"The night was young and bright with stars." Anicla began her tale. "I was quietly enjoying the warmth of my chimney, until suddenly three sharp knocks came from outside. Curious on who would visit an old pariah at such late hour, I answered the door and was surprised to see my old friend Shaja standing at my door with a worried face and cradling a tiny baby in his arms."
Talj listened thoroughly, his hand reaching for the food before him and feeding him mindlessly. All his attention was drawn on his host.
"He said he had found you beneath a bridge in Saselia while he was attending important matters. He was startled by loud cries that tore through the quiet night. After investigating the source of the noise, he found you, still a few months old, forlorn in a wooden box, meticulously wrapped around sheets to keep you warm, as if whoever forsook you under that bridge still cared enough for you to give you comfort. Atop the covers laid a letter, from your mother or father… Maybe both."
"What did it say?" Talj asked.
"I'm sorry but I cannot recall its details." Anicla apologized. "Its main content was to inform about your full name, your birthday and that you were indeed the fruit of the wedding of a Jaleedian man and a Ramolian woman."
Anicla paused, catching her breath. Aklas stretched his hand and took one of Talj's eggs. The blacksmith didn't mind, he figured that he wouldn't be able to finish the plate all by herself and that his brother was probably hungry as well.
"What I can tell you, nevertheless, is that its content was brief." The old lady went on. "It merely stated that your parents could not take care of you without condemning you and themselves to a tormentful life."
Nyr flew over to Aklas's shoulder to face Anicla before asking her:
"I assume the torment refers to the rejection that he'd be subjected to from his parents' families, aye? Ramolians and Jaleedians wouldn't accept each other's blood in their respective descendance."
"That was one of our assumptions." Anicla replied. "But we could not confirm our suppositions. The letter did not expand beyond what I had said."
"Yet earlier you spoke with conviction when you said that Talj was the fruit of a 'forbidden love' as you put it." Aklas interjected.
"Aye." Anicla nodded. "That much we were sure of. But was that truly the reason behind his abandonment? Who knows. If his parents truly loved each other despite the world's disapproval they could have run away like what those immature and youthful lovers do in those silly stories. And besides, the rumors between Jaleed and Ramol are exaggerated. The two nations may not be on friendly terms, but that doesn't mean they're at each other's throats. Their relationship is nothing but a slight rivalry that has yet to spurt into something close to animosity."
"You said that the two Dali Generals from Jaleed and Ramol seemed quite friendly with each other when you observed them." Aklas pointed out to Nyr.
"True enough." The Night Eagle conceded. "So there may be something grander at play here than a mere conflict of cultures impeding his parents' love."
"Maybe. But let us continue our story before my old throat runs dry." Anicla demanded. "Where were we? Ah yes. Sparing you the details of Shaja's fruitless search for the baby's parents, he brought the child to me. He asked me if I could take care of him and raise him."
"What did you say?" Aklas asked.
"I refused, naturally. Despite the youth I held twenty years ago, I was not suited to raise a child on my own. The Spear would have been a far more suited choice."
"Madame Anicla, if I may." Nyr interrupted her. "If you know of The Spear then you must know how dangerous our activities are. You know the children born within its order are condemned to a life devoted to relentless strife and battle."
"Aye, I did."
"And yet you judged it wiser to let a child under the care of a hazardous organization rather than yours!?" Nyr's question echoed on the walls.
"Better yet, I was the one who convinced him to raise the child himself instead of leaving him in the custody of some commoners or other childless folks." Shaja smiled.
"What!?" Aklas and Nyr exclaimed at the same time.
Meanwhile, Talj was listening to the conversation with a detached expression, as if he was part of an audience that watched a play about the story of a boy he could not recognize. He seldom asked Shaja about his parents, and when he did it was more out of curiosity than anything. All the old Spearman would answer was that he 'found Talj in Rolmea after being abandoned' before changing the subject. But despite Shaja's evasion on the subject, he didn't care much. He didn't linger on a past that cast him out before he even knew it. Instead, he chose to live in the present that welcomed him.
