SlashInfinite

The Realm of Men

The light gleamed steadily. It wasn’t powerful enough to light up the figure. Within all her confusion and stressfulness, Eliana had barely realised something had spoken. Her steady breath was the only sound in the room. The figure moved. What seemed to be the silhouette of a hand rose up, with something in its hand. Eliana took a step backwards, holding up her hands in a swift move.

“I don’t-… I’m just taking shelter!” she bursted out, the mud dripping from her clothes. Footsteps came from upstairs, with a light following it. Eliana’s gaze flew straight to the stairs, fearing what might come down from them. A lantern came in sight, followed by a taller and more muscular figure. A tall man took heavy steps down the stairs, his chest being bare and revealing his well-trained muscles. The room was lit up, revealing the figure in front of Eliana. A young woman stood in front of her, donned in a silky nightgown. She seemed a few winters older than Eliana herself, but cleaner. The nightgown was exquisite and fine work. Her hair was only slightly curled, falling beneath her shoulders. She held a butter knife in her hand, seemingly expecting to use it for self-defence. The man stopped by the end of the stair, narrowing his furry eyebrows.

The both of them studied Eliana, unsure of how to react. The muscular bear repeated the woman’s earlier question, with a hoarse voice. “Why’re you here?” he continued, staring down at the messy girl.
“I’m-… I need shelter for the night.” Eliana nodded, lowering her hands steadily.
“So you broke in?” he scoffed, clenching his fist and opening it a few times, not taking his eyes off the girl.

The young woman in front of Eliana took a step forward, studying her further.

“If she was a thief, she’d be the worst one I have ever come upon.” She said, with a soft voice, shaking her head. She turned around, and used the candle to light up a few other candles. Eliana wiped her forehead, sighing slightly. She knew her position most likely wasn’t better than before. She calmed herself down, before proceeding in a more civilised tone. “I promise you” she started. “I promise you I’m no scoundrel. I just need a bit of help.” Eliana mentally crossed her fingers, hoping with all her heart that she hadn’t run into two heartless people.

“And some clean clothes.” The woman added, turning around and crossing her arms. The man went to her side, still keeping a threatening stance. He looked down to his lower friend, receiving a nod from her. Then back to Eliana, placing the lantern on the table besides him. “Fine. I’ll believe you. It isn’t hard to believe you’d need help, but most people in this town does.” He snorted, placing his arms on the table behind him. The unnamed woman looked at Eliana, sitting down on the edge of the wooden table. She spoke in a firm voice, and it was still a little unclear to Eliana, whether or not she actually believed what she said.

“If I’m going to help you, you’re going to tell me why.” She demanded. Eliana grimaced. She wasn’t sure what she’d say. Something, certainly, but she had to watch her words. Most people supported the King, and the slightest hint of opposing him could potentially prove deadly for Eliana. But she spoke, either out of good will, or thirst for survival. “I was traveling… With a friend.” She nodded carefully, trying to stay calm. “He … He uh…” she mumbled, trying to find the words for it, without beginning to cry, or get teary again. “There was an accident. He’s… He died.” She managed to say, but had to take in a breath, feeling her voice shaking. The woman’s eyes widened slightly, followed by a slow nod.
“I ran. I was afraid they’d come after me too. So I … tried to find somewhere to hide.” She pointed around. “Sorry.”

The woman ran a hand through her brown hair, nodding again and waving her hand dismissively. “Don’t apologize. I understand.” She got up, and took a few slow steps towards Eliana. The woman was about the same height, perhaps a little taller. “Celvin, mind fetching some of my clothes for her? Perhaps a dress.” She examined Eliana, letting her gaze run from the Eliana’s toe, to her chest. “Mhm. They should fit you.” The woman looked out the window, eyeing the streets. But she turned back to Eliana, extending her hand, whilst the man called Celvin went back up.

“My name is Louisa.” She smiled. “Lady Louisa Averheim.”

Eliana extended her hand, but sort of stopped mid-motion. She could feel the name floating around in her mind, causing the panic to start again. Eliana’s mind went crazy, thinking and thinking if she could recall having heard of another Averheim. She eventually ended up stuttering the word out. “A-… Averheim?” she blinked, feeling the sweat beginning to roll. Louisa simply smiled, seemingly not minding the sudden panic attack.

“Yes, Averheim.” She repeated herself.

“The … The King?” Eliana attempted to keep calm.

