SlashInfinite

The Realm of Men

The wound kept stinging. Eliana had gotten used to pain, though. It wasn’t that it didn’t hurt; she was just able to actually focus on the situation at hand. The noises outside could still be heard, and it seemed the fire had been kept under control. Eliana looked to Miriam, and watched the two others leave, not saying a word herself. She grunted one last time, and looked up at Miriam once again.

“We?” Eliana asked surprised. She knew that she had saved Miriam, and Miriam had most likely saved her, but her mind was set on Louisa. Eliana looked around, sighing. She had no clue how long she had been out. And if there was fighting outside, the nobles were most likely gone already. Ellie was helped up by Miriam, but took a few steps on her own, towards the window.

“I uh-… Was supposed to catch up with someone.” Eliana nodded, supporting herself.

She looked out the window, and began making her way to the door. With a careful peak, she looked outside. The sign of chaos was clear, though it seemed to have settled. The gate to the city had been closed, and from what she could see in her blurry vision, a large number of soldiers had placed themselves upon the tall wall.

She was able to spot a house by the side of the wall, seemingly abandoned. As Louisa was most likely out of reach, Eliana would have to return to her other duties. The shoulder still hurt, sure, but Lowburg was at risk of getting overwhelmed if there was in fact a war going on outside the walls. Whilst taking a glance at the house, and the wall, she quickly came to realize she wouldn’t be able to simply walk out of it, not in this world or another. With a swift turn, only stumbling a little, she looked to the counter. Perhaps the tunnel wasn’t such a bad idea? She had a feeling Miriam was not about to run off without Eliana, since she had had that opportunity. Either the rumours had been false, or Eliana had been lucky to run into the few nice people in the North.

She made her way towards the counter, doing fine with her walking. She only stumbled a few times. Something suddenly flashed before her eyes, almost knocking her off her feet, but she shook it off. Miriam hadn’t seemed to react. Eliana took in a deep breath.

“I swear to It, I’m going nuts.” She almost angrily muttered to herself. She looked over her shoulder at Miriam, before making her way into the tunnel. It was dark and small, a real lovely place for anyone despising small areas. As they made their way deeper into it, the noises from outside became absent. After an unknown amount of time, the tunnel came to an end. Eliana pushed the door open, and was helped up by Anathema and the young Theodore. They were somewhere out of the town, the tunnel ending just outside the wall. The fighting was louder now. But it wasn’t as much fighting… More just… screaming. Eliana was lured towards it.

“Miriam. You all can go on and get out of here. I’ve got to look into some stuff.” Eliana strangely stumbled towards the battlefield.

Her mind felt heavy. Her eyes could not focus properly, and the world around her felt distant. Eliana could feel her legs wanting to give up on her. The pain in the shoulder had evolved throughout more of her body. It was hurting; warming her in an unusual way. And then another flash before her eyes. Without noticing, she had bitten her lower lip, just letting the blood feel the surface. She felt as if all her energy had been drained, but still something kept her going. An unknown force, maybe. The golden haired girl looked at her shoulder, so badly wanting to see what had happened. But she couldn’t. Not here, with the others still being able to see her. The dark magic that had embedded her shoulder, and possibly her body and mind, the people around her, the fighting – all of it were threats. Still, she was ultimately supposed to save them, along with her teacher who had been murdered by the very lambs he was trying to be the Shepard for.

Despicable. Their ignorance got themselves killed, their blind hatred for the unknown. Eliana had only made it a few meters ahead, not seeming to stop.

The Realm of Men

The evening breeze gracefully danced around the woman’s golden hair, letting it fly in the wind. The cliff was high; and the waves gently met the stones, splashing up in beautiful and living paintings. Eliana hummed for her self, having folded her arms. She turned around in an instant by the sound of young feet running along the stone pathway. A fragile, but beautiful girl ran towards Eliana in a hasty pace. Eliana bowed her head briefly, though not saying a word. The younger girl approached, catching her breath. Her eyes matched the dark and blue sea below, whilst her hair was that of the fertile earth. Her age must’ve been around Eliana’s, perhaps a year or two younger.

“Ellie! Oh my dearest Ellie!” she shouted out, as she lovingly wrapped her arms around Eliana, letting out a sigh of relief. A smile warmed Eliana’s lips, as she happily returned the hug. She was unsure if she heard Daisy sobbing out of joy, or laughing. Perhaps a mix of both? When the two finally let go, Daisy straightened her dress and smiled warmly. That was, until the agenda of the meeting came back into her mind. She lowered her head slightly, before looking up at Eliana.

