Tapestry of the Ages Korvesa: Teressa's Arrival

[Tiko]

The sun had only just begun to near the horizon as the cool evening air settled across the plains of Kaldor, and the fresh layering of snow from the day prior served to reflect the light and add a clear visibility to the evening. It was likely the last snowfall of the year and served as a reminder of the cold winter months that they were fast leaving behind.

The caravan had swelled to a respectable size as it traveled westward from Stonehaven City to the small outlying town of Korvesa. It had boasted nearly twenty wagons, carts, and carriages at its departure, and it had picked up a good dozen more along the way as it passed through neighboring cities and towns on its way to the Western Frontier of Kaldor. It was a popular time of year for merchants, settlers, and adventurers to make their way to the border towns of Kaldor so that they could arrive as the winter months where just beginning to give way to spring. For families looking to start a life out there, it meant they had the whole of the new year to prepare for the following winter.

Accompanying the traveling wagons where riders armed to the teeth. Swords-for-hire. They ranged greatly in race and garb, but they all shared in their purpose of protecting the caravan in its journey across the open plains.

Several families and settlers had already parted ways at previous towns, but fifteen or so wagons remained on as they trundled ever close to their destination.

---

Korvesa was a once large town situated along the banks of the Iyesgarth river, but much of it remained unclaimed from the hundreds of years of abandonment that had left its mark upon it. Much of the western reaches of town lay in ruins with crumbled buildings long since overtaken by heavy brush and unchecked trees.

The central heart of the town, and much of the east side were well underway in their reconstruction efforts. New houses and buildings had been erected upon the foundations of old, and brush and overgrowth had been cleared from the streets and pathways. Dirt roadways had been restored for use and the place offered the promise of a fresh start for those willing to make it out there.

Plots of lands were being sold to arriving families for minimal cost that made the location appealing to settlers looking to put city life behind them.

The town held a strong appeal to travelers as well. Mercenaries were never short of work to find, and there was always some work to be found around the town to aid in the reconstruction efforts. It was also a good place to drop one's bags for the night, or a few days to resupply before moving on.

---

As the caravan edged closer to the town of Korvesa an element of excitement filled air. As wagons rumbled their way across the large stone bridge spanning the Iyesgarth river, children had already taken to disembarking wagons to run ahead. Parents were filled with a wash of relief, and escorting mercenaries could relax their guard as the caravan left behind the wilds of Kaldor in favor of the burgeoning town. Tradesmen too could let out a sigh of relief as their goods made it safely to their destination.

For many it was the promise of new beginnings, and for others it was simply a stop before moving on. Others still were on the run from secrets left behind, and looking to the obscurity of Korvesa to escape from past mistakes. Whatever one's reasons were for arriving in Korvesa, it offered the promise of warm beds, hot meals, and respite to them all.

 

[Cheelm]

Teressa was desperately gasping for air. But before she could get a good breaths worth the heavy boot came down again, hitting her in the stomach with the force of a battering ram. She spat blood, fighting the tears in her eyes from welling up. The trumpet sounded, the third blood had been drawn. While her vision was blurred, her hearing was unusually clear when the man on top of her spat on the sandy floor and exclaimed: "What a joke. This was barely a challenge. Bring me her brother!" The crowd roared with laughter and encouragement. Some booed unhappy with how one-sided the fight had been. Teressa tried desperately to not look too pathetic, crawling around on the floor like some insect or vermin. The dirty sand of the arena was in her eyes, in her mouth and in her fingernails. She had never felt dirtier in her whole life. She was trying to get up with cramping pain in her arms causing her to almost scream out in anguish. She managed to stand up, only to be greeted by a thundering wave of boos. She tried to hold back the tears, tried to the point where she bit her lip so hard it started to bleed but it was to no avail. She could feel them running down her dusty cheeks, could taste the saltiness on her tongue. She could feel the eyes on her, could sense the disgust and resentment in the air.

It was over. It was all over.

The face of her mother appeared, leaning towards her father conspicuously. "Our family will be a laughingstock if she stays. Maybe she could visit a oncle in the north for a while..." Her father was barely listening, instead muttering to himself: "They poisoned him. That's what the bastards did. He would have won us the lordship... he would have..." While Teressa slowly awoke in the carriage and grew more aware of her surroundings she could still hear her little brothers voice echo through her head. "I would have won. If you had just let me. You ruined us!... You doomed us!"

