For those who have borne witness to the horror of war, there can be no solace in its wake, only a solemn vow to strive for a world where conflict yields not to chaos but to compassion, where the echoes of explosions are drowned out by the chorus of reconciliation. In the face of such darkness, the light of humanity flickers defiantly, a beacon of hope amidst the storm, beckoning us towards a future untainted by the horrors of the past.
Horrors of war
Scholar José Narosky.
Calodan Kingdom, year 2273.
----------------------------------------
Synové stared at the man in confusion and asked. “You—you’re the smuggler?”.
Eldridge frowned. “That’s not the term I would use; I like to think of myself as a transporter of both goods and people.”
The man was suave and articulate, but it was his surname that made Aodhán so sure that the man was a noble. He was only a few years older than Aldric, maybe twenty-four or five, and his core emanated a pressure between the 12th and 13th tiers, which meant he wasn’t much stronger than Aldric either.
Still, Aodhán wondered if he was suffering from the limit or something else to still be at the 12th tier at his age.
“Eldridge is a part of the Adventurers Guild, so he runs a legal adventuring business.” Aldric explained. “The smuggling—”
“Transporting.” Eldridge interrupted firmly, and Aldric sighed.
“The transporting business is just a side job.”
“Thank you for the introduction, Aldric. Now, to the matter at hand, where do you wish to go?”
Aodhán paused, realizing that he hadn’t thought that far yet. He’d been so focused on leaving that he hadn’t thought of where he wanted to go. He shared a look with Daruk before asking. “How far are you willing to take us?”
“I could take you to the Calodan kingdom or even to the frozen mountains of Unoros; it all depends on where you want to go.”
“We plan to attend one of the three major academies.” Daruk replied before asking. “How long would it take to reach the 5th sector?”
“The 5th sector!” Synové exclaimed. “You don’t need to run that far.”
“It's not running Synové; the 5th sector has the best academy in all the kingdom.” Aodhán replied.
“Allegedly.” Aldric snorted.
“It’ll take the ship a little less than a week to get to the 5th sector, about five days.” Eldridge replied.
“It doesn’t matter where you go as long as you’re safe and you write us letters.” Unrid replied before asking Eldridge. “How much is the cost of your service?"
Eldridge chuckled. “I’m sorry, Mr. Brystion, but you cannot afford my services; Aldric has decided to owe me a favor as payment, so it is settled.”
“What kind of favor?” Synové asked worriedly, but Aldric waved off her concerns. “It doesn’t matter; payment has been settled; they can go now.”
Aodhán walked towards Aldric and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You have my sincere gratitude for this, and I promise to protect your brother to repay it.”
“Well, it’s my loss then, because you’d have protected him anyway.” Aldric replied sullenly, but he smiled a moment later and hugged him. “Be safe, Aodhán, and don’t worry about us; we will be fine; I’ll make sure of it.”
Aodhán nodded shakily, trying to keep his emotions in check as he hefted his bag, and made his way to the entrance while Daruk said a final goodbye to his family. After a teary hug from Synové and a warm one from Unrid, they finally left the house.
After they left, Aldric turned to his father and said, “I’ll wait until the consequences of this blow over before returning to the academy.”
“Whatever the consequences are, we’ll face it together as a family.” Unrid replied as he consoled Synové. “Hopefully, it won’t be too serious.”
….
Immediately after Aodhán and Daruk stepped into the night with Eldridge, he turned around and held onto their wrists for a few seconds before releasing them.
“Great, I just placed a cloaking spell on the both of you.” He announced. “It’s not foolproof, but no one should hear or see us as we make our way to the harbor.”
Aodhán couldn’t sense any difference, but as they made their way to the other side of the village, farmers and merchants passed by them without noticing, and they had to move around to avoid running into the villagers.”
Aodhán had never been to the harbor since he’d gotten to the Warren, but he’d heard much about it. From what he’d read, the island was what sailors called a “waypoint island” or simply a "stopover island." They usually served as ports of call or layover points for vessels to refuel, resupply, or undergo maintenance before resuming their journey.
Aodhán was surprised when they got to the harbor, as he hadn’t expected it to be so large and chaotic. Daruk seemed to know his way around, so Aodhán simply followed behind him.
