Danger

“I haven’t seen much of this world either, but the books I read said there are five realms. I wonder what they’re like. When we get a chance, we should go.”

Eiric watches Eydis early in the morning as Vilgur helps with scouting and Sigrun helps with communicating with the revolutionary army.

At the moment, the army is in a defensive battle against the Solgrad kingdom. They keep the battle as far from Sanctuary as possible, but it has been two weeks of constant fighting since the retrieval of Torsten.

“What do you say? Want to visit the five realms? We’re in a world of magic now after all.”

“Egh!”

“Haha, now I know how dad felt. I’ll make the same promise he did. I’ll make this a world you can see whenever you want, both you and Sigrun.”

“We’ll do it together.” Sigrun embraces Eiric, “Sorry, there is a lot going on right now.”

“Is everything ok?”

“Both sides are in a deadlock, they’re not sure when they are going to return. The kingdom is furious. Sorry, Eydis, your parents will be back soon, I promise.”

“We’ll need to train more then., I’d like to help soon.”

“You will, Brynja asked that we look in the library for anything we can find. Vilgur can watch over Eydis.”

“Is he back?”

“Soon, I’ve already sent him a message, I made sure his ears are ringing. Or his brain?”

“Eydis, remember what I said about crying more? Mom and dad could get suspicious, practice with Vilgur, ok?” Eiric said.

“Egh!”

“I’m here.” Vilgur enters Eiric’s room and is soon given Eydis, “Hey, I just got here!”

“We need all the time we can get, thanks Vilgur!” Sigrun said.

“Jeez, they better not use this for anything else those two. Anything you want to do, Eydis?”

Eydis stares at Vilgur, garnering all the memories of crying babies from her past life and siphoning into her own, bellowing cry as Vilgur holds her.

I must be terrible with babies.

“Are you ok?” Eiric said as the two arrive at the library, Sigrun kept a tight hold on his arm the entire way.

“If I don’t hold tight, you could get away from me.” Sigrun smiles as she skips into the library.

As Brynja said, the library is a building with shelves reaching the roof. Each is filed with books gathered by every village, many of which are hidden with important information regarding the war, Eiric and Sigrun are only here for anything related the turning of blessed however.

The eastern wall of the library holds a large map of the five realms that draws the eyes of the younglings. As accurate as can be from the stories told through trade, each realm is almost equal in size, all five come together to form a diamond like shape.

Mithold is the eastern most, followed by,

“Helgard, Askrheim, Musifiraal, and Vidrvale. Dad said if we were to find demons it would be in Vidravale.” Sigrun said.

“Why is that?”

“Dad said the realm is covered in fog and forests, it would be perfect to hide in. He also said Mithold is the easiest realm to live in. Demons can live under any conditions, but each realm has a specific race able to adapt to that realm’s environment. I’d like to meet an elf one day, they’re hearing must be as good as mine.”

“Then we’ll go, I’ll take you.”

“You promised, now you have to.”

An entire shelf is dedicated to information on blessed. From their history, to detailed notes of each recorded blessed, and even the most dangerous blessed by consideration of their destructiveness before being killed or disappearing.

Often, entire armies were gathered to defeat a single powerful blessed. It was the fear of such power that contributes to the torn relationships between the races of each realm, tensions only continue to rise with each new blessed that loses control of themselves.

Eiric searches through the records for Livhild, Skeggi, or Halvard but finds nothing. He is relieved, but also confused as he is certain they should have reincarnated around the same time as he did.

If they have not loss control, they would be of great help. But for them not to be in Sanctuary or in any record is concerning.

“Dad told me about them.”

Sigrun points to the page detailing the immortal. A blessed that lost control centuries ago, but never sought destruction. Their blessing is powerful however, a large area within their vicinity becomes an extension of her blessing and is given immortality as well.

It is said that time passes at a different rate in the realm of the immortal, returning to the unaffected realm forces the body to age at the same speed the rest of the world did. Notes detail entire groups becoming piles of dust after spending far too long within the immortal realm. Little is detailed about the immortal, only that they are an unstable being who has maintained a sense of self but is still considered dangerous.

“It is said they are extremely knowledgeable, but difficult to reach. Maybe we could ask them.” Eiric said.

“It’s extremely dangerous, we could age years before we know it. They could have control over how much time passes in their realm.”

“We’re going to become old together anyway.”

Sigrun punches Eiric’s arm. “But I’d like to enjoy as much time together as possible.”

“You’re right, sorry.”

“Look what I found.”

After hours of searching, Sigrun found a book on demons. She knows much of the information inside, except for a detail that hasn’t been confirmed.

The book details the possibility of some demons being born as another race, becoming demons later on in life. The book has records of two humans becoming demons, but the process remains lost to time as the two left for the demon society soon after.

So much time has passed that even those two recorded examples are doubted.

“Maybe I could make you a demon, that way your blessing may not affect you.”

“Could it be like vampires? Do demons suck blood?”

“Ew, who would do that?”

“Haha, there’s a whole race that does in stories back on earth.”

“Well demons don’t… not that I know of at least.”

“Think about blood, do you crave it?”

“Blegh, no. I’ll find a way that doesn’t make me drink blood.”

Eiric rests his head on Sigrun’s lap before diving into another book. Although they learn much about the history of blessed and the destruction they have brought, they find little that could lead them to stopping a turn.

After three hours, their venture is stopped. The alarms of Sanctuary ring, the village is under attack.