Her dusty fingers slowly moved to her cheeks, making contact with something familiarly wet. She cursed under her breath, trying to push the recurring nightmares deeper into her mind. Her back hurt, everything hurt. Her comfortable bed in the luxurious room back in Triston was far away now. So were her friends and family. She was alone. There was no one to protect her, no one to care for her or prepare her food. The fierce determination she had possessed after initially leaving silently in the middle of the night, had already turned into a mixture of nervousness and resignation. This was far less glamorous than she had imagined. While she had a decent amount of coinage with her, good food was still hard to come by. Only now did she truly appreciate how much comfort she had lived in. But it was too late to go back now. She knew little of the world but one thing she knew for certain. She would rather die in a ditch than run back to her parents like a scared coward. She had acknowledged that she was weak, or at least weaker than she has previously though. But she was willing to put up a fight. She was going to come back a hero or not at all.

The carriage slowly grinded to a halt. They had arrived in Korvesa. It looked little different from other villages they had come through on their way here. Makeshift houses on top crumbled ruins from days long past. The streets looked clean enough though and were buzzing with activity. Small food and general goods stalls were everywhere, but Teressa paid little mind to them. She needed a good hot meal, some beer and a decent bed.

She jumped out of the wagon and stretched herself before following another group of travelers down the road, suspecting they might lead her straight to an inn, which they did. She was however disappointed to find that the inn the travelers went to looked too run down and shaby for her taste. She decided to just follow along the main roads, keeping an eye out for a more respectable looking establishment.

 

[Tiko]

Teressa would soon realize that the rest of the town looked much the same as she traversed its streets. It was no hovel, but the small burgeoning town was a far stretch from the life-style of nobility. Still, it had something going for it. A fresh sense of hope that comes with new beginnings. People smiled, tipped their hats to one another, stopped to chat up about the local happenings, and in general foster a sense of community built out of a mutual desire to survive and thrive out here so far from the larger cities.

Up ahead the more bustling parts of the town seemed to sharply drop away and the clean kept roads and new buildings fell away to dilapidated ruins. She would need to turn back if she was to find an inn.

Behind her though a loud crash and loud whinnying filled the air.

"Control your animals would you?" a man hollered as he tried to reign in his own team after the two wagons had apparently veered hard against one another while crossing paths in the street.

The other driver struggled to reign his horses in as they reared and neighed, jostling the wagon in their harnesses.

"Easy!" he hollered at them. "I don't know what's gotten into them. They've been spooked for days!"

The horses eyes where wide with fright as the driver jumped down from his wagon to grab hold of the harness on the left horse. "Easy girls, it's okay," he reassured the spooked animals.

Their struggles subsided but their eyes where wide with fright and they both shifted and stamped their hooves nervously.

Meanwhile with a disproving shake of his head the other driver urged his own team of horses back into motion and his wagon creaked away down the street leaving the loan driver to tend to his animals.

"Sorry about that ma'am," the remaining man said to Teressa as he stroked the snout of the horse next to him. "Don't think I've seen you around before. You one of them new folk? We heard a caravan would be arriving soon. You don't much look like a merchant though. What brings you out here?"

 

[Cheelm]

As she reached the edge of the city, at least of the part that was actually inhabited, she started to wonder if this place even had a inn for the more demanding clientele. Most people here seemed to be simple folk. Farmers, craftsman and adventurers. Clearly this was no place for the noble and elite. The roads up to this city were treacherous and a central government in this part of Aelora almost non-existent. It wasn't hard to fathom that anyone of noble blood or sizeable fortune would much rather take some respite in the vineyards of Eastern Cordelia or the famed bathhouses of Tristan. While she had left this sort of life behind her, she still was less than comfortable with the thought of sleeping in the same building as ill-smelling peasants that knew of little more than crops and vermin or even drunken cut-throats that were just waiting to break into the room of an unsuspecting guest.

The sound of clashing wood and protesting horses interrupted her less than pleasant daydreams. Two men desperatly tried to regain control of their wagons horses. One having success far quicker than the other.

Teressa stared at the almost-accident with wide eyes. The out of control horses frightened her. As a knight she knew how dangerous panicking horses could be. When the man addressed her she hastily collected herself and put on a stoic expression. "I have just arrived here, yes. And I am not a merchant either. I am here to explore the wildlands. The call of adventure got to me I suppose." She eyed the man suspiciously. Was this some sort of sham? She had heard a lot of stories on the caravan about professional tricksters swindeling unsuspecting travelers out of money in the most fantastic ways. And she was well aware that her skillfully embellished armour made it quite clear that she was in possession of a sizeable amount of wealth. While looking for any sign of deceit, Teressa asked as casually as she could manage: "I am currently looking for a place to stay the night. A respectable establishment with fresh food and ale. I don't suppose you could point me in any direction?"

