SlashInfinite

The Realm of Men

A light breeze blew through the camp, moving the tents slightly. Some of the soldiers scoffed at it, looking into the night. The soldiers were small talking, minding their own business. Tallof walked out of Miriam’s tent, sniffing in the refreshing air. He nodded to himself, taking off towards the supply tents. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, burying his face in the jacket. The knights greeted him along the way, with kind smiles on their faces. Tallof returned them with a nod, still walking in a swift pace.

Inside the tent stood a woman, handling the supplies and noting down with a quill. She rose her head, giving Tallof a smile as he entered. Taina was a middle-aged woman, standing with a rather slim body, but still muscular beneath the colours she wore. Her hair was short and barely touched the end of her ears. Said hair was a light brown, always reminding Tallof of a strange bird he once saw in the East, though it’s fate was flying directly into a tree. He concluded that it must’ve had a bad vision, or just a bad day.

“Well? What can I help you with?” Taina spoke up with her rash voice, still offering a smile to Tallof.

“Mhm! Right! I need some things for our newly arrived guests. A carrot maybe, for the dog.” He nodded, and tapped his chin. “And … Saph’s Leaf, crushed to powder.” Tallof smiled, looking around.

Taina raised her eyebrow, almost laughing as if he was joking. She quickly realised otherwise, sighing.

“Why can’t you ever ask for something simple, more carrots maybe. Saph’s Leaf… Flame’s flight…!” She muttered as if it was a curse, beginning to look through the boxes.

Sir Leon wandered about the camp, glancing around with his hands clasped behind his back. The knight stopped swiftly, looking to his side. Next to a box sat a sad piece of Henry Kenneth, whimpering with a bottle in his hand. Leon sighed, rolling his eyes before speaking to the man.

“What did you do now?” Leon spoke in a monotone voice, not caring much for Henry.

Henry looked up, taking another sip.

“I walked into a branch, a’ight?” the man sniffed, dismissively waving his hand.

“As much as I would believe that, you never flood yourself with mead when that happens. Tell me now, or don’t, I won’t be offended if you don’t.” Leon said, looking at the man with some sort of friendliness, all that Leon could produce at least.

“Sit you tin-can.” Henry muttered and so Leon did, muttering at his plate.

“I could’ve lost her, Leo, I could-“ the knight interrupted Kenneth.

“Leon.”

Kenneth sighed.

“Leon. I could’ve lost her and I didn’t even help!” he whimpered out.

“Who?” Leon rose his eyebrow at the drunk.

“The Princess of course! She was in trouble and all I did was run! What if she had died out there!?” Henry drunkenly shouted out, continuing to feel bad for himself.

This time Leon sighed.

“First of all, your lust for the princess is startin’ to worry me. Second of all, you didn’t just run. You got the riders to go fetch them, mhm? So you helped.” Leon said, pushing himself up, agreeing to himself that his session of being a listener was over.

“I think she hates me.” Henry said to himself, as the knight brushed off the dirt.

“Women can be like that. But don’t forget what you are, now. Knowing Princess Risley, she would’ve gutted you if she didn’t see –some- use in you. So cheer up. Not in mead, you’ve gotten plenty.” Leon nodded towards the man.

“You know, you can be nice sometimes, in your own way. I know smiling isn’t your favourite activity, but we appreciate when you do, alright?” Kenneth looked up, blinking. Leon was nowhere to see, and Henry sighed to himself.

“Alright… G’night then.”

Tallof entered the tent, looking to the bed. The girl sat up, staring into the end of the tent, still with those lost eyes. Tallof grimaced, clearing his throat. Eliana looked around for the voice, who placed himself next to her with a small bowl.

“I’ll be trying something, mhm? Should cease the pain in the eyes, and prevent any future bleeding.” Tallof said, dipping a cloth into the wetted liquid. He tapped the cloth on Ellie’s eyes without a warning, causing her to flinch. Whilst he tapped them carefully, Tallof studied the girl briefly. The markings on her arm had almost vanished again. Finally, his curiosity took over.

“Its not everyday people get attacked like this, luckily… Why would one want to attack you and your friend?” He looked at her, though she did not react much to begin with. Eliana kept silent, pushing his arm away gently. The cleric pulled out a silk-like cloth, wrapping it around her head, covering her eyes.

“Well?” he inquired.

“I am a handmaiden of King Averheim’s cousin.” Eliana spoke in a neutral voice, not satisfying Tallof’s curiosity the least. The man sighed, getting up.

“I understand.” He folded his arms, looking at the girl as she tucked herself beneath the blanket, using several attempts to find the end of the blanket.

“It may not be permanent, it could heal.” Tallof cracked a smile, quickly wiping it off his face as he realised she wouldn’t notice it, even if she wanted to.

“I’ll check on your friend, then.” Tallof left the tent, taking out the carrot and walking back to the huntress’ tent.