“My cousin.” Louisa nodded. “And yourself?” she asked, expecting an answer fairly swiftly.

“Uh…” Eliana started. She was unsure of what to do. Jonius had said ‘Baker’, but there shouldn’t be more than a few people in the Realm who knew her surname. And she had a feeling Louisa could determine if she spoke the truth, nobleman and women usually could, with all the deception they put up with, Eliana thought to her self. “Eliana… Metilius.” She managed, curtseying down before the royalty in front of her. Louisa shook her hand, though wiping the mud off afterwards. She spun around, holding her hands together behind her back. “As I said, I have an offer… I am in need of a personal handmaiden, and it sounds like you need more than just a place to stay for the night. I’ll help you, if you promise me something.” Eliana could hear Louisa’s voice changing into a serious tone; along with the following look she gave Eliana, after she turned back around.
“You are not to tell a single soul that you met me here, or that you ever met him. Understood?” Louisa declared, staring into Eliana’s eyes. She simply nodded, not giving much thought to what she had just agreed to.

“I promise.” She said. Just as she had finished, Celvin came back down, now wearing a shirt and carrying some clothes along with him. The rain had settled down. But something else could be heard from the outside. A horn. Louisa reacted, looking to the window. “Get cleaned up.” She ordered.

Eliana had been given some clean clothes, certainly much fancier than she was used to. She had been given a cloak and a hood, to shield her self from the rain. Louisa had told her to leave her satchel and the two peculiar staves in the house; they’d return, she had said. Celvin had left without a word, as they had opened up the door. Louisa had instructed Eliana briefly on how to address her and anyone else of her status. Eliana still kept her guard up, incapable of believing the offer was just out of good will. They trudged through the town. The rain had calmed, though the ground still muddy. But the two managed to get out to the gate without too much mud hitting their shoes.

The large gates had opened up, allowing the horde of horses to ride in. Louisa took her place in front, lowering her hood and awaiting her cousin.

Eliana raised her hood, gawking at the giant army approaching. She was almost sure that she had made a bad choice, but it seemed like the only option she had had. Some help for a secret, whatever it meant to the Lady.

The Realm of Men

Lowburg

A faint smell had enveloped the room. There was a stench of some unknown, but horrifying liquid. Eliana sat with her back against the bed. Her dried, red and teary eyes stared blankly at the man on the floor. She had gently placed a pillow under his face, and closed his eyes. Her gaze hopelessly wandered to the shattered cup next to him. A single piece had stayed somewhat together, leaving a small portion of the so-called tea. But she didn’t do anything. She was numb, from top to toe. A certain feeling had overtaken her, a mixture of panic, disarray and fear. Fear of what would happen now, for one. But she was fearful, not only of the future, but also of the present. Someone had poisoned Jonius. And that someone was most likely still in the tavern. She clutched a satchel against her chest. It had belonged to him, containing letters, books, vials, maps, a set of small knives and the likes. It was valuable, and could potentially reveal the identities of a large amount of Spiritwalkers, and their last known destination. Eliana had made sure to remove all evidence, and stuff it into her own bag. She looked back down at the shattered cup. An opened notebook lay in her lap, with a finger marked on a certain name. Even though Eliana had struggled with reading it, she had managed to make out a few words.

The young woman put the book and satchel aside, opening her own and finding an empty vial. She leaned down to the cracked teacup, and carefully lifted the one shard containing a small pool of the tea. She delicately poured it into the vial, and stuffed a small cork into it. The moment she had put the filled vial back into her satchel, her hands rushed to support her head, which simply fell straight into her palms. Eliana did her best to contain herself, taking a few heavy and shaking breaths. An ache in her stomach had hit since he fell, and she was left to herself. She had to leave him behind. She couldn’t drag a dead man through the tavern, and out throughout the city, but she had to make sure they didn’t know who he was, if they didn’t already. She hated herself for having to think so practically, but that was at least a thing he had managed to teach her.

