I'm writing the tales again so I'll post what iI have so far first. enjoy:

Prologue

The sun had just begun to rise on Telas village. The province of Solene, located on the southern tip of the continent, had always been a peaceful place. The towns remained small, and rarely did any strangers arrive unless it was on important business. This extended even to Solene City, which acted as the capital as it's name suggested. The majority of those who lived in this quaint country were often farmers or hunters, but the port city of Sarcport had seen it's fair share of sailors as well. However, this story does not take place in either of this cities. As the name of this chapter suggests, this story begins in Telas Village, a small town located by an old forest. Many of you are wondering why I am allowing this story to be clichéd in this way, others are wondering why I am digressing from the topic. I will answer both of these questions before we move on.

To answer the second question first, I am digressing from the story for a moment to warn you of something that you may not enjoy. This information comes with the answer to the first question. You see, our world is full of stories about brave knights who leave their tiny villages and return as heroes who have slain dragons and rescued "damsels in distress". It is full of stories of children who grow up to seek justice for unjust actions. It is full of stories with happy endings and morals and friendship.

This, to your dismay... is no such story.

　



Chapter 1







Telas





A few miles north of Telas village....

Feren, a young 11-year-old stood outside of the cave with his younger brother, Fendir (age 7). Their mother had left late the night before in a carriage bound for Solene city. After the disappearance of Delven, Feren's father two years ago, his mother Banalra had to find a way to support the family. She did this by going to Solene city and working for in the local shops each week. During this time, Feren would usually be under the watchful eye of the other locals, and would play with his friends, Arla and Elra, who also hapened to be twins. The two girls never quite saw eye to eye for some reason, and would always have different ways of doing things. Arla always seemed to want to learn magic like her father, and aspired to become a mage and learn spells all her life; while Elra had always been more realistic in her goals, and would often try to perform magic without the need for spells. Amongst the other children was Borsken, Feren's cousin, who always tried to take control of the others; and Veldrin Earratak, who kept to himself often. Feren always felt strange around Veldrin, as if he sensed a dark presence inside of him. The silver-haired young boy always seemed to be studying strange magic’s, and would never attempt to get along with the others. As a result the parents kept their distance from him.

Feren stared deep into the dark, depressing cave. The air inside was damp, and smelled of decomposition. Fendir hid behind him, afraid to continue, but Feren turned to him and said, "Come on Fendir, it's only goblins. Our dad used to kill these guys all the time!"

"But we're only little kids! We can't take on a goblin cave by ourselves! What if we die?!"

"If we die, we'll take as many of these things with us as we can. Besides, it's not like we're going to actually charge in and try to kill them all."

"We're not?" Fendir had always assumed that the best approach to battle was to rush in quickly.

"Nope, we're going to sneak in, steal their stuff, and maybe kill the leader."

"kill the leader?! that sounds awesome!" Fendir's eyes lit up at the sound of this. They would be heroes to the town if this worked.

"Come on, enough talk. let's go, and stay low." Feren finished.

The brothers slowly entered the cave, staying low to avoid being spotted as they went further and further down towards the goblin encampment. As they approached, they noticed a dim light in the distance; probably from a fire. Fendir quickly tried to run ahead upon the sighting, and Feren quickly grabbed his collar, pulling him back. "No, that's too risky, we're going this way." he said, leading Fendir down a dark tunnel on the right side of the path. the tunnel wound around the "main hall” of the goblins, and into a large den. It was there that they spotted a small heap of treasure coming from the goblin raids. Nearby, a large goblin sat in a Chantilly made throne, Feren quickly surmised that this was the leader. Silently, stealth fully, Feren lightly stepped towards the treasures, and began quietly sorting through it. There were a number of small bags of gold, and quite a few books and pieces of merchandise taken from caravans that were trying to get to Solene city. It was one of these items in particular that caught Feren's eye. This item was a small book that bore a magic-looking seal on it's cover. Feren's mother carried it with him at all times.