 

[Tiko]

"Well, we only have two inn houses in town," the man replied. "The Green Gryphon and the Goat's Brew," he explained. "Can't much say that one's any better than the other really. Both have good food, and warm beds."

While they spoke the man seemed to be studying her as much as she him. They had their fair share of adventuring sorts come through town. Most moved on before long or settled down once they realized the adventuring life wasn't as glamorous as it seemed. This woman looked like she could handle herself though. Certainly not some kid from one of the cities looking for excitement. She looked wealthy too though, not likely the sort looking for drudgery work. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask he supposed.

He rubbed at his bearded jaw thoughtfully.

"If you're needing to find work around these parts too, I could use a hand back at my farm," he said. "Damn tree took out an entire fence," he explained with a gesture towards his wagon. It was filled with lumber. "I'm planning to head and fix it tomorrow morning. Most folk are busy getting ready for spring, and my farm-hand took off a few weeks ago. Swore up and down the place was haunted he did. I can pay you a fair sum if you can spare the day."

He shook his head with a sigh.

"My name's Gelvin by the way," he added.

From what she could make of him, he appeared genuine enough at the surface. He had an easy going sort of demeanor about him, and despite his aging years he had a strong and steady look that spoke of a man well versed with honest hard-work. One could never be sure though.

 

[Cheelm]

Teressa quite liked the idea of good food and a warm bed. Unfortunately for her though, she didn't share the farmers high opinion of the inns. The group of travelers had entered the "Goat's Brew" and that establishment had looked fairly lackluster in her eyes. If the "Green Gryphon" was of similar standart she was probably better off not sleeping at all. Her body however craved for sleep. The past weeks on the wagon and makeshift tents on uneven grounds had taken their toll. Her whole back felt stiff and her mind was clouded by exhaustion.

She raised a hand as a formal sign of protest. "I do no mean to offend you, Sir. But I am here looking to prove myself as an adventurer in the wildlands, not as a helper on a farm." She considered the offer for another second and than continued: "If it's just the tree you need help with I am however willing to offer my assistance if you can offer me your farm-hands room and some food for the night. "

She did not fully trust the man, how could she? She knew him for barely five minutes, and even as a noble she wasn't ignorant enough to not know what some men might try, once alone with a women. She was however fairly certain she could easily take the man in a fight. While having the tan and muscles that came from long hours of work outside, his posture and the way he moved in long, sluggish steps, told her that he was not a trained fighter. She had seen her fair share of mercenaries and soldiers back in Cordelia, and even the old retired fighters that had served as advisors to her family still had a certain way of walking in a very distinctive fashion. That this man didn't show any sign of it was however no guarantee that he wouldn't try something regardless. She would take this opportunity over having to sleep under the same roof as a bunch of thugs and drunkards in one of the run-down inns though.

She offered the man her hand: "My name is Teressa." she declared formally, bevor switching to a more casual tone. "So what can you tell me about this region? And where do people go that want to explore the wilderness?"

 

[Tiko]

The old man let out a low chuckle at the woman's reply. "No offense taken," he replied as he shook her hand. "I harbored no belief that you where interested in such work. I was merely explaining my lack of aid with the current situation. A day's help is all I'm looking for. I would gladly offer you a place for the night in exchange for that. If exploring is your calling in our town, the Green Gryphon has a way of attracting those sorts. You'll find all manner of travelers and tales of adventure being spun there just about any day of the week. Good a place as any to find like-minded folk. Especially with that caravan that just rolled into town. You also could have a word with Grimbold, the town marshal. He knows the region as well as any, and usually willing to hire travelers with managing disturbances. This far from the main cities, it can get pretty gnarly at times."

The man gave the horse one last pat on the neck before he pulled himself back up into the wagon.

"Hop on up," he told her. "The horses seem to have settled. We can talk on the way."

 

[Cheelm]

Teressa grimaced at the mention of the inn. She really didn't feel like running around questioning drunkards. The town-marshall appeared the more reliable option. She would pay him a visit tomorrow. For now she had no other option than to trust the man called Gelvin. Familiar with horses and carriages, she had no trouble pulling herself up smoothly right next to the farmer. He cracked his whip and the horses slowly started to trot towards the edge of the makeshift city.