She carried her teacher unto the bed, laying him carefully there. The ruthless storm was still brewing outside in the dark. Suddenly, she froze. Not because of the flash outside the window, but from the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She looked to the door, a complete panic striking into her. She grabbed her satchel, tossed it over her shoulder and tightened it. With a rushing pace she grabbed both of the staves, unsure of how she’d handle it. Though she hastily attempted to tie them to the satchel, she wasn’t used to carrying two. A harsh breeze and the sound of rain hit her, as she tore up the window. It was only a few empty lamps that lit up the streets. Eliana tossed her leg outside the window, sitting in the windowsill. She carefully placed her foot on a somewhat sturdy surface, whilst hearing the footsteps get closer. There were more now. With both her legs out, she carefully attempted the daring descend. But she froze again. Only keeping her hands in the windowsill, she peaked her head up, as the rain poured down outside. The door was slowly opened, with a creaking noise of old woodwork. A single thin metal blade entered the room first, but glowing orange with heat. She narrowed her eyes, only having seen that sight by a blacksmith, who was in the middle of forging a sword. She quickly started moving down, almost slipping on the first step. As she crawled down, she could hear the door being opened up further. The wood had gotten wet, and she struggled with keeping her hands and feet steady as she climbed. There wasn’t too long to the ground, maybe a person or two, she decided. The darkness had covered her, and the rain drowned her noise. A silhouette leaned out of the window, looking around. Eliana stopped, leaning against the tavern. The few seconds felt like an eternity. She did not hear the rain, only her pounding heart. A fearful shaking overcame her, and she struggled even more to hold on.

The window closed, and Eliana sighed heavily. And just within a seconds notice, she slipped. She had no idea how far the fall would be, and she barely managed to even think of it, before she slammed into the ground. A shrieking pain came through her, but even then, a force caused her to struggle back to her feet. She was wet, muddy, freezing, fearful and alone. The lone girl simply started walking, with a quick pace. She was going to get away, but she didn’t know where. Unaware whether or not it was the paranoia hitting her, but she thought she saw shadows and heard footsteps everywhere. Shelter. She needed shelter. She turned away from the main street, and into a smaller one, filled with houses. Most had a single light in the window, but she managed to find one that was completely dark. She took her chance, and tried shoving open the door. It easily went up, and she carefully snuck inside, closing the door behind her.

The room was dark, but she managed to take a look around. It seemed simple enough, a makeshift home for a wealthy person, or an average home for a poor one. She quickly forgot about it, and kept her eyes to the window. She kneeled down, peaking out. When she had sat there for a few minutes, trying to keep everything in her head, she thought she spotted a single shadow moving by. She crouched down, listening to her own quickened breathing. She took a deep breath, slowly rising up. Eliana took a last glance out the window, before turning around to see a single light in front of her. A piercing chock went through her, almost causing her heart to skip a beat.

“Who are you?” something whispered from the dark.

The Realm of Men

The Town of Lowburg

A cold shiver crawled down Eliana’s body, as the crimson fluid streamed down the chest of the young boy. He collapsed again, but this time ever so lifeless. His eyes had stiffened, staring off into the horrible nothingness. The knight retracted his blade, wiping it once again. Jonius jolted his hand into the girl’s side, signalling for her to remain silent and be off. He did not wish for them to be noted, not like this. Interfering with the business of knights was a dangerous move, especially for anyone trying to blend into the crowd. It was common sense. The shadow of the courtyard had spread to the rest of the town. A storm had brewed up, along with the dawn of the night. A gloomy mist had snuck into the streets, emptying them on its way through. The pouring rain had wetted the young woman’s almost golden hair. A few strings of her hair had fallen unto her face, running over her eyes. The teacher had already gotten up, preparing to make his way out of the cloudy alley.
Eliana wiped away the hair, taking in a deep breath and making her way up. Her feet failed her horribly, when they refused to cope with the muddy ground. She slipped back unto the mud, slamming unto the ground. The brown mud splashed up on her clothes. One of the knights immediately turned his head towards the alleyway. He drew his sword, marching towards Eliana and Jonius.

Jonius turned around, running towards the girl, harshly grapping her arm and forcing her to her feet. He almost dragged her along, the knight closing in on the two, though his plated attire slowed his approach. A shot of adrenaline streamed into Eliana’s veins, quickening her heartbeat. She kept her gaze on the hooded runner in front of her, cutting out the shouting behind her. Luckily, the rain and the wind drowned most of the knight’s roaring. They turned at the corner, by the end of the alleyway. Jonius crossed the street, and then took a right. Eliana completely lost her sense of orientation, and struggled to see her surroundings. They had ended up in a back street, with limited space, due to the closely placed houses. Eliana stopped along a wall, leaning her head against it, trying to regain her breath. Her cold breath created an almost frosty cloud as it left her mouth. She turned around, looking down the dark and rainy pathway. She could hear a faint shouting in the distance, but it seemed they had outrun the knight. Eliana wrapped her cloak around her, trying to keep the cold wind away. But she was shivering. The cold were beginning to dig into her skin, as a thousand small and icy spikes.
“We need shelter. Follow me.” Jonius spoke out, wiping the water away from his forehead. Eliana had always been fascinated by his ability to keep his head cool. It wasn’t the first time they had been chased, but she was still trying to get used to it. As an Elder Walker, Jonius had learned the trait of being a nobody. It was all about being noticed as little as possible, but still being noticed. Though obvious, people would take note of someone causing trouble, but also someone being unusually ordinary.

