“Well, I know that for many years Howanjan caused so much destruction, especially during the Great War between Queen Freita’s army and the dragon and its followers. That war went on for about fifty years,” Avlara said in a solemn voice. “My grandfather told me that many people believed that Howanjan was a god and chose to follow him into annihilating all of mankind! There were thousands of men, elves, and dwarves, and dozens of mages that joined the dragon. The war was scattered throughout all of Yenway. Mankind battled against mankind with many casualties. The dragon’s followers burned and destroyed many of the great cities throughout Yenway and they have never been the same. The mages made it easy for the dragon’s followers to travel quickly throughout the world with the portals they were able to conjure. ”

Evan nodded and tried to think of this great army and the mages that she kept talking about. He did have a question that he wanted to ask Avlara without appearing to be completely stupid. “These mages. Have you seen or met any of them?”

“My grandfather has fought alongside them and also against them. He is very mistrustful of them because…” Avlara paused for a moment. “Yes, several of them have traveled through our village en route to cities in the greater south. They are always so serious and very mysterious. My grandfather is always wary of mages due to the dark magic that he has seen them do.”

“Dark magic, you say?” Evan said with a curious look at her.

“Yeah. Many mages practice dark magic usually in secret but this magic is so powerful that it causes catastrophic events. Many small towns have been completely wiped out by dark magic. It also warps the soul and causes many mages that practice it to become ruthlessly evil, ” Avlara said with a solemn expression on her face.

She looked off into the distance and Evan saw sorrow play across her face. He waited to speak as he felt that she had something stirring in her that she wanted to say. “It was dark magic that killed my parents.”

Evan looked at her in surprise. He could see the pain that she was experiencing. He suddenly reached out and put a hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry.”

Avlara turned and looked at him and gave him a sad smile. “That is kind of you to say, dragonslayer.”

“I don’t want to pry but may I ask what happened?” Evan asked her in a soft voice. His hand was still on her arm and he could feel how soft her skin was. It was also so smooth to the touch.

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“My father has always been skilled at archery like my grandfather and his father before him,” Avlara said. A small smile came to her lips. “It has been passed down from son to son until my parents had me and was then passed onto me. My grandfather fought in several battles between men, elves, mages, and dwarves. He was an archer during these battles and has told me his tales of glory and also loss. He has never fought or seen Howanjan but has fought against his followers. My father joined King Ritan’s army like many young men when he was told that Howanjan was gathering even more followers. He was an archer and left my mother here with me. I think I was five the last time that I saw my father.”

Her eyes were staring off in the distance as she continued. “One day, there had been a message of a battle taking place in Trendon. It is about a two-day ride from here and my father was among the many that were fighting the followers of Howanjan. My mother was so frantic to see him that she left me with my grandfather and rode off in the middle of the night. My grandfather had to send several people out to find her. Weeks went by with my grandfather worrying about both his son and my mother. We finally received word that the entire village of Trendon had been completely razed to the ground due to a dark spell that caused a black fire to burn everything in sight. It was believed that my father and mother both perished in this black fire including the people that my grandfather had sent out after my mother.”

Evan listened to this with anxiety growing inside of him. Dark magic that could create black fire that could burn everything in sight?! “I am so sorry, Avlara.”

She nodded and continued. “Thank you, dragonslayer. My grandfather personally went out to Trendon and it was there among the remains of that poor city that he found my father’s bow which was badly burnt as well as the amber earrings of my mother near one another. He believed that my parents died together.”

Evan felt a pang of sadness for Avlara and gave her arm another sympathetic squeeze. Several people were retiring into their homes when they saw the two of them and Evan’s hand on her arm. A knowing smile came to the lips of those people which caused Evan to quickly move his hand as he became self-conscious.

“My grandfather brought my father’s bow and my mother’s earrings back with him. He worked tirelessly on repairing my father’s bow back to its initial condition and then gave me the bow and my mother’s earrings when I turned sixteen,” Avlara said. “Those are my dearest possessions. I use my father’s bow every day to practice and to hunt.”

Avlara paused for a moment. “There had been many nights where I have heard my grandfather weeping for my father and mother. He thinks I do not hear him as he tries to do it without me knowing but I have. He is wary of mages as I told you and anytime he hears about black magic, he is reminded of my father and mother.”