“Ellie… If only you had said something-“ she was interrupted.

“I couldn’t.” Eliana sternly replied.

“I know. But if only – many would be happy to help! You… You don’t have to go! Maybe if you do, we can together! I’ll come along! And, and-….” Daisy stopped herself this time. A single tear rolled down her cheek, before she wiped it away, shaking her head.

“Please Daisy, I just need to know.” Eliana’s tone had changed. She had taken a step closer.

Daisy looked over her shoulder, biting her lip.

“You were right. I mean, I could not find much, however, it’s as you thought.” Daisy nodded.

“Not the west?” her eyes opened up.

“Definitely not. The name is a blind end. Daisy smiled, along with Eliana.

The winds had eased off, but thundering clouds approached in the distance, letting their grey shadow fall upon the western kingdom. Eliana narrowed her eyes, looking over Daisy’s shoulder. She sensed voices, rising up, both in tone and numbers. Two figures with shining new armour made their way towards the two girls.

“Daisy. You didn’t talk to anyone did you?” Eliana’s heart sped up, along with the adrenaline.

“Just a few… But they wouldn’t say a thing!” Daisy turned around, almost squeaking out by the sight. She poked Eliana several times.

“Get out of here! Let’s go!” Daisy said as one of the knights shouted for them, holding up his crossbow. Eliana was about to be on her way, but stopped as she heard the sound of string firing wood and metal forward. She turned around, to the sight of cloth ripped apart, pierced by a metallic front. The sea blue eyes had stiffened, staring miserably into Eliana’s. They begged, but whether it was for help or something else, Ellie did not know. All she saw was the red pouring down the wood of the bolt. It had gone through the shoulder, and Eliana felt a strange pain in her own. A loud bang was heard, just as Eliana was tackled to the ground.

But the ground turned to wood, the loud noise wasn’t as close, and Daisy… Daisy slowly faded away before Eliana’s eyes. She screamed out in pain as she had fallen upon the wooden floor of the inn. A tear ran down her cheek, as she came back to her senses. She looked around in confusion, before lying her head back down on the floor, muttering for her self.

Anathema had made her way to the sorry wreck of a person, helping her up and supporting her. She glanced to the windows, hearing the noises outside.

“Hrmf. What’s happening out there?” she sighed, making a grimace.

Eliana waved her hand around shaking her head, breaking out of Anathema’s helping grab, and stumbling to a chair. She clenched her fist violently, her shoulder still hurting as it had, but this time something different had occurred too. She knew perfectly well what it was, and looked towards the windows. Eliana had developed bags under her eyes, as a result of constant bother and pain.

Eliana looked up towards the hunter, trying to focus on her before opening her mouth.

“You’re… I never got your name?” Eliana carefully asked, supporting herself with her elbow.

She kept an ear to the answer she’d get. The sky lit up, and the shouting outside continued. It had to be fighting, which meant death, which meant… A sigh.. The urge came again, the urge to travel beyond. She almost dozed off, but managed to snap into reality. A single string managed to escape her right eye. Eliana shook briefly, followed by a grunt. She looked back at her shoulder, grimacing. It was doing something, something it definitely shouldn’t.

Getting parts of your soul ripped out never did seem to have the most positive effects.

The Realm of Men

Unbearable. The stinging burn seared through the girl. Her head was heavy and she had received a massive headache. Eliana was barely staying awake. Tapping in and out of consciousness, she had been slammed against the wall. Someone shook her, and in the distance she thought she sensed a voice. Vaguely, she tried to respond, barely getting a few mutters out. A loud, high-pitched noise tormented her, and her head felt ever so heavy. And her shoulder, her damn shoulder, burned more than a rich man’s cooking. Though no mark was left on her psychical body, only her soul had been harmed. A wound in a shoulder could be treated, but a wound in the soul wasn’t as simple. Spirit-walkers were trained to fight and defend themselves, especially in the Void. Damages on the soul were dangerous. And dark magic had a tendency to leave marks, and slowly decimate the rest of the soul and mind. A body wasn’t much without its host.