Eliana peaked around a corner, leading back to the main street. The storm got worse. She nodded her head, before darting off. They searched around, trying to make sense of the hanging signs in the violent rain. A lonely shadow hid in the dark, observing the town, and the fools who dared to go outside in the night. A sly smirk crawled forth on his face, as he almost faded into the dark alleys. Eliana slammed up the door, and the innkeeper looked up, raising an eyebrow at the two. Jonius approached him sternly. He exchanged a few coins with him, before waving Eliana over. He took a few steps away from the innkeeper, leaning in to Eliana.

“Have him make something to drink. Second room on the right, I’ll take care of the ritual.” He whispered, before moving up the stairs. Eliana was barely able to nod, before moving to the innkeeper’s counter. The inn was almost empty. A few drunken souls sat by their own table, and a single man had entered since Eliana and Jonius had made their entrance. “A cup of tea, if you’d be so kind.” She smiled to the innkeeper, before continuing; “Oh and, for the room you just gave him. Second on the right.” She nodded, smiling at him and handing over a few coins of bronze material. Eliana went up the stairs, finding the mentioned room, the second on the right. She carefully entered, looking down at her teacher. Jonius sat down, on his knees, his palms rested on his lap. From his eyes, a waving line of some blue essence carefully withered away, and disappeared into the thin air. His eyes were completely blue, lighting slightly up. Eliana silently closed the door behind her, taking a seat on a chair. She observed him for a few minutes, until someone knocked on the door. She got up and opened the it only a little. The innkeeper handed her a cup, filled with a golden liquid, having a scent of honey and some berries she couldn’t quite make out. He wasn’t smiling, but seemed mostly interested in just getting his night sleep and perhaps a mug of ale. She quickly accepted the cup, closing the door afterwards.

Jonius was already on his feet again, and held out his hand for the cup, rubbing his forehead slightly.
“The boy was gone. I found the father, however. He got there safely. “ He sighed and took a sip of the tea, sitting down by the edge of the. Eliana crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. “He was gone? You couldn’t find him?” she asked, her voice being lowered and speaking in a careful tone. Jonius simply shook his head. “Might’ve run off to his old home or something. He was scared. I’ll try again tomorrow, you’ll come with me.” He nodded, taking a few more sips of the tea. Eliana sighed, moving to a bookshelf, scanning the titles. She raised an eyebrow. “Why keep books, when most of the common people can’t even read?” she pondered. “Is it just common courtesy?” She kept on looking at the books, muttering the titles for herself. Jonius was teaching her to read , though she struggled slightly with the words. “Jonius?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Her eyes enlarged. The cup dropped to the floor, smashing into a hundred pieces. Jonius slammed unto the wood, almost being caught by Eliana’s arms. She rushed to him, turning him around, desperately shaking him. From his eyes ran a green liquid, continuing down his cheeks. The skin around his mouth had swollen up, veins on the brink of popping out. His eyebrows twitched slightly, along with his hand. Eliana slapped her hand on his cheek, almost hyperventilating. A lone tear ran down her red cheek, as she started sniffling. She muttered his name, over and over. When she didn’t receive a response, she tried again, lifting him up. “Come on! … It’s just a bad dream. You’re-… You’re all right. I’ve got you. Don’t worry…” she whispered, stroking his hair. She begged, pleaded and almost shouted his name again and again. She felt the lifelessness overtake him, but not once did she stop rocking him, trying to control her breathing and wake him up.