As they walked, Aodhán saw a weathered lighthouse as it stood sentinel, its guiding beacons piercing through the darkness of dawn to steer ships safely to port. Ships glided through the wide, open channels as dock workers scurried about, their voices mingling with the clang of metal and the creak of ropes as goods were loaded and unloaded with practiced efficiency.
Eldridge led them towards a large ship painted in a midnight black color with the words RAVENTHORN boldly written on it. The ship stretched nearly 80 feet from bow to stern with a towering mast that seemed to pierce the sky.
The hull of the ship gleamed with a metallic sheen that exuded an air of strength and malevolence; intricate rune scripts covered the hull of the ship, and they glowed faintly in the dark of dawn.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
Aodhán and Daruk, but most especially Aodhán, stared with wide eyes as they climbed onto the ship. People moved around the ship without sparing them a glance. Many of them were passengers who had boarded the ship, and Aodhán was surprised to see that most of them were Gishan, identified by their height and dark complexions.
The deck was noisy with the sounds of various passengers carrying the luggage and the shouts of the ship’s crew as they moved about, seemingly too busy to help anyone at the moment.
“Now boys, come with me; I’ve got a special cabin for the two of you.” Eldridge said as he grabbed their wrists once again, and a moment later, their invisibility fell away. A group of Gishan girls turned as they passed by them, but as one, they sniffed in disdain and turned away.
“Gishan women are always so dramatic.” Eldridge said with a shake of his head as he led them below deck and to a room that was so small that even Daruk had to bend to stay within it.
“I know it’s a little cramped, but it’s only for a few days; we’ll take a temporary stop at the 8th sector so you can stretch your legs by then.”
“Thank you.” Aodhán replied, and a moment later, they were left alone in the cramped space. He placed his bag on the floor and laid down, using the bag as a makeshift pillow, before he said to Daruk: “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“Yeah, I’m still reeling from the whole thing and processing it.”
“That is understandable.” Aodhán replied and asked. “Are you worried about your parents?”
Daruk sighed as he lay on the floor. “A little, but I know they’ll be fine. I’m more worried about us and this entire journey.”
“Yeah.” Aodhán nodded. “We’re flying blind.”
“Exactly!” Daruk exclaimed. “We have no idea what to expect when we reach the 5th sector or whether we’ll even be accepted into the academy.”
“We’ll be accepted; the trial process is only a little strict.”
“I know what you’re trying to do, but this is the 5th academy we’re talking about, the best in the kingdom; the trials are not just strict; they are rigorous.”
“Okay, maybe you’re right, but I’d rather take that chance than risk my life in the war.”
Daruk stared at Aodhán for a second before he sighed and grumbled. “And this affinity that I awakened, Raol, I hate it so much.”
Aodhán chuckled in response. “Don’t be ungrateful; many would kill to have what you do.”
“I know that, and I’m trying not to be, but I spent my entire life hoping for something else, you know.”
“I know.” Aodhán nodded. “But we all have to play the cards we’ve been dealt by fate, and trust me, there are fates much worse than that if an Earth awakened.”
“I know that too.” Daruk responded, and they lapsed into silence. It was an hour before the ship set sail, but by that time, both boys had fallen asleep.
….
The Warren.
Unrid.
Hours after Aodhán and Daruk had left the house, Unrid walked towards the mayor’s house for another meeting with Aldric in tow. Both wore nervous expressions as they walked through the dark corridors, led by the scholar, who threw curious glances at them from time to time.
Since the arrival of the army, the council has been having what they termed ‘private’ meetings, but the mayor had declared today’s meeting open, which meant the councilors were required to come with their attendants as usual.
Unrid had hoped the private meetings would continue till the day of the conscription; unfortunately, they hadn’t, so as they walked towards the door, Unrid mentally prepared himself for the inevitable questions that would arise as a result of Aodhán's absence.
Before long, they reached the enchanted door, and a moment later, Unrid was seated among the other council members, with Aldric standing behind him.
He’d gotten so used to Aodhán's quiet presence in these meetings that his absence now left him feeling horribly exposed. Even as he prayed that no one would ask about it, he knew his prayers would go unanswered.