They left the inner parts of the city and Teressa could see the wilderness forming up in the distance. A dense forest with trees of shapes and sizes she had never seen before. Curiosity flared up inside her like a flame tasting lamp oil. Weird sounds echoed in the distance. Some sounded like screeching, some like roars and others were so utterly unfamiliar that she wouldn't even have known how to describe them. She bit her lip, eying the farmer on her side with burning curiosity. "So tell me, Gelvin. What do you know about the wilderness?"

 

[Tiko]

"Hm?" Gelvin asked. "Oh, the forest? Not many head out that way. Centaur land, you know?" he answered. "They leave us alone, and we leave them alone."

The dense forest far into the distance looked to be a fair ways off, and it was a sharp contrast to the open plains that she had spent weeks crossing to reach here, and the rolling farmland that surrounded the town.

"I haven't been there since I was just a lad myself," he continued. "I still remember it though. "Me and some boys had been out hunting craig wolves that had made their way down from the north. Starved and sickly they where and attacking live-stock and people on the roads. And if you haven't ever said a craig wolf, they're near as big as a horse, and meaner than a swampcat. They where wile animals though and got the drop on us out that way," he said with a gestures towards the forest. "We knew we weren't supposed to be hunting out there, and had heard plenty enough stories of centaurs attacking humans for trespassing on their land, but we where young and stupid. And when things went wrong there wasn't anyone around to help. We lost two lads to the wolves before we made it into the forest."

"There was something not right about them wolves though. They tore at the tree we climbed, biting and clawing as if they could rip their way right through it and topple us to the ground. Void tainted I recon. It drives animals mad. We must have been up there for hours before a centaur found us," he continued, lost in the memories of his youth. "Though she wasn't like any centaur I had ever seen before. Not that I've seen many, but I'd swear she was more fae than centaur. As graceful and nimble as a deer, and with beauty to make any Altari elf weep. One word and she had them wolves sound asleep on the ground. She never spoke to us except to tell us to go home, and we did. Some fifty years later, and I still have never been back. But them craig wolves never did cause us problems again."

He paused and then chuckled as he realized he had gotten caught up a bit in his story.

"Suppose you didn't come all the way out here to listen to old tales of youthful folly," he said. "You can find enough of that at the taverns," he added. "My place isn't far, we should be there in less than an hour."

 

[Cheelm]

Centaurs? Excitement surged in Teressa. This was the sort of wondrous tale she had dreamed about. She listened to the old man's tale in captivated silence. She had a strong urge to just jump off the wagon and run into the wilderness, towards the countless adventures surely hidden within this densely grown forest. Despite the steadily growing thirst for adventure, Teressa was well aware that she wasn't prepared.... yet. She needed more provisions and a party. The town marshall Gelvin mentioned seemed a good place to start and would be her first destination in the morning.

The wagon grinded to a halt in front of a small ranch. On an enclosed field four horses looked up, eying the newcomers with minor interest for a couple of seconds before turning their attention back to the grass in front of them. Teressa counted four buildings in total. A small cottage, a shed, a barn and a stable. Occasional mooing could be heard from the barn and the cluttering of excited chicken came from the back of the shed. It all looked well maintained and the only discrepancy was the tree that had buried a part of the northern fence of the property under it. Gelvin shrugged apologetically. "It's not much in size or luxury but it's a good and honest living." Teressa shook her head. "Do not apologize. You build this from the ground, did you not?" The man nodded. "Building a new existence is something you can be proud of. Not many people can forge their own path." Gelvin flushed with pride and started to give her a tour of his property, clearly flustered.