Talj never believed himself to be a child of tragedy, for he was still glad that he grew up loved despite his dire circumstances. Hearing that his parents were from two rival nations and that they apparently forsook him out of some necessary mercy seemed so foreign and strange to him. And not just because the story craves many missing pieces, but because he didn't feel a connection to it, despite it being his own.
"Please do not look at me like that, my dears." Anicla chuckled. "Have you seen the times we're living in? From what you had told me Kaelnah was under siege two days ago. And that's without mentioning that half the guards that are supposed to protect The Five Lands secretly plotted against them. You think such control was achieved in mere weeks? No, of course not. For decades, the Darkness has been digging tunnels through our walls, spreading their eyes and ears. Shaja could feel it. He could not see it, maybe, but he could definitely feel it. Nobles would disappear between a day and its night, farmers would see their crops stolen with no traces of the thieves… And of course The Rifts that opened with more vigor while the amount of Dali soldiers who pushed against them diminished little by little. There was no safest place to raise a defenseless child other than The Spear."
"Why not you, though?" Aklas asked. "You could have provided a safe haven for Talj without subjecting him to a strenuous life."
"You think?" Anicla said with wittiness. "It's not because I built my door further away that death won't soon come knocking. The entire continent is in danger, and my cottage is as safe as any other town or village on Ylbunish. The Spear, despite its tragic end, would have at least made sure Talj was ready to face the dark times that laid ahead."
"So you believe you did him a favor by sending a newborn to join our ranks?" Nyr asked.
"Think what you want, but it's not an old lady who chose to abandon her own life such as me that will be able to teach a child how to trace his own path." Anicla gently answered.
An old lady who chose to abandon her own life. Talj repeated in his mind before taking a bite of bread completely drenched in fresh cheese.
Earlier, Anicla had referred to herself as a pariah, and now the blacksmith noticed that she was speaking of herself like someone who chose to distance herself from her own life. Despite her gentleness and calm, he could sense that she carried an old melancholy that can't be easily soothed.
"I agree with Anicla's reasoning." Talj spoke up finally, drawing all eyes to him. "But even if I didn't, I wouldn't care that much."
"What?" Aklas quieried.
"My whole life I've in conflict with myself. Every choice I made felt both right and wrong. Who was I truly? What did I really want to become? A blacksmith of utmost renowned? A simple man with a loving family? A Spearman who mustn't abandon his duty? Did I choose to join the greater conflict because of my circumstances or out of my own freedom? And if I could have chosen otherwise, what would I have done? Run away in shame or still fight a battle I do not wish to?"
As Talj enumerated the avalanche of questions that flooded his heart, compassion and understanding hung on his interlocutors' faces.
"I may not have the answers to all these questions for now." He went on. "Maybe I'm all of the above… Or maybe I'm something else entirely. What I'm sure of, however, it's that my parents' choice -And Anicla that is- don't answer any of those questions. I don't know who my parents were, or how my life would have been with them. But I do know that I don't care about that. What I care for isn't who I could have been in the endless sea of what ifs, but rather who I choose to be now. Maybe Anicla is wrong. If I grew up under her wings maybe I would have lived a better life from an objective perspective, but I frankly don't care. My life, despite all the hardships and torments that comes with it, still lead me to have a family. I may have lost it partially but I still have my brother by my side, and I found someone else to love. I found a craft I enjoy, a happiness to pursue, a love to keep…"
Talj rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed to speak so openly.
"So as to say, I may not know who Talj Horsh is but I know that's who I am and that's who I wish to be. Be it with the pain I cultivated, and the bonds I've kindled." The blacksmith concluded with a confident smile.
Talj's statement was met with an astonished silence, as his host and brother looked at him with pleasantly surprised expressions.
"Beautifully said, young one." Nyr praised. "Such muse deserves the warmest of applause, but I unfortunately have no hands to clap."
"Ah, to be young and vivacious again." Anicla commented to herself. "Truly takes me back."
"We're all behind you, Talj." Aklas said lightly. "Until you find the answers you seek, we shall accompany you in your journey."