Eliana had lost track of time, she believed she managed to mutter out a few words, but reality and dreaming seemed to collide with one another. Everything in her mind seemed to collide, actually. Pain, thoughts and fear were all mixed together. The feeling that had early led her to find the monstrosity was gone. In the few seconds she was able to hold her thoughts together, Eliana was sure that the responsible individual had run off. She felt the temperature change. Her body became warmer, but the confusion and pain continued. With a groan she felt that she was put down. On a chair maybe? She could sense someone around her, walking, muttering, and other simple noises. Eliana leaned on her staff, having clutched it to her all along. She loosely felt for her satchel, believing she could feel it. Then it happened again. She was consumed by the darkness again, and was seduced by the sweet temptation of unconsciousness.

A small piece of wet cloth wiped Eliana’s face. She blinked back into reality, trying to hold up her heavy head. An unlady-like groan escaped her, and the little girl jumped back in surprise. Eliana muttered something to her, taking in a few deep breaths and trying to pull herself together.

“S-sorry-…” she managed to mutter out, as the girl, who had taken a few steps back, carefully studied her.

“It’s alright.” She simply stated, keeping a rather neutral expression.

“I’m Sarah Smith. And you, Loud Lady?” the child looked at Eliana.

The golden haired woman pushed herself into an upright position, trying to ignore the horrendous pain in her shoulder. As she repeated what Sarah had just said, her mind started working again. She looked around in the room, spotting another woman by a table. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Sarah again. Then it hit her.

“Wait. W-what did … what did you say?” Eliana muttered out.

“Loud Lady.” The child quickly responded.

Eliana threw her hands around, shaking her head.

“Sarah? Smith?” the little girl tried again.

Eliana looked back up, right into the eyes of the girl.

“Your… “ She shook her head, and the pictures starting rolling before her eyes, the last few days, the arrival, the gate, the tavern and the sentence. The sight of the young boy reflected in Eliana’s mind, and the dream, or vision, or whatever it had been did the same. She was sure now. The thing she saw in that room was the same. And now she looked upon what were most likely his sister.
Eliana took in a deep breath, and suddenly the pain in her shoulder wasn’t her biggest worry. She opened her mouth a few times before she spoke.

“I’m so sorry.” Was all she managed to say. Eliana leaned her head against her staff, grimacing. She did not look at Sarah, something inside her stopped her from it. They looked so much alike, and all she saw when she looked at that girl, was the sword going straight through the brother’s throat.

“Eliana… My name’s Eliana.” She said.

“What are you so sorry about, Ellie?” the girl asked, looked confused at her.

But Eliana didn’t seem to register that she spoke again. She looked at the other woman, the one that had dizzily faded in and out of her vision the last few hours. The sun had risen up upon the sky, blessing the surface with its light.

As her vision became clearer, Eliana seemed to recognize something about the darker haired woman. She narrowed her eyes, before realizing she had seen her before, though she was screaming at the time.
A sudden jolt of pain caused the handmaiden to scream out, falling to the floor with a bump. She rolled on her side, curling into a ball and biting into her lower lip, resulting in the scarlet liquid flowing out rapidly. Her eyebrows twitched violently, as she felt the furious, flaming pain evolving around her shoulder, though there still was no psychical mark. Not yet at least.

The Realm of Men

The nobility kept on their discussion, whilst Eliana simply stood and had dozed off in her thoughts. She awoke from her daydreaming as an older man slammed up the door to the mansion. He had a grey beard descending from his chin and upper lip, his old eyes were wide open and he straightened up, trying to regain his breath. Louisa quirked an eyebrow, stepping past the two Dunsworths, leaving them with their mouth open as they turned to the man who had just entered.

“Speak up.” Louisa firmly demanded, clasping her hands together in front of her. The older man nodded, wiping his forehead as he held out a paper. It carried the seal of the royal army, and Louisa swiftly ripped it open. Her eyes ran down over the words, as she mumbled them quietly for a moment. Suddenly she paused, staying still right on the spot. Eliana took a few light steps up to her, whispering in a quiet voice to the noblewoman.

“My lady? What is the matter?” Eliana carefully asked, observing Louisa and her reaction.

She simply stuttered in return. “We’re… Moat Royal is destroyed. Lowburg has been ordered evacuated.” Louisa spoke in a louder voice, and the other servants heard the news as well. They quickly walked off in quick paces, beginning to shout inside the mansion. The Dunsworths were off quickly too, seeming to forget about their business with the king. Eliana looked up at Louisa, fear striking into her eyes. Even though the mansion had been no home, it had still kept her worry at bay. Now the horrible unknown came back, and once again she didn’t know where she’d end up. The people around the two women had all gone off in different directions, the panic spreading and loud voices roaring through the halls.