The Realm of Men

The horses rode into the camp of the Order. Both Miriam and Eliana were dropped dead on each their own horse, with their riders nonchalantly trotting along. Freda sat upon a horse of her own, nodding her greetings to the soldiers in the camp. Her glance went briefly to Ellie and Miriam, one looking worse than the other. She had tried to count the times one could actually see their eyes looking around, and the number was unnervingly low. The girls were taken further into the camp, as Freda parted with them, heading for the Commander’s tent.

Sir Leon and Sir Yulfrick hadn’t spoken much on the way back, and had barely looked upon the two women. The one the Princess had referred to as Miriam lay almost completely still over the horse, with a sound escaping her every now and then. She wasn’t looking well, and the Princess had kept the details to a minimum. They were simply to get the girls to the healers, saying they had been attacked. Leon looked over his shoulder, having opened his visor to glance upon the blonde woman. The head was hanging loosely, and the body trembling at times. She wore a torn dress, and upon her arms were strange markings, almost looking as if they had ripped the skin open. Unsure if he was going insane or not, Leon seemed to spot a faint purple glow outlining the markings. The knight decided to shrug it off, riding towards the healers.

Leon and Yulfrick dismounted their horses, each of them carrying one of the two girls. They were brought into two separate tents. Leon stepped inside, lowering his head as he walked under the blanket covering the entrance. Inside stood a man, who turned around and raised an eyebrow at Leon.

“What’s this, Sir Leon?” He asked; peering at the sorry excuse of a girl, whilst gesturing him to lay her upon the bed located inside. Leon stepped forward, laying the girl down; he stood up, removing his helmet before speaking.

“She’s one of two the Princess brought along. She did not tell us much, and we didn’t ask. They were attacked, it seemed. By dark magic or some sort. You do what you do, Cleric.” Leon looked down at Eliana, grimacing slightly at her. Though he did not know her well, it still brought pain to him to see anyone like that. It was a sort of sleep, but though she was calm, she looked to be in pain. The Cleric wiped his hands, looking at the knight. He cracked a brief smile before asking.

“I know you don’t think it looks like I do much, but I do more than just stare at them.” Tallof grinned at the knight, who returned the grin with a scoff. Leon bowed quickly and left the tent without another word. Tallof smirked to himself, before approaching the girl. He studied her carefully, frowning at the sight. The cleric let his hands carefully feel her forehead, sighing at the high temperature.

“What are you fighting?” he muttered, feeling her neck, ensuring that she was even still alive. Tallof furrowed his brow, having a hard time even finding out if she was breathing. The man loosened the top of the torn dress, feeling upon her heart. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt the heart beating ever so slowly and careful. Tallof shifted his gaze to her arm, tilting his head. His eyes widened up as he saw the markings with the faint purplish glow. With a shift jog he ran to his table, running through all the books he carried, seemingly looking for something specific.

Cold. Yet warm. Hollow… yet filled. Alive, yet dead.

Eliana was torn apart. She could no longer feel her body, if feel anything at all. She felt so weak, so defeated and drained. Pictures and scenarios each took their turn to flash before her in a slow and incomprehensible manner. Eliana couldn’t make sense of them, and barely even noticed them at times. So many different voices haunted her mind, or what was left of it. Time had passed for what felt like years. She sat in darkness, not being anything close to alive. It was as if she had been there for an unimaginable long time, just staring into nothingness and trying to realize if she was in fact still alive. When something finally happened, it was so blurry and slow.

Something lit up in the distance, a faint light. Ellie barely reacted at all, one would start to question if it was just an empty body sitting alone. But the thing approached. A little wolf pup, or the outline of one, lit up by a white light. Eliana looked upon it, having acknowledged none of it was real, or originated from her mind. The pup tilted it’s head, before almost being blown away by a breeze, fading into light. She turned her head to look after it, but simply fell to the ground. Her eyes did not close and her body simply lay still. But she had seen death, so much death, and this wasn’t it. It was a strange state of mind. The woman was holding on to something, almost with consent. Nothing psychical, perhaps hope? Maybe the hope of life still existing, but yet, it felt as years had passed since she first came to this place. Trapped, kept safe, dead, whatever. The voice had stopped speaking to her. She was alone, alone in here.

But then came a warm sensation, some sort of warmth followed by light, fire, perhaps? She felt herself again, and the pain that followed. It cracked a strange smile. Eliana had not missed pain, but simply feeling. Her vision darkened.

Tallof looked down upon the woman, as he breathed heavily. He retracted his hand again, trying to regain his energy. She moved, not a lot, but she did. Her eyes opened up slowly, and Tallof tried to offer her a friendly smile. Though she looked in his direction, it seemed she looked right through him.

Eliana heard the words, but could not make sense of them. It was so dark still, but she felt the world around her. A man spoke to her, and she rose up her wounded arm, shaking as she tried to find him. When her hand finally found his face she froze. Lowly, she muttered out.