"... and here is your room." They had entered the stable and climbed a small set of stairs to a room that had been built on the upper floor of the stable, directly under the roof. The room looked clean and comfortable containing a small bed, a wardrobe and a couple of closets. All of them looked self-made and were functional, though rough looking. Cleaning utensils and a mirror stood in a corner of the room. "There is a small well behind the barn." explained Gelvin when he noticed Teressa looking at it. "The toilet is next to the shed." Teressa nodded and dropped her bag on the bed. A small window next to it offer a view over the wilderness in the distance and the sun slowly edging toward the horizon behind it. "How long do we still have light?" asked Teressia, nodding towards the glowing ball of fire in the distance. Gelvin gave it a long, careful glance before finally answering. "An hour or two, not much more." He noticed Teressas thoughtful expression and stopped her with a wave of his hand. "We can worry about the tree tomorrow." Teressa gave him a small, courteous smile and shook her head. "I have been sitting in this damn caravan for weeks and barely gotten any exercise. Thrashing a tree with an axe seems like a good way to get the ache out of my tired muscles." Gelvin chuckled and shrugged. "As you wish. I get the axes and meet you at the tree." Teressa nodded, and as soon as she heard Gelvin moving down the stairs she started to shed her armour. With each piece of armor she removed the stench of old sweat grew more and more repugnant. Teressa wrinkled her nose in disgust. She desperately needed a bath. She slipped out of her clothing and threw it into the wooden washing basin in the corner. Rummaging through her belongings she found a set of clothes her nose deemed acceptable and changed into them. She fitted her sword belt around her waste and stretched. It was time to give her muscles some work to do.

Gelvin was already waiting for her, two well-maintained axes in hand. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her still carrying her sword but refrained from commenting on it. He handed her an axe and pointed at the tree. Fortunately the tree was not awfully thick, and patches of splintered wood revealed that it hadn't been healthy for a while. "We should first cut of the branches to have them out of the way. We then cut it off near the root and try to either drag or roll the trunk away. If it's too heavy we have to cut it in half." Teressa nodded, eager to get to work. The axe Gelvin had handed her felt less familiar than her sword, the weight and balance were very different. She used to have lessons in all sorts of weapons, including axes, but she had never taken much liking to those tools of brute force. They went to work and the heavy thumping of axes biting into wood filled the air.

The sun had almost vanished behind the horizon, casting long shadows, when they were finally done. Both were sweating heavily and the ground was littered with splintered wood. Teressas muscles ached, but in a good way. She felt exhausted and relaxed at the same time. She wiped her brow on her sleeve and grinned. Gelvin gave her a respectful nod. "You have more than earned your lodging." He exclaimed with unsteady breathing. "I will whip up some food for us. I'll get you when it's ready." Teressa nodded thankfully and went to her room, taking the basin and dragging it to the small well. She checked to make sure her position wasn't visible from the house, where the occasional clinking of kitchenware sounded, before undressing herself. The long travel in the caravan had gotten rid of most of her inhibitions but she still heavily disliked being vulnerable. Her sword remained in reach while she took the brush and soap from the basin and started to clean herself. She scrubbed till her skin was red and itchy. She felt lighter, like she had just gotten rid off pounds of dust and dirt. After changing into yet another set of clothes she started to wash her laundry, putting the wet clothes in the basket. The nights here were freezing cold, at least at this time of the year and she would have to ask Gelvin if she could put them up in his hut, next to his fireplace, so they would be dry by morning. A heavy wooden creak revealed that Gelvin had just left his small hut, and Teressa hurried around the corner, moist hair shifting in the evening breeze. Her stomach was growling. It was damn time she had something decent to eat.

 

[Tiko]

The rest of the evening seemed to pass uneventful enough and Gelvin seemed more than happy to regale his visitor with tales of his youth, the geography of the region, the native wild-life to watch out for and whatever other bit of information that might have come up over the dinner table. The evening would soon wind though, and evening would turn to night.

It wouldn't be until midnight struck that Teressa would be roused by the sound of unsettled horses snorting and whinnying in agitation from the barn below. Her arousal would not be a smooth one though and no sooner than the horses had awoken her the entire room around her would seem to lurch and spin in nauseating waves. The walls and floor seemed to twist and turn before her eyes while the wooden planks stretched and warped in upon themselves, rippling hazily before regaining stability for brief moments. The experience was dizzying and disorienting as the mind tried to make sense of what the eyes were witnessing.

The next sensation to arrive was a bitter chill that seemed to sweep through the room leaving a hollow sort of silence in its wake. The sounds of the frightened horses remained, but the sounds one would be accustomed to on a farm had been snuffed out. No wind blew through the trees or bushes, no distant calls of wild animals could be heard.

Meanwhile the dark shadows of the unlit room only seemed to grow darker and they began to shift and writhe as they pulled themselves up from the floor. Four distinct shapes from the look of it.

In the distance, a loud shout could be heard from the main farmhouse.