"Thank you all, I'm glad to have you on my side." Talj returned his brother's smile. "At least right now I know what I want to do: Kick the Darkness's arse and get The Five Lands out of the hole it got themselves into."
Talj pushed back the plate of food and attempted to get off the bed but as soon as he tried to roll to the side, a sharp pain exploded in his head before spreading throughout his entire body and he suddenly felt too weak to even walk properly. His vision slightly blurred and his ears rang, leaving him no choice but to fall back beneath the sheets.
"Oh no you don't." Anicla firmly said. "Your body is still weak from magical strain. I may have been able to patch up your fried up brain and your energy wells before your body started eating itself away to sustain your life, but it's still recovering from the overcharge you gave it and needs time to strengthen and cool down."
"But we have to leave soon!" Talj exclaimed. "Who knows how much time we have left before The Darkness takes over all The Roots!"
"In the state you're at you won't make it past my front door without collapsing." Anicla retorted.
"Aye." Nyr backed. "A true warrior knows when to march into battle but also when to stay out of it. Don't worry, young one, I reckon we don't have much ground to cover before we make it to The Rise."
"Fine." Talj conceded. "How long will we have to stay?"
"I'd say two to three days are enough to send you on the road as long as you don't overexert yourself."
"Can't Aklas simply carry me like he did." The blacksmith mumbled.
"As if!" Aklas chided. "Make me a new set of ribs and maybe I'll consider it in my dreams."
"Both of you are in need of immediate rest." Anicla said, getting up. "Yes, you too Aklas. Now that you've seen that your brother is awake it's about time you had proper sleep."
"Aww, was my big brother crying at my bed's side?" Talj teased.
The hunter simply rolled his eyes and got on his feet at his turn.
"Yes, I'll go sleep a bit." He said. "Now that Talj is awake I suppose you'll have someone else to help you with housework other than me soon enough."
"Say that again?" Talj blurted.
"Ah yes, of course." Anicla nodded. "This old one's hospitality isn't free, you know."
"Now that you mention it, I'm feeling awfully sleepy." Talj faked a yawn. "I'll think I'll just lay down for a couple days."
"Coward." His brother replied before chuckling and leaving the room alongside Nyr and Anicla.
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The sun of the Ard-Bur desert wasn't kind, and its ardent heat only irritated Mori's already flared up nerves.
Despite having the week off, the Dali officer and his men were suddenly sent on urgent matters around the Lake Of Life. Apparently the order came from General Indri himself all the way from Rolmea.
"Send all the available troops we have across the desert." His superior had said. "He believes those rats from The Darkness are up to something nasty in Ard-Bur. We gotta spread our eyes and muscles all across it."
Mori grunted. The desert was as immense as it was merciless, and searching it thoroughly would take months, if not years. To think he missed his son's birth because of this unexpected mission. Despite his protests, his lieutenant was firm. General Indri had apparently insisted on the imperative nature of this operation. Even the slightest of mishaps could lead to a catastrophe that Ramol would not be able to handle.
What in the bloody world could be happening to scatter us around Ramol!? It's not like the desert is gonna blow up!
So Mori had no choice but to accept his circumstances and swallow his bitterness. Nine months he had spent planning for this event. He tired himself to the bones, extending his working time to earn enough money to provide all the necessities his child would require. The dread and excitement of his child's coming never parted him during the last days as he's spent sleepless nights agonizing over the thought that he'd become a father. But the greatly anticipated moment got stolen from him.
He had to be hundreds of kilometers away from his beloved when she was in labor. The first days on the road had been the worst. Noises faded around him and a dulling pain slowed his steps. He tried to keep composure in front of his men, but it was in vain. The guilt of betraying his marriage by forsaking his family in this crucial moment and the pain of getting stripped away from this human right were written clearly on his face.
His wife, however, had been sweetly understanding.
"It's okay." She had told him with a smile. "Go, do what you must. Your son will be here waiting for his dad patiently to return."
Two years of marriage and she still keeps me from bursting. Thank you, Vidua.