Louisa took a firm grip on Eliana’s arm, dragging her along with her, up the big staircase. Without a word, they ran towards the chambers. The door was barged in, and Louisa started grapping her different things. She pointed and gave commands for what Eliana should pack, and she simply obeyed. Louisa was quite skilled in panic-packing, as she almost nonchalantly found the items, papers, clothes and jewels she now needed. Eliana lost track of time, and before she knew it Louisa stood ready at the door.

“Gather your things, we’ll be off soon. You’ve been on horseback before, I suppose?” Louisa had an unnerving calmness in her voice.

Eliana looked up at her, and then over her shoulder.

“I-… I have to get my things, from the uh…” She lowered her voice. “The house.”

Louisa looked back at her, sighing and nodding. “Right, your things. Be swift, we can not take too long.” She stepped aside, letting Eliana run off.

The nobility had begun to run off. They weren’t taking their sweet time. Much like the creatures on the farm back in the Western Kingdom. The thought called forth a smile on Eliana’s lips, either that or the comparison between nobles and sheep and cows. Eliana had set off in a quick jog, which she herself found pretty impressive, given the attire she was wearing. She ran down through the main street, trying to find her way back to the plaza. The city had woken up, though it seemed many ignored it too. The citizens of Lowburg were a strange bunch. They were not delightful – well, most of them weren’t. Some would sell out their own, and some would kill for unknown reasons. But Louisa had been vital for Eliana. She had put her in a good position, and Eliana did not believe many would question a handmaiden of a noblewoman, not unless they questioned the nobility to begin with.

A large hand of soldiers had begun the evacuation, though struggling to get some with them. Eliana ignored it, and attempted to find her way back to the house. Though she did not enjoy it, she tried to recreate the other nights in her mind, to replicate her movements. She ended up by a familiar alley, and continued down the road. The old wooden door was unlocked, and still look as abandoned as ever. No one had been in there, not by the look of it at least. With a careful touch, she pushed it open. She stepped inside, glancing around in the room. Her items stood untouched in the corner, and the two staves still stood in place. One of the staves, the one that had belonged to Jonius, had begun to rot slightly though. Eliana sighed, unbinding it from the satchel. Her own was as it had always been. Of course it was.

She carefully stepped outside again, looking towards the way she came. But Eliana suddenly stopped, blinking a few times and looking around. Something was off. It wasn’t just a gut feeling, but a feeling she had had before. Not here. Not in this world.

She froze.

It was as if all sound was isolated again, and a simple calling led her way. She ran aimlessly through the streets, a very faint glow starting to erupt in her eyes. The feeling grew stronger. Eliana couldn’t quite describe it; freezing but warm, distant but close. Wrong, and not right.

Suddenly it grew on her, as she turned the last corner. By instinct she grabbed her staff, pulling it out. Something terrible was further ahead. It was some large, dark limps were flying around something. Without hesitation Eliana stormed forward. She now recognized the feeling, or the similarity of it at least. It felt as some sort of … necromancy? Though she could be wrong. Dark magic, for sure. The glow in her eyes flourished, consuming her eyes and turning them completely blue, with the glowing blue strings exiting her eyes. The world around her shifted. The grey and dark sensations from her nightmare returned. The plants lost their life, and the sky was all but blue. The limps had a shadowy glow around them, as they continued their work. Eliana swung out her staff, letting the blue-ish glow roll out from her eyes, along her body and rolling around the staff. The blue strings of light danced around the Walker, as the staff connected with the black things.

They almost screeched out, swinging out for Eliana. One stormed into the essence of Eliana, and pierced her shoulder. The magic sent a shrieking pain through the woman.. With a desperate jolt, she thrusted the staff towards the limp that had corrupted her shoulder. The limp retracted, but prepared to attack again.

There was a certain connection between the three worlds. Some things, and most things, would be affected in the Void, if affected in the world of the Living, and the other way around. Dark magi were effective. They were almost impossible to fight off for anyone without any magical gift, in the world of the Living. Spiritwalkers were trained to protect souls as they walked them towards the Afterlife. Strange things roamed in the Void, nightmarish, strangely shaped creatures. They feasted on souls, and left them to eternal damnation. The wound in Eliana’s shoulder kept hurting. Necromancy and dark arts always left pain in such a horrible, continuous way.

She threw the staff forward again, as she did her best in avoiding getting hit by the opposing magi, or whatever had called upon those things. As she had a brief moment to rest, she whispered something to herself, charging more of the soul essence into her weapon. She roared out and charged toward with a leap, striking directly into the core of the limps. An azure mark burned into it. It tossed Eliana away in a last swing, before disappearing into the alley. She flew into the side of a house, and down unto the ground.

