Secrets

"-ake up! Mildune! You need to wake up!"

Mildune groggily opened his eyes, his head pounding as he looked around. Perin knelt next to him, his face ragged as he rummaged through a leather pouch. "Oh, this is not good. Not good at all."

"Perin? What are…cough… you doing?" Mildune forced himself up, wincing as a sharp pain ran through his skull. The streets around them appeared deserted, with only a few buildings still smoldering. Overhead, the sky was clear and blue, with the sun rising against the horizon.

Perin looked up and slumped his back, relief washing across his face. "Thank the gods you're awake. Come. We can't stay here. It's not safe."

"What? What's not safe? Where's- where is my uncle?"

Perin's face fell, and he gripped Mildune's shoulder. "Do you… Do you not remember what happened?"

"What do you mean? What happened?" Mildune asked, warily pulling back. Suddenly, all the memories from the night before came crashing back. His breath caught in his throat as he whirled around, only to find the cold corpse of his uncle, lying beneath a veil of ash.

The sight left him in shock, emotions boiling beneath the surface, consisting of both grief for his loss, and rage for the one who did this. Behind him, Perin pulled him to his feet, dragging him away as shouts resounded from the other side of the crater.

As they dissapeared into the debris, Mildune glanced back, his gaze lingering one final time on his uncle. Then, they were gone, slipping through the streets, and over heaps of rubble, until they left the city, and dashed into the forest.

And still they went, farther and farther, until they came to a stream, where two horses were tethered, gnawing on grass. Mildune froze at the sight, then whirled on Perin, anger surging through his veins.

"You! You knew this would happen, didn't you?! How?! How did you know?!" As Mildune shouted, his eyes darkened and flickered with sparks of light. Behind him, an ominous storm cloud rose up, threatening to engulf everything around him.

"Sercuta."

A single word. One single word, and all the anger evaporated, leaving Mildune gasping for breath. As he stumbled back, Perin folded his arms, and gazed at the ground.

"Who… Who are you?" Mildune asked.

Perin sighed, and glanced up, his expression somber. "I… am Perin, farmer, and a close friend of your uncles, but I am also a Sorcerer, one of the nine left in Delahost, and your uncle was a Seer. It's how he knew the Soulous One was coming, and what he needed to do to make sure you survived."

"You're saying he knew about this? But- but if that's true, then why didn't we leave? We could have left long before the Soulous One, or whatever, even got there!"

Perin sadly shook his head. "I'm afraid he would have found us eventually. No, this was the only way to make sure you survived, and also deal a blow to Solvengold, by injuring one of his followers."

Mildune thought back to the moment before he reached his uncle, and the bright light that enveloped the man clad in black.

"But why didn't he tell me? If I had known, then maybe… maybe I could have done something."

"I'm afraid I don't know why, and I can't tell you anymore than I already have. At least, not yet. Every second we stay here, the Soulous One regains his strength. It won't be long before he comes back for you, and he won't stop until he has you."

As he spoke, Perin saddled the horses, then moved on to load several packs. Unsure of what to say, Mildune watched in silence, going over everything he had been told. Finally, when the two horses were ready, Perin climbed into one of the saddles, and glanced at Mildune.

"What will it be? Will you trust me, and follow, or test your luck, and go your own way?"

"I'll… I'll follow you," Mildune said slowly. "At least, until I have more information."

"Very well. But until you decide to part ways with me, you'll need to listen to everything I say."

Mildune nodded, and approached the second horse, its fur a light brown color. It nickered as he slipped into the saddle, shaking its chestnut mane.

Then, they were galloping through the woods, following the stream until they burst from the foliage, and out onto the main road. A sea of gold laid on the other side, and in the distance, the remains of the city rose beneath the jagged mountain. Mildune watched the wheat flow past, and wondered if his life would ever be the same again.

Dusk was quickly approaching when the two made it to a fork in the road. To the east lay the city of Galeden, a profitable kingdom near the Arcoldin sea, while the Silver plains laid to the left, an open space that went on for a hundred leagues or more.

"This way," Perin said, guiding his horse to the west. Mildune followed without speaking, only lowering his head to block out the setting sun. The two continued on until night was fully upon them, and the twin moons were a quarter overhead.

"Don't you think we should stop for the night?" Mildune asked, drawing his horse closer to Perin. "With how dark it is, we won't be able to tell where we're going."

Perin brought his horse to a stop, and glanced around. "I wished to make it a bit farther, but you're right. We can set up camp near that tree over there."

He gestured towards an old stonemaple, alone in the middle of the plains. Its branches provided the perfect cover for the night, and its thick trunk would block a bit of the wind. As they neared it, Mildune spotted a stream, running beside the tree's roots.

"Gather some water. I'll cook us up a stew."

Mildune nodded, and slipped from his saddle. After tethering his horse, he grabbed a pot, and knelt on the bank. As the cold water splashed against his hands, he glanced back at Perin, who crouched beside a pyramid of wood, a pale flame flickering within. It was now, he determined, that he should get some answers.

"Back in the city… Do you know what happened?"

Perin frowned, and took the pot from Mildune. "Let me start dinner first, and then I'll answer some of your questions."

Mildune gritted his teeth, and reluctantly complied. Soon, the pot was boiling, with sliced carrots, and chunks of chicken rolling within. With nothing left to do but wait, Perin sat on a log, and motioned Mildune to do the same.

"I think I'll stand."

"Very well… What do you wish to know?" Perin asked.

Mildune pondered for a moment. "The one who killed my uncle, who were they exactly… and why is he after me?"

"That's a difficult one to answer, as it all goes back to a hundred years ago, long before even I was born…" Mildune said, stirring the pot. "But I trust you've heard of Solvengold, the crimson dragon, who once ruled the world?"

The fire crackled as Mildune nodded, his face illuminated by a shower of sparks.

"Good. That'll make telling the rest of the this story a lot easier. You see, it all began fifty years ago, when the three races, man, dwarf, and elf, all came together, and forged a pack to defeat the dragon…"