Suddenly and epiphany overcame Feren as he glanced at a pile of bodies to the side. One of these bodies, though starting to decompose, was instantly recognized as that of Banalra, his mother. The goblins must have attacked at night while they were asleep, because Banalra had been known for being the only female warrior around during the entrathian wars. Delven, ferens father, was the leader of an army of powerful elves during this time, and had met Banalra, a human, in the midst of battle when she saved his life from her own allies. Now, they were both gone. Delven had disappeared, and Banalra was now dead. An inner rage began to overcome Feren as tears welled up in his eyes. He unhesitantly drew the short sword he had stolen from his house earlier that day and charged straight towards the goblin leader. The creature screeched in surprised, and quickly drew it's weapon, a dark, glowing dagger. Before Fendir knew what was happening the two collided. Feren had lunged upwards, unseaming the goblin king; but the creature had gotten as chance before it's downfall to drive the dagger up Feren's face, cutting it from his left eye in a zigzag pattern down to his right cheek. Both the goblin and Feren dropped to the ground. Feren was still breathing, thankfully, but something was wrong. the dagger wound was doing something to him, and had completely paralyzed him for the moment. Fendir quickly ran up to his brother and dragged him into the shadows. He couldn't have done so at a better time, as the shriek of goblins began to fill the caves. It was quite clear now that their presence had been compromised.

Fendir tried with all of his might to lift his older brother. Being a half-elf, the two were naturally lighter than other races, but even then, Fendir's scrawny muscles would not lift Feren. Quickly Fendir looked around and noticed a small hand cart; perfect. Acting without hesitation, young child grabbed the cart and wheeled it over to his injured brother, who had begun shaking now. The loud clangor of the enraged goblins increased, signifying that they were on their way, and small lights began to appear in the cave distance. Fendir hastily dragged Feren onto the cart and began sprinting down the tunnel in the direction of the exit, his short golden hair now turning bronze with sweat, only to see to his dismay 2 rather large goblins standing guard ahead. Avoiding their line of sight, Fendir moved the cart behind a rock, unintentionally banging it against the wall. On of the guards perked up upon hearing the noise, and slowly began sneaking towards the half-elven brothers.

Feren let out a slight gasp as he tried to hand Fendir a small dagger. Grabbing it, Fendir realized that this way the same dagger that the goblin leader had! The goblin's footsteps could be heard somewhat clearly now, and Fendir crouched, ready to spring on the fearsome creature like a tiger on unsuspecting prey. Just as the goblins head appeared above the boulder Fendir lunged at the creature with the dagger and imbedded the weapon deep in it's temple. It let out a writhing scream of pain that alerted the entire cave once more, and the other guard quickly began running towards them. Fendir had only one option now, he quickly took the wheel of the cart and began sprinting straight at the vile guard, ramming it at top speed. The goblin fell back upon impact with the cart, and Fendir rushed out of the cave as fast as his legs could carry him.

The air began to feel cold in his breath now, and he knew he couldn't go much further. Feren was beginning to shake further, and his eyes began to glow a dark red. Persistently, Fendir picked dup his pace, a bad move, and lost his footing on the ground. He tripped, releasing the cart, which proceeded to ram itself into a small bush. As Fendir sprawled across the ground, he gasped for air and looked down at his arms and legs. the were now blood from the fall, and a sharp stick was jutting out of his leg. His vision blurred as he looked back towards the cave. Goblins were now pouring out of the exit and headed straight for him. the last thing Fendir saw was a flash of blue sparks before he lost consciousness.

"Can you hear me? Just nod if you can.... good. okay, just a little shock. Whoa! Easy there, this is going to help you. It's not easy trying to reverse this kind of hex."

"Sir, is he going to be okay?"

"He will survive yes... but the boy you knew is long dead. The magic from that dagger, Orneck, changed him."

"What do you mean?"

"There is darkness in him now. It's lucky that I found you when I did. Another few moments and your brother... well... let's just say your brother would be much worse off than he is now. I can stop the magic from spreading to him completely, but unfortunately he will ever be the same. Here, have him drink this."

"Alright."

Feren felt cold liquid seep down his throat. The taste was unbearable, but at the same time it relieved him. His now grey skin began to brighten, and returned to it's normal pale pink color. His pointed ears parked up, and he opened his eyes. In front of him was Fendir, who had stayed by his side at all times. His face was beaming as he noticed Feren's return. Next to him was a grown man. He glowed blue, and seemed translucent. His black hair went down to his shoulders and a beard covered the lower part of his Face.