She tapped back into the world of light again, seeing the life coming back to the plants and the sky. Her vision was blurry, and a horrible pain kept roaming around in her left shoulder. Something was dreadfully wrong with it. Eliana shook her head, trying to wave away the last strings departing her eyes. Eliana couldn’t quite see the figure that was lying on the ground.
She muttered something to herself, her vision turning to black as her head fell backwards towards the wall. Her energy had dived into the ground, and she felt ever so tired.

The Realm of Men

Celvin Taris, Chapter 1

The room was lit by lanterns in-between the gathering of people. The mood was good. Several mugs of beer had already been chugged down, though many still remained in the hands of the crowd. They cheered loudly, the excitement building up. In the middle, a big circle had been formed. Two men stood by each end of it. With short pants, and a bare chest they both stood ready. They both had an impressive body build. Though one of them had a fine amount of muscles build up, covering most of his chest. He stood at a steady pace, with both his hands held up. He had wrapped a piece of cloth around each one, mainly covering his knuckles. The man was fairly tall, but only half a head taller than his opponent. He rolled his shoulders, to warm them up. A bell was hit with a hammer, and thus the two went towards each other. Celvin had his knees bent slightly, moving his hands forwards and backwards, trying to read his opponent. They gracefully danced around for a few seconds, before Celvin quickly burst forward, sending a jab for the man’s head. Though the brown haired man duck down, trying his own luck for Celvin. The strike flew right into Celvin’s lower rib, causing him to briefly grimace, before striking out with a hook. A striking pain went through his hand as his fist connected with the skull of his opponent. The brown haired man stumbled backwards, but still stood firmly on his feet. The two went at each other, exchanging strikes and going at each other. Celvin kept his right leg in front of him, but then switched his legs, directly sending his right leg for the man’s ribs afterwards.

The man grunted, and rushed towards Celvin, grabbing him at the back of his knees. The brown haired man had planted his knee in the ground, and thrusted his shoulder into Celvin’s stomach, whilst pulling his legs back, forcing him to the ground. He started throwing punches down for the muscular man. Celvin attacked, wrapping his left arm around the man’s throat, pushing the tip of his radius bone into his throat. Celvin wrapped his legs around him, and grabbed his own left arm with his right. Celvin leaned back, twisting the man’s body in the other direction. He tightened his grip around his throat as much as he could, locking away the air. The man panicked, struggling to get even a hint of air. He tapped harshly against Celvin’s knee, submitting defeat. Celvin let go of the man, rolling back unto his feet. The crowd cheered, tossing their booze everywhere. A man stormed towards Celvin, clapping excitedly.

“Tha’ was amazin’ lad! Pay as ya’ was promised – though you could earn a little more!” he shouted out, trying to catch Celvin’s attention. But the taller figure simply scoffed, drying his face in a blanket.

“Explain.” He simply stated, barely looking at the arranger.

“Uh.” He started, before continuing. “Jus’ this local chap wants a fight. It’ll be a lot, but he’s a tough one!” the lowly street man nodded.

Celvin turned around, cracking his neck and nodding, stepping back into the circle. The arranger shouted out, resulting in the crowd cheering even louder and back away, giving space. Celvin isolated himself again, only focusing on the bear of a man that entered the ring.

He took in deep breaths, letting the airflow into his muscles. He raised his hands up again, focusing completely on the man, seemingly by the nickname of Brick. The bell rang again.

Celvin charged this time, sending a round kick for Brick’s inner leg, receiving a punch simultaneous. The bear threw his elbow out for Celvin, barely missing him. An uppercut was thrown in a response, hitting the jaw of Brick. He stumbled backwards, but charged forth afterwards. He grabbed the back of Celvin’s neck with his left hand, forcing it into his elbow and locking it. His right hand held under his shoulder, firmly on the shoulderpad. Brick explosively stepped backwards and in circles, bringing Celvin to the ground. He attempted to lock him down, but Celvin threw a powerful knee right into his rib, hearing cracking sound coming from the bear. He roared out and stepped back up, glaring angrily at the calmer Celvin.

The bear moved forward again, swinging for Celvin. But he stepped back, trying a few punches. One hook was rammed into the broken rib, staggering Brick completely. Celvin simply stepped back, raising his right leg up, by an angle of 45 degrees, extended his leg whilst he turned kicked directly for Brick’s jaw. The leg harshly connected, throwing Brick’s face around, and sending the man to the ground.
Celvin held his side slightly, grunting. Once again he let in the sound of the crowd, hearing their verbal satisfaction of the downed Brick.