“I don’t-… see… I don’t…”

The Realm of Men

Isildra

The sound of silent whispers was rising throughout the hall, along with the horrific tension. Several neatly dressed men and women stood in groups, discussing for themselves. Some of the noblemen and women were standing, others sitting. The hall was indescribably beautiful. Golden and silver paintings dotted the ceiling and the floor alike, eight pillars stood on a line, from the door to a final window by the end of the room. Next to the detailed throne, a middle-aged man stood, observing the nobility, watching their nervous expressions closely. He tapped the pommel of his sheathed sword gently. For some reason, it brought a smile to his face, even in this time. The longsword was of some of the finest metal one could find in the kingdom, carved with ancient words and markings along the blade. The hilt was of a silvery colour, with thin golden lines running around it. The pommel had a fine ruby, held in place by four small metal straps, creating a cross. The man had named the sword Goodswill, and it had been in in his care for a long time. It had been rewarded to him when he had passed the harsh challenges for the role of Protectius Royalis, an ancient Raylian title for the protector of the current reigning royalty, and their family.

The opening of the sizeable doors broke Elias’ pondering. A woman stormed inside with hasty steps, headed straight for the Protectius. Elias stepped towards the queen’s handmaiden, by the name of Lyessa. The two had stepped close, lowering their voices carefully as they spoke.

“They await the Queen. Where is she?” Elias’ hoarse voice demanded, as he looked upon the younger girl.

“Queen Isildra has received yet another letter… Elias, it’s worse than we thought.” She spoke in a saddened voice, looking below the protector’s eyes. Lyessa carefully peaked into them for a brief second.

“What do you mean worse? What’s happening?” Elias replied, grimacing at the stares the two were getting from the worried noblemen and women.

“That’s the matter that worries us. We… do not know.” She gulped, before gesturing the almost frozen Protectius along with her. Elias followed her out of the room, and the doors were shut behind them.

The two barely spoke as they walked down the halls with quick steps. When they finally made it to the Queen’s room, Lyessa opened the door and motioned for Elias to enter. The door was shut behind him, and he cleared his throat to signal his arrival. Queen Isildra was a woman of thirty-six winters, dressed in one of her many formal robes. She had her blonde hair tied up in an ever so fancy hairstyle. The woman turned around, allowing for her nervous expression to be revealed. In her hands she held a letter, one she extended towards Elias Davenport. With no words, he took the letter and immediately began to read. His eyes scanned the content, as he murmured it for himself.

“Complete chaos. Word of the Northland’s King’s death, and rumours of a slaughter.” Isildra said with a surprisingly calm voice. She crossed her arms, looking to Elias.

“What in the name of all that is Holy, how did this happen? Last we heard the Crown prince was supposed to marry the Valentian princess! We… Pardon my language, were supposed to have our damned peace.” Elias sighed heavily, and Isildra gently gestured to a nearby chair, for him to collapse on, which he did. The Protectius rubbed his forehead, sighing once again.

“You do not need to excuse your language to me, Davenport. I am in as much distress as your, if not more.” Isildra sighed. “My husband was invited to the wedding, as a gesture of kindness by the Northerners. I do not know of his fate yet, though it is most likely he is as harmed as unharmed.” The Queen nodded, turning to the window again, folding her arms. It was clear for Elias to see the misery she was in, and he grimaced to himself.

“My Queen, I hate to bring this up now, but Raylia has a fine relationship with both the North and Valentia. This is – was the most peaceful time we’ve had for long. But both sides may ask for our help, should war break out.” Elias rose back up, straightening his back, and keeping his voice at a respectable tone.

The Queen nodded. “We have the option to declare neutrality in the conflict. But, that will only ruin our relationship with both nations.” She sighed heavily.

“Would you be so kind and do me a favour Elias? Go look for dear Reina. She hasn’t fallen asleep, and regrettably I have to inform the council of our situation. And bring Lyessa in.” Isildra turned around, offering a king smile to Elias. He nodded in acceptance, and bowed down before he left the room.
Lyessa stood carefully by a window, looking out to the night that had fallen down. She did not need words from Elias, but entered the room after he had left.

The Protectius steadily roamed the halls, until he finally reached the princess’ room. He knocked carefully, before hearing the young girl welcoming him in. Reina was about fourteen winters by the time, and was a most curious and smart girl. She stood in her nightgown, smiling only with her lips.
Without allowing Davenport to get a word in, she burst out; “Are we going to war?”

“I am starting to wonder if you’ve dug a whole to your mother’s room.” Elias shook his head at her, grinning slightly. “You have to sleep, young lady.” He motioned towards her bed, to which reply she did not give.

“I know we will have to pick a side. But does it mean I will be married off?” She did not hold back, folding her arms.

Elias blinked at her, furrowing his brows. “Where have you gotten that idea?”

“Lord Chansly told me when we were studying history. It’s what kingdoms do, when they want to tighten their bond.” Reina muttered lowly to herself afterwards. “And I’d like to keep my own bond tightened instead.”

“Do not worry. You will be safe and sound here, until we know what will happen. Now, off with you. You need your sleep.” The man nodded goodbye, leaving the room again.

Elias returned to the halls, where he rested his arms on a bannister, running a hand through his hair.

“Do not force our hand, Prince Valten. We do not need more war, we never did.”

