Chapter 3

Year 157 –Spring – Primus Mensis –47th day

Bona-Fide, Capital of the Union

The air was dry under the dazzling sun. Two silhouettes awaited their death at the gallows. Buried under the noise of a thousand slanders, a 13-year-old boy cried to himself.

Magistrate of House Merantis –“I, Julliau Meren, Magistrate of House Merantis and Judge of Bona-Fide, declare Vivian Stewart and Milos Orvath guilty of thievery and witchcraft. The legitimate punishment enforced by the law shall be death by hanging.”

The kid left before witnessing the event. Four hours of walking later, he arrived at the Vitae Forest and kept on walking until he reached his home hidden within. The place had been wreaked havoc. Half the roof had caved in, and all their goods had been tossed in the fireplace. Searching through the rubble and ashes, the kid recovered a few tools and the burned tome of his late mother. Submerged by ashes, the flame hadn’t devoured this treasured possession. While the bottom half was mostly gone, about one-third of the book had survived, and on the leather cover, he could still read the runes of evocation. With an incomplete tome, a few tools and his memories as sole legacy, he traveled northwest, following the river. He lived through the night, stealing from towns to villages, until he reached the Sierra of Ebri-Altum.

Following the western edge of the mountain chain, he reached Ravmea, the hometown of House Ravtemir. During his second month of thievery, his luck ran out, and peasants chased after him all the way to the outskirts of the Scarlet Hills, eight miles south of town. Unwilling to step within this cursed forest, the peasants stared at the kid who stepped further into the red burial grave, filled with vermilions and crimson leaves. Its name originally came from its red clay soils where no plants should have ever grown, yet from the blood and rotten flesh of ten thousand souls came to life a forest as nightmarish as was its beauty.

From the bones of the dead grew banyan trees by the hundreds, covering the sky with their many branches and keeping the forest in a dismal light. From the rotting flesh of their corpses bloomed carrion flowers by the thousands that held a foul stench within their crimson petals. Red cypress vines sprouted from the blood flowing out of their wounds and spread their poisonous red flowers across the banyan trees like an ever-growing disease. Enlightening the horizon of a sparkling red all year round, the Scarlet Hills were feared by many.

But even taken by a dreadful fear, subjugated by his desire to escape, the kid trudged uphill in decisive steps. As he navigated deeper and deeper within the forest, the nauseating scent of the carrion flowers was slowly overtaken by the fresh, lingering, and resinous smell of the poisonous cypress as well as a strange fruity smell. The trees were getting sparse, and the light of a clear sky enlightened his path. As he kept walking, he heard the whistle of a bird. Looking upward, he noticed a red cardinal. Across and between the cypress vines were hundreds of poison ivy covered with small red berries. As he walked, looking upward, he stepped onto a branch of dry wood. In a single motion, as if they were alerted by a hive mind, a flock of birds emerged from the forest in a crimson veil, covering the sky with their red feathers.

Mesmerized by this sight, he stood there when, out of a living dream, a bright flash of warm light covered the sky. A warm shiver reached him, and when the birds returned to the forest, the bright sky was now one of a fading sun. Coming back to reality, the kid pushed further up the many hills, hoping to reach the highest summit before nightfall.

Arriving at his destination, the kid felt the same warm shiver. He walked toward it and saw a woman with feathered wings. Her wings were as white as a snowy mountain, and her skin amber-looking. Her hair seemed alive, like a radiant sun. A warm aura around her reached the kid. Paralyzed by her appearance, he wasn’t afraid. It was as if time had slowed so much that he could perceive every shiver of his limbs and every pulse of his heart with each of his breaths.

Near the angelic figure stood a little girl with silver hair. The woman muttered words in the ears of the crying child. After the everlasting instant, the angel stepped away and looked at the girl.

The angel –“You will always have my blessing!”

The angel bent her knees while extending her wings before diving into the sky, leaving a burst of air behind.

The boy came back to reality and almost collapsed to the ground. The girl’s skin was so pure and white that the mere thin rays of sunlight piercing between the branches were glittering on her skin like snow in winter. She had no wings, yet her beauty was on par with a being of another world. As he walked toward her, she looked at him with a depressive sigh. Her irises shared the same bright silver color as her hair and eyebrows. Her lips were pale pink, and her nose was sharp without imperfection.

