Chapter 1: The Ashes of Candell

I am Shyn. I was born in Candell, a small town on the continent of Haestyn, where life was peaceful and humble. But that tranquility was shattered one red sunny morning, the day of my sister's first birthday.

I had gone into the forest for firewood when I saw smoke rising over Candell. When I arrived, I was met with a scene of horror: angels, winged beings who were supposed to be sent by the gods, slaughtered my neighbors with cruelty.

I ran desperately looking for my family. I found my father fighting one of those beings, but in vain. My mother, with my sister in her arms, tried to escape, but another angel pursued her relentlessly.

In a last-ditch effort, my mother handed my sister to me and created a distraction so she could flee. I promised her that I would protect her with my life. I escaped into the forest of Lade, while behind me the echoes of battle and cries of pain could be heard.

I carried my sister in my arms, small and fragile, and felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. At that moment, I vowed revenge on those who had shattered my life. The angels who called themselves envoys of the gods would pay for their crimes.

By successfully escaping the village and running for what seemed like days, I made it to the lade forest.

As I ran through the forest, I remembered the stories my mother used to tell me about the forest of Lade. It was said to be a magical place, full of mysterious creatures and full of dangers. But at this moment, it was my only hope. I carried my sister in my arms, her little body shivering with cold. The moon was hiding behind the clouds, plunging the forest into deep darkness. Suddenly, there was a noise behind me today. My heart skipped a beat. Could it be the angels? I stopped in my tracks and listened carefully. 

With fear I turned back and could see someone behind me about 20 meters away, his face was not visible because the darkness of the night and the moonlight illuminating him from behind made his face unrecognizable.

Realizing that it was not an angel since it did not emit the same sensation and did not have wings, I was relieved and remained on guard thinking of a way to escape quickly.

The figure in front of me spoke in a language I did not understand and approached me extending his hand, and memories of when my father taught me melee techniques came to mind, and as I could I grabbed his hand as hard as I could and pulled him down to wait for him with a knee to the jaw, luckily I left him unconscious, as I inspected him and surrounded him I could see his face and see wolf-like ears coming out of his head.

Stunned for a moment to see a beast man. More or less thin but with not very defined muscles I noticed that he looked about 13 or 14 years old , since his species was supposed to have disappeared more than a century ago .

I hurried to tie him up by pulling on his own clothes, and I made a fire by rubbing one dry branch over another and some brush to keep my sister, who was shivering in the cold night, warm.

That same night when I lost almost everything, aside from the promise I made to my mother and father, I swore to myself that I would never let anything happen to my sister even if it cost me my life.

As I felt a lump in my throat and a heart to be crushed with a stone, for the loss.