The Realm of Men

She had not moved from her hiding spot. The young girl had simply sat and stared at the markings on her arm. The land had been so kind to leave her undisturbed. The voice came and went, she couldn’t really tell when it was there, and when it wasn’t. Eliana still had the cloak she had been given earlier, and clenched it close to her. The former excuse of a dress held together for now, except for the new hole in the left sleeve. She leaned against a fallen tree, sighing heavily. A certain sense of abandonment hit her, as she stared into the distance of the forest. From what she could see, an opening might’ve been ahead. By the sight of it, a thought came into her mind, unsure if it was even her own. She felt an urge to run, to go, and get away.

More energy came to her, allowing her to push herself up. Eliana began walking towards the end of the forest, without much determination in her eyes. As she kept walking without much of a goal, her vision started to grow darker, until she couldn’t see anything. An urge to sleep overcame her, though she kept walking.

Her eyes opened up, and she felt her entire body again. The dress had been replaced with some white robe, with a few golden lines running down along it. The girl looked to her skin, which was completely clean again. She ran her hand through her hair, which was unnaturally clean and soft. Around her were a lively town, though all the citizens walked past her, as if she didn’t exist. Filled with confusion, she turned around, trying to make sense of the whole scenario. She was standing in a giant plaza, with so beautiful buildings surrounding it. So many different people had set up their small shops, creating a magnificent market. Eliana folded her arms, curiously looking around. Still, no one seemed to notice her.

A strange smoke crawled along the ground, forming into an ethereal figure. Again, it seemed that only Eliana reacted. The figure took the shape of an unknown person, but one Eliana felt some strange comfort standing next to. It was a woman, dressed in a dress only royalty could dream of. The woman had a blue glow around her, as she gave the Walker a friendly smile. She had long, beautiful golden hair. Her voice was soothing as the chirping birds in the summer, and the calm blue ocean.

“You see all this – you feel at home.” the ethereal woman started, looking around the plaza. “Yet none of it stands familiar to you. You do not know it. You have not seen it, not yet. But it is where you belong.” The woman took a few steps forward, her feet flying just above the ground. “Great danger comes, for all. The sky will crack, crying above the lands.” She said, pointing to the sky. It turned into a strange mixture between blue and a horrible red. Lightning began cracking, and the town panicked. Rain began pouring down in an unusual large manner. A rift in the sky opened up, with flaming stones falling from it. Creatures emerged from everywhere, destroying the buildings and ripping open every man, woman and child they could find. Eliana froze in place, stumbling backwards at the sight. One of the … things saw Eliana, charging towards her. It was on all four, but had a large chest, almost as if it was used to standing up. The fur was brown and corrupt, more than four eyes planted in the forehead, with six or so tentacles flying out of it’s mouth flying out in a vicious attack. The figure held up her hand, letting the blue energy flow out from it. A blue fire shot straight for the creature, burning it up where it stood. A horrifying scream was heard, as the creature died.

“The world is on the brink of doom. The Arrival will come. Heed the warning, Walker of Spirits.” The figure said, as the giant light blinded Eliana. When she could see again, the town was gone. They stood on a calm hill, with a light summer breeze. Before Eliana stood four creatures. A giant flaming bird folded out it’s wings, a wolf bowed it’s head down, a giant stag sniffed the air, and finally a horse with a set of wings. The four stood so peacefully, looking Eliana’s way.

“In harmony – peace. In animosity – extinction.” The voice echoed away, as the vision faded into black.

As her eyes opened up again, the young woman stood by the end of the forest, snapping back into reality. She looked around, muttering the words for herself, shaking her head.

The Realm of Men

The leaves slapped Eliana on her cheeks, as she made her way through the bushes and forest. She muttered angrily at them, cursing ever so un-ladylike. The girl was constantly haunted by the echoing voice inside her head. She had done her best to simply ignore it, but it was near impossible. It was still as if it controlled her, and the soul leeching hadn’t helped. Ellie wasn’t just demoralized by the fact she couldn’t control herself, but she had been forced to go against all her principles. The sun shun gently through the top of the trees, offering only a minuscule amount of light. But still, the forest was suddenly lit up. Confused, she turned around. Her eyes opened up widely, as she spotted a giant wave of blinding light. Her flight response kicked in for whatever reason, and she quickly set off.

The wave was coming at her with rapid speed. The young woman tossed herself behind a small hill, trying to cover from inevitable event. The light had begun to fade away, but it still surged over her with an impressive speed. Only a smaller amount of it actually hit the girl, but it burned her skin in such a horrible matter. Her mind was equally wounded, once again. Eliana opened her mouth to scream, but no words came out. As she crumbled into a small ball, her body almost broke down from pure stress. Leia had run ahead, hopefully being able to find a safe spot.

When the light finally passed, the Walker struggled to move at all. As time passed, she managed to get her senses back. The dress was ruined even more, and parts of her skin suffered from strange, unnatural burns. It seemed almost like… Markings? Her eyesight came back ever so slowly, and the burns became clearer. Several minutes passed, and barking was finally heard nearby. When she was able to see completely, she froze.