 

[Cheelm]

Still in her night gown and with dulled senses, Teressa blinked at the wavering shadows. They were darker than the other shadows, a darkness that had a physical form of sorts. No light came from outside the window, but the wood of the house itself seemed to emit a soft light that bathed the room in an eery twilight. Teressa shuddered. She grabbed her sword that had leaned against the bedside table. Pale light reflected on the shiny blade but didn't do much to illuminate the room. Teressa shot a quick, longing glance towards her armor, lying neatly disassembled in the corner. The shadows swirled towards her, not very fast but definitely with a purpose. Teressa stepped back, biting her lower lip in a mixture of nervousness and raising panic. She slashed at them with her sword in an wide arc, probing the distance. The tip hit one of the shadows and slashed through it. To Teressa it felt like dragging an oar through thick mud. The dark shape recoiled, only to reform back to its original shape without any sign of injury. Teressa cursed under her breath. She frantically looked for a way out but there was nothing except for the window. A shout echoed through the ghostly silence while the shadows started to move towards her yet again. It came from the main house where Gelvin lived. Teressa cursed and glared at her armor, as if it would compel the metal to move towards her. Her mind raced. What should she do? Following her instinct rather than some thought-out plan she took two steps back, ran, jumped off and braced herself before she burst through the window.

She landed hard, and tried to roll herself to the side to lessen the impact. The lack of armor came in handy now. Shattered glass and wood rained to the ground where she had landed a second ago. She breathed heavily and moved towards the house. She looked up towards the sky but there was nothing there. No moon, no stars, no clouds, only nothingness. She had never seen anything like it. Fear crept into her and made her hairs stand up. What was this bizarre situation? She looked back to the window, but couldn’t see any sign of movement. More shouts erupted from the house and the thudding of furniture being toppled could be heard. She kicked the door in, sword drawn. The hinge broke off the doorframe and clattered through the room. The inside of the house was dark but emitted the same luminescence as the barn. The dim light revealed Gelvin behind his toppled kitchen table, holding a rusted knife and a piece of ember he must have taken from the fireplace. It was trailing thick smoke while he swung it at the three shadows in front of him. Teressa noticed how they seemed to back away, almost as if they were afraid of it. An idea sprang up in her. “Try to get a fire going!” she shouted, while one of the shadows turned its attention towards her. The panicked farmer looked at her with a confused expression before he finally seemed to understand. He blew at the ember, managing to kindle a flame almost instantly. With an almost hissing sound the shadows backed away even further, almost becoming one with the dark corners of the small house. “We have to get out in the open!” Teressa exclaimed, a picture forming in her head. If these creatures attached themself to shadows, the open plain outside would provide far less opportunities to attack. The creatures seemed to be quite slow as well, so outrunning them should not be an issue. Gelvin carefully maneuvered around the table, making very sure to always keep the torch between him and the shadows. Finally he reached Teressa and together they stepped outside. “What know?” the farmer asked, as if she held the answers to this ridiculous situation. She rubbed her temples, trying to focus and clear her mind. “Do you have a outside fireplace? To burn trash or roast animals?” The man nodded silently and pointed towards the back of the ranch. Teressa took off, and Gelvin followed close behind her.

 

[Tiko]

Though no trained soldier, Gelvin was no greenhorn either. The history of Aelora was one of perseverance and survival, and it would take more than a couple generations of peace and prosperity to breed that out of them. Especially those who chose to live along the borderlands instead of cloistering within the shelter of the larger cities. It would be generations more before Aelora's lands where tamed once more, and until then even a farmer was hardened to the dangers.

The man was well past his prime though, and for all his years he had never experienced something such as what they faced now. The what, and why of matters where questions for later though. For now, survival was foremost.

"There," he growled lowly with a gesture ahead.

It was difficult to make much out in the unnatural darkness that cloaked them, but the man knew his farm by heart and could have found his way blind-folded. As they got closer, the light of the torch illuminated a large fire-pit. Outside as they where, the light they cast seemed all the brighter in the suffocating darkness.

As they reached the fire-pit, a squawk was heard nearby as a large raven sized bird of sorts landed atop the edge of an unhitched wagon. It cocked its head at them curiously and blinked its eyes, followed by several more eyes that opened up across its body blinking in uneven intervals. Its beak was lined with three rows of razor edged teeth, and unlike the shadow creatures it didn't seem at all perturbed by the light cast from the torch. It didn't appear threatening at the moment though. Merely curious.

The farmer's eyes seemed affixed on the animal though.

"Void ravens haven't been seen in over a decade," he said. "What in Light's name is going on."

Void. Shit. The time of the fall was before his years, and while he like most of Aelora had encountered the pale shadow of its influence that still remained, few where learned in its vast scope.

