1 Desolation

In the solitary forest, one could hear the singing of birds, the patter of rain, and the occasional thunderclap, the only unnatural sound was the rhythmic thumping coming from somewhere within the forest. It ruined the atmosphere of serenity and felt foreign, almost offensive to the rest of the woods.

The source of this sound could be found in a clearing in the forest, where at the edge of a small lake, a cabin had been built made of wood, it had green moss covering its sides, a window facing the lake, and a chimney. In front of the cabin was a man, no older than twenty five, he had black hair reaching to his shoulders, blue eyes, and an unkept beard, he was about six feet tall and had a build of a swimmer, not too buff but at the same time not too lean somewhere in the middle. His name was Richard Albion, he was chopping wood to build a fire in his home to combat the inevitable cold that followed the rain.

Richard's lifestyle was one of isolation, he lived alone, there was no settlement for miles in any direction, he ate what he hunted and lived off the earth. The reason for this was that nobody was deranged enough to live alone in the Forest of Ren.

It was one of the most dangerous and inhospitable areas in Caldrea and certainly the most sparsely populated part of the continent, Caldanor. It was said to be filled with beasts, monsters, and other creatures, so nobody who went in ever came out again.

But it wasn't insanity that drove Richard to live here rather, it was the guilt and penance for what he had done, he toiled away in the rain to punish himself for his past deeds. He finally finished chopping enough pieces of wood and collected them, and entered his cabin. He threw the wood in the fireplace and lit it up.

It was time to do something which he hated, sleep. Everytime he closed his eyes, the same nightmare would return to haunt him to remind him. That was his punishment from the Gods, he was never allowed to forget it.

He took a swig from a bottle on his nightstand, a brew he had made to give him a dreamless sleep, it never worked, but he still drank it as a habit, just wishing that each time would be different from the last. But it was all in vain as he lay down and closed his eyes, praying for respite.

Richard looked around and instantly recognized where he was, back in the dream, his memories. He looked in front of him to see the colonial two-storied house where he had grown up. The familiar scent of the freshly cut grass in the front garden and the barks of his two pets echoed away. As always, he walked to the front door and opened it with dread. But there was silence this time rather than the usual blood and screams.

He entered the living room and saw his parents, Julia and Peter, sitting on a couch. Across from them, an unfamiliar woman was seated, she looked to be the same age as Richard and had blond curled hair up to her shoulders, her skin was very fair without any blemish, and she exuded an aura that just made Richard feel safe and at home. She just didn't feel ordinary.

Richard tried to look for more details and listen to what was being said, but the scene seemed distorted, and the sounds were muffled. He tried to concentrate more and focus on the voices, he finally could make out what the woman was saying.

"Julia, they are waking, we need you to stop them, it might not be today, but they will come for you and then all of us too."

He lost focus again, and this time his head started paining, and he started seeing black spots in his eyes. Ignoring the pain, he decided to concentrate again. But this time, when the scene became apparent, the woman seemed to be looking straight at him, her gaze boring holes in his head. She said

"So you finally remembered, good. If you want to know what really happened that night, meet me in two days at sunset at the edge of the forest."

He tried to speak, but it was as if he had been forcefully ejected from the dream, he woke up with a start, completely drenched in sweat. Richard didn't know what to make of the dream he had just had, whether it was real or just a figment of his imagination.

He got up from his bed and made his way to the window, His cabin was at the center of the Forest, and to get to the edge would be a day's journey at least. He was determined to see the dream through till the end since even if it was fake, the allure to know the reality of that fated night was too much.

But that journey to the edge would be something for tomorrow. He still had to secure a food source for the day. The forest contained many creatures that could be hunted and eaten. Today Richard had in mind a very particular prey, and after freshening up, he grabbed his hunting knife and bow and quiver and set out into the forest.

Richard slowly lowered his bow, his fingers aching from the tension of the bowstring. He had been tracking the Slythroth for hours, and finally, he had found it.

The Slythroth was a massive beast with scales that shimmered like emeralds in the dappled sunlight. Its four legs were thick and muscular, each ending in razor-sharp claws that could easily tear through flesh and bone. Its eyes were bright, luminescent green, glowing like jewels in the dim light of the forest. Richard knew he had to be careful. The Slythroth was a dangerous predator, but it was also a valuable source of food. He took a deep breath and notched an arrow, slowly taking aim at the beast.

Suddenly, the Slythroth lunged forward, its jaws gaping wide. Richard released his arrow, but the beast was too quick, dodging out of the way at the last moment. Richard scrambled backward, trying to keep his distance from the creature. The Slythroth snarled and lashed out with its claws, but Richard managed to dodge the attack.

The two circled each other warily, Richard searching for an opening, the Slythroth waiting for its chance to strike. Suddenly, Richard saw his opportunity. The Slythroth was distracted, its attention was momentarily drawn to a sound in the distance. Richard took his chance, firing off another arrow. This time, it struck true, embedding itself deep in the Slythroth's side. The creature roared in pain, thrashing wildly. Richard took advantage of the creature's distraction, quickly reloading his bow. He fired off another arrow, hitting the Slythroth in the neck. The beast stumbled, then collapsed onto the forest floor. Richard approached cautiously, making sure the Slythroth was truly dead. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had just secured himself a valuable food source for the weeks to come.

As he began to prepare the Slythroth's carcass, Richard couldn't help but marvel at the creature's beauty and ferocity. But he knew what had to be done, and so proceeded to quickly strip the flesh from the carcass to eat. He hauled it back to his cabin and began to prepare it, his thoughts kept going to the dream he had witnessed, and he decided that it was time to set off to the edge of the forest to finally determine the truth which had been troubling him for years.

But little did Richard know, the journey to the edge of the forest would be far more perilous than he ever imagined, and the truth that awaited him would shatter everything he thought he knew about himself and the world around him.