Whilst Leia stood in front of her, wagging her tail happily, Eliana was searching through her satchel in panic. She tore out one of the books Jonius had carried around. Still, she was not able to read them, but she knew she had seen the markings before. With haste she looked through the pages for a drawing. Tears almost broke out as she saw it, doing her best to calm herself. The markings were almost identical to those of the book. Jonius had spoken so fondly of the damn book. Written by some unknown, yet important mage. Her teacher had sometimes praised this person, and sometimes not. He agreed, and was happy with many of the studies in the books, but had heard rumours of slaughter caused by this man. And if there is one thing Spirit-Walkers want to avoid, it’s slaughter.

Eliana ran her fingers across the pages, shaking her head slowly. With all her might, she attempted to make out the words. But the letters moved around, and was awfully hard to keep track of. She gave up. Instead though, she tried to remember. Remember all those things Jonius had spoken about, about this book. Her mind was damaged, but she was able to remember so much.
Possession, she stopped. She whispered the words for herself.

“One marked with such markings has most likely… “ She wiped her eyes. “Been possessed of some mystical force. Those gifted with cleansing powers knows...” –“Of the markings.” The voice whispered within her mind, laughing in such a strange manner, almost as if it was hurt.

The Realm of Men

The roar echoed throughout the forest, almost causing the trees to shake. It stroke equal fear into both the useless excuse of a Walker and the huntress. Miram briefly turned around, shaking her head with certainty that she wasn’t going back there, not in a thousand winters.

“No. No. No. No” She muttered out, as she picked up the pace. Eliana had begun to actually move on her own, though stumbling all the way ahead, to wherever they were going. Even Leia seemed to ease off with her happiness, barking left and right in the woods.

“Not now Leia! Hush!” Miriam sternly shouted at the dog, which simply returned the order with an open mouth, and her giant flapping tongue. The three girls kept their guard up, some more than others. Unsure whether they were going insane or if something was actually moving in the bushes, they darted off.

Noises were coming from every direction in the forest, and nothing was calming the nerves of Miriam. She wasn’t having much trouble navigating however. Eliana on the other hand, was more of a mess than she had been earlier. If her current trance wasn’t an embarrassment, her half-dead running through the woods certainly was. The rumours that had been told about those trees that surrounded them were horrifying. There was a reason a troll was to be found in there.

“This is getting tiresome. I’ll take it from here, dear.” A sadly familiar voice echoed in Ellie’s mind, bringing a brief headache along with it. The blonde girl seemed to step up her game, minimising the stumbling and actually seeming to run. It was a strange feeling. She wasn’t in entire control of herself, but knew perfectly well what she was doing, just as if her body obeyed someone else. It was so relieving to just let go.

Miriam seemed to notice Ellie’s sudden change of pace, assuming it was the earlier determination that had overtaken her again. “This way Ellie!” she said, waving her hand to a small path that ran through the forest. Miriam almost slid along the ground, as she stopped in the middle of the escape. A silhouette sat on the road, or slept perhaps? Leia raised her hackles, sniffing the air, and snarling at the thing. The animal seemed to react, gnarling in return. As it stood up, the massive size was revealed.

The bear took heavy steps towards the trio, with it’s heavy and wet fur almost dragging along the ground, as it was lit up by an opening in the trees, the face of the bear was revealed. It was harshly bruised, and Miriam could swear some of it was missing. Miriam and the Walker ran in each their direction as the bear charged towards them. Leia barked a couple of times, before realising the bear had to be deaf, since it didn’t react to the dogs’ terrifying ‘Woofs’. Miriam hid behind a tree, as she got her bow out and finding an arrow for it. She turned around, scouting for the bear. Even though they had been legging it for a while, the troll’s roaring could still be heard in the distance. Eliana stood on the opposite side of the path, meeting Miriam’s gaze. The huntress looked around for Leia, hearing rustling in the bushes all around, followed by a mighty roar. Leia jumped out onto the path, with the giant beast following right behind. Without a moment’s doubt, Miriam took aim and released an arrow. The bear roared out, but didn’t seem to care much. It went straight for Miriam this time, who managed to dart off. She got another arrow out, and loosely fired it for the bear.

Eliana tried to keep up, snatching a few rocks on her way. She tossed it for the bear, not giving her action much thought. The confused, yet furious ball of rotten fur turned around again, changing its target. As it was chasing the Walker, the brave dog leaped for it, attempting to bite into the neck of the bear. Ellie picked up the nearest sturdy stick she could, seeing as she was missing her staff. Again, she didn’t feel like she was controlling her actions, more just suggesting them to her body, which simply overruled her. The bear shook off Leia, and jumped at the girl. She was met with an unmatchable force, and thrown right down into the dirt. Before the bear could start clawing away at the woman, the headache came back, followed by a strange event. The bear simply halted, staring down at its potential victim. An eerie dark smoke emerged from the Walker’s face, and forced itself into the bear. She was met with a whimper, as the bear grew weaker, and Ellie felt a certain energy surging into her. But she had no idea what was happening. Someone else did, she figured, as the bear’s soul was drained from it.
The monstrosity collapsed, and fell unto the ground next to Eliana.