Teressa perhaps might begin to draw a sense of familiarity. Her more learned upbringing in a country renowned for weathering the Void sieges for decades would grant her more insight than that of Gelvin's rudimentary knowledge.

Void ravens once spread across the lands in vast flocks. And though dangerous in large numbers, they where primarily carrion eaters and served as heralds to the more aggressively inclined of the void creatures who often followed in their wake. With the defeat of the Sealed One, the void ravens fell to disarray and became easy targets to purge from civilized lands. Over the years they had become presumed extinct.

Curiously the shadow creatures that pursued them bore similarities to the shadow stalkers of history as well. Assassins of the Void, capable of traversing through shadows and to strike out against a target through their own shadow. That's as far as the similarity went though, as there was no historical record of shadow stalkers being able to manifest a physical form. They where also historically exceptionally rare, with only a few recorded instances of them having survived over the years - even at the peak of the Void's grip over Aelora.

Surely though the raven, the black void that surrounded them, and the shadow creatures where no coincidence.

 

[Cheelm]

Teressa looked at the raven with a mixture of fear and awe. She was astounded how accurate the pictures in her history books had been. Despite its relatively small size it was a terrifying creature. Teressas hand moved instinctively to her sword. The sighting of these birds usually foreboded a attack by the void. But how? The sealed one was defeated, and the void was slowly being reconquered by the races of Aelora. It was retreating and had been so for years. What had changed? What would cause the void to be on the offense again?

A sense of threat befell Teressa. Where the strange shadow creatures also connected to the void? Had she read about them somewhere? There was an itch on the back of her mind. She tried to remember but couldn’t. Hadn’t Grafalgar the Great fought of a horde of shadows before the siege of Ly’on? She thought to recall them being described as shadows that couldn’t be stopped by walls and locked doors. But where those really connected? And if they were why would the assassins be after her? She tried to reassemble her scrambled memories but couldn’t.

She cursed under her breath and urged Gelvin to get a fire going while her eyes were darting around the dark farmhouses, looking for threats.

 

[Tiko]

With the make-shod torch in hand it didn't take Gelvin long to get some of the embers in the fire-pit glowing, but it would take time to get the flames really going without a catalyst to speed up the process.

"Been living here all my life, and haven't ever seen anything like this," he told Teressa.

The tight grit of his jaw, and the white of his knuckles as he held the torch spoke of the tension within the man. His heart raced at what they faced, but the grizzled old farmer held his composure well. His tales of youthful adventure he had spoken of over dinner it would seem held some truth to them. The man who stood at her side using the glow of the torch to ward the darkness beyond was a rock, even as fear clutched him.

That fear only deepened as his eyes caught site of a light in the distance. A light... in the direction of town. In the unnatural darkness the flickering red glow could be clearly seen even from their location four miles away.

Nearby, the sounds of panicked whinnying from the barn was punctuated by the splinter of wood as the fate of the trapped animals remained beyond their view.

"You have to go," he told her suddenly. "They need you in town. If you can reach the paddock in back, there's a horse there. He's getting old but he'll get you to town."

There was a combination of fear and hardened grit in the old man's eyes.

"I'll keep the fire going."

Overhead fluttering could be heard as a few more void ravens alighted upon the empty wagon, seemingly drawn by the commotion.

---​

The horse in the back paddock was of no breeding that Teressa was familiar with from her homeland. Cordelians where renowned horseman and most of their horse breeds had been preserved through the time of the fall, untouched by many of the mutations and evolutionary changes that had swept much of the wildlife throughout Aelora. This horse was descended from the wild herds that roamed the Elderwood Forests, far to the west. He was shorter built than their plains cousins, but he was stocky and well muscled with thick fetlocks to cover blackened hooves. Pale grey striping down the length of his neck and legs broke up the otherwise black coat of the animal, and a wicked hooked horn formed from its forehead, surrounded by thick bony growth that gave it the appearance of a naturally formed chanfron.

The formidable equestrian seemed hardier than the farmer's work animals and it stood its ground surrounded by a trio of the creeping shadows. It snorted angrily stamping the ground with razor edged hooves as its horn and the striping of its coat began to emit a luminescent blue glow that left the shadow creatures shrinking away. Two sank into the ground in search of easier prey, while the third braved the light. Entered the blue glow forced it to separate itself from the surrounding darkness and fully manifest a physical form which left it vulnerable to the angry stallion as it circled for an opening.

