The silence arrived soft and swift. No one knew when the birds stopped singing or the rustling leaves stilled, but they watched the rushing rivers stagnate and felt the summer breeze dissipate from their skins. The heavy silence that befell the kingdom was only a brief reprise before the screams of terror quickly broke the soundless omen. 

Dull thuds of leather against stone perforated the silence in the castle’s halls as a young man ran towards the double doors at the end of the hallway. He was dressed in plain clothes befitting of the knight’s daily training. Moonlight white hair bounced along with his quick pace, and a set of deep blue eyes identified his heritage of belonging to the ruling family of Gwindor. The golden insignia of a falcon on the pommel of his sword marked his status as the prince of the young Kingdom of Lunaria—Caius Gwindor. 

Caius first noticed the silence when he felt the ground shift beneath his feet during swordsmanship training. Though the tremor was nearly imperceptible, Caius’s keen senses immediately identified the change, causing a fault in his form and allowing his practice opponent to score a point with a lucky tap to the shoulder. Unfortunately, before his opponent could celebrate the rare blunder, Caius had already sprinted back into the castle, leaving his knights confused, but there was no time to ponder over their prince’s strange actions as the chorus of screams began.

“Brother!” Caius shouted, pushing the heavy doors aside with a loud thump as he entered the king’s study. “Did you also feel that just now?” Caius paused in his haste as he noticed the grave look on his older brother’s face. “Tell me, what is it that you know?”

“The dryads have asked for our help,” Arrlo said, organizing the papers on his dark oak desk. “The inanis has appeared, as they had foretold three moons ago.”

“Impossible,” Caius gasped. “What could’ve brought it back after so many centuries? This must be some sort of trick. A ruse by your enemies to catch you while you’re unguarded.”

Arrlo laughed hollowly. “You give them more credit than they deserve. No, this is undoubtedly the beginning of its rise. There is no doubt that the dryads speak the truth. They are asking for a warrior from each of the eight realms to assist in the fight.”

“And you’ve agreed,” Caius said.

“Not yet, but I plan to respond soon.” Arrlo took his sword leaning against a shelf and fastened it to his belt’s sword loop. “Very soon.”

“You cannot mean to offer yourself?” Caius demanded, searching for a sign of otherwise in his brother’s expression. They both knew that this was a journey with no promise of a return. “What about your kingdom? Your knights and advisors? Your people? You don’t even know what the dryads truly desire from you. Have them plead with some other kingdom. We are not the only humans in this realm.”

“Do you not see what has already begun, Caius?” Arrlo said sternly, chiding his brother like a young child. Despite only being four winters older, Arrlo had long ago assumed the identity of a guardian for his brother Caius after their father’s passing when they were young. “There may no longer even be a human realm if we delay any longer.”

Caius knew his brother was correct. Looking out from the study’s window, he could see the once blue sky now stained a blood red that threatened their young kingdom.  “Then let me go.”

“No,” Arrlo immediately said. “I will not let you risk your life for me.”

“And what about your own life?” Caius demanded. “Think about your kingdom. What are we to do without our ruler? This isn’t like before when we were mere mercenaries and the only people who cared about you could be counted on one hand.” He moved to stand between Arrlo and the door, preventing his brother from leaving.  “You have citizens now that depend on your leadership.” 

“Which is precisely what I’m doing,” Arrlo said. 

Caius scoffed. “By blindly walking towards your own death?”

“By protecting my kingdom and its people.” Arrlo looked at Caius as he observed the young man his brother had grown into. He could still recall when Caius was half his height, chasing butterflies in their parents’ wheat field. Now, that boyish innocence was gone, replaced by a dependable prince who cared deeply for his kingdom. “And I know that they’ll be in safe hands with you.”

“But not as safe as they would be with you,” Caius pleaded, attempting one last time to change his stubborn brother’s mind. “I just don’t understand why it has to be you.”