The Realm of Men

The blonde woman sat passively and adjusted the strap on her leather glove. The leatherwork was rather neat. The glove was of dark leather, tightened and slightly reinforced by the knuckles. Nothing fancy, just a little toughened on the front. She nodded to herself, leaning back in the chair, scanning the inn for the Elder Walker. Three knightly looking men had entered the inn. All without their helmet on, but rather strapped to their waist. The first one stood tall, with short brown hair, ending just above his two ebony eyes. He rested his right hand lightly on the hilt of his longsword. Eliana kept her eyes locked on the man. She eyed him from top to toe, looking for a sigil. However, the knight interrupted her almost rude stare. He raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a rather neutral look. Eliana calmly turned her head to the guests. They stopped the dancing, turning around to the knights. A steady silence filled the room. The knights took heavy steps into the gathering, their eyes darting around the crowd. Jonius stood by the counter, looking over his shoulder, getting a good view at the knights.

Eliana crossed her legs, laying a hand in the other, and resting them in her lap. Despite her former nervous behaviour, she managed to stay rather calm. She simply observed the tincans, having a faint feeling of the reason of the sudden appearance. The large innkeeper shuffled out form the counter, wiping his hands and walking towards the three men. They exchanged a few words. As the smalltalk went on, the innkeeper’s face turned more and more pale. He nodded a single time, looking towards a man and a young boy in the crowd. The first knight jerked his head towards them. The two other knights swiftly went towards the man and his son, grabbing them by their arms and dragging them along. A panic spread in the inn. Eliana froze in her place, blinking at the event, as an unknown number of women started screaming. Several men tried to stop the men, shouting that it was a misunderstanding and cruel. The walking bulwarks shoved them away, roaring the peasants away. Eliana got up, walking in a swift pace towards Jonius. The sea of people flocked outside the inn. Rain poured down ruthlessly. Eliana stormed outside, squeezing through the gathering. The man and his boy had been forced to their knees.

The two knights had drawn a shortsword each. The tower of a man turned towards the crowd and scoffed. He shook his head and turned towards his companions.

“Bring them outside the gates, with the rest of the bodies. Get a bonfire going when the rain has settled.” He waved them away.

A girl stepped forward, her eyes red and her face covered in uncontrollable tears. She cried out at the knight, shouting incomprehensible swears and cursing, leaping towards the man and slamming away at his breastplate. She had already been covered in mud, her clothes being splashed and torn. The knight simply threw his backhand at her, easily hurling the small girl to the ground. He looked back at the crowd.

“Lerman Smith and his son had been found guilty of performing demonic arts in the very heart of our nation. In the name of the King Leofric and the Realm, they will be sentenced to the sword. That is a mild punishment for what they’d do with our own!” the knight shouted, keeping his voice at a calm level however. He gracefully cut a small rope by his waist, letting a small pouch drop to the mud with a metallic sound releasing from inside the leathery container.
A pathetic soul limped forward, picking up the coins and stuffing it in his pouch. With a nonchalant turn, the knight took his leave.
As soon as they had gathered, the crowd disbanded.
The cold air rushed through Eliana, leaving a cold sensation throughout her entire system. She took in a deep breath, stuffing her arms around herself. The price for being accused of magic was harsh, in the entire Realm. Not just the Northlands. She grabbed her wooden staff, planting it in the ground, before setting off, Jonius steadily walking behind her. Her staff was engraved with markings and symbols, whilst having a dark and brown colour to it. It was crafted from Elderwood, an incredibly sturdy and tough wood, found outside the Realm. Crafted by a weaponsmith within the Spiritwalkers, it was imbued with an ancient figure, placed in the wood itself.
Eliana sped up. She ran along the houses and buildings, keeping the two knights in sight. She looked over her shoulder for her teacher. However he was nowhere to be seen, whether or not this was intended, remained a mystery to her. She crossed the muddy ground in a light jog, stopping by a large wall on the other side. Quirking her head around a corner, she saw the four individuals heading into a court covered in the nightly shadow.

She took light steps along the wall, kneeling down before the opening of the courtyard. Once again forced to the ground, the father had now gone silent. The knights still had their swords out. The cold blade calmly connected with the lower chin of the father, lifting his chin slightly up. With a swift and cold thrust, the knight danced the blade through the throat of the man. Eliana quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening up. A faint cloud of thin blood squirted out of the back of the man’s neck. The boy cried out, collapsing unto the ground. Though dragged up by one of the knights, his cries became desperate screams. The knight pulled out his sword, giving it a hard jerk, to wip some of the blood off of it. The boy was locked down.
Eliana rose to her full height, about to charge forward. But a hard force knocked her down, keeping her down and covering her mouth. Jonius, stared into her eyes, shaking his head.