The boy –“Are you an angel?”

The girl –“I don’t know anymore . . .”

The boy –“What do you mean?”

She backed up.

The girl –“Who are you? No one’s supposed to live in this forest. What are you doing here?”

The boy was surprised by her sudden change of attitude and took a few seconds before he answered.

The boy –“I’m Nelis, son of Vivian and Milos.”

The girl –“And what are you doing here?”

Nelis –“Aren’t you supposed to tell me who you are after I presented myself?”

The girl –“I don’t know who they are, so I still know nothing about you.”

Nelis –“Are you kidding me? With such an attitude, no wonder that angel abandoned you!”

She stepped forward and shoved him three feet away.

The girl –“MY ATTITUDE WAS MORE THAN EXEMPLARY! I’m . . . I’m just not one of them . . . I got banished because I’m not pure . . .”

Nelis was still stunned from the hit and took a few breaths to recover before realising how abnormal her strength was.

Nelis –“You’re not human?”

The girl –“I’m a half breed . . .”

Seeing how sad she was, Nelis calmed down and tried to regain his composure.

Nelis –“So, you’re like the bastard from a noble?”

The girl –“What? Did you just call my mother a whore? What the fuck is wrong with you!?”

Nelis –“Slow down . . . I’m not trying to create a conflict here. You don’t like my comparison? Fine! But you’re not the only one who’s got to cope with shit. My parents got executed last month. So, I feel just as bad as you. You can feel how I feel, right? So, would you be so kind to not get mad at me? I was not expecting to see anyone up here, either. I’m surprised there are even birds around!”

The girl then felt bad about the situation and remained in an awkward silence while biting her lower lip.

Nelis –“Are you alright?”

The girl –“Ehh . . . Yeah . . . Umm . . . Sorry for your loss. I’m Lanaya, daughter of Talaya.”

Nelis –“Aren’t those angels of Aya?”

Lanaya –“Of course you don’t believe me . . .”

Nelis –“No, actually I do!”

Lanaya –“Oh . . . So you’re just dumb . . .”

Nelis –“Hey!”

Lanaya –“Wh-Why do you just believe me like that?”

Nelis –“I mean, your hair . . .”

Lanaya –“What about it?”

Nelis –“Well, let’s just say that color isn’t the norm around here.”

Lanaya –“I could be from somewhere else. You don’t know that.”

Nelis –“Is Talaya not your mother?”

Lanaya –“Well, yes . . .”

Nelis –“And your father?”

Lanaya –“I don’t know who it is. All I know is that he’s a human, like you.”

Nelis –“So, I could be your cousin, for all you know?”

Lanaya –“NO WAY! You’re way too ugly for that!”

Nelis –“Ouch . . . That hurts!’’

Lanaya –“I mean, you’re probably fine by human standards . . . I suppose . . .”

Nelis –“Well, if that angel I saw earlier was your mother, she must like these human standards, otherwise you wouldn’t be there.”

Lanaya –“Wait . . . You saw her?”

Nelis –“I don’t know if she was trying to hide or anything, but in my humble opinion, if I’m allowed to have one, she was kind of standing out. She was freaking hot, I mean, bright.”

Lanaya –“That’s not what I meant. Normal humans aren’t supposed to see us.”

Nelis –“Well, I mean . . . You know . . . This conversation we’re having right now?”

Lanaya –“I lost my power, so you can see me, but that’s not my point. Only those with a great destiny should be able to see her.”

Nelis –“I’m sorry to surprise you, but I’m not a noble. So, you’re probably wrong.”

Lanaya –“A great destiny isn’t about the past but the future. You’re definitely special!”

Nelis –“I don’t want a great destiny, anyway. It’s just hard work with low reward. I just want a place where I won’t have to suffer. But I’m not even sure if such a place exists.”

Lanaya –“If it doesn’t exist, all you have to do is to make it yourself.”

Nelis –“That’s not within my control.”

Lanaya –“Why? Because you are weak? So you’ll just wait and die? I, too, would want to go back to the place I used to belong, but the only thing I can do is walk forward.”