The arranger went to Celvin again, sprouting out a flow of words Celvin didn’t even pay attention to, he simply accepted his pay and put on his coat, leaving the basement quickly.

The weather seemed fine, and quite uninteresting to him. Though a gathering grabbed his attention The parade was going at it, and Celvin approached, eyeing the crowd and making his way to the plaza. He stopped in front of a tavern, massaging his muscles and snorted. He looked around, spotting several people he recognised. He knew the people of the street well. He looked over his shoulder, just being able to spot the top of the Mansion. Without a word he turned his gaze back, observing quietly.

The Realm of Men

Morning

A golden coat rose in the distance, the bright rays shinning upon the colourless leaves. The harmonious morning sun lifted itself to its mighty throne on the clear sky. The fog had dimmed and finally revealed the open landscape once again. The beams reached into the far ends of the woody room. A single ray landed upon the messy bed. The silky linens had been curled up, and clenched against the young woman’s chest. Her emerald eyes stared into the blank wall. Small dark bags had gathered under her eyes. The golden hair was tangled, and barely moved as she pushed herself up. A grunt escaped her, as she nudged her chin. She was tired, and had barely gotten any sleep through the night. As her senses carefully crept back to her, she remembered her situation and where she was. She could that the mansion had woken up. Plenty of sound was heard outside her room, and further away. Her hand was shaking slightly.

Eliana couldn’t make up what had occurred in the night. She wanted to convince herself it was simply a nightmare, but it felt so strange, but yet familiar. The figure was haunting her, though it was clear as day. She couldn’t forget the face. The black pupils and the holed throat. The young girl frustrated rose up, trying to shake the though again. The image was far from pleasant, not that it was the first time she had seen black pupils like that. Sadly, it was far from the first time, and far from the last time as well.

Once she had managed to make herself presentable, she snuck outside. The other servants nonchalantly waved around her, not seeming to pay much attention to Eliana. She was dressed in another dress she had been given by Louisa. It was a tad less fancy than the one she had carried the day before. It was brown, and had a fine pattern running down along her body. She had fixed her hair into a single simple braid, ending a little under her shoulders. Louisa stood by the end of the big staircase, speaking with some nobleman. An elderly fellow, dressed in a greyish coat. A black top hat towered over his head, and he slightly adjusted his monocle whilst he spoke to the younger woman. Eliana carefully stepped up, bowing her head as she had been instructed to.

“Eliana, perfect.” Louisa greeted her. “This is Duke Dunsworth. He’ll be staying at the mansion while him and his family are in town.” Louisa smiled at Eliana, gesturing towards the man.

He once again adjusted his monocle and smiled broadly at the newcomer of a handmaiden.

“Yes, yes indeed! My son – a fine young man, might I add – will be discussing some closer alliance with the King’s men, mm’yes!” He spoke in his happiest of tones, continuing his smile to Eliana.

Louisa continued. “Ah yes, my cousin will surely be satisfied with the offer you bring, Duke. Though his army scales beyond the eye, more soldiers never hurts.” The noblewoman nodded, as another man stepped inside. A younger man, with brown curled hair. He was dressed in a light breastplate of some sort, and had a fine blade by his side. A few useful items were attached to his belt. His azure eyes darted around the room, as he nodded to himself in satisfaction by the view of everything in the room. With swift steps he approached the three, and bowed his head.

“Father. Lady Averheim. And …? “ He stopped at Eliana, raising an eyebrow at her. Louisa quirked a quick smile, turning her head to the handmaiden. She stepped forward, curtseying once again, breaking her total record of curtseys.

“My name is Eliana Metillius my lord.” She carefully spoke out, not even sure if she was using the correct title for the man. He smiled quickly and nodded, returning his gaze to Louisa.

“Tell me, Lady Averheim. Will your cousin, the grace, be able to see us soon? I am eager to deliver my news.” He spoke out.

Louisa tilted her head a tiny bit, nodding slowly.

“News? I thought you only came for the alliance?” She inquired, clasping her hands behind her back.

“I’m afraid not, my lady. I’m afraid not.”

Eliana swallowed a lump. She was unable to analyse the two men, but she carefully stepped back into her role of the Lady’s handmaiden. If it was even still a role by now.