"Welcome back." he spoke in a soft voice, "Your brother was very worried about you. He wouldn't let me take care of him until I saw fit that I cure you. It was a good thing he did too, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to save you in time."

"He refused treatment... what happened?" Feren replied, studying Fendir. He noticed immediately what was wrong, his arm was in a sling, and his leg was covered in bandages.

"Well, it seems he had a bit of a fall when you escaped the cave. his arm was broken in numerous places and his right leg is damaged quite a bit. His leg should be fine, but unfortunately his arm suffered to much damage to be of any use now. It will never leave that sling I'm afraid."

Feren glared at Fendir, revealing his anger counting towards his recklessness. The man sensed this and continued, "Of course his actions were necessary. it saved your life. That was no ordinary dagger wound."

The man, a ghost born actually, debriefed him of everything that had happened in the cave and outside. The ghost, Entrath, heard the noises from the goblins and rushed over to help, where he saw Fendir trip and the cart smash into the brush. Without hesitation he attacked the goblins using his spells and brought the two boys to his spire for treatment. After he was done, as it was very late, he sent the two boys to bed. "Now do try to get some rest, tomorrow I will return you to your homes." He added as they went into a small bedroom. Once he took the chance to lay down, Feren spend the rest of the night gazing at the ceiling and contemplating his actions. Everything had gone wrong, and it was all his fault.

Feren's eyes slowly opened and his vision blurred. As he regained clarity he noticed he was no longer in his bed, but in a completely different room. Everything had a purple-ish glow to it and a variety of weapons were hanging from the walls. In the center of the room, was a blue glowing orb that hovered above a small pillar. A voice broke the silence behind him, and he realized it was Entrath. "Surprised? I thought you would be. You're going to be undergoing a few side effects due to the amount of magic I had to use to heal you. Fortunately, you stopped before the orb, and the magic in contains remains intact. It is now clear that I must return you to your village at once. You're dark side is too tempted by the power that lies here for there to be any other option. I will wake your brother, but first, I think you should take something with you.

Entrath then left the room, urging Feren to follow suit. The two traveled through numerous well-lit hallways, past a kitchen, a master bedroom, a beautiful garden, and finally, into a small room with a single chest in it. Entrath unlocked the chest with a small brass key, and began searching it for something. After a few moments he found what he was looking for, and revealed a pitch-black hooded robe. He took this and handed it to the half-elf, saying: "This robe will prove very useful to you Feren. It has been enchanted to repair itself and change in size to fit anyone, and here. Take this..." he continued, handing him a red gem attached to a necklace. "It may well save your life one day, in more ways than one."

Feren thanked the powerful spirit for his gifts, and began packing his gear way for the journey home. Entrath quietly awoke Fendir, and urged him to get ready to leave. Within a few days, the two brothers once again appeared at the gate that lead into the town. Fendir, who had always been the most enthusiastic of the two, leapt for joy upon their arrival, and quickly ran into town to greet everyone. Feren, on the other hand, slowly closed the door of the carriage they had taken behind him, and walked subtly into the town. He never quite expected to finally return to Telas after that Endeavour, but even in the midst of this great joy, something didn't seem right. A darkness now lurked inside of him. Nothing, not even the thought of his return home, could have made him feel the same way... or so he thought.

"FEREN!" a familiar voice squealed from behind him. He turned quickly to find Arla, a human girl of about his age with dark hair, wearing a red tunic and a red skirt, running at full speed towards him, arms outstretched for a hug. During this brief moment Feren lost track of himself, and began to feel the same as he did before the incident. He felt warm as the girl's arms embraced him but this quickly ended when she spoke.

"Feren?"

"Yes?"

"why did you leave?"

"We were exploring a cave and got really bashed up..."

"... WHAT?!?!"

"Oh sh-"

"What is wrong with you? You're a little kid! you're too young to go adventuring like this! Why didn't you say anything? I would have-"

"You would have offered to come along because you were eager to try your magic, but it was too dangerous."

"You're talking about danger, and maturity? I'm only a few months younger than you are!"

"Please Arla, can we discuss this later?"

