1 Runair

The sun flowed light through the cracks of the mountains shining across the valley of grass that lead on for miles, until eventually coming to the small village of Greyddan on the outskirts of the first forest on the southern border of the Kingdom of Alzyr. The morning air was crisp in the beginnings of winter mist, casting a slight blue light to the valley, freezing the grass into the likeness of blades corrupting the once peaceful nature of the valley. At least that's what Runair thought as he gazed out from the rooftop of the Lord's manor.

The peacefulness of the view was unlike the early morning bustle in the village square. Men, Women, and even children could be seen running from stall to stall shopping for food. Carriages carrying provisions from the capital city of Ericstein could be seen approaching the village, the cause for all the early morning commotion making the excitement in the air almost tangible. But to Runair it was a call to work, fastening his armor he quickly descended down the stairs into the manor catching a peek into his father's study. "Father, I'm going to make the rounds, the carriages are almost here!" Runair normally waited for a grunt of approval but was surprised when his mountain of a father opened the door.

"Now Rune, don't forget that your sister leaves today with the carriages."

Rune chuckled "Don't worry father it would take more than the common supply run. Even monsters wouldn't keep me from the grand farewell!"

"As long as you're here before she departs…"

"I will father. Now can I go, at this rate by the time I go on my rounds she'll already have gone!" Men bigger than Rune had said less to earn the Lord's bad side but Rune knew how reserved he really was.

"Truer words have not been spoken, better get a move on before I set the hounds on ya'!"

"I wouldn't put it past you, see you before Lailas' departure!" Rune continued down the hall as his fathers door closed. Rune was just about to head down the flight of stairs as he heard a door open behind him. Turning around guiltily Rune found Laila glaring daggers at him with her icy blue eyes, from her bedroom, the only room on the second floor aside from their father's study. Rune waved knowing he was caught red handed "H-hi Laila, I was just about to come see you before I set off-."

"You are such a liar Runair!" Rune flinched from the malice she put in his name, "it's my last day and you won't even take me with you!"

"You already know you're to stay here under fathers orders to make sure you don't 'get lost'. Besides it's only patrol, I know you just want to kill some monsters before you head back to the capitol."

"Wha-. Psst no I would love to talk to our lovely villagers."

"Well if they're so lovely would you mind naming one?"

"Name what?" Laila asked, putting on her most innocent look.

"That's what I thought, now I need to go or I'll miss you leaving, unless you don't want me the-," Laila hugged her brother before he could finish.

"Just be back in time."

"Of course, I don't know what's up with you guys today but it feels like I'm expected to be late. Well I gotta take off or I'll really be late."

"Be safe and don't let them hooligans get you out there."

Rune started down the stairs "yeah yeah I'll be careful-," he said right before he slipped on something sending him tumbling down the stairs. "Ful". Two small boys both with shaggy brown hair tangled all over, smiling with the same face, came around the corner giggling with joy.

"Did we get you Rune? Did we?"

"Oh man you guys brought down someone as big as me all by yourselves, who could ever stop you monsters. Ugh!" Rune's theatrics were cut short by them jumping on him. "Now now I gotta go" he said as he picked them off him with ease.

"Take us with you!"

"I'll take it that you don't want breakfast then?" Their mother came around the corner from the kitchen.

"No, we're coming" and they ran around their mom into the kitchen where the sweet smells of breakfast called.

"Sorry Mom, I've gotta go make my patrol before Laila leaves."

"Well you might wanna get a move on, the carriages are already here."

"Shit," Rune hastily put his boots on, leaving his leg gear in a hurry, "sorry for cursing mom! See you later!" And with that he was out the door into the cold air once more headed off toward the north gate, where he could already see the carriages being held up at. Rune was still fumbling with his gloves when he ran into a man in a traveling cloak. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was head…ed," Rune forgot what he was trying to say when he saw the things face. There was actually a moment after a brief instance of fear where he had lost himself completely. What did he look like? Rune wondered as the robed man walked away. Rune stared after him long after he had vanished, finally getting roused out of his stupor by one of his guardsmen, Michael.

"Runair what'r you lookin' at ye daft bastard?" Rune tried collecting himself by focusing on Michael's missing tooth that was knocked out of practice and squashed nose from the same morning, but what really woke him up was Michael's stench. Since not everyone in the town was as fortunate as the Lords, who had servants fetch water from the nearby stream for their baths, most went without bathing for days. But Michael seemed to only find the drive to go once every couple weeks.

"I don't really remember," Rune stopped. He was positive he was just doing something but everything was blank. Something didn't set well but he couldn't place just what it was.

"Runair if ye make the carriages wait too much longer them'll turn around with their supplies."

"Right lead the way," casting one last look over the square in a last ditch attempt to remember what had happened. Shrugging it off Rune started walking toward the carriages ready for the morning to be over already.

