Why do I see two of her? She's dressed in her normal light green gown, her brown apron tied on loosely, and her shiny brown hair tied back with a wicker ring, but for a moment I saw her smiling at me, her calloused hand on my left shoulder, that image slowly faded over one of concern, her hand now on my right shoulder. I could barely make out what she was saying for a moment until the ringing settled and the sounds faded back in slowly.
"...-fred? What's wrong? Ernice, what happened?" She looked from me to Ernice, just outside my view.
"I don't know he was ok a second ago..." she trailed off, her voice was shaken I heard her footsteps pound in my head as she approached and entered my vision, mimicking my mother, placing her hand on my shoulder over hers.
I tried to muster words together to say I'm fine, but I felt weak, my arms buckled and I fell flat on my stomach in the puddle of my own vomit, I felt it soak through my shirt as I slowly lost consciousness.
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I found myself floating slowly in a black space, devoid of light and sound, myself illuminated by an unseen flame. Soon, I felt my feet touch the floor, I heard the creak of the floorboards and could smell the dust in the air. Then came the bookshelves, arranged in a circle around me, towering above into the darkness. The unseen flame, replaced with a candle on a table in the center of the room, Large and circular, with enough chairs to seat nine people. Each chair had been carved with words etched on the backrest of each.
The Survivor, The Lost, The Traitor, The Knight, The Lord, The General, The Champion, The King, and... this one was left blank.
"This is weird..." I rubbed my hand across The Survivors seat, suddenly an ethereal man with Auburn Hair, blue eyes, and tattered clothes too small for his size, appeared in the chair. I heard a voice from him though his emotionless face didn't move.
"I hid. I couldn't do anything else." He said to seemingly no one, "I was alone in the forest for years, no sign of anyone coming to save me. I will leave you my final moments, so that you may be better."
The room was engulfed in a warm green flame before a blinding white overtook my vision. I moved my hand to block the light, the sun was bright and the trees provided little cover in the winter. My hand was calloused and dirty, the fingernails chewed to the bed. I looked down at myself, I was tall, hair to my waist, my stomach distended and my arms were thin, I could see the bones through my skin. I produced a bone knife from a hempen band tied around my waist and approached the nearest tree that hadn't been stripped clean to start harvesting, but I couldn't muster the strength. I collapsed in the snow, curling up, my stomach panged and I heaved, nothing coming up but a mix of splinters and blood.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything..." I sobbed "I'm sorry." I repeated it again and again, and when I ran out of the strength to speak I thought it again and again until I was gone.
I woke up back in my bed, In a fresh set of clothes, dazed. I looked at my hands, they were back to being soft and clean, my stomach growled and my head ached. Beside my bed my mother sat in a chair, sleeping. As always, my room was mostly empty except for my chest, and a single rug made from a black wolf's pelt.
"Mom?" My voice was surprisingly hoarse, "What happened?"
She woke suddenly, and with a rush of energy. "Alfred, baby are you ok?" She felt my head, "still no fever but you should stay in bed ok?"
"I'm ok, just hungry." I said trying to smile and calm her, "did you make any G'nash?"
"I'm ok, just hungry." I said trying to smile and calm her, "did you make any G'nash?"
"Of course, ill bring you some right now. It should still be warm." She got up and left the room, leaving me alone.
I got up and examined my body, no dirt, scratches nor scrapes. My hair still shoulder-length, and skin still a healthy tanned white. Slowly, the image of myself from the dream slowly faded and I sighed with relief. What was all that anyways?
I got up and examined my body, no dirt, scratches nor scrapes. My hair still shoulder-length, and skin still a healthy tanned white. Slowly, the image of myself from the dream slowly faded and I sighed with relief. What was all that anyways?
I sat on the floor, legs crossed, to go over what has happened so far today. "I was playing Hunters with Ernice when I fell asleep under that tree." I mumbled, "Then I fell, and when I got up I saw a... castle beginning to rise like it was flying when she tackled me?" I paused for a moment, looking at the door to make sure my mother wasn't coming back with lunch yet.
"After that, we walked back to my house where I saw my mom-" I gagged, my body refusing to recite that part aloud, "Then I saw multiple of her comforting me before I passed out?" I shook my head, "And what was that dream? Did I starve to death? What was I even sorry about?" I said, but before I could continue I heard footsteps approaching my room.