"What do you have to do?" her voice suddenly got more calm

"I need-" Feren tried to find an excuse to leave, "I need some rest, I haven't slept in almost a day." he lied, but it was worth avoiding an argument. He didn't understand why he put up with her. She was always especially nice, but never approved of anything Feren did that could have endangered him. That's why he left without anyone knowing.

"Some sleep? fine, be that way. I'll talk to you later then." She responded before hastily leaving the scene. Feren wiped the sweat from his brow, and entered his home just to stare once again at the ceiling.

Feren stared blankly at the large clock in the corner of his cozy room. He turned on his side, trying to get more comfortable. The time, according to the large clock that was run by a series of weights that allowed it to measure the passing of time softly began to ring it’s bells. They created a tender tune as they rang quietly, which was followed by four low notes, signifying that it was now 4 in the morning. Feren slowly sat up, realizing that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, as tired as he was. Too much had happened for him to avoid pondering the night away. Slowly, he rose from his bed and strode softly into a larger room with a bear fur rug, and a large padded chair. At the front of the room was a large fireplace that had been built by Feren’s father, Delven, when they first arrived in the small village.

Feren slowly bent down on one knee in front of the fireplace and packed it with small twigs and an arm’s length of twine. He then took slightly large sticks from nearby and piled them neatly on top of the tinder, and took a small piece of flint and a steel knife from a nearby table. Taking the flint, he placed his hand underneath of the dark stone and positioned it as close as he safely could near the frayed twine. He then took the knife, applying pressure on the back edge of the blade with his thumb, and struck the flint, produce a spark that missed the twine by a few millimeters. He tried again, being more careful with his aim, and the twine began to glow red. Softly, Feren let out a long breathe to assist the sparks in igniting. After a few attempts, the fire became lit, and Feren retired to the soft armchair to think.

It was now 4:19. Fendir was still asleep in his room, which was apparent as his snoring was enough to wake a troll from it’s slumber. Feren was allowing his mind to wander freely now, and he was beginning to feel strange. The air began to grow cold, which was unusual being that it was July, and the fire began to dwindle down despite the abundance of fuel and oxygen. Quickly, Feren snapped back into reality. A high-pitched scream awoke his thoughts and he hurried towards Fendir’s room to wake him.

“Fendir, wake up! Get out of bed, now!” He yelled at his younger brother.

“ ugh… what? Feren? What’s going on?”

“No time to explain, you need to get up!”

“But I don’t want breakfast…” Fendir was still half-asleep. He obviously wasn’t listening. Feren quickly took a pail of water that was meant for the fire and dumped it on Fendir, who quickly awoke and began to shiver. “HEY! WATCH IT!” he yelled as he shook off the cold.

“Fendir, I heard someone screaming, come on we need to see what’s going on!”

“What? Who’s screaming? Do you think it was from the Earratak house?” Fendir stated. About 10 years before, Veldrin’s father, Vermin had adopted a young girl named Valve, who had apparently been rescued from a pack of wolves. Fendir always had it in his head that she was a werewolf, a popular folk tale meant to scare children. He thought it explained why Veldrin always seemed to have such bad luck.

“No, it was a women’s scream. I think we need to-” Feren was cut off by the sound of a crash as the front door splintered and fell to the floor. Out of the doorway a large cloaked figure walked swiftly into the building, wielding a pitch-black sword. Feren peered out of Fendir’s room just enough to see the man, who was completely wrapped in the cloak, and whose face was shrouded by a dark hood. Suddenly it turned, sensing his gaze, and glared right at him. It removed it’s hood quickly, revealing a featureless, shadowlike face that was pitch-black like the sword it carried. It let out an ear-shattering screech immediately upon seeing Feren, and began rushing towards him. Acting quickly, Feren took his younger brother and ran as fast as his legs could carry him into his room and locked the door, buying a few moments as the creature slashed at the wooden planks. He quickly took the dagger from the cave out from under his bed, handing it to Fendir, and the two brothers leapt out of the nearby window, crashing through the glass pane and cutting themselves in the process. Feren Quickly arose, checking on his brother, the glass had cut him up to an extent, but he was fine otherwise. Suddenly he realized just how bad things were. As he turned around, he gazed at a large dark portal, and a hundred shadows pouring out of it with torches and blades. Telas would burn brightly tonight.