For some reason, she cracked a mischievous smile, as the voice spoke again.
“Strangely satisfying, is it not?”

The Realm of Men

“’Father’s Feathers’. Go.” The sun gracefully touched the young lad’s face. He had a sly grin as he lay down on the warm summer grass. The girl besides him bit her lip, nodding a few times.

“Once below the sky,
a child did wonder why,
he saw the birds up high,
waving their wings in the sky.

He begged his father ‘let me defy,
the laws that binds our lives’”

She stopped for a second, narrowing her eyes before continuing. The boy opened his eyes up wide, but was stopped by his friend, who calmly continued her reciting.

“His father did then reply
With a simply spark in his eye
He handed his son a woollen cloth
And told him he could fly.”

The blonde youngster jumped up, letting her skirt flail in the wind, bowing down with a smile on her face. He sat up, clapping his hands with an impressed smile.

“Is there any song or story you –don’t- remember?” he grinned at her.

The girl shook her head.

“No. Any story I ever heard-“ she tapped her head confidently “I remember.” She turned around, staring into the distance, at the castle.

“What about… Faces? Places?” he looked up at her. He couldn’t be more than in the fourteenth year of his life, and neither could the girl be. They were undisturbed in the wild, close to the lonely tree. The Western Kingdoms were always so beautiful this time of the year. The grass in the west was filled with life, nourishing the animals that roamed the lively plains.

“Anything.” She nodded.

“And yet you can’t read.” He smirked.

“Shush. It isn’t my fault. I told you, the letters just… They don’t stay in place!” She burst out, folding her arms angrily.

“Easy. I was joking.” The boy got up, brushing his pants off.

“Hilarious.” She muttered, still staring at the town down the hills.

“You told her?” he had lowered his voice, eyeing Eliana, who simply moved her head from side to side, in a calm motion.

“She wouldn’t understand. You know her.” The girl rolled her shoulder.

“You’ll be back right? Someday?” the boy asked, now stepping up besides his friend. She turned to him, smiling slightly.

“It’s not like I’ll forget you:”

“You better not. I’ll call horseshite on your memory then.” He smirked. “Go save us all then, Ghost.”

The girl giggled, once again shaking her head at the boy. They met in a hug, before the boy stepped back and looked down, filled with a melancholic feeling. Eliana picked up her satchel, swinging it over her shoulder and sighing deeply. The two had been friends for so many years, yet this was the first that Ellie actually had to leave. She had been able to be taught for a long time in the West, and only now was required to leave it. Duty, Jonius had told her. Apparently it wasn’t everyone who could do what she, and a few others could. There wasn’t much of a choice, or rather, much of an appealing other option.

“Someday.” He said, trying to force a kind smile on his lips.

“Someday, Jack.” She replied.

Present day

The darkness had consumed her. Wrapped itself around her body and mind, keeping it locked in place. She wasn’t sure if she was awake, or even alive. Her body reacted to something, but it wasn’t her decision. Something else was doing it. Something was in control. Unsure whether or not she had gone completely insane, Eliana thought she could sense the sound of a voice echoing in her head. A series of pictures flashed before her, and it was all too confusing to make sense.

Suddenly it all stopped. She felt some of her power returning to her, as she stood somewhere isolated, yet open. There was nothing but darkness all around her, but she was still able to see, there just wasn’t anything else. Not until a smoky cloud emerged from the darkened ground. It didn’t end up as an actual figure, more just an… outline of a figure. It seemed to be grinning at her, the voice still echoing in her mind. It approached her, and waved it’s hand in a slow motion towards her, and then away, simultaneously Ellie felt her energy coming back to her, and then being drawn from her.

“You must understand… I now control both you… “ Some other cloud formed up next to Eliana, but simply stood stiff and starred into nothingness. “And … parts of your friend.” The figure channelled some strange dark strings around himself and laughed from the power rush again. “But you walkers, you’re so much easier to control…”

Ellie felt her power drawn again, and collapsed to the ground, as her vision became blurry.

“You, I and a few other people will change the world, dear. I’m looking forward to it.”

Her eyes opened up.

The Realm of Men

Not only did it crawl on the skin. It went through it, into the very soul of a person. Crawling its way through the flesh and the veins, along the lines of blood and beside the bone marrow. And it spread a poisonous sting along the way, as it drained the very life essence of a person. To the young Spirit-Walker, it wasn’t just her life energy, but the very source of her powers. The minor wound she had suffered earlier was nothing compared to this newfound pain. She wanted to collapse, truly she did. But the force held her up, attacking her and the girl next to her, for what seemed to be ages.

This was the worst kind of death one could imagine. It wasn’t even draining them quickly. It was thorough and took its dear time, making sure it got every string of the Niphon Essence along the way. The blue ethereal light was created with the use of the Walkers spirit, at the cost of their own vitality. It was the pure gold for anyone who longed to rob the essence of others. Eliana’s vision had long been destroyed, her pupils having turned into a beautiful ebon chromaticity.