Nonetheless, despite her words of encouragement, the long days spent bearing the heat, monsters, dry food and sandy ground only dragged his anger back up. To think he could have been home now, enjoying a cold drink with his wife while enjoying the presence of his longly awaited newborn.
I couldn't even hold her bloody hand when she gave birth to him! Talk about fighting for the greater cause! How am I supposed to provide a better world for my baby if I can't even be there when he's born!
Mori closed his eyes and took a deep sigh. As his sandales printed the sand, Sarah, his friend and a Dali guard affiliated under him, walked up to him.
"You don't look good, capt'n." She said. "It's not like ye to let yer emotions affect ye on the job."
"Hmm…" Mori grunted.
"Maybe we should settle down earlier today. Give yerself and everyone a bit of rest, will ye?"
Mori considered Sarah's words before conceding:
"You're right. The road's been long and the sun is almost down. We're stopping here everybody!" He added to the attention of all his men.
Mori's men greeted the order with relieved smiles. He wasn't the only one who was affected by the voyage and so their morale was also to be surveyed and lifted.
Mori concluded that giving them an early rest was a form of mercy for both himself and his troops. They all needed to let loose and release some steam after all.
It's been strangely tense at Saselia too. Mori mused. Now that I think about it, lots of people look more gloomy than usual, and for no visible reason. Angry and scared faces everywhere. It's as if some strange aura took over the capital and filled everyone with dread.
And so the Dali officer settled his camp with the resolve of resting and letting go of his anger for the time being at least.
But the hours that followed that decision have been anything but restful.
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
"What do you see, Anis?" Cleo asked.
"Dali troops." Her sister responded, her eyes glowing in a deep blue light as she eyed the camp, ten kilometers away from their position near The Lake Of Life. "Nine of them. Five asleep, four standing guard."
"The Dali again?" Cleo stretched her arms lazily and let out a purr. "That's what? The fourth patrol we see this past two weeks."
"They've probably figured out that we're up to something for them to send so many guards to roam the desert." Anis deactivated her sight enhancement spell and crossed her arms.
"What should we do?" Cleo asked. "They're headed straight for us. Do we wait for them to come to us or do we put them to sleep… In their sleep." She added with a giggle.
"We must take this problem out with as little casualties on our side as possible." Anis's voice was calm and calculating. "High Lord Slein has insisted on the importance of this operation, that's why he sent two of his Archmages to supervise it. We cannot let things go amiss this close to our goal."
Cleo lightly tapped her sister's shoulder and quipped:
"One of these days your muscles will snap with how tense you are. Try to relax and smile a bit. I mean, it's just nine Dali guards, what's the worst that could happen? Try to enjoy the mission for once."
"If by enjoy the mission you mean to be as mindlessly insouciant as you, Cleo, then I'm sorry but one of us still needs to use their brain if we wish to preserve our lives."
"Hey! Are you saying I'm stupid?" Cleo pouted. "I'll let you know I'm the one who got us out of the crap hole you put us in back in Woodfall!"
"Your solution almost cost me my leg." Anis retorted with her usual placidity. "Sometimes I still wonder why I keep myself around you."
"Because I'm awesome and you'd be lost without me?" Cleo offered with a smirk.
Anis simply rolled her eyes but still indulged a smile. Despite all the torment the Darkness had made them feel, she still had a soft spot for her little sister, and being near her almost constantly truly eased her days.
"Alright then." Anis summoned her staff. "Let's take care of the nuisances."
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
A loud crash woke Miro from his sleep. He abruptly got to his feet, wondering if he was still dreaming. Slightly disoriented, his hand roamed aimlessly before finally finding his spear.
A scream tore through the camp. Instantly, he sobered up from drowsiness. He realized that an orange light penetrated his tent through the fabric of its walls, drawing dancing shadows beneath his feet.
A fire!? He realized.
With his chest still bare, he quickly jumped out of his tent. As soon as he was out, the heat and smoke hit him like a boulder, stealing the breath out of his lungs. With a loud cough, Miro strided forward between the burning tents, trying to see through the smoke. His feet stumbled upon a strangely soft and wet substance. Drawing his gaze downward, he realized in horror that he stepped on one of his men. The guard's face was lifeless as blood poured freely out of his open chest.