She turned her head to the scene again, just in time to see the blade darting forward again, and releasing the familiar scarlet cloud.

The Realm of Men

The Northern Border

A cold wind sailed across the land. The few remaining leaves blew with the breeze, slowly descending to the stiff and frosty ground. A boot stepped lightly on the ground. A hooded figure stood by a lonely tree. Covered in cloth and leather from top to toe, only leaving its eyes uncovered, it stood there and waited. The young woman observed the land with a steady gaze. She closed her eyes and breathed in the refreshing air, nodding steadily to herself.

A distant sound stopped her moment of harmony, causing her to spin about on her heels rather quickly. Whilst narrowing her eyes, she scanned the abandoned landscape. Her eyes widened by the sight of another lonely figure. With a swift pace she made her way towards the wanderer.
As she neared him, she slowed down. The lonely figure was a fair height. A man, most likely in his late-forties, firmly struck his staff into the ground. He gracefully bowed down to greet the girl. She returned the gesture a bit hastily, pulling down the cloth covering her mouth.

“You’re worried.” The man calmly declared, inspecting the expression on her face. She nodded a few times. There was no reason to attempt to lie to him; he knew her far too well.

“Very well.” He started again. “Let us go then. No time to waste.”

The two set off in a solid walk towards the forest. It was empty. It wasn’t just a loss of animals, but colour. Eliana grimaced. She had never been fond of the sight of the dead forest. No leaves, no life, no nothing. Her teacher, Jonius turned his head, eyeing her. Without a word he simply returned to his careful walk. After many wordless minutes, they came to an end, an opening in the forest. The two stopped. Their eyes almost examined the horizon simultaneously. Long, endless marshlands waited ahead of them.

“Jonius.” Eliana whispered carefully. He looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow before nodding steadily.

“It isn’t safe. The Northlands despises us. They have eyes and ears everywhere. They’ll know what we are the second we step inside a town. We’ll be dead before sunri-“ Eliana bursted out, almost shaking in her voice. But before she could continue, Jonius interrupted her.

“So will they. The north won’t hold out against the increasing attacks. The living is dying, and the dead is rising. The souls do not gain rest as they should.” Jonius looked towards the distance, spotting the top of a building. He straightened his back, and clasped his hands behind his back. “You feel it.” He proclaimed. “The souls, the injustice, the unrest, the hunger, the rage and the frustration. All of it.”

He turned around.

“You have nothing to fear, least of all death. You have already seen it. Our kind knows what’s beyond. They do not, that’s why they’re afraid. It isn’t of death, but of the unknown. We have to be the torch in the cave, you see? We have to lead the way for them. That cannot be if we do not travel into the heart of danger. They may not see it as we do, but nonetheless, we must do what we’re here for.” He took in a deep breath, and spun around again before she had a chance to speak a word.

“Come now. We have a long way ahead of us.”

The two trotted off into the distance, towards the town.

Later

The town was a fair size. Build with a smaller wall around the town; it kept the unwelcome at bay. Eliana held a firm grip on her wooden staff, doing her best to remain calm.
Next to both sides of the large gate, two tall watchtowers stood proud. A guardsman stood up, looking down at the two.

“State your names and your business!” he shouted.

Jonius stepped forward. “We seek rest and refugee before the cold night arrives! Me and my niece here are in need of shelter! We have coins to pay with!”

The guardsman leaned on the edge, before firmly shouting again.

“Your names!”

Eliana’s view shifted from the guardsman to Jonius. They weren’t known nor hunted, but rumours could spread faster than fire in a dry forest.

“Jonius and Eliana Baker!” he finally announced.

The gate opened up, as the guardsman wrote down the names of the two in a small book. The gate closed behind them. The young woman saw several banners in the town. All of the same colour and sigil. The elusive King Averheim.

Jonius scoffed.

“The King’s men are in town. Watch yourself.” He said as the two trudged down the streets. “Remember, your name is Baker.”

She nodded, but a shiver went down her spine. She was uneasy. The Northlands were new to her. And they had never stood with open arms to magi, or Walkers.
They headed towards a tavern. Mildy busy, the two snuck inside. Eliana pulled down her hood, running a hand through her hair. She peaked around in the room, letting out a sigh. No knights, no officials.

