like a spark lit up, a warmness filled not just her body but her soul too as she took control over the flow of her mana. The bluish grey stones stacked, kept tightly together by mud that appears to be completely frozen, turned completely transparent.
Eadwald watched proudly as his little sister made the wall transparent and walk through able for the two of them before he became anxious. His legs frozen in place and at the silent nagging of Amiriniel, he walked out of the protection of the village. While the two were far from them and blended into the snowy surroundings – Amiriniel knew it was only a matter of minutes before the guards at the gates notice the two.
“Let’s hurry before they notice us.” The two started sprinting down the hill towards the small river separating the dreadful forest.
“When did you learnt that?” Eadwald asked as he collapsed behind the large stone to evade the guard’s gaze as they noticed the two for a mere moment in the edge of their vision.
“Just a few hours ago.” She said between two deep breaths as she leant onto the harsh, snow and ice covered surface of the rock.
“I would give you my congratulating pat, but I’m about to be snuffed out by the Taker of Breaths.” Eadwald said with a cheeky smile while his chest puffed out as he took deep breaths to calm his pounding heart from bursting out.
“This once I’m glad you reached your limit brother.” Amiriniel said between breaths while also trying to look over the stone, her frail small hands grasping the top edges of the stone. “I think we’re good.” She added after noticing the guards once again indulging in some banter.
“Ready?” As the two slowly regained their strength, Amiriniel looked over their hiding spot once more. Then they looked at each other and Eadwald nodded before they rushed down to the banks. It was mostly a collection of wet, partly frozen rocks slightly above the flowing water, covered in snow here and there.
Their destination, a large tree fallen over acting as a natural bridge between the two sides. First Amiriniel jumped onto it and charged to the other side maintaining her balance. Behind her Eadwald’s pace slowed considerably as they got closer and closer to the forest. On the other side, she continued on while Eadwald froze down for moments felt like an eternity for him.
It was as if an icy hand gripped his heart when dread settled in completely. Memories flowed into his mind, while from the edge of his vision, he saw the same slender figure draped in torn clothes, disheveled dark hair and a torn face. A disjointed maw and gaping mouth forever moaning, crackling like the old doors at home. Eyes wide open, with only empty whiteness in them.
With slow steps, the figure got closer, his head twitched as his morbid curiosity, and fear wrestled. Part of him wanted to face the source of his dread, to finally win and to avenge them. Yet he could not and in his shame, his golden eyes started tearing up as tremors shook his arms and legs.
He closed his eyes, hoping for the embrace of the dark to save him from this reality, but instead he was greeted by flashes of his friends, their faces filled with the dread of that day. The image of his once best friend – Rhima being torn to pieces amidst the slow moans filled with a grudge aimed at the living. His soft pale face stared at Eadwald with justified anger as he became a slave of it.
“Eadwald, come we have to hurry before anyone notice us.” Just as he felt the stench of putridness assaulting his nostrils once again, Amiriniel’s voice brought him out as she grabbed his shoulders.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry. I can’t do it. I can’t enter.” He said frantically. Tears flowed from his eyes, snot converged over his lips.
Amiriniel looked at him and pondered for a while. “Stay here. Count to fifteen like dad though and call for aid if I don’t return by then.” She said with a reassuring smile.
Eadwald took a deep breath while staring at the dark trees looming over them, their hollow branches spread out, reaching like skeletal hands.
“A dragon knight faces all the horrors of life with a brace smile.” Eadwald took a deep breath, once again closing his eyes, this time only empty darkness greeted him as he spoke and forced his legs to move forward.