Nelis –“You say that, but you were crying a moment ago.”

Lanaya –“Hey! It’s still true! And I’m not crying anymore!”

Nelis –“Alright, fine. So, you’re going to walk?”

Lanaya –“Yes . . . I . . . I will. And I will create this dream world with or without your help!”

Nelis –“Is that implying I might join your side?”

Lanaya –“I cannot believe you walked here with no reason. Our fates must be linked in a way or another. You said you want a peaceful world. I will create one. I know I will.”

Nelis –“And how would you know such a thing? You’re a child who got raised by angels in the most perfect place in this world. You’re like a frog in a well. You know nothing of this dreadful world!’’

Lanaya –“Since I can’t do it now, that simply means that the path ahead is a long road. I have legs, and I’m not afraid of walking. I’d rather fail trying than wait until the end, filled with regrets.”

Nelis –“A girl calling herself a half-angel who got banished and a questionable lad who believes it’s true. How do you expect to find anyone willing to join us? I mean, aside from your physical strength, which seems closer to black magic than the divine, you’ll need allies to make that dream come true.”

Lanaya –“We just have to keep this a secret for now. Besides, what do you have to lose by following me?”

Nelis –“Not much, I’ll concede . . .”

Lanaya –“So, where do we start?”

Nelis –“You’re truly clueless?”

Lanaya –“I don’t know much about your world’s politics. What’s the source of power in this world?”

Nelis –“Gold. There isn’t a thing you can’t buy using it.”

Lanaya –“And what’s the fastest way to get gold?”

Nelis –“Well, since the nobles hold most of it, you could either steal it or get paid by them to go to war. The second option usually involves the death of many, so I’d recommend stealing from the nobles.”

Lanaya –“I’m not stealing. We are going to war!”

Nelis –“Aren’t you supposed to want peace?”

Lanaya –“Your world has always been at war anyway. I’m not altering this reality. I’m just using it to gain power, and then once I have it, I will make it a better place for the next generation and for us to live in it. How will we help anyone without that gold? Besides, I don’t want to steal what others worked for to get. It just feels wrong.”

Nelis –“And killing doesn’t?”

Lanaya –“It’s not the same. We’re not killing random innocents. Those we will kill are soldiers. They would most likely die anyway in a subsequent war. We’re not going to create wars; we’ll end them, which means we’ll be ensuring peace.”

Nelis –“I not sure if I agree . . . Besides, are you not afraid of dying?”

Lanaya –“Dying by the hand of a weak human? As if!”

Nelis –“Aren’t angel supposed to care about us?”

Lanaya –“Half! They said I’m not one of them, so fuck them. Humans partake in wars all the time. Do you think all soldiers are evil?”

Nelis –“Well, no . . . They fight to protect lives.”

Lanaya –“And we’ll fight to protect the next generation and all the generations that will follow.”

Nelis –“Will you really try to make this dream world where peace reigns?”

Lanaya –“I have standards. I wouldn’t lie like that. I’m an angel, remember?”

Nelis –“Half!”

Lanaya –“I’m not lying. I’m being sincere. I want to rebuild the paradise I grew up in. I may have nothing for now and it may seem like an unreachable foresight, but I will make it happen no matter the odds, may it cost me my life. So, tell me, Nelis, son of Milos, will you partake in my ambition and borrow my path or will you relinquish the fate that has been bestowed upon you and forswear your destiny?”

Nelis –“You talk like a trickster trying to mountebank me into a deal I would regret.”

Lanaya –“You’ll always be free to leave. What I’m proposing to you isn’t an exchange in which you’ll lose something. It is a door that I open, a new trail within the wood, a new light within the night for you to grasp, a meaning to this doubtful travel you call life.”

Nelis –“Were I to walk by your side, would you not regret it? Might you not forsake the like of me to achieve your ends? I may not look like it, but I am a thief whose family was hanged for witchcraft by those who preach the like of you. Wouldn’t you regret the burden of my fellowship? Wouldn’t your words be anything else than a fraud of graceful hearing?”