It stopped. Without any acquiescence the woman fell to the ground. Her muscles didn’t move an inch and she landed on her side, lying perfectly still. Her eyes were open and stared into the dead nothing, her body cold and smoking from the shadowy influence that had corrupted her. The staff she had carried with her, bearing the ancient markings had become rotten. The symbols were unclear and ruined, just as its master on the ground. The pendant Eliana had carried was shattered on the ground in front of her, but one could still spot the sigil of the king within it. So much had been lost, drained, and torn from her. It was unclear how much Miriam had suffered, as it seemed she was out cold when the saviour attempted to get in contact with the ranger.

Leia stood whimpering by Miriam’s side. The dog had run immediately to its master, not seeming to care much for it’s own wounds. She licked Miriam’s face, rudely shoving the female warrior aside. It was almost as if the smoking pile of ash were laughing in a faint echo. An aura of madness filled the air around the four. Somewhere in the distance, a confused man ran about, not being able to find his way in the dark.

Not far from them, at the gate of Lowburg, the fighting had recommenced. The work of the Spirit-Walker had possibly been in vain, as the two nations began striking each other again. Leia’s whimpering had turned into a demoralized bark. If dogs could shed tears, this wasn’t much far from it. The dog impatiently stomped the enormous paws unto the huntress, attempting to wake her up.
Meanwhile the Walker had not moved, not a single breath had been drawn yet.

Nearby

“I’m sure of it!” The Raylian scout called out angrily at his companion.

The swordsman sighed heavily, shaking his head back at the scout.

“We all heard –something-, but that flash was most likely a thunder strike! Or some weapon from the Northerners. I don’t think you-“ he barely managed to say, before being interrupted by the scout.

“No. It was the same we saw back in Castellia. Right before the Slaughter.” The scout nodded sternly, leading his comrade unto an open field. The fighting was still seen in the distance, a few torches lighting up the violent night. The two kept at a steady pace, the scout moving much quicker than his half-plated friend. They had always worked together the two. It was standard Raylian procedure; a scout always had a soldier of some sort assigned to him or her, if needed to tread into an area where they expected resistance, but were still able to let some of their movement down.

They covered behind a bush in the open field, near the supposed scene. The swordsman put a hand on the scout’s shoulder, having lowered his voice.

“Alright you bastard. Are you done with seeing flashes now?” He angrily muttered.

The scout held up his hand in a response, finding his bow and arrow. He placed an arrow on the bow, slowly rising up and taking aim. What it was, he couldn’t see. But it was loud and clumsy, much like a chicken without the head to lead it. But his eyes went to something else. A figure stood kneeled down, and a barking dog was at its side. He nodded.

“There.” And went off without a word to his heavier comrade, who had to pick up his pace again.

“State your names!” The scout raised his voice, having snuck up on the figure. He spotted two more now, both on the ground and looking ever so numb. The dog barked angrily at him and went to scare him off. But instead he lowered his weapon, loosing his grip on the string. He dropped his bow and slowly kneeled down, examining the former golden haired woman, without the consent of the armed female. The scout had his eyes wide open, inspecting the girl with care.

“What … in the world?” He looked up at his lately arrived friend, who held up his hand briefly to show his friendliness. The two exchanged a look, and an understanding nod.

This time the scout had seen something, whatever it had been.

The Realm of Men

Her steps had become heavy and slow, like a dying gazelle dragging itself across the plains to escape the inevitable fate. She wasn’t sure what was keeping her going, determination, or foolishness perhaps? It was the only thing she knew how to do properly. She could play a noblewoman, a farmer’s daughter, or anything else really, but this was what she did. Time was a subjective term for her at this moment. It was up to herself, how long it had taken. But it had all felt so long, and she was exhausted. The woman fell to her ethereal knees before her own body. Eliana admired it for a second, the way she looked so peaceful, yet in so much pain. It was fascinating, and her eyes did not leave the empty body as the colour came back into the world, and her view was shifted from looking at the body, to looking into the lonesome night.

Eliana fell down unto the ground, coughing heavily. She wiped her mouth, leaving a scarlet stain on the worn dress. But the girl came to the senses she had left, getting up on her bum and looking at Miriam, trying to focus. She noticed the concerned look on the huntress’ face, and attempted to follow the gaze. Whilst narrowing her eyes, and trying to focus her blurry vision, she managed to find the figure Miriam was cursing over. A surge ran through Ellie, as she felt the luring sensation again. With her hands pushed against the ground, the young Walker leaned her weight on her staff and froze, staring at the figure. It disappeared out of her vision as soon as it had come, and the Walker shivered roughly at the sight.