My father entered, his short hair cut to within an inch of his head, and his beard neatly kept. The leathers he wears worn from the constant use during his daily hunts, his gray eyes laced with concern as he brought me my G'nash.
"After that, we walked back to my house where I saw my mom-" I gagged, my body refusing to recite that part aloud, "Then I saw multiple of her comforting me before I passed out?" I shook my head, "And what was that dream? Did I starve to death? What was I even sorry about?" I said, but before I could continue I heard footsteps approaching my room.
My father entered, his short hair cut to within an inch of his head, and his beard neatly kept. The leathers he wears worn from the constant use during his daily hunts, his gray eyes laced with concern as he brought me my G'nash.
"Hey Alf, what's going on? Your mother says you passed out earlier."
"I'm fine, I think the bread I had this morning was moldy." I tried to smile, but I felt that my face wouldn't move.
He handed me the bowl and sat next to me, "I'm sure," he seemed to laugh a little before putting on a more serious expression, "but you should be more careful you really scared your mother."
"I'll try to be."
...
He handed me the bowl and sat next to me, "I'm sure," he seemed to laugh a little before putting on a more serious expression, "but you should be more careful you really scared your mother."
"I'll try to be."
...
"Hey dad, can you teach me to hunt?" I asked, startling him at first but he quickly regained his composure. Maybe now wasn't the best time to ask.
"I'm not sure you're old enough to hunt." He scratched the back of his neck
"I want to hunt, and be strong like you." I stared at him, trying to get him to at least consider it
"What if you get hurt?"
"I can handle it."
"Your mother will worry."
"You'll be there to protect me."
"I can't always protect you..." He seemed to wander off into his own mind, leaving me waiting for an answer. "Why don't you eat, then ill give you an answer."
I never ate with more speed and gusto, I nearly choked on a carrot piece I forgot to chew. My father sat, slackjawed at my ability to eat so fast. "Alright, can I?" my eyes must have been shooting daggers from the face my father wore.
"You may be strong for your age, but you can barely lift a sack of flour, you're not even ten. You can't even use magic yet." He paused to look at my unchanged face, "but I'll start training you for it tomorrow, how does that sound Alf?"
"Yes!" I excitedly yelled, getting up slowly, "can we start now?"
"No, we'll start tomorrow night. Get some rest ok? Don't need to worry your mother anymore, got it?"
I nodded before returning to bed, I realized the fatigue from the day was still wearing down on me and quickly sank into the pillows, as I silently hoped for a better dream.
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I nodded before returning to bed, I realized the fatigue from the day was still wearing down on me and quickly sank into the pillows, as I silently hoped for a better dream.
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The smoke cleared from the forge, Deirdren lay back on a bed of his long silvery hair, soot covering his face seemingly dying his hair black at the base, "Ok, you were right. Maybe this was a bad idea."
Nilish stood amidst the ashes as they settled, "This forge was used by my Children to create bonds, you've destroyed it! Do you know how long it will take to restore this place, It's not like Adletrouse and Yaminar can come to rebuild it any time..." she trailed off, already planning the reparations.
"Don' you forget about the festival, you need to get it fixed by then." he nodded, as though he had given sage advice. He sat up, stroking his beard as his eyes focused on the molten anvil he'd been working on. "Tha's not good."
"What's not good? The flame being out in my forge? The ash clogging the chimneys? Or maybe the massive hole in the forge?"
"I'd say that the ol' hand bein' gone isn't very good." A single finger remained wrapped around the hammer the dwarf had been using, runes seared into the very flesh that had tried to create them.
Nilish stood amidst the ashes as they settled, "This forge was used by my Children to create bonds, you've destroyed it! Do you know how long it will take to restore this place, It's not like Adletrouse and Yaminar can come to rebuild it any time..." she trailed off, already planning the reparations.
"Don' you forget about the festival, you need to get it fixed by then." he nodded, as though he had given sage advice. He sat up, stroking his beard as his eyes focused on the molten anvil he'd been working on. "Tha's not good."
"What's not good? The flame being out in my forge? The ash clogging the chimneys? Or maybe the massive hole in the forge?"
"I'd say that the ol' hand bein' gone isn't very good." A single finger remained wrapped around the hammer the dwarf had been using, runes seared into the very flesh that had tried to create them.
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