"W-What the heck is going on!?" Miro shouted.
Wondering how he could have slept through most of the chaos, another scream tore from behind one of the shelters.
Sarah!
He jumped towards the sound's source, but suddenly stopped in shock. In front of him stood two young women, both with a pair of matching strange attires, ivory skins and red hair, but the short one held it in a pony tail while having deep blue eyes, and the tall one with green eyes cut her hair a bit shorter while letting it fall in waves.
However, it wasn't the two women that drew Miro's attention, but rather what the tall one had in her left hand.
No…
Sarah's body dangled above the ground as her assailant held her by the throat. The guard's fingers were trying to unravel the iron grip that grabbed her trachea, but to no avail. Suddenly, her eyes met his. Miro saw the fear and despair in them. As tears ran across her terrorful face, unable to accept the fate that awaited her, she frantically called out to him:
"Miro! Please help m-"
But her assailant raised her staff and flashed with a dark red light that blinded the scene. A second later, Sarah's body laid on the ground, a sickening slash running across her torso, causing her organs to herniate through the gap, red with blood. At the sight of his friend's queasy evisceration, Miro's legs suddenly felt nauseous and weak.
"Oh look, I think that's their captain!" The short one abruptly exclaimed.
With a bestial scream, Miro raised his spear and lunged at his opponents. However, as he thrusted forward with his weapon, all the blade could bite was the wind and smoke. The two women disappeared completely.
"Where are you!?" Miro shouted at night. "Show yourselves, cowards!"
The answer came in the form of a sharp ache piercing through his chest. Feeling his lungs puncture, Miro felt himself gasp to keep the air encaged in them, but it only worsened the pain. He looked down to see a thin blade, painted with blood, sprouting from his chest. A sudden kick pushed him down, sliding the sword away from his chest.
Dizziness overwhelmed him. He felt his heart squeeze. Blood poured out of his chest and into his lungs, making breathing a painfully arduous task. The hemorrhage shrouded his heart, keeping it from expanding and pumping the very little fluid it could muster into the other organs. Within seconds, he felt his consciousness slip away, soothing the pain and greeting him into a treacherous darkness.
"Vidua…" He barely managed to whisper. "I'm sor…"
Mori's world faded to black.
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
Life can be beautiful. In fact, life can be marvelous to a lot of people. Hard-fought accomplishments, shared laughs, company of loved ones… Indeed, life is filled with many sources of joy. And the greater the effort to reap it, the greater the happiness that you get. If one strives all his life, they may become a well-loved Dali General, respected and acknowledged by all The Five Lands. They may find wealth and power to leave behind the footprint of their goodness, embellishing the world and admiring the beauty they managed to preserve within it. They may even find a soul to love and look up to.
Nevertheless, despite having all that, Indri's life was nothing but sorrow after sorrow. First, he had to let a dangerous criminal prophesized to end the world out in the wild with the irrational hope that he single-handedly holds the key to Ylbunish's salvation when he was meant to be an asset to be used against The Darkness, then he hears that said criminal had allies that aided him escape which emphasized his distrust towards him. After that, news came to him that Kinfol was proclaimed as a traitor of the Five Lands, an announcement that Indri greeted with utter disbelief and incredulousness.
And, after weeks spent on a fruitless expedition in the Morwon Mountains, Indri returned to Rolmea in hopes to rest, but without knowing that The Tower had another bane to hand him.
As the Ramol General entered the Council's room, his eye settled on the map of Ylbunish -or specifically the northern area of the map- making him freeze in place. Indri took a deep breath and walked towards the table, hoping that his sight deceived him. But no, what he had seen across the room was as true as he was alive.
Indri clenched his fist, his sight never leaving the banner ornating the Ramol kingdom on the map. The last time he had walked in here, the banner was white, indicating that Ramol's Roots were still intact and that the kingdom was still standing strong against The Darkness.
But now, it was as black as a starless night sky.