“M-Miriam… I’m so sorry-…” Ellie managed to say, before she interrupted herself. She felt a freezing breeze overcome her, and the pain originating from her shoulder became unbearable. It felt as if her very soul were being ripped apart, as it most likely was. The figure came back into their sights, only half a dozen meters away from the two women. His presence was unsettling, and the cold, dark, aura was so tormenting. Ellie could not make out if he was whispering, but she struggled to keep calm nonetheless. The figure drew out his sword, and shoved it into the ground, clasping his hands together.
From his feet a dark smoke emerged. It did not spread, instead it was sneaking it’s way towards the two, almost like a living snake. It sped up, wrapping around Ellie and Miriam’s legs. It was as if burning spikes were ripping right into Eliana’s legs, causing her to release empty screams. He walked closer, as the snake of a smoke climbed to Ellie’s shoulder, and crawling all over her.

“So young… So fragile… So persistent… “ the voice was deep and rung within Ellie’s head. She couldn’t see what was happening to Miriam, and was barely able to keep her focus on the dark artist. He stood right before her, watching the magic tear the woman apart, grinning sadistically. The man took off his glove, running his hand down along Eliana’s face, nudging her bruised cheek gently before smiling to himself.

“Do not fight it, my dear. It’ll only ruin it.” He assured her, shaking his head lightly. The pain in Eliana’s shoulder had spread to her entire body. She wasn’t able to stay in reality anymore, and was fading away. The man turned to Miriam, nodding his head at her.

“You’ve been ever so helpful. Thank you.”

The Realm of Men

The darkness of the night had fallen upon the kingdom once again. Eliana stumbled forward with unwavering will. She was thrown out of her dizzy trance by Leia’s barking. The girl turned her head, scanning Miriam. With an uneasy balance she stopped, turning herself to answer Miriam.
“I said I had something to do. Go with the others.” She muttered out, standing still and observing Miriam. But the huntress and her companion stood their ground. It seemed they had no intentions of leaving.

“It’s alright. We’ll help.” She answered sternly. Eliana looked into Miriam’s eyes, doing her best to read them. Jonius had always attempted to teach her so, reading people. People in the Realm didn’t just help others for the sake of it, Eliana was sure of it. Miriam had to want something in return. Whether it was future help, or a simple adventure, or perhaps answer to a bigger question was unclear. Something in Eliana made her want to trust the huntress, but most of her refused to do so.

The wind had begun sailing across the steady landscape, passing through the battlefield and the surrounding city. In the distance, the faint screams continued. It was something that had always cut deep into her. The screams. The screams never did seem to change. A regular farmer, a nobleman, a knight, they all screamed the same way when death was upon them. Without answering, Eliana turned around, looking in the direction of the earlier battle. Once again, the frozen sensation consumed her. The call of the beyond was a curious feeling. It suggested giving up, letting go. Spirit-Walkers had to balance themselves on such a thin rope. Traveling into the Void and returning was like a nightmarish dream.

Eliana clutched the pendant in her hand, the one that had been given to her by Louisa. Ellie had hidden it under the ruined dress, along her upper chest. She looked at Miriam again, ever so carefully biting her lower lip. She was getting impatient, perhaps due to the pain in her shoulder or something entirely different. Ellie was running out of time. She couldn’t stand here all night, trying to convince the steadfast woman to leave.

Eliana simply shook her head, turning around and taking off again. But she only took a few steps before she dropped to her knees, placing her hands on her thighs and bowing her head down.
The young girl moved her hands in a series of motions in front of her, while muttering an incomprehensible language. Her eyes gave off a faint blue glow, and from the side of them the ethereal blue strings steadily wandered off, disappearing into the thin air a small distance from her face. Leia raised her ears, running in front of the Walker, sniffing her and barking at the unknown substance. Ellie’s eyes had opened up, but were filled with the spiritual glow.

The Void overtook the world around her, and a heavenly warmth filled Eliana, as her spirit wandered up from her body. It was soon exterminated by the cold and mysterious Void. The Spirit-Walker looked upon her shoulder, which simply lacked a part of the blue glowing figure she had become. She walked away, towards the calling.

Countless beaming lights were wandering aimlessly. There were hundreds of them. She took in a deep breath of nothingness, and held up her hand. The blue glow charged towards it, beaming as the sun in the west. She walked with a steady pace through the battlefield of death and decay. The lost spirits wandered towards her, with a bent back and loose arms. The looks on their faces were horrifying, and their pupils had become dark. They followed the beacon of light leading them forward. Eliana couldn’t count them. Some of them seemed so familiar, yet so strange.

The young woman stopped, already feeling drained. She grimaced, and once again viewed her shoulder. It had gone worse; the black essence had spread towards her chest and her arm, along with the pain.
She lowered her hand, stretching her arm and letting the energy part ways with her soul. The blue light flew forward, and began shaping something, opening up a rift in the Void. The opening had a heavenly glow, and stood patiently as the hundred of Raylian souls wandered into it. Eliana had never gone into it herself. It was dangerous, was all Jonius had told her.

The Spirit-Walker could feel the traveling taking its toll. She had become even weaker than before, and was running out of energy to keep the rift open. The souls still were wandering inside, when one stopped right in front of the young woman. It turned around, and looked upon her with its black pupils. At a fair height, most likely in it’s late forties when it had passed away.

It did not say a word, and simply turned around and wandered towards the rift. Just as the soul had entered, the rift collapsed, still with so many spirits wandering outside.