Eliana went ahead and found a pair of chairs. The mood was good. People were singing, drinking and dancing. But she still kept an open eye. Jonius had gone off to fetch them something to drink. Eliana looked towards the entrance, narrowing her eyes.
She shook her head. Nothing. She opened up her bag, searching around in it. She had always kept very her things in order. Jonius had taught her so. No time to be searching for all your things when you’re in a hurry, he’d say.
But again Eliana looked up. A sound of metallic boots could be heard outside the inn. She stiffened. They had not spotted any of the king’s men on the way in. Not yet, at least.

The Realm of Men

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The Realm of Men

Name: Eliana Metilius
Age: Mid-twenties
Gender: Female

Bio: Eliana's connection to the Afterlife was discovered of an early age, whilst still unknown wether or not she could be taught the arts, or do so hidden from the opposers of magic. The Elder Walker, simply known as Jonius, took her in before she had passed six winters. Barely ever meeting another Walker, Eliana was taught by Jonius. However, due to the state of the Realm, and the general feeling towards magi, the studies took long. Jonius often shifted into the world between the living and the dead, known as the Void. Here, in the grey and darkened dimension of the Realm, spirits would wander aimlessly, unless led to the Afterlife by a Spiritwalker. As Eliana grew older, she was allowed to travel with him, even though the sight of the lost and wandering souls could be nightmarish.
Title: Spiritwalker Asipirant

My Hider

Possible concept art of Eliana.
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The Realm of Men

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The Realm of Men

The Realm of Men

The world

Commonly referred to as “The Realm of Men” is one of the few continents, mostly inhabited by humans. The Realm is commonly sorted into 3 parts: The Northern Kingdoms, the Central Kingdoms, and the Southern Nations.
In the Realm, different kings, queens, Lord-Regents and principalities reign.
The north are filled with marshlands and rolling hills, evergreen forests and is grim and inhospitable place. The further one travels south, the more lush the nature gets.

A few islands are found around the Realm, whose views on magic are different than those of the mainland.

Should one be brave (or foolish) enough to sail across the furious ocean, one would find one of the other continents, those uninhabited worlds referred to as ‘The Outworlds’. Here, nothing is for certain. Unimaginable nightmarish creatures supposedly roam the lands, leaving nothing behind in their path. 
The nature rules in the Outworlds, but there are legends of forgotten and abandoned kingdoms of old. 

Magi and magic

In the Realm, magi and magic are almost pure legend. The few remaining magi are hunted down, due to mistrust and accusations from the common people and the rulers. While magic was very much common a long time ago, they are almost extinct now.
A special group of magi, known as the Spiritwalkers, are hiding among the common people. The Spiritwalkers are just as mistrusted as the common magi. Accused of necromancy, demonic arts, and the like, they are constantly hunted.

However, the Spiritwalkers are tasked with bringing the souls of the dead to the Afterlife. Should a soul be left alone in the Void, it will eventually find it’s way back to it’s former body, and rise up again in the world of Living, as an undead. Being able to shift between the three dimensions, the Living, the Void, and the Afterlife. According to rumours, should one murder a Spiritwalker with a heated blade, they would gain their power. Criminals and bounty hunters seek this power, thinking they can use it for their own good. Spiritwalkers are essential for peace, but distrusted for magic.

Generally, magi are considered evil.

Situations

While there are no major conflicts between the humans, the mainland still despises the lonely Island nation, known as Valentus. Valentus supports magi, and lets them use their home for safety.
Undead has become a dangerous problem in the North. Souls are finding their corpse and comes back to life, since death is common in this part of the Realm. Aimless, furious, and hungering, the dead rises and attacks all living along their way.

Due to an earlier conflict with the south, the north harbour a lot of living dead. Wandering the borders of the northern region, trade is difficult and almost impossible.

The conflict also caused King Leofric to construct forts along his borders, to protect his land from any undead or further Southern incursion.

The Living, the Void, and the Afterlife

The three dimensions, listed above, are all variations of the same world. However, the Living is the commonly known world, most people don’t know or believe there is anything else. The Void, is a grey and darkened version of the world, and it is here the souls of the dead wander, unless taken to the Afterlife, or brought back to life in the world of the Living. What exists in the Afterlife is uncertain. Only Spiritwalkers have seen what resides there. But souls of the dead rests in the Afterlife, in their own realm.

A Girl and Her Dragon (SlashInfinite and MurderVictim)

Don't stress yourself ^___^ I've got plenty of time!