Searching the cargo and directing the huffy people of the capital toward the square was far more work than Rune had signed up for; at least that's what he thought sitting on the grass taking a well deserved break from labor and people. The forest was always quiet and gave him a peace of mind, these trees were just as much his home as the one in the village. But here there were no expectations, only silence and the occasional monster. Rune stared off, looking at a headstone that rose just above his knee. "Having a competent second mate would make days like this easier. You would have put those capital bastards in their place and had the whole operation moving steadily. But me, no, I got distracted in the town square while I had a duty to do. I try my best to hold up to your example, but I don't know how you always knew what to do Avon."

Rune chuckled, "Man this takes me back. Complaining to you about work, but you'd always see right through me. 'Now Runair you know your sister needs this education to be able to better the village.' you'd always say." Rune sighed as he looked up at the sky, noticing the sun was nearing its peak. "Gah! Sorry to cut this short Avon but I need to complete this patrol to make it back to at least say goodbye even though it's going to hurt not seeing her for almost a year." Putting out the incense that he had burned to pay his respects, a glimmer of light shone in the corner of Rune's eye drawing his attention toward the forest. Searching for the glimmer that had distracted him. Just as he was about to give up, he saw it again, shining through the forest, like a beacon drawing him forward.

Dropping the incense he followed the light into the forest almost in a trance but curiosity was driving him. He followed the light deeper and deeper into the forest not realizing just how far he was going. After several minutes he broke out of the trees into a clearing with a pond in the middle. Next to the pond was a little mound of rocks, green light shining brilliantly through the cracks, beaconing Rune forward. Rune started to reach toward the rocks when he was broken out of his trance by screaming in the distance. He looked up and realized that night had fallen without him realizing it. More screams came from the distance, and looking back Rune could see smoke rising into the night a couple miles back. A chilling realization sunk to the pit of Runair's core as he realized where the screams were coming from. He took off back toward the village without a second look back at the rocks.

Unbeknownst to Runair, after he had left the clearing, the rocks transformed back into its golem self and started following the one it had deemed worthy on its short rocky legs.

After what seemed like an eternity of running with only the screams of the villagers keeping him running at full sprint through the forest. The screaming was growing louder as he got closer pushing him even harder seeing light on the horizon. Bursting out of the forest what Rune saw could only be his greatest nightmare. Monsters were running amuck through the streets, prairie hounds were hunting down children down alleys, goblins were stabbing the men through and fucking the corpses of the women. Rune ran straight to his house stopping dead in his tracks. Above the door his fathers cold dead eyes bore into his sole staring out from his disembodied head. Rune felt sick to his core as his eyes moved to the right, tortured at the sight of both his brothers eyeless heads. The heads staked upon the eve of the door. His mother and sister's heads weren't mounted but for some reason that didn't make him feel any better.

Charging toward the door he almost didn't notice the goblin that was hiding in the shadows jump at him. Rune's instincts kicked in using his years of practice, barely pulling himself to a stop in time, and with one fluid motion Rune stepped to the side of the goblin, dodging the swipe it made with its dagger, unsheathed his sword from his side bringing the blade up towards the monsters throat in an instant. The monster's head dropped to the floor followed a second later by the sound of its body hitting the floor. I don't have time for this Rune thought, running up the stairs, opening the door. Rune cautiously entered the house, looking for another attacker. Not seeing anyone he called out "Mother, Laila! Are you here?" There was no response. Rune ran around the house, barged into each room and found nothing. Running back to the main room, he turned and ran up the stairs two at a time. Nearing the top of the stairs Rune slipped, bashing his knee into the stairs. White spots erupted in his vision as pain shot up his leg after his knee made a loud popping sound. Rune tried to catch his breath, but then he noticed what he had slipped on. The top of the stairs had a thin layer of blood that was slowly seeping down the rest of the stairs. Rune pushed through the pain crawling the rest of the way up the stairs, crawling through a pool of blood that must have caused the dripping on the stairs.

With the help of the hand rail, Rune pulled himself out of the blood and into a standing position. Looking around again for more attackers he noticed a blood trail and it seemed whatever had made the puddle was dragged into his fathers study from here. Rune limped down the hall holding onto the wall for support as he headed towards the study. He stopped and looked at Layla's door on the opposite side of the hall. Rune called out once more "Mother, Laila, are you in there?" Dread filled his heart as there was no reply. Rune pushed on faster than before hoping that his mother or Laila weren't the ones dragged through the hall. Please, Please not be in here, Rune thought as he slowly pushed the door open. What he found would haunt him in his nightmares for the rest of his life, for hanging from the ceiling were the upside down bodies of his father and brothers, mangled and tortured almost beyond recognition. Rune threw up the moment he saw it.

"Well, Well if it isn't the prodigal son. Returned home at last to help?" Rune frantically looked around him searching for who spoke, his vision red with nothing in his mind but to avenge his family. But as he reached for his sword immense pain sprouted from his chest, and looking down Rune saw a black spear thrusting him right through the chest. Coughing up blood he looked back at the face of his killer and the last sight he saw before he died was a man cloaked in darkness, a scar over his right eye, nothing but hate could be seen within the darkness of his eyes.