“You know, Caius, at the end of the unification of the continent, there once was a king,” Arrlo said, beginning one of his philosophical anecdotes that Caius was all too familiar with. 

“Yes, yes, King Genesis conquered the ancient kingdoms to unify the continent, which resulted in the hundred years of peace beginning with his rule as the first king,” Caius recited from heart. It was a popular story that all children and adults loved to hear. Caius himself enjoyed listening to the Epic of King Genesis at every Winter Solstice festival. He had always thought that Arrlo resembled the legendary king.

Arrlo shook his head. “No, not King Genesis, but his brother.”

Caius frowned, attempting to recall that part of the tale. “I remember that the scholars said King Genesis had an older brother, but there was barely any mention of him after he died before King Genesis’s coronation.”

“His brother’s story began before King Genesis became a king,” Arrlo explained. “Before the unification of the continent, King Zero was a just ruler of one of the ancient kingdoms. I had always idolized his strong will and courage since I was a child, to be honest. But there was one thing I could not understand about him…until now.”

“What was it?” Caius asked.

“Why he sacrificed himself to save the continent,” Arrlo said, placing his hand on Caius's shoulder. “Similar to now, there was a great evil threatening the safety of the world, and King Zero gave up his life to seal away that evil. Like you, I used to think that it was foolish of him to risk the fate of his kingdom, abandoning his people without an heir. But, I believe I now understand why he made such an uncertain decision.” His grip on Caius’s shoulder tightened, trying to physically reassure Caius of his choice. “It’s because he knew he had a dependable younger brother.”

Caius sighed softly in defeat, knowing that there was no changing his brother’s mind. “I’m not like you, brother. Leading people doesn’t come naturally to me. I don’t want to rule over anyone.”

“Which is why I know you’ll be a great leader while I’m away.” Arrlo smiled and gave Caius a heavy pat on his back. “I heard the good news from Sophrenia. Think of this as a practice before becoming a father. Learn how to guide those who rely on you.”

Caius smiled at the mention of his wife and unborn child. “And we both know I’m bound to mess up there as well.”

“And we also both know that you’ll find a way to rectify the situation,” Arrlo said and moved past his brother to open his study’s door. “Saeros!” 

Seemingly from thin air, a man clad in all black appeared before him. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Tell Maelius and his squad to be at the ready,” Arrlo commanded. “We leave for Nemesia immediately.”

As Arrlo instructed his various advisors in preparation for his departure, Caius quickly returned to his chambers. Mounted on the wall above his bed was Caius’s prized possession: his glaive. Lifting it from its iron pedestal, Caius held the familiar comforting weight in his hands. The shaft was carefully crafted from the blessed prasi wood found only in the elven realm, lending to the polished opaque emerald-like appearance. It was a gift the King of Balsum had rewarded him with after he had saved their kingdom from the southern barbarian invasion. It had been a close companion during his mercenary days, saving him from many close encounters with the goddess of death. And now, he could only hope that it would save his brother too.

Caius found his brother already on his mount before the opened front gates of the castle with Maelius and his men. 

“And I thought you had gone to cry alone in your room rather than see me go,” Arrlo said jokingly as he saw his brother approach. 

“I’m not like you, brother,” Caius retorted. He held out the glaive in his hands. “I want you to take this with you.”

“Your emerald glaive.” Arrlo looked at Caius incredulously. Though there was practically nothing they wouldn’t share with each other, Caius had never let Arrlo even hold his beloved weapon for longer than a breath’s worth. Arrlo knew how meticulously Caius would clean and polish it every night. Before he met Sophrenia, Arrlo even thought that Caius would marry the weapon instead. “You know I can’t take it from you.”

“I’m not telling you to keep it,” Caius said warningly. “I expect it to be returned to me at the end of it all.” Along with you. The remaining message left unspoken, but they both understood.

Arrlo nodded solemnly and took the glaive. “You have my word.” He turned towards his soldiers. “Move out!”