The Realm of Men

Eliana sighed. She ruffled her hair and placed a hand on her hip, glancing over the tidy room. She quickly looked herself in the mirror, outlined with a golden metal. After quickly rushing out of the room, she quickly spotted the king down in the entrance. She walked in a swift pace towards Louisa’s chambers, which she hailed from, and finally found her way there. Without knocking, Eliana entered and closed the door behind her. The room was empty. The lights had been blown out, leaving the room in a dark picture. Eliana took a few baby steps forward, looking around and studying the room. It was the same as earlier, she stupidly concluded, whilst glancing at the fine ornaments. For a moment reality hit her again. She looked out through the window. The horizon of small houses filled her mind. She grimaced, wiping her eye with the sleeve of the dress, covering her entire hand. A cold shiver rolled down her spine, causing a slight whimper. For a moment, she had thought she was alone.

“Eliana?” a soft voice whispered from behind. Eliana almost jumped up, turning around and looking in around the room. She blinked. Nothing was there. She shook her head violently, messaging her temples. As she muttered something to herself, the door went up. Louisa stepped in, stopping abruptly by the sight of Eliana. She raised an eyebrow, closing the door behind her.

“Well he arrived and the room was ready. Well done. And also-“ she paused, walking to her desk and finding out a key with a number engraved. She extended her hand for Eliana, smiling. “You’ll need a room. Go grab your things at the house when you need them, and settle there for the moment.” She nodded, and Eliana simply attempted a curtsey and thus quickly rushed out the door, a little red from embarrassment of trespassing, if that could be called that. Eliana walked down the hallway, and down the stairs. She finally made her way to a door, matching the number on the key. She walked inside, being greeted by a fairly neat room. Much better and bigger than the one at the tavern, though it was still fairly small. The room was outfitted with what she needed. A desk, a couple of windows, a closet, a mirror and of course a bed. Though it had a few other things, it was really the bed that called most for her.

Eliana’s eyes slowly went up. She yawned, looking around. It was still night, and she was fully dressed. Apparently she had fallen to the temptation of the bed. After a couple of moments of grunting, she got up. The window was open, and the trees were dancing in the distance. Though there was no breeze coming in. She narrowed her eyebrows at the darkened town. Something caused her to look away though, back into the room. She wrapped her arms around herself, walking with light steps. The wooden floor did not make a sound beneath her bare feet, and the door barely moved as she lightly opened it. Her head peaked outside. The lights in the hallways had gone out. It was empty. Something drew her out. Eliana looked around herself constantly. But the emptiness continued. The mansion seemed empty, though it laid in darkness. Had they all left? In the middle of the night? Eliana shook her head – they were here somewhere, she was sure.

The plants by the big stairwell had withered. The former colourful beings had turned into dead and dull excuses for life. No light, no sound. There was an awful silence. Eliana carefully moved up the stairs, trying to find Louisa’s room. Through the dim halls she walked. Though she felt like she knew the walls, something wasn’t familiar. The paintings weren’t as joyful either. They were empty. No life was drawn on them, just plain withered fields. Bones lay in piles, tools stabbed into the ground. Eliana felt an ache in her stomach, and quickly moved on.

Louisa’s door looked like it used to. But as Eliana leaned closer, a few cuts in the wood came to light. Something had been drawn across it, either with … claws? Or knives?

Eliana carefully put her hand on the doorhandle, feeling a cold sensation rush through her. She opened up the door, and was greeted with yet another darkened room. Just as it had looked like earlier. The desk stood under the window. It was opened, just as the window in Eliana’s room. She walked towards it, looking down at it. A single item lay on it, torn to pieces. She examined it, and it became clearer and clearer as she put together the pieces. It was a necklace, a necklace with a torn sigil hanging from it, and as she looked closer at it. She dropped it as she saw it, shattering it again. With rushed movements, she reached under her dress, finding out her own necklace. She cursed out as she grabbed it, her hands being met by sharp edges of the torn sigil.

“Eliana?” a soft voice whispered from behind. She froze, slowly turning around in fright of what would stand before her, if anything.

A figure stood in front of her. Donned in dark clothes, and not too tall. The head hang loosely on the body, looking into the ground. She couldn’t see. Couldn’t see who it was – what it was. The head slowly rose up, revealing the black pupils and the neck. Oh the neck, the neck with the flesh torn out from the middle leaving strings of flesh and blood dripping down. The thing walked towards her, reaching out his hand for her, and revealing his broken teeth.