As usual, the first person to pounce on him was Minerva, as she asked. “I must confess that I’ve gotten quite fond of your guest’s presence in these meetings; why isn’t he here today?"
Unrid stiffened and cursed the woman as his nerves intensified, but before they could overwhelm him, a feeling of calm blossomed within him, settling his nerves, and he mentally thanked Aldric for his help before replying. “Unfortunately, Aodhán will no longer be attending these meetings as he is no longer a guest of mine.”
Unrid had thought of lying to the council, but he’d later decided not to, as that would only intensify their ire when they eventually found out.
“What does that mean? I thought you took him as a son.” The mayor asked curiously, but before he could respond, Minerva interrupted and said, “Please tell me you had a falling out.”
“No, we didn’t.” Unrid replied. “Aodhán and Daruk left the village this morning; they no longer reside in the Warren.”
“What? They escaped?” The mayor exclaimed. “That is a serious crime, Unrid; we have to find them and punish them before the army finds out about this.”
“No.” Unrid replied with a vigorous shake of his head. “They didn’t escape; Aodhán isn’t truly a part of the village, so he retains the right to leave anytime he chooses.”
“Not when recruitments are ongoing.” Elora pointed out.
“What have you done?” Carvahl asked, although it was pretty obvious by now what he had done. “Are you telling us that you snuck your children out to help them avoid conscription?”
“I did what I had to do to protect my children.”
“Your actions have doomed us!” Tristan Boerhtsige shouted. He was the newest and seventh member of the council, and although he didn’t look much older than Aldric, he was actually in his thirties and had once been a student at the academy Aldric now attended.
Whether he was simply uninterested in advancing or he’d reached his limit, no one knew, but the fact that he hadn’t advanced above the 14th tier in years pointed towards the latter.
“Once the army finds out about this, they’ll punish the village for it, and Raol alone knows what they’ll do.” He finished, glaring at Unrid with unbridled hatred, which wasn’t too surprising as he was the elder brother of Darnathil, one of the hunters who had gotten killed in the Rithclaw incident.
“What more can they do? Reduce the conscription age to 14?” Elora scowled.
“This is not a joke!” Tristan shouted again, and Minerva shouted in response. “You don’t have to shout to get your points across; we can hear you perfectly!”
Before another argument could break out, the mayor shouted. “Enough everyone! This is not a matter that we can afford to take lightly.” He turned to Unrid before he continued. “As a council member, you are supposed to be a model to the villagers, but how can you ask the people to give away their children when you hide yours away?”
“I’m not a perfect man, Tenzin, and I never claimed to be.” Unrid replied with a shrug.
“The villagers will rebel when they find out that your children aren’t among the latest batch of recruits.” Calithen stated
“I wanted to protect my children.”
“You’re not the first to give your children to this war, Unrid.” Calithen responded harshly. “The mayor and I have given our children too."
“And none of them have returned,“ Unrid shot back in anger. “You have neither seen nor heard from them in over three years; their time in the military ended a year ago!”
“Still—” The mayor started, but Unrid interrupted with an agonized cry. “We are sending our children to be slaughtered like animals! You all know this! And for what? A war that benefits us in no way whatsoever.”
“That is not for us to decide, Unrid; we have no power here, and your actions have put the village in serious danger; therefore, you cannot go unpunished.” The mayor responded coldly.
There was a momentary beat of silence as the council members took in the mayor’s words, and a moment later, Minerva said: “I suggest a swift execution in the village square!”
“We are not savages, Minerva; we will not behead a man.” Calithen responded with a glare.
“Then banishment; that is even more appropriate considering the circumstances.” Tristan suggested.
“Silence!” The mayor shouted before he turned to Darwyn and commanded, “Take Unrid and his son to the waiting room while we discuss a suitable punishment for his crimes.”
Unrid was led to a room outside the meeting hall, where he and Aldric sat in tense silence and waited for the verdict of the council.
It took the council more than an hour to arrive at a decision, and when Unrid came before the council once again, the mayor declared.
“For the obstruction of military conscription as well as aiding and abetting the escape of soon-to-be conscripts, you are hereby stripped of your position as councilor and shall forfeit every benefit that comes with the position. You’re allowed to keep your house, but your family shall be stripped of it’s name, and from now henceforth, you shall be known as Unrid of Warren.“