Lanaya –“I have but my ambitions and dreams to offer. I may tell you the words you want to hear, but they would be lies. While I hope for a bond of fellowship to grow between us, I, myself, am not aware of the purity of your soul. I humbly ask you to forgo that resolute nature of wariness shackling your hopes, as I will forgo my own and expose you to my back. Were you to fight for me, I shall fight for you.”

Nelis looked at her in silence. She seemed sincere, yet he didn’t want to be betrayed again.

Lanaya –“Will you allow me to prove to you the truth of my words through my deeds and actions?”

Nelis –“I will give you my trust for now, but know that I only give it once and that I rarely give it at all.”

Lanaya gave him her hand and Nelis held it, looking at the silver of her irises, sparkling within her eyes. A month later, together, they enrolled for the count of House Merantis, at Nelis’s own bitterness, and travelled south through the Coniuntasien Sea with 50 other sellswords to retake control over a gemstone mine in the continent of Axatôze. As they crossed the sea, a storm raged and sank their ship.

The remains of their wrecked ship drifted away and landed on the southern coast. Lanaya woke up first to witness the disaster. She searched for Nelis and found him unconscious, yet alive. The sea salt had dried their skin. She shook Nelis until he woke up. He was in pain but immediately began looking for his mother’s book, which he had brought with him. The water and the salt had left their mark. More than half of the incomplete runes were now unreadable.

As Lanaya was scavenging the remains of the shipwreck, she found a man agonizing under the sun with a wood fragment stuck in his left leg. He was breathing, but his skin was pale. Examining his wound, she saw that the salt had reduced the blood loss.

Lanaya –“NELIS! I found someone!”

Nelis –“What happened?”

Lanaya –“I found our next comrade!”

Nelis –“He’s about to die, you know. He might be beyond saving.”

Lanaya crossed her hands and placed them on the man’s heart.

Nelis –“What are you doing? Didn’t you say you lost your power?”

Lanaya –“I won’t use my own power; I’ll borrow Aya’s will.”

She stared at the wounded man and exhaled to calm herself.

Lanaya –“Luceat!”

She stood in silence.

Nelis –“Nothing’s happening.”

Lanaya –“So, even Aya disowned me . . .”

Nelis –“Well, you want to heal him? Borrow my skill. I’m no miracle, but I know a couple of things.”

Lanaya –“Sure . . .”

Nelis took a rag and made a garrotte around the injured leg before taking out the wood fragment. The inside was full of fresh blood, so he added more salt before pressing the flesh together for a quarter-hour. Once the flesh was sticking together again, he took a piece of cloth from a dead body and soaked it in the water before stretching it and wrapping it around the man’s leg. The salt of the water tightened the cloth together around the leg as it dried out.

Lanaya –“You think it’ll be enough?”

Nelis –“I don’t know; it will depend on his own constitution. If his body is strong enough, the flesh will fuse back together, and he will live. If not, he will have a fever and die in a couple of days.”

Nelis then used the ship’s sail to create a temporary shack over the man, hiding him from the sunlight. He searched around the many bodies and found some white willow bark. These leaves of a common tree had analgesic properties. He took some water from his gourd and added it to infuse the bark. When the man finally woke up, Nelis told him to drink some of the mixture.

The wounded man –“What is it?”

Nelis –“It’s to help you fight a potential fever by lowering your pain.”

The man drank the whole bottle and thanked Nelis for his help before falling back to sleep. The next day, the man woke up. He didn’t have a fever, but he was still weak.

Nelis –“I’m Nelis; a storm wrecked our ship. Do you remember who you are?”

The wounded man –“I do. I’m Jurren. I should be dead . . .”

Nelis –“Then be glad you aren’t.”

Jurren –“My words may not mean much, but I promise I will repay my debt one day. Let me join you until the gods allow me to repay what I owe you.”

Nelis –“If she didn’t insist, I would have left you for dead, so you’re indebted to her, not me.”

As Jurren turned his eyes toward Lanaya, he was bewitched by the sight. Her silver hairs were flowing through the wind like the banner of a kingdom. The sunlight was shimmering on her skin like a sunset on a clear sea.

Lanaya –“I am Lanaya. Welcome to the Silver Lining.”