While walking towards Marius I started thinking of this ancestor my mother mentioned. I regretted not asking more about her. But my mother had barely accepted my decision, why nag her with child-like questions? Was she a Knight? Or even a Captain? I found it odd grandmother never mentioned her.
My grandmother was very knowledgeable of our history. A true book worm! She used to lecture me for hours and in great details of olden days:
“We Vetulonians arrived to the continent of Helena a few centuries ago! You know what that means, Antonius? One century lasts a hundred years. Why did we come or where from, nobody knows and the answer to that riddle is buried beneath the dirt of time. Our ships – according to the legends there were thousands of them! – were larger than the villages of the local folk!
At first the natives admired us arrivals who they perceived as gods. Our demeanor, technology, our clothes even – stroke fear and awe.
It didn’t take long for us Vetulonians to show our true vile nature, as it was at that time. We started a war of conquest and soon the whole south-west of Helena was under our firm grip. But that wasn’t enough for us, oh no. Over the course of the century we conquered all the old realms. Even Dwarves and Elves fell under our domain! We enslaved and tortured the poor wretched folk and our rule was full of darkness... For that we should feel shame.
But then the gods, indifferent as they are, could watch no more of our debauchery. So they let one of the stars fall upon earth, which started the long winter that lasted a hundred years. How much is a hundred years, Antonius?”
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“A century,” I answered.
“Smart boy! Yes… And so the long winter caused the collapse of our dark empire. Everything turned to chaos. Coldness, darkness, no crops, plague, animals dying left and right – nothing good remained. The long winter and the disarray that followed were so bad... people soon started hunting… other people. For food, you see!
Oh, don’t look so frightened Antonius, life is full of perils! So, where was I? Oh, yes… The fundamental nature of everything is that nothing, good or evil, lasts forever. Everything flows. All is but a passing breeze, a ring of a bell. It’s over like that! And after many, many years, the sun finally defeated the darkness. People could work the land once again. Villages and small settlements arose. Life defeated darkness! Ha! And it was right about that time the Giants from of the Great North came to our lands.”
“Grandmother, what do they look like?”
“Giants? Why tall! Ha ha ha! They’re twice our size! Strong as bulls, although their bodies don’t appear that way, as they don’t have any visible muscles. Their skin is gray. Their noses are straight and long. Their mouth small, with narrow lips. I guess that's because they don’t talk much… Now, where was I? Don’t interrupt me again! Ah, yes… They came to our lands and introduced Vetulonians to the Elixir. It’s a powerful brew! By drinking it you gain the ability to converse with the gods who give you insights of great meaning.
The Elixir cured Vetulonians of their ill ways and helped us rise from the tumult of our past.
Without it we would have never stopped stumping on other people.”