 

[Cheelm]

Teressa was not keen on leaving Gelvin behind but she could understand his sentiment. He had build this whole farm from scratch, of course he wouldn’t just leave it behind. Her gaze wandered to the crimson light in the distance. It looked... unnatural but it lacked the sense of threat that accompanied the shadow creatures and the ravens. It didn’t seem like it was connected to the void. She looked back to Gelvin and the steadily rising fire in front of him. She wondered if he would make it through the night but there was little she could do now. She had to investigate that light, maybe find someone that could help, some adventurer or townfolk and than come back.

With a torch in her left hand and her sword in her right she made her way to the paddock. The horse was like none she had ever seen before and she had seen quite a few. She had actually owned a couple of horses herself, all famous cordelian breeds untouched by the blight of the void and famed throughout all of Aelora. This horse on the other hand was... different, changed in a way Teressa couldn’t really fathom. Three shadows surrounded it, but didn’t dare to move closer to the animal whose agitated snorting made it very clearer it wouldn’t tolerate such behavior. It stomped its hove and a blue light emanated from its horn and coat. Teressa almost dropped her weapons in surprise. With a dropped jaw she witnessed how the shadows retreated, clearly repelled by the glowing light. What did this mean? Wasn’t the horses horn a marking of the void, whose creatures the shadows were as well? How would they repel each other? Was the void not a single unity but split into different strands? The implications of this were enormous but she had no way of knowing if her guess was right. Maybe the horse had somehow learned to use its mutation for its own gain? Teressa decided to worry about it at another time and moved towards the last remaining shadow, that seemed to manifest in front of her. The shadow grew fuller as if it gained structure by leaving the safety of the shadow.

It started to circle the horse, clearly unaware of Teressa, still standing in the door. When it had her back turned to her she followed a sudden impulse and lunged at it. Her sword slashed into it. Unlike before in the barn it met resistance and the shadow recoiled in a display of pain. Teressa followed up by stabbing it with the torch. Again the shadow recoiled, this time even more furiously so. It was clearly weak to fire. Teressa swung the torch at it again but it evaded by stepping back, right into the range of the stallions hooves. It rose on his hind legs and let out a triumphant neigh, before its razor-sharp hooves crashed on to the shadow stomping it into the ground. Without a sound the shadow dissipated, leaving no trail of its former existence behind. The for-legged beast stomped the ground, clearly very pleased with itself. Teressa edged closer to it, very aware that the hooves posed a deadly danger to herself as well. The horse stopped to regard her curiously. It seemed to not deem her a enemy as it relaxed its pose to a non-threatening one and let her step closer. Teressa started to fondle its neck with seasoned movements. She missed her own horses and wondered how they were doing now. Maybe her family had sold them, maybe her brothers had taken possession of them. She very much doubted she would see them ever again. She slowly moved to the horses flank and hoisted herself up. The stallion bend his head around to look at her. He was clearly not used to someone on his back, but he didn’t really seem to mind either. She gentle patted the horses neck and pointed to the open door. “Go!” It seemed to understand what she was trying to tell it and slowly trotted through the open door.

The wide plane lay before them. Crackling could be heard from the other side of the farm, indicating that the fire had grown and Gelvin was likely still alive. Teressa swallowed. She nudged the horse till its head pointed towards the town and gently gave it a clap to the back. Unsurprisingly the horse didn’t seem to know the command taught to cordelian horses. She sighed. She had no bridle or spur. How could she make the horse understand what it was supposed to do? “Go!” she commanded again and the horse abided, falling into a slow trot. “Faster!” Teressa demanded, but the horse did not change it’s tempo. Teressa cursed. “Run, you lazy bastard!” she shouted while giving it a careful kick with the back of her boots. The horse stopped and looked back at her, as if offended, before it moved again and fell into an ever increasing gallop.

The sound of the wind rushing past them drowned out Teressas desperate curses while she clang onto the stallions thick mane. She had dropped the torch but managed to sheathe her sword. Fortunately she was not new to riding without a bridle or saddle, as such was a quite common hobby amongst the Cordelian nobility to tout the good behavior and discipline of their breeds. Scenery flew past them as they neared the edges of the town in staggering speed. Teressa could already see the outskirts of brick houses and ruins. Her hand gripped her sword hilt. She wondered what she would find here. Maybe the much needed help, or maybe a huge group of shadows. She cursed under her breath and steadied herself. She had promised to die standing, not covering if it came to it. And she damn well intended to keep that promise.