Eliana fell unto the floor, slamming her head into the wood. She panicked, sitting up and looking around. She sensed a few bits of blue essence drifting into the nothingness. As her breath calmed, she looked around in the room. She was back, and the window was closed. It all seemed far more familiar now. The woman pushed her self to her feet, wiping sweat off her forehead. On her desk stood a mug of water, a mug she did not hesitate to take a large sip from. Afterwards, she leaned her head in her hands, and rested her elbows on the desk. With a shaking voice she muttered to herself.

“Just a bad dream… Just a bad dream.”

The Realm of Men

The soldiers slowly rode into the town, though most of the turned about, after the leading rider had turned his head and spoken to another man. The king approached, after he had raised his hand to the crowd. The night had begun to fall upon the town, enveloping it in twilight. The most elusive man in the Northlands approached, exchanging a few words with Louisa, followed by a hug. The King eyed the people besides Louisa, but stopped his gaze at Eliana. She got a lump in her throat, briefly meeting the man’s gaze. But she looked away, lowering her sight. She had bowed her head along with the others around her, trying to follow the motions. As Louisa turned around, Eliana heard a series of screaming coming from a young woman, like herself. She turned her head to see some girl being dragged off by a couple of soldiers, and a dog being taken from her. Though it struck a knife to Eliana’s heart, she had to remain incognito. Louisa did not turn her head, or walk the same way her and Eliana had come from. The other noblemen either walked another path, or passively followed along. Eliana turned her head around, studying the crowds. She picked up her pace slightly, being right behind the Lady.
“Lou-…” She corrected herself. “My Lady, might I ask where we are headed? It certainly isn’t the road to the house, that we came from…?” she inquired, watching Louisa turn her head to Eliana.
“What house? We are heading to the Lowburg Mansion, silly. It is where the highest of the nobility and the king resides, whilst he is in town.” She gracefully walked along, before adding to her statement. “When he wishes to be, that is.” Louisa kept a simple expression, greeting the people on their way. Most knew who she was, it seemed.
Eliana blinked, raising an eyebrow. She decided not to ask again, assuming Louisa had a reason for acting so unaware. As they went further into the town, a larger building came in sight. The large mansion been placed in an open plaza, with withered grass around it, leaving it quite a bit more open than the other buildings in the town. As they approached it, two guards opened up the large door. The house was mostly grey and black, blending in with the surroundings. Eliana looked up at the ceiling, amazed by the decoration inside. But she quickly looked back down again, remembering why she was even able to stand inside this mansion. Louisa guided her up the stairs, and down the halls, to one of the main rooms. Eliana carefully closed the door behind her, pulling down her hood. She could now feel herself shaking, which had most likely been the case throughout the entire scenario. Her mind fell to the thought of the tavern, how she had left Jonius behind. Her body shook by the thought, which Louisa seemed to notice. The noblewoman stepped forward, handing over a necklace. The chain was of some silver, finer than Eliana had seen before. It had a sigil as a pendant, which Eliana quickly recognised.
“If anyone asks you, you’ll show them this. You’d be surprised how many people will back off if you show them our sigil.” Louisa smirked to herself, as she placed the necklace in Eliana’s hand. She gestured for Eliana to put it on, which she quickly did. She put it around her neck, stuffing the pendant under her newly granted dress. “Now.” Louisa started, turning around and attending her Lady-like business. “The room we passed – the one with the weapon adornments on it – it’s the king’s. He’ll most likely be arriving soon, and I know it isn’t exciting work, but I’d ask you to prepare it for him.” She looked over her shoulder to her new handmaiden.
“Don’t you have servants for that?” Eliana quickly blurted out, resulting in Louisa raising her eyebrow, slowly nodding towards Eliana. “We do, honey. That’s you.”
Eliana coughed, nodding in embarrassment, opening the door behind her. “Right… Sorry. My lady.” She said before rushing out, leaving Louisa with a smirk on her face, shaking her head.
Eliana walked down the enormous halls, the sound of people from somewhere in the mansion. She made her way to the mentioned room. After a few minutes of feeling only a little lost, she stumbled upon the mentioned room. It had two doors, with the mentioned adornment. Two swords were crossed over a shield, with the same sigil as the necklace she was given by Louisa. Eliana carefully opened up the door. She entered a big room, having a desk and other useful furniture. Though it was neat looking, it seemed like the room had not been used for a while. The big bed was messy, the desk filled with different scrolls and the like. She signed, simply starting to organize everything, expecting herself to have plenty of time.

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.