The black forest

A Chapter by AizenJ

The scourge of violence and evil.

It was a cloudy morning in the town of Aumfrah. Vrai has just returned from his hunt, a deer at the back of his horse, sorts of animals hanging from his saddle and covered in mud from his hunt. A young lad approaches his horse and asks about his hunt.

“How far did you go? Did you hunt alone? You’ve been gone for two moons, have you got any souvenirs from your hunt?" The young lad asked with a big smile on his face and admiration on his eyes. "I shall grow up a fine hunter like you one day!" Vrai smiles

From behind him beckons a woman and yells at the young lad, Ral. Warning him to stay away from Vrai. However, Vrai does not flinch to the woman's regard. He has grown immune of their mock and disregard for the family.

Suddenly a horse without a rider hurriedly pants down the hill from the northwest, neighing with fear. Staring to afar where the animal came from, Vrai sees a cloud of smoke and a wounded warrior trying to come down the hill, wounded and burnt. With haste, Vrai drops his hunt and hurried to the hill. As he approaches the man he sees a slash wound on his cheek and a dagger stabbed to his shoulder, blood flowing from his mouth as he tries to speak.

"What happened?!"

"Ba..ban..dits..."

Vrai carries the man to his horse and takes him to their household for treatment.

"Good gods, what' happened!?" Raffina asks.

"Bandits from the northwest mother! I suspect an attack on St. Clark" Vrai, says as he hops on his horse.

"Please be careful son!"

"I will mother!" Vrai then rides into the tavern.

He enters the tavern covered in sweat and fear in his eyes, his hands trembling as he taps Fortis on his shoulder. Fortis, the leader of the White Roses, a group of elite knights sworn to protect the town of Aumfrah. Together with Fortis is Agilis a knight that has known Vrai since his childhood.

"What's wrong boy?" asks Fortis as he Agilis offers Vrai a seat and ale.

"You look like, you came from the w***e house" says Agilis as the tavern fills with laughter.

"Bandits!" shouts Vrai as he slams his drink to the table spilling ale to Agilis. The tavern grew quiet and still as the whole place fills with fear and doubt.

"Where?" asks Fortis

"The northwest" Vrai answers

"St. Clark.....Then we ride" says Fortis as he grabs Agilis and his sword.

"Get them out of there, Agilis. I will rally the others and meet you there"

With haste, Fortis rides to the north and to the northwest, Agilis and Vrai.

"You better be right about this young man"

"I am, I wounded soldier just told me"

With Fury in Agilis eyes, he prompts his horse to go faster. They arrive at St. Clark, the village was burned down to the ground. Villagers screaming in pain, children crying with despair, men shouting, trying to salvage what's left. Agilis unsaddles and starts walking slowly to a small house with tears in his eyes. He drops down on his knees unto the ground as he sees a dead mother holding her lifeless child, burned from the fire. It was Lynn's home and her son. Agilis cries aloud as he held his lifeless sister in law and his nephew in his arms. Vrai, starts to tear up and tries to look around. Time suddenly slows down as he is saddened with what he sees, a field of dead bodies, burned houses, farms, poultry and from across a house still burning, a horse with a rider neighs. Suddenly an arrow shoots down to the rider from the north as he blocks it with his sword, it was Acri, another member of the White Roses. From behind her appears Fortis and Captiosus. Fortis has successfully gathered the rest of the White Roses, Acri and Captiosus.

Agilis sees them up on the hill, he gets up, rides his horses and hurriedly attacks to the rider with anger and despair, he unsheathe's his sword and attacks him. The rider blocks. Outnumbered he starts to ride away but Vrai notices something on his sword, an emblem. Vrai tries to catch up with the rider with the White Roses behind him. When they reached the black forest the rider suddenly stops and so did everyone else. Filled with curiosity and fear Vrai stares at the hooded and masked rider. They all draw their swords and Vrai attempts to attack the rider. He rode towards him and raises his sword then attacks but it was blocked. Vrai suddenly stops and starts to cry. He saw the emblem on the sword, it was the same as his, the emblem of the Cynings. The other piece of the dual sword he was wielding. He has given it to his brother two years ago before he disappeared. Could it be him...

Without hesitation the White Roses attacks the rider. Vrai staring emptily and shocked, he couldn't speak, with very little energy and a soft voice he tries.

"Stop, stop it. Don't! Don't hurt him" his voice, meaningless not reaching anyone.

The White Roses corners the rider but with tears in his eyes Vrai stood in front of the rider and stops them. Angry, tired and crying Agilis yells at him..

"Have you lost your mind? Move!"

Vrai turns around and looks at the wounded rider.

"Mal?" he years out

The rider kicks his horse and it neighs, he then swings his sword as he tries to flee. Agilis unsaddles, walks toward Vrai and punches him.

"Stop it!" shouts Captiosus

"Explain yourself" Acri demands

"He had the other piece of my sword and in it the emblem of the family"

Everyone stops with shock. Agilis turns to Fortis as his eyes starts to tear up. Fortis knew what he meant. Fortis, saddles up and turns back to St. Clark as fast as he could with everyone behind him. Confused and in disarray, Vrai continues to cry.

They arrived at St. Clark by sundown. It was quiet and no sound can be heard but the sound of the burning houses. In tears, Fortis unsaddles and slowly walks toward the house Agilis saw earlier. It was his home, his family, his wife Lynn and his son Lux, dead from the fire. Fortis cries and mourns aloud for hours. Agilis tries to comfort his little brother. Sobbing, Fortis carries his family and lays his wife and child to a wooden bed in a boat. He kicks the boat and let it ride the current of the river as they all light up an arrow from the fire and shoots the boat. Fortis cries on his knees as he lets his family go.

"May the Evanuris welcome you, may the ancestors sing your names with love so that we might hear it across the Pantheon and know that you have taken your rightful place with Elgar'nan, we shall not mourn with rejoice, for you now dine with the gods"

The warriors leave St. Clark and heads to Aumfrah, bearing the sad news to the people. The White Roses drink at the tavern quietly. Vrai reports to his father of what he has happened and what he has seen but he keeps the hooded masked rider a secret from his family.

When the next sun rose, Vrai wrote a letter to his parents, took provisions, his sword and his armor. He steps out of the house and sees the White Roses gathered and ready for battle. They saddled up and went northwest to the Black forest. Vrai stops, turns around, looks at the town and takes a deep breath. Fortis approaches him and says "We have to move"

Vrai travels with the White Roses to seek revenge and the